Pumping sense in Mutharika over Malawi failed state claims: Letter from Sapitwa
Professor Tate Peter Mutharika and his failed state theory for some reason, seems to be the political forum of Malawi where politicians are made or finished up. Of course Ndirande, for my colleagues in Chief Makata’s area is the political barometer that’s why everybody is avoiding to go there to make empty promises.
Lilongwe unfortunately has no place in our political history save the half a million votes it donates to MCP each election from its massive 22 constituencies.
I was relaxing, solving some mathematics on a cashgate letter I have written to Orange leader, while sipping my dearest Carlsberg Green at Kara ‘O’ Mura, of course enjoying the nice chill from the mountain and freshness from nearby Leston Mullis’ Chitakale Plantations, when someone shouted, “Tate waphwasula, akuti mayiwa boma la wakanika.”
I faithfully checked Nyasa Times, knowing how balanced and professionally are covering this election than any other media, that even Davies Katsonga, James Nyondo and George Mnesa have all found themselves on the main page articulating their issues. Of course the regulars Kamuzu Chibambo and Friday Jumbe are missing nowadays.
Sorry, we are talking of Mzuzu where Mutharika first made a case of Malawi being a failed state. A bit of political history associated with Mzuzu, the city and the name. Mzuzu in 1971 was the venue of the resolution to make His Excellency the Life President Ngwazi Dr. H Kamuzu Banda, president-for-life. It was also at the same Mzuzu convention that Gwandanguluwe Chakuamba, did his infamous political gymnastics, beating Chiefs for supporting a resolution to forgive Manoah Chirwa, who had asked for a pardon.
Again it was in Mzuzu, where the first open defiance in October 1991 against Kamuzu was openly held at St.Andrews CCAP Church during the tense funeral service of the late Orton Ching’oli Chirwa. Those that are from the North, they know hymn number 150’s second stanza. Pardon
my broken tumbuka “Ntheura tileke kopa, nanga charu chingatizgokera”. Literally meaning “don’t fear even if the whole world turns against you.”
I was still in college, but one of our lecturers who attended the Late Dr. Mwayipaya, then as a teacher at Phwezi, described the Late Reverend Aaron Longwe, a multiparty hero nobody remembers now, rising the two victory sign and the stanza was repeated thrice.
Of course it is in Mzuzu where the multiparty icon Late Chakufwa Chihana lies.
It’s the same Mzuzu that brought out Professor Tate Peter Mutharika, the family man, as being unequal when one morning he landed in a presidential helicopter despite being a mere Cabinet Member, to inaugurate traffic lights. I always believe the helicopter made a huge impact, as when he immediately was endorsed finally by a well-choreographed convention, his first words, “When I win on 20 May, I will take the helicopter and fly………” Surely zozionela ku ukulu sizisowa!
It was sadly in Mzuzu, where Malawians living in failed state paid a heavy price, having the majority of the 21 killed and described as “thugs and looters” by Late Daniel Phiri (again from a multiple choice of Webester Ryson Thomu, Bingu wa Mutharika and Daniel Phiri) killed by their own Police. I am still waiting for the “loving famly man” (according to DPP own statement not me) to visit Zolozolo and show remorse for the dead. He should not forget to pick Vuwa Kaunda, Patricia Kaliati, Hetherwick Ntaba and Peter Mukhito to witness “ntchito za manja awo kuwachitira umboni.”
Again it was in Mzuzu some half-moon ago when, my other good friend, Atupele ‘ Ung’onoung’ono Dzuka Malawi’ Muluzi opened his mouth and claimed, falsely that donors told him that they support regime change. The rest as they say is history.
Its only President Joyce Banda and Dr. Lazalo Chakwera ( I only read Chichewa bible as I am a nationalist at heart) that seem to have not been caught by this “Mzuzu political deadly virus.”
The name Mzuzu is poisonous, I suggest people should take some “whisky” before addressing rallies or mentioning the word “Mzuzu”. The Late Daniel Phiri (as conferred to him at Kamuzu Central on 5th April 2012 by his loving brother, wife, children and loyal servants) used the name to derogate all Degrees from Chancellor College held by Northerners. The Northerners in words of Late Daniel Phiri were “cheats” alongside their lecturers as they were giving each other “exams at Mzuzu corner.”
