I guess Peter just might be the transformational leader we have been craving for. Imagine, in a period of two weeks he has managed to raise K38 million (that is a cool US $95,000) not from donors but locally. How much can he raise in a year, let alone in five years?
And yet, as a country, for 50 years we have been relying on foreigners to fund most of our development budgets.
Look, President Mutharika decided to officially marry his long time confidante Gertrude Hendrina Maseko and ordered his deputy not to touch any government money but to fund the K38 million budget of the wedding from well-wishers.
Never mind that millions in tax money still went to this wedding in the form of security, protocol and allowances and related costs for the hordes of government officials that graced the occasion.
If Peter believes those officials love him so much they dug deep into their pockets just to be with him and his beloved Gertrude on their big day he is living in la-la land.
In fact millions more will be spent in congratulatory messages on radios and newspapers. Every ministry and parastatal will be falling over themselves over who will produce the biggest congratulatory message. These messages will not be funded by the PSes or ministers or chairmen or members of the parastatal boards. You and I will pick the tab.
But then I digressed…
If we can raise K38 million in two weeks locally for a wedding surely we have enough money in circulation only that it is being mis-directed.
So since Peter is having difficulties collapsing ministries into a sizeable cabinet of 20, let me do my civic duty and assist my dear president with one ministry: the Ministry of Well-wishers. Look, this ministry will combine departments of disaster preparedness, social welfare, people with disabilities and the elderly.
And its minister should be no other than angoni Saulos Chilima!
I mean, if well-wishers can raise K38 million for an old man who can easily afford his own wedding, you mean they can fail to fork out K6 million to fix the morgue cold room and the faulty escalator at Kamuzu Central Hospital?
With such a super ministry we will not have to be gallivanting half-way across the globe with a begging bowl. We can surely fund the 40 percent shortfall we always have every year.
Or am I being naïve? The well-wisher tag has strings around it?
I hope not!
