Lest we forget: "Young democrats" implicated in intimidation , November 5th 2001

JOHANNESBURG,
5 November 2001 (IRIN) - Ruling United Democratic Front's (UDF) party
activists, the so-called "young democrats", have become embroiled once
again in allegations of intimidation and violence.

Media
Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) researcher Zoe Titus told IRIN that
MISA planned to contact the Malawian government urgently regarding
claims in a local newspaper on Monday 5 November that the UDF had drawn
up a list of journalist to be assaulted, allegedly for discrediting the
party.

The Daily Times reported on Monday that the UDF was
planning to use a group of "young democrats" based in Ndirande,
reportedly headed by Shire Buslines chief executive Humphrey Mvula and
presidential youth adviser Henry Moyo. The report said, however, that
Mvula had disassociated himself from the group. Journalists on the list
included Daily Times chief reporter Mabvuto Banda and senior journalist
Penelope Paliani, BBC correspondent Raphael Tenthani and Nation
newspaper journalist Pilirani Semu, it added.

Tenthani was
quoted as saying he believed that such schemes did not have the
blessing of president Bakili Muluzi, who had professed to be a friend
of the media. "Dr Muluzi is a gallant peace crusader, so I don't think
he can be fighting for peace in other countries while funding a group
of people who wants to disrupt peace in his own country. It just
doesn't make sense," he said.

Titus said in a statement that
there had been an increase recently in the number of assaults on
journalists. "Brian Ligomeka and Chinyeke Tembo have been beaten up
during and soon after the SADC conference allegedly for working with
NDA leader Brown Mpinganjira; John Saini, publisher of Pride magazine,
was also threatened during the summit. President Muluzi has neither
condemned nor commented on the assault on journalists, which
journalists say may taint the image of his government internationally,"
the statement said.

Titus told IRIN that the "young democrats"
had been "running amok" and that she hoped Muluzi would honour his
repeated statements that he was willing to provide a safe and open
environment for journalists to work in.

In another development
on Monday, a justice and peace commission formed by Malawi's Roman
Catholic Church protested against what it described as an increase in
"state-sponsored violence" aimed at silencing critics of the government.

AFP
reported that the protests came in the wake of church claims that
members of the "young democrats" attacked and harassed Roman Catholics
holding a fundraising walk in October.

"We are convinced
state-sponsored violence is aimed at instilling fear in people so that
they do not question government policies and other issues of national
concern," the commission was quoted as saying in a statement signed by
commission chairperson George Buleya. "It creates a culture of fear
among peace-loving Malawians. We would not like to go back to
dictatorship of one party rule that was characterised by fear and
intimidation. We do not want to create a dictator for this country."

Buleya
was quoted as saying that one of the militants, apprehended by church
members, "confessed that they were young democrats sent by UDF party
heavyweights" to cause trouble during the walk.

Cassim Chilumpha's reaction to UDF's undemocratic convention

Vice President Cassim Chilumpha has described
Thursday’s UDF national convention as not being free and fair, arguing
that the organisers gave national chairman Bakili Muluzi unfair
advantage by allowing him to address the delegates for more than one
hour as well as allowing Lucius Banda to sing praise songs for the
former head of state, among other reasons.

Chilumpha, in an interview at his official Mudi residence in
Blantyre about two hours after being defeated by Muluzi by 1,950 votes
to 38, said the organisers should have given him equal opportunity or
"at least five minutes to greet the delegates."

Looking relaxed and accompanied by managers of his campaign, Yusuf
Matumula and Rashid Nembo, the soft spoken Vice President said the
organisers failed in their duty by allowing UDF followers [and Lucius
Banda’s Zembani Band] to play songs praising his opponent throughout
the convention.

"There are things I think we should have done better as a party. We
have failed democracy. I don’t think it was fair to allow people
singing songs praising one contestant. There were things the party
should have done better. If I were the organiser, I wouldn’t have
allowed some of those things to happen," Chilumpha said.

The Vice President said he did not appear anywhere on the programme, adding it was not his wish not to address his followers.

"In democracy and where two or more people are competing, you level
the playing field, but giving my opponent more than one hour to address
delegates, that can’t be democracy," he said.

From the word go, it was clear Chilumpha was
out of the race and it needed one with courage to remain in the hall to
challenge Muluzi.

Master of ceremonies Hophmally Makande poured praises on Muluzi in
his opening remarks, saying he had contributed K16 million to the
convention and a lot more to make the hall beautifully decorated.

There were calendars with Muluzi’s portrait on them as well as pens
written "Dr Bakili Muluzi" being distributed to everyone in the hall.

-Main story carried in The Nation Newspaper

Conduct at UDF polls not fair

By The Daily Times - 25 April 2008 - 10:42:10

We congratulate United Democratic Front (UDF) National Chairman Bakili
Muluzi for resoundingly winning the presidential nod for his party.



However, Muluzi and UDF should not celebrate too much now as here is
another uphill battle to surmount and that is on his eligibility to
contest in the country’s presidential polls next year, having already
served two consecutive terms as Malawi’s president.



To begin with, the convention held in Blantyre could generally be
described as free. However, it fell short of meeting the basic
requirements of a true democratic poll. It was certainly far from being
fair especially to Muluzi’s competitor, state vice president Cassim
Chilumpha.



From the word go, there were all the makings of a contest that would
lack fairness to Chilumpha as Muluzi, the party’s sole financier, had
unfair advantage.



The incumbent UDF leader had far more advantage ahead of his contender
prior and during the convention and under such circumstances, there was
very little to do for Chilumpha, whose own supporters were victimised
for supporting the bold decision he took to challenge Muluzi.



Chilumpha’s potential voters like the UDF Governor for Ntcheu was long
removed from his post for supporting Chilumpha while several dozens of
supporters felt out of place at the indaba.



Even the set-up inside the convention hall was set to frustrate him out of the contest.



First, there were posters of Muluzi all over the place.



Chilumpha was denied a chance to speak whilst his rival Muluzi spoke
for hours on end, both as a sitting chairman of the party and as a
contender for the post of presidential candidate.



The songs, the campaign material and all the protocol was all designed
for Muluzi and there was no way Chilumpha could stand a fair chance to
dislodge Muluzi.



Such a convention cannot be said to have been fair and democratic even
if voting and the general conduct of the polls went on smoothly.



In any democracy, the tenet is that all candidates need to be given
equitable opportunity to campaign for them to market their manifesto to
the electorate. But this was not the case for Chilumpha.



Certainly, the UDF missed a golden opportunity to demonstrate to all
political parties in Malawi that it is possible within political
parties to compete for positions fairly and democratically without
showing each other bad blood.



As for Muluzi’s eligibility for 2009 polls, the UDF has won the first
round of the battle for electing him presidential candidate, but the
biggest jigsaw puzzle that remains is whether he is eligible to stand
for the presidency of the country.



So far, the opinion has been split on whether the constitution allows him to stand or not.



But overall, prominent legal pundits including the Malawi Law
Commission have said the law bars him from the standing. But Muluzi and
his supporters contend that he is eligible to stand beyond two
consecutive terms. Ultimately, the courts will have to clarify this
matter sooner or later, but so far nobody has moved the courts to do
so, leaving Muluzi’s fate undecided.



In the meantime, he remains the presidential candidate for the UDF until otherwise declared.



All in all, the UDF should be commended for setting the pace in holding
violent-free polls ahead of the general elections next year. However,
the party could have done better by ensuring a fair game between the
two rivals, Chilumpha and Muluzi.

Malawi not for sale

UDF might be on sale for Muluzi
to buy but Malawi is not. Word has it the 'life chairman' and 'sole financier'
of UDF (the democrat,15+ years as chairman) has yet again financed the coming
udf convention spending kwachas to the tune of 16 million.

What immediately came to mind
when reading that article was the urgency the ACB needed to put in the probe on
Muluzi and the Millions in USD he is suspected to have embezzled. Spending that
amount only shows how desperate the guy has become, it suggests how cornered he
is and what he is willing to do to bail out of his predicament....not
surprising.

However the use of money to
manipulate poor malawians for ones own good is what needs to change in our
politics. Chilumpha said it best when he spoke out against Muluzi's use of
money to get his party's support at the coming convention. Today, the UDF is
being taken for a ride as the 'sole financier' continues to have his way partly
because of Muluzi's hand outs to cronies who all hold key positions in the
party. Instead of focusing on the future and allowing change and new ideas to
its leadership to benefit the country, the udf has resorted to quick fixes in
the hope of getting back into government (mostly to serve themselves). However the
old saying "don’t choose the short end of the stick as it is the devil's
oldest trick" will prove how hasty the decision made today will affect the
party tomorrow. This once big party is headed for the abyss and nobody in the
party will save it for fear of reprisal. A web blog called Nyasatimes is not
helping in this regard.

