My Take On It:  Malawi! Oh my Malawi, where is your love?

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”– John 13:34-35

Malawi woke up to the rude shock this week when Football Association of Malawi  president Walter Nyamirandu Manda lost his FIFA Council seat in elections to a Nigerian competitor. This bombshell hit hard in our proverbial stomachs, but only among few Malawians. While I was instantly saddened at Malawi losing this international seat, the majority of Malawians were in celebration mode. At every encounter of the celebrating countryfolk, my cry was Oh Malawi, my Malawi, where is your love!” Malawians are heavily allergic to other Malawians doing well, working on foreign countries.

Nyamilandu: It has not occurred to Malawians, that Walter’s loss, is Malawi’s loss

The celebrants, it appears the out-going FIFA Council member, were unhappy with Walter’s handling of local football, accusing him of dragging the game of football to unforgivable levels during his team as FAM president. Heaped on the FAM president is the issue of theft of gate takings at major stadium during matches. Low gate takings led to poor collections by teams and players; this led to general apathy and low morale. For good measure, the fact that Walter was pocketing K16m a month did not help move the needle toward sympathy for him.

In his support however, on the money issue, it is hard to imagine Walter going to the stadiums with a bag collecting gate takings. As for the K16m monthly, as with every Malawian employed outside the country, this is a great boost to the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Lastly it is hard to connect the international and local representative roles  played by Walter.

One defender for Walter wrote that “we should never tell our children being Malawian comes first. it does not. We are a nation that celebrates  when one of our own, Walter, is floored in FIFA council elections.”

Maganga, continued by saying that he saw people boisterously celebrating Walter’s loss of the plush international position. Wow, Malawians can celebrate. He lamented that it has not occurred to Malawians, that Walter’s loss, is Malawi’s loss. As Walter sat on that seat, Malawi’s flag was raised.

Maganga also believes that there is a bigger picture; that the animosity about Walter is “not about Malawian football. It’s about  a Malawian of a different political colour.” A close second is the love for the fall of any Malawian. Malawians “are a people who celebrate when a friend loses a job or find themselves in a trouble.”

As Malawians celebrate Walter’s FIFA Council seat, they are in essence celebrating Amaju Pinnick of Nigeria win. Is it really still more satisfying when a Malawian loses his/her job? Is it a normal thing to do to attempt to interfere with a fellow Malawian’s service in another country? It is sad to report that Malawians celebrating other Malawians in international jobs or positions, has not started with Walter’s FIFA fall. Three examples highlight the manner of Malawians toward their compatriots that hold international positions.

Former president Bingu wa Mutharika was CEO of the hugely successful pan-African COMESA. Because he had the audacity to challenge the UDF by establishing his UP political party, once in power, UDF orchestrated Mutharika’s ousting from the organization that has 21 countries from north, east, and southern Africa. He was removed at the agitation of his fellow Malawians. Ironically, Bingu was the only person that Bakili Muluzi hand-picked to be the candidate to replace him.

The late Maria Chidzanja Nkhoma, was a former MBC employee, who was working for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). After driving Maria out of the country by the new democratic government that had filled the national broadcaster with party loyalists, a cabinet minister hounded the SABC to dismiss Maria and other Malawian broadcasters they were anti Malawi government. The SABC snubbed this ministerial request.

Encouraged by then Ministry of Gender PS Mrs. Esnath Kaliyati, I worked with media women to form the Malawi media Women’s Association (MAMWA). Further encouraged by Ma Mavis Moyo (chairwoman of the SADC Media Women’s Association), I commandeered the MAMWA and secured UNESCO funds to establish a community radio station for women.

These two steps accomplished, led to my getting an invitation at a global association of broadcasters conference held in Zimbabwe. At the conference my fellow SADC colleagues and I worked through the night negotiating and exchanging promissory support. The end result of all night canvasing secured for SADC getting five members of the six slots for Africa. Among the five members were Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.

But my position on the position was short-lived. Unhappy with a non-UDF person at the helm of an association that owns a community radio station, a cabinet minister gave female broadcasters money to join MAMWA; the next day the new members called for a meeting to hold a vote of no confidence, which managed to oust me out of an association I had created and ousted from coordinating the management of the community radio funded by UNESCO. The forced vote resulted in Patricia Chipungu Todi becoming the new chairperson.

The highpoint of this politically motivated and engineered coup d’état was the new MAMWA chairperson writing the world broadcaster association requesting them to have me removed from the global committee. The reason given for the awkward request was due to the fact that I was no longer chair of MAMWA. The secretariate attempted to no avail that my selection was on account of my contribution to and promotion of community radio culture in Malawi. The new chair and her association insisted.

My removal from the global association led to South Africa having two members on the global broadcaster association.

