Maravi

It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes

It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes
By The Post
Tue 10 Aug. 2010, 04:00 CAT

IT will not be possible for any person with a sense of fairness and justice to accept George Mpombo’s conviction and being sentenced to 60 days imprisonment with a fine of four million kwacha as fair and just.

We all know where this case is coming from. Mpombo had simply borrowed K10 million from Terence Findlay, a personal friend, who he issued a post-dated cheque in the same amount. After realising that he would not be able to make good of that cheque on the due date, Mpombo informed Terence not to deposit that cheque, essentially withdrawing the cheque. And evidence to this effect was laid in the trial court without any challenge.

When Terence realised that Mpombo had political differences with Rupiah Banda, he decided, in connivance and complicity, to use this against Mpombo. He reported the matter to the police that Mpombo had bounced a cheque issued to him. When this was brought to Mpombo’s attention, he quickly looked for money and tried to pay back the money. But there was no cooperation on the part of his friend Terence.

Eventually Mpombo had to pay this money to the police. However, this didn’t help matters because Terence and his friends were already firmly decided to fix Mpombo. Terence had those in control of state power, of the police and the prosecution system on his side. And the whole matter simply proceeded as an academic exercise as Mpombo’s fate was already sealed.

It is very clear to every honest person in this country that the administration of justice is tilted against those who are seen to be opponents or enemies of those in power. There’s no proper justice for those who are not on the side of Rupiah, his government and the ruling MMD. This is what the great majority of our people feel. But this is dangerous for the country. Increasingly, the administration of justice in this country is being seen to be a farce, a joke, an injustice.

Mpombo is not a criminal but an honest man who is being persecuted for exercising his democratic right to question, criticise and denounce the utterances and the actions of Rupiah and his friends. This is the only crime Mpombo has committed.

They have combed everything with Job’s comb but have found nothing that this poor and honest servant of the people has done. If Mpombo had stolen even one ngwee from government coffers or even abused his office in any way, today he would be in Mukobeko Maximum Prison.

But Mpombo is an honest man who won’t be destroyed by wolves, hyenas, jackals in such an easy way. The attractions, intrigues and persecutions of this world are many. But St Vincent used to say: “Even if the whole world were set against us to cause our ruin, it would not succeed if God did not will it. In Him lies our hope.”

And since Mpombo is a Christian, we can only remind him of Matthew 5:44-45: “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Heavenly Father, for He makes His sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the unjust.”

Justice is the beginning of order and peace in the lives of individuals, as well as in society as a whole. If justice reigns, business is honest, fraud is repressed, and the helpless and humble are defended, citizens obey, and rulers justly distribute the burdens and profits of life in society.

If, moreover, all the duties of justice are fulfilled for God, according to the infusion of grace, they will have supernatural value and will reap reward in eternal life. Where there is fear of God, there is also a thoughtful respect for all that belongs to our neighbour.

Hence, the magistrate, judge, police officer, prosecutor, soldier, doctor, teacher and citizen who are good Christians will also be the most faithful in their respective duties. They will be exemplary and worthy of trust in society. Thus, in individual, social and political life, Christians fulfil their duties with a special sense of responsibility and always in view of God and eternity. By this, the soul makes great progress in spiritual life and in sanctity.

Justice is a moral and supernatural virtue which inclines the will to give to everyone his due. When we talk about justice, we are also talking about the sacred bond of human society, the necessary brake of licence. When justice rules, we find faith in judgments, honesty in affairs and order in politics. The nation is at peace. Even heaven, so to speak, gladly sends its light and gently influences us.

Justice is general if we refer to society at large. It is particular if we refer to rights and duties of citizens towards each other. General justice obliges us to carry our share of the burden of society in recompense for the many benefits we receive from it. According to the times and circumstances, we owe to society: services and even some of our liberty. Particular justice regulates the rights and duties among citizens as regards reputation, liberty and the goods of body and soul.

This man, Mpombo, has demonstrated great fortitude in his political services to our people. And fortitude is a moral virtue which makes the soul generous and intrepid in its work in spite of any difficulty. The staunch heart knows how to take these on and endure them.

There are obstacles, temptations and fears involved in following the path of virtue and fulfilling the duties of any state of life. One must face them with courage. Fortitude leads us to make resolutions without any fear, to act with the necessary strength, and to continue to the end. The one who wills to become a saint does so! But only the one who really wills it!

There is a complexity of suffering to be borne: interior battles, repugnance, derision and calumny. Many times these things can be more painful than fatigue, says St Thomas. A sneer from someone is often harder to bear than fatigue. Jesus Christ is an example of fortitude in difficult undertakings.

With courage, He began His public ministry which would cost Him endless toil and contradiction. He went to Jerusalem, even though He foresaw suffering and humiliation. In His passion, He bore internal and external sufferings, most numerous and unspeakable, with unalterable patience and serenity.

Much merit is gained and much good is done when one has the courage to undertake great things for society and the poor. And a strong, patient person earns countless merits. He remains calm in the midst of pain, bending neither to the right nor to the left. Every good person has his share of the cross – the internal and external sufferings which, in general, are caused by daily life.

There are criticisms and ridicule, but none of these takes anything away from what we have or what we are. Often one who outwardly sneers at good people inwardly admires and envies them.

At times, one may offend his friends by living a righteous life. However, it would be far more serious to displease God by neglecting one’s duty. St Paul says that if he had pleased men, he would not have been the servant of Christ. God alone is our Judge, and His judgment is really what counts and not the judgments from these corrupt kangaroo courts.

We admire Mpombo’s humility. And humility extends to life, words and actions. To life: at all times, in every place the humble person lives with great respect in the presence of God and of his neighbour. He lives an ordinary life, not trying to be distinguished by how much money he has stolen from public coffers, except by his great diligence in the practice of common virtues. He follows the example of the best and what is prescribed. His main goal is first of all the sanctification of his interior thoughts and sentiments.

The humble person loves the poor, the ignorant, the afflicted, children, the sick and the persecuted. He is a noble-hearted person who understands and sympathises with them, comforting and helping them. The humble person loves poverty. His manner is simple and completely natural. He is loved because he loves. The humble person accepts crosses. The humble person has the spirit of dependence, true and sincere and rejoices in the wellbeing of his neighbour and shows it.

It requires effort to avoid evil and to progress in virtue.
What has happened and is happening to Mpombo reminds us of an old Chinese proverb: “One cannot prevent the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.”

If we can find the courage, and love is the greatest source of that, there’s nothing that can frighten us from fighting evil and defending that which is just and fair. We cannot fear to denounce the injustice committed against Mpombo and the criminal connivance to rob him of his freedom in the false name of justice. What justice?

But as Lenin observed, “…the experience of every crisis in human history, of every great disaster and every sudden turn in human life, stuns and shatters some, but it enlightens and hardens others”. And as for Mpombo, we can only refer him to a saying of Confucius: “He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own.”

For those behind robbing Mpombo of his freedom using the state power that they control, we can only remind them that the exercise of power must be the constant practice of self-limitation and modesty. What they are doing to Mpombo will soon backfire, will soon boomerang.

Mpombo is an innocent man who is being crucified for saying and doing what is right. The real criminals who should be in jail, and who one day will be in jail, are those who have connived to rob him of his liberty in an attempt to politically and otherwise incapacitate him.

But as he himself has said, he will truly be back – it gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes. Don’t you surrender. Suffering breeds character. Character breeds faith. In the end, faith will not disappoint. We must never surrender.

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, MMD

posted by MrK @ 5:42 PM