Centre For Social Concern Kanengo Malawi/ revue de Presse

Although the wrangle between president Bingu wa Mutharika and Vice President Cassim Chilumpha has been extensively treated by the press, it is clear the issue is far from over. Recent developments in the two senior citizens' relationship have gone from bad to worse. Reports show that despite Chilumpha's efforts to mend his relationship with his boss, government on its part has not shown any signs of accommodating the Veep. And some analysts have said that it is going to be very difficult for Mutharika to work with the Veep who is from the opposition United Democratic Front UDF.

Although there are still a number of years to the next general elections some political gurus in the opposition UDF have already shown interest to stand in the presidential race in 2009. Some report that among the aspirants are Cassim Chilumpha, Friday Jumbe, Samuel Mpasu, Brown James Mpinganjira and Moses Dossi . The same press reports have disclosed that Brown Mpinganjira is the one who is highly favoured for the UDF presidency. These people include the party's district governors and some members of parliament from the southern and central regions. In addition it is reported that some UDF top officials were discussing with Blantyre based businessman Jimmy Korea Mpatsa so that he becomes the party's presidential candidate. With this in mind some party members have advised their officials not to trust an outsider but people who are currently within the party. And so they say better the devil you know than the angel you don't.

Despite announcements by the opposition UDF that the party was going to have its convention to elect members for the vacant seats of its executive committee, very little has been said so far. It seems the party rushed into announcing its convention when it had not solicited any funds for the function. The party has on several occasions announced its convention to tentatively take place on 21 April. Some people are still wondering why UDF has all of a sudden become so poor when it used to be the richest party few years ago.

Some quarters of the society have expressed concern over reports that government had met the speaker of the National Assembly Louis Chimango to strike a deal. Press reports indicated that some top government officials met Chimango to ask him to side with government in the next sitting of parliament. In return government is to withdraw its plans to impeach Chimango. The newly elected speaker who has met criticism from both the civil society and the public over his conduct in the August house brushed aside such reports.

Opposition political parties this month condemned Bingu wa Mutharika for trying to shut up the clergy by giving them positions in parastatal boards. In his recent announcement Mutharika appointed church leaders from various denominations as members of state owned organisation boards. The president also included some sheikhs from the Moslem community. However the move has not pleased all in the opposition parties. They feel this is a deliberate move to silence them. In most cases the religious leaders have been in the front seat in rebuking government. Now putting them in various boards puts them at a disadvantage, as they cannot bite the hand that feeds them.
Some political analysts have questioned members of parliament's stand on the recall provision. The analysts have wondered why some members of parliament are not in favour of the provision, which allows constituents to remove the chosen legislators if they are failing their duties. But the members of parliament totally disagree with the provision for fear of their jobs. Analysts have wondered why the MPs can change things so that some people can be removed while they themselves want to be untouchable.

This month finally saw the important event of the constitutional review meeting. Preparations for this have been ongoing through various consultations and submissions. The material so gathered has been published for the participants in this conference. They now could base their further submissions on this document. Some tricky issues have been raised like the maximum age for a president. Most parties having leaders who are over 70 years old have objected to this proposal. Many ordinary Malawians have demanded that the recall provision be reintroduced. This allows voters to call back their MP if (s) he is not performing well. The crossing of the floor (an MP or president joining another party then the one that elected him) gives the speaker parliament the power to declare a seat vacant. Chiefs want witchcraft recognised by the law. The reintroduction of the senate and many other topics has surfaced in consultations. An extended law commission is going to study all proposals and after another round of district consultations come up with a draft which will go to a final constitutional conference. So far the process while initially having been delayed, seems to be course.

The Malawi's economy is set for some good prospects with the tobacco markets that have just commenced. Tobacco, which is the main forex earner for Malawi, seems to be giving promises of high circulation of money in the country if the buyers continue to buy the gold leaf at reasonable prices. President Mutharika ordered the buyers to buy the leaf at reasonable, fixed minimum prices so that the farmers enjoy the fruits of their sweat. Good prices will give farmers something to smile bout and the nation hope that there is going to be a lot of money in circulation.

