Saturday, October 12, 2013

Chance Fails Malawi's Chance President Joyce Banda

President Joyce Ntila Banda- once touted as Malawi's panacea to an ally of problems that plagued the Southern African Development Community member state when she took over the reigns of power from fallen President, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, on April 5, 2012- now eats folly, breathes folly, sits on folly, and thinks folly!

Need evidence?

Of late, Malawi's public coffers have gone to the dogs, with civil servants getting away with whatever chuck they want- ostensibly with the help of the ruling People's Party officials- the party of the lame-duck President, Joyce Ntila Banda.

And, in reassuring Malawians that they are in good hands, what does the President do? She claims that the looting has taken place since 2005, and that former ruling parties have benefited from the same. So, instead of addressing the issues, she is busy finding excuses and, if she does not find one, buy some (excuses). A typical example of a human being misplaced!

The President's sense of speech, and her thinking, have declined incredibly she would do well to resign. What do you expect when a sitting president speaks of the plunder and looting at Capital Hill as if it were something inevitable, which people who will inherit her top seat after her have only to discover, and whose consequences anyone can, without fail, foretell but do nothing to reverse or alter.

Malawi is in a loud crisis of leadership bankruptcy. The only cure? President Joyce Banda's resignation!

She has failed Malawians. Big time.

What is it called, if not failure, when the European Union and the United Kingdom freeze budgetary support until sanity returns at the burning Capital Hill in Lilongwe? Failure, of course. President Joyce Banda has failed. That what Head of the European Union's Mission to Malawi, Alexander Baum, explanation that the looting at Capital Hill has turned the public kitty into a bottomless pit!

In the words of Baum, Malawi's public finance management has gone Joyce Banda (sorry, awry) and that it is so negative it is uninspiring!

Public Accountability institutions, as he suggests, have truly, not had the impact expected of them.

The European Union pledged to give Malawi- a country which depends on donors to meet 40 percent of its financial needs- 29 million British Pounds by December this year. To date, no single penny has trickled down to Malawi, thanks to the long hands of President Joyce Banda and her cronies.

British High Commissioner to Malawi, Michael Nevin, has also said his government is yet to resume budgetary support to Malawi, while Germany Ambassador to Malawi, Peter Woeste and US Embassy Public Affairs Officer, Gabriel Hons-Olivier maintain that their governments are keenly watching the developments.

As if this is not an arrow long enough to fish the insides of a crooked government, other development partners have also said they are watching the events with more than average interest.

As these events unfold, President Joyce Banda has gone on a shopping spree, purchases plots of land at Nkhumbe, on the outskirts of Blantyre, and, using the names of ordinary members in society, has bought several companies, among them tea and real estate companies.

Her justification?

"I have been a businesswoman since the age of 21 years. Money is not a problem, my friend," as she told a member of the media representatives that attended her press conference at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre. That was after her arrival from the United Nations General Assembly this week.

Did she say businesswoman since age 21? Why didn't she purchase all these things while serving as a businesswoman since age 21, or while serving as Vice-President to President Bingu wa Mutharika?


The only answer- now that Joyce Banda has become a clueless president who thinks that she can fight looting by sheltering corrupt ministers and party officials; and by dissolving her cabinet while letting the rot go on behind the scenes- is that President Joyce Banda has found a nasty friend: Folly!

She eats folly, shields folly, breathes folly, sits on folly, and thinks folly!







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