What is also outrageous is Bakili
Muluzi's reason for coming back from retirement. The notion that he needs to
come back to put Malawi back on the path to democracy is laughable bearing in
mind his 15 year autocratic rule of the UDF party. His once staunch ally today,
the vice president is being demonized
for contesting for the presidential nomination he is also seeking raising
general questions on his democratic credentials. In one interview about his
plans for the future, Muluzi mentions how he will rule for five years just in
time to groom another person to rule Malawi. Now I stand to be corrected but I
thought the UDF was a democratic
institution and not a monarch. I would not be surprised if the 'anointed one'
happened to be one of his sons or perhaps daughters. It is quite humorous how
he thinks of himself as the 'almighty decider', a king if you like. This uppity
attitude is insulting not only to
democracy loving Malawians all over the
country but also to the UDF party itself. Bakili Muluzi is disillusioned into
thinking this country revolves around his decisions. Well he is about to find
out the hard way. I sure hope he gets
the nomination for the presidency at todays convention so we can close this
chapter once and for all come May 2009. We will prove to him for the last time
that “MALAWI IS NOT FOR SALE”.

Muluzi era, lest we forget: July 2, 1999

Fraudulent elections in Malawi

Violence follows re-election of United Democratic Front

By Dave Atkinson and Linda Slattery

2 July 1999

The recent elections in the southern African country of Malawi,
held on June 15, were characterized by voting irregularities and
accusations of fraud. The ruling United Democratic Front (UDF)
resorted to openly bribing Malawians to vote for them. So blatant
was the corruption that Malawi's new TV station, broadcasting
for two and a half hours each evening, showed UDF leader Bakili
Muluzi handing out fistfuls of money to singing and dancing supporters.

On June 17 the Opposition Alliance, comprising the Malawi Congress
Party (MCP) and the Alliance For Democracy (AFORD), in vain sought
a high court injunction to stop the Malawi Electoral Commission
from publishing the election results. They listed the following
allegations:

* The police were holding a driver found with ballot papers,
who had been sent by a senior UDF politician to rig the polls
in the central district of Malawi.

* The UDF had continued campaigning after the ballot had officially
closed.

* A UDF official gave money to churchgoers in return for votes.

* There were inadequate numbers of ballot papers in the Alliance's
stronghold areas.

* There were 168,000 non-registered voters in the northern
region (i.e. in opposition strongholds).

The elections had been postponed twice amid allegations of
registration irregularities and vote rigging.

When the election results were announced, out of 193 seats
the UDF won 93, the MCP won 66 and AFORD 29, with four seats going
to independent candidates. One seat is still to be contested in
a by-election as the candidate died on the eve of the poll.

As well as vote rigging, the UDF was accused of intimidating
opposing candidates. A former broadcaster and ex-UDF member, now
standing as an independent, Patricia Chipungu-Thodi, was threatened
with a gun and told: "We'll blow your brains out if you don't
stop embarrassing Muluzi."

After the election there were violent clashes between supporters
of rival parties. In the north of the country supporters of AFORD
clashed with supporters of the UDF, with reports of at least 10
mosques being set on fire by AFORD supporters, due to the fact
that Bakili Muluzi is a Muslim. In the northern city of Mzuzu
three people were killed and many families, originally from the
south, had to leave their homes for fear of being attacked by
AFORD supporters. In the central town of Mangochi a 19-year-old
female student was shot dead when police opened fire on a crowd
of UDF supporters gathered outside an MCP office.

Despite all this, a spokesman for the International Election
Observers said the elections were "substantially free, fair
and acceptable".

There are no discernible ideological differences separating
any of the parties that contested the elections. Both Bakili Muluzi
and Gwanda Chakuamba, present leader of the MCP, were previously
key figures in the MCP and the regime of Hastings Banda.

The introduction of multiparty elections in 1994, after 30
years of dictatorship under Hastings Banda, has done nothing to
alleviate the plight of Malawi's poor. Banda's extreme unpopularity—he
supported and received aid from the apartheid regime in South
Africa from the mid-1960s on—enabled the UDF to come to power
on a programme of support for "free market" economics.
Since 1994 the UDF has stuck to its promises to the IMF, attacking
the working class and rural masses through cuts in government
spending and an increase in taxes. In 1998 it devalued the country's
currency, the Kwacha, which lost 68 percent of its value, giving
rise to a sharp increase in food prices. The devaluation followed
an $80 million deficit in tobacco sales—the main export—following
a fall in prices.

Malawi, with a population of around 12 million, is one of the
world's least developed countries. Its economy is predominantly
agricultural and until recently 90 percent of the people lived
in rural areas. The current per capita income is less than $200.
Life expectancy is just 36.6 years for men and 36.5 years for
women. The maternal mortality rate is 620 per 100,000 live births
and Malawi has the highest infant mortality rates in Africa. This
is due to deteriorating nutrition levels and falling immunization
coverage.

The main cause of death in children is malaria and malnutrition,
the situation being made worse by the limited number of health
facilities. Fully 57 percent of Malawians live more than five
kilometres from a health center. A new report by UNICEF states
that 48 percent of under fives in Malawi are stunted or too short
for their age, indicating chronic malnutrition. Severe stunting
in the cities increased during the last three years from 11 percent
to 19 percent.

The current proportion of people who are HIV positive is 12
percent, and 88,000 children are orphaned, many as a consequence
of this. The figure is expected to grow to 330,000 by the year
2000.

Malawi, listed in the recent G8 summit as one of the countries
most in need of aid, is receiving some attention from transnational
corporations and the imperialist powers. It possesses sizable
deposits of bauxite, asbestos, coal, gemstones, uranium, hydrocarbons
and graphite. These have not been extensively exploited due to
the lack of an infrastructure and the high cost of transport to
the nearest ports in Mozambique.

Japan is to fund the Shire River bridge, costing over $12 million,
to establish a cross-border transport link through Mozambique.
In May the Malawi Privatization Commission approved a bid by the
consortium CFM/SDCN to buy Malawi Railways Ltd. The consortium
is made up of a Mozambique company and the Railroad Development
Corporation of the United States. The company plans to rebuild
rail lines to the Moatize coal mines in the Tete province and
another to a sugar plantation in Marromeu. There are also plans
for a rail link to be developed with the Mozambican port of Beira.
American investors are also seeking to open up the Nacala corridor
through Mozambique, which will provide a trade route to landlocked
Zambia as well as Malawi

Broken promises, lest we forget: May 2, 1999

Bakili Muluzi, says the UDF [United Democratic Front] is the only party
with the democratic credentials that will steer the country to new
heights of development. The president was speaking in Blantyre today
after visiting some development projects in the district.Dr Muluzi said
the UDF has a better foundation to lead the country. He explained that
the party has principles and sound policies which have been
acknowledged by the donor community

Broken promises, lest we forget : July 6, 2000

Bakili Muluzi said his government is determined to transform the country from dire poverty to prosperity. President Muluzi was speaking in Lilongwe today during celebrations to mark Malawi's 36 years of independence and six years of political pluralism. He said his administration has put in place various programmes aimed at reducing poverty in the country, which remains a major concern of the government

Delegates allege fraud on Chilumpha’s form

by OLIVIA KUMWENDA (4/22/2008)

Barely two days before the UDF convention, delegates from Mangochi and Zomba yesterday stormed the party’s headquarters in Limbe, demanding an explanation on how their names were found on the nomination form belonging to Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha.

The delegates allege that although they did not sign the form—which was collected by Noordeen Uladi, a member of the UDF Taskforce on the nomination and elections of the party’s presidential candidate—their names are appearing on it but with fake signatures.

According to UDF Mangochi urban district secretary Robert Hamisi, who is one of the delegates who went to the UDF offices, there are nine people from Mangochi and three from Zomba who are questioning the existence of their names on the form without their consent.

"The names are on the form but with different signatures and we are not happy with the development. Someone forged our signatures, which is an offence.

"We will make sure we get the culprit who signed the forms on our behalf and take him or her to court," he said.

Hamisi—who was accompanied by other district party members Hamisi Bonomasi and Patricia Wisike—added that the delegates are not against Chilumpha’s intent to contest, saying he is free to do so as the UDF is a democratic party.

"But when we go to the convention, we will not give evidence that we signed the form because it is someone else who used our names," said Hamisi.

