By RICHARD CHIROMBO
Lake Malawi, famed for its fresh waters and unexploited tourism potential, can be a painful dilemma, too.
Sometimes, when the weather gets so windy and the waves angry, its roaring is heard in Village Headman Chilinda’s hut, located some three kilometers from the lake, in the area of Senior Chief Makanjira of Mangochi. Chilinda either shudders or jests for fear of weeping.
This is because the beating of the waves against the sand-banks has, over the past 47 years of self-rule, failed to induce the wonderful sensations professed by foreign tourists in him. And Chilinda does not attribute this down-beat feeling to too much familiarity with the waters, but to failure by most community members to view Lake Malawi as an indelible symbol of opposites: progression or regression.
He feels that only by striking a balance between these two cycles of imbalance can people improve their welfare as each of these affects people’s perceptions of the future. With their proper use, the people can determine the kind of future they want, and become creators of their own destiny.
No life without Lake Malawi
“The problem is that most people have grown used to the lake that they fail to think of life without it. This has created so many socio-economic limitations. With this thinking, how can one think of exploring the rest of the world?” queries Chilinda.
The damage this perception has inflicted on the people is to thwart their chances of utilizing the immense potential offered by curiosity and ambition, commonly recognized as the two most important propellants of human evolution, and, thus, suppress their quest for more knowledge through education.
Not that Mangochi people do not value education; rather, they have focused much on that derived from traditional systems, practices like initiation ceremonies being one such means. But nobody secures formal employment after ‘graduating’ from the initiation camp, apart from becoming a well-respected community member.
It is acknowledged, however, that traditional forms of education have strengthened the communal spirit of Malawi, strengthening the position of one’s responsibility towards the neighbour.
What it has not done, says Chilinda, is to save community members from the plague of illiteracy.
“Too much emphasis on informal education has increased chances of neglect over our children when it comes to utilizing opportunities in the formal education sector. I am a victim of this tendency myself, and cannot claim to be educated,” admits Chilinda.
Measuring the ‘real’ man
He cites this as one of the reasons for high illiteracy rates in Mangochi, and rests part of the blame on the untiring waves of Lake Malawi.
Many people do not know, he enthuses, what the sound of the waves does to the practical minds of the locals: the waves serve as both a call to action (fishing) and nature’s warning about upcoming weather conditions.
It is the first ground (call to fishing-action) that Chilinda blames for the high illiteracy levels in Mangochi.
“Traditionally, ‘real’ men are measured by what they do in the lake, in terms of the number of canoes owned and fish-catches on a daily basis, and what their accomplishments in the field (crop harvests).
“As a result, people are always willing to give the lake the benefit of the doubt because they know what the lake does to their lives, both financially and materially. But not many have benefitted from formal education, and, so, people never give it the benefit of the doubt but dismiss it outright,” said Chilinda.
Attitude change
The challenge now is not to dismiss Lake Malawi from the everyday life, said Senior Chief Makanjira; what is needed is to incorporate formal education into Lake Malawi.
That way, the lake will not remain as a mere physical feature but will become an event in life- an occasion that knits together tradition, personalities, opportunities, Southerly Winds, and philosophical tendencies that position Lake Malawi as both a blessing and a curse.
Makanjira acknowledges that the failure to see all events in the world as linked through formal education rested on prevalent perceptions that Christian education institutions, established by foreign missionaries to meet the education needs of neighbouring communities, were there to convert devout Muslims to Christianity.
This perception, to some extent true, was largely flawed. But our children now have the opportunity to make the best out of education,” said Makanjira.
This is a paradigm shift in thought for Makanjira community members, a shift premised on five human verities: patriotism, quest for more knowledge, wariness towards ignorance, honour, and lessons from history.
The language of illiteracy
The one striking feature of illiteracy is that it speaks, and its voice reverberates across the world. It speaks through statistics- National Statistical Office, United Nations Development Programme, Civil Society Coalition for Quality-based Education, among other research institutions- and sets the world into positive action.
The predicament of Mangochi, which has a population of 803,602- of which males constitute 387,072 and females 416, 530- reached Europe. The German NGO, Reisende Werkschule Scholen, decided to include Malawi among its beneficiary countries.
The NGO has since 2001 been constructing school blocks in the area of Senior Chief Makanjira. Through its Makanjira-based project officer, Christopher Wallace Chombo, people now have Nangungu Primary School- a junior Primary School that serves as a symbol of collaborative efforts between locals and German citizens.
“Community members fetch water and sand, and the German youths do the rest of the work. We also use environmentally-friendly materials such as cement bricks,” said Chombo.
Chombo is a former teacher and knows the value of education. That is why he wants to help emancipate Makanjira people from the shackles of illiteracy and social backwardness.
“We are happy that we have people in Europe who are willing to help,” he added.
Reisende Werkschule Scholen first constructed two school blocks along the Monkeybay/Ntakataka Road in Mangochi, before shifting its focus to Nangungu.
Two school blocks and a head teacher’s house now stand where, once, bush and thorns flourished. The bushes and thorns of ignorance are also being cleared from pupils’ minds. These are the only imposing structure in the middle of nowhere.
Turning the page for Chilinda communities
This year, however, is not the year of Nangungu. It is the year of a people- some 15 kilometers away from Nangungu, and five kilometers from Mpiripiri, Senior Chief Makanjira’s headquarters- long-forgotten by policy-makers, the people of Chilinda.
Chilinda village has 1,200 children of school-going age. Of these, only 160 attend Primary School at Mpiripiri. The rest stay home, discouraged by extreme winter and summer weather conditions, and disenfranchised by long, walking distances.
Every day, these children face these double circumstantial tragedies and are exposed to the perils of making tough decisions before reaching the age of ten. At the same time, Lake Malawi, with its loud voices, calls them to action.
“Most of these children choose the lake instead of the classroom, walking in the footsteps of their parents and relatives. Other children also join the child-labourers’ bandwagon. Blame it on lack of role models and long walking-distance to primary schools,” says Chombo.
Co-Founder and Chairman for the German NGO, Michael von Studnitz, reminiscences how work begun in 2001.
“It all started with a little realization that there were only 13 countries in the world that needed, and still need, more help than Malawi. We also wanted to promote cultural exchange between the people of Germany and Malawi. We build schools because, for this to work, we need people who can read and write,” said Studnitz.
Irony
He said this position has been strengthened by the Malawian people’s courtesy, prevailing peace and security, and long, productive relations with Germany. That is why German Ambassador to Malawi, Rainer Mueller, takes some time off during school blocks’ handover ceremonies to witness for himself what mutual relations can achieve.
In October 2008, when he officially handed over two school blocks to Nangungu communities, Mueller regretted that most European youths took education for granted when their African counterparts were craving for such opportunities.
“In Europe, students have all the learning resources they need but no will. Most of our youths do not take education seriously,” said Mueller.
Quite ironic that the German youths who construct the blocks in Malawi are school drop-outs back home. Most are from Diepholz County, Lower Saxony, Germany and failed in Modern Public Secondary schools.
They look for no financial gains in Malawi, as they work voluntarily. All they cherish is the opportunity to see the challenges in Malawi first-hand, and reflect on what they lost in education.
“It is a time for reflection. That is why we choose rural areas like Makanjira; the resource-constraints are more visible there,” added Studnitz.
One step in a long journey
Not that Reisende starts big. By building two blocks at a time, the NGO raises the flag of hope for children. Chilinda communities will, for instance, now have two school blocks from the position of Zero. This has been made possible through the Bingo Environmental Foundation of Lower Saxony, Germany.
The foundation, which is financed by lottery-taxes and revenues from the Bingo Environmental Lottery, has contributed 25,000 Euros (about K5.6 million) towards the project. This may be a modest contribution, but elevates the mood of the forgotten children of Chilinda.
It also means that Malawi has become one of the biggest beneficiaries of such projects. Of the 13 projects completed in five different countries, five have been done in Malawi.
“It is a slow process, perhaps, but Makanjira communities are getting rid of a silent mind-crisis,” said Studnitz.
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Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Arsenal for Life!
...All we need is a dosage of ambition
Pain does not pain; it is the truth that does.
But Manchester United fans are making this very mistake- sorrying us, the die-hard Arsenal Fans, over the disaster that was Sunday. 8-2 is, surely, a sad day for us.
It is so simple to say: Arsenal for Life
In fact, it is more than sad; it is as sad as it is disheartening.
But people like me, the real Arsenal fans, are not moved. This sort of thing happens, perhaps after 50 years or so, but it does happen.
When it does, it saddens. It pains, even.
But you don't send condolences for the pain because pain does not pain. It is the truth that does.
For instance, 8-2 is the truth about the results of the Manchester United Versus Arsenal game. It follows, therefore, that this truth pains for the losing side's, in this case Arsenal, fans. It is not the pain over the loss that pains.
Well, let me take this opportunity to reiterate what I have declared before: Arsenal for Life!
Let me also say that we, The Gunners, love Arsene Wenger so much. He is such a wonderful manager.
Of course, we need to buy players. And that is what Wenger is doing right now.
Are we not buying from Germany, and Brazil?
Fact is, we are. That is why we have made the moves on Mertesacker (a deal reportedly in the ranges of £7.9 million) who plays for Werder Bremen, and 28 year-old Santos. Santos plays for Fenerbahce, and will go at £6.2 million.
Well, in conclusion, let me say kudos to Arsenal fans. Sure, it pains, but let us take it from there.
As for Wenger, he is a great coach. He knows how to mould youngsters into monsters.
He just needs to be more ambitious. That is all we need. That is all we expect of our team. That is all we expect from flamboyant manager Wenger.
That is all...as I declare again: Arsenal for Life!
Pain does not pain; it is the truth that does.
But Manchester United fans are making this very mistake- sorrying us, the die-hard Arsenal Fans, over the disaster that was Sunday. 8-2 is, surely, a sad day for us.
It is so simple to say: Arsenal for Life
In fact, it is more than sad; it is as sad as it is disheartening.
But people like me, the real Arsenal fans, are not moved. This sort of thing happens, perhaps after 50 years or so, but it does happen.
When it does, it saddens. It pains, even.
But you don't send condolences for the pain because pain does not pain. It is the truth that does.
For instance, 8-2 is the truth about the results of the Manchester United Versus Arsenal game. It follows, therefore, that this truth pains for the losing side's, in this case Arsenal, fans. It is not the pain over the loss that pains.
Well, let me take this opportunity to reiterate what I have declared before: Arsenal for Life!
Let me also say that we, The Gunners, love Arsene Wenger so much. He is such a wonderful manager.
Of course, we need to buy players. And that is what Wenger is doing right now.
Are we not buying from Germany, and Brazil?
Fact is, we are. That is why we have made the moves on Mertesacker (a deal reportedly in the ranges of £7.9 million) who plays for Werder Bremen, and 28 year-old Santos. Santos plays for Fenerbahce, and will go at £6.2 million.
Well, in conclusion, let me say kudos to Arsenal fans. Sure, it pains, but let us take it from there.
As for Wenger, he is a great coach. He knows how to mould youngsters into monsters.
He just needs to be more ambitious. That is all we need. That is all we expect of our team. That is all we expect from flamboyant manager Wenger.
That is all...as I declare again: Arsenal for Life!
Bulletin of Christian Persecution
July 27 - August 29, 2011
July 27, 2011
Lebanon (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
or over two week the Maronite Church has been involved in strenuous efforts to reclaim large areas of land which has been taken over by part of the Shiite population of Lassa, a village in the district of Jbeil Mount Lebanon.
The affair erupted when official land surveyors tried survey land on which stands a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. Since 2011 the building has been used, against the advice of the Church as a place of worship for women. In spite of all the past efforts to regulate this sensitive and highly symbolic issue the chapel key was never returned to the Church. For several days the population has prevented the team, with the threat of arms, from carrying out the survey.
July 28, 2011
Egypt
An exchange of harsh words on July 25 between Ruth, a Christian woman, and Gassem Fouad, a Muslim man who had parked his tricycle in front of her home, escalated into assault by the man on Ruth and other Christian villagers, and the arrest of one Copt. After Ruth, who is 5 months pregnant, was assaulted, a Muslim mob waited for Coptic farmers to return from the fields, where they were intercepted and beaten with iron rods and pipes. Update HERE.
Tanzania
Influential Muslims on this East African island have begun building what appears to be a hotel on a 100-year-old burial site owned by an Anglican church, Christian leaders said.
Church leaders with ownership papers for the land told Compass they are disturbed that authorities have taken no action since they filed a police complaint in December about the seizure of the burial site three kilometers (nearly two miles) from Zanzibar city's airport.
July 29, 2011
Nigeria
Christians throughout Nigeria are fasting to invoke divine intervention and protection from the Islamic cult, Boko Haram, that has threatened to attack Nigerian Christians on the anniversary of their founder's death.
Due to heightened insecurity, church attendance has dropped significantly in recent weeks. Less than half of those that attended church regularly can be found in attendance due to safety concerns.
Bombs have been going off on a daily basis in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, while the Nigerian capital of Abuja faced a bomb attack on a car park last month.
Iraq
While the story of Islamist violence against Christians, particularly in Egypt, has continued to get a fair degree of attention in the U.S. media, one story that has been lost in the shuffle is the effort to establish a safe haven -- The Nineveh Plain Province -- for indigenous minorities in Iraq.
The plan is to declare the Nineveh Plane Province as the gathering point for indigenous minorities in Iraq and then provide the security and infrastructure necessary for them to live in safety. The province would not be restricted to Assyrian Christians, but to all indigenous minorities living in Iraq. The proponents of the province in the U.S. are asking Congress for $128 million to implement their proposal.
The Assyrian American Coalition, one of the major advocates of the Nineveh Plain Province Solution, asserts that establishing such a province would allow "indigenous people [In Iraq] to gain a stable foothold within the country from which they could sustain, develop, and grow a base population in a secure and stable environment." This initiative has gotten very little coverage in the United States.
