MALAWI PRESS REVIEW June 2004
From Centre For Social Concern (see our house)

PREVIEW

During the month of June, media reports on the political front focused on political developments following the May General elections. The main focus of attention being the move by the Republican Party, MGODE and the National Democratic Alliance to form a reconciliatory government with the ruling United Democratic front; the President's choice of the new Cabinet, as well as the proposal to increase perks and allowances for Members of Parliament.

Reports on the economy expressed the need for the new government to win donor confidence by ensuring good fiscal discipline, reducing domestic debt and stamping out corruption. Reports also reflected on government's ambitious plan to turn the country from being a consumer nation to a producer nation.

Apart from economic challenges, media reports focused on some of the challenges facing the government and civil society groups such as food security especially in view of predicted food shortages as well as the need to reduce the cost of farm inputs for farmers. There is also need for a complete revamp of the education system and to take into consideration the issue of language in order to improve the standard of education in the country. The HIV/AIDS pandemic demands innovative ways in dealing with the scourge. There is no doubt that the introduction of free Anti-Retroviral drugs is a positive move in the fight against the pandemic.

POLITICS

During the month of June, reports on politics focused on new developments on the political scene in the aftermath to the May General elections. Perhaps one of the lessons that have been learnt from the elections is that in politics, there is no permanent friend or enemy. The move by Republican President Gwanda Chakuamba, Mgode's Sam Kandodo Banda and National Democratic Alliance's Brown Mpinganjira to form a reconciliatory government with the ruling United Democratic Front came as unexpected for most people and consequently, received mixed reactions from various sections of the society. Furthermore, reports in the media reveal that a good number of Independent Members of Parliament have pledged to side with the UDF government during Parliamentary deliberations.

Some critics have welcomed the move to work with government as a positive one arguing that it would lessen political tension and promote tolerance among people of different political affiliations. On the contrary, some critics believe that the decision by opposition parties to work with government betrayed the trust of the voters and blamed poverty as the main reason that propelled the parties to join the UDF led government. However, the argument that the government of national unity would bring together people of different political affiliations, and in turn break up the current trend whereby people feel inclined to vote on regional lines does not hold much water in that the present alliance has further reinforced the regional lines in that the Northern and Southern regions are in one block leaving the Central region as the main and perhaps the only opposition grouping in the country.

Perhaps what is most worrying with the current political situation is that the country runs the risk of being left with a weakened opposition front that would not be in a position to provide checks and balances in governance issues, thereby weakening the democratization process on which the country's leadership is built.

Media reports on the political front also commented on President Mutharikas' inaugural speech that appears to have incited a wave of hope in terms of national political, social and economic development. Indeed, the donor community, civil society groups and opposition parties have welcomed some of the issues that President Mutharika has raised, and in some cases has already started implementing. For instance, improving food security, zero tolerance on corruption, choosing a leaner cabinet, enhancing the spirit of reconciliation and encouraging the separation of powers between party and political lines. It is hoped that the good intentions will be translated into action.

Reports on politics also focused on the proposal to increase perks and allowances for Members of Parliament from a K108,850 package to a K297,000 package. The proposal has received much criticism from some civil servant and civil society groups who have argued that it is simply immoral for MPs to demand higher perks in view of the ailing economic situation, as well as in view of the fact that the demands have been made before the lawmakers have done any work. The Civil Servants Trade Union has also expressed concern that the demands of the MPs would bring confusion in the Civil Service, which has waited patiently for four years for salary increments that never materialized. Most people would agree that it is the Civil Servants who are justified to get a salary increase because the current salaries are too low to sustain their basic needs. It is also to be noted that some of the proposed allowances do not make economic sense. For instance, fuel allowance of 1,000 litres which translates to K94,000 per month when it is common knowledge that most Members of Parliament only make trips to their respective constituents during the election period. The furniture allowance of K150,000 per month also requires proper justification.

Perhaps the main bone of contention lies in the fact that this proposal has no bearing on the poor masses that the MPs are employed to serve. If anything, instead of narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor the proposed salaries will widen the already existing gap between the rich and the poor.

Reports on politics also attempted to provide a post-mortem of the May General Elections, as well as critically examine the era of Democracy that Malawi has experienced over the past 10 years. What comes out loud and clear is the fact that even after 10 years of democracy, the country still has a lot to learn before it can achieve real democracy. Perhaps most people would agree that to some extent, people have been free to do what they want in terms of exercising some of their rights and freedoms. At the very same time one can see that incidents of political violence, intimidation and harassment of journalists, corruption and abuse of funds are on the increase. Electoral processes have been marred by irregularities, electoral fraud as well as violence. Evidently, government has tended to employ a mix of autocratic and democratic values and principles in its style of governance. This is what some critics have referred to as " democracy of chameleons".

