Ntata’s Uncommon Sense: This is what Chilima should have told Zainab on BBC HardTalk
For a people known for being politeand a country that claims to be the “warm heart of Africa”, I am rather astonished that many among us were unable to discern that our Vice President’s responses in that BBC interview were meant to be polite and not abrasive. Many among us have interpreted his politeness for weakness and castigated him for “blowing” the interview and failing to expound the issues as probed by Zainab Badawi.
While I applaud the Vice President for upholding Malawi’s reputation of being a polite people, however, I feel those questions were indeed pertinent and needed to be addressed with a ruthlessness that is perhaps the only currency which some of the VP’s detractors understand.
For that reason, with nothing whatsoever for me to gain in being polite, I am taking it upon myself to respond to the same questions. As all you uncommon sensors have come to expect, my approach will pull no punches. After all, I am over 35 years of age and it is my constitutional right to dish out my Uncommon Sense for the benefit of those interested to read, right?
Q1. Why are you running against President Mutharika, the very man you stood together with as his running mate in 2014?
Because now that I have worked with him, I have discovered that he is an incompetent puppet and his administration is rotten and corrupt. What I have seen working with the DPP officials in government, is that they neither understand no care about the priorities and the issues that most Malawians care about. My primary duty, even as running mate to President Mutharika in 2014, was to Malawians and not to any individual. If Mutharika had kept the vision that we together had for Malawi and delivered on the promises that we made to Malawians of developing the country, improving the living standards of the poor and fighting corruption earnestly, I would not need to run against him. But he has departed from that path. I know the ideas and the policies that are needed to turn the country around, policies which he neither wants to implement, nor listen to any advice on how they can be applied. I was elected by Malawians along with Mutharika because Malawians believed in me to be a person that can help change that country. I do not want to let them down.
Q2. Are you discharging your duties as Vice President?
Yes. According to the constitution of Malawi (I don’t know if you have taken the time to read it, Zainab), the job of the vice president is to sit in his office and wait for the president to delegate roles and responsibilities to him or her, or for the president to ask for advice or be invited to cabinet meetings. I am discharging my duties. I sit in my office as I have always done since 2014 and wait for tasks to be assigned to me. The fact, however, is that no tasks are assigned to me. I am not asked for any advice on any issue and I am not invited to attend cabinet meetings. But this is not my fault. I am available as the constitution says I should be. Under the Malawi Constitution, I am discharging my duties 100 per cent.
Q3. Do you hold any meetings with the president or other members of the cabinet
No.
Q4. Isn’t Claiming your salary when you are doing nothing and essentially not working corruption? Why Not resign?
Even the furthest stretch of the definition of corruption whether internationally or under the corruption laws in Malawi cannot cover my situation. As I have said, Malawians when electing me alongside president Mutharika, expected me to be available to him for counsel and for advice, and to be available for the assignation of any tasks that the president may wish to assign to me. I am available. I am claiming my salary for doing exactly what Malawians and the Malawian constitution expect me to do. Be available for the president. If the president called me today and asked me for my counsel on any matter, I would give it. Happily!
Q5. Don’t you feel uncomfortable starting your own party and declaring that you will run against the president, and yet remaining in his administration?
I am now certain that you have not really read the Malawian constitution, Zainab. The Malawian constitution does not recognize political parties at executive level. This is the reason why the president has been able to work with Atupele Muluzi, who is the president of an opposition party in Malawi called UDF. Atupele has also himself declared that he will run against the president in 2019. I do not believe that Atupele Muluzi feels uncomfortable because working with government even when he is a leader of an opposition party is entirely alright under the Malawian constitution. I do not feel there is any reason for me to feel uncomfortable either. After all, I am in the better situation because I am never invited to attend cabinet meetings and I am assigned no tasks by the president. What is there to make me uncomfortable?
Q6. Where were you all this time for you to be exposing corruption now? You are in an influential position as Vice President. Why didn’t you stop it?
If you had taken the time to study Malawi’s administrative framework, you would know that the vice president in Malawi has no influence whatsoever to stop corruption. The best one can do, and that is only if one is really brave, is speak against it, or advise the president against it where possible. In the period when I was actively being included in the administration of the country, I spoke against corruption, and in the reforms program which I initially championed, I advised the president on how to curb corruption. To claim that I have waited until now to expose corruption is to be grossly misinformed. The bottom line is that I have done what a powerless vice president can do in the circumstances, and since this has not worked, it is time for me to seek my own mandate from Malawians so that I can take matters into my own hands.
Q7. Mutharika has also spoken about corruption. You and Mutharika are on the same page. Why run against him? After all, the international community has resumed aid and has endorsed his policies in development and anti-corruption. He’s not doing badly. Why not just work with him?
