Gaddafi’s money haunts Sarkozy, our former headteacher
Malawi’s Most Excellent Grand Achiever, Professor Abiti Joyce Befu, MG 66 and MEGA 1; Alhajj Mufti Jean-Philippe LePoisson, SC (RTD), Nganga Maigwaigwa, PSC (RTD), the Most Paramount Native Authority Mzee Mandela and I, Malawi’s only certified Mohashoi are still here in the Republic of Salima.
We followed Apita on his unapparelled foundation stone-laying, also known as groundbreaking trip from Nkhata Bay. It was our wish to keep following the president but we could not. We ran out of money and fuel.
We wondered why the Chief Secretary decided not limit presidential foundation laying trips as one way of cutting down on national expenses on an exercise whose fruits are purely political. He should have advised Apita to just channel the foundation laying resources to build small bridges, such as the one on Katendeza in Tongaland, instead of spending conservatively over K300 million to just lay yet another foundation stone.
Our running out fuel and money has been a blessing in disguise. We have explored Salima and found it too attractive for us not to stay put. And stay put we are.
We will be here until we exhaust Francis Tayanjah Phiri’s retirement money. We will follow him to his village, his house, his car, his farm, his home, and his bistro until we have milked him dry. We will also visit Senga Bay to swim in our Lake Malawi.
We are also here to ensure that we pressure the Chinese company building the textile factory here to do its job in good time. We want our country to regain its lost glory textile-wise.
Those who wish will recall, with anger, that here in the Federal Republic of Malawi, David Whitehead used to make cloth that withstood international competition because of the standards demanded by ada Banda a Kamuzu. Remember Whitex Khanga and Whitex Kutchena? Zambians, Tanzanians, even Zai-Conglais, rushed for it. Whitex cloth and other brands were sold in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, Russia, South Africa, and even North Korea.
This country used to make and export Robin Bridge shirts, Crown Fashion trousers and other quality dressing materials.
However, the people that brought multiparty democracy decided to open the cloth market to kaunjika competition and naturally the good quality homemade cloth, shirts, trousers gave way, gave in and gave up. And today we are claiming that this Salima textile factory will be the first of its kind in Malawi. Lies. We were born at night but it was not last night.
Governments are not protectionist for nothing. They protect their brands, intellectual property and their people’s jobs. Those campaigning today to become our leaders next year should be given a crash course on making Malawi great again and even greater thereafter. Again and again.
Yesterday evening we spent quite a while in one lodge watching TV. We were busy comparing Karonga to Nkhata Bay to Nkhotakota and Mangochi in terms of tourist attractions when the CNN reported that the former President of France had been arrested and was being charged with passive corruption and financing of his election campaign with foreign cash. The accusation, according to the story, emanated from a 2007 donation, allegedly amounting to $70 million, that Sarkozy received from Muamar Gaddafi and used it to fund his elections.
One commentator said Sarkozy was quick to bomb Libya in 2011 and oust the Brother Leader to wipe out the evidence.
Sarkozy’s case reminded us of how Libyan money troubled our former headteacher here in Malawi. Our former headteacher also allegedly received money, not much money, only $11 million, from the same Brother Leader to campaign for re-election and he is still being pursued in Malawi’s courts. His school thinks he is being persecuted. The head prefect has even been to see Apita to pardon our former headteacher as if Apita is the court.
“One lesson I have learned is never to accept money for work not done,” Jean-Philippe said.
“Well, politicians and headteachers feel too big when they are in power, but when it comes to account for their personal criminality they want others to plead their innocence,” Nganga said.
“That law about financing elections should be implemented soon,” Mzee Mandela said.
“Did Sarkozy or your former headteacher steal or was given the money as a personal gift?” Abiti queried.
“West Africans say, a handshake goes only up to the elbow; beyond that it is a wrestling match!” I said.
“Meaning?” Abiti asked.
