Centre For Social Concern Kanengo Malawi/ revue de Presse

Some press reports in the month under review have shown that all is not well in the Democratic Progressive Party DPP. This observation has come after the resignation of Mrs Joyce Banda who was doubling as a cabinet minister and the party's General Secretary. Banda, who at some point was tipped to become the country's Vice President, succumbed to the pressure of working for the party but chose to keep her cabinet post. Press reports have disclosed that there is infighting in the party and that has fuelled Banda's resignation. Rumour is rife that Banda was concentrating on her foreign affairs ministry at the expense of the party. Other observers have predicted that more resignations are on their way to the party leader's desk. Some have disclosed that Finance minister Goodall Gondwe is also planning to leave the party.

The recent squabbles in the DPP party are a clear indication that there is indeed need for the authorities to take time and scrutinise what exactly is wrong within its system. Much as the members would want to pretend 'life is all sugar', the fact that some prominent members are ditching the party speaks volumes. The resignation of the party's regional governor for the south Samson Msosa has raised the eyebrows of many outsiders. Although the DPP still wants to pretend that it is intact and that there are no problems, the resignation of Msosa who has blamed Hetherwick Ntaba the party's General Secretary has proved the opposite. Another notable figure is Ralph Kasambara who was the Party's national director of political affairs who threw in the towel in the same week as Msosa. Kasambara who was fired as the country's Attorney General some 3 months ago announced that he plans to concentrate on his law career. With such trends it means DPP officials should really do some soul searching over what exactly is going on.

The question over who is going to stand for the post of president in the DPP during the general elections seems to have been answered early in the month under review. President Bingu wa Mutharika personally announced his plans to stand as the party's presidential candidate in the 2009 general elections. Bingu who is 72 years old will then be 75. At such an age people would expect him to give a chance to some young blood to stand. The Malawi constitution is silent on the issue of age limit as regards presidential candidates. With such utterances young men in the party who had ambitions of becoming the country's president some day are now shuttered.

Other political observers have noted that president Mutharika has in recent months displayed some acts of dictatorship. In other words some have said that he is quickly becoming a dictator. Mutharika's practice of hiring and firing people has been greatly scrutinised by various groups of people. Of late Mutharika has either suspended or fired some people in notable public institutions for one reason or the other. Some people have described Mutharika as a man who is full of surprises. Just when people think all is well with the system, the nation wakes up to the news that somebody has been fired to the extent that some civil servants in top positions have no idea if at all their jobs are secure. What surprised many people is the manner in which Mutharika got rid of the Director of Public Prosecution DPP Ishamel Wadi. Mutharika announced at a public function that the DPP should resign within 24 hours. Now the fact that the DPP's office is a public institution means it should not be interfeared with even by the state president. The president's directive has left people with more questions than answers on what is to happen next.

Political analysts have questioned the directive by the United Democratic Front UDF national chairman Dr Bakili Muluzi that former Army Commander Joseph Chimbayo should stand as the party's presidential candidate in 2009 general elections. The announcement has shocked some analysts who feel it is not wise for the party to impose a candidate on the electorate. If this is anything to go by, it would tarnish Muluzi's integrity having made the same blunder by handpicking Bingu wa Mutharika as a presidential candidate in the 2004 general elections. This issue might also frustrate some party gurus who had earlier on shown some interest in the post. Perhaps Muluzi thinks by appointing Chimbayo who comes from Mangochi district, a UDF stronghold, he would give the party a good chance to win the 2009 elections. However Chimbayo refuted such an announcement as a mere allegation as he claimed not to have discussed the issue with Muluzi. Dr Muluzi in turn demanded an apology from the source of the story the GTZ Forum For Dialogue and Peace. They duly did so.

There are a lot of expectations in the nation on the likely benefits of debt savings from dbet cancellation now that Malawi is reaching the HIPC Completion Point. Many people -workers, farmers, marketers etc. who were made to "sacrifice" in order for the government to attain the Completion Point are now expecting to be handsomely "rewarded" for their toil.