UDF deputy secretary-general Hophmally Makande refused to comment on the matter and referred The Nation to the convention’s returning officer, lawyer John Gift Mwakhwawa.

Makhwawa confirmed to have received the queries but could not divulge more information.

"Some people wanted to find out whether their names appear on the forms or not but I can’t disclose from which camp they are from and how I am going to deal with the matter," said Mwakhwawa.

When contacted to shed more light on how the signatures were obtained, Uladi only said he was not aware of the queries. He could not take further questions and he cut the line.

But Makwangwala is on record to have told The Nation that whether procedures were flouted or not, the party shall allow Chilumpha to contest so that he faces the music right at the convention

Intimidation worries Veep

by BRIGHT SONANI
(4/23/2008)

Vice-President
Cassim Chilumpha yesterday said he was "very disturbed" with some
elements in the UDF that have resorted to intimidation of delegates to
tomorrow’s convention.

He, nevertheless, challenged he was going there to win, saying he
joined the UDF candidacy race for the 2009 presidential poll to give
democracy a practical meaning as opposed to some people who, he said,
think they have divine rights to some positions in the party.

Chilumpha, who was addressing the media at his official Mudi
residence in Blantyre, said he was worried that some of the UDF members
who had openly shown they were going to vote for him at the hyped
convention were intimidated and fired from their positions.

The Vice-President cited UDF Ntcheu district governor Eliam Chidati,
Central Region deputy governor Eckrain Kudontoni, among others, as
people who were victimised for supporting his candidacy. Kudontoni had
his official car seized at Chileka International Airport allegedly for
supporting Chilumpha.

He said some elements in the party were going door by door, forcing
people to change their mind and offering them transport to come to the
party’s secretariat in Limbe to claim their names and signatures
appeared on his nomination form but did not sign for it.

But UDF secretary-general Kennedy Makwangwala yesterday dismissed
Chilumpha’s claims, saying there was no intimidation whatsoever.

"Let the candidates just come to the convention and compete. We
allowed the Vice-President to participate despite flaws that were
there, we have ignored all that.

"The form he is using was collected by Mr. [Noordeen] Uladi and we
believe people were cheated when filling that form, but for the sake of
democracy, we have decided to put all that aside and allow him to
contest," he said.

Chilumpha told the press that if he had a choice on whether or not
to contest, he would have opted not to. He said he did not make the
decision alone, but it was reached after protracted meetings with other
senior party members.

He said people approached him to challenge UDF national chairman
Bakili Muluzi, and as a politician and Vice-President, it would have
been extremely arrogant for him to turn down the offer when other
senior members who said would challenge Muluzi were not willing to come
forward.

Chilumpha said some of the senior members of the party who attended
the meetings included Friday Jumbe and Brown Mpinganjira, but disputed
media reports that described the meetings as secret, saying they were
not.

He strongly disputed suggestions from some quarters that he is an
introvert and he rarely attended UDF national executive committee (Nec)
meetings, explaining that as Vice-President of Malawi, he was committed
to other duties and could not be following a party leader wherever he
went.

Chilumpha said nothing, including the treason case he is answering,
in which he is accused of plotting to assassinate President Bingu wa
Mutharika, could stop him from contesting for nomination as the party’s
torch-bearer in 2009.

Meanwhile, Makwangwala has said the party will go ahead with the
election of its presidential candidate despite revelations of serious
fraud and breach of the party’s constitution whereby some individuals
pended their signatures on both nomination forms—endorsing both Muluzi
and Chilumpha, while in some instances non-delegates also signed the
forms.

The secretary-general said the party’s constitution stipulates that
an individual can endorse only one candidate per position and that only
those eligible to be delegates to the convention can sign the
nomination papers.

Makwangwala said although this was a clear violation of the party’s
constitution, those charged with running the voting process would not
pursue the issue or penalise anyone for fear of being misunderstood by
some sectors in the party.

Asked whether going ahead with the elections will not mean the party
violating its own constitution and setting a bad precedent, Makwangwala
said: "We can’t be that harsh [to disqualify anyone], we just want to
leave it like that. We are neither taking action nor investigating the
issue because some people will not understand the situation but think
we want to get rid of someone."

Chilumpha threatens pullout

BY CHARLES MPAKA

16:11:58 - 23 April 2008



The lines of contest at the United Democratic Front (UDF) convention tomorrow are now drawn.



But they are not definite yet until Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha’s
lawyers make a decision following reports of harassment and
intimidation against those that support him.



Chilumpha addressed the press Tuesday at his official Mudi residence in Blantyre.



He said his conviction told him he was going to the convention not to
lose but to win, through a legitimate and democratic process.



But Chilumpha said he was not going to participate in a process that is a farce.



He said the party was intimidating his followers, a development that could make the convention not free and fair.



The Vice-President reported the case of Elliam Chidati, who UDF has
reportedly sacked from his position as governor for Ntcheu, because of
his loyalty to him.



Apparently, that means Chidati might not be allowed to go and vote at the convention.



But UDF denied Tuesday that Chidati has been removed from his position.



Secretary General Kennedy Makwangwala said

Chidati has instead been promoted to regional committee member and he would go to the convention.



Makwangwala also said the party has “hired the police, not the young democrats” for security.



However, Chidati confirmed having been removed and replaced by his
former deputy. He said he has not received a letter or word of
promotion from the party, adding this means he would not be allowed at
the convention.



The Vice-President added that some of his supporters have been fetched
out of their houses and ferried to UDF Secretariat where they were
drilled to speak ill of Chilumpha.



“I believe in democracy in its totality. Don’t give me half or quarter
democracy. We will be seeking a legal opinion this afternoon
[yesterday]. If there are going to be more question marks, then I will
not want to be part of the process that is faulty from the beginning.
That would be a farce and some of us don’t like circuses,” he said.



It is not clear how that would be, may be through an injunction or his
complete withdrawal from the race. That would depend on the advice from
the lawyers, he said.



There have been reports that some people who endorsed Muluzi’s form also approved his, which he submitted on March 26.



Chilumpha said he did not understand how this could come about.



According to the Vice-President, the returning officer for the convention checks every detail before the form is accepted.



He felt these tactics would initiate a process that would deprive the legitimacy the convention deserves.



“These things start small. The situation that we have in Zimbabwe and
Kenya did not come as they are. They started small. They are a seed
that was planted by people who wanted to manipulate the election
process. I did not join this race on those terms but for democracy,
practical democracy. And democracy is not one way,” said the
Vice-President.



As to why he has been quiet while his competitor has been on the
campaign trail, Chilumpha said Muluzi was only performing his duty as
leader of the party preparing the country for the conference and the
election next year.



He said there are going to be 2,000 delegates at the convention and
Muluzi would readily access them without addressing public rallies.



“Besides, there is no point of operating in competition with Dr Muluzi
as that would generate heat, controversy and factionalism.”



Chilumpha said his position was already a difficult one because he was
the country’s Vice-President and this would be “the most inappropriate
time” and “not sensible” for him to go about contradicting Muluzi.



Neither has he been insubordinate to the party and Muluzi for not
attending party national executive meetings and Muluzi’s rallies. He
said being UDF member did not mean he would attend every other meeting.



He said being Vice-President of this country did not mean he was a personal assistant of leader of the party.



But Chilumpha explained that he would work with Muluzi if he loses the
election legitimately. He also expects Muluzi to work with him should
Muluzi lose the election.



Chilumpha’s decision to contest at the convention against Muluzi has been received with indignation by some party seniors.



Makwangwala once said the party had allowed Chiulmpha to contest so
that he “can face the music” and learn how politicians destroy their
careers.



In his reaction, Chilumpha said yesterday this was an unfortunate
comment, adding that he was not bitter with all those that have been
attacking him.



“I leave my life free of malice and hate against anyone. I don’t wake
up planning to exact vengeance on anyone. I live my life quietly.”



He was subjected to grievous attacks in the past 10 years, he said, but he has not gotten out of the situation any worse.



“I am not such a weakling that I would dissolve and become inconsistent
because people are getting personal with me. The more people attack me,
the stronger I become. If they keep on attacking me, then what can I
do?”



The Vice-President, who referred to himself as a passionate believer in
democracy, said this country needed to strengthen democracy or there
would be no national prosperity.



According to him, democracy creates a free environment, which allows
people the freedom to use their abilities to create wealth.



What about his treason case? Chilumpha said this does not mean anything yet.



“We all know that we will die one day. But do we stop building a house
and planning what we would do with our lives? There is no certainty on
these issues. I consider it as one of the things that might or might
not happen.



