At first, the sound was that of perspiring trees making some snaky noise. The noise could be heard from a distance.
Then, the noise stopped. Not that it stopped; it drowned under the noise that was now coming from the rooftop; rain ‘water’ – I do not know why they call it rain ‘water’ because rain is water—hitting the roof and making that thundering noise that makes it hard to hear what is going on outside. I am talking of houses and offices that have no ceilings to act as a buffer for the noise.
The date was March 13 this year and Tropical Cyclone Freddy had announced its arrival— at least in my township. In other places in Malawi, the natural phenomenon’s presence had been felt as early as March 11 — when it made landfall in Malawi.
Not that it was a bolt from the blues. It had been anticipated. The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services had warned Malawians and residents of Malawi to brace for the cyclone.
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Of course, I took heed of the message but did not anticipate that cyclone-induced rains— read, water— could be so consistent that it would cause much pain.
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Pain it did cause, Dear Pain, for I spent the night of March 14 awake. Rain ‘water’ was getting into the house through ‘holes’ I never knew existed. In addition to that water, heavy winds that accompanied the rains were pulling iron sheets of the house apart, meaning that water was getting into the house quicker than I could sweep it.
Try as I could, I still could not catch up with it. This is despite that I had put 30-litre plastic buckets in all the ‘hotspots’ and was, as quickly as I could, pouring water that had filled plastic buckets into the flush toilet.
At one point, when the winds had pulled some three iron sheets apart in the dead of the night, I took two long pieces of wood and tried to pin the ‘errant’ iron sheets to wood that supports iron sheets, to no avail.
Meanwhile, some water was soaking the walls of my house. Unfortunately, I did not have plastic sheets with which to protect the walls of the house. Even if I had, I could not risk it getting outside to place the plastic sheet in vulnerable areas because the winds would have frustrated my efforts.
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Not just that; I would have been drenched in rain ‘water’ within seconds, exposing myself to the risk of pneumonia. I had no choice but to suffer. The rain water was unstoppable.
Today, long after Tropical Cyclone Freddy is gone, water marks can still be seen in my house. In some spots, repainting is needed because water soaked into the wall so deep that it left permanent marks. Neither me nor walls could resist the water.
Elsewhere, people died. Livestock died. House and office property got lost— after being washed away by cyclone-induced floods— forever.
I, and many others, could not stop water.
***
In Malawi football, it seems like there is a Walter some people cannot stop.
I am talking of Nyamilandu, who some misinformed people seem to be vilifying for no logical reason other than cowardice.
The cowards do not want Walter to stand in the Football Association of Malawi (Fam) elections slated for this coming December.
The cowards, Dear Pain, are making the noise because they, surely, realise that Walter cannot be stopped.
Indeed, Walter cannot be stopped. He has, and continues to, put Malawi football on the map.
For example, during his reign, the Malawi National Football Team has qualified for the African Cup of Nations twice. This has never happened in Malawi football. This is due to Walter’s able leadership at Fam.
Under his leadership, the Malawi National Women’s Football Team won the 2023 Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship.
And, yet, for the team to reach that stage, Fam had to contend with problems such as lack of sponsorship.
The team nearly missed out on the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship because funds were not enough.
However, Walter could not allow that to happen and courted well-wishers, notably Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, and the rest is history. We have champions in this country.
Just on Wednesday this week, Walter was in France where he met Fifa President Gianni Infantino, who congratulated the Fam chief for progress made in women’s football in Malawi.
The Fifa boss also expressed satisfaction with how renovations to Fam Technical Centre in Blantyre went, thanks to Fifa Forward funds.
While he was engaging the Fifa chief, Concerned Citizens in Mzuzu were marching on the streets, demanding two things: Walter should not seek re-election; Walter must resign by November 30 this year.
My foot! Why should Walter not stand again when Fam statutes allow him to?
Surely, these people do not know what they are talking about. Walter is free to stand, as simple as that. It is his human right to do so, for the Republican Constitution promotes freedom of association.
After all, delegates will have to vote for a Fam president come December. It is not like Walter is imposing himself on anyone.
It is, therefore, a mark of great cowardice to ask Walter not to stand. Those who are doing so better concentrate on farming— I suggest mushroom cultivation. Better still, they can engage in bee-keeping.
The ‘invisible’ candidates that are sending them are equally tactless. They have no idea how to push aside the winning machine that is Walter.
Walter has one advantage; winning seems to be in his DNA. The best the wannabes can do is stand against him and lose! Or concentrate on things that will not give them blood pressure.
They must leave Walter alone. They can either challenge him at the polls or forever hold their peace.
Just like Concerned Sports Enthusiasts in Lilongwe, the Concerned Citizens in Mzuzu can find something useful to do; other than asking someone who has all the right to seek re-election not to do so.
Surely, there are some tactless people somewhere who think that the Fam presidency comes on a silver platter. Such misguided people want Walter to resign so that they can grab the Fam presidency. That will, surely, not happen. Fight for it. Engage in a tactful battle and not hope for victory on December 16 while hiding in the thicket.
Be men. Rise up to the challenge.
As for the call for Nyamilandu to resign by November 30, that is an act of desperation. Get it from me; Walter will not resign.
After all, winners do not quit. Under his stewardship of Malawi football, the Scorchers, as the Malawi Women’s National Football Team are called, have just won the Cosafa championship this month.
It beats the imagination to realise that organisations that pride themselves in promoting human rights—notably Young Human Rights Defenders Network—are busy calling on someone not to exercise his human right. That is, definitely, wishful thinking.
Leave Walter alone. He is old enough to decide on what is best for him.
And, for those harbouring ambitions of unseating Walter by fighting tactless battles; be man enough. Avail yourselves of the potential delegates. Declare your goods— in public at that. Do not hope and hide. We call it cowardice.
So far, it seems like, like the water in my house back in March this year, Walter is unstoppable.
