……Micheal Usi is more of a talker than a performer
It is no secret that nature abhors vacuum. It is reasonably urgent that the positional lacuna created by the demise of the former Vice President Saulos Chilima must be officially filled in accordance with the exigencies of the Malawi Constitution.
However, the appointment of Michael Usi has raised eyebrows among many discerning Malawians.
1) No proper consultations with UTM
Much as President Ramaphosa of South Africa has the prerogative of appointing any South African into the Cabinet, the Government of National Unity (GNU) guiding principles require that he must consult the leadership of the concerned party before appointing its member.
In the clueless Tonse Alliance agreement, President Chakwera took advantage to appoint Usi without consulting UTM.
It is therefore not surprising that the swearing-in of Usi as Vice President of Malawi was not graced by UTM senior officers including Patricia Kaliati, the Secretary General of UTM.
2) Usi did not get blessings from UTM
It is mindboggling to note that Newton Kambala represented UTM at Chilima’s funeral against the party’s constitution that the Vice President assumes the leadership of the party whenever a vacancy exists in the office of the party’s presidency.
This situation entails that Usi is traitor to the party and therefore he did not get the blessings of UTM before being appointed to be the Vice President of Malawi.
3) Mysterious Chilima’s death
Every UTM member is devastated with the gruesome and sudden death of their party president Saulos Chilima.
While UTM party members are looking forward to the root cause of Chilima’s death, Usi is smiling from ear to ear by being appointed to the prestigious position of the Vice President of Malawi.
Will a dedicated UTM member be happy of being the Vice President of Malawi even if it turns out that President Chakwera is the one behind Chilima’s death? Let us wait and see.
4) Usi is more of MCP than UTM
Political analysts can concur that for the past four years, Usi has been alienating himself from UTM while aligning with MCP.
It is against this background that journalist Brian Banda was prompted to ask Usi why he had been mum on conducting public UTM rallies.
In essence, Usi has transfomed from being an UTM member to an MCP stalwart. In fact, President Chakwera has appointed Michael Usi as an MCP sympathiser dressed in UTM robes.
5) Clueless Tonse Alliance Agreement
I was pleased yesterday to learn from the Agreement of South Africa GNU that it has clear guiding principles.
In the Tonse Alliance Pact, is there any guidance on the possible successor in the case of the vacancy in the office of the president and vice President of Malawi?
It is pathetic to note that while the guiding principles of South Africa GNU is readily available in the public domain, Late Chilima and President Chakwera chose to keep Tonse Alliance Pact private and confidential as if it is pure nakedness that must be guarded all the time.
6) Usi is more of a talker than a performer
I have taken an effort to follow Michael Usi as the Natural Resources Minister from Minister of Tourism.
In one of his speeches, he assured Malawians that his Ministry will be a hub of job creation. However, four years down the line, how many youths have been employed in both Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources?
On the contrary, the reality on the ground is that many Malawians are losing their jobs while joblessness is on the rise.
It sounds logical to conclude that Usi is political replica of Chakwera as both are just great entertainers and orators respectively.
7) Usi is the President of Malawi in waiting
In accordance with Malawi Constitution, the Vice President is the potential president waiting for the bad miracle to happen to the incumbent president.
Filling the vice presidency must be therefore be a serious business. If Usi has fallen out with UTM members at party level, how do we expect Usi to unite Malawians at national level? If Usi has failed to perform at ministry level, do we expect Usi to perform wonders at national level?
8) Usi is part of the rotten fish
It must be noted that Usi has been part of this Chakwera’s failing government for over four years. Therefore, if the Malawi economy is reeling on its knees, Usi has been part of the decision making process.
In fact, being the Minister of Tourism, Usi has been part of the Executive that formulates and executes government policies.
Malawians are still wondering what new ideas will Usi bring within one year after doing almost nothing in four years.
9) Vice presidency is different from the acting profession
As much it is well appreciated that every person of any profession is entitled to hold the position of the vice President, it comes to the attention of the general public that Usi fails to make a distinction between exigencies of being a public officer and a renowned actor.
For instance, it was like I was watching a movie when Usi in his capacity of the Minister of Tourism descended from podium in his short black suit to the dancing hall tilting and wobbling his waist like nobody’s business. For sure, ‘manganya’ must be sometimes serious.
10) Usi does not have the public trust to hold the position of Vice President
Most Malawians are not surprised that Michael Usi has been appointed as a replacement for Saulos Chilima because at the time when the former vice President’s plane was reported missing, it is substantially alleged that Usi was locked in a meeting with President Chakwera.
It must be noted that while most Malawians learnt about Chilima’s death, the meeting was conducted at a time when most government officials including President Chakwera and Michael Usi had already known about the sad news.
One is therefore tempted to wonder what luxury did Chakwera and Usi enjoy in a meeting after suspending the search operation of the Chilima’s missing plane for the whole night.
In conclusion, the appointment of Michael Usi is simply Chakwera’s political strategy to shed crocodile tears over the the mysterious Chilima’s death. It is just a political gimmick just to fill a vacancy as most Malawians don’t expect any tangible national development from such an appointment.