“After all, I am not the first. Kwame Nkruma [of Ghana] was elected
president while he was in prison. Zuma is in the same situation. So was
the case with former president Dr Kamuzu Banda.”



Chilumpha said he had not decided to contest out of his own decision.
People in the UDF consulted him noting that no one was coming forth
when the taskforce had fought for and secured competition at the
convention.



He said it would have been arrogant for him to refuse what people
wanted him to do. Choosing to be a politician means that one has to act
according to the will of the people, he said.



He said the same people would choose who they want without any reference to how much money a particular candidate has.



“Money is important but it is not the only factor. In our convention in
2003, all the positions except that of the presidential candidate were
grabbed by people who did not have much money,” he said.

UDF INDABA: Veep camp fears unrest

BY Vincent Phiri

12:33:25 - 21 April 2008



Supporters
of Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha have expressed fears for violence
and intimidation from the opposing camp of UDF national chairman Baliki
Muluzi at the party’s convention scheduled for this Thursday.



Lawrence Chawanda, member of the Chilumpha camp, said in an interview
Sunday that there was tension in their camp following reports from the
Muluzi camp that violence was imminent if the former president fails at
the convention.



The convention is expected to endorse the party’s presidential candidate for next year’s general elections.



“Chilumpha has confirmed to us that he would attend the Thursday’s
convention but we are asking the party to ensure that there is tight
security because we are currently getting intimidation from the Muluzi
camp.



“It could be better if civil society organisations were invited to
monitor the elections at the convention to ensure that the process is
free, fair and transparent,” said Chawanda.



He claimed that some UDF governors who are supporting Chilumpha were
planning to boycott the convention because of intimidating remarks from
Muluzi’s faction.



Chawanda said Muluzi’s supporters have allegedly threatened to
manhandle them at the convention to ensure that Chilumpha loses the
election.



But UDF Deputy Secretary General Hophmally Makande Thursday dismissed
reports that violence was imminent at the convention, saying the
elections would be conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.



He said civil society organisations have been invited, including the
media to witness the convention hence an assurance that nobody would be
intimidated.



“These people are just trying to find a scapegoat because we have
invited civil society organisations, including the media to witness the
convention.



“It is also a lie that UDF supporters are intimidating the so called Chilumpha camp, that’s not true,” said Makande.



Rodgers Newa, founder of Human Rights Defenders Forum (HRDF), an
organisation that lobbies for free and fair governance, said in an
interview yesterday that UDF should desist from promoting violent
tendencies because it opened the race to all manner of people.



Newa said the civil society has no role to provide security at the UDF
convention but to ensure that the election process is free, fair and
transparent.



“Civil society organisations cannot provide security at the UDF
convention but can be invited as independent observers. The party must
invite security officers like the police to ensure that tendencies of
violence are avoided before getting out of hand.



“I think the best security measure would be to conduct security checks
at the entrance to ensure that delegates do not enter the Comesa Hall
with any weapon,” said Newa.



Chilumpha and Muluzi are the only contenders for the presidential race
at the convention after UDF executive members like Brown Mpinganjira,
Friday Jumbe and a convicted Sam Mpasu pulled out of the race.

Power fight in Malawi opposition turns Islamic

Confusion has erupted in Malawi's former ruling party now
second largest opposition United Democratic Front between former
President Bakili Muluzi and seating vice President Cassim Chilumpha who
are fighting control over the party mantle.

The two, both of whom Moslems have dragged their fight into Malawi’s
supreme Islamic body called Moslem Association of Malawi (MAM) with
each one of them going behind the others back through agents wooing all
members of the organization to support his bid for presidency of the
party when they met for general meeting on April 24, 2008 in Blantyre.

And
Sheik Yusuf Kanyamula of MAM has said he is worried with the rate at
which the two politicians have dragged members of the body into
politics. Kanyamula has since disassociated the body from politicking
saying Islam religion does not condone divisions emanating from
political fronts.

“Let me put it plain, MAM has never sent
anyone top meet Muluzi or his rival Chilumpha pledging support,” he
said. The party which became opposition after its winning candidate in
2004 elections the incumbent State President Bingu wa Mutharika ditched
it to form his own Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2006, is
geared to hold its general meeting where all positions would be up for
grabs.

Muluzi who ruled from 1994 to 2004 and reluctantly handed
over power to Mutharika wants to be the party’s presidential candidate
for next year’s general elections. He has been saying he is interested
to stand again with a sole aim of removing Mutharika from power because
he insulted him by ditching the party that sponsored him into power.

Chilumpha
who is answering treason charges for conniving to assassinate Mutharika
is fighting Muluzi to leave the candidacy to him. However despite these
agitations in opposition Mutharika has been comfortable on the driving
seat. And a group of Zambian politicians including those from
opposition parties who visited Malawi this year discussing
crossititution said there are enough evidences that Mutharika would
sweep next year polls.

Mutharika is highly revered for his
impeccability on economy, rule of law, justice, security, anti-
corruption food security and governance. He is expected to stand for
the second term next year.

Gunning for presidency at all costs

By CHARLES PHIRI - Sunday, April 20, 2008 - 13:10:58

An Atcheya Production





Lights, camera, action



Most successful people it seems they know exactly what they want in
life and they go right after it. No effort is spared and no resources
are withheld. While these traits have made the Richard Bransons and
Bill Gates of this world prosper in business, but when these same
traits appear in public officers or aspirants for high offices, then
you can get ready for action packed drama.



Take for example the former president, Bakili Muluzi. He is a man on a
mission. He has no time for half hearted attempts. You cannot help but
admire his tenacity. This time around he has made it clear he wants to
become president of the country again and you can be certain he will
stop at nothing. By his own account he has never lost an election and
he has no intention to start losing now.



While many of us wait for others to author the script and direct the
play of our lives, Muluzi believes in ‘do it yourself’. He writes his
own script, acts in his own plays, he directs them himself and he is
the producer. I bet he has several grammys to his name. And guess what?
He wants more.



That way no one can accuse him of double standards because he makes the
rules and he can change them as he wishes and where there are no
written rules, he will simply improvise. He cannot even be accused of
contradicting himself because he is the executive producer and it is up
to him to switch roles depending on what the scene demands.



The latest of his plays, is his comeback bid to become presidential
candidate for UDF and eventually president for the country. He will
effectively be combining the role of chairman for the party and its
presidential candidate — unifying the two championship belts, if you
will. In case you have forgotten, he was both president of his party
and president for the country for a good ten years before he discovered
that it was cool to separate the two.



Come time for his reluctant departure from State House, the new scene
dictated that the presidential candidate should not be president for
the party. He was not even a member of the executive, while Muluzi held
on to his new found role as chairman. This, he argued, would help
separate the party and state powers. Now he is going for bloke to
become the undisputed champion as he combines the two titles once more.



How then shall the state and party powers be separated, you must be
wondering? Well he makes the rules and directs the film and him alone
can decide who combines the two belts and who doesn’t.



Lights, camera, action:



Another scene, different actors and a different plot. No one can fault him. He is the master.



The only problem in this whole episode of I alone will decide what is
right and what is wrong for the country, is that it is not just another
play. Real lives of people are involved. People’s lives depend on it.
But Atcheya is not bothered with that. The end justifies the means.
Here is a determined man who wants to get to the top whatever it takes.



Can you remember, when Muluzi addressed one of his very first rallies
at Ferries Ground, in Blantyre/ Boy, did he not struggle to address the
people? I almost concluded that the man will never be a public speaker.



Today, the man who clocked ten years at State House and believes the
country owes him at least another five years, is a fierce orator who
can hold his own anywhere. If you ever doubted that practice makes
perfect, then look no further. That is what determination and hard work
can do to man.



When Muluzi speaks today, he exudes confidence and style, now and then
cracking a joke or two. It must be said though that some of his jokes
are for adults only. Of course of late there has not been much to joke
about. Take the infamous shopping debacle at Metro, K21 million is not
a laughing matter. It would not even pass for a practical joke not even
if the bill was slashed to K5.7 million.



Next Scene



Enter some unknown James Phiri who wants the courts to determine that a
Cheya cannot bounce back. Well if Phiri wants a fight, he will get one.
There is a score of 24 lawyers waiting for him. As you can see, the man
is taking all the steps to remove all obstacles on the road back to
State House. His starting point is the UDF presidential nomination.
Nothing will stop him. He is a master of his own destiny. Whether his
destiny should also be the country’s destiny, is for the electorate to
decide.



