On October 18, Zodiak Broadcasting Station aired a heart-rending tale of alleged grand deceit and predatory presidents. Musician Joseph Nkasa recounted his ups and downs in Joab Chakhaza’s Cruise 5 programme, saying politicians only used and spat him out like spent sugar cane pith.
Nkasa cut a picture of a man at his wits’ end, destitute and abandoned with shattered hopes raised by politicians who thrive on peddling dishonesty. But is it all over for Nkasa?
Music and politics are siamese twins. Politicians have always turned to music to sustain their popularity. Even in the US, ex-president Barack Obama’s campaigns profited immensely from endorsements from big names such as Jay-Z and Beyonce. Similarly, Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign was publicly backed by rap superstars Ice Cube and Lil Wayne.
Here at home, music has been intertwined with politics since the one-party era (1964- 1993) when the tyranny of founding president Hastings Kamuzu Banda was fed by songs of praise, especially the mbumba, members of his beloved womens guild.
The dawn of democracy has tied the knot between musicians and politicians. Bakili Muluzi’s UDF hired Lucius Banda and Tanzania’s One Theatre Band to spice up his second-term bid. Nkasa’s political inroads gained traction in 2009, during the second-term campaign of Bingu wa Mutharika whom he christened Mose wa Lero, a modern-day Moses.
It was then striking how the radio chat only focused on Nkasa’s tribulations, ignoring contrasting opportunies he accrued from political electioneering. There is little the country can do to lessen the hurt and humiliation Nkasa alleges to have suffered at the hands of politicians. If only he turned over his piece of bread, he would realise to the underside is buttered with the untold benefits of the hits he created, politics aside.
Anyone who appreciates creativity will acknowledge that Nkasa’s Mose wa Lero is decidedly the biggest political song that has come out of Malawi. The song’s influence transcended political boundaries and became a household song to be popularised even among toddlers. Its effect was a tsunami that shook the terrain and swept the opposition out of the way to clear the path for Bingu’s 66 percent majority victory in 2009.
Instead of languishing in perpetual self-pity, licking his wounds and waiting for the next Samaritan to gift another car, Nkasa only needs to go back to Mose wa Lero and realise what a giant of Malawian music he is. He should allow the song to hit his soul and galvanise his spirit. Let him realise that the lyrics he penned 12 years ago, in fact, glorify his own greatness.
Let the song reawaken the genius that clearly is being suffocated by his hideous submission to political gods who have brought him nothing but misery. It is his brainpower that came up with the gem, then. Therefore, he can repeat the feat today.
Self-righteousness is so irresistible that it is tempting to rush to admonish Nkasa for deliberately straying into the lions’ dens and taunt him to never fraternise with politicians again. Such advice would be asking too much of an artist trying to survive in a shrinking economy overly controlled by politicians. It is suicidal to swear never to associate any more with the political demigods.
Moving forward, Nkasa should draw lessons from his past experiences and act a lot smarter when contemplating the next political deal.
Confident in his unique intellectual wealth, Nkasa should apply such an unassailable advantage to approach the next political bargain with a bit less desperation and demand a mutually negotiated contract. A copy of such agreement would open doors to any civil court and help him to successfully petition for recourse in case of yet again another broken promise.
***Opinion Article firstPublished in Malawi Nation. Views expressed are those of the author*****
Addressing the high-level 5th Conference of the Global Sustainable Technology and Innovation Community (G-STIC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Sunday, October 24, 2021, President of the Republic of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera emphasized that technology and innovation are the surest way of guaranteeing that no nation is left behind, guaranteeing that no nation misses the train of human progress.
President Chakwera said technology and innovation are the new Cuneiform that we must make available to a world that is still largely operating on Hieroglyphics models of social order.
