Confusion in JB’s govt

The President’s indecisiveness on issues that matter will always be the impetus for her own undoing.

Look at the following issue seriously for example. She has hired people to advance her policies which just some nine months ago they opposed passionately.

When Britain piled the pressure during the Bingu’s administration that the Presidential Jet should be sold, it was Goodall Gondwe that was giving specified arguments against selling the plane.

According to Goodall then the plane was bought to cut costs in the long run.

Today Goodall is serving as Minister of Economic Planning and Development and the decision to sell the plane falls within the scope of the Economic Recovery Plan which the ministry is spearheading its implementation.

The critical question is how does Goodall reconcile his earlier opposition to the sale of the plane and the current position to sell it – both positions being motivated allegedly to cut costs in the long run? Which position is the correct one to cut costs in that run?

Goodall Gondwe was the face of the argument that devaluation should not happen without accompanying measures to cushion the people. Infact his language was that devaluation would need to be part of a mix of measures that had to be undertaken to solve the economic problems besetting the country.

Today Goodall speaks in favour of all the policies undertaken by the PP administration which largely contradict his earlier position. Which Goodal must be believed?

So is the case of the doctor of literature at the Ministry of Finance, Ken Lipenga. He defended the Zero Deficit Budget under Bingu only to scorn it when Joyce Banda maintained him at Treasury. Which Lipenga deserves to be believed.

Is it not intriguing that Ken Lipenga led negotiations with the IMF under Bingu which included speaking in favour of Bingu’s policies, and when he remained at Finance under President Banda he remained the team leader negotiating with the IMF under different policy arrangements? Just how did one man manage to be a face of two different sets of policies to the IMF? Can such people be trusted?

Joyce Banda has shown she can take such people seriously.