According to media reports in the month under review, Malawi is soon to know its destiny on debt relief as the Executive Boards of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are meeting on the 30 and 31 August, 2006 respectively, to decide on Malawi's fate on debt relief. The government side is claiming that all the fundamentals are okay and what remains is to hear the verdict from the Executive Boards of the IMF and World at the end of August. Although Malawi had fulfilled all the preconditions set to reach the Completion Point, the budget remained crucial for the process to be concluded. Now that the budget had been passed, the ball remains on the side of the two international institutions. Under this initiative, Malawi is expecting to have US$2.9 billion from the two international institutions and the African Development Bank cancelled. The country will only be obliged to service debt from creditors other than these three institutions. This is huge relief and if utilized properly will go a long way helping Malawians in many ways. For instance, the resources realized from the debt relief initiative will go towards poverty eradication programmes and infrastructure development. It will also reduce the demand on the scarce foreign exchange, which would otherwise be used to service external debt.

In the month under review, the media has also reported that the Malawi Kwacha is steadily gaining strength against the major trading currencies. According to the Daily Times, the local currency appreciated by 0.4% against the United States dollar from MK140/$US in June to MK138/$US in July 2006. The reasons for the appreciation of the Kwacha have been a source of controversy among the economic and financial experts. According to Standard Bank officials, the appreciation of the local currency is attributed to inflows from the two major exports - tobacco and tea. The uninterrupted sales of tobacco and the increase in tea prices on the international market have helped the appreciation of the local currency against the major global currencies during the period under review. The Bank has also associated the appreciation of the Kwacha to donor inflows and prospects of more inflows in the near future as another contributing factor. However, Dr. Goodall Gondwe, the Finance Minister has associated the appreciation of the Kwacha against major trading currencies with the good economic management that the current government is implementing. In theory, appreciation would increase foreign direct investment portfolios, reduce demand for foreign exchange and speculative international capital moving into Malawi due to attractive interest rates on government securities.

For a country like Malawi whose development plans have clearly stated that it will pursue an export-led development strategy, exporters will become "victims" of a strengthening local currency and will be getting less and less for each dollar or sterling earned through exports. Isn't the government contradicting itself by pursuing an export-led strategy while eroding its foundations through an appreciation? How does the government strike a balance between genuine need to have strong currency and desire to promote exports? The answers to the above questions remain to be seen with effects of debt relief. Without being seen to be lopsided in the debate, there are certainly gains that come with a strong currency. For instance, a strong currency gives an opportunity for local investors to import capital goods at cheaper prices for their investment portfolios. All things being equal, this in turn has the effect of creating jobs locally.

Despite the recent fuel increase which was effected on July 28, 2006, prices of most commodities have remained constant except for a few commodities whose prices have fluctuated purely by supply and demand forces. Many economic experts including a report from the Centre for Social Concern (CFSC) on Basic Needs Basket (BNB) have attributed the price stability to the drop in the prices of the food basket especially the drop in maize prices. However, according to the media, prices of selected commodities such as sugar, have gone up- maybe due to increase in its production or distribution cost.

Contrary to earlier reports of bumper yields, the press has learnt that, that the same old story of food insecurity appears to have resurrected once again and Kasungu is one of the first districts hit by the situation. According to reports by World Food Programme (WFP), the worsening situation is being attributed to the dry spell that hit the district in January and February of this year. Kasungu, which is one of the prime farming districts in the country has a case of food shortages.

In the wake of the food security problem, the three southern districts of Machinga, Mangochi and Balaka will benefit from the K750 million grant the government has received from the Norwegian government. This is meant to enhance food security and assist efforts of improving the livelihoods of the rural people. The project is expected to cater for 40 000 households in the districts.

Members of parliament of different opposition parties submitted names to form a possible committee that would look into the implementation of the fertilizer subsidy programme. This came amid reports that the coupon system was very selective resulting in some areas being denied the opportunity to benefit from the universal subsidy initiative.

Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) started buying maize from local farmers after government released K1 billion of the K4 billion promised for the whole process. Maize is being bought at K20 per kilogram while being sold at K25. And follow-ups to the story indicated a lesser amount has been released and is meant only for maize. Meanwhile other reports have shown that ADMARC is buying maize from Mozambique to fill in the deficit.

In related developments, the Ministry of Agriculture warned local farmers not to sell the produce to private traders, who are offering lower prices than the recommended price of K20. Private traders have taken advantage of the situation and have opened small buying depots across the country.

