Six years ago, Malawians elected a leader who built his powerful presidential bid on grand transformation promises.
But because he wanted to please those that surrounded him, Lazarus Chakwera became a leader feared by none. He forgave when he should have fired, he prayed when citizens needed policy, he smiled when voters demanded anger and he seemed to protect ‘thieves’ and ‘cartels’ within and outside his MCP administration instead of holding them to account.
I could go on and on, but everything already hangs out there in plain sight. Suffice it to say nowhere did his weakness manifest more disastrously than in his handling of the public sector reforms which his 2020 campaign touted as the very engine meant to drive this country out of mediocrity.
In February 2021, the former president commissioned a task force to examine abuse of public resources, including Covid-19 funds. The team, led by the late vice-president Saulos Chilima, completed the Public Sector Systems Review and submitted its report to the big boss, highlighting deep-seated problems in allowances, public procurement and employment contracts in government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
However, Chakwera decided to shelve those findings under the red carpet at the State House until he was booted out of power last September.
The Public Sector Systems Review was no ordinary document. It was a mirror reflecting what needed to change about ending public waste and corruption. Yet the former president locked it in his drawer and threw away the keys. Despite this, however, Malawians still watched a string of procurement scandals unfold across MDAs. The fertiliser saga, which saw huge sums of taxpayers’ money vanish to ghost companies and the fuel procurement mess at Nocma exposed the depth of negligence and lack of oversight. These and other scandals left citizens scratching their heads and wondering if we had a leader or a ruler in control.
And who can forget the absurd $6.8 billion Bridgin Foundation ‘grant’? This was another glaring delusion in due diligence, accountability and political prudence, no wonder it delivered nothing but ridicule on the State. These were not just isolated blunders, but symptoms of a deeper sickness in the previous regime. Without proper checks and balances, Chakwera’s rule became a playground for opportunists who enriched themselves while ordinary Malawians paid the price in mismanaged resources, poor services and a stagnating economy. That is why public sector reforms are not a luxury, but a matter of national survival.
A strong civil service, transparent procurement systems and merit-based appointments are the lifeblood of governance. Without them, corruption and inefficiencies thrive and Malawians cannot afford another administration to treat these reforms as optional while they foot the bill for incompetence. For DPP, lessons from the MCP era are clear.
Reforms must be pursued with courage, consistency and consequence. Anything less, Malawi risks repeating the same cycle of scandals, economic stagnation and possibly public disillusionment ahead of the 2010 polls.
Now, eight months after President Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM) returned to the State House, I am yet to get convinced that he has done tangible work to surpass what his predecessor failed to do regarding the public sector reforms.
These reforms were first implemented during APM’s first rule in 2014. Back then, the dream was to modernise the public sector so that it served the people efficiently.
However, 12 years later, that dream still lies in ruins. MDAs still overspend, public procurement remains a circus and corruption seems like a national sport. The same institutions and people that were meant to reform have become the problem themselves.
So, Mr. President, if you truly want to rebuild Malawi, particularly the civil service bring back those dusty reforms. Open those drawers at Kamuzu Palace and dust off the report, read every single page your predecessor ignored and implement its recommendations.
History should not record that you once again chose comfort over courage by ignoring measures you yourself said have potential to transform our country.
Remember, the reforms are about saving Malawi from collapsing under the weight of the wasteful appetites of a few, mostly politicians, not about pleasing donors.
Mr. President, Malawians are still awaiting tangible action, not rhetoric from the ruling DPP like it was with MCP.
