* The people in power may be our political opponents, but the country is not theirs alone — and its problems do not stop at party lines
* A country does not belong only to the people in power; it belongs to all of us. To those who voted for the government, those who voted against it, and those who chose not to vote at all
* Its success is our shared responsibility, and its suffering is a burden none of us can truly escape
By Duncan Mlanjira
As Malawi continues to grapple with economic hardships, that have exponentially increased due to the recent fierce fuel scarcity for the past week, the citizenry is at wits end since the government seems to consider it as business as usual.
Just when people expected President Mutharika to explain measures being made when it was announced he was to address the nation on Monday, after clocking one year in office, they were disappointed when it all panned out to be more of a staged presidential scorecard — as observed by Canada-based Malawian economist and accountable governance advocate, Dr. James Kadyampakeni.
UTM Party President, Dalitso Kabambe reflects on what Malawians are feeling right now, through his thoughts he has published on his Facebook account, imploring on the opposition not to be silent, but offer solutions.
He writes: “A country does not belong only to the people in power. It belongs to all of us — to those who voted for the government, those who voted against it, and those who chose not to vote at all.
“Its success is our shared responsibility, and its suffering is a burden none of us can truly escape.
“For too long, we have practised the politics of hate. We have treated one another as enemies simply because we support different parties.
“We have cheered when leaders we dislike stumble and hoped that their failures would create an opportunity for our side.
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“But when a government fails, it is not only the government that pays the price. It is the family unable to find medicine, the young person searching for work, the business struggling without foreign exchange, and the household left without reliable water or electricity. It is all of us.
“Winning an election is not a trophy. It is a solemn responsibility: to unite the nation, serve its people and work for a better future.
“And being in opposition is not a licence to wish the country harm. The people in power may be our political opponents, but the country is not theirs alone — and its problems do not stop at party lines.
“Their failure becomes our failure. Their success becomes our success. We must be honest about where we are.
“We face shortages of foreign exchange, medicines, water and electricity. Jobs are scarce, and our national debt has climbed into the trillions.
“These are not talking points to be celebrated or weapons to use against one another. They are urgent human realities. Behind every statistic is a person trying to feed a family, care for a loved one or hold on to hope.
“A nation cannot build its future on the ruins of another’s defeat. If we keep saying; ‘Let them fail so we can take power’, then we may inherit not a thriving country, but a deeper crisis — and a people who have grown tired of being used as pawns in political battles.
“It is time to change how we do things. We can disagree without dehumanising one another; we can hold leaders accountable without hoping the nation suffers; we can demand better from those in power and still recognise that rebuilding the country requires the effort of every citizen, every community and every political side.
“This country is our mother. It has carried us, sheltered us and given us a place to call home. It is our inheritance — and an inheritance is not something we destroy to spite one another.
“It is something we protect, repair and pass on, stronger than we received it.
Let us choose a different politics: one rooted in responsibility, compassion and a shared purpose. Let us stop asking which party will benefit from the country’s pain and start asking how we can end it.
“Because when our country rises, we all rise. And when it falls, none of us can truly stand apart,” says Kabambe.
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