Malawians are going to choose people with ideas in 2019

As Malawians are heading for elections in 2019, the political landscape is getting active.  Political parties are busy reorganising and identifying prospective candidates to stand on the party tickets.  Political rallies, too, are all over.  Their main agenda is to sell party ideals to the electorate.

Protesters on April 27.

The importance of 2019 elections cannot be overemphasised. Take it or leave it, 2019 will be a turning point to a better Malawi for all.  It is not a secret that people in Malawi have indeed suffered under President Peter Mutharika’s policies and governance.  Imagine, all the sectors of government even fail to use collective ideas within the system. For example, due to shortage of power supply generation the government procured some gensets to beef up the power supply.  Before long, the government complained about the very high costs of running the gensets.  It is surprising that the whole government can blindly procure gensets without knowing the running costs?

One cannot be completely wrong to suggest that this was a one-man decision and probably no technocrat or engineer was involved. If this was the case, the President must be reminded that Malawi is no longer a dictatorship, where decisions to run the country are from one person with power.

Meanwhile, it makes a lot of sense that before the gensets were procured the government should have gotten full information about them. Failing which, it is what it is now.  Taxpayers’ money has been senselessly wasted.

So far, the bottom line to the problems Malawi is facing is that those people with power have no idea, while those without power have ideas, which cannot be taken on board of governance.  President Mutharika likes talking in general terms that this country has seen a lot of development under his leadership, especially on road construction. Sadly, his idea of development seems to be different from the rest of Malawians, most of whom think if there is any development the lives of people at the grassroots must improve. Leaders must know that people’s needs are very basic.  They should be able to access fertiliser to grow enough crops for food. and surplus for sale.  Government must provide markets within reach.  Schools for children must be of acceptable standards, not shacks.

Hospitals must have medicines and enough trained staff. The list of basic need goes on and all this under the Mutharika government is far from being achieved.  Then, when he talks about his development is just a mockery to the poor Malawians. While the President is proud of the road construction under his government, there are drawbacks. Some of the roads are of substandard and some cannot even last for six months.

In addition, most of the roads are done in piece-meal style, whereby when the road is finally finished, half of it needs redoing.  In short, there is no work done. To crown it all, the Mutharika government has no idea to stop corruption, nepotism, regionalism, stealing in government, insecurity—especially about the killing of albinos, etc. Why the President fails to invite other people to put their heads together to find solutions to all these problems, he knows better.

Prof. Patrick Lumumba of Kenya once said: “It is so amazing that most of the electoral [systems]in Africa prefer people without ideas to be in power”.  Malawi is not an exception, and it has learnt lessons the hard way, with clueless people in power.  One can only hope that Malawians are going to choose people with ideas in 2019. Failing which, and repeating the same clueless leaders, the country will be doomed.

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Sekanawo
Sekanawo
5 years ago

Wanangwa thank for contribution, but am totally complicated with ur sentiment, ur not agree what the writer said right? And at the same tym u give credit the people’s republic of Rwanda for remarkable development just soon after 1996 genocide that claims millions of lives. So if u look at the time flame there” u w’ll notice that it’s three years earlier Malawi embark multiparty err. But we still off track from the countries that are jst developing despite being peace country. And u also say Malawians we’re busy hearsay rather than working with government! Ar u kidding me? And… Read more »

Thitherward
Thitherward
5 years ago

Here’s an idea: why don’t we take tribal rivalry out of politics by giving it a more legitimate role. How about traditional sports competitions. We could have canoe races, spear throwing, archery, bare-foot running, etc. We could all dress in our traditional clothes. and enjoy a calabash of sheki-sheki together when it is all over.

This would also encourage tourism.

Napoleon
Napoleon
5 years ago

If wishes were 🐎 🐎 🐴. DPP will push over any political party. The writer should look back from John Tembo, Gwanda Chakwamba and Chakwera himself , will no that nothing good will come from MCP. It is a cursed party, nothing changes it , it will remain a cursed party for ever.

Wanangwa
Wanangwa
5 years ago

The greatest problem to have ever existed with Malawians is to point fingers without having an alternative solutions. Lies and hearsay mongering is all part and parcel of everyday life. If the citizenry can change this attitude, the country can embark on a developmental path with the assistance of a reasonable leadership of a democratic govt. Fifty four years but the country is still one of the poorest.who do you blame? The masses themselves including you the writer. Looking for divine intervention will never come as people anticipate.Start thinking new and there is nothing impossible. Rwanda has just done it,… Read more »

TEACHER
TEACHER
5 years ago

WHEN PETER WAS ELECTED -IT TOOK HIM MONTHS TO COME UP
WITH A TEAM OF MINISTERS !!

PEOPLE STARTED ASKING QS !!

SO IT WAS REPORTED IN
VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS THAT PETER
WAS BUSY IN THE DRAWING TABLE /PREPARING WELL COOKED PORRIDGE FOR THE PEOPLE OF MALAWI !!

OR HE WANTED TO COME UP
WITH TECHNOCRATS WHO CAN
CHANGE THE COUNTRY TO
THE HIGHEST STANDARDS

UNFORTUNATELY THOSE TECHNOCRATS HAVE GOOFED
MISERABLY

#DzukaniAmalawi
#DzukaniAmalawi
5 years ago
Reply to  TEACHER

DPP has created the most complex looting machinery in the world that even the most sophisticated financial control system wouldn’t be able to detect. I must say that Peter Mutharika was a quick learner. He was so inept and incompetent as a politician when he started but he picked up the game and learned the rules so quickly as a true professor. When he was elected into power, he bent the very rules he mastered, for his own gain. He carefully selected and appointed his cronies and bootlickers who were high qualified but lacking in morals and ethics, to do… Read more »

Nick
Nick
5 years ago

Add an A. DPP might have created a good money laundering system but DAPP are the best which might explain why they are still welcomed by The Malawian government and many other poor and corrupt countries. The people are being financially shafted left right a d centre. Check http://www.tvindalert. http://www.clothingbincult http://Www.planetaidalert. Humana alert. TGPacifico. Etc etc trillions of dollars of aid gone missing over 40 years

#DzukaniAmalawi
#DzukaniAmalawi
5 years ago

Only 20% of the voting population is able to dissect, unpack and analyse socio-economic and political challenges Malawi is currently facing. Only they are able to connect the dots of poverty and suffering to poor political leadership. The rest of us 80% have no clue how politics is defining our life situation (poverty, hunger, unemployment, rule of law etc). These are people who have as much power as the the other 20% at least as far as votes are concerned. Kamuzu, Muluzi, Bingu, Joyce and now Peter all know this. Therefore they have modified, smartly so, their messaging to resonate… Read more »

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