Don't Dare undermine Muluzi's Legacy!

Kwasfrim is my African buddy in these distant lands far from the continent. Usually I am with him in the computer labs doing our assignments. He is the guy who introduced me to Linköpings’ Baptist Church. He is typical of what I like in those that are my close friends - talking and never in want of fun and laughing stuff. The boy also has a liking for African politics and keenly follows the happenings on the political landscape of the land of his fathers, Ghana. Hardly a day passes before we laugh at some political madness that is never short of display on this our continent we both so much love. Whenever Kwasfrim finds me in one of the university computer labs working on my computer the first and usual question he raises after extending his greeting is “Is there any news from Malawi?” He knows we are having elections in May. Due to his inquisitiveness I have often times narrated to him almost the legacy and record of every of Malawi’s politicians. In the same manner I have learnt a lot about Ghana’s politics, politicians, and history from Kwasfrim of course even though it might be biased but who said there is unbiased information?

So with Muluzi making news in Malawi I have always shared with him that the former president is seeking a comeback. But instead of letting the due process of the law take its course Kwasfrim immediately started lambasting me and Malawians as to how we can allow a man to come back into office. I told him that it is not our fault but that we are all waiting either for Malawi Electoral Commission or the courts to interpret the constitution for us. I told him that Muluzi is counting on the linguistic ambiguity of one of the constitution’s sections about term limits which other than just stating that no president shall rule the country for more than two terms the writers complicated things by stating that “no president shall be allowed to run for office after serving a maximum of two consecutive terms.” Now, Kwasfrim never delays in lambasting African politicians. That day when I explained to him this linguistic source of the controversy he immediately took to lambasting the framers of the constitution. “Why do Africans make things sound complicated? Why didn’t they just put it in simple and straightforward words? Look, now they are giving loopholes to Maluzi to come back”.
“Muluzi.” I said to correct him. He didn’t give a damn.
“No one should rule for more than two terms. That is unacceptable.” He lambasted. His passion and conviction were unmistakable.
“Now that man will come again. He will rule you again because of your unnecessary piling of words in the constitution”. He was firm. That for him was the cost we should pay for trying to impress with our language. But I told him the man would fail at one stage or the other.

Since then it became a norm for him whenever he finds me in the computer lab to ask “What is Mazzulini saying today?”
“Oh Muluzi?” I would correct him the African way of not boldly telling him that that was not his name. “No news from Muluzi” I would respond.

This week though when he asked the routine question I had a different answer.
“What is Maluzu saying today?” At least now he was gradually zeroing in on the correct pronunciation of the man’s name.
“Oh Muluzi? He is hiring some 2 British QC lawyers and also another prominent South African lawyer together with dozens of other local Malawi lawyers to make his case in court about his eligibility upon being rejected by the electoral commission to contest”
“Eh!” He went into his usual screams of immense suprise. “That man won’t win. If he is hiring all those powerful and expensive lawyers then it means he is in doubt himself. But still the ambiguity of the constitution gives him some room” He betrayed some hesitance.

Now, recently I have been reading that Muluzi is being called Obama by his supporters. I followed Obama’s campaign. He was named Obama throughout. But whether Muluzi can rightly fit in Obama’s unprecedented garments is one question. The fact however is that the people have seen something greater in Obama that at least is not in Muluzi or at least to which he is aspiring to achieve and has still some way to go. In short for them Obama is greater than Muluzi. In other words Muluzi is not as great as Obama. In other words Obama is an inspiration to Muluzi. In other words Muluzi is not as inspirational on the international scene as is Obama.

But if you believe this may you please prepare to change your outlook. Muluzi is inspiring people out there in the international world. As long as Kwasfrim is Ghanaian and not Malawian and therefore international then there is a story you must hear, a story I will tell.

Kwasfrim has just been among the un-noted whom the Muluzi inspiration is catching out there in the world beyond the Malawi borders. You see, Kwasfrim had an assignment for his coursework to do. Three days ago he told me it was due today Friday 27th March 2009. So today he was so tied up and very quiet on his computer working on his assignment which yesterday he told me was due at 12pm today. There he was. Working. But he had confessed more than thrice that the assignment was quite difficult and that yesterday he had lost much time as he had to do his round of work at the place he works. The pressure was on him. He finally confessed that given the context he had resigned to submitting it after the stipulated time. He said he would risk having some marks deducted as a penalty.

