One year has gone: no one million jobs offered. What next?

Monday 28th June 2021, the Tonse administration will be officially completed its first 365-day cycle.

Over the period, the government has registered some positive trends as far as the national development agenda is concerned.

On the other lane, a lot more seem to still be at stake and no clear road ahead is insight.

As it is evident that Malawi's system of government is appointed through a political means for the end, the successful national leadership depends directly on how tactically it plays its political cards. In the current case in point, the appointment is not any different. Additionally, victory, then, was also because of numerical advantage in terms of the alliance of the nine political parties which formed a block to outsmart the then-Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which is slowly and unknowingly becoming defunct due to leadership malaise.

Even though the previous leadership was a fiasco; the truth remains that the current leadership carried the day thanks to the formation of the alliance and the combo of the manifestos.

Malawians were promised Canaan: the one million jobs within the first year of its rule, was the most inviting bait for most people; particularly the youth, out there, who are jobless despite having various employabilities.

Now it is apparent that the one million jobs for employable Malawians within one year was but just political rhetoric.

No wonder, when the Presidential Press Officer, Brian Banda, was asked to update the public as to how many jobs have so far been created for Malawians, he was mum; a clear pointer that what is on the ground is not a reflection of the promises.

This, in its own right, should act as a counsel to the current leadership not to rush to promise heaven on earth.

It is no easy ride to govern a social entity.

It is such promises which; when not fulfilled, cause the electorate to undermine the capabilities and competencies of the leadership.

It remains a general fact that Malawi is still ranked as a developing country; not because she cannot graduate into a developed one, but because corruption and other deterrents are still at play.

Clear evidence is the just ending fiscal year which has a deficit of about K8 billion.

Thus, whenever the political leadership is tempted to flood promises, prior attention should be paid to the size of the resource envelope.

Otherwise, if the Tonse Administration's one year experience is anything to go by, then those countless promises ought to be reviewed and Malawians should be alerted to prepare for the hard times ahead.

Whilst Malawians would be given hope for better days for the country, it still is a far fetched dream as the Tonse leadership seems to be intoxicated with trip mongering. In a space of one year, there have been too many foreign trips; of which some are but a waste of taxpayer's money which would otherwise be directed to better national development agenda like clearing the rubble of corruption which has resistantly infested the public sector.

If a spade is to be called by its real name, the first year of the Tonse Administration does not inspire any hope for better days ahead.

Currently, the cost of living is way too high.

Malawians are paying too high for consumables and other essential goods and services and yet they were promised bread and butter.