| Malawi on the screen for international investors |
| Story by By Christina Mkutumula |
| Lilongwe July , 20 Mana: The Outgoing French Ambassador to Malawi, Francis Saundubray has described Malawi government development policy as extremely impressive for it has gained confidence of the international donors. |
| Saundubray said that has put Malawi on the world screen for international investors to establish their businesses. He told journalists on Thursday after holding an audience with the State President, Dr Bingu wa Mutharika at New State House, Lilongwe that development aid to Malawi has increased yearly which was proof of sound economic policies of the country’s leadership. |
| He disclosed that his government is about to sign a 100 percent debt cancellation agreement with Malawi following the HIPC convention points. Saundubray said: “Money close to 10 million Euros (K1.9 billion) will be given to Malawi government, and I have managed to convince the French government to open a field of operation of the French development agency soon, and we will also continue in the field of culture and teaching of French in Malawi.” |
| He explained the money is part of the Paris Club cancellation, but stressed on the need for the French and Malawi governments to agree on which phases the money would be put on. |
| The envoy said the French government in conjunction with the Malawi government would soon build a French Cultural Centre in Lilongwe. |
| He said the Blantyre Culture Centre would work hand in hand with the cultural centre in Lilongwe. |
Thursday, July 26, 2007
The opposition is behaving immorally
BY The Daily Times
09:01:28 - 25 July 2007
For the second time in three weeks, opposition Members of Parliament Tuesday refused to discuss the 2007/2008 national budget insisting that the House should first discuss issues of Section 65.
We want to tell the opposition MPs that this is being impervious to the plight, needs and aspirations of the very people they represent. In short, the opposition are behaving immorally and they will pay dearly for trying to torture the people.
Just to fill you in, some 83 MPs voted against the national assembly discussing the budget against 71 who wanted the budget discussed before Section 65 issues.
Leader of the House Henry Chimunthu Banda said at the end of the headcount voting that the result meant there was nothing to discuss in the House since the meeting was a budget one.
There being nothing to discuss, Second Deputy Speaker Jones Chingola rightly adjourned the House indefinitely.
To start with, the failure to discuss the budget means that in theory government, which was only given K12 billion to spend for one month, will have no money to spend beyond 31 July, 2007.
But in practice, government will continue to run and the opposition has only painted a bad name for itself.
The development has left government no choice but to invoke its constitutional mandate to allocate money to spend for four months. This is the most logical course of action for government to pursue for the reason that it has a duty to continue to run and provide services to the people. It is actually obscene for the opposition to think they can bring down government for the selfish reasons we have spelt out several times before.
The Constitution gives the Finance Minister authority to spend in advance of appropriation.
The relevant section of the Constitution reads: “The National Assembly may make provision under which, if it appears to the Minister responsible for Finance that the Appropriation Act in respect of any financial year, will not come into operation by the beginning of that financial year, he or she may authorize the withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund of moneys for the purpose of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on the services of the Government until the expiration of four months from the beginning of that financial year or the coming into operation of the Appropriation Act, whichever is earlier.”
But by prioritizing Section 65 issues at the expense of the budget, the opposition have exposed themselves to the wrath of the 13 millions Malawians who have nothing to benefit from the section 65 issues.
People across the country have already bared their chests on the matter. This is that the opposition should set their priorities right and allow Parliament to discuss and pass the budget.
Members of the general public, chiefs, the faith community and the clergy, to mention just a few, have all pointed out the need for the opposition to see the writing on the wall and to do first things first. But all this seems to have fallen on the deaf ears. The question is: which constituents are the opposition MPs representing when they are in the House?
In fact, many people have spoken clearly and loudly that both the budget and Section 65 issues should be discussed. So just what is the problem with our opposition MPs?
We also question MPs such as former Vice President Justin Malewezi for abstaining. Why?
While people have the constitutional right to abstain, we are of the view that leaders like Malewezi and PPM vice president Mark Katsonga appreciate the plight of the beneficiaries of the budget better than most MPs. The two should, therefore, not have stood on the fence fearing a backlash from the opposition or the government side if they voted either way. Abstaining will not spare them the backlash from the people because in a vote like the one the House conducted yesterday, abstaining has the same effect as a no vote.
BY The Daily Times
09:01:28 - 25 July 2007
For the second time in three weeks, opposition Members of Parliament Tuesday refused to discuss the 2007/2008 national budget insisting that the House should first discuss issues of Section 65.
We want to tell the opposition MPs that this is being impervious to the plight, needs and aspirations of the very people they represent. In short, the opposition are behaving immorally and they will pay dearly for trying to torture the people.
Just to fill you in, some 83 MPs voted against the national assembly discussing the budget against 71 who wanted the budget discussed before Section 65 issues.
Leader of the House Henry Chimunthu Banda said at the end of the headcount voting that the result meant there was nothing to discuss in the House since the meeting was a budget one.
There being nothing to discuss, Second Deputy Speaker Jones Chingola rightly adjourned the House indefinitely.
To start with, the failure to discuss the budget means that in theory government, which was only given K12 billion to spend for one month, will have no money to spend beyond 31 July, 2007.
But in practice, government will continue to run and the opposition has only painted a bad name for itself.
The development has left government no choice but to invoke its constitutional mandate to allocate money to spend for four months. This is the most logical course of action for government to pursue for the reason that it has a duty to continue to run and provide services to the people. It is actually obscene for the opposition to think they can bring down government for the selfish reasons we have spelt out several times before.
The Constitution gives the Finance Minister authority to spend in advance of appropriation.
The relevant section of the Constitution reads: “The National Assembly may make provision under which, if it appears to the Minister responsible for Finance that the Appropriation Act in respect of any financial year, will not come into operation by the beginning of that financial year, he or she may authorize the withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund of moneys for the purpose of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on the services of the Government until the expiration of four months from the beginning of that financial year or the coming into operation of the Appropriation Act, whichever is earlier.”
But by prioritizing Section 65 issues at the expense of the budget, the opposition have exposed themselves to the wrath of the 13 millions Malawians who have nothing to benefit from the section 65 issues.
People across the country have already bared their chests on the matter. This is that the opposition should set their priorities right and allow Parliament to discuss and pass the budget.
Members of the general public, chiefs, the faith community and the clergy, to mention just a few, have all pointed out the need for the opposition to see the writing on the wall and to do first things first. But all this seems to have fallen on the deaf ears. The question is: which constituents are the opposition MPs representing when they are in the House?
In fact, many people have spoken clearly and loudly that both the budget and Section 65 issues should be discussed. So just what is the problem with our opposition MPs?
We also question MPs such as former Vice President Justin Malewezi for abstaining. Why?
While people have the constitutional right to abstain, we are of the view that leaders like Malewezi and PPM vice president Mark Katsonga appreciate the plight of the beneficiaries of the budget better than most MPs. The two should, therefore, not have stood on the fence fearing a backlash from the opposition or the government side if they voted either way. Abstaining will not spare them the backlash from the people because in a vote like the one the House conducted yesterday, abstaining has the same effect as a no vote.
Sec 65 should await constitutional review—CCAP
BY MIKE CHIPALASA
12:43:51 - 26 July 2007
Speaker Louis Chimango should halt the implementation of Section 65 until the Constitutional Review Commission concludes its findings, the Church and Society Programme of the Blantyre CCAP Synod has said.
Programme manager Billy Mayaya said on Tuesday their position was that the application of Section 65 could not be pursued in the absence of the Recall Provision and the Senate, which were both scrapped off from the Constitution in 1994.
The Constitutional Review Commission is currently working on proposals from various stakeholders to have certain sections of the Republican Constitution amended or incorporated.
Some people have, among other proposals, suggested that the Recall Provision and the Senate be brought back in the constitution to empower the electorate who political observers say are powerless in the absence of these two provisions.
Opposition political parties in the country insist that the Speaker has to declare seats of those MPs deemed to have crossed the floor vacant before discussions on the 2007/2008 national budget get underway.
But Mayaya argued that Section 65 was supposed to be read together with Section 64 and, if need be, referred to the Senate, but since the two provisions were removed, he said, it did not make sense for the speaker to act on Section 65 in isolation.
Mayaya said while they agreed with the June 15, 2001 Supreme Court ruling which validated Section 65, it was unreasonable for MPs to be baying to declared each other’s seats vacant when the powers to recall MPs should be vested in the people in the constituencies.
“The mandate to recall MPs comes from the people and the mandate to govern is from the people as well. MPs would have removed each other if there were impeachment procedures as is the case with the president and judges,” he said.
In dealing to end the current impasse, Mayaya suggested that the executive should use diplomacy in dealing with the legislature and the judiciary, as these three arms of government were supposed to work in harmony and not in antagonism.
BY MIKE CHIPALASA
12:43:51 - 26 July 2007
Speaker Louis Chimango should halt the implementation of Section 65 until the Constitutional Review Commission concludes its findings, the Church and Society Programme of the Blantyre CCAP Synod has said.