He is believed to have anointed both president Bingu wa Mutharika and
his deputy Cassim Chilumpha as his successors. Today he has decided
that the two are not good enough for the high office. In fact there is
no other person, not in his party, not in the country, who deserves to
be called First Citizen. Whether he was speaking out of turn or he
meant it, he has more than once intimated that the country has a
vacancy at Sanjika as we speak. I wonder whether the man loves the high
office more or he hates the country more.



Tell him that perhaps he may have been out-witted by God who determines
the future of nations, that He may have been used him to help put in
office the current crop of leaders, he will tell you that he did not
need help from anywhere. He single-handedly got those ungrateful people
into office. He is the one who put them there, they have let him down
and he will remove them and replace them with himself. End of story.



Muluzi believes he has a responsibility on behalf of 12 million
Malawians to determine the future of the country and who should lead
it. It’s far too much responsibility for one man, if you ask me. He
tried it with the open term, tried it with third term, tried it with
Bingu and he will try it this time with a third but non consecutive
term. The danger is what if this one man band is wrong? Is it not
better that if there are mistakes to be made, the 12 million make their
own mistakes?



Keep watching as the real life drama unfolds. Of course, there will be
many twists and turns as we cruise to destination May 2009 and brace
yourselves, tighten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride of your life.



Muluzi would like to be remembered as the one who led the country to
the second Republic and should be credited for having introduced free
primary school, introduced television and cellular phones and generally
having championed a reclaim of human rights and the various freedoms –
including the freedom to make fools of ourselves, if we so choose.



This is commendable work which the country should have remembered
Muluzi for if he were to retire. Unfortunately, by deciding that he is
the only one fit to rule, it will not be on his successes that he will
be judged but on his shortfalls. It is the many things that went wrong
when this country was on auto pilot for ten years that will be under
the microscope as we head for elections. You may find some of the
pictures disturbing.



Perhaps this is the price of wanting to bounce back. People are forced
to remember even the things that they should have forgotten considering
that a president is really just one of us with all the shortfalls of a
human being.



When they retire we can console ourselves that their good or bad works
have gone with them. But when they want to bounce back, it will be at
our own peril if we want them to bounce back complete with their
excesses from the past.



Muluzi came to power as a political engineer, and a very fine one at
that. When he was done, he invited an economic engineer to turnaround
the economy and he did not disappoint. Trouble is Muluzi believes that
a former president should have a say on how a country is run.
Truthfully that should never be the case whether in Malawi or in any
part of the civilised world.



The sitting president should call the shots and decide what role, if at
all, a past president should have in the new government and not the
other way round. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of changing regimes
if the country should remain in the shadows of its former leaders.



According to Atcheya, Bingu is not acting according to the directions
on the script written and handed to him since he wants to be his own
man, hence the fight to get back and wrestle the play from those who
have hijacked it and want to change a comedy into a musical with
Nkasa’s Mose wa Lero as a sound track.



Muluzi knows that come 2009 people will remind him that he is just
another political engineer. The man has been doing his homework. Word
has it that he has been polishing up his knowledge of economics and the
first fruits of his enhanced knowledge of the subject have already been
on display at rallies, complete with such teaching aids as iron sheets,
match boxes, the works. Will this be enough to persuade Malawians that
the political engineer is a better economic manager than the economic
engineer? Was the Malawi’s economy better managed in Muluzi’s reign or
in Bingu’s reign? It will probably be easier to just hire another team
of 24, economists this time, to discredit the economic achievements
made by his anointed successor.



Remember how Muluzi criss-crossed the country drumming up support for
Mutharika as the man for the job? Now he is going back to the people
that it was all a lie. How can one tell which lie is bigger, the first
one or the second one? Can he really go back to the people to tell them
that they can forget about food security and economic development all
they need is politics and more politics? That’s a tough one, especially
when the people have already tasted the benefits of Muluzi’s wisdom
that you cannot eat politics. However, you can trust Muluzi to find a
way.



Some of the people that Muluzi used to call all sorts of names, that
should not be repeated anywhere before midnight, are by his side
supporting his comeback bid. I bet some of them have their own scripts
in their back pockets. They are hoping and praying that Muluzi’s bid
meets a train smash and they can pick up the pieces – assuming they
come out of it unscathed themselves.



They understand all too well that if Muluzi says jump, the only
question you can ask is how high. They either accept the new roles
given by the executive producer or forsake. If the executive producer
says he will double as the lead actor, that is how it is going to be.
Almost all those who have ever questioned the roles he has given them
have ended up in political wilderness.



For a moment, just suppose that Muluzi finds his way back to Sanjika.
There are those foreign governments that simply refused to dish any
more money to Malawi during his rule, I would not be surprised to learn
that Muluzi already has a solution on how to deal with them once he
returns to Sanjika. But the donors have the pulse and they write their
own scripts too. They pay the piper and get to choose the song.



What do we get to call Kamuzu Stadium and Kamuzu International Airport
if Muluzi returns to power? Do we then ditch China and go back to
Taiwan – they of the billion kwacha to people’s personal accounts fame?
Do we get to reconnect with brother leader, he of the Blantyre
Hospital? What about those fugitives who run away instead of facing the
law? Will they comeback under the Muluzi protection? Honestly, I hope
those supporting the comeback bid have the answers.



Agreed that man is innocent until proven guilty, what will happen to
the many cases in our courts that the former president has to answer?
Will the slate be wiped clean by the presidential immunity? Or is this
perhaps the real motivation to want to run for the high office. Is he
running for power or for cover? Or it is the case of I will protect
myself, if no one else will.



Just to make sure that the Muluzi who wants to go back to Sanjika is
not the same one who left Sanjika in a state that resembled a Tsunami
aftermath and who tolerated lawlessness, we need to pose a few
questions and the answers must be convincing or else we are in serious
trouble.



The Young Democrats must be waiting in the wings, sharpening their
pangas. You remember the ones that would descend on anyone who
suggested that Sayimanso? Who could have forgotten them? Malawians will
be asked whether they want an echo of that at the next polls. The
vendors will be back into the streets trading from any corner
available, hand bags being snatched here, a cellular phones being
snatched there.



Flashback one



It is a day like any other. Law enforcement agents are going about
doing their lawful business of impounding vehicles not properly
cleared. Enter some gun totting friends of a sitting president
threatening to shoot if they do not get back their hot car. This is no
western movie. It is real life drama that happened in an MRA office in
Lilongwe. This was lawlessness at its best by those with political
connections. Will those scenes come back to haunt law enforcement
agents should Muluzi return to power and win his bid for a third term?



Flashback two



There is a traffic jam in Victoria Avenue in downtown Blantyre.
Everything is at a standstill. No, there is no presidential convoy or
an accident. It is a deliberate ploy. Two henchmen of the president
have parked vehicles right in the middle of the road as they are
chatting blocking all traffic at peak hour. No one dares say a word.
This was happening live during Muluzi’s era. Will his comeback bring
those scenes back in the streets?



Will millions of Kwacha be paid to party zealots for orders of drugs
that are never delivered to Ministry of Health or for a promise to
deliver substandard electricity transformers to the power utility
company? Will treasury bills run in the high seventies where the only
people that gain are money launders? Will government expenditure
routinely stay out of control?



Will the hand out culture return when Malawians were just reclaiming
their dignity to work and fend for themselves and their families? It’s
ugly head was seen somewhere in a Blantyre departmental store.



Will dubious characters be pardoned and be assisted to leave the
country by state agents? While those who should be pardoned languish in
jail?



If Muluzi retired many would not bother ask these questions, but if he
runs he needs to develop a thick skin because these questions and many
more unpleasant ones will come up. Not because he was a bad president
but because Malawians want to go into this third term madness with
their eyes wide open.



If the answers to these questions make you wonder whether you are day
dreaming, then welcome to the drama that is gunning for presidency at
all costs.



Curtains draw.



Exit Atcheya.

The Big Man syndrome must go!

By GEDION NKHATA - Sunday, April 20, 2008 - 12:55:18

In
every political party in Malawi, there is a Big Man. The United
Democratic Front (UDF) has Bakili Muluzi. The Malawi Congress Party
(MCP) has John Tembo. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has Bingu
wa Mutharika. The bad news is that there is the impression that these
‘Big Men’ do not want to be challenged.



In the UDF, it is a capital crime to challenge Muluzi. Contender Cassim
Chilumpha is now looked at with a jaundiced eye by many of the UDF
bigwigs. In the MCP, it is unwise for anyone to talk about challenging
John Tembo. Granted Mutharika has urged the people in his party to
challenge him, it is very unlikely to see anyone come forward at all.
Why is this the case?



