BY FR CHRISTOPHER SICHINGA
The prophetic voice of our Catholic bishops on socio-political and economic issues stipulated in their pastoral letter – dated April 29 2018–‘A Call For A New Era In Malawi’ was garish and vibrant. The letter gave an objective analysis of the current situation in our motherland.
Our pastors raised a silent voice on the suffering Malawians in a unique and simplified manner even to the common person in the street. No one can deny the fact that Malawi is in need of change.
Efforts being made to solve problems affecting Malawians leave a lot to be desired. Little is being done to liberate Malawians from their misery. Yes, we need a game changer now more than ever.
A true assessment of the situation in our nation shows that a lot of admirable things leave a lot to be desired. Think of the number of people in our society who are uncertain about their future and are living in agonising situations.
An increase in cases of tribalism, lack of fiscal prudence, dwindling standards of education, blackouts, theft of government money, misplaced priorities, overall shrinking of public service delivery, rising costs of living and persistent hunger are the daily concern of every patriotic Malawian.
For how long shall we live like this?
In my view, all hope is not lost. The May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections give us a chance to turn the tables around. Let us not give a blind eye to the red-hot issues that are very clear in our land.
This is the time that we need to categorically prove to the world that the direction our nation is being driven to is wrong. Running a government without a national agenda has proved to be a total failure and lack of seriousness. We need a game changer to bring sanity into the government.
We have lost direction in dealing with critical issues affecting our land. This gives me the impression that we, as a nation, need to have a game changer.
The national agenda has to be redefined now. Swimming through popular party initiatives that aim at gaining political points will lead us nowhere. Look at the way party manifestos have been burnt and buried beyond recognition. This shows that Malawi is in need of positive developments and strategies that can transform our country.
We need a game changer who can redesign the policies and programmes that can reduce the yawning gap between the rich and the poor. Malawi is in need of someone who can advance the principle of the common good in the best way possible.
In the present circumstances, I agree with some elite individuals who are calling for mature leaders to contest in the forthcoming tripartite elections.
We need leaders who are willing to assess and monitor public service delivery systems to ensure maximum performance of all stakeholders. Strong political will is required to do this, instead of just wasting time and resources glorifying incompetent leaders who are busy enriching themselves from government coffers.
When voting for any political party into power, Malawians expect more than the bare minimum.
It is quite worrisome that past administrations have been showing less energy and proficiency in matters of liberating Malawi from its patheticstate. Even issues of safety and security are a problem.
I am tempted to state here that even the world at large is watching and waiting for us Malawians to bring a game changer into the race.
Malawi is in need of transformative leaders. The idea is to build effective service delivery systems in all spheres of life.
I, as a patriotic Malawian, feel that there is room for improvement. We are tired of the snoozing and harmless leaders who cannot support and scrutinise government policies.
Political party publicity stunts will take us nowhere. It is time to bring a game changer into the field.
The 2019 elections are our golden opportunity. They are our window of hope. It is time for us to change for the better. Indeed, this is the time to see things with a critical mind, judge objectively and act for the good of our nation.
Let me tip off my fellow Malawians that if we want to bring our country to a certain level, let us go for a game changer. The old school has inflicted enough damage to the country.
The recycled politicians have manipulated us for better and for worse. Next year’s elections are a perfect opportunity for us to reclaim a better future, dreams of a robust economy and embrace developments we have been longing for.
Stand up Malawi. Wake up from the deep slumber. Make a mature decision to stand up for the development of our land beyond tribal preferences. My voice is loud and clear—Malawi needs a game changer.
*The author likes commenting on social and political issues and is writing in his personal capacity.
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