July 30, 2011
Indonesia
Tensions have heightened against religious minority communities after Thursday's sentencing of three men for their part in a brutal attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Cikeusik, West Java, in February. The men were handed three to six month sentences by the court over the attack, which killed three people.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has voiced concern over continuing violations of religious freedom in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation. It said the sentences were "astonishingly lenient"
The sentences were passed on the same day as the World Evangelical Alliance's Religious Liberty Commission warned that the GKI Yasmin Church in Bogor, West Java, could face mass violence if continuing tensions are not addressed. The church has been forced to hold open air worship on Sundays after it was closed by authorities, violating a Supreme Court ruling permitting the church to operate.
August 2, 2011
Iraq (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
A priest and at least 19 others were injured Tuesday by an autobomb that detonated outside a church in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. More than 40 homes were damaged by the blast.
Terrorists in Iraq have stepped up attacks against the country's minority Christian population.
August 3, 2011
Indonesia (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
Two homes used as churches were burned to the ground in Riau on Tuesday night. The incidents are the latest in a series of attacks on minority religious groups in Indonesia that have prompted international condemnation, including from the United States and European Union. Update HERE. More HERE.
USA (Hat tip to Creeping Sharia)
A computer hacker took control of more than a dozen church Web sites hosted by a Perrysburg, Ohio designer this week, replacing their regular content with an appeal that Christians convert to Islam.
August 4, 2011
Malaysia (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
Selangor state exco member Datuk Hasan Ali of PAS has defended Wednesday night's raid by the State Religious Department (JAIS) on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church. "We found evidence of proselytisation towards Muslims," he said in a statement Thursday. "We carried out the raid after receiving information that there were Muslims who attended a breaking-of-fast event at the church. Update HERE.
UK (Hat tip to FamilySecurityMatters)
A family of albino Muslims in Coventry are being terrorised by bigots because their daughter married a man from another religion and converted to Christianity. The so-called "honour" retribution has included smashed windows at their Edgwick home, vandalised cars and death threats.
August 6, 2011
Pakistan
Another young Christian woman in Pakistan has been abducted and forced to convert to Islam and marry her kidnapper. Despite a formal complaint, police did not intervene because the author of the crime is a "respectable businessman."
India
Four months after a recent convert to Christianity from Islam in eastern India's West Bengal state was stripped and beaten, about 50 Muslim extremists yesterday disrupted a prayer meeting held in her home, threatening to burn it down if she did not return to Islam, area Christians said.
August 10, 2011
Nigeria
Authorities say a clash between soldiers and youths in northeastern Nigeria over the arrest of suspected members of a radical Muslim sect has killed one person and wounded two.
Army Lt. Olumide Olukoya says fighting started Tuesday. He says a woman died from gunshot wounds in the clash after authorities arrested clerics and suspected members of the Boko Haram sect. He says about 150 rioting youths later torched a government building and a Catholic church.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language, is responsible for a rash of killings targeting security officers, local leaders and clerics in the area over the last year.
Egypt
Egypt's government on Wednesday proposed an anti-discrimination amendment to its criminal code, mostly aimed at the troubled Christian minority which has been the target of sectarian attacks.
Women and minorities in Egypt complain of discrimination, but it is enshrined in the law regarding Coptic Christians, who are not allowed to build houses of worship without presidential permission.
August 11, 2011
Uganda
A 14-year-old girl in western Uganda is still unable to walk 10 months after her father tortured her for leaving Islam and putting her faith in Christ, according to area Christians.
August 12, 2011
Pakistan (Hat tip to BigHollywood)
A group of Christians have been attacked by a mob of Muslims in a park near where Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan. The Christian group was gathered to watch a 1979 movie called "Jesus," depicting the life of Christ when they were set upon by the extremists. The assault on the church workers included a beating as well as a smashed projector before the police intervened.
August 15, 2011
Iraq (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
A bomb exploded last night near the St Ephraim Syrian Orthodox Church in Kirkuk, which is just a few hundreds of metres from the Chaldean cathedral, in central part of the city. The device blew up at 1.30 am and there were no victims. The damages to the church were however huge (pictured).
Today's incident is the latest in a string of attacks against Christians and their places of worship. On 2 August, a car bomb exploded in front of the Holy Family Syrian Catholic Church, wounding 15 people. The bomb had been placed inside a car, parked near the building. On the same day, another bomb also placed in a car parked near a Presbyterian church was defused before it went off.
August 16, 2011
Malaysia (Hat tip to JihadWatch via the religion of peace)
Muslims in Malaysia have demanded that action be taken against those who proselytize Muslims to Christianity as 22 Islamic non-governmental organizations called for laws banning apostasy.
The NGOs issued a statement stressing their commitment to "defending the faith of Muslims held in this country from … encroachment," according to the Malaysian Insider and Malaysiakini. The NGOs sought to uphold existing legislation against proselytizing Muslims.
August 17, 2011
Iran
Iran has seized 6,500 copies of the Bible in northwest Iran in what appears to be the latest crackdown by Iranian authorities against Christianity in the country. Few details are known about the seizure, however, Christian news agency, Mohabat News, reports that Dr. Majid Abhari, adviser to the social issues committee of the parliament in Iran stated, "These missionaries with reliance on huge money and propaganda are trying to deviate our youth."
According to persecution advocacy group, Voice of the Martyrs, missionary work is banned in Iran, though Christian conversion has been growing in the majority Islamic country in recent years. Conversion from Islam to another religion, known as apostasy, is also a crime in Iran, and offenders are often arrested and tried in court. Recent legislation is aiming to have the crime of apostasy punishable by death.
August 19, 2011
Pakistan (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
A Pakistani Christian woman who was abducted in 2009 has escaped from her captor. After Arifa Alfred, 27, was drugged and kidnapped in central Pakistan, she awoke and was shown papers stating that she had converted to Islam and married her captor. After two years of torture, she escaped on August 1.
Indonesia (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
Bogor's controversial mayor says he has a new reason not to allow the GKI Yasmin church to open - the name of the street on which it is built has an Islamic name.
August 21, 2011
Pakistan (Hat tip to Family Security Matters)
A Christian family consisting of 26 persons, including women and children, lived in slavery for over 30 years. Forced to work on a farm belonging to a wealthy Muslim landowner Rahim Yar Khan, they only recently managed to regain freedom. Reduced to servitude for three decades, the family members escaped their captor through the intervention of the leaders of the Catholic Diocese of Bahawalpur.
August 23, 2011
Sudan
More than seven months after Muslim extremists burned its church building, a Presbyterian Church of the Sudan (PCOS) congregation is still afraid to meet for worship, according to Christian sources. The Rev. Maubark Hamad said his church in Wad Madani, 138 kilometers (85 miles) southeast of Khartoum, has not been able to rebuild since the Jan. 15 devastation due to the congregation’s meager resources.
Christian sources said they are increasingly fearful as Muslim extremists pose more threats against Christians in an attempt to rid what they call Dar al Islam, the “Land of Islam,” of Christianity.
August 25, 2011
Pakistan (Hat tip to Grendel)
A group of Muslims have kidnapped a 14 year old Christian girl from her home under the threat of a gun and in front of witnesses. Mohammad Tayeb Butt along with four other Muslims raided the house of Rashid Masih in broad daylight, pointed the gun to the head of his daughter Mehek forcing her to climb aboard a white car .
Two young Christians, Imran Masih and Mehboob Masih, tried to rescue the girl, but Mohammad Tayeb pointed the gun at them and threatened to shoot. "She is a Choori" the Muslim shouted, at Mehek, using the derogatory and insulting slur used for the Christians. He also added that the Choori Mehek will be purified "convert to Islam and become my mistress."
August 26, 2011
Malaysia (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
A committee was formed by the Selangor Government to investigate the dispute on the check conducted by Jais on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church. Jais had on Aug 3 entered the premises of DUMC, where a thanksgiving dinner was being held after being tipped off on an alleged attempt to proselytise Muslims. The dinner, attended by about 100 people, included 12 Muslims.
"This issue should be explained to the non-Muslims so that they understand better why proselytisation is such a sensitive issue for the Muslims," he said at the Poh Toh Festival Dinner 2011 here last night.
Norway (Hat tip to IslamInEurope for translation via Jihadwatch)
"Ali" had boiling water poured on him at the Hå asylum center in Jæren, after he converted to Christianity and did not fast on the Ramadan. Now he and other converts fear for their lives.
'If you don't return to Islam, we'll kill you' "Ali" was told by fellow residents at the center. He doesn't want his name or picture published for fear of the other residents. If the Afghan authorities hear of his conversion, he risks being sentenced to death by stoning he he'll be deported back home.
Bangladesh
A tortured Christian activist, a former Muslim who fled rough police and Islamic extremists in his native Bangladesh. is in hiding in Hong Kong.
August 29, 2011
Iran
The whereabouts of an evangelical pastor in Iran remained unknown Saturday, August 27, some 10 days after he was detained by Iranian security forces as part of a reported government crackdown on Christian converts.
Abdolreza ‘Matthias’ Haghnejad, of the evangelical Church of Iran denomination, "was re-arrested August 17" by Iranian authorities in the northern city of Rasht while making a pastoral visit, according to Iranian Christians and human rights investigators.
July 27, 2011
Lebanon (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
or over two week the Maronite Church has been involved in strenuous efforts to reclaim large areas of land which has been taken over by part of the Shiite population of Lassa, a village in the district of Jbeil Mount Lebanon.
The affair erupted when official land surveyors tried survey land on which stands a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. Since 2011 the building has been used, against the advice of the Church as a place of worship for women. In spite of all the past efforts to regulate this sensitive and highly symbolic issue the chapel key was never returned to the Church. For several days the population has prevented the team, with the threat of arms, from carrying out the survey.
July 28, 2011
Egypt
An exchange of harsh words on July 25 between Ruth, a Christian woman, and Gassem Fouad, a Muslim man who had parked his tricycle in front of her home, escalated into assault by the man on Ruth and other Christian villagers, and the arrest of one Copt. After Ruth, who is 5 months pregnant, was assaulted, a Muslim mob waited for Coptic farmers to return from the fields, where they were intercepted and beaten with iron rods and pipes. Update HERE.
Tanzania
Influential Muslims on this East African island have begun building what appears to be a hotel on a 100-year-old burial site owned by an Anglican church, Christian leaders said.
Church leaders with ownership papers for the land told Compass they are disturbed that authorities have taken no action since they filed a police complaint in December about the seizure of the burial site three kilometers (nearly two miles) from Zanzibar city's airport.
July 29, 2011
Nigeria
Christians throughout Nigeria are fasting to invoke divine intervention and protection from the Islamic cult, Boko Haram, that has threatened to attack Nigerian Christians on the anniversary of their founder's death.
Due to heightened insecurity, church attendance has dropped significantly in recent weeks. Less than half of those that attended church regularly can be found in attendance due to safety concerns.
Bombs have been going off on a daily basis in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, while the Nigerian capital of Abuja faced a bomb attack on a car park last month.
Iraq
While the story of Islamist violence against Christians, particularly in Egypt, has continued to get a fair degree of attention in the U.S. media, one story that has been lost in the shuffle is the effort to establish a safe haven -- The Nineveh Plain Province -- for indigenous minorities in Iraq.
The plan is to declare the Nineveh Plane Province as the gathering point for indigenous minorities in Iraq and then provide the security and infrastructure necessary for them to live in safety. The province would not be restricted to Assyrian Christians, but to all indigenous minorities living in Iraq. The proponents of the province in the U.S. are asking Congress for $128 million to implement their proposal.
The Assyrian American Coalition, one of the major advocates of the Nineveh Plain Province Solution, asserts that establishing such a province would allow "indigenous people [In Iraq] to gain a stable foothold within the country from which they could sustain, develop, and grow a base population in a secure and stable environment." This initiative has gotten very little coverage in the United States.
July 30, 2011
Indonesia
Tensions have heightened against religious minority communities after Thursday's sentencing of three men for their part in a brutal attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Cikeusik, West Java, in February. The men were handed three to six month sentences by the court over the attack, which killed three people.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has voiced concern over continuing violations of religious freedom in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation. It said the sentences were "astonishingly lenient"
The sentences were passed on the same day as the World Evangelical Alliance's Religious Liberty Commission warned that the GKI Yasmin Church in Bogor, West Java, could face mass violence if continuing tensions are not addressed. The church has been forced to hold open air worship on Sundays after it was closed by authorities, violating a Supreme Court ruling permitting the church to operate.
August 2, 2011
Iraq (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
A priest and at least 19 others were injured Tuesday by an autobomb that detonated outside a church in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. More than 40 homes were damaged by the blast.
Terrorists in Iraq have stepped up attacks against the country's minority Christian population.
August 3, 2011
Indonesia (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
Two homes used as churches were burned to the ground in Riau on Tuesday night. The incidents are the latest in a series of attacks on minority religious groups in Indonesia that have prompted international condemnation, including from the United States and European Union. Update HERE. More HERE.
USA (Hat tip to Creeping Sharia)
A computer hacker took control of more than a dozen church Web sites hosted by a Perrysburg, Ohio designer this week, replacing their regular content with an appeal that Christians convert to Islam.
August 4, 2011
Malaysia (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
Selangor state exco member Datuk Hasan Ali of PAS has defended Wednesday night's raid by the State Religious Department (JAIS) on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church. "We found evidence of proselytisation towards Muslims," he said in a statement Thursday. "We carried out the raid after receiving information that there were Muslims who attended a breaking-of-fast event at the church. Update HERE.
UK (Hat tip to FamilySecurityMatters)
A family of albino Muslims in Coventry are being terrorised by bigots because their daughter married a man from another religion and converted to Christianity. The so-called "honour" retribution has included smashed windows at their Edgwick home, vandalised cars and death threats.
August 6, 2011
Pakistan
Another young Christian woman in Pakistan has been abducted and forced to convert to Islam and marry her kidnapper. Despite a formal complaint, police did not intervene because the author of the crime is a "respectable businessman."
India
Four months after a recent convert to Christianity from Islam in eastern India's West Bengal state was stripped and beaten, about 50 Muslim extremists yesterday disrupted a prayer meeting held in her home, threatening to burn it down if she did not return to Islam, area Christians said.
