On Minister Kaliati

Kaliati was to apologise to who and why?
by Hastings Maloya

The just-ended sitting of parliament will definitely go down the memory lane. It was long, tough and a heated one. For the first time, we were about to witness a rejection of a national budget. What an unfortunate thing that could have been!

Personally I have never enjoyed commenting on issues to do with parliament let alone about conduct of parliamentarians. Because I aspire to becoming a legislature at some point, I always believe that our parliamentarians know what they are supposed to do in the August house for the best of the nation.

However the issue about demand for an apology from the Minister of Information and Tourism Honourable Patricia Kaliyati before passing the budget allocation for her ministry has made me go against my norm of not commenting about parliament. Much as thoughts of the honourable members need to be respected, it is not easy to imagine people with the welfare of the nation at heart, to refuse passing a budget vote, not because of its contents, but because of an individual.

When it was reported that parliament has finally approved the 2006/07 budget and that the impasse on the Ministry of Information vote was resolved by an arrangement that the Minister responsible should miss the session, which she duly obliged, I laughed and asked, so what have they achieved?

Just like most Malawians, I am still not convinced as to why Madame Kaliyati was supposed to apologise and apologise to who? Unless it is clearly stated that with effect from this sitting of parliament, anyone who utters statements that are not palatable will be asked to apologise. Otherwise there are tens and tens of examples of acts that needed a demand for an apology than forcing Malawians to comprehend the unfair demand on one Mrs. Kaliyati.

Some Mps dwelt much on the use of tax payer's money in the form of resources that maybe the minister uses in her infamous routine distribution of bad political language. However, there has not been a case or an example given of those that used public resources to a bad use and came out apologising, or asked to apologise.

Think of the former president Dr Bakili Muluzi’s public comments and pronouncements at political rallies. With peace he could call his opponents zimphonongolo, mutu ngati screw driver, mphuno biii – forsake! He even had an audacity to ridicule his on Vice, Hon. Justine Malewezi that he takes 32 tablets daily calling him munthu opusa uja! Kumbwambwana! How I wish our Parliament could at some point demand an apology for such utterances.

Who among us does not remember the acts of the young democrats? Think of our own Emie Chanika being beaten at the COMESA Hall in the full view of the police officers. Come to think of journalists being beaten on the streets of Blantyre. Examples are numerous and the list is endless yet to-date none of the culprits, despite some of them being known, has been asked to apologise. Worse still, they are yet to be brought to book despite the fact is that they inflicted pain on innocent Malawians. Its sad that our parliamentarians can not see that or maybe the poor souls do not deserve an apology.

It is said, and it has never been denied, that at some point, when Malawi was in dire need of food, some government officials thought it wise to sell to Kenya the only grain that we had. Malawians were left to starve to death when a few selfish individuals were swimming in money through such an inhuman act. And up to this very day our good law makers do not see anything to demand an apology for this.

Our parliamentarians, in their competence as law makers, need to elucidate as to what sort of issues that would lead to a demand for an apology. Should the whole house really demand an apology for political statements? And if indeed thus what it should be, then there are more politicians than Mrs. Kaliyati that need to apologise. For those that have followed political comments from Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba, for example, one would think that he would have been the first one to be asked for an apology. At times it is very difficult to tell whether he is speaking for the government or for his party, but whichever between the two that he speaks for, he causes much more damage than good.

How about Minister George Chaponda who could not see the importance of councillors in local assemblies and indicated that government was not interested in local government elections despite each one of us knowing the importance of these elections. Wait a minute, did I hear our vocal opposition MPs asking Minister Chaponda to apologise? And I hear a deputy minister had to insult a police officer on duty, and todate no apology made? Ah! No. Surely our knowledgeable MPs demanded an apology!

Now, someone please tell Malawians why Honourable Kaliyati was asked to apologise for purely making a political statement and outside the house. It is also very important for the MPS to tell us why the demand for this apology was tied to a budget vote for the Ministry of Information and Tourism.

It would be a little bit unfair for lay people like us to think that maybe the so-called lawmakers had forgotten that ministers can be moved from one ministry to another at any time. Poor them if indeed they could not know that Kaliyati’s salary and benefits is already taken care of by the office of the president and cabinet. Very unfortunate if indeed our ‘honourables’ could not know that employees of the ministry, some of whom their own relations, would suffer simply by demanding an apology and tying it to a budget. This act can be described as the worst from our MPs.

The parliamentarians could have known that it is under Kaliyati’s leadership as Minister of Information that for the first time ever, Malawians were able to follow parliamentary deliberations live on MBC. Malawians were able to hear their MPs, others speaking geography instead of English. Under her leadership, Malawians could stay awake to watch parliamentary proceedings on Television Malawi. Our MPs could have known that for the first time we have a Minister of information who does not keep information to herself. My colleagues in the media will agree that for the first time we have a minister who would pick up a phone any time and will not give hassles for an interview.

What else does Malawi need? Before demanding an apology parliament was supposed to applaud the good job she has done and advise her to improve on areas that are not doing well.

From me, Thumbs up to Kaliyati. She never apologised! She has impressed me. Standing on her principles.