Not just for Ansah but a struggle for Malawi’s very soul
The demonstrations that are wrecking havoc in the country are not only about Jane Ansah. She has just become the symbol of a struggle that has been bubbling on like volcanic larva without release. It’s a struggle for a livelihood, for jobs, for food, for better governance, for justice, for equality, for a sense of identity. It is also a struggle for deleting a system that serves the few at the expense of the many. This is a struggle for Malawi’s very soul.
More than half of those people demonstrating have lived on the edge of society for years and have since tipped into the abyss since multiparty. These are ones that spend their days loitering the streets, sell a packet of matches on the street for a living, those who spend their days wandering around the banks just to watch those who are inside upper society cash their cheques. These are the ones that pick up left overs from the bins outside restaurants. They have no tomorrow to talk of. What they break is useless to them.
You can not tell these people to stop breaking things that mean nothing to them. Those things you think are precious and should not be broken may as well be the dirt you walk on. Irrelevant and unattainable to them.
These are the people, who won’t get treatment in hospital, who will be locked up for years without trial, and whose kids will be given trees for class rooms . The ferocity of these demos should surprise no one. When government after government takes care of less than 1% of the people and trusts them like royalty, they ends up brewing an angry 99%.
We have to drastically change how we govern ourselves. The poor have had enough. The recent developments are very disturbing.
The middle class are armchair philosophers and cowards: all of Malawi’s revolutions have been brought by the marginalized and poor, right from rhe struggle for independence to 1993, to the 3rd term bill, through July 20, 2011 to now… If Malawi depended on the middle class who write on this website stupid pontifications, it would be permanently doomed.
Paul Kagame realized this: if we don’t uplift the majority, they will come for our limbs and blood. Tell that to your stupid professor asshole. The hordes are coming.
Mwachidule a Malawi atopa ndi mtudzu wa DPP ndiye wina nkumati yapambananso ooooh! Kwaipa ku Malawi moto buuuuu! Replay ya 1993 kuchotsa petrol chotsaaaa!
a cynthia phili welengani articleyi kapena ndinu mmodzi mudaachonaso mwazapeza yoomola omola. apatu ndi pitala ndi side kick wake jeni OUT
Just as you cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs, so you cannot bring about major changes to a government without revolution. The people have had enough of oppression and bad government. They demand change, a change for the better that will include them. Government by the few to the detriment of the many is wrong. The people are demonstrating in an attempt to right this wrong. Power to the People!
This is a biased article, that paints the government in a poor light, surely written by a UTM or MCP supporter.
Brilliant observation!!!
Fuck u cowards. Zitsilu zofuna kumangodya zokha inu
Good writing!The poor people will always hit hard on the capitalists please GOVT do something by firing her
Very true. Someone I can not remember once said, “Justice is not normally voluntarily granted by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed”. If you listen to the arguments being advanced by the majority of the people taking part in the demos, you will realize that they have more issues than what the organizers of the demos have in mind, covering a much longer period than you think. Are you surprised with what is happening? Well, I am not.
Very true. Someone I can not remember once said, and I quote: “Justice is not normally voluntarily granted by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed”. If you listen attentively to the arguments being advanced by the majority of the people who are demonstrating, you will realize that they have more issues than what the organizers of the demonstrations had in mind. Are you surprised with what is happening? I am not.
Those who are destroying other peoples property GOD wanna take revenge as the Bible says it is mine to avenge
well said,but these crooks so called leaders are just ignorrant of that.
Thandie,
This is a very well articulated commentary. You have succinctly and concisely analysed what is at the heart of these demonstrations. Well done and thank you.
These demonstrations are more than Jane Ansah. This is Malawi coming to boil following years of plunder, arrogance and impunity by mostly a tribal ruling elite who only care about their positions at the expense of the country. And because they only care about their positions and the wealth and privilege those positions give them, they are prepared to win and cling to power at any cost.
During the campaign , Peter Muthalika on many occasions said, he could not allow ‘MCP’ to come back into power as if he was going to do the country a favour by doing that….I found those words worrying in a democratic dispensation. Frustrating electoral reforms was part of the scheme to keep the opposition from winning. And because opposition is traditionally dominated by parties whose strongholds are in the central and northern regions, the subtext of Peter Muthalika’s words and what is openly said by the arrogant ruling elites, and in hushed tones by their enablers or those with a vested interest is that, POWER SHOULD REMAIN IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. Surely, we cannot continue guarantee peace of our country when only people from a certain region can have a chance of becoming president of this country and when to that end elections are at every turn rigged to support that imperative.