Before you shoot me, ask Bright Malopa the host of that Wednesday Presidential interview, it came from the Presidents mouth on live TV.
From where I was sitting at Kara ‘O’ Mura I could see a lot of similarities with Mulanje weather. Of course I now lodge at Hapuwani since everything is “new” but my favourite nsima is at Chisitu trading centre. I will tell you the restaurant name after climbing back from the mountain.
Now all these memories of Mzuzu and its political sensitivity as the DPP Presidential candidate Peter Tate Mutharika charged that Malawi is a failed state. I thought something is definitely wrong with Mzuzu.
Of course we are not a perfect country, we have looting at Capital Hill, corrupt Immigration, Traffic, Police, Journalists, Politicians, cheating students, thieving Pastors, politically inclined prophets,
youngsters producing porno movies, rape, gay engagements-with gays in all sectors-including two Presidential candidates. We read of suicide, daily murders, Pastors dumping their call for plum political jobs and many more bizarre activities that makes us as a nation far away from “God fearing nation mantra” we use for convenience.
But for the family man (according to DPP advert in March, 2014) to charge that we are a failed state in Mzuzu it would be a serious joke of the year.
Two things, he was misquoted again by Orange media benefiting from Cashgate as he was misquoted on “war over lake Malawi” or that he will get married “In December 2012) or simply the DPP candidate remains clueless of what the word failed means. This letter will help him to
jolt his 74 years memory.
Of course at 74, in our culture he a “agogo” deserving the respect that his memory might be fading faster that he deserves our forgiveness. Of course I for one am not prepared for another State
Funeral in a country of 70 percent young people voting someone who is beyond the 60 years retirement age of the Civil Service, 65 years for Judges and 75 for Catholic Bishops. Our life expectancy is around 50, so he might as well be living in “injury time.”
Of course it not about “injury time” or “beyond retirement.” It is his economics with the truth that I write from Sapitwa to remind him some of the hall marks of a failed State in a Cabinet he was defacto number 2, including flying a helicopter he mentions every day.
Again, not that I am based in Lusaka, but I have my business in Chipata, The Posts of Zambia writes in its Editorial of 12 April, 2014, “Promises should be made to be fulfilled, to be honoured, and not to be broken. Promises are part of politics, and of life in general. In times of elections, those who aspire to preside over our destiny make all sorts of promises, pledges in their election manifestos. And it is important for us to listen carefully to what they are saying and to get ourselves informed of the manifestos from various political parties and candidates. These manifestos are supposed to have the programme of action that the parties propose to follow in order to serve the good of all people. A sound manifesto should articulate achievable programmes that will enhance the development of our country and our own well-being. Hence, we should be able to decide to vote for the party or candidate that has a programme we consider the best for us as a nation.
The candidates of political parties will be committed to the manifestos of their party as well as to their personal vision for their constituency. Candidates should therefore be evaluated on their
capacity to implement both the party’s manifesto and their personal vision. Those who offer themselves for re-election ought to be evaluated against the record of what they have or have not achieved.Did they fulfil their promises? Did they offer quality service to all the people and not only to those who voted them into power? Were they available to listen to the concerns of the people? Were they selfless in responding to the needs of all, especially the poor? Those who have not yet held office should be carefully evaluated in terms of their competence and their reputation for honesty and selfless dedication to the common good, courage to speak out the truth, concern for social justice, desire to work for the common good instead of self-enrichment, disposition to use power for service, especially service to the poor and underprivileged, openness to dialogue, good moral standing, transparency and accountability to the electorate.” End of quote.
In evaluating the Professor Tate Mutharika’s competence and reputation, I have come up with so many things and for those who sing his apologetics tunes, they are welcome to give me reasons why I should believe otherwise.
He is a coward and failure: He could not allow open democratic election against Chimunthu, withdrew cars from Regional governor for the centre, withdrew car from Dr. Jean Kalirani and he quickly dumped the green card when the heat was up. He came to power through back door on his brothers back.
Extremely incompetent; His students rate him poorly, his children don’t regard him (they don’t turn up for any sad or happy occasions), he uses second hand channels to communicate and illegally so using Ben Phiri above Secretary General or Treasurer General.
He quickly dumped Chairmanship of Bineth Trust when his nieces, nephew and sister-in-law
were wrangling over the state. He can’t lead a family club, for sure he can’t lead the nation.
