By Burnett Munthali
Begging someone means to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg alms; to beg forgiveness. to ask (someone) to give or do something; implore.
The other word for begging are adjure, beseech, entreat, implore, importune, and supplicate. While all these words mean “to ask urgently,” beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.
The main causes of begging include weakness, and impotence are connected with individual’s behaviour, which affects their psyche. Thus, it is one of the most important causes of begging.
We have another type of begging known as street begging. The phenomenon of street begging is a result of a number of factors, such as poverty (real or imagined), religion, physical disability, culture, national disaster, civil war, bad habits (drug, alcohol, and gambling dependencies), family heritage, uncontrolled rural–urban migration, and psychiatric disabilities.
Begging is a problem for society in as much as a large number of beggars means non utilization of available human resources and drag upon the existing resources of the society. According to a recent survey by Delhi School of Social Work there has been a phenomenal increase in the numbers of beggars in India.
The study, on 19 January 2020, further told that begging is the crucial factor which makes the world environment unfavorable and create poverty in the world because the beggary do not work but get the money from the people which decrease per capita income of the world and spread different problems to world community.
President Chakwera recently complained on Labour Day, in response to the Malawi Congress of Trade Union President when he asked government to consider revising civil servants salaries. The MCTU President had highlighted that civil servants salaries are peanuts and could not see them through to the next pay day.
In response to this noble request, the President said his government would go to the negotiating take with the union and other state holders. However, many Malawians are surprised to hear their State President accuse Malawians for always wanting to beg and depend on government all the time. I equally find Chakwera’s response or off touch and context.
It appears that Malawi chose a wrong person to lead the nation because, obviously, it is not wrong for civil servants to ask government review their packages. Government is the employer of civil servants hence they draw salaries from government.
Even those Malawians who are not in the civil service have the right to ask government to implement certain programs and that should not be considered as begging. Malawians simply want the necessary services from government, that’s all.
Government had a role to pay in the economy. The government (1) provides the legal and social framework within which the economy operates, (2) maintains competition in the marketplace, (3) provides public goods and services, (4) redistributes income, (5) corrects for externalities, and (6) takes certain actions to stabilize the economy.
Further more a government is a system of order for a nation, state, or another political unit. A government is responsible for creating and enforcing the rules of a society, defense, foreign affairs, the economy, and public services.
More examples of public services include the fire brigade, police, air force, and paramedics ( also public service broadcasting).
Public service is the business of supplying a commodity (as electricity or fuel) or service (as transportation) to any or all members of a community. : governmental employment. especially : civil service. These are are some of the things Malawians are asking from government. They are not begging as the President insinuated.
Governance is important for development. In summary of my argument, good governance relates to the political and institutional processes and outcomes that are necessary to achieve the goals of development. The true test of ‘good’ governance is the degree to which it delivers on the promise of human rights: civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. Malawians were promised many things, they did not beg and are not begging anything from government but services and good governance.
On the contrary, the President himself is on the streets today begging in London after attending the coronation of King Charles on Saturday 6 May 2023. He is not asking for any services from UK, because that’s another territory, but simply trying to get money from people out there.
Stop begging Mr President, and lead by your own example of words!
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author not necessarily of The Maravi Post or Editor