“The undoubtedly critical role of Science, Technology and Innovation has been clearly defined in many development policies at Global, Regional and National levels – from the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), (Continental), the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 with STISA 2024 as a medium-term development plan, the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) to the new Malawi Vision (MW 2063),” said President Chakwera, adding that on July 27, 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Resolution titled Addis Ababa Action Agenda, which decided to establish a Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM) to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr Lazarus Chakwera
President Chakwera said it is in this regard that the African Union Agenda 2063 also recognizes Science, Technology and Innovation as multi-functional tools and enablers for achieving continental development goals. The 2063 Agenda emphasizes that Africa’s sustained growth, competitiveness and economic transformation requires sustained investment in new technologies and continuous innovation in sectors such as agriculture (to end hunger – SDG 1), energy (SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy), education (SDG 4) and health (SDG 3) among others.
TECHNOLOGY AND MALAWI 2063 VISION
President Chakwera said in line with AU Agenda 2063, Malawi Government developed the Malawi 2063 vision to focus on three pillars of Agriculture and Commercialization; Industrialization and Urbanization; and Science, Technology and Innovation are embodied as enablers of that Vision, whose aim is to make Malawi an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation by year 2063.
“For that to happen, we believe that Malawi’s industrialization must be driven by research, science and technology development. Toward that end, Malawi has implemented its second Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, with such success stories as the establishment of National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST); establishment of the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST); the setting up of Malawi Academy of Sciences; the promotion of Women and Girls in science, engineering, technology and innovation; the profiling of Science, Technology and Innovation in development planning of Malawi; and the construction of a national fibre backbone to make internet services nationally accessible.
“As such, we have laid a foundation for global partnerships and investments in new technologies that will fast track sustainable development goals and give investors access to an exciting new market in the SADC region in general and in Malawi in particular,” said the Head of State.
At the conference, President Chakwera highlighted three major global challenges that nations need to confront collectively, including using scientific and technological innovation.
CLIMATE CHANGE
President Chakwera noted that climate change has brought the world to a critical inflexion point, to the edge of the cliff, where the world must either all turn around now or face destruction on a global scale.
President Chakwera said in Malawi, climate change is no longer a foreign concept or distant enemy, but a clear and present danger assaulting people with annual floods, regular droughts, and extreme weather, leading to soil degradation, human displacement, and crop destruction. To this day, Malawi is still dealing with the negative effects of Cyclone Idai, which hit the region two and a half years ago, “and yet climate change is not waiting for us to recover before launching new waves of attack”.
HUMAN POVERTY
President Chakwera said next on the list of global threats is human poverty, with all its attendant inequalities in such basic things like food security, job security, health security, housing security, education security, rights security, water security, and social security.
President Chakwera said in Malawi, a beautiful nation of 28 districts rich in natural beauty, natural resources, natural friendliness, natural peace, and the world’s strongest democracy, poverty has become a stain that does not do the people justice. There is no district in Malawi where human poverty does not confront you, and yet when one considers the riches Malawi is naturally endowed with, they can only conclude that what is needed is the human innovation to translate those riches into sustainable development that ushers in a new dawn of shared prosperity.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
President Chakwera said third on our list of global threats is human disease, Covid-19 being the latest manifestation, which has not only killed close to 5 million people around the world in less than two years, but has disrupted life, destroyed livelihoods, and fermented attitudes of suspicion and discrimination.
“Malawi itself was not spared, as we are now in the 19th month of the pandemic, which has so far claimed 2,296 lives and slowed down our economic growth as a result of restrictions we have had to impose on society by declaring a state of national disaster on two separate occasions.
“In fact, the pandemic traumatized us by its swift and indiscriminate killing of high profile and ordinary citizens alike, on one occasion leaving my fledgling nation in a state of shock by claiming the lives of two senior members of my cabinet on the same morning.
“Yet in the midst of this darkness, the place of innovation and technology in our recovery has become accelerated and evident, while the injustice of vaccine inequality has become exposed and must be ended, because there can be no human innovation unless it is humane innovation,” said the Malawi leader.
ADDRESSING CHALLENGES TOGETHER
According to the President, these are challenges nations must address together, challenges that cannot be addressed by one nation alone.
“However, even an army as united as we are cannot prevail against powerful forces like these without arms, and this is why we must democratize the global advancements in technology and innovation to accelerate the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals by all nations,” said President Chakwera.
DUBAI THE CITY OF WONDERS
President Chakwera informed the delegated that when one arrives in Dubai from anywhere in the world, there is always a sense that they have travelled from some place in the past to some place in the future.
