That’s leadership, Mr. President

Well, I watched, with keen and interest of a journalist, t h e p r e s s b r i e f i n g President Peter Mutharika had on Friday last week.

To be honest, most of the questions I had have not been answered.

I am still in deep doubts. One, I am still not sure where President Peter Mutharika was after the United Nations General Assembly (Unga).

He did well, of course, to tell us about the medical operation he underwent. However, the general answers he gave about his whereabouts were cleverly crafted, but hardly convincing. I should admit. Two, I am still in the dark regarding the specifics of various engagements the President had that kept him away from his duty station for close to a month.

W h e n Z o d i a k Broadcasting Corporation (ZBS) reporter Tereza Ndanga quizzed him on this, he went on offensive.

He cut her through and retaliated by providing the same unconvincing remarks that, I think, propelled Ndanga to find out more.

Three, I still do not believe the President’s argument that he could not provide details of his engagements because he had sent his team home.

Where on earth, help me, does a Head of State engage in issues of national importance and says he did not have staff to relay the specifics of such engagements to the people he serves?

Truth be told, wherever t h e Pr e s i d e n t i s , it means government is operational. That, in all terms of honesty, m e a n s M a l i s o n N d a u , g o v e r n m e n t spokesperson, should be in the know.

Now, with the President saying he was conducting government business with a team to notify the public, it presupposes the fact that we do not really need people such as Ndau.

Three, I still, again, do not know how much, in the spirit of transparency and accountability, the President’s Unga trip blew.

The response he gave, when asked, was sketchy and hardly inspiring. By concentrating on the only two ministers that went instead of the many that could have, the President did not help matters at all because we, taxpayers, want to know how much of our money was used during the trip.

Such things make one question: What is it that they are afraid of disclosing? Well, these questions can be raised and raised and I feel an honest government should have provided vivid answers to these questions.

The fact that we still ask them even after the President’s press briefing tells you we have a problem in how we are governed in this country.

Time, I can assure every Malawian, will give us answers to these questions. But, hey, I need to make a confession here about the temperament of our President during the press briefing.

I should be honest here that given the tension that engulfed the country regarding the President’s health and his whereabouts, I expected to see a visibly angry and emotional Mutharika. We l l , t h e r e w e r e moments that, to some extent, he could, a bit, d r i f t  t o w a r d  l o s i n g his cool. I did not like the President take on dressing down ZBS.

We have press freedom in this country and if the President felt ZBS had broadcasted lies, he should have followed the That’s leadership, Mr. President right systems of redress. However, generally, Mr. President handled the press briefing with q u i t e a p r e s i d e n t i a l temperament.

He appeared on top of the issues and, let us face it, he was more of a Head of State who understood that he owed Malawians some explanations of his absence. H e w a s , t r u t h b e told, honest and calm in addressing quite an emotive topic of his health.

In African democracies, the health of presidents is always considered a delicate issue. But the President was live and calm about it—even comical sometimes. I only hope that the President, in his calm and fatherly tone, gave us nothing, but the whole truth.

Surely, despite some questions still raging regarding his whereabouts and engagements after Unga, I feel President Mutharika proved his mettle as a Head of State during the Press briefing.

He was, indeed, prepared to account for his Unga trip to Malawians in a tone that gives credence and honour to the office he occupies. That, Mr. President, is leadership. Keep enjoying your robust health, hence.