Malawi Stories and scandals

Integrity is everything but voter-buying is not for the upright

Integrity is everything but voter-buying is not for the upright
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Dear judge Mbadwa,

My lord, with practically every political party in the country worth its name preparing for a convention in readiness for the 2025 elections, the temperature on the political platform in Nyasaland is rising steadily.

Lazaro might have been moaning about Nyasas’ lack of urgency in doing serious business, but if you heard that Cane the Drummer and his Difficult-to Break friend were doling out cash that amounted to K80 million in the North then you realise that politicians do not suffer from indecisiveness when it comes to wooing voters with cash or kind.

My lord, I would safely conclude that the die has been cast and the campaign for party positions will be defined by voter buying or something of that sort regardless of what the law says about handouts.

While there are several questions that demand answers on why people are prepared to sacrifice such huge amounts of money? What is in it for them, my lord?

I thought you don’t need to pay someone if you really want to serve the masses.

Forget the talk that in-house party campaigns should be issue-based because it appears both convention delegates have agreed that money has to help them decide who to vote for in the convention.

 The sad fact is that if the delegates are not careful, they could be creating political oligarchs who literally do not have substance, but money to sponsor themselves into a political career and that scares me, my lord.

My lord, we have already been disappointed by the calibre of politicians we have as they have perfected the art of sluggishness when it comes to issues of national interest.

My lord, if only we could show the same zeal in running our various portfolios in the same manner we are doing in garnering support from delegates to the elective convention.

My lord, I think Nyasaland needs more than a political culture reset if real change is to be perceived.

If you asked me, anybody who is ready to buy a voter at any political stage does not deserve to be called a person of integrity.

It is this kind that has sold their souls to the devil that would do everything to maintain a grip on power.

How I wished we practised civilised and mature politics, but we are just not ready for it. I am disappointed.

 Regards,                                                                       

John Citizen.