Uncle Harvest: The Insufficiency of mindset change

From the period leading to the 2019 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections to now, mindset change has been one of the major buzz words in Malawi.

It has been spoken in the context of Transformational , Visionary and Servant leadership.

Sufficient emphasis has been put on the need for Malawians to change the way we think if we are to change the trajectory of Malawi's development.

The power of the mind has has been at the centre of human endeavour going back in time to the French enlightenment period.

It is not an arguable fact that the measure of a countries development and civilisation is mostly due to the development of the human intellectual capacity of that society.

If Malawi has to develop and meet the ambitious goals of MW2063, she has to adopt more progressive ways of thinking.

The way we engage in politics has to change, the manner with which we handle issues of diversity have to change, our education and training approaches have to change, innovation and creativity have to become a way of life, among other things.

Mindset change is about issues of the mind, the head.

We, however, need to recognise the fact that a developed mind alone is not sufficient to transform this country. You just have to look at the many educated fools that surround us.

If Malawi needs to develop it also needs to develop principle and value-based living.

Things that touch on issues of ethics, integrity, honesty, and truthfulness. Issues that deal with the heart.

In our attempt to become a tolerant society, we have unfortunately abandoned our grip on ethics,principles, and values.

In an effort not to be viewed as intolerant and judgemental, we have let go the most fundamental principles of life.

At the end of the day, we have become a broken society, a rotten and rotting society, where theft, fraud and corruption are rampant.

Matters of the head and heart have to be accompanied by matters of the hands; action, action, action.

Talk ,it is said,is cheap. Change only comes when we combine talk and the walk.

It is fundamental to walk the talk of transformation.

Only then are we going to see transformation.

It is my contention then, that the 3H Transformation Approach is what Malawi must take if our development trajectory must change.

We need to be people of vision; imaginative, creative, and innovative.

We need to be a people of honesty, integrity and trustworthiness.

We need to be a people that are dedicated, and hardworking.

This country has sufficient resources: financial, human and otherwise, to transform it's development landscape.

What attracts all these Chinese to Malawi? What has kept Asians resident in Malawi despite holding British citizenship and passports? What attracts Burundians, Nigerians and other foreign national to Malawi?

It's the resources that are here.

They are attracted to our rich resources and not our poverty.

Burundians and Nigerians come to this country dollarless but within a few years send dollars back to their countries.

It is people of other nationalities that see the resources and the opportunities in this country.

We, the Malawians,see nothing but poverty.

If our attitude remains the same, come MW2063 we shall be in a worse development state than we are right now.

Aren't we in a worse state than we were 20 years ago when Vision 2020 was birthed?

We need to stop the blame game, blaming everybody else but ourselves for the state in which we are.

It is said, Malaysia took Malawi's development plan in 1963, made some adjustments to it, Malaysia is where it is today because of that plan.

It is said Rwanda took Malawi's decentralisation plan, did some adjustments, Malawi sent a delegation to Kigali on a study your of decentralisation. Sad!

We need to go beyond political rhetoric for those in government, and political sabotage for those outside government, and get on with the business of developing this country.

We are all riding in the same ship: if it sinks we shall all perish together like fools.