MALAWI PRESS REVIEW SEPTEMBRE 2007
From Centre For Social Concern (see our house)

News clippings with analysis
From the Major newspapers
in Malawi

Compiled by the
Center for Social Concern (CFSC)
Box 40049 Lilongwe 4
Area 25
Next to St. Francis Parish
Tel: 01 715 632

LIST OF NEWSPAPERS REVIEWED

Daily Times, Malawi News, The Weekly News, The Nation,
The Weekend Nation, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Chronicle,
Nation on Sunday,

PREVIEW

To some President Bingu wa Mutharika's trips abroad would appear to have proved his critics right when they say he is not a listening leader. The main opposition parties, the Malawi Congress Party and the United Democratic Party, have said Mutharika tends to rule Malawi like a dictator. Over the years the opposition have invited the president to a round table conference to iron out their differences. The leader of the opposition John Tembo, has consistently advised the president to drop the fertiliser subsidy programme because it targets a few individuals and said that it should be just one affordable price for everyone.

The key portfolios of Agriculture and Education are under President Mutharika. There is chaotic direction of fertilizer subsidy and the Malawi School Certificate of Education Examination of 2007 was scandalous. One is inclined to believe the president needs to concentrate and even use the services of Vice President Cassim Chilumpha.

The Section 65 and Budget session nearly brought down the current government. It lasted a record of four months and spent over 3 million Kwacha in allowances for Members of Parliament. The future of Section 65 hangs in the balance because it was not resolved during the last session and is certain to affect the next budget session. It's a time bomb for the opposition to use against the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

Malawi has gone a step further economically judging from huge financial aid that has continued to pour into the country from the donors, although people in the streets find this hard to understand. Many companies have opted for fewer employees and some have even closed down because of financial strains. While it is true the Malawi Kwacha has remained steady throughout 2007 and the inflation rate has dropped to a single digit, the prices of the basic necessities have continued to shoot up.

HIV/Aids continued to capture the nation's attention because there seems to be no cure in the foreseeable future. Many organisations have joined the government's effort to sensitise the people to go for examination, and those who are positive to take Antiretroviral for the rest of their lives.

During 2007 the Malawi nation lost two precious lives due to cancer, the First Lady Ethel Mutharika and Minister of Gender and Child Welfare Kate Kainja Kaluluma. Both were receiving their treatment outside Malawi because here at home there are no suitable drugs and equipment. Hence the urgent need to finish the Cancer Centre that was started a couple of months ago.

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POLITICS

The past casting its shadow forward
Malawi is still struggling with democracy. The aftermath of the third and multiple term bids in 2002-2003 and the subsequent 2004 elections is still being felt. Muluzi, the first president after Kamuzu Banda, having failed to obtain a further term in office pushed Bingu wa Mutharika forward as candidate for the presidency. Surely he did so with the assurance that he would continue to rule from behind the curtains, because he retained the chairmanship of the party. Mutharika showed he was no puppet in any sense and started his own presidency with a zero tolerance stance on corruption. This meant that he had his colleagues investigated by the Anti Corruption Bureau. The pressure this caused on him finally led to his leaving the party, which elected him and put him in power. He showed that he has his own plans and ambitions, which go beyond 2009 when the next elections are scheduled and instead of going for a government of national unity, he started his own party, the Democratic People's Party (DPP). Those who support him in parliament and are elected on the new party's ticket are only six. The rest who now support the DPP government have come from other parties and therefore have crossed the floor. So not only does Mutharika have a minority government, his support can be undermined by the invocation of section 65, which prohibits crossing the floor and so tries to safeguard the principle of mandate.

Section 65 or the Budget?
Every year the opposition, having a majority in parliament, threatens to derail the budget. This became more and more threatening as the year went by. In 2007 the opposition used the threat of invoking section 65 of the constitution. It prohibits parliamentarians to cross the floor and join another party. When this section was confirmed as a valid part of the constitution the state president stood to lose the (minority) support he has in parliament. Fears of this enabling his own impeachment seem to be ungrounded but none the less impacted, on his discourse and decisions. In section 65 Mr. John Tembo, leader of the MCP and opposition in parliament, sees a possibility to get back at the president for having (allegedly) cheated him out of the presidency. For the UDF who brought Mutharika to power, using section 65 and making life generally difficult for the executive is at least giving some satisfaction for having lost out on government. In the course of time opinions have hardened and language has been used that hurts and insults. Positions have been taken that should not have been and so the country has worked itself into a tight corner. Because of all this, parliament is not functioning properly and the whole country, and also organisations that want to work with parliament (such as the CFSC), feel the impact. We at the CFC had hopes that finally the bill regulating tenancy labour would be tabled in parliament. With all the politicking this did not happen and the people who generate most of Malawi's foreign currency, the tobacco tenants, have no recourse under the law to improve their slave like working and living conditions.

Judiciary's role
As a consequence of all this the judiciary, as one of the arms of government, is playing a very forceful role because of the use of injunctions by all and sundry. Some commentators have seen this as a bad development. It obscures their main role of interpreting the constitution and assuring the rule of law. The parliamentarians are losing the support and respect of the population because of their use of bad language, selfishness in demanding ever-increasing perks, and their lack of interest in the common good. D.D. Phiri, a respected economist and columnist, said that in comparison to their cost, they produce very little. They are so expensive that it is hardly possible to meet with any of the committees of parliament. This makes it hard for civil society to contribute to policy debates and play its role of checks and balances.

Civil Society
In the budget / section 65 stand off civil society is playing a role beyond its normal involvement. It is allowed to do so because it gets the support of the executive, as the critique happens to go against the opposition, and of many citizens because they are fed up with endless rows in the so called 'August House'. In other circumstances, if the critique would have gone against government, they might have been accused of politicking. Looking at their performance they are at times not well enough prepared and their discourse is not carefully developed, can be open to misinterpretation, and at times smacks of an invitation to violent behaviour. In the debate about what is to come first, the budget or the section 65, the churches have chosen the side of the budget and are perceived as choosing sides against the opposition. Thus they have lost the moral high ground and could not help much in the impasse. Some commentators warned that the present situation might lead to a state of emergency and bring back the one party state.

Finally the budget
After four months of parliamentary sessions and adjournments the budget was finally approved. There isn't a Malawian who has not heard of the budget. There is probably no Malawian who has not heard about the 'pro poor' budget. It seemed to be the strategy of government to announce their budget as 'pro poor', so as to mobilise the masses against the opposition who did not want to pass it. While progress was made on knowledge about the budget by common folk, it is not certain that the understanding of it has been improved. Nor is it sure that the poor will really see the benefits of this 'pro poor' budget. Without the budget it would have been impossible, but with the budget in place it will only be seen when the reports come in from ministries and CSO's, because a budget needs to be implemented to see its effect. Most observers have however praised it as a good budget. The opposition wanted to put its very own signature to it and voted less than one dollar each to Malawi Broadcasting Corporation and Television Malawi. While they did have an argument that these media organisations are very partisan, they are also punishing the general public. This vote will make it difficult for the public media to play their role as educators of the citizens on development and human rights.

