President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has warned Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers against allowing anyone to “exploit you to the point of making you despise that heritage”.

Speaking at the graduation of MDF Senior Command and Staff in Salima on Friday, Chakwera stressed that allowing someone to penetrate and dictate the activities of the soldiers would be tantamount to doing harm to themselves by removing the nourishing roots from the tree of their life.

“So I implore you to escape this fate. You have a rich heritage of noble and formidable examples,” he said.

He advised the graduating service men and women to emulate a good example of the incumbent MDF Commander, General Paul Valentino, and his predecessor, General Vincent Nundwe, who have served the nation with diligence and integrity.

President Chakwerae said since his appointment, General Phiri has been a pillar of quiet discipline and a diligent custodian of our national security, attending to the matters under his command with vigilance to sustain the momentum that started under Nundwe.

“Let me hasten to add that the retirement that General Nundwe is now enjoying is fully deserved, for it is no secret that he rendered to his country a lifetime of selfless service and leadership that kept Malawi steady during turbulent times. And so we must count ourselves fortunate as a country for the exemplary manner in which these two eminent officers facilitated a smooth transfer of the sword of command,” he said.

“I highlight the example of these men for a reason. As we have gathered here to witness the graduation of real soldiers that are prepared to take on any potential threats to our nation’s sovereignty and security, it is critical to remember that the training that is imparted here is not just theoretical with respect to the science and art of war. It is also practical in getting our men and women in uniform fit for battle and for the rigours of the battlefield as exemplified by these Generals who serve as role models from a lifetime of service,” he added.

He lamented the tendency by Malawians to value examples of power more than the power of examples.

Chakwera observed that people tend to fix their gaze wherever there is a measure of power, whether financial, military, or political, adding that those who have power are regularly the focus of newspaper headlines, the beneficiaries of gifts and favours, and the talk of the town.

“I suppose this is the way of the world and there is little any of us can do to change the human condition, but as people who strive to make better versions of ourselves, we have every reason to expect our military, which represents and embodies the better angels of our nature, to lead the way is showing the world that the power of examples is infinitely greater than the examples of power.

“So as I congratulate those of you graduating from the senior command and staff course today, my word of encouragement to you is simple. If you want to succeed in your vocation as soldiers and if you wish to put your training to good use, follow closely the noble examples of those that lead you and lead those who come behind you by example. That is not just a good principle to follow in battle. It is a good principle to follow in life, which is itself a kind of battlefield. It is those who go through life and approach their work without any examples and models to anchor, challenge, and ground them that often flounder, while those who have such anchors tend to flourish,” said Chakwera.