President Kaluwa,
I am writing you to respond to your coments against the state president Dr Wamutharika on 18th May 2006 where you said:
" I said from the start that Bingu was worse dictator than Banda and want to turn malawi into his
personal estate "
I find your reaction in general to be abit emotional than balanced.I can fully understand your position in that you had to spend some considerable time in the cell only to discover that you had no case to answer.However, I am of the opinion that you are not an ordinary debater.No one can conclude malawian transitional history without mentioning Kamlepo Kaluwa.
You may not know this, but there are some of us who honestly think that you contributed to the change process in Malawi in ways that many of our celebrated politicians could not.
We still recall your breath taking revelations on channel africa when there were no independent broadcasting houses in the country.You cut your teeth in politics and promised that nation in a rather crude chewa translation" MUKAZAVOTERA MDP,TIZAKUUZANI ZINSINSI 54[If you vote MDP we will tell you 54 secretes] Unfortunately it dint work out.
One thing clear at that time was that you were fighting for a cause.This did not stop.You continued doing it during Bakili's time.
I am laying this background because I find your claims that "Dr Wamutharika is a worst dictator "to be baseless.The essence of dictatorship as a leadership style has to be described in specifics as distinct from abstract demonized political ideology.
Unless you give us specific examples of this worst dictatorial antics from the beloved leader,your claims will be taken as another hoax.
You went into exile during Dr Banda's alleged fair dictatorship rule.I find it hard to believe that you would remain in Malawi during the worst dictator's reign when you couldn't face the fair dictator.
That alone contradicts your position.
2- During your 10 year relentless campaign against Dr Muluzi, you bravely fought against Dr Muluzi's democratized corruption and sleaze."You warned the public that you may consider going into the bush to bring change"
The very same things you were fighting for is what Dr Wamutharika is fighting for.I would think that your position would be to support practical measures that can defeat the specter of corruption – not the erosion of our country’s values as was the case during the past regime.
As a presidential aspirant, you seem to be giving us a discomforting impression that if you were to be voted into office,your government will be soft on crime and corruption.I expect you to be advocate of good governance and be relentless in the pursuit of those who were perpetrating antagonistic and corrupt acts and unswerving in your commitment to uphold justice.
As a hallmark of our endeavor, I believe that it Is important to mirror the values of the present Democracy in the context of our past with an aim – to look for healing not division, for pastoral reconciliation and not punishment, to look to our shared witness not only in our political lens but in the processes by which our vested interest in our democracy works out the current tensions without compromising the rule of law and natural justice.
All I am saying here is that, we the voters expect alternative views from you presidential aspirants.
If Dr Wamutharika is doing something wrong, you should point it and tell us how else you would have done it.
We expect to hear policy related issues from you and not these sort of characterizations.
By the way, KODI MUDZAIMA 2009?
THIS MAY WELL BE YOUR CHANCE TO SELL YOUR AGENDA TO THE MALAWIAN PEOPLE
AFTER ALL WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR "ZINSINSI 54"
Sunday, July 16, 2006
MPASU THE GRAVEYARD DEMOCRAT
my non Malawian readers and some naive readers ,I strongly suspect they will take this article as a smear.For that reason, I need to point this out that the article here in being refered to as MPASU THE GRAVEYARD DEMOCRAT " is not my making.I am not making this up".Mr Mpasu,former speaker of parliament and now spokesperson of the United Democratic front was discovered in the graveyard in a kooky position by Villagers at around 20hours.
Any political philosophy has its nuts. Mpasu"GRAVEYARDISM" is no worse than any other in this regard"
Reading and hearing comments from most Malawians over the issue, I got the impression that Mr Mpasu will enter into our history books as the all time entertainer since independence. We have all enjoyed his twist on the graveyard dilemma and experiences as the villagers were closing in on him as well as when the nation was misspelling an important word or phrase about his graveyard machinations. This mind-boggling discovery of him squatting between tombs has made others develop theories but to his relief none of them came close to accusing him of “a political hereditary witch “
UDF party spokesperson was allegedly "impeached from the graveyard" by the villagers who found him and his which doctor having a " constructive ritual-medicinal bath" in the process abrogating his long held Christian values which forbids followers to seek help from foreign gods.
You may wish to be reminded that the man who I suppose was trying to bring "democracy to the dead" is in fact a leading presidential aspirant and publicity secretary not least spokes person of the former president.
It is not quite clear whether he went there in his official or personal capacity
I am aware that others are linking the debacle to his own going field york case.
However several theories have since developed
The first one was that he went there to consult on "CHITAKA" this allegedly follows revelations by the party that it is broke. Understandably, the party needs some funds to finance its long postponed convention which analysts continue to doubt the likelihood of its “happening”
The second theory is that considering the geographic position [MACHINGA] The former speaker of parliament and minister of information went there to set a video conference with the party's chairman who is in the UK recovering from a spine operation.
Could it be that he was briefing the press when the villagers stormed the graveyard studios? we can only speculate
What ever happened, he has a consolation from me because I don't believe in those teachings. My pastoral Dad thinks “NDIMAFANO”
Of course, you don't have to actually belong to a coven in order to be thought of as a Witch, you can bluff your way into being accepted as a fully fledged converted Christian with no links to Witchcraft society while acting in the most strange and dubious ways which may include getting lost into the graveyard at 8pm by ignoring a signpost which was never there in the first place and went on to take an imaginary detour which eventually leads you into the cemetery.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy this scenery on a detour.
As a politician, Mr Mpasu has played his cards very well by adhering to the political rules suggesting thus:
No matter how often you're scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout, run right back and make friends.
Very very surprising indeed that those who thought he was finished politically must have been surprised to see a court jam packed by well wishers
Some one once said “when trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.My apologies here.Mpasu is not crazy, just that we are yet to be schooled on his notion of GRAVEYARDISM
Whether this will have an impact on his political ambitions is anybody’s guess but one thing for sure, questions will always be raised when he makes a public comment on behalf of the UDF party.
“From which graveyard was he commenting ?”
And most likely, the UDF organizing committee will make it a point that a graveyard must be nearby whenever a rally is being conducted
Matter of fact, I am anxious to know his manifesto as the race for leadership tightens in the UDF
Will it look like:
- I will create more graveyards when elected leader of UDF
-I will liberalize all graveyards to make sure that they can be visited after 8pm
-I will make Mr. Hadji my graveyard advisor because Malawi needs a strong and vibrant graveyard economy
-If elected leader of the UDF, I will seek to apply for exclusive dealership of all graveyards in the eastern region in honor of father and founder of the UDF party.
However, I am only worried on the degree of mediocrity on the part of those who aspires to lead us one day or the other. How do we expect development with this dubious mentality?
I hear the NEC, hurriedly arranged a meeting to contain the scandal from spilling out into the party
The first proposals was to allege that" Mr. Mpasu was rigged into the graveyard"
However this was shot down by a wise NEC member that " Mr. Mpasu was not an election therefore cannot be rigged" This is when they came up with the idea suggesting that he was "tricked"
Tricked?
Hang on a second; it was 8pm at night. A car was parked within the graveyard prinstinct, he cant claim to have missed the signpost because we don't have graveyard signposts. Beside, graveyards in Malawi are uniquely forested and are often a mile or so from the village.
Mr. Mpasu knew he was going to the graveyard
There were three people namely Mr. Mpasu, the witchdoctor and his driver
The driver stayed in the car as the two consenting adults[Mr. Mpasu and his traditional gynecologist] entered the land of the dead
SO, WHO tricked WHO?
After this analysis by the wise NEC member, memories were taken back and in no time all faces were down for 5 minutes or so.
Then after a while some in the middle of quietness and silence said "HHm!!!!!"
The whole NEC burst into laughter" hahahahahahahahahaahahahahah
It went on and on until they all decided thus:
"NO COMMENT"
This explains why the party has decided to offer no "comment" but deep down their hearts, their comment is "hahahahahahaaha"
whatever it is, there is a strong belief that society is now moving towards civilized society. In the MCP era such encounters would have been met by public humiliation which among other things would have seen Mpasu being dragged into the mad dam with his face squeezed with cattle and pig dung where as during UDF era, he would have been set alight through mob justice.
To day, society took him to the police where he was judiciary charged. That considering the sensitivities of the case is a mile stone. It means even the rural public have confidence in the police system. It is also encouraging to note that as a society saddled by strong believes in all kinds of superstition voodooism, gophering, tricking and conjuring is now looking at the same thing in a rather comic way.
It seems to me here that although society has made progress in as far as belief in magic is concerned; Mr. Mpasu –publicity secretary of UDF and his friend, think that for one to find Job, he or she must first consult witchcraft doctors.
I have no idea what sort of government Mr. Mpasu will be leading when he assumes leadership of UDF where decisions will be made in the graveyard.
I cannot think of a worst scenario than that of a situation where the World Bank or IMF or indeed diplomatic community exchange credentials at Misessa grave yard
GOD FORBID
Bright Mac Everson Malopa
Any political philosophy has its nuts. Mpasu"GRAVEYARDISM" is no worse than any other in this regard"
Reading and hearing comments from most Malawians over the issue, I got the impression that Mr Mpasu will enter into our history books as the all time entertainer since independence. We have all enjoyed his twist on the graveyard dilemma and experiences as the villagers were closing in on him as well as when the nation was misspelling an important word or phrase about his graveyard machinations. This mind-boggling discovery of him squatting between tombs has made others develop theories but to his relief none of them came close to accusing him of “a political hereditary witch “
UDF party spokesperson was allegedly "impeached from the graveyard" by the villagers who found him and his which doctor having a " constructive ritual-medicinal bath" in the process abrogating his long held Christian values which forbids followers to seek help from foreign gods.
You may wish to be reminded that the man who I suppose was trying to bring "democracy to the dead" is in fact a leading presidential aspirant and publicity secretary not least spokes person of the former president.
It is not quite clear whether he went there in his official or personal capacity
I am aware that others are linking the debacle to his own going field york case.
However several theories have since developed
The first one was that he went there to consult on "CHITAKA" this allegedly follows revelations by the party that it is broke. Understandably, the party needs some funds to finance its long postponed convention which analysts continue to doubt the likelihood of its “happening”
The second theory is that considering the geographic position [MACHINGA] The former speaker of parliament and minister of information went there to set a video conference with the party's chairman who is in the UK recovering from a spine operation.
Could it be that he was briefing the press when the villagers stormed the graveyard studios? we can only speculate
What ever happened, he has a consolation from me because I don't believe in those teachings. My pastoral Dad thinks “NDIMAFANO”
Of course, you don't have to actually belong to a coven in order to be thought of as a Witch, you can bluff your way into being accepted as a fully fledged converted Christian with no links to Witchcraft society while acting in the most strange and dubious ways which may include getting lost into the graveyard at 8pm by ignoring a signpost which was never there in the first place and went on to take an imaginary detour which eventually leads you into the cemetery.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy this scenery on a detour.
As a politician, Mr Mpasu has played his cards very well by adhering to the political rules suggesting thus:
No matter how often you're scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout, run right back and make friends.
Very very surprising indeed that those who thought he was finished politically must have been surprised to see a court jam packed by well wishers
Some one once said “when trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.My apologies here.Mpasu is not crazy, just that we are yet to be schooled on his notion of GRAVEYARDISM
Whether this will have an impact on his political ambitions is anybody’s guess but one thing for sure, questions will always be raised when he makes a public comment on behalf of the UDF party.
“From which graveyard was he commenting ?”
And most likely, the UDF organizing committee will make it a point that a graveyard must be nearby whenever a rally is being conducted
Matter of fact, I am anxious to know his manifesto as the race for leadership tightens in the UDF
Will it look like:
- I will create more graveyards when elected leader of UDF
-I will liberalize all graveyards to make sure that they can be visited after 8pm
-I will make Mr. Hadji my graveyard advisor because Malawi needs a strong and vibrant graveyard economy
-If elected leader of the UDF, I will seek to apply for exclusive dealership of all graveyards in the eastern region in honor of father and founder of the UDF party.
However, I am only worried on the degree of mediocrity on the part of those who aspires to lead us one day or the other. How do we expect development with this dubious mentality?
I hear the NEC, hurriedly arranged a meeting to contain the scandal from spilling out into the party
The first proposals was to allege that" Mr. Mpasu was rigged into the graveyard"
However this was shot down by a wise NEC member that " Mr. Mpasu was not an election therefore cannot be rigged" This is when they came up with the idea suggesting that he was "tricked"
Tricked?
Hang on a second; it was 8pm at night. A car was parked within the graveyard prinstinct, he cant claim to have missed the signpost because we don't have graveyard signposts. Beside, graveyards in Malawi are uniquely forested and are often a mile or so from the village.
Mr. Mpasu knew he was going to the graveyard
There were three people namely Mr. Mpasu, the witchdoctor and his driver
The driver stayed in the car as the two consenting adults[Mr. Mpasu and his traditional gynecologist] entered the land of the dead
SO, WHO tricked WHO?
After this analysis by the wise NEC member, memories were taken back and in no time all faces were down for 5 minutes or so.
Then after a while some in the middle of quietness and silence said "HHm!!!!!"
The whole NEC burst into laughter" hahahahahahahahahaahahahahah
It went on and on until they all decided thus:
"NO COMMENT"
This explains why the party has decided to offer no "comment" but deep down their hearts, their comment is "hahahahahahaaha"
whatever it is, there is a strong belief that society is now moving towards civilized society. In the MCP era such encounters would have been met by public humiliation which among other things would have seen Mpasu being dragged into the mad dam with his face squeezed with cattle and pig dung where as during UDF era, he would have been set alight through mob justice.
To day, society took him to the police where he was judiciary charged. That considering the sensitivities of the case is a mile stone. It means even the rural public have confidence in the police system. It is also encouraging to note that as a society saddled by strong believes in all kinds of superstition voodooism, gophering, tricking and conjuring is now looking at the same thing in a rather comic way.
It seems to me here that although society has made progress in as far as belief in magic is concerned; Mr. Mpasu –publicity secretary of UDF and his friend, think that for one to find Job, he or she must first consult witchcraft doctors.
I have no idea what sort of government Mr. Mpasu will be leading when he assumes leadership of UDF where decisions will be made in the graveyard.
I cannot think of a worst scenario than that of a situation where the World Bank or IMF or indeed diplomatic community exchange credentials at Misessa grave yard
GOD FORBID
Bright Mac Everson Malopa
Thursday, July 13, 2006
DR CHILUMPHA'S FATE-OWN MAKING
Last week, an era of myths political silence,arrogance and luxurious stay aways came to an end when Dr Chilumpha was fired for what may be interpreted as incompetence and outright laziness. It was an era which not only affected Dr Chilumpha and his family, but indeed the entire country and world at large. What I have learned through out this week was that no matter where you stand politically, constitution or no constitution, no one provided a solution as to how best one can handle a situation where one decides to abrogate his duties while continue to receive full packages. Arguments did move from constitutional violations to the meaning of constructive resignation and resignation itself. None of the arguments presented for or against came up with a realistic solution.
To the contrary allot of debate has been evolving around the constitutionality while silently remaining mum on the vice president’s attitude. From the president’s excerpts to Dr Chilumpha,it would appear like Dr Cassim Chilumpha was an enigma. The government and his country was moving in one direction, while the vice president simply turned the ship 180 degrees with no apologies. It seems straight to me that he enjoys being served and not serving.This element became clear soon after obtaining an injunction. Instead of making himself available to the government, we demanded his entitlements He seem to forget that his issues are with the government and not the people of Malawi It is not surprising indeed to see that unlike 3-4 months ago when the opposition wanted to remove the president from office, no one went to the streets to demonstrate against the ouster of the vice president.
The impression I got here was that where as the president received Dr Chilumpha’s constructive resignation, the nation at large received the cabinet decision to fire the vice president. Of course legalists and constitutional positivists respectfully disagree. They believe that issues of constructive resignation do not apply to elected positions as such natural justice will be compromised. Others like Mr. Mpasu have gone further to include” precedents" as the denying factor in this expulsion debacle. What is clear from their arguments is the silence from events following a court reversal. Do "precedentists" want to set a precedent where people should be gallivanting in state sponsored luxury boasting 10 aids and 22 state security detail and get paid $ 3000.00 for doing nothing when poor people who were not even addressed by this luckiest beneficiary are earning K200.00 for clearing dusty roads? Proponents of Dr Chilumpha's continued stay in office under the guise of constitutional barriers and loopholes like hon. Chakufwa are not offering any solution to the case.
They’re just not interested in the constitution, are they?” Matter of fact Chakufwa was the funniest of all.While condemning government for acting in violation of the constitution he advised Dr Chilumpha to do likewise by firing Dr Wamutharika. I must admit, I laughed my lungs out especially knowing that here was a seemingly learned individual preaching insanity at a political function. It would appear to me that Dr Chilumpha's apologists would under the guise of constitution, would have required us to leave Dr Chilumpha alone "while the nation is left settling his lavish vacation", and this when our country is trying all it can to direct her meager resources to priority areas such as health and education will be morally unacceptable and if this is the sort of constitution they are proposing,then in this case the constitution is standing in the way of doing the right thing."
Dr Chilumpha's attitudinal intransigence and egoism coupled with his association with a party that has been baying for the state president's blood all along, means that there is "no practical mechanism consistent with the constitution where issues of national importance are concerned Politicians have a big stake in the future direction of broader issues of national interest. For almost a year, the president pursued a policy of silence in response to Dr Chilumpha's behavior and sadly at the expense of state resources. But pursuit of silence made neither Dr Wamutharika nor Dr Chilumpha to save our meager resources Instead, the policy of diplomatic silence led into Dr Chilumpha's belief that he was an equal opponent therefore justified to set a paralel administration.
National interests cannot be served in this way.It can only come from the transformation of the individual politics and the emergence of joint efforts from their combined skills under the auspices of unity, and pursue the prosperity of their peoples. It is for this reason that the nation unsurprisingly is receiving the sacking of the vice president without incidents OTIVE IGBUZOR a leading Nigerian constitutional expert once said "The importance of constitution in the governance of any nation cannot be overemphasized. The link between democracy and constitutional government is well established. It has been pointed out that although democracy is not dependent on the existence of a written set of rules in a constitution, without a constitution, there may not be practices conducive to efficiency, well being and social justice (1-IDEA, 2000:16) Constitution making and/or review is therefore of paramount importance in any country.[i pray this will be high on the agenda in the forth coming constitutional conference] As justice Dunstain Mwaungulu argued at the commonwealth secretariat in London last month, ”The facilitative functions of government are twofold but all intended towards the full enjoyment and expansion of liberty.
First, they impose a duty on governments to provide services such as education and health, which improve the quality of life of the governed. Secondly, they impose a duty on the government to provide the circumstances and context in which these rights can be enjoyed safely and without interference." From the president’s dismissal letter, It is quite clear to note that something was palpably wrong with the vice president especially balancing his personal pride and serving the nation. Of course apologists have argued that Dr Chilumpha was forced to act that way due to his office being under funded. I think the issue of being starved of resources is being blown out of proportion If indeed this was the case, where did he get the resources to go to South Africa? was it really expensive to bid farewell to his government? do you honestly need funding to inform your government of your travel arrangements? What is his explanation behind refusing to move to Lilongwe where the president and the government has relocated? Personally, I am of the opinion that Dr Chilumpha enjoys controversy.
