“Look at the ‘abhorrent’ statue as a metaphor of the changing political faces of Bingu wa Mutharika. A man of the people in his first-term, he swiftly turned into the terror of many in his second,” Arnold Chachacha Munthali. Like in the man’s life, the statue of Bingu wa Mutharika, our third president, erected this…
Golden Matonga
Three more presidential hopefuls tussle
Three out of four scheduled presidential hopefuls tussled on Tuesday night in the second of the three-part 2019 Presidential Debates in a virtually empty Bingu International Convention Centre (Bicc) auditorium in Lilongwe. Conspicuously missing from the list introduced by moderator Grace Malera in the 1 800-seat Bicc auditorium which had less than 500 patrons was…
…Can’t say it, can’t do it
Ghana’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia is an interesting speaker. Eloquent and proud of his country’s progress, watching Bawumia address the recently held Africa-India business summit in New Delhi, India, was an inspiring moment. “Africa is on the move,” Bawumia told the summit, “a continent eager to shake off past failures due to blind colonial and cold-war…
Malawi energy sector attracts Indian investors
Malawi energy market’s potential has impressed several Indian companies who have expressed interest to invest in the sector to help the country achieve sustainable and reliable energy to drive the economy. The Indian companies expressed their interest at the ongoing Africa-India Trade Conclave in New Delhi, India. Their sentiments followed a presentation on opportunities for…
The Lady and black cockerel
TIt’s not so uncommon for politicians to have the damned-you-do and damned-you-don’t moment. In polarised society, almost every move politicians make will draw a negative reaction from certain quarters. Truth be told, our politicians have let this country down again and again as well so it’s no surprise they are not held in high regard…
Moment of Truth
Moment of TruthAs I found out during my recent visit to the United States in Washington DC, America’s leaders have no choice but to account to the people. American leaders, by design, are not detached from the people both physically and politically. The White House, unlike Kamuzu Palace, Sanjika Palace or Mzuzu State Lodge here…
A criminal enterprise
‘The whole government of Malawi is a criminal enterprise, that’s what I found out,” former budget director Paul Mphwiyo. Paul Mphwiyo, as brutal as he was on his above assessment of our government, was damn right. To give Mphwiyo his due, he was discussing this in context of cashgate and corruption but sometimes our government,…
The price of failure
“….A handful of us—the smart and the lucky and hardly ever the best—had scrambled for the one shelter our former rulers left, and had taken it over and barricaded themselves in.” Chinua Achabe, Man of the People. If anybody had any doubts that we are governed by a careless and insensitive government that cares little…
Welcome to hell
Goodson Makanjira has become another cause for temporal anger. Soon, the 14-year-old will become nothing but another statistic: the recent albino child to be abducted. Snatched from the belly of his parents at an ungodly hour by people unknown, his disapperance met at the brutal hands of merciless deprived souls who chop off human bones…
Tale of terror: Albino attack leaves villagers in fear
At around 6pm, Goodson Makanjira was enjoying roasted green maize outside his mother’s grass-thatched house. The maize in nearby fields is at its greenest and taller than any individual in this village of 30 households. He said good night to his stepfather and as he enjoyed his sleep, untold terror would emerge from the same…
A modern day prophet
For those who believe in an all powerful deity like yours truly, how do you think a true prophet of God will look like in our modern society? Would God send an ultra materialistic bling bling prophet to chastise our materialistic society and it’s leaders, or he would send a humble man, not so pleasing…
Computers stolen from DPP’s office
Mystery surrounds the theft of computers and hard drives from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at Capital Hill. But the Ministry of Justice has allayed fears that crucial information related to court cases was lost in the break-in. The ministry spokesperson Pilirani Masanjala told Nation on Sunday that they have taken…
Musings from a rally
Saulos Chilima is the change candidate, at least, that’s what he says. Handsome, polished and eloquent, he also comes across a breath of fresh air in an otherwise toxic arena dominated by old faces that have become hashtags for our misery and stagnation. But Saulos looks different; talks differently and promises a different tomorrow. Well,…
APM secretly inspects Bingu statue site
President Peter Mutharika’s push for the erection of former president Bingu wa Mutharika’s statue at Parliament premises in Lilongwe took a step further on Friday. Mutharika “secretly” visited the site at the National Assembly in an effort to keep the public away. If the project goes on, taxpayers will have to fork millions of kwacha…
Rising above the fraycoming
Rising above the fray“The propensity to undermine other people’s achievements and to exaggerate their failures and weaknesses has been a mankind’s struggle for ages,” writes former president Bakili Muluzi in his foreword to the late Gwanda Chakuamba’s memoir, Gwanda Chakuamba, A Memoir of My Political Life. Adds Muluzi: “Human beings have a conscious tendency to…
Own goal May
If our country has a leadership crisis, I wrote following Institute for Public Opinion and Research (IPOR) study into political trends ahead of the 2019 elections, it’s unlikely to end this May. Especially if that crisis is epitomised by the sloppy leadership of the current DPP administration which I reckon as I did then, we’re…
Last word…
We do not know what tomorrow brings, only the almighty does. So, let’s bid farewell to the year mindful that we are just mere mortals. As the death of my sister this past October reminded us, our lives can ebb away anytime. So, let’s be grateful to God for life and other numerous gifts granted…
Chakwera’s gambit
It’s been a long time since Malawi Congress Party (MCP) last tasted levers of power but we will not wait long to find out if the decision by MCP president Lazarus Chakwera, to name— early— his running mate for next May’s presidential elections, was a masterstroke. Or that giving the berth to politician-cum-businessperson, Sidik Mia,…
Policing illegal mining
When people from Lumwira and Dzondi in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mazengera in Lilongwe District saw an Indian searching for gold in their area, they wasted no time but to join in the rush. “We didn’t know that all along we were sitting on gold. It was that Indian who woke us up from our slumber…
Hall of shame
If anyone needed any further evidence that our leaders can occasion and thrive on pettiness—when occasion demands sobriety and levelheadedness—well, the burial of the late Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe on Tuesday was the last straw. Here was an opportunity for our leaders, both from governing and opposition parties; church and traditional chieftainships; to rise above narrow…