Open letter to President Peter Mutharika
On Saturday, after your national address on the global coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, you promised that you would address the nation again. Thus, people were filled with anticipation when they heard that you would address them on Tuesday. It was, however, very depressing to hear you underscore the divided nature of our beautiful Malawi. This was indeed a misplaced speech.
You said you would speak to us again and all ears were eager to hear your word following the statement you made on Saturday on coronavirus that has so far infected over one million people globally. So far, there are eight confirmed Covid-19 cases in Malawi and one death. To be precise, all Malawians are on the edge and want to know what the government is doing and what they should do to protect themselves from the virus.
Malawi is going through difficult times due to Covid-19 because of a lack of leadership and concerted and collective strategising on the matter.
Cabinet ministers sitting around a conference table, stacking up sitting allowances, will not protect 17.5 million Malawians from this disease spreading like a forest fire. This is what lack of concerted strategies and early action does. Watch America and watch Britain. And then watch China, and watch Japan as well as South Korea. Early action, saves lives, and halts the spread of the virus.
It is true that healthcare workers should be thanked for their sacrifice in caring for Covid-19 patients. However, please stop being dramatic. Malawi has registered eight cases. This number can stay this low or increase less dramatically if you sincerely desire it in your heart and do something about it other than setting up an astronomical sitting allowance Cabinet committee.
Malawians can only win this war if they choose to work together. The whole country agrees with you that Malawians must work together. This “together” must include the private sector, parliamentarians, councillors, and members of the opposition parties.
I am confident that we will win this war. Your confidence to win the Covid-19 war sadly can be short-lived, due to the strategies you have adopted; Malawi could nose-dive into the business-as-usual trap where innocent Malawians are at risk of losing their lives.
On the issue of fresh presidential election and rumours of bloodsuckers in some communities, if you can recall, everytime Malawi approaches elections, there are always rumours of bloodsuckers. It is pathetic and all previous governments have used this gimmick, and it is bent on regionalism that can only come to a stop with an honest table talk among all political parties in all the regions.
It is unconstitutional and undemocratic to wage war on voters’ psychological statuses just so they are suppressed from getting out to vote for their preferred candidate.
Frankly speaking, on the accusation that some members of the DPP administration were selling bones of people with albinism, time for your comment on this issue is long gone. Many lovely innocent Malawians lost their lives and it took the United Nations to send a special envoy to arrest the situation. People with albinism in Malawi needed to hear from you every day following your sworn oath to protect their lives.
The issue of suppressing people from registering, it is common knowledge that the MCP President held a press conference last week to address this matter. Dr. Chakwera advised his followers not to surrender their voter registration or national ID cards. He also informed them about the coronavirus, how to protect themselves and others and preventative measures such as washing hands and covering the mouth when coughing.
On the suspected voter certificates fraud, Dr. Chakwera informed Malawians of the trickery some unscrupulous people, criminals that are going around in the MCP and UTM Party stronghold in Central and Northern regions, and lying to Malawians that if they surrender their voter registration cards or national IDs, then the government will give them business loans. This is widespread news, but you do not speak about it, except to use it as a weapon to castigate your opponent and wrongly represent his motives. This is a sly and minister trick of incumbency.
Please stop the spew, if ever there was a time for you to be President of a country, this is it; if ever there was the need to unite the country by your words and actions, this is it; and if ever there was need to bury the hatchet so you can hold hands with your opponents, this is it.
God bless Malawi, God bless our leaders, each and every one