ECONOMY

During the month of June, media reports on the economy expressed the need for the new government to win donor confidence by improving the country's macroeconomic base, reduce domestic debt, ensure strong fiscal measures and stamp out corruption. Donor agencies as well as civil society groups have so far welcomed President Mutharika's pledge to reduce public expenditure and borrowing, and adopt a zero tolerance approach to corruption as some ways of revamping the country's ailing economy. It is hoped that government will translate its promises into action for the benefit of the nation.

In relation to trade, President Mutharika has suggested that the country should concentrate on manufacturing and exporting finished products rather than raw materials so as to add value to the products. The revamp of the manufacturing industry is a welcome move, as it would create new jobs and improve foreign earnings. The President also suggested that Malawi should shift from being a consumer nation to a producer nation, a move that would improve both domestic and foreign investment.

While it is common knowledge that Foreign Direct Investment can improve economic growth through increased availability of foreign currency as well as creation of employment opportunities, for various reasons, Malawi has not managed to attract enough foreign investors to invest in the country. In keeping with Foreign Direct Investment, Economic experts have warned that Malawi's reliance on incentives to attract foreign investors such as ready built factories, subsidized electricity and water, and tax holidays could affect the survival of such businesses if the incentives are removed. Experience has shown that some foreign companies have failed to adjust once incentives have been removed.

Economic commentators have deemed the recent cuts in interest rates by the Reserve Bank of Malawi and the subsequent reduction of base lending rates by Commercial Banks from 35 to 25 percent as a step in the right direction in that the move would woo local investors who found the cost of borrowing prohibitive. Nevertheless, economic analysts have been quick to warn that despite the reduction in interest rates, the economic fundamentals still remain hostile hence the need for government to curtail borrowing and expenditure for the current reduction to be sustainable. Some economic experts have also warned the Banks that if the interest rates reduction is not based on economic fundamentals, there could be drastic effects such as high inflation and unstable exchange rates.

Nevertheless, in the medium term, the cut in interest rates is not complete good news for the consumer. The National Bank of Malawi (NBM) has warned that the country cannot avoid significant upward price adjustments in the short-term because of excessive government spending, lower interest rates and exchange rates, as well as the looming food shortage. It is to be noted that Malawi's inflation is driven by the food index, therefore food shortages have the history of bringing inflationary pressures in the medium and long term. There is no doubt that low pay makes the plight of the consumer worse because the minimum wage currently pegged at K1,500 per month is simply far from meeting basic consumption needs. Research on Bread Basket Needs carried out by the Center for Social Concern indicate that the minimum wage for an average family should not be less than K13,500 per Month.

FOOD SECURITY

The month of June witnessed Malawi's second national Agricultural Fair that provided a forum for bringing out problems facing the agricultural sector. Agricultural experts have pointed out that factors contributing to low agricultural output include high cost of farm inputs like fertilizer, high interest rates, depreciation of the Kwacha, lack of information and market access. However, there is no doubt that a vibrant agricultural sector is the key to the country's economic growth hence the need to ensure increased production within the sector. Agricultural Fairs have been a common feature in the country, and are a viable forum for sharing important technology and market information for economic development.

Food security experts have predicted that more than half of Malawian households face starvation because of this years' low yield. Malawi is currently grappling to fill an estimated 600,000 metric tons production shortfalls on maize, the staple food crop, while rice yields are also expected to fall by six percent. Apart from the obvious social consequences, the food shortage will impact negatively on the country's economic growth, as a major portion of foreign exchange reserves will be used for importation of maize. There is no doubt that orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS will be worst affected by the food shortage. It is high time that Malawi found a viable solution to the problem of food shortage.

Food shortage facing the country in the past few years has been due to poor planning on the part of government officials, various stakeholders and individual farmers. Maize was exported to other countries only to be needed in the country a few months later. Farmers would sell food crops for cash and go without food a few months later. Despite the revelation that there is likely to be food shortage in the country this year, recent reports on food security expressed concern at maize and rice exports to Tanzania. The market liberalization policy does not help matters, as people are free to sell where they get better prices. This points to the need for government to employ market control measures in situations where it makes economic sense.

