Ntata’s Uncommon Sense: Should Malawi be led by foreigners to succeed, Chakwera’s logic flawed
On the offensive and seeking to make a statement that can make waves in similar manner to Peter Mutharika’s “ton of bricks” and Saulos Chilima’s “mwambi walero”, leader of opposition Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, PhD. enunciated an astonishing controversial statement. Speaking on the issue of the government’s failure to fight corruption, Chakwera suggested that the job of Anit Corruption Bureau (ACB) director should be open to any qualified individuals including non-Malawians.
The statement as headlined in the media suggested that the MCP leader was so frustrated with ACB incapability and so keen on seeing some progress in the corruption fight that he believes having a non-Malawian leading that organization could be the answer. Malawian headsof that organization, surmised Chakwera, have essentially all proved to be too prone to bow to executive interference. A foreigner, a non-Malawian would be more independent, and corruption would be eliminated. That, folks, seems to be the gospel according Reverend Chakwera PhD.
Chakwera’s logic is obviously flawed.
The root cause of ACB ineffectiveness is not the fact that it is led by Malawians, but the fact that the rotten Malawian governance framework makes it possible for our so-called ruling parties and especially the executive to interfere with the independence of institutions and government departments that need to be independent for our democracy to function properly. The dangerous progression of Chakwera’s logic would see us thinking that the Malawi Police Service, MACRA, and even MRA should all be headed by foreigners as a solution to executive interference.
Chakwera’s thinking is strange indeed for a man aspiring for the presidency! The solution to the failures in Malawi’s various institutions is to simply open up the leadership of those institutions to foreigners?What does this say about the greatest failure of all in this country- that of the presidency, the very position Chakwera himself is eagerly aspiring for?
The evidence, gleaned from the issue that president Peter Mutharika prioritized to address on his return from UNGA, is that against all common sense, in a demonstration of a regrettable disconnect from what really matters to the people, Our President is more concerned about Malawians demonstrating about their grievances than addressing the problems that are causing those demonstrations.
To Peter Mutharika, no one should protest or even raise a whimper when his administration seems determined to misgovern and keep misgoverning Malawi until the country is buried six feet deep, as a result of the unchecked corruption, blatant nepotism and poverty of leadership.
As many others have said elsewhere, perhaps it would have been better if the country was running on autopilot because on autopilot, technology takes over while unmanned as Malawi is, gravity brings everything down.
Ours is a case where the pilot has abandoned the cockpit 30,000meters above sea level, to make merry in the business class while seeking more affluent party space – without engaging the plane on autopilot – leaving us all in grave danger.
The result is a president ignorant of happenings in his own country, in his own administration and worse, even in his own cabinet. How can he follow developments having relinquished control of the cockpit, where all the control apps and informatics are?
This is why no amount of window-dressing is succeeding to camouflage Mutharika’s failures, his unfitness for purpose, and his party’s addiction to greed.
CouldDrChakwera PhD. be the solution to this tragedy then?Should we go back to being ruled by foreigners. Is it perhaps time to forfeit our so-called independence and return to colonial days?
The question I often get after many of my ominous diagnoses such as this one is, ‘Z. Allan, sure you can talk and you’re right, but so what? What’s next?’
For answers, let us look to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), and its preoccupation with regime change.
NIB’s nightmare, knowing as it does the wide-ranging discontent that Mutharika has bred, is regime change. Now, assuming NIB is right, then we all ought to help NIB’s machinationsbecome real by giving this matter some serious thought.
Let’s face it. Without regime change, we are licensing the DPP to continue with its bad governance programme until 2099 (as one misguided DPP podium boot-licker put it). If we allow this to happen, then we are indeed the daftest species plying the earth.
The question is no longer whether those protesting mediocrity really want regime change, no. This is a foregone conclusion.
The question at hand is: once we get rid of Mutharika today, who should come next? To whom can we look for help and hope? Indeed it is when one looks at those aspiring for the presidency, or the parties interested in displacing the DPP, that the headache begins.
I wish I could, here and now, declare: “Ladies and Gentlemen, let us look to the Leader of Opposition, Dr Lazarus Chakwera and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP)”.
But how can I? That statement about opening important institutional jobs to foreigners is a last straw on a pile of many suspicious moves and leadership failures on his part that I would caution all serious Malawians to be very afraid of this man.
I wish I could, right now, declare: “Ladies and Countrymen, our hope lies in ‘Dr’ Joyce Banda (honorary PhD).”