Internal democracy
The parties in parliament promise and delay conventions, or simply announce that they do not need them. Primaries in the various constituencies are most often conveniently forgotten. The electorate punished the UDF in 2004 because of this and it lost many seats in parliament. The recycling of old politicians prevents new talent to enter the fray and help the nation forward. It does not give a sign of humility to just impose oneself to be a party's candidate for president. What about all those other talented Malawians? The former head of state even has gone as far as to hire 24 lawyers to assist him in his bid for the presidency in 2009!

The press did decry the internal wrangles and power struggles within the various parties. This is also a sign of not observing internal democracy that gives all a chance to be heard through the proper democratic channels. Another sign may be the change of party by such heavyweights as Dausi the vice-president of the MCP. Similarly the continuous postponing of local elections make the slogan: "bringing democracy home" a joke.

The proliferation of parties has proved not to work. Many of these parties will not even get one seat in parliament. The once mighty Aford is down to one seat in parliament and continuing daily squabbles, even extend to exchanging blows in church. Uladi Mussa a former minister in Bingu's cabinet surprised many by wanting to start his own Malavi People's Party, yet he is promising to rejoin either UDF or DPP if he is given the vice presidency. The continued discourse attracting people to join the ruling government by promises of development if they do so implies that development is seen as a privilege for those who voted in favour of the DPP and not a human right.

The blurring of state and party functions has also increased in spite of the promises made by the incumbent in his acceptance speech in 2004. On the issue of corruption there is disagreement if the zero corruption stance has had any effect at all, because organisations like Transparency International claim it has increased. The recent allegations of outright cheating with fertilizer coupons by government officials, adds to the negative balance. The use of foul language by the top leadership echelon sets a bad example for all and causes the divisions to deepen.

A continuous campaign
Having no clear mandate, the present government has to prove continuously that it is of benefit to the Malawi nation. 'Judge me by the work of my hands' so say the spin-doctors and show larger than life posters of Bingu wa Mutharika and some of the works and dreams of his government. Bakili Muluzi, feeling sore for being outsmarted, retaliates and attacks he successor at every possible occasion, wanting nothing more than to unseat him in 2009. JZU Tembo, remembering having been cheated out of the presidency, tries to add his bit to the equation accusing both Muluzi and Mutharika of having had a hand in his demise. All parties and candidates have already set their eyes on the 2009 election. In the meantime the economy gets good marks especially on the macro side, but the cost of living is still going up. The bumper harvest of the two past years still did not produce enough to feed all Malawians: witness the appeal by the World Food Organisation for US$ 12,000,000 to help feed the hungry in Malawi. Time wasted with the everlasting campaigns takes away time from development activities which should be helping Malawians to take charge of their lives. Many have tried to reconcile the conflicting parties but to no avail.

Some special events
The death of the first lady, Madam Ethel Mutharika, succeeded in doing what nobody else could: bringing a truce, bringing face to face the parties to the conflict, allowing for handshakes and a sharing of grief. Besides that the national outpouring of grief made it look as if in the passing away of the first lady the whole nation remembered all the grief and pain of so many who have died during the year, most of them prematurely.

The use of the army to disperse a UDF meeting caused worry to most decent thinking citizens and observers. The assurance given by the government that the UDF was free to hold its meetings gives the hope that this will not be repeated.

Another event of great importance was the constitutional review conference. The contributions made by people from all walks of life and many different groups were studied by a special extended law commission. The result of these studies was presented to a representative group of Malawians. Some of the ideas were taken on board without much trouble, others caused worry to many like: the recall condition for MPs; the age limit for presidents set at 70; the minimum academic qualification for presidents; capital punishment where the chiefs and the special commission did not see eye to eye; the two terms in office for presidents. This event, like so many others, was overshadowed by narrow political interests. That is why civil society groups have in the meantime requested that not parliament but a referendum will decide over the fate of the next (final?) draft. Very few contributions went beyond the obvious such as what type of economy Malawi should embrace to make it possible to eradicate poverty. In other words, it seems the revision session was done as if Malawi were any other country, not a country where most live under the misery line, because the one-dollar a day poverty line hardly assures a life free of misery.

Will 2008 be a year of campaigns? Will it bring strife and discord? One cannot look into the future, but some earnest misgivings are there. If we pass 2008 without open strife, it will need more talking to each other, it will need burying the hatchet. Reconciliation at the top, internal democracy in different parties, a parliament worthy of the name 'August House', these may be some ingredients that will help the country to arrive in 2009 better than it is now.

ECONOMY

The current administration has shown commitment and determination to improve macroeconomic management (containing spending as well as domestic borrowing, keeping inflation down) during the past 4 years it has been in government. The economy remains strong and continues to improve as the years pass by. Helped by sound economic policies, a good harvest and favourable external conditions, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected be 7.9% in 2007/2008 compared to 8.5% during the same period in 2006/2007. However, people are questioning the administration's handling of political governance more especially in the year which has just ended. There is a general feeling that the current administration does not respect the rule of law and the constitution.

Inflation has continued to go down to single digit of 7.2% in September 2007 from 13.9% in 2006. It has decreased from 9.6% in February 2007 to 8.4% in the last quarter of the year under review. The decrease in inflation is mainly attributed to the availability of maize. Maize is the major item that is used in determining inflation. The inflation figure is expected to continue to go down if the price of maize continues to fall. The bank rates have also been reduced to 15% in November 2007 from as high as 30% in 2006. Interest rates have fallen from 27% at the beginning of the year to 17.5% during the last quarter.

There is a remarkable improvement in the external and internal debt situation in Malawi. Following the cancellation of external debt under Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) in 2006, Malawi's domestic debt has also dropped by 25% over a period of 3 years under the current administration. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) instructed the government of Malawi to use part of the freed resources from external debt relief to retire some of the domestic debt. This is good fiscal policy for the economy but these resources would have better benefited the poor, who are in the majority, by providing good social services delivery in the education, health and agriculture sector.

For the first time in the history of Malawi, opposition members of parliament rejected the mid-term budget on the ground that the Minister of Finance failed to give the national assembly account of how resources were used in different votes. The same development happened during the deliberations of the 2007/2008 budget in which the opposition gave priority to Section 65 of the constitution over the budget. Various parts of civil society condemned this behaviour as a sad development. The civil society then staged massive demonstrations to force the members of parliament to pass the 2007/2008 budget. During the year under review the tobacco prices in generally have been exceptionally good compared to the same period for the past three years. This development, together with the steady inflow of foreign aid, has improved on the foreign exchange availability in the country, which has resulted in the stability of the local Malawian currency against the major trading currencies. It is CFSC hope that high tobacco prices will be translated into better packages for the tobacco farmers and tobacco tenants as well.

Despite civil society and the private sector's persistent attempts to stop the Malawi government from signing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPAs) with the European Union, the government has chosen to sign the Interim Agreement to avoid disruption of trade flow between Malawi and the EU. EPAs are basically Free Trade Agreements and will further promote the already privatized and liberalized agricultural sectors in the region and so further remove any government controls and protection to the sector. Agriculture is a sensitive sector, which ought to be nurtured, protected and developed further if it is to compete with agricultural products from Europe. EPAs, with the substantial trade clause of up to 80%, will experience dumping of cheap products from the EU and this will gradually kill the agricultural sector in Africa and the whole of the SADC region. Malawi will engage in serious consultations with various stakeholders before it signs the comprehensive agreement by December 2008.

