“There is

no value

in arrogance”

Lot Dzonzi

 

If Peter Mutharika were a university student he was surely set to sit for ‘supplementary examinations’ for he has surely failed to impress on almost all departments.

 

 As a university don with 40 years experience to his name, Peter will certainly agree with the Muckraker that he has nothing to write home about about his seven months he has been in office. 

Granted, seven months may not be enough time for anyone to impress but, despite her other short-comings, Joyce Banda managed to solve most of the ills she inherited from her predecessor, Bingu wa Mutharika, within a month of her accidental presidency. Fuel queues disappeared, so was the situation of forex and donors were back in town, that we surely cannot take away from her. 

But for seven months we are not sure where the country is heading to. Ok, Peter has not bothered us with daily appearances on the road or on TV but at least we have to feel we have a leader. 

Of course his deputy has been making all the right noises about public service reforms. But that is still work in progress. 

Delivery on campaign promises has certainly been a “C” if you factor in the lean cabinet and the Malata subsidy programme. But the “business unusual” approach to governance has been a complete “F” for the Mutharika administration.   

In 2015 Peter has to realise he is leading from the front, not as an errand boy of his big brother. 

This is what he has to do if he has to get straight “As” at the end of the year: 

For starters, he has to be quick and decisive in making decisions. But, while he has to be quick and decisive, he needs to critically think through his decisions. 

Flip-flopping on important issues shows a leader who is not sure what he has to do. Sealing ACB offices today and opening them tomorrow expose a leader who acts on feats of anger and realises he has goofed when he sobers up. 

Another thing Peter has to learn quickly is the folly doing the same things and expecting same results all the time. 

Look, he might have fooled a few people by cheating that he has rejected his cabinet’s demand for obscene salary increases. But to expect similar results by cheating us that he has increased his own salary by almost 100 percent today and reversing that decision tomorrow is taking us too much for granted. 

On the same score he should not expect better results from tried and tested hands whose works almost pushed his big brother off the precipice. The fact that he is flip-flopping on issues could be the work of those people who advised his brother he could win a blinking game with university lecturers, fire them if they do not blink first, only to do an embarrassing mea culpa eight months later. 

Now Peter is doing the same thing with the university, the ACB and the Judiciary. He is threatening to withhold their perks, a thing that will be embarrassingly reversed soon. 

Peter also has to learn to be empathetic in the new year. He has to put his new buddy Bakili Muluzi to good use in this department. Look, while we do not want him to be on the road daily opening this lodge here and that motor showroom there, there are certain events he must not miss. 

For example, almost a dozen police officers perished on his convoy the other day. That was one funeral ceremony he should not have missed. Granted, government might have borne the cost of the funerals but his physical presence would have communicated the right message not only to the bereaved families and the police service but to the entire country as well. After all, the officers died serving him. 

But to achieve all these the crucial thing he has to get right is communicating right messages speedily, candidly and coherently. 

For example, rumbling statements full of Pharisees and innuendoes do not communicate anything. Be concise and clear. Of course there are many issues government must not dignify with a comment. Answering everything the opposition or detractors say makes government sound petty. 

The President obviously has a lot on his ‘to do’ list in the new year. But he first needs a complete ‘make over’ if he is to get straight “As” in 2015.