Mpatsa talks tough, donates K0.5m for cancer fight
Malawi’s renowned business magnate Jimmy Korea Mpatsa on Friday went to town criticising wasting the country’s resources for “useless expenditures” and gave a donation of K501, 000 to Chimaliro Women’s Group on its fundraising drive towards the fight against cancer in Malawi.
Mpatsa gave the donation during a dinner dance held at Sunbird Mount Soche in Blantyre on Friday as part of the fundraising initiative.
He was made honorary member of the Group and he also handed over his membership fee of K10, 000.00.
In presenting the K501, 000, Mpatsa said it was in “memory of Taska Dina Nyirenda” who died on Friday and was buried on Saturday.
Remarkable
Mpatsa commended Chimaliro group for its drive to save cancer patients in Malawi.
“This group could have chosen to spend their time gossiping of blaming the authorities for failure to take care of the cancer patients, but they did not. This group could have chosen to keep their money and resources, and utilize it for their own survival, during the current harsh economic climate, but they have not. Instead, they have chosen to use their money, their time and their resources in alleviating the plight of others. For this selfless act, I applaud you my dear sisters,” said Mpatsa.
“It is said a remarkable person is one who takes to heart the plight of others. The Chimaliro Women’s Group are a remarkable lot. Their achievements in their short time of existence are extraordinary.
“Who hasn’t heard of assistance they have been rendering to the people of Chiswe village? Who hasn’t heard the smiles they brought to the patients of Mulanje district hospital and the Queen Elizabeth central hospital? I can go on and on but suffice to say my dear sisters, I take my hat off for you. I pray that God continues to guide you, so that more people can benefit from your generosity,” he said.
Mpatsa described the group’s current mission as the most challenging.
He said one has to visit Queens referral Hospital in Blantyre city to “ appreciate the large number of cancer patients, who are crammed in the tiniest of spaces, to seek help.”
Wasteful
“The sad thing is, it need not be this way. Ours is a country that is endowed with many resources but these are largely being wasted on useless expenditures that have no relevance to the majority of our people. How can we continue spending our public funds on luxury cars before we acquire medicine for the sick? How can we waste our public resources, on people who spend hours on end, insulting each other in a house called parliament, before we procure for our hospitals?”
He also added his voice to chorus of criticising lawmakers for agreeing to increase their salaries when the country is facing economic challenges.
“Indeed, how can we give our so called honourable members of parliament, drums of fuel every month, when our ambulances are failing to ferry the sick to hospitals due to lack of fuel? And yet these people we are failing to assist, are the ones who have and continue to contribute towards the development of our country,” he said.
First Lady
Mpatsa said he was optimistic that Chimaliro women’s group initiative will be a great success because it is spearheaded by women.
“I have this confidence, in appreciation of the fact that for any meaningful development to take place, it requires the hand of a woman. This starts at the household level; it is the same at the village level and all the way to the national level.”
He added: “When you hear of people say ‘That is good family’, be rest assured that in that family there is a good woman. I have yet to come across a family, that is described as a model family, where the wife was arrogant, rude and self centred. It is a woman who builds a family, a village and a community.”
Mpatsa said he could not have been successful in life if he didn’t have a good wife beside him, hailing his wife Diana.
“My only regret is that I failed to make her First Lady of this country. Had this happened, this country would have experienced what it means, to have a First Lady that is, and behaves like’ one of us’, a First Lady who buys her own groceries and drives her own car. A First Lady who uses her family treasures to help the needy,” he said attracting applauds.
Lessons from Arab spring
He advised the group to ensure always that they have a unity of purpose.
“In life where people unite they achieve great things,” he said.
“In Libya, the people who started gathering at the town square, had nothing to fight the dictatorial regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. All they had was unity of purpose . On the contrary,Gadaffi and his government had everything. They had the money, and they had the guns and other lethal weapons. I repeat the people had nothing, except their will. And their unity of purpose. And in the end, the people prevailed over the guns,” said Mpatsa.
“We have seen similar examples in Tunisia and Egypt. Let us therefore take a cue from these examples and unite, in our endeavour to assist the less fortunate members of our society. Let us unite to eradicate poverty. If we have unity of purpose we will not fail, we cannot fail.”
He told the women that United States President Barrack Obama coined a nice phrase which says “Yes, we can “but he said “I ask you to improve on this and always say’ Yes, we will’.”
Advice
Mpatsa said the women group has started “extremely well” but advised the group not to lose focus, saying “in life, we are not judged by what we start, but by what we finish.”
He said: “President Bingu wa Mutharika had a faultless first term, but today he is being remembered for the long fuel queues and the shortage of forex and other essential commodities. He started the great idea of developing an inland port in Nsanje, but today all people are noticing is a non functioning chunk of cement that was to be our port. It is therefore important that you spare no effort, to see this project to its successful completion.”
Chimaliro Women’s Group comprises professional women and ‘house executives’ from Chigumula Township in the city of Blantyre. It was set up in 2006 initially to deal with social and economic issues among the community.
The women’s group is now a fully-fledged charitable organization.
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