The news that the International Monetary Fund IMF team that came in earlier this month was impressed with Malawi's performance under the Poverty Reduction Growth Fund is encouraging. However some economic organisations have warned government for failing to meet some of IMF's targets in the programme. On its part government has defended the situation because it met most of the targets. IMF cited that where government failed it was because of increased borrowing.

Reserve Bank of Malawi RBM announced that it has failed to cut the inflation rate because of the price increases of food. The scarcity of maize in the country made maize prices to go very high. This in return increased the inflation levels. Maize, which is the staple food for Malawi, is an important component in determining the inflation. With this food scarcity inflation has been affected. Reports have shown that in the month under review inflation has gone up to 17.1 from 16 in the month of January.

Press reports have shown that poverty has gone down to 50% of Malawians being under the poverty line (from 65% previously). But it seems there are still a lot of people who are in dire poverty. Although Malawi's economy is on the right track there is still a lot of poverty among Malawians. It remains a fact that even if there seems to have been improvement, 50% earning less than one dollar is unacceptable. This means that most people use less than K135 in a day. Looking at the situation in our villages and towns one is brought to wonder how accurate these figures are.

Despite the ever-increasing prices of goods in Malawi, many employees are still paid very minimal salaries. A research (through its 'Basic Needs Basket') by the Centre For Social Concern on the cost of living has shown that it continues to go up, while salaries do not seem to keep track with this. It leads one to wonder how employees who get paid very little make ends meet. People who receive salaries that are less than K20, 000 had problems to have their basic necessities because the total for the month March was K27, 106.00. Isn't it time employers thought of the well being of their staff.

Just when Malawi was expecting to have a year of plenty in terms of harvest, two sad developments happened. The first was a dry spell that has left some areas with no trace of maize. This happened in some areas that have always been termed as agricultural districts. As if this was not enough some places in Ntcheu, Mangochi and Salima districts were hit by floods that swept all the crops in the fields. This comes against a background of high yields estimates for this year. It is feared that the calamities these areas have faced will affect national crop yield. It is estimated that Malawi expects 2.4 million metric tonnes of maize against national requirement of 2 million.

Some opposition Members of Parliament have vowed to push government side around in the next sitting of parliament. With the hunger situation still in people's minds, the MPs have indicated that the house will put hunger on top of its agenda. This will be a good move, as the hunger situation needs some serious measures taken if we are to achieve food security in Malawi.

As reports on the effects of food shortage continue, hospital reports have shown that it has resulted in loss of lives of 287 children. Although the press have come out with this figure, the ministry of health officials have not confirmed them. Officials have said that there is a possibility that many children lost their lives especially in the central and southern regions. Such a revelation seems to be corroborated by media reports earlier in the month which disclosed that hospitals are now choked with malnourished patients. This comes against a background of low food supplies in families that resulted in malnutrition in both adults and children.

The food shortage situation has not only affected men but also animals like cattle. Press reports have disclosed that milk production has gone down by 50% because animals do not consume enough food for the production of milk. This has resulted in low income for the diary farmers as they have much smaller amounts milk to sell. Such a scenario will force farmers to increase the prices of their milk products.

Press reports in the month announced that government has extended the distribution of relief maize to April. This decision was taken because some areas were hit by a dry spell and families are still finding it very hard to find food. The extension will help people who are still in need of food but cannot afford to buy it. Many organisations have jumped in to help. On a similar note the Nurses Association of Malawi Nam in the month under review donated K200, 000 to the Feed the Nation Fund FNF. The fund was launched in a bid to install a spirit of helping one another as Malawians.

The dust on gender-based violence seems to have failed to settle as evidenced by numerous reports on the issues. Although the people involved are to blame for their actions as regards gender-based violence, civil society has also condemned the judiciary. They blamed the judiciary for passing too lenient sentences on people who are guilty of abusing their spouses or children. Such lenient sentences do not deter other would be abusers. Therefore once the judiciary give out stiffer penalties it may act as a deterrent for those who have evil intentions and thus will think twice before enacting them.

