Tidziwane Ndi Olemba Athu
I do constantly study and question the process of development of nations in light of their social and political fabrics. Development and political economics including law caught my interest long ago when, as a child, my kinsmen and people in our neighbourhood introduced me to the thought that Malawi was relatively poor and under-developed relative to other nations. Frequently, these people bragged and talked about the Republic of South Africa (RSA) as being a marvel of Africa, with advanced infrastructure and social life.
As a young boy, not only did I long to get to RSA to see for myself, I boggled my mind with questions whose answers turned out to be more complex every day I advanced to an older boyhood and every time I tried to delve more into my quest for answers. The dominant questions that characterised my childhood were hence of the following kind; why did our country choose to build fewer and unattractive infrastructure? Why did our leaders, mafumu (chiefs) choose to preside over poor communities? Was it not possible to replicate the RSA dream?
It did not take me long to discover that most of my pals, who were unquestionably brilliant, did not care much about such weird questions. Most of them chose to teach me other important things for which I am greatly thankful. Anyway, as I grew up and advanced in my studies, my interest continued and I set out to attempt to answer those questions. I will not become too prescriptive on this blog, but one thing is now clearer than before and that is development of nations generally hinges on a mix of many different issues at different times.
In terms of education, I am trained up to the Doctoral degree level and my skills have generally been acquired through my primary, secondary and university studies in Africa (Malawi), Europe (Norway and the United Kingdom) and North America (the United States). I also have a BSc, an MSc and an MA in Economics and owing to the broadness of the training I have undertaken, my expertise is in the fields of Econometrics, Development Economics, Microeconomics, and Macroeconomics (International economics, Public Policy), property rights, investment analysis, corporate governance and many others.
As a scholar, I have achieved several honours and without wasting too much time on this, it is worth mentioning that I graduated as the best student among 120 other students at the University of Malawi and won the National Bank Student Achievement award; have won numerous scholarships and presented at different forums in Africa, many countries in Europe, Asia and the United States. I have twice represented Leeds University at doctoral symposia for European and American universities where participants are said to be the gifted few, and indeed this year’s (2009) participants at the University of London (London Business School), mainly came from Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford, Yale, New York University, University of California –Berkeley, University of Chicago, Oxford, Cambridge, London Business School, Warwick, a few others from Asia, Germany, Portugal and France, and of course Leeds University-UK (which I represented). I was one of the only two Africans (the other was Nigerian) who made it to the event.
With respect to Malawi’s development, I should say that just like the incumbent president of Malawi, his government and most of his lieutenants, I am development conscious and I hope that as a nation we will forge ahead with the quick, sustainable and sound development agenda for the nation. The time is now, we need to develop this nation!
This blog will be characterised by briefs and issues about politics, the law and development in general and more often for Malawi in particular.
Enjoy the blog my friends, countrymen and fellow planet men.
Greenwell (Mfumu Saka)
As a young boy, not only did I long to get to RSA to see for myself, I boggled my mind with questions whose answers turned out to be more complex every day I advanced to an older boyhood and every time I tried to delve more into my quest for answers. The dominant questions that characterised my childhood were hence of the following kind; why did our country choose to build fewer and unattractive infrastructure? Why did our leaders, mafumu (chiefs) choose to preside over poor communities? Was it not possible to replicate the RSA dream?
It did not take me long to discover that most of my pals, who were unquestionably brilliant, did not care much about such weird questions. Most of them chose to teach me other important things for which I am greatly thankful. Anyway, as I grew up and advanced in my studies, my interest continued and I set out to attempt to answer those questions. I will not become too prescriptive on this blog, but one thing is now clearer than before and that is development of nations generally hinges on a mix of many different issues at different times.
In terms of education, I am trained up to the Doctoral degree level and my skills have generally been acquired through my primary, secondary and university studies in Africa (Malawi), Europe (Norway and the United Kingdom) and North America (the United States). I also have a BSc, an MSc and an MA in Economics and owing to the broadness of the training I have undertaken, my expertise is in the fields of Econometrics, Development Economics, Microeconomics, and Macroeconomics (International economics, Public Policy), property rights, investment analysis, corporate governance and many others.
As a scholar, I have achieved several honours and without wasting too much time on this, it is worth mentioning that I graduated as the best student among 120 other students at the University of Malawi and won the National Bank Student Achievement award; have won numerous scholarships and presented at different forums in Africa, many countries in Europe, Asia and the United States. I have twice represented Leeds University at doctoral symposia for European and American universities where participants are said to be the gifted few, and indeed this year’s (2009) participants at the University of London (London Business School), mainly came from Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford, Yale, New York University, University of California –Berkeley, University of Chicago, Oxford, Cambridge, London Business School, Warwick, a few others from Asia, Germany, Portugal and France, and of course Leeds University-UK (which I represented). I was one of the only two Africans (the other was Nigerian) who made it to the event.
With respect to Malawi’s development, I should say that just like the incumbent president of Malawi, his government and most of his lieutenants, I am development conscious and I hope that as a nation we will forge ahead with the quick, sustainable and sound development agenda for the nation. The time is now, we need to develop this nation!
This blog will be characterised by briefs and issues about politics, the law and development in general and more often for Malawi in particular.
Enjoy the blog my friends, countrymen and fellow planet men.
Greenwell (Mfumu Saka)
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