August 10, 2011
Nigeria
Authorities say a clash between soldiers and youths in northeastern Nigeria over the arrest of suspected members of a radical Muslim sect has killed one person and wounded two.
Army Lt. Olumide Olukoya says fighting started Tuesday. He says a woman died from gunshot wounds in the clash after authorities arrested clerics and suspected members of the Boko Haram sect. He says about 150 rioting youths later torched a government building and a Catholic church.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language, is responsible for a rash of killings targeting security officers, local leaders and clerics in the area over the last year.
Egypt
Egypt's government on Wednesday proposed an anti-discrimination amendment to its criminal code, mostly aimed at the troubled Christian minority which has been the target of sectarian attacks.
Women and minorities in Egypt complain of discrimination, but it is enshrined in the law regarding Coptic Christians, who are not allowed to build houses of worship without presidential permission.
August 11, 2011
Uganda
A 14-year-old girl in western Uganda is still unable to walk 10 months after her father tortured her for leaving Islam and putting her faith in Christ, according to area Christians.
August 12, 2011
Pakistan (Hat tip to BigHollywood)
A group of Christians have been attacked by a mob of Muslims in a park near where Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan. The Christian group was gathered to watch a 1979 movie called "Jesus," depicting the life of Christ when they were set upon by the extremists. The assault on the church workers included a beating as well as a smashed projector before the police intervened.
August 15, 2011
Iraq (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
A bomb exploded last night near the St Ephraim Syrian Orthodox Church in Kirkuk, which is just a few hundreds of metres from the Chaldean cathedral, in central part of the city. The device blew up at 1.30 am and there were no victims. The damages to the church were however huge (pictured).
Today's incident is the latest in a string of attacks against Christians and their places of worship. On 2 August, a car bomb exploded in front of the Holy Family Syrian Catholic Church, wounding 15 people. The bomb had been placed inside a car, parked near the building. On the same day, another bomb also placed in a car parked near a Presbyterian church was defused before it went off.
August 16, 2011
Malaysia (Hat tip to JihadWatch via the religion of peace)
Muslims in Malaysia have demanded that action be taken against those who proselytize Muslims to Christianity as 22 Islamic non-governmental organizations called for laws banning apostasy.
The NGOs issued a statement stressing their commitment to "defending the faith of Muslims held in this country from … encroachment," according to the Malaysian Insider and Malaysiakini. The NGOs sought to uphold existing legislation against proselytizing Muslims.
August 17, 2011
Iran
Iran has seized 6,500 copies of the Bible in northwest Iran in what appears to be the latest crackdown by Iranian authorities against Christianity in the country. Few details are known about the seizure, however, Christian news agency, Mohabat News, reports that Dr. Majid Abhari, adviser to the social issues committee of the parliament in Iran stated, "These missionaries with reliance on huge money and propaganda are trying to deviate our youth."
According to persecution advocacy group, Voice of the Martyrs, missionary work is banned in Iran, though Christian conversion has been growing in the majority Islamic country in recent years. Conversion from Islam to another religion, known as apostasy, is also a crime in Iran, and offenders are often arrested and tried in court. Recent legislation is aiming to have the crime of apostasy punishable by death.
August 19, 2011
Pakistan (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
A Pakistani Christian woman who was abducted in 2009 has escaped from her captor. After Arifa Alfred, 27, was drugged and kidnapped in central Pakistan, she awoke and was shown papers stating that she had converted to Islam and married her captor. After two years of torture, she escaped on August 1.
Indonesia (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
Bogor's controversial mayor says he has a new reason not to allow the GKI Yasmin church to open - the name of the street on which it is built has an Islamic name.
August 21, 2011
Pakistan (Hat tip to Family Security Matters)
A Christian family consisting of 26 persons, including women and children, lived in slavery for over 30 years. Forced to work on a farm belonging to a wealthy Muslim landowner Rahim Yar Khan, they only recently managed to regain freedom. Reduced to servitude for three decades, the family members escaped their captor through the intervention of the leaders of the Catholic Diocese of Bahawalpur.
August 23, 2011
Sudan
More than seven months after Muslim extremists burned its church building, a Presbyterian Church of the Sudan (PCOS) congregation is still afraid to meet for worship, according to Christian sources. The Rev. Maubark Hamad said his church in Wad Madani, 138 kilometers (85 miles) southeast of Khartoum, has not been able to rebuild since the Jan. 15 devastation due to the congregation’s meager resources.
Christian sources said they are increasingly fearful as Muslim extremists pose more threats against Christians in an attempt to rid what they call Dar al Islam, the “Land of Islam,” of Christianity.
August 25, 2011
Pakistan (Hat tip to Grendel)
A group of Muslims have kidnapped a 14 year old Christian girl from her home under the threat of a gun and in front of witnesses. Mohammad Tayeb Butt along with four other Muslims raided the house of Rashid Masih in broad daylight, pointed the gun to the head of his daughter Mehek forcing her to climb aboard a white car .
Two young Christians, Imran Masih and Mehboob Masih, tried to rescue the girl, but Mohammad Tayeb pointed the gun at them and threatened to shoot. "She is a Choori" the Muslim shouted, at Mehek, using the derogatory and insulting slur used for the Christians. He also added that the Choori Mehek will be purified "convert to Islam and become my mistress."
August 26, 2011
Malaysia (Hat tip to JihadWatch)
A committee was formed by the Selangor Government to investigate the dispute on the check conducted by Jais on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church. Jais had on Aug 3 entered the premises of DUMC, where a thanksgiving dinner was being held after being tipped off on an alleged attempt to proselytise Muslims. The dinner, attended by about 100 people, included 12 Muslims.
"This issue should be explained to the non-Muslims so that they understand better why proselytisation is such a sensitive issue for the Muslims," he said at the Poh Toh Festival Dinner 2011 here last night.
Norway (Hat tip to IslamInEurope for translation via Jihadwatch)
"Ali" had boiling water poured on him at the Hå asylum center in Jæren, after he converted to Christianity and did not fast on the Ramadan. Now he and other converts fear for their lives.
'If you don't return to Islam, we'll kill you' "Ali" was told by fellow residents at the center. He doesn't want his name or picture published for fear of the other residents. If the Afghan authorities hear of his conversion, he risks being sentenced to death by stoning he he'll be deported back home.
Bangladesh
A tortured Christian activist, a former Muslim who fled rough police and Islamic extremists in his native Bangladesh. is in hiding in Hong Kong.
August 29, 2011
Iran
The whereabouts of an evangelical pastor in Iran remained unknown Saturday, August 27, some 10 days after he was detained by Iranian security forces as part of a reported government crackdown on Christian converts.
Abdolreza ‘Matthias’ Haghnejad, of the evangelical Church of Iran denomination, "was re-arrested August 17" by Iranian authorities in the northern city of Rasht while making a pastoral visit, according to Iranian Christians and human rights investigators.
We Still Need Taiwanese Literature!
...Call for Taiwanese Literature
It is sad, very sad, that, with the Republic of China (Taiwan) no longer maintaining diplomatic relations with Malawi, that country's literature is also gone from the book shelves in Malawi.
Of course, the good people of Taiwan never committed any wrong to warrant such a harsh exit; it is the President of the Republic of Malawi Ngwazi Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, supposedly making the 'right' decision on behalf of the people of Malawi, who elected him on 'trust', who effected that decision.
That remains a sad day for Malawi.
Sad because Malawi-Taiwan relations started in the morning of Malawi's development, and survived storms and quakes. The Republic of China, or Taiwan, was such a good friend to the people of Malawi, such a nice friend.
Together, the two nations beat the foes of ill-health and economic malaise.
The people of Taiwan constructed Malawi's major hospital in the Northern region, the Mzuzu Central Hospital. With it, the people of the Northern region earned access to the card of good health. The region now enjoyed medical services that were, hither to, an exclusive of the people of the Central region (who had Kamuzu Central Central Hospital) and Southern region (with Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital) as the main referral hospital.
But the Southern region had, and still have Zomba Central Hospital, too. Zomba, Malawi's former Capital City, has enjoyed good health and medical facilities for a while now, starting with the time the it was declared a Capital city, to the time it lost that status to Lilongwe (Malawi's current centre of government activity), and got some honour again by becoming a city under the Mutharika administration.
And, it seems, Zomba is still to benefit from a more, bigger national cake following Mutharika's announcement that he will turn one of his State Residences (The State House in Zomba) into a modern hospital.
Mutharika's wife, First Lady Calista Mutharika, comes from Zomba.
So, it can be safely said that the Taiwanese people set the pace for equality in health, helping Malawi achieve one of its long-time goals: To have an up-market hospital for the good people of Northern Malawi.
For a long time, this region has been neglected. That is why Chitipa still has no tarmac road. That is why thge people of Karonga still travel five, six hours over a distance of 100 kilometres to Chitipa. It is a case of being so close, yet so far away for the people of Karonga and Chitipa.
The good people of Taiwan saw this 'distance' between these 'lose' people, and promised to construct a modern tarmac road from Karonga to Chitipa. It was them, the Taiwanese (and not Mainland China) who saw this need.
For once, the people of Chitipa were happy.
The Taiwanese also saw the need for a modern Parliament House. The good people of Taiwan observed that it was a shame for a country like Malawi, in these modern times, to be using the New State House (the house of the Malawi President) as Parliament. That is orphanhood.
A whole nation can not be an orphan. after all.
So, the People of the Republic of China promised a new Parliament for Malawi. They also promised so many development projects, apart from sending missions to Malawi every year to help in the areas of health, education, agriculture,among others.
Credit for these development will never be taken away from the good people of Taiwan.
Then, from nowhere- some say from the blues- came Mainland China, the armed China; a China that has his war-arsenal pointed towards the innocent people of Taiwan, a people who have been surpressed by the so-called United Nations (United Nations in shame?) for over 47 years (47 years because 47 years ago, or slightly within the past 47 years, most African nations became independent) now.
The crime committed by these innocent, innovative, industrious people of Taiwan is to seek independence. The people of Taiwan want to free themselves from the psychological chain of belonging to a nation (Mainland China) in the fear that, if not, then they may perish. The One-China Policy is a fallacy.
It is unfortunate that this policy is shamelessly supported by the United Nations. And unfortunate that Malawi's president, Mutharika, who, not long ago (less than six years ago) was up in arms advocating for the recognition of the Republic of China as an independent state at United Nations fora, could one day change his tune and support the oppressive Mainland China, a China that cannot live side by side with another China- a more innocent China.
It is the shame of our times.
But the people of Malawi will never forget the Taiwanese people. Never.
Only Mutharika, perhaps, will.
Yet, in the face of all this oppression endured by the People of Taiwan, another form of oppression is taking root in Malawi: The suppression of Taiwanese literature in Malawi.
Not long ago, (three years ago, to be precise) Malawi was full of Taiwanese literature. I remember that I used to go to bookshops, or the Taiwanese Embassy, and buy or get these materials, respectively.
No more.
It is understandable for the second case. Because Taiwan no longer has an embassy in Malawi, Taiwanese literature cannot be found at a Taiwanese-Malawi Embassy that does not exist. Granted.
That lives us with the option of book shops.
It is here where this new form of suppression is taking place. No Taiwanese literature books. Nothing.
It seems like, having 'deleted' Taiwan's physical presence in our midst (embassy), the authorities want to 'delete' Taiwan from our heads, too.
This will be more difficult than getting rid of the Taiwanese Ambassador from Malawi.
For one, there is the internet.
For a second, we have Malawians still studying in Taiwan.
Thirdly, we have the 'goodness' of the Taiwanese people in our midst: the hospitals, schools, among others.
So, this suppression may be there, but for a while. A day is coming when Taiwanese literature will flourish in Malawi, again.
After all, some opposition parties were campaigning during the 2009 Presidential Elections, and used the Taiwanese issue as one of their campaign tools.
For instance, former President Bakili Muluzi (who was trying his luck at the Presidency for the third time in 2009, before being stopped by the Courts on the ground that he had already served two consecutive terms in office) promised that he woiuld bring Taiwan back and dump the People's Republic of China.
By the way, our Taiwanese friends can send me Taiwanese Literature (which I want badly, to use in a special book project) through the following address:
Richard Chirombo
P.O. Box 545
Blantyre
Malawi
Alternatively, you can call me on: 265 (0) 888 644 826
It is sad, very sad, that, with the Republic of China (Taiwan) no longer maintaining diplomatic relations with Malawi, that country's literature is also gone from the book shelves in Malawi.
Of course, the good people of Taiwan never committed any wrong to warrant such a harsh exit; it is the President of the Republic of Malawi Ngwazi Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, supposedly making the 'right' decision on behalf of the people of Malawi, who elected him on 'trust', who effected that decision.
That remains a sad day for Malawi.
Sad because Malawi-Taiwan relations started in the morning of Malawi's development, and survived storms and quakes. The Republic of China, or Taiwan, was such a good friend to the people of Malawi, such a nice friend.
Together, the two nations beat the foes of ill-health and economic malaise.
The people of Taiwan constructed Malawi's major hospital in the Northern region, the Mzuzu Central Hospital. With it, the people of the Northern region earned access to the card of good health. The region now enjoyed medical services that were, hither to, an exclusive of the people of the Central region (who had Kamuzu Central Central Hospital) and Southern region (with Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital) as the main referral hospital.
But the Southern region had, and still have Zomba Central Hospital, too. Zomba, Malawi's former Capital City, has enjoyed good health and medical facilities for a while now, starting with the time the it was declared a Capital city, to the time it lost that status to Lilongwe (Malawi's current centre of government activity), and got some honour again by becoming a city under the Mutharika administration.
And, it seems, Zomba is still to benefit from a more, bigger national cake following Mutharika's announcement that he will turn one of his State Residences (The State House in Zomba) into a modern hospital.
Mutharika's wife, First Lady Calista Mutharika, comes from Zomba.
