Let’s seriously return to China, Brics for FDI

Malawi’s current international relations policy is very difficult to discern.

The (genuine) Ngwazi, His Excellency Dr  Hasting Kamuzu Banda, Destroyer of Federation (Dof), Messiah of the Malawi Nation,  understood how the  West, the hitherto self-styled economic power bloc, behaved.  Good meant West. Development meant West.  Out of this, Kamuzu fashioned his own international relations policy called ‘pragmatism’.

Malawi’s Pragmatism that embraced Western capitalist financial ideology and socialist political ideology.  

Whichever was convenient was the right route to take. The consequence mattered more than the action, or verbal leaning. Kamuzu’s pragmatism was utilitarian (yagwa m’mbale ndi diwo) in all aspects.

When he wanted to build a new capital city in Lilongwe and transfer it from Zomba, he begged for money from the West, he came back with an empty bowl.  As someone who believed in the freedom all Africans, Kamuzu was on the horns of dilemma.

As it later transpired, he covertly financially supported Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC) to fight against Apartheid. Really?  Yeah. Now, you know.

However, while supporting the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, Kamuzu befriended the regime and got a substantial financial donation to realise his dreams of taking the capital to Lilongwe. He also paid a State visit to South Africa to the astonishment of his peers and dined with Apartheid leaders while he contributed to the fight against his very apartheid hosts.

The choice of Lilongwe as the capital of Malawi was a result of his pragmatism. It is central even in the Central Region itself, almost equidistant between Blantyre and Mzuzu (300+km), Salima and Mchinji (100+KM), Titi in Chitipa and Marka in Nsanje (find out on your own).

This would dispute allegations of Chewanisation of Malawi or Kwathuism of development as a policy that dictated the transfer of the capital city from Zomba.  Powerful as he was, he would have located the capital at Mtunthama in Kasungu. Period.  Who would have questioned the decision of His Excellency the Life President?

President Bakili Muluzi also seemed to be pragmatic. He opened up the country to the Middle East while maintaining relations with the West. While during Kamuzu’s era, Malawi was served by Oilcom (now Puma Energy) only, Muluzi allowed the likes of Petroda (known as Oilcom in Eastern Africa) to open branches in Malawi. Competition in the petroleum business sales business started, which aggressive competition gave birth to the Malawi Regulatory Authority. Verbally, Muluzi championed human rights, rule of law and other ideologies.

Then came (ka) Ngwazi Bingu wa Mutharika, who had worked in the West and at Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) in Lusaka, Marambo.

Bingu went to Taiwan and got the idea of forming the Democratic Peoples Party (similar to the ruling party in Taiwan then). He came back with a cheque that he dangled as a sign that he was more transparent than his predecessor, who had been accused of stealing $11 million (about K19 billion today) sent to government through him.

He broke links with Taiwan and took Malawi to China, a big market that was still looking for friends around the world.

Then, immediately, he decided to convert Bunda into Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the idea of the Lilongwe University of Science and Technology (Lustec) died only to resurrect as Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must) in Thyolo at his personal Ndata Farm.  From his book, The African Dream: From Poverty to Prosperity, Must appears to emerged from his dream of a University of Southern Malawi.

To finance Must, he needed a funder. He went to China. To complete the transfer of government from Zomba, he needed to build a new Parliament in Lilongwe. 

He asked China. And the money flowed in. We now have the Parliament in Lilongwe (which we are failing to maintain on our own), the President’s Hotel, Umodzi Park, and the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe.

Pragmatism has guided Malawi’s international policy.  Chinenepetsa nkhumba nkutolatola, so goes ancient Malawian wisdom.

The question, today, is why are we failing to hook and hang on to China for our infrastructure development?  China is funding projects and investing heavily in its ‘Built and Road Initiative or New Silk Road’ connecting countries and capitals to ease trade. Kenya and Tanzania, today, proudly display their high-speed trains courtesy of China.

New governments in West Africa are turning to the East, to China, to be precise,knowing the West has failed us since the days of slavery. Even Russia and Vietnam are turning to China. So is India.

As President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda once said: “the West’s conditionalities and insistence on human rights ideologies, some anathema to African peoples’ traditions and religious practices, are not helpful for Africa’s development”. 

We need serious investment and China is the readiest funder.  So, are the other members of the Brics.

In addition to the original founding members (Brazil, India, China and South Africa), Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates have also joined or about to join.

Let’s look East and we will find the necessary unconditional trading partners. But, does Malawi have anything to offer? Yes, products of the mega farms, mineral deposits, coal deposits, and our youthful labour force.