When you are a president, speaking against corruption is usually just window dressing. What is required is action. It is a shame that neither you nor any of the members of the international community know anything about the corrupt sale of MSB, a government owned bank to private interests. Do you know about the corrupt purchase of Maize made with Mutharika’s knowledge and approval? Or the billions paid to one businessman in Malawi by his government, a businessman who just happens to be the chief financier of the DPP? What about the MK145 million kick-back paid into his personal account from an Asian businessman who had just completed a dubious procurement deal with the police? Or the vehicles purchased for the president personally by the same businessman to the total about of MK85 million? I do not care what you or the International community say. President Mutharika is not fighting corruption. He is perpetuating it. It would be difficult to work with a president who believes these acts I have just listed are part of fighting corruption.
Q8. Why did you meet with Joyce Banda? Given the Cashgate scandal and her poor record against corruption during her time as president, how could you say you have a common vision?
Malawi has many problems besides corruption. Joyce Banda may have failed to fight corruption but she has immense experience and vision for Malawi in other areas of development in which Malawi is also facing challenges. These areas are women empowerment, gender issues, youth development and women in business. We share these visions with her. We cannot refuse to tap from her wisdom and experience in these areas simply because her track record with regards to fighting corruption was decimal. When in government, we will be tackling all evils and challenges that Malawi is facing, not just corruption.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Allan Ntata is a cowered who run away from a alleged treason case during the Joyce Banda Administration following the death of the Late Professor Bingu wa Mutharika, only to resurface when the learned Professor and colleagues worked hard to defend themselves until the issue died down . What a shame . Ntata cannot be trusted by Malawians anymore no matter what he may talk, we lost trust for him.
We know he is in UTM , the information from his relations in Malawi say so. Look at what he writes , very bad words against the head of state, would you expect such a man to stop his foul language if he was to be in Government. Wachake ndi wachake a mwene.
Now he stays in UK why did he not advise the Vice President to respond the way he is suggesting. Am sure even the Vice President would not have used his foul language in the responses.
In government you do not speak to media without first seeking authority from the responsible officers. When seeking that authority thus when you may be given some additional information that might be very useful to add to what you have prepared. So the vice President should have informed the State President to say he would be appearing before the Hard talk presenter whilst in UK, then he would have been tipped on how to go about it. And Ntata has never been interviewed on Hard talk , therefore has no idea on how to respond to Hard talk presenters and could not advise his boss the VP.
It is a shame again to embarrass your boss by teaching him in public on what he should have said in Hard talk, so be ashamed Ntata and stop your nonsence. Ask the psychiatrists, anything too much is a psychiatric. I suspect you are mentally ill and you need treatment at a mental hospital. And I would not be surprised to be told one day that Ntata is admitted at a certain psychiatric hospital in my life.
Freedom of speech does not mean one has to use foul language to address issues. This is a mistake alot of opposition functionaries think . Freedom of expression means one should be able to bring out his opinion on how one thinks on how to improve on a certain situation when his other colleague or boss has a different opinion. Like if there is a motion put forward by the ruling elite, contributors to that motion if one has a different opinion from that of most members are , should be allowed to express himself. The same should apply to opposition benches if one has an opinion different from that of the leader of opposition should be able to express one’s views whether in agreement to the ruling or not. Thus is what we could call freedom of expression , which to me is not practiced in Malawi. both in ruling and opposition. What the ruling is able to take is castigations from opposition people but the opposition does not take rare castigations by the ruling people on them.
There is need to change, stop zotukwana , use words that would make people change and develop the country. Kutukwana kwa Ntata ndi anzao sizingathandize kanthu. Chipani chotero sichingawine chisankho nkomwe.
Well argued Allan, as usual! It is true that the BBC interview was not handled well by Chilima who is not used to the BBC style of hustling and impatient interviewers. He did not take the opportunity to explain himself and the UTM to the world, as we had wanted, on the eve of the 2019 election. The office of Vice President has NEVER worked properly in Malawi and should either be abolished or be properly reformed. The VP office has been undermined by the greed and selfishness of all Presidents of Malawi who are determined to have ALL executive power in Malawi and never to share with their usually more able running-mates
Past paper siyivuta man musaoneke madolo paza anzanu ngati ndinu dolo osazayambisa movemenent yanu bwanji
I have the clip nothing wrong there. Zainab was not giving chilima time to expand his sentiments that’s why. But chilima can change malawi
They never give you time chief but you create your own time by setting the time from the very beginning. You can’t set that tone when your motivation to be President is that you are over 35 years old and it’s your constitutional right to do so.
That’s where he should have set his agenda and take over the interview . From that interview , everyone in the western world concluded that he is not presidential material . That’s how bad it was
thats briliant ankolo. mukuyenera kukhara adviser wa SKC. i like your ideAS
exactly! NTATA and SKC can work. inuyotu tukufunani ku Malawi kuno.
And you Ntata should know well that the VP could not make an arbitrary decision on the questions because he is NOT earnest, he is NOT truthful in his fight. His judgment is not without restrictions as he is experiencing some guilt out of his actions therefore he is not in a state of equanimity as evidenced by his foolish answers which sarcastically you call being “polite.”