He acted strangely while serving Dr Muluzi's government and managed to get away while his colegues received humiliating and painful treatment on the same perceived offenses.Unfortunately this time it is backfiring against him because leadership of the day is bold and strong. Soon after being re appointed minister of statutory corporations in 2003, he never took ministerial oath, sent back the government merc and continued to operate from Blantyre print. When he was nominated Dr Wamutharika's running mate, he decided to abscond the campaign trails and was largely absent from numerous political rallies. He never got involved in any public campaign except once in Mchinji and when he goes to court and start saying" I WAS ELECTED" I am wondering what he meant because he never bothered to visit them in the first place, how then does he claim to have been elected by the electorates who were never addressed?
Politics is a game of popularity. Politicians get popular by reaching out the neglected masses,whose survivor solely depends on government’s good will. You don’t get popular by being chauffer driven or enjoying the comforts of a Victorian house Who ever advised him to stay away from serving the nation created his political demise. The short-term costs of removing Dr Chilumpha as the country's vice president far exceed any potential long-term benefits if viewed from the interests of the nation. The strongest bulwark against the rise of all these questions is the establishment of a well-rooted democratic government, embraced by all people where people are rewarded for their work regardless of their status and influence. Such a government is best able both to defeat lazy theorists hiding behind constitutional loopholes and to serve as a beacon of hope and possibility for reformers throughout the country. Already, we have witnessed historic elections last December where the traditional politics of regional patronage was defeated, followed by successful economic recovery which saw Malawi posting a record K3.1billion in domestic credit from a K5.1 billion deficit. "It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the dedicated team of Dr Wamutharika's government minus his vice.
I was cynical when I saw Hon Mwawa's expulsion followed by Mr Ng'oma and Mr Chakuamba respectively.But when I saw Dr Chilumpha's house arrest followed by Dr Muluzi's 1.4 billion saga, and the civil society's unity to oppose their president's impeachment, it was the start of Malawi’s third republic. It is very easy to read their faces as saying” something is changing". The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it." Although we do not expect these transformations to occur overnight, there is reason to be optimistic for the future of a market based democracy and Malawi’s economic turn around. More importantly, perhaps, the simple fact that over 9 million Malawians have chosen to participate in the wide spread national development programs, despite death threats and assassination attempts to their president, demonstrates their desire for freedom rather than a return to tyranny.
The antidote to this radical vision is democracy, justice, and the freedom agenda. This agenda offers empowerment as an alternative to tyrany. It offers participation in place of exclusion. It offers the marketplace of ideas to counter the dark world of conspiracy theories. It offers individual rights and human dignity instead of violence and murder. Fundamentally, it means people participating in governing themselves, rather than being governed by others whom they never choose, never change, and never influence. We witnessed a positive first step in the active coordination and ground-level cooperation between The president and his vice during the Malawi/Mozambique energy summit which was sadly affected by the electricity blackout. When Hon Katsonga panicked amidst national embarrassment, it was Dr Chilumpha who calmed him down" APA PHIRI ZATIVUTA"At that time he was an active participant in promoting government programs and economic prosperity.
It was him who played an important role together with Hon Gondwe,Chimunthu Banda and Henry Mussa in the first post UDF budget.This is what the nation wanted of him Dr Chilumpha lost an opportunity to earn the confidence of people by having a transparent, functioning spirit that delivers economic opportunity to the Malawian people and the rule of law rather than patronizing institutionalized corruption and the rule of destructive opposition. A prosperous, democratic Malawian society would provide the political basis and the needed resources for the government to fight the poverty and diseases which an acadamic of his caliber should champion People take an exceedingly dim view of these priorities. They have seen right through all the false sincerity, the bogus promises and the dodgy grounds of impeachment. The public’s disillusionment is now so extreme that there is nothing UDF can say that will be believed. The legal and moral justification regarding the firing of Dr Chilumpha did not depend on his refusal to join the DPP, but on the fact that he is not interested in serving the general public and the interest of the nation by absconding duties to which he was voted for For the real damage done by this tumult is the way it brings to the front of voters’ minds the fact that they don’t trust UDF and have no confidence that they will ever get anything right. Un fortunately for Dr Chilumpha,he is now horribly exposed.
His inner circle has all but disintegrated. Above all, he is a performer with the thinnest of skins, who cannot survive without the cheers of religious crowd. If Dr Chilumpha was politically strong , the turmoil over his 10 month paid vacation wouldn’t touch him. But the tide of Chilumphaisim has visibly gone out, leaving him beached, alone, badly wounded and with his enemies both within and outside UDF closing in. It is no longer unthinkable that he may step down. Thats the price politicians pay for being arrogant
Bright Mac Everson Malopa
To the contrary allot of debate has been evolving around the constitutionality while silently remaining mum on the vice president’s attitude. From the president’s excerpts to Dr Chilumpha,it would appear like Dr Cassim Chilumpha was an enigma. The government and his country was moving in one direction, while the vice president simply turned the ship 180 degrees with no apologies. It seems straight to me that he enjoys being served and not serving.This element became clear soon after obtaining an injunction. Instead of making himself available to the government, we demanded his entitlements He seem to forget that his issues are with the government and not the people of Malawi It is not surprising indeed to see that unlike 3-4 months ago when the opposition wanted to remove the president from office, no one went to the streets to demonstrate against the ouster of the vice president.
The impression I got here was that where as the president received Dr Chilumpha’s constructive resignation, the nation at large received the cabinet decision to fire the vice president. Of course legalists and constitutional positivists respectfully disagree. They believe that issues of constructive resignation do not apply to elected positions as such natural justice will be compromised. Others like Mr. Mpasu have gone further to include” precedents" as the denying factor in this expulsion debacle. What is clear from their arguments is the silence from events following a court reversal. Do "precedentists" want to set a precedent where people should be gallivanting in state sponsored luxury boasting 10 aids and 22 state security detail and get paid $ 3000.00 for doing nothing when poor people who were not even addressed by this luckiest beneficiary are earning K200.00 for clearing dusty roads? Proponents of Dr Chilumpha's continued stay in office under the guise of constitutional barriers and loopholes like hon. Chakufwa are not offering any solution to the case.
They’re just not interested in the constitution, are they?” Matter of fact Chakufwa was the funniest of all.While condemning government for acting in violation of the constitution he advised Dr Chilumpha to do likewise by firing Dr Wamutharika. I must admit, I laughed my lungs out especially knowing that here was a seemingly learned individual preaching insanity at a political function. It would appear to me that Dr Chilumpha's apologists would under the guise of constitution, would have required us to leave Dr Chilumpha alone "while the nation is left settling his lavish vacation", and this when our country is trying all it can to direct her meager resources to priority areas such as health and education will be morally unacceptable and if this is the sort of constitution they are proposing,then in this case the constitution is standing in the way of doing the right thing."
Dr Chilumpha's attitudinal intransigence and egoism coupled with his association with a party that has been baying for the state president's blood all along, means that there is "no practical mechanism consistent with the constitution where issues of national importance are concerned Politicians have a big stake in the future direction of broader issues of national interest. For almost a year, the president pursued a policy of silence in response to Dr Chilumpha's behavior and sadly at the expense of state resources. But pursuit of silence made neither Dr Wamutharika nor Dr Chilumpha to save our meager resources Instead, the policy of diplomatic silence led into Dr Chilumpha's belief that he was an equal opponent therefore justified to set a paralel administration.
National interests cannot be served in this way.It can only come from the transformation of the individual politics and the emergence of joint efforts from their combined skills under the auspices of unity, and pursue the prosperity of their peoples. It is for this reason that the nation unsurprisingly is receiving the sacking of the vice president without incidents OTIVE IGBUZOR a leading Nigerian constitutional expert once said "The importance of constitution in the governance of any nation cannot be overemphasized. The link between democracy and constitutional government is well established. It has been pointed out that although democracy is not dependent on the existence of a written set of rules in a constitution, without a constitution, there may not be practices conducive to efficiency, well being and social justice (1-IDEA, 2000:16) Constitution making and/or review is therefore of paramount importance in any country.[i pray this will be high on the agenda in the forth coming constitutional conference] As justice Dunstain Mwaungulu argued at the commonwealth secretariat in London last month, ”The facilitative functions of government are twofold but all intended towards the full enjoyment and expansion of liberty.
First, they impose a duty on governments to provide services such as education and health, which improve the quality of life of the governed. Secondly, they impose a duty on the government to provide the circumstances and context in which these rights can be enjoyed safely and without interference." From the president’s dismissal letter, It is quite clear to note that something was palpably wrong with the vice president especially balancing his personal pride and serving the nation. Of course apologists have argued that Dr Chilumpha was forced to act that way due to his office being under funded. I think the issue of being starved of resources is being blown out of proportion If indeed this was the case, where did he get the resources to go to South Africa? was it really expensive to bid farewell to his government? do you honestly need funding to inform your government of your travel arrangements? What is his explanation behind refusing to move to Lilongwe where the president and the government has relocated? Personally, I am of the opinion that Dr Chilumpha enjoys controversy.
He acted strangely while serving Dr Muluzi's government and managed to get away while his colegues received humiliating and painful treatment on the same perceived offenses.Unfortunately this time it is backfiring against him because leadership of the day is bold and strong. Soon after being re appointed minister of statutory corporations in 2003, he never took ministerial oath, sent back the government merc and continued to operate from Blantyre print. When he was nominated Dr Wamutharika's running mate, he decided to abscond the campaign trails and was largely absent from numerous political rallies. He never got involved in any public campaign except once in Mchinji and when he goes to court and start saying" I WAS ELECTED" I am wondering what he meant because he never bothered to visit them in the first place, how then does he claim to have been elected by the electorates who were never addressed?
Politics is a game of popularity. Politicians get popular by reaching out the neglected masses,whose survivor solely depends on government’s good will. You don’t get popular by being chauffer driven or enjoying the comforts of a Victorian house Who ever advised him to stay away from serving the nation created his political demise. The short-term costs of removing Dr Chilumpha as the country's vice president far exceed any potential long-term benefits if viewed from the interests of the nation. The strongest bulwark against the rise of all these questions is the establishment of a well-rooted democratic government, embraced by all people where people are rewarded for their work regardless of their status and influence. Such a government is best able both to defeat lazy theorists hiding behind constitutional loopholes and to serve as a beacon of hope and possibility for reformers throughout the country. Already, we have witnessed historic elections last December where the traditional politics of regional patronage was defeated, followed by successful economic recovery which saw Malawi posting a record K3.1billion in domestic credit from a K5.1 billion deficit. "It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the dedicated team of Dr Wamutharika's government minus his vice.
I was cynical when I saw Hon Mwawa's expulsion followed by Mr Ng'oma and Mr Chakuamba respectively.But when I saw Dr Chilumpha's house arrest followed by Dr Muluzi's 1.4 billion saga, and the civil society's unity to oppose their president's impeachment, it was the start of Malawi’s third republic. It is very easy to read their faces as saying” something is changing". The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it." Although we do not expect these transformations to occur overnight, there is reason to be optimistic for the future of a market based democracy and Malawi’s economic turn around. More importantly, perhaps, the simple fact that over 9 million Malawians have chosen to participate in the wide spread national development programs, despite death threats and assassination attempts to their president, demonstrates their desire for freedom rather than a return to tyranny.
The antidote to this radical vision is democracy, justice, and the freedom agenda. This agenda offers empowerment as an alternative to tyrany. It offers participation in place of exclusion. It offers the marketplace of ideas to counter the dark world of conspiracy theories. It offers individual rights and human dignity instead of violence and murder. Fundamentally, it means people participating in governing themselves, rather than being governed by others whom they never choose, never change, and never influence. We witnessed a positive first step in the active coordination and ground-level cooperation between The president and his vice during the Malawi/Mozambique energy summit which was sadly affected by the electricity blackout. When Hon Katsonga panicked amidst national embarrassment, it was Dr Chilumpha who calmed him down" APA PHIRI ZATIVUTA"At that time he was an active participant in promoting government programs and economic prosperity.
It was him who played an important role together with Hon Gondwe,Chimunthu Banda and Henry Mussa in the first post UDF budget.This is what the nation wanted of him Dr Chilumpha lost an opportunity to earn the confidence of people by having a transparent, functioning spirit that delivers economic opportunity to the Malawian people and the rule of law rather than patronizing institutionalized corruption and the rule of destructive opposition. A prosperous, democratic Malawian society would provide the political basis and the needed resources for the government to fight the poverty and diseases which an acadamic of his caliber should champion People take an exceedingly dim view of these priorities. They have seen right through all the false sincerity, the bogus promises and the dodgy grounds of impeachment. The public’s disillusionment is now so extreme that there is nothing UDF can say that will be believed. The legal and moral justification regarding the firing of Dr Chilumpha did not depend on his refusal to join the DPP, but on the fact that he is not interested in serving the general public and the interest of the nation by absconding duties to which he was voted for For the real damage done by this tumult is the way it brings to the front of voters’ minds the fact that they don’t trust UDF and have no confidence that they will ever get anything right. Un fortunately for Dr Chilumpha,he is now horribly exposed.
His inner circle has all but disintegrated. Above all, he is a performer with the thinnest of skins, who cannot survive without the cheers of religious crowd. If Dr Chilumpha was politically strong , the turmoil over his 10 month paid vacation wouldn’t touch him. But the tide of Chilumphaisim has visibly gone out, leaving him beached, alone, badly wounded and with his enemies both within and outside UDF closing in. It is no longer unthinkable that he may step down. Thats the price politicians pay for being arrogant
Bright Mac Everson Malopa
Dr WAMUTHARIKA NOT A FAILED PRESIDENT BUT RATHER A BEACON OF HOPE"
Bright Mac Everson Malopa
For some Malawians like my friend Mr.. Likambale, It would appear like living in the past is an attractive temptation. But I'm sure Most Malawians will understand as I do, why going back in time holds fewer attractions for the nation at large. A few short months ago Mr.Likambale and other politically twisted commentators wrote Dr Wamutharika and the DPP led government off. But these political obituary writers were rudely interrupted by the very people the political establishment often forgets – the voters.
DPP's spectacular triumph on December 6 2005 showed us the way. And why? Because Dr .Wamutharika is serious about politics and serious about government. Under difficult political terms of reference, Wamutharika and his government have been providing the inspirational leadership which has allowed our country to renew itself after years of,mismanagement,economic stagnation, drift and decline by equipping us with the freedoms and national self-confidence to shape the future. It seems to me that Dr Wamutharika's essence of democracy has always been a belief in human nature as distinct from abstract ideology and that the essence of human nature is adaptability, flexibility, ingenuity.
Contrary to Mr Likambale's painted vague picture on the present state of affairs, Dr Wamutharika’s policies throughout the past twenty four months have always been designed to give these virtues room to grow. The UDF, by contrast, always had been trying to constrict human freedom, to direct human energies down specific approved political paths. They continue to constrict human freedom today only that this time it is restricted to their party. Twelve years ago, a perceived quasi democratic revolution based on liberal ideologies began when UDF was voted in power. Battered by regulations, taxes,and inflation,the enterprise of Malawian people - which under MCP had once produced enough to eat and save and served as a model of prosperity to ailing African economies - was exhausted by UDF’s class policies of greed, corruption and intolerant to dissenting views.
They were no better than the MCP. In order to examine Dr wamutharika’s government in as far as democratic progress is concerned, we must examine the past regimes first two years in office and compare it to date The first two years of MCP were the worst in Malawi’s history. The decisive event in Malawi’s post-independence history began as the celebrations of nationhood were scarcely over. On July 26 1964,barely twenty days after independence, Dr.Banda attacked unnamed members of his government who disagreed with his policies. This followed by Dr Banda’s infamous cabinet crisis which saw the dismissal of Kanyama Chiume,Orton Chirwa,Augustine Bwanausi and Rose Chibambo leading to the resignations of Yatuta Chisiza,Henry Masauko Chipembele and Willie Chokani.
Followers of these brave sons and daughter of Malawi were beaten and tortured by the MCP with Banda’s authorization when he personally said: "These people are wild animals now. They must be destroyed. No beating about the bush. Arrest them.But if they resist arrest, anything you do is alright so far as I am concerned” In his book Philip short records Banda as saying, “there is no opposition in heaven. God himself does not want opposition, that is why he chased Satan away. Why should Kamuzu have opposition?" All who thought this was over when MCP were voted out were in for a rude shock. Immediately after elections of 1994, UDF declared the policy of non-cooperative governance where they vowed never to work with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) party, despite Dr Banda’s offer to support the UDF government. UDF went further to take over assets under MCP under the principle of “Doctrine of Necessity” Again during the last two years of UDF, we saw the manipulation of the national executive committee by the President.
Dr. Bakili Muluzi and the party did their best to starve its followers of their democratic right to choose and debate issues freely and objectively. Despite the defeat of the two bills, the debates they had generated, respectively, were so acrimonious that the tensions caused rumbled on for a long time, partly due to another move within the UDF that caused great controversy and, just as the debates on the two defeated bills had done, led to much bitterness and agitation. As CHRRC observed, the government found itself, once again, facing a concerted opposition comprising the faith communities and civil society organizations. This led to the erosion of every liberal democratic value which was the basis upon which the party was formed. Public officers, parliamentarians, clergies and journalists were clobbered with undemocratic fists of the young democrats .
Of course adversarial politics will not go away. Indeed, it will intensify, for the simple reason that politics like any other game is defined to highlight differences between opposing views.For one to be in politics,the opponent's view need to be wrong. The nature of the intensification is, however, novel: people may be less desperate than in history.What matters most here is not the level of political differences but rather the degree to which opposing views can agree on something in the interest of the nation. Thus where as the aim of previous governments were to destroy political opponents, this government has taken a consultative approach.Opposition politicians are now regular visitors at the state house discussing issues of national importance. But most importantly is UDF 's treatment to its own citizens as a one time victim-a journalist by the name Chinyeke Tembo said as an attempt to summarize UDF’s pseudo democracy on Malawitalk when he said:
" Look at those UDF leaders, and remember what they did to us journalists during their fight for the 3rd Term.I was almost killed by the Young Democrats at the Shire Bus lines Head Office, which was the financing centre for all the killers who saw nothing good in some of us.Who knew that today, we would have some of these leaders of The "Men In Black" in custody now. They almost killed Nation Photojournalist Daniel Nyirenda (Now with Daily Times), who was even hospitalised at Mwaiwathu Hospital, then they harrassed Brian Ligomeka (now Sunday Times), Publisher John Saini, Freelancer Frank Jomo, Nation Reporters Pilirani Semu-Banda and her hubby Mabvuto, assaulted Hardy Nyirenda at Ryalls Hotel (Now in London), beat up many and all that. Then today you expect me to feel sorry for people who almost had me six-feet under!I never at any moment thought UDF would be a party with its politicians on the run. How time changes" The change being referred here in by Chinyeke is the changing process which has seen a reversal of both MCP and UDF‘s unchallenged political orthodoxies where the rule of law did not apply to the connected and ruling elite.
