So much for Sienta economy and Kabanza politics
Dear judge Mbadwa,
You might have noticed that Sientas are in fashion and so, too, the Kabanzas and doesn’t that explain our country’s way of conducting business my lord?
It is not by sheer chance, My Lord, that we are slowly becoming a Sienta nation. Minibuses are gradually being replaced by Sientas and you might call it progression but in a country where the authorities, from both civil society and government, manage by impulse, it is characteristic of the politics we run and the economy we manage.
I plan to apply to your court that you should officially declare that this country is running a Sienta economy and practising Kabanza politics for political expedience.
Not that the Sientas and Kabanzas are bad news in themselves but when every Jim and Jack starts thinking Sienta and Kabanza, the result is chaos in a country where everything goes as long as it is supported by the establishment.
Sienta economics tells you it makes sense to increase the paye free tax band by K10 000 only regardless of the inflationary factors while at the same time raising the minimum wage to at least K35 000.
Kabanza economics tells you it makes sense to impose one percent tax on non-bank mobile money transaction whose majority end users are the rural poor who are largely supported by poorly paid town dwellers. Who is fooling who here, my lord?
Sienta economics is not futuristic as manifested by the chaotic manner most drivers maneuver on the roads to beat targets. Sienta and Kabanza motorists don’t care about following traffic regulations and road signs in the same manner our budget is formulated without specifically answering to the Nyasaland Growth and Development Strategy.
It is an economy that answers to the demands of the mob not the population. My lord, any wonder that the government is stutteringly justifying throwing to the wind K1.6 billion for starters in this new financial year?
My lord, if throwing billions year-in and year-out on internship programmes is an answer to job creation that Nyasaland can be celebrating about, then we have no reason to claim that we are shifting from social consumption to sustainable economic growth.
My lord, why can’t they create real jobs instead of turning every youngster into a Kabanza motorist? You are not surprised, are you that duty on some imported motorcycles has been scrapped off? That is called Kabanza politics because we want to create an impression that we care for the masses whose only business plan is buying a motorcycle.
But you should see how the Sienta Taxis and Kabanza motorists only survive on a litre of petrol as they always engage the gear into neutral to save fuel on every descent.
Said differently, the politicking in the Sienta economy and Kabanza politics is based on forcing the citizens into engaging their vehicles of development into a neutral gear.
There isn’t enough fuel for the riffraff to move their engines into prosperity with the Sienta and Kabanza modus operandi.
This is not a legal document my lord, but a letter to the judge I respect. I know Kapita will file a proper application at the appropriate time.
Ndine yemwe uja,
Nzika yeniyeni.
With Emmanuel Luciano
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