WAS APAM WRONG IN TURNING DOWN THE PRESIDENTIAL PICNIC?

Indeed, those who have mentioned it have done so with clarity, ironclad conviction and no attempt at restrain. Those ones, have been cutting — forthright. You and me have listened with the attention of a houseboy who is comforting his boss’ wife and careful enough to listen for any signs of his impending arrival. We might have agreed with their reason or tone or both, but what I am sure is, we cannot be any clearer. So we can only recant their say. Those plainspoken heads have said, without mincing words, that Association of People with Albinism in Malawi’s denial to meet the president is a combination of stupidity, egocentrism and nyusesi. Their words, not mine.

Out of this reason, a rebellious but thriving group has immerged, as unanticipated as early labour pains, calling itself Poor and Concerned People with Albinism (PACPWA). If you ask the president of APAM, Overstone Kondowe, he shades a picture of one politician, dragging a universe of finances, working to convince to form this breakaway movement — splinter group, is the language newspapers have adopted — for newspapers love an overdone elegance of language. Anyway, we cannot blame, for it is language that butters their bread. This group when it was interviewed by the Daily Times in this regard, it protested this allegation.

I intend not to dwell on these allegations but they excite my reason so letting them go without comment would offend my curiosity. So let me delve in, fast and quick, like I’m peeping in a room. Permission granted? Yes! (before you respond)

So, unless by this breakaway movement calling itself ‘poor’ it intends to arouse public sympathy we have not seen the evidence of their poverty — not at this stage. Quite a risky statement to make but an honest one. When this group got in from Blantyre, they hired an SS Rent A Car coaster, lodged at Sunbird Capital Hotel (managerial standards), looking all elegant and dinned on the most expensive of foods. Someone funded these brothers and sisters as quickly as February elapses. I never like to speculate so I will not mention the allegation that they received 45 million. That is not for me to prove.

Anyway, the president showed his interest to meet people with albinism over the abuse they are facing in this country. APAM refused. You see, there was a problem with the invitation. For APAM to refuse the invitation, it means the office of the president did not dare invite APAM in private. The office sent to the public and APAM refused and left our dear president with eggs all over his face. If the president, rather his office, sent a private invitation and APAM refused, the presidency would have saved itself from embarrassment. But, here, in this Country of Drunks, we do all we can to serve the president from embarrassment, don’t we? So somehow DPP with its divide and concur ideology broke APAM like a twig. And got a part of it as its puppet.

Some find APAM’s anger misplaced and extremely militant. I don’t. I do not even think beyond the political negativity that this situation is bringing to the government the president gives a hoot about these killings.
Wait. Let me explain.

So, APAM refuses to attend the meeting. Our Poor and Concerned brothers decide, with a persuasion of mountain-high-money, to leave Blantyre for Lilongwe. They leave in the wee hours of the morning, darkness still engulfing the country, on a hired coaster. Note that it is not a military car. Note further that the many soldiers who are armed to the teeth to protect the president are not deployed to accompany this team. Nothing. Nothing at all. Remember, there are the people some insane syndicate is hunting down. The president is at State House, whiskey in hand, a cigar in the other, waiting for their arrival.

That said, the president emerged at the meeting. I hate to call it a meeting really. A meeting is where ideas are exchanged at equal footing and a mutual ground ascertained. This was not a meeting. The president spoke and out Poor and Concerned brothers with Albinism ate. It was a picnic.
Again, there was a 5 million put forwards for anyone who would help uncover this syndicate. When I heard about this I laughed so hard that I tasted the previous day’s fish in my throat. This to me revealed an astounding level of ignorance from the president. If the president read up, he would have known that the United Nations Independent Expert on People with Albinism and the Amnesty International agree that a full body of a person with albinism costs $75,000 on the black-market (don’t worry, I will do the maths for you — MK54,750,000). So the President is trying to dismantle such a syndicate with MK5,000,000. Sigh.

Then, the president ordered that the 3.1 Billion to fund the National Action Plan on people with albinism be released. This is the money APAM got in three futile meeting with the government on. This is the money the government has held for 8 months. In these 8 months, murders have resurfaced Souls have been lost. That money would have done this country justice. That money would have saved souls. That blood is on the hands of the president and there is no way of escaping from that truth. So, yes APAM is justified to not to hold the meeting with the presidents. If the allegation that the presidents is directly involved in the abuse are false, the allegations that he is indirectly involved because of his slow response are a truth that this country should begin to accept.

So, yes, APAM is justified to hold a vigil at the state house. The country needs to mourn.