It has also been learnt that the delayed budget approval would cause some hardships to farmers, especially on the procurement of inputs. Consumer Association of Malawi said that the delay would derail importation of fertilizer and other farm inputs.

One of the key highlights of the month was the response by civil society to President Bingu wa Mutharika's conduct after the arrest of former president Bakili Muluzi by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The president suspended ACB director Gustave Kaliwo who later resigned and ordered the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Ishmael Wadi to resign for discontinuing the case. Some civil society organizations described these as constitutional violations and proposed the president's ouster as the only remedy to solve the current crisis. However media follow-ups showed that the two parties met at the State House to iron out their differences.

In early August, different civil society and faith-based organizations held a two-day Social Forum in Lilongwe to discuss problems faced by local Malawians and map the way forward. The forum under the theme "Make Poverty History" was led by Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN). Other groups that participated included Center For Social Concern (CFSC), Action-Aid Malawi, Center For Human Rights And Rehabilitation (CHRR), Malawi Congress of Trade Union (MCTU), and Civil Society Agricultural Network (CISANET). The topics tackled were education, health, social and economic problems faced by local Malawians.

Another issue that got media attention in August was the call for the reintroduction of outlawed traditional courts by Civil Liberties Committee (CILIC). The traditional courts were abolished about ten years ago after they were accused of being Kangaroo courts. However CILIC argued that the reintroduction of them would help curtail cases of human rights abuses in the country.

Media reports this month also showed that it was a bad month for some human rights organizations as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) decided to slash its financial support. In the country, the groups affected include CONGOMA, Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC), Democracy Consolidation Program (DCP). The financial reduction for human rights projects was effected in January this year with a reduction from K66 million to K42 million in their second quarter spanning April to June. However MHRC claimed the action by UNDP was against the contractual budget agreement. The press also established that two top officials of Voluntary Aid Service (VASO) are being investigated on allegation of misappropriating funds for the organization.

On the religious front, the controversial story of Chilomoni-based man Raphael Matiki who claims to be Jesus Christ has continued to attract more media attention and criticism from many religious organizations and many ordinary people across the country. It also appeared in the press that Nkhoma Synod of the CCAP held a meeting with the leader of opposition in the house and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president, John Tembo. Media reports show that this followed complaints from the state president

There seems to be no lasting solution to the ever-increasing cases of child labour. Despite all the talks about elimination of domestic child labour in the country, press reports have disclosed that the trend continues especially in the urban areas. It is common knowledge that in urban areas working class people normally want the services of such people. But according to research more and more youngsters are being employed to do domestic chores. Estate owners have recently been brought to book for employing young children in their farms. Now for the tendency to come to an end there is need for concerted efforts among all stakeholders. The ministry alone cannot fulfil all its plans if people do not hold hands in helping with the matter.

Some organisations have noted with great concern the rate at which children's rights are being abused in the form of defilement. The issue of defilement has become a daily occurrence as reported by the press to the disappointment of many in society. Observers have noted that the development continues to take root in the country because offenders are not given stiff enough sentences. Against this background some organisations have asked the judiciary to consider the death sentence on people who defile children including babies. In the act of defiling the young ones, some have contracted the deadly HIV/AIDS virus. This is what has caused some groups to ask for the death sentence as the right punishment for the offenders.

Blantyre City residents this month got the shock of their lives when some Asian traders claimed that a certain graveyard was their land. It was all the more shocking when they announced that people should exhume their dead relatives and bury them elsewhere. This is the first time in the history of Malawi that people were forced to unearth their loved ones who are assumed to be resting in peace. Now to have such a scenario in Che Nsomba's area is a shock to everyone as it could bring confusions among Malawians, as it is a new thing. What pains the inhabitants most is the fact that there is plenty of idle land in the city that could be given to the Asian traders to develop instead of the graveyard. The latest intervention by government by stopping the exercise is a welcome move and needs to be supported.

In what could be called bizarre some man in Chiradzulu district sent shockwaves to the Malawi nation when he murdered his niece, cooked the meat and ate it. This is the first time Malawi witnessed such acts of evil. Chiradzulu is a district, which has in the past been at the centre of some gruesome murders that saw victims losing some body parts. Now the recent case of an uncle killing his sister's daughter has left people wondering whether we should entrust the lives of our children to anybody. It really makes one wonder where Malawi is heading.

