Bash Peter Mutharika and become a political analyst. The case story of Blessings Chinsinga

Led the onslaught on Peter Mutharika's absence

I love the crop of “Political Scientists” that we have in this country. In mind I have names of people like Blessings Chinsinga, Mustafa Hussein and many others that you know. When they speak they make headlines, they are opinion spinners without doubt. I remember while at MBC we used to interview Noel Mbowela a lecture at Mzuzu University (not sure if he is still at Mzuni though) because we knew he would give us the material that we wanted. By this time in our minds Chinsinga and Hussein were “hands off” because they were perceived “anti government.”

Mbowela was one funny guy once you called him to comment on a particular issue. He is one guy who had a version for MBC, a version for Capital Radio and another version for ZBS on the very same issue. On MBC he would sound pro-government (that’s why they loved to feature him) and on the other radio stations he would be bashing the same government that he applauded on MBC. 

Now this is where I am questioning the objectivity of these people we christened “political commentators, scientists, analysts.” I really don’t understand as to what makes one a political scientist? Is it for bashing the government of the day or any other political development? Does it mean that political scientists cannot make positive comments on a particular issue?  

Imagine one Blessings Chinsinga making these comments as he questioned the absence of the DPP leader Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika as reported by The Nation Newspaper “Maybe because he is not charismatic as he says nothing inspirational. He is riding on the DPP’s success stories on food security. But as a leader, his presence cannot be underestimated.”  

Am I listening to somebody who is chocking with a staccato of contradictions here? Peter Mutharika is DPP, he is the leader of DPP, so you cannot talk about the success story of the DPP minus its leader, besides Peter Mutharika was part of that success story. Remember he served as a presidential advisor to Bingu and he held some portfolios where he was one of the senior ministers.

Now if he is riding on the success story of DPP that’s so inspiring Dr Chinsinga, because he is taking that success story with him everywhere he goes, instilling hope to the people, so I wonder what you meant by saying Peter Mutharika says nothing inspirational. 

Dr Chinsinga, the DPP story is so inspiring, we are talking food security here, unless the word “inspiration” has changed meaning in political science, but my opinion that I proudly hold is that at the moment there isn’t another inspiring story in the area of food security than the DPP story in the history of multiparty democracy in the country. This is what Peter Mutharika stands for Dr Chinsinga. 

Not only food security by the way, we are talking Infrastructure development and many other achievements too many to list here.

Everything that Peter Mutharika speaks is what DPP believes in. He talks about food security which scored Bingu so many marks.  It’s so outrageous for somebody who is a “political analyst” not to see the connection especially when such is shamefully displayed in public.

It’s discreditable for Blessings Chinsinga to say Peter Mutharika’s “presence cannot be underestimated” meaning that Peter Mutharika is needed to inspire his party as he has always done. I thought I heard him say this Peter Mutharika “says nothing inspirational?”

Yes I agree to some extent that Peter Mutharika as a leader of DPP was supposed to be around to ensure a smooth management of the party on the road to the May polls. I also agree that as a leader he is accountable to his supporters because he is not bigger that the party itself. They chose him to simply lead the party not to own it.

However, his trip to the USA shouldn’t be blown out of proportion just because it’s Peter Mutharika. I remember not so long time ago (could be last month) MCP President Lazarous Chakwera travelled to South Africa and it was okey for him to travel with only five months to an election but it becomes an issue when its Peter Mutharika? Am I missing something here? Am I seeing some sectors of the society acting hypocritical here?

I am not here trying to tout the 20 days absence of the DPP leader as necessary but rather trying to make us realise the need for objectivity in our approach to issues ahead of the May polls especially the media and other opinion spinners otherwise people might start questioning our credibility.