I was also quietly working on my thesis when suddenly I heard him shout at me asking, “What is the date today?”
“27th ” I responded without looking at him.
“Oh!?” He was puzzled.
“What’s up?” I took my eyes off the computer and looked at him.
He was looking at me with a brighter face.
“Look at this! In class the lecturer told us that this assignment is due on Friday. But on the assignment question that he sent us it is written that the assignment is due for submission on Friday, 28th March 2009!” He screamed pointing to the page bearing the said information on his computer monitor, inviting me to read it. Now today Friday the date is 27th March 2009 and not 28th March which will be the Saturday, tomorrow.

I then saw Kwasfrim’s face brighten up and the pressure he bore before vanished. He sprung out of his chair in relief and started pacing around triumphantly as he who has just solved an age-long bothering puzzle. I laughed out loud and was puzzled by what he said next as he walked around in relief.

“Yeah now I will be like Muluzi. I will submit it tomorrow [Saturday] by 12 mid day. If they ask me I will say that the written instruction on the assignment states that it must be submitted on 28th March [which is a Saturday]”. He said counting on the mistake ignorantly committed by their lecturer.
“Muluzi needs three QCs to defend his case. My case won’t need any QCs. I will say it myself.”
However he stated that he was sure that the lecturer had intended to write Friday 27th 2009 which is the only correct day-date match unlike the wrong and incongruent Friday 28th March 2009.
“I will be like Muluzi! I will capitalize on that mistake” He repeated with smiles.
Such is the legacy of Muluzi. You must never undermine his influence henceforth. Shall you?

African Puzzles

The African puzzle is one which is very mutative. Recent mutations seem to be competing with the HIV virus as far as tracking and pinning down are concerned. I have been shocked at how on this continent of ours we cannot prioritise on core issues. I must confess that the happenings on this our dear continent are increasingly escaping the reach of comprehension.
I hold two countries responsible for my increased failure in understanding the happenings on the continent - Malawi and Madagascar.

It is no other date other than 10th March 2009. This is the day the International Monetary Fund was not at its seat in Washington but in Tanzania making scary forecasts about the African economy, that the world is facing its 'greatest recession' and that Africa will feel its full force. Gloomy pictures. Leaders of the world's economies which always determine Africa's economies are up and down trying to make sense of or put sense into this economic crisis. Gordon Brown has just been meeting Obama over the economy. The EU has been in countless meetings over the economy. These are the economies which when they sneeze Africa's catch a serious cold.

While a few African countries and citizens are concerned about how to sail through the economic turmoil's water, at least the people in Malawi and Madagascar have some other things more urgent and that demand priority over the economy.

Today the army chief in Madagascar has issued an ultimatum to the struggling sides to either concentrate on holding the nation together or risk a military take-over. The capital's mayor has had his supporters staging bloody protests demanding an exist of the president. About 100 people have been killed in such protests in the past two months. Some sections of the army have vowed to side with the renegade mayor. They think the future for whatever the ills they can see about the present government can only be cured and good governance secured not by reformation of systems and structures but only through the installation of the mayor as the next president. This is looking not into the future, looking not beyond now, not beyond the capabilities of the individuals in the present, but just what is subjectively convenient now. This is a big problem in Africa. Even if the president might be the problem, his removal at least by following the due process of the law is a first step towards the right solution. Even if everybody wants him gone by yesterday, still the future is not insured by just swapping responsibilities to another 'nice' man. It lies in the reformation of systems and institutions. The people of Madagascar should by now know that the current president is facing his fall in the same fashion he rose up. They should have learnt by now that their style of change of leadership which always costs human lives is not among even the least efficient ways of changing government and making progress. May be they know better. May be they should be left alone.

Now to the Warm Heart of Africa. Elections are around the corner, 20th May2009 to be exact. Instead of focusing on how they will handle the economy in light of the global economic crisis my dear Malawi politicians with the current state of the economy are conducting themselves as though this were the period the world economy registered an unprecedented growth. John Tembo was out on Monday at a rally. His theme of the rally: the numbered days of the tenant of the state house. His message is one of the party forming government this year. That there will be universal fertiliser subsidies. But when thousands of tax-paying citizens of the donor countries are losing jobs, the tax which finances Malawi's (40%) budgetary support is it prudent to continue with making promises as usual when things are not that promising? When the citizens of the donor countries are being given of coming days of perseverance and collective effort in overcoming the economic difficulty is it not surprising to see Tembo promising free fertilizers as his friend Muluzi promises free secondary school education without any tuition fees? So you have leaders in donor countries urging their citizens to tighten their belts even harder in order to sail through, whereas on the receiving end the cunning Malawian politician is promising his citizens and counting on the money the squeezed citizens of donor countries will give that they should expect relaxation of contribution to the state coffers and that this is not a moment that demands extra commitment in our whatever enterprises. Instead as they put it this is the moment of receiving for free.

