Away with Crocodile tears!

25^th July 2010.

An imposing challenge for the many optimists of this country: Does our destiny contain a moment when guiders of this nation will learn to be motivated by the larger picture, the long-term? The species of politicians in Malawi never ceases to amaze, astound, and shock with their increasing short-sightedness, lack of direction and the misplaced zeal to seem impressive.

This week some foreigner’s (who’s white) ferocious dogs have brutally attacked and injured his watchman in his seventies, biting off his ear and nose. The president commented on this as he was leaving for the African Union summit in Kampala, particularly condemning the dog owner’s lack of remorse and sympathy as he requested an HIV test on his guard lest his dogs contact the virus.

Tirades of condemnation have followed and flowed from many. Suddenly three or so cabinet ministers separately visit the poor guard in hospital. What they were up to before the president made the condemnation on the apparently racist attitude displayed by the dog owner is mysterious to common sense. Just to seem impressive? Some went as far as revealing that they had donated to the injured guard about K20, 000.

However most of this is not in any least meaningful measure impressing. It is ordinary stage acting. Isn’t this at least the third time a person has been set upon by very ferocious dog specie that in an otherwise caring and forward-looking society that both listens and relevantly learns from tragedy, keeping such species would have been banned way back? Wasn’t some noble tax-paying and law-abiding Malawian in the Kameza residential area in Blantyre killed by such ferocious dogs as he was in his self-discipline jogging exercise early in the morning? Now everybody is emotively making the anti-racist chants (albeit some being racist as well). Such crocodile tears fail to impress those that have at least basic memory and have the slightest sense of foresight ever acquirable. Those that are able to imagine and seek ways of attaining their majestic goals will actually feel ashamed to (in shortage of authentic tears of sympathy) feign shock and disbelief in such sad moments. Wasn’t a great entrepreneur mauled to death by his own ferocious dogs right in this nation just a few years ago? Again weren’t those a very ferocious specie of dogs inappropriate to be kept within our neighbourhoods? Weren’t those that are expressing shock now shocked and horrified then when these tragically fatal incidents hit the headlines so as to warrant preventing them from ever occurring again using the various institutional tools at their disposal? Now, shock is an instinctive mechanism within us that directs our reason upon recovery, of the plain unacceptability of some acts and practices that are a cruel detriment to a progressive and ambition-oriented society. Shock, apart from overwhelming our feelings and emotions, and exposing our vulnerabilities it is only prudent that on account of such tragic shock we should attempt to mend the breakages in our public policy fibre that expose us to such fully traumatising yet preventable scenarios. One in utter incomprehensibility wonders how after two noble lives were lost to apparent yawning gaps in our public policies regarding what species of security dogs or pet dog species we should domesticate all we could shamelessly afford to do was shed tears and again put on our cherished spectacles of short-sightedness that are incompatible with distant forward-looking after a similar incident. Who can understand this? What more should it take for us to contemplate re-visiting laws to do with what type of pet one should keep? Until the deaths sky to hundreds? Or is it that thousands sounds more convenient to awaken us from our reformation slumber? Or is it that a life or two and three do not really matter that much so as to warrant reform or enforcement of such preventive laws (assuming colonialists cared to craft any for us)? Or perhaps is it that the social-political stature of they that have fallen victim to such gaping policies in our public policies is too weak and feeble to warrant an embarkment on necessary reforms? Isn’t it of greater folly when today without any ounce of shame we are chanting down ‘the racist’?

To anyone who has always miserably failed to make correct predictions in awe of the subtleness of the future be assured of getting it right over this one: there will just be no change in public policy over what dog species should be kept in our neighbourhoods, after the cosmetic crocodile tears we are shamelessly affording dry up. It will be back to business as usual, well, until another similar cruel tragedy re-unites us again in the crocodile-tears-shedding contest.

It should be known that for the observant mind most of the institutional commentary over this event is both shameful and in essence undermines the agony through which the innocent guard has been put through. Couldn’t this have been prevented? Have we proudly, adequately, and dutifully served the poor guard that all we should blame is the deplorable insensitivity his boss demonstrated? Sadly this is the characteristic attitude this nation consistently portrays in such unfortunate but alterable situations. More sadly this is un-strange on this continent. Why and how I still insist that my nation is not a failing state I cannot understand. Nationalism or the arrogance of hope?

MALAWI GOING SOMEWHERE?

Recently there was a discussion elsewhere about Malawi of late appearing on the spotlight frequently. The Malawi national football team’s landmark victory over Algeria, the country’s former Finance Minister receiving a international award, etc led many a Malawian to ask whether the country is now standing on its feet and making its way to claim a place for its own in this world. The responses were instantly those in the affirmative type, asserting that the promised time is finally here and that we should be ready to see more of Malawi. Litanies of great Malawians who have greatly achieved great feats in great nations were cited. A mood of hope was spreading.

