1 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. 7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. 8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. –– Deuteronomy 1-8a
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“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” — Micah 6:8 ESV
In last week’s dialogue, it was stated that Malawi is a broken land; that since 1994, the country has been hemorrhaging and slowly breaking. With the events of the 2019 election result, and then those of June 10, 2024, Malawians must face the facts, the country is in need of repairs. A media colleague gave insight into how things can be fixed, with a big prayer as we once collectively used to do under 30 years of Kamuzu Banda’s rule. Today’s conversation, an academician, economist, human resource specialist and a veteran journalist weigh in their ways on how to fix good ole Malawi, the Warm Heart of Africa.
Firstly, it is the patriotic duty of Malawians living in the diaspora to do their bit by sending money home, to improve the forex exchange situation. Citizens from the Philippines have been doing and are still doing this. A close follow up to this is in the interest of singing the climate change narrative, the country must change from charcoal to electricity for all, and from water grid reliance to solar energy. Let Malawi scientists manufacture solar panels and batteries. Sustainability is fashioned on solar power, and is totally FREE.
From Malawi’s renown academician, he advises that firstly, “we need to agree what it is that needs to be turned around. Once we agree, then we can identify those five things.” He adds that this could be a moot question since the Mw63 agenda should have identified these things. He then said that there is also the need “to ask ourselves whether it is the leaders and politicians who need to change.”
“I posit that although all of us need to change, it is the citizens that need change the most. If we change enough as citizens, the politicians and leaders will follow. Maybe the problem is that people want politicians and leaders to change. Nobody likes to change.,” he said.
“If we should still want leaders to change, then the following, then the following are a must: They need to do what they said they will do. They have said enough already. The will of the people must be made manifest at the ballot. Cleanse the judiciary and tame domestic borrowing. Lastly, the academic don, said “All Malawians must love their country!”
Without mincing words, an economist provided a list, stating the leaders: 1. Accept that their plan has failed and will never work. 2. Change leadership of key public institutions including Civil Service. 3. Go back to basics – stop the crazy, infrastructure projects. 4. All leaders get into class and learn how the economy works and the current status of the economy and what that means. 5. Appoint a real Minister of Finance.
For the ordinary citizens should: 1. Mobilize citizens (not through political parties) to start holding public officers to account through legal processes including citizens’ arrest. 2. Publish all known expenses being incurred by Govt considered non-essential and compared to what is not funded and implication. 3. Name and shame public officers. A case in point are bags of maize being distributed by political party people.
A human resources expert said leaders must tackle and solve the economic challenges facing the populace in areas of food, fuel, and forex shortages. They must be unifying figures by criticizing bad behavior even if it is being done by their own followers. Political leaders must relist mixing religion and civic leaders with bipartisan issues. Allow diverse opinions in parliament and in general. Leaders must show leadership skills on matters of interest to the public.
As for ordinally Malawians, she advised that they must always demand accountability from their leaders while also criticizing responsibly; participate in analyzing and commenting on matters of importance; be respectful to the leadership and all leaders; they must make demands on parliamentarians; and support NGO efforts in their areas.
Another media guru, he said leaders must follow austerity measures, by among others cutting down the number of people in government official delegations travelling abroad. C) He said the ACB must be allowed to do its job without fear or favor. D) The cabinet should be limited to 15 ministers. And E) All corruption cases must be dealt with speedily.
The ordinally Malawians in 2025 should A) Consolidate their democracy. B) Continue working hard to export value added products C) Consolidate the gains achieved so far D) Expand investing more in available opportunities E) and unite in the face of economic adversities.
As a last thought, turning things around is every Malawian’s responsibility. United and armed with the self-help spirit in all Malawians’ arsenals, the country Malawi can turn things around.
Malawi needs a rubble-rouser to resound the message, make it like a song!
