Talk to the nation Mr. President
As far as Malawi is concerned tobacco is the main forex earner. Experience had it that during the tobacco selling season businesses would flourish and most people would have money in their pockets. Everyone would look forward to the selling season. The story is now different. The selling season makes no difference to people’s lives. Worse still, despite the tobacco selling season, the Malawi kwacha is losing value. The question is: Where does the forex from the sales go? Meanwhile, the ongoing anti-tobacco campaigns are adding fuel to fire in Malawi. In fact, the anti-tobacco campaigns started two decades ago, but Malawi has not yet identified an alternative to tobacco. It is anybody’s guess what the country will do after tobacco.
It is appreciated that government has tried mining to earn forex. The most notable is the Kayelekera Uranium Mine in Karonga. A decade or so of mining has brought nothing to poor Malawians. It is only the government which knows why the mining at Kayelekera should continue.
Life is really a struggle in Malawi now. As if being paid late as a civil servant is not bad enough, getting that money at the bank is another hassle. In almost all banks, people have to queue for not less than four hours to be served. Banks seem not to care, not even a bit, for their customers whom they treat as beggars. Computerisation of bank systems has made the situation worse than when things were done manually.
Queuing for services is the order of the day. Imagine, renewing a driver’s licence at the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) can take five hours. Complaining to the authorities is a waste of time as it yields nothing. Their holding reply is that what they use is the best system of which people will soon get used to. Meanwhile, the struggles continue.
It has to be said that the worst suffering Malawians are going through is the lack of security. The media is awash with stories of burglary, gruesome murders, defilement and name it. People are not safe at all. What is more scaring is to hear that even police officers have been caught stealing while armed with guns. If police officers are criminals, who is going to protect people? Losing trust in the police is what has triggered mob justice. It is pathetic. The more police authorities say they are on top of the crime, the more people die and lose their property.
It is appreciated that every government department and ministry has a spokesperson to answer relevant queries. But what is not appreciated is that most of the answers to queries are mere window-dressing of holding replies, in order not to contradict with higher authorities. In most cases they fail to give total assurance. For example, the police spokespersons just talk about case by case situations while people would like to know the time-frame for security to improve. On economy, people would like to know why there seems to be a shortage of forex.
The numerous unanswered questions about the welfare of the people and country as a whole demand that President Peter Mutharika should address the nation to give a true picture and assurance on various problems. Failing which people will speculate and make their own conclusions that government has failed them. The President might say he is already talking to the nation when he holds political mass rallies, but when such functions are characterised by castigations, character assassination and mudslinging of opponents, it is likely that few people bother to attend or listen to on the radio. Mr President, please talk to the nation before things get out of hand. n