Sadly, this is equally unfeasible.
Let me put it this way. No one can run a political party like a Church, just as a Church cannot be run like a party. Politics and religious issues – where people follow blindly – are different. The Peoples Party (PP) is a virtual non-starter. Even from planet Mars you can surmise that in spite of all Joyce Banda’s noisemaking n the eastern region,that party is virtually dead.
As for Atupele Muluzi, forget him. Ever since he pirated Siku Motors’ motto: ‘Here today, There tomorrow’, only the people directly benefitting from his see-saw politics take him seriously. Now there is even a rumor of him being appointed as second Vice President to Peter Mutharika. Talk about sellingone’s birthright for a mess of pottage!
So here we are: devoid of leadership in the incumbent, and those on the touchline can hardly get it up.
What about the Vice President, Dr Saulos Chilima?
He has finally demonstrated that he loves Malawi enough to denounce the sinking Titanic that is taking us all down andhas been bold enough to jump ship. Yet for all the claims of new politics, we are yet to witness his private sector experience, education and comparative youth at play. Does he have what it takes to reign in the ex DPP crowd and truly take over the captaincy of his own ship and steer it in the right direction? In spite of compelling ideas and seemingly powerful manifesto possibilities and governance promises, it will be difficult for him to convince us that he is for new politics when there is a continued perception that his movement is spearheaded by the very people that created the greedy and corrupt DPP.
To hit the nail on the head: does he have the guts to make the tough decisions regarding his own people or like the Leader of Opposition, he is happy as long as he gets a little fame and a little popularity, and feels some illusion of the power that comes with being a leader of a movement or a party?
The bottom line is: without a viable alternative, Malawians can only suffer and wilt with despair knowing that as things stand, there is no super substitute on the bench. If we do have a super sub, he needs to really stand out.
I weep for Malawi. For hope, however, we cannot, like Chakwera, proclaim that we should bring in foreigners. The solutions for Malawi are well known. They must begin at transforming this country’s rotten governance framework and the practice of new politics. The p ower to do that lies within us all.
Malawians. Not foreigners.
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Allan Ntata you are another fortune seeker, disgruntled because APM does not recognize anymore than Bingu did. You ran away from DPP when you were most wanted. Mr. Chakwera has just got his opinion and you can not base only on one thing to disapprove his eligibility for Malawi presidency as there are more positives for Malawi as a leader. In this article you have openly shown to be a sympathizer and supporter of SKC, but I can not disguise you because its your right and I can not even force you to support Chakwera as is your right as well but all of us can not believe that Chakwera is a bad leader because he is thinking of hiring a foreigner for one top job. He might think of that because he loves and cares for the country and does not condone corruption which is destroying Malawi by portraying DPP government as prince of thieves. How many times has Malawi resorted to foreigners after noticing that we are not progressing? A lot of foreigners are heading a lot of institutions in Malawi. Talk of Flames coach, is he a Malawi? Did Walter and company not try locals before him??? What was their motive of appointing him? Was it not to develop football after trying local coaches??? That’s your opinion but come May 2019 Chakwera will amass more votes than Chilima, take it or leave it. Zilubwalubwani but that is what is on the ground. I rest my case.
Mr Chakwera change the law and executive responsibility over ACB.If Mr Chakwera thinks everybody is dull like him in Malawi then the alternative must not be looking for the colonial intelligence.What kind of government will this dictator make.Eish! No wonder he has MCP properties for financial 10billion surety with Simbi for campaign.
In fact appointing a foreigner for the ACB head might just be what we all need in Malawi. Most Malawians are by nature subservient and respectful of elders to those that have appointed us to positions of power). Our culture does not lend itself to the ruthless required by society to authorities that err. Armed with this knowledge politicians have taken full advantage of our cultural flaws to do as they please. Foreigners may just have a different view on how to take the country forward and therefore inject much needed energy. In nay case quietly the country is being sold to foreigners anyway. Malawi is indebted to various foreign institutions including multilateral organisations. It won’t be long before China, India, USA and IMF start imposing their own policies in the governing of the country. The best example is the erection of Mahatma Gandhi statue which is a precondition for the construction of some building.