No quality leadership; All Ministries he ventured into under his brother Daniel Phiri were a disaster. He run away from Academic Freedom wrangle for a whole year as a Minister of Education, amended
laws section 46 and the other one on Injunctions to kill the free press and right to demonstration and clapped hands when as a Minister of Justice, his brother announced a K2million fee for Malawians to exercise their right to express.
Professor Mutharika was caught on secretly recorded tape mocking Tonga Chimunthu Banda and Chewas Bintony Kutsaira, Ken Kandodo that they can never be rulers. The same tape which is available on request to all those who want to listen to a failed man he plots of cheating
Malawians that he is not interested in Presidency which was being drummed by the DPP. He is a cheat, from his own mouth.
For Professor Mutharika to stand in Mzuzu and proclaim a failed state, let him go back and read the definition as provided by a free encyclopaedia Wiki which states: A failed state is a state perceived as having failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government. There
is no general consensus on the definition of a failed state. The definition of a failed state according to the Fund for Peace is often used to characterize a state with the following characteristics:
1. Loss of control of its territory, or of the monopoly on the
legitimate use of physical force therein
2. Erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions
3. Inability to provide public services
4. Inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community
Number two and three are very important to Professor Mutharika to know that the collective decision of Malawians to go on the street on 20th July, 2011 indicated they were tired of living in a failed state.
Perhaps he was too busy flying in a helicopter to notice that down there, Malawians, were lacking services like “foreign exchange to do business”, companies were shedding off jobs, power cuts were a daily norm, fuel was a nightmare even ambulances could not bring sick people in time to hospital.
Before you start screaming, God served a poetic justice as Dr. Ntaba, Vuwa Kaunda, Patricia Kaliati and then Minister of Health Dr. Jean Kalirani were on TV rejecting that there was no medicine in our
hospitals, Daniel Phiri collapsed and some drugs were sought from MIM and Dr. Hiwas clinic. That’s the extent of a failed state we all lived in under the DPP.
No Professor, we already were a failed state under the DPP, it has no clue how to govern except singing praise, changing flags without collective decision, shooting its own citizens, killing the Robert
Chasowa declared suicide within hours by a Police that takes years to investigate, giving all businesses to cronies, jobs by nepotism, banning adverts, torching Zodiak,CHRR, IPI, Reverend Sembereka and many houses just because they did not agree with the state of a failed State Malawi had become under DPP.
Perhaps, two years is a long period for a 74 year-old mind, definitely Government is able to provide basic services, definitely using the Wiki point four Malawi is able to interact with the International
Community and its neighbours even the combative Tanzania.
As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Tate spent all his time apologising to London, Lusaka, Mozambique and EU for his brothercalling them “stupid” or chasing them. No that’s what failed leaders in failed states do, they chase anybody, burn peoples and civil society buildings, carry machete’s broad day light to intimidate their people.
The worst part for this DPP candidate who is fast becoming an “Chindime ndi Samalani” cartoon, is that while his brother was dead, he instructed doctors to break his ribs while watching, allowed his
body to rot, asked the army to take over and worse still lied to all Malawians that he was alive using the poor midnight six.
Such hunger for power indeed makes his professions of a failed state a pure joke. He is undemocratic, uses words like “nonsense” and in every Ministry he was a failed man. No wonder even his runningmate and key team are scheduling meetings with rivals. I am waiting for refutal on
Bolwer, Chilima meetings with JB and Henry Mussa, Kalirani, Ntaba, Katundulu and Nicholasi Dausi meetings with MCP officials.
As I wrote in my first letter, at 74, one should retire than chasing a dream to fly in a helicopter. Otherwise they hallucinate about living in a failed State, just because the State is not paying their bills or fuel.
No Professor, yours was a cry of your own .Malawi in the past 2 years even by basic indicators has moved on, we no longer leave our wives (those of us that enjoy the comfort of warm female breasts not backside on our heads) to queue for fuel every night this cold season. We now have tea with sugar at funerals as it even went to mars during the failed reign of DPP…….
When you retire, take a bath at dziwe la nkhalamba, its refreshing to an old memory, that is, if you can manage to climb the mountain. Shhssssshhh don’t tell the “special one” you are coming here…….. there are naked boys (tourists azungu and tour guides) bathing here always
at Dziwe la Nkhalamba always.
Love from Dziwe la Nkhalamba…..Phunjeti
