Africa-Press – Malawi. Social and political commentator Wonderful Mkhutche has described as unfortunate the post the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) member of Parliament for Ntchisi South, Ulemu Chilapondwa, has made on his Facebook in which he has likened Malawians to frogs.
In the post, Chilapondwa calls the voters ‘ochule’ (frogs) for questioning the controversial bills the Tonse Alliance government brought in parliament in the just-ended session.
Chilapondwa, in his post on Facebook page, likened Malawians to frogs who are whining over the controversial decisions President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and his Tonse Government are making, which others have described as a departure from their promises before the court-sanctioned Fresh Presidential Election (FPE) on June 23, 2020.
The power-incensed legislator challenged that no matter how the frogs croak, they cannot stop an elephant from drinking water from a well in which they (frogs) live.
“Kulila kwa ochule mmadzi sikungalepheretse njobvu umwa madzi,” said Chilapondwa in his post. His post could loosely be translated as: the croaks of the frogs cannot stop elephants from drinking waters.
But Chilapondwa’s post has not amused many Malawians, including social and political commentators, who are demanding explanation from the MP on what he meant by it.
Of course, a Blantyre-based social and political commentator, Wonderful Mkhutche, admitted that it would be difficult to deduce what Chilapondwa exactly meant by his post as such sayings can have several meanings.
However, Mkhutche said putting it into the present political context and knowing that the author is also a politician who belongs to MCP; the post could mean the general public’s reaction to Tonse Alliance government.
“There have been controversial bills advanced by government in Parliament. Recently, President Chakwera has appointed his daughter on a foreign mission in Belgium. Malawians have been talking over these issues and Hon. Chilapondwa may be saying that what the general public thinks will not distract government in any way,” he said.
Mkhutche emphasized that Chilapondwa’s post is a ‘an insult to Malawians’ if it was intended to defend Chakwera on his controversial bills and appointment of his direct children and relatives into top government positions.
The commentator said the public deserves a decent explanation and not mockery through parables from the leaders they elected into office. “We are a democracy. The citizens will always opinionate on public issues. The best way is for government to explain on why and how some decisions are being made,” he said.
Ordinary Malawians have also taken to various social media platforms, including WhatsApp fora, where they have criticized Chilapondwa for ‘insulting us’ with the post.
The Chakwera-led administration is under public scrutiny for introducing repressive legislations, which others have argued that they are a replica of the legal provisions the old MCP used to oppress critics.
