By Wadza Botomani
The battle was Intense. The Mighty Democratic Progressive Party-DPP regime was geared to do whatever it takes so that they can rule the country for many years to come. The Malawi Opposition parties had reached the plateau and it was obvious, toppling the Peter Mutharika regime needed an extra factor.
The heavens smiled for the Malawi Opposition parties. Arise was the coming together of civil societies through the group Human Rights Defenders Coalitions (HRDC), the hardcore young minds led by Timothy Mtambo who without fear faced the DPP regime head on and galvanized Malawians to take to the street and demand their human rights.
If the DPP government was able to silence the opposition Parties, they quickly realized it was difficult to silence the people power movement led by HRDC.
It’s been three years down the road since The Tonse Administration took office. My question today is where is Timothy Mtambo? The hero who helped bring the change, who abandoned his civil society role to come in the open and galvanized Malawian in voting for Tonse Government is somehow missing from the government.
The Fight against DPP as the elections approached in 2020 had three distinct names that stood out. First was President Chakwera who was to lead the Tonse Alliance. And there was Saulos Chilima, charismatic and popular leader among the youths who played a key role is dismantling the DPP party as he had just left that party and formed his UTM party and then there was Timothy Mtambo, leading HRDC and giving power to the people to go on the streets and demonstrate against the then DPP regime.
It was no surprise that when President Chakwera ascended to power, he felt the need to include Timothy Mtambo in his cabinet. The man who gave DPP no peace was given the role to become Minister of Civic Education and National Unity.
Mtambo proved to be a hard worker but as time went on, it was proving to be a misplaced talent. The National Unity Ministry had the least funding of all the ministries. He did what he could with the little that was on his plate.
Many believe Mtambo could have been well suited as; Homeland Security Minister or Local Government Minister. Anyway, eventually Mtambo, the DPP nemesis was dropped from the cabinet and now left in the cold.
What hasn’t changed though is that the performance of Tonse Government will either bring peace or abundance of hate for Mtambo.
When the Tonse Government isn’t performing, Mtambo keeps taking the blame. Because he led the people power movement, which many went on the streets demonstrating with him feel he had betrayed them and lied to them.
Many Malawians are regretting supporting the Mtambo movement in the toppling of Mutharika regime. This regret and anger is channeled towards Mtambo.
Mtambo’s problem is that he is answerable to Malawians for the change that he helped to bring. Mtambo has to answer for the failures of the Tonse Government. I find this challenging but also not fair that the man (Mtambo) who is hounded on social media and wherever he goes and blamed for removing Mutharika and DPP from power is now left out and has no say in the running of the Tonse Government.
So as Mtambo is now out of the government. No longer a Minister or in any position to influence the policies of the Tonse Government, many are wondering what’s next for him. He still remains a figure of hate for the many Malawians not satisfied with the Chakwera regime who continue blaming Mtambo for the underperformance of the current regime.
If the world was fair and if the political stratosphere was meant to have people who remember and honour those who did put their lives on the line for them, Mtambo was supposed to still be at the helm of government.
He is answerable to many Malawians and the Tonse regime will always be tied to his name. If the Tonse Government fails, Malawians will not forgive Mtambo, at the same time, the dilemma is that what can he do to help Tonse Government deliver when he is out of government?