After a series of racial abuse stories in the press in the month under review, some Non Governmental Organisations have added their weight in condemning the tendency. As reports are showing that some teachers are given salaries based on their race, the NGOs have advised the schools to treat all its teaching staff the same way. There have been reports of Malawian teachers being given lower salaries despite having the same qualifications and experience as their colleagues of other races. The NGOs have advised such schools to treat its staff equally in terms of benefits and salaries. The schools have also been advised not to look at racial backgrounds but performance when awarding its staff with promotions and other things.

The civil society in the month under review attacked the Police for the way they handled the marches by Muslims. The Muslim community in the month held marches against the defamatory cartoons that appeared in a Danish newspaper. In the course of the march the police fired tear gas and it is alleged a 16-year-old boy was wounded. Against this background the civil society have accused the law enforcers for failing to control the fracas without the use of inappropriate force. The Moslems have taken the issue to court to demand restitution for the damage of their mosque in Lilongwe and the injuries that some marchers sustained.

The Malawi Human Rights Commission in the month under review announced that it is going to tackle prisoners' abuse. After some reports alleged abuse that some prisoners are subjected to in police and prisons, the human rights organisation is set to fight against such abuse. Prisoners alleged their right to food and good sanitation was being denied. Some of the rights abuse could have come because of the many prisoners our overcrowded prisons keep due to the rising of rate of crime and old inadequate infra-structure. On the other hand the commission also intends to look into issues of suspects who stay on remand for a long time without going on trial. Perhaps we need more prison and police cells to avoid congestion so that there can be good sanitation for prisoners and remandees.

Just when some areas are now doing away with cultural practices, which put people at risk of contracting the deadly disease, AIDS, press reports have proved that not all are ready to part ways with such customs. Press reports revealed that the practice called kuchotsa fumbi still exists in some parts of Zomba district. Young children who have undergone initiation ceremonies are forced to sleep with older men or women so that they feel complete after being initiated. However some children have ended up refusing such acts for fear of catching AIDS. Such revelations mean that people in these areas are aware of the deadly disease. Why is it then that some traditional counsellors (anankungwi) do not understand this? Are the messages on Aids to difficult for them to understand?

Still on the same issue the month also revealed that AIDS is claiming 5 police officers every month. This figure translates to at least 60 officers dying every year. Such revelations are shocking to the Malawi nation as already there is shortage of police officers. With a number of police officers being bed ridden and finally dying it means the Law enforcement department also loses a lot of money in caring for its sick staff. Without behaviour change in such institutions it is very difficult for Malawi to completely curb the disease.

After a series of reports on gender-based violence cases the media has now focused people's attention on some evil acts by some mothers. Press reports in the month disclosed that some women have resorted to dumping their babies. Reports have disclosed that some women selfishly decide to end their newborn babies lives despite the fact that the children have a right to live. The practice has raised the question in some quarters why people decide to get pregnant when they cannot manage to raise children. Perhaps there is something wrong with the way messages about abstinence among the youth are transmitted. Similarly we need to be open enough in advising the youths to make the right choices about their lives. And again girls need to be told of their right to tell their partners to wait until they are in wedlock.

The food shortage that Malawi is currently facing has not only struck households but reformation institutions as well. The prisons in the country have not been spared either from the scarcity of maize, the staple food. Press reports have disclosed that some prisoners in some prisons were having nothing to eat except pumpkins and boiled vegetables. Although the situation has resulted into an increase in hunger related diseases with some deaths recorded in a number of prisons, prison authorities have dismissed such reports.

Media reports in the month under review have disclosed that the Ministry of Labour is now making progress in the fight against child labour. The ministry rescued close to 9000 from child labour. The good thing is that some of the children have gone back to school. This is a commendable development that will at least help the children to prepare for their future. Ordinary Malawians should also help in the fight against child labour so that the ministry's job is facilitated.

The education sector never seems to run out of troubles from mismanagement of funds. First it was the now (in)famous K187 million scandal that saw some contractors receiving payment for schools they did not build. This saga tainted the ministry's image, as this scandal is the one that has seen some schools with structures that are not worthy to be called classrooms. In addition recent press reports have disclosed some yet shocking news as regards funds in the ministry. It is alleged that some fraudsters in the ministry are siphoning off benefits of deceased education staff. Some staff at the ministry abuse their power and position to tap money belonging to other people. The amount thus siphoned off is over K23 million. This is sad development especially coming at a time when the sector is trying to save face.

