Mutharika pants as pressure mounts

Bakili Muluzi had very few important quotes that are memorable, but there is one that most people readily recall: “Amayi ndi abambo, running government is serious business.”

Not that Muluzi ever run the government seriously himself—I mean his will always be one of the most scandalous administrations.

But he had a point.

What he meant was that to be chief executive officer of Malawi Incorporated, you have to be strong, decisive and sieve a lot of staff to make independent judgments; that you must never allow pressure to get the better of you even as things start going south. Don’t you ever panic.

Given that Muluzi and President Peter Mutharika are buddies these days, you would think that the first president of the re-introduced multi-party democracy would share some tips with the law professor currently occupying Kamuzu Palace.

But, no, Muluzi is just enjoying seeing Mutharika fidgeting, with a naughty smirk. Things are falling all around the President.

The kwacha is falling over a cliff and goods and services are getting more expensive. Then there is the matter of food shortages.

The Nation recently reported that the 2015 Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac) report shows that around 2.8 million Malawians—roughly 20 percent of the 16 million strong population—face starvation in 25 of the country’s 28 districts as most of them achieved below-average crop production during the 2014/15 season.

Economic and market analysts Nico Asset Managers sum up the country’s food situation as follows: “Households in the Southern Region are already experiencing limited agriculture and domestic labour opportunities, reduced income from crop sales as well as reduced access to irrigated farming crops and income.

“Maize prices across the country remain 10 percent above last year’s prices and nearly 50 percent above the five-year average. Higher prices are limiting food access for households in the Southern and Central regions that are relying mainly on market purchases.”

There are also predictions, says Nico Asset Managers, that between July and September 2015, some households will be in crisis in some parts of the Southern Region because of projected food deficits due to limited livelihood opportunities, above average maize prices and below average maize production in the just-ended season harvest season.

Now, just as the country’s inflation computing basket is dominated by food, especially maize, the staple grain is a looming giant in local politics.

Therefore, Mutharika’s failure to ensure maize availability across the country is very bad politics.

Mutharika knows this or at least, some cleverer “snakes” he is taming around him have told him.

But government does not have enough cash to buy sufficient stock. And the President is panicking big time.

Mvac estimates that government will require 113 733 metric tonnes of maize equivalent or roughly K23 billion ($46 million) for intervention for the three to six months period.

The amount is far beyond the K13 billion ($26 million) that Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe said government had put aside for the purchase and importation of maize during the 2015/16 financial year.

Adding to the panic is that the Mutharika administration does not have money to pay salaries to civil servants and is unable to cobble together enough funds to finance government ministries, departments as agencies.

Hospitals are in crisis as there are no drugs, no fuel for ambulances, let alone cash to buy food for patients.

And Mutharika is shaking, grasping at straws during the day and groping in the dark at night. Still, he cannot find the magic wand. He is struggling in the serious business of running government.

Meanwhile, the infighting in his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is also driving the President crazy as the power jostling and positioning rage on. And so the man is flustering.

That panicking has now gone into the public domain and is being exuded through public outbursts.

If he is not blasting respected pollsters for what he believes are fake opinion polls, the President is calling his detractors all sorts of names.

His confidence levels are so low that he wants to be as visible as possible, reversing his trend he set of only travelling when it is absolutely necessary and mostly on official engagements.

Mutharika has jumped into the ‘development rally’ bandwagon where he appears to have started campaigning for 2019 with just over a year in office and nearly four years before next election. That too is panicking.

The President may wish to have a chat with his chatty buddy: BakiliMuluzi.