(NYASATIMES) Northern region remains undeveloped

Northern region remains undeveloped
TIMAU with Sembe Gondwe 20 February, 2009 01:50:00

We are not stirring a debate nor is our aim to sow seeds of tribalism. Ours is a polite reminder to the President of the Republic of Malawi, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, that there is no development in the northern region of Malawi.

In addition, we would like to enlighten the President that, perhaps, he has overlooked the fact that he has marginalised northerners in all strategic positions. It will not be a great surprise if Ngwazi Mutharika is still President after the May elections.

What will be interesting to see is whether his stay will bring changes to the northern region and its people.

At first, we thought it was an oversight but now we have seen that this is Bingu’s leadership style.

The north is always neglected.

It was the same with the previous regimes. Now, the DPP hastily assembled ‘bag of all sorts’ appear to be attempting the same thing with their boss Bingu.

The DPP aren’t working for the north.

What we have here are ‘soldiers of fortune’ who choose where they want to perform, generally only for the Southern and Central regions. They are now an increasing embarrassment to their supporters in the North, where the DPP enjoys 99.99% support.

Do not dare to lose your temper, for its northerners and not government that should be angry. We are going to show you now why this should be the case.

We know that some overzealous people will deliberately turn a blind eye to our line of argument and begin to spit at us, like the fools who spat on Jesus Christ, for no apparent reason.

The seeds of national destruction contained in the Bingu ‘Development Policy’ are maturing into a fully fledged threat to the prosperity of thousands of northerners.

Northern Region politicians should be thoroughly ashamed of their failure to wholeheartedly rally behind their supporters.

The fact is, as people of the other two regions celebrate the birth of Development Projects everyday, the people in the Northern Region are anxiously waiting for development as Christians are awaiting the second coming of Christ - He shall come unannounced.

And possibly, development in the North shall come unannounced.

Examples of this argument are as follows:

Rumphi

The only development here is the District Hospital, built during the MCP era, a Post Office that cost Mr. Mwanza his job during the Kamuzu days and an extension of the tarmac road to the Boma by the UDF government, initiated by Chakufwa Chihana.

Yet, there is the Nyika Plateau, which one lady Minister has personal interests and the historical Livingstonia mission. The road networks are very poor. We are unable to describe them here.

Nkhatabay

As their brothers and sisters in Thyolo district are dancing to the birth of a new hospital, market, University and roads, people in Nhkatabay district can’t even dream of a public toilet at the bus station.

Chitipa

To a complete Mlambya it’s a crime punishable by death to mention the word development in Chitipa. They don’t know whether they’re in Malawi or elsewhere. They’re unconnected. The Karonga/ Chtipa road has been sleeping ever since it was born. There’s a referral hospital in Mzuzu and one wonders how people from Chitipa are ever referred to this hospital when there is no road to connect them to Malawi. They support DPP.

Mzimba

Ironically, this district is as big as the Southern Region but it is not connected. The ever fighting spirit of the Ngonis we all know from Tchaka Zulu, has been diluted to hero-worshippers. Decorating every leader with names, Bingu has been honored with the name Ngwazi, and yet he hasn’t even given them any good road networks in return.

Karonga

In Karonga, the catastrophe has not spared them either. All they see is the rehabilitation of Kamuzu’s Karonga-Chiweta road.

APPOINTMENTS

We join the President in blaming the opposition for frustrating his development programmes. Yes, we give him our benefit of doubt.

If the opposition hadn’t pushed and pulled him too much, Bingu could have focused on developmental projects that could have even flourished to the ‘dead north’.

But should we hold responsible the opposition for the Presidents failure to appoint northerners in tactical positions.

Let us look at this together.

President-Bingu Wamtharika
Speaker-Louis Chimango(not elected by Bingu)
Chief Justice-Lovemore Munlo
Army Commander-General Chiziko
I.G-Olive Kubambe
Head of Civil Service-Bright Msaka
Attorney General-Jane Ansah(nee Mjojo)
Clerk Of Parliament-Mrs Katopola
Governor of Reserve Bank-Victor Mbewe
Vice Chancellor of the University of Malawi-Prof. Kadzamira.
Only 1% of Principal Secretaries are from the north.

Now sample this:

MBC-Patrick Khoza
TVM-Bright Malopa
Escom-Peterson Zembani
Admarc-Charlse Matabwa(the Presidents Nephew)
Maneb-Mathews Matemba

The tribalistic list continues in foreign services where almost all of them are from the south and the central regions

USA-Bernard Sande
UN-Steve Matenje
UK-Dr. Francis Moto
China-Thengo Maloya
South Africa-Agrina Mussa
Zimbabwe-Benson Tembo
Zambia-Dr. Chrissie Mughogho(only married to a northerner)

The list is so mind-numbing that we cannot continue writing it.
The only northerner is Roosevelt Gondwe.

Leaders have instilled nepotism in Malawians to the point that only one northerner is in the Timau Crew.

Even though the northerners have proved their pedigree with remarkable qualifications, Bingu has decided to leave them out-of-the-way.

We now begin to believe the words of the sacked Minister, Richard Msowoya.

BRAINLESS

It will be absolutely brainless for someone to claim that the Timau crew is promoting tribalism for speaking on behalf of the voiceless northerners, when in actual fact; tribalism is being exported from the State House itself.

The President should work up from slumber and put the mess in order before it is too late.

LOBBY

The President should allow people to lobby from other sources for development aid without fears of political threats. We hear one northerner is a friend of President Barack Obama through Harvard University.

REVENUE

The little revenue collected from the northern region should be left there to develop the ‘dead north’.

NATIONAL CAKE

It is unfortunate that when sharing the national cake, the President has cut the parts with icing sugar and shared them between the Southern and Central regions and left Northerners to scramble for ‘maluvuvu’.

THANKS

We thank our ancestors for teaching us the saying “wandisokosela nkulinga utamva”

sembegondwe@yahoo.com

We dedicate this article to the twins who turn 4 on 24th February, Tina and Wati; perhaps they will develop the north one day.