For me, there are profound ethical and philosophical reasons to take an issue with the UDF’s general approach. But, crucially, there is a more important reason why we should all reject the instincts of the UDF to control and direct. "Their policies have proved to be disastrous". Who knows what both MCP and UDF governments would have done with Lucious Banda and Maxwell Milanzi if it had been in office when the president was indicted for impeachment? Once Malawi was the graveyard of democracy. Under this government it is becoming the cradle of democracy. DPP has shown that it is the driving force at Capital hill and now parliamentary politics too. It is no longer a party born out of frustration or a UDF break away protest group. It is now a political power. People have seen the difference when Dr Bingu was ushered in two years ago, and can testify what the nation has gone through. They have seen the opposition becoming regualr visitors at state house.
They have all witnessed a citizen-centric government at work reshaping our welfare system, rebuilding a broken society in attempt to secure it against poverty, while creating a system founded on opportunity and responsibility with incentives to work and to save and they know that it is now a party willing to think anew. A government not only interested in the wealth of our country's history but also a government willing to develop fresh ideas. A government drawing on enduring social democratic principles but ready to apply them in a rapidly changing world. This is evident by the government’s commitment as a party of opportunity, aspiration and ambition. We have seen the youth whose role in politics was to whip people through MYP and young democrats.
Under UDF, politics became managerial, not inspirational. The MCP have taken the same course, shunning conviction and desperate only to emulate a value-free patronage and antagonistic politics. These barriers have been brought down by Dr Wamutharika. The youth are now taking strategic tasks which were a monopoly of grey haired chauvinists. Dr Wamutharika’s economic revolution has proved that there are no short-cuts to prosperity. It comes without saying that one will have to think twice before engaging himself in activities likely going to be in violation of the law. It is no longer unthinkable that society is realistic about the state's ability to address social needs. People now know that corruption acts as a deterrent to economic development. They now know that just as wealth creation depends upon the energies of a free people; a good society depends upon the active compassion of free and independent families who not only fear the law but are also equally protected by the same law regardless of their political leanings.
On economy, the government has achieved what both the UDF and MCP governments failed to achieve when on 24th February this year, the Executive Board of the IMF completed and approved the first review of the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF) and commended Government on its improved public financial management against a backdrop of a severe food crisis. For the quarter ending September, 2005, the Government met all the quantitative and structural performance targets. The Board further indicated that Malawi could reach the “completion point” under the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) and would simultaneously qualify Malawi for the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) by mid 2006. Government was further commended On 27th March 2006 by the Society of Accountants in Malawi (SOCAM), Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI), Economics Association of Malawi (ECAMA) and Bankers Association of Malawi (BAM) with facilitation from the National Action Group Forum Secretariat (NAG Secretariat), came together to provide one joint submission that broadly represents the views of their respective memberships which among other things came said:
This engagement with private sector was more extensive and deeper than experienced at any point in the past. On environment Government is reversing the environmental degradation through sustainable policies. Of late we have all heard that Government has planted over 45 million trees since Dr Wamutharika took over. Without doubt, the pristine nature and the panoramic splendors of our past which slipped into oblivion are about to come back to redecorate the virgin beauty of mother Malawi. The only people not happy with these progressive developments are the same political sadists facing a paralysis at the heart of their party. They have been politically meandering and are now confused in their lacquered heads. The only card they can play now is to deceive the public that they are being politically persecuted but their point of view cannot hold any water because they are being arrested and tried in violation of the law.
Agreeing to their putative thinking would mean that every single and influential politician should be let loose to plot the killing of opponents as well as embark on corrupt activities without fear of the law. That is a complete absurdity if you pursue that argument to its logical conclusion. If it is true it means that nothing can ever be done by the Government because It means that no Government has any function or any purpose. To listen to their cries is to pursue a policy of complete surrender and a surrender to tyranny and lawlessness and policy of the "red flag." No sane government can raise a "white" flag to lawlessness and enter into a policy of surrender, of negation, by which any policy can be frustrated and blocked in Malawi by corrupt and assassin politicians.
This will be a battle of a myriad of small wounds, not the clash of two great swords. It will be waged in courts and the supervisory boards of regulatory agencies, in the communications media and think tanks, in the electronic universe and in the minds of the electorate. But regarding the overall achievement by Dr Wamutharika’s government, My grand-mother Gogo Namlengeni in her dental bankrupt mouth as evidenced through her difficulties to pronounce Bingu once summarized the two regimes by saying: KOMA A BINZUWA NDIYE AKUYIGWIRA NTCHITO.ENA AJA ANKANGOKHALIRA FWETSEKE a rather crude chewa translation for “Bingu pronounced as Binzu is working hard compared to his former who was busy swearing and had a violent language whenever holding a public rally. It is no longer surprising indeed to see that the main opposition parties are in their lowest form. They have more internal fights ever than before.
No one knows who will lead the local election campaign in the event that one is staged. Dr Muluzi and hon Tembo are all surviving by their thinnest political skin of patronage and intimidation. We have just seen Malawi’s most democratic successful two years. The government must build on that success - as nation become more successful. Now that the government has made some remarkable progress, there is a need to move further on the progressive indices and build a fairer Malawi, not the means-tested, target driven, over-centralized country previously run by the MCP and later destroyed by UDF Jamahiriya policies. Government policies need to be thoroughly tested.
They will be subject to new levels of aggressive scrutiny because UDF and the MCP realize DPP is their principal opponent in all parts of the country. They will turn their guns on the government purely on no basis other than frustration because they have nothing to offer. It must be every DPP member’s pledge now that where they see unfairness they must challenge it; where they see injustice they should attack it; and where the nation see prejudice ,they should be allowed confront it because to be serve under Dr Wamutharika led DPP government is to be a trustee of a great movement, with so much to be proud of - but with so many dazzling achievements still to come
References:
malawitalk/nyasanet discussion forums,Lwanda, John Lloyd Chipembere. 1996. Promises, Power Politics and Poverty: Democratic Transition in Malawi. Glasgow: Dudu Nsomba, UNDP. 2000. Human Development Report 2000. New York: Oxford University Press. United States. Department of State. 2004. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2003: Malawi," 25 February <http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27737.htm> (accessed 18 April 2004).----. 1995. "Malawi: The Transition to Multi-party Politics." In Democracy and Political Change in Sub-Saharan Africa, edited by John A. Wiseman. London and New York: Routledge.Debate." African Affairs 103: 91-107.Somerville, Keith. 1992. "One Man Banda." New African (July).Tsoka, Maxton Grant. 2002. "Public Opinion and the Consolidation of Democracy in Malawi." Afrobarometer Paper No.16. Cape Town: Institute for Democracy in South Africa; Legon-Accra: Ghana Centre for Democratic Development; East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University.UNDP. 2000. Human Development Report 2000. New York: Oxford University Press.United States. epartment of State. 2004. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2003: Malawi," 25 February <http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27737.htm> (accessed 18 April 2004).van Donge, Jan Kees. 1995. "Kamuzu's Legacy: The Democratization of Malawi, Or Searching for the Rules of the Game in African Politics." African Affairs 94: 227-57.Venter, Denis. 1993. "Malawi's Referendum on Multi-Party Politics: Banda's Battle of Hastings?" International Update (January). Johannesburg: South African Institute of International Affairs.
For some Malawians like my friend Mr.. Likambale, It would appear like living in the past is an attractive temptation. But I'm sure Most Malawians will understand as I do, why going back in time holds fewer attractions for the nation at large. A few short months ago Mr.Likambale and other politically twisted commentators wrote Dr Wamutharika and the DPP led government off. But these political obituary writers were rudely interrupted by the very people the political establishment often forgets – the voters.
DPP's spectacular triumph on December 6 2005 showed us the way. And why? Because Dr .Wamutharika is serious about politics and serious about government. Under difficult political terms of reference, Wamutharika and his government have been providing the inspirational leadership which has allowed our country to renew itself after years of,mismanagement,economic stagnation, drift and decline by equipping us with the freedoms and national self-confidence to shape the future. It seems to me that Dr Wamutharika's essence of democracy has always been a belief in human nature as distinct from abstract ideology and that the essence of human nature is adaptability, flexibility, ingenuity.
Contrary to Mr Likambale's painted vague picture on the present state of affairs, Dr Wamutharika’s policies throughout the past twenty four months have always been designed to give these virtues room to grow. The UDF, by contrast, always had been trying to constrict human freedom, to direct human energies down specific approved political paths. They continue to constrict human freedom today only that this time it is restricted to their party. Twelve years ago, a perceived quasi democratic revolution based on liberal ideologies began when UDF was voted in power. Battered by regulations, taxes,and inflation,the enterprise of Malawian people - which under MCP had once produced enough to eat and save and served as a model of prosperity to ailing African economies - was exhausted by UDF’s class policies of greed, corruption and intolerant to dissenting views.
They were no better than the MCP. In order to examine Dr wamutharika’s government in as far as democratic progress is concerned, we must examine the past regimes first two years in office and compare it to date The first two years of MCP were the worst in Malawi’s history. The decisive event in Malawi’s post-independence history began as the celebrations of nationhood were scarcely over. On July 26 1964,barely twenty days after independence, Dr.Banda attacked unnamed members of his government who disagreed with his policies. This followed by Dr Banda’s infamous cabinet crisis which saw the dismissal of Kanyama Chiume,Orton Chirwa,Augustine Bwanausi and Rose Chibambo leading to the resignations of Yatuta Chisiza,Henry Masauko Chipembele and Willie Chokani.
Followers of these brave sons and daughter of Malawi were beaten and tortured by the MCP with Banda’s authorization when he personally said: "These people are wild animals now. They must be destroyed. No beating about the bush. Arrest them.But if they resist arrest, anything you do is alright so far as I am concerned” In his book Philip short records Banda as saying, “there is no opposition in heaven. God himself does not want opposition, that is why he chased Satan away. Why should Kamuzu have opposition?" All who thought this was over when MCP were voted out were in for a rude shock. Immediately after elections of 1994, UDF declared the policy of non-cooperative governance where they vowed never to work with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) party, despite Dr Banda’s offer to support the UDF government. UDF went further to take over assets under MCP under the principle of “Doctrine of Necessity” Again during the last two years of UDF, we saw the manipulation of the national executive committee by the President.
Dr. Bakili Muluzi and the party did their best to starve its followers of their democratic right to choose and debate issues freely and objectively. Despite the defeat of the two bills, the debates they had generated, respectively, were so acrimonious that the tensions caused rumbled on for a long time, partly due to another move within the UDF that caused great controversy and, just as the debates on the two defeated bills had done, led to much bitterness and agitation. As CHRRC observed, the government found itself, once again, facing a concerted opposition comprising the faith communities and civil society organizations. This led to the erosion of every liberal democratic value which was the basis upon which the party was formed. Public officers, parliamentarians, clergies and journalists were clobbered with undemocratic fists of the young democrats .
Of course adversarial politics will not go away. Indeed, it will intensify, for the simple reason that politics like any other game is defined to highlight differences between opposing views.For one to be in politics,the opponent's view need to be wrong. The nature of the intensification is, however, novel: people may be less desperate than in history.What matters most here is not the level of political differences but rather the degree to which opposing views can agree on something in the interest of the nation. Thus where as the aim of previous governments were to destroy political opponents, this government has taken a consultative approach.Opposition politicians are now regular visitors at the state house discussing issues of national importance. But most importantly is UDF 's treatment to its own citizens as a one time victim-a journalist by the name Chinyeke Tembo said as an attempt to summarize UDF’s pseudo democracy on Malawitalk when he said:
" Look at those UDF leaders, and remember what they did to us journalists during their fight for the 3rd Term.I was almost killed by the Young Democrats at the Shire Bus lines Head Office, which was the financing centre for all the killers who saw nothing good in some of us.Who knew that today, we would have some of these leaders of The "Men In Black" in custody now. They almost killed Nation Photojournalist Daniel Nyirenda (Now with Daily Times), who was even hospitalised at Mwaiwathu Hospital, then they harrassed Brian Ligomeka (now Sunday Times), Publisher John Saini, Freelancer Frank Jomo, Nation Reporters Pilirani Semu-Banda and her hubby Mabvuto, assaulted Hardy Nyirenda at Ryalls Hotel (Now in London), beat up many and all that. Then today you expect me to feel sorry for people who almost had me six-feet under!I never at any moment thought UDF would be a party with its politicians on the run. How time changes" The change being referred here in by Chinyeke is the changing process which has seen a reversal of both MCP and UDF‘s unchallenged political orthodoxies where the rule of law did not apply to the connected and ruling elite.
For me, there are profound ethical and philosophical reasons to take an issue with the UDF’s general approach. But, crucially, there is a more important reason why we should all reject the instincts of the UDF to control and direct. "Their policies have proved to be disastrous". Who knows what both MCP and UDF governments would have done with Lucious Banda and Maxwell Milanzi if it had been in office when the president was indicted for impeachment? Once Malawi was the graveyard of democracy. Under this government it is becoming the cradle of democracy. DPP has shown that it is the driving force at Capital hill and now parliamentary politics too. It is no longer a party born out of frustration or a UDF break away protest group. It is now a political power. People have seen the difference when Dr Bingu was ushered in two years ago, and can testify what the nation has gone through. They have seen the opposition becoming regualr visitors at state house.
They have all witnessed a citizen-centric government at work reshaping our welfare system, rebuilding a broken society in attempt to secure it against poverty, while creating a system founded on opportunity and responsibility with incentives to work and to save and they know that it is now a party willing to think anew. A government not only interested in the wealth of our country's history but also a government willing to develop fresh ideas. A government drawing on enduring social democratic principles but ready to apply them in a rapidly changing world. This is evident by the government’s commitment as a party of opportunity, aspiration and ambition. We have seen the youth whose role in politics was to whip people through MYP and young democrats.
Under UDF, politics became managerial, not inspirational. The MCP have taken the same course, shunning conviction and desperate only to emulate a value-free patronage and antagonistic politics. These barriers have been brought down by Dr Wamutharika. The youth are now taking strategic tasks which were a monopoly of grey haired chauvinists. Dr Wamutharika’s economic revolution has proved that there are no short-cuts to prosperity. It comes without saying that one will have to think twice before engaging himself in activities likely going to be in violation of the law. It is no longer unthinkable that society is realistic about the state's ability to address social needs. People now know that corruption acts as a deterrent to economic development. They now know that just as wealth creation depends upon the energies of a free people; a good society depends upon the active compassion of free and independent families who not only fear the law but are also equally protected by the same law regardless of their political leanings.
On economy, the government has achieved what both the UDF and MCP governments failed to achieve when on 24th February this year, the Executive Board of the IMF completed and approved the first review of the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF) and commended Government on its improved public financial management against a backdrop of a severe food crisis. For the quarter ending September, 2005, the Government met all the quantitative and structural performance targets. The Board further indicated that Malawi could reach the “completion point” under the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) and would simultaneously qualify Malawi for the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) by mid 2006. Government was further commended On 27th March 2006 by the Society of Accountants in Malawi (SOCAM), Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI), Economics Association of Malawi (ECAMA) and Bankers Association of Malawi (BAM) with facilitation from the National Action Group Forum Secretariat (NAG Secretariat), came together to provide one joint submission that broadly represents the views of their respective memberships which among other things came said:
This engagement with private sector was more extensive and deeper than experienced at any point in the past. On environment Government is reversing the environmental degradation through sustainable policies. Of late we have all heard that Government has planted over 45 million trees since Dr Wamutharika took over. Without doubt, the pristine nature and the panoramic splendors of our past which slipped into oblivion are about to come back to redecorate the virgin beauty of mother Malawi. The only people not happy with these progressive developments are the same political sadists facing a paralysis at the heart of their party. They have been politically meandering and are now confused in their lacquered heads. The only card they can play now is to deceive the public that they are being politically persecuted but their point of view cannot hold any water because they are being arrested and tried in violation of the law.
Agreeing to their putative thinking would mean that every single and influential politician should be let loose to plot the killing of opponents as well as embark on corrupt activities without fear of the law. That is a complete absurdity if you pursue that argument to its logical conclusion. If it is true it means that nothing can ever be done by the Government because It means that no Government has any function or any purpose. To listen to their cries is to pursue a policy of complete surrender and a surrender to tyranny and lawlessness and policy of the "red flag." No sane government can raise a "white" flag to lawlessness and enter into a policy of surrender, of negation, by which any policy can be frustrated and blocked in Malawi by corrupt and assassin politicians.
This will be a battle of a myriad of small wounds, not the clash of two great swords. It will be waged in courts and the supervisory boards of regulatory agencies, in the communications media and think tanks, in the electronic universe and in the minds of the electorate. But regarding the overall achievement by Dr Wamutharika’s government, My grand-mother Gogo Namlengeni in her dental bankrupt mouth as evidenced through her difficulties to pronounce Bingu once summarized the two regimes by saying: KOMA A BINZUWA NDIYE AKUYIGWIRA NTCHITO.ENA AJA ANKANGOKHALIRA FWETSEKE a rather crude chewa translation for “Bingu pronounced as Binzu is working hard compared to his former who was busy swearing and had a violent language whenever holding a public rally. It is no longer surprising indeed to see that the main opposition parties are in their lowest form. They have more internal fights ever than before.
No one knows who will lead the local election campaign in the event that one is staged. Dr Muluzi and hon Tembo are all surviving by their thinnest political skin of patronage and intimidation. We have just seen Malawi’s most democratic successful two years. The government must build on that success - as nation become more successful. Now that the government has made some remarkable progress, there is a need to move further on the progressive indices and build a fairer Malawi, not the means-tested, target driven, over-centralized country previously run by the MCP and later destroyed by UDF Jamahiriya policies. Government policies need to be thoroughly tested.
They will be subject to new levels of aggressive scrutiny because UDF and the MCP realize DPP is their principal opponent in all parts of the country. They will turn their guns on the government purely on no basis other than frustration because they have nothing to offer. It must be every DPP member’s pledge now that where they see unfairness they must challenge it; where they see injustice they should attack it; and where the nation see prejudice ,they should be allowed confront it because to be serve under Dr Wamutharika led DPP government is to be a trustee of a great movement, with so much to be proud of - but with so many dazzling achievements still to come
References:
malawitalk/nyasanet discussion forums,Lwanda, John Lloyd Chipembere. 1996. Promises, Power Politics and Poverty: Democratic Transition in Malawi. Glasgow: Dudu Nsomba, UNDP. 2000. Human Development Report 2000. New York: Oxford University Press. United States. Department of State. 2004. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2003: Malawi," 25 February <http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27737.htm> (accessed 18 April 2004).----. 1995. "Malawi: The Transition to Multi-party Politics." In Democracy and Political Change in Sub-Saharan Africa, edited by John A. Wiseman. London and New York: Routledge.Debate." African Affairs 103: 91-107.Somerville, Keith. 1992. "One Man Banda." New African (July).Tsoka, Maxton Grant. 2002. "Public Opinion and the Consolidation of Democracy in Malawi." Afrobarometer Paper No.16. Cape Town: Institute for Democracy in South Africa; Legon-Accra: Ghana Centre for Democratic Development; East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University.UNDP. 2000. Human Development Report 2000. New York: Oxford University Press.United States. epartment of State. 2004. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2003: Malawi," 25 February <http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27737.htm> (accessed 18 April 2004).van Donge, Jan Kees. 1995. "Kamuzu's Legacy: The Democratization of Malawi, Or Searching for the Rules of the Game in African Politics." African Affairs 94: 227-57.Venter, Denis. 1993. "Malawi's Referendum on Multi-Party Politics: Banda's Battle of Hastings?" International Update (January). Johannesburg: South African Institute of International Affairs.
