Opinion: Malawi @ 52: Where would we be if we had leaders who were passionate about our country?

 
 Malawi President Peter Mutharika

In 1964 Malawi had 2 million citizens.  Agriculture had value in crops, the currency was bold and strong.  We had more exports than imports.  Aid and grants kept flowing.  The dream of relocating the capital from Zomba to Lilongwe was a brilliant idea considering in mind population growth and the needs of the citizens in future. If so much was invested on collective needs of people not unilateral needs of individuals, our country could be far by today.
To say that our country has had less intelligent leaders and stakeholders is an understatement.  The truth is that our country has had enlightened leaders but of gullible mindset and hateful attitude against citizens and the country.


This is why expensive hospital was built in Scotland not in Malawi.  That is why local banks could not keep money of politicians and leaders. This is why citizens were to a large extent not empowered. This is why three major tools of civilization were sidelined and side stepped [Energy, water and decent homes].
Malawi has become a curse from our own making because we did not give it hope. Giving it hope is to use whatever resource available and innovation to change the country.

Energy does not only need too much water though we have a lot in quantity. There is sun, wind and fossil. There has never been political will to invest on the future. This is why our roads are old fashioned and outdated. This is why our medical facilities are out of record, this is why our education system is in shambles. Today, a form four student can hardly speak fluent English or make any sensible speech.
The first people to realize this are leaders and politicians themselves who do not receive treatment in Malawi. In fact, they do not send their children to Malawian schools. Ironically, they enjoy taking sabbatical leave in foreign states blowing the tax payers money when there is untold suffering back home.  It appears that they enjoy seeing Malawi backward.

Billions of Malawi kwachas  have been siphoned into foreign banks in foreign nations when Malawi remain poor.
Had these billions remained at home; Malawi could have energy ranging from 2000 to 2500 megawatts where each and every household could use electricity. Had we had the billions stashed in foreign banks, our roads could be bitumenized to thousands kilometers. We could have 100 bed district hospitals in each and every district in the country.  Schools of modern equipment could be found everywhere. Our marine system on all Lakes could be investments that could benefit all people while attracting tourism in the country and have a name on international stage.

Gullible for money, selfishness for self- enrichment, hatred, copycat lifestyle, jealousy and superiority complex character have destroyed the future of our country and robbed our citizens a sweet future.
The outcome of the above is what we experience from government to government and from one president to another and from one cabinet to another.
Secrets do not all get revealed to the most but what has has been revealed of 22 billion by Kamuzu Banda, 1.7 billion by Bakili Muluzi, 92 billion by Bingu wa Mutharika, 577 billion by Peter Mutharika including the 30 billion that the Mutharikas kept stealing with the intention of damaging the reputation of first woman president Joyce Banda and of course the mother of plunder of public money presided over by Joyce Banda.

There is continuous plundering of state resources where millions are every day being swindled with no one to put a stop to the public theft.
52 years later, airports have no planes.  52years later, we still have airports built in 1933, we still have colonial ship Illala on our Lake Malawi. We still have 300 megawatt and have only added 200 megawatts in 52 years and we call that development?

For 52 years we have failed to love our country. We have failed to be passionate of our country and we have completely failed to be patriotic to our own country and above all else, we have failed to uphold the true values and norms of total citizenship.
Those of us who know of this downfall must wake up to start remaking our nation.

Written by  Saunders Jumah the Utopian.