The woman in question
* Nothing spells POWER clearer than a seemingly lesser person saying NO to the supposed rich and powerful
* We have become worshippers of money and I am not surprised we are paralysed by a poor woman refusing such a generous gift
By Duncan Mlanjira
“Trust doesn’t come easy to some people, especially in a country with a considerable number of people who believe all manner of nonsense about rich people,” writes Dannie Grant Phiri on Facebook in reference to a market vegetable vendor, who turned down Triephornia Thomson Mpinganjira’s offer of K500,000 to boost her business.
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Accompanied by the media, Triephornia — wife to the country’s billionaire, Thomson Mpinganjira and in her own right a very rich business person — visited a market and upon her interaction with one of the vegetable vendors, she asked of her business ambitions.
The video clip that went viral on social media, shows the market business lady saying she was always proud when customers patronises her services and indicated — when asked by Triephornia Mpinganjira — that all she needed was being bought of her merchandise.
Triephornia surprised her by giving her an envelope, supposedly loaded with K500,000, but the vendor refused to accept it, saying she was satisfied with what she has.
Despite audible comments from others that accompanied Triephornia to open the envelope, the lady vendor refused and since Triephornia —accompanied by mainstream media — the recorded encounter was shared on social social media.
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The snub by the lady vendor received some condemnation from the public, blaming her from not appreciating a kind gesture from fellow woman entrepreneur — prompting Dannie Grant Phiri to comment on Facebook.
He said: “Years ago, our office experienced a network outage so I couldn’t leave at the designated time. Darkness was beginning to fall by the time I resolved the issue and left the office to wait for a Ndirande-Limbe Market minibus outside our gate.
“Luckily it didn’t take long. However, because of all the stops in between, it was quite dark by the time we reached Limbe Market where I could catch the Limbe-Chigumula minibus.
“After dropping off, I joined a group of five other people who were also waiting for the same minibus — it never came. Frustrated, I hired a cab and invited the five who had been waiting with me to come along.
“All of them accepted except one woman despite the efforts of the only other woman in the group to assure her that nothing untoward would happen to her. She wasn’t prepared to trust me — or the other four.
“Well, we let her be and left. Everyone was dropped at their homes, or somewhere nearby. I was the last one to be dropped. I paid the fare for everyone and went into the house still wondering about the woman who turned down my offer of a lift.
“Memories of her have been rekindled by what happened in the last few days when one vendor turned down Triephornia Thomson Mpinganjira’s kind gesture.
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“Trust doesn’t come easy to some people, especially in a country with a considerable number of people who believe all manner of nonsense about rich people. She may as well have been afraid that she would be magically used in a ritual to make Triephornia even more millions,” concluded Dannie Grant Phiri.
One reaction to the post was from Thokozani Kachale, who said: “Nothing spells POWER clearer than a seemingly lesser person saying NO to the supposedly rich and powerful. We have become worshippers of money and I am not surprised we are paralysed by a poor woman refusing such a generous gift.”
Barnes Mphande came forward to say: “Whilst it’s encouraged to give, it doesn’t sink well to just receive, especially cash etc. Let’s respect both ends — not all people vending are in need for cash handouts; not many people sleeping under bridges [that] are looking for a decent house, others need just a shelter. I, for one, doesn’t believe in cash handouts randomly.”
Margaret Nkhoma commented that from the conversation in the video clip, the lady vendor didn’t seem to know that the person that approached her was a rich person.
“To me she doesn’t simply believe in freebies — period,” she said. “Anzathu azungu (our friends in the rich western world) have mastered this practice of no free-lunch but we don’t call them names like this woman has been labelled.
“Why do we expect poor people to accept anything from the rich? By the way I’ve got nothing personal against the poor lady nor the rich.”