So, it can be safely said that the Taiwanese people set the pace for equality in health, helping Malawi achieve one of its long-time goals: To have an up-market hospital for the good people of Northern Malawi.
For a long time, this region has been neglected. That is why Chitipa still has no tarmac road. That is why thge people of Karonga still travel five, six hours over a distance of 100 kilometres to Chitipa. It is a case of being so close, yet so far away for the people of Karonga and Chitipa.
The good people of Taiwan saw this 'distance' between these 'lose' people, and promised to construct a modern tarmac road from Karonga to Chitipa. It was them, the Taiwanese (and not Mainland China) who saw this need.
For once, the people of Chitipa were happy.
The Taiwanese also saw the need for a modern Parliament House. The good people of Taiwan observed that it was a shame for a country like Malawi, in these modern times, to be using the New State House (the house of the Malawi President) as Parliament. That is orphanhood.
A whole nation can not be an orphan. after all.
So, the People of the Republic of China promised a new Parliament for Malawi. They also promised so many development projects, apart from sending missions to Malawi every year to help in the areas of health, education, agriculture,among others.
Credit for these development will never be taken away from the good people of Taiwan.
Then, from nowhere- some say from the blues- came Mainland China, the armed China; a China that has his war-arsenal pointed towards the innocent people of Taiwan, a people who have been surpressed by the so-called United Nations (United Nations in shame?) for over 47 years (47 years because 47 years ago, or slightly within the past 47 years, most African nations became independent) now.
The crime committed by these innocent, innovative, industrious people of Taiwan is to seek independence. The people of Taiwan want to free themselves from the psychological chain of belonging to a nation (Mainland China) in the fear that, if not, then they may perish. The One-China Policy is a fallacy.
It is unfortunate that this policy is shamelessly supported by the United Nations. And unfortunate that Malawi's president, Mutharika, who, not long ago (less than six years ago) was up in arms advocating for the recognition of the Republic of China as an independent state at United Nations fora, could one day change his tune and support the oppressive Mainland China, a China that cannot live side by side with another China- a more innocent China.
It is the shame of our times.
But the people of Malawi will never forget the Taiwanese people. Never.
Only Mutharika, perhaps, will.
Yet, in the face of all this oppression endured by the People of Taiwan, another form of oppression is taking root in Malawi: The suppression of Taiwanese literature in Malawi.
Not long ago, (three years ago, to be precise) Malawi was full of Taiwanese literature. I remember that I used to go to bookshops, or the Taiwanese Embassy, and buy or get these materials, respectively.
No more.
It is understandable for the second case. Because Taiwan no longer has an embassy in Malawi, Taiwanese literature cannot be found at a Taiwanese-Malawi Embassy that does not exist. Granted.
That lives us with the option of book shops.
It is here where this new form of suppression is taking place. No Taiwanese literature books. Nothing.
It seems like, having 'deleted' Taiwan's physical presence in our midst (embassy), the authorities want to 'delete' Taiwan from our heads, too.
This will be more difficult than getting rid of the Taiwanese Ambassador from Malawi.
For one, there is the internet.
For a second, we have Malawians still studying in Taiwan.
Thirdly, we have the 'goodness' of the Taiwanese people in our midst: the hospitals, schools, among others.
So, this suppression may be there, but for a while. A day is coming when Taiwanese literature will flourish in Malawi, again.
After all, some opposition parties were campaigning during the 2009 Presidential Elections, and used the Taiwanese issue as one of their campaign tools.
For instance, former President Bakili Muluzi (who was trying his luck at the Presidency for the third time in 2009, before being stopped by the Courts on the ground that he had already served two consecutive terms in office) promised that he woiuld bring Taiwan back and dump the People's Republic of China.
By the way, our Taiwanese friends can send me Taiwanese Literature (which I want badly, to use in a special book project) through the following address:
Richard Chirombo
P.O. Box 545
Blantyre
Malawi
Alternatively, you can call me on: 265 (0) 888 644 826
STATEMENT BY THE MALAWI EMBASSY TO ETHIOPIA, THE AFRICAN UNION AND THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA ON THE DISTURBANCES OF 20TH AND 21ST JULY IN MALAWI
Introduction
Due to a number of enquiries by colleagues from Embassies of Member States, International partners and other concerned parties; the Malawi Embassy in Addis Ababa has decided to issue a statement on the disturbances that took place in Malawi on the 20th and 21st July, 2011. The Malawi Embassy hastens to add that any gaps in this statement will be filled by a report of a High Level commission of Inquiry which will include a Representative of the UN Secretary General and also a Representative of SADC.
The Embassy of the Republic of Malawi would like to point out that the Government that is currently in place in Malawi subscribes to the international conventions of human rights and democracy. It has made the promotion of human and democratic rights a core indicator of its performance in various sectors of government, including the process of budgeting. The decision taken by Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the Malawi media and opposition political parties to make public demonstrations a key means of achieving their ends is infact a result of the government guaranteeing freedom of expression not hither to enjoyed in Malawi.
The Account
When Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Malawi announced their intention to mount demonstrations, the Government and Local Leaders requested them not to go ahead with the same for the following reasons:
The declared issues motivating the demonstrations were issues that could not be addressed overnight.
The Government was already putting in place strategies and structures for a comprehensive dissolution of the issues of concern.
The organizations leading the demonstrations had shown neither the requisite restraint nor capacity in organizing such events.
In order to create a broad platform for national debate and consultations, the President had invited on 20th July 2010, all stakeholders in the country, including cabinet ministers, representatives of NGOs, opposition leaders, religious leaders, private sector, the media, university staff and students, women activists, legal experts and parliamentarians to an open forum at which he was going to present for debate and improvement, comprehensive government plans for addressing the issues prioritized by NGOs. The NGOs and opposition leaders however had flatly refused this gesture and had instead, called their supporters; urban youth, to demonstrate in the streets on the same day the President was articulating Government plans.
When it was clear that the concerned NGOs were committed to their demonstrations and could not accommodate calls for a rethink, the police engaged them in planning meetings, aimed at reaching a consensus on demonstration routes, the parameters of the demonstrations and security provisions.
On the day of the demonstrations however as the procession progressed on the designated route, the police received reports of another set of demonstrators that were vandalizing property away from the designated route. They were looting banks, shops, Supermarkets, factories, business offices and homes. Police had to redeploy to go and stop the looting. Confronted by looters wielding various weapons and tools of destruction and journalists looking for photo opportunities, the police were overwhelmed.
In the confrontations that ensued, arson, trampling and gun fire led to loss of lives. These activities continued on 21st July, a day after the official protests. Indeed out of the 19 deaths that occurred, only 4 occurred on the official day of the demonstrations.
The Constitution of Malawi does provide for freedoms of association but it also puts an equal responsibility on government to protect lives and property of citizens who invest material and human resources to produce goods and services that sustain both their livelihoods and the economy of the country.
Declared Motives for the Disturbances
The key justifications for the demonstrations, as presented by the organizing NGOs were; shortage of motor vehicle fuel; shortage of foreign exchange and intermittent supply of electricity.
These shortages have always been experienced under previous governments formed by the same Opposition parties that have partnered with the NGOS. There is no record that either the NGOS or Members of the Opposition parties ever demonstrated in the past against these shortages. Infact the current Government of Malawi is the first ever to eliminate the problem of food shortage and to present comprehensive plans for long term solutions of the other shortages.
The problems of fuel shortage in Malawi, arose first because the World Bank prevailed upon the government to privatize the purchase, importation, marketing and distribution of petroleum products from a former government owned enterprise; the Petroleum Control Commission to a privately owned Petroleum Import Limited. The privatization of this strategic commodity has rendered Government helpless to regulate the flow of fuel into Malawi, let alone to maintain any reserves. Second, the landlocked nature of Malawi, with very long and difficult distances from Indian Ocean ports has meant that any delays at the ports result in the depletion of the limited fuel reserves in the country.
With respect to foreign exchange, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) insisted that the proceedes from Malawi’s major exports, including tobacco, the strategic crop of great national significance, be kept with Commercial Banks and not the Central Bank of Malawi. As a result, all Malawi foreign exchange earnings are held by private banks outside the country where governments cannot exercise control.
If the Government had rejected the above prescriptions it was certainly going to be condemned by the NGOs fearing that this would jeopardize their funding which totally comes from outside the country. Accepting the prescriptions has led to consequences which have provided the NGOs with justifications for the demonstrations.
Even in good times governments do have to prioritise, in the case of the Malawi Government, it has been prioritizing the procurement and distribution of farm inputs and hospital drugs which benefit majority of the population.
Finally, the intermittent electricity supplies are due to major repair works following lack of maintenance of energy generation plants by previous governments. They are not a permanent feature.
The Organizers
The demonstrations were organized by NGOs, opposition parties, in collaboration with members of the media. The common thread linking all these is a strong belief that governments are constituted for the sole purpose of implementing instructions from donors. They have all condemned government for daring to question universal prescriptions that do not fit the local context. This goes right against the project that Government has put in place to promote self awareness and self reliance that should sustain the concept of Malawi as a nation of achievers. The breakthrough in food security greatly enhanced the self confidence of Malawians; Government’s goal is to build on this confidence and not erode it through the gratification of dependency.
The NGOs in Malawi receive a lot of covert funding from outside the country. They have not invested this in laying down the foundations for economic development like skills training; they instead invest these funds in lofty agendas that ran contrary to the cultural tenets and moral fabric of the nation.
The political parties are using the demonstrations to access the excessive financial resources of the NGOs in promoting their political agenda. Two of them have formed governments before with disastrous results. Malawi is a democracy that holds regular transparent elections, the opposition parties however, see these demonstrations as an opportunity to get into government without submitting themselves to due process.
Critical Perspectives
It would appear that a coercive world order, NGOs anxious to have a platform and a predatory media have combined to exploit the unfortunate incidence, by first forcing structure on local reality and calling demonstrations that took place in five of the twenty-eight districts of Malawi; nationwide. It is regrettable that parties have sought to comment on the incident first and to varify facts later
Malawi has currently in place the most competent, assertive and accountable government. It is very easy to see where citizens taxes are being invested. Undermining such a government cannot be for the benefit of the country or its people. The government of the Republic of Malawi needs the space to govern. It is not proper that it should operate under ultimatums and prescriptions from special interest groups.
The Embassy of the Republic of Malawi to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa
Due to a number of enquiries by colleagues from Embassies of Member States, International partners and other concerned parties; the Malawi Embassy in Addis Ababa has decided to issue a statement on the disturbances that took place in Malawi on the 20th and 21st July, 2011. The Malawi Embassy hastens to add that any gaps in this statement will be filled by a report of a High Level commission of Inquiry which will include a Representative of the UN Secretary General and also a Representative of SADC.
The Embassy of the Republic of Malawi would like to point out that the Government that is currently in place in Malawi subscribes to the international conventions of human rights and democracy. It has made the promotion of human and democratic rights a core indicator of its performance in various sectors of government, including the process of budgeting. The decision taken by Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the Malawi media and opposition political parties to make public demonstrations a key means of achieving their ends is infact a result of the government guaranteeing freedom of expression not hither to enjoyed in Malawi.
The Account
When Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Malawi announced their intention to mount demonstrations, the Government and Local Leaders requested them not to go ahead with the same for the following reasons:
The declared issues motivating the demonstrations were issues that could not be addressed overnight.
The Government was already putting in place strategies and structures for a comprehensive dissolution of the issues of concern.
The organizations leading the demonstrations had shown neither the requisite restraint nor capacity in organizing such events.
In order to create a broad platform for national debate and consultations, the President had invited on 20th July 2010, all stakeholders in the country, including cabinet ministers, representatives of NGOs, opposition leaders, religious leaders, private sector, the media, university staff and students, women activists, legal experts and parliamentarians to an open forum at which he was going to present for debate and improvement, comprehensive government plans for addressing the issues prioritized by NGOs. The NGOs and opposition leaders however had flatly refused this gesture and had instead, called their supporters; urban youth, to demonstrate in the streets on the same day the President was articulating Government plans.
When it was clear that the concerned NGOs were committed to their demonstrations and could not accommodate calls for a rethink, the police engaged them in planning meetings, aimed at reaching a consensus on demonstration routes, the parameters of the demonstrations and security provisions.
On the day of the demonstrations however as the procession progressed on the designated route, the police received reports of another set of demonstrators that were vandalizing property away from the designated route. They were looting banks, shops, Supermarkets, factories, business offices and homes. Police had to redeploy to go and stop the looting. Confronted by looters wielding various weapons and tools of destruction and journalists looking for photo opportunities, the police were overwhelmed.
In the confrontations that ensued, arson, trampling and gun fire led to loss of lives. These activities continued on 21st July, a day after the official protests. Indeed out of the 19 deaths that occurred, only 4 occurred on the official day of the demonstrations.
The Constitution of Malawi does provide for freedoms of association but it also puts an equal responsibility on government to protect lives and property of citizens who invest material and human resources to produce goods and services that sustain both their livelihoods and the economy of the country.
Declared Motives for the Disturbances
The key justifications for the demonstrations, as presented by the organizing NGOs were; shortage of motor vehicle fuel; shortage of foreign exchange and intermittent supply of electricity.
These shortages have always been experienced under previous governments formed by the same Opposition parties that have partnered with the NGOS. There is no record that either the NGOS or Members of the Opposition parties ever demonstrated in the past against these shortages. Infact the current Government of Malawi is the first ever to eliminate the problem of food shortage and to present comprehensive plans for long term solutions of the other shortages.
The problems of fuel shortage in Malawi, arose first because the World Bank prevailed upon the government to privatize the purchase, importation, marketing and distribution of petroleum products from a former government owned enterprise; the Petroleum Control Commission to a privately owned Petroleum Import Limited. The privatization of this strategic commodity has rendered Government helpless to regulate the flow of fuel into Malawi, let alone to maintain any reserves. Second, the landlocked nature of Malawi, with very long and difficult distances from Indian Ocean ports has meant that any delays at the ports result in the depletion of the limited fuel reserves in the country.