This is how it goes on my dear continent I love so much. I love it the more irrespective of such paradoxes that she is never short of.

Herbert of Batumeyo Village

365 days ago the world lost one of those that it had hosted for 58 yrs. This is not to say the man himself was lost. He only departed. He departed because this was not his destination. He was only passing through. He was a sojourner. 365days ago he left. Usually pomp and trumpets and a gathering of society's important people characterize the death of those that ere famous, powerful, re-known and sometimes even the wise and great. Human nature being frail and undiscerning as it is, easily removes the barriers that lie between the famous, powerful, rich, and influential on the one hand and the great or wise on the other.

I have had the privilege of at least once escaping from this common trap. I did when 365days ago on a Thursday like today 12th March 2009 one the great men and wise men of my lifetime left this life for the other. There was no pomp and publicity to mark his departure which nobody wanted it took place so soon. His name did not even grace the pages of the cheapest newspaper in Malawi on that 13th of March 2008. Yet I remain convinced that one the greatest men in my lifetime fell that day.

I am writing this piece in a room which has been my abode for the past six months whose address Bjornkarrsgatan 8A23, Linkoping 584 36, Sweden. Exactly at this time last year I was approaching Salima from Zomba to mourn and 48hrs later bury this great man Herbert Manthalu in Batumeyo Village, T/ A Mavwere, Mchinji. For most people getting where I have is one of those things that happen. For me it is the grace of God. Yet this man called Herbert who was my father ensured that the tender lives under his custody as his children manage to get the opportunities of life. What amazes me is the great wisdom this man had. For this reason I have called him a great man. The man was wise. The man saw for his children of which I am the second born among the six. Not only did he see ahead of the moment but he managed to see beyond what some men of letters cannot see for their kids.

The man had no greater education qualification than a Malawi School Leaving Certificate and some other Human resource management certificate or diploma which he got almost twenty years in public service. In simple terms his education was not any attractive. It was not great. This inevitably affected the shape and quality of life we led in the family. We were just kids of a government clerk whose wife was a mere primary school teacher. That is how it was, that simple and real. We spent a lot of time in Kasungu and were staying in by then a medium density location. Most of the neighbours were men of relatively big positions at their respective places of work. Generally, with an exception of a household or two, we were the most unenviable household as regards economic status in the neighbourhood. The man however did not submit to fate. He had failed to get a diploma in his life. His wife is only a primary school teacher with a Junior Certificate qualification. He had every justification to source hope for us from other things, elsewhere except in education. How could he prioritise this realm of education as though he or his wife were an inspiration and models to us? This is where traces of his greatness start to emerge.

Growing up in our home of four boys and two girls in that order of birth was interesting. We might have been poor but were rich in laughter. The home was always noisy. Noise of laughter and happiness of course. But this happiness would suddenly disappear once we had our dinner. The man would command everybody to get his books and be on the dinner table for studies. Were it to end there then it would be a very pale reason not enough to dismiss happiness in the home. It was thicker than this. A sizeable rod would always stand in the corner waiting for use. It could be called to duty once one of us was caught dozing. Mercilessly (but now I know hopefully and lovingly) the whippings would awaken you into reality. Sometimes powerful slaps would follow. Or if there is persistence in dozing, cupfuls of water even during the coldest month of June would do the trick. They would be poured out on your head till your clothes got drenched. No chance to go and change clothes. They should dry while on the body. I do not remember anybody who ever dozed over his book when it reached this far. This was when we were in primary school. Once you got o standard four you always knew moments of happiness were being shortened.

