Trivia-based politics killed voters in Thyolo

I cannot begin to imagine the pain the families of the two victims of the Thyolo fracas, following a rally that was held by President Joyce Banda Saturday last week, are going through after the tragic loss of the men who were killed in the mayhem.

There are no words to explain the anguish, hurt, anger and a feeling of helplessness that come with losing a son, father, husband, brother or uncle in such a sudden and brutal manner.

Every time I try to visualise the ordeal the two men went through at death; every time I think about the parents, children and relatives they have left behind, I can’t stop thinking that a lot of pain and suffering would have been easily avoided if some individuals had only acted responsibly, and if our politicians had learnt to stick to tangible issues when they address people during mass rallies.

If, just if, some unruly People’s Party (PP) supporters had not uprooted Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) flags in the district, perhaps some anger on the part of the latter’s supporters would have been avoided, although their actions were in no way justifiable.

I keep thinking that if perhaps the Minister of Health, Gotani Hara, had limited her speech to addressing voters on development issues or what the PP intends to offer voters when it remains in government after the May 20 tripartite election, some disgruntled DPP supporters—who were evidently on the lookout for an excuse to throw a stone and start a fight—would have just walked home in shame.

But Hara, like the majority of politicians in the country, played into the hands of some thugs and  handed them a senseless reason to cause havoc by uttering an unnecessary statement about how she thought an individual cannot be “a doctor simply because their brother is one”.

With due respect to Hara and without condoning the ridiculous violent actions that were taken by the alleged DPP supporters, I fail to understand why the honourable minister uttered such an obviously useless fact to the people that gathered at the rally.

So many disturbances and chaos would be avoided if our politicians had learnt to glue their speeches to meaningful issues that are tackled in their manifestos, especially as the country approaches the elections.

Had the Thyolo rally speakers limited their speech contents to issues that matter and affect the welfare of people, perhaps two beautiful and energetic people would not have been laying in the grave today.

Lives of some two families would not have been turned upside down as is the case this moment had some of the speakers tamed their mouths.

The men whose lives were brutally cut short would have spent more years with their children and their families, and contributed productively to the development of the country.

Going this far, one hopes that critical lessons have been learnt from this very unfortunate incident and that those whose political careers thrive on badmouthing others have a reason to change course and run issue-based campaigns.