How many expatriates are there in Malawi today? Do you think they are not adding value? Think outside the box Mr Mtata otherwise Malawi will never develop. Even when you worked at the ACB, werent there British people coaching you yet you won no case? Umbuli basi’. All you know is to write no sense. You are part of the team that failed the ACB
Look at the person talking about this. He is writing as foreigner in a foreign country. can malawi be developed by such people? Does he understand the phrase, “open to all-both malawians and the foreigners”? As a Liar/lawyer he should have been the first person to know that, that having an open policy does not disadvantage Malawians rather makes the position competitive demanding the best candidates not based on politcal affilliations. If Malawi was to have this kind of thinking, our country would be in tartars.
Mr NTATA, i LIKE YOUR ARTICLES VERY MUCH, and all your writings are pointing to the vision of the Malawians, However on this issue you needed to listen it very carefully because examples in the class are not included in the test marks. If a student writes the examples that the lecturer gave then the students must be checked upon their minds.
So my comrade you are scruitinizing and critisizing to a statement that was temporarily spoken by an individual because the ACB is not working. Its like a parent or a mother is giving her child some temporary fears by saying “Ndiitana a Ngozo kumidzi iyo adzakukwapule” then some one would say mom is inviting people other villages to stay in our house? it must something wrong in the mind of that child who is saying so. I am suspicious with you NTATA, I will not continue reading your articles if you scruitinize people in that way.
I don’t think the suggestion is a logic. If people ACB can hire experts from SA to conduct a lie detector test on those expected to have leaked info about K145million it shows in some areas we are deficient. In fact, we even need a foreign president.
Am actually Not surprised that You Don’t know or are Pretending not to know that MCP brought a Bill in Parliament to Make ACB independent of the Executive.That you will be comfortable with DPP or Chilima leading Malawi after May 2019 is no surprise to some of Us.The question is who should lead that Independent ACB?Chakwera and MCP have been Brave on Issues to do with the Future of Malawi.Its only that Opportunists like you choose to be Selective when it comes to Analysing Issues.
Perhaps Pan-African solutions may be found to help both us and our neighbors.
I agree with mavuto akula in the first paragraph however on the last one my personal opinion is that atupele muluzi partners with chilima and agree to appoint aford leader as a second vise president would make a good and winning team
Yes, employing a foreigners will solve the unemployment and also cut funding cause he will not need benefits like couch RVG!! Dumb ass MCP president! ACB need new laws governing it right from who appoints the Director to its lawyers who been losing cases like they been corrupted! These ACB should be reporting to Parliament and we should have several law enforcers like USA FBI CIA, Sheriffs, State troopers and ATF among others so that these state capture police of ours can be over ride and then court can send these prince of thieves and his thievrites can enjoy the fruit of the labour behind for walls.
Report to which parliament? The same one that is full of Peter Mutharika’s puppets and stooges?
The National team is couched by a foreigner, Malawi air was sold to a foreign company now it is flying, Limbe Leaf, JTI and many successful organisations in Malawi are run by foreigners and are successful why not the ACB and other crime bursting organisations? Malawianising for the sake of it has not helped this nation. The only corruption cases which have been concluded are of those involving those who are not part of the ruling DPP. The ACB Director on Zodiak honestly said it that he is finding it difficulty to conclude case because of incapacity. We must bring in people who are not part of any tribal grouping. BASIIIIII!!! Chakwera’s suggestion may be the only remedy for our misfiring ACB.
He is right. A Malawi kuba everywhere including ACB!
Explain in detail how “they are stealing everywhere including ACB”. In absence of that explanation, the comment is just filled with water, and what everyone got is an instant muffled sound.
Inunso za ziiii. If we start think of outsourcing Malawian jobs, do you think we will able to tackle mass unemployed we already struggling with. We have our own Malawian born – well qualified – and strong minded individuals who can do the job. We have to build our own country with own resources by empowering our own people. The issue is lack of vision and improper system of governance in Malawi…
My friend who told you that foreigners equal to no corruption? Is Malawi team winning? Dont compare companies and tbe national team to seriuos business like ACB.. that idea is demeaning to MW.. nothing for us without us..remember?
The naivety of Malawians is shocking! Foreigners are equally corrupt, this is absolute nonsense! Why do we Malawians look down upon ourselves everytime there is a problem?
Open to both Malawians and foreign nationals. Read again. That makes it competitive
Not all foreigners. Others are not corrupt. Tswanas, Danish, Finnish, Norwegians, Swedes, Swiss, Scottish, Singapolians, Taiwanese, Japanese etc etc are equally not corrupt. This is absolutely sense!