(NYASATIMES) The quota system: A closer look

The quota system: A closer look
By Nyasa Times
Published: November 7, 2009

This is it!! The State President has come in the open to confess his personal passion for the repugnant “Quota system” of selecting students to Universities in Malawi, seasoned with a penchant to flout the law. This provocative stance will disturb the peace and excellent decorum of the people of Malawi. It is unpatriotic, divisive and blatant abuse of office and political authority.

Anyone of ordinary intelligence would expect solid evidence of the alleged imbalance of educational opportunities and/or achievements in Malawi, as well as what caused the alleged unfair share of the opportunities.

Honourable Goodall Gondwe’s stance in support of the immoral decree makes matters worse. He has said basically nothing of substance. It is no crime to cite specific instances or cases he has read about, where on earth such is being practiced.

It is only Malawi where silly laws like the 2001 constitutional amendment of s65, where Cabinet and Parliament premeditatedly conceived to restrict the freedom of association of Legislators.

It was the only one legal absurdity of its kind in the democratic world. And because that presumption of authority has been passed on from the UDF or otherwise to the DPP, we now have this baseless and unfounded restriction on educational potential of our citizens. Malawi is a free state; oppression, discrimination and enslavement of any kind have no room.

Gondwe ought to discern the wisdom that is found in silence, especially when one has nothing sensible to say. It is honourable to do right when one knows what is right, obviously what Hon. Gondwe has said or done is not right, and comes in sharp contrast with the prefix Honourable.

Further the nation would appreciate to know which Commission of enquiry conducted the research and its findings about the said imbalance. It is also vital to detail the process that was deployed in the consultations to avoid speculation in the conduct of government business by any one regardless of his status, position or authority. These pieces of information are absolutely necessary and critical in the discourse.

Common intelligence would assume all those that failed to ordinarily make it academically to have lacked interest in education. It was their premeditated and willful choices in preference of course for the less rigorous and demanding activities than school. School demands sacrifice which materialistic minds and seekers of pleasure are unprepared to make. As providence has it, they too have excelled in other ventures like vending etc. So they are not total losers at all. It is all about rights to choices of one’s own volition, and we must respect that.

The other factor that worth considering is an ethnic one. It is widely concurred by many that the apparent if not virtual absence of the authority of a father figure in most of the matrimonial homes has left most children the freedom and liberty to choose between school and marriage for girls while most young men opt for small businesses. Fathers have the tendency to be feared; even their wives use them to intimidate their children.

A child cannot refuse to go to school for fear of a spanking from the father. This system is mostly practiced in the southern and central regions, and these are the regions the President is making statistical comparison with the north – that the two regions combined still stand dominated by the north in terms of education.

Given then this scenario, it leaves the President with a daunting task perhaps of appealing to his home fellows to review these family structures, or better still introduce a Bill that should make education compulsory; where if a child absents himself/herself without valid reasons, parents should be prosecuted or punished one way or another. That is the game played in the United States of America, he should be familiar with that am sure.

In the north fathers and mothers alike have always understood and appreciated the importance of education. But fathers take on the overall responsibility to make things happen; and the quota system with a prime motive of reducing the numbers of northern students at the University is identical to taking away the Holy Bible from a Preacher; it is close to murder. Our priority list and our value system are anchored on education; it is our identity and our very livelihood.

Another very pertinent observation the President should reflect upon is the very notion of making the north a reference point against the other two regions. Certainly this action (Quota System) being mooted is targeted at the north; “sure the north is within your firing range Your Excellency. Quota system is a loaded weapon aimed at the north, and meets all requisite conditions for an allegation of genocide in the making”.

You are premeditatedly targeting a people for evil intent, instead of rewarding them for their hard working spirit. This is by other schools of thought a jihad against us in the north as well as other communities that will be caught in cross fire, is that what you really want to do?

What wrong have we done to deserve this hostility? The world is watching and the Almighty is the Judge in all this. Remember Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, he defied all manner of counsel due to his assumed greatness. God has a way of dealing stubbornness; Nebuchadnezzar became one of the statistics of Godly wrath. It is important to reflect on these historical accounts, it gives wisdom.

On the other hand, why must it please His Excellency the State President to stay on a collision course with the Law for eternity? The DPP system refused to abide by the interpretation of s65 in the referral case. The ruling of 1993 still stands binding, and there is a follow up action on the same in our courts of law as we speak. “Mr. President your actions contrast your person as head of State and government, in the contexts of patriotism, Statesmanship, the rule of law and democracy”.

Government business is regulated by law, whereas a political party like the DPP depends on decrees of its founder, mentor and proprietor. It is advisable to go back a few steps and learn this basic difference between government and a political party; otherwise the DPP is perpetuating a misapplied dogma that a party and government are one and the same.

How then would we as nation ever assert our democratic outlook when the whims of those in authority liberally undermine and flout the law; undermine the authority and usurp the legitimacy of our judiciary and Legislature?

This example from State House is tantamount to adult delinquency, which sets a stage for juvenile delinquency, and general break down of law and order. When we set out to do away with dictatorship in 1992, this manner of conducting government business was among the list of vices we identified to eliminate. We opted for democracy and not autocracy. The indicators of a crippling authoritarianism that we see emerging must be dealt a mortal blow right now.

It is our considered views that you were ill prepared for government. Politics as a vocation is a “calling” and you were certainly not called. You have exhibited traits that describe you as unfit to govern in a democratic environment or setting. You could very well persuade Mlako wa Alomwe and become their new paramount chief and rule them, there are fewer rules in that setting and where worshipping their Monarchy is the major preoccupation. I am very certain you will enjoy that. Perhaps it is also time we considered early elections, before we drift into civil unrest.