Friends
Now that the dust has settled, its easier to come out and speak here about the appointment of my good friend Bright as DDG for MBC.
I dont know why there has been so much fuss about Brights appointment but i suppose its because, whilst he was here on the net, he stepped on the toes of some powerful people (in Nyasanet terms). He also, made great friends who wish him well through thick and thin. Everyone knows which side they belong.
I cant come here and say anything about Brights credentials. But what i do know is that Bright like me, is a Progressive. What i know is that Bright, like me, is a man who seeks new ideas from people and would go to great hieghts to push a meaningful reform. I have also come to know Bright as a man who goes hunting and brings home the kalulu. And i believe that if given the chance, Bright can make things happen, if only people can let him get on with the job.
You know, I have learnt one thing, that a president is only supposed to appoint people he believes will deliver the results he wants. Once those people are appointed, it is up to them to make the best out of their positions. I am one person who supported Ralph Kasambaras appointment, but i came out bruised as did so many people. I am one person Ralph let down so much as he pondered into the hilltops of power, abusing it at each opportunity he had. Now i know, its not just about how much education you get, but what you do with that education after leaving school that will make the difference.
Maybe what has caused all this fuss is the fact that Bright seems to be a DPP sympathiser. Whilst Bright has never told me which side he leans on, i like many other people can be forgiven for assuming he is one. Im sure the bitter question which -makes people like Lucius Banda ask journalists to march against Brights position- is why should a DPP sympathiser be DDG of MBC. The claim is he will be bias. Well it is a genuine concern. But in malawi, everyone has the right to vote and the right to support a party of their choice. So it was either a DPP person or a UDF/ MCP/PPM person. The ball landed this time in the hands of a DPP supporter. It had to land somewhere. Once upon a time it landed on a UDF mans hands.
But you know, maybe we are forgetting one thing that whoever you say was UDF who has left the position has been there for the past 2 years. And for all those two years, the opposition has claimed that the media houses were bias. so it stands to reason that, it would not have mattered who got the position. Bright, Eunice, Andekuche, Timothy, whoever it was going to be, he was going to be bias anyway.
Were there interviews or not!? Well does it matter? If the government had wanted to give him the job, he would have got that job, interview or no interview. Actually had there been interviews, it would have simply given false hope to people. But i doubt that had there been one, some of you wouldnot be crying pyoo still. aha, you would have. Actually you would have been demanding the panelists interview scoring sheet. Thats how you people are like. It is how you operate and so far you havent seen anything wrong with it.
Tom has told us that Bakili offered him the job and he refused because it wasnt going to be transparent or something like that. well I completely admire Tom for the stand he took, it was a tough one. But it is a decision a progressive like me, or Bright wouldnt take and im sure there are many netters who wouldnt because refusing such a position would be refusing to accept a call to national duty. But Tom might have had his reasons, perhaps Canada is now home and going to malawi would be senseless or his life in Canada is his peak. But to some us an ooportunity to impove the life of our people is an honor we can not refuse and we wont refuse if it comes our way. We are progressives and we hate the malawian tradition of poverty.
This brings me to my next point. The other issue is that before his appointment, Bright had been supporting the government much to the annoyance of a few people. And then he got the postion and then the eye brows were raised. so lets get real. People want to know 'zatheka bwanji?' and im saying aha! Which part dont you guys understand. whats the point of asking what we already know and what no one can ever hide. what no one can ever defend. It is true that if you promote a particular governments views, you finaly get rewarded with a position that helps promoting that governments agenda. It may not be ideal but no one has yet found a better way. Its that simple.
Let me try to bring it home with a real life example. everyone who knows me, knows for a fact that if they are going to the pub they cant take me because i dont drink. in their agenda to get drunk, i am completely useless. Should they however want to have a party at home and they want a full dance floor, they will make sure am the first person they invite knowing i occupy space for 40 people alone. Thom may have not asked himself why Bakili offered him the position of DG of MBC. But it was because he shared the same vision, ideals and principles of the former regime -questionable as they may be. could that be the reason why people like Bright and Patrick were offered these jobs then.
you see even in the Uk, the cash for honors speaks volume of this system. Bill Clinton being investigated for some swindle appointed a Republican investigator to make the necessary inquiries because he wanted someone who would easily be trusted by the republicans. In his book he says, it was the last time he ever made such a blunder and that that was one of his worst appointments. Thats just the way political appointments go.