UDF ON THE DEATH BED
a By-election persepectiveBy Bright Mac Everson Malopa
Every Malawian patriot has reason to be proud of his country-men, and every Malawian lover of freedom to be satisfied with the institutions of his/her country and. In that dream every one needs love, respect and acceptance under the auspices of equal opportunities. Events following the last general elections have rendered the notion of meaningful political analysis and predictions obsolete and impotentWhile at that, I am reminding myself about the dangers of making political predictions, especially about the future. Events have a nasty habit of completely ignoring the wisdom of those who predict them.
As this is written (about a week or so after the recent by-elections which went in favor of the considered under-dogs DPP), there are many chapters of Malawian politics yet to be written.In many significant areas, with reference from the recently concluded by-elections, Anti-Bingus’s predictions were wildly incorrect. In many areas, however, Dr Wamutharika’s general approach to politics and building democracy under the auspices of good governance, fight against corruption and fiscal discipline where public resources are concerned, seems to be working spectacularly well. Similarly, many of the predictions made by his critics and bad wishers turned out to be dead wrong, while many of their concerns still seem to resonate and may yet be proven correct by events.
It is therefore safe to say that none of us commentators have been vindicated. Luckily however, events have moved along to a point where many of the predictions analysts and commentators made can now be checked for how well they matched the actual flow of events but without doubt, my predictions prophesising the doom of UDF seem to have worked wonders.Finally, and most significantly, Dr Bingus’s political critics dismissed DPP’s victory especially in the UDF’s considered strong hold “The southern region” and unlikely to succeed operationally due to the ongoing UDF insurgency.
One time handy man Mr.Ken Ng’oma advised the president not to listen to henchmen whom he accused of feeding the president with wrong information that DPP will win all seats. Mr Chakwamba went further to declare the removal of Dr Wamutharika by December while political master cheff Dr Muluzi assured UDF supporters of the four cabinet ministers quiting the government to join UDF. God knows where these four ministers are. However he got unexpected consolation from hon.
Chiwaya whom it is alleged,resigned under the influence of alcohol.As most people now realize, the recent by- elections were a tremendous success. Overall turnout was higher than turnouts in previously held by-elections Photos of joyful blue-fingered voters exalting in the democratic process were everywhere. The UDF insurgents, who had publicly vowed to prevent DPP’s successful vote, were all but powerless, as civilians reportedly voted without intimidations and violence.I have no words to express the perfomance in Nsanje. These are people whose pictures have been making headliness in the western media regarding the on going hunger epidemic.
Certainly some of them were quing on empty stomachs yet had courage to give Dr Wamutharika a thumbs up. "FOOD OR NO FOOD WE ARE FOR DPP" they might have been saying I suppose.The impact of the elections has been so powerful and appears to be in full swing. One thing I have learned from this by-election is the change in the voting paten which is often characterised by regional and tribal patronage and not convictionsOne of the peculiarities of the political system in Malawi is that it comprises three separate, regional antagonistic blocs. Any election becomes, in effect, three regional contests in which cross-community voting is insignificant.
Going by political popularity, one would expect a combination of Aford and UDF to use their perceived regional dominance as a claimed advantage to scoop 4 if not all of the contested seats.The breaking down of this regional block can be compared to the fall of the Berlin Wall in that it has apparently awakened and invigorated a pervasive desire for democracy and freedom throughout the country in the process creating a front for future political aspirants to participate or contest in political leadership positions regardless of their region of originNow that events have progressed to the point where some predictions and assumptions can be evaluated, we can see who was right and wrong, and listen for the faint sounds of the admissions of error.
Dr Wamutharika’s DPP electoral success is a reflection of the skill with which he and his administration have managed the country's domestic affairs - the economy and public services. The planning of the campaign and the delegation of authority vested in DPP’s respective constituency campaign chairmen is a classic example of how campaigns should be staged and managed.It is important to be creative when designing incentive groups for your campaign. The crucial thing is to figure out what would motivate your helpers, and encourage them to enlist new members to your meetings.
The campaign should endeavor to create a real sense of community in these meetings.Dr Muluzi used development to force people to follow his party.” IF YOU DONT VOTE FOR UDF, FORGET ABOUT DEVELOPMENT"Contrary to Dr Wamutharika, he first evenly distributes developmental programs then later reminds people of the need to give him a fair chance to develop their communities. When you engage people in your political program,they in turn own your political programDPP did this by making senior party officials but coming from the same area or district to assume positions of constituency campaign managers. This explains why Chiradzulu was led by hon Henry Mussa Zomba Thondwe with hon Joyce Banda as a leader while hon.Mia headed the Nsanje campaign.
Since these people are already known to becoming from these areas, their interaction with the locals created a sense of community and momentum.Evidence from the UDF seem to suggest the opposite.You can’t win a political campaign without momentum. With momentum campaigns roll to victory; without it they linger into defeat. It is not surprising, then, that the UDF campaign had no comprehensive plan to gain momentum, aiming their tools and strategy toward frustrating Dr Wamutharika by building this indispensable lifeblood of politics. Regrettably, UDF leadership replaced civilian basic strategy ideological broad consensus with the message of spite vengeance and impeachment against Dr Wamutharika.
UDF’s abysmal performance is without doubt a direct result of misguided leadership whose leader is Dr Muluzi.You do not examine leadership in the light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered while at that, it is also important to remember that the price good people pay for their indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.During UDF era elections were marred by distrust, apathy, and usually violence which in certain cases like Chiradzulu resulted into a loss of life(Charles waya) and properties (mcp vehicles) while in the Ndirande by-election, the parliamentary candidate himself (Mike Mlongoti) was abducted and unfortunately this ultimately increased the odds against the establishment/consolidation of democracy and a democratic ethos.
UDF's electoral politics assumed a do-or-die posture since it was tied to the all important question of who gets access to the state as an avenue for wealth accumulation and conferment of status, and who is kept out of that privilege.This is where UDF usually get it wrong. Instead of conducting a postmortem, they allowed their party to engage herself into useless political ponderings. Nothing wrong with that if viewed from an opponent angle since it will only marginalize the party from the public. The trouble however is that such useless ponderings become a policy.
At which point, all the energies, resources and efforts are then spent in pursuit of the said policy. We should remember that parties and elections are not ends in themselves, but as a means of serving the people. It seems to me that UDF's view is that people can only be served when in government but when a gubernatorial opportunity rose in their favour, they opted to serve themselves and not the public. This is why the public is grudgingly voted against UDF in 2004 and repeated the same in the just ended by-elections.Had it been that an objective and self constructive SWOT analysis was conducted on the UDF part, this embarrassment would have been avoid.
Instead, UDF has wasted their time on fighting Dr Muluzi's individual fight than strategizing the party into an delectable entity.They thought by appealing to the masses as a party that is being victimized through what they term "political arrests”, they will win the sympathy of the voters. The second other issue was the impeachment. The party has spent its limited resources on defending Dr Muluzi instead of changing the dented image baring signs of a personal empire by institutionalizing the party. The electoral results shows precisely how the public disliked the UDF's master policy IMPEACHMENT They did so not because they do not share the merits of leadership to be accountable but rather because they know that Impeachment" frames the issue in terms of a showdown -- an upper down vote.
This freezes the evolution of popular attitudes, and calls the question instead -- pinning the whole debate on its own stark, binary endpoint. It polarizes the body politic (and lets scandal upstage policy differences .The party did not sit down to reflect on the magnitude of the voter discontent following an embarrassing performance in the 2004 general elections. That discontent is still there and this is why six districts have acted as a focus group to convey the message in "capital lettersthus: TO HELL WITH UDF". it’s an almost golden rule ofcampaigning that you can’t campaign ‘on the issue’ – you need to select out one ‘red thread’, a critical line that runs through the issue and along which you can make change happen.
Campaign needs to be careful in planning its new idea to ensure that it is packaged in a way that is acceptable to the voters. Incentive groups and canvassing will tell the campaign if it needs to rethink the way it is presenting the idea, if the image it creates fails or if the idea is simply not exciting enough to generate momentum. The chiefs ,civil society, NGO's international community name them all,have time and again warned the UDF of this misguided approach as a yard stick to garner momentum.If UDF want to win the forth coming by-elections to be conducted in Balaka and Mangoche Malombe following the obvious expulsion of lucius chiCCIO Banda and Maxwell Millanzi, they need to stop getting obssed with Dr Wamutharika and spending their time on the above hinted tips of how to win an election.
However that can only happen if Dr Muluzi is removed from the leadership position.It would be completely retrograde move for UDF to maintain Dr Muluzi as the party's chairman as this seem to be the only safest option if the party is to exist. Continuation to put Dr Muluzi in the political picture may just incite further divisions in the party and nation at large.UDF needs reforms now through replacement of a visionary leadership good enough to modernize the party. the change in UDF leadership and their new-found unity will give the new UDF a new impetus to resolve their differences, particularly between the moderates and fresh entrants.What I am reading from all this DPP's electoral victory is a political statement from the public.
They see the DPP through Dr Wamutharika as an opportunity for Development. and ably spotted these developments as crucial elements in making parliamentary choices. The view has, at last, taken hold that greater public service investment is necessary-The opposition is increasingly isolated as they attempt to equate inputs with outcomes. Week by week, public anger grows more acute. There has rarely been a better political moment for reform than now. Malawians now know what real democracy means.They now know that elections can be conducted without rigging, intimidation and violence.
its even much safer now for any of the DPP members perceived to be in breach of section 65 to claim their seats through DPPMatter of fact, it would appear like the society is on the verge of being abandoned by they public. When they look back to the so called 10 years of freedom they also remember how the UDF created an atmosphere where divisions and rifts deepened in our people and society. We have had our fill of anger and baseless hatred. Now is the time to find common ground, and to seek out as broad a consensus as possible.
There is a deep-felt desire among the people to stand firmly together to meet the challenges of the future.For this gross error of judgement, Dr Muluzi and his UDF has been punished, his credibility seriously impaired. This message was made loud and clear on the by- election day.If lessons are not learned and appropriate measures taken to correct their current mess, UDF will be another AFORD come 2009.WANANGWA BINGU! WANANGWA MALAWIby
Bright MacEverson Malopa
the article was published in the sunday times on , 19 DECEMBER, 2005
Every Malawian patriot has reason to be proud of his country-men, and every Malawian lover of freedom to be satisfied with the institutions of his/her country and. In that dream every one needs love, respect and acceptance under the auspices of equal opportunities. Events following the last general elections have rendered the notion of meaningful political analysis and predictions obsolete and impotentWhile at that, I am reminding myself about the dangers of making political predictions, especially about the future. Events have a nasty habit of completely ignoring the wisdom of those who predict them.
As this is written (about a week or so after the recent by-elections which went in favor of the considered under-dogs DPP), there are many chapters of Malawian politics yet to be written.In many significant areas, with reference from the recently concluded by-elections, Anti-Bingus’s predictions were wildly incorrect. In many areas, however, Dr Wamutharika’s general approach to politics and building democracy under the auspices of good governance, fight against corruption and fiscal discipline where public resources are concerned, seems to be working spectacularly well. Similarly, many of the predictions made by his critics and bad wishers turned out to be dead wrong, while many of their concerns still seem to resonate and may yet be proven correct by events.
It is therefore safe to say that none of us commentators have been vindicated. Luckily however, events have moved along to a point where many of the predictions analysts and commentators made can now be checked for how well they matched the actual flow of events but without doubt, my predictions prophesising the doom of UDF seem to have worked wonders.Finally, and most significantly, Dr Bingus’s political critics dismissed DPP’s victory especially in the UDF’s considered strong hold “The southern region” and unlikely to succeed operationally due to the ongoing UDF insurgency.
One time handy man Mr.Ken Ng’oma advised the president not to listen to henchmen whom he accused of feeding the president with wrong information that DPP will win all seats. Mr Chakwamba went further to declare the removal of Dr Wamutharika by December while political master cheff Dr Muluzi assured UDF supporters of the four cabinet ministers quiting the government to join UDF. God knows where these four ministers are. However he got unexpected consolation from hon.
Chiwaya whom it is alleged,resigned under the influence of alcohol.As most people now realize, the recent by- elections were a tremendous success. Overall turnout was higher than turnouts in previously held by-elections Photos of joyful blue-fingered voters exalting in the democratic process were everywhere. The UDF insurgents, who had publicly vowed to prevent DPP’s successful vote, were all but powerless, as civilians reportedly voted without intimidations and violence.I have no words to express the perfomance in Nsanje. These are people whose pictures have been making headliness in the western media regarding the on going hunger epidemic.
Certainly some of them were quing on empty stomachs yet had courage to give Dr Wamutharika a thumbs up. "FOOD OR NO FOOD WE ARE FOR DPP" they might have been saying I suppose.The impact of the elections has been so powerful and appears to be in full swing. One thing I have learned from this by-election is the change in the voting paten which is often characterised by regional and tribal patronage and not convictionsOne of the peculiarities of the political system in Malawi is that it comprises three separate, regional antagonistic blocs. Any election becomes, in effect, three regional contests in which cross-community voting is insignificant.
Going by political popularity, one would expect a combination of Aford and UDF to use their perceived regional dominance as a claimed advantage to scoop 4 if not all of the contested seats.The breaking down of this regional block can be compared to the fall of the Berlin Wall in that it has apparently awakened and invigorated a pervasive desire for democracy and freedom throughout the country in the process creating a front for future political aspirants to participate or contest in political leadership positions regardless of their region of originNow that events have progressed to the point where some predictions and assumptions can be evaluated, we can see who was right and wrong, and listen for the faint sounds of the admissions of error.
Dr Wamutharika’s DPP electoral success is a reflection of the skill with which he and his administration have managed the country's domestic affairs - the economy and public services. The planning of the campaign and the delegation of authority vested in DPP’s respective constituency campaign chairmen is a classic example of how campaigns should be staged and managed.It is important to be creative when designing incentive groups for your campaign. The crucial thing is to figure out what would motivate your helpers, and encourage them to enlist new members to your meetings.
The campaign should endeavor to create a real sense of community in these meetings.Dr Muluzi used development to force people to follow his party.” IF YOU DONT VOTE FOR UDF, FORGET ABOUT DEVELOPMENT"Contrary to Dr Wamutharika, he first evenly distributes developmental programs then later reminds people of the need to give him a fair chance to develop their communities. When you engage people in your political program,they in turn own your political programDPP did this by making senior party officials but coming from the same area or district to assume positions of constituency campaign managers. This explains why Chiradzulu was led by hon Henry Mussa Zomba Thondwe with hon Joyce Banda as a leader while hon.Mia headed the Nsanje campaign.
Since these people are already known to becoming from these areas, their interaction with the locals created a sense of community and momentum.Evidence from the UDF seem to suggest the opposite.You can’t win a political campaign without momentum. With momentum campaigns roll to victory; without it they linger into defeat. It is not surprising, then, that the UDF campaign had no comprehensive plan to gain momentum, aiming their tools and strategy toward frustrating Dr Wamutharika by building this indispensable lifeblood of politics. Regrettably, UDF leadership replaced civilian basic strategy ideological broad consensus with the message of spite vengeance and impeachment against Dr Wamutharika.
UDF’s abysmal performance is without doubt a direct result of misguided leadership whose leader is Dr Muluzi.You do not examine leadership in the light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered while at that, it is also important to remember that the price good people pay for their indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.During UDF era elections were marred by distrust, apathy, and usually violence which in certain cases like Chiradzulu resulted into a loss of life(Charles waya) and properties (mcp vehicles) while in the Ndirande by-election, the parliamentary candidate himself (Mike Mlongoti) was abducted and unfortunately this ultimately increased the odds against the establishment/consolidation of democracy and a democratic ethos.
UDF's electoral politics assumed a do-or-die posture since it was tied to the all important question of who gets access to the state as an avenue for wealth accumulation and conferment of status, and who is kept out of that privilege.This is where UDF usually get it wrong. Instead of conducting a postmortem, they allowed their party to engage herself into useless political ponderings. Nothing wrong with that if viewed from an opponent angle since it will only marginalize the party from the public. The trouble however is that such useless ponderings become a policy.
At which point, all the energies, resources and efforts are then spent in pursuit of the said policy. We should remember that parties and elections are not ends in themselves, but as a means of serving the people. It seems to me that UDF's view is that people can only be served when in government but when a gubernatorial opportunity rose in their favour, they opted to serve themselves and not the public. This is why the public is grudgingly voted against UDF in 2004 and repeated the same in the just ended by-elections.Had it been that an objective and self constructive SWOT analysis was conducted on the UDF part, this embarrassment would have been avoid.
Instead, UDF has wasted their time on fighting Dr Muluzi's individual fight than strategizing the party into an delectable entity.They thought by appealing to the masses as a party that is being victimized through what they term "political arrests”, they will win the sympathy of the voters. The second other issue was the impeachment. The party has spent its limited resources on defending Dr Muluzi instead of changing the dented image baring signs of a personal empire by institutionalizing the party. The electoral results shows precisely how the public disliked the UDF's master policy IMPEACHMENT They did so not because they do not share the merits of leadership to be accountable but rather because they know that Impeachment" frames the issue in terms of a showdown -- an upper down vote.
This freezes the evolution of popular attitudes, and calls the question instead -- pinning the whole debate on its own stark, binary endpoint. It polarizes the body politic (and lets scandal upstage policy differences .The party did not sit down to reflect on the magnitude of the voter discontent following an embarrassing performance in the 2004 general elections. That discontent is still there and this is why six districts have acted as a focus group to convey the message in "capital lettersthus: TO HELL WITH UDF". it’s an almost golden rule ofcampaigning that you can’t campaign ‘on the issue’ – you need to select out one ‘red thread’, a critical line that runs through the issue and along which you can make change happen.
Campaign needs to be careful in planning its new idea to ensure that it is packaged in a way that is acceptable to the voters. Incentive groups and canvassing will tell the campaign if it needs to rethink the way it is presenting the idea, if the image it creates fails or if the idea is simply not exciting enough to generate momentum. The chiefs ,civil society, NGO's international community name them all,have time and again warned the UDF of this misguided approach as a yard stick to garner momentum.If UDF want to win the forth coming by-elections to be conducted in Balaka and Mangoche Malombe following the obvious expulsion of lucius chiCCIO Banda and Maxwell Millanzi, they need to stop getting obssed with Dr Wamutharika and spending their time on the above hinted tips of how to win an election.
However that can only happen if Dr Muluzi is removed from the leadership position.It would be completely retrograde move for UDF to maintain Dr Muluzi as the party's chairman as this seem to be the only safest option if the party is to exist. Continuation to put Dr Muluzi in the political picture may just incite further divisions in the party and nation at large.UDF needs reforms now through replacement of a visionary leadership good enough to modernize the party. the change in UDF leadership and their new-found unity will give the new UDF a new impetus to resolve their differences, particularly between the moderates and fresh entrants.What I am reading from all this DPP's electoral victory is a political statement from the public.