With respect to foreign exchange, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) insisted that the proceedes from Malawi’s major exports, including tobacco, the strategic crop of great national significance, be kept with Commercial Banks and not the Central Bank of Malawi. As a result, all Malawi foreign exchange earnings are held by private banks outside the country where governments cannot exercise control.
If the Government had rejected the above prescriptions it was certainly going to be condemned by the NGOs fearing that this would jeopardize their funding which totally comes from outside the country. Accepting the prescriptions has led to consequences which have provided the NGOs with justifications for the demonstrations.
Even in good times governments do have to prioritise, in the case of the Malawi Government, it has been prioritizing the procurement and distribution of farm inputs and hospital drugs which benefit majority of the population.
Finally, the intermittent electricity supplies are due to major repair works following lack of maintenance of energy generation plants by previous governments. They are not a permanent feature.
The Organizers
The demonstrations were organized by NGOs, opposition parties, in collaboration with members of the media. The common thread linking all these is a strong belief that governments are constituted for the sole purpose of implementing instructions from donors. They have all condemned government for daring to question universal prescriptions that do not fit the local context. This goes right against the project that Government has put in place to promote self awareness and self reliance that should sustain the concept of Malawi as a nation of achievers. The breakthrough in food security greatly enhanced the self confidence of Malawians; Government’s goal is to build on this confidence and not erode it through the gratification of dependency.
The NGOs in Malawi receive a lot of covert funding from outside the country. They have not invested this in laying down the foundations for economic development like skills training; they instead invest these funds in lofty agendas that ran contrary to the cultural tenets and moral fabric of the nation.
The political parties are using the demonstrations to access the excessive financial resources of the NGOs in promoting their political agenda. Two of them have formed governments before with disastrous results. Malawi is a democracy that holds regular transparent elections, the opposition parties however, see these demonstrations as an opportunity to get into government without submitting themselves to due process.
Critical Perspectives
It would appear that a coercive world order, NGOs anxious to have a platform and a predatory media have combined to exploit the unfortunate incidence, by first forcing structure on local reality and calling demonstrations that took place in five of the twenty-eight districts of Malawi; nationwide. It is regrettable that parties have sought to comment on the incident first and to varify facts later
Malawi has currently in place the most competent, assertive and accountable government. It is very easy to see where citizens taxes are being invested. Undermining such a government cannot be for the benefit of the country or its people. The government of the Republic of Malawi needs the space to govern. It is not proper that it should operate under ultimatums and prescriptions from special interest groups.
The Embassy of the Republic of Malawi to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa
Friday, August 26, 2011
Poem: These Feathers
By Richard Chirombo
These feathers: Plucked from your chest of steel
Covered and well-protected from the peril,
The morning dew and the mid-day sun, too,
Will once- at the bright hour of your leisury flight,
Above the chair of such mighty pride- perhaps twice,
Expire.
Haywire!
Please, carry me higher than the barbed wire
The winds above, by seventy rain-beats I know, will surely calm my fire.
It is the weather of my temper, I bet, carrying me this fury-higher;
Can it be the musings, the tenderness of my wife Flora,
That is taking me this lower?
I know, I know my son:
The higher you fly,
The remotest the chances you will be heard when the feathers suddenly dry,
Zero the chances you will be heard when you in flight cry,
None the chances you will see us when the feathers drop down up high.
These feathers: Plucked from your chest of steel
Covered and well-protected from the peril,
The morning dew and the mid-day sun, too,
Will once- at the bright hour of your leisury flight,
Above the chair of such mighty pride- perhaps twice,
Expire.
Haywire!
Please, carry me higher than the barbed wire
The winds above, by seventy rain-beats I know, will surely calm my fire.
It is the weather of my temper, I bet, carrying me this fury-higher;
Can it be the musings, the tenderness of my wife Flora,
That is taking me this lower?
I know, I know my son:
The higher you fly,
The remotest the chances you will be heard when the feathers suddenly dry,
Zero the chances you will be heard when you in flight cry,
None the chances you will see us when the feathers drop down up high.
President Bingu wa Mutharika Has Done Nothing Wrong
After all, by saying that he is ready to plunge Malawi into war...
By saying that, yes, he was threatening The Nation newspaper...
By directly attacking Head of the Catholic Church in Malawi...
By saying 'what the hell do you people want?...
By saying that high-ranking government officials dod not understand the concept of the Greenbelt initiative; instead, mistaking it for Bingu's belt...
By saying that big companies are illegally externalising forex...
And that that is analogous to 'abotaging'the economy...
By saying- I mean, Bingu- that rural-based Malawians do not need the British Pound, American Dollar, the Euro, and other foreign currencies...
In deed, by saying that he (Bingu) has 'abolished' (read 'eradicated') HIV and AIDS from the face of Malawi...
By saying the other things he did,
President Bingu wa Mutharika,
The Head of State and Government,
Was just expressing himself.
Are we not required, after all, to hate the points and not the messenger, the humble bearer of such messages.
Isn't it agreed, universally, to attack people's points and not personalities?
Let us defend freedom of expression. Not only when we like the messages; even when we hate it, too.
Let us defend freedom of expression, to which the President- as a bonafide citizen of the Republic of Malawi, and bonafide member of the Global Community we have come to be- is entittled.
When it hurts, that is when it sinks. www.zachimalawi.blogspot.com says so, in defence of the President's right to attach others, including ordinary citizens of the humble republic and wider world.
By saying that, yes, he was threatening The Nation newspaper...
By directly attacking Head of the Catholic Church in Malawi...
By saying 'what the hell do you people want?...
By saying that high-ranking government officials dod not understand the concept of the Greenbelt initiative; instead, mistaking it for Bingu's belt...
By saying that big companies are illegally externalising forex...
And that that is analogous to 'abotaging'the economy...
By saying- I mean, Bingu- that rural-based Malawians do not need the British Pound, American Dollar, the Euro, and other foreign currencies...
In deed, by saying that he (Bingu) has 'abolished' (read 'eradicated') HIV and AIDS from the face of Malawi...
By saying the other things he did,
President Bingu wa Mutharika,
The Head of State and Government,
Was just expressing himself.
Are we not required, after all, to hate the points and not the messenger, the humble bearer of such messages.
Isn't it agreed, universally, to attack people's points and not personalities?
Let us defend freedom of expression. Not only when we like the messages; even when we hate it, too.
Let us defend freedom of expression, to which the President- as a bonafide citizen of the Republic of Malawi, and bonafide member of the Global Community we have come to be- is entittled.
When it hurts, that is when it sinks. www.zachimalawi.blogspot.com says so, in defence of the President's right to attach others, including ordinary citizens of the humble republic and wider world.
Transcript of Bishop Zuza’s message to Malawians
(NOTE: This material belongs to Blogger Ganizani Desmond, and has been posted on Zachimalawi because some of you- Michael Chanza in Zambia, Jonathan Kalawe in Kenya, Billy Saulosi in the United Kingdom, Faith Patridge in Russia, Lucy McNeil in Scotland, among others- have been persistent in asking for it.- The Moderator)
My dear brothers and sisters, citizens of Malawi, the Warm Heart of Africa:
We have come today to pray for our beautiful country which is at present experiencing a tremor. We’re all afraid of where we’re going. Each one of us is afraid of what is coming next. If you’re not, then ask yourselves why. You may be just like a peacock that hides its head in the ground when danger approaches.
Like the disciples with Jesus in the boat, we’re currently terrified with the storm that is blowing in our country. This is the reason that we have gathered here today. We are a believing nation and, therefore, like the apostles in today’s Gospel, we say: “God, do you not care that we are about to die?”
We are therefore asking God to help us that we may restore the tranquility that our nation needs so that once again we may live in peace and love.
Fellow Malawians, I hope that we all know that the storm we are now experiencing is of our own making as a nation. All of us, in one or another, to varying degrees depending also on our roles, have contributed to it. Since each one of us has a role to play in this storm, let us therefore play our role in calming it down.
Normally, when things like these happen among us, the tendency is pointing at each other. We start putting the blame on others. And we try to justify ourselves. And if we feel we have more authority, we even threaten others. Is this not what is happening right now?
For us as Church, sometimes we’re told, for example, not to interfere with politics. We as Church leaders are told to concentrate on preaching and on spiritual things. Za Mulungu – that’s what you should do. The church is therefore seen as an intruder and not part of the society.
Sometimes we put the blame on civil society or non-governmental organizations known as NGOs. We blame them as being misguided and leading people astray.
We may go even further saying that these people have not been elected, therefore they do not have a mandate to act on behalf of the society or citizens of our country.
Yes, they have not been elected, but they are working for the good of the nation. We may also put the blame on the media, especially these days, when the media reports as things happen.
Just imagine that now, as I am talking here, somebody in the United States or Japan or Russia is listening and seeing the pictures live.
We may blame the media as misguiding people and igniting dissent. However the truth may be that they are only fulfilling their noble duty of reporting and making people aware of what is happening.
Many times, my dear friends, we blame the Government and its leadership.
Here, I tell you, many of us are professionals.
And some of us have even doctorates and are called professors in this (or that, yet we’re busy) blaming the government for what is taking place. We may for example say that the Government of our President started very well but now has gone to (the) dogs.
The Government does not listen. Members are only enriching themselves at the expense of the masses. We may even ask what type of advisors does our leader have. And the litany may go on and it will go on.
And we can say a lot of things blaming others. As we say, “Mutu ukakula siulewa nkhonya,” – big head, big trouble. All the blames are put on the Government and our leader.
(But does he have to be blamed for everything?)
Fellow citizens of Malawi, putting blame on others will not help us at all. Always remember that when you are pointing a finger at your friend, three others are pointing at you.
Let us examine our own consciences and see what our role is in all these things that are now happening. Let us not be like our ancestors, Adam and Eve. After sinning, Adam said: “It is not I who has sinned but it is this woman, Eve, who misled me.” And then the woman said: “No, God, Our Father, it is not me but it is the snake that misled me.” Fellow Malawians, the culture of blame will not help us.
All of us have strengths and weaknesses. What we need to do is to accept our weaknesses and find ways and means to turn them into strengths. We can always improve for the better. If we are open to this, God will help us.
My dear brothers and sisters, the person who thinks and believes that he or she is perfect is actually the most stupid and foolish person. In Chichewa and Tumbuka we call such people as “chitsiru chamunthu,” (a veritable idiot) or “chindere chakufikapo.”
Do we want to be called “chitsiru” or “chindere” because we think and believe we’re perfect and therefore we have all the best solutions for the storm that is passing through our country? Fellow Malawians, let us not become stupid people.
Let us accept our roles and see how best as a nation we can calm the storm that is before us. Remember that with every right we have, there are corresponding duties. We have the right to choose the way things go as a nation, but we also have the duty to make that be realized for the good of all citizens.
Today, we have come here to pray. We believe God will help us face this turmoil. However, we also know that God helps the one who helps himself or herself. If you want a good harvest, you need to prepare the garden well, plant the seed in good time, take care of it until it matures, and finally you reap a harvest. After the harvest, you enjoy the fruits of your work together.
In the same way, let us work together to restore the peace Malawi has always enjoyed.
Our ancestors had great wisdom when they said in Tumbuka “Kakwiza kekha kakulaula” or, in Chichewa (I am not very good at Chichewa but I understand in Chichewa the exact translation is “Sikadza kokha kaopa kulaula). Let us, therefore, dear fellow citizens of Malawi, do something, each one of us, on our own to calm the storm that is around us today.
And that’s why we appeal to Your Excellency and to your Government, as well as your party, to do something to calm this storm down. We appeal to the opposition parties to do something, something positive, to calm the turmoil.
You civil servants and NGOs, please do something tangible to extinguish this fire that is burning in our country. Politicians, both in the ruling and opposition parties, do something positive and not just blame each other pretending you’re better while you’re just as bad as the others and sometimes you’re even worse than the others.
You journalists in our different media houses, please do something positive for the good of our country.
Fellow citizens, challenge us, your leaders, so that we may truly be responsible for our decisions for you. My fellow church leaders and leaders of different faiths, let us all fulfill our prophetic roles.
Let us not compromise this by the scone we may be given by those who want us to follow their trail. Let us all do something so that our beautiful nation of Malawi may be a better place to live in.
These prayers we are offering today will be fruitless if, on our part, we do not make any effort to reconcile and to calm the storm that we have.
My brothers and sisters, fellow Malawians, let us choose life and live. I recall the great excitement we had during the referendum in 1993 when we chose to follow the multi-party system of government.
During that occasion, we the Catholic Bishops issued a pastoral letter entitled, “Choosing our future” as a way of guiding the people of Malawi during the referendum. We have been guiding you, fellow citizens, all these years including during the last elections we had in 2009. And, most recently, we did issue our pastoral letter saying “Reading the signs of the times.”
As church leaders, we do not tell you what you should do, rather we suggest possibilities so that you may make well-informed decisions. To you our leaders, you are free to accept it or not. But remember, always, we’re closer to people since we live and we work with them and many times they tell us what they feel.
You know, one of the best gifts God has given us is the gift of freedom to choose. The choices we make shape our lives and make us unique. We have to own these choices we make. For example, today I was asked to give this sermon.
I accepted wholeheartedly. And I am happy and proud to do it because I have accepted it in freedom and I have chosen to do it. My dear friends who are married, you made your choice to get married to that particular man or woman.
Some people looking at you may wonder “How can such a beautiful or handsome person marry such an ugly one?” Yes, we say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Let us be happy with the choices that we make. As a nation, we have chosen multi-party democracy and have rejected dictatorship.
Let us be happy with this choice and let us make it work. It depends on us as Malawians. Like the Israelites in the first reading of today from the Book of Deuteronomy, let us choose what is good for our nation. And let us be proud of our choice.
Pointing fingers at each other will not help us. The ball is in our hands. Let us choose wisely. Remember, God assists those who help themselves.
Yes, indeed, “kakwiza kekha kakulaula” as we say in Tumbuka and in Chichewa “sikadza kokha kaopa kulaula.” Fellow Malawians, let us make a good choice as we forge ahead.
