The Tonse Alliance government came to power on the back of promises they made during the campaign that they were here to clear the rubble and ensure that every penny stolen from Malawians was returned and thieves are sent to jail.

The Tonse leaders, especially President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice-President Saulos Chilima, promised Malawians that they will ensure that the country’s prison facilities are cleared of petty criminals and instead be filled with those who have plundered the country’s coffers leaving the economy on the death bed.

Many Malawians tired of the plunder of public coffers and rampant corruption under the watch of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) got excited and believed that the Tonse Alliance, was the saviour they had been waiting for.

Although they were some tell-tale signs that Tonse leaders may just turn out to be just like those before them, many Malawians were perhaps fooled not only by the flowery language and poetic speeches that promised heaven on the earth but also by the desperation to get rid of the DPP such that they ignored some vital signs. The first tell-tale sign that Malawians were sold a dummy was the refusal by the Tonse leaders (read Chakwera and Chilima) to divulge what was contained in their memorandum of understanding they signed at Kamuzu Institute for Sports. Why keep it a secret?

One can speculate that the document probably contains more issues of personal interests than of national interests. They did not want the public to know that all they wanted when they ascended to power was to enrich themselves and their cronies, actually, one would be forgiven to think that the Tonse government has been a secret admirer of the DPP for a long time. Just look at how they have paid no attention to the fight against corruption and are hell-bent on frustrating the Anti-Corruption Bureau and its director general. They are doing exactly what the dethroned DPP did.

Secondly, throughout the campaign, they never disclosed their source of funding. This is what has led to what is happening now. We must all forget that this government will ever prosecute the likes of Sattar because Sattar might have palm-oiled them while they were still in opposition. It is for the same reason that there is a deafening silence from the opposition on all matters related to Sattar and all other corruption cases. They are all captured.

As it is right now, it is safe to say Malawi has lost the fight against corruption as there is no political will to do so. Malawians are on their own. The opposition will not fight for them because it is also captured. The Tonse government, whose leaders knelt before Malawians promising to fight and die for the Malawian flag, has also been captured and conveniently lost its voice.

The rubble they promised to clear is instead piling up. Nobody is interested in clearing it because doing so, will unearth their under-dealings too. We must accept that we were sold the dummy. The current leadership is incapable of fighting corruption because it is corrupt.

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