Irrigation farming has been identified as one method of ensuring food security at the household level as it enables farmers to diversify crop production. However, in practice, not enough farmers have embarked on irrigation farming due to factors such as the high cost of treadle irrigation pumps. Research findings estimated that irrigation potential is at 200,000 hectares, however, it is revealed that only 26,000 hectares have so far been exploited. This calls for further scrutiny into the whole irrigation technology to find out whether irrigation can really combat food insecurity or whether it is simply a white elephant wasting millions of dollars of donor money.

One of the major problems facing the government is ensuring that farm inputs such as fertilizer are affordable to farmers. However, although almost all political parties in the May elections pledged to reduce the price of farm inputs once voted into power, in reality, this is not a simple task since some of the factors contributing to a rise in input prices are beyond governments' control. Although the government has said that it is working on modalities to reduce the price of fertilizer, recent media reports also suggested that fertilizer prices are likely to go up in the next growing season due to a rise in international transport costs. The government has for some time resorted to subsidizing farm inputs, a tendency that has been blamed for promoting the dependency syndrome. It is also imperative for government to promote compost manure in order to improve crop productivity.

Lack of marketing skills has also been identified as one of the major problems leading to low productivity. Due to poor marketing skills, most smallholder farmers in the country end up selling their produce to vendors and other middlemen at very unprofitable prices. Farmers also lack the necessary skills and machinery that will help them add value to their farm produce. For instance, perishable crops such as fruit are sold at low prices for fear that they would rot. With the right skills and machinery, perishable products could be processed into non-perishable items that would fetch more money and in turn motivate farmers to increase production.

Reports on food security have revealed that Malawi's milk consumption rate is lower than most of her neighboring countries. This is partly due to low milk production due to poor feeding methods of dairy cattle by local farmers as well as low cattle production due to factors such as cattle theft. It has also been argued that Malawians still regard cattle as mere domestic animals rather than sources of income. Low cattle production has also led to a hike in meat prices making the price of meat unreachable for most local people. It is hoped that the beneficiaries of the newly established One Village One Product would improve cattle and milk production in the country

CIVIL SOCIETY AND CHURCHES

Reports that the St Egidio Community, an international Catholic NGO operating in the country, intends to build an HIV/AIDS laboratory is a positive move in the fight against the pandemic as well as a clear sign of the positive role that is played by the church and civil society groups in the development of the country. Indeed, civil society groups in the country have worked hand in hand with the government as development partners complimenting each other in areas such as education, infrastructure development and food security.

However, recent months have witnessed a tag of war between government and civil society groups with the former accusing the latter of meddling in political matters. Analysts have commented on the sour relationship that exists between the state and civil society to the point where positive criticism of the other is simply put to worst. Nevertheless, it is perhaps obvious that the role of civil society groups like that of the government has no proper boundary because social, political and economic issues are somewhat intertwined. It is also to be noted that civil society groups and churches are better placed to guide government on matters of social concern, especially in view of the fact that they are supposed to be non-partisan. The presence of civil society groups provides checks and balances for the government who should be aware of the presence of the 'invisible eye' in their undertakings.

There is no doubt that civil society groups can play a critical role in areas of social concern such as human rights and issues of good governance. Recent reports reveal that the Amnesty International (AI) has named Malawi as one of the worst human rights abusers in Southern Africa because of her continued perpetration of politically motivated violence, torture and state security's excessive use of force. Therefore, there is need for civil society groups to expose these human rights abuses in order to redress the situation. In line with issues of good governance, the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has asked civil society to lobby and advocate lawmakers to put in place a legislative measure to bar the current and future retired heads of state from having any influence on state affairs. Recent media reports have expressed concern that President Muluzi seemed to be indirectly administering affairs of the State although he was retired. A point in case is the Memorundum of Understanding (MOU) of UDF/RP and Mgode which restricts the President's powers to hire and fire cabinet Ministers before consulting leaders of all political parties who in this case include Bakili Muluzi. It was feared that Muluzi, as UDF leader could be tempted to use the provision of the MOU to perpetuate his political control over national affairs and manipulate government administration.

During the month of June, civil society bemoaned Malawi's level of corruption saying that it is getting worse by the day. These sentiments were expressed by the British High Commissioner and backed up by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who revealed that fraud is on the increase in the country and cautioned banks, government departments and private organizations to put in place systems that would contain the mischief. According to the DPP most fraud cases involve government and Bank officials collaborating to cash Reserve Bank Cheques on the counter instead of using sanctioned procedures. It is hoped that President Mutharikas' commitment to zero tolerance to corruption will boost the efforts of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and society as a whole to stamp out corruption.

