My Thought

Opposition, too, has failed Malawians

The deafening silence by the opposition as hunger and socio-economic ill bite Malawians hard is to me a clear sign that they are as blank as the government on how such problems can be solved.

I expected opposition parties to work with government in finding solutions to the hunger crisis. If not directly giving assistance, at least talk about it not as a campaign strategy for their parties, but to show that they care and feel the pain many Malawians are feeling. But that’s just my wish.

The opposition parties feel they have better and pressing issues to tackle and talk about—intra-party politics.

Opposition parties instead of providing alternative solutions as an alternative government, they are busy in-fighting. Instead of them scrutinising and examining the work of the government, asking government to explain its actions or lack of it and basically providing alternatives to government policies, the opposition, who in most cases lack an ideology different from that of the ruling party, are busy repositioning themselves for elections, paying a blind eye to what Malawians are going through.

They are caught in factional struggles over succession (see People’s Party). Uladi Musa’s and Mzomera Ngwira’s factions are busy chasing each other in the streets like mad men. Then, we have the United Democratic Front (UDF), a party that lost its voice and identity the moment its leader, Atupele Muluzi, accepted a Cabinet position in the DPP-led government. UDF as it is now, is voiceless and has no clue what it stands for. It is dead, we are just waiting for its burial.

The Malawi Congress party (MCP) is as hopeless and helpless as the pack they lead in opposition. While paying little attention to the suffering of Malawians, MCP is also busy with internal wrangles while its leader Lazarus Chakwera would rather wine and dine in USA than be with Malawians who are languishing with hunger and many other social and economic ills. Poor timing.

Opposition parties in the country are used to showing up only when they want votes, but go quiet and hibernate thereafter. I urge all opposition parties to show up now and prove that if they are voted into power, they will serve the interests of Malawians and not their own and that they are not just bent on being in control of government to ride the gravy train.

This is the time the opposition parties should show us that they are a viable alternative government come 2019. But as it is, I am afraid, the opposition has failed to give Malawians enough reason they should be voted into power. They are better being professional opposition parties.

We cannot afford to have an idle, visionless and clueless opposition which fails to play its role in times such as this. I know the opposition parties have people or well-wishers who assist them with various resources. I don’t think it would be wrong to ask such well-wishers, wherever they are, to assist. For once, let go of your political egos and mentality that you are helping government in doing so. You are not helping government, rather you are helping Malawians, the people that give you votes.

As for government, swallow your pride and accept that you need help even from opposition. Do it for the sake of Malawians.

We all stand to lose if Malawians die of hunger and we all win if we all swim ashore alive. n

Sellina Kainja

Online Editor | Social Media Expert | Earth Journalism Network Fellow | Media Trainer | Columnist

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3 Comments

  1. The assumption that the opposition has “well-wishers” who could assist Malawi is flawed. The money the UDF and PP has was swindled from govt coffers. PP dished out some of the loot to MCP, as per the testimony from the cashgate trials.

    The main culprit for our ills is the governing party. They hold all the cards. Chakwera “the church mouse” could be wining and dinning in America, but that has nothing to do with our taxes. Which is more than what one can say about the graffiti artist taking a planeload of his village folks to New York for maphwevuphwevu.

    To be more accurate, the Malawian voters are the main problem. So stupid that they cannot see beyond their tribes. That’s why we end up with dubious characters in leadership positions in all parties.

    1. I couldn’t agree more Ngombwax.

      As a matter of fact, Malawi is where it is because of no other than Muluzi. Leadership of the country after his term of office, as we all know very well, has been/ and is still being influenced by him. He handpicked Bingu in 2005 resulting in Joyce Banda becoming VP due to UDF links. The rest is a story we all know.

      In my opinion, Malawians (voters) are the ones to bear the most of the blame. By voting DPP into government, what was Malawi’s expectation? How does anybody with a sound mind expect APM to deliver the country from political and economic chaos that he contributed to create when his brother was president? That is why he is seriously failing to take decisive action on matters that took place between 2005 and 2013. He knows economic mismanagement has negatively impacted on the lives of Malawians. However, not much can be done if he has to keep his head covered. All APM can do now is to blame the chaos on Joyce Banda (Watch his BBC Hardtalk interview).

      Maybe he is right. If that is the case, why is he not seeking international help to drag Joyce Banda back home to explain the mismanagement being blamed on her? And, why has there been a very sudden friendliness between APM and Muluzi? One would think it is APM’s ploy to maintain political power in government. I think otherwise. APM, Muluzi, Joyce Banda etc all belong to a very dangerous sect that seem to order them to look after each other. That is why Muluzi’s case is now a distant memory in Malawi and his back ailments are suddenly gone.

      On the part of voters, the main problem is poverty in Malawi. As they say, hunger tames lions, empty pockets tame men. Hungry Malawians seem to believe that clapping hands for politicians will bring food into their empty bellies, and money in their pockets. That, my friends, was the reason the so called cashgate flourished. All other economic mismanagement in Malawi is done under our watch and we say nothing. We are hungry, we are poor. We think, if I carry on showing support to these politicians may be my turn will come to get the millions from Capital Hill.

      Will this mindset change? Under the prevailing circumstances, NO. Something very big needs to happen in Malawi. A total revolution. I dare not say war. But, something that will bring severe consequences in Malawi. That will be the only thing to change the mindset of Malawians. Bad as it was, war has revolutionised Mozambique, Rwanda, Angola, DRC, Sudan and even Uganda. Look at their economies today.

      1. Selina, you can’t blame the opposition. What do you want the opposition to do? Chakwera’s trip to USA has nothing to do hunger. Jessie Kabwila has actually commented compently on hunger. She said Parliament passed a bill for govt to buy maize. Where is the maize?

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