By Wines Sinoya
It is only human for one to dream whether you have slept on an empty or full stomach.
Using the metaphor of dreams, people and nations alike aspire to move from their current status, if it is undesirable, to a better position. This wishful thinking necessitates the establishment of strategies that facilitate movement to the admired level. That’s why Malawi has seen the documentation of Vision 2020 and Malawi 2063 agenda. There are also Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all United Nations member states. All these are established to make the world an equitable living space for every human being.
However, having the goals and strategies in place is one thing and taking action to operationalise them is another thing. Change management becomes vital in these scenarios. According to the physics definition of work, if you exert your effort to push a stone but it does not move, then no work is done regardless of how you have struggled in exerting the pressure. This means force should lead to movement. Likewise, there is no change if there is no movement from the current state to a desired state.
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Vision 2020 had very appetising goals but until its expiry period, nothing tangible had happened. Malawi now has the Malawi 2063 Agenda. The question can be: “Are there any preparatory efforts being done that can drive Malawi to the achievement of the goals by 2063?” Without much ado, the answer is emphatically no. But what is the cause of this? It clearly shows that Malawi’s goals are met by approach-avoidance mind on the part of the significant players.
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In this context, it denotes that Malawi is full of ambitious people who strategically pull themselves down. The goals are set for a better Malawi but the same goals cause anxiety as people get close to the goals. The approach part takes consideration of how impactful the goals may be to citizens, and the avoidance reflects resistance by citizens to their own set goals in fear of the implications on their comfort zones.
It is not surprising, therefore, to see reforms being put under the carpet. Sometimes, those that can be described as the elite rebuke the efforts taken by some authorities. For instance, when the State Vice President was visiting some work places , some people could be heard talking s c o r n f u l l y , “sizipitilira izi” meaning that he would not continue with the initiative. Malawi is rapidly growing into a sick nation, where survival of the fittest is the norm now. And Malawins including leaders, are b e c o m i n g enemies of their own development plans.
This is one area that needs to be re-looked at national level if Malawi is to transition from poverty to a high-income economy.
The recent findings of the World Bank and its verdict on our economy and developments taking place in America should be a cause for worry and action.
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It is high time Malawi developed turnaround strategies by creating an institution that should be setting all development priorities.
Mixed reactions Malawians had to the Executive Order made by United States President Donald Trump to suspend development support to countries should serve as a wakeup call. It should also serve as a reminder that Malawi cannot grow economically as well as socially if there is unequal distribution of wealth and fair representation in decision-making positions.
At this point, mindset change is critical. Otherwise, the admired future will remain a dream put on paper while destitution creeps in and stays for long.
*The author is a change management expert
