WHEN BITTERNESS IS CLOTHED IN ACTIVISM

We can agree here that within the borders of Malawi we missed this year’s Easter.

A day before Good Friday we were faced by news that the State President, Bingu wa Mutharika had died due to a cardiac arrest.

As we tried to make meaning of the unconfirmed reports there was already another wave of uncertainty pertaining to the Presidency of the Republic.

I was asleep on the night of Good Friday when six men and women invaded MBC TV and announced a new constitution to the nation on who was going to take over from the departed leader.

At this point, the then Vice President was engaged in several high profile meetings with the international community and influential local stakeholders at her residence in the plush suburb of Area 12.   

Two camps 4.7 km apart, one in Area 12 and another in Area 43 were operating on different constitutions.

14 million + Malawians waited for the verdict.

 The whole fracas and unnecessary drama was settled when Army Commander General Odillo made entry into the Vice President’s residence on the morning of Easter Saturday. 

I hear within a short period of time, the Area 43 clique shrank devastatingly in number as many of its members drove to Area 12 to show their allegiance to the country’s new leader.

Before we would bury the former leader, hearts were already hanging on who was going to work close to the new President.

In the days that followed, she met members of the civil society, religious leaders, opposition parties (minus the Democratic Progressive Party) and many more constituencies across the board.

The former ruling party was thrown into the lot of bitter camp. There was nothing they would do to rape the constitution. Thank God rape remains a sin, no matter the context.

Subsequently, the meetings were followed by various appointments at the State House and government institutions.

 This exercise swelled the numbers in the bitter pot. Some who believed that Joyce Banda was going to give them responsibilities became frustrated. (I still wonder why people think helping the President only means you have to be close to her) 

They hibernated for a moment and resurfaced on the social media.

Their posts on Facebook and Twitter carried with them some defined anger and frustration. First they attacked their fellows on why they were not speaking from within the Palace.

The friends remained quiet. 

The frustration of the bitter camp grew. 

They hopped from Blantyre to Lilongwe to be heard but people were busy running the country and would not render them an ear. 

They went to Washington but failed to sell their frustrations as they were told that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was already in Malawi. 

They dashed to Brussels but the EU was busy with the economic recovery of the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy Greece and Spain) 

London was their next destination but the country was draped in royal merriment and President Joyce Banda was there being hosted by the Queen. 

The plot thickened, they felt isolated and the disappointment grew more and more.

THE MAJORITY: All they need is development not political bickering

The bitter camp tried to get the attention of the donors but the international partners were busy engaging the new regime. Then they started pointing fingers in all directions, sometimes at themselves without knowing it.

Eight months down the line, the bitter camp cannot hold anymore. 

They stay on Facebook and Twitter all day long insulting the Head of State through various forums. 

Sometimes they meet resistance from the Orange camp but the confrontation turns out to be more personal than issue-based.  

Some members of Patriots Forum have come across members of this bitter camp; sometimes through our Facebook inboxes and even on the Timeline (wall).

We have been challenged that we are wrong to side with the Head of State. We are thought of having been given money to do this. 

Contrary to their imagination, we are just humble Malawians serving the country in retaining the decorum that the Presidency deserves.

As the year comes to an end, their empty accusations are growing by day but for sure the bitter camp is losing grip. They have held rallies across the country, they have created fake names for their treasonous acts of the social media; they have said all there is to say for a frustrated mind.

We have had three years of excruciating pain in governance and human rights issues. Now the dust is settling and Malawians are fatigued with unnecessary bickering. 

It is not known how long the bitter camp will exist. Their momentum is gone and real activists are giving recovery a chance.

Always for the good of Mother Malawi.