The rise in the levels of corruption in the country has been partly blamed on the high levels of poverty. However, from a sociological and psychological point of view, one can deduce that corruption is a product of wrong values and morals that can flourish regardless of the poverty levels. Perhaps what poverty is doing is to merely enhance and encourage corruption. Nevertheless, the paradox in the whole situation is that while corruption thrives on poverty, the poverty situation is likely to worsen due to high levels of corruption in the country.

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE

During the month of June, reports in the press continued to feature various efforts by the government and civil society groups in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is believed to be an important tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS in that it gives people a chance to make informed decisions in their lives. Indeed, testing HIV positive is no longer considered the end of life as more and more people bear witness that one can live positively with HIV/AIDS.

Nevertheless, the case of discordant couples provides a twist to the tale of Voluntary Counseling and Testing. According to the Malawi Counseling and Resource Organization (MACRO) there is a rise in cases of discordant couples, in other words, incidents where many couples who go for HIV/AIDS have results that indicate that one partner is negative while the other is positive. These incidents are a cause for concern because despite counseling on how couples can still lead a normal life and have an intimate relationship without the other contracting the virus, many discordant couples find it difficult to continue with their relationships. This is a very sensitive situation in that psychologically, the partner who has tested HIV/AIDS negative would be afraid of catching the virus. The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that AIDS has no cure, it is hoped that the availability of Anti-Retroviral drugs would improve the situation in that people will know that they can live positively with the virus.

Reports on social and cultural life also revealed efforts that are being taken by Nankungwis or Ngalibas, the country's custodians of culture in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It is now common knowledge that some cultural practices such as chokolo, wife inheritance are not worth keeping and practicing in light of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Nankungwis who are responsible for guiding young people through initiation rites are better placed to disseminate information on how the disease is spread as well as its consequences.

The practice of marrying girls at a tender age has been blamed for the rise in maternal death in the country. This practice has a negative effect on the health of young girls who end up with various health implications for starting child bearing at a tender age. All the more, the practice has a negative bearing on the development of the country, as young girls do not get a chance to finish their education and contribute positively to the development of the country.

Reports have also expressed concern that Malawian women and girls are increasingly becoming victims of human trafficking to South Africa and other border districts of Malawi. This is a sad development hence the need for human rights bodies and government to put into place measures that would end the practice.

There is no doubt that Chiefs in the country have for a long time played a major role in ensuring social stability as well as promoting social, political and economic development. As custodians of our culture, chiefs have gained respect from various sections of the society. However, recent reports reveal that the role of chiefs in the country has become a controversial issue with some critics questioning the validity of their role in the society. Political analysts in the country have accused chiefs of being prone to political manipulation and dismissed the need for them to have the Chief's council, a body that has proven to be partisan in the past. Critics have instead suggested the resurrection of the Senate, which is believed to be more inclusive as it comprises different players to provide checks and balances.

EDUCATION

During the month of June, reports on education bemoaned the dwindling standards of education in the country over the past ten years. The introduction of free Primary Education by the UDF government was indeed a positive move for it gave the majority of pupils a chance to attend basic education however lack of proper planning has meant that education outcomes have remained poor. Despite an increase in pupil enrolment the Primary education completion rate is recorded at 30 percent, one of the lowest in Africa.

Lack of resources has been identified as one of the major constraints to better quality education. Indeed, research findings reveal that 85 per cent of the funding to the education Ministry was spent on teachers' salaries and allowances thereby leaving a small percentage of funding on rehabilitation of buildings purchase of furniture and fittings, and purchase of teaching and learning materials. All the more the Ministry of education has been worst affected by incidents of corruption some of which include the incident of ghost teachers and the K187 million-education scam.

In order to improve the situation, critics of the education system have suggested a complete overhaul of the education system in the country coupled with increased involvement by parents in development activities. It is also hoped that the new UDF government will consider education as a priority and invest adequate resources in this sector. It is therefore pleasing to learn that the new Minister of Education considers a boost of morale among teachers and staff as a prerequisite to improved standards of education. Pupils themselves should also be empowered to voice out their right to a free, quality education. A case in point was the recent launch of the Global Campaign for Education, where school children from various Primary schools in Dedza South asked politicians, government officials, and traditional leaders to commit themselves to ensuring that children who are missing out on education are enrolled. There is also need for the private sector to take part in improving the education sector.

