Malawi: Malawian Youth signs up to a devilish labour agreement through a Presidential Labour Export program to Israel…

The Prosperity Gospel Pastor and President Lazarus Chakwera has done the despicable. His government have now signed off and made arrangements with the Government of Israel to export “cheap” labour to the Middle East. The Malawian Youth will be farm-workers and they will have meagre pay.

The payment rate is making it obvious. The ones who has signed off on it and agreed to work on farms or such in Israel. They will be working hard to repay the expenses to get there (plane ticket) and for the lodging as well. Nothing is covered and they are also not getting much per hour. Meaning it is like the employers are retaining up to 60% of salary in the beginning. That’s before they start to pay the workers. Meaning this is very cheap and slave-like conditions, as the Malawian youth has to work enough hours or overtime to achieve the quota and the retained expenditure in question.

That’s why it is striking that is a part of the Malawian Governments “job create and combat youth unemployment”. There is already reports of 21 buses which was ferried to an International Airport and prepared the youth to travel to work in Israel. This is happening in the midst of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. There are missiles and warfare going on. Which means there is dangers involved and casualties of war to be expected. Meaning someone will die on the farms, because they were stationed closed to the “new settlements in the West Bank” or getting in the crossfire between the IDF and Hamas in Gaza. Therefore, this is a dangerous place to go and for measly pay.

Whatever that went through the bureaucracy of Blantyre and Lilongwe… it wasn’t wise or brilliant. No matter how you spin this one, it going into the land of buffoonery and nowhere subtle to hide. They are not only sending their citizens to a conflict and a war-zone, but giving them terrible working conditions and contracts. Which are continuing a cycle of poverty and not enriching the citizens or the state for that matter. The Republic won’t get much remittance out of this when the employer retains such vast parts of the salary. Neither is there is a gate-way or avenue for the workers to get better deals. As they have agreed upon their Visa to work on designated farms and “carry out the instructions my employer willingly and to best of my abilities”. That is just telling what this is and it’s not great optics.

I feel sorry for the youths and the workers who signed off on this one. They had to see no other way out and hope this was a way out of poverty. There isn’t much hope left when you agree to these terms and accept the possibility of dying while working on the harvest of others in a foreign land. Because, that is what they end up doing and for little to nothing. In most cases, this will be tough, unpleasant and without any remorse.

This is what Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance is doing. The Christian Pastor is now accepting to labour export youths to Israel in the middle of war. They are coming to save agricultural sector of Israel. That’s what they are doing and ensuring the farmers have enough workers to produce food of the nation.

It is a pity and the citizens of Malawi deserves better. They really deserves better options and opportunities. Alas, Chakwera prefers to be vagabond and an extravagant character. This will also buy his aid monies and further allies in the West. Which means he can hope for possible shortfall of fiscal stimulus out of it. That’s why he accept the plight and the suffering of the unemployed youth who signed of on these shady contracts. The youths who did will regret it and they will suffer. It is dire and just shows how dark things are. When things like these are going on and the culprits never hoped it would get exposed. Peace.

Malawi: Secretary for Labour Wezi Kayira – Press Release (24.11.2023)

South Africa: Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – EFF Welcomes the Resolution by the Parliament of South Africa to Close the Israeli Embassy (21.11.2023)

South Africa: Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – EFF Statement on the Nonsensical Hearings by the Powers and Privileges Committee against EFF Members of Parliament (20.11.2023)

Malawi: The lost talking points of Chakwera’s address…

Lastly, as for those who are in positions of leadership and who know that they are responsible for creating the mess we are in, all I can say to them is that I will deal with you soon enough” – President Lazarus Chakwera (15.11.2023).

The National Address of 15th November 2023 has created headlines over IMF loans and of the suspension of dignitaries travelling abroad or to conferences. That is coming from a President who has acted like a Vagabond and been long time abroad. This President since taking office did the great deal of travelling abroad to an internet or a viral conference, which he could have done through a Zoom Call or similar app.

So, we know he also stayed the longest of a head of state after the recent United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He is that kind. Therefore, I don’t see him suspended his travels or his foreign trips. This President has enjoyed the perks of office and opportunities abroad. Not that it’s shocking, but a prosperity gospel pastor have sold himself to the US Dollars and Euros instead of Malawian Kwacha.

With regards of that… let’s look at two pieces that is lost on the major headlines from the address.

The first:

At my inauguration on Independence Day three years ago, I carried in my heart the heavy burden of knowing that you had trusted me to correct the mistakes in economic management I had inherited. In that moment, I knew that I had the choice of either telling you the truth about how bad things were or continuing the lies of the past that claimed that our economy was built on sound principles and practices. But I chose to tell you the truth that day, which is why I told you that the principles and practices our economy had been built on previously were so unsound like a dislocated bone that even correcting them to create economic liberation would cause enormous pain for all of you. That pain I spoke of is the pain we are all feeling now, and that pain is going to continue for the next few months as we complete the process of putting the dislocated bones back into place. But once this short painful season of sowing ends, I assure you that a season of joyful

harvest will come” (Chakwera, 15.11.2023).

Here we are seeing a very normal trait. His blaming the past for the current precedence, which is giving himself leeway. Even him as an opposition blamed the ruling party and ruling regime for the financial crisis. Now he still goes back there, even after three years… and he should carry some weight by now.

