Quality issues in leadership
Most of us are already caught up in the euphoria of the upcoming elections. You could tell the hype a fortnight ago when presidents wannabes presented their nomination papers. The green card issue was part of the climax. Along came all the cards about running-mates and all sought of analysts, all exercising their right to free speech. Democracy is indeed good.
Elections come every five years and the cycle goes on. These five year cycles mature into decades. Come July 6, such cycles will have matured into half a century of the existence of the Republic of Malawi. Was the election euphoria genuine? It seems, as argues a European top diplomat in the country that Malawians have become so obsessed with elections to the extent most of us think they solve all problems we have. Such an assessment came in the wake of billions of dollars that have been poured in the country in the form of aid, yet Malawi is still ranked as one of the poorest countries on earth. This is despite the country having enjoyed peace. Countries surrounding us are developing fast, and our neighbours on the western front have graduated into a middle-income country. Our middle-income status as visualised in the untraceable Vision 2020 document is only six years away, and the signs don’t look good.
To make matters worse, a reputable rating has simply rated us with a B- grade. This country is considered too risky for a foreign investor to put in their money. With the cost of finance very high, foreign investment is a good alternative to grow the economy and create jobs for thousands of hopeless youths that finish school every year. Instead of creating an environment where business can operate in a favorable environment, a pattern of regularly disputing claims about our worsening levels of corruption has emerged. It is a pattern associated with autocratic regimes, guided by propaganda, while in essence, a prime of goal of wrongful enrichment using tax payer funds becomes institutionalized. The overall result is the worsening economic situation and endemic poverty that Malawi appears trapped in. It is a sign of leadership failure.
Over the years, no matter which party has been at the helm, signs of leadership failure are too obvious to see. It is very difficult to point a finger at any head of state that has had a clear vision of the country and how they see the future. If Malawi were to modernise, leaders for example must even realise that we have a very fast growing population. Such a high population will require access to education, health, food, electricity and jobs. Instead piece meal approaches have been a cardinal rule, while at the same time, the leadership has spared no time to beat their drums on basics successes, a job expected of them while stealing millions of taxpayer funds.
It appears no one leader ever foresaw that Lilongwe City will have over a million people yet it has a single poorly funded referral hospital. It caters to over five million people resident in central Malawi. It is fact that Africa is the next main economic horse happening yet the cost of doing business remains very high. The few businesses that operate in the country with the ability to export, have to deal with high costs of erratic electricity and a bureaucracy fraught with rent seeking tactics.
As we approach this election, our serious question must be the kind of leadership we need. No elected leader has shown any commitment to stop theft of tax payer funds. There are many cases involving former leaders that enriched themselves with resources siphoned from the public purse. It’s a trend that is continuing at alarming levels yet we are so quick to jail chicken thieves. The reality is that theft of public funds must be solely blamed at the head of state, and they can exonerate themselves by proving otherwise.
Theft of public resources has over the years squeezed the meaningful role that a government is supposed to play of providing an enabling environment for prosperity. It is not surprising that our various governments have opted for piece-meal solutions. They have introduced quota systems in education to solve a problem of access to schools, but have failed to prosecute the K187 million criminals that deprived the country of schools, forcing our kids to learn under trees.
The hallmark of leadership has been blaming a predecessor while building personal glory in the form of cheap charity public stunts using tax payers’ money. Are you surprised that none of the presidential contestants has made public their wealth as they seek high office in May? The wasted 50 years of independence, in my opinion is lack of good leadership. That’s what this country needs.
