Growing up in rural and peri-urban Malawi subjected many of us to the wonders of subsistence farming.
At dawn, we would head to the fields, passing through narrow paths covered with dewy grass. To avoid getting soaked by inescapable dew, we used to carry a stick for whipping dew drops off the shrubs. We used to call the stick nkupamame.
The sad story of nkupamame is that its usefulness ends once the people reach the garden, with the rising sun up and morning winds chasing the dew.
Five years ago, Malawians were given the illusion that everyone counts, hypnotised by flowery language and extravagant promises, including a better Malawi for all.
But to the contrary, ordinary citizens were dumped in dire economic jeopardy, with a series of calamities worsening a typical Malawian’s hardship.
At that time, there was an appetite for change as the nation, led by some activists, marched with passion against the status quo.
What then is the so-called change?
In 1986 when president Yoweri Museveni of Uganda took power, he stated: ‘’In Africa, we have seen so much change and change has become meaningless.
“It’s merely turmoil, this group getting rid of that group and that group doing worse than the group it got rid of’’
This aptly sums up what we have experienced in Malawi since independence in 1964.
Ours has been a tale of unfulfilled promises, false starts, confusion, blame games and anger.
Is this good for the current and future generation?
Is the current state of affairs what Malawians envisioned five years ago?
Is the government’s strategy delivering defined public services?
Five years ago, Malawians were promised heaven on earth—a better Malawi for everyone, a walk from bondage to Canaan.
The nation had high hopes that the walk to the promised land had already begun and many were excited as those in support of the purported modernisers of our nation were regarded dynamic thinkers, only to be used as a nkupamame.
Perplexingly, many were blind to reality and overexcitement, hostility and anticipation replaced logical reasoning as the economy crumbled.
In my opinion, some of the promises that swayed Malawians on the polling day were too unrealistic to be implemented in five years.
Instead of making basic goods affordable, prices are skyrocketing, forex is hard to get, fuel is scarce, hospitals lack essential drugs and the living conditions are worsening.
Looking back, it appearsMalawians were taken for a ride—used and dumped like nkupamame.
As Malawians return to polls tomorrow, we need to use the post-campaign period to critically analyse, synthethise and filter political promises.
We have already seen and heard so much from political parties and independent candidates.
The ballot will be long, with 17 presidential candidates, some of whom have not even campaigned a single day.
Not many sound serious about the sufferings of Malawians. It is clear that instead of working together to save Malawians, everyone wants to become the President and opposition parties fight against each other just as Vice-President Michael Usi attacks a government he is part of amid blame games between governing elites and opposition parties.
If this is not confusion, then what is it?
Meanwhile, living conditions keep going haywire. We have derailed. If we continue like this, it is the end of the road and likely to crash.
Malawi needs a leader to revive, normalise and stabilise it.
The situation is getting out of hand, but Malawians have the power to stop the derailment.
Voters can decide whether the nation can be rescued and be put back on the path to progress.
The person elected to lead the country after tomorrow’s election holds the key to progress.
This critical situation requires a serious decision maker with demonstrable leadership experience.
Leadership success does not only depend on technical competence and mental dexterity, but prioritising people over selfish agendas for sustainable development.
Malawians do not need Lancelot Gobo for a leader, a clown only to be made fun of. Leading a country needs a quick-witted person surrounded by competent and patriotic experts.
This is a wake-up call: vote wisely.
