Dear judge Mbadwa,

My lord, it is not the passing of the Corrupt Practices Act Amendment Bill nor the appearing and disappearing of an activist that preoccupied my mind this week, but rather the fact that for the first time in the country of Nyasaland, people who matter in society gathered together to unanimously show their rage against the vice of corruption and its perpetrators.

Of course in between there was a dramatic episode of a symbolic protest by symbolic puppeteers, who obviously were symbolically made rich thereafter by their symbolic godfathers, when people were seriously discussing how to sweep the country clean of the filth.

My lord, while all those people in suits sang in unison at Soche Mountain that Nyasaland has to redefine its war against graft, I kept wondering who among the suited would really resist the tempter with his billions when enticed?

The tempter usually targets those hungry and those in a need of some bread to keep them alive for some time. 

Unfortunately, most of the suited, my lord, appeared hungry; hence, would not have the courage and the moral high ground to tell the corrupter to ‘get behind thee Satan’ for the sake of Nyasaland.

As I have always argued, my lord, there are very few people of character in Nyasaland who would preserve their integrity when enticed by the corrupt and that is where the battle against corruption would either be won or lost.

The majority of the people like to pretend that they are upright, yet they don’t hesitate to change tune when coaxed by the crafty obscene corrupters in dark corners.

Most Nyasas put personal interest above the national one so much that the word altruism does not exist in their vocabulary. It is this kind my lord that is ready to sell their souls to the highest bidder.

My lord, most Nyasas like to speak grandly when they are in the presence of people who matter but do not hesitate to show their true colours when they are privately asked to redeem themselves.

It is good my lord, that the conversation to conscientise the population against the ills of corruption has started but the battle will not be won by making commitments alone.

How the Nyasas will act in the absence of the people they made commitments with will determine how far the moral tone can be reset in the country.

My lord, I am still hopeful that the battle can be won but it starts with individual responsibility.

 Regards,

John Citizen.

The post It starts with individual responsibility appeared first on The Nation Online.