Some long paragraphs by the Venomous Hope
This latest ad hoc Friday sermon has come about because the blogger has, what he calls, 'a very tight schedule,' something usually peculiar to DziPPani cadates and bootlickers who applaud the president for gracing whatever function in spite of his so-called infinite roster of engagements. It will be convenient, however, to start by congratulating Super League relegation candidates Masters Security Fc for defying logic by entering the CAF Confederations Cup in spite of the axe on their neck that will see them out of the elite league. We can safely speculate that it took sniffing a large dose of weed produced illegally in Nkhotakota to make the club hierarchy decide joining the continental competition when they are well aware the calibre of players at their base is not up to scratch. I will hope they're planning to overhaul the squad and possibly poach top players at Bullets and Silver Strikers, assuming they will be able to pay them as grumbling about unpaid allowances from this club featured prominently in the news than their wins.
Many a soul will agree that Masters Fc's madness is not an isolated case in as far as public decisions are concerned in Malawi. Earlier this week the Minister tasked with confusing the public released a statement that pretended to deflect media reports that government's most senior servant wanted to upgrade his Spartan office to something more exquisite and elegant, all to the obscene tune of K67m. Not bad if we take Dausi seriously that the current office furniture was the same that the likes of Justin Malewezi have used in their capacity as Secretary to the Cabinet, mpando mwina mukubisala makoswe ausinthe. However, the fact that the company hired to do the renovations is also owned by the secretary raised eyebrows on the veracity of the minister's statement. This unprecedented level of corruption is, like Masters Security, relegating the country beyond the failed state category. Indecisive action from a myopic administration has enslaved Malawians deep into the shackles of poverty to the extent that the same poverty is used as a campaign tool by the same overrecycled politicians when they come in our streets to seek a new mandate.
Many have cited high illiteracy levels as a crucible for high level of incompetence that has become a norm in Nyasaland.
Politicians play on the ignorance of majority of Malawians to advance their mediocre agenda, and at the same time, hide their grave sins by sacrificing the pawns (where's Loot-e-pal?). A rare voice of reason, usually from the opposition, who don't have a choice anyway if they can ever wrestle the throne, and the Civil Society organizations- mostly briefcase ones with hidden agenda to be handed that big fluffy scone at some point in time before they retire, is only heard in urban centres, where a small portion of the citizenry resides, on media platforms that operate as opposition parties themselves. In this vein, the large peasant majority's only media choice is the antediluvial MBC Radio 1 found using juju on medium waves as there's no FM signal. And for them, these blackouts only have a borderline impact on their daily lives. That's why all ruling caste managed to ignore the noise from Public Affairs Committee (PAC) and others who waged a war on over the legislation of Electoral Bills, government knew it could easily fudge the opinion of a large cross section of voters. The goal posts this time around changed because PAC flexed its spiritual muscle by cajoling her member religious bodies, more especially the Catholic Church, to endorse PAC's planned demonstrations. That move flickered a wave of fear into the brains of DPP as they were sure the news would reach to remote places where you can only find a borehole because there's a Church nearby or a primary school because some monks felt sorry for the kids in that village. We all know how the DPP sweated in the run up to the scheduled 13th demos on fake Churches, prophets and excommunicated reverends and paraded them on our wretched state run MBC tv and radio to counter the views of PAC and it's allies. We all saw petitions from pitiable chiefs and Civil Society organizations on DPP payroll- all trying to confuse us so that the Electoral Reforms Bills should continue gathering dust in the name 'nationwide consultations.'
When that was apparently going to fail, the DPP played it's remaining ace, obviously by cheating it's way in parliament. Bringing all the 6 related bills to parliament was a calculated risk for it prayed to whichever gods available that the demos should no longer have a moral agenda and they should be able to shoot all of the bills down in the chamber. By crook, it has achieved both as the planned demos were postponed indefinitely owing to 'government's good faith' in accepting their demands. It also bribed majority of independent and PP eMuPs whose only clever act was knowing they're on the last leg of their terms and will never be elected again, ofcoz unless they find a world-class witchdoctor. These idiots allegedly accepted a small fortune of 200grand from the state house to help shoot down all these Bills prepared by the same DPP cabinet and presented by it's own minister. What is folly is how the minister turned himself into a filibuster by indulging into long winded speech in urging legislators to support these bills when it was just a ploy to achieve the opposite. He will enter into record books as the most incompetent minister who failed to sell his own bills. But we cannot blame him, it's the 50+1 that is hated conscientiously by DziPPani.
