OF BLACKMARKET PRESIDENT PHOTOS & FUEL VENDING

With blackouts, forex shortage, persistent problems, lies, l-ii-eeeesssss…… being the common order and a daily dose of course under the so called wise and dynamic leadership of errr…… yes thee man, coupled with the erratic supplies of fuel I reached for the famed Biwi black market with the hope of buying just maybe a 10l which would suffice for the remaining time left on the completion of my multi-million mansion project since it has become the common blue fantasy. As usual such dealings are often conducted with utmost care and conscious considering that you never know who you are dealing with but one thing that for sure cannot be detested is that fuel black market missions are no longer illegal with experiences and the travels I have embarked in search for this ripen virgin. I managed to source my 10l gallon and yet there was a stringent of cars in this garage turned economic rendezvous for the clever ones, most of these cars were bearing government registrations to personal socials number plates all in search for this commodity, so when I had heard earlier on in one of the radio networks that the Law enforcers had arrested a few nincompoops who were selling the commodity and had 40l or so in stock, I just laughed my skinny ass…and murmured a few sentiments little did I know that my murmuring was loud enough to attract some laughter from some close folks. It is laughable if police are to arrest fuel black market mafias because if they cannot arrest big kahunas sending boys to queue and buy gallons and gallons of fuel which is later being sold at twice the price and yet they too don’t have vending licences. Just yesterday I saw a government vehicle bearing a government registration buying a few 5ls of fuel with nothing to worry about and the scenes are just synonymous almost everywhere in Lilongwe. Within the M1 road you often times find men that usually seat by the road side or close to bus stages like they are awaiting for transport and yet the story is different, since they already did some good advertisement with drivers that often ply on these roads who in turn alert other drivers of such hot spots it becomes easy for their business and most of the law enforcers know of such places not to say of the places within our locations. It was then that we listened to the news that some 16yr old lad in Zomba has been arrested for possessing a photo bearing the face of the president however nicely dressed in a dreadlock just like rastaman in a chant Babylon mood and according to one PR officer the boy was arrested and will be soon be charged…..i don’t know the charge based on the offense if at all if falls within the constitution. In South Africa, a big photo of the then president Nelson Mandela was once designed and decorated with a dreadlock at the time he was in power, satirical cartoons have extensively published some works which are sometimes questioned even Obama himself during his first days in office had photos circulating with him portrayed in different hair cuts but all these NEVER arrested or detained any being this is why am surprised that its only in Malawi where such things happen, remember no president has ever ditched the party that sponsored him/her to power soon after the election, no public university has been closed for 9months the mediocre is just an endless litany but here in Malawi its happening. The Police must know that with the latest innovation in technology and design it’s very easy to design and redesign people whether arrogant or ignorant, rich or poor to fit their need. With these days of design programs amongst them Photoshop one can easily transform or maybe lets say distort a ‘normal ‘photo to a form of their liking…….its just creativity and application of the knowledge gained and learnt. I am however yet to know what charge has been laid on this boy. But one thing for sure is that these photos depicting the president or whatever individual are in full circulation and almost a lot many have seen many of such, for example Nyasatimes runs satirical columns which are sometimes escorted with photos of the so called top guys however after redesigned to suit a particular story and what would stop an inquisitive mind from not downloading the photo after perhaps having read the satire with the hope os sharing it to friends and maybe crack one or two jokes at how such individuals are portrayed in Photoshop era . This reminds me of some clip which buzzed most gadgets some months ago where another creative soul recorded and portrayed himself as the big man with so much humor addressing so many issues…it too was a good 8minute laughable clip which could warrant an arrest but has their been one…? Your guess is as good as mine, these are issues that sometimes leave a lot to be desired because of the double standard altitudes but also due to some overzealous enforcers with the hunger for promotion as we mostly forced to believe. All in all, it’s only in Malawi where illegal trends tend to slide legal with the taste of time and circumstances; however one sad issue still lies with our police which can sometimes be a nuisance and thorn in a budding fresh because of how they react to incidences. With this intimidation and silence slowly taking root we shouldn’t be surprised when one day under the wise and dynamic leadership the police will start searching through phones and laptops anywhere and at any point in time. Otherwise as I write I know Gaddafi is freely resting with his dead friends the likes of Savimbi, Osama, Kabila…..and so many that thought arrogance is the order of a perfect and successful ruling. Just another thought!