Although some organisations are spending sleepless nights trying to curb customs that fuel the spread of HIV/AIDS, some women are finding it wise to continue these practices. Some widows, who feel they will get rid of evil spirits if they sleep with other men after the death of their husbands, have however encouraged the practice. Despite all this belief among women some groups have been formed to sensitise people of the dangers of the tendency that has seen some families getting infected by the deadly virus. It is only with concerted efforts that some people who are failing to part ways with the deadly practice will wake up.

The education sector had something to smile about after it got a financial boost for primary education. The World Bank has given the sector US$32 million (about K4.5 billion) to improve the quality of primary school education. The Free Primary School Programme already supports the sector. And the ministry has promised that the money will address many challenges including inadequate provision of basic teaching and learning materials. To have such assistance from World Bank is a sign that the world financial bod wants to see the country's education sector improve. Of late there have cries from all walks of life over the declining standards of education. Now that the money has been allocated to education (primary school) perhaps there might be an improvement as regards standards of education.

In a quest for violence-free society, Forum for Association of Women Educationists of Malawi (FAWEMA) has proposed to government to introduce a policy that would protect girls from harassment by teachers and male students. National Coordinator for the forum Esther Msowoya made the proposition amid concerns that the Domestic Violence Bill passed during last parliamentary meeting left out the girl child. Observers have noted that while some women are happy about the domestic violence bill, the girl child continues to suffer silently. There have been numerous reports of male teachers who abuse female pupils but they get away with it because there seems to be no policies that safeguard the welfare of the girl child. It is against this background that FAWEMA is fighting for such policies.

In the middle of the month, education minister Anna Kachikho expressed concern over use of foreign languages at lower level of primary education. As is always the case primary school teachers in lower classes use foreign languages mainly English when teaching. But then observers have noted that some teachers do have problems in making the pupils understand what point their tutors are trying to put across. Now some experts have proposed that there is need to have children in the lower classes learning in their local languages. Reports have argued that the use of indigenous languages like Chewa, Yao and Tumbuka would improve things on the ground especially for child learning.

Another issue that made headlines in August was the proposal for fee hike that the University Council made to Ministry of Education. Reports in the press also indicated that the adjustments are proposed to meet the lectures' pay hike demand, which will see colleges raising 30 per cent of the 60 per cent increment.

The other news that got media attention was the strike by the Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb). The country's examination board went on a four-day sit-in over salary increment, a development that led to postponement of teachers' examinations.

The Malawi nation early this month joined the rest of the world in commemorating the breast-feeding week. Press reports disclosed that breast milk is the best food that mothers can give their newly born babies. Against this background the ministry of health encouraged women to always think of breast-feeding as the only trusted milk for the young. Among other things government announced plans to regulate food trade and promotion of such food products. It is reported that some companies exaggerate in promoting their goods to the extent that other mothers rely on such foods rather than breast milk. Such plans by government need to be given support from all corners of the society if the plans are to bear fruits.

Press reports in the month under review have disclosed thats there has been a drop in the HIV infections in Malawi. A study by the National Aids Commission NAC has revealed that HIV infection rate has declined from 14.4% to 14%. This situation calls for a more serious approach and perhaps intensifying behavioural change among Malawians if the rate is to continue declining. Still on the HIV/AIDS issue, children with HIV/AIDS in Mwanza district are finding it hard to get access to Anti-Retroviral drugs. This situation has prompted some organisations to ask government to help in making the drugs available to the infected children. The availability of the drugs to these children would help to prolong the children's lives. There is need for a quick solution to the problems that these children are facing if their lives re to be saved.

Issues of AIDS dominated the health sector in the month as observed by the number of topics that were raised in the press. Some members at the SADC meeting in Maseru in Lesotho recently have encouraged circumcision as a way of preventing HIV/AIDS. In these days when AIDS cases are a daily occurrence in the press some health experts have done a research that has shown that the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS is slightly lower. However the experts have also advised men to keep using a condom even when they are circumcised.