Programme manager Billy Mayaya said on Tuesday their position was that the application of Section 65 could not be pursued in the absence of the Recall Provision and the Senate, which were both scrapped off from the Constitution in 1994.
The Constitutional Review Commission is currently working on proposals from various stakeholders to have certain sections of the Republican Constitution amended or incorporated.
Some people have, among other proposals, suggested that the Recall Provision and the Senate be brought back in the constitution to empower the electorate who political observers say are powerless in the absence of these two provisions.
Opposition political parties in the country insist that the Speaker has to declare seats of those MPs deemed to have crossed the floor vacant before discussions on the 2007/2008 national budget get underway.
But Mayaya argued that Section 65 was supposed to be read together with Section 64 and, if need be, referred to the Senate, but since the two provisions were removed, he said, it did not make sense for the speaker to act on Section 65 in isolation.
Mayaya said while they agreed with the June 15, 2001 Supreme Court ruling which validated Section 65, it was unreasonable for MPs to be baying to declared each other’s seats vacant when the powers to recall MPs should be vested in the people in the constituencies.
“The mandate to recall MPs comes from the people and the mandate to govern is from the people as well. MPs would have removed each other if there were impeachment procedures as is the case with the president and judges,” he said.
In dealing to end the current impasse, Mayaya suggested that the executive should use diplomacy in dealing with the legislature and the judiciary, as these three arms of government were supposed to work in harmony and not in antagonism.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Why is the opposition failing to read the writing on the wall?
BY The Daily Times
09:31:07 - 18 July 2007
Malawians with the welfare of the people at heart ought to be disappointed that the opposition continues to pay a deaf ear to the cries and pleas of the people on the importance by the National Assembly to prioritise discussing the national budget before Section 65.
Unbelievably, both MCP and UDF leaders Tuesday also said they are disappointed that the Government side in the House has not capitulated on their demand that the House should first deal with the Section 65 issue before the budget.
The consequences of the impasse between the two sides, that is, the failure by Parliament to pass the budget, although not yet being fully felt now, will be disastrous in the not-too-distant future.
For now, some of the things that are already suffering are that ministries and government departments cannot make long term plans on development projects since they are being funded on a month-to-month basis.
Unfortunately, this looks like will be the case for the next few months. With the nation entering the second half of July with no idea of when the budget will be discussed and delivered to people's doorsteps, it is very likely that government will have to engage another stop-gap measure.
The development also means that government cannot also begin to take the budget to the people through paying the new perks for civil servants and chiefs as well as implement tax measures that are meant to help certain sectors.
In fact, it is hopelessly disappointing that the opposition cannot listen to the pleas and wishes of the people, chiefs, leaders of non-governmental organizations, students, the clergy, lawyers, etc., who want the MPs to serve the people they represent and not to behave like their masters.
UDF and MCP MPs as law-makers are expected to be better informed about the need to exhaust the processes in the application and interpretation of the law.
What is happening now is a continuation of the application of the ruling on Section 65. The opposition cannot claim the government side in the House is gagging the Speaker by obtaining an injunction restraining him from declaring some seats vacant.
Anyone, including the MP who got the injunction, has the right to seek legal redress through the courts on issues they feel they have been unfairly treated. If the MP did not have that right, the courts, whose job is to interpret the law, would not have granted them the reprieve they got. What we see, on the other hand, is a desperate bid by an estranged opposition to usurp the role of the Judiciary.
The opposition should let the judicial process take its full course, which will evidently take time because there are no shortcuts in legal and judicial processes. But that process is, surely, underway.
In fact, some MPs such as MCP president John Tembo, have previously benefited from same legal processes in the past when they were thrown out of the same House after being convicted on contempt of court charges. Tembo and former MCP secretary general Kate Kainja were saved by the same courts through a similar process. So what is the problem now?
As we have said before, the opposition is digging their own graves. They will need the same people whom they are victimising now to put them back into Parliament in 2009.
By now, the opposition should have read the bold and clear writing on the wall and swallowed their pride. They should not be deceived that people will forget. No way.
BY The Daily Times
09:31:07 - 18 July 2007
Malawians with the welfare of the people at heart ought to be disappointed that the opposition continues to pay a deaf ear to the cries and pleas of the people on the importance by the National Assembly to prioritise discussing the national budget before Section 65.
Unbelievably, both MCP and UDF leaders Tuesday also said they are disappointed that the Government side in the House has not capitulated on their demand that the House should first deal with the Section 65 issue before the budget.
The consequences of the impasse between the two sides, that is, the failure by Parliament to pass the budget, although not yet being fully felt now, will be disastrous in the not-too-distant future.
For now, some of the things that are already suffering are that ministries and government departments cannot make long term plans on development projects since they are being funded on a month-to-month basis.
Unfortunately, this looks like will be the case for the next few months. With the nation entering the second half of July with no idea of when the budget will be discussed and delivered to people's doorsteps, it is very likely that government will have to engage another stop-gap measure.
The development also means that government cannot also begin to take the budget to the people through paying the new perks for civil servants and chiefs as well as implement tax measures that are meant to help certain sectors.
In fact, it is hopelessly disappointing that the opposition cannot listen to the pleas and wishes of the people, chiefs, leaders of non-governmental organizations, students, the clergy, lawyers, etc., who want the MPs to serve the people they represent and not to behave like their masters.
UDF and MCP MPs as law-makers are expected to be better informed about the need to exhaust the processes in the application and interpretation of the law.
What is happening now is a continuation of the application of the ruling on Section 65. The opposition cannot claim the government side in the House is gagging the Speaker by obtaining an injunction restraining him from declaring some seats vacant.
Anyone, including the MP who got the injunction, has the right to seek legal redress through the courts on issues they feel they have been unfairly treated. If the MP did not have that right, the courts, whose job is to interpret the law, would not have granted them the reprieve they got. What we see, on the other hand, is a desperate bid by an estranged opposition to usurp the role of the Judiciary.
The opposition should let the judicial process take its full course, which will evidently take time because there are no shortcuts in legal and judicial processes. But that process is, surely, underway.
In fact, some MPs such as MCP president John Tembo, have previously benefited from same legal processes in the past when they were thrown out of the same House after being convicted on contempt of court charges. Tembo and former MCP secretary general Kate Kainja were saved by the same courts through a similar process. So what is the problem now?
As we have said before, the opposition is digging their own graves. They will need the same people whom they are victimising now to put them back into Parliament in 2009.
By now, the opposition should have read the bold and clear writing on the wall and swallowed their pride. They should not be deceived that people will forget. No way.
House conduct sickening
By The Daily Times - 24 July 2007 - 09:08:50
One would have thought that with the two-week suspension of the House over the indecent deadlock on Section 65, upright reasoning would have prevailed on our honourable Members of Parliament (MPs) from the opposition and they would have now settled on the best thing, which should come first in the House, the budget or Section 65.
Sadly, after starting their deliberations at 2 pm, our honourable legislators Monday ended their meeting prematurely for the simple reason that the opposition have stuck to their guns that come Parliament, Section 65 should be dealt with first ahead of the budget.
It all seems very vividly now that the more time elapses, the more the opposition harden their hearts and the more the deadlock continues. As a country, we cannot move forward like this!
It is more than clear from the views from various stakeholders, too numerous to mention, and it has been said over a thousand times that what the country needs at the moment is nothing less than the budget. The reasoning behind this is not political, but it is a question of the country’s very survival. The danger, as the clock ticks on and time flies away is that the country is headed for a gargantuan manmade social-economic catastrophe if this impasse does not get to an end.
This is so because our budget has a time factor in that there are certain programmes in the budget, for arguments’ sake the fertiliser subsidy programme, that better be executed as soon as possible before it is too late.
But one would dismiss this assertion as nothing new at all. Yes, it has been said over and over again, but we need to say it this time around too because it appears the message has not sunk in the hearts of our honourable opposition legislators.
It only requires one simple solution in the House, and that is for one side to eat a humble pie and put to the fore an issue that is for the national interest’s sake, and as Public Affairs Committee (Pac) states implicitly, that is the budget.
Yes indeed Section 65 is equally important, but in the meantime, in light of the injunction on the Speaker restraining him to declare any seats of MPs vacant, should lives of millions of Malawians be held at ransom for the same Section 65?
Frankly, the premature suspension of the House yesterday is really sickening, it’s so frustrating and we are getting tired with this impasse. Malawians need the budget much more now than before this section 65 fiasco started in June. It’s time for our honourable legislators to rise above party politics and strive to attain the general good-the budget.
‘ACB key to budget’
BY CHARLES MPAKA
09:56:12 - 24 July 2007
SUCCESSFUL implementation of the budget depends on how the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) and government auditors seal loopholes in the management of public funds, analysts have said.
The 2007/ 2008 budget, dubbed the best on paper, has channelled a large proportion of funds to pro-poor activities, but Society of Accountants in Malawi (Socam) said the money could be lost to fraudsters.