I am not saying those in who sympathise with the opposition should not have the chance to get mipando yokomayi, but we have to understand that there are other positions that whatever the case, the government will have to control. Such are the positions of MBC, baecause the government has to promote its agebda and reach out to the people. Positions like the governor of the central bank ( please read the arguement in Dr C L Chanthunyas My Turn article two weeks ago) and MRA among many others. Its that simple. Once again that may not be the best way to handle affairs, but so far, no one has come up with a better way of doing it.
Namisa cries that these positions should go to Journalists. this is once again a lousy arguement. Like always, i will bring you home. I worked for Celtel for two years. That time Celtels sales were soaring and everywhere you went, if anyone knew about cellphones they would say 'now you are talking.' Why was the marketing ya Celtel so good. Well other than the fact that there were lots of youthful people, there is the fact that Tim, the Celtel Country director was a marketer. Thats what we need in malawi, 'strategic appointments'. companies like MPC fail because you just bring in people with management skill in them, whilst that may be important, you need someone who knows what they are doing and how to venture into the market. The should bring a person with marketing ideas into MPC to make it compete DHL and others. Then it can go into ISP. But Namisas arguement says that we should find a postman to be GM of MPC, and probably a footballer to head FAM, or better still, a Netter to be a GM of Malawinet. Its an awful arguement, but the journalist thought it was worth making and since they are writes, who am i to say it wasnt.
So to Bright, i say get on with your job and do the best you can to make us all proud of you. Most of us are of good hearts and we do wish you well. Use this opportunity to do right. We will keep our faith in you hoping you wont let us down. Leave these fights to those of us with lots of time on our hands. Malawi can become big. You havent done anything wrong, atleast not yet but we are all watching to see what you intend to do and how you will move. You can take my advice or leave it, its free of charge. But whatever you do, you are where you should be, make the most of it.
Sorry folks but thats Life!
Andekuche D Samalani Chanthunya
Now that the dust has settled, its easier to come out and speak here about the appointment of my good friend Bright as DDG for MBC.
I dont know why there has been so much fuss about Brights appointment but i suppose its because, whilst he was here on the net, he stepped on the toes of some powerful people (in Nyasanet terms). He also, made great friends who wish him well through thick and thin. Everyone knows which side they belong.
I cant come here and say anything about Brights credentials. But what i do know is that Bright like me, is a Progressive. What i know is that Bright, like me, is a man who seeks new ideas from people and would go to great hieghts to push a meaningful reform. I have also come to know Bright as a man who goes hunting and brings home the kalulu. And i believe that if given the chance, Bright can make things happen, if only people can let him get on with the job.
You know, I have learnt one thing, that a president is only supposed to appoint people he believes will deliver the results he wants. Once those people are appointed, it is up to them to make the best out of their positions. I am one person who supported Ralph Kasambaras appointment, but i came out bruised as did so many people. I am one person Ralph let down so much as he pondered into the hilltops of power, abusing it at each opportunity he had. Now i know, its not just about how much education you get, but what you do with that education after leaving school that will make the difference.
Maybe what has caused all this fuss is the fact that Bright seems to be a DPP sympathiser. Whilst Bright has never told me which side he leans on, i like many other people can be forgiven for assuming he is one. Im sure the bitter question which -makes people like Lucius Banda ask journalists to march against Brights position- is why should a DPP sympathiser be DDG of MBC. The claim is he will be bias. Well it is a genuine concern. But in malawi, everyone has the right to vote and the right to support a party of their choice. So it was either a DPP person or a UDF/ MCP/PPM person. The ball landed this time in the hands of a DPP supporter. It had to land somewhere. Once upon a time it landed on a UDF mans hands.
But you know, maybe we are forgetting one thing that whoever you say was UDF who has left the position has been there for the past 2 years. And for all those two years, the opposition has claimed that the media houses were bias. so it stands to reason that, it would not have mattered who got the position. Bright, Eunice, Andekuche, Timothy, whoever it was going to be, he was going to be bias anyway.