Remember, “wakutsina khutu ndi mnasi,” “kauzganga nifwiti yayi, kweni fwiti n’tilinganenge.” The choice is ours.
My dear brothers and sisters, citizens of Malawi, the Warm Heart of Africa:
We have come today to pray for our beautiful country which is at present experiencing a tremor. We’re all afraid of where we’re going. Each one of us is afraid of what is coming next. If you’re not, then ask yourselves why. You may be just like a peacock that hides its head in the ground when danger approaches.
Like the disciples with Jesus in the boat, we’re currently terrified with the storm that is blowing in our country. This is the reason that we have gathered here today. We are a believing nation and, therefore, like the apostles in today’s Gospel, we say: “God, do you not care that we are about to die?”
We are therefore asking God to help us that we may restore the tranquility that our nation needs so that once again we may live in peace and love.
Fellow Malawians, I hope that we all know that the storm we are now experiencing is of our own making as a nation. All of us, in one or another, to varying degrees depending also on our roles, have contributed to it. Since each one of us has a role to play in this storm, let us therefore play our role in calming it down.
Normally, when things like these happen among us, the tendency is pointing at each other. We start putting the blame on others. And we try to justify ourselves. And if we feel we have more authority, we even threaten others. Is this not what is happening right now?
For us as Church, sometimes we’re told, for example, not to interfere with politics. We as Church leaders are told to concentrate on preaching and on spiritual things. Za Mulungu – that’s what you should do. The church is therefore seen as an intruder and not part of the society.
Sometimes we put the blame on civil society or non-governmental organizations known as NGOs. We blame them as being misguided and leading people astray.
We may go even further saying that these people have not been elected, therefore they do not have a mandate to act on behalf of the society or citizens of our country.
Yes, they have not been elected, but they are working for the good of the nation. We may also put the blame on the media, especially these days, when the media reports as things happen.
Just imagine that now, as I am talking here, somebody in the United States or Japan or Russia is listening and seeing the pictures live.
We may blame the media as misguiding people and igniting dissent. However the truth may be that they are only fulfilling their noble duty of reporting and making people aware of what is happening.
Many times, my dear friends, we blame the Government and its leadership.
Here, I tell you, many of us are professionals.
And some of us have even doctorates and are called professors in this (or that, yet we’re busy) blaming the government for what is taking place. We may for example say that the Government of our President started very well but now has gone to (the) dogs.
The Government does not listen. Members are only enriching themselves at the expense of the masses. We may even ask what type of advisors does our leader have. And the litany may go on and it will go on.
And we can say a lot of things blaming others. As we say, “Mutu ukakula siulewa nkhonya,” – big head, big trouble. All the blames are put on the Government and our leader.
(But does he have to be blamed for everything?)
Fellow citizens of Malawi, putting blame on others will not help us at all. Always remember that when you are pointing a finger at your friend, three others are pointing at you.
Let us examine our own consciences and see what our role is in all these things that are now happening. Let us not be like our ancestors, Adam and Eve. After sinning, Adam said: “It is not I who has sinned but it is this woman, Eve, who misled me.” And then the woman said: “No, God, Our Father, it is not me but it is the snake that misled me.” Fellow Malawians, the culture of blame will not help us.
All of us have strengths and weaknesses. What we need to do is to accept our weaknesses and find ways and means to turn them into strengths. We can always improve for the better. If we are open to this, God will help us.
My dear brothers and sisters, the person who thinks and believes that he or she is perfect is actually the most stupid and foolish person. In Chichewa and Tumbuka we call such people as “chitsiru chamunthu,” (a veritable idiot) or “chindere chakufikapo.”
Do we want to be called “chitsiru” or “chindere” because we think and believe we’re perfect and therefore we have all the best solutions for the storm that is passing through our country? Fellow Malawians, let us not become stupid people.
Let us accept our roles and see how best as a nation we can calm the storm that is before us. Remember that with every right we have, there are corresponding duties. We have the right to choose the way things go as a nation, but we also have the duty to make that be realized for the good of all citizens.
Today, we have come here to pray. We believe God will help us face this turmoil. However, we also know that God helps the one who helps himself or herself. If you want a good harvest, you need to prepare the garden well, plant the seed in good time, take care of it until it matures, and finally you reap a harvest. After the harvest, you enjoy the fruits of your work together.
In the same way, let us work together to restore the peace Malawi has always enjoyed.
Our ancestors had great wisdom when they said in Tumbuka “Kakwiza kekha kakulaula” or, in Chichewa (I am not very good at Chichewa but I understand in Chichewa the exact translation is “Sikadza kokha kaopa kulaula). Let us, therefore, dear fellow citizens of Malawi, do something, each one of us, on our own to calm the storm that is around us today.
And that’s why we appeal to Your Excellency and to your Government, as well as your party, to do something to calm this storm down. We appeal to the opposition parties to do something, something positive, to calm the turmoil.
You civil servants and NGOs, please do something tangible to extinguish this fire that is burning in our country. Politicians, both in the ruling and opposition parties, do something positive and not just blame each other pretending you’re better while you’re just as bad as the others and sometimes you’re even worse than the others.
You journalists in our different media houses, please do something positive for the good of our country.
Fellow citizens, challenge us, your leaders, so that we may truly be responsible for our decisions for you. My fellow church leaders and leaders of different faiths, let us all fulfill our prophetic roles.
Let us not compromise this by the scone we may be given by those who want us to follow their trail. Let us all do something so that our beautiful nation of Malawi may be a better place to live in.
These prayers we are offering today will be fruitless if, on our part, we do not make any effort to reconcile and to calm the storm that we have.
My brothers and sisters, fellow Malawians, let us choose life and live. I recall the great excitement we had during the referendum in 1993 when we chose to follow the multi-party system of government.
During that occasion, we the Catholic Bishops issued a pastoral letter entitled, “Choosing our future” as a way of guiding the people of Malawi during the referendum. We have been guiding you, fellow citizens, all these years including during the last elections we had in 2009. And, most recently, we did issue our pastoral letter saying “Reading the signs of the times.”
As church leaders, we do not tell you what you should do, rather we suggest possibilities so that you may make well-informed decisions. To you our leaders, you are free to accept it or not. But remember, always, we’re closer to people since we live and we work with them and many times they tell us what they feel.
You know, one of the best gifts God has given us is the gift of freedom to choose. The choices we make shape our lives and make us unique. We have to own these choices we make. For example, today I was asked to give this sermon.
I accepted wholeheartedly. And I am happy and proud to do it because I have accepted it in freedom and I have chosen to do it. My dear friends who are married, you made your choice to get married to that particular man or woman.
Some people looking at you may wonder “How can such a beautiful or handsome person marry such an ugly one?” Yes, we say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Let us be happy with the choices that we make. As a nation, we have chosen multi-party democracy and have rejected dictatorship.
Let us be happy with this choice and let us make it work. It depends on us as Malawians. Like the Israelites in the first reading of today from the Book of Deuteronomy, let us choose what is good for our nation. And let us be proud of our choice.
Pointing fingers at each other will not help us. The ball is in our hands. Let us choose wisely. Remember, God assists those who help themselves.
Yes, indeed, “kakwiza kekha kakulaula” as we say in Tumbuka and in Chichewa “sikadza kokha kaopa kulaula.” Fellow Malawians, let us make a good choice as we forge ahead.
Remember, “wakutsina khutu ndi mnasi,” “kauzganga nifwiti yayi, kweni fwiti n’tilinganenge.” The choice is ours.
I have 'Eradicated' AIDS, Says President Mutharika
Malawi's President, Bingu wa Mutharika, says his government has 'eradicated' HIV and AIDS in the Southern African Development Community member state, becoming the first-ever African President to declare his country HIV and AIDS-'free'.
Mutharika, speaking during Malawi 8th Agriculture Fair in Blantyre on Thursday, told the country that, among other successes, his administration has 'eradicated' the problem of HIV and AIDS.
"My government has achieved a number of key things over a limited space of time. I have constructed roads. I have eradicated the problem of hunger. I have ALSO eradicated AIDS," said Mutharika to a stunned audience.
Malawi's HIV prevalence rate average is at 12 percent, though another substantial part of the country has registered a 10 percent HIV prevalence rate, according to statistics from the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
Mutharika serves as the Minister for Nutrition, HIV and AIDS.
It is not clear whether, now that Malawi has no cabinet ministers following Mutharika's dissolution of his cabinet last Friday, the President remains minister responsible in the wake of the development.
Mutharika, speaking during Malawi 8th Agriculture Fair in Blantyre on Thursday, told the country that, among other successes, his administration has 'eradicated' the problem of HIV and AIDS.
"My government has achieved a number of key things over a limited space of time. I have constructed roads. I have eradicated the problem of hunger. I have ALSO eradicated AIDS," said Mutharika to a stunned audience.
Malawi's HIV prevalence rate average is at 12 percent, though another substantial part of the country has registered a 10 percent HIV prevalence rate, according to statistics from the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
Mutharika serves as the Minister for Nutrition, HIV and AIDS.
It is not clear whether, now that Malawi has no cabinet ministers following Mutharika's dissolution of his cabinet last Friday, the President remains minister responsible in the wake of the development.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Malaria Again
...When shall my Malaria drug-resistance come to an end
I don't know why Malaria picks on me all the time. I don't know why- no matter what I do, and how many times I take precautions (sleeping in a mosquito net all the time, spraying insecticides)- I always have Malaria bouts three-times a year.
To make matters worse, I have always been resistant to all the Malaria drugs prescribed, and recommended by the Malawi Government,all along. Starting with Novida S.P., Quinine, Norolon, what have you- always resistant.
That explains why I am resistant to the current Malaria regime: L.A..
It is always frustrating to take Malaria prescriptions used in other countries like Tanzania.
You see, I have always wondered why I am not resistant to Tanzanian drugs for Malaria. Actually, when I have Malaria, I buy Tanzanian drugs, and get better always.
That makes me wonder: Does our government, the Malawi Government, make the wrong choices on Malaria drugs? How come many other people develop resistance to our line of drugs all the time?
It buffles me that people like me develop resistance to newly-introduced Malaria drugs all the time. Even when I am taking medication for the first time, as is the case with L.A. and S.P. before, I don't get healed. I get worse, in fact.
What is wrong?
I don't know. Perhaps our highly-esteemed doctors can have an answer on why they always 'pick' drugs that people like me always develop resistance to.
As I am speaking, I have the current Malaria drug regime at home, six dosages in fact, for six Malaria attacks.
It is all useless. I am resistant to that annointed heir of government.
But the truth remains that, now, the Malaria 'on me' is getting tough; the body is so hot one (I don't want to say 'I') almost expires.
That is why (I will say where I am going right now, and where I will be twenty minutes from now- for, perhaps, two hours) I am now heading to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (Q.E.C.H).
I just hope that, with the reported shortage of drugs (a fact Ministry of Health Spokesperson, Henry Chimbali, has confirmed in the newspapers and to Zachimalawi today) I will not be given L.A.. It will do nothing on me. I am resistant.
I hope I will get the second-line Malaria drugs.
I hope...
Hope to 'see' you again, not very 'far' from now.
I hope I will get better.
After all, don't I get better twice a year?
But everything belongs to our Heavenly Father, the Lord God of hosts.
I trust in his care.
Bye.
I don't know why Malaria picks on me all the time. I don't know why- no matter what I do, and how many times I take precautions (sleeping in a mosquito net all the time, spraying insecticides)- I always have Malaria bouts three-times a year.
To make matters worse, I have always been resistant to all the Malaria drugs prescribed, and recommended by the Malawi Government,all along. Starting with Novida S.P., Quinine, Norolon, what have you- always resistant.
That explains why I am resistant to the current Malaria regime: L.A..
It is always frustrating to take Malaria prescriptions used in other countries like Tanzania.
You see, I have always wondered why I am not resistant to Tanzanian drugs for Malaria. Actually, when I have Malaria, I buy Tanzanian drugs, and get better always.
That makes me wonder: Does our government, the Malawi Government, make the wrong choices on Malaria drugs? How come many other people develop resistance to our line of drugs all the time?
It buffles me that people like me develop resistance to newly-introduced Malaria drugs all the time. Even when I am taking medication for the first time, as is the case with L.A. and S.P. before, I don't get healed. I get worse, in fact.
What is wrong?
I don't know. Perhaps our highly-esteemed doctors can have an answer on why they always 'pick' drugs that people like me always develop resistance to.
As I am speaking, I have the current Malaria drug regime at home, six dosages in fact, for six Malaria attacks.
It is all useless. I am resistant to that annointed heir of government.
But the truth remains that, now, the Malaria 'on me' is getting tough; the body is so hot one (I don't want to say 'I') almost expires.
That is why (I will say where I am going right now, and where I will be twenty minutes from now- for, perhaps, two hours) I am now heading to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (Q.E.C.H).
I just hope that, with the reported shortage of drugs (a fact Ministry of Health Spokesperson, Henry Chimbali, has confirmed in the newspapers and to Zachimalawi today) I will not be given L.A.. It will do nothing on me. I am resistant.
I hope I will get the second-line Malaria drugs.
I hope...
Hope to 'see' you again, not very 'far' from now.
I hope I will get better.
After all, don't I get better twice a year?
But everything belongs to our Heavenly Father, the Lord God of hosts.
I trust in his care.
Bye.
CSOs Should Forget About September 21 Vigil, Demos
The reason is so simple: People want peace.
That is why contributors to Joy FM and Capital Radio's phone-in programmes have been equivocal in supporting CSOs' decision to call off the August 17 vigil and demos. At least 70 per cent of the contributors to programmes run one-to-two days after the failed demos were against same.
This means Malawians are sobering up. It is only Civil Society leaders who have gone mad upstairs, having lost touch with common sense a longwhile ago.
Why have these CSO leaders lost touch with common sense? Simple. Because of greed.
That is why contributors to Joy FM and Capital Radio's phone-in programmes have been equivocal in supporting CSOs' decision to call off the August 17 vigil and demos. At least 70 per cent of the contributors to programmes run one-to-two days after the failed demos were against same.
