Every part of our society can be segmented into upper caste and lesser mortals. Even in the suburbs, there are different classes of residents. Namiwawa, Nyambadwe, Sunnyside, Areas 10, 43 have varied statuses from top executives to pensioners with different tastes and social capital. This entails different lifestyles among neighbouring households which virtually brings about a fair share of problems and drama.
Let me remind ourselves that city by-laws are clear about what kind of business to do within city bounds and the 10 pm curfew for hosting events or operating facilities that play music. There are no exceptions and that is why sometimes our efficient law enforcers are diligent enough to go around the joints asking the operators to close down if they are still playing loud music at ungodly hours.
It is well established that the suburbs, especially at the seat of government Lilongwe where foreign missions are known for their safety, is also ideal to house foreign diplomats. I once had the privilege of staying in a residence closer to these and believe me, for their effective security and swift response teams, it is the most ideal location to stay.
That neighbourliness comes with responsibility and a price too. These neighbours don’t host zinkhoswe or chithula and they are not ‘amused’ with you hosting such events, especially when you stray beyond acceptable hours. For starters, if you do not have adequate parking space in your yard, it is common for guests to park outside along the road depending on circumstances. We once hosted a small birthday gig and were visited twice by their able security personnel to check when we intended to wind up. They would raise security concerns over ‘loud’ music and parking overflow.
I digressed again.
We are concerned. Of late and in one suburb in the capital which has several residences of the foreign missions has noted that the emissaries are hosting events for various reasons aligned to their countries and culture. As fate has it, their compounds are not expansive enough and it follows that invited guests are asked to park outside which means keeping the usually lean streets clogged with perhaps a small passage for traffic.
It does not end there.
Our esteemed diplomats have moved away from the culture of having classic events with soft music, laughs to cheer or glasses of chardonnay, whiskey and have evolved to include loud music by a band using a highly equipped deejay equipment. Perhaps to impress patrons and guests alike, the music is loud too loud for comfort and strays deep into the night and past midnight. These acts are a pricking nuisance to everyone else around, perhaps minus the patrons. Now, this is not even gossip because some media outlets have covered these events and have published clips of patrons dancing to the tunes at such odd hours. This is where hypocrisy manifests itself. These diplomats would not be amused at all if a neighbour, a local, would host a similar event with taste and noise pollution of that magnitude and there would be no consequences or a reaction.
We pray that this concern from a Plebeian here meets the eyes and ears of the fingered diplomats and perhaps triggers a moment of reflection to revisit the recent habits and return to decency.
For the avoidance of doubt, your neighbours Sirs and Mesdames, are not grumbling that they were not invited nor pushing for those invites; they are simply asking for decorum and space to enjoy their sleep. This is not too much to askFeedback: manja_patrick@yahoo.com
In my tender years of early adolescence, while living at Nkhoma Mission, my siblings and I were unexpectedly gifted by our parents with a gleaming new bicycle. A burst of excitement electrified our home. Over the coming weeks, my sole brother and I embarked on a determined quest to master the art of cycling. Time and again the bicycle flung us to the dusty ground, yet we always dusted ourselves off and mounted it once more—undaunted in spirit, until finally we rode with effortless grace. A few of my sisters, however, never summoned the courage to take a turn; trembling at the thought of tumbling, they never learned how to ride, and so that joyous freedom eluded them. Fear of failure can cause debilitating paralysis.
Viewing failure as purely negative can stifle both personal and societal growth. I will challenge the narrow perception that failure is negative and undesirable, and hopefully illuminate how, for Malawians and others alike, failure can serve as a vital stepping stone to success.
Viewing failure as purely negative instills a paralysing fear of risk. When people are taught that failure is unacceptable, they shy away from stepping outside their comfort zones and pursuing bold, innovative ideas. This aversion not only stifles personal creativity but also caps national growth. In a developing country like Malawi, where innovation is essential for economic progress, this fear of failure can be particularly harmful.
In Malawi, where tens of thousands run small enterprises, rejection of failure is a luxury the nation cannot afford. By teaching people that failure is not a final judgment but a necessary step in innovation, communities can springboard from each misstep to generate new technologies, services, and livelihoods. Only by reframing failure from foe to ally can Malawi unlock the creativity and economic potential of its people.
Viewing failure through a relentlessly negative lens often inflicts serious damage on self-esteem and confidence. When setbacks occur, individuals may internalise these experiences, carrying a sense of inadequacy that becomes steadfast and pervasive. This can launch a self-fulfilling prophecy: feeling unworthy, people begin to avoid opportunities and challenges, reinforcing a cycle of negative self-perception.
Moreover, viewing failure as negative can breed a culture of blame, where admitting mistakes becomes perilous and taking responsibility is avoided. In such an environment, the instinct to assign fault eclipses any desire to learn, and valuable insights are lost—perpetuating cycles of inefficiency and stagnation.
We must cultivate a more positive and constructive view of failure—seeing it not as an endpoint, but as a fertile springboard for growth and learning. Each setback offers invaluable insights and lessons that can refine future endeavours, significantly boosting the likelihood of eventual success.
Failure should be reframed as a vital stage in the learning journey, much like children learning to walk—they stumble, they fall, but each bounce back brings them closer to balance and confidence. This is the experience my brother and I learning how to ride a bike. In the same way, every setback in life presents an invaluable opportunity to grow, adapt, and prepare more effectively for future endeavours.
Cultivating a supportive environment is crucial so individuals feel safe to take risks and learn from their mistakes. This means fostering a culture of empathy, encouragement, and understanding, where failure is not penalised but seen as a moment for growth and refinement. In such spaces, people are empowered to admit errors, reflect, and improve—a vital ingredient for innovation and progress.
By fostering mentorship, peer learning, and compassionate leadership, Malawi can create a culture that transforms mistakes into lessons, individuals into resilient learners, and communities into innovation hubs. When failure is embraced as a natural stepping-stone, Malawi’s path to sustainable development becomes that much clearer and more attainable.
Few Individuals have been as intimately acquainted with failure as Thomas Edison, arguably one of the greatest inventors ever. What truly set him apart was not avoidance of failure but his unwavering determination – he simply refused to give up. While developing the storage battery, he conducted over 9,000 experiments without achieving success. When his dear friend Walter Mallory remarked on the persistent lack of results, Edison replied with a wry smile, “Results! Why, my good fellow, I have obtained plenty of results! I now know several thousand things that won’t work.”
Bravo, Edison! That is precisely how we ought to embrace failure. Far from signaling the end of our endeavours, it should instead imbue us with invaluable lessons – insights we would never have gleaned had we not faltered.