Reports on education also revealed that language has an impact on education as well as national development. Indeed research findings in Malawi and other countries have revealed that the English language is a barrier to education in that Primary School pupils are forced to learn various subjects using English as a medium of instruction. Policy makers should therefore take the language issue seriously if we are to improve the quality of education.

HEALTH

The month of June saw the commencement of the long awaited programme to give out free Anti-Retroviral drugs (ARVs) to HIV/AIDS patients in the country thanks to the Global Aids Fund. This is a very positive development in the fight against the pandemic in that it will give hope to HIV/AIDS patients as well as encourage more people to go for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT). However, there is growing concern that there may not be enough drugs to meet with the demand. This would be a serious setback for those patients who would have already started taking medication since it is dangerous to start taking the drugs and then stop because the patient has to take the drugs non-stop for the rest of their lives.

Recent reports on health expressed concern over shortage of drugs in most hospitals in the country to the point where people are discouraged to go to government hospitals because they only receive basic drugs such as Asprin to cure serious ailments such as Malaria. Some clinics have ended up closing due to lack of drugs. However, media reports expressed concern over allegations that government recently destroyed and set ablaze expired drugs and absolute equipment costing more than 300 million kwacha. This reveals lack of planning as well as irresponsibility on the part of the government.

It was also revealed that more than 1 million under-five children in the country are malnourished. Malnutrition is a very big problem in Malawi representing 17 per cent of the national population. The situation is likely to get worse with this year's predicted food shortages.

ENVIRONMENT

During the month of June, media reports on the environment bemoaned the continued depletion of the country's natural environment and lack of political will to employ available agro-forestry techniques that would ensure soil conservation and in turn improve crop production. This is regardless of the fact that the country has enough agricultural advisers who perfectly understand the problems facing the environment. Malawi will certainly not be justified to decry poor harvests when she is not doing much about soil conservation.

It is also important to note that environmental degradation has far-reaching repercussions in that it affects many sectors of the economy such as food security, for instance, in terms of poor crop production or the health sector, in terms of the spread of diseases such as Malaria and Cholera. It is therefore imperative that good environmental policies should be at the center of the country's poverty reduction agenda.

There is no doubt that current problem facing the environment demand proper analysis of where we are going wrong, as well as adopt innovative ways to improve the situation. Recent reports on the environment expressed concern at the lack of stiff penalties for people caught degrading the environment due to the fact that the judiciary is currently using archaic laws. There is therefore need for government to enforce stiffer penalties in order to protect the environment, as the current fines issued by law enforcers are too mild to deter anybody from destroying the environment. Some environmental experts have gone further to suggest imposing tax on all bags of charcoal and logs of wood for sale. The tax collected would be used for aforestation exercises, which will mean that what will be lost through deforestation, will be given back to the environment.

There is growing optimism that Government's Decentralization policy that came with the advent of democracy in Malawi will have an impact on the environment in that communities at the grass root level will be empowered to understand environment-related policies that are already in place, but lack implementation.

The problem of poor housing as well as lack of it looms so large in our cities due to factors such as poor planning, poverty and limited availability of land. It is for this reason that people have welcomed the UN project aimed at having cities without slums and provide good shelter to 100 million people in the world by 2015. For many years, people have waited for government and donors to improve their communities and living standards. This is despite the fact that local people have both the capacity and natural resources to improve infrastructure such as roads within their communities.

Lack of proper waste disposal skills remains one of the problems contributing to environmental degradation in the country. Environment experts have expressed concern at poor plastic bag disposal, describing the habit, as a health hazard with needs to be addressed by stakeholders in the plastic manufacturing industry. There is also need to educate people on the dangers of littering of plastic materials

GENDER

During the month of June, reports on gender focused on allegation that President Wa Mutharika had ordered a ban on women wearing trousers. The President denied the allegations stating that his main concern was development and not prescribing what women should wear. The President reiterated that women in the country have a crucial role to play in the development of the country hence the need to increase the number of women in various employment positions.

Small-scale businesswomen in the country have expressed concern that they get harassed at the country's border posts where they are supposed to pay duty for imported goods. It was argued that bad business climate currently prevailing in the country coupled with the HIV/AIDS pandemic has impacted negatively small-scale businesses for women.

Jere Tobias temporary editor of the Review .
assisted by Sr. Catherine Dwyer, MMM

Rose Kajawa at
CFSC@malawi.net

Centre For Social Concern
P.O. Box 40049, Kanengo, Lilongwe
Malawi
Tel (265) 1 716 138 and (265) 9 957 669