Although press reports in the month under review have centred on human rights abuses in the homes, human rights are also abused in schools. Students both male and female are having their rights abused on a daily basis. Therefore the conclusion that only spouses abuse each other's rights is not true. According to a survey conducted children suffer emotional pain when they are bullied. Others are sexually abused by their teachers or fellow students. This shocks some pupils so they fail to concentrate in class resulting in low performance. Perhaps there is need for a new approach in sensitising students so that they report any form of abuse they suffer.

Press reports earlier this month disclosed that Honourable Minister of Education Kate Kainja accused division managers for the shortage of materials. Despite the large sums of money that the education sector received, some schools still lack learning and teaching materials. It is against this background that some quarters of society have questioned the minister for lack of information on the purchase of such materials. They say although parliament allocated money for the purchase of these materials the ministry has not released information on how the money was used. This has raised concerns that the ministry is not transparent enough to release the information.

After reports of proposals to change primary school curriculum it has been discovered that ministry of education is not serious about the initiative. Reports have shown that plans to start implementing the new curriculum were started in the year 2004 but it seems that up to date nothing has been done. The move to have a new curriculum would have helped to raise the dwindling standards of education. But the acts of the ministry of education have put the job at a stand still despite the funding it got.

Reports have disclosed that Malawi might not fulfil the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to have Quality Education For All (EFA) by the year 2015. The media revealed that Malawi is far from meeting some of the set goals. The quality of education continues to dwindle despite the large amounts of money that the education sector got in the national budget. With mismanagement of funds in the ministry it is going to be very difficult to achieve such goals and have education for all in Malawi by the year 2015.

The ministry of health came under attack in the month over the reported multi million-drug theft. The announcement that truckloads of assorted drugs and hospital equipment were found in Bangwe Township in Blantyre came to many people as a shock. After the health ministry had been receiving criticism from all corners of the country for shortage of drugs, the Bangwe saga only made things worse for the already tainted picture of the ministry. Some reports have revealed that part of the drugs and equipment that have already been accounted for are amounting to K50 million and the figure is likely to go up.

Some members of society including the opposition party leaders have asked for the head of health minister Honourable Hetherwick Ntaba. They feel Ntaba's negligence and incompetence have resulted in drug theft. As the overall boss in the ministry the opposition feel Ntaba owes the nation an explanation as to why and how such large amounts of medical supplies found their way to Bangwe! On the other hand the nation has to know who else is involved in the racket so that they should also face the law. The fact that someone somewhere failed to do his or her job as expected, has cost the ministry its credibility. Now the ministry is paying dearly for the acts of a few selfish individuals.

As the world was commemorating World Tuberculosis (TB) Day in the month under review Malawi also did the same. Reports show that women are the ones that are hit harder by Tuberculosis as compared to men. The press in the month under review also disclosed that The National TB Control Programme (NTP) stressed that there are no herbs that cure the disease. Dr Felix Salaniponi National TB Control programme manager stresses that although some herbalist may claim to have the cure for the disease the fact still remains there is no scientific evidence to prove that the herbs cure TB. It is against this background that the NTP is advising TB patients to stick to the conventional drug.

Press reports in the month under review disclosed that some hospital beds are choked with malnourished patients. Reports have shown that this has come about because of the food shortage that the country is still experiencing in some areas. Many people had little to nothing to eat resulting in malnutrition. The situation also caused some hospitals to fill up because many undernourished people went to hospitals for treatment. Another pathetic situation is that of Kasungu District Hospital where 17 beds are shared among 128 patients. This is only one side of the conditions that our hospitals are in. Similarly there might even be some more tearful situations that hospitals have to go through to accommodate all the sick.

As maternal and child deaths continue to haunt Malawi and the world as a whole the World Health Organisation WHO advised the media to sensitise communities about health care. With around 4 million newborn children dying every year in the world journalists need to do a lot to raise awareness so as to help avoiding such deaths. Ignorance among communities has also contributed to the increase in maternal deaths hence the need to have information that could help prevent some of the cases.

