Absolute power corrupts...bring back my flag

There is something irritating about politicians. They never learn from their past or their colleagues mistakes. Soon after attainment of multiparty democracy, when the Malawi Congress Party was the most hated name in town, the ruling party the UDF tried to change the national flag under the pretext that it was similar to MCP. Everybody protested, it was giving in our national pride, identity and sweat for our freedom. The blood that Malawians shed in 1959 and in the later struggle of independence was not MCP blood. It was blood of Malawians, the flag and later the national athem represnts the sacred identity of the Malawi nation.

The designer and composer of the two items might have died silent heros, but they left a legacy and pride of the nation. God has allowed me to travel to at least 72 countries across the World, nothing compares to the time when your National anthem and flag is raised.

During the May 1 opening of the World Expo in Shangahai, China, I everyone of my colleagues from various parts of the world were busy looking for their national flag. I didnt see mine for a while, but when I located it, I couldnt stop taking pictures of it and more importantly explain to my colleagues what the flaf meant.

The rising sun is more important, as dawn, even in the bible signifies hope, happiness and a new era. You cannot replace hope and sunrise brings a reminder, that though Malawi might be poor, though Malawians might be in pain, though poverty is amidst us, but we have hope to do better tommorrow.

Malawi is waking up from a long sleep, hope represents an insipiration that we will grow, we will do better and as a nation we have woken up. Thats the rising sun, which shines not too hot, not too cold, but brings morning happiness.

The black on my flag on top of the colours, means my people, the land of Africa. Called black by colonialists and slave masters by our skin. But it means even my fertile and great arable land that has fed generations of Africans.

The red is in respect of the blood shed to liberate my country and my Africa. This is very sacred and that is why it was put on the middle. It represents the centrality of humanity in all we do. We should at all times put human life above all our thinking. If we think of everbody as an equal and central player in our lives- then we will be able to deliver equity, justice and respect for human rights for all. That is the red on my flag.

The comes the green, this is the second stanza in my National Anthem, which describes the beauty of Malawi. The lakes Chiuta, Malombe, Chirwa, Malawi, valleys from Hewe, Henga and Shire valley. The rivers Ruo, Rukuru, Bua, Shire, Linthipe, the mountains of Mulanje, Nyika, Ngala, Michiru, Zomba, Dzalanyama and many more beautiful places.

That is the definition of my flag, the flag I knew when I was growing up. The flag that will take me higher giving me hope that if I work hard today I will rise, with my sun and do better in life. Amid all the challenges, the risig sun creates hope of a new dawn.

A full sun, no, not today. That is an insult to many Malawians from Kauma, just a stone throw from State House who have no clean water, electricity, good road and better roof. Today people in Chitipa are still waiting for a road. Today all deserving students cant get a place at a public university. Today we have no water or electricity available for 24 hours, some people lack food, many women are dying due to lack of acess to professional medical care, this morning an infant died due to lack of ORT at a hospital. Students at Kalonga primary school in Dowa are learning in a grass make shift class, there are very few technical teachers prompting almost closure of Livingstonia Technical College. Hey the list is endless and God knows what happens with our list.

Surely the sun has not fully risen, we are on that path, but no country on earth can claim maximum development and change its flag on that basis!

Just bring back my flag. A rising sun on Black, with red and green!