The moment you got to standard 8 where you sit for national Primary school leaving certificate examinations and get selected to secondary school it was much hotter and demanding. No more going out to play even on weekends. There was a timetable for studies not drafted by us but by him. It had breaks of no more than one hour. There was just no freedom but study. To make sure you are not just staying idle in the bedroom, he would administer a test may be fortnightly. Your grades in that test would tell whether you had been studying or not. Not only would the grades tell but a very strong whipping would follow to testify that you were not studying as seen by your failure in the test he gave us. There was as such no choice. You just had to get the good grades if you love living in peace. You just had to study. The results were overwhelming as I now see in retrospect. I can safely say that almost throughout our primary school the average position for each of the six children of us was position three. On very rare occasions was a child of Hebert Manthalu below position five. You knew the reward for such poor positions. I remember that when about three of us were in primary school attending the same school people would envy us. During the pupils' assembly on the closing day there was a public announcement of each class' results and the positions for everyone. Manthalus in their respective class would almost always be on position 1 or 2 or 3. That was it. Then the other folks would admire us and claim that we were an intelligent family. May be they were right. But I do not think that had they ever peeped into the routine of the rigorous study life in our home they would still firmly hold their claims. End of school terms were usually the best times for we could at last get praises from our father. Soon we would sleep and the happiness return unrestrained. But it would not stay long. Few weeks before opening gradually the 'normal' order would return.

Failing an exam or scoring an average grade was always a frightening thing. You always knew that there would be no peace at home. There were no other choices except to study and pass. Not just pass with average grades. But passing with brilliance.

When we got to secondary school the demands were the same. Aim high. Whenever the man met or had some new young graduate bosses whom he had to respect at his work place he would take it wisely. He respected them all. This is usually a problem in a culture where the young must always look up to and respect elders. But he did not let it end there. He would come home and motivate and counsel us to aim at going to university, whose only door was to have nice grades in the national examinations. He always said hard work is the key even for the most poorest of the poor. He emphasized hard work and personal commitment (uyikilako mtima – in his exact vernacular). About 80,000 post-secondary school students then fought for the only 3,000 university places. Your grades had to be good and better. The elder brother did it. Then I did it. My immediate younger brother did it. His younger brother did it too. He had barely finished a semester in his freshman year when the man who had sighted the success for him and forced him to walk in its way slept.

I had thought that now that I had had a bachelor’s degree then I should be contented and much more so should be my dad who had not even a diploma anyway be contented. I was amazed. He called us when my elder brother was about to start work. We needn’t be contented so he said. We should aim at getting a Masters degree. “The world is competitive these days." He would say. Such words? From one who has no tertiary education? I am amazed every time I look back at this. Soon my elder brother went to do a masters degree in the UK. He was always encouraging me to get the opportunity when I find it and that I should continuously be searching. I was searching. There was a time I was shortlisted for an MA in political science in our national university in 2007. I was not successful. My younger brother later told me that the man was very concerned that I had not been picked. He was always raising the issue when they were at home. I had been working though at the time, teaching at Mulunguzi Secondary School. The next year the same opportunity availed itself again to me. I did all I could in preparation. Again I was not successful. This time what made me bitter was not just that I had failed again. But even importantly that I had made the man my dad be even more worried and concerned. I had once told him the previous year that I was in the process of applying for MA studies in Sweden. I had talked about it with him only once. My mother later told me he had been earnestly praying for me to succeed on this one. When I received the news that I had been offered the scholarship I called my mother and broke it to her. After talking with her I hung up the phone. But this was not normal. I would not hang up after talking with her only. I had to talk with her husband, my dad as had been the norm. Not on this day though. Not over this news that I am too sure would have pleased him more than it did please me. I could not talk with him. I wished I had told him the news. But no! How could I? Do you talk with one whose body you have just buried a month before on a 15th of March 2008?

Today I have about two months to finish my MA studies. How I wish that man was there to see it all! But his absence does not make me bitter and bad. It makes me celebrate. It challenges on how to focus and live life. Seriously considering others. Today I am not engaged. Not even do I have a girlfriend. I have no wife and as such I am not a head of a family. Yet this does not prevent me from knowing what it takes to be a great father. I know though a distance away from the institution of marriage of how to be a great father. I have learnt it. I have seen it all in Herbert. Herbert Manthalu of Batumeyo Village, T/A Mavwere Mchinji.

No More Pleas Please!

I am constantly being puzzled by the politics of Africa. It seems to me that contrary to all expectation we are regressing away from maturity and stability by the day. The political analyst struggling to pose in un-matching optimism would respond that what we are going through is part of maturity that our democracy is being tested and we are making progress. How I wish I had such hope and optimism for Africa and Malawi.

Why I am desperate for such optimism which I nevertheless cannot afford to have is the fact that we are failing tests whose skills ought to have mastered. I am so concerned with elections in Africa. One of the urgent things I would seek to understand than how a NASA space shuttle docks at the international space station is why is conducting an election in Africa is so troubling a problem that there is always the threat of or indeed the actual loss of human life as the ultimate cost?