Malawi is believed to the only country in this part of Africa that is said to have a large lake with fresh water. Indeed Lake Malawi is a beauty and has attracted many tourists to visit Malawi. But recent press reports have shown that some citizens of this country are finding it very hard to look after the precious lake instead they contaminate. It is against this background that the Southern region Water Board is advising Malawians to stop contaminating the lake. It is high time Malawians started talking pride in the natural resources that were freely given to them. There is need to save the environment so that future generations should see the lake in all its beauty.

The announcement by the Meteorological officials that Malawi is to face a prolonged down pour should give the country food for thought. Generally speaking some areas have been blessed with the rains to an extent that rivers are over flooding. Weather reports announced that Salima district at one point received 204 mm of rains. Salima is one of the districts that experienced floods this month. The changes in the pattern of rainfall have also got something to do with the environment. Malawi used to receive minimum amounts of rainfall in the month of March, as it is the harvesting season. Now the changes could also attributed to the global changes in the environment.

Environmentalists in the month under review commended president Bingu wa Mutharika's initiative on aquaculture. This is a good sign for the conservation of some species of fish and other things in the water. For some time there have been reports of dwindling levels of various types of fish. Some tasty types of fish like Chambo have become scarce to the extent that it takes months for some Malawians have the tasty Chambo on their dinning tables. Now environmentalists have welcomed the idea as they feel this will help people to fish responsibly.

Press reports also centred on the sorry sight of some of the once beautiful mountains in the country. The Soche Mountain that used to be home to some game is no longer home of wild beasts. The mountain that used to look beautiful with a variety of trees has no single tree. To make matters worse some people abused their freedom by encroaching what used to be protected areas to build their dwelling houses. To make things worse Soche Mountain is not the only place that has been abused, there are some areas that have also suffered in the same way. Is it because people were given too much freedom that they took it for granted and finished the natural surroundings of the mountain? May be we need some tough laws that could at least help in safeguarding the precious mountains. Or is it due to population pressure? This would ask for different measures.

As the fight for gender equality in work places continues, there have been reports of complaints from United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNESCO on gender imbalance in newsrooms. The press disclosed that media houses in the country have fewer female journalists as compared to their male counterparts. It has been discovered that despite the potential that some women have, they are left out in decision-making positions in media houses. This means that some media house owners still perceive women as a group of people who are not fit to be in top positions. However there is need for women to do a lot if they are to win the confidence of their employers in the media industry. It is time employers changed their perception on women's potentials.

After failing to reach the 30% requirement of women representation in the National Assembly in the 2004 general elections, the gender ministry has come up with new proposals. The ministry is asking for a change in electoral laws so that more women are given a chance to compete with men. This will also help accommodate more women in the next general elections. The ministry feels it is only by changing such laws Malawi might be able to reach the required percentage.

With the constitutional review conference going on in the month under review, women activists have asked members at the conference to put in place disciplinary laws that will help guard women's rights. Reports have shown that current laws do not seriously protect women and children's rights. The existing laws do not give stiff enough penalties to people who abuse women's rights as evidenced by the accelerating number of abuses in the press. With some new laws perhaps the issue of gender-based violence could be a story of the past.

The issues of gender-based violence, which have dominated press coverage in recent months, have not only shocked the affected families but also to the nation as a whole. It is against this background that government through the ministry of gender has set aside K22 million for victimised women. Reports have shown that the ministry has opened a shelter for victims. When some are afraid to go back to their homes for fear of being abused again the shelter will act as their temporary homes. On that the ministry also announced that it has launched a hot line that people can call and get advice from experts. This will assist women and children who are victims of gender based violence and cannot go to the centre but still need the advice.

Some gender activists have condemned the way some would-be employers are setting conditions for recruiting women. Reports have revealed that some employers are stressing the need for a woman to be good looking instead of emphasising on her qualifications and experience. This is cause for concern among women as beauty shouldn't by all means be a reason for a company to employ women. Do such companies do the same when they want to recruit male members in their workforce? If the answer is no the same should apply to women who should be given a chance of work based on their capabilities and not their physical looks

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