By Tabbu Kitta
Lilongwe, Mana: Â President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has called upon Malawians to remain hopeful and steadfast in prayer despite the distress that the nation is experiencing.
Speaking in Lilongwe on Wednesday when he attended the National Day of Prayer, President Chakwera described the prayers as coming at the right time for Malawians to remember, recast, reflect on the goodness of the Lord and also know that with God everything is possible.
“We are a nation in distress, but this time reminds us that God can do what he has done before. Therefore, we need to repent. Today we are being reminded that there is always a way when we focus,” he said.
Chairperson of the organising committee, Reverend Francis Mkandawire said the prayers were organised to thank God and reflect what he done for Malawi in the year 2022.
Mkandawire said the country has experienced challenging situations, among them, the Covid-19 pandemic, foreign exchange shortages, and corruption.
However, Mkandawire said despite the challenges, the nation has triumphed in many ways, hence holding the prayers to thank God and also to present petitions.
“As we will be entering the new year of 2023, we have aspirations as a country, we have concerns and petitions that we want to ask God to guide and help us.
“As we have planted our crops, we seek God’s face so that we should have sufficient rains in order for us to have bumper harvest,” said Mkandawire.
The prayers which were organised under the theme “Malawi, be strong and take heart: God is our refugee and fortress” brought together people from different denominations, traditional leaders and political party leaders among others.
Malawi is indeed at a crossroads and the head is leading the body to infinity. These are signs that the leadership has run out of ideas. Praying on its own is needed and it is certainly appropriate, but this set of prayers in the country could be the third if not the fourth this year. To complement the heads organised prayers, his SPC was seen on social media this other day doing her antics in foreign land basing her’s on the same flimsy ideologies of praying and cleansing the nation, or was it repenting, repenting for which sin? What is being perpetrated by this administration could be likened to a sick person who instead of seeking for the right remedy ie medication, he is encouraged to specifically look for a pastor to pray for his ailment. Prayers work big time but that has to be accompanied by self efforts by the sick person with a combination of drugs. Chakwera is miserably lacking in one area and that is where he is goofing. He lacks natural personal discipline when it comes to dispensing the little finances the country has. In this administration’s vocabulary there is no word like ‘Budgeting’ – hence the trial and error type of administering government affairs. That is not going to work at all.
How many times has Chakwera been advised to reshuffle his aides in order to maximise on different results. Instead he has chosen to cling onto NTHATA other than bring in performers who will be able to turn things around. In life usually subordinates will choose to work under leaders who seem to know how to lead and not tricksters. I was therefore not surprised when Rev. Gama from Blantyre Synod refused to take up the appointment he was given, knowing well that nothing good was going to come out of it other than taint his CV. The greedy and hungry ones accepted, possibly because their thinking and knowledge capacity is at par with the appointee. A normal person will not allow mediocrity just for the sake of belonging, never. Now if the standards of office bearers is below par, how will introduction of prayers alone solve the malaise? That is similar to watering a plant that has been planted in a dead soil and onto a boulder. That plant will not grow at all no matter how much water is poured or fertilisers applied. Dr. Chakwera, show that you can lead by being proactive and lead from the front. What you’re heading is not a church that if you misuse one Sunday’s collection there’s another Sunday coming whereby another collection will be forced onto the congregation. Governments operate differently from churches. Learn to pluck a leaf from other pastors who tried to practice politics in the past but failed ie Rev Jesse Jackson in the USA, there was one in Zimbabwe who was ousted by uncle Bob Mugabe(late), then late Desmond Tutu who first tried politics with his finger to determine the heat but having seen how hot and challenging it felt, he turned himself into freedom fighter – Advisor – Political Activist etc. That should have given Pastor Chakwera an idea that the two can not and will never mix. All that myopic choices is what has led Malawi to get to the irretrievable “Crossroads” – thinking heavenly intervention shall work wonders!!