When former Malawi leader, Dr. H. Kamuzu Banda was released from his one-year detention in Gwero in 1961, he proceeded to Britain (the U.K.) and negotiated Malawi’s independence. He was an eloquent orator, who earlier in 1953 wrote a ten thousand word letter to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to voice his dissent on the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. And in 1961 when he went knocking on 10 Downing Street, with sharp words, he convinced the British Government to break the Federation, and at the same time, to allow Nyasaland become a self-governing nation.
Such was the style of Dr. Banda that he was referred to as being wise and dynamic leader.
For the past one and half years, Chancellor College lecturers have been on strike due to the discrepancy in salary structures that exists between Chancellor College and lecturers at College of Medicine. To add to the misery in the country’s education sector, the Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) called for a nation-wide strike that led to anarchy on streets as students and parents began to cause pandemonium. In some cases students blocked roads demanding money “to pay striking teachers.” Some angry students set fire or threw stones at passing cars.
The teachers strike was the result Government’s failure to pay leave grants to primary school teachers in 14 of Malawi’s 28 districts.
The Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) was within its mandate in calling for the nation-wide strike; however, it has no moral suasion on the chaotic students and parents.
To add salt to injury, when Parliamentarian Jessie Kabwira brought the matter to the august House, she leveled a viscous attack on Minister of Education Emmanuel Fabiano, calling him incompetent, inept and that he should resign for failing to handle the Chancellor College lecturers and the nation-wide primary school teacher’s strikes.
However, Minister Fabiano has no moral suasion on when teachers are paid; Minister of Finance Gondwe does. Minister Fabiano also does not have a mandate in the affairs of Chancellor College; UNIMA Council and Minister of Finance Gondwe do.
Saturday June 17, 2017, TUM again sounded its horn; only this time to tell teachers the strike is called off, Government paid teachers the leave grants in fourteen districts.
As the nation started to wonder how and what happened, it turns out, State President Arthur Peter Mutharika had bundled up ministers from Finance and Education, and TUM leadership to a Tete-a-Tete session on Friday afternoon at Kamuzu Palace.
We can just visualize the scene as the President sat looming over the meeting, and at the end of it commanding Finance Minister Gondwe to release the funds to the teachers.
It was an “all’s well that ends well” affair. It is for this reason, President Mutharika earns the title wise and dynamic leader.
TUM’s President Willie Malimba and Secretary-General Charles Kumchenga released a press statement making the merry announcement that the strike was called off after noting that by Friday, June 16, Government had paid teachers the June 2017 salaries and leave grants for 2016/2017 fiscal year.
Bravo Mr. State President Mutharika! We wish you to exercise this similar wise and dynamic leadership style in other sectors of the country. This is leadership Malawians like and need.
The Maravi Post Editorial Team