Masters of Looting

Masters of Looting

Birds Eye View Column

Why the DPP should never be allowed near power again

After being booted out of government in 2020, at the height of looting and blatant thievery, you would think the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its gurus would have learned their lesson, maybe found a sliver of conscience.

Alas, that would be asking too much from a group that perfected the art of looting public coffers.

The one and only Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM), leader of the thievery party who, after enjoying six years as president, recently had the audacity to tell the nation in Mzuzu that the only way he can afford to build a house is if he returns to government.

Mr. “I’ve been president for six years, but I am broke” wants another go at the taxpayer’s money, presumably so he can, this time, build his house in Mzuzu.
If this does not set alarm bells ringing that the thief is at the doorstep, nothing will. The adage “once bitten, twice shy” apparently does not apply to APM and his DPP cohorts.

If anything, it is more like once caught, try again. Their shameless desire to return to power is not rooted in some noble desire to serve Malawians but it is about picking up right where they left offpicking the nation’s pockets.

During their thieving six-years from 2014 to 2020, even bodyguards became billionaires. Think about that for a second. A bodyguard whose job is to stand around all day looking tough.

Somehow, under APMs government, they were swimming in millions. Public money was treated like pocket change, with a snoozing president blissfully unawareor perhaps conveniently soas his cronies made themselves rich.

APMs government was like a get-rich-quick scheme for the politically connected. All you needed was a title and voila! You were rolling in billions.

Bodyguards, personal assistants, you name iteveryone was suddenly a business tycoon. And where was the president in all of this? Probably asleep, as usual and that is why he was not called the sleeping giant for nothing.

However, let us not forget the crème de la crème (the best of the best) of DPP’s thieverythe infamous Cement Gate.

While Malawians struggled to make ends meet, APMs henchmen were busy smuggling cement into the country duty-free, thanks to their presidential privileges.

And not just a bag or two, they were importing cement by the truckload using Mutharika TPIN. All while the president, of course, claimed to know conveniently nothing.

When APM now says he needs to return to the government to afford a house, what he really means is that he needs another go at looting the nation.

If history has taught us anything, it is that giving these old goons another shot at power would be the equivalent of handing a kleptomaniac the keys to a jewelry store.

The DPP is not interested in governance; they are interested in thieving and if you let them back in, do not be surprised when even your local street vendor suddenly owns a mansion.
These are masters of looting.