In every democracy, political parties play a crucial role in shaping governance.
However, when party loyalty turns into blind allegiance, it breeds a dangerous class of individuals—zealots who are more interested in pleasing their political parties and masters than serving their country.
The so-called ojiya create news that sounds pleasing to the ears of their political masters while they lament inwardly.
Like many nations, Malawi faces this challenge, where some individuals are willing to ignore the suffering of their fellow citizens just to defend their party or a particular politician.
They create enmity amongst politicians to look relevant in society. They will ignore the truth until their last drop of blood just to appease their political masters and the party they are affiliated to.
A true patriot prioritises the welfare of their nation above any political leader or party. But many party zealots in Malawi behave otherwise.
Instead of holding their leaders accountable, they defend incompetence, corruption, and mismanagement. They will attack the past regime vehemently to create a conducive environment for them to seem to be in good standing in their modus operandi.
This raises an important question: Do they love their country, or are they driven by personal gain and blind loyalty?
If they truly cared about Malawi, they would advocate for policies that benefit all citizens rather than serve the selfish interests of a few politicians. They are a group that is happy when they benefit from the taxes of Malawians selfishly.
Party zealots who refuse to question their leaders contribute to weak governance. When leaders are not criticised, they feel entitled to act without accountability, leading to corruption, nepotism and mismanagement of national resources.
Party zealots will never denounce unjust social structures in society that oppress the poor people. At the moment some party zealots will never say it openly that the economy of our country is in turmoil but they will sugar coat and massage the status quo.
Do these people have a conscience?
Democracy thrives on diverse opinions and debate. However, party zealots silence dissenting voices, creating an environment where politicians feel untouchable. This leads to the erosion of democratic values, as citizens fear to speak out against wrongdoing.
Instead of uniting the country, political zealots divide it. They create unnecessary enmity between citizens based on party affiliations, forgetting that Malawi belongs to all its citizenry, not just one political camp.
When government officials are not held accountable, resources are misused and development suffers.
Party zealots defend poor policies, allowing leaders to neglect crucial sectors like education, healthcare and infrastructure, which ultimately harms the entire country.
Instead, they are happy when national resources are being challenged to their political parties. Are these bonafide Malawians?
True leadership and activism require a conscience. However, party zealots lose their moral compass, choosing to lie, manipulate and mislead others just to protect their political masters.
In doing so, they betray their country for personal favour. Are they happy seeing Malawians struggling with poverty?
Malawi needs citizens who put their nation first. Party loyalty should never come at the expense of truth, justice and national progress.
Prior to works of appeasement should be the demands for justice. If politicians fail, they must be held to account regardless of party affiliation.
Real patriotism means challenging leaders to serve with integrity, not blindly worshiping them. Embracing this mindset can help Malawi progress and become a nation where leadership is about service, not personal gain.
