Being sensible on expectations
When people vote for change to a new leadership and government, it means there is something very wrong with the incumbent government. It is undeniable that Malawians found something wrong with Mutharika’s government. People found it unacceptable that there was uncontrolled corruption and total abuse of tax payers money. Indeed, in June 2020 the majority of Malawians voted for change in leadership, from Mutharika to Chakwera. It is common knowledge that runaway corruption and all manner of taxpayers money abuses has made the Malawi economy be on the uncontrollable downward spiral and resulting in poverty getting worse. Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and his Vice-President Dr. Saulos Chilima are desperately expected to turn around the situation. It goes without saying that people of this country are desperate for a better life.
Needing better life aside, people must know that it is not automatic in the situation the country is. To achieve an improved life, the president and his government have to go through a process which would include designing workable solutions. Therefore, it goes without saying that Malawians have to be sensible about expectations from the new government.
In the first place, human nature can sometimes be very misleading. Due to euphoria brought by the change of leadership most people might have been expecting to be given positions just from the blues. Without doubt, it is such people who after getting no position seem to start saying that Chakwera is taking too long to bring change such as the promised one million jobs. This is naïve to say the least. President Chakwera has been in power just for about one month. Therefore, what magic wand has he got to deliver the promise of a million jobs within one month?
It goes without saying that Chakwera and Chilima have to first clear the mess left behind by the previous government to start from a clean page. It is true government is continuing, but it is equally true that one cannot continue where there are outstanding problems which need to be sorted out first. The Mutharika government was riddled with corruption, abuse of power leading to the plunder of taxpayers money. This blocked progress in the country. To this effect, the government started by arresting suspects of plunder of public resources. Obviously, this is a wake-up call to all would be plunderers that Chakwera and his government will not tolerate such behaviours. One can only hope that Chakwera will not allow to be surrounded by the self made untouchables who are full of self importance. Lessons can be learned from Mutharika that most of the plunder suspects arrested are people who were very close to him and mostly considered his right hand men. Their assumed importance made them go as far as striking deals first and looking at the formalities later. They might have even thought that they were above the law. Such people can best be described as State captures and must therefore be avoided at all cost.
At the moment, it is a great expectation by Malawians that they want money back from the arrested plunders if found guilty. This money can be put to good use by the suffering people of Malawi. Indeed, these arrests should earn something and not just as a window dressing exercise which can show bad precedence.
Meanwhile, it is interesting to note that despite the problems in the country government has started on a positive note with Cabinet ministers out and about working while the vice-President has put a stamp that the government will not tolerate laziness, theft etc. The president is frequently giving reports to Malawians. With such hard work the promises are likely to be achieved soon.
