Malawians are not stupid, Mr President – Malawi News column ‘Hitting the nail’
President Peter Mutharika has no right to call Malawians who criticise his sloppy leadership stupid.
We do it because we want the best for ourselves and our children. We do it because the Constitution, in the Bill of Rights, allows us to do so and we break no law in enjoying that freedom.
We do it because the President does not govern only his family or his relatives but all of us, the 17 million Malawians.
We do it because, while he governs us, he uses our hard earned tax which we pay under duress.
Simply put, we criticise the President because he is our employee and we have got a right to demand more from him, especially when it is quite apparent that he is a bad one at that.
The crux of the matter is that Peter Mutharika is in a fighting and bullish mood.
Nobody can blame him for it as he is seeing his political world crumbling around him due to his weak and lame duck leadership, debilitating incompetence, lack of development agenda and strategy, nepotism, tribalism, financial mismanagement and the list is endless.
Here is a man who is cornered and so he is prepared even to wade in waters of common political gossip about parties being bought for a price as if he is a regional governor or secretary general on a mission to impress an audience
If the President is not gossiping, then he is playing to the camera, calling Vice-President Saulos Chilima his son when the country knows the mess he has made of his relationship with his number two to the detriment of the nation after listening to the gossiping in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
But the bullishness he seems to revere in does not give him the right to call some of us who demand accountability from him stupid because we are not.
If he cannot take the criticism due to pressure, then he should resign and go back to teaching law in the US where we will leave him alone as he will be a private citizen.
The issue at hand is the nepotism that his government clearly and fragrantly practices.
Yet on arrival up North this week, eager to impress his audience, the President went on an offensive that he does not practice tribalism because he has appointed four Malawians from the region into the Cabinet.
He even had what he thought was an icing on the cake by saying he has also appointed Charles Mhango, who comes from Rumphi, as the Attorney General which he thought was proof enough that he does not favour his own region, the South.
The President even reminded us that his 20-member Cabinet does not have anybody from Thyolo, a district he comes from.
As usual, all this was meant to impress us and put to rest accusations that the DPP is nepotistic.
But, instead of just presenting the argument, the embattled President called his critics on the matter stupid.
This is what happens when somebody has lost an argument and has no case. He goes on the peripheries that have got nothing to do with the issue under discussion.
The fact that the President is able to count the number of Northerners in the Cabinet means there is a problem in the first place. Why did he not count members of his Cabinet from the South and then Centre to see whether there is a semblance of balance and proportionality.
Is the President aware that members of his Cabinet such as Francis Kasaila are on record that he cannot balance the Cabinet by appointing people from the regions where DPP did not do well in 2014?
Can the President check his last 10 appointments and ascertain whether the appointments were made on merit or based on origins. How many people has he appointed before Mhango and where do they come from?
Is he aware of what has happened at Escom, that tribesmen simply shared up the top positions there and resisted calls to advertise the positions after the unbundling of the state owned company?
Does the President know that some Malawians who are successful in interviews in State companies are failing to get the positions in the end after being vetted by the system and being labeled siwathu?
Should we, Malawians who want a fair society and demand an equitable share of the national cake, be labeled stupid after seeing these things?
No, Mr President, we are not stupid. We are simply asking for what is rightfully ours and we are living in a Malawi that treats all Malawians equally as the Constitution clearly stipulates.
Your government is blatantly nepotistic and tribalistic, Mr President.
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When both the corrupt Muthalikas ventured into Malawi after courageous Malawi nationalists such as Chihana and myriad of exiles opened the gates for them.These opportunists new that after the deaths of Masauko Chipembere,Orton Chirwa,Attati Mphakati,Yatuta Chisiza,Augustin Bwanausi,they could handle the remaining politicians to their advantage.Indeed,it worked for them,Muluzi became the first casualty to Bingu Wa Muthalika who campaigned for him successfully hence,the two frankensteins’monsters used their opportunities to their advantages because they knew that Malawians,were still sleeping.These two thieves and tribalists had in their minds to amass wealth before Malawians wokeup from their slumber.Before long,Bingu dipped his dirty hands into… Read more »
More power to your elbow, George Kasakula. You have hit the nail on the head. The DPP needs to change its name since it is anything but democratic. Might I suggest as a more realistic name ‘The Mutharika Family Party’.
Thank you George for telling the president the truth. I for one, wish you well for your courage to call a spade a spade. How I prayerfully wish Malawi was able to produce just a 1000 courageous sons and daughters. Malawi could have changed rapidly and our leaders could have learned to be accountable to the people. Unfortunately Malawi is full of hand clappers, praise singers, cowards etc etc.
Tell him least he thinks all is well. ameneyu abwelere ku uphunzitsi ngatidi anali mphunzitsi.
Go to hell guys