“When you look around you, what you feel you are seeing is not merely development, but wonders of the human imagination. Whether one is looking at the Burj Khalifa scaling heights and piercing parts of the sky that no other building can; or the Frame that stands on the land like a vessel descended from an advanced alien civilization in a distant galaxy; or the palm islands that float upon the blue waters of the Gulf; or the Metro that takes half a million people around Dubai in a state of suspended elevation, what you are made to feel is nothing short of wonder.
“It is therefore fitting that we have gathered here in the City of Wonders, for this Fifth Conference of the Global Sustainable Technology and Innovation Community (G-STIC), to reimagine what it would look like to leverage technology for the creation of a better and more sustainable world for all of humanity. It is also fitting that we have gathered here in the City of Wonders when the world is at the crossroads in terms of making our very existence on this planet sustainable for generations of human beings yet to be born.
“At the same time, gathering here in the City of Wonders confronts us with an irony, for we have gathered in the world’s most beautiful city to consider how we can use technology to confront the world’s ugliest challenges currently making human life on earth unsustainable.
“I am not talking about challenges that are unique to one nation, but those that confront us all together as a global community,” said the President of Malawi amidst a deafening applause.
Heads of State and Government, Jan Jambon, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders, Reen Al Hashmy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of EXPO 2020 Dubai, Dirk Fransar, Managing Director of VITO and Heads of Research and Technological Organizations were some of the high-profile dignitaries at this year’s G-STIC conference in Dubai.
On Sunday 24th October 2021, the United Democratic Font (UDF) northern region youth wing visited the former Democratic progress party northern region governor, Mr. Mzomera Ngwira who is currently at Mzuzu Prison.
The visitation was, among other aims, organized to show up solidarity in times of needs and cheer up the north leader, offer Mr. Ngwira a psychological support and also profoundly dashing a sense of belonging from the UDF party members while he is in prison.
Speaking during the visitation at the prison premises, chairperson of UDF northern region youth wing, Mr. Abdul Lanjesi, assured Mr. Ngwira that although he is behind the bars, the UDF party leaders and the general UDF and DPP alliance supporters are with him during his stay in prison and up to his time of release from the prison.
Mzomera Ngwira
Mr. Lanjesi added that people outside including DPP supporters are sincerely extending their well wishes to him so that at the end of the stay in the prison, he should come back to the outside world with full energy and serve them once more as the nation is going through tough leadership time with the current government. Mr. Lanjesi highlighted a number of moves the northern region youths are taking to strongly develop the party structures from the ground level.
Meanwhile, the northern region youth wing chairman collaboratively acknowledged Mr. Mzomera Ngwira for he remains the core pillow to the political alliance between UDF and DPP in the northern region. Kachiona further requested Ngwira to negotiate with senior party officials and the President to at least financially and of course materialistically support the northern region youth wing as it is struggling with transportation and many other financial constraints whenever it goes for official party duties in different districts around the northern region.
On his part, Mzomera Ngwira warmly thanked the youth wing for sparing its time and visit him at the prison. “I’m humbled with the visitation. This clearly shows that you have a loving and caring heart towards me and I will not take this for granted” cemented Ngwira.
In reacting to the requests by the youths, Ngwira was opportunistic and promised to humbly convey the same to the relevant authorities for possible consideration. He admitted the need for smooth transportation means which can ease the youths’ motility burdens when they are out for rallies.
Filled with motivation, Mr. Ngwira shared many leadership skills tips to the visiting team for the growth of the party, ranging from unity to total dedication towards the positive development of the party. He added that there is need for tolerance and unity within the alliance of UDF together with DPP for it to win again in the next general elections.
UDF northern region youth wing is geared and dedicated to the grassroot growth of UDF party. They have been on the ground implanting the party’s structures in northern region including Rumphi, Mzimba, Nkhatabay and Mzuzu. The wing is scheduled to build districts’ youth wings in Chitipa, Karonga, Likoma and Chizumulu among other places come November 2021.
Malawi is currently faced with an acute shortage of essential medicines, putting lives of many poor and marginalized groups such as women and children are risk of dying from curable diseases.