To be honest, there are people within these parties with ambitions to
take over the leadership mantle. The problem, however, is with the Big
Men themselves. They are power-hungry. They do not want to tolerate
freedom of thought within the party. They want to emerge as the
all-wise, all-knowing super individuals. The common denominator among
all of them is that at one time or another, they were keen admirers of
Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the founding president of this country. They
thus crave for the great respect and honour he was accorded. They all
want to enjoy the status of latter-day Kamuzus.



But why do we bother claiming to be democrats then? Why not come out in
the open to declare that we are all a newer version of dictatorship?



Some of these political parties lose because of clinging to the same
leaders who lost the last election and the one before last. Yet it
emerges that these political parties are ready to feature the same
presidential candidate until the day of his death, regardless of
whether they win or lose elections.



In the civilized world, a leader leaves if he/she has failed to win an
election. New blood is given a chance, with the hope that voters might
like the new ideas brought in by the new face. But then we are talking
about the civilized world, which we are not. Here at home, people cling
to offices where elsewhere they should have resigned.



Democracy here is something we use for personal gain. We masquerade as
democrats just to qualify for aid in the eyes of the West. Deep down
our hearts, we are not. Dictatorship still reigns in the veins of our
leadership.



Why cheat then? Why not come out in the open and start a system that
realistically reflects the way we lead? American presidential candidate
Barack Obama’s words after winning the Iowa Democratic caucus come to
mind: “They said we cannot do it . . . but we have done it . . . with a
father from Kenya, a mother from Kansas, and a story that can only
happen in America.” Yes, it is only in America where people young as he
is are allowed to challenge living histories like the Clintons to the
presidency – and win. Here in Malawi, it is anathema to challenge a Big
Man.

United in their troubles

By CHACHACHA MUNTHALI - Sunday, April 20, 2008 - 12:55:56

There
were some indications that the United Democratic Front (UDF) convention
scheduled for Thursday could fail to take place: a budget deficit and
some religious leaders from Balaka and Ulongwe genuinely fearing for
the future of the party given that the main actors — or rather, the
‘protagonist’, UDF’s Chairman Bakili Muluzi and his antagonist, Vice
President Cassim Chilumpha — are still at the mercy of the law.



The party is, however, upbeat that the convention will still take
place: As for the shortfall, certain ‘non-essential’ items will be done
away with but on the second matter…



The religious leaders have a legitimate reason to fear for the future
given that should the two meet the same fate as the party’s former
publicity secretary, Sam Mpasu, deep into the campaign period, it could
destabilise the party’s footing in the mad rush towards the finishing
line for 2009 polls. Should that happen, it would be costly and
marketing an alternative candidate — one hopes s/he would be as
difficult to market as you-know-who — would take the momentum of the
UDF.



However, with all due respect to the judicial system, the religious
leaders’ concerns are misplaced in suggesting that the UDF should
shelve its plans until the courts have their leisure; that, perhaps, is
failure to appreciate the justice system in Malawi.



It is an open secret that cases take notoriously too long to be
concluded in the courts. If it is not one side asking for an
adjournment because some crucial witness is unavailable for whatever
reason, then it is the other arguing over ‘trivia’ or begging for more
time to go through some evidence which the other side ‘ambushed’ them
with a while ago.



So, by the time their cases get to be concluded, it could be well over
months, if not years, into the other term. Besides, if it is some
comfort to the chiefs, Muluzi pleads his innocence just as stridently
as Chilumpha swear by his. And we are to take their word of innocence
for it, why delay a process that could get underway sooner?



By the way, at least people can talk of a democratic process in the UDF
with expectancy, fear or even hope; at least it has shown that its
members are capable of squaring up to the big-man syndrome and almost
getting away with it but the same cannot be said of the other parties —
perhaps with the exception of Aford which underwent its ‘healing’
process last year.



MDP’s Kamlepo Kalua and MDU’s Amunandife Nkumba are presidents for
life, perhaps reflecting more of the parties’ lean membership base than
the leaders’ perchance to cling on to power; NRP (?) seems to be stuck
by Gwanda Chakuamba; PPM’s candidate for the presidency is as
predictable as the rising of the sun in the east.



As for the MCP and the ‘ruling’ DPP, we all know who will lead them, so
why hold conventions to elect the already elected? MCP’s headache,
however, is coming up with a credible and a credible and strong
candidate from the south (the north failed the last time around) to
partner you-know-who. It doesn’t matter if this ‘strong candidate’ is
one whose popularity does not spill to over a kilometre outside his
home village. He just has to be ‘strong’ and credible.



So, accuse UDF of everything but rest assured, they are united in their
troubles to ensure democracy rules in their party. I, for one, will
pray for a peaceful convention.

Malawi set for another bumper harvest in 2008

THYOLO, Malawi (AFP) — Impoverished Malawi is set for a bumper
harvest of 3.3 million tonnes of maize which will yield a one million
tonne surplus in a country once crippled by famine, officials said
Wednesday.

"The first and second round of estimates show that
Malawi expects to harvest 3.3 million tonnes of maize," Frank
Mwenifumbo, deputy agriculture minister, told AFP.

Malawi, which
annually needs two million tonnes to feed its population, in 2007
harvested 3.2 million tonnes, representing a 22 percent increase from
2006.

Over 400,000 tonnes of the surplus maize from last year's
harvest was exported to cash-strapped Zimbabwe, once the region's
bread-basket.

The poor southern African nation met its food needs
in 2006 for the first time in seven years following a string of poor
harvests, mainly due to drought.

Food security is a pressing
issue in Malawi, where 60 percent of its people live below the poverty
line and on less than a dollar a day.

Famine threatened up to
five million people in 2005 following drought and the government spent
over 100 million dollars to import food from South Africa and the
region to avert hunger

Perform or face the chop, OPC warns PSs

by BRIGHT SONANI

Government has warned principal secretaries
(PSs) and senior government officials whose departments have performed
poorly towards achieving the goals set in the Malawi Growth and
Development Strategy (MGDS) to jack up and start performing or face the
chop.

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Bright Msaka issued the
warning yesterday in Lilongwe during the opening of the MGDS annual
review report briefing meeting for PSs and senior government officials.

The MGDS annual review, which covers 2006/07, indicates that out of
the six priority areas, only three have performed satisfactorily while
out of five thematic areas, none has performed.

"I am very pleased and encouraged to read the good reports of the
excellent progress that some of you have made. However, and in equal
measure, I am certainly perturbed to read reports of the lacklustre
performance by some of you.

"I would like to leave you in no doubt whatsoever, that mediocrity
will no longer be tolerated and you cannot hope to remain in employment
if you fail to serve the people of this nation with dedication,
commitment and efficiency they expect," said Msaka.

However, he said, for those who are performing, President Bingu wa
Mutharika will soon personally acknowledge and recognise them
nationally.

According to a report on the annual review, irrigation and water
development, transport and infrastructure development, and integrated
rural development are the priority areas which have been said to be
performing below average.

The report singled out agriculture and food security, energy
generation and supply and nutrition and HIV and Aids prevention and
management as having performed above average.

In the thematic areas, education and gender, which are sub themes in
the social development, have been rated below average. On the other
hand, air and rail transport, sub themes of infrastructure development,
have been rated poor.

Sustainable economic growth has had mixed ratings with average
performance in trade and private sector development and environment
sectors while fisheries and forests have been rated below average.
Wildlife, lands and housing have also scored poorly.

On governance, the review indicates that the country is doing poorly
on democratic governance with the National Assembly, justice and rule
of law, human rights and decentralisation being below average, while
the fight against corruption is above average.

In the governance thematic area, economic governance has been rated above average.

Investors scramble for Shire-Zambezi Waterway

by TAONGA SABOLA

Trade and Industry Minister Henry Mussa said
on Friday a horde of European and Asian investors have expressed deep
interest to pump funds into the highly-publicised and ambitious
Shire-Zambezi Waterway Project which seeks to connect landlocked Malawi
to the sea over a distance of about 238 kilometres through the Zambezi
River in Mozambique.

Mussa was speaking during in Blantyre during a postmortem meeting
for local businessmen who went to sell Malawi in London on April 3 this
year.

He said British firm HBH is interested in developing both the Nsanje
and Chinde Port with Indian and Chinese firms eager to take over the
shipping and container handling businesses.

"They would like to venture into concessions with us on these and
other issues and they will be coming into the country very soon.