The international community also disregards the plea from faith leaders of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches in Hungary 1997 when they call for a Processus Confessions quoting the cry of the poor and the groaning of creation: a call to tackle economic injustice and ecological destruction at all levels in all member churches. This call has echoes of the Jubilee Campaign. In June 2000 in Budapest, the same is affirmed by a call to serve GOD and not Mammon. In 2002 in Soesterberg the plea becomes: "Promote an economy at the service of life". Pope John Paul II adds his own urgency to the matter when he makes real solidarity a centrepiece of his teaching. In short as Christians we say yes to all that promotes human dignity and no to the EPAS as they are now.

FOOD SECURITY

As a poor country Malawi is still struggling to meet the basic necessities of its people. Despite this Malawians in the year just ended managed to smile because of the availability of maize in the country. This follows two years of good rains and high yields. Perhaps this could also be attributed to the availability of subsided fertilizers that some farmers had access to. Malawi is the envy to some neighbours because of the current food status. 2007 reports show that some farmers had plenty of maize with no place to keep it.

The bumper harvest meant some farmers had to struggle to keep their harvest. This is what gave some traders a chance to coax farmers to sell part of their harvest at the minimum price. Experience has shown that people are always carried away by such traders who give them cash on the spot despite the low prices. The dubious traders end up selling the grain in the lean period sometimes to the same people at inflated prices. Against this background the ministry of agriculture warned farmers to be careful with the sales of maize following a tip that some traders are duping farmers. It was reported that they were posing as National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) staff and were buying maize but did not pay for it.

Early last year those that wanted to buy maize were parting with at least K500 to purchase a 50 kg bag. According to reports the availability of plenty of maize and other foodstuffs had an impact on the inflation rates. For the first time Malawi has a single digit inflation. The inflation rate continued to go down to 7.5 %. According to experts the inflation rate has fallen tremendously in recent times partly because of the availability of food, especially maize which is one of the major components in combating inflation. This is the first time in about 15 years that Malawi has had single digit inflation.

The coupon system in the year 2007 came under heavy attack from a number of stakeholders. It cannot be safely said that their distribution was successful. Although some people got the coupons in good time for the 2007 growing season others found it difficult to access the subsided fertilizers. Similarly some people did not have access to the coupons and also failed to buy the fertilizers. Against this background opposition politicians took the government to task over the way it handled the coupon distribution exercise. Other reports have shown that the distribution at the end of 2007 was coupled with theft of coupons by transporters and politicians. It remains a mystery why some individuals enjoy frustrating government efforts that are meant to benefit the masses. For sure the coupon system needs to be improved.

The thought of some Malawians starving when others have plenty is very depressing. It is sad to note that in Karonga, Nsanje and Chikwawa some people sleep on empty stomachs when other families can afford to throw away food because they have plenty. The situation in these areas is so poor and needs to be looked into seriously. The United Nations estimated that 80,000 people in Malawi risk starvation.

President Mutharika, who early last year had initiated a ban on maize exports to other countries, lifted the ban in late 2007. This was followed by the exports of maize to Zimbabwe where there are massive food shortages. At the same time Mutharika
announced at a SADC heads of state meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, that Malawi was going to donate maize to Lesotho and Swaziland. To date it has not been reported that the donated maize has been sent to respective countries, but it is clear that Malawi is managing to feed itself and Zimbabwe.

The exports of maize to Zimbabwe sparked a lot of debate towards the end of the year. As a country whose economic situation has gone from bad to worse, some Malawians are still skeptical if the exported maize is being paid for. Similarly some stakeholders feel Malawians should be careful with the maize exports to Zimbabwe. The country might end up exporting a lot of surplus maize and find itself in a very awkward situation afterwards. Malawians would certainly not want a repeat of 2002 when the ruling government sold maize stocks to Kenya at the expense of the local population. The result is still fresh in many people's minds and because Malawi faced the worst food shortage in recent times.

President Mutharika announced the reduction in cost of subsidised fertilizer from K950 to K900 per 50kg bag, the bag's full cost should be K4,000. The announcement came as a surprise to some people who felt the K50 reduction was too little, but economic experts assured the nation that such a reduction is only logical. However some opposition leaders still felt the K50 reduction on subsidised fertilizer is a mockery and have since promised to introduce free distribution of the farm inputs once they are elected to power.

In the same vein agricultural experts warned that the use of fertilizer is good at present but as a nation we should be thinking of long term effects of continued use of the commodity. Malawi's soils have been fed with fertilizers for a long time and one might never know to what extent these chemicals are damaging the soils. It is time that the authorities came up with other means of maintaining the soil nutrients.

On another note some observers suggested that there should be alternatives to the use of fertilizers because it is still not clear if at all the fertilizer subsidy programme will be sustained. Changes in the political setting might put the subsidy programme in jeopardy and hence Malawi needs to be prepared just in case such a situation arises. Similarly some observers have also stressed the need to use the natural resources that Malawi is blessed with. Although we have a full Ministry of Water and Irrigation not too many people have the equipment for irrigation. There is need to invest in irrigation and change people's mindset so that they can use water that is available throughout the year. This would also help when there is a drought.

CIVIL SOCIETY AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS

During the year ending Civil Society organisations played a critical role in monitoring government policies and communicating them to people at the grassroots. However, along this process, there have been misgivings from government, within civil society and the general public about the performance of these organisations. This implied that many people questioned the authenticity of the organisations.

During the first part of the year civil society groups joined government in commemorating the Anti-Corruption Day. In trying to make Malawi a corruption free nation, published and unpublished reports, showed that some parts of civil society are not accountable enough to the people they worked for. A lot of resources intended for the poor did not reach them because the process was not transparent enough. In commemorating this day, civil society organisations were reminded of their rightful role of ensuring transparency in administrating resources meant for the poorest members of our society today. The day was a reminder to them that they needed to be accountable and transparent in the administration of resources. The zero tolerance of corruption has been viewed as targeting the opposition - witch hunting.

On governance, the civil society organisations expressed grave concern over the delay of the local elections, which is a process of decentralisation. The absence of councilors rendered a very big gap between the government's operations. One wondered how development was going to reach out to the rural areas if the district assemblies did not have councilors. The organisations wanted government to speed up the polls or risk losing funding from EU countries and other donors such as GRZ, under the Malawi-German Decentralisation Programme. The organisations alleged that Germany withdrew the funding because government was unwilling to conduct the much-needed polls.

The uranium mining at Kayerekera in Karonga was another topical issue that was every in one's attention. While any mining would benefit Malawi and its people, the Kayerekera situation was questioned more on the safety measures that are in place, saying the side effects of uranium are more harmful than probably any other mineral. One of the feared dangers is it causing cancer that is rated one of the most common killer diseases. The process of signing the MOU between the Malawi government and the Paladin (the Australian mining company) was suspicious and obviously done with very little consultation if any. The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) was not carried out prior this agreement.

In the course of the year there have been reports of dissatisfaction from different quarters of society following the non-performance the members of parliament. It became evident that MPs are rarely seen in their constituencies. Most of them stay in town where they have built magnificent houses. They do not care about the people they represent in parliament. They were more loyal to the leadership of their respective political parties, saying before any sitting that even their causes were dominated by the wishes of the leaders. This situation compelled civil society to suggest a recall provision, which would check the conduct of MPs. In addition, they

also suggested that a separate committee be set up to regulate the perks of the members of parliament. Coming to the close of the year, one wonders whether the two
ituations would work because it would be the same members approving them. The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), in their project, "The Parliamentary Liaison Programme" confirmed the lack of contact between the MPs and their constituencies.