They see the DPP through Dr Wamutharika as an opportunity for Development. and ably spotted these developments as crucial elements in making parliamentary choices. The view has, at last, taken hold that greater public service investment is necessary-The opposition is increasingly isolated as they attempt to equate inputs with outcomes. Week by week, public anger grows more acute. There has rarely been a better political moment for reform than now. Malawians now know what real democracy means.They now know that elections can be conducted without rigging, intimidation and violence.
its even much safer now for any of the DPP members perceived to be in breach of section 65 to claim their seats through DPPMatter of fact, it would appear like the society is on the verge of being abandoned by they public. When they look back to the so called 10 years of freedom they also remember how the UDF created an atmosphere where divisions and rifts deepened in our people and society. We have had our fill of anger and baseless hatred. Now is the time to find common ground, and to seek out as broad a consensus as possible.
There is a deep-felt desire among the people to stand firmly together to meet the challenges of the future.For this gross error of judgement, Dr Muluzi and his UDF has been punished, his credibility seriously impaired. This message was made loud and clear on the by- election day.If lessons are not learned and appropriate measures taken to correct their current mess, UDF will be another AFORD come 2009.WANANGWA BINGU! WANANGWA MALAWIby
Bright MacEverson Malopa
the article was published in the sunday times on , 19 DECEMBER, 2005
MOURNING THE DEATH OF CHAKUFWA CHIHANA
It’s 14th June today, to non Malawians, this is another day. But to us Malawians be it the former oppressors and former oppressed, 14th June has a historic entry in the new Malawi and a man who is largely associated with it, it is the man whom the nation is mourning –Tom Chakufwa Chihana.
Going through the tales,testmonies,encounters and the degree of their diversity, It would appear like the nation is yet again going through one of the biggest mind battles this country has ever known - a battle between two ways of mourning, one which leads inevitably to the sudden loss of a confused politician and the other leading to the sudden loss of a naturally born trade unionist and freedom fighter ,but mourning conserves all that is great and best in our national heritage and Chakufwa Chihana rightly belongs there. In paying a tribute of respect and of regard to an eminent man who has been taken from us, no one is obliged to alter the opinions which he has formed or expressed upon issues which have become a part of our history.
I had not come face to face with late Chakufwa Chihana until late 2004[I shall come to this later] But from the start, I was inspired by his courage and leftisim as I heard it on the BBC Until then, the exiles had been ideologically and organisationally divided and ineffectual, enjoying little support from inside Malawi or from Western governments. On 20-23 March 1992, in Lusaka, Zambia, they held a meeting of more than seventy-five exiles, planned before the pastoral letter and without a second thought, Chakufwa Chihana volunteered to lead a domestic campaign that will lead to embracing o democracy in Malawi but upon being warned of the dangers of going to Malawi, he replied by saying “If I die, my blood will fuel the engines of democracy in Malawi” I was moved.
The measure of his courage is not his participation in the Zambian meeting or his trade union background but rather his willingness to face his ideological enemies head on And as we all know, on 6th April Chihana's detention served as a catalyst for donor protests and provided an additional reason for them to suspend aid, which they did a month later, signalling their decisive break with Banda's regime (Newell 1995, 254-55). Chihana and a few other long-term detainees put a human face on the protest; they became powerful symbols for international and covert domestic pressure. I first saw him from a distance at high court in Blantyre.
There were a lot of people from all corners of Malawi. Some actually had traveled from Mulanje on hired buses defying Dr Banda’s malicious triumvirates. They traveled that far not to see the man himself but because they wanted to share the courage and conviction of a man who was prepared to be contradicted by events, to be disappointed in his hopes, and to be deceived and betrayed in the hope of ending the wicked injustices of the MCP regime. They had all come to one conclusion that Chihana’s convictions were surely among the most noble and benevolent instincts of the human heart-the love of peace, the toil for peace, the strife for peace, the pursuit of peace, even at great peril, and certainly to the utter disdain of popularity or clamour. The second time I saw him in Lilongwe where he was addressing a referendum rally days after his release.
By this time, I had gathered much about him and had chronicled every item and was made aware of this rally through the DEMOCRAT paper. Although the meeting was scheduled for 12:00 pm, I was there by 10:00am and to my disappointment, he turned at 1:30 pm but this would soon change by some other characters in particular Machipisa Munthali. The guy was a naughty cracker; he did his “AFORD” salutations and without warning he launched a very unusual song singing “ CHANGA- CHNGA,WAMGWIRA KU MCHIRA WATAYA” by the time he was going to the second chorus, he was still singing alone perhaps a sign that very few people knew the song but we thought he might have taken an opportunity to show us his prison mantras after a 27 years of detention without charge.
All over a sudden, he started dancing, swaying his pelvic and hips provocatively –a crude dancing locally known as KUDUKULA”It was engrossing and enthralling and brought to the podium a tempo and tenor that illuminated the whole rally and when he changed the song to KODO-KODO AYE We all joined him, Hee, waikodola, and soon the high powered executive came and later Machipisa would go into the second stanza-IKUBWERA NDI CHIHANA YEMWE WAIKODOLA- There was fun.
I still remember the smiles of late Aron Longwe, and a smartly dressed Denis Nkhwazi seating not far from Augustine Nthambala and Peter Kaleso and many others then came Chakufwa Chihana. I was very close to the platform[in the audience] and took not of everything starting from his clothes and speech. This is when I realized that this man was too posh for Malawian politics.He had a brown leather ZEGNA jacket, a seemingly expensive Khakhi trouser and a jefry west brown shoes- o wonder most of his first meetings were held in hotels and conference rooms. I had gone there expecting to hear tough talk against hon Tembo and Dr Banda as this was common in many of UDF’s ,rallies where they had a slogan of which went like:
TAMBALA WAKUDA [Respondents] Dee! And this was followed by a sign of placing one’s finger against your neck [indicating killing the MCP] Chakufwa had a very different character. He too had a very well organized mind. He was methodical, forceful and, at least on the one question which mattered to him above all others – RECONCILIATION - I remember the audience shouting, baying for hon.Tembo’s head and we had an 1/4hour of emotions moved. Chihana’s response was different. The best way to handle Tembo is not doing what he did to the Malawian people. HAAAAAAAAH,the audience booed “If you want to kill Tembo, you must be prepared to dig your own grave because some one some where will be planning revenge against you.
There was silence
“You cannot build a great nation or a brotherhood of man by spreading envy or hatred. Aford’s policy is not built on envy or hatred, but on liberty for the individual man or woman. It is not our policy to suppress success: our policy is to encourage it and encourage energy and initiative. In 1959 it was not the cry of nationalization that made this country rise up and fight colonialism. It was the cry for freedom liberty and independence.” There was a huge approval which was seen by the clapping of hands. He was a man of unyielding determination.
Chakufwa Chihana Chakufwa Chihana was thought to have a better chance of winning the 1994 elections. Although his performance as a party leader and politician had incurred serious and in some ways justified criticism, there was no doubting Chihana's experience, brilliant intellect and contribution to the democratic process. His main weakness, which grew more evident in later years, was self deceit - something which is a frequent temptation to politicians especially those who think that they are naturally and effortlessly cleverer than those around them. I came into face to face contact with Chihana in late 2004. Apparently, I did not know that he was a regular on Malawitalk and that he had opened a file where most of my articles were physically archived.
It seems he was moved by an article I had done on 26 November 2004 which was featured in the Sunday times where I was arguing for Dr Bingu’s cooption into the UDF leadership. He wrote me in private and asked if I could be interested in offering a service to the Aford party on consultancy basis. In no time, we exchanged telephone contacts.He prefered to address me as Ba Gondwe than Malopa[God knows why] but it later turned out that one of a relation- Clement Malopa a Mzuzu based business man was his friend. As the talks, progressed, he raised the consultancy issue again I told him that I am not a qualified political scientist to which he replied, “Are you a lawyer? And when I said no, he went on to ask “an economist?” No again sir He sounded disappointed but made one attempt,
“What’s your background then?” I am a marketer “Right, just the sort of people I have been looking for” What do you mean, I asked, "I mwe baGondwe, You see marketers are the best political strategist" he went on to lecture me about the theory of monetarism, free market and how a marketer by the name Norman Strauss resigned his marketing post from lever brothers[uk] in the 70’s and drafted an ideological concept with his friend Keith Joseph, which led to the modern conservative party and later what is known as thatcherism. All this was news to me but he insisted that I should come up with, a strategic paper using marketing principles to reposition the party.
He promised to pay for my time without saying how much. It was a difficult task but later, I came up with a 28 paged document titled Aford’s integrated strategy -towards political process re-engineering. He invited me to his Chombe motel where I would do the presentation. It was highly critical of aford leadership and emphasised on the need for change in order to create momentum.He took it badly and he dint like it and I doubt if ever he had a chance to share it with his executive. I had heard of Chombe Motel and had high expectations about the place but when I went there; I got the shock of my life, I was dissapointed.
It had all the signs of a brothel. I was severely beaten by mosquitoes in this famous motel and had to move to a near by Nyakhumbata the following day.But one thing that striked me, was that Chakufwa was happy to operate from his home of origin than Mzuzu or Lilongwe. Although, he dint like my paper, he made efforts to honor his promises through a holiday offer in Zambia at one of his friend’s cottage. He was kind enough to let me use one of his 4x4 past Mzimba into Zambia.This is how I ended up at Shiwa Ng’andu, an opulent Victorian lodge deep in the forest of northern luwangwa near lake shiwa. It was an experience I will forever cherish. Tom Chakufwa Chihana died at the age of 67 after a conceding defeat to a battle with brain tumor.
He was rightly known and deserve to be known as a great houdini after surviving so many attempts on his life by the MCP dirty secrete frontiers. However, his political machinations leave a lot to be desired and lessons need to be drawn by political activists, politicians, and us ordinary individuals. Late Chihana was rarely out of news between 1992 and 2006 From a democratic activist he went straight into political promiscuity during a career in which he was embroidered in personal, political and financial scandals. From some one who championed the cause of freedom to some one who had a severe irrational tempers to the extent of boxing his own driver. To his loyal supporters, he was a hero who laid the foundations of the new Malawi.
To his opponents; he was a tribalist and corrupt politician who exploited his position to enjoy an extravagant way of life. Reflecting the Malawian culture of reluctance to criticize the dead, tributes that are being poured seem to be ambiguous. Of great interest to me is Dr Muluzi’s moving and well thought eulogy which read in part: “Late Dr. Chakufwa Chihana has been an ardent fighter for democracy, good governance, unity and reconciliation. He always placed first the interests of Malawi and not his own, as most people would prefer to do. The late Chihana has left behind a lot of unfinished business in the democratization process of Malawi.” These are nice words indeed which unfortunately contradicts the public available account. Chihana fanned a political class of cronyism in an atmosphere of corruption and bullying.
His assiduous cultivation of potentially useful as a mullah of the northern region occasionally backfired. He lost a constituency in Mzimba after one night stand with MCP and conceded more to UDF after the first botched lurid political cohabitation with UDF. The man who believed in the good of his nation would never have destroyed an ideological based party which started with the most talented and skilled followers Malawi has ever produced to a family party where he and his daughter-In law were the only members of parliament.To day,there is one member of aford in parliament. I do not agree with Dr Muluzi where he says" Chihana left unfinished business behind"
The dead cannot leave unfinished business. The work started by the dead is usually passed over to the living. but in principle I agree with Dr Muluzi’s notion of unfinished business only that it is up to us as the nation to finish it. Close friends like Dan Msowoya and Chipimpha Mughogho will always testify to his charm, generosity and affability as well as to his accurate judgment. Those outside the firmly drawn circle saw a diminutive figure with a hooded expression and a conspiratorial manner coupled with a quite remarkable degree of self control under pressure. He could be rude without being self-revelatory and seemed incapable of being surprised. But to dishonor him on the basis of his weaknesses will be unfair and unpatriotic to our country ,more importantly hypocrisy on the part of those who do not want to hear anything about Chihana.
In his madness and quietness, he maintained one thing-the spirit of fight. It is from Chihana that I realized that in any fight, what matters most is not the size of a bull but rather the size of a fight in a bull. With his brevity and courage, he rallied and galvanized a conviction built on the notion of non-violence which to the surprise of many contributed to the end of a dictatorial regime. His magic word was a V sign. As the nation mourns and remember the courageous acts of one Tom Chakufwa Chihana, it is my hope that we the mourners will go back to 1992 and mourn Chihana by refreshing our memories with his V [victory sign] for in that sign, the oppressed nation saw hope for the better Malawi It is very rare in one's citizenry life to be given the chance to revisit previous responsibilities.
Having shared Tom Chihana conviction about a freed Malawi where his life was offered as collateral to fuel the engines of democracy, the nation should take this time and use it as an opportunity to embrace an agenda that touches on virtually all domestic issues. Let us be clear about this mourning. We are not moaning Chihana to take part in a wake to remember the political past of Chihana. We are mourningChihana because we have an altogether, more optimistic purpose which gives us hope for a prosperous Malawi using Chihana’s courage as a model. In the Chihana’s courageous 92 model, there was no south-central or north.
He did not risk his life to free Rumphi central or Mulanje where he had a large support. His mission was loud and clear –to fuel the engines of democracy in Malawi. As the nation mourns, let our cry be - if Chihana did it, can we not do it?. Wining control of more authorities are skirmishing political battles of the few excited individuals. The real question in this mourning is that after nearly 12 years since the nation shared Chihanas V sign , what has the V sign actually done for the forgotten people-the poor? What does this most overblown phrase of Chihana the hero" chihana the true son etc actually mean to those kids leaving our stinking schools barely literate?
Do we really see any V sign in parliament where antagonistic politics seem to be eclipsing issues of national importance? Do we see any V sign when members of parliament are warned of expulsion should they dare join the government supporting citizen centric developments? When we hear threats of sabotaging national budget, do we see Chihana’s V sign and a glimmer of hope shining through the drab concrete of our country that is as far as the horizon stretches and, above all, an unswerving allegiance to Chihana’s 1992 vision of a net of civilized living above which all are free to rise, below which none may fall? In the forgotten Malawi ,there are challenges today of such historic scale.
Do not for one moment think that these problems are self contained, affect only that proportion of society that actually live in regional deprivation the north in particular-They are wide spread. There is high unemployment in Malawi. Can we unite together and show a V sign against unemployment and understand that this is the cauldron from which criminals come? In the tributes that I have seen so far, there is a consensus that a state funeral is the only way Ba dada Chihana can be honored.
Others have gone further to propose burial in a hero’s acre juxtaposing Dr Banda’s final resting place To the contrary, I represent the views of those who think Chihana need not to be honored by way of a descent burial in a hero’s acre. Burying the remainings of Chakufwa Chihana should be a private matter for the Chihana.To burry Chihana’s remainings at a hero’s acre will be putting an end to the legacy of a man whose brave and courageous actions symbolized hope to the victimized and those whom for so long had seen justice becoming a monopoly of the oppressors The right way to honor Chihana is to look back and put in perspective, the things he fought for.
I could be wrong here, but I think the best honour to this man will be to erect a statue in his image with a V sign and place it at the entrance of the high court. This in my mind, will bring hope to Malawians especially those that will be wrongly implicated by those who seek to pursue vicious agendas that there will be Victory at the end of their trials and tribulation so long they remain on the right side of law.
The V sign from this statue of a towering Chihana will refresh the memories of 1992.It will rest the spirits of those who were beaten to death by the nasty forces of the MCP regime in peace And finally that no matter how poor Malawi may be, soon or later we shall flash a victory sign to poverty, we shall flash a V sign to Envy,we shall flash a V sign to diseases and hunger And that there will be more Chihana’s to defend the tenets of our democracy. As a social democrat and tradition left winger,
I was a bit disappointed with what Chihana had become. He betrayed every cause he believed in broke every promise he made but as nation, we have learned to forgive and reconcile. May be forgiving chihana’s weaknesses could be the right honor. We all have our strengths and weaknesses I join the nation in mourning Chakufwa Tom Chihana with a V sign
Bright MacEverson Malopa
Going through the tales,testmonies,encounters and the degree of their diversity, It would appear like the nation is yet again going through one of the biggest mind battles this country has ever known - a battle between two ways of mourning, one which leads inevitably to the sudden loss of a confused politician and the other leading to the sudden loss of a naturally born trade unionist and freedom fighter ,but mourning conserves all that is great and best in our national heritage and Chakufwa Chihana rightly belongs there. In paying a tribute of respect and of regard to an eminent man who has been taken from us, no one is obliged to alter the opinions which he has formed or expressed upon issues which have become a part of our history.
I had not come face to face with late Chakufwa Chihana until late 2004[I shall come to this later] But from the start, I was inspired by his courage and leftisim as I heard it on the BBC Until then, the exiles had been ideologically and organisationally divided and ineffectual, enjoying little support from inside Malawi or from Western governments. On 20-23 March 1992, in Lusaka, Zambia, they held a meeting of more than seventy-five exiles, planned before the pastoral letter and without a second thought, Chakufwa Chihana volunteered to lead a domestic campaign that will lead to embracing o democracy in Malawi but upon being warned of the dangers of going to Malawi, he replied by saying “If I die, my blood will fuel the engines of democracy in Malawi” I was moved.
The measure of his courage is not his participation in the Zambian meeting or his trade union background but rather his willingness to face his ideological enemies head on And as we all know, on 6th April Chihana's detention served as a catalyst for donor protests and provided an additional reason for them to suspend aid, which they did a month later, signalling their decisive break with Banda's regime (Newell 1995, 254-55). Chihana and a few other long-term detainees put a human face on the protest; they became powerful symbols for international and covert domestic pressure. I first saw him from a distance at high court in Blantyre.
There were a lot of people from all corners of Malawi. Some actually had traveled from Mulanje on hired buses defying Dr Banda’s malicious triumvirates. They traveled that far not to see the man himself but because they wanted to share the courage and conviction of a man who was prepared to be contradicted by events, to be disappointed in his hopes, and to be deceived and betrayed in the hope of ending the wicked injustices of the MCP regime. They had all come to one conclusion that Chihana’s convictions were surely among the most noble and benevolent instincts of the human heart-the love of peace, the toil for peace, the strife for peace, the pursuit of peace, even at great peril, and certainly to the utter disdain of popularity or clamour. The second time I saw him in Lilongwe where he was addressing a referendum rally days after his release.
By this time, I had gathered much about him and had chronicled every item and was made aware of this rally through the DEMOCRAT paper. Although the meeting was scheduled for 12:00 pm, I was there by 10:00am and to my disappointment, he turned at 1:30 pm but this would soon change by some other characters in particular Machipisa Munthali. The guy was a naughty cracker; he did his “AFORD” salutations and without warning he launched a very unusual song singing “ CHANGA- CHNGA,WAMGWIRA KU MCHIRA WATAYA” by the time he was going to the second chorus, he was still singing alone perhaps a sign that very few people knew the song but we thought he might have taken an opportunity to show us his prison mantras after a 27 years of detention without charge.
