Dzuka Malawi: Dear Cabinet Members, Talk is cheap

Tonse Alliance election raised expectations. The country was going south, Tonse promised milk and honey. They likened a new Malawi as being the biblical land of Canaan. We all cheered, we all voted, I mean 2.6 million voted with their feet to get the Devils Propagation Programme (DPP) out of the Government.

The President, I mean Dr. Laz as I will call him throughout his term, started with a powerful speech. I have come to be a President for all Malawians. The speech some tried to tie to Abraham Lincolns statement, but in our living history, a speech that was almost equal to “Dream in Colour” speech the Republican’ third President Bingu wa Mutharika delivered in May 2004. Some said it sounded liberating as Dr. Kamuzu Banda’s 1958-I have come to break your stupid federation speech.

Then we had a Cabinet. Some trying to report on Facebook, some visiting factories or own establishment. Gospel Kazako promising MBC reform. Abida Mia shouting in Zomba. Roy Kachale defending his visit to a bakery and SKC having a litany of meetings with Ministers, Parastatals, speech about road traffic, sending back a few late comers and asking for punishment for delayed reports.

The problem I have with all this hullubabo, it does not represent the change we sought. I heard Agnes Nyalonje declare she will change education in Malawi. I asked is this “ vinyo the red wine” or “ I don’t take kachaso rhythm as the old Mapwiya from Goliati would say.

Ministers are trying hard to gain visibility. I read somewhere Khumbize Kandodo saying she talks Central Hospital directors on Covid everyday so they can manage the situation without reaching a crisis. I was surprised to read Kamuzu Central Hospital has no Covid space. Did Jonathan Ngoma fail to report, or the Minister like all others are sugar coating things they are not doing?

Take another example, Msungama the Minister responsible for Youth. He has been in the papers playing “jingo janga” (I don’t have the original name of the game) with Walter Nyamilandu. It had to take SKC to note that the Minister is more important as a Minister of Youth but they have no single programme area. SKC had to remind the Minister that 70% of the population is youthful and he needs to focus on them. Imagine Honourable Msungama’s first visit was to a football entity not 70% of the population like the good SKC reminded him that there is MWK75 billion for young people.

Then you have a Minister and his deputy writing a report on Facebook, where the two guzzle Government fuel and attend same programmes together across the country. Hon Kezzie Msukwa should be told Mrs Mia can be in office while he goes another direction and vice versa.

I imagine a convoy of Minister, Deputy, Personal Assistants, PS’s, Commissioners, Directors and their deputies all going to peep at Malawi Housing Corporation Project in Mzuzu. Fuel alone would be in excess of MWK2 million plus allowances. Does OPC or Cabinet Secretary not advise them.

Msukwa and Mia decided to add a spice- go an investigate land deals just like Kweni Patricia Kaliati telling  NGO’s in Blantyre- I will close you down. No Honourable Ministers, we are where we are today because of the same. The same attitude of micromanagement with MBC as a platform and no short term or long term goals.

The way Ministers have hit the road, no wonder they did not read their priority areas brief. So far only Comrade Timothy Mtambo seems he want to have an operational manual for his Ministry. Government departments are so individualistic and rarely connected, that in some cases you wonder it is the same Government. Bravo Comrade Mtambo, the only Minister with SKC who seem to know what they were appointed for and set the motion.

I wont talk much on the Minister of Home Affairs. But generally to all our selected Ministers, Malawians voted for Dr. Laz and SKC to see change in the way we do things. They don’t want to see you on TV telling us the Government of Dr. Laz. That we had the “wise and dynamic leadership” song for past six years. “Chiwongolelo” did two years, before that “Kasupe wa Chitukuko” after we had sang “Mwini matipate, agama Kuntunda.”

Please Cabinet Members, I care less about visibility. Talk is cheap. Competing to be in the media does not mean you are working. From Dr. Laz we expect to see less convoy, meritorious appointments (so far not encouraging), from SKC we want a long term development blue print, reformed public service, from Chimwendo we will know he is working when drug dealers in area 47 are locked, passport processing stops requiring bribes and Traffic police are off the road where they milk innocent motorists day in and day out. Driving some cars is considered a crime by Chimwendo boys from Area 30.

Agness Nyalonje will be well remembered if schools perform and quality of education improves, while Nancy Tembo will be a heroine if Chikangawa Forest, Chiweta, Chimaliro, Mchinji, Dzalanjama and many forest are restored and protected not the Makala circus all over, Newton Kambala will be thought to be transformative if poor Malawians have electricity. Rashid Gaffar bus sins will be forgotten if mining stops being a purview of the privileged not the people on the ground.

Manganya will be well regarded and even elected president if he can bring more tourists and create jobs and make the sector a key money maker. Muhammed Sidik Mia will be “godfather” if most infractructure is done and we stop paying bribes at road traffic, companies like Stadbag are given contracts to make our roads like Nkhatabay road.

Khumbize will be adored, if we defeat Covid, improve health care and invest in primary health care. Lobin Lowe will be a king if we can have food, more irrigation and never import fruits and vegetables again. Gospel’s gospel will be preached years to come if data can really fall not cosmetic make up, Access to information can be implemented and Government services digitised.

I can go on and on. Msungama will be a hero when the national youth quota in every place is implemented like the gender quota and young people have opportunities across the country. I can help him with the strategy. Kezzie Msukwa will be a hero if we can all get land not workers in City Council and Ministry of Lands who sale us on a tripled price.

Again, tell the Ministry of Local Government to implement proper decentralisation, the Ministry of Trade ensure fairness and protect Malawian business and the Ministry of Finance start implementing a quota for Malawian businesses to gain public contracts, reduce taxes for small businesses and control thieving banks.

If Ministers can stop travelling, talking, Facebooking and start implementing real stuff, we will have 10 million jobs not one million. So far as 9 August approaches, almost a month in office, I am seeing the same type of Ministerial approach- camera induced operations. Malawians voted for action not to continue being bothered by MBC. Can we have a week where Ministers are busy in office not galivanting without results! Dzukani anduna, we are in a different Malawi!

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