Our indomitable , indefatigable , award- winning , and unimpeachable Bottom UP leader of delegation, Ms Joyce Befu, MG 33 and the Most Excellent Grand Achiever (Mega-1), PPM, has reminded us to remind the politicians.
The reminder is simple and straight forward. The reminder i s that the manifestos that they presented (over 20 for president, over 1 000 for MPs and countless others for ward counci l lors) to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) are too bulky and too numerous for us to read them all.
We, thus , urge the presidential candidates, especially, to focus their campaigns on whatever programmes so that we achieve at the national level agricultural production and commercialisation, industrialisation, and urbanisation.
These are crucial to our national dream, the Malawi 2063. They were arrived at after through consultations with representatives of Malawians from all splendors and walks of life considering how blessed we are with rivers and lakes.
God must be laughing at us each time we go hungry due to failure of rains. Why should we beg from nations that are in the desert , chipalamba, with no rains?
The history of development of nations follows a certain path starting with agriculture or mining and industries are built around the agriculture or mining and that attracts people (worker s and traders) that are settled in planned settlements (where they are given the services). Not vice-versa. Urbanisation is a result of industrialisation and commerce. Mostly.
So, concent rate on what Malawi needs. Don’t waste time promising voters bullet trains when we have no power infrastructure. Don’t waste time promising us the free importation weeks. Do not even promise more new universities. Just improve the existing ones.
We want something concrete. Just five things that you can implement (one per year from the First 10-Year Implementation Plan (MIP-1)), which we can see and appreciate. You must remember that you cannot finish all projects that Ma lawi needs to develop in five or, if you are lucky, in 10 years. Someone will come to finish. A luta continua.
At the level of the constituency we advised our councilors (why are they no paid a salary?) and our members of parliament to use the K200 million per annum in Constituency Development Fund (CDF) (we hear it is going to be K500 million) to facilitate agr i culture and other important sectors.
Then there are enablers that the National Planning Commission (NPC) has identified. They include mindset change, effective governance institutions and systems, enhanced public sector performance, human capital development , environmental sustainability, economic infrastructure, and private sector dynamism.
Mindset change is very important for Malawi to move forward. In fact, it affects other enablers. If we are tolerate corruption, for instance, governance and delivery and quality services is affected. With a laissez-faire mindset, public service stalls, human capital development is skewed, and economic and private sector dynamism is affected.
One last piece of advice is that we are in the era o f limited or fore ign financial aid. Traditional rich nations are being challenged to cut down foreign aid in favour of boosting national defence. They want fair trade from us. Let us, therefore, find something to sell. Now!
We want
something c
oncrete. Just five things that you can implement (one per year from the First 10-Year Implementation Plan (MIP-1)), which we can see and appreciate
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