Just like you during the time you were serving the DPP you were quite deeply in a comfort zone and it was only your expulsion from the DPP that saw a chain of satire lampooning the very same institution you served out of depression and anger which yielded to hatred that still torments you with restlessness(I wonder why you do not visit Dr Chioza Bandawe for treatment).
I have the belief that your first years of lampooning the DPP were accompanied by guilt and tongue tie (the same that torments SKC), but with time you now care less. It is so with the VP, unlike you he the VP still hold APM with reverence.
ukuyankhula ndi kukamwa kapenaaaa??????? usandilakwise
The VP was exposed as someone who lacks depth, guts and alertness required in a leader.
Cannot agree more
Please people how can I stop from viewing this ntata nonsense?
Well put Allan. The VP portrayed himself as weak and ill prepared for the interview. He failed the opportunity to differentiate himself from the corrupt APM and JB.
Chilima had no questions beforehand, I don’t think Allan would have said all this if it was him on live interview. It has taken him weeks and weeks after the interview to come up with this
Doubtful indeed if he had time to answer the way he had done. May be he is a jack of all trades.
I love this summary Ntata. This is indeed uncommon sense
Brilliant…… Why you guys don’t help this man in advance
Past paper is always easy to tackle
good answers but obviously ‘rehearsed’. Likasa likasa kinda.
This is a load of shit from somebody who tthinks is wiser. chilima goffed big time and he was dwarfed in that interview. if you are married to someone you dont need to be called upon to advise when you see things go wrong, you just advise. and if your partner is caught in adultery you dont stay on but divorce otherwise people conclude that you are also involved in adultery but not caught yet.
Uku timati kuchenjera polemba because you can edit your responses. If it had been you, Zeinab would have roasted you big time. Si uja unathawa ambuyako Bingu ali pa stretcher ulendo wa ku Kamuzu Central Hospital.
Keeeeeeee!!!!!! KUNG’AMBIKA hahaha
IF YOU THINK YOU ARE SMATTER THAN SKC –WHY CAN’T YOU COME IN THE OPEN
AND STAND AS A CANDIDATE AT
THE ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR ??
Well said Ntata.
Kkkkkk. Perception of corruption and corruption are two different things. I think after cashgate we see every action of govt officials as harbouring corrupt intentions, hence APM too is corrupt no matter what he does. Especially when he rejected to work with certain peope they turned arround and cried CORRUPTION!
Kkkk! Only God knows when this perception will end which is contributing to the destruction of our country just as badly as corruption itself.
I dont give credit for the sake of it but I have to give one here. Allan have my tap on your back. This is brilliant. Factual and sensible in every measure and dimensions.
Why is Ntata outside the country up to now? He must come back immediately. Akufuna ife tikonze dzikoli iye adzangobwera kudzadyerera basi ngati APM. 40 full years in exile and come back to become Head of State. He doesn’t even know how we got our multi-party democracy in May, 1993. Amadya spageetti in the USA while ife tikumenyera ufulu wa zipani zambiri to remove a notorious and dictator Dr H Kamuzu Banda. We successfully removed him from power and democracy was shaped. Kunalibeko awawa ambiriwa. Sakudziwa kanthu.
Yep. He should have responded along these lines. Especially on the question of him drawing a salary while not working. He missed a great opportunity to state facts as they are.
I am always inspired by your uncommon sense corner. Honestly, Chilima is great. He is a hero as of now. He is brave indeed. He handled the interview with so much at stake. His position as VP, his position as UTM leader, the Malawi image to donor community, he avoided biting the very finger that feeds him in strongly terms. To me i feel he is still giving DPP a little benefit of doubt until when Malawians appreciate how criminal, reckless and careless DPP is. He wants Malawians to discover DPP evil things on their own and take proper political decision. As brave as he is, give it a little more time and see how DPP will crumble down because of him. Natural Freedom fighters and risk takers do not leave any stone unturned.
Good one!
Inunso ndiye mwatsowa nkhani. Charity begins at home. Chilima is rude in his country. Why should he be polite outside Malawi. Bull Shit !
There could be no time xplaining all these things in 25 minis interview zimaoneka zophweka akachita wina mu kanayankhapo chani inu mmene amaphaphalatsira mafumso zainab amkati chilima asanamalize kuyankha wafumsa kale lina fumso
Unfortunately Ntata is not Zainab who would have been misguided by Ntata’s responses.That is why the Hard Talk was between Zainab and Chilima,no manipulation whatsoever.
OK
It sounds good!
YOU MEAN YOUR TOO CLEVER THAN CHILIMA HIMSELF? UCHITSIRU
Very brilliant answer from Allan Ntata. Ulemu wanu
but ntata akuna. instant questions have different responses with written ones whis are being edited