By Saunders Jumah the Utopian
Transformation is not just a word it goes hand in hand with new mindset, new attitude, new thinking and more particularly new people. Political landscape in Malawi did not completely change in 1994 because the torchbearers that led democratic dispensation were the very old people who once served and got schooled under one party state of the despot Kamuzu Banda.
24 years later Malawi has failed to see total reform because the torchbearers knew nothing of the new ideology but the old system they served.
The culture of dancing women, praising leaders when they are servants, glorifying the president, using state institutions’ vehicles to ferry people to political rallies, state companies giving money to ruling party, queuing on roads to escort or receive the president are some of the old beliefs that were supposed to be done with in multiparty dispensation.
Political parties are indebted when old recycled politicians move from one party to another. Old names are more important in the progress of political parties in Malawi.
Malawi is a nation where political names carry more water than ideological citizens. In 2018 it is an achievement for the ruling party to receive members of the old guards who served in various past governments and never made any difference; apart from being involved in corruption and state looting.
The likes of Brown Mpinganjira, Uladi Mussa, Sidik Mia, Henry Phoya, Ken Lipenga, Kenneth Msonda and many more are “spent force” or “expendables” who cannot bring no ideological change apart from corrupting and looting the nation state.
MAENGA appreciate the mammoth work these “spent force” undertook to liberate this country from one party state to multiparty democracy. But 24 years later they are not capable to change anything. They are spent force, their time is over.
In 24 years there is a new breed of citizens that are willing to transform this country from the reform they undertook. These are the young men and women who must be attracted and lured to join politics.
It is amazing that when the expendables are changing goals in their political life; parties are patting themselves on the shoulder for excellent work.
Sidik Mia has relayed in almost all political parties from UDF to MCP, Brown Mpinganjira has been a founding member of UDF and rolled to all parties to the extent of forming his own party known as NDA. Now he has just dumped PP to join the ruling DPP.
Politics is like soccer if you are a veteran you should take a coaching or technical bench to help the upcoming new talented players. Politics too has its time when you have to relinquish and take back bench.
MCP has become a force to reckon after all veterans took the back seat and allowed fresh and new blood take charge in the name of Lazarus Chakwera, Eisenhower Mkaka, Peter Chakwantha, Sosten Gwengwe, Jessie Kabwira and team.
The only mistake they made is to come back and hire the spent force Sidik Mia. Though Sidik Mia is regarded heavyweight in the south but his contribution is only money and if MCP come into power in 2019 corruption and nepotism will not stop because Sidik Mia will want to reclaim what he has lost in the run up to win elections.
If we are to do away with corruption and state looting we must refrain from hiring those with money to bail our parties out as they will do everything possible to get their money back. This is a lesson Malawi as a nation on a renaissance of democracy must learn.
UDF is believed to be a party that hatched corruption because most of the rich people that were used to make the party stand had to be paid back through unscrupulous deals.
Examples are obvious, Yanu Yanu bus company that was used to do secret meetings and money used of Mr. Makhumula Nkhoma had serious consequences when Mr. Makhumula acquired a six door limousine vehicle that entered in the country without paying custom duty.
Many examples are profound; the likes of Patrick Mbewe whose car was used to hatch UDF had to be paid and had absolute power over state resources.
By letting the spent force or expendables to keep changing political parties we must know Malawi is far from changing its trajectory over reform and transformation.
There can never be laws or rules to restrict the old guards and veterans from switching sides or changing political parties but there is a need for reform and transformation so that our country can move from corruption to development.
In this case we deplore the trend of receiving old guards into parties with vigour for there is nothing to be proud of.
MCP and DPP must rethink of the future of this nation otherwise they are no different from the past.
What Malawians are looking forward to is not old faces or names. We want progressive and transformational leaders who must shift from the old and introduce new ways of running our country.
As from now as we approach elections, we will appreciate seeing political party wooing and luring new faces particularly young blood joining main stream politics and holding high positions in their parties.
Saunders Jumah the Utopian
MALAWI ENGAGEMENT GROUP [MAENGA]
The past is good to learn the the present but new minds are good for the future.
