A childish that is Malawi

A story has been told, over and over again. It is about a fellow who was born alone. As he grew up, the pampering he received spoke of the special place he occupied in his family.

As such, his mind was indoctrinated. For instance, at school, he expected teachers to treat him like an egg too. If he misbehaved, he expected to be given an amnesty. When he failed in his assignments, he expected teachers not to fault him.

His father being a man of influence, the son got away with many inadequacies, which would normally attract disciplining. When he failed at the end of the school year, he was given a free pass to another class, a higher one.

During government examinations, he failed several times. But his father pulled the strings for him. At least he got one or two pieces of certification in this way for passing exams that, if truth be told, he had failed.

When holidays came, he was the spared one in respect of household chores. He felt work was for those that were not direct children of his loving father. His mother died a few months after giving birth to him. She had not role in the exercise of shaping his manners. His father remained the influence behind his development.

Times soon changed. His father lost his position of influence. With this loss, his sway and muscle in society and over people receded, before finally petering out.

The son could no longer get away with his mischief at school. The privilege of getting free certificates came to an end. If he failed during final term examinations, teachers now had the presence of courage to make him repeat the class. If he misbehaved, he received the appropriate punishment.

The sudden change of circumstances made life difficult for him. Gradually, it became horrible. Finally, it became intolerable. In the end, it became unbearable. He dropped out of school. His father supported the decision. He said he could not allow his son to be victimised by his enemies.

So the boy stayed at home. Weeks flew. They became months. One day, after a year, some strangers visited his father’s house. They met up with his father and reported to him they were emissaries from a village some 15 kilometres away.

They brought along a girl who, having been discovered to be pregnant, fingered at the son of that house as being responsible for the deed. The rest is history.

The new family was given a hut, a few metres from the main house. The father made sure they did not lack. He gave them beddings, dressed and fed them. But after a year, he told his son to start fending for his family. He showed him a piece of land to cultivate for food and the surplus for sale.

Things didn’t work out. The son left cultivation to his wife. He could not do it. He had not known how. This resulted in their family being food insecure and in deficit of resources.

One morning the father received an early knock on his door. It was his son. He looked desperate. Visibly he wanted urgent help.

“What is it my son, coming this early?” the father asked.

The son didn’t want to waste time. He went straight to the point of his visit. “Kabunthu wamkamwana winuwakeruka. Nkhukhumba makopalakutinkhasonesye. (Your daughter in – law’s underwear is torn. I am looking for money to have it repaired). There were many more unsettling requests that his father had to receive before he died.

At the age of 50, a couple of years ago, this son returned from a self-imposed exile in Zambia with 32 children by two wives. Those were the only items he brought from that foreign country.

He arrived in his village where he had no house and no food. People had to be mobilised by the village headman in his aid. They donated their food. They also constructed houses for his family. To this day, this fellow begs to meet the needs of his family.

As we celebrate 50 years of independence this year, how different is Malawi from this son? Are both of them not childish adults?

Why is Malawi still begging to survive? Why does Malawi, small in size as it is, have a population that equals or out passes countries that are larger in size and richer in resources? Why do we, as a people, continue to expend time and energies on things that have failed us for the last 50 years?

May the new administration begin to remove the spoiled child in the country’s adulthood so that the journey towards real independence can start in earnest!.