Were there interviews or not!? Well does it matter? If the government had wanted to give him the job, he would have got that job, interview or no interview. Actually had there been interviews, it would have simply given false hope to people. But i doubt that had there been one, some of you wouldnot be crying pyoo still. aha, you would have. Actually you would have been demanding the panelists interview scoring sheet. Thats how you people are like. It is how you operate and so far you havent seen anything wrong with it.
Tom has told us that Bakili offered him the job and he refused because it wasnt going to be transparent or something like that. well I completely admire Tom for the stand he took, it was a tough one. But it is a decision a progressive like me, or Bright wouldnt take and im sure there are many netters who wouldnt because refusing such a position would be refusing to accept a call to national duty. But Tom might have had his reasons, perhaps Canada is now home and going to malawi would be senseless or his life in Canada is his peak. But to some us an ooportunity to impove the life of our people is an honor we can not refuse and we wont refuse if it comes our way. We are progressives and we hate the malawian tradition of poverty.
This brings me to my next point. The other issue is that before his appointment, Bright had been supporting the government much to the annoyance of a few people. And then he got the postion and then the eye brows were raised. so lets get real. People want to know 'zatheka bwanji?' and im saying aha! Which part dont you guys understand. whats the point of asking what we already know and what no one can ever hide. what no one can ever defend. It is true that if you promote a particular governments views, you finaly get rewarded with a position that helps promoting that governments agenda. It may not be ideal but no one has yet found a better way. Its that simple.
Let me try to bring it home with a real life example. everyone who knows me, knows for a fact that if they are going to the pub they cant take me because i dont drink. in their agenda to get drunk, i am completely useless. Should they however want to have a party at home and they want a full dance floor, they will make sure am the first person they invite knowing i occupy space for 40 people alone. Thom may have not asked himself why Bakili offered him the position of DG of MBC. But it was because he shared the same vision, ideals and principles of the former regime -questionable as they may be. could that be the reason why people like Bright and Patrick were offered these jobs then.
you see even in the Uk, the cash for honors speaks volume of this system. Bill Clinton being investigated for some swindle appointed a Republican investigator to make the necessary inquiries because he wanted someone who would easily be trusted by the republicans. In his book he says, it was the last time he ever made such a blunder and that that was one of his worst appointments. Thats just the way political appointments go.
I am not saying those in who sympathise with the opposition should not have the chance to get mipando yokomayi, but we have to understand that there are other positions that whatever the case, the government will have to control. Such are the positions of MBC, baecause the government has to promote its agebda and reach out to the people. Positions like the governor of the central bank ( please read the arguement in Dr C L Chanthunyas My Turn article two weeks ago) and MRA among many others. Its that simple. Once again that may not be the best way to handle affairs, but so far, no one has come up with a better way of doing it.
Namisa cries that these positions should go to Journalists. this is once again a lousy arguement. Like always, i will bring you home. I worked for Celtel for two years. That time Celtels sales were soaring and everywhere you went, if anyone knew about cellphones they would say 'now you are talking.' Why was the marketing ya Celtel so good. Well other than the fact that there were lots of youthful people, there is the fact that Tim, the Celtel Country director was a marketer. Thats what we need in malawi, 'strategic appointments'. companies like MPC fail because you just bring in people with management skill in them, whilst that may be important, you need someone who knows what they are doing and how to venture into the market. The should bring a person with marketing ideas into MPC to make it compete DHL and others. Then it can go into ISP. But Namisas arguement says that we should find a postman to be GM of MPC, and probably a footballer to head FAM, or better still, a Netter to be a GM of Malawinet. Its an awful arguement, but the journalist thought it was worth making and since they are writes, who am i to say it wasnt.
So to Bright, i say get on with your job and do the best you can to make us all proud of you. Most of us are of good hearts and we do wish you well. Use this opportunity to do right. We will keep our faith in you hoping you wont let us down. Leave these fights to those of us with lots of time on our hands. Malawi can become big. You havent done anything wrong, atleast not yet but we are all watching to see what you intend to do and how you will move. You can take my advice or leave it, its free of charge. But whatever you do, you are where you should be, make the most of it.
Sorry folks but thats Life!
Andekuche D Samalani Chanthunya
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