Undule urges Malawi CSOs to shift their advocacy from confrontation to engagement
Undule Mwakasungula, a veteran governance, human rights and social commentator, has advised civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country to help build Malawi on the basis of engagement and not confrontation.
Mwakasungula said the CSOs, should not take every matter to international community or the media in confrontational matter but they should pursue “genuine national dialogue.”
He was reacting to the matter which the CSOs under the banner of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) have written the Global Fund, asking it to rescind the nomination of President Peter Mutharika as Champion of its Sixth Replenishment Campaign.
A letter, co-signed by the forum’s chairperson Timothy Mtambo and his deputy Gift Trapence, respectively, says the fund erred in the appointment, arguing it was made without due diligence and in total disregard of Mutharika’s domestic track record.
However amother group of CSOs operating under the banner Joint Civil Society Platform on Health led Lucky Mbewe and Maxwell Matwere also wrote the fund’s executive director Peter Sands backing the appointment , saying Malawi stands to benefit with its President at the helm of the campaign.
Mwakasungula, who led Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitaion (CHRR) at the time it was also reporting former president late Bingu wa Mutharika to Geneva-based UN human rights body, said out of experience, Malawi problems will not be resolved by reporting ti the international community.
But Mtambo and Trapence dismissed Mwakasungula, saying in advocacy they use both domestic and international mechanism.
The two vocal rights defenders described the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government of being obstinate and beyond engagement.
In the Global Fund role, Mutharika will be responsible for coordinating activities aimed at harnessing efforts in soliciting funding pledges from countries, international organisations and individuals towards the Sixth Global Fund Replenishing Conference to be held in France in 2019.
The Global Fund is a Geneva-based international organisation that aims to mobilise, leverage and invest additional resources to end HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and malaria epidemics to support the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations.
Iwe Undule usatinyanse! Ngati DPP ikukudyetsa dzingodya mwakachetechete! Munthu wosabereka ngati iwe ungatiuze chani!
Well done Undule Mwakasungula. You are one of the few sensible aactivists. .
It’s an open secret the guy has been compromised and joined a cohort of thieves sometime back.
The hallmark of this DPP government is executive arrogance. How does constructive engagement work in such a scenario? Please be eating your blue scones and stop making noise. Anthu akumva kuwawa kunja kuno.
SHAME!!!
Malawi CSO find it easy to destroy than to build and this is reflected in their lack of persuasion. They need to learn to engage effectively with political parties including the governing party or indeed the govt. Nothing will be achieved through confrontation vs contact and dialogue (Kamuzu approach). To date the CSOs have achieved nothing in influencing the Malawi political and economic agenda…..no one takes CSOs seriously and therefore have lost relevancy and credibility. As much they have been asking for change of politics in Malawi; they too need to change drastically.
This lunatic Mwakasungura was once at the Foreign Mission in Namibia in the 90s while his brother (now Chief Kyungu) was the High Commissioner in Zimbabwe during UDF reign. He became an activist when he was jobless and now he wants to hoodwink DPP to offer him a free job without interview. 2019 will mark the end of free jobs given in the pubs.
Trapence and Mbewe are unpatriotic fools – they don’t love their country. Flying al the way to Geneva just to enrich themselves. Stupid CSO activists who don’t love Malawi.
When you were there, did you listen, 20 innocent lives were lost because you and your friends were adamant
THIEVES DO NOT DESERVE ENGAGEMENT BUT CONFRONTATIONAL APPROACH.
A THIEF COMES TO YOUR HOUSE AND STEALS YOUR PROPERTY AND YOU TELL HIM LETS DISCUSS.
Banzi yakukwana Undule eti?
Undule, who does not know that you serve the interests of DPP.
After all, you are free to represent the DPP in your constituency and no one will be amused with your direction.
Like someone has said, you are just like B. Muluzi.
USELESS.
Undule Mwakasungula is related to Kyungu. Kyungu is a Mwakasungula and just like Ngolongoliwa, Lukwa and Lundu he is a shithole chief who supports Alamu Pumani Mwakalamba. Kyungu stood on udf ticket in 2009. Useless Mwakasungulas.
Undule, Bingu is still complaining in his grave on how you pestered him during his rule. He used to mention you in every rally he held then. Mwadya zingati a Undule?
Undule is another hipocrit alongside Bakili. They dont have moral grounds to put these claims
Good advice but this government does not believe in dialogue and the 145m is a serious issue and it deserved to be reported to international bodies.
Undule’s advice is a sign of maturity.
How do you engage with thieves ???? Unless you are also a thief.
undule usatinyanse ndi ugojo wakowo
In September 2014, Michael Nevin (then British High Commissioner to Malawi) made a wonderful comment on the plunder at Capitol Hill (‘Cashgate). He said: “Cashgate may be an opportunity” (see Nyasatimes dated Sept 11, 2014). What he meant by this is that crises are supposed to be used as a launchpad for debate (and debate requires that we wear a sober heart( and solutions. Whatever is happening in Malawi requires that we should ask ourselves serious questions as far as openness, transparency and accountability are concerned. We must react, no question about it, but the better part of our time should be on seeking relevant answers. I expected Malawians as a people to begin to ask such serious questions as (1) Is the model of our anti-corruption strategy the best for us? Can we borrow from others and make the ACB senate-like, i.e. Chairperson & commissioners representative of the church & other faiths, legal, policy field, etc, as is the case in some countries? (2) Is Malawi serious that we can go along with Declaration of Assets law without a robust Access to Public Information Law (implementation)? (3) Why are we not implementing with speed the Political Party Act (passed 2017, assented to January 2018)? I am sure if we had taken a serious on some of these pieces of legislation, some of these problems could have been avoided, and this applies to all parties in the country.
Let us use these things as an opportunity to discuss and arrive at better answers for our country. I get very worried when I see people reacting with insults to modest opinion by others. What is the link between ‘barrenness’ being claimed on Mwakasungula and what he is suggesting here?