Happy Valentines day Bingu n Callitsa!

Of course it is the wish of every Malawian to be at the New State House today, reason- President Bingu wa Mutharika and his new found love Callitsa Chapola are getting engaged. All media houses except the one I work for and a few private ones have been invited to the private engagement. I was not sure whethere to cry for the lost opportunity to watch a President engage or smile for the day off where I would call my set valentine for a pizza day out.

Most of us at our paper are patriotic Malawians but someone seems to have different thoughts that scheming day and night on how to "punish" the paper. Now after the verocious opposition of 2004=09 was tamed, perhaps it is percieved that independent papers can be called "opposition.'
Just two days ago I met a good freind who is influential in the controverisal Mulhako wa Lhomwe and we discussed a number of things including what he termed as an offer for a proper job that I moved out of my work place.I smiled and laughed and argued with him for three hours.

The good news is that he even bought me two six packs of "storm" at this expensive club.

When he asked me about his grouping. I told him his Public Relations people were not doing a good job except answering critics. I told him if he employed me as a communications consultant, I would start by bringing in Chiefs from other tribes to Chonde to appreciate our culture and reasons for establishing the centre and the grouping.

From Chiefs, I would organise cultural exchange programmes where we would compete in dances, poerty and even "night" events and promote understanding of our diverse cultural heritage.

My freind is very senior and he said, he would give a serious thought to my suggestion.

Why am I bringing this up today?
Seriously stopping to advertise or banning a big newspaper from covering a presidential or ministerial event is as stooping low as denying people, the electorate proper information. Let the public be best judge and see how far they can love or hate their leaders.

As Titus Malipa MP for Lilongwe North told Parliament on Thursday, only the truth can help leaders to correct their mistakes and not otherwise.

Now who shall sing the truth about Callista's beautiful engagement attire, or the red and white decorations which have marked the New State House.'

Who shall read those moments, where love conquered a whole Head of State and become one with a woman of his dreams!

The newspapers offer that view to the reader and more than a piece of history which they can keep and go to for future reference on dressing, language and style. I hope we considered denyign the young ones such a opportunity more important than teaching a paper a lesson.

Finally, there are stories and things that will be said and published, who will defend the function better than an eye witness?
Sometimes in trying to punish our percieved or real enemies, we loose energy and focus on the tasks at hand and deny ourselves an opportunity to acquire more freinds.

Being a Sunday and a Valentines day, I wish my president Bingu and his new fiance Callitsa a happy valentines engagement day!

Celebrating with you in spirit. Looking forward to detail the wedding as I tried to do the same for the engagement- only our names were missing!

God Bless Malawi!