Emily Mkamanga

Malawi ‘losing’ sovereignity

 

Malawi became a sovereign State right after getting its independence status in 1964. Hence it has its own flag and National Anthem. Further to this, the country is expected to run its own affairs and solve its own problems and challenges.

It is appreciated that over the years Malawi has received numerous help from countries such as the United Kingdom, China, USA and others. But what is not appreciated is the prolonged dependency syndrome on foreign help. For example, at some point the Malawi Government has been taking it for granted that the 40 percent of budget support must come from the West. It seems there has been no plan B in case of support being withdrawn. This is the reason President Peter Mutharika’s government is finding problems to make ends meet with a budget which has no donor aid. Meanwhile, it does not need a genius to know that relying heavily on outside help even on things that the government must do with its own resources, dilutes a country’s sovereignty.

It is true Malawi is weighed down with lots of challenges, most of which are man-made and can easily be avoided if the DPP- led government can be serious. For example, for a long time now there has been a song about the government losing a lot of money through ghost workers. Does it mean in the whole government there is no person intelligent enough to devise a tool for removing ghost workers once and for all? For goodness’ sake, government should not have any illusions about bringing someone from outside the country to sort out this mess. During Dr Kamuzu Banda’s era there were no ghost workers. How was he doing it?

Recently, there was an article in one of the dailies which said donors are appalled at drug theft. In the story, it was also said that donors are closely monitoring government accountability on drugs. To say the least, this is embarrassing to the DPP administration. At the moment, DfID and USAid are reported to have mobilised $8.3 million to build 108 prefabricated drug facilities throughout the country, to prevent drug pilferage. Without government commitment it has been reported that donors have warned to shift such aid elsewhere. Indeed, the government should reflect on this. It is not nuclear science that the government is failing to put drugs under lock and key. Safekeeping of public property is the duty of government and not foreign governments. It is such things of failing to use local solutions in solving challenges that are diluting Malawi’s sovereignty.

Further to the recent approach by the President to donors for budgetary support, in return donors have come up with conditions which include passing the Access to Information Bill as soon as possible. The other condition is for government to be serious with the reforms. Honestly, these conditions are things that the government should do without being forced from outside. The problem here is that government is fond of procrastinating on important issues just to show its toughness. This is shallow reasoning because it just invites condemnations which devalue the government and, in extension, the country at large.

The Malawi Government can borrow a leaf from Paul Kagame of Rwanda who has turned around his country’s economy to be the best in Africa. He has solved most of the problems with local solutions. To keep his country clean, he has just engaged every citizen to do that instead of going overseas to appeal to donors. The other example is the newly elected President John Magufuli of Tanzania who has cancelled their independence celebrations and used the money to buy hospital beds. This is what presidents who want to maintain their country’s sovereignty do.

President Peter Mutharika and his government should know better that begging around for anything and everything will make Malawi to be only sovereign for having a flag and National Anthem. n

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One Comment

  1. Malawi considers itself sovereign because of having a Flag and a National Anthem…nothing more. What is sovereignty without economic power?…
    Malawi is a culture of ROT. Corruption, bribery, jealousy and envy eats away at the core and hearts of the Evil Spirited people. It is a good thing that the Donors have left and may they never return!…

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