“Government has a generally good public finance management system. But people to manage the finances must be well trained,” Hennox Mazengera Socam executive director said.
He added that building capacity at the ACB would boost the fight against corruption, saying government has, in the past, lost a large chunk of public funds to fraudsters.
Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe has allocated K470 million to ACB in the current budget up from K200 last year, a development Socam says would intensify the fight against corruption.
Sharing the same view Chancellor College Head of Philosophy Lawrence Mpekansambo said the ACB need to deter would-be fraudsters.
“Government should not sacrifice justice for peace. Let the bureau do what it is mandated to do. The success of the budget depends on that,” he said.
Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) said government should grip official corruption to avoid crippling the budget implementation.
“The problem is that corruption increases the cost of doing business and this is pushed to consumers as they are forced to cushion the results of increased costs,” said Andrew Kumbatila Mejn executive director.
He said the absence of a full director has compromised the conclusion of many cases at the graft busting body.
But Minister of Information and Civic Education Patricia Kaliati said the Mutharika government has performed well in the past three years but blamed some government institutions of failing to localise policies.
BY CHARLES MPAKA
09:56:12 - 24 July 2007
SUCCESSFUL implementation of the budget depends on how the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) and government auditors seal loopholes in the management of public funds, analysts have said.
The 2007/ 2008 budget, dubbed the best on paper, has channelled a large proportion of funds to pro-poor activities, but Society of Accountants in Malawi (Socam) said the money could be lost to fraudsters.
“Government has a generally good public finance management system. But people to manage the finances must be well trained,” Hennox Mazengera Socam executive director said.
He added that building capacity at the ACB would boost the fight against corruption, saying government has, in the past, lost a large chunk of public funds to fraudsters.
Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe has allocated K470 million to ACB in the current budget up from K200 last year, a development Socam says would intensify the fight against corruption.
Sharing the same view Chancellor College Head of Philosophy Lawrence Mpekansambo said the ACB need to deter would-be fraudsters.
“Government should not sacrifice justice for peace. Let the bureau do what it is mandated to do. The success of the budget depends on that,” he said.
Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) said government should grip official corruption to avoid crippling the budget implementation.
“The problem is that corruption increases the cost of doing business and this is pushed to consumers as they are forced to cushion the results of increased costs,” said Andrew Kumbatila Mejn executive director.
He said the absence of a full director has compromised the conclusion of many cases at the graft busting body.
But Minister of Information and Civic Education Patricia Kaliati said the Mutharika government has performed well in the past three years but blamed some government institutions of failing to localise policies.
Civil society groups petition Chimango
BY MIKE CHIPALASA
09:29:20 - 24 July 2007
Speaker of Parliament Louis Chimango Monday received over 20 petitions from civil society groups and some concerned citizens.
Director for Gender Support Programme Cecilia Mussa Monday confirmed in an interview they decided to petition the Speaker so that members of Parliament (MPs) could prioritise the budget and not Section 65.
“Yes, we have mobilised ourselves to rescue our country. We want our MPs to prioritise the budget. There are several of us here in the South, including Mrs Emmie Chanika.
“We are not against Section 65 but what we are saying is that it should come later after the budget has been passed,” she said.
Mussa said it was pathetic to see that most MPs seemed not to care about the welfare of Malawians by putting Section 65 ahead of the national budget.
She also said as a way of clearing the path, her group went to the High Court in Lilongwe to get a court order to allow them to go to Parliament to present the petition.
“Our friends in Lilongwe are coordinating everything. They obtained a court order to make sure that our path is smooth. You can talk to Dan Phiri, he is the one who can give you further details,” said Mussa.
When contacted Phiri, who said he had decided to join the grouping as a concerned citizen, confirmed delivering the petitions himself to Chimango and other leaders of political parties represented in the House.
“We have received over 20 petitions from people across the country. Each petition has over 50 signatories. What we want is to express our dissatisfaction with our MPs through the Speaker,” he said.
Phiri said by taking time to pass the budget, MPs were gambling on the lives of Malawians.
He said people want fertiliser and drugs in hospitals, adding that even Chancellor College students need the same budget to go to college next week.
The civil society groups included Civil Liberties Committee (Cilic) where Chanika is executive director.
But efforts to talk to Chanika were unsuccessful Monday as her phone could not be reached.
Civil society groups told state-run Malawi Television (TVM) on Sunday during the 8 pm news bulletin that they were calling for petitions from various concerned citizens and the general public to petition the Speaker of Parliament.
The groups asked people to leave their petitions at road blocks so that they could be collected from there.
However, this is not the first time for the Speaker to receive petitions from people across the country, especially during budget sessions of Parliament.
In 2005 and 2006, college students, chiefs and other concerned Malawians stormed parliamentary precincts to deliver their petitions to the Speaker to force MPs to pass the budget.
BY MIKE CHIPALASA
09:29:20 - 24 July 2007
Speaker of Parliament Louis Chimango Monday received over 20 petitions from civil society groups and some concerned citizens.
Director for Gender Support Programme Cecilia Mussa Monday confirmed in an interview they decided to petition the Speaker so that members of Parliament (MPs) could prioritise the budget and not Section 65.
“Yes, we have mobilised ourselves to rescue our country. We want our MPs to prioritise the budget. There are several of us here in the South, including Mrs Emmie Chanika.
“We are not against Section 65 but what we are saying is that it should come later after the budget has been passed,” she said.
Mussa said it was pathetic to see that most MPs seemed not to care about the welfare of Malawians by putting Section 65 ahead of the national budget.
She also said as a way of clearing the path, her group went to the High Court in Lilongwe to get a court order to allow them to go to Parliament to present the petition.
“Our friends in Lilongwe are coordinating everything. They obtained a court order to make sure that our path is smooth. You can talk to Dan Phiri, he is the one who can give you further details,” said Mussa.
When contacted Phiri, who said he had decided to join the grouping as a concerned citizen, confirmed delivering the petitions himself to Chimango and other leaders of political parties represented in the House.
“We have received over 20 petitions from people across the country. Each petition has over 50 signatories. What we want is to express our dissatisfaction with our MPs through the Speaker,” he said.
Phiri said by taking time to pass the budget, MPs were gambling on the lives of Malawians.
He said people want fertiliser and drugs in hospitals, adding that even Chancellor College students need the same budget to go to college next week.
The civil society groups included Civil Liberties Committee (Cilic) where Chanika is executive director.
But efforts to talk to Chanika were unsuccessful Monday as her phone could not be reached.
Civil society groups told state-run Malawi Television (TVM) on Sunday during the 8 pm news bulletin that they were calling for petitions from various concerned citizens and the general public to petition the Speaker of Parliament.
The groups asked people to leave their petitions at road blocks so that they could be collected from there.
However, this is not the first time for the Speaker to receive petitions from people across the country, especially during budget sessions of Parliament.
In 2005 and 2006, college students, chiefs and other concerned Malawians stormed parliamentary precincts to deliver their petitions to the Speaker to force MPs to pass the budget.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Put national interest first, says France
BY MARCUS MUHARIWA, The Daily Times
10:53:23 - 17 July 2007
French Embassy Charge d’Affaires Daniel Zeldine says political forces in Malawi should place public interests above everything else to maintain stability in the country.
Speaking Saturday in Lilongwe during the Bastille Day, which is commemoration of the French Independence, Zeldine observed that stability was Malawi’s greatest achievement since independence.
“The stability in this country is its greatest achievement since independence in a continent which has known so many tragedies, a stability that the international community in general and France in particular commend as Malawi’s most valuable treasure,” Zeldine said.
He commended government for putting in place effective policies in agriculture and economics that have helped Malawi to achieve food security and restore its economic situation for the past two years.
“At the same time Malawi has reached a high rate of growth, which allows its government to produce for the coming financial year, a sound expansionist budget which gives hope to its population, particularly the most deprived members,” Zeldine observed.
He expressed hope that government would continue to put in place good measures that would attract foreign investment including more French companies besides the ones that are already in the country like Lafarge Portland Cement, Total, CFAO, AGS and SDV.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joyce Banda asked for continued assistance from the French government through training of Malawi Defence Forces (MDF) pilots and other soldiers in peacekeeping operations.
“The initiative being undertaken by the French government in promotion of culture is also commendable. The French Cultural Centre in Blantyre continues to be the country’s venue for arts and cultural events.
“We also welcome the plan by the French government to construct a multi-purpose Franco-Malawi Cultural Centre in Lilongwe,” Banda said.
She thanked the French government for writing off 9.5 million euros Malawi owed it in bilateral debt, saying funds from the cancelled debt would be used for pro-poor programmes.
BY MARCUS MUHARIWA, The Daily Times
10:53:23 - 17 July 2007
French Embassy Charge d’Affaires Daniel Zeldine says political forces in Malawi should place public interests above everything else to maintain stability in the country.
