Open Perspective: My wandering spirit of speculation
It doesn’t take a long break for something depressing to emerge from the Democratic Progressive Party administration. The administration is never short of shocks and depressants for a citizenry that is increasingly becoming fatigued and despondent.
Malawi, harden up for more is yet to come. For now it’s about executive negligence spanning three governments and three presidents and yes it is again about money, this time it is about accounting for money.
As for me I do not, as does Anthony Mukumbwa, see as ‘unbelievable’ the fact that government accounts went unaudited for the period 2011-2016. Is it not said that there has been no reconciliation since 1969?
I don’t find this unbelievable in a country where politics, not good governance, is supreme; a country where the politician is leader, expert and god all in one humanoid.
This is what citizens get when they allow politicians the impunity to flout the Constitution and abuse resources. This is an outcome of citizens’ failure to rise in collective action to stop an evil which has stalled development since the 1994 liberation from much loathed autocracy.
Well, it was a case of exit autocracy enter democratic Mafioso; two systems both exploitative and demeaning. For 22 years it has been freedom without development; rights without respect; promise without difference.
To me the period 2009-2014 is a ‘protected and closed chapter’ in matters of audits or acting upon audits. Even with independent audits as did PricewaterhouseCoopers, substantive issues won’t see light let alone action. And this as long as Malawi stays put hoping ‘the reforming system’ will deal with it.
What reform if Parliament rejects independence for ACB and skips discussion of the ATI Bill? An independent ACB, an independent Judiciary and an ATI Law are too risky for a government bent on multi-faceted abuse and plunder.
Remember Malawi that 2009- 2014 was straddled by DPP under the enigmatic Bingu, its variant PP government, and DPP Version II from June 2014. If you are following, this places on the crime scene DPP, PP and DPP II with solid lines pointing to UDF the root of Malawi’s curse.
Malawi, have you not wondered that the infamous K577 billion is not acted upon and that there is still no appetite for action? Well, let me bare my spirit of speculation for your own assessment: You see if the K577 billion were pursued with the rigour and integrity it deserves, neither DPP nor PP core leadership would remain standing. This is a critical period whose clandestine works culminated in the diminishing Cash gate sacrilege.
It’s naïve to expect this government to be enthusiastic about investigating incriminating events of this period, not without a push. Has Malawi not wondered why even Parliament has not been too keen to talk about this spectre; that the push comes from unexpected quarters of the Church?
All this smells complicity in what transpired in the period but of course none is prepared to hang themselves? It takes popular action to instigate action and obtain answers.
Yes, this dark spot irreparably compromises the integrity of the financial management systems, but what is integrity where survival is the paramount need. Should the sacredness of integrity matter more than life? Uyisova Malawi
Nor does the explanation for the evil necessarily lie in bureaucracy. All bureaucracies are sluggard. Surely, this is not about delays nor is it about decentralization. This is calculated silence, slow motion, brinkmanship.
The same leaders expected to take action could well be perpetrators who are now banking on time burying the issues. And sadly in Malawi time indeed heals large boils. Time vacates heinous crimes. Time denies citizens justice.
Sometimes I think that Malawi is free but too incapacitated to actualize her democratic right to pressure leaders. Malawi the society is far too meek to mobilise and demand action from duty bearers be they presidents, ministers, civil servants or parliamentary representatives.
Anthony Mukumbwa finds it ‘shocking that Parliament won’t take Goodall Gondwe to task’ over such horrendous abuses and criminal negligence. I don’t at all.
Much of Parliament is compromised for illegally partaking of the people’s inheritance. On this matter Parliament has effectively lost all moral high ground. Only the Church has any moral high ground, and so it can speak out.
Remember as The Nation editorial said this is a country which uses transfers to punish criminals instead of prosecution and incarceration. This country nurses thieves to the safety of retirement, just to be nice to people who should otherwise be ejected from the systems.
Now everybody, including blindfolded partisans, might just begin to see why the Auditor General must be autonomous, working only with Parliament and the judiciary. People might appreciate why ACB must be liberated from the grip of merciless crocodiles.
Take it or leave it, this government is not going to seal any holes. When it does, be sure new more clandestine ones are agape ready for kusolola.
I fear Malawi is an enslaved society toiling to feed an elite that defies laws; re-writes morality and slows down change to the convenience of lucrative deals.
I understand perfectly that experts such as Bwana Mukumbwa and Madame Mwapasa seek professional solutions, but to me Malawi needs nothing less than a revolution. Yes a revolution that will put leaders in strict check or eject them by popular action.
This may sound quite desperate, criminal and perhaps treasonous thinking but a perfectly admissible option in a democracy.
You see great recommendations have been made in the past 24 months alone, but what action has been taken? Where is the evidence that government thinks for and represents the interests of the people?
Malawi better learn that among Mafioso the rule of thumb is if any recommendation made doth threaten access to the cash box, ignore or panel beat it beyond sting. And of course why should anybody worry if all Malawi does is talk.
Never mind me and my wandering spirit of speculation. But I still think time will come when Malawi will receive baptism by fire, and it’s around the corner.
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