To which Stev Eria responded, saying: “My father always said ‘palibe chaulere pa dziko la pansi’ (nothing is for free in this world). There’s always a price”, a statement that Margaret Nkhoma agreed, saying “Olo utamwa Fanta wa ulele ku ukwati (even if offered a bottle of Fanta at a wedding) it means someone somewhere has paid for that bottle.”
Duffy Dublino responded to say: “We have a high level of people who believe so much in superstition than Christianity in this country, is unfortunately”, to which Webster Chione replied: “So, what if it was the Christianity side that made her do so?”
Shadreck Mwenso agreed with Duffy Dublino, saying: “However, it’s essential to be cautious about accepting offers from random strangers, as some may have ulterior motives regarding their money. On the other hand, some give genuinely out of kindness, without any hidden agendas.”
To which Duffy Dublino said: “Yeah, I don’t blame the lady who rejected the offer either, but rather, I blame us Malawians for making this country a place of people who cannot always trust one another.”
Canga Kamwambe asked: “Why are people trying so hard to explain her refusal. No is NO basi, whatever the reason. We are ascribing ‘poverty’ to this woman based on the benefactor’s resources and not the beneficiaries.
“We don’t even know if the woman is poor, we are ‘assuming’ she is. Maybe, she farms maize or soya too. Maybe she inherited a few properties. Aaaaaaah folks stop it.”
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Dannie Grant Phiri came fourth to respond to Canga Kamwambe, saying: “personally, I wasn’t trying to explain. It’s just this latest NO triggered memories of the woman who turned down the offer of a lift years ago.
“And if you knew how dangerous the area around Limbe Market gets at night, you would understand why my mind kept flicking back to that incident.”
Grace Wonga remembered of a previous post that indicated that it’s not all who trust the rich, to which Dannie replied: “Our history is littered with stories of properties of better-off people in some communities being looted and destroyed because people in those areas have concluded that the deaths are unnatural.
“Of course, dubious sing’angas (withcrafts) are brought in to formerly point their fingers at the people who the communities suspect. Normally they are the well-off.”
Ted Kwelepeta said: “I have explained to people that it is a matter of belief. In many cases generosity will be received with a mindset of belief. Many people don’t believe one can be genuinely generous.”
Canga Kamwambe responded to Ted Kwelepeta saying maybe the vegetable vendor has enough money: “We are assuming she needs K500,000 based on what? That she is selling tomatoes?”
“Are we sure that is her whole life? Tikuchuluka nzeru…nobody knows what she needs better than she does. Same way I cannot come to your house and tell you what you need.”
Joji Sairi summed it up: “Kodi, is it a crime to say NO when you feel like it?”
On her part, Triephornia Mpinganjira posted on her Facebook page that: “One thing we should all learn from that woman is to say ‘no thank you I have enough’ or ‘no bless others my pocket is full’”.
“Please don’t criticise her,” Triephornia said. “She said inuyo mundithandize mpamba kuti ndidzisamala abambo kunyumbaku immediately she changed her mind and said no, mwina she wasn’t sure that what she asked she can receive or whatever.
“Mwina she was shocked, my team was called back that she wanted the money but it was too late titatha mtunda. She refused and someone benefited
“Komanso remember this program I am doing a random pick pompo pansikapo, no listing names and I am not introducing myself to any beneficiary. Ndiye kwa ena ndichithu chodabwitsa kuti mmene dziko lavitutilamu munthu agawe ndalama zaulele.
“Komanso, ineyo I remember very well running away with my friends from obaya katemela wa Vit A aja amkabwela ma school aja, we used to say ndi opopa magazi even galimoto yabwino ndiye ikhale ya black kungodutsa kwathu ku Neno timathawa kumati opopa magazi or whatever.
“Komanso ambiri ama bench pansika amakhala opezako. Zimasiyana ndi oyala pansi. So anthufe timakhulupilira zinthu zosiyanasiyana.”
Triephornia conclude by saying the lady who refused her offer “is a sweet mother to someone — let’s respect her.Don’t comment any negative about this lady. It’s not nice.”