Speaking Saturday in Lilongwe during the Bastille Day, which is commemoration of the French Independence, Zeldine observed that stability was Malawi’s greatest achievement since independence.
“The stability in this country is its greatest achievement since independence in a continent which has known so many tragedies, a stability that the international community in general and France in particular commend as Malawi’s most valuable treasure,” Zeldine said.
He commended government for putting in place effective policies in agriculture and economics that have helped Malawi to achieve food security and restore its economic situation for the past two years.
“At the same time Malawi has reached a high rate of growth, which allows its government to produce for the coming financial year, a sound expansionist budget which gives hope to its population, particularly the most deprived members,” Zeldine observed.
He expressed hope that government would continue to put in place good measures that would attract foreign investment including more French companies besides the ones that are already in the country like Lafarge Portland Cement, Total, CFAO, AGS and SDV.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joyce Banda asked for continued assistance from the French government through training of Malawi Defence Forces (MDF) pilots and other soldiers in peacekeeping operations.
“The initiative being undertaken by the French government in promotion of culture is also commendable. The French Cultural Centre in Blantyre continues to be the country’s venue for arts and cultural events.
“We also welcome the plan by the French government to construct a multi-purpose Franco-Malawi Cultural Centre in Lilongwe,” Banda said.
She thanked the French government for writing off 9.5 million euros Malawi owed it in bilateral debt, saying funds from the cancelled debt would be used for pro-poor programmes.
Inflation falls down to 7.7%
BY GERALD NAMWAZA, The Daily Times
12:27:42 - 19 July 2007
YEAR on year national inflation rate for June has dropped to 7.7 per cent from 7.9 percent recorded in May, National Statistical Office (NSO) said Wednesday.
The statisticians also reported that rates for urban and rural areas stand at 10.0 per cent and 6.4 percent respectively.
Inflation measures the rate at which the general price of goods and services is increasing in the country and in Malawi food has a strong weight in the formula basket.
National food inflation now stands at 6.8 percent down from 17.5 percent in June last year on the back of bumper maize harvest which accounts for 58.1 percent weight in the Consumer Price Index(CPI).
The country has registered aback to back maize surplus, 2.6 million metric tonnes in 2006 and 1.3 million metric tonnes this year.
The inflation rate hit single digit levels for the first time in four years in January this year when it dropped from 10.1 per cent in December 2006 to 9.6.
In theory the falling rates would slow down the increase of goods on the markets and pave way for the Reserve Bank of Malawi to relax its monetary policy, a development that would lead to the reduction of the benchmark bank rate.
BY GERALD NAMWAZA, The Daily Times
12:27:42 - 19 July 2007
YEAR on year national inflation rate for June has dropped to 7.7 per cent from 7.9 percent recorded in May, National Statistical Office (NSO) said Wednesday.
The statisticians also reported that rates for urban and rural areas stand at 10.0 per cent and 6.4 percent respectively.
Inflation measures the rate at which the general price of goods and services is increasing in the country and in Malawi food has a strong weight in the formula basket.
National food inflation now stands at 6.8 percent down from 17.5 percent in June last year on the back of bumper maize harvest which accounts for 58.1 percent weight in the Consumer Price Index(CPI).
The country has registered aback to back maize surplus, 2.6 million metric tonnes in 2006 and 1.3 million metric tonnes this year.
The inflation rate hit single digit levels for the first time in four years in January this year when it dropped from 10.1 per cent in December 2006 to 9.6.
In theory the falling rates would slow down the increase of goods on the markets and pave way for the Reserve Bank of Malawi to relax its monetary policy, a development that would lead to the reduction of the benchmark bank rate.
Field York case: Mpasu ordered bank governorBY Gedion Munthali, The Daily Times
09:56:47 - 20 July 2007
Former Education Minister Sam Mpasu directed the Reserve Bank of Malawi to release foreign exchange to buy notebooks and pencils from Field York when the country only had reserves for buying essentials like drugs and fuel, a State witness told the Lilongwe Magistrate Court Thursday.
Former Reserve Bank Governor Francis Pelekamoyo said this before Chief Resident Magistrate Chifundo Kachale as he testified in a case where Mpasu is accused of abusing his office as Minister of Education by buying learning materials from Field York at an exorbitant price.
Pelekamoyo, appointed governor in 1989 but whose contract was terminated prematurely by the UDF administration in 1995 with two years to run, said Mpasu issued the directive after he [Pelekamoyo]
had written Mpasu that the bank was not able to go into contract with Field York because of the shortage of forex.
“The directive from Mpasu was verbal. It came through the then Principal Secretary in the education ministry Dr. Sam Safuli. He said that the minister had told him to tell me that payment had to made to
Field York at all costs,” said Pelekamoyo when he was asked by State lawyer Steven Kayuni about the directive.
Pelekamoyo said that in 1994, the Ministry of Education notified the Reserve Bank of Malawi that government wanted to go into contract with Field York in United Kingdom to supply note books and pencils.
The terms were that government should deposit 300,000 British pounds, and then make weekly deposits of 100,000 pounds for a period of about six to seven months.
But at the time, Pelekamoyo said, the country was facing acute shortage of foreign exchange emanating from the fact that there had been an aid embargo on Malawi for the previous 3 years.
This meant that management of foreign exchange had to be made for very essential products only, like fuel and medicines.
“So when I received the request, I wrote the Ministry of Education, telling them that the payment schedule they had agreed with Field York could not be honoured because of shortage of forex,” Pelekamoyo said.
The Reserve Bank, as an alternative, contacted the Finance Company of Malawi which used to procure goods and services for government, to use the company as a guarantor so that Field York could go ahead to supply the required note books and pencils.
But Field York rejected Malawi Finance Company to act as guarantor.
In further discussions with the Reserve Bank, the court was told, Malawi Finance Company offered an alternative that they could procure the notebooks and pencils themselves at one-fourth of the price quoted by Field York and would deliver them earlier than the UK-based company.
According to Pelekamoyo government would have spent 500,000 pounds using the Malawi Finance Company instead of 2 million pounds paid to Field York.
On September 20, 1994, Pelekamoyo wrote Mpasu telling him the banks inability to contract with Field York, and of the alternative offered by the Malawi Finance Company.
Besides that Malawi Finance Company had offered to extend the payment period.
“I did not receive any reply, but a directive three days later to make the payment to Field York. You see, as Central Bank Governor you are a public servant; what you give are proposals and recommendations,” said Pelekamoyo.
After the Mpasu directive was given to him, Pelekamoyo wrote the Managing Director of Field York, with copies to Mpasu, telling him that the Central Bank would deposit 300,000 pounds in the company’s account 10365505 at the Barclays Bank in London. He however asked for negotiations on the payment terms of the weekly payments of 100,000 pounds.
Hearing of the case will continue of August 21 when former Finance Minister Aleke Banda and a police officer who investigated the case are expected to testify.
Tourism starts to take off in Malawi
ALAN HART
MALAWI has been dubbed "the warm heart of Africa" - and it's easy to see why.
Despite their endemic poverty of circumstance, its people are rich in goodwill and seem to have endlessly cheerful dispositions.
It's no wonder that pop star Madonna lost her heart to the little boy she adopted from a Malawi orphanage last year.
There are rumours she is planning to return to adopt a black brother or sister for David.
But you don't need to go that far to help this former British colony of Nyasaland. Tourists can boost the country's economy simply by coming here and spending their money. Admittedly a visit to Malawi is more of an adventure than a holiday.
Apart from the dangerous animals, there are rampant HIV/ AIDS, malaria and snail fever to consider. But with sensible precautions you can stay safe while you take a walk on the wild side.
After flying into the Malawian capital of Lilongwe, I drove for 90 minutes to the Sunbird Hotel at Livingstonia Beach in Senga Bay, Salima (www.sunbirdmalawi.com).
This luxury hotel is on the shore of Lake Malawi, which is the majestic centrepiece of the Great East African Rift Valley. Nearly 10,000 square miles in area, it is the third largest lake on the continent. At the Sunbird you can enjoy a variety of water sports or just relax by the pool while you plan the rest of your tour.
Because of pressure of time, I had already opted to skip the chance of viewing elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, giraffe, antelope and buffalo in game reserves in the south of the country.
Instead, I chose to study the marine and bird life on the lake in the north-east.
And before anyone accuses me of wimping out, let me state that while swimming, snorkelling and bathing in Lake Malawi, I was sharing it with at least one seven-foot crocodile.
It takes a special man to give clients the confidence to follow his example and take to the waters. That man is Howard Massey-Hicks, whose family history would provide material for a Wilbur Smith novel.
Howard's ancestors, Lady Hicks and a carpenter called Massey, caused a scandal when they fell in love and emigrated from Ireland to South Africa at the start of the 19th century.
Howard emigrated to Malawi in 1992. Six years ago he persuaded wife Michelle to help him live his dream when he designed his catamaran yacht Mafusa and launched Danforth Yachting at Cape Maclear (www.danforthyachting.com).
