At that very moment the Spirit of God left Saul and in its place a black mood sent by God settled on him. He was terrified. 1 Samuel 16:14 (MSG)
But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him. 1 Samuel 16:14 (NKJV)
Shortly following his election as president of the United Republic of Tanzania, in October, 2015, I made the bold proposed:
Without any prejudice, I herein nominate His Excellency Dr. John Pombe Magufuli, 55, who was elected as Tanzanian President on October 25, 2015, for Executive Continental President of the United States of Africa (USA). Skeptics may was the United States of what? The United States of Africa, would come the swift response.
The proposal was due to a number of bold and president-like actions that he took once gaining the presidency of this Indian Ocean coastal east African nation.
This was following to his refusing to hold a ravish inauguration ceremony, diverting funds raised for this to needy hospitals; he made surprise visits to port authorities and fired its chief when it occurred that there were corrupt practices in releasing imports; he instructed that all civil servants and ministers travel cabin class and business class.
As far as new brooms sweeping better goes, Magafuli became an instant continental success!
The epitome of his style of pragmatic leadership being el presidente was captured in a picture flying in a commercial airplane amid the plebs.
Sadly, the honeymoon is about to end, if President Magafuli will permit his vanguard motley of advisors have their way: this is the cries last week of president’s men threatening churches of closure because they criticized the president.
This was fast followed by President Magafuli banning Zambians into Tanzania because of the cholera outbreak in its neighboring country.
Oh how quickly this leopard has shed its spots!
Turning to Malawi, a call by Blantyre south constituent Allan Ngumuya to name a road in Blantyre that he claims resulted from his having asked the First Lady to ask the president to fix the road. Now with the road fixed, comes the erstwhile call for the road to be named in her honor: Professor Gertrude Mutharika Road.
Before the president and his cabinet agrees to this call, and road signage makers craft the lengthy name, please lend me your eyes and ears: STOP.
There are reasons for not going ahead with this suggestion. The first among them is that as First Lady, she is in the very unique position of being the first and last person speaking to him in the morning and at night.
All she sometimes has to do is cough while in his presence, and he is all ears to her. It is a prime perk of the position she holds as wife of the president.
The good matured First Lady asked her husband the President and he pulled many plugs; and the road is built. Well done Madame First Lady.
But the country should not name the road after her. This is because Malawians all over the country are asking for roads and bridges to be built, hospitals to be constructed and a variety of many development projects. If the First Lady asks her husband to “work” on these, are we to go about naming them after her?
By the way, not a single road, alley or anything President Mutharika has sprouted in Malawi, have been named after him. Does MP Ngumuya wish to bring discord in the president’s family?
Another reason for not naming the street is that there are lines miles long of Malawians that contributed and achieved great feats. These are living and others have gone on, but not a road is named in their honor.
For this reason, it is my great privilege and honor to make the humble suggestion to the government – representing the people of Malawi – for future road-name calling exercises.
From the column of people that have passed away there are:
Late First Lady Ethel Mutharika – through her EMF, she quietly and selflessly (without tabloid adverts or national and international solicitation of assistance) established a nation-wide NGO helping vulnerable Malawian, helping them with grants to start income generating projects;
Late Kate Kainja – the first high-profiled former MCP Secretary-General who joined the DPP and was appointed Minister of Education;
Mai Florence Tsamwa – Blantyre District League of Malawi Women Chairperson;
Mai Dorothy Makwinja – District League of Malawi Women Chairperson;
Laws – these are the ladies who taught numerous Malawi girls in the 1940s and 1950s – many of these girls became Malawi’s educated female population, built on Presbyterian and Calvinist values;
Maikosi Gomani – If you see a picture of Kamuzu clad in a lion skin cape over his shoulders, it was placed on him by Maikosi Gomani, the mother of Paramount Chief Gomani on his return to Malawi on July 6, 1958;
Ruth Tembo – Late wife of John Tembo; as wife of a politician, she epitomized positive and supportive life of a politician’s wife (in or out of power)
From those that are living:
1. Mama Kadzamira – who for 31 years was the official hostess; and in his waning years, was official hostess during former President Kamuzu Banda’s presidency; during the time when Malawians and donors, were demanding political change (1992-1994), she helped steer Banda through the often-querulous process – all very peacefully;
2. Former President Joyce Banda – who is Malawi’s first woman president, and SADC’s first chairperson;
3. Two former First Ladies (Shanil Muluzi and Callista Mutharika) – both these achieved numerous development in the social sector (one in HIV and AIDS and orphan care work, the other in safe motherhood advocacy and training of nurses);
4. Mai Margaret Mlanga – the first female parliamentary secretary and one of the first women who was at ease with President Banda, following the turbulent 1965 cabinet crisis;
5. Madonna – philanthropist who adopted three Malawi children, and who has built a children’s hospital, girls school and loves Malawi;
6. Chief Justice Anastasia Msosa Rtd. – the first female in a variety of roles: for a long time in Malawi – the only female lawyer in Malawi; the first female justice, the first female chief justice, and the first female chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission (her no nonsense manner earned her nickname Iron Lady in the 1994 presidential and parliamentary elections – using her powers as chairperson to announce the winner).
And when Malawi runs out of people to name streets after, you could name a street Janet Namayombo Karim, for her tireless effort in defining Malawi democracy and making gender equality a reality up and down the ticket for over 38 years.
Now that you have a working list of women’s names to honor with street names, please get cracking and add some colourful gender-enthused spice to the streets of Malawi. But please give all women recognition they deserve.
Long live genuine democracy!
