FRYSON CHODZI

State-sponsored Civil Society Organizations during a press briefing calling on the US Government to discipline Ambassador David Young for ‘interfering’ with Malawi’s national affairs

Is it me who is foolish?

I have critically analyzed the two statements from the US Embassy and the Government response. Read in between the lines and I have come to a conclusion that either it is me who is foolish or someone in government thinks is clever.

The US embassy statement has five most critical issues highlighted;

1. Interdiction of Martha Chizuma and subsequent actions of the government undermines the fight against corruption

2. Sees the actions of the Attorney General as direct proof of the position of government position towards fighting corruption which is more focused on taking Chizuma out and not dealing with the actual corruption

3. State sponsored campaign of intimidation against anti–corruption champions

4. Engaging government has proved to be a futility. The statement reads and I quote; “We have actively engaged senior government officials to seek renewed commitment to fight against corruption, but those efforts have not yielded results.” Likewise, during the interview with ZBS, Ambassador David Young stated that there was a recent engagement with President Chakwera on the same, of which we are reliably informed that the delegation included the Ambassadors of EU and Japan.

5. The trust is broken towards the commitment of Malawi government ability to fight corruption as their actions does not match the rhetoric

In response to this FIVE critical things raised, the note the following coming from the government statement;

1. Out of respect for international laws the Government proposes engagement and I quote; “will engage the US Embassy and Ambassador through diplomatic channels to address the concerns raised. This will be done in the spirit of mutual respect, without compromising the duty of Government to protect the sovereignty of Malawi…”

2. Further rhetoric commitment to fight against corruption by among other things financing the ACB. Nothing on the issue at hand which is undermining and persecution of Director General Martha Chizuma

I find the response of the Malawi government not only absurd but irrational for lack of a better word. You are proposing engagement as a solution, yet it’s very much clear that the Diplomats have exhausted that channel including meeting President Chakwera but it seems there are no results. What do you propose the current engagement will achieve?

For statement to state that it will engage the US Embassy ‘using diplomatic channels’ and only out of respect for international laws is a big insinuation that that US Embassy did not use diplomatic channels and doesn’t understand what diplomacy is. I find this statement regrettable and unfortunate.

The Government has also decided to do the same rhetoric commitment while the US embassy says that the action does not match the words.

Ladies and Gentlemen, be very much worried about your government. It seems it’s ready to throw you under the bus to protect their corruption. It seem President Chakwera has decided to show bravado when he has no pillars to stand on. The repercussion is huge and the people managing this government has no idea on how to handle this fallout.

To imagine that three cabinet Ministers including that of foreign affairs and horde of advisors sat down to come up with this response is disturbing to say the least. If I were part of the Government, I would not have let the government to issue this sorry of a response yesterday.

First I would have advised the President to call Cabinet meeting, to discuss the economic and development implication and what this means for the people of Malawi. Come up with solutions and variables for each scenario and find the best response out of that

Meanwhile I would have asked my Secretary General to convene a political party politburo meeting. MCP would have looked at the political consequences from the position of the US Embassy and what that will do to its bid for a second term. Analyze and come up with a position that will advise the President the right cause of action which does not hamper MCP chances. After all if this government goes down, it is the MCP that goes down.

Then since this is an alliance Government, the President would have called an emergency meeting of the Alliance Partners for them to brainstorm the best response and way forward on the matter. They too have a lot to lose since they will be dragged down into the pit with MCP by association

Out of the three actions, instead of issuing a press statement, I would have urged the President invited the US Ambassador and other diplomats to a discussion and find common ground to renew the strained relationship. Don’t be cheated that what the Americans did is just them, it’s the entire Diplomatic missions in Malawi. Already the British has said the same publicly which the EU and Norwegians have also publicly supported.

The outcome from all this would have been a joint communique from Malawi Government and the US Government and other Diplomats on how the matters have been resolved and commitments agreed including action points going forward, and of course after all that process, tell the President to talk to the nation and put to bed all the nonsense going around.

But of course am not in Government and we have wise men from east who thinks that they will grandstand the US and West Diplomats in the name of sovereignty. Unfortunately for Chakwera administration has nowhere else to go because the government already showed a middle finger to the east when it went against Russia, already showed indifference to SADC and AU, when it always vote against position of the two blocs and now it is telling the west go to hell.

By the way, as a matter of advice. With Immediate effect STOP your boys and girls on social media and other platforms from insulting the US, the West and Ambassador David Young. You might be silent, but the Western Diplomats have a huge network of intelligent gathering, far much better than your own NIS which gathers Intel from social media.

They already know who is financing these social media teams, these CSOs for hire who are supporting this madness, and commentators. If you are paying boys and girls to insult Ambassador Young, you are as guilty as the person doing the insult. You can’t hide behind these boys and girls hoping they don’t know that you are literary sending them to do your dirty work.

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