FROM the day he stepped his inept foot into the political arena in the heydays of his late brother’s reign to the day he became president, Arthur Peter Mutharika—the president of Malawi who would not be president were we using fifty-plus-one—has always shown that he is a bad man, administration wise.
Good people, now with the deplorable treatment of teachers, the suspended fee increment in secondary schools, the 300 percent average increase in university fees, and the recent 14 percent VAT on exercise books, I am of the strongest view that for a fact Peter Mutharika has, slowly but surely, transitioned from a bad man to an anti-education rogue.
It is common knowledge, good people, that no month passes by without a story or two about teachers’ mistreatment by the Peter Mutharika government. If it cannot be about salary delays or payment of salary arrears for upgrading teachers then it will be something to do with salary increment or non-payment of salaries for newly-employed teachers. This happens at the watch of the two top citizens who, during the run-up to the 2014 elections, campaigned on a platform of better salary and professional treatment for teachers.
The man at the helm of the reform agenda—Saulos Chilima, the Vice President—is widely quoted as saying that he would push to see teachers start getting salaries rightly pointing out that what they currently get is “change”. Today, Saulos Chilima and the only citizen above him are not in the least disturbed when the government gives an average salary increase of 15 percent.
Adding salt to the pain are two other shameless entities—the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) and the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec)—who rudely toss teachers around as if teachers are nothing but playthings. MANEB’s mistreatment of teachers is worse as it pays teachers it employs as its invigilators with gross disregard to their welfare. The same applies to Mec during the elections time. Good people, take it from me, the teaching profession in Malawi has lost its glory owing to the fact that teachers are treated with disdain by MANEB, Mec, and, worrisomely so, by the government of the day and days gone past.
The increment of fees in secondary schools whose, owing to the pressure from stakeholders, implemented got suspended is also another area where one can say that Peter Mutharika is an anti-education rascal. Since the key word here is “suspended”, I would not be surprised if the secondary school fees increase is implemented in the next academic year, even with a further increase. Good people, get me clearly here, I am against the increase only because the economy is Malawi is poor.
Now to the issue of the moment. It is an undeniable fact that the increase of fees in the university of Malawi—a conglomerate of public colleges which get government funding unlike the private university which they compare with—will widen the gap between the rich and the poor even greater. Good people, as I am sure those that read my earlier article on this know, I am of the opinion that Peter Mutharika and all else connected with this increment are selfish.
And perhaps the most definitive area where Peter Mutharika shows his anti-education attitude is his government’s decision to impose a 14 percent value added tax on exercise books. Good people, this 14 percent VAT effectively means that parents have got to dig into their pockets even deeper to meet the school needs of their children. Consequently, exercise books will become more expensive than ever before.
At this rate, I think it is only a matter of time before the Peter Mutharika administration increases the fees for both the secondary school and colleges. Indeed, given his anti-education stance, it is only a matter of time before he orders that students should start making contribution to cater for chalk and dusters. It is only a matter of time before students are told to make contribution to buy lab “necessities” in colleges on top of the outrageous fees.
I argue here that it is ironical that Peter Mutharika, who is himself a professor (of course Danwood Chirwa will question this), seem geared into bringing policies in the education sector that are good only on paper. If Peter Mutharika is indeed the professor worth the title then he has re-evaluate his policies on education. He has two options: either empower the citizens economically or make the fee increment low enough to be affordable to an average Malawian.
Good people, we all know Peter Mutharika cannot pick either of the options. And where does that leave you and me, good people? That confirms that Peter Mutharika has changed from a bad man that he is in administration to a dangerous rogue in education.
That’s what happens when clueless, heartless people bulldoze themselves into taking the helm of the country………..pathetic!!! …….We have been reduced to eating mice and grasshoppers. Lord have mercy on us.