A Post by Onjezani Kenani
Onjezani reportedly posted on social media:
So according to the Reserve Bank Governor, if a relative asks someone in the diaspora to pay school fees for their child studying abroad, in exchange for the Kwacha equivalent - that's a crime? He want's you in the diaspora to send dollars to Malawi, then your relative applies to the bank, waits endlessly, and counts themselves lucky if the fees are ever paid at all. Is this really what he wants?
Mr. Governor, Sir, the money in the diaspora is ours, not yours. We work hard for this money. Stop having ideas on how we should spend it.
An Article opposing Onjezani's view
An opinion article titled Slow down, Onjezani Kenani; help enlighten Malawians not misguiding them written by one Joe Cholinga, targeting Onjezani's social media critique, but not necessarily directly related to the above post specifically, was published through the Nyasa Times, dated November 16, 2024. Similar articles can be found on other platforms:
Dissecting this Article
The author states about Onjezani: "His mockery of the RBM’s directive is not just misguided; it is dangerously misleading" (emphasis added), yet the "facts" in the article do not mention any role or responsibility that the Malawi Government or its' financial policies may have had in this economic crisis. The author clearly points to the source of the problem on "setting the record straight" :
Malawi’s foreign reserves have been severely depleted due to widespread illegal foreign exchange dealings. Commercial banks, NGOs, and even donor-funded projects have been implicated in manipulating forex allocations for private profit. This black-market trading has destabilized the kwacha, driving inflation to alarming levels and pushing the prices of basic goods through the roof.
One may easily conclude that the named entities and the market has created this chaos, but the author seems to switch around cause and effect. The question should really be:
What is the cause for this market response ?
The Author goes on to justify the RBM's actions by stressing that "this is a matter of national survival" and "not a joke" , he suggests that the "directive is a necessary intervention to ensure that the country’s foreign reserves are properly managed" and to (reading between the lines) protect "the livelihoods of millions of Malawians" , "particularly the poor and vulnerable" against rising prices.
Ah, yes it is all about protecting the poor and the vulnerable! He is implying that the Government knows what is best for "millions of Malawians" and is able to "properly manage" resources. Millions of people who have experienced past- and present communist regimes or countries around the world may strongly disagree with this assessment.
He seems to imply that striving to save the fruits of one's labour in harder, non-inflating assets like forex instead of the inflationary Kwacha for "personal gain" is a bad or unworthy goal. One might conclude that those in charge of the RBM and the Government more broadly, lack such egocentric attributes, because the RBM (under Government control and managed by people) wishes to "properly manage" resources. Clearly politicians, public servants and government staff are not greedy, they have no aspirations to act in their own interests for their "personal gain" and would only make decisions to protect "millions of Malawians" , for the greater good.
The author goes on to discredit Onjezani to have "lost his way" and criticises his comments for their "lack of substance..." , "dangerous oversimplification" and "divorced from the facts" . He goes on to conclude:
In Conclusion
The real danger here is that his posts could lead people to believe that the government’s economic strategies are a joke, rather than the urgent steps they are.
So this is the threat? People might stop and question the political narrative, ask difficult questions? Fascinating. Yet surely facts and truths will shine during any darker times that may lay ahead of us, removing any need for concern.
References
#forex #inflation #malawi #politics
- This undated screenshot seemingly from a social media platform, circulated on WhatsApp in March 2025
- The Nyasa Times Article, dated November 16, 2024
https://www.nyasatimes.com/opinion-slow-down-onjezani-kenani-help-enlighten-malawians-not-misguiding-them/ - Wikipedia Page on Onjezani
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Onjezani_Kenani - Some writing by Onjezani
https://www.author-me.com/fict04/storyofmyfate.htm