Analysis by: James Dube.
One of the indecisive leaders so far recorded in the history of mankind is Moses. Moses is largely accredited for the Ten Commandments(Torah) that God gave him to give the people of Israel as a blueprint. Moses alone is the tower of the Old Testament. Prophet Moses has written outstanding books that have shaped generations. These books such as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers are the heartbeat of the entire Bible. Kudos to Moses for writing outstanding literature that has shaped the spirituality, economics and morality of the humanity.
Having said that, Moses had a very bad managerial skills. At a time, God expected him to execute with precision, you would notice that he fumbled leadership in front of his followers. But the most outstanding indecisiveness which he showed is recorded in the book of Exodus 3:11where it reads:
But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?
At that point, Moses lost his ability to trust his sense of judgement and courage which are the epicenter of good leadership. He did this after God, assured him of his backing but still he couldn’t believe in his abilities. And the end for Moses was a disaster. He never reached the Promised Land because of his indecisiveness in his entire Ministry. Instead he died on his way to Canaan and Joshua who was his Vice at that time took over the mantle and made it through to Canaan.
Malawi is currently at crossroads in all spheres of life. It needs a leader who is up to the task. A leader who can “spin” things for the betterment of a common person.
President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has so far showed Malawians that he is not in control of the State machinery. He has shown his indecisiveness when it comes to making crucial decisions. He has completely shattered hope for those who voted for change after booting out the arrogant DPP régime.
One prominent writer by the name of General George S. Patton, said these words and I quote:
“A good solution applied with vigor now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later”
Every leader will be judged when it comes to making sound and effective decisions.
When it comes to leadership of a company or nation, a leader has to demonstrate tenacity and zeal that whatever he says or does, sets the tone of his vision for that institution.
When a leader starts to change tones while the ship is sailing in deep waters, just know that for passengers to arrive safely it will now depend on the grace of God. Otherwise, the whole ship is bound to perish because the leader is indecisive at crucial moment. And this kind of leadership is often found in politicians hence they lose elections even if they have sympathy vote from a common person.
Typical of Prophet Moses of the Old Testament, Chakwera has so far failed to walk the talk on issues he himself promised poor Malawians that once voted into power, shall be done decisively. We have many examples but the recent ones that have caused uproar on the market are the failure to account for the 6.2 billion of covid-19 funds and the failure to reshuffle and announce new cabinet members. This is a gross incompetence. He has made people to believe that he is not in charge of the ship. Chakwera has and must act like a leader. Regardless of the situation the leader is in, the citizens would want to believe that the leader is in charge and that will make touch decisions for the betterment of them and then lead them forward.
In our case, Malawi needs a leader who is decisive and do things accordingly and not through rule of a thump. A leader must be strong and not a pushover by his aides.
Malawi requires a leader who speaks with anger and pushes things.
Leadership of Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has already within 9 months proved beyond reasonable doubts that he can not navigate around rocky shores, while keeping the eye on the broader goal, and deliver the wanted aroma goods and services to the common person.
Some have suggested that indecisiveness is the kiss of death for anyone who wants to lead. It quickly shows it’s true colours within a twinkling of an eye. When it does, the leader’s executive headship career is over.
If President Chakwera is indeed not type of Moses leadership by now, he could have released the 6.2 billion kwacha scam that has brought many ramifications in this country. One of the injury it has caused is the standoff that has been declared by teachers in this country that they will not go to work until President Chambera and his government pay them risk allowance which they agreed. Now, you can agree with me here that our President is failing to keep a promise as small as 30,000 kwacha for three months for teachers who already live in miserable life in this country. What makes funny mostly is that the President met TUM leaders and nothing was agreed in that room and he deliberately decided to delegate his constitutional powers to a Body that is not even in Act of Parliament to deal with the issue. That is irresponsible leadership at it’s best.
Mr President what shall Malawians lose if you take the Mtukula pakhomo funds and give to teachers. The money is there and in billion of kwachas.
The second aspect where President Chakwera has shown Malawians that he is a mercurial leader is on the reshuffle of his own cabinet where he has direct control.
At first Malawians thought that he is serious when he said because of covid-19 pandemic, he decided to change the dates of cabinet reshuffle. While some gave him some benefit of doubts others say, he is just incompetent when it comes to dealing with issues that are hot in nature. Were they wrong? With me,not at all because just some two weeks ago, when his Press Secretary office promised Malawians that cabinet is ready to be released, next day, we got a shocker from the same office that Vice President, Dr Saulos Claus Chilima has delayed to give the President his assessment analysis of the members of cabinet. What a duck lame excuse that was! Indecisiveness at work again.
Whenever the President says am going to reshuffle my cabinet, it means he has seen that some Ministers are just messengers in the cabinet or corrupt so he wants to kick them out. The interpretation therefore is simple, President Chakwera is leading an incompetent cabinet which has two disadvantages that I have alluded to above. The President knows the Ministers that he wants to fire but the same problem of indecisiveness is crucifying his image each passing day.
Ministers at the moment are not putting much of efforts in their work because they know that they are working on borrowed time which is a sign of bad leadership from the top leader.
One section of the Constitution which is clear to me, is section 92(2) which says that the Cabinet shall exercise the powers and functions assigned to it by this Constitution or an Act of Parliament and shall be responsible for ADVISING the President with respect to policies of the Government and with respect to such matters as may be referred to it by the President…
Another advisory section is found in section 96 (1) of the same Constitution. It reads: The members of the Cabinet shall have the following functions
(a) to advise the President.
How does someone advise professionally when they know that their days are numbers in the Cabinet? So if you see the economy failing to tick, just know that the indecisiveness of President Chakwera is hugely contributing to that. In most countries when the Cabinet is to face the chop, the market or stock market misbehaves and business people make a lot of loses.
It is only in Malawi when you have the President who releases his Statement to blame his Vice President for the delay of the Cabinet reshuffle. It’s unheard of. And in a situation where powers of hiring and firing are in your hands and you come out and tell your people that, ‘it’s not me but that one’, just know that leadership has clashed and in USA such leaders are well known as “flip-floppers” and Chakwera is in the league.
May be let end my epistle by advising my President.
Sir, whatever you do, must be seen to be sound for the people of Malawi. We don’t want to be hearing of guest work in that office. Make decisions that will prove your critics wrong.
The only thing that His Excellency former President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika failed in his administration was the same style of leadership of taking things for granted when people expected him to rise to the occasion. And his aides who surrounded him took advantage of that and started calling shots behind the scenes and that indecisiveness made him to lose public trust and later he lost the throne. Nobody will tell you in this country that Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika was a bad guy when it comes to development and respecting democracy. But his indecisiveness was pain in the fresh of many Malawians.
Act now, or you will be one term President. That is the rule Malawians have ‘silently decided to put in the constitution’ of Malawi.
