The race for the presidential seat is intensifying with each passing day.
As of now, almost all serious contenders for the country’s top job have launched their campaigns and we have seen what their manifestos contain.
For neutral observers who understand the basic facts about this country, the manifestos revealed so far are not inspiring.
We are talking about those from the big two, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
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To begin with, none of these parties seems to have learnt anything significant from their last campaign in 2020.
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The turbulent reign of the Tonse Alliance, which, in essence, is MCP, over the past five years has also failed to impart any wisdom to these frontrunners.
Judging by what they are promising Malawians, these people still believe in selling dreams that cannot be realised.
They have returned to their usual ways; using their own strange dictionaries in which “campaign” means “a cocktail of poorly conceived lies”.
Presidential hopefuls are once again touring the country, telling Malawians they will do what cannot be done.
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What is uncanny is that all the major parties appear obsessed with money and with spending what they do not possess.
They are fully aware that our coffers are dry; that Malawi’s economy runs on deficits, yet they still promise enormous expenditure.
They speak of splashing billions on our impoverished citizens when, as we speak, the country does not even have foreign exchange reserves.
In their twisted wisdom, these politicians are planning to milk a dying cow already on its deathbed.
If these are the best leaders we can offer, then we should not be surprised by our poverty, nor should we be shocked that corruption continues to worsen; they are addicted to spending money that does not exist.
With a basic understanding of our economy, it is easy to see that most of the promises being made on the campaign trail are false.
This is no exaggeration, as we know these people have lied to us before. For instance, a big portion of what the MCP promised in their last campaign remains undelivered and they have blamed natural disasters, wars and even the devil for this failure.
Considering how they have mismanaged the economy over the past five years, it would be naïve to believe that in a new term they would manage to reduce Pay As You Earn tax to a minimum of 10 percent.
Equally implausible is the promise to give K500,000 to every newborn. These, among many other pledges, are wholly unrealistic.
One should also not be swayed by DPP when it claims it will distribute billions of our faltering currency to constituencies in development funds.
There are no billions lying idle in this country, waiting to be spent. The party’s promise to scrap school fees for secondary education is equally absurd.
As things stand, funding for primary, secondary and tertiary education is insufficient, even with the fees students currently pay.
It was also inadequate during DPP’s time in power and they failed to address the issue.
Making secondary education free would likely lead to the total collapse of an already struggling sector. These are fantasies that should not even be told to children.
But as we know, our politicians will continue peddling these half-truths as they travel the country in their luxurious vehicles, selling dreams to a population living a nightmare.
They know that most Malawians are ignorant, illiterate and desperate and they exploit this reality.
With our current levels of ignorance and illiteracy, politicians can spew any nonsense about transforming the economy and no one will challenge them.
In the face of hunger and desperation, the masses they encounter will vote for anyone promising handouts worth billions.
Such is the tragic state of our nation. And you can be certain that these masters of deception have already prepared the excuses they will give when they inevitably fail to deliver what was never deliverable.
