The Maravi Post

The message I am taking home from these brave kids of Malawi is that exercising and enforcing one’s rights via a demonstration is all about three things:

 1. A good cause (and these kids had one);

2. Determination and conviction (and these kids have just schooled Malawi’s bun-chewing CSOs); and
3. A venue – this could be a sidewalk, a place connected one way or another to the decision makers, or if police come on the scene to warm things up; woe unto the odd filing station! Bottom line: any place within the boundaries of Malawi is as good a place as any.

What are not necessary at all are:
1. “proper procedures or police permission” - unless of course the police want to induce or partake in the looting! and,
2. A lot of talking before demonstrating (a.k.a. giving dialogue a chance); this only accords the authorities time to buy off sell-outs.

The bottom line is: unless President Joyce Banda is totally daft – which I do not believe she is; kwake kwadutsa. I now fear for incompetents, if any, coming in 2014 and in 2019.

These kids akhala atakulirapo and future leaders and their hand-clappers should brace for a generation that brooks no dialogue before going riot. These kids sakucheza and sali mopempha demo!

The good news is that Malawi, at last, is on the way to participatory development and oppressors’ days are decreasing day by day.

To the kids: You kids rock, you have just redefined “demanding accountability from duty bearers” and you are the real winners of the civil servants (your parents’) strike.

I, Wise One from the East, salute you!

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