Joyce Banda

If I were Joyce Banda, President of the Republic of Malawi, I would not mark a year in office with promises to increase salaries for teachers and nurses when reports are rife that the 61 percent salary increment offered to civil servants in February has not yet been implemented.

I would appreciate, if I were Amayi, that making more of such promises to further the squeeze the public purse when as of last week government was yet to pay about 11 000 teachers their March salaries, is disturbing and surprising..

If I were JB, I would realise that some teachers cannot even afford to buy bwan’noni and bonya, and therefore, it is important to work on the 61 percent increment first before making more promises.

I surely would appreciate that I owe the teachers an explanation as to what has delayed the March salaries, considering the current tough economic times.

Otherwise my promise will be viewed as a political gimmick in the countdown to next year’s general elections.

That is if only I were my good mum that is Joyce Hilda Mtila-Banda. Unfortunately, I am not her!