"The Indians are ready to come here anytime with the Britons coming
here in the next three months. The Chinese would have been here by now
but have delayed a bit because their Deputy Trade Minister who was
supposed to lead them has retired and they are waiting for another
minister," said Mussa.

The Shire-Zambezi Waterway Project will involve the construction of
a waterway that will link landlocked Malawi’s inland port of Nsanje to
Mozambique’s Indian Ocean port of Chinde, a distance of 238 kilometres.

The project has a number of components with the first being a
comprehensive feasibility study. The study would include determining
the structural works and equipment necessary to make the river system
navigable as well as designing the structural works for the ports at
Nsanje and Chinde.

The study will include an economic, social and environmental assessment and a detailed execution programme for the project.

Mussa further indicated that there was also interest to venture into coal mining from an Indian firm involved in steel smelting.

"There were also other interests in fields like tourism with an
Indian Firm called Bollywood, which is willing to come and capture some
of our interesting tourism cites which they want to beam across the
world.

"Other investors are interested in developing our exports and concessioning them for some years," said Mussa.

The minister urged the local business captains to come up with
bankable projects so that when the foreign investors come everything
should be in order.

The business executives resolved to form a steering committee to
coordinate the activities of the local and foreign investors. They
further agreed to conduct a similar meeting in Malawi for some local
people to appreciate the opportunities that are there in the country.

Muluzi, Aleke named in Fieldyork scandal

BY MIKE CHIPALASA

08:11:21 - 10 April 2008



Former
president Bakili Muluzi and his then Finance minister Aleke Banda have
been named in the “chain of the lot” that abused their respective
offices during the infamous 1994 Fieldyork notebook scandal.



Their alleged crimes in the chain, however, would not come for trial
unless more information was available for them to face the law in the
same way former Education minister Sam Mpasu, who was part of the
chain, did.



This is according to Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate Chifundo
Kachale’s ruling on Mpasu’s involvement in the matter in which he gave
him two years IHL for each of the three counts he was answering.



Muluzi was first Malawian mutliparty president who ruled between 1994
and 2004, a decade his critics said haboured corrupt individuals.



On the other hand, Aleke was first Finance minister in Muluzi’s cabinet
in 1994 but is now president of opposition Peoples Progressive Movement
(PPM).



As finance minister, Aleke by law was authorised to sign tenders, like the Fieldyork, on behalf of the government.



The scandal, which culminated into a two-and-half year trial, saw
Mpasu, who is executive member of Muluzi’s opposition UDF, convicted
and slapped with the three two-year sentences that would run
consecutively.



Between 1994 and 2004, Mpasu served as Speaker of Parliament, minister
of Trade and Private Sector Development, minister of Information and
Broadcasting, minister of Health, UDF secretary general and spokesman
before he was kicked out for saying Muluzi, did not stand a chance to
win the 2009 presidential contest.



Kachale said in his sentence that Muluzi and Aleke are part of the
chain Mpasu was connected to when an illegal procurement of teaching
and learning materials meant for Free Primary Education Programme was
effected.



The magistrate warned that no matter how long it would take to
prosecute the two, one day the “ghosts” will haunt them and the law
will finally catch up with them just as it had done with Mpasu.



Kachale said the conduct of Muluzi at the time, as state president,
breeds suspicion that he might have been reckless during the illegal
purchase of the materials.



“The court wants to acknowledge that in queer sense, the prisoner
[Mpasu] is correct that he is part of a chain. As the court has already
observed, the conduct of the state president, Mr. Bakili Muluzi, in
this whole matter raises serious eyebrows about the extent of the rot,”
said Kachale in his eight-page ruling.



On the contention by the defence that Aleke might have been complicit,
Kachale said the court agreed with this observation, adding that there
was indeed more to the matter than what met the legal eye.



“However, it seems that the accused person [Mpasu] has assumed the
position of the proverbial lamb, suffering for the crimes of the rest.
In that sense, unless there was more information forthcoming, the court
must punish Mr. Mpasu for the crimes for which he has been found
guilty,” said Kachale.



He added: “As for the rest of the people in the chain, one day they
might face their ghosts too; just like Mr. Mpasu is doing today after
more than ten years.”



Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Wezzie Kayira, whose office
indicted Mpasu when Ishamel Wadi was DPP in 2005, could not be reached
Wednesday on his mobile phone to comment on Kachale’s observation on
Muluzi and Aleke.



However, Secretary for Justice and Solicitor General Anthony Kamanga
said Wednesday that Kachale was entitled to his opinion but as a
ministry it was unfair to comment on his judgement.



“It’s not fair to comment at this stage as a ministry. In any case, the
trial was not about [Bakili] Muluzi or [Aleke] Banda, it was for Mpasu.
But if the DPP wants to proceed with the matter, he will be entitled to
that. But I think even the DPP would want to read the judgement first
in great detail before acting,” said Kamanga in a telephone interview.



Ironically, Aleke, as minister of finance at the time, was one of the
state witnesses in the case and categorically denied being part of the
scam after Mpasu bypassed him during the illegal procurement process.



Mpasu in his defence during the trial implicated Aleke in the matter but the former finance minister denied any involvement.



If the state goes ahead to try the two in the scandal, Muluzi would be
adding up to numerous other legal battles awaiting him before the court.



He is currently in court after an anonymous figure James Phiri
challenged his ambitions to bounce back to State House after serving
his constitutional maximum two consecutive five-year terms in office.



The Anti-Corruption Bureau is also on the brink of dragging him to
court in his alleged involvement in the K1.4 billion misallocation of
public funds when he was president.



Mpasu was found guilty on all three counts for abuse of office and was
sentenced two years on each count, translating to six years.



However, according to the sentence, the six years will run consecutively and not concurrently as was previously reported.



In the consecutive sentence, it means that Mpasu will serve all the six
years in full as opposed to two years if it were to run concurrently.



His lawyer John Mwakhwawa, however, indicated he would appeal against both the conviction and sentence at the High Court.

We can’t develop overnight—Mwadiwa

by The Nation

Government says although the country is
registering economic growth it would be folly to expect immediate
impact in terms of development.

A joint United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) 2008 Economic
Report for Africa (ERA) published on April 2 indicates that although
Africa has registered robust economic growth in recent years, the
continent is still backwards in terms of development.

Africa is expected to register a 6.2 percent growth this year, according to the report.

Reacting to the report, secretary to the Treasury Radson Mwadiwa
said a nation cannot register meaningful development simply on the
basis of economic growth achieved over a short period.

"Do you expect a country to develop over an economic growth of one year?" Quizzed Mwadiwa.

Action Aid head of policy Collins Magalasi said Africa is achieving
economic growth even surpassing developed countries such as United
States of America.

"Malawi economy grew by 8.5 percent last year and is expected to
grow by over 7.1 percent this year as compared to less than 1 percent
economic growth for USA," said Magalasi.

He echoed Mwadiwa’s sentiments, saying it was too early for people
to start realising the fruits of the robust economic performance.

"It is like a race. We are speeding at 8 kilometres per hour, while
America and other developed countries are speeding at 1 kilometre per
hour. However, despite our high speed, we are 50 kilometres behind,"
said Magalasi.

The 2008 ERA report says economic growth in Africa has been triggered by "robust global demand and high commodity prices."

The report also points out continued consolidation of macroeconomic
stability and improved macroeconomic management, greater commitment to
economic reforms, increased private capital flows, debt relief and
increasing non-fuel exports as other factors.

The report, however, says Africa remains vulnerable to external
shocks like a sharp slowdown in the US economy, a fall in global
commodity demand and prices and high oil prices

The Campaign that failed

by the Nation

President Bingu wa Mutharika made
news by bringing home K40 billion from the People’s Republic of China.
This became big news on front pages of both dailies.

So, former president Bakili Muluzi, feeling outdone, thought he
could make news, too. Seven days ago, he went to Metro Cash and Carry
shop in Blantyre, and left an open cheque for a bill of all the
shoppers. But he did not know that some UDF officials who knew about
his visit alerted party supporters to come to Metro.

They picked what they wanted. Some allegedly stood at the gate to
rob people what they thought Atcheya had paid for, forgetting some
people paid with their own money because they had come to shop anyway.
The Young Democrats were reminded of the days they were in control of
Malawi.

It was all chaos as between 80 and 100 people stampeded into the
shop and fought over items. In short, the shop was filled with chaos
not shoppers. Honest shoppers should have been sidelined in the whole
stampede. Metro, by all standards, offers almost all groceries under
one roof. Shoppers do not have to move from one shop to another. You
buy groceries at wholesale price, too.