All over a sudden, he started dancing, swaying his pelvic and hips provocatively –a crude dancing locally known as KUDUKULA”It was engrossing and enthralling and brought to the podium a tempo and tenor that illuminated the whole rally and when he changed the song to KODO-KODO AYE We all joined him, Hee, waikodola, and soon the high powered executive came and later Machipisa would go into the second stanza-IKUBWERA NDI CHIHANA YEMWE WAIKODOLA- There was fun.
I still remember the smiles of late Aron Longwe, and a smartly dressed Denis Nkhwazi seating not far from Augustine Nthambala and Peter Kaleso and many others then came Chakufwa Chihana. I was very close to the platform[in the audience] and took not of everything starting from his clothes and speech. This is when I realized that this man was too posh for Malawian politics.He had a brown leather ZEGNA jacket, a seemingly expensive Khakhi trouser and a jefry west brown shoes- o wonder most of his first meetings were held in hotels and conference rooms. I had gone there expecting to hear tough talk against hon Tembo and Dr Banda as this was common in many of UDF’s ,rallies where they had a slogan of which went like:
TAMBALA WAKUDA [Respondents] Dee! And this was followed by a sign of placing one’s finger against your neck [indicating killing the MCP] Chakufwa had a very different character. He too had a very well organized mind. He was methodical, forceful and, at least on the one question which mattered to him above all others – RECONCILIATION - I remember the audience shouting, baying for hon.Tembo’s head and we had an 1/4hour of emotions moved. Chihana’s response was different. The best way to handle Tembo is not doing what he did to the Malawian people. HAAAAAAAAH,the audience booed “If you want to kill Tembo, you must be prepared to dig your own grave because some one some where will be planning revenge against you.
There was silence
“You cannot build a great nation or a brotherhood of man by spreading envy or hatred. Aford’s policy is not built on envy or hatred, but on liberty for the individual man or woman. It is not our policy to suppress success: our policy is to encourage it and encourage energy and initiative. In 1959 it was not the cry of nationalization that made this country rise up and fight colonialism. It was the cry for freedom liberty and independence.” There was a huge approval which was seen by the clapping of hands. He was a man of unyielding determination.
Chakufwa Chihana Chakufwa Chihana was thought to have a better chance of winning the 1994 elections. Although his performance as a party leader and politician had incurred serious and in some ways justified criticism, there was no doubting Chihana's experience, brilliant intellect and contribution to the democratic process. His main weakness, which grew more evident in later years, was self deceit - something which is a frequent temptation to politicians especially those who think that they are naturally and effortlessly cleverer than those around them. I came into face to face contact with Chihana in late 2004. Apparently, I did not know that he was a regular on Malawitalk and that he had opened a file where most of my articles were physically archived.
It seems he was moved by an article I had done on 26 November 2004 which was featured in the Sunday times where I was arguing for Dr Bingu’s cooption into the UDF leadership. He wrote me in private and asked if I could be interested in offering a service to the Aford party on consultancy basis. In no time, we exchanged telephone contacts.He prefered to address me as Ba Gondwe than Malopa[God knows why] but it later turned out that one of a relation- Clement Malopa a Mzuzu based business man was his friend. As the talks, progressed, he raised the consultancy issue again I told him that I am not a qualified political scientist to which he replied, “Are you a lawyer? And when I said no, he went on to ask “an economist?” No again sir He sounded disappointed but made one attempt,
“What’s your background then?” I am a marketer “Right, just the sort of people I have been looking for” What do you mean, I asked, "I mwe baGondwe, You see marketers are the best political strategist" he went on to lecture me about the theory of monetarism, free market and how a marketer by the name Norman Strauss resigned his marketing post from lever brothers[uk] in the 70’s and drafted an ideological concept with his friend Keith Joseph, which led to the modern conservative party and later what is known as thatcherism. All this was news to me but he insisted that I should come up with, a strategic paper using marketing principles to reposition the party.
He promised to pay for my time without saying how much. It was a difficult task but later, I came up with a 28 paged document titled Aford’s integrated strategy -towards political process re-engineering. He invited me to his Chombe motel where I would do the presentation. It was highly critical of aford leadership and emphasised on the need for change in order to create momentum.He took it badly and he dint like it and I doubt if ever he had a chance to share it with his executive. I had heard of Chombe Motel and had high expectations about the place but when I went there; I got the shock of my life, I was dissapointed.
It had all the signs of a brothel. I was severely beaten by mosquitoes in this famous motel and had to move to a near by Nyakhumbata the following day.But one thing that striked me, was that Chakufwa was happy to operate from his home of origin than Mzuzu or Lilongwe. Although, he dint like my paper, he made efforts to honor his promises through a holiday offer in Zambia at one of his friend’s cottage. He was kind enough to let me use one of his 4x4 past Mzimba into Zambia.This is how I ended up at Shiwa Ng’andu, an opulent Victorian lodge deep in the forest of northern luwangwa near lake shiwa. It was an experience I will forever cherish. Tom Chakufwa Chihana died at the age of 67 after a conceding defeat to a battle with brain tumor.
He was rightly known and deserve to be known as a great houdini after surviving so many attempts on his life by the MCP dirty secrete frontiers. However, his political machinations leave a lot to be desired and lessons need to be drawn by political activists, politicians, and us ordinary individuals. Late Chihana was rarely out of news between 1992 and 2006 From a democratic activist he went straight into political promiscuity during a career in which he was embroidered in personal, political and financial scandals. From some one who championed the cause of freedom to some one who had a severe irrational tempers to the extent of boxing his own driver. To his loyal supporters, he was a hero who laid the foundations of the new Malawi.
To his opponents; he was a tribalist and corrupt politician who exploited his position to enjoy an extravagant way of life. Reflecting the Malawian culture of reluctance to criticize the dead, tributes that are being poured seem to be ambiguous. Of great interest to me is Dr Muluzi’s moving and well thought eulogy which read in part: “Late Dr. Chakufwa Chihana has been an ardent fighter for democracy, good governance, unity and reconciliation. He always placed first the interests of Malawi and not his own, as most people would prefer to do. The late Chihana has left behind a lot of unfinished business in the democratization process of Malawi.” These are nice words indeed which unfortunately contradicts the public available account. Chihana fanned a political class of cronyism in an atmosphere of corruption and bullying.
His assiduous cultivation of potentially useful as a mullah of the northern region occasionally backfired. He lost a constituency in Mzimba after one night stand with MCP and conceded more to UDF after the first botched lurid political cohabitation with UDF. The man who believed in the good of his nation would never have destroyed an ideological based party which started with the most talented and skilled followers Malawi has ever produced to a family party where he and his daughter-In law were the only members of parliament.To day,there is one member of aford in parliament. I do not agree with Dr Muluzi where he says" Chihana left unfinished business behind"
The dead cannot leave unfinished business. The work started by the dead is usually passed over to the living. but in principle I agree with Dr Muluzi’s notion of unfinished business only that it is up to us as the nation to finish it. Close friends like Dan Msowoya and Chipimpha Mughogho will always testify to his charm, generosity and affability as well as to his accurate judgment. Those outside the firmly drawn circle saw a diminutive figure with a hooded expression and a conspiratorial manner coupled with a quite remarkable degree of self control under pressure. He could be rude without being self-revelatory and seemed incapable of being surprised. But to dishonor him on the basis of his weaknesses will be unfair and unpatriotic to our country ,more importantly hypocrisy on the part of those who do not want to hear anything about Chihana.
In his madness and quietness, he maintained one thing-the spirit of fight. It is from Chihana that I realized that in any fight, what matters most is not the size of a bull but rather the size of a fight in a bull. With his brevity and courage, he rallied and galvanized a conviction built on the notion of non-violence which to the surprise of many contributed to the end of a dictatorial regime. His magic word was a V sign. As the nation mourns and remember the courageous acts of one Tom Chakufwa Chihana, it is my hope that we the mourners will go back to 1992 and mourn Chihana by refreshing our memories with his V [victory sign] for in that sign, the oppressed nation saw hope for the better Malawi It is very rare in one's citizenry life to be given the chance to revisit previous responsibilities.
Having shared Tom Chihana conviction about a freed Malawi where his life was offered as collateral to fuel the engines of democracy, the nation should take this time and use it as an opportunity to embrace an agenda that touches on virtually all domestic issues. Let us be clear about this mourning. We are not moaning Chihana to take part in a wake to remember the political past of Chihana. We are mourningChihana because we have an altogether, more optimistic purpose which gives us hope for a prosperous Malawi using Chihana’s courage as a model. In the Chihana’s courageous 92 model, there was no south-central or north.
He did not risk his life to free Rumphi central or Mulanje where he had a large support. His mission was loud and clear –to fuel the engines of democracy in Malawi. As the nation mourns, let our cry be - if Chihana did it, can we not do it?. Wining control of more authorities are skirmishing political battles of the few excited individuals. The real question in this mourning is that after nearly 12 years since the nation shared Chihanas V sign , what has the V sign actually done for the forgotten people-the poor? What does this most overblown phrase of Chihana the hero" chihana the true son etc actually mean to those kids leaving our stinking schools barely literate?
Do we really see any V sign in parliament where antagonistic politics seem to be eclipsing issues of national importance? Do we see any V sign when members of parliament are warned of expulsion should they dare join the government supporting citizen centric developments? When we hear threats of sabotaging national budget, do we see Chihana’s V sign and a glimmer of hope shining through the drab concrete of our country that is as far as the horizon stretches and, above all, an unswerving allegiance to Chihana’s 1992 vision of a net of civilized living above which all are free to rise, below which none may fall? In the forgotten Malawi ,there are challenges today of such historic scale.
Do not for one moment think that these problems are self contained, affect only that proportion of society that actually live in regional deprivation the north in particular-They are wide spread. There is high unemployment in Malawi. Can we unite together and show a V sign against unemployment and understand that this is the cauldron from which criminals come? In the tributes that I have seen so far, there is a consensus that a state funeral is the only way Ba dada Chihana can be honored.
Others have gone further to propose burial in a hero’s acre juxtaposing Dr Banda’s final resting place To the contrary, I represent the views of those who think Chihana need not to be honored by way of a descent burial in a hero’s acre. Burying the remainings of Chakufwa Chihana should be a private matter for the Chihana.To burry Chihana’s remainings at a hero’s acre will be putting an end to the legacy of a man whose brave and courageous actions symbolized hope to the victimized and those whom for so long had seen justice becoming a monopoly of the oppressors The right way to honor Chihana is to look back and put in perspective, the things he fought for.
I could be wrong here, but I think the best honour to this man will be to erect a statue in his image with a V sign and place it at the entrance of the high court. This in my mind, will bring hope to Malawians especially those that will be wrongly implicated by those who seek to pursue vicious agendas that there will be Victory at the end of their trials and tribulation so long they remain on the right side of law.
The V sign from this statue of a towering Chihana will refresh the memories of 1992.It will rest the spirits of those who were beaten to death by the nasty forces of the MCP regime in peace And finally that no matter how poor Malawi may be, soon or later we shall flash a victory sign to poverty, we shall flash a V sign to Envy,we shall flash a V sign to diseases and hunger And that there will be more Chihana’s to defend the tenets of our democracy. As a social democrat and tradition left winger,
I was a bit disappointed with what Chihana had become. He betrayed every cause he believed in broke every promise he made but as nation, we have learned to forgive and reconcile. May be forgiving chihana’s weaknesses could be the right honor. We all have our strengths and weaknesses I join the nation in mourning Chakufwa Tom Chihana with a V sign
Bright MacEverson Malopa
THE POLITICS OF BRAIN TUMOR
7 days have gone since Chakufwa Chihana left us to the land of the dead.The official 5 day mourning is over and so is the biblical 7 days mourning period.Although Chakufwa Chihana is 6 feet under the earth,It seems he will continue to make news.The commotion leading to his burial and the news thereafter has been a source of discomfort to me.
You can't mourn a hero with thugery attitudes. Equally discomforting were the words that were said in what were believed to be tributes. I was disturbed with one line sentence which ended by saying "CRY FOR HIM IF YOU WANT TO" A full blown debate seems to be emerging about his tribal antics.The purpose of my article is not to condemn or commend what has been and continue to be said.
I personally also said things which may not please late chihana's close associates.I remember writing something like:
"His main weakness, which grew more evident in later years, was self deceit - something which is a frequent temptation to politicians especially those who think that they are naturally and effortlessly cleverer than those around them. To his loyal supporters, he was a hero who laid the foundations of the new Malawi. To his opponents; he was a corrupt politician who exploited his position to enjoy an extravagant way of life. Chihana fanned a political class of cronyism in an atmosphere of corruption and bullying.
His assiduous cultivation of potentially useful as a mullah of the northern region occasionally backfired. Close friends like Dan Msowoya and Chipimpha Mughogho will always testify to his charm, generosity and affability as well as to his accurate judgment. Those outside the firmly drawn circle saw a diminutive figure with a hooded expression and a conspiratorial manner coupled with a quite remarkable degree of self control under pressure. He could be rude without being self-revelatory and seemed incapable of being surprised"
It now turned out that those of us who have voiced negative sentiments may have wronged an innocent person who was acting out of ailment. Over the last 5 days,I took an interest to understand "BRAIN TUMOR" a disease which took the life of late Chakufwa Chihana. Through this study period, I had tele-discussions with those in the know [medical people]who did not want to be mentioned. The purpose of this study was to put Chihanas Brain tumor in perspective.
The first point of my enquiry was to answer the question "what is brain tumor" This question was import because, I noted some confusion and misunderstandings about this disease. During this study, I also discovered that the question of brain tumor is even inconclusive among medical professionals themselves. It seems, contrary to what many of us believe ie that it may be stress related. no studies have concluded the causes of this disease.
This again contradicts UDF suggestions that Dr Wamutharika created an environment where Chakufwa contracted Brain tumor.This misguided conception was apparent in the young democrats songs which suggested thus"BINGU HAS KILLED CHAKUFWA" These twisted views from the UDF'Aford camp makes one wonder what happens in their boardrooms.Are they so cloistered and cosseted in their own version of "brain tumor" that they lost touch with reality outside their sealed world?
Given the nature of the illness a research was carried out in 1996 by a group of experts who looked into factors that might have an impact upon the prognosis for brain tumor sufferers. Despite a certain amount of disagreement, the group concluded that: The signs and symptoms of a growing tumor within the skull are mainly caused by a progressive rise in the internal pressure, either from the growing mass itself or from its interference with the normal circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds and permeates the brain. The tumor itself causes pressure inside the skull, which causes the symptoms.
These include:
Changes in mental function that may be subtle. They may include irritability, lethargy, indifference, apathy, forgetfulness, lack of insight, or drowsiness Severe, persistent headache Vomiting, which is sometimes sudden and for no apparent reason.
Dizziness Fits – either major seizures or local twitching Loss of part of the field of vision or loss of hearing Hallucinations Drowsiness Personality changes Abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior
I took an interest in the development of a tumor itself and was shocked to see these professionals coming to a conclusion that a tumor could take up to 4 years before becoming fully grown during which, sufferers may experience severe and unremitting symptoms for greater than four years.
It was at this point,that I realized that many of the criticisms Chihana received in fact occurred during his last four years.
Out of interest, I took note of the following symptoms: -Changes in mental function that may be subtle. -They may include irritability, lethargy, indifference, apathy, forgetfulness, lack of insight, or drowsiness -Severe, persistent headache -Abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior Here is where my heart sank low because on reflection, I noted that in principle,we may have been criticizing late chihana on what was pure mental illness. for example one of the symptom reads:" indifference, apathy, forgetfulness, lack of insight, or drowsiness" Case in point.
a)Chakufwa Chihana left government in 1996 there about citing rampant corruption by the Muluzi administration.We held him high but come 2003,he was at the centre of corruption-bribing fellow mps to support the third term bid.Without doubt,chihana lacked the insight and had already forgotten the very reasons he left government in 1996
b)Abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior When Chihana was appointed minister of agriculture, he was operating from Chombe motel and was driving to and from Chombe during his short stint in the Bingu administration despite the fact that he had a house in Lilongwe[are 43] and another one in Mzuzu[Chimaliro] Chombe motel was not in his constituency.This means that he was leaving his lilongwe house,driving past Mzuzu,then again past Rumphi central to chombe an area bordering Karonga.That alone was uncharacteristic.
c) during the first post Muluzi by-election, there was stiff competition between Aford and PPM Chakufwa conducted himself in a rather bizarre and abnormal way to the extent where he abandoned his campaign and started chasing hon.Aleke Banda and when he found him addressing a rally, he went straight to Aleke banda's platform and started dancing in front of AKB in the process causing some fracas.
This behavior alone was abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior
d)-Changes in mental function that may be subtle. Without knowing that the aford leader was sick,Aford faithful decided to suspend him from the party but when they reconvened to elect the interim committee,Chakufwa stormed the meeting with hired thugs who ended up beating those in attendance and later installed himself aford leader All who knew chihana during his normal days would never ever think of a chihana who could behave in this fashion. When Dr Mutharika was indicted by hon Milanzi, Chihana was seen dancing to his own song outside by some journalists.
According to them, there was no coloration between the song and his jovial mood because the song had words which went like "NYEMBA-NYEMBA-NYEMBA.IFE SITIDYA NYEMBA.NYEMBA TIDYA MAWA [beans-beans-beans.we don't eat beans.we will eat beans tomorrow]
As if that was not enough, Chakufwa threw a party at his house in area 43 while the speaker of parliament late Munyenyembe was fighting for his life at Kamuzu central hospital.Munyenyembe and Chihana were good friends and one would expect to see late chihana at his bed side but yet again this seems to another symptom of -Changes in mental function that may be subtle. As you can imagine, all these symptoms went undetected until 26th May when late chihana had -Severe, persistent headache.Unfortunately,it was too late and by this time,the tumor was fully grown.
Society failed to pick it,instead we condemned him, we criticized him and we abandoned him yet the guy was mentally sick. Gentlemen, I think we are all guilty,we ought all to plead guilty, but guilty as we may be,we need not to exculpate ourselves by throwing the blame on each other. Instead, I think we need to take some time reflecting and putting our lawmakers in perspective. I am not a medical man,but going through the symptoms again especially the part suggesting "Abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior" I am left speechless.
Let me put it clear here that Brain tumor is a complex condition which is not fully understood…Because of this, it is not possible to define concrete sets of favorable or unfavorable prognoses…in each case there can often be conflicting favorable and adverse factors interacting to determine the overall outcome."
However,this has not stopped me from taking a particular interest in the behavior of one parliamentarian for the simple reason that his information is largely available in the public domain I have been studying the recent behavior of hon Nga Ntafu as something that needs immediate attention.