This means Malawians are sobering up. It is only Civil Society leaders who have gone mad upstairs, having lost touch with common sense a longwhile ago.
Why have these CSO leaders lost touch with common sense? Simple. Because of greed.
Sudanese government continues to target press freedom-CPJ
New York, August 23, 2011-The Committee to Protect Journalists is disturbed by the continued violations of press freedom in Sudan. In August, Sudanese security services confiscated two newspapers, and on Monday, local journalists reported that the Sudanese National Assembly was considering introducing more restrictive press and publication laws that would further suffocate freedom of expression.
"The government in Khartoum should scrap plans to tighten already restrictive press freedom laws," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "It should also stop its systematic confiscation of newspaper print runs."
On Sunday, Sudanese Security Services (NISS) confiscated the daily Al-Jarida for the second time, local news reports said, and did not offer any explanation. Al-Jarida announced today that it plans on suing the NISS for the confiscations, the independent English-language Sudan Tribune reported. On August 8, the NISS had also confiscated another Sudanese daily, Al-Ahdath, without explanation, local news and human rights groups reported. Officials had previously pressured the newspaper's editor to retract articles about violence in South Sudan, local news reports said.
Newspaper confiscations are an ongoing tactic employed by the authorities. In each case, the security services wait for the newspapers to be printed and then confiscate the copies before they are distributed, thus inflicting maximum financial losses, local and international human rights groups reported.
On July 9, the eve of South Sudan's independence, the state-run National Council for Press and Publications announced the withdrawal of six licenses for newspapers partly owned by South Sudanese citizens, including the Khartoum Monitor, the Juba Post, the Democrat, the Sudan Tribune, the Advocate, and Ajras al-Hurriya, local news and human rights groups reported. Several of the newspapers had run critical commentaries on the government in Khartoum.
Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) is considering enforcing pre-publication censorship as it did between 1989 and 2009, local and international human rights groups reported. The new act it passed in 2009 already imposes severe limitations on press freedom by enabling strict state control over the press-Article 22, in particular, requires every newspaper to obtain permission for publication from the National Council for Press and Publications and requires that it annually reapply for approval.
CPJ has reported on the incessant targeting of individual journalists and publications through contrived legal proceedings, politicized criminal charges, and confiscations in Sudan. In early June, CPJ documented 10 cases of journalists facing politicized criminal charges with long prison sentences for covering the alleged rape and torture of a youth activist.
CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.
"The government in Khartoum should scrap plans to tighten already restrictive press freedom laws," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "It should also stop its systematic confiscation of newspaper print runs."
On Sunday, Sudanese Security Services (NISS) confiscated the daily Al-Jarida for the second time, local news reports said, and did not offer any explanation. Al-Jarida announced today that it plans on suing the NISS for the confiscations, the independent English-language Sudan Tribune reported. On August 8, the NISS had also confiscated another Sudanese daily, Al-Ahdath, without explanation, local news and human rights groups reported. Officials had previously pressured the newspaper's editor to retract articles about violence in South Sudan, local news reports said.
Newspaper confiscations are an ongoing tactic employed by the authorities. In each case, the security services wait for the newspapers to be printed and then confiscate the copies before they are distributed, thus inflicting maximum financial losses, local and international human rights groups reported.
On July 9, the eve of South Sudan's independence, the state-run National Council for Press and Publications announced the withdrawal of six licenses for newspapers partly owned by South Sudanese citizens, including the Khartoum Monitor, the Juba Post, the Democrat, the Sudan Tribune, the Advocate, and Ajras al-Hurriya, local news and human rights groups reported. Several of the newspapers had run critical commentaries on the government in Khartoum.
Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) is considering enforcing pre-publication censorship as it did between 1989 and 2009, local and international human rights groups reported. The new act it passed in 2009 already imposes severe limitations on press freedom by enabling strict state control over the press-Article 22, in particular, requires every newspaper to obtain permission for publication from the National Council for Press and Publications and requires that it annually reapply for approval.
CPJ has reported on the incessant targeting of individual journalists and publications through contrived legal proceedings, politicized criminal charges, and confiscations in Sudan. In early June, CPJ documented 10 cases of journalists facing politicized criminal charges with long prison sentences for covering the alleged rape and torture of a youth activist.
CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.
Nomads Punishment Excessive
Well, playing 18 games away is very excessive a punishment for the Nomads.
Not before the Super League of Malawi defines the terms 'fan' and 'supporter' and clearly set down a Code of Conduct for club fans (*is it supporters).
Otherwise, the punishment meted on Wanderers, which includes a K500,000 fine, will do nothing to deter people from engaging in violence.
For once, how do you identify true supporters? And, then, how do you distinguish them from 'fans'?
We must realise that soccer violence is a river with many outlets. Referees, journalists, officials are all, somehow, involved.
I will ellaborate later, when I will have all the time over my head.
Enough for now. Enough to know that Malawi soccer will never develop.
Never.
Not before the Super League of Malawi defines the terms 'fan' and 'supporter' and clearly set down a Code of Conduct for club fans (*is it supporters).
Otherwise, the punishment meted on Wanderers, which includes a K500,000 fine, will do nothing to deter people from engaging in violence.
For once, how do you identify true supporters? And, then, how do you distinguish them from 'fans'?
We must realise that soccer violence is a river with many outlets. Referees, journalists, officials are all, somehow, involved.
I will ellaborate later, when I will have all the time over my head.
Enough for now. Enough to know that Malawi soccer will never develop.
Never.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Fuel, Forex Crises: Solution to NGOs' Problems
...Malawians being used as cards
Times come, in the middle of a crisis, when the truth comes home to you. This truth is strange, because it dawns on one like cold water in winter, flowing from the neck, down the furrow of the vertebrae column, to the feet.
From the surface, everyone is supposed to detect, and ‘listen’ to, this feeling. It is simple to grasp this simple point, because it falls within the realm of common sense; that is, the common senses of smell, touch, sight, you go on.
The busiest, lost in the jungle of triviality and self-engagement, allow it to pass them by, and, consequently, they lose touch with the tangible world. They, then, begin to live in their own world- a world of fantasy and dreams. An abstract world.
Malawi, seen within the prism of common sense, is this man- a pre-occupied man who fails to detect and ‘listen’ to the cold water wetting his aspirations, dreams, and vision. It is a man out of touch with himself, Malawi.
Busy, self-occupied, dull-witted- he lets the water wet his pants. He postpones the sojourn to the party-of-dreams, the party sanctioned by, first, Vision 2020, the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and, then, the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS).
How can a man, wet and disgraced by the water that gives many lives, attend a high-level get-together whose invitation card is ‘vision’, common vision, when he lacks, first, experience and, then, foresight?
That is Malawi to the outsider; a man who has lost sense with himself and, then, forfeits his obligations to others.
And that is Malawi to insiders; insiders who have lost touch with the common vision, and are now sharing in the pessimism of the vast, immeasurable world. The problem is that this ‘group’ of ‘insiders’ is a vocal, self-occupied handful.
Their folly has dented the reputation of the entire nation.
This group, unelected and unscrutinised by Malawians (on whose behalf those in power govern in trust, is comprised of cash-oriented Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations, disoriented opposition political parties, and people who do not, as yet, know that the issues of fuel and forex crises have a deep surface.
Of course, the people- the majority who march, and rant, and riot, and property smash- have their own problems. Deep-seated problems that have accumulated into hills and mountains of anger and disorientation, over 111 years since 1900.
So many issues at hand: Problems unresolved. Problems unrotten. Challenges hidden in the folder of the heart.
Non-state actors- that is, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and all those who employ logic to compliment government efforts- know this heart pretty well: a heart that is hidden; a heart of many concerns; a heart that has issues, deep-rooted, anger-inducing issues; a heart that can be exploited.
That is where the problem is; non-state actors have discovered how to exploit this heart, the heart of millions with a million small problems. These problems, combined, can form a mass of anger, anarchy-inducing anger.
How to combine these little bits of anger? Consolidate the small, million bits of problems, with the handful, big problems of the elite, the middle-class, and pretend to be one with the poor. One in suffering. One in anger. One in discomfort.
“Oh, with fuel and forex shortages, the solution is found,” says one balded, obese NGO leader to himself, scratching his head.
And, so, he mobilizes his friends, inviting them to this war of the elite to be fought in Malingunde, Katerera, Takomana, Kantchito, Msesa, Khombedza, Nkhoma, Kazukuta, Makuni; a war of guts, using the unsuspecting, poverty-stricken population to get even with a seating president, duly-elected.
That is what has happened here in Malawi, the Warm Heart of Africa. NGOs have had their problems for years, and lacked the platform, the opportunity, to express their dissatisfaction.
Things like stringent financial and activities’ reporting mechanisms, tough registration procedures, failure to get elected to statutory corporation boards, failure to win elections against ruling party candidates, greed, freezing of National AIDS Commission grants due to abuse of funds, among others, have played out to be so painful to non-state actors they have, for years, been looking for a way out.
The fuel and forex shortages have thus become their way out.
In fact, the fuel and forex shortages have become the longed-for solution to non-state actors problems.
Now is their chance to play even. It is an opportunity to bring the President down to his feet. It is an opportunity to be heard and noticed by potential donors. And non-state actors have grasped it with both hands.
How, if a question be raised, can the NGOs advocate for issues that go against the grain of Malawi culture- despite the public outcry and condemnation- and, then, declare to be representing the masses on issues of fuel and forex shortage?
Something is not adding up.
The NGOs are not fighting for fuel and forex. They are fighting their own battles.
After all, why cling to going on the streets when the President- the target of their July 20 multi-paged petition- has said he has started addressing the issues? Who do they want to impress?
President Bingu wa Mutharika has, really, started addressing some of the issues. The fuel situation is improving, for one. When there is no diesel, at least there is so much petrol nobody is queuing up due to its abundance.
When diesel comes, petrol is disappearing for a time, sometimes for two, three weeks on end. But we have fuel. Minibuses are still plying on the streets, long-distance buses are still ‘eating’ miles, and traffic jams continue to irritate drivers and passengers alike.
If this be untrue, visit Masauko-Chipembere Highway at Mid-day. As for the Paul Kagame Highway in Lilongwe, that route has never been plagued by traffic jams and, so, do not use it as a yardstick.
Mutharika has really shown that he can be stubborn at one time, and, then, humbled the next minute.
That is why the president attended the Tuesday prayers at COMESA Hall. It was his way of showing his humility to the nation. It was his way of playing his part to calm the nation down.
Surely, Mutharika heard from the preachers, and got a picture of how things should be, normally.
That is why Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Television repeated some of the scathing sermons and thinly-veiled remarks. That is tolerance.
But, in spite of this body of evidence that Mutharika is addressing the issues- some of them will not be solved overnight, including the lasting solution to the fuel shortages, which the president has identified as the establishment of the Oil Company of Malawi and erection of fuel reservoirs in Malawi’s major cities by December 2012- and, thus, no need to carry on with Malawi’s ‘Events of death’.
These ‘Events of death’ are the bloody demonstrations that have plagued our nation, sending, at least, 19, somewhere beyond the blue-less skies (if it so be that there is such a thing as blue-less skies).
Surely, NGOs are fighting their own battles; selfish battles that have national to do with the national cause. If anything, the war is more about ‘pocket’ causes than ‘national’ causes.
The war is not about fuel and forex shortage; the real issue is the art of making money out of chaos.
That is why the fuel and forex shortages- other than being problems facing us all, government and non-state actors- are a solution to NGOs. These temporary issues will be employed as fundraising grounds by NGOs, a way of building smiles out of people’s misery and ignorance.
Just like that.
Times come, in the middle of a crisis, when the truth comes home to you. This truth is strange, because it dawns on one like cold water in winter, flowing from the neck, down the furrow of the vertebrae column, to the feet.
From the surface, everyone is supposed to detect, and ‘listen’ to, this feeling. It is simple to grasp this simple point, because it falls within the realm of common sense; that is, the common senses of smell, touch, sight, you go on.
The busiest, lost in the jungle of triviality and self-engagement, allow it to pass them by, and, consequently, they lose touch with the tangible world. They, then, begin to live in their own world- a world of fantasy and dreams. An abstract world.
Malawi, seen within the prism of common sense, is this man- a pre-occupied man who fails to detect and ‘listen’ to the cold water wetting his aspirations, dreams, and vision. It is a man out of touch with himself, Malawi.
Busy, self-occupied, dull-witted- he lets the water wet his pants. He postpones the sojourn to the party-of-dreams, the party sanctioned by, first, Vision 2020, the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and, then, the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS).
How can a man, wet and disgraced by the water that gives many lives, attend a high-level get-together whose invitation card is ‘vision’, common vision, when he lacks, first, experience and, then, foresight?
That is Malawi to the outsider; a man who has lost sense with himself and, then, forfeits his obligations to others.
And that is Malawi to insiders; insiders who have lost touch with the common vision, and are now sharing in the pessimism of the vast, immeasurable world. The problem is that this ‘group’ of ‘insiders’ is a vocal, self-occupied handful.
Their folly has dented the reputation of the entire nation.
This group, unelected and unscrutinised by Malawians (on whose behalf those in power govern in trust, is comprised of cash-oriented Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations, disoriented opposition political parties, and people who do not, as yet, know that the issues of fuel and forex crises have a deep surface.
Of course, the people- the majority who march, and rant, and riot, and property smash- have their own problems. Deep-seated problems that have accumulated into hills and mountains of anger and disorientation, over 111 years since 1900.
So many issues at hand: Problems unresolved. Problems unrotten. Challenges hidden in the folder of the heart.
Non-state actors- that is, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and all those who employ logic to compliment government efforts- know this heart pretty well: a heart that is hidden; a heart of many concerns; a heart that has issues, deep-rooted, anger-inducing issues; a heart that can be exploited.
That is where the problem is; non-state actors have discovered how to exploit this heart, the heart of millions with a million small problems. These problems, combined, can form a mass of anger, anarchy-inducing anger.