Chakwera speaks of pain, but he isn’t feeling it and he has used the same means as the predecessors. That has been shown with nepotism and using the state organizations in the same fashion as the ones before. This is why there even been a battle with the ACB and the Satter investigation. It has just shown the current Tonse Alliance is as shady and corrupt as the big scandals of the ones before. The only difference is that its the allies of the current President versus the ones before him. That’s why the speaking of reform, the beast of corruption and bribes are ghost haunting the Presidency regardless. We know that and he knows that too. He can try to spin it… but he cannot help the reality, which isn’t that beautiful.

The second:

And now that we have successfully restored international confidence and international support, we once again have the opportunity to put it to good use. I know that there will be some who will want us to squander this opportunity by spending money carelessly. I will not allow that. I know that there will be some who will want us to squander this opportunity by pointing fingers at me for making the painful corrections that I had already said I’d make three years ago. I will not be distracted by that. I know that there will be some who created this mess that I am now cleaning up who will be the loudest in calling me names, claiming that I am the problem, and calling on citizens to attack me. But I am not intimidated by that” (Chakwera, 15.11.2023).

Chakwera maybe feels that the confidence is back because he gets IMF loans and the Multi-National Institutions are levying loans to the Government of Malawi. However, that isn’t how the confidence returns, but when the inflation and the government isn’t cash-strapped. The President should be worried about the crisis and the lack of fuel. The lack of Forex… and whatever else that comes his way. Lilongwe and Blantyre are feeling the pinch, but the President was away somewhere abroad. Later he returned and promised salvation. That’s how the President acts… and this is why I have a problem with him.

He can write eloquent speeches and has had the training as a Pastor and being an opposition leader. Chakwera can act like his fixing it now. He has promised bountiful harvest before and gone on an agricultural drive. We have seen this and now after years of his reign. I don’t believe it and his ship has sailed. We know in the end… there will be no real change and he just hope that the storm ends. He hope that the wind doesn’t blow and he can enjoy a peaceful evening without a hail-storm. Peace.

South Africa: Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – CIC Julius Malema to Debate the Closure of the Israeli Embassy in the Parliament of South Africa (16.11.2023)

South Africa: Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) – CASAC Concerned by Chief Justice’s Recent Public Remarks (14.11.2023)

South Africa: Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – EFF Condemns the South African Presidency for granting ENCa Exclusive and Monopoly Control over the Broadcasting Feed of an Address to the Nation (29.10.2023)

Malawi: Chakwera – The Nation is running out of fuel…

President Lazarus Chakwera who has been gone since Mid-September and soon arriving back in Malawi. While he was gone… the nation has been hit with a crisis and seemingly eroding transportation. As the landlocked nation is in need of petroleum, gasoline or fuel for that matter.

There are long lines in Blantyre and Lilongwe. The crisis is making commuters life a living hell and they are in long lines to get fuel. If there is any at all. While the President and his associates was living on per diem and salaries in the United States. They enjoyed the perks of the office and had a marvellous time in New York. Only to hold one speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and deciding to stay longer.

Chakwera gone missing isn’t helping anyone. The Republic needs steady leadership and this is a scandal. Not that its anything new to have scandals rocking a sitting a government in Malawi. No, but this is becoming hectic and won’t become anything better with time. There will only be more questions and there is a need for answers.

Clearly the state companies that imports the fuel are struggling to cope with the Forex situation. They are feeling the pinch on the lack of Dollars, as petrodollars are needed to buy it. This is created by the economic policies and the lack thereof… and is consequentially interfering in the imports of fuel. Which means the lacks of dollars are hurting the whole nation. As the nation needs fuel and this is becoming in short supply.

There is a need for new financial policies and fiscal stimulus here. As the Republic cannot get into trouble with petrodollars over long time. That has consequences for the nation and only causes more harm. This in combination of having more routes of imports, meaning not only trusting in Tanzania and the Dar Corridor, but also imports from Beira port in Mozambique.

The Tonse Alliance and the ones in government has to act. The authorities and the national oil company. These has together with the financial institutions find ways to move. Since this isn’t it. The status quo is only making things ugly and the scarcity will hurt even more with time. The public will be displeased and have reasons to riot. This because the government isn’t governing, but busy enjoy the spoils of office. That’s how things are looking to them.

Chakwera has lost the plot here. He got away with Sattar and the invisible hand. However, this one here will bite him. It can hurt him in the long run and also his Vice-President. They are both in the firing line. If you thought the maize scandal of the predecessor was bad. This can get even worse and cause more damage. That’s because of the nature of the lack of fuel. It hurts so many industries, people in general and stops ordinary people from moving around. That is bound to cause a stir and possibly enrage usually kind-hearted people. Therefore, the President should be alarmed and work with haste…

However, his a vagabond and busy with associates. He will just come home promise change and clean the slate. Nevertheless, he won’t do much and we shouldn’t expect much either. The former Pastor can preach, but clearly doesn’t have the skill to govern. If he did… this wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Chakwera and the Tonse Alliance has failed the nation. They couldn’t even ensure the Republic had fuel and petrodollars to secure enough. That’s too much to ask. Peace.

South Africa: Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – EFF Statement on the South African Reserve Bank’s Statement on the Phala Phala Investigation (21.08.2023)