CALLISTA’S DEMEANING ACT: K550 AS BUSINESS CAPITAL?

Callista Mutharika is back, has spoken and we have heard.

Last week she was guest of honor at a Pastors Fraternal Voices meeting in Chemusa, Blantyre. It is not her attendance that has hunted out this blog post but rather her tongue which we believe was used without much consideration and wisdom.

Being guest of honor, Callista needed to realize that she had to flow with the etiquette of such a gathering. As such her speech would have scored marks if she stuck to that which necessitated her invitation.

However, it was not to be, Callista found a platform to pick lying bones with the Head of State by pointing out what she thinks are the anomalies with the current government. As a Malawian citizen, it is within her freedoms to express her views on the affairs in the country.

The problem with Callista’s speech is that it even went further and personal to the point of showering contempt on the President and calling her a mandasi seller.

It doesn't take a gesture more than this to appreciate what one has done for you

Without delving much into what she said, Callista must learn to stick within the boundaries of proceedings at any function. She must not use a church platform to square personal matters with the President, let alone anyone.

Callista must appreciate that President Joyce Banda does not have any issues against her. For instance, the President was there every mile of the last journey of Bingu’s body and she made sure that he was buried with proper decorum even though the country was going through a tense moment politically.

The ex-First Lady must also be thankful to President Joyce Banda as she played a role for her to be recruited at Hunger Project, a move that propelled her to political fame. May be she does not see what we see.

It surprises me how Callista thinks she still has to settle scores with the Head of State in regards to the businesses she has run and continues to operate.

Jealous and mockery notwithstanding, we all know that the Joyce Banda brand is associated with efficient businesses across the board; whether her own or those she helps in numerous ways. No one can deny that Joyce Banda is one of the country’s top business women.

Besides lacking moral etiquette, Callista falls short on sensitivity. Is she trying to insult thousands upon thousands of Malawian women who trade in mandasi? Are they not productive citizens? 

Why should Callista insult an endeavor that gives many Malawians earnings?

If she is wise (she is yet to prove that to us) she must apologize to women who are surviving because of their productive mandasi businesses.

As things stand, there is no need for Callista to have beef with President Dr. Joyce Banda. They are in two different worlds right now and their influence on society is in high contrast.

And funny enough, she gives K220, 000 for the 400 pastors’ wives to share (considering that Malawi’s pastoral landscape is male dominated)

How on earth can someone start a business with an average figure of K550? (For my international audience, K550 is almost equivalent to 1 British Pound)

Let Callista attend a football match at Kamuzu Stadium one of these days and ask those chaps who trade in sweets, water or mandasi. She will be surprised that they need way more than K550 to make their ventures efficient and prosperous.

Next time she attends a function as guest of honor she must remember two things;

One, confine her speech to the etiquette of the function

Two, never to disguise lunch allowances (no matter how meager) as business capital. I know she will say it's a Revolving Fund. Sorry we didn't hear that, let the women share it at one go.

I hope she hears this.