From the comfort of his ten-berth yacht I explored the lake, while crewman Victor dealt with my laundry and chef Nwadie prepared mouth-watering dishes from his galley. But first, I took a trip to the Nyika crocodile farm at Salima where 14,000 of these sinister creatures are converted annually into handbags, wallets and shoes.
Farmer Obert Mtalimanja (did a croc chew his "R", I wondered) showed us his stock of young crocs.
Then he introduced us to his adult breeding animals, including a 40-year-old male which was 13-feet long.
Back on board Mufasa, we had a chance to visit the various lodges which have been built to cater for the area's embryonic tourist industry.
First port of call was the Nkwichi Lodge, just over the border in Mozambique. To reach it we had to have our papers stamped by a barefoot Malawi immigration official wearing shorts and a Maradona soccer shirt.
On the Mozambique side of the lake, passport controllers had thoughtfully placed a tray for tips marked "Thank You" in three different languages.
Here a Down's Syndrome boy called Ben "adopted" me by gently holding my hand and proudly showing me off to his pals.
Nkwichi Lodge (www.mandawilderness.org) is reached through its naturally-hidden private bay and has access to three miles of rocky shoreline, dense bush and sandy beach.
Seven spacious wooden chalets made from local materials blend into the forest. My room boasted a four-poster bed, had an outside toilet, open-air bath and shower, and its own private beach.
It also has its own tribe of vervet monkeys which live on-site and a group of baboons that jabber away from the depths of the forest.
Profits are ploughed back into the Manda Wilderness Project, a local conservation scheme which has provided schools, water sanitation and a maternity hospital for nearby villagers.
Although Likoma Island is only six miles off the coast of Mozambique, it belongs to Malawi and its star attraction, Kaya Mawa Lodge, has been voted one of the world's ten most romantic destinations by Condé Nast magazine (www.kayamawa.com).
Four honeymoon couples were staying in the nine thatch, wood and stone cottages when I visited.
One of the chalets is called Honeymoon Island and is reached by a wooden suspension bridge. It is shaded by a giant mahogany tree which is home to a resident pair of yellow-billed kites from October to January.
Likoma Island also has a cathedral, St Peter's, built in 1903, to serve its 7000 population. Its first dean was a Glaswegian called William Pascal Johnson, and inside the building is a plaque to Charles Frederick Mackenzie, first missionarybishop to the tribes, who was born in Scotland in 1825 and died of fever near Chiromo in 1862.
It was while we were on our way from Nkwichi to Kaya Mawa, admiring a pair of fish eagles which were putting on an impressive aeronautical display, that we saw a seven-foot long croc basking on a rock some 50 yards from the Mozambique shore. It was a graphic reminder that this magnificent landscape with its spectacular sights and stunning sunsets, is anything but tame.
Like the other lakeside lodges mentioned here, Makuzi Beach Lodge is a popular chill-out zone for tourists coming back from hectic safari schedules elsewhere (www.makuzibeach.com).
After a candlelit dinner, yoga teacher Lara Pollard helps guests clear away the cobwebs and any hangovers on the beach next morning.
Nearby is Bandawe Mission, established in 1881 by Scottish Presbyterians, many of whom died from tropical diseases and are buried in the local cemetery.
One of the plots, where Alfred W Roby Fletcher (1868-1898) lies, has a memorial "erected by Edinburgh schoolboys."
Other graves, containing the bodies of Lizzie Ann McMinn, George Swinny, Sophia Aitken, the Rev Alexander Bain, James Sutherland and James Fraser, give the clearest indication of the influence of Scottish missionaries in the area.
It was also apparent in the Christian names of current village chief Alex Banda, and the mission's pastor, Rev Elliot Ngwira, that the legacy continues.
Aussie couple John and Bronnie have only been running the Chintheche Inn nearby since spring this year, but John has already started using his kitchen garden to supplement his cordon bleu cooking.
And in October they will host their own version of Woodstock or Glastonbury with the Lake of Stars Music Festival, featuring British DJs and top Malawian bands (www.wilderness-safaris.com).
My last day in Malawi was spent at the Luwawa Forest Lodge created 5200 feet above sea level by Yorkshireman George Wardlow (www.luwawaforestlodge.com).
At the southern end of a 121,000 square mile forest of pines, and overlooking a dam, the lodge has been turned into an outdoor adventure centre, offering a vast range of sporting activities.
But the highlight of my stay was a visit to the Donija Village, where blind headman Vincent Madings Nkoma organised a tour of the farms and thatched huts.
He also explained the dowry system where go-betweens arrange a bride's price once she has consented to a match.
The day ended with a vigorous display of traditonal singing and dancing, hugs all round and a vote of thanks to "Bwana Georgie."
Travel facts
Alan Hart went with Southern Africa Travel, who provide tailor-made trips to Malawi. For further info click on www.southernafricatravel.co.uk, email enquiries@satravel.co.uk or ring 01483-428162.
Kenya Airways fly six times a week from London Heathrow to Lilongwe via Nairobi. Fares start from £446 return.
For further info click on www.kenya-airways.com or ring 01784-888222.
For further info on Malawi click on www.malawitourism.com or ring 0115-982-1903Saturday, July 14, 2007
Bill Clinton to visit Malawi for the second time in the past one year
14 July 2007 - PANA. Former US President Bill Clinton is expected to arrive in Johannesburg Wednesday at the start of an African tour that will also take him to Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania to oversee projects under his Clinton Foundation, according to a media advisory released here Saturday by the Clinton Foundation ahead of the tour.
Clinton's first stop will be Johannesburg, South Africa, where he will, among other engagements, meet with President Thabo Mbeki Thursday and address the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Later in the day, he will meet with Johannesburg city officials, who are implementing the Clinton Climate Initiative's Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Programme.
On Friday, Clinton leaves South Africa for Malawi, where he will hold a 30-minute closed-door discussion with President Bingu wa Mutharika in the capital, Lilongwe, before flying by helicopter to the southern district of Neno.
"President Clinton and his entourage will visit the construction site of a rural hospital established by the Clinton-Hunter Development Initiative and Partners in Health, where he will meet with rural farmers who are part of the Clinton-Hunter Development Initiative's Sustainable Agriculture project," said the advisory.
The 42nd American President is scheduled to leave Malawi for Lusaka, Zambia, later Friday afternoon.
While In Zambia, Clinton is scheduled to attend a youth outreach soccer tournament hosted by local leaders to appeal to young people in Zambia about the importance of HIV/AIDS testing. From Zambia, Clinton will leave for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Sunday, from where he will return to the US Tuesday. This is Clinton's second visit to Africa in the past one year.
Last July, Clinton, joined by the Scottish philanthropist Tom Hunter - with whom he has joined hands for the African cause - also made a flying visit to Malawi, where the two unveiled plans to initiate rural growth centres in Malawi.
William Jefferson Clinton, 61, is largely viewed as the 'first black president' of America because of his closeness to causes of African Americans and his interest in developing Africa.
Soon after stepping down as president, Clinton - the first Democratic President since Franklin Delano Roosevelt to win a second term of office - founded the Clinton Foundation, whose main mission is to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Investor confidence keeps kwacha strong
BY GERALD NAMWAZA
09:54:36 - 11 July 2007
OOZING confidence in the current economic fundamentals has helped to stabilise the kwacha against major foreign currencies, a local business captain has said.
This has torn apart theories that government through Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) was manipulating the local currency against foreign currencies to suit its social political agenda.
But with interest rate down to 20 per cent from 30 percent in 2004, inflation in single digit and the kwacha is stable, analysts say investors are all smiling.
Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) yesterday attributed the stability to positive attitude prevailing in the business community than booming foreign reserves.
The kwacha has stood its ground against the US$ and Tuesday was sold at 141 to the greenback in most banks, 143 on the parallel market was just above 145 on the black market.
“There is a lot of psychology involved in exchange rate, when people see that economic fundamentals are improving, exchange rate can stabilise---this is what is happening in Malawi,” said Chancellor Kaferapanjira MCCCI chief executive.
He said that proceeds from tobacco, although slightly higher than last year, would not cushion the currency.
“The quantity of the crop is 30 per cent lower than last year and we wouldn’t expect a lot from the traditional forex earner, but donor confidence and a slow down on demand for foreign currency is cushioning the currency,” Kaferapanjira said.
He said when the private sector is not sure about the economy it hoards foreign currency and this causes unnecessary shortages on the market.
“This is not the case now because each time you go to the bank to ask for foreign currency you get it,” Kaferapanjira said.
Minutes of Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) 63rd monetary committee says at the end of March this year gross official reserves increased to US$121.8 million from US$91.4 million, representing 1.9 months of import cover.
RBM attributed the increase to purchases of foreign exchange from banks, institutions like Limbe Leaf and inflows from the British Department for International Development (DFID).