So yes, these demonstrations are about more than Jane Ansah and that indeed she is the poster girl for the pent up anger of the populace. Unfortunately, the demonstrations despite the peaceful intent, are causing damage to property and economic destruction. As selfish and bad as it may sound, this is necessary collateral damage and unless Peter Muthalika listens and demonstrates leadership and for the love of the country does the right thing, the country will burn and costs will continue to increase.
People if you keep on, you will win. Dr Banda, Mugabe and Gaddafi were more powerful than the Peter you are talking about hear, but where are they. When people stood up and mean what they said, they all left the seat, some in honor and some in disgrace.
PAC has already stated after some consultations that there is more to it than Jane Ansah. if authorities don’t listen a Revolution or Disaster is imminent. The Thieving/Corruption by the few Elite at the expense of the Poor majority has reached boiling point. By rejecting the 50+1 amendment in parliament has enhanced this revolution. Another reason for prolonging Demos is already on the table. Drastic reforms have to be implemented ASAP to avoid Disaster.
THANDI ,,,,,NDAKUFILA ZEDI NDI ARTICLE IYI
ANTHU ENA AKUSOCHERETSA ANTHU NKUMATI IYAYI MA DEMO AKUONONGA NO NO
WE ARE FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE FOR ALL
Thandie, you were one of the analysts who predicted that a divided opposition could not beat the ruling DPP. The prediction just came true but it seems you are finding it hard to believe it yourself. Remember that the DPP is not claiming majority of the votes and it is obviously not the case. But our current laws does not require a party to have more than 50% of the votes to be named the winner. This is not the fault of Jane Ansah but rather of the framing of the constitution. Let’s work together to change that law to avoid a repeat of this anomally.
Many people worried about a divided opposition because we believed that the elections were going to be better managed this time around. As it turns out, we were wrong. We should have been worrying about TIPPEX and not a divided opposition. Despite a divided opposition, the DPP still procured TIPPEX just in case and when it mattered, TIPPEX came in handy.
Well said and spot-on. I salute you, unlike the Kwete Sande analysis. I is an excellent analysis of the discourse, with a balanced view – highlighting the root cause of the problem – the rotten and corrupt means of getting to power and in the end fail to deliver to the people that they have conned. Keep up the good work. Truth and honesty should prevail in the Malawian politics.
Thandie, this is a good article. However to tarnish the image of Jane Ansah in the name of having had enough is not a solution. The obvious issue here is that we have a government that is not popular by the majority, and this is not due to Jane Ansah but rather the formation of our laws. It could be more sensible if well meaning Malawians including yourself started pressing for a review of the laws for the 50+1 which will ensure that the winning party is popular by the majority.
Yes – Not everyone will understand the value of the property they are damaging. But just because they do not understand it does not justify the barbaric act. Remember that some of the property being destroyed is hard earned by some hardworking Malawian businessmen/women who are enduring tough economic conditions and paying heavy taxes to stay afloat. You do not want to add the misery of destroying their capital which will not even be covered by insurance. These businesses being destroyed are the backbone of the economy providing employment and taxes which pay for the social services provided to the ‘poor’ by the government. And if you were a foreign investor, would you want to risk your capital in a country where someone will just destroy in seconds?
Thandie, there is no justication to barbarism and destruction of private property. Let’s find better means of expressing our anger. Some of these 1% we are talking of today started as ordinary people but worked their way into extraordinary. Let’s not penalize them for that. The nation belongs to us all. Let’s change this country for the better.
Iwe Analyst, Thandie is right on point. Barbarism is caused by the few greedy and opportunistic elite when they want to perpetually oppress the poor majority. Look everywhere, in history, you will find out that this vice of the elite has been the cause for revolutions the world over. Jane Ansah is the symbol of this oppressive elite in Malawi. Full stop!
Calm down Baba. You are entitled to your opinion.
Very Sad – but true
Yes,our struggle is not only about Jane Madando Ansah but a whole rotten system governing our country, a system that is comprised of persons like Jane herself, we have to overhaul the whole engine system if our country is to develop for the betterment of future generations
Well articulated article…
This is a very strong message to those intending to lead Malawi. Enough is enough, pay a deaf ear to it and one day it will be over. Thandie has sum up everything here
You have nailed it my friend.
Thandie thanks for this article and for seeing things in this way. Ali ndi makutu amve
These are the real protesters. The ones with stones and bottles. The ones who just want their kadansana. The ones that want a 21in screen TV. These are the real protesters. And I ‘feel’ them.