The youths and politics in Malawi: Atupele and Ntata on the scene
“Same politicians, riding on different parties, have ruled Malawians over and over again, promising the change that never dawns.”-Norman Lincoln
There has been an outcry from various corners of the society in Malawi inviting the youths to claim their position in forefront politics and save the nation from the claws of gluttonous recycled politician who apparently have outlived their usefulness to the republic. Since democracy in 1994, politics and democracy in Malawi have been championed by the same politicians, who have been in nearly every ruling party and used their same failed guts, over and over again, and produced the same failed results, over and over again. A gang of politicians that failed to deliver in UDF, defected to DPP, and failed to deliver in DPP, and now form the PP government. Is there any promise of change? I rise to voice out with those that call for new blood in forefront politics.
Times have drastically changed and expect politics to have changed too. The more Malawi entertains recycled politicians with old fashioned methods and ideas which failed to work even in the past where they belonged, the less Malawi politics, democracy and economics will progress.
It is unfortunate nevertheless that there are intentional barriers to frustrate and deter the entry of new blood in the forefront politics.When honorable Atupele Muluzi, an intelligent and ambitious youth is his mid thirties, and a son of former president of the Republic Malawi, Ex-president Bakili Muluzi, trumpeted his Agenda for Change and declared his interest to contest for the office of president of Malawi in the coming 2014 general election, old folks even from his own party challenged his ambitions.
His academic qualifications were thoroughly investigated and castigated some Malawians after he had already served as Member of Parliament and held other crucial offices at the Malawi parliament. Instead of letting him be Atupele, some Malawians tainted him with his fathers failed regime. His date of birth was bitterly challenged by other Malawian not related to him in any biological way possible.
Recently, Allan Ntata, a brilliant and brave youth in his late thirties who worked as legal counselor to the former DPP government shocked the masses when he declared himself a contestant for the post of the Secretary General for the DPP following the defection of Wakuda Kamanga, an aged man, probably in his early sixties. His declaration received ambivalent views with some, asserting that he can not contest because he was legal counselor for DPP government, and ill-advised President wa Mutharika on the lately repealed bad laws.
It is ridiculously unjust to dispute Atupele aspirations to become the next president of Malawi, simply because he was his father’ son, when his father, failed as president. As Member of Parliament and a son in his twenties, his role and influence in his father’s administration could not go beyond the walls of the parliament, his constituency and the demands of respect any son in his proper senses owes his father.
It is equally idiotically funny to dispute Allan Ntata’s aspirations to become the next Secretary General of a political party simply because he was legal counselor when the parliament passed bad laws. What makes it funnier is when he is blamed for laws, a creation of which involved a consultative process by the Law Commission, the Ministry of Justice, approval of the President, and deliberations and passing by the Parliament. To single him out of this sequential process, where he does not even appear, when his role was simply to advise the head of state and communicate to the public, on behalf of government the explanations and rationale behind the laws, is a sad display of disregard or ignorance of the process involved.
Both Atupele Muluzi and Allan Ntata must be encouraged in their respective aspirations. There involvement in forefront politics is the change Malawi must live. Many youths of Malawi might draw encouragement from their roles especially on the lead. I would be the happiest, to see honorable Atupele Muluzi, and Barrister Allan Ntata and many more youths of Malawi receive as much support as they could get from their communities, parties and the rest of the institutions in the society of Malawi, to contest for their respective posts at their party conventions. I would love to see them win. Their aspirations must be the aspirations of the youths of Malawi because their triumph will be the triumph of the youths of Malawi.
*Feedback to, [email protected]. Restrict your feedback to the context of the content of the article above.
