By Saunders Jumah the Utopian

Malawi must now know that the attitude of business as usual on the way our nation is run are over. Whether it is the Executive branch of government, the Legislature or the Judiciary.

For 54 years citizens have left the affairs of our state craft in the hands who in appearance have been “Ladies and Gentlemen of high calibre and integrity” yet inside they have been “Jackals, Hyenas and Foxes.”

The Malawi of today is not that of the past. Citizens are transformed and enlightened, we know our rights, our freedoms and we also know which freedoms have been sacrificed in exchange for elected leaders to provide service delivery and many other liberties.

We are also aware and know among the citizens that leaders in government are servants and not employers.

This must ring and awake all those holding public offices to know that we are not going to sit back and watch them ‘bossing us’ with our tax money.

The Engagement Group called MAENGA is not going to watch and fold arms when those that misunderstand the description of their duties are absconding or undermining their responsibilities.

This is the reason we are making a statement deploring in strongest terms the frequent absenteeism of our parliamentarians in the August House. As expressed the Malawi of the past is gone.

The Malawi we have now is more accountable by citizens not the president, the cabinet, the courts or the house of parliament or the police.

This is happening after being betrayed by these very public officers that were supposed to lead and act by example.

Citizens of Malawi through MAENGA are vigilant and awake to hold anyone accountable and where possible arrest negligence and extravagance of duty.

The trust we had on office bearers in public sector has vanished after scandalous incidents that have deprived our nation tangible, anticipated development and service delivery.

Our taxes have been stolen, looted, misused and mismanaged to the point where many see political office as a gravy money train to extravagant riches. The growth and numbers of political parties is case in point.

We have observed enough, sit idle enough. We are not going to sit no longer, it is now over to us to stand up and save our nation’s future.

While two individuals have been mandated to look into and find a solution as to what can be done to ease the persistent absenteeism of members of parliament; MAENGA has a chance to intervene.

The culture of politics in Malawi is dangerous to be left in few numbered individuals.

The way tax payers money has been exchanging hands in corrupt malpractices, we cannot let or allow the nonsense to continue.

MAENGA and all citizens of Malawi must stand up and speak in one voice that all members of parliament that are absconding their duty to present our various constituency needs must not collect allowances or be paid.

The citizens of Malawi who are employed in private or public service are penalized or dismissed when we are persistently absconding from our various work places.

Members of Parliament, the Executive branch and the courts are not our gods to do as they please. They are our servants [employees] that we must supervise and penalize too.

Having saying all these; MAENGA call on the national assembly to stop paying salaries and sitting allowances to the deputies that fail to appear in the house.

In addition MAENGA is displeased with most of the members of parliament who have abused Constituency Development Fund, we are appealing to the parliamentary committee to make the names public so that MAENGA must appeal to the particular constituents to recall or choose another member come in 2019.

House of assembly of this past August House has disappointed and angered citizens for rejecting the fundamental internationally recommended 50+1 bill.

The action of members of parliament is going to see another president or party winning with less than 20% of the votes. This is betrayal of our hard won democracy. We were not supposed to be ruled by a minority party and leaders come 2019 but their (deputies) action is bringing this nation backward instead of moving forward.

For the house to be undermining its objectives of attending to duty renders them inappropriate, irrelevant and incapacitated.

MAENGA is aware that a large percentage of members are ignorant of the constitution of the Republic, most do not even know and understand the “standing orders and rules of the house” hence their failure to hold their duty.

Parliament of Malawi has failed to hold the Executive branch of government accountable, the rule say the president will have to appear in the house and answer questions of constituents representatives, what happens is the opposite, they are addressed and dictated. The president defy the court order the house keeps quite.

We are not impressed with the house.

MAENGA is a game-changer of Malawi politics. We are not going to tolerate and accept the past practices of “business as usual” when our laws are being broken, when our constitution is being raped and abused.

In a spirit of transformation we urge and appeal to the house to deduct the salaries of members of parliament, stop sitting allowances to the deputies that abscond from the house henceforth.

MAENGA is in the process of instititionalizing itself, soon we will be taking all state offenders to task. We have left Malawi to suffer for long by disguising people who pretend to be leaders when they are foxes and hyenas.

MAENGA comprise of intelligent, patriots, abled and energetic young men and women who can replace all that are failing this nation in disregard to political affiliations.

We are watching from the sidelines and our patience is wearing out.

Saunders Jumah the Utopian
MALAWI ENGAGEMENT GROUP [MAENGA]
of the Think Tank.