Today’s society is very intolerant of underperformance by those in leadership, as it is of leadership’s failure to deliver what they ought to deliver. They are even more intolerant of any acts of impunity from the leadership or from those that hold public office.
Sharp criticism of leaders is always in the air. Yes, it has become a popular sport in Malawi, with different individuals or groups perpetually trying to outdo each other at it. The intention is generally a very good one: to ensure that there are enough checks and balances. Sometimes it appears that there is deadly conflict between those that rule, on the one hand, and those that oppose them, officially or otherwise, on the other. But conflict is not always negative. It can, and often does, yield positive results. It is common knowledge that Bingu’s Government performed wonderfully during his first term because of the stiff opposition he faced in Parliament.
Opposition takes all manner of forms. Some people do it by writing biting pieces often bordering on untamed sarcasm. The social media has no shortage of such writing. Traditional media also carries its fair share of that kind of articles. Other people threaten to, or proceed to hold demonstrations or vigils. Ultimata of varying descriptions are usually given in such demonstrations. Public utilities such as Escom or Egenco are usually on the wrong end of demonstrations. Last week members of the public from Soche were reported to have held a demonstration against Escom, demanding a better service from the utility.
What is becoming increasingly popular these days is to lobby donor communities and ask them to impose economic sanctions on the authorities, either as a Government or as individuals.
The frustrations that drive people into doing any or all of the above are real and genuine. People want a just society; they want efficiency of service delivery from those that are elected or appointed to serve them. Yes, everybody wants the national cake to be shared justly and equitably. Nobody should use their position to gain an unfair advantage over others in the sharing of the national cake.
Directing criticism at the ruling authorities or public utilities is great but it is not enough to make our society better. Yes, we should set, and demand, very high standards for, and from, those in authority – socially, legally or financially. What bothers me a great deal is that we do not set the same standards for ourselves. The general perception is that corruption and other social ills can only be perpetrated by those in Government while the rest of us are simply victims of such practices.
I submit today that the Malawian society is no better than its leaders. We have an untold number of corrupt minds among us. Some years ago, for example, I was alarmed by the conduct of a certain lady that I had known to be a good church member. She wanted to send her children abroad. To broaden the children’s chances of being accepted in foreign learning institution she was eager to, and proceeded to, falsify some information on their documents. And she did so apparently with a clear conscience. If we searched within our communities, we would uncover many corrupt practices in no time at all. We are a rotten society at the core. The rottenness manifests numerously, for example in examination processes, in duty and other fee payments, in adherence to traffic rules; the list is endless.
The efficiency we demand from those in public office simply is not a feature of our societies. We all provide services to others in our own small ways, but how do we measure up in terms of efficiency? Some years ago, I had an appointment in Zomba. I decided to drive to Limbe in good time and board a minibus from there. I stood close to Okhai Shop from where I would catch a Zomba bound bus. One came along, and I boarded. It only drove as far as the filling station next to the rail crossing and came back into Limbe then back to the main depot near the market to look for more passengers. There were surely passengers all along the way but the driver could apparently only be satisfied with a full bus as he left Limbe. We lost a lot of time with these maneuvers and I consequently could not make for my appointment. Did I get an efficient service? My foot!
It is instances like the one narrated above, which are perceived to be petty and insignificant, that cumulatively amount to the mediocrity and lack of progress in our society.