Although nurses are expected to attend to patients when they are sober, press reports have disclosed that some are doing their jobs while drunk. It has been reported that some male nurses do perform their duties in their drunken state. The conduct of such medical personnel is uncalled for as it paints a bad picture of the health sector. As patients are people who go to hospitals with the hope of being attended to by people who are in their rightful state of mind and now to have drunk nurses is far too much. It calls for immediate action so that the tendency is completely stopped before it is too late.

Although the announcement of the uranium mining project in Karonga was good news to some inhabitants in Kayelekera, environmentalists have chosen to differ with this feeling. To the inhabitants it means the existence of the mining project is a good source of income in form of employment. But on the other hand environmentalists have warned that mining of uranium in the lakeshore district would threaten the environment in the district. It could also lead to serious additional problems that would see the waters of Lake Malawi being contaminated. Similarly another report disclosed that uranium deposits could also damage crops and animal health. Experts have noted that it would be wise for Malawi to think of the environmental degradation that the project poses. Against this background some civil society organisations have teamed up to challenge the project and are accusing the project owners for failing to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment EIA. At least with EIA people in the area should be made aware of what exactly will happen to their lives if uranium mining is fully done in the area.

The issue of uranium did not only attract the attention of environmentalists but the civil society as well. Some civil society organisations expressed shock over the announcement that Paladin an Australian company at the helm of the uranium project would be exempted from paying tax for 16 years. The announcement has met the civil society's wrath as they feel Paladin being a foreign company should not be left without paying tax for such a long time. It has left the civil society with so many questions as to why Paladin could be left untouched on tax issues when most poor Malawians who are struggling to make ends meet are paying.

There have also been concerns over shortages of water in many areas in the country. Despite the huge water supply available in Malawi some areas still have no safe water. This scenario is what has forced some organisations to lend a helping hand to people in Ntcheu and Dedza districts. These efforts have come about following the observation that some of the water that people were using is contaminated and could cause diseases. The assistance that Concern Universal has rendered in the area will help people in accessing clean water. Some sources of water are polluted because there is lack of sanitation.

Issues of wanton cutting down of trees resurfaced in the press once again. But this time around there was an element of continued loss of some indigenous species of trees. To begin with press reports disclosed that some trees with edible fruits are slowly disappearing in many forests. This has raised concerns over the declining of fruits that people used to access when they visited forests. This being the case an organisation that looks after the preservation of endangered species of both plants and animals has promised to make sure that such trees are safeguarded.

Gender reports in the month of August have shown that Malawi is doing its best as regards the appointment of women in higher positions. This follows the recent nomination of Judge Jane Ansah as the first female Attorney General not only in Malawi but the whole SADC region. Such a nomination has brought smiles on gender activists' faces who feel women in the country are now being recognised. For a long time appointments in some organisations have favoured the masculine gender at the same time ignoring women with more convincing CVs. Now Ansah's appointment has come at the right time when Malawians are still bitter with the way women are oppressed in some organisations.

There have been some contradicting reports on the situation of gender in Malawi. Some reports have shown that Malawi has failed to comply with the SADC gender rules, which advocates for 30 % of women representation in decision-making positions. This evidenced by the number of women in Malawi's national Assembly. By the year 2005 Malawi had only achieved 14 % and was the lowest in the sub-Saharan countries. This means that Malawi did not even reach half of the recommended 30 %. This situation calls for more recognition of women's contributions in the country by promoting them in decision-making positions. However some reports have chosen to differ with this observation. They disclosed that Malawi is leading on gender. This follows the appointment of Attorney General AG Jane Ansah as the first female AG not only in Malawi but the whole SADC region as well.

The month under review also witnessed the meeting of SADC heads of state in Maseru in Lesotho. The proposal to advocate for female presidents in African countries was one of the issues that was discussed at length. The heads of state noted that not many women have the interest of standing in presidential elections for one reason or the other. It was all clear that the leaders who are males would really want to have a female president within their group if their dreams of empowering women are to be met. With this feeling in mind president Mutharika asked female politicians who are wishing to participate in the 2009 elections to start campaigning now. For Malawi to have a female candidate vying for the position of president it would be a right step towards attaining empowerment of women.

Center for Social Concern (CFSC)
Box 40049 Lilongwe 4
Area 25
Next to St. Francis Parish
Tel: 01 715 632
jkuppens@malawi.net -