By Rick Dzida
The name Timothy Mtambo is a very popular one in as far as Malawi politics is concerned. History will never be obliterated that Timothy Mtambo competently staged nationwide demonstrations in an attempt to force the erstwhile chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Dr. Jane Ansah to resign on allegations that she mismanaged 2019 presidential election.
It is obvious that such national protests contributed to the nullification of 2019 presidential election.
However, most Malawians were startled when President Chakwera appointed Timothy Mtambo as the Minister of Civic Education and National Unity.
Three years later, Timothy was unceremoniously dropped from the cabinet for reasons best known to His Excellency the State President Reverend Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.
What is more surprising is that some weeks ago, Timothy organised a press briefing where he told Malawians that he would start criticising Chakwera government.
However, this development was greeted with mixed reactions from the Malawian community.
In a nutshell, what lessons can we learn from Timothy’s socio-political adventure?
First, trust a Malawian human rights activist at your own risk. I have personally heard various sentiments rebuking comrade Timothy Mtambo for insinuating that he has fallen out with his political mastermind, President Chakwera.
Truth must be eloquently told that Timothy Mtambo is not the only activist to have disappointed many Malawians in pursuit of the promised holy grail.
We have notable activists like Reverend Richard Macdonald Sembereka, Billy Gama, Luke Tembo and many others who relocated to other countries after being appeased by the Chakwera government.
At least, Comrade Timothy stayed with us here in Malawi and we are still feeling the pinch of the ailing economy together with him.
Much as we shouldn’t trust Timothy Mtambo, we should extend our distrust to other human rights activists as well.
By the way when did you see the Chairman of Human Rights Defenders Coalition, Gift Trapence seriously providing checks and balances to the Chakwera’s government?
Second, trust a politician at own peril. The truth of the matter is that it is only the politician who knows the direction of his adventure. If Timothy was hired and later paid or appeased, what can stop the State President Chakwera from recruiting a more competent one again to replace Timothy?
Most Malawians nurse the memories of the audio clip in which the former opposition leader Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera was heard instructing Timothy to disrupt the Peter Mutharika’s regime.
Does Chakwera really need Timothy now? Hasn’t the Malawi’s political landscape changed such that Timothy’s services may not be needed anymore? In fact, Chakwera now needs a competent political strategist such as Ken Zikhale Ng’oma.
Third, everyone is fighting their battles. Most Malawians make serious mistakes to think that politicians and human rights activists are fighting for their welfare.
The truth of the matter is that these politicians and human rights activists are busy fighting for their protruded bellies.
It was therefore asinine for a poor man to leave his own business and join nationwide demonstrations because at the end of the day the common man benefits nothing.
For instance, upon ascendancy to power, the first thing that President Chakwera and Vice President Chilima did was to recruit their daughter and mother-in-law, respectively, to foreign diplomatic missions. They don’t even care whether many Malawians are jobless or not.
It is not mindboggling then that Timothy accepted cabinet ministerial position after successfully fighting his own battle.
After all, even the president, the vice president, cabinet ministers and members of parliament have astronomically become rich while a common voter is languishing in abject poverty.
Fourth, freedom of association is a constitutional right. Timothy Mtambo is entitled to be associated with any grouping as is enshrined in the Malawi Constitution.
There is a certain school of thought that argues that once a person is an activist then he must remain thus for the rest of his life. That is not always the case.
All over the world, it is not strange that people change their careers, visions and aspirations. Perhaps what is concerning is the question of whether such change would increase one’s integrity and public trust in the society.
Fifth, be ware of opportunists. It is a fact that many people have excelled by being opportunists. However, taking advantage of vulnerability, gullibility and high illiteracy levels of many Malawians just to attain political power is very concerning.
Timothy Mtambo was at the forefront mobilising people to vote for Chakwera. After three years of swimming in Chakwera’s glory, it is disheartening to discover that Timothy has conceded that he sold us a bad rotten and foul-smelling egg in the name of Tonse Alliance government.
Sixth, blood is thicker than water. There are allegations that Chakwera regime is replete with tribalism, regionalism and nepotism. This is the reason former Malawi Congress Party spokesman, Reverend Maureen Munthali defected to Aford, a party that enjoys large following in the northern region of Malawi.
Without glorifying politics of regionalism, it is highly alleged that Timothy Mtambo is now aligned with Aford where he is expected to play a pivotal role in introducing a government of federalism in Malawi.
Seventh, seek wisdom more than intelligence. Most intelligent youths surmise that they can take leadership positions and perform well without any iota of wisdom.
It required wisdom for the renowned and experienced legal expert, Mordecai Msisha to reject President Chakwera’s offer of a ministerial position.
While Msisha saw the temporal offer of such ministerial positions that hinge on presidential prerogative, Timothy Mtambo grabbed the cabinet post with ululations and jubilations.
Perhaps it is high time that brilliant youths such as former attorney general, Dr. Chikosa Silungwe and former minister of civic education and national unity, Timothy Mtambo humbly sought wisdom from veterans like Mordecai Msisha.
Eighth, it is bad manners to talk when you are eating. I have heard some people rebuking Timothy Mtambo that he was supposed to criticise the government while he was in good books with the Chakwera’s regime.
The truth of the matter is that politics is very delicate and once one starts criticising the government, one is taken as a paid mercenaries of the opposition party. Obviously, it is absurd to cut off the hand that feeds you.
Ninth, make hay when the sun shines. When the sun stops shining, change location to any potential place where you are likely to receive even more sunshine.
One day, when I was basking in the sun along the shores of Indian Ocean, I met a couple from Europe. They said every year during winter season, they relocate to Africa where they continuously enjoy the sunshine. I really concurred with them because indeed there was a time I had to step on snow during winter in one of the European countries.
That is why political prostitutes such as Uladi Mussa, Brown Mpinganjira and many others know when to quit and join others parties where they continue enjoying the delicacies of politics.
It is not therefore surprising that Timothy Mtambo is following the footsteps of political prostitutes and opportunists.
Lastly but not least, there are neither permanent enemies nor permanent friends in politics.
If there is any person who fought hard to oust Mutharika’s regime, the name of Timothy Mtambo topples the list.
However, Timothy Mtambo has recently indicated that he is prepared to work with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as long as they share the same political ideologies. Politics is a dynamic fraternity indeed.
