Reflecting on 50 years of independence

Let me begin by wishing my fellow Malawians, both outside and within the country, a happy 50th anniversary. It is not something that can be taken for granted. Fifty years is a milestone and it is something that Malawians from all spectrums of life should celebrate. As Malawians, we need to recognise that we have come a long way from the time when it was unthinkable for a black man to be considered a president, general manager or even governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi. It took the hard work and sacrifice of our forbearers to enable us to come this far. It is something that we need to celebrate.

As we continue to celebrate 50 years of independence, there is need to recognise that the journey has not ended here. This is simply the beginning of a long road ahead of us.

Some years ago, a South African musician named Letta Mbulu composed a song titled Not Yet Uhuru. If I were to relate this song to our context, I would add that Malawi has not yet achieved full independence.

What I mean is that we have achieved political independence yes, but what of economic independence? It is impossible to say that Malawi has achieved full independence, yet the majority of its own people continue to wallow in poverty. Furthermore, who said that economic independence can be attained by depending on handouts? It would be ludicrous to think that a country can consider itself independent when it still dependent on donors.

The very fact that we have now clocked 50 years should push us to a new agenda, which in this case is to achieve economic independence. I look at countries such as Haiti, that attained its independence 210 years ago, yet it continues to remain poor. This is due to the mismanagement and corruption that has occurred over the years. For readers that do not know, Haiti is a small country in the Caribbean and the majority of its population comprises descendants of African slaves. Two hundred and ten years is most certainly a long time considering that Haiti has had a history of slavery and colonialism. Fifty years is certainly not a long time for Malawi, but this should not stop us from forging ahead.

I believe that the problem lies not in the fact that we are incapable of achieving full independence, but in our way of thinking. As long as Malawians continue to be enslaved by the mentality that we are poor, then we will remain as such. It is odd to find that Malawians are getting the chance to gain an education both within and abroad, yet much of the knowledge acquired cannot be applied to address the realities that ordinary Malawians face on a daily basis.

It is sad to see Malawi’s potential being put to waste when it can be used to develop the country to greater heights. This I believe was the dream that former president of Malawi, the late Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, had for his people.

As we have now clocked 50 years, I believe that Kamuzu’s dream should not end here. I also maintain that we should strive for greater heights far more than what Kamuzu proposed many years ago. It requires willpower, positivity and hard work to reach that goal of achieving full independence. If sustainable development is also to be achieved, there is need to consider future generations that would come after us.

At this time in history, all Malawians must reflect and ask themselves what legacy are we leaving for the future generation? Do you want them to continue living in a Malawi that is dependent on handouts or do you want them to have a Malawi that allows them to prosper and enjoy the benefits of our labour simply because we had taken strides to achieve economic independence?

I obviously believe that many Malawians would agree with the latter. It can only start with us alone. No one can do it for us. Although we can be grateful for the sacrifices made by our forbearers, it is high time we carried on the mantle for full independence to be achieved.