Welcome to our new world
The year 2014 seems to be littered with new things. At State House, others call such places plot number one; there is a new tenant, a man – one more time to run the affairs of the State and government.
It is also a new development that for the first time, Malawi has a woman as a former Head of State.
In democratic Malawi after the 1994 elections, the loss by People’s Party (PP) was the first time a party in power lost elections. The United Democratic Front (UDF) vacated office by- circumstance- without precedence of the late president Bingu wa Mutharika quitting the party that sponsored his election and forming his own. Just like the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) left office through the death of Mutharika.
The style for appointing Cabinet is new as well. It is, by all accounts, very unprecedented in the context of Malawi and a complete departure from the traditional norms. Now, the size of Cabinet is fixed at 20. The appointments are not wholesale and at once. They are being made in series. One Cabinet minister today, an interlude of silence, then nine more appointments after two weeks, then another wait for yet more appointments.
It is said those appointed are ones that successfully went through and survived the pitfalls of strict vetting, which included attending job interviews, testing their suitability and relevance to the ministry they were being considered for.
Then there is a new National Assembly, with a new configuration of its membership and shifted balance of power. Richard Msowoya will be the man in the wigs of the Speaker for the next five years. In his absence, Esther Mcheka Nkhoma or Clement Chiwaya will deputise. While at it, this is the first time for a person with physical disabilities, Chiwaya, to be a member of the speakership. More new things!
One can only hope that the style of the deliberations would smell newness. The last time I had the privilege of covering the National Assembly, more time was spent on light moments. Not that they are bad. They simply came too often as if they are the reason the House has to convene. They are not!
For instance, one day in the National Assembly, I can’t remember the exact year, Speaker of the time, Davis Katsonga was in his chair.
“Honourable member,” he mentioned the name of that member’s constituency and continued: “Can you withdraw the word ‘phwii’. It is not parliamentary.”
The member in question had, in apparent frustration, pelted Cabinet ministers with an accusation that they were, in his words, “just sitting ‘phwii’!”
He meant that they were doing nothing to attend to the problems besetting his constituency, despite bringing them to their attention a couple of times.
Hardly had the member in question stood to respond to the Speaker when the member for Mzuzu City, then, Rodger Nkhwazi, sprung to his feet and pleaded, almost begging to be heard!
“I want to help the honourable member with a word, which is an English equivalent of ‘Phwii’,” Nkhwazi told the Speaker.
“The English equivalent for ‘Phwii’ is ‘Phwaa’.”
The whole House collapsed on Nkhwazi with a thunderous laughter. The rest that followed is history.
I hope the House will realise there is serious business to deal with.
This column too – My Space, is one of the new things this year. It has come to occupy the space that hitherto was occupied by the Blakaka. The immediate daunting task, therefore, happens to be to attempt to fill the distended size of that character’s shoes. I hope I will.
The editor deserves my gratitude for the opportunity to be handed the title deeds, of all the more capable and talented people, to be able to transact on this plot literary.
To my readers, please let’s walk together on this journey, providing the praises as they will be needed for motivation and the criticisms because they need to come for purposes of expanding the frontiers of improving our column.
Welcome to our new world!
