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| Can FDC, PAC buy maize for the poor? |
| By Malawi Insider | Politics News | Viewed 93 times |
| Wednesday, 18 December 2002
Blantyre, Malawi Pwiyapwiya Column Over the weekend, I have discovered one important thing which fellow guzzlers fail to do. The thing is nothing but the need to change drinking places. Perhaps let me begin by saying that I dont regret that last weekend I failed to drink, socialize and have fun with my women lovers and other freelance wives at my usual drinking joint -Kamba- which is slowly picking the name Agawuwo because every pub there plays the number Le Aghauwo frequently. Instead of guzzling my favourite beer, Kuche Kuche at Agawuwo, I found myself drinking with my relatives and village mates in the heart of Mulanje district. If you are wondering why I found myself in my home village, then you are not a responsible drunkard as I am. I travelled to my home village to do the usual things that every responsible guy does during this rainy season and the festive season of Christmas and New Year. I went home to drop ten bags of fertilizer, which I bought for my aged parents. I have also given my parents Christmas and New Year gifts in advance. As I pointed out earlier, during my visit to my home village where I had the privilege of drinking wamasese - opaque beer brewed from millet and cassava - I learnt one big lesson on the importance of drinking at various places rather than tying oneself to one bottlestore. I and three old fellows in our village, Che Musamudye, Che Kahikini and Che Kanjinji went to a village beer-hall to quench our thirst. We discussed a number of issues ranging from village sex workers in the wake of the food shortages, the rains, blood sucking vampires and other issues. As the sun was rolling into the Western horizon, Che Musamudye sparked a heated political debate when he asked if it is true that the Malewule Confused Party (MCP) is planning to seize all the buildings Jehovah Witnesses are constructing and turn them into Area and Branch headquarters should they be voted into power. The MCP cannot do that if it gets into power, said Che Kanjinji stressing: that is not possible because Honourable Chifwambas political career is over. He added: Honourable Chifwamba is the worst dictator that the country has ever had. He was more sinister, more cruel and more barbaric than Malemu. No! No! Che Kahikini interrupted, Chifwambas politcal career is over. He cannot run for a Parliamentary or Presidential seat. Perhaps he would be a branch or area chairman in his constiuency. Che Kanjinji who has all along been silent shook his head vigourously and broke into laughter. If you think that Chifwambas political career is over, then you are cheating yourselves. Chifwamba will be reinstated as a Member of Parliament. He will use the courts to quash Parman who had all along been listening to the raging political debate. It will be a pitched battle as these new forums will fight against it I said. Which forums? Asked the bald-headed man. Foolish Dreamers Council (FDC) and Puppets Against Change (PAC) I answered. Ha! Ha! Ha! The three old men laughed their lungs out to my surprise. It was Che Musamudye who explained that villagers hate the Foolish Dreamers Council (FDC) and what you call Puppets Against Change (PAC), he said. He explained that the two organizations have no welfare of the people at heart. Just imagine when Parliament decided to debate a bill which would benefit hungry villagers, FDC and PAC rushed to condemn Parliament for convening charging that it would waste K9 million on nothing, he said. He condemned FDC and PAC official for getting rich in the name of the Anti Third Term campaign. I have never heard PAC or FDC talking good of government. You mean government has not done even a single achievement that deserves a pat on their backs? querried Che Musamudye. We villagers will respect PAC and FDC when one day they decide to donate maize to the hungry; when they donate medicine to the hospitals; when they arrange a day of prayer to pray for AIDS etc. instead of flighting full page adverts and conducting workshops all over, said Che Musamudye. Che Kahikini concurred with Che Musamudye saying that the adverts sponsored by FDC and PAC against the Third Term Bill are not for the benefit of the people but for the officials of the two organisations. They are designed to please their donors. FDC and PAC officials want their donors to believe that they are working to fight against the Third Term Bill. How does a sane person speak against the Third Term Bill when our representatives are discussing about getting a World Bank loan for buying us maize? How informed are these organisations? If they are well informed could they have wasted money to write and fly press releases in newspapers during the just ended Parliamentary session that had nothing to do with the Third Term Bill? Che Kahikini said. And Che Kanjnji turned to me: If by chance you meet officials of FDC or PAC tell them that what villagers want is maize and not press releases about the Third Term in newspapers. Let them work with the government and solicit money for feeding Malawians who have no food, if indeed they have the welfare of Malawians at heart. -0- Malawi Standard |