All along,hon Ntafu has been known to be principled.Thus when the "anti northern" was adopted and effected as a policy in 1988,Ntafu was one of the few people who openly challenged Dr Banda. He was summoned to sanjika to explain his position in front of Dr Banda.He did it without fear or favor and Kamuzu had nothing to say.Noting that his mentor was severely challenged,late Malani Lungu humbly asked Dr Ntafu to apologize to Dr Banda and Dr Ntafu refused point blank
This stand landed him in prison and he remain unapologetic through out. When the UDF,came to power, hon Ntafu, was appointed minister and called for a swearing in ceremony.While others took turns taking oath with their hand against the bible in front of the president, Ntafu refused to take an oath with hand on the bible saying" I can only do that to an ordained minister and not politician" Dr Muluzi was shocked but accepted his position When he was minister of education,Dr Ntafu surprised Dr Muluzi again by shooting down Dr Muluzi's order to increase teacher's salaries calling it un procedural
.All over a sudden,hon Ntafu seem to have taken a complete turn over his high held morals and principles. Hon.Ntafu was now at the centre of chaos trying to stage a fight with a woman in parliament when all sane people thought the banking of government donations into personal account was irregular and unheard of,Ntafu was on the fore front justifying its stolen status by implicating Dr Wamutharika as one of the beneficiaries. To day, he thinks every one who disagrees with him has a small brain a thing you could never ever associate it with Nga Ntafu Only this week, I was shocked by revelations made by hon bande that he has evidence to the effect that Ntafu puffs hemp[chamba] When I heard this I said-
No.not Ntafu. I know Nga- Ntafu as a traditional seventh-day adventist believer.Smoking alone is prohibited according to the bible.But to be linked with chamba is an adventist's worst scenario. However,upon reviewing some materials on brain tumors, I was shocked to see that there may be some truth in the deputy ministers claim.The only problem could be that he may not be aware that chamba is considered as a medication to those with certain types of tumors. MARIJUANA MAY BLOCK FATAL BRAIN CANCER on 2nd March this year, a an american based research company came up with some interesting medication for brain tumors In a study of mice and rats with a brain tumor called malignant glioma, treatment with THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) or a man-made chemical with similar properties eradicated the tumor in almost a third of the animals, according to a report in the March issue of the journal Nature Medicine.
This was also reported in the Times Newspaper. The question is,what can we as a society do to understand those in positions of authority when they are acting under the influence of ailments? Should we retire them or continue to nurture them until they take leave of planet earth? While at that,lets not rush into conclusions which will end up sending all those with signs of ailments to their villages. The cases of late Chihana and Nga- Ntafu seem to reflect the negatives of taking alleged brain tumor patients with our honest seriousness when in fact these people are simply showing us signs of ailments.
You may not know this, but it seems, malawi's present state of affairs could also in fact resulted from a brain tumor oriented decision. As seen from brain tumor symptoms,- Changes in mental function that may be subtle and abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior are some of the major symptoms of brain tumors. This implies that the behavior of a person changes from his long established paten.During this period,he or she makes decisions which are uncharacteristic. In the history of Malawi, Dr Banda was known to be ruthless through out the sixties,seventies and eighties.During this time,there were attempts by the international community to press Dr Banda to change his style of politics to know avail.
The bloodiest years were the 80's thus we saw the killing of Dr Mpakati,Mwanza murder,arresting of intellectuals, regional deportation of the northerners,the massacre of Mkwapatira Mhango family. All over a sudden Dr Banda changed and softened his approach. This started in 1990 when he addressed the nation to condemn his own youth leaguers and later on bowed down to pressure by calling for a referendum. In all this there was uncharacteristic behavioral change on the part of Dr Banda. As a nation, we welcomed the change and held him as a true states man yet he was truly the onset of condition of brain tumor which was later discovered in 1993 and was operated on at Garden City.
What we thought was normal was infact a sign of ailment. We may have known Chakufwa Chihana for for only 14 years but he had an unprecedented impact on people since 1962. Whether we like it or not he was a rare breed of person who had the ability to transform fear into hope and engage anyone, from any background, in interesting conversation. It was not until now that after reading the ontology of Brain tumor that it has hit me hard how we as a society inhumanly reacted with tempers tantrums and emotions to what was an ailment.Chakufwa was well respected, well travelled and well-known.No doubt,if he were to be in his normal health, he would have continued to push for radical reforms and a market based democracy. Chakufwa was an inspired leader during the campaign for multiparty democracy and is rightly known to be the father of democracy in Malawi.
He had led the struggle for his country’s multiparty politics from dictatorship, and had confronted with vigour and vision the political challenges faced by Malawians a fact known by living undemocratic and repentant hon John Tembo Its very sad that we reacted angrily to what was an illness,something I will live to regreat. There ends the politics of brain tumor May his soul rest in peace
Bright Mac Everson Malopa references:
ISBN:malawitalk Clark, Orlo et al. (2003) Endocrine Tumours. American Cancer Society Atlas of Oncology series. Decker. ISBN: 1550091344 Bleiberg, Harry et al (eds) (1998) Management of colorectal cancer. London, Martin Dunitz. ISBN: 1853173770 Canellos, George et al (eds) (1998) The lymphomas. WB Saunders. ISBN: 0721650309 Biersack, HJ & Grunwald, F (eds) (2001) Thyroid cancer. Berlin, Springer. ISBN: 3540413901 Blake, Peter et al. (eds) (1998) Gynaecological oncology: a guide to clinical management. Oxford, Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0192627988 British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. (2004) British national formulary (47th edition). London, Pharmaceutical Press. ISBN: 0853695849 Cavanagh, BM(2003) Nurse's manual of laboratory and diagnostic tests (4th edition). ISBN: 0803610556 Bleiberg, Harry et al. (2002) Colorectal Cancer. London, Martin Dunitz. ISBN: 185317808X Bonadonna, Gianni et al. (eds) (2001) Textbook of breast cancer: a clinical guide to therapy. (2nd edition) London, Martin Dunitz. ISBN: 1853178241 Chao, K .S. Clifford et al. (2002) Radiation oncology: management decisions (2nd edition) Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN: 0781732220 Cassidy, J et al. (2002) Oxford Handbook of Oncology. Oxford University Press ISBN: 0192630350
You can't mourn a hero with thugery attitudes. Equally discomforting were the words that were said in what were believed to be tributes. I was disturbed with one line sentence which ended by saying "CRY FOR HIM IF YOU WANT TO" A full blown debate seems to be emerging about his tribal antics.The purpose of my article is not to condemn or commend what has been and continue to be said.
I personally also said things which may not please late chihana's close associates.I remember writing something like:
"His main weakness, which grew more evident in later years, was self deceit - something which is a frequent temptation to politicians especially those who think that they are naturally and effortlessly cleverer than those around them. To his loyal supporters, he was a hero who laid the foundations of the new Malawi. To his opponents; he was a corrupt politician who exploited his position to enjoy an extravagant way of life. Chihana fanned a political class of cronyism in an atmosphere of corruption and bullying.
His assiduous cultivation of potentially useful as a mullah of the northern region occasionally backfired. Close friends like Dan Msowoya and Chipimpha Mughogho will always testify to his charm, generosity and affability as well as to his accurate judgment. Those outside the firmly drawn circle saw a diminutive figure with a hooded expression and a conspiratorial manner coupled with a quite remarkable degree of self control under pressure. He could be rude without being self-revelatory and seemed incapable of being surprised"
It now turned out that those of us who have voiced negative sentiments may have wronged an innocent person who was acting out of ailment. Over the last 5 days,I took an interest to understand "BRAIN TUMOR" a disease which took the life of late Chakufwa Chihana. Through this study period, I had tele-discussions with those in the know [medical people]who did not want to be mentioned. The purpose of this study was to put Chihanas Brain tumor in perspective.
The first point of my enquiry was to answer the question "what is brain tumor" This question was import because, I noted some confusion and misunderstandings about this disease. During this study, I also discovered that the question of brain tumor is even inconclusive among medical professionals themselves. It seems, contrary to what many of us believe ie that it may be stress related. no studies have concluded the causes of this disease.
This again contradicts UDF suggestions that Dr Wamutharika created an environment where Chakufwa contracted Brain tumor.This misguided conception was apparent in the young democrats songs which suggested thus"BINGU HAS KILLED CHAKUFWA" These twisted views from the UDF'Aford camp makes one wonder what happens in their boardrooms.Are they so cloistered and cosseted in their own version of "brain tumor" that they lost touch with reality outside their sealed world?
Given the nature of the illness a research was carried out in 1996 by a group of experts who looked into factors that might have an impact upon the prognosis for brain tumor sufferers. Despite a certain amount of disagreement, the group concluded that: The signs and symptoms of a growing tumor within the skull are mainly caused by a progressive rise in the internal pressure, either from the growing mass itself or from its interference with the normal circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds and permeates the brain. The tumor itself causes pressure inside the skull, which causes the symptoms.
These include:
Changes in mental function that may be subtle. They may include irritability, lethargy, indifference, apathy, forgetfulness, lack of insight, or drowsiness Severe, persistent headache Vomiting, which is sometimes sudden and for no apparent reason.
Dizziness Fits – either major seizures or local twitching Loss of part of the field of vision or loss of hearing Hallucinations Drowsiness Personality changes Abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior
I took an interest in the development of a tumor itself and was shocked to see these professionals coming to a conclusion that a tumor could take up to 4 years before becoming fully grown during which, sufferers may experience severe and unremitting symptoms for greater than four years.
It was at this point,that I realized that many of the criticisms Chihana received in fact occurred during his last four years.
Out of interest, I took note of the following symptoms: -Changes in mental function that may be subtle. -They may include irritability, lethargy, indifference, apathy, forgetfulness, lack of insight, or drowsiness -Severe, persistent headache -Abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior Here is where my heart sank low because on reflection, I noted that in principle,we may have been criticizing late chihana on what was pure mental illness. for example one of the symptom reads:" indifference, apathy, forgetfulness, lack of insight, or drowsiness" Case in point.
a)Chakufwa Chihana left government in 1996 there about citing rampant corruption by the Muluzi administration.We held him high but come 2003,he was at the centre of corruption-bribing fellow mps to support the third term bid.Without doubt,chihana lacked the insight and had already forgotten the very reasons he left government in 1996
b)Abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior When Chihana was appointed minister of agriculture, he was operating from Chombe motel and was driving to and from Chombe during his short stint in the Bingu administration despite the fact that he had a house in Lilongwe[are 43] and another one in Mzuzu[Chimaliro] Chombe motel was not in his constituency.This means that he was leaving his lilongwe house,driving past Mzuzu,then again past Rumphi central to chombe an area bordering Karonga.That alone was uncharacteristic.
c) during the first post Muluzi by-election, there was stiff competition between Aford and PPM Chakufwa conducted himself in a rather bizarre and abnormal way to the extent where he abandoned his campaign and started chasing hon.Aleke Banda and when he found him addressing a rally, he went straight to Aleke banda's platform and started dancing in front of AKB in the process causing some fracas.
This behavior alone was abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior
d)-Changes in mental function that may be subtle. Without knowing that the aford leader was sick,Aford faithful decided to suspend him from the party but when they reconvened to elect the interim committee,Chakufwa stormed the meeting with hired thugs who ended up beating those in attendance and later installed himself aford leader All who knew chihana during his normal days would never ever think of a chihana who could behave in this fashion. When Dr Mutharika was indicted by hon Milanzi, Chihana was seen dancing to his own song outside by some journalists.
According to them, there was no coloration between the song and his jovial mood because the song had words which went like "NYEMBA-NYEMBA-NYEMBA.IFE SITIDYA NYEMBA.NYEMBA TIDYA MAWA [beans-beans-beans.we don't eat beans.we will eat beans tomorrow]
As if that was not enough, Chakufwa threw a party at his house in area 43 while the speaker of parliament late Munyenyembe was fighting for his life at Kamuzu central hospital.Munyenyembe and Chihana were good friends and one would expect to see late chihana at his bed side but yet again this seems to another symptom of -Changes in mental function that may be subtle. As you can imagine, all these symptoms went undetected until 26th May when late chihana had -Severe, persistent headache.Unfortunately,it was too late and by this time,the tumor was fully grown.
Society failed to pick it,instead we condemned him, we criticized him and we abandoned him yet the guy was mentally sick. Gentlemen, I think we are all guilty,we ought all to plead guilty, but guilty as we may be,we need not to exculpate ourselves by throwing the blame on each other. Instead, I think we need to take some time reflecting and putting our lawmakers in perspective. I am not a medical man,but going through the symptoms again especially the part suggesting "Abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior" I am left speechless.
Let me put it clear here that Brain tumor is a complex condition which is not fully understood…Because of this, it is not possible to define concrete sets of favorable or unfavorable prognoses…in each case there can often be conflicting favorable and adverse factors interacting to determine the overall outcome."
However,this has not stopped me from taking a particular interest in the behavior of one parliamentarian for the simple reason that his information is largely available in the public domain I have been studying the recent behavior of hon Nga Ntafu as something that needs immediate attention.
All along,hon Ntafu has been known to be principled.Thus when the "anti northern" was adopted and effected as a policy in 1988,Ntafu was one of the few people who openly challenged Dr Banda. He was summoned to sanjika to explain his position in front of Dr Banda.He did it without fear or favor and Kamuzu had nothing to say.Noting that his mentor was severely challenged,late Malani Lungu humbly asked Dr Ntafu to apologize to Dr Banda and Dr Ntafu refused point blank
This stand landed him in prison and he remain unapologetic through out. When the UDF,came to power, hon Ntafu, was appointed minister and called for a swearing in ceremony.While others took turns taking oath with their hand against the bible in front of the president, Ntafu refused to take an oath with hand on the bible saying" I can only do that to an ordained minister and not politician" Dr Muluzi was shocked but accepted his position When he was minister of education,Dr Ntafu surprised Dr Muluzi again by shooting down Dr Muluzi's order to increase teacher's salaries calling it un procedural
.All over a sudden,hon Ntafu seem to have taken a complete turn over his high held morals and principles. Hon.Ntafu was now at the centre of chaos trying to stage a fight with a woman in parliament when all sane people thought the banking of government donations into personal account was irregular and unheard of,Ntafu was on the fore front justifying its stolen status by implicating Dr Wamutharika as one of the beneficiaries. To day, he thinks every one who disagrees with him has a small brain a thing you could never ever associate it with Nga Ntafu Only this week, I was shocked by revelations made by hon bande that he has evidence to the effect that Ntafu puffs hemp[chamba] When I heard this I said-
No.not Ntafu. I know Nga- Ntafu as a traditional seventh-day adventist believer.Smoking alone is prohibited according to the bible.But to be linked with chamba is an adventist's worst scenario. However,upon reviewing some materials on brain tumors, I was shocked to see that there may be some truth in the deputy ministers claim.The only problem could be that he may not be aware that chamba is considered as a medication to those with certain types of tumors. MARIJUANA MAY BLOCK FATAL BRAIN CANCER on 2nd March this year, a an american based research company came up with some interesting medication for brain tumors In a study of mice and rats with a brain tumor called malignant glioma, treatment with THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) or a man-made chemical with similar properties eradicated the tumor in almost a third of the animals, according to a report in the March issue of the journal Nature Medicine.
This was also reported in the Times Newspaper. The question is,what can we as a society do to understand those in positions of authority when they are acting under the influence of ailments? Should we retire them or continue to nurture them until they take leave of planet earth? While at that,lets not rush into conclusions which will end up sending all those with signs of ailments to their villages. The cases of late Chihana and Nga- Ntafu seem to reflect the negatives of taking alleged brain tumor patients with our honest seriousness when in fact these people are simply showing us signs of ailments.
You may not know this, but it seems, malawi's present state of affairs could also in fact resulted from a brain tumor oriented decision. As seen from brain tumor symptoms,- Changes in mental function that may be subtle and abnormal and uncharacteristic behavior are some of the major symptoms of brain tumors. This implies that the behavior of a person changes from his long established paten.During this period,he or she makes decisions which are uncharacteristic. In the history of Malawi, Dr Banda was known to be ruthless through out the sixties,seventies and eighties.During this time,there were attempts by the international community to press Dr Banda to change his style of politics to know avail.
The bloodiest years were the 80's thus we saw the killing of Dr Mpakati,Mwanza murder,arresting of intellectuals, regional deportation of the northerners,the massacre of Mkwapatira Mhango family. All over a sudden Dr Banda changed and softened his approach. This started in 1990 when he addressed the nation to condemn his own youth leaguers and later on bowed down to pressure by calling for a referendum. In all this there was uncharacteristic behavioral change on the part of Dr Banda. As a nation, we welcomed the change and held him as a true states man yet he was truly the onset of condition of brain tumor which was later discovered in 1993 and was operated on at Garden City.
What we thought was normal was infact a sign of ailment. We may have known Chakufwa Chihana for for only 14 years but he had an unprecedented impact on people since 1962. Whether we like it or not he was a rare breed of person who had the ability to transform fear into hope and engage anyone, from any background, in interesting conversation. It was not until now that after reading the ontology of Brain tumor that it has hit me hard how we as a society inhumanly reacted with tempers tantrums and emotions to what was an ailment.Chakufwa was well respected, well travelled and well-known.No doubt,if he were to be in his normal health, he would have continued to push for radical reforms and a market based democracy. Chakufwa was an inspired leader during the campaign for multiparty democracy and is rightly known to be the father of democracy in Malawi.
He had led the struggle for his country’s multiparty politics from dictatorship, and had confronted with vigour and vision the political challenges faced by Malawians a fact known by living undemocratic and repentant hon John Tembo Its very sad that we reacted angrily to what was an illness,something I will live to regreat. There ends the politics of brain tumor May his soul rest in peace
Bright Mac Everson Malopa references:
ISBN:malawitalk Clark, Orlo et al. (2003) Endocrine Tumours. American Cancer Society Atlas of Oncology series. Decker. ISBN: 1550091344 Bleiberg, Harry et al (eds) (1998) Management of colorectal cancer. London, Martin Dunitz. ISBN: 1853173770 Canellos, George et al (eds) (1998) The lymphomas. WB Saunders. ISBN: 0721650309 Biersack, HJ & Grunwald, F (eds) (2001) Thyroid cancer. Berlin, Springer. ISBN: 3540413901 Blake, Peter et al. (eds) (1998) Gynaecological oncology: a guide to clinical management. Oxford, Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0192627988 British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. (2004) British national formulary (47th edition). London, Pharmaceutical Press. ISBN: 0853695849 Cavanagh, BM(2003) Nurse's manual of laboratory and diagnostic tests (4th edition). ISBN: 0803610556 Bleiberg, Harry et al. (2002) Colorectal Cancer. London, Martin Dunitz. ISBN: 185317808X Bonadonna, Gianni et al. (eds) (2001) Textbook of breast cancer: a clinical guide to therapy. (2nd edition) London, Martin Dunitz. ISBN: 1853178241 Chao, K .S. Clifford et al. (2002) Radiation oncology: management decisions (2nd edition) Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN: 0781732220 Cassidy, J et al. (2002) Oxford Handbook of Oncology. Oxford University Press ISBN: 0192630350
IMPEACHMENT NOT A SOLUTION
The impeachment of President Bingu wa Mutharika is again gathering pace through manipulation of parliamentary numbers to make a legislative coup plotted by corrupt and discredited politicians in the face of a public judgment. This is a challenge for democracy and the rule of the people to which all those with the slightest form of political decency should join hands to warn the opposition impeachniks about the dangers of this misleading political time bomb.