The central bank says foreign currency denominated accounts (FCDAs) increased to US$106.1 million at close of March 2007 due to tobacco pre-shipment financing.
When presenting this year’s budget Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe said the kwacha depreciation was contained at less than 10 per cent for the last two years.
“Some have contested that the rate has been artificially kept down and that were we to adopt a policy of a truly flexible exchange rate, the depreciation would have been larger,” Gondwe said.
He argued that the fact that rates at foreign exchange bureaux had stabilised despite their freedom to move rates, was a sign that there was no artificial repression of the rate.
BY GERALD NAMWAZA
09:54:36 - 11 July 2007
OOZING confidence in the current economic fundamentals has helped to stabilise the kwacha against major foreign currencies, a local business captain has said.
This has torn apart theories that government through Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) was manipulating the local currency against foreign currencies to suit its social political agenda.
But with interest rate down to 20 per cent from 30 percent in 2004, inflation in single digit and the kwacha is stable, analysts say investors are all smiling.
Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) yesterday attributed the stability to positive attitude prevailing in the business community than booming foreign reserves.
The kwacha has stood its ground against the US$ and Tuesday was sold at 141 to the greenback in most banks, 143 on the parallel market was just above 145 on the black market.
“There is a lot of psychology involved in exchange rate, when people see that economic fundamentals are improving, exchange rate can stabilise---this is what is happening in Malawi,” said Chancellor Kaferapanjira MCCCI chief executive.
He said that proceeds from tobacco, although slightly higher than last year, would not cushion the currency.
“The quantity of the crop is 30 per cent lower than last year and we wouldn’t expect a lot from the traditional forex earner, but donor confidence and a slow down on demand for foreign currency is cushioning the currency,” Kaferapanjira said.
He said when the private sector is not sure about the economy it hoards foreign currency and this causes unnecessary shortages on the market.
“This is not the case now because each time you go to the bank to ask for foreign currency you get it,” Kaferapanjira said.
Minutes of Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) 63rd monetary committee says at the end of March this year gross official reserves increased to US$121.8 million from US$91.4 million, representing 1.9 months of import cover.
RBM attributed the increase to purchases of foreign exchange from banks, institutions like Limbe Leaf and inflows from the British Department for International Development (DFID).
The central bank says foreign currency denominated accounts (FCDAs) increased to US$106.1 million at close of March 2007 due to tobacco pre-shipment financing.
When presenting this year’s budget Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe said the kwacha depreciation was contained at less than 10 per cent for the last two years.
“Some have contested that the rate has been artificially kept down and that were we to adopt a policy of a truly flexible exchange rate, the depreciation would have been larger,” Gondwe said.
He argued that the fact that rates at foreign exchange bureaux had stabilised despite their freedom to move rates, was a sign that there was no artificial repression of the rate.
Uranium mining upgrades Malawi
BY GERALD NAMWAZA
13:56:51 - 13 July 2007
FINANCE Minister Goodall Gondwe may have drawn one of the best budgets in modern times but the small package allocated to infrastructure has undermined the good intentions of the paper.
Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) said yesterday, at K14.8 billion, the minister had allocated only a quarter of what was expected on infrastructure.
“This is an increase but we were expecting more on infrastructure as one way of oiling the private sector,” said Chancellor Kaferapanjira, MCCCI chief executive during the post-budget meeting.
He said although the figure was small, it was still an indication that the current government was focusing on production with emphasis on private sector-led growth.
“It is clear that we are changing from the past regimes where more emphasis was on consumption, so the departure from that syndrome is encouraging,” Kaferapanjira said.
The money in the infrastructure envelope would go towards the building of roads, communications networks, power supply--sectors that are crucial to private sector-led growth.
In the budget, Gondwe said government plans to spend about K11.6 billion on building and maintaining roads, an increase of 44 per cent higher on last year’s allocation.
In addition, the minister said government would also invest more in the energy sector to turn around and ensure that there is adequate power to drive the economy.
Members at the meeting expressed disappointment at the current performance of Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) saying constant blackouts were making the cost of doing business extremely high.
BY GERALD NAMWAZA
13:56:51 - 13 July 2007
FINANCE Minister Goodall Gondwe may have drawn one of the best budgets in modern times but the small package allocated to infrastructure has undermined the good intentions of the paper.
Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) said yesterday, at K14.8 billion, the minister had allocated only a quarter of what was expected on infrastructure.
“This is an increase but we were expecting more on infrastructure as one way of oiling the private sector,” said Chancellor Kaferapanjira, MCCCI chief executive during the post-budget meeting.
He said although the figure was small, it was still an indication that the current government was focusing on production with emphasis on private sector-led growth.
“It is clear that we are changing from the past regimes where more emphasis was on consumption, so the departure from that syndrome is encouraging,” Kaferapanjira said.
The money in the infrastructure envelope would go towards the building of roads, communications networks, power supply--sectors that are crucial to private sector-led growth.
In the budget, Gondwe said government plans to spend about K11.6 billion on building and maintaining roads, an increase of 44 per cent higher on last year’s allocation.
In addition, the minister said government would also invest more in the energy sector to turn around and ensure that there is adequate power to drive the economy.
Members at the meeting expressed disappointment at the current performance of Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) saying constant blackouts were making the cost of doing business extremely high.
Revisiting 43 years of independenceBY Auspicious Ndamuwa
07:11:16 - 12 July 2007
The 43rd independence anniversary has come hot on the heels of the interpretation of Section 65 which has overshadowed all public debate.
Even a person goes through several stages: from infancy to adolescence which in the long run culminates into full adulthood. Events surrounding Section 65 are a direct metamorphosis of a growing independent nation just in the same manner children grow into adulthood.
An independent nation that shook off the vestiges of colonialism in the same way a child may hit back at a domineering uncle. White settlers who owned the chaise would “drive” the breadth and width of the municipal town of Zomba stirring up dust for the natives in the process.
On the outset it didn’t occur to the natives that they too had the capacity to “drive” the much coveted chaise. The Whiteman’s empire started registering some cracks when Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, after 42 years in exile returned home to pursue the African dream. Then the Whiteman’s empire crumbled like a house of cards when Kamuzu was sworn in as de facto Prime Minister of Nyasaland- a title he assumed on February 1, 1963. A year later Nyasaland became independent on July 6, 1964.
Kamuzu then changed the name Nyasaland to Malawi. Apparently, he had seen Lake Maravi on an old French map in the land of the Bororos. The name tickled his fancy, for him it sounded like the word Malawi.
Barely a month after independence, Kamuzu’s administration came face to face with a cabinet uprising. The shrewd Banda came out unscathed. Kamuzu then became republican President on July 6, 1966. Afterwards the Malawi Congress Party was declared the only legal party in 1970 and made Banda its President.
Under his rule the country was known for its affability earning the accolade the warm heart of Africa. Under the four corner stones of unity, loyalty, obedience and discipline, grew the Malawi nation.
Cases of food scarcity were a rarity but in 1981 the country experienced a major famine. In 1992 Banda imported some yellow maize in order to feed his people. Through international pressure the Ngwazi called for a referendum in 1993 and the people’s desire for a multiparty system of government was fulfilled. Kamuzu paved way for Bakili Muluzi in the 1994 poll.
Muluzi started on an even keel but before long his style of leadership thrived on a culture of corruption and handouts. The Kwacha took a downward plunge against major foreign currencies. Inflation soared and people started moving with wads of banknotes for rather meaningless purchase. In 2002/3 one of the worst food shortages wrecked havoc in the country and this resulted into many people dying of hunger related diseases. Senior government officials allegedly sold 160,000 metric tones of reserve maize in 2000.
The introduction of free primary education created a need for more teachers as the enrolment rate doubled. The subsequent teacher recruitment exercise added chaos to an overburdened system because of their short induction courses. Government’s lack of foresight brought about delays in teachers’ salaries, inadequate teaching and learning materials and inability to provide more schools.
On the other hand, insecurity became a cancerous growth that resulted in the loss of many lives. The health sector was not spared either. Aspirin became the chief drug that people flocking to government hospitals with different ailments received. Roads became impassable as potholes evolved into drum holes. Muluzi pursued a failed third and open term bid and resultantly anointed economist Bingu wa Mutharika as his successor.
Mutharika’s anti-corruption drive upon assuming power in 2004 earned him more enemies than friends. The situation worsened when he ditched the party that sponsored him and formed the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). While serving as the secretary general of Preferential Trade Area of Eastern and Southern Africa, Bingu made the following assertion after his talks with Muluzi: We’re literally sitting on wealth. We’ve no business to be poor.”
But 43 years after independence, the process of meaningful development still drags. To date, there are no proper laws that guarantee equality for children with disabilities. They fail to have equal participation in areas like education and sports. Holding prisoners in congested cells seem to be part of the unofficial Malawian punishment code.
According to Blantyre Chief Resident Magistrate Jack N’riva the practice amounts to torture. “I wonder whether reform and rehabilitation can really take place under such living conditions.”
