Leadership was invented to bring about order in everyday life. When you read philosophers like Thomas Hobbes on social contract, they will tell you that man is by nature selfish and that the default status of the human condition is chaos. As such, people thought it wise to establish systems that would ensure order and peace, and at the top of such systems are figures of authority. However, it becomes problematic when those entrusted with such huge responsibilities abrogate them and choose to look the other way. This has been the case in our country and the consequences are dire.
Let’s take, for example, what happened about a week ago when President Lazarus Chakwera was travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to wine and dine, among other things. Some people, apparently from Ndirande, blocked his way and even stoned his convoy. These people were daring enough to compromise the security of the top-most-man in the country, and they succeeded. Following such embarrassing scenes, heads rolled and a few individuals were arrested, only to be let go days later. It is rumored that Ndirande spat fire and promised to take the law it its hands if the people were not released from jail. There is a belief that the police are afraid of Ndirande.
Whatever the case might have been, one cannot help but sniff the acrid stench of politics in all this. A few other critics have also pointed this out. Those who blocked the President’s convoy may be politically frustrated with how things are not working in this country, and they are justified to be angry. However, they are not justified to put the President in such a precarious situation. Those who dropped the charges of these miscreants may have been thinking about the impacts of being at odds with Ndirande when we are approaching elections. It may be political suicide. So, the logic is; let them go so we don’t lose some votes. In Malawi, votes are more important than anything else.
Such has been the trend and it has gotten us nowhere. It has only bred chaos and disaster. Some months ago, vendors in Limbe almost killed city council employees who were trying to bring order to that chaotic town by enforcing the law on legitimate places of trading. These vendors are all over our towns and they do not pay any mind to any law. It is hard to imagine that, just a few years ago when Bingu wa Mutharika was in charge, these same streets were clean and neat, with all the vendors relocated to proper markets. That was also the case when Dr Kamuzu Banda was in power and Malawi was a country. But today’s leadership thinks more about their mouths and the votes they may lose if they enforce law and order. It is not about Malawians; it is about a few individuals who benefit from fracas.
chaos we see on our streets and in our neighbourhoods is just a tip of a huge iceberg that will sink this ship. Malawi is losing a lot to our careless approach to politics and our low standards. Our political leaders seem not to the aware of why they are in positions of authority, and that is a recipe for disaster. The corruption that is here, the dwindling standards of education, the poor infrastructure and the stagnation in national development are all consequences of imprudence in leadership. We let things playout to the advantage of political gains and do not even count the losses that come with that approach. We are in a state where anyone can get away with anything because those in power want a good name.
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The popularity contest that our politicians are obsessed with spells disaster for the future. As we approach 2025, Malawians should expect more lows because no one in power will be willing to hold people accountable for fear of losing votes. We must also expect a rise in corruption as our leaders are sourcing funds for their campaigns. What Malawians should bear in mind is that our political leaders deliberately choose to maintain chaos, disorder and lawlessness because they feed on these evils. We are still waiting for a leader who will be willing to act above the low that we are used to.
