Malawians paying price of poor management

Malawians speak on the many challenges facing the country, including industrial dispute and high cost of living.

Cost of arrogance

I am surprised that those who are very vocal today against rising prices were the very individuals that were clapping hands for the late Bingu wa Mutharika as he rapidly destroyed this economy due to his needless arrogance and poor management style.

We are now paying the price and the blame should not go the current government because what Joyce Banda administration has done had to be done. —PPMPC/SMS

 

Informed authorities

 

I am [a businessman running a company based in Limbe]. I was the one who informed the authorities on this issue of the [Central Medical Stores Trust tender story you published on Friday]. But to my surprise now, you are dragging my Indian suppliers into this scam. They were the ones who passed this information to me and there were not at all involved in this scam. I would appreciate if this can be rectified. You can contact me (on given phone number). I have with me the original e-mail. —M/SMS

Editor’s Note

Our story did not mention the Indian and local company allegedly involved in the scam, especially because the Medical Stores authorities were just making claims and we did not have the opportunity to talk to the companies to hear their side of the story and substantiate the Stores allegation. We will contact you for help. Thank you very much.

 

Mention companies

 

Why are you not mentioning the local company involved in [Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) tender story] and other business this company is doing in Malawi so that people can boycott buying their products? What is their nationality? Government should investigate immediately and revoke the licence of the pharmacist and the trading company.

Also inform the public of the Indian company involved in this scam.

Also inform the public how you got this information and the person or company should be praised and thanked to alert the CMST. As you may be aware, [the suspect who is said to have leaked the confidential information, Mr. Aaron Sosola of the Pharmacy, Medicines and Poisons Board] could not have done this  himself; maybe some politicians (the rumour mill is talking about a top public official) are involved with procurement team of CMST who should also be suspended awaiting an inquiry. —SB/SMS

 

Practise the theory

 

I write to express my contribution on the current common industrial strikes. I think what we can do to revamp the economy is to implement theories we learn in our public universities.

I think the issue here is pride. Most people thought that if they have degrees, they are better than any other uneducated citizens. Imagine a university student is demanding upkeep allowance hike! Is it a mandate for government to support these students or the government is just doing this out of favour? Why can’t government divert these funds to help needy or poor people or buy drugs for our hospitals not these university students?

Is it not the taxpayers monies which these students are carelessly spending in most of our bottle-stores or spending on fancy clothes (leggings, expensive phones?

In this country, who is the real citizen and does passing of MSCE with good grades and being selected to public university make a person qualify as a person to be a bonafide citizen of Malawi?

Imagine an engineer from a reputable university using candles in his house in the current loadshedding days. Please, I would like to appeal to government to push the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) construction project. I think that university will bring a more practical change to the country than the theories which are making our country a failed State.

Where is the loop if education is a key to development? We are great spenders but we are poor generators. Let us unite to generate more monies so that we can develop our country. Think of mechanisms before we spend.  Remember we cannot spend what we don’t have! —KL/SMS

 

On lady ministers

I believe that our honourable lady members in Parliament or Cabinet are well paid and exposed to groom themselves for the public.  It is disheartening to see our honourable ladies putting on weaves that are disproportional and looking too fake and plastic.  Surely, if they want to have such hair, they can afford 100 percent human hair weaves that are professionally done!

I hope the honourable members in question or their spouses or relatives are reading this article and have the nerve to put the cap where it fits.  If these people have the courage to step out of  their homes and attend public functions in these weird weaves and make-ups, then they don’t see anything wrong with themselves; hence, the need for  someone courageous pass on the advice.  Please emulate JB, simple and elegant.—NN/SMS