It is now nine years since Zomba maximum prison was condemned as inhabitable. Built in 1919, the prison provides a comic picture of how backward we are. After 43 years of self rule we have minimum achievements to show. The 43 years do not march the achievements gained. Achievements are dwarfed by years of economic malaise and corruption. The HIV/Aids infection further compounds problems in health delivery services. To have 1 million people infected out of an estimated population of 13 million is not a drop in the ocean.
Issues of child molestation continue to dominate the country’s newspapers. The premature rising of parliament signifies how politics has for the past 43 years overshadowed developmental overtures.
But for the sake of upholding the interpretation made by the Supreme Court on the legality of Section 65, let the injunction be vacated so that all the concerned parties should scamper for by elections.
As the debate of Section 65 continues to dominate in the country, it is also the right moment to reflect what gains have we made out of politics in the 43 years of self-rule.
Monday, July 09, 2007
‘It is time people chased politicians insisting on sticking around when their time is up from the arena' - South African music icon, Hugh Masekela addressing Malawians in LilongweBY Gedion Munthali
09:47:53 - 09 July 2007
South Africa music icon Hugh Masekela has urged political leaders not to insist on sticking around when their time is up.
Introducing a song: Mandela, when he held a concert at Lilongwe Golf Club on Saturday, Masekela said it was time people chased such politicians from the arena.
“We must say, damn it, your time is up, leave and leave for real,” roared Masekela.
The crowd answered back in excitement, coming up with their own names of people they felt had outstayed their welcome in Malawi’s political circles.
“I want to introduce a song here about a man who suffered, and when he was freed, said we must not take revenge although we must not forget.
“This is a man who told the world he would only stay in office for five years disappointing some presidents and leaders who do not want to leave when time is up,” said Masekela in the amidst of a wailing keyboard.
“But this man stood by his words and left and at the young ripe age of 81, he fell in love again. This man is Nelson Mandela,” the crowd exploded and the song set off.
Africa has been beset with leaders who have tried to change the Constitution against majority wishes so as to extend their mandate beyond the stipulated ones.
In Malawi, former president Bakili Muluzi tried in vain to change the Constitution allow him have a third term or indeed open terms.
After three years in retirement, Muluzi has now openly declared his desire to contest the 2009 elections had already started his campaign.
Dausi quits MCP…Joins ruling DPP…MCP retrogressive
BY DANIEL NYIRENDA
10:09:49 - 09 July 2007
Vice-President for main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Nicholas Dausi Sunday dumped the party and joined ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Announcing his defection at his Mwanza home, Dausi said he had decided to practice politics with the DPP because the party’s President Bingu wa Mutharika had accorded former president late Hastings Kamuzu Banda the respect he deserved by building a mausoleum for him and proposing a statue for him in the 2007/08 national budget.
“I will respect anyone who respects Kamuzu. He who builds a tombstone for your departed father is your relative,” Dausi told a jubilant crowd at Mwanza, in reference to the mausoleum that government built in Lilongwe for Banda.
Top DPP officials namely first Vice-President Khumbo Kachali, Secretary General Hetherwick Ntaba, Director of International Cooperation Davis Katsonga, who is MP for Mwanza Central Constituency, first Vice-Publicity Secretary Wyson Mkochi and Senior Political Advisor for Mutharika, Francis Mphepo, just to mention a few, witnessed Dausi’s unveiling to the DPP folk.
The officials hugged and shook hands with Dausi and smiled broadly as DPP women spiced the welcoming party with chants in praise of Mutharika and Dausi.
The former MCP diehard, known for his love of bombastic words as MCP spokesperson, said he was not happy with MCP’s insistence to put to the fore implementation of Section 65--that deals with MPs crossing the floor--ahead of the national budget.
“But I could not swallow it when staying in the MCP would mean frustrating the 2007 national budget where an allocation has been made to erect a statue of Ngwazi Dr H. Kamuzu Banda,” said Dausi, who used to be Banda’s bodyguard.
Dausi joined DPP alongside the party’s Regional Treasurer Stand Mgunda and his deputy Joseph Kangulu and scores of other executive members, who, donning Kamuzu cloth, presented themselves to the audience.
Asked why he decided to join DPP now when the party was formed in 2005, Dausi said: “This is the time to protect him [Mutharika]”.
Dausi, who was defeated twice by Katsonga in 1999 and 2004 parliamentary elections in the constituency, said on his political future: “Politics is a continuous struggle and it has its own logic. I’ve told a few colleagues that I have quit the party out of logic. It’s purely a matter of principle. I have no grudges against Honourable John Tembo.”
Kachali said Mutharika welcomed Dausi in the party and appealed to members to treat him as their own.
He said it was up to DPP to find a new role for Dausi in the party, as he held senior positions in his former party.
Ntaba, a former MCP guru as well, praised Dausi, saying he had made the right decision to quit MCP.
He said Dausi, as a vice-president, had left a huge gap in MCP.
Ntaba put the number of MCP defectors at 63, saying more opposition MPs had telephoned him, wishing to join the DPP.
On his part, Katsonga advised Dausi to strengthen the party in the constituency, saying there would be no rivalry between them.
Dausi served as Banda’s aide from the 1980s till the former president’s death in 1997.
He rose up the MCP ranks when Gwanda Chakuamba, now New Republican Party (NRP) leader, was at the helm of the party.
But Dausi grew further in political stature when he relentlessly campaigned against former president Bakili Muluzi’s bid for a third term in office.
When Chakuamba ditched MCP in 2004 ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections, Dausi clung to MCP and was the only prominent MCP voice in the South.
Dausi in the early 1990s was arrested by the UDF government for making a public apology to the nation for atrocities the MCP regime committed in the country.
His resignation leaves MCP with Tembo as a lone president without deputies.
Former MCP first Vice-President Peter Chiwona resigned from the party and joined DPP in 2005.
MCP has not yet filled the vacancy, including that of Secretary General left by Kate Kainja, MP for Dedza, who quit the party this year to join DPP.
There was no immediate comment from MCP as both the party’s president John Tembo and publicity secretary for parliamentary affairs Ishmael Chafukira were addressing a rally in Kasungu.
“Call me at 6pm I am at a rally here in Kasungu,” said Chafukira with Tembo in the background addressing the rally.
We could not get Chafukira later in the evening.
BY DANIEL NYIRENDA
10:09:49 - 09 July 2007
Vice-President for main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Nicholas Dausi Sunday dumped the party and joined ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Announcing his defection at his Mwanza home, Dausi said he had decided to practice politics with the DPP because the party’s President Bingu wa Mutharika had accorded former president late Hastings Kamuzu Banda the respect he deserved by building a mausoleum for him and proposing a statue for him in the 2007/08 national budget.
“I will respect anyone who respects Kamuzu. He who builds a tombstone for your departed father is your relative,” Dausi told a jubilant crowd at Mwanza, in reference to the mausoleum that government built in Lilongwe for Banda.
Top DPP officials namely first Vice-President Khumbo Kachali, Secretary General Hetherwick Ntaba, Director of International Cooperation Davis Katsonga, who is MP for Mwanza Central Constituency, first Vice-Publicity Secretary Wyson Mkochi and Senior Political Advisor for Mutharika, Francis Mphepo, just to mention a few, witnessed Dausi’s unveiling to the DPP folk.
The officials hugged and shook hands with Dausi and smiled broadly as DPP women spiced the welcoming party with chants in praise of Mutharika and Dausi.
The former MCP diehard, known for his love of bombastic words as MCP spokesperson, said he was not happy with MCP’s insistence to put to the fore implementation of Section 65--that deals with MPs crossing the floor--ahead of the national budget.
“But I could not swallow it when staying in the MCP would mean frustrating the 2007 national budget where an allocation has been made to erect a statue of Ngwazi Dr H. Kamuzu Banda,” said Dausi, who used to be Banda’s bodyguard.
Dausi joined DPP alongside the party’s Regional Treasurer Stand Mgunda and his deputy Joseph Kangulu and scores of other executive members, who, donning Kamuzu cloth, presented themselves to the audience.
Asked why he decided to join DPP now when the party was formed in 2005, Dausi said: “This is the time to protect him [Mutharika]”.
Dausi, who was defeated twice by Katsonga in 1999 and 2004 parliamentary elections in the constituency, said on his political future: “Politics is a continuous struggle and it has its own logic. I’ve told a few colleagues that I have quit the party out of logic. It’s purely a matter of principle. I have no grudges against Honourable John Tembo.”
Kachali said Mutharika welcomed Dausi in the party and appealed to members to treat him as their own.
He said it was up to DPP to find a new role for Dausi in the party, as he held senior positions in his former party.
Ntaba, a former MCP guru as well, praised Dausi, saying he had made the right decision to quit MCP.
He said Dausi, as a vice-president, had left a huge gap in MCP.
Ntaba put the number of MCP defectors at 63, saying more opposition MPs had telephoned him, wishing to join the DPP.
