Malawi leader needs consultative leadership, not declarations to tackle Covid-19

April 18, 2020 Mike Fiko –Nyasa Times 21 Comments

So, the High Court in Lilongwe has, through an injunction by Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), stopped government’s move to effect a lockdown starting Saturday midnight after they  argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable of society.

A butcher cuts meat at his shop on the streets of an open-air market on the outskirts of Lilongwe. The government is looking to implement a 21-day coronavirus lockdown, which would close the country’s large markets.-Photo by AFP

My immediate reaction, of course, was to worry. In fact, I am worried.

I am worried because, though not 100 percent, lockdown is a preventive and mitigative measure we need now, as a country, to stop this steady spread of the virus.

This virus rides on mobility of the people. If we limit, not stop, human mobility, it becomes easy to contain its rapid spread.

Because of this, I was one of the people that supported President Peter Mutharika’s government when they announced the lockdown on Tuesday.

My argument was clear: Government must effect this lockdown; but, at the same time, they should put in place mechanisms that the poorest of the poor, who survives on daily hustles, must be protected and cushioned from the shocks resulting from the lockdown.

It’s clear that my argument was shared by many though not everybody was certain that government has, indeed, come up with measures to cushion the poor.

This is the reasoning at the heart of the decision by HRDC to seek an injunction stopping government from effecting the lockdown.

At the heart of this—something well reflected in mass demonstrations we have seen on Friday, is the fear that government will take a heavy hand to contain everybody, in fact, even tramping on those trying to survive.

It’s not easy to challenge this perspective because, we know, Mutharika’s government has been  a total disaster when it comes to winning public trust.

But I argue that we are in this continues fighting mood not because HRDC and opposition hates government; rather, the Peter Mutharika government continue to lead alone even at a time when we need all stakeholders in this fight.

Look at it this way.

When South African government officially went public to wage war against this pandemic, President Ramaphosa didn’t go alone.

He was franked by all opposition leaders and that was symbolic—its symbolizes unity of purpose among politicians.

It underlined that, in this challenge, we are together; we have a common sense of purpose. That is why, though most hit, South Africa is doing quite well, especially, with politicians coming together.

Not in Malawi. President Mutharika has been all alone in this fight. Chakwera and Chilima have also been all alone. Different messages, different approaches—not coordination. The fight against COVID-19 is not a DPP issue and neither is it an opposition or an HRDC issue. It’s a national issue.

And in this nation, we have one leader: President Mutharika. He should have been the first talking a consultative leadership approach in this fight by ensuring that every political leader is on board.

Mutharika’s quest of running a secluded leadership style is breeding suspicions and doubts. That is why we have these unnecessary court injunctions.

The good thing is that the court has granted a 7-Day injunction and I am sure it is deliberate by the courts to give Mutharika a chance to bring the entire nation into this challenge.

In these 7 days, Mutharika must prove his leadership mettle by ensuring that all key stakeholders are involved in this fight. We must all move together.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Follow us in Twitter

21 replies on “Malawi leader needs consultative leadership, not declarations to tackle Covid-19”

  1. Too militant and undiplomatic this APM. Poor fellow can’t see the writing on the wall.
    A nowhere man living in his nowhere land making out his nowhere plans for nobody.

  3. We need to understand that APM would not be president if it were not for his surname. He does not like making decisions, just like some people we may know from our work places, churches and families. Remember the Chancoll freedom saga? Instead of making a decision he went AWOL for a whole two months. The issue dragged on for almost a year. And he was the Minister of Education.

    Real power in this regime is in the hands of the ministers. While APM derives a lot of pleasure from BEING president, the ministers see their main objective as being to make as much money as possible for themselves, and their friends and families. With this in mind the ministers cannot invite “outsiders” to share in decision making even in a crisis. This would be equivalent to sharing resources. Each crisis is seen as an opportunity to steal even more money (remember the Zambia maize saga?). It’s also the reason why this regime very much wants the lockdown – it’s seen as the solution with the lowest cost to them. With a lockdown they can be seen to have done a grand gesture, and would not have to spend so much on testing, PPE, ventilators and medicines. Which other country has gone into a lockdown with such minimal testing? And does anyone really believe the cabinet does not know that the lockdown will cause more grief than the expected cure? They are Malawians, they know the situation in the slums and rural areas. It’s just pure greed driving them. If they really care about the well being of Malawians why are the hospitals in such a pitiful state? Why are so many Malawians without adequate food? Is Covid the only problem facing Malawians?

    1. Mau mau! Unfortunately Malawi has a very unpopular leadership style at the moment where as long as all is well for the ruling elite and close relatives and die-hard DPP supporters, it is business as usual whatever happens to the rest of the citizenry! Lord have mercy!

  5. At the heart of all this is money because DPP are known to be very greedy when issue are involving money. They dont want to share but eat among themselves. There is a video clip making round attacking Chisale but if you go deep you will find that the bottom line is money where Chisale is seen as being possessive of the president and accumulating wealth for himself. Chisale is one of the richest civil servants seconded by Munkhitho. Chisale has over 100 town houses, top of the range motor vehicles and he is able to donate millions to churches.

  6. Peter thinks he and janeare the smartest lawyers in the land. Let them harvest fruits of their arrogance!
    Malawians have been reduced to tenants on the extended Mutharika Estate.
    Any estate manager knows that you need reliable capitaos to be successful, not the likes of : Mchacha, Dausi, Ben Phiri, Vuwa, Ntaba,etc.
    I’m afraid things will not end well for peter and his jane….

  8. Mr Fiko, stop being so low like this Wawa, I don’t think your statement by saying the President was all alone fighting this pandemic is true and you have the Chakwera and Chilima in different, meaning they were having different direction but the same message.
    The President of this Country if at all we have, was supposed to be the one to ask for the other Political Leaders to join him, but what happened? It was the Leaders of the other Parties who started taking part in fighting of Covid19, do you know why?
    The President doesn’t know if he is indeed the President, all what he was waiting was to know what the Supreme court will say.
    Kuchitapo kanthu mochedwa pa zomwe wanva, zimatanthauza kuti wanva zinthuzo mochedwa.
    This is what happened, or the Government was planning how to hoodwink Malawians.
    Prove me wrong by giving food to the citizens.

  10. Asyene lyosi says truth have been said here unless the President did try to speak to opposition and business people and non governmental organizations and they were giving him the middle finger

  11. Constructively written; full of wise and free advice that all the hangers-on who were appointed as advisors (including the “self-appointed” ones) that surround our President, to heed and take on board as expected by all well-meaning Malawians. It is time to take a leaf out of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s book on how he has handled the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa. This is not the time to look and act clever by taking potshots at and bashing the opposition at the expense of poor Malawians!

  13. It is not many times we read good articles on this page. well said bro, I hope APM and al his arrogant cadets will listen and do as suggested.

    1. It is not an issue of MCP,UTM or MNDP ruling, it’s an issue of finding a solution to the problem we have as a nation….we need to sit down and collectively make a decision…If I may ask how do you solve problems in your family?

Comments are closed.