‘I know what people want’

Former Cabinet minister Moses Dossi has declared his interest to contest for Malawi’s presidency during 2014 presidential polls on UDF ticket. Paida Mpaso caught up with him to find out more.

Why are you interested in becoming Malawi’s next president?

I want to become the next president so that I can change people’s lives and build a Malawi that is better for everybody and not just few individuals. I am a person who hates poverty, particularly when I see that people, especially the youth, are [failing to get jobs after finishing school].

I have the [skill] to create many jobs. Some may think I am not [serious], but I started in 2003, it is not something I just woke up to do. I am guided by the Holy Spirit.

Whatever is happening today, I had a vision on that already. One of the people I advised was the former president [Bakili Muluzi]. I told him he would bear the consequences of bringing someone from outside [to run for presidency on the party’s ticket] and today he agrees with me. My ambition to become president is not a useless ambition, but Malawians do not understand what is in me.

I change people’s lives. I will give you an example from my constituency. During my time as minister and Member of Parliament, I used to run agriculture competitions.

I would give bicycles, iron sheets and blankets to people. These things motivated people. Malawians are looking for a leader who will motivate them to work hard. Our economy is probably run by a few people. Now if you keep 14 million people inactive, the economy cannot grow. I have found markets for farmers, [therefore] all these things make me think I can transform this country, create many jobs and use the resources we have to the best of our abilities.

 

Why did you not have such visions when you were in government?

If there is a national lottery in this country, it was my brainchild. I looked at the youth in Sadc in particular. I went to the United Kingdom (UK) to study how a national lottery works and now people are earning millions. That is how I want a country to be.

 

Is this not promoting laziness since many people in Malawi are already poor?

That is what I want to fight. We should not think we are poor; in fact, we are very rich. Every day I wake up and I look at this country as gold. We can turn it into gold, but because the environment is not conducive enough for people to participate, [we struggle]. People are funny. All they want is a small incentive. We must do targeted agriculture, and that is how we can boost the economy.

The devaluation we are fighting for now could not have happened long time ago. Today, the kwacha is selling at an artificial rate, all because of our mentality. I think we need a leader who has people’s welfare at heart. We need a leader with passion.

 

Becoming president requires one to have resources, do you have enough resources for campaign?

I have resources. The resources are people that support me. I want to practise politics the way Americans do it. You know, Obama does not practise politics like we do. It’s not about how much a leader can give, but how much change a leader can bring. As a person, I have always wanted to change people’s lives, right from town people to the rural masses and, of course, the youth.

What we need is for the economy to grow, and for us to do this, we must involve everybody while including incentives. In the Central Region, we grow tobacco and yet we are still struggling. Why should this happen when other countries are doing better? People ask me if I am interested in money and the answer is no. My ambition is to change people’s lives and that is why [during the time I was in government], I was paying school fees for 1 000 students. Now you tell me, which president has ever done that?

 

What makes you think you are the only one who does this? It could be that others do the same, but they just don’t publicise it?

It could be, [but] I don’t know. But by giving people education, I know that their struggles would be better off as they would be working towards something positive. I want to encourage people to work harder.

 

So, you have already declared your interest to stand as the next president on a UDF ticket?

Yes. I am hopeful that when we go to a convention, I will be elected to represent the party. I started in 2003 and nobody stopped me. I don’t know why Atupele was summoned. Maybe it was how he did it, [maybe] they thought he had not followed procedures.

 

You started declaring your interests in 2003 and yet you have never become president. What makes you think you will become president come 2014?

I think it’s the support that I am getting from people. They [people] have told me in broad daylight that even if it means voting today, they would vote for me. Mind you, I am not just a politician and a marketer. I know what people want. You cannot become a president overnight. It starts from very far. So, I am telling them [Malawians] that here I am. I know there will be many people who will want to stand, but can Malawians also think about one Moses Dossi who has demonstrated not in theory, but in practice and in deeds?

 

What message do you have to people who don’t think you can be president?

I want people of this country, for once, to take me seriously. I am a very responsible person.