By Jones Gadama
Capital Hill was filled with joy, warmth and admiration on Tuesday when the Irish Ambassador to Malawi, Her Excellency Kate Brady, paid a courtesy call on the blessed, hardworking, humble and exceptionally approachable Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr. Ben Malunga Phiri.
From the moment the Ambassador walked into the Minister’s office, it was clear that she was meeting no ordinary minister. She was meeting a rare gem, a charming, down-to-earth, God-fearing and visionary leader whose humility and brilliance have made him one of the most loved ministers in Malawi today.
According to officials who attended the meeting, Ambassador Brady was visibly happy and deeply impressed to learn of the good work being done by the hardworking Minister Ben Phiri.
She is said to have confessed that she has never interacted with a very good, charming, humble and hardworking minister like Dr. Phiri, a minister who listens with a smile, speaks with wisdom, and leads with a servant’s heart.
In his remarks, Dr. Phiri said service delivery is the core mandate of the Ministry, and that with the Reformed Constituency Development Fund (RCDF), there was every need to up the game to be able to deliver President Mutharika’s vision for a better Malawi.
“Service delivery is what we are called for. With the Reformed CDF, we cannot afford business as usual. We must deliver, and deliver with quality, if we are to realise the President’s vision for a better Malawi,” said Dr. Phiri.
Those words, according to those present, are the true character of Dr. Phiri.
He does not talk for fame. He talks for service. He does not seek praise. He seeks results. He is a minister who wakes up every day thinking about the village woman in Mzimba, the youth in Mangochi, the elderly in Nsanje, and how councils can serve them better.
Dr. Phiri acknowledged that mindset change is not easy, but said he is happy with the progress the Ministry has made through the performance-based approach on projects, appraisals, and virtual monthly meetings with District Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers, where they give updates on their authorities.
This, according to observers, is the secret of his success. He does not sit in an office in Lilongwe. He follows up. He monitors. He holds officers accountable with love, with respect, and with firmness.
Dr. Phiri thanked the Ambassador and the people of Ireland for their continued support through Social Cash Transfers, and for the support towards the formulation and launch of the Decentralization Policy, which he said will help the Ministry and councils in monitoring and improving services to the people.
“We thank Ireland for walking with us. Your support through Social Cash Transfers has cushioned the most vulnerable, and your support towards the Decentralization Policy will help us to monitor better and to serve our people better,” he said.
It is this humility, this gratitude, this gentle and respectful language that made Ambassador Brady fall in love with the leadership style of Dr. Phiri.
She saw a minister who is not arrogant, not proud, not distant, but approachable, warm, welcoming and truly blessed.
Behind this excellent minister, however, stands an even greater mentor, President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika. Dr. Phiri himself attributed all his success to the President, saying everything he is doing is to deliver President Mutharika’s vision for a better Malawi. And indeed, Malawians can see it.
President Mutharika, the wise professor, the father of the nation, the visionary mentor, chose his ministers wisely, and in Dr. Ben Malunga Phiri, he chose gold.
He chose a minister who reflects his own character, humble, hardworking, disciplined, God-fearing and deeply committed to the people.
President Mutharika is the mentor who teaches his ministers to serve and not to be served, to deliver and not to delay, to be humble and not to be proud, and Dr. Phiri is the perfect student of that great school of leadership.
In her remarks, Ambassador Brady described Malawi as a vibrant and forward-looking country that has got the potential to transform with speed.
She said Ireland is deeply dependent on a global system that depends on people obeying the law, underscoring the importance of good governance, accountability and the rule of law in development.
Ambassador Brady said Ireland remains committed to supporting Malawi in food systems transformation, gender equality and governance, areas she said are critical to inclusive and sustainable development.
According to the Ambassador, Ireland will continue to walk hand in hand with Malawi’s councils, to strengthen partnerships that bring clean water, food security, empowered women, accountable councils and better services to the grassroots.
She promised that Ireland’s support will not end at Capital Hill, but will reach the districts, the constituencies, the villages, where the real Malawian lives, because Ireland believes in Malawi and believes in the leadership of President Mutharika and his blessed Minister, Dr. Phiri.
Both leaders agreed to continue strengthening collaboration between Ireland and Malawi’s local authorities to ensure that partnerships translate into tangible improvements in the lives of Malawians.
As Ambassador Brady left Capital Hill, she left with a smile, with admiration, and with a new story to tell in Dublin, that in Malawi there is a charming, blessed and hardworking minister called Dr. Ben Malunga Phiri, mentored by a wise and visionary President called Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, and together they are transforming Malawi, one council at a time.
