NO, MR. PRESIDENT – I AM NOT YOUR CHILD

by Suleman Atupele Chitera

You said we are your children. Let’s get the relationship straight. You are my employee. We do not need a father. We need a President who will do what we employed him to do and that is to carry out his programme of development and governance in line with the promises he made when we elected him and in accordance with the Constitution which you swore to uphold – a Constitution which you appear not to have read. Either that or you swore a false oath contrary to the religion which you profess to follow.
I do not need to be told like a naughty child that you will fight me on the streets. When did we ever see you on the streets? Where were you when we were fighting Muluzi’s Policemen on the streets to prevent him from becoming President for Life? We were part of the active civil society that cleared the way for you to become President.
We are not here to be spied on like enemies of the State. We may not be for you any longer but we are definitely for our poor country which you and your cronies are bringing to ruin. When things were showing signs of improvement you asked us to judge you by the work of your hands but when things are going bad those same hands appear to be helpless. When we start asking awkward questions you want to crack down on us; to use the Police to intimidate academics; to muzzle the press; to intercept private correspondence; to hamstring the courts.
We do not need to see our money wasted on glorifying you or your family. We do not want to see you employing your wife when we already have an internationally respected Vice President active in the field at no extra cost to the taxpayer. Birthday parties, funerals, engagements, weddings – these belong to your family. Let those who want to curry favour with you pay for them. And then let the ACB check on where those relationships lead. We should not have to wait until you are out of office to find out.
Strange, really! Some of those big boys who are to be seen hanging around you were also hanging around Bakili. When you first came into office and threatened to crack down on corruption, they left the country. They were not seen around for a number of years until they realised that things had not really changed. There they are again – enriching themselves at our expense and, who knows, perhaps enriching you in the process. You certainly seem to be much richer in office than you were before. Perhaps you would care to tell us where all the money is coming from. Can we have a conducted tour of Ndata?
And we do not want to see massive amounts of money for State House expenditure – discretionary, unaudited expense. And all this money for the Green Belt Initiative – is some of it going to be wasted on the dam at Kapachira? (Another Nsanje Port style white elephant in the making) How many of the inhabitants of the Shire Valley are going to be thrown off their land to make way for commercial agriculture?
Mr. President. Call the American Ambassador over for a chat. Ask him just what the American Government spends on its first family’s personal affairs. Pangali. Palibe. Na ghamu. Nkawa. Palije. Zilch. Nada.
We are not related. We should not see any state monies or resources wasted on your domestic affairs. You should be made to reimburse the State for all of this ego-boosting nonsense. Oh – but I forgot! On the birthday front you did not want to be outshone by your hero, Mlamu Bob, who had five birthday cakes the same week. While Mugabe said that he had the brain of a young man he obviously did not have the lungs. He took a heck of a long time to blow out the candles – and I do not think there was the full 80 plus complement. I hope, Mr. President, that your lungs have the puff to carry you through the coming struggle that you seem to invite. A struggle that would, if you were to win, give you primacy over the Constitution. A struggle that could be the end of Malawi in which the citizenry matters or has a say.
The people of Malawi do not want to fight with their President. But you should take note of what people driven to desperation will do. Ben Ali, Mubarak – out. Brother Leader shaky. Others not feeling too secure.
Better to listen now before the people are driven to desperation.