My Diary

Ambassador Young, takumvani

On May 5, David Young presented his letters of credence to President Lazarus Chakwera as American president Joe Biden’s choice of an ambassador to Malawi.

From the word go, he showed that his approach was going to be different from the other American envoys. In a video message to Malawians introducing himself, he chipped in with Chichewa sentences.

It was a first for one to hear a top diplomat from the States saying: “Ine ndi makazi [sic] wanga takondwa kubwera ku Malawi, dziko la anthu a sangala.”

Let me digress. It is funny how we clap hands when azungu speak broken Chichewa, yet when one of our own speaks broken English they are mocked as daft. We forget that people who break language have another mode of expression. But, like I said, I digress.

Young’s Chichewa was not surprising since he was coming from Zambia where he served as a Chargé d’Affaires for a good number of years.

In that maiden message, the envoy made it clear that he would join Malawians to support The Flames and The Queens. He indicated further he would visit places of interest in the country.

Little did we know that Young would be engaging in public diplomacy never seen before in the country. He was at the Bingu National Stadium, donning the national team’s replica jersey.

A little later, he came with another surprise. He was eating mandasi in Area 18, Lilongwe. Before that sunk, ambassador Young was at Area 13, eating nsima at a local restaurant.

His people’s diplomacy just this week saw him eating chiwaya with students of the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (Mubas).

Imagine, the other day he was sharing jokes with our own Tannah Mr Broken English!

It will not come as a surprise if tomorrow he will be on the next minibus to Chigwirizano!

The public diplomacy gear he is engaging is a fine way of establishing a dialogue with societies in which envoys work. It is beyond diplomacy and that does not come as a surprise since Young has a background in journalism and theology, apart from international relations. He knows how working with grassroots pays.

In a way, he is trying hard to change the way we see the US embassy and it is proving to be an effective outreach tool. This type of diplomacy should go further than photo opportunities, but create a chance for understanding each other’s values, visions and ideas.

Much as I believe our deep-rooted problems can’t be sorted out by foreigners, Young has come at the right time to hear for himself the struggles Malawians are going through.

The pains of blackouts are laid bare for him as he engages communities. The hard economic times are best expressed on the street than in the boardrooms.

Even when you are a super spy, to get the best of information you get down and deep to the people.

Ndithu, takumvani bwana Young.

While we are at it, there was this video that went viral in which the Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba was jeered by some women clad in party colours who were dancing at a public event where the President was also present. Apparently, the women were telling the top civil servant that she was playing with fire by saying the dancing at public events must stop.

The irony is that not so long ago when Chakwera was opening an anti-corruption event in Blantyre, Zamba was seen dancing with party women while ACB director Martha Chizuma just stood by.

Still, the question remains: Who sent the women to humiliate the SPC that way?

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