On 30th July 2019, I read an article titled “Malawi VP Chimulirenji accuses CSOs of serving politicians abandoning ordinary people”. It described how the then VP, on a tour of Nyambasi Solar Scheme in Nsanje, had called out Civil Society Organizations for ”serving the interests of their political masters and now stopped serving the interest of ordinary Malawians”.
Yesterday, the Right Honorable was vindicated. Timothy Mtambo, the self proclaimed defender of human rights, launched a political party and endorsed the UTM/ MCP alliance. It’s now clear to all that Mtambo had a political agenda all along. CSOs are meant to play very crucial roles in society and fulfilling them plays a virtual part in the social and economic development of a nation.
But sadly, as Right Hon. Chimulirenji stated, some Malawian CSOs take their role of being the watchdog of government with an unhealthy obsession to the extent that, by their actions, one can no longer describe them as legitimate CSOs, but rather partisan opposition politicians. EVERY SINGLE TIME these CSOs comment on issues it is always anti- government. And the actions of our civil society leaders these past 10 months since the DPP victory at the polls continue to prove the fact that what Right Hon.
Chimulirenji said was not cheap political propaganda, but instead the cold hard truth and a very sad reality. Civil society leaders acted like mercenaries for the opposition MCP and UTM, who were tasked to bring down a lawfully elected government at any cost. What made such a situation much more deplorable was the fact that CSOs were supposed to be the voice of reason and sanity in a nation but it seemed like their leaders had forgotten this.
They organized nationwide demonstrations almost every week in order to cause chaos and mayhem, disrupt business thereby causing social unrest in order to put pressure on the President and the Chairperson of MEC to relinquish their positions. As correctly pointed out by the former VP, the demonstrations were only retarding development and in the short and long run hurt the ordinary Malawian – the ones the CSOs claimed to represent and work tirelessly to assist. While many Malawians suffered, directors of CSOs and their partners, leaders of opposition, still received their hefty salaries, allowances and benefits and normally went about enjoying their lives living in their large gated compound mansions, driving their institution allocated fancy cars.
Right Hon. Chimulirenji was making his remarks whilst touring a project intended on helping flood victims and showing us all how someone who has been entrusted with the power and responsibility of helping the ordinary man should behave. Not once have I come across stories of these CSOs spearheading relief efforts in times of disasters, or even seen a story of these CSOs partnering with the private sector, or initiating new and innovative projects that are socially and economically beneficial to local and rural communities. Rather what I see is a civil society that has become a mouth piece to discredit, humiliate the HE The President, the first family and ruling party at every opportunity no matter how small or insignificant the ‘error’ may be.
The Civil society has become an instrument for power hungry and delusional opposition leaders to grab the reins of power by any means possible even if it means unleashing total chaos and anarchy resulting in economic hardship for majority of Malawians whom they claim to have their interest at heart. It’s best to be open and do politics rather than wearing a human rights defender mask and fooling the gullible masses.
Mtambo has finally come out in the open and shown his true colors. He was recorded plotting against the government with MCP leader Lazarus Chakwera prior to the May 2019 elections even though some quarters were disputing this. Mtambo and his briefcase party has endorsed MCP and UTM despite all along claiming to represent all Malawians. He’s been gutted opened now and people can see what’s inside him. How are you going to spin this?