I however took a cautious position. It seems when some of your own soil outstandingly achieve some form of recognition many believe that OUR time has come. I also believe so. I have also believed so for some time. Nevertheless how I wish success was to follow such happenings. This is national success.

I dared to take the doubting Thomas’ view. I stated that it was very true that the kin of us are doing wonders elsewhere. But we should never dive into the unsafe conclusion this is a declaration of change for Malawi. I indicated that individual Malawians elsewhere and some in Malawi are doubtlessly excelling. This however should not elude us into gazing upon the false hope that a new chapter for Malawi is being scribed. Change is both induced and planned. Scarcely does it happen on its own accord.

Even though we are required to hope there are conditions that require us establish foundation for the hope. Personally I think there has been some change in Malawi. These changes have in essence been a redirection of the ship that is Malawi. The sailing in the right direction I believe has not really begun.

To be fair and honest Malawi has not been developing but deteriorating. Unless we open our eyes and confront the diverse rot in our country blocking our noses or using disinfectants won’t take away the rot.

Education.

It is very painful to realise that the quality of education in Malawi is nose-diving. Practical evidence is everywhere. We have exam leakages, collapsing education infrastructure, poor work conditions for the staff. An obvious cited indicator for poor education levels has usually been the ‘poor quality English’ both post-secondary school and even university graduates speak and write today. It is no secret that it is not good. A certain school of thought washes away the implications of this by stating that this is an insufficient ground for concluding that education qualities have gone down. How I wish I believed them.

Given the role of English in the Malawian school system, it is very hard if not impossible to never correlate quality English with acquisition of sound education. The two variables in Malawi are in a relationship that significantly entails each other. For starters, no one can be awarded a certificate if they have failed English. Every student knows that his passing in every subject must never exclude English. He offers the same levels of commitment to English as he does to the other subjects in his studies.

It is also worth-noting that the grammatical content students are requested to demonstrate in English is below 50% (of 200marks) of the examination. To a greater part an English exam aims at communication skills. Take for example Composition writing (40 marks), Comprehension (50 marks), Note-making (30marks). These are basically tests of how a student has developed his communication skills. Nothing about one’s grammar competence.

Health

It is discomforting to learn that the doctor to patient ratio is not impressive in the country. I am unsure as to whether there is any district hospital with more than two doctors. I am ready to be surprised by any contrary news. I know of a paediatric ward which I with a friend had been visiting when his late son had been sick was on average registering an average of five deaths a day usually due to lack of doctors and nurses. I once went to a public hospital for medical check-up. I stayed there for eight hours yet I had been there almost at the time the hospital doors opened in the morning. I was told to come the next day where despite being early I had another five hours of waiting. There was the paying option which I deliberately did forgo on that day so as to have a feel of the treatment of life for the average unsung Malawian. The reason for the abnormal delays: Not only few medical officers but also that the available few work to their own rules as regards punctuality and pace of work.

Corruption

Corruption remains Malawi’s rampaging worst enemy for Malawi. Corruption. Corruption. Corruption, Corruption, Corruption. My heart bleeds for Africa and Malawi when I note the rate of corruption. My wary of corruption is its pervasiveness in both the corridors of power and even the streets that host the poorest of the poor. There is rampant corruption at the grassroots. It is almost practically the case that nothing will work until you are extend a bribe. The heavy stench of corruption in Malawi is neither distant nor hard to detect for those who travel by public commuter minibuses and have seen what happens when an un-roadworthy bus is stopped by the police. Awarding of tenders for the procurement of some public institution’s resources is as murky at the bottom as it is at the top. We cannot continue like this. We cannot convince ourselves to prepare embracing a dawning new Malawi when we remain indifferent to such malaise. I know of some university entrance exams that were leaked before they were administered. I am equally found wanting for being indifferent to such a rot in our society. As long as we let corruption determine our decisions at the school level, at the community level, as long as we can’t raise even the tip our finger in rebellion against corruption it is not prudent for us to harbour the thought that things are positively getting different for our country.

I know of at least two people who have just had driving licences without ever being to a driving school let alone undergoing the official test by road traffic examiners. When I expressed shock at this a close friend shocked me for being shocked with this as though it were a secret. “When I went to the office of responsible for car licences issuing men of repute and holders of public office placed their ‘order’ for a licence to be processed for their child, a licence for driving lorries.” No! Malawi is not moving in the right direction. Not when innocent 19 adults are killed in a road accident in The North because the driver though he had a license is under-aged and just doesn’t deserve to have a licence. Yet the entire nation accepts that it was an accident! When has corruption ever been an accident? Malawi!