In appreciating Walter Nyamilandu, the former IG Loti Dzonzi wrote:

“You dared and won. For three years you pursued you dream in FIFA. You have left footprints in the sands of time. You have not failed. You have battle scars, that is a sign of bravery. You have made history country man. You have placed Malawi and Malawi football on the map. Walk with you head high because you are an achiever.”

Oh Malawi, my Malawi, where is your love!

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Mzozodo
Mzozodo
3 years ago

Nkhani za Bingu and COMESA anthu mumanamizidwa bwanji?

Dausee
Dausee
3 years ago

Anybody who supports or commiserates with this goon called Walter is very selfish and is an idiot!

Walter is responsible for the retrogression of football in Malawi. As for his fall he said it himself that it was now time to go back to raising the bar in Malawi. What does that mean? It means that during his tenure at FIFA he had abandoned local football.

He even organised thugs to beat up his main opponent Mwenda at the last elections. Akagwere!

You mad
You mad
3 years ago

I understand that most football lovers celebrated because our country football hasn’t progressed during his tenure. Malawi national team is now the best punching bag in the world.Secondly because he is involved in politics and who cares about his 16million salary? As if he shares with everyone? Shit happens,atleast he is rich and educated and he can’t starve like most of us. Rest well bra..

Magufuli
3 years ago

Janet, I’m even crying when reading your article. This is a mindset that must be removed from Malawians. Malawians are full of hate and envy. When I read about comments from social media, it’s all about attacking prosperous fellow Malawians. I don’t know ifthese educated young savages still want Malawi to go back to colonialism. They too much trust in someone they don’t know than their own. No matter what differences we might have, we must support each other against foreigner. Likewise, we must support African against European. Look at the attacks of Bushiri, it’s Malawians making lots of noise… Read more »

Lameck
Lameck
3 years ago

Walter made the mistake of associating football with politics. So those people who were rejoicing were doing so because of Walter’s political affiliation. As for Bingu and you being ousted from those international bodies it was sheer malice from the ousters and its sad but don’t expect a lot of people to feel sorry for my comrade Walter on his loss political affiliation is at play. That is why FIFA is adamant that football and politics should not be mixed

Mzozodo
Mzozodo
3 years ago
Reply to  Lameck

Bingu was summarily dismissed for refusing to attend disciplinary hearing

Lameck
Lameck
3 years ago

Wa a Kambwiri

Joe
Joe
3 years ago

Walter out. Out out. This article is propagating selfishness and its tribalistic. So i should be sad because my fellow malawian lost deservedly? No. At a national level timati we are all malawians and should not draw tribal lines not so? At africa level tiziti ndife amalawi tizikondana. Are we not hypocrites? The bigger picture should be to let the best candidate win. Full stop. Walter is a bad footbal administrator locally and dont need to kill football at that regional level. Enough is enough.

Wamasokosi
Wamasokosi
3 years ago
Reply to  Joe

You have a good point but I don’t agree. I think when our Malawi 🇲🇼 flag is involved, we ought to celebrate each other’s success. Tribes have no flag Bro.

Kingsley Jika
Kingsley Jika
3 years ago

Thank GOD; at least Malawi has people like you. I don’t know what this nation could have become had it had a thousand hearts with this reasoning. I’ve learnt quite a lot from this.

Wamasokosi
Wamasokosi
3 years ago
Reply to  Kingsley Jika

You make an excellent point Kingsley Jika. Landilani ulema wanu.

Malawi Timkonde
Malawi Timkonde
3 years ago
Reply to  Kingsley Jika

You just don’t know the man Walter quite well

wakalekale
3 years ago

Football is one of the fields in which the rule, ‘let the best win’ applies. Ever heard the history of Cristiano Ronaldo? It was his friend who acknowledged that you are better than me and let the opportunity to play professional go to first and not me. If I ask you to mention top 5 soccer players in the world today, will you include Malawian players at the expense of Mesi, Ronaldo, Mbappe, Neymer, Mane, Derbuny, Hazard, Steerling etc just because you are Malawian? No, if you love soccer surely you know that current Malawian players can not make it… Read more »

Kaude
Kaude
3 years ago
Reply to  wakalekale

where did the nigerian play. First time to hear his name

Nyangwita Sr.
3 years ago

There are several aspects to this ‘story’. But, the Malawians who were celebrating Walter’s loss have a point. I don’t know them but i have heard about Walter as someone in football. My point is that even when there is a death, some will cry and some will ‘celebrate’. I worry about the hundreds of thousands of pit latrines scattered across this country. But at the same time I enjoy my cappuccino at Mugg&Bean. …[……Bingu died whilst he had bags of US Dollars under his bed. I cannot forget this. And yet some respect him.] ………the cafe is open now.… Read more »

Justice for all
Justice for all
3 years ago
Reply to  Nyangwita Sr.

U are a comedian u made my day let’s go for cuppacino as u said

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