Media reports spotlighted the growing spate of gender-based violence that was attributed to lack of knowledge of rights and duties. The more different organisations waged war on this violence, the more violence occurred in different places for different reasons. One believes that the reported cases were just the tip of an iceberg of what takes place in homes and other places. Our culture of silence aggravates the situation because women are generally believed to be submissive and supposed to persevere through any hardships they meet in family life.

A three-year evaluation of the president in office had shown that the current administration had performed exceptionally well in economic governance, but against this there is the continued need to improve on human rights. The agenda on human rights includes respect for the other person and to see them as partners. This understanding has to be practiced between people of different affiliations. It is in this regard that the general public has seen little dialogue between those in government and the opposition.

The failure of all the political parties to hold conventions has proved a denial of democratic values, because all party members are supposed to have the right to express themselves in a convention. The inter-party wrangles and the greed to see oneself ascend to power have been the main causes for failure to conduct elections during these conventions, which are supposed to offer free space for all in the party to express their choice. This situation probably explains why we have problems at national level where inter-party tensions have led to a three-year political impasse.

Still in the same vein, the 20007/2008 budget took four months to be passed because of the differences between political parties. Following the validity of section 65 of the constitution, the House had two competing agendas, the budget and section 65, with government advancing the budget and the opposition section 65. Since many stakeholders saw the budget as a non-political issue, civil society campaigned vigorously for it. The advocacy campaign included camping at City Centre premises in Lilongwe and the hooting around our cities in the morning to bring reason to those involved in the ongoing political impasse. The general feeling outside the House was that the budget needed to be passed so that development projects would benefit local Malawians. The delay in passing the national budget also affected institutions of learning, including the University of Malawi. However, the opposition alleged that civil society was pro-government because after parliament was prorogued, the same civil society did not speak out on the situation.

The revised version of the constitution would still face the same opposition dominated House where the new proposals would have difficulties to get through. One wonders whether Malawians trust their members of parliament.

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE

The situation in Malawi prisons is still so deplorable to the extent that during the year some international organisations asked the authorities to urgently look into the problem. Reports on the situation show that almost all the prisons are overcrowded and that some inmates have spent a number of years in detention without being brought to trial. Despite president Bingu wa Mutharika's tendency to pardon hundreds of prisoners since he came to power, the conditions remain inhuman. It is alleged that some prisoners have only one meal a day. Sexually transmitted diseases are reported to be rife because it is rumoured homosexuality is practiced in most prisons. Maybe such negative reports from prisons need to be given priority. Prisons are supposed to reform people but in such conditions it is difficult to see how anyone can be reformed.

In the year 2007 various organisations took time to fight for the rights of tobacco tenants. After launching a book on a survey of the living conditions of tobacco tenants, the Centre For Social Concern (CFSC) is continuing to support the passing of the tenancy bill. Without the tenancy bill the living and working conditions of tenants might never change for the better. Tenants who sweat day in day out to produce Malawi's major foreign exchange earner continue to live in inhuman conditions all over the country. Tobacco prices were good in 2007 but it is not known if the tenants really enjoyed the fruits of their labour. The CFSC prays for the day the bill will be tabled and passed in parliament.

Child dumping was also one of the issues that took centre stage in the year 2007. To some people falling pregnant is not a problem, but to look after a child when it is born is another thing. One wonders why such people become pregnant in the first place. A number of cases were reported in the press of women who dumped their babies for various reasons. It is still unclear why a mother would want to end her own baby's life. Evidence has shown that a number of young girls who have unwanted pregnancies end up abandoning their babies.

Another issue that attracted a lot of attention in the year 2007 is child labour. There were contradicting reports on the issue: some showed that the child labour rates had increased, while recent reports showed that it is decreasing. Under aged children are still taken from their home areas to work on farms and estates. These are of school going age and the time they spend working on the farms is when they should be in school. Surprisingly, many people like to employ children as domestic servants because they are cheap labour. The children often go for months without being paid; some are mistreated so badly and are abused in many ways. There is a glimmer of hope that soon child labour will become history because of campaigns that are underway. In 2007 organisations conducted awareness campaigns on the safety and rights of children. Perhaps this is the reason why some reports say that cases of child labour are now decreasing. In such circumstances the future of children will be safeguarded and the people of Malawi will be more mindful of the rights of children.

The issue of child labour is parallel with that of human trafficking, which is said to be increasing in Malawi. According to reports children are taken from their homes to work in other districts of the country. Often girls are trafficked for prostitution, either
in Malawi or outside Malawi. Against this background the Centre For Social Concern CFSC conducted a number of awareness campaigns to alert parents of the situation. 2007 press reports also disclosed that Malawi is a market for human body parts. The efforts of CFSC should be commended and supported so that human trafficking can be an issue of the past.

Although Malawi is heavily hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, cultural practices that help the spread of AIDS are still on the increase in some districts. The Lower Shire is still famous for its Kupitakufa where a man is chosen to sleep with the widow of a deceased person. By observing Kupitakufa it is believed that the spirit of the departed will rest and the family will not be haunted by him. Such a practice could aid the spread of Aids because no protection is used. For some time organisations and others involved have called for a change in attitude towards this practice, and for people to realise that by practising Kupitakufa they are putting their lives in danger by contracting the deadly virus. The Lower Shire districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa are not the only places that have dangerous cultural practices. Some say that civic education should be implemented to ensure that people do away with practices that endanger their lives.

The death penalty was one of the issues discussed at the national constitutional review meeting in the year. Some participants at the conference felt there was no need to abolish the death penalty because those that kill should also be killed. It was felt that if courts prove beyond reasonable doubt that a person is guilty of murder, then the convicted person should be executed. Many church and civil society organizations had the opposite view. Former president Dr Bakili Muluzi and the current leader Dr Bingu wa Mutharika have never signed a death warrant of anyone who is on death row. As the debate continues it is clear that opinion is divided.

The media also devoted some time to cover the ever-increasing cases of witchcraft which appear daily in the press. Surprisingly, a number of those involved in the craft are religious people. One would expect that being godly people they would shun such evil deeds. On a number of occasions the press unearthed stories of witchcraft aeroplanes that fell on people's homes, and the owners of planes were found naked in the morning. Others are alleged to be operating witchcraft schools where they teach children without their parent's knowledge. This has puzzled many people who feel that the suspected witches and wizards should be punished.

Witchcraft was also an issue at the constitutional review conference because people wanted it to be incorporated in the country's constitution mainly in order to clarify its legal position. Reports from medical circles show that sometimes it is not possible to diagnose a particular illness for certain patients. When such a situation arises it leaves the way open for accusations of witchcraft having been used against the sick person by a third party. Still, despite the deep seated belief in such powers, it cannot confidently be said that the patient is bewitched. When cases of witchcraft reach a court it can be difficult to gain the truth about the situation and to prove or disprove that the accused is practicing the craft. No matter what the outcome the suspicion of guilt still remains because of the secrecy that surrounds such beliefs. It is against this background some people feel witchcraft should be included in the constitution.