When one gathers the pieces of the arguments around the so-called 50+1 electoral principle, they all lead to the idea that implementing it will significantly ameliorate problems that hang around every election, especially questions about legitimacy of the winner. Proponents think that if at least more than half of the voters choose a certain candidate then he or she will be widely accepted and embraced unlike the current First Past the Post (FPP) where the incumbent Sanjika tenant got the keys by scooping a meagre 37% or something thereof. DPP still thinks that an obvious strong run in the southern region coupled with kugawana mavoti in the centre if 15 presidential candidates will enter the fray (Umodzi Party will come to the party I here), then they will get another mandate as they can be confident of stealing some votes kwa Wimbe in Kasungu. The proposed legislation will be hard for them as grumbling Malawians will go for a lesser evil in the event that no clear winner was found in the initial ballot. Weighing the two systems 50+1 is better as it reduces the impact of tribal or religious lines being defining factor as we have witnessed in all general elections in the country, but it is not a solution to that can ensure our democracy is bearing positive fruits for a largely neglected society drowned by poverty.
For any average Malawian like me, my vote doesn't have the necessary impact on policy and economic transformation as we still thieves masquerading as public officials swimming in the luxuries sprinkled from our sweat. What people want to see is a government that is willing to do the bidding of its citizens as per campaign promises. Now, the electoral reforms will only change the dimension of electing leaders and not winnowing trash leaders from the few honest ones. It's no longer a secret that people enter politics not serve but as income generating scheme amidst lack of employment elsewhere. To cut the chase, Malawi can benefit more of it followed a proportional representation model like South Africa where parties (and not individuals) compete and whichever entity gets most seats is allowed to form a government. Not that this system is 100% perfect but it ensures a number of things.
Firstly there's no buying of votes in Parliament nor you can find some idiots saying 'anthu kwathu andiuza ndigwire ntchito ndi boma' so joining the bandwagon of beggers at Sanjika. Secondly it ends all talk of so-called independents. Seriously there's no independence in politics, either you support the government or you hate them- more than 20 Mps in Nyasaland won on independent ticket which is a blow to the numbers of those in opposition for checks and balances as these people are easily swallowed by DziPPani. Voting parties will ensure intraparty democracy as it ensures vibrant party systems, tactics, well meaning manifestos and vivacious political alliances osati (mbofyo ya migwirizano which has seen Udiyefu buying a casket). Crucially, this system can help take the ruling party to task because the president will be expected to answer for the sins he and his compadre have committed. Aristotle in his 'Politics' treatise wrote that the principle of justice is what should be the underlying maxim for any political system, and our political system with it's unaccountable flaws has promoted injustices, poverty, and underdevelopment. Even if 50% plus my vote comes into play we will just be divorcing a devil and marrying his brother.
And finally across the ocean one Donald Trump chose to disturb the peace in Zion by unilaterally declaring that the USA will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a country imported after World War II. Palestinians who had lived in the Middle East since the destruction of the Jewish temple by Emperor Nero in 70 AD were forced live in tiny Gaza Strip and infertile Westbank when United Kingdom and other western powers, 'on humanitarian grounds,' decided to rally all Jacob's descendants to return to their promised land where Arabs were already thriving. The bone of contention since the occupation of Jews has been Jerusalem which is seen by 3 major religions as a Holy City, don't know about anzathu a Mpingo wa Aroni. Yaser Arafat negotiated a two state solution that is yet to be endorsed nor implemented and so was the city of Jerusalem which for decades has been divided between Arabs and Jews and everyone seemed happy. Until Trump. He has let the can of worms out and violence is now order of the day. The military might of Israel through American support has always intimidated Palestinians and they can't do anything other than claw in fear and wear masks and suicide bombs to blow up anything that looks like 'made in Israel.' Trump must desist trash talk if he will get the respect of us here in Chilowamatambe otherwise he will end up like Chaponda.
So NASA says they've discovered a new planet that is closer to the sun, let's make our first lady an ambassador of that new planet.
Enjoy the weekend folks
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