February 17 2022

We all have known the devastation our country is going through. The environmental degradation we have in our hands today is beyond being sorrowful.

The plunder of our natural resources is way beyond measure. The wanton felling of trees looked like a thing to be left for vocal activists

It is not.

Our hills and mountains are bald. Our river banks have turned into gold mines for sand miners. There are no trees left.

Last time I checked, there was only one mature Mulanje cedar on that endemic massif. Mind you, that is no ordinary tree, it is Malawi’s national tree, as per the original Ngwazi’s ordinance in 1984. You may wish to remember that the fish eagle is Malawi’s national bird: You find it, for one on the national seal and the Malawi Police emblem.

You see, where a national tree faces extinction in our faces shows how far as a society our pathos and ethos are eroded.

One of the animals facing extinction in Malawi (and the world) is the pangolin. The position of Leader of Opposition (LoP), currently held by Mulanje Central parliamentarian Kondwani Nankhumwa, is as endangered as the pangolin, let alone the Mulanje cedar.

As LoP, Nankhumwa wrote the Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara on the setting up of a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) shadow Cabinet in the House. Feathers have flurred in the DPP over the issue with the party’s administrative secretary Francis Mphepo disowning the appointments, saying the matter has not been discussed in their politburo, or whatever forum they have in that party.

The feathers flurred even further when Bright Msaka and Joseph Mwanamvekha dissociated themselves from the shadow Cabinet. Make no mistakes, both Msaka and Mwanamvekha are DPP heavyweights. In fact, they are in a tug-of-war with Nankhumwa on who will represent the party in 2025.

Since the onset of multiparty politics, we have had shadow cabinets and it is no strange thing. It becomes a problem when the DPP agrees to disagree on who goes into this shadow cabinet and who is the appointing authority.

But then, that is petty politics. Presidential hopefuls can tussle it any which way they want. But then, Nankhumwa finds himself in an awkward position, really. It is clear that he put himself in that position because this is not the first time such kind of off track has been noted between him and his party.

The other day, it came out that the DPP questioned even his appointment as LoP since the party wanted another top dog George Chaponda at the helm.

For the third time, President Lazarus Chakwera appeared before Parliament in fulfilment of some Parliamentary Standing Orders as well as a Constitutional proviso. We can’t pat Chakwera on the back for doing that, as he was only doing his job as required by Law, a precedence most former presidents shunned. We just feel as LoP, Nankhumwa was, again, dozing on the job.

As LoP, he needed to know that the incumbent leader was at one time LoP, meaning he really understands the procedures of Parliament.

Even further, Nankhumwa’s leadership task is even heavier because at the moment, the Speaker Hara is an MCP stalwart.

The seriousness the office he holds in a democracy where the separation of powers is ample cannot be overemphasised. You needed someone who could ably coordinate the butts and rebuts into the way the opposition handled the question time (one-and-a-half hours). Were they aware how the ruling party calculated to make the most of that question time?

Well, you can’t be surprised. Nankhumwa is running the opposition bench at a time MPs on the government side can come up with such impunity as asking Parliament to buy them raincoats. Well, he leads a side that is supposed to be opposing an MP who feels the poor don’t need Covo.

You see Nankhumwa, or the position he holds, is as endangered as a pangolin. Given the current scenario, you wonder if things like following the money will be a reality.

We are talking about the National Budget Sosten Gwengwe presented yesterday. What is the vote to State Residences again? How much will go into paying people who rob us in the President’s name?

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