Delegates at the same conference also dismissed the proposal to legalise homosexuality in Malawi. For some time organisations shocked a number of people in Malawi when this issue was published in the press. It raised many conflicting ideas because some felt we could not ignore the issue because there are some homosexual in the community. Both religious groups and traditional leaders have thrown out the proposal, which they say is a new phenomenon.

Some religious groups took a swipe at people who fail to make a commitment to each other by legalising their union. Reports show that it is common for people to cohabit without formalising their marriages. Cohabitation has become so common that nobody seems to mind any more. Religious people at the constitutional conference review felt this form of union should not be encouraged because it degrades the whole concept of holy matrimony. Traditional leaders also shared the same sentiments because they felt legalising cohabitation would encourage youngsters not to formalise their marriages. At the same time other observers feel the children that are born from such arrangements are rarely recognised. In the event of death relatives of the man might choose not to acknowledge the children.

It is sad that Malawi experienced an increase in road accidents. We have one of the highest accident rates of SADC countries. Malawi has lost many productive citizens in the year due to accidents that happened on our roads. Recently the Alliance For Democracy Party AFORD lost 27 members when a vehicle they were travelling in was involved in an accident at Linthipe in Dedza. The Linthipe Bridge has become so dangerous in recent times with many major accidents continue to occur at the spot despite the rumble surfaces on the road.

EDUCATION

The Ministry
The year 2007 saw president Bingu wa Mutharika appoint himself the overall minister of education. He split the ministry in two with Olive Masanza made responsible for basic and secondary schools, while Richard Msowoya was put in charge of the higher learning institutions. To some observers Mutharika should not have taken on this role because he already had too much work on his plate. At the same time other observers feel Mutharika has shown that he does not trust others to take on the education ministry. By having Mutharika as minister of education people expected him to improve the ministry's performance. This has not been the case as the ministry has continued to sail into troubled waters as seen in the many scandals that continue to occur.

Teacher, teaching and learning materials
The ministry of education has also been badly hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Sick teachers spend a number of days in sick beds at the expense of students in schools. Statistics have shown that the ministry is losing two teachers everyday. This is a sad situation considering the small number of teachers that the ministry has.

The introduction of free primary school education has meant that large numbers of pupils have enrolled for school. This sudden increase of pupils did not match the number of teachers and the situation is almost the same ten years down the line. At the same time some teachers have left government schools to join private schools where they believe the pasture to be greener. With fewer teachers there are possibilities of compromising the quality of education because those remaining have to look after too many children. To fight the shortage the ministry increased the number of teachers it trains from 800 to 3,000 a year.

The shortage of teachers is mostly seen in rural areas. Reports in 2007 show that many teachers are not too keen to teach in rural areas. This has resulted in rural schools not having enough teachers and so students have some periods without lessons because their teachers are busy with other classes. The situation in town is different as some teachers are too busy establishing parallel schools, where they teach most of the time, ignoring their pupils in state schools. These teachers are on the government payroll and are supposed to give their full attention to teaching in government schools. With this trend the future for people who cannot afford to pay school fees in privately owned parallel school is questionable.

Although the education sector is allocated a lion's share from the national budget, the ministry is still struggling to meet some of its requirements. Shortage of teaching and learning materials is common. It is not strange to hear that some schools have no materials and are surviving by the grace of God. Children have always shown the will to go to school so it is sad to see that they get knowledge in very strange structures. It is even sadder when the girls have to study in such an unfriendly environment where sanitation is not good at all.
Distance learning used to be one of the best things available to people who were not selected to go to government secondary schools. The advent of multiparty politics saw some Malawi College of Distance Education schools, popularly known as DECs, become Community Day Secondary schools. These changes stopped some DECs functioning well. As a result the learning material, called Sets that even some secondary school students used, are no longer a common sight.

Education For All (EFA)?
It looks as if Malawi's efforts to achieve education for all by the year 2015 will not be achieved because some sectors are not attended to. The fact that adult literacy is left out tells it all. One wonders why it was that adult literacy rates were only lifted during the Kamuzu era and not since. The country used to have adult literacy schools, which were called Kwacha, but now literacy has become a very scarce issue even in the press. Is there any hope for grown ups that want to have some formal education? A revelation that 50% of people in Ntchisi district are illiterate should give authorities and all stakeholders food for thought. It is indeed unthinkable to have such high levels of illiteracy forty-three years after independence.

To educate people living with disability was also another challenge for the education sector. In the year 2007 press reports show that 35% of such children do not go to school. It is also reported that some students who require special needs to be in school are only being admitted to certain schools. An example is that the students who were
not admitted to Stella Maris Secondary School in Blantyre. At the same time there are not sufficient materials that could be used to teach people with special needs. To add insult to injury in 2007 the government cut funding for the people with disabilities. Achieving EFAs by the year 2015 remains an uphill task for Malawi with all the above challenges.

MSCE examinations.
After seven years without examination scandals the least expected thing happened. It was reported that the 2007 Malawi Schools Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations papers were leaked. Even before the papers were sent out to the centres, the press (Daily Times) had disclosed that they were being sold on the markets. Surprisingly the Malawi Nation Examinations Board (MANEB) described the story as bogus. However, people got the shock of their lives when the History and Chichewa papers that were printed in the newspaper were the same that the MSCE candidates wrote. According to other reports it seems the whole examination process suffered from the leaks.

To date some observers are still calling for the dismissal of the Director of MANEB Mathews Matemba. On several occasions Matemba refused to admit that the examination papers that were being sold on the markets were the ones 2007 MSCE candidates were going to write. Former MANEB boss, Dr Meria Nowa Phiri, lost her job after MSCE examinations were leaked in the year 2000. Will the problem be solved if Matemba is suspended? At the same time will employers look at the 2007 MSCE certificates with smiles on their faces? Is the highest qualification in secondary school, the MSCE, slowly losing its credibility?

Thanks to the media disclosing that there was a leakage in the 2007 MSCE examination, the government ordered that five subjects should be resat. Although students are going to resit only five subjects, some people still oppose this decision and they want all the examinations to be cancelled. It is still an uphill task to make sure that exams in Malawi are not leaked or that students do not cheat.

Colleges indiscipline
Three out of the five constituent colleges of the University of Malawi and the University of Mzuzu were involved in some sort of strikes during 2007. Note that every time University students are involved in strikes and demonstrations they leave behind them damage worth a lot of money. The Polytechnic, Chancellor and Bunda were all involved some type of strikes or sit-in during year 2007. It is also strange that Polytechnic students fought with the Malawi College of Health Sciences (MCHS) students and caused great damage to property. Surprisingly Polytechnic students went a step further and stoned passing vehicles on the Chipembere Highway, which lies a few meters from the college. Chancellor College students held a sit-in protesting about the quality of food. A year does not pass without hearing of strikes, and demonstrations by college students. It is common knowledge that the more they strike the more they delay themselves in completing semesters. This happens because the college authorities are forced to close down schools. Can the students not find an amicable way of solving the problems other than resorting to violence?

HEALTH

During 2007 media reports indicate there have been little theft of medical supplies and equipment from government hospitals as compared to 2006 and other years before when it was an every day story. This measure of security can be attributed to a new type of discipline being enforced by the new administration at the Medical Stores Headquarters in Blantyre and Malawians wish this trend to continue. The people of this country had waited to hear the ruling of the court in Blantyre on Hassan Goba who had been accused of stealing huge amounts of medical supplies and equipment. Goba was freed for what the magistrate said was lack of evidence. But are a couple of lorries full of cartons of medicines and equipment not enough evidence?

