Patrick Achitabwino articles

KAMUZU’S “I AM TOO BUSY TO DIE” PHILOSOPHY

Patrick Achitabwino

Among the words of Wisdom attributed to Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda that can be accessed on the Bulawayo 1872.com is the quote: ‘I am too busy to die.’ The only missing link is that the website only caught Kamuzu with that word of wisdom but doesn’t provide further information as to where the Malawi’s former leader said that. Beneath the caught one can read the passion that the former head of state, the father and founder of Malawi, had over development. One can easily say that the sentence is of equal margin to Mahatma Gandhi’s quote: work as if there is no tomorrow.

It is the ‘I am too busy to die’ concept that led to significant infrastructural, economic, academic, and social development of the country during the reign of Dr. Banda. It is the drive of that sentiment that made Dr. Banda always dream for excellence in all undertakings. It was the same belief that gave the Ngwazi a vision for future. The former leader did set the development pace for the country, the political agenda meant to transform masses of Malawi civilians from the meshes of abject poverty. It is no wonder then that among necessities that Dr. Banda considered of great value to Malawians were food, housing and shelter.

The best way to the future is through the past, so says the wise. Fifteen years after the reign of Dr. Banda it is time the nation learns to adopt his social policies to spearhead socio-economic development for the country. The nation will be justified to take an intrinsic look into what Kamuzu did better for the nation then replicate such ideologies and implement them. Having been led by Mchikumbe number 1 for 31 years, it is high time that our agricultural policies reflect that of Kamuzu to ensure that food is available for all Malawians.

The development of Malawi requires putting into effect the “I am too busy to die’ philosophy. This country requires a public sector that is highly motivated and patriotic to serve its people. Kamuzu ensured that the civil service becomes the backbone of development. In this democratic dispensation, the civil service has lost that scope. In many government offices, the level of discharging duties is at best mediocre. A new laziness syndrome called ‘work as you earn’ has eroded the pride of the civil service. But civil servants were not being paid millions during the reign of Dr. Banda. Civil servants then were driven by the motivation, hunger and desire to be part and parcel of national development.

It was the element of keeping the young generation too busy to die that led to the success of the youth Malawi Young Pioneers programmes. The development that was meant to equip the young generation with skills to enable them grow into productive citizens of the country was probably one of the best youth policies to be run in Southern Africa. The current generation, as it struggles to create jobs and other initiatives that can ensure self-reliance among youngsters, should look at the positive side of the Malawi Young Pioneers programme, replicate it then rescue millions of youngsters from the potential of becoming vagabonds.

Probably Dr. Banda could as well be interpreted as having tried to mean that he was too busy with developing the academic sector before he dies. Almost 95 percent or beyond of professionals that are doing good work for the country passed through colleges built by the regime of Dr. Banda. He did set an academic pace that the country needs to spearhead forward. As Malawi needs more and more multi-talented professionals to be the fulcrum of socio-economic development, so too does it need a massive investment in the academic sector: primary, secondary schools, and colleges.

In the drive to add great value to the credentials of our graduates, we need to recruit and retain highly qualified human resource better suited to impart relevant and appropriate knowledge in our students. Colleges during Dr. Banda’s regime had lecturers with impeccable credentials. As globalization puts the whole world in close scrutiny, we need to safeguard our qualifications and endeavour to equate them with the best renowned international academic qualifications. Dr. Banda knew that the future of any country lies in the development of the education sector. That is the philosophy we have to advance as well.

We have to look to the future in the words of Dr. Banda: ‘there is a future in Africa for all of us, for the majority and minority races and tribes.’ That is a noble call to the civilians of the country that in a bid to implement development agendas for the country, oneness should remain the key not tribalism and regionalism. As we cast our eyes forward, we are encouraged by the spirit of Dr. Banda to work hard as if there will be no tomorrow.

To err is human, so it is said and believed. The errors of today are the lessons of tomorrow. As we are commemoration the heroics of Malawi father and founder it is imperative that we look at all his perceived wrongs with a forgiving heart then learn that we ourselves never fall into the trap of commiting such errors.