By Fatsani Gunya

Muluzi family through its son, Atupele Muluzi who is also opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) this week announced plans to construct cancer centre in honoring former Malawi first lady Annie Muluzi.

I am not disputing the fact that constructing a new cancer centre anywhere in the country is necessary which.
Of course it is.

All I am saying is, his father was the country’s president for a whopping 10 years and they never thought of that; as a family or even in their rights as policymakers.

Atupele himself has been serving as a cabinet minister in almost all governments we have had in between apart from the current President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance administration.

He was once Minister of Health under former Malawi leader Peter Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) where his word would have translated into action on the ground.
But nothing happened. Nothing. Nada. Nix!

And this week, they announced this? Oh my word!

Ok, fine and good.

But before am called a loser, did it have to take them to lose their mother and ex wife, respectively, for the family to identify themselves with the challenges faced by the ordinary Malawian?

I mean, wasn’t the fact that they had to refer her to a Kenyan hospital enough to tell them of the deficiencies in the country’s public health sector?

Now, call me a pessimistic or a radical but I am.not impressed with this. Yes, it is a welcome idea but I am just buying it not.

Or a least I dont believe them. And before you send me to the gallows, lets just give it some time. Perhaps this will be the only promise this family will ever keep to Malawians. Sad, this accomplishment will come at the expense of some dear life.

That besides: Is it not the same Muluzi family, that, through the dad, deprived the entire Blantyre District of a proper district hospital? This they did by pocketing MK1.7 billion (over 13 years ago to get the current value) which was meant for the same?

For those with a short memory, the facility, to be constructed through a Libyan Government grant, was scheduled to be constructed around Kameza Roundabout in the city.

Up to now, Blantyre still doesn’t have a purpose-built district hospital!

Now, if you ask me, I feel to some extent, the only reason politicians resolve to such antics or they are fascinated in coming up with these “in honour or memory of” facilities is not necessarily that they truly fell sorry for the ‘plebians’ or to help the masses. No.

To me, this thought is usually preceded by the fact that doing so is their own way to healing. They hurt too!

As such, they want to find comfort in the fact that the name of their deceased beloved will be forever impeded in, not only theirs, but our minds as well!

It’s like forcing us to live with the memory of their lost loved one.

Just come to think of it: Ethel Mutharika Maternity Wing at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe, Gogo Chatikha Hospital in Blantyre, and the coming Annie Muluzi (location not yet identified)

This perhaps explains why such brilliant ideas, once turned into action-whether they do always leave the relevant government ministries chocking under the weight of trying to sustain the facilities, with the family contended with the structure in memory of…….. on.

Being politicians, pray that it will not be done through our money as taxpayers.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author not necessarily of The Maravi Post or Editor.