Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika has drawn a considerable amount of criticism because of his "global trotting" at a time when his country is suffering from severe lack of foreign currency, which has caused massive fuel shortage in the country; a problem that has become perennial.
It is worth mentioning that Mutharika’s Africa Union
(AU) leadership may have contributed to it. This is likely to remain a
speculative thought, as Mutharika is unlikely to discuss or explain his trip, even though this is in the public interest.
Mutharika’s recent “global trotting” has taken him to
Iran, the USA (attending UN summit), and Cuba. Apart from the summit, Iran and
Cuba may yet raise few eyebrows in the Global North, particularly the USA as
Mutharika denounced USA's long-standing sanctions against socialist Cuba. He
made the denunciation as AU chairperson as he assured the Cubans that all
African countries opposed the sanctions.
There is no problem with the choice of friends. Malawi
is a sovereign state after all. It can befriend whomever it pleases.
Interestingly, history indicates that Mutharika is only observing what is
becoming a tradition by Malawi presidents. All his predecessors befriended
‘controversial regimes:’ Kamuzu Banda was the only African president to maintained
diplomatic ties with South Africa’s apartheid regime. Bakili Muluzi befriended
Libya's Colonel Gadaffi.
Mutharika will hope that his visit to Iran, an Islamic country, will scored him few political pints at home, as this will help dispel some
murmurings that he is 'anti Islam'. It is his speech in Cuba that he must be questioned. While his call for the USA to lift sanctions on Cuba is plausible and
somewhat brave, the Malawi leader simply picked a wrong fight – he cannot win and
he has nothing to gain. He may disguise it under the African umbrella, but he cannot hide his Malawian presidentship.
It is quite startling that Mutharika chose
to only see Cuba as a victim of USA’s unjust sanctions – which it is, but Mutharika should have paid more attention to what Cuba has achieved despite those sanctions. Cuba has done very well in the crucial sectors of education, health and
social welfare. These are sectors that Malawi is seriously lacking in.
Cuba’s level of resources makes it a more realist role
model for Malawi. Human rights issues aside; Cuban state provide all the essential
needs for its people. The country has never used USA’s
heavy sanctions and trade embargo as an excuse not to look after its people.
Countries like Bolivia, Venezuela and Chile have adopted some of the Cuba's
economic and social policies and they are doing very well economically.
Mutharika’s policies have helped improve Malawi's agricultural sector and maternal mortality rate. Even though the recent Mo Ibrahim index shows that Malawi's economy has stagnated in the last three years, this is plausible and it deserves a
mention. What also needs to be pointed out is the fact that a recent Famine
Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) has indicated that over a million people
are still food insecure. Equally disappointing is a recent report by Volunteers Services Overseas (VSO), which indicates that 'sixteen women die every day in
Malawi in childbirth, or from related complications.' The report also estimates
that 'there are now just two doctors and 26 nurses for every 100, 000 people'
These appalling
statics are unheard of in Cuba, a country that Mutharika has decided to rescue
and not to learn from. In fact, Cuba is among the three countries with best patient
to doctor ratio in the world. World Health Organisation (WHO) figures show that
Cuba has 530 doctors for every 100, 000 patients. Is this not a feat that Mutharika
must aspire to achieve instead of picking unwinnable fight against the USA?
You can follow my tweets @jkainja
You can follow my tweets @jkainja