BY DR DANIEL DUBE
The Daily Times Report that is talking of IMF concerns over the national debt is a time for serious of reflection.
Unless Malawi accepts that we need a revolution on how we run Capital Hill, unless the people of Malawi ask and seek revolutionary solutions on how the national wealth is managed, unless the people of Malawi seek a revolutionary change on how we are running our social institutions, unless we Malawians ask for and seek revolutionary solutions to how we are adjudicating justice, unless we the people seek a radical and revolutionary approach to the control of corruption, we have little chance of ever developing our economy.
There are so many things that are deeply entrenched in our society that have developed and taken root over a long time that require all of us to change our approaches. We need to clean our house.
We need to take the concept of leadership seriously at all levels. Within our political parties, we need to look for able individuals and build solid leaders who can support the president whom so ever the president may be. We need solid administrative instruments within our parties to push for development. We also need to start looking for leaders in the civil service, financial institutions, justice system who can encapsulate national interests.
I am very frustrated to see the level of incisive knowledge that people are able to apply to dissect the theoretical aspects of the IMF financial facility and yet the same people are unable to discuss issues of national economic inefficiency, corruption or even the development sectoral economic synergies that can get ALL of us working as a system.
It is about time. The country needs to confront its demons. We are dying. A month ago I discussed the case of new Malawian ambassador in the Americas who is so restless and working so hard to challenge all of us Malawians to think and work for Malawi. I have wondered if only we had such levels of energy across the national diplomatic corp what would the result be? If only we were not afraid of our own people and we empowered them, if only we packed our embassies with economists, businessmen, patriotic doba dobas where would Malawi be?
If only we can accept that it is not alright to be stealing from the poor. If we can tailor our economic planning to foundational programs. We do not need to wait until 2063. I am challenging my country that if we can be brave enough to tackle some of the issues I have mentioned here, government reform, abolition of corruption through debilitating punitive measures and no tolerance to mediocrity through the use of able Malawians. With minimum creativity, well crafted and with the right political will, I am saying it, we do not need the IMF and above all we do not need to enslave our future to the Eastern Vampires.
Dr. Daniel Dube