In an effort to curb the emigration of doctors and nurses to Europe and the United States, the government promised to increase their salaries by 52 percent. The money was not readily available and so the concerned staff felt cheated. The only solution to force government to act was to go on strike. But when the money came, there was no difference in the increase between the professional and the auxiliary nurses. So the professionals are once again planning another strike to force their employer to give them a better deal.

But who suffers most when medical staffs decide to solve their problems through strikes? An innocent pregnant mother who has travelled maybe 20 kms from the village seeking delivery, an accident victim requiring an urgent blood transfusion or an immediate operation and so on. The government and the medical staff should solve their problems around a conference table through dialogue.

During the wet season in 2007 cholera cases have been relatively few with only one fatal case out of 96 patients who were registered from Phalombe, Machinga, Balaka and Mulanje. According to records, Blantyre, Machinga and Mangochi usually have many Cholera cases reported every year, but 2007 has been an exceptionally safe year so far. This is a result of intensified health practices among communities, like drinking safe and treated water, proper sanitation and health surveillance.

In a move more political than medical President Bingu wa Mutharika changed the name of the Bottom Hospital in Lilongwe to Bwaila in order to erase the derogatory colonial name. This reminded Malawians that before self-rule the indigenous people of this country were treated at the Bottom Hospital, unlike the whites who received their treatment at the Top Hospital, which was in Area 3. This makes sense but one wonders why it has taken three presidents and nearly fifty years of independence to realize Bottom Hospital meant what it meant.

The Ministry of Health has acquired 54 motorcycle ambulances to help ease transport problems in remote areas. This is a step forward in combating maternal mortality whose ratio of 984 deaths per 100,000 live births is too high for any country. According to the Minister of Health, Marjorie Ngaunje, her ministry has such a high maternal mortality ratio because of failure to bring patients to the appropriate health facilities in time due to transport problems. Our mothers in some parts of the country
will benefit from the motorcycle ambulances and hopefully such a system will spread to other areas where roads are not suitable for cars.

The death of the First Lady Ethel Mutharika in May this year who was a victim of cancer has become a source of commitment to the government to press hard for the establishment of the National Cancer Centre of Malawi. Media reports reveal that in 2003 the number of new cases reached 5,000 and the number continues to grow. Despite its widespread presence cancer remains shrouded with secrecy for fear of causing upset to the patients and their relatives because it was regarded as incurable. Once established, it is hoped the Centre will treat patients locally and save many lives. In a related development, Malawi will soon have the Ethel Mutharika Maternity Wing at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe that will become the largest in the country. This is to honour the fallen First Lady.

The anniversary of nursing founder Florence Nightingale coincided with the opposition in parliament trying to shoot down the national budget. But the National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives appealed to the Members of Parliament to approve the budget saying failure to do so would be suicidal. The organisation spokesperson, Dorothy Ngoma, protested in the strongest terms at the intention of the opposition MPs to block the national budget. Congestion in hospitals, shortage of nurses, lack of drugs and equipment are serious matters that concern all Malawians regardless of their political affiliations. Hence the nurses call to our MPs to be reasonable as they seemed to have lost track of common sense.

The ongoing devastation of the human race by HIV/Aids has not spared Malawi Members of Parliament. Media reports indicate out of 42 MPs who died between 1994 and 2006, 28 of them were due to Aids related causes. This shows that the pandemic is having an impact on everyone regardless of status. But the other sad side of the deaths of public figures is that many do not reveal the cause of death as Aids related because of stigma. This is the same across Africa.

It is very sad to note that the HIV/Aids pandemic is also destroying young lives below five years. At least 80,000 children in Malawi are living with HIV/Aids caught mainly through mother-child transmission. It is now known that 90 percent of children below five years infected with HIV, acquire it through their mothers either during pregnancy, during labour and delivery, or during the postnatal period through breastfeeding.

One department where Malawi is doing very well is in its fight to reduce child mortality. Statistics show in 2000 one in five children died before they were five years old. By 2004 this had improved to one in seven. Mortality rates among children have declined noticeably in recent years because of improved disease management, better access to treated water, elimination of polio, measles and neonatal tetanus and malaria prevention. Thus Malawi hopes to achieve the Millennium Development Goal 4 on reducing child mortality as indicated in the UNICEF report of 2006.
A flop in the health sector appears significantly in the increasing maternal mortality as reported in the media. It is sad to see that 16 women die everyday due to maternal and pregnancy complications. Recent statistics from the World Health Organisation have shown Malawi is ranked among countries with the highest maternal mortality rate in
the world such as: Afghanistan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This has been mainly due to lack of political will from Malawi politicians who are intent on hacking off each other's heads instead of focusing on major issues.
Malawi's fight against Malaria will soon be strengthened thanks to assistance from the U. S. President George Bush, who has pledged to offer a new drug known as Artemisium Combination Therapy. This new drug will replace the first line SP which was introduced in 1993. Malaria remains one of Malawi's killer diseases and so all goodwill contributions to defeat it are indeed applauded. The Malawi government on her part is intensifying sales of cheap mosquito nets to expectant mothers and encouraging every Malawian to level out pools of water where mosquitoes may feel at home.

During 2007 press reports said male circumcision might reduce HIV transmission by 67 percent. In non-Muslim areas of Malawi circumcision was taboo and therefore people shunned talking about it. But in desperate efforts to combat HIV/Aids men are now looking to circumcision as a saving ploy. This notion came about after extensive research on circumcision carried out by experts on Epidemiology in Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya as well as in the United States of America. Despite practising male circumcision, Mangochi, which is predominantly Muslim, remains one of the areas in Malawi that is most affected by HIV/Aids because of its lakeshore tourist attractions.

In the years following independence Malawi was doing extremely well in its fight against rabies, but recent media reports show several lives have been lost due to the disease. In those years the Malawi government ran a vigorous campaign against rabid dogs and for a long time one thought rabies was a disease of the past. It is advisable that the Ministry of Health should not relax the laws that regulate the safe keeping of dogs and other pet animals as has been the case in recent years.

During 2007 the Malawi government embarked on a six-year human resource strategic plan by training 5,000 Health Surveillance assistants because of the shortage of health workers, such as doctors and nurses, which has been made worse because of the on-going fight against the HIV pandemic. These newly trained health workers will mostly be deployed in rural areas where the acute shortage is mostly felt. According to the Minister of Health, Marjorie Ngaunje, the shortage has come about because of several causes such as HIV/Aids, early retirements, deaths, and medical personnel quitting to work in other sectors.

ENVIRONMENT

We are often reminded of the effects that climate change has on Malawi and this was a topic that occurred in the media during 2007. The knock-on effects of what is happening are numerous and can be seen in the droughts, famine, and floods that we have on a regular basis. What is happening needs to be tackles at a national level and there is a need to develop strategies to help people adapt to these changes and reduce people's vulnerability. This is a huge task but every small step helps. Malawi has been commended for tackling the problem of greenhouse gasses. One action taken is when the Malawi Revenue Authority checks on fridges and related equipment that contain CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) that endanger the ozone layer. This is following the 2006 initiative when Malawi developed the National Adaptation Programme of Action to try and respond to the country's climatic needs.