One word of strategic advice to the impeachniks is: Stop! The situation at hand is too serious for impeachment. “Looming hunger,and poverty levels” are at best incidental to the major case against Mutharika, and “impeachment” talk drives us further from every plausible goal, in almost every plausible set of circumstances. It is almost comprehensively anti-strategic.Let’s agree that Mutharika is bad, but how bad is bad enough? It’s an important question. Somebody has to be worst, and worst isn’t necessarily bad enough to justify jumping democracy’s routine feedback cycle.
One of the respected analyst of Malawian politics Dr. John Lwanda, once said: “Hate him or love him, Dr. Mutharika will go down in Malawian history as the most transparent and tolerant President.” He was right indeed because in 1965 Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda had this to say while trying to warn those who were plotting to unseat him: “If a person even just thinks about it, the forcible overthrow of the government and speaks aloud and somebody hears about it, that is treason.”Testament to this was events that followed suit which resulted into considerable number of people who were exiled as well as killed for simply expressing themselves. In the post single-party era, we had Bakili Muluzi who took the third term loss as a personal blow to the extent that he denounced and ridiculed whoever showed signs of not buying into his agenda.
Some judges nearly got impeached, opponents were boxed right within Parliament compounds with some being imprisoned. Journalists were severely beaten for asking the right questions while other supporters had their business contracts cancelled. Hon. Justin Malewezi risked his life after government decided to remove his medical benefits all because he expressed his opinion. To date none of the above is happening.When discussing impeachment it is important to ask ourselves pertinent questions starting with our past and provide objective answers to the following questions: “How bad is Bingu?” “How bad is bad enough?” “And what do we do if Bingu is bad enough?”
Make these questions — and not your immediate answers — the core topic of our national conversation, and we may get somewhere.In political civility, difference and diversity are acknowledged, but they do not prevent the hegemony of the common interest as the ultimate goal of all party politics. Political civility means more than just a style of government or an altruistic way of life: ‘It assumes a relationship of obligation and recognition which governs the contest between the interests and parties in a political association.’Such positive pluralism has yet to be introduced to the political ideology of both MCP and UDF. Their defining character has often been the politics of threat — with, in many cases, the threat of political violence used to gain political ground.
The MCP used MYP, the youth League and the Special Branch while the UDF used the Young Democrats and NIB to advance and consolidate their power.The politics of threat efficiently prevents the birth of political civility — indeed; creating its opposite, incivility, destroying the unity of the political entity. The current political trend as is being championed by Mutharika has rendered obsolete these devilish means of power consolidation.“Friend” and “enemy” are quite strong words to people accustomed to a consensus-based ideal of politics. But the distinction is particularly useful in analysing politics in Malawi, especially between UDF and MCP, where these divisions are more visible and perhaps more important than in many other political parties.
It is quite surprising to note that John Tembo whom many were regarding in high esteem can be seduced by the UDF and demean himself by hatching a plot to unseat the President through their impeachment plans without a valid case being made. MCP was the most victimised party during Muluzi’s reign.In fact, Muluzi vowed never ever to work with MCP dubbing them as a party of death and darkness. Their meetings were constantly disturbed, property torched and bundled, vehicles set ablaze in broad daylight by UDF operatives.He further tore MCP apart by tapping into many of their otherwise loyal MPs not least imprisoned Tembo for flimsy and cooked up charges and at worse spent almost a year in jail simply because the UDF didn’t even want him to be an MP.
Today, the UDF wants to work with MCP not because they have changed their policy over MCP but because they are the only ones foolish enough to help them stop Mutharika from transforming the country through his war on graft and corruption and Tembo wants to be used as a pawn in the battle against corruption.For the first time in our country’s history, we are now experiencing a dramatic shift in our political field. Bodies which are often associated with anti-government sentiments are now forming the first line of defence defending the government. The Malawi Law Society along with the Law Commission have all voiced their dismay on the current impeachment talk.
Bright MacEverson Malopa,
The article was published in Malawi's local press on 26 October 2005
One word of strategic advice to the impeachniks is: Stop! The situation at hand is too serious for impeachment. “Looming hunger,and poverty levels” are at best incidental to the major case against Mutharika, and “impeachment” talk drives us further from every plausible goal, in almost every plausible set of circumstances. It is almost comprehensively anti-strategic.Let’s agree that Mutharika is bad, but how bad is bad enough? It’s an important question. Somebody has to be worst, and worst isn’t necessarily bad enough to justify jumping democracy’s routine feedback cycle.
One of the respected analyst of Malawian politics Dr. John Lwanda, once said: “Hate him or love him, Dr. Mutharika will go down in Malawian history as the most transparent and tolerant President.” He was right indeed because in 1965 Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda had this to say while trying to warn those who were plotting to unseat him: “If a person even just thinks about it, the forcible overthrow of the government and speaks aloud and somebody hears about it, that is treason.”Testament to this was events that followed suit which resulted into considerable number of people who were exiled as well as killed for simply expressing themselves. In the post single-party era, we had Bakili Muluzi who took the third term loss as a personal blow to the extent that he denounced and ridiculed whoever showed signs of not buying into his agenda.
Some judges nearly got impeached, opponents were boxed right within Parliament compounds with some being imprisoned. Journalists were severely beaten for asking the right questions while other supporters had their business contracts cancelled. Hon. Justin Malewezi risked his life after government decided to remove his medical benefits all because he expressed his opinion. To date none of the above is happening.When discussing impeachment it is important to ask ourselves pertinent questions starting with our past and provide objective answers to the following questions: “How bad is Bingu?” “How bad is bad enough?” “And what do we do if Bingu is bad enough?”
Make these questions — and not your immediate answers — the core topic of our national conversation, and we may get somewhere.In political civility, difference and diversity are acknowledged, but they do not prevent the hegemony of the common interest as the ultimate goal of all party politics. Political civility means more than just a style of government or an altruistic way of life: ‘It assumes a relationship of obligation and recognition which governs the contest between the interests and parties in a political association.’Such positive pluralism has yet to be introduced to the political ideology of both MCP and UDF. Their defining character has often been the politics of threat — with, in many cases, the threat of political violence used to gain political ground.
The MCP used MYP, the youth League and the Special Branch while the UDF used the Young Democrats and NIB to advance and consolidate their power.The politics of threat efficiently prevents the birth of political civility — indeed; creating its opposite, incivility, destroying the unity of the political entity. The current political trend as is being championed by Mutharika has rendered obsolete these devilish means of power consolidation.“Friend” and “enemy” are quite strong words to people accustomed to a consensus-based ideal of politics. But the distinction is particularly useful in analysing politics in Malawi, especially between UDF and MCP, where these divisions are more visible and perhaps more important than in many other political parties.
It is quite surprising to note that John Tembo whom many were regarding in high esteem can be seduced by the UDF and demean himself by hatching a plot to unseat the President through their impeachment plans without a valid case being made. MCP was the most victimised party during Muluzi’s reign.In fact, Muluzi vowed never ever to work with MCP dubbing them as a party of death and darkness. Their meetings were constantly disturbed, property torched and bundled, vehicles set ablaze in broad daylight by UDF operatives.He further tore MCP apart by tapping into many of their otherwise loyal MPs not least imprisoned Tembo for flimsy and cooked up charges and at worse spent almost a year in jail simply because the UDF didn’t even want him to be an MP.
Today, the UDF wants to work with MCP not because they have changed their policy over MCP but because they are the only ones foolish enough to help them stop Mutharika from transforming the country through his war on graft and corruption and Tembo wants to be used as a pawn in the battle against corruption.For the first time in our country’s history, we are now experiencing a dramatic shift in our political field. Bodies which are often associated with anti-government sentiments are now forming the first line of defence defending the government. The Malawi Law Society along with the Law Commission have all voiced their dismay on the current impeachment talk.
Bright MacEverson Malopa,
The article was published in Malawi's local press on 26 October 2005
EROSION OF DEMOCRACY IN MALAWI-I SAY NO
The author of this article seemingly seem to be contradicting himself when after being given a full opportunity to air his views, failed to acknowledge that this can only happen in a democratic society.
Of course there is plenty to digest from the exposition titled EROSION OF DEMOCRACY and there should be no rush to judgment. One of the best assets of democracy is that it allows or rather creates a platform and a market place of views. For democracy to thrive, it is therefore important that voices even those perceived misguided are give a chance to be heard.
For this reason, I want to rebut this false presentation of “Malawi’s perceived erosion of democracy” and wish to argue that contrary to this unshared view; Malawi’s democracy has advanced and is progressing in the right direction.
It is by now well-known that the UDF is promoting its political case with the claims whichare largely misleading at times outright lies.
Despite the fact that genuine cases in violation of the law have been successfully prosecuted, their propaganda machinery continues to label them as political with other cases, instances of human rights abuse. Indeed, an examination of other claims advanced by this machinery suggests a pattern of lies and deception on the part of top UDF officials.
The UDF party through their organized propaganda machinery continue to contend that Malawi is tilting towards a dictatorial regime because according to their beliefs, former ministers and party echelons are not supposed to be taken to court. The party’s spokes person Mr Mpasu made a chilling admission which saw him heaping praises in favor of Dr Wamutharika as a states man. His measure of statesmanship came only when the UDF corrupt politicians are exempted from facing justice.
In so doing, the party denies the chaotic part played by the Bakili led administration which Prof Thandika Mkandawire’s characterize as “ democratization of corruption” when he argues thus:
“Bad Governance” is a euphemism for corruption.On the political front, Malawi emerged from the dark days of Banda but was still saddled by elements of a political class that had basically been nourished by the Banda regime. Their instinct was fundamentally anathema to democracy and their perception of political office was unscrupulous and avaricious. We never had a “Truth Commission” to exorcise the bad spirits of the past.
In a short span of time, Malawi moved down the internationally constructed corruption indices. Self-aggrandisement had led to amassing of wealth by a political class that was now unrestrained by Banda’s centralized state theft. It is as if the advent of democracy had freed corruption.
Corruption will not end overnight in Malawi. However, it has become clear to all Malawians that the scourge of corruption must be brought to a halt. People now clamour for
“zero tolerance” of corruption, to borrow a phrase from President Mutharika. What is important is that there now seems to be serious intention to begin addressing the problem.”
In the paragraphs that follow, UDF propaganda machinery claims are subjected to scrutiny, with particular attention paid to the accuracy of the claims in relation to the establishment of democratic Malawi.
Closing the Scottish –Malawi partnership conference in Edinburgh, Sir David Steel commented on the progress made in as far as democracy is concerned in Malawi
“I should perhaps explain that with my Kenyan background, I first went to Malawi at the instigation of the Church of Scotland and our foreign office.
Their view was that since both president Banda and I were church elders and graduates of Edinburgh university, I could perhaps talk to him about human rights,multi-partyism and other easy topics.
it was not a success
I was refused to visit Orton Chirwa who was in prison without trial and who died there before my second visit.
Dr Banda was very old and very deaf. I was followed few months later by Lynda Chalker, then minister for overseas development and Africa. I told her my efforts were not successful and she said they could not have been worse than hers.
After twenty minutes in which she indicated her majesty's government views on changes required in his policies, Dr Banda leaned forward and asked
“And which part of America do you come from?
Indeed every Malawian knows that Dr Banda’s human rights record was appalling. The system of repression exacted a heavy price. Who ever was seen as a threat to the government or aired dissent was suppressed.
As Dr Heiko Meinhardt and Dr Nandin Patel explained in their exposition of
“Malawi’s process of Democratic transition”
The MYP and the police under the instruction of the political leadership were empowered to detain anyone without trial. Others were tried in traditional courts without legal representation and some were even murdered in fabricated “car accidents” In 1976 the religious denomination of Jehovah’s witnesses was declared an unlawful society. Its members were targets of massive repression and thousands were imprisoned”
As stated above, civil and political rights did not exist. Basic rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of information and the rule of law were barbarically and unashamedly violated. The censorship act and the information monopoly of the regime compromised the right of free access to information more over the reporting of false or damaging information about Malawi was considered a criminal offence punishable with life time imprisonment.
Contrary to that dark age is the emergence of freedom of expression to its fullness.
We have seen false information and potentially damaging information denting the image of Malawi being published on the internet and local media without reactions.
Last year, Mr Sam Mpasu [a UDF spokes person]went against all odds to attack his own government by supplying false information to a Scottish tabloid results for which ended with a hostile media reception for the Malawi leader who was visiting the Scottish people but nothing happened to him
During the Scottish Malawi conference one Malawian son in the name of Dr John Lwanda fiercely criticized the visiting president during one of his BBC interviews
He went further to express his unpopular views in the conference this time attacking the Scottish executive for gagging him. A few weeks ago, Dr Lwanda went to Malawi and while there he had a chance to meet some of influential politicians in the current administration who were part of the Malawian delegation to Scotland and chatted over a number of issues. Nothing happened to him and he returned to his Scottish base safely.Not surprising indeed that in one of his postings, he lamented thus:
“Like him or love him,Dr Wamutharika will go down in history as the most transparent leader in Malawi’s history
We have made a remarkable journey. The Malawian community may strongly held and differing opinions on both the presenting issues and their underlying causes and we have not been afraid to discuss those views openly and honestly in our efforts to understand the machinations of government and politics. But equal to all of this is our central belief that the forty-two years ago, democracy was perceived as dissenting.
As a hallmark of our endeavor, I believe that it Is important to mirror the values of the present Democracy in the context of our past with an aim – to look for healing not division, for pastoral reconciliation and not punishment, to look to our shared witness not only in our mission but in the processes by which our vested interest in our democracy works out the current tensions
Bright Mac E.Malopa
Of course there is plenty to digest from the exposition titled EROSION OF DEMOCRACY and there should be no rush to judgment. One of the best assets of democracy is that it allows or rather creates a platform and a market place of views. For democracy to thrive, it is therefore important that voices even those perceived misguided are give a chance to be heard.
For this reason, I want to rebut this false presentation of “Malawi’s perceived erosion of democracy” and wish to argue that contrary to this unshared view; Malawi’s democracy has advanced and is progressing in the right direction.
It is by now well-known that the UDF is promoting its political case with the claims whichare largely misleading at times outright lies.
Despite the fact that genuine cases in violation of the law have been successfully prosecuted, their propaganda machinery continues to label them as political with other cases, instances of human rights abuse. Indeed, an examination of other claims advanced by this machinery suggests a pattern of lies and deception on the part of top UDF officials.
The UDF party through their organized propaganda machinery continue to contend that Malawi is tilting towards a dictatorial regime because according to their beliefs, former ministers and party echelons are not supposed to be taken to court. The party’s spokes person Mr Mpasu made a chilling admission which saw him heaping praises in favor of Dr Wamutharika as a states man. His measure of statesmanship came only when the UDF corrupt politicians are exempted from facing justice.
In so doing, the party denies the chaotic part played by the Bakili led administration which Prof Thandika Mkandawire’s characterize as “ democratization of corruption” when he argues thus:
“Bad Governance” is a euphemism for corruption.On the political front, Malawi emerged from the dark days of Banda but was still saddled by elements of a political class that had basically been nourished by the Banda regime. Their instinct was fundamentally anathema to democracy and their perception of political office was unscrupulous and avaricious. We never had a “Truth Commission” to exorcise the bad spirits of the past.
In a short span of time, Malawi moved down the internationally constructed corruption indices. Self-aggrandisement had led to amassing of wealth by a political class that was now unrestrained by Banda’s centralized state theft. It is as if the advent of democracy had freed corruption.
Corruption will not end overnight in Malawi. However, it has become clear to all Malawians that the scourge of corruption must be brought to a halt. People now clamour for
“zero tolerance” of corruption, to borrow a phrase from President Mutharika. What is important is that there now seems to be serious intention to begin addressing the problem.”
In the paragraphs that follow, UDF propaganda machinery claims are subjected to scrutiny, with particular attention paid to the accuracy of the claims in relation to the establishment of democratic Malawi.
Closing the Scottish –Malawi partnership conference in Edinburgh, Sir David Steel commented on the progress made in as far as democracy is concerned in Malawi
“I should perhaps explain that with my Kenyan background, I first went to Malawi at the instigation of the Church of Scotland and our foreign office.
Their view was that since both president Banda and I were church elders and graduates of Edinburgh university, I could perhaps talk to him about human rights,multi-partyism and other easy topics.
it was not a success
I was refused to visit Orton Chirwa who was in prison without trial and who died there before my second visit.
Dr Banda was very old and very deaf. I was followed few months later by Lynda Chalker, then minister for overseas development and Africa. I told her my efforts were not successful and she said they could not have been worse than hers.
After twenty minutes in which she indicated her majesty's government views on changes required in his policies, Dr Banda leaned forward and asked
“And which part of America do you come from?
Indeed every Malawian knows that Dr Banda’s human rights record was appalling. The system of repression exacted a heavy price. Who ever was seen as a threat to the government or aired dissent was suppressed.
As Dr Heiko Meinhardt and Dr Nandin Patel explained in their exposition of
“Malawi’s process of Democratic transition”
The MYP and the police under the instruction of the political leadership were empowered to detain anyone without trial. Others were tried in traditional courts without legal representation and some were even murdered in fabricated “car accidents” In 1976 the religious denomination of Jehovah’s witnesses was declared an unlawful society. Its members were targets of massive repression and thousands were imprisoned”
As stated above, civil and political rights did not exist. Basic rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of information and the rule of law were barbarically and unashamedly violated. The censorship act and the information monopoly of the regime compromised the right of free access to information more over the reporting of false or damaging information about Malawi was considered a criminal offence punishable with life time imprisonment.
Contrary to that dark age is the emergence of freedom of expression to its fullness.
We have seen false information and potentially damaging information denting the image of Malawi being published on the internet and local media without reactions.
Last year, Mr Sam Mpasu [a UDF spokes person]went against all odds to attack his own government by supplying false information to a Scottish tabloid results for which ended with a hostile media reception for the Malawi leader who was visiting the Scottish people but nothing happened to him
During the Scottish Malawi conference one Malawian son in the name of Dr John Lwanda fiercely criticized the visiting president during one of his BBC interviews
He went further to express his unpopular views in the conference this time attacking the Scottish executive for gagging him. A few weeks ago, Dr Lwanda went to Malawi and while there he had a chance to meet some of influential politicians in the current administration who were part of the Malawian delegation to Scotland and chatted over a number of issues. Nothing happened to him and he returned to his Scottish base safely.Not surprising indeed that in one of his postings, he lamented thus:
“Like him or love him,Dr Wamutharika will go down in history as the most transparent leader in Malawi’s history
We have made a remarkable journey. The Malawian community may strongly held and differing opinions on both the presenting issues and their underlying causes and we have not been afraid to discuss those views openly and honestly in our efforts to understand the machinations of government and politics. But equal to all of this is our central belief that the forty-two years ago, democracy was perceived as dissenting.
As a hallmark of our endeavor, I believe that it Is important to mirror the values of the present Democracy in the context of our past with an aim – to look for healing not division, for pastoral reconciliation and not punishment, to look to our shared witness not only in our mission but in the processes by which our vested interest in our democracy works out the current tensions
Bright Mac E.Malopa
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