On his part, Katsonga advised Dausi to strengthen the party in the constituency, saying there would be no rivalry between them.
Dausi served as Banda’s aide from the 1980s till the former president’s death in 1997.
He rose up the MCP ranks when Gwanda Chakuamba, now New Republican Party (NRP) leader, was at the helm of the party.
But Dausi grew further in political stature when he relentlessly campaigned against former president Bakili Muluzi’s bid for a third term in office.
When Chakuamba ditched MCP in 2004 ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections, Dausi clung to MCP and was the only prominent MCP voice in the South.
Dausi in the early 1990s was arrested by the UDF government for making a public apology to the nation for atrocities the MCP regime committed in the country.
His resignation leaves MCP with Tembo as a lone president without deputies.
Former MCP first Vice-President Peter Chiwona resigned from the party and joined DPP in 2005.
MCP has not yet filled the vacancy, including that of Secretary General left by Kate Kainja, MP for Dedza, who quit the party this year to join DPP.
There was no immediate comment from MCP as both the party’s president John Tembo and publicity secretary for parliamentary affairs Ishmael Chafukira were addressing a rally in Kasungu.
“Call me at 6pm I am at a rally here in Kasungu,” said Chafukira with Tembo in the background addressing the rally.
We could not get Chafukira later in the evening.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Concentrating on Development
Original Story by
HANKIE ULUKO
11:22:58 - 06 July 2007
The recent events in the country are very strange and thought provoking. The year has seen a lot of child abuse cases, women battering, anti-reform police, mini-budget rejection, witchcraft training cases, First Lady’s death and the latest crisis of Section 65. We were recently celebrating the debt cancellation only to have the mini budget rejected because others thought this money should be tied until Section 65 is validated and they have a short cut to state house where they will eat the money.
There is nothing else to describe all these occurrences but being bewitched. Although, the recent Section 65 ruling is a constitutional one, one cannot fail to look at the other side of the road. I am a layman in Law and I believe the Bible or Koran would make a very good constitution than what we think is the supreme law of the land hence I will not comment in those lines.
True observations would show that the country was on track to attain large strides in development. We have all seen things we never anticipated and the interest investors/donors have shown in Malawi. It would not be an overstatement to say that this interest has been unparalleled since Malawi got independence save the one party to multiparty change period. Several projects that are addressing the plight of rural masses have been implemented during the last three years and everyone was optimistic that here is a case that will remove pessimism from Malawian minds. Others in diaspora had started talking of coming back to Malawi. But here we are. All of a sudden these gains will soon become history. The way parliament is trying to hold every citizen on ransom is worrisome and taking Malawians for granted. Much as I appreciate the role of politics in Malawi, I would think development could have taken centre stage now and leave politics aside. But that is not the way politicians see us. We are just tools to be used for their gains after that can be tossed anyhow and our wishes thrown to the wind.
I would have suggested that we leave this politicking behind and concentrate on development. The fact that parliament is opposition dominated would have shaped the development agenda well to cover all areas in the country. However, as one Yunus Mussa observed, the opposition is full of ‘development enemies.’ As a country we should be worried. If I was to repeat ‘this country is bewitched to remain undeveloped.’ It seems some unknown forces are compelling us to abyss of underdevelopment and poverty. We need some traditional healer to cleanse it as has happened in the mysterious Kasungu fires. Someone should really intervene and bring sanity into the heads of these politicians. Should I remind everyone of the Ghana, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda cases? Our politicians are becoming more self-seeking, power-hungry and over ambitious.
Think of it. The budget will not be passed in time so as to show who has the political muscle. There will be no meaningful development up until August. Its time wasted only that time is not money in Parliament.
Bewitched? Yes! We should regain our senses and snap up from this bewitched state very fast otherwise we are blind and not able to see the long fall. Despite the likely repercussions of Section 65 nobody is interested to hold these servants of ours to task. The sufferer is the voter but it seems as voters we are ‘addicted’ to listening to politicians instead of these representatives listening from us. As addicts, we assume our destiny is in the hands of the few.
I am saying we are a bewitched country because everybody is preoccupied with listening to the verbal hemorrhage about Section 65 yet we have real issues to tackle in the name of HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis. All of a sudden courts are what we believe in instead of the common will and way forward. Are we not sane enough to make our own judgements and act accordingly?
As the bitter pills of Section 65 are forced into our mouths, we should be thinking of how many miles are left in the development race that our neighbours are enjoying. Do not forget that politics can build or destroy a nation. You do not have to look very far for because Zimbabwe is near. Zambia has so far enjoyed its leap to development pathway due to sober politics and maybe exorcism.
We have two more years to elections and the legislators could have waited until then remember we decide and even now the true reflection could have come from people. A referendum may be, otherwise we are eating raw meat here.
Original Story by
HANKIE ULUKO
11:22:58 - 06 July 2007
The recent events in the country are very strange and thought provoking. The year has seen a lot of child abuse cases, women battering, anti-reform police, mini-budget rejection, witchcraft training cases, First Lady’s death and the latest crisis of Section 65. We were recently celebrating the debt cancellation only to have the mini budget rejected because others thought this money should be tied until Section 65 is validated and they have a short cut to state house where they will eat the money.
There is nothing else to describe all these occurrences but being bewitched. Although, the recent Section 65 ruling is a constitutional one, one cannot fail to look at the other side of the road. I am a layman in Law and I believe the Bible or Koran would make a very good constitution than what we think is the supreme law of the land hence I will not comment in those lines.
True observations would show that the country was on track to attain large strides in development. We have all seen things we never anticipated and the interest investors/donors have shown in Malawi. It would not be an overstatement to say that this interest has been unparalleled since Malawi got independence save the one party to multiparty change period. Several projects that are addressing the plight of rural masses have been implemented during the last three years and everyone was optimistic that here is a case that will remove pessimism from Malawian minds. Others in diaspora had started talking of coming back to Malawi. But here we are. All of a sudden these gains will soon become history. The way parliament is trying to hold every citizen on ransom is worrisome and taking Malawians for granted. Much as I appreciate the role of politics in Malawi, I would think development could have taken centre stage now and leave politics aside. But that is not the way politicians see us. We are just tools to be used for their gains after that can be tossed anyhow and our wishes thrown to the wind.
I would have suggested that we leave this politicking behind and concentrate on development. The fact that parliament is opposition dominated would have shaped the development agenda well to cover all areas in the country. However, as one Yunus Mussa observed, the opposition is full of ‘development enemies.’ As a country we should be worried. If I was to repeat ‘this country is bewitched to remain undeveloped.’ It seems some unknown forces are compelling us to abyss of underdevelopment and poverty. We need some traditional healer to cleanse it as has happened in the mysterious Kasungu fires. Someone should really intervene and bring sanity into the heads of these politicians. Should I remind everyone of the Ghana, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda cases? Our politicians are becoming more self-seeking, power-hungry and over ambitious.
Think of it. The budget will not be passed in time so as to show who has the political muscle. There will be no meaningful development up until August. Its time wasted only that time is not money in Parliament.
Bewitched? Yes! We should regain our senses and snap up from this bewitched state very fast otherwise we are blind and not able to see the long fall. Despite the likely repercussions of Section 65 nobody is interested to hold these servants of ours to task. The sufferer is the voter but it seems as voters we are ‘addicted’ to listening to politicians instead of these representatives listening from us. As addicts, we assume our destiny is in the hands of the few.
I am saying we are a bewitched country because everybody is preoccupied with listening to the verbal hemorrhage about Section 65 yet we have real issues to tackle in the name of HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis. All of a sudden courts are what we believe in instead of the common will and way forward. Are we not sane enough to make our own judgements and act accordingly?
As the bitter pills of Section 65 are forced into our mouths, we should be thinking of how many miles are left in the development race that our neighbours are enjoying. Do not forget that politics can build or destroy a nation. You do not have to look very far for because Zimbabwe is near. Zambia has so far enjoyed its leap to development pathway due to sober politics and maybe exorcism.
We have two more years to elections and the legislators could have waited until then remember we decide and even now the true reflection could have come from people. A referendum may be, otherwise we are eating raw meat here.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Economist describes Malawi’s proposed budget as pro-poor Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN) Executive Director Andrew Kumbatira told journalists in Lilongwe that the budget had allocated more resources for rural development in order to take care of the needs of the poor.
APA-Lilongwe (Malawi) Malawi’s proposed 2007/08 budget of US$1.2 billion that Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe has presented to parliament is “pro-poor,” an economist said here Monday.
The economist noted that the funding that Gondwe outlined in parliament on Friday was important for the improvement of the masses, particularly the poor segment of society.
"It is expected that the budget can bring about marked enhancement of the quality of life among the poor people of this country," he said.
Gondwe presented to the house 2007/ 2008 a total expenditure of 162.8 billion kwacha (US$1.2 billion) which government hopes to start expending on 1 August – if parliament gives the green light.
FT/nm/APA
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