Wherever you travel in Malawi it is easy to see the effects of deforestation. In 1970s there were 4.4 million hectares of forests in Malawi, now there are only 2.2 million hectares. It is estimated that each year 7.5 million tonnes of wood are used for firewood and charcoal. The Department of Forestry says that in the last 25 years forestry reserves have declined from 47% to 28%, of which 21% is protected reserves. According to Compass II between 1972 and 1992 Malawi lost about 2.5 million hectares of forests. Deforestation causes: floods and flash floods; soil erosion; sedimentation of streams, rivers, and Lake Malawi; it interferes with hydropower generation; and kills off fish.

Malawi's indigenous trees are at risk and are felled at an alarming rate all over the country. Probably the most endangered species is the Mulanje Cedar (Widdringtonia whytei), the National Tree, mainly due to fire and illegal logging. In a recent study the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust found that there remains an area of 845.3 hectares of cedars, a loss of 616.7 hectares in the last 15 years. Of these recorded trees 32.27% (37,242 cubic metres) were dead which, under current Forestry harvest licensing laws, is sufficient for legal logging for thirty years, but that the cedar could be extinct within 10 years.

There is no doubt that the reason for deforestation is human activity, mainly wood being collected for firewood and charcoal production, which accounted for 93% of the country's energy demand in 2003. It is also obvious that until alternative sources of power for heating and cooking are found the devastation will continue. The increase in population and the movement of people was also sighted in many instances during 2007. This is especially so in our major cities, such as Lilongwe and Blantyre, where the majority of the people depend on charcoal for cooking; trees for building material, brick making and firewood; which leads to the deforestation of local areas. A frightening statistic of the waste is that it takes 250kgs of wood to make 50kgs of charcoal so it shows how destructive this activity is, yet no national action has been taken to curb it. Despite the many negative newspaper articles about deforestation in 2007 there were a series of positive ones where tree conservation is concerned. Trees were planted by government and community projects all over the country and people
are becoming more aware of the deforestation problem. In a major development sixteen forest reserves are to be protected by the Malawi Defence Force.

Pollution was reported as a growing problem in 2007. It is both seen and unseen and can even be brought about by progress. In June a report by the Environment and Social Management Unit of the National Roads Authority pointed out problems that road construction and maintenance may be contributors. These factors in environmental degradation may be directly or indirectly caused development but their links remain unseen. A similar situation is found with the damage that is caused by the CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) contained in second hand refrigerators that are brought into Malawi; with the chemicals we ingest through beverages and fast foods; and in the unseen toxic residues from agricultural and household insecticides.

Despite the above one of the biggest, and growing, pollution problems is found in our cities, especially in Lilongwe and Blanytre. Whether fair or not, Blanytre received more media coverage on these issues during 2007 and came in for more criticism. With the number of people moving to urban areas there is need for more services, housing, water, sanitation, waste management, and health facilities. It was reported that the waste management facilities of Lilongwe and Blanytre are inadequate. Even when collected the waste goes to landfill or dumping sites which can cause further problems of pollution, vermin, and disease. Often rubbish and human waste are found in the streets and that in turn cause an increase in cholera and malaria cases.

Even though vendors were moved from streets last year they are still adding to pollution. Often the waste from ordinary people, and that of the vendors, is thrown or washed into local rivers. The result is that the rivers are polluted and what life-forms are in the water are killed, and the lives of people downstream who use the rivers as a water source are threaten. The Malawi Water Partnership estimates that two million tonnes of human waste is being deposited in watercourses every day. In Blanytre the problem has been aggravated by vandalism and theft from the sewerage systems. People have damaged the metal pipes that then leak into streams. They have also stolen manhole covers and refuse has been dumped into the open manholes. The Blanytre City Assembly have made attempts to clean up the rivers and replace broken pipes and manhole covers, even going as far as importing asbestos pipes from Zambia that are not popular with thieves. The disposal of industrial wastewater is closely monitored and they are not responsible for the majority of river pollution.

Lake Malawi continues to have problems with fish stocks. Fish is a very important part of Malawi's diet providing 60% of the dietary animal protein intake of the nation, and 40% of its total protein supply. This calls for a catch of 100,000 tonnes a year to sustain demands, but at present it is about 50,000 a year, which has caused price rises as well as shortages. According to the Department of Fisheries the continued depletion of fish stocks is due to unsustainable fishing practices and people not complying with fishing regulations. The ban on using high-yield fishing gear between October-December, when fish are spawning, is often ignored. One of the results is that the chambo (Oreochromis karongae), which was once prolific, is now on the verge of extinction despite young chambo being bred and reintroduced to the Lake.
Alternative and renewable energy sources have been in the news throughout 2007. The Ministry of Mines, Energy and Natural Resources has been looking at alternatives such as: biogas from degradation of organic materials, the principle gas being methane; compressed biomass briquettes; wind and solar power; and coal. With
modern developments in the clean burning of coal it could be a future source of energy. Malawi has a billion metric tonnes of potential coal resources and coal mining at Kaziwiziwi and the Livingstonia Coalfield. Current production is about half of the national demand of 120,000 metric tonnes per year.

The Government is looking into the potential of biofuels and ethanol certainly has much in its favour as it is cost effective, by saving foreign exchange, and has been produced from sugar cane in Malawi for many years. Malawi imports 80 - 90 million litres of fuel each year and there is a 10% blend of ethanol in unleaded petrol at present. There are already two ethanol plants in the country: Ethanol Company Limited (Dwangwa, Nkhotakota), and Presscane (Nchalo, Chikwawa) that produce 7 million litres and 10.8 million litres a year respectively, and it is possible that they could double ethanol production. Ethanol received two boosts this year. Firstly, a vehicle developed with the help of the Lilongwe Technical College, and running on pure ethanol, was road tested and passed with flying colours. The second event was the launch of the Ford Flexi that can use pure ethanol, petrol, or a combination of ethanol and petrol. Both solar and geothermal power could be alternatives but a major problem with solar is that it remains so expensive. Most likely any development of all major alternative power sources would need Public Private Partnership to make them effective.

A story that has been running for the whole of 2007 is that of the uranium oxide mining project of Paladin (Africa) Ltd. at Kayerekera, Karonga District. On 23 February, 2007, the Government and Paladin Resources Ltd signed a development agreement, and on the 11 April, 2007, the Government granted Paladin a mining licence. There is no doubt that the financial benefit to the country will be enormous, but the ecological effects are unknown. As part of the agreement Paladin will build a boarding school and health centre for the local population, and an Environmental Impact Assessment they commissioned says that the mining will not have any impact on the people of the Kayerekera area.

In March opposition MPs demanded a copy of the agreement between Paladin and the Government. The Government had gone ahead despite lobbying for an independent study to be carried out on the environmental effects of the mining. In the middle of the year the Government claimed that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were impressed with the report and the measures that were in place to protect the local population. They claimed that the IAEA had given the go ahead to the Kayerekera project after they visited the site. The IAEA distanced itself from Government claims that it authorised the mining and endorsed the Ministry of Energy and Mines procedures, saying that it is the Government that has the power to approve the project not them.

