IN case you missed it - I know some of you did because of MaraPost boycott - let me announce that the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi voted us - meaning you and I - the 'Columnist of the Year'. This might sound a small feat to some people but to me it is an honour I can’t take for granted.

I have great respect for my colleagues who - week in, week out - try to make sense of serious issues besetting our nation. Sometimes you wake up to realise you have to present copy to your editor but you have nothing to write. I therefore take pride in the fact that since this column started it has never missed a date. I may have skipped the borders once in a while or may have been involved in situations that may have made it difficult to churn out 1, 400 words to fill up this space but somehow I have managed to give you something every Sunday.

I remember one pre-Christmas day last year I was involved in a nasty traffic accident. I was confined to a hospital bed for a couple of weeks but I knew I was mortally fine and all my vital faculties were fine. However, once I looked at a computer screen my eyes used to be flooded with tears. Some fine doctors connived to give me sun-glasses that made me cut a bizarre Steve Wonder or Ray Charles look. But these sun-glasses helped contain the tears and allowed me to hammer out a few words on my lap-top.

I am naturally not a sentimental person but I don’t know how to thank eye specialists at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital led by Dr. Gerald Msukwa.

But, most importantly, I have benefited immensely from feedback from you - the readers. Most of you are always very kind, high-fiving me all the way. Nonetheless I particularly treasure those angry people who think I am out to no good. These challenge me because they make me try to prove that I mean well.

I genuinely want to thank the late president Bingu wa Mutharika. He gave me enough fodder to muckrake, as it were. He once in a while used to call me to challenge me on certain issues. I will forever be grateful that such a powerful personage would find time to engage me in a debate and I am genuinely sad that he is no more. I, however, know he left enough material to last us a couple of issues.

So I would like to dedicate the accolade I got to the Big Kahuna and all of you who find time to muckrake with me week in, week out.

Thank you.