The K21 million bill that came from Metro shocked Muluzi.
"He...ordered several UDF members to verify the figure by adding up
numbers on the scores of nearly one metre-long till-slips," Press
Corporation Limited group operations executive responsible for trade
Pius Mulipa told The Nation on Thursday last week.

It should have been real shock. Imagine Muluzi telling party officials, including Brown Mpinganjira, to verify till-slips.

And imagine Mpinganjira or BJ as he is fondly called—presidential
material as he is, he contested in 2004—standing there, hours on end,
attempting to save Atcheya from a huge bill that he did not expect.
Several things come out clear from the episode.

One, Muluzi does not necessarily plan, meaning he does not have a sketch of what he is going to do and likely results.

Two, he is not as rich as he used to be when he was in power. Three,
Muluzi does not understand the order that accompanied his activities as
President was made possible by his security detail. If he went to Metro
while President, security personnel would have prevented any stampede.

Four, Muluzi is still in the past, believing that people want
hand-outs. That culture is changing, hence Muluzi has found himself in
real trouble. He has himself to blame because he has to settle down the
bill.

Mulipa said the shop expected Muluzi to pay cash because goods are
not bought on credit. "Many things were broken but I can’t tell you
anything yet because we are currently conducting a stocktaking exercise
to assess the damage," said Mulipa.

That exercise ended on Friday, meaning the shop lost two and a half
days of business. "These are end month trade days when we make more
money than usual. Add this to the damage done on Wednesday and I am
sure we have lost large sums of money," said Mulipa.

What does Muluzi want to achieve? Number one, votes both at the UDF convention and in next year’s presidential elections.

Secondly, Muluzi wants to show he still has money—which he does not
have, anyway; that he too can make news by paying for people’s
groceries at a big shop like Metro. Now this has turned into a real
scandal that has sent the Chilumpha camp and others into laughter.

Beyond this, all UDF officials tired with Muluzi are laughing in
their hearts while faking tears for him. Not many are sympathising with
Muluzi and, of course, he has to pay up the bill. How do Malawians
trust the presidency to a person who cannot settle bills?

This Metro episode is the last blow to hit Muluzi. People tend to
remember recent history and two great things Muluzi did for Malawi.

One, he was among those who led the fight for multiparty democracy.
Secondly, he gave the country Mutharika as presidential candidate. Now
Malawians are enjoying reasonable economic, moral and social growth
never witnessed during the Muluzi decade.

But Muluzi missed one more thing: honourable retirement. He should
have embarked on charity work. Muluzi should have been running his
Bakili Muluzi Aids Foundation which was opened with pomp at Chichiri
International Conference Hall by Zambia’s founding president Kenneth
Kaunda.

Or, Muluzi should have been busy with his Bakili Muluzi Institute
(BMI) which died immediately he left government. If he had retired
honourably, he would have been a regular guest of honour at official
functions, opening roads, bridges and conferences.

In that case, Mutharika would have been in UDF by now, perhaps a new
look UDF. If Muluzi had retired honourably, Atcheya would have been the
guest of honour when the grain silos were opened in Mangochi.

Finally, if he had retired honourably, Muluzi would have been part
of the joy of the new roads under construction. Consider the
Mangochi-Monkebay Road, the Nchalo-Nsanje Road, the Chiradzulu-Phalombe
Road or the Jali-Phalombe Road. Muluzi would have been making speeches
at official functions. He would have been saying:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I was resting at Kapoloma when our President
called me and invited me to be with you. In case you have forgotten
(poti Amalawi simuchedwa kuyiwala), my work was to change politics and
that is what I want you to remember. The rest is for Mutharika. Please
support him." Ululation and hand-clapping would follow.

But this is not what is happening. Instead, Muluzi is busy
castigating his own choice. Muluzi is busy fighting a man he gave to
UDF and Malawians chose for the presidency.

One way of achieving this was to pay for shoppers at Metro Cash and
Carry. Everything worked against him. It is not that he will not pay
the bill. It is the reputation at stake

Muluzi is an example of everything that is wrong with Malawi

This will sound like a broken record but it is true. The vice of handouts is what makes this society go backwards. People need to understand that only hard work pays. In addition if a well wisher like muluzi intends to engage in philanthropic activities it is better for them to invest money into sustainable projects where people will benefit in the long run. Muluzi's tactics only show how conceited a man he is and how he would like to have influence in this society through these sort of tired tactics. Unfortunately as he will come to realise we are better than this . Today PCL has lost millions in sales after closing the shop for several days, the bread/sugar/oil is probably finished in the households that benefited from the gesture and Muluzi himself is 21 million short. The question now is was it worth it?
With bad judgements of this sort, it is amazing how he has been allowed to run his party for this long (15years).

Mwale
Malawi

‘Malawi sold in London’

BY Peter Makossah in London07:57:55 - 09 April 2008

GOVERNMENT says good governance and increased business dialogue with the international community has transformed the country into a first-rate trade, tourism and investment destination in the world. Trade and Industry Minister Henry Mussa said this Friday night at the Royal League Overseas Hall in Westminster, London where he presided over a Malawian Investment Forum, organised by the Malawi High Commission in the United Kingdom in conjunction with the Commonwealth Business Council. "The future outlook of Malawi as a tourist and investment destination looks bright and promising. Malawi has a lot to offer to the world in many facets such as tourism, trade, mining and agriculture among other things,” Mussa said.Mussa, accompanied by a Malawian delegation from the private and public sector, including Tourism, Wildlife and Culture Minister Calista Chapola-Chimombo, told prospective investors and Malawians in diaspora the country has a shared vision to become major exporting country other than a consuming nation.“Malawi under its dynamic leadership is quickly moving away from being a consuming country to a major exporting country,” Mussa said.He said government has put in place some measures to attract new investors like tax waivers and has simplified the procedure for getting business license.He added: “Our policies on international investment are flexible. But more importantly, is the fact that Malawi is beautiful and a spot-on distillation of the true African experience that is why it is called “The Warm of Heart of Africa.”In her remarks Chapola-Chimombo said Malawi is a potential tourism destination because of its natural exquisiteness and political stability and encouraged the international business community to invest into Malawi’s tourism sector.“Malawi is one of the best eco-tourism destinations in the world. Its natural beauty coupled with its friendly people Malawi remains an attractive location,” said Chapola-Chimombo. Deputy Director of tourism in the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture, Isaac Katopola, who presented a paper on tourism, said the number of visitors to Malawi increased from 173, 000 in 1995 to 637, 772 in 2006 and the Britain topped the list.Speaking earlier on Director General for the Commonwealth Business Council Dr. Mohan Kaul commended government of Malawi for taking an initiative to stage an economic forum in a bid to woo foreign investors saying it is a positive development towards the growth of Malawi’s economy.In his remarks the Malawian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Francis Moto thanked the Commonwealth Business Council for the continued support saying the Malawi economic forum could not have been possible if it were not the council’s help.National Bank of Malawi Business Development Manager Wilkins Mijiga in his presentation said Malawi is now a safe haven for investment because of its magnificent economic transformation. “There is no better place to go in this world for trade, investment or as a tourism destination than the warm heart of Africa, everything is warm in Malawi, from weather to its people. And above all there is National Bank the bank for the nation,” he said. The Malawi economic Forum was an idea, which was hatched by the Malawi High Commission in the United Kingdom as a way to promote Malawi as a trade and investment location. Funding was sourced both in Malawi and United Kingdom from Bantu Holdings, Global Tea, CRU Africa Invest, Veetee Rice, Limphasa Sugar Cooperation, Lisungwe Mining National Bank and Stanbic Bank South Africa.According to Jayne Banda, First Secretary at the Malawi High Commission in UK the Malawi Economic Forum whose areas of interest were tourism, transport, manufacturing and production such as producing starch from cassava.Malawians living in UK seem to be happy at the idea of holding the Malawi Economic Forum on annual basis saying it is the best way to sell Malawi to the international market as a viable destination for investment and trade.Mathews Mtumbuka a Malawian engineer who lives in Aberdeen in Scotland said the forum is the best way to sell Malawi to potential investors worldwide. “I have enjoyed the forum more and it was a good way to market Malawi to international investors and I am sure this will not be the last forum but the beginning of more better things to come,” said Mtumbuka.The forum attracted presentations from National Bank, Reserve Bank of Malawi, Mipa, Stanbic, Escom, Privatisation Commission, Air Malawi, Mzuzu Coffee, Unilever, government officials from Trade and Industry, ministries of lands, tourism, mining and transport among others.