A group of NGOs challenged the Government case and took the Attorney General and Paladin (Africa) Ltd. to court. They claimed that the IAEA said Malawi does not
have regulatory legislation to control uranium mining and a legal framework that is necessary for the movement of uranium. These need to be in place before mining starts. They also wanted to point out gap in Malawi legislation as regards radioactive materials and dangers the health and lives of the people, and the environment. They wanted international standards of management, rehabilitation, monitoring and safety
of radioactive materials, to put a bill before the National Assembly before mining starts. The NGOs also wanted public access to agreement about the EIA report.

In November, much to the surprise of many, four of the NGOs involved in the court case withdrew their claim and signed a deed of settlement and release to confirm their out-of-court agreement. The NGOs, the Government and Paladin also signed a deed of variation to amend some of the clauses in the development agreement between the Government and Paladin from earlier in the year. Undule Mwakasungula, of the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, said that the NGOs were happy with the outcome because the Government had addressed some of the concerns that they had raised and that there was no need to proceed with the case.

As with the production of uranium the use of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) highlights the awful choices that have to be made between the benefit to people and the possible human and environmental cost of our actions. The reintroduction of DDT to combat mosquitoes, and thus to reduce cases of malaria, needs careful consideration, despite it being supported by the World Health Organisation. DDT was banned in the 1970s because of the effect it had on human health and how it was getting into the food chain. Before it was banned it was responsible for killing birds and fish; it accumulates in the body fat of humans and animals; and is believed to be carcinogenic. Yet, DDT has proved to be very effective against mosquito larvae, though not in completely eradicating malaria. At the end of 2007 the problem remains to weigh up the benefits and the damage DDT causes.

GENDER

Society has always regarded men as breadwinners and women as being dependent on them. Now all of a sudden that belief is beginning to change, though even women themselves are left to feel they are inferior and are always judged because of their sex. Although there are some women with potential, society views them as people who are just there to add colour to any function. On several occasions women have been used as marketable products and their only contribution has been seen as dancing at political functions. As we are now living in a gender equality world people need to change that mindset about women.

Some observers have noted that Malawi is still lagging behind on gender equality. The situation puts Malawi in a very awkward position, as time seems to be running out. Being part of the SADC grouping, that signed a gender protocol in 1997 in which countries are supposed to promote 30% of women in decision-making positions by the year 2010, Malawi is still very far from realising the goals. To begin with president Bingu wa Mutharika's forty-two strong cabinet only has seven women. One wonders why this is. To some people's surprise some of the women ministers have boasted that the current government is there to promote women. Are they satisfied with this figure to the extent of saying Mutharika has the welfare of women at heart.

2007 was a good year for gender activists following the passing of the domestic violence law. The press played a major role in reporting the stories that gave evidence that a number of women and children, and on occasions even men, are victims of gender-based violence. It came into the open how some men are abusing their children and wives. Finally a law against gender-based violence was passed. Some gender activists made a greater effort to sensitise people on the different forms that gender-based violence takes, and that was not known about.

Would the passing of the law in parliament mean the end of women's woes? No. Instead of minimising cases of gender-based violence the presence of the law does not seem to see an end to violence in the near future. It is a very sad situation when some women drop the charges against their spouses because they depend on the same men who are about to be convicted by the court of law. Now such men are left unpunished. Other cases of violence against women are not reported. This means we still have a lot of gender based violence cases despite having the domestic violence bill. Is the availability of a law not supposed to be enough reason for perpetrators of violence to think twice?

Culturally bedroom issues are always treated as top secret. Therefore the proposal to include marital rape in the domestic violence bill has been received by the people with many questions and mixed reactions. It remains a mystery that people come forward to report that they have been raped in the matrimonial home. This applies to both men and women. Marital rape could be happening within four walls but in a Malawian setting not too many people have the courage to speak up. Therefore, not many people are prepared to be involved in this proposal.

On the political front the issue of section 65 being upheld by the high court caused a lot of uncertainty among parliamentarians. Section 65 in the year 2007 made the news and it was a cause of concern in the coverage, and a threat to the number of women in parliament. It caused fears to some people who felt that if the speaker of the National Assembly, Louis Chimango, declared seats of legislators who crossed the floor vacant, the number of women in the house would be affected. Already there are only twenty-seven women parliamentarians in the house, which has 193 MPs in total.

According to the media the battle to fight gender equality is far from being achieved. Just when people are fighting to have more women in decision-making positions, women themselves are busy pulling each other down. Women do not seem to be able to stomach the idea of being ruled by fellow women. Bearing this in mind, when women do not support each other, it is no wonder we have so few women in top jobs. An example is that of the former Inspector General of Police, Mrs Mary Nangwale, whom a number of women voted against her confirmation. If only women used the fact that they are in the majority by now we could have had many more female leaders.

On the other hand some men have also been stumbling blocks to other women's advancement. The year 2007 saw some male members of parliament threaten to deal with the Clerk of Parliament, Mrs Matilda Katopola, for doing her job. To the extent that some legislators felt it would be wise to beat her up. Katopola is not a lone victim of her gender. There are some other women with the required qualifications and experience who fail to make it to the top because of the intimidation society shows them. Only if this mindset is changed will the girl child have a number of people to look up to as role models.

A closer look at what the political parties have done for women's empowerment clearly shows that it is contrary to what they pledged in their manifestos. In their manifestos they might have indicated that they would raise women's lives, but the situation on the ground is different. These political parties must have put such promises in their manifestos to buy women's votes. So far it seems not much has been done to fulfil what they promised.

2007 reports on gender also disclosed that most of the time the girl child appears in the press as the victim. It is sad to note that the on several occasions she has been featured she is a victim of incest, rape, and other forms of gender based violence. Experience has shown that it is very rare to find positive stories about the girl child in the press. Surprisingly the girl child has on several occasions made tremendous achievements in many sectors including education. Such positive stories are covered and put on the inside pages where they cannot be seen, but when a girl-child is a victim she is given the front page.

EXPECTATIONS, HOPES, DREAMS

As may be clear from the above, the way the press reported about Malawi gives us a picture of a country in search of a type of democracy that can deliver not only good governance but also poverty eradication. The way to it is probably going to be long and difficult. But while journeying to true democracy land we can formulate some expectations, hopes, and dreams. We do so as a Centre wanting to assist in this search.

It is therefore the expressed wish of the Centre For Social Concern (CFSC) that a new generation of politicians will get a chance to run the affairs of the country. That they will do so mindful of the fact that Malawi is reputed to be a God fearing nation which they need to translate into making a special option for the poor and greater dedication to the common good of all Malawians.

The Centre hopes to see a parliament that is truly dedicated to creating a better climate for development; a parliament proud to contribute to 'Another Malawi' where all will have what they need; a parliament willing to go the extra mile, to give of their time freely in the same way so many other citizens do in other walks of life.

The CFSC dreams of a private sector where competition is done in such a way that the consumer in the end will benefit while the business community too will win, in other words a win-win situation. Of NGOs that they continue to translate the wishes of people at the grassroots into facilitating policies that can be implemented. Of Civil Society groups that not only speak on behalf of the poor but empowers the voice of the poor.

Dreams of justice within Malawi but also internationally. That the World Trade Organisation's, and the EU Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations will lead to a situation, where the weaker economies will be allowed to develop their strength so as to be better able to enter the international market place. In short dreams of a world where people count more than things, were having much is mitigated by being and doing. Again in other more faith related words: dreams of the Reign of God.

 

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