Lost in Translation

Sometimes I can't help but laugh at people who try a bit too hard to be cleverer than everyone else. Here is a case of a certain politician giving an interview to a certain news channel concerning the arrest of a certain activist. Not verbatim but definitely very close!

Interviewer: "Some people say that this is a deliberate campaign against opponents of your government..." (interrupted)
Interviewee: "If in your country you have started campaigning that is okay but here our campaign starts in 2014."

I stooped my head in shame!

Zain's feathers ruffled by spam sms

Mobile operator TNM has ruffled some feathers at competitor Zain Malawi by broadcasting SMS's on it network promoting it's reduced international calling rates. I am not sure if this was part of a publicity stunt but it was definitely not a well thought of move for two good reasons.

Firstly I doubt Zain would be happy with a direct competitor conducting a PR campaign on it's network. And then to do it with out their permission was a sure way to get them in hot water. Unali mtopola weniweni!

Secondly, as stated in Zain's press release, it was a move that did not please many customers as it was a clear cut case of spam. There are also questions being raised as to how TNM obtained or generated the phone numbers. TNM could have generated the numbers in one or two different ethical and absolutely legal ways. However the way they used those numbers is the bone of contention here.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out and what measures big brother MACRA will take to protect the consumer in future. Whatever the case it has a left someone looking not very clever.

Muluzi and the Malawian presidency

I read a Twitter post recently that suggested the African presidency has become such a lucrative business that incumbent presidents all over the continent are busy ensuring they are succeeded by their wives, brothers, sons or any kind of close relative. The trend has been working well in many parts of north, west and central Africa. The attempts to import the concept closer to home need no explanation.

There is however one man who has taken this political meddling to a whole new level. He goes by the name of Bakili Muluzi. During his last years of power we saw how this man tried to extend his term of office by hook and by crook. After those attempts failed he hand picked two gentlemen, gentlemen he thought he could control like little puppets. When his successor stopped talking, walking and acting the ‘puppet’ by showing the world he had a backbone of his own Muluzi kicked Plan B into full swing - impeach the rouge 'puppet' and get the junior ‘puppet’, the second in command into the seat of authority. That plan failed miserably too.

Running out of ideas, Muluzi decided to try to get back into the presidency himself even though the law clearly said he could not. Like any politically hungry and desperate person he was not deterred. That attempt failed. When push came to shove he went into an unworkable alliance with someone he claimed had blood on his hands. Result? Yet another failure!

Well, as predicted, he is at it again. This time around his son is the …er, puppet. His son denies it but his father’s destructive tactics have been laid bare for all to see, except of course for those whose heads are buried to deeply you-know-where to take note.

What is amazing is that each time Muluzi is up to his antics his party suffers a great deal. Cracks and divisions develop, infighting ensues, dirty linen is hung out for all to see. Which begs the question, what is it with Muluzi and the Malawian presidency? Why is he so very desperate to install himself or a proxy in state house? Why does he time and again selfishly advance his own personal agenda ahead of party unity?