One Malawi one People: What to do Post 20 July Demonstrations
I was shocked by the way events unfolded in my loved country (Malawi) yesterday. Order appeared to be slipping away and the country seemed to be treading toward some of social and political schizophrenia. Things were indeed falling apart and we were quickly losing the oneness and love that was heavily promoted in the past. I felt very angry, very upset and very resentful about all what was happening. I knew people were going to die and so some of them indeed died. We are with them in prayer and may their souls rest in peace. We also pray that the families left behind will have God’s protection and grace as we forge ahead.
Some important questions about this is, how did come this far? Did we have to? How did we let this happen? Going forward, it is imperative that we do serious soul searching and leave all the blame games, concentrate on finding out the root causes of our problems at the moment, address them and forge forward. The issues of the rule of law, economic and social advancement are paramount and we need to seriously address them in our endeavours for a greater Malawi. Vindictiveness, and hateful mudslinging won't have any of the problems we have go, rather these will simply buttress the problems and make them worse than before hence increasing the likelihood of uglier responses in future.
Let's be sensitive to issues of dissent, religions, tribe and regions as these are real potentially explosive points along which unrest often forms. Let us make effort to ensure that all are well represented in our efforts to sort out our problems, lest we draw blanks. Let us seek to repeal laws that appear repressive and hence counter to the post the 1993 constitution. Perception matters in this village that is increasingly becoming global. If we choose controversy over other better alternatives, we will increasingly become isolated and less able to take advantage of the benefits of regional and global integration.
Remember, although some tribes, regions, religions and other social groupings may be larger than others, we are one Malawi and must purport to behave with due cognizance of such a fact. It is dynamically unhealthy for fabrics as large as the Central region, or the Southern region or the Christian community to try and advance leadership that seeks to isolate those outside such circles. If it is dangerous for such sections to be less inclusive in their governance and leadership styles, it is more than just suicidal for smaller groupings such as parties, tribes or villages.
We in Malawi are diverse and diversity has in itself power and the ability for generating societal greatness. We must take advantage of such to advance towards the goals for which the nation was wrestled from the grips of colonialists-the reasons we sought self-determination together. Therefore it is undesirable to start thinking in terms of regions, tribes, religions etc for to do that would be to invite instability in the times ahead. It is undesirable to start paying mercenaries for witch hunting. No single person caused all this.
The 20th July demonstrations were a product of people’s perception of the government’s inability to understand people’s wants as well as the people’s impatience with economic and social problems. The extent of the damages that followed the demonstrations is likely a product of the manner in which the demonstrations were organised, which was itself dependent on how they were permitted. Going forward, there is no need for witch hunting as that will simply put more of the scarce money in the drain as witch-hunters pay mercenaries to do the hunts. If there is anything that should take much of our time as we go forward, it ought to be an attempt to sort out the many social and economic woes that people are worried about. Address issues of inequality, nepotism, governance, social cohesion, macroeconomic stability and international relations. We will never be successful as a government if we choose isolationism internally or internationally.
Mfumusaka
Some important questions about this is, how did come this far? Did we have to? How did we let this happen? Going forward, it is imperative that we do serious soul searching and leave all the blame games, concentrate on finding out the root causes of our problems at the moment, address them and forge forward. The issues of the rule of law, economic and social advancement are paramount and we need to seriously address them in our endeavours for a greater Malawi. Vindictiveness, and hateful mudslinging won't have any of the problems we have go, rather these will simply buttress the problems and make them worse than before hence increasing the likelihood of uglier responses in future.
Let's be sensitive to issues of dissent, religions, tribe and regions as these are real potentially explosive points along which unrest often forms. Let us make effort to ensure that all are well represented in our efforts to sort out our problems, lest we draw blanks. Let us seek to repeal laws that appear repressive and hence counter to the post the 1993 constitution. Perception matters in this village that is increasingly becoming global. If we choose controversy over other better alternatives, we will increasingly become isolated and less able to take advantage of the benefits of regional and global integration.
Remember, although some tribes, regions, religions and other social groupings may be larger than others, we are one Malawi and must purport to behave with due cognizance of such a fact. It is dynamically unhealthy for fabrics as large as the Central region, or the Southern region or the Christian community to try and advance leadership that seeks to isolate those outside such circles. If it is dangerous for such sections to be less inclusive in their governance and leadership styles, it is more than just suicidal for smaller groupings such as parties, tribes or villages.
We in Malawi are diverse and diversity has in itself power and the ability for generating societal greatness. We must take advantage of such to advance towards the goals for which the nation was wrestled from the grips of colonialists-the reasons we sought self-determination together. Therefore it is undesirable to start thinking in terms of regions, tribes, religions etc for to do that would be to invite instability in the times ahead. It is undesirable to start paying mercenaries for witch hunting. No single person caused all this.
The 20th July demonstrations were a product of people’s perception of the government’s inability to understand people’s wants as well as the people’s impatience with economic and social problems. The extent of the damages that followed the demonstrations is likely a product of the manner in which the demonstrations were organised, which was itself dependent on how they were permitted. Going forward, there is no need for witch hunting as that will simply put more of the scarce money in the drain as witch-hunters pay mercenaries to do the hunts. If there is anything that should take much of our time as we go forward, it ought to be an attempt to sort out the many social and economic woes that people are worried about. Address issues of inequality, nepotism, governance, social cohesion, macroeconomic stability and international relations. We will never be successful as a government if we choose isolationism internally or internationally.
Mfumusaka
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