MY THOUGHTS ON BINGU (Part 2): UNDERSTANDING THE BINGU DREAM

The Bingu dream lives on

Why do we talk about the Bingu dream? Why was Bingu talking about dreams? Why do we scream words like “the dreamer is gone but the dream lives on?” Yes, Bingu our visionary leader is gone but not with his dreams. He was a dreamer but not just any other dreamer. He was one who would work so hard to translate the dreams into reality.

The uniqueness of this dreamer was that he was not only dreaming about himself but his dreams were always about Malawi.

He dreamt while eyes open, no wonder President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe spoke with admiration about this great leader this other day urging him to keep “dreaming and dreaming”. Why? The Bingu dream was so impressive, broad, significant, and persuasive.

Who could fault the late Bingu’s dreams when all eyes were there to see how the dream manifested itself on the ground in all sectors of development.

Wait a minute, before I go on and on we need to talk about something very important. For us to understand the reality of the Bingu dream better let’s look at how dreams are made in the brain. You would agree with me that dreaming is an important component of the human experience; I dream, you dream, we all can dream, but the value of the dream is what matters.

For us to dream here are the things that are needed; First a person needs to have a brain that is functioning. The second step in the construction of dreams is vision. You need a clear vision for you dream. It’s what we see, think and touch that is stored and processed in the brain to become a dream.

Any damage to one distinct region of the brain which is said to be crucial for the generation of dreams would cause what is called Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome, named after neurologists Jean-Martin Charcot and Hermann Wilbrand, who first described it in the 1880s. This is an illness that causes people to stop dreaming. It usually develops when one is attacked by stroke.

As explained, dreams are constructed when one has a clear vision and a functioning brain. A person who is able to look at current developments and analyse them comprehensively. One who can gaze into the future and make sense of all the ideas generated in the mind before putting them into practice. A person who will be able to dream, interpret and make use of the dreams and turn them into a reality.

Unfortunately the truth is, not all people are gifted in that area. It’s just the same as leadership. Imagine having a gifted leader who is able to lead, dream and interpret the dream.

A leader, who is so visionary, well exposed to issues, one who is able to empower his people with a sense of self belief and reliance and sanctions them to own the country. That’s Bingu Wa Mutharika for you and that’s what the Bingu dream stands for.

Unfortunately Bingu never lived to achieve everything that he had in store for Malawi. The good thing is, the Bingu dream lives on. People that believed in the Bingu dream are all fired up to continue from where this great son of the soil stopped and build on the Bingu legacy. This is a legacy that gives Malawians hope.

As we gather on 9th May at Ndata in remembrance of the fallen hero, we remind each other to live in fulfillment of the Bingu dream.

MY THOUGHTS ON BINGU AHEAD OF HIS COMMEMORATION THIS SATURDAY

I will live to remember this visionary leader

Nobody believed it was true. The Nation was swallowed up with whispering voices of uncertainty. The news started making rounds around 11am in the morning. It was a Thursday morning by the way. 

A Thursday that brought an end to the life of a legend. A visionary and great son of Malawi who was so passionate about his country.  He was a man who loved everything about Malawi and had loved to be understood by his own people. A great leader whose legacy can never be exaggerated.

Each time we use all these adjectives and flowery language in trying to describe this fallen hero, we get buried into a sea of recollections that once upon a time there was Bingu Wa Mutharika the third President of the republic of Malawi.  

He came to Malawi as a nonentity politically. Apart from what we used to know of him at Comesa, there was no footprint for him on the political ground. Of course he co-founded the United Democratic Front UDF together with Bakili Muluzi in 1992, but that history seemed to have been swallowed by names that registered their significance on the road to the national referendum then. 

In 1999 he gave it a go on the presidential ballot with his United Party, sadly he finished last. An ordinary man would predict political doom for such a man. I would have declared him as a finished politician if it were me making an analysis of the 1999 polls. NO! Bingu never gave up. The passion for his country propelled him to display traits of greatness to the admiration of one political engineer.

In the political engineering process Bakili Muluzi made Bingu the Governor of the Reserve Bank, before roping him into cabinet. It never ended there, Bakili named Bingu as his successor in 2004. That marked the beginning of the manifestation of vastness in Bingu.

Bingu proved to the continent and the entire world that Africa needed an African solution to its problems. He instilled a sense of ownership of the country’s resources to the citizenry. He preached a message of self reliance. He reminded us of the vastness of our natural resources and how we can work to achieve even more in terms of production other than consuming. 

Bingu spoke with authority. His language depicted him as a craftsman of all trades. He was touted the “economic engineer” not out of sheer comedy but absolute enormous.  His first term was labelled a success by people from all sectors of our society.

Today as we think of joining his brother on Saturday, 9^th May, 2015, who will be leading the Mutharika family and the entire nation at Ndata farm where he is sleeping peacefully, it’s that time we reflect on the life and times of Bingu. What he achieved for this country that he loved so much. As a human being he might have made some judgemental errors, but they can never put to rest the Bingu legacy. They can never take away his dream that keeps living up to this very day.

Here was a man who was so committed to changing the face of this country. Who made us become proud of being called Malawians. For once we smiled each time people called us Malawians.

History can never be erased!

Till we meet again!