Word on the street

The 20-year rule: Is MCP back in fashion?

If you live long enough, you will probably see the fashion trends of your youth cycling back into popularity.  This cyclical movement of events in life is referred to as the “20-year rule.”

This rule expresses the concept that something popular now will be popular again in 20 years, give or take a few years.  Is it because every 20 years, a new generation sets out to shape the world?

Well, political word on the street is that, MCP just like your old blazer is also slowly coming back into fashion.

Those joining it, such as business mogul Nick Yiannakis, claim it is the only party that can lead Malawi out of corruption, nepotism and lack of rule of law.

The MCP lost its monopoly on power in a 1993 referendum and was roundly defeated in the country’s first free elections.

In opposition since 1994, the MCP remains a major opposition force in Malawi. It is strongest in the Central Region, populated by ethnic Chewa, most of whom are Christians. But lately MCP has been embraced by other ethnic groups, including the Muslim community. Is this MCP’s second coming?

In 2014 as Malawians headed to polls, my media colleague Ephraim Nyondo who is now serving Major One in South Africa, raised similar questions in his weekly column in Nation On Sunday. At the time, MCP had been out of power for 20 years.

We on the streets, thought the 20-Year rule would apply to MCP in 2014. But we were wrong. MCP was embarrassed at the polls.

Next month, the black cock will enter the ring again. The party heads to the Parliamentary by-elections on October 17, a bruised party ready to save face.

Commentators say, the by-elections next month will be a litmus test for MCP, which claims to have rebranded.

You see, for many years, one interesting feature that has defined MCP since its fall from grace in 1994 has been its failure to attract newcomers.

For all the years it has been in opposition, it has always been losing its heavyweights without attracting new ones to its fold.

But things have drastically changed of late. Recently we saw the party attracting high profile politicians in the likes of Sidik Mia, Salim Bagus and Yiannakis, to mention but a few.

Last week, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members led by Lilongwe City Council deputy mayor Juliana Kaduya, an active ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) also joined MCP. Kaduya was followed by 60 others from DPP.

On the street the question is: Why is the MCP suddenly attracting big name professionals into its fold? Why do some people want to associate with MCP now than ever before? Are the wheels of 20-Year-Rule in motion? Or are Malawians just tired with the ruling DPP?

But on the streets, these developments are making supporters of the party look to the future with so much optimism; change is in the air, they say.

Will Dr Lazarus Chakwera, who had to resign from leading Assemblies of God Church, a prestigious position that earned the man of the collar, a coveted place in international Christian circles lead the party to victory in 2019? Let’s wait and see.

 

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On NFRA’s change of heart on maize

 

Following the announcement by National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) that it will buy maize at K130 per kilogramme (kg) and not K170 per kilogramme farmers’ hopes for a better future has been dashed.

The decision means the poor farmer will ‘dispose off” the crop at NFRA’s depot at give-away price. In fact, in real terms, farmers will sell the maize at a huge loss this year.

Word on the street is that farmers will actually sell the crop to government at K50 per kg because NFRA has pushed the transport burden to its depots on the farmer.

How much can a farmer recoop the cost of production from K130 per kg after transporting 1 000 bags of maize from Ntchisi? If this is not theft, then what is it?

 

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