According to the recent study conducted by the Universal Health Coverage Coalition ( UHCC), it shows that there is acute stock outs of essential medicines across the sampled districts of Nsanje, Mchinji, Chikwawa, Mzimba South, Mzimba North, Lilongwe, Dedza, Neno, Karonga, Mangochi and Dowa. The study further shows that the stock outs of essential medicines for non-communicable diseases such as High Blood Pressure is also worrisome in the country.
In Balaka district, a UHCC member, Development Communication Trust( DCT) traced access to medicines at Chiyendausiku Health Centre and established acute stock outs of hypertension and diabetes drugs. In addition, DCT found that stock cards were irregular and not updated as required by 2003 National Health Commodities and logistics manual.
Maziko Matemba
At the same facility of Chiyendausiku, the UHCC has found 4000 Glibenclamide were not utilized and cannot be traced after February as the stock at the hand slows only 1000 tablets in April,2021, a worrying trend that may encourage drug pilferage.
In Mchinji district, at Mkanda Health Centre, the coalition discovered that a pharmacy technician was caught red-handed breaking into a drug store at night to steal drugs, he was arrested, charged and sentenced. Prior to the Universal Health Coverage Coalition’s study, Mkanda Health Centre and other facilities in Mchinji were facing stock outs of essential medicines.
It is estimated that Malawi loses about 30% of the national drug budget to pilferage. The surdy also found that drug pilferage can occur during transportation from the supplier or manufactures to the national warehouse such as Central Medical Stores.
In the study, the UHCC wanted to understand perceptions in terms of drug supply. The study further found that 57% of respondents saying Central Medical Stores Trust ( CMST) is ineffective and 29% lament incessant stock outs of essential drugs to be a key challenge with the trust.
In his comment, Health activist and National Community Health Champion for Malawi Maziko Matemba agreed with the study results saying the issue of stock outs of essential medicines in the facilities has been one of the set backs to health care delivery for many years. He said, Central Medical Stores does not have enough capital or funds for them to satisfy the requirements to purchase all the needed or essential medicines on time as it is required .
President. Dr Lazarus Chakwera Saturday engaged with leaders of the diaspora Malawians living in Dubai. In the meeting , the president has committed to opening an Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to ease challenges of Malawians living there and to develop links for trade and direct investments.
President Chakwera is in Dubai where he is scheduled to attend the Fifth Global Sustainable Technology and Innovation Community (G-STIC) Conference scheduled to take place from October 24 to 27, 2021.During the interface with Diaspora leaders that took place at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai , the President highlighted that an Embassy in Dubai would strategically be important for Malawi as Dubai is fast becoming an global business hub.The President said there are many areas that Malawi could learn from Dubai which Malawians living in UAE could easily facilitate with the exposure and experience they have.
President Chakwera and Malawians in UAE Dubai,
Speaking to 247Malawi News, the leader of delegation who is also the chairperson of Malawians Living in UAE Lloyd Mahowe thanked the President for taking time to engage with Malawians so that a number of pressing issues could be discussed including the embassy issue.
“We are happy that the President considered our top most need to upgrade the consulate to an embassy.There are about 1,000 Malawians living in UAE and it receives an average of 300 others who come for tourism, business and trade,” Mahowe said
Mahowe said the gained experience in the tourism and trade industry should be fully used by Malawi through deliberate initiatives that would be managed by the embassy.
“We have a lot of organic foods like rice and fruits in Malawi which is an opportunity to penetrate the Dubai market if we have leadership here in Dubai,” he added.
The meeting touched on a number issues including the need for an embassy in the UAE, reforming of the banking sector in Malawi to attract Diaspora Remittances, having a diaspora Policy that can ensure objective involvement of the diaspora, skills transfers from Diaspora to Malawi, lost opportunity on trade with the middle east and the need to finalize the dual citizenship.
In his statement after the meeting , the President spoke highly of the fruitful meeting highlighting that building a new Malawi requires concerted efforts , including the diaspora
“ when I met Malawians living in United Arab Emirate, I was emphatic in inviting them to be part of the process of building an inclusively wealthy and self reliant nation” read the statement from President Chakwera.
