There is only one issue our MPs from both sides of the House agree on and it is money, their own money.
After spending two weeks in clusters digesting the budget Goodall Gondwe presented, it was once again time for the plenary session.
They started on Monday afternoon ranting at a newspaper report that suggested they earn more than what is given to them although the publication in question already clarified the matter.
The MPs then followed it up on Tuesday, sulking and threatening to sabotage the budget unless their General Purpose Fund from where they cart away billions of taxpayers’ money in loans is functional.
The threats worked alright because by 4pm the House was uncharacteristically quiet as no MP was willing to contribute anything to the general debate unless and until a report on a meeting their Welfare Committee had with Goodall Gondwe was presented.
When ministers started to claim the higher moral ground and pontificated about duty to the country, the MPs reminded them that in fact they are the worst plunderers whose gluttony on taxpayers’ money extend from Parliament to OPC and that in the process they have coveted away K5 million each in loans and other benefits.
This is nothing else apart from our leaders fighting over money and quarrelling in Parliament about who is getting what loot.
This is how rotten the political leadership in this country is. All they care about is their bellies and that of their families.
But clearly MPs have got power to bring the government to its knees unless it does their bidding.
Clearly government will eventually comply and fill up the General Purpose Fund.
The House will then live in peace thereafter and pass the budget without even the close scrutiny it requires.
I just wish the MPs could use this power that they have for the good of us all.
Many Malawians are worried with the budget that Goodall Gindwe presented to the nation three weeks ago.
It is a budget that does not care about anything but merely to collect money from Malawians through hook or crook and fill up the hole the donors drilled after they decided not to give their taxpayers’ money to recurrent budget as a result of a thieving Capital Hill.
It is a budget that wants to punish Malawians with senseless taxes that will simply move their poverty from worse to worst.
It is a budget that wants the private sector to pay punitive taxes without creating a conducive environment for it to make the money in the first place.
Simply put, it is a dangerous budget that will lead to general misery, worker retrenchments and closure of the very same companies that the Malawi Revenue Authority wants to collect tax from.
If our MPs had any sense of duty, they could have used their power by telling Goodall Gondwe that unless he revises his budget, he can go to Lake Malawi and sink.
They can force government that they will not put a seal of approval on a budget that seeks to maintain executive obscene extravagance while subjecting the larger population of Malawians to lives of perpetual poverty.
I say the MPs can tell government it can forget its budget unless they see in place policies that will kick start the economy and make it going.
This is what is called selfless and decisive leadership.
But on account of what is happening in Parliament such leadership is largely deficient in Malawi.
What we have as our leaders are gluttons who are fighting each other about who has gotten what portions of the loot.
MPs questioning ministers about hefty perks is not about the people but is all about them. The issue here is: What about us?
This is why the Malawi of today is a damned one and at the rate we are going Malawians should forget about moving an inch in development and quality of life.
I repeat it is all about their bellies when you see ministers and MPs haggling in Parliament.
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