Punish them for making sudden u-turn
(There is noise in the courtroom. Judge Mbadwa is about to hear a case in which the citizens want the current establishment whipped for lack of fanfare at the independence celebrations)
Court Clerk: Silence! This is not a village gathering! The judge is about to enter this room.
One Citizen: Tikufuna ajaji Kumene! (we actually want the judge here).
(Mbadwa enters) Court Clerk:
All rise! The court of his Lordship Mbadwa is now in session.
Judge Mbadwa: It is not usual for the court to be convening during Independence Day holidays and amid soaring cases of Covid-19, but because the matter at hand also touches on the day, I can’t deny the people their right to seek legal redress or petition the court on a considered injustice. So, why should I be listening to you the citizens instead of reminiscing how far we have come since we got independence in 1964? Mr Boma Lathu.
Boma Lathu: My Lord, I am speaking on behalf of the citizens, most of whom are villagers who come to town once in a blue moon to witness Independence Day celebrations. We are not happy that the government has made a uturn on its decision to throw parties in three regions as part of the independence day celebrations. My Lord, here we were at Kamuzu Stadium as early as 4am to ensure that we entered the stadium in good time for the national celebrations, but were surprised that by sunrise, no gates were opened. We waited till 10am, yet there was still no sign of life.
Our colleagues said we might have been at the wrong venue as the Independence Day celebrations could be taking place either at the Bingu Stadium in Lilongwe or Mzuzu Stadium but we discovered that nothing was happening at the two places either.
My Lord, it is not every day that we watch the national football team playing for free. We wait for the whole year for that opportunity and to be told that there are no celebrations is a disrespect of the highest magnitude.
Don’t believe the crap coming from the Tokha Alliance or what Tadeyo calls Tokha Are Liars that they just wanted to spend K200 million or what was reduced to K50 million. We know who is obsessed with spending taxpayers’ money within the alliance.
Who in the alliance’s wisdom conceived that idea in the first place? The alliance with its insensitivity should finish what it started.
We were not born yesterday My Lord, but Independence Day is the only time we have an opportunity to watch the military parades and displays and the time we recognise that our culture is still rich. It is not every day you get Ingoma, Mwinowe, Nyau, Malipenga and Chimtali under one roof and under the auspices of Independence Day celebrations.
My Lord, I hear the celebrations are no longer held as planned because the country is facing financial challenges. If we can allocate K200 million for such unnecessary celebrations under the prevailing circumstances then all excuses that we are struggling financially are just lame. This country is rich.
We demand that the leaders be publicly lynched for disrespecting the people who fought for this country and for denying us an opportunity to watch a free international football game and a chance to dance to traditional dances.
Mbadwa: No government official is here to explain why they can decide to waste taxpayers’ money through some ways and forgo Independence Day Celebrations. Lynched? Oh these people will be lynched but I have to decide how and who will do the lynching.