But part of the reason as I have discovered this week is that the African society is still stuck in the unrewarding tendencies of not asserting itself. Leadership in our society is given unnecessary power. In the end we do not entrust the leaders with our power but we transfer and give them power over us. In the end these leaders become our deities. We adore them. We always hear from them. We cannot make them listen to us. We are at their mercy. One would think that in a democracy such tendencies would diminish but alas!

There will be presidential and parliamentary elections in Malawi on the 20th of May this year. The centre of attention, for usually the wrong reasons, is on Bakili Muluzi and Bingu Wa Muthalika. This is not to suggest that these are the only favourites. Actually when you factor in J.Z.U. Tembo of MCP, the question of a favourite becomes more indeterminate. It is the relationship of the two aforementioned men that is part of news everyday. Muluzi a former head of state ruled Malawi for 10 years until 5years ago. To the disappointment of the inner circle of the party he picked Mutharika who was a complete outsider of the party for the presidency after (Muluzi’s) failing to secure amendment of the constitution to cater for at first an open term and then later on a third term limit for the presidency. However upon assuming power the two became enemies and Muthalika finally ditched the party and formed his own. Muluzi became furious and vowed to wrestle back the presidency from Muthalika. His candidature though counts on a linguistic ambiguity of a constitutional phrase that semantically would also accommodate a former president to come back yet morally and as per intention of the section according to the constitution conference that arrived at it there was an unequivocal spirit of putting a sealed limit on the number of years one can rule in one’s lifetime.

The contest between Muluzi and Muthalika has led into a sour relationship between the two that defies the monumental natural hatred cats and mice passionately love to have against each other. They have castigated each other. They have accused and counter-accused each other. They have abused the media to bedevil each other. There has been debate as to whether the country is currently under some political tension or not. Some say there is none. Others claim there is clearly more than it.

As for the clergy this is not a contentious matter. They are very clear: There is tension in the country. Political commentators and the civil society organizations too have repeated the same tune of possible violence. The electoral violence alarm has been sounded and resounded. On 25th and 26th February 2009leadership of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), the Malawi Council of Churches (MCC), the Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) , the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), the Quadria Muslim Association of Malawi (QMAM), and the Hindu Council, came together to deliberate about the pending election. Whatever they deliberated they communicated the cream of their deliberations through a press statement. The theme of their statement was worry about the electoral process. They in the end urged the major leaders to avoid violence.

Now, in Malawi the influence of religious leaders is not like it is in America or Sweden. Actually each of the candidates belongs to some church or religion and the influence of one’s religion is no small matter. This is where I find everything wrong with Malawian leaders (the clergy, the media, Civil Society organizations, and political commentators). The best these people have done (assuming there is tension) in Malawi is issue statements of appeal and press the violence scare. So too have the media, Civil society organizations and political commentators. Sounding the alarm for whom?

It is high time we realized that the least we can do to these politicians is plead with them. It is very clear that almost the major contenders in this race have personal scores against each other. This is no secret to everyone. Malawi however is more than Muluzi, Bingu, and Tembo. Malawi is greater than MCP, than UDF. She is greater than DPP. There are more Malawians than there are DPP members. Surely we have more Malawians than MCP members. Malawians outnumber UDF members. Malawi is greater than any individualistic ambitions embodied in whosoever’s personage. This plain reality seems to have eluded our civil society, the media, political commentators, as well as the clergy leadership. On the fundamental background of Malawi’s greatness over strife-breeding personal egos these contestants should be told by the clergy, the media, civil organizations, and political commentators of what to do and how not to conduct themselves pertaining to the elections and stability of the country. We should not engage in the shallow waters of pleading for what rightfully belongs to us. What I am saying is that there are 13 millions. Less than 500,000 of us are party radicals who have nothing to lose and are eager to unleash violence (don’t question my intuition basis for this figure). Why should the 12 or 10 million of the rest of the others kneel down to a mistaken few and plead for an election that is fair and violence free? Why should we press the panic button? For whom? Surely it is not for these leaders who are deliberately piling up the tension.

If there is tension in our country, we are its creators. We are to bear its blunt. We should pay with some of our women’s dignity and children’s blood. Still it will be us who will be responsible to finding a solution later on. In every respect the whole spectacle is all ours. We should therefore not hesitate to highlight each of the contenders’ specific contribution and what they are obliged to do to in order to leave the country’s stability intact. No pleas please. As long as we agree Malawi is greater than these people we should not mince words to them. How on earth can we afford such passivity? It is in this that we find the current violence scares unnecessary and a default of our responsibility for the moment.