How to combine these little bits of anger? Consolidate the small, million bits of problems, with the handful, big problems of the elite, the middle-class, and pretend to be one with the poor. One in suffering. One in anger. One in discomfort.
“Oh, with fuel and forex shortages, the solution is found,” says one balded, obese NGO leader to himself, scratching his head.
And, so, he mobilizes his friends, inviting them to this war of the elite to be fought in Malingunde, Katerera, Takomana, Kantchito, Msesa, Khombedza, Nkhoma, Kazukuta, Makuni; a war of guts, using the unsuspecting, poverty-stricken population to get even with a seating president, duly-elected.
That is what has happened here in Malawi, the Warm Heart of Africa. NGOs have had their problems for years, and lacked the platform, the opportunity, to express their dissatisfaction.
Things like stringent financial and activities’ reporting mechanisms, tough registration procedures, failure to get elected to statutory corporation boards, failure to win elections against ruling party candidates, greed, freezing of National AIDS Commission grants due to abuse of funds, among others, have played out to be so painful to non-state actors they have, for years, been looking for a way out.
The fuel and forex shortages have thus become their way out.
In fact, the fuel and forex shortages have become the longed-for solution to non-state actors problems.
Now is their chance to play even. It is an opportunity to bring the President down to his feet. It is an opportunity to be heard and noticed by potential donors. And non-state actors have grasped it with both hands.
How, if a question be raised, can the NGOs advocate for issues that go against the grain of Malawi culture- despite the public outcry and condemnation- and, then, declare to be representing the masses on issues of fuel and forex shortage?
Something is not adding up.
The NGOs are not fighting for fuel and forex. They are fighting their own battles.
After all, why cling to going on the streets when the President- the target of their July 20 multi-paged petition- has said he has started addressing the issues? Who do they want to impress?
President Bingu wa Mutharika has, really, started addressing some of the issues. The fuel situation is improving, for one. When there is no diesel, at least there is so much petrol nobody is queuing up due to its abundance.
When diesel comes, petrol is disappearing for a time, sometimes for two, three weeks on end. But we have fuel. Minibuses are still plying on the streets, long-distance buses are still ‘eating’ miles, and traffic jams continue to irritate drivers and passengers alike.
If this be untrue, visit Masauko-Chipembere Highway at Mid-day. As for the Paul Kagame Highway in Lilongwe, that route has never been plagued by traffic jams and, so, do not use it as a yardstick.
Mutharika has really shown that he can be stubborn at one time, and, then, humbled the next minute.
That is why the president attended the Tuesday prayers at COMESA Hall. It was his way of showing his humility to the nation. It was his way of playing his part to calm the nation down.
Surely, Mutharika heard from the preachers, and got a picture of how things should be, normally.
That is why Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Television repeated some of the scathing sermons and thinly-veiled remarks. That is tolerance.
But, in spite of this body of evidence that Mutharika is addressing the issues- some of them will not be solved overnight, including the lasting solution to the fuel shortages, which the president has identified as the establishment of the Oil Company of Malawi and erection of fuel reservoirs in Malawi’s major cities by December 2012- and, thus, no need to carry on with Malawi’s ‘Events of death’.
These ‘Events of death’ are the bloody demonstrations that have plagued our nation, sending, at least, 19, somewhere beyond the blue-less skies (if it so be that there is such a thing as blue-less skies).
Surely, NGOs are fighting their own battles; selfish battles that have national to do with the national cause. If anything, the war is more about ‘pocket’ causes than ‘national’ causes.
The war is not about fuel and forex shortage; the real issue is the art of making money out of chaos.
That is why the fuel and forex shortages- other than being problems facing us all, government and non-state actors- are a solution to NGOs. These temporary issues will be employed as fundraising grounds by NGOs, a way of building smiles out of people’s misery and ignorance.
Just like that.
Fuel, Forex Crises: Solution to NGOs' Problems
...Malawians being used as cards
Times come, in the middle of a crisis, when the truth comes home to you. This truth is strange, because it dawns on one like cold water in winter, flowing from the neck, down the furrow of the vertebrae column, to the feet.
From the surface, everyone is supposed to detect, and ‘listen’ to, this feeling. It is simple to grasp this simple point, because it falls within the realm of common sense; that is, the common senses of smell, touch, sight, you go on.
The busiest, lost in the jungle of triviality and self-engagement, allow it to pass them by, and, consequently, they lose touch with the tangible world. They, then, begin to live in their own world- a world of fantasy and dreams. An abstract world.
Malawi, seen within the prism of common sense, is this man- a pre-occupied man who fails to detect and ‘listen’ to the cold water wetting his aspirations, dreams, and vision. It is a man out of touch with himself, Malawi.
Busy, self-occupied, dull-witted- he lets the water wet his pants. He postpones the sojourn to the party-of-dreams, the party sanctioned by, first, Vision 2020, the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and, then, the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS).
How can a man, wet and disgraced by the water that gives many lives, attend a high-level get-together whose invitation card is ‘vision’, common vision, when he lacks, first, experience and, then, foresight?
That is Malawi to the outsider; a man who has lost sense with himself and, then, forfeits his obligations to others.
And that is Malawi to insiders; insiders who have lost touch with the common vision, and are now sharing in the pessimism of the vast, immeasurable world. The problem is that this ‘group’ of ‘insiders’ is a vocal, self-occupied handful.
Their folly has dented the reputation of the entire nation.
This group, unelected and unscrutinised by Malawians (on whose behalf those in power govern in trust, is comprised of cash-oriented Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations, disoriented opposition political parties, and people who do not, as yet, know that the issues of fuel and forex crises have a deep surface.
Of course, the people- the majority who march, and rant, and riot, and property smash- have their own problems. Deep-seated problems that have accumulated into hills and mountains of anger and disorientation, over 111 years since 1900.
So many issues at hand: Problems unresolved. Problems unrotten. Challenges hidden in the folder of the heart.
Non-state actors- that is, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and all those who employ logic to compliment government efforts- know this heart pretty well: a heart that is hidden; a heart of many concerns; a heart that has issues, deep-rooted, anger-inducing issues; a heart that can be exploited.
That is where the problem is; non-state actors have discovered how to exploit this heart, the heart of millions with a million small problems. These problems, combined, can form a mass of anger, anarchy-inducing anger.
How to combine these little bits of anger? Consolidate the small, million bits of problems, with the handful, big problems of the elite, the middle-class, and pretend to be one with the poor. One in suffering. One in anger. One in discomfort.
“Oh, with fuel and forex shortages, the solution is found,” says one balded, obese NGO leader to himself, scratching his head.
And, so, he mobilizes his friends, inviting them to this war of the elite to be fought in Malingunde, Katerera, Takomana, Kantchito, Msesa, Khombedza, Nkhoma, Kazukuta, Makuni; a war of guts, using the unsuspecting, poverty-stricken population to get even with a seating president, duly-elected.
That is what has happened here in Malawi, the Warm Heart of Africa. NGOs have had their problems for years, and lacked the platform, the opportunity, to express their dissatisfaction.
Things like stringent financial and activities’ reporting mechanisms, tough registration procedures, failure to get elected to statutory corporation boards, failure to win elections against ruling party candidates, greed, freezing of National AIDS Commission grants due to abuse of funds, among others, have played out to be so painful to non-state actors they have, for years, been looking for a way out.
The fuel and forex shortages have thus become their way out.
In fact, the fuel and forex shortages have become the longed-for solution to non-state actors problems.
Now is their chance to play even. It is an opportunity to bring the President down to his feet. It is an opportunity to be heard and noticed by potential donors. And non-state actors have grasped it with both hands.
How, if a question be raised, can the NGOs advocate for issues that go against the grain of Malawi culture- despite the public outcry and condemnation- and, then, declare to be representing the masses on issues of fuel and forex shortage?
Something is not adding up.
The NGOs are not fighting for fuel and forex. They are fighting their own battles.
After all, why cling to going on the streets when the President- the target of their July 20 multi-paged petition- has said he has started addressing the issues? Who do they want to impress?
President Bingu wa Mutharika has, really, started addressing some of the issues. The fuel situation is improving, for one. When there is no diesel, at least there is so much petrol nobody is queuing up due to its abundance.
When diesel comes, petrol is disappearing for a time, sometimes for two, three weeks on end. But we have fuel. Minibuses are still plying on the streets, long-distance buses are still ‘eating’ miles, and traffic jams continue to irritate drivers and passengers alike.
If this be untrue, visit Masauko-Chipembere Highway at Mid-day. As for the Paul Kagame Highway in Lilongwe, that route has never been plagued by traffic jams and, so, do not use it as a yardstick.
Mutharika has really shown that he can be stubborn at one time, and, then, humbled the next minute.
That is why the president attended the Tuesday prayers at COMESA Hall. It was his way of showing his humility to the nation. It was his way of playing his part to calm the nation down.
Surely, Mutharika heard from the preachers, and got a picture of how things should be, normally.
That is why Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Television repeated some of the scathing sermons and thinly-veiled remarks. That is tolerance.
But, in spite of this body of evidence that Mutharika is addressing the issues- some of them will not be solved overnight, including the lasting solution to the fuel shortages, which the president has identified as the establishment of the Oil Company of Malawi and erection of fuel reservoirs in Malawi’s major cities by December 2012- and, thus, no need to carry on with Malawi’s ‘Events of death’.
These ‘Events of death’ are the bloody demonstrations that have plagued our nation, sending, at least, 19, somewhere beyond the blue-less skies (if it so be that there is such a thing as blue-less skies).
Surely, NGOs are fighting their own battles; selfish battles that have national to do with the national cause. If anything, the war is more about ‘pocket’ causes than ‘national’ causes.
The war is not about fuel and forex shortage; the real issue is the art of making money out of chaos.
That is why the fuel and forex shortages- other than being problems facing us all, government and non-state actors- are a solution to NGOs. These temporary issues will be employed as fundraising grounds by NGOs, a way of building smiles out of people’s misery and ignorance.
Just like that.
Times come, in the middle of a crisis, when the truth comes home to you. This truth is strange, because it dawns on one like cold water in winter, flowing from the neck, down the furrow of the vertebrae column, to the feet.
From the surface, everyone is supposed to detect, and ‘listen’ to, this feeling. It is simple to grasp this simple point, because it falls within the realm of common sense; that is, the common senses of smell, touch, sight, you go on.
The busiest, lost in the jungle of triviality and self-engagement, allow it to pass them by, and, consequently, they lose touch with the tangible world. They, then, begin to live in their own world- a world of fantasy and dreams. An abstract world.
Malawi, seen within the prism of common sense, is this man- a pre-occupied man who fails to detect and ‘listen’ to the cold water wetting his aspirations, dreams, and vision. It is a man out of touch with himself, Malawi.
Busy, self-occupied, dull-witted- he lets the water wet his pants. He postpones the sojourn to the party-of-dreams, the party sanctioned by, first, Vision 2020, the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and, then, the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS).
How can a man, wet and disgraced by the water that gives many lives, attend a high-level get-together whose invitation card is ‘vision’, common vision, when he lacks, first, experience and, then, foresight?
That is Malawi to the outsider; a man who has lost sense with himself and, then, forfeits his obligations to others.
And that is Malawi to insiders; insiders who have lost touch with the common vision, and are now sharing in the pessimism of the vast, immeasurable world. The problem is that this ‘group’ of ‘insiders’ is a vocal, self-occupied handful.
Their folly has dented the reputation of the entire nation.
This group, unelected and unscrutinised by Malawians (on whose behalf those in power govern in trust, is comprised of cash-oriented Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations, disoriented opposition political parties, and people who do not, as yet, know that the issues of fuel and forex crises have a deep surface.
Of course, the people- the majority who march, and rant, and riot, and property smash- have their own problems. Deep-seated problems that have accumulated into hills and mountains of anger and disorientation, over 111 years since 1900.
So many issues at hand: Problems unresolved. Problems unrotten. Challenges hidden in the folder of the heart.
Non-state actors- that is, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and all those who employ logic to compliment government efforts- know this heart pretty well: a heart that is hidden; a heart of many concerns; a heart that has issues, deep-rooted, anger-inducing issues; a heart that can be exploited.
That is where the problem is; non-state actors have discovered how to exploit this heart, the heart of millions with a million small problems. These problems, combined, can form a mass of anger, anarchy-inducing anger.
How to combine these little bits of anger? Consolidate the small, million bits of problems, with the handful, big problems of the elite, the middle-class, and pretend to be one with the poor. One in suffering. One in anger. One in discomfort.
“Oh, with fuel and forex shortages, the solution is found,” says one balded, obese NGO leader to himself, scratching his head.
And, so, he mobilizes his friends, inviting them to this war of the elite to be fought in Malingunde, Katerera, Takomana, Kantchito, Msesa, Khombedza, Nkhoma, Kazukuta, Makuni; a war of guts, using the unsuspecting, poverty-stricken population to get even with a seating president, duly-elected.
That is what has happened here in Malawi, the Warm Heart of Africa. NGOs have had their problems for years, and lacked the platform, the opportunity, to express their dissatisfaction.
Things like stringent financial and activities’ reporting mechanisms, tough registration procedures, failure to get elected to statutory corporation boards, failure to win elections against ruling party candidates, greed, freezing of National AIDS Commission grants due to abuse of funds, among others, have played out to be so painful to non-state actors they have, for years, been looking for a way out.
The fuel and forex shortages have thus become their way out.
In fact, the fuel and forex shortages have become the longed-for solution to non-state actors problems.
Now is their chance to play even. It is an opportunity to bring the President down to his feet. It is an opportunity to be heard and noticed by potential donors. And non-state actors have grasped it with both hands.
How, if a question be raised, can the NGOs advocate for issues that go against the grain of Malawi culture- despite the public outcry and condemnation- and, then, declare to be representing the masses on issues of fuel and forex shortage?
Something is not adding up.
The NGOs are not fighting for fuel and forex. They are fighting their own battles.
After all, why cling to going on the streets when the President- the target of their July 20 multi-paged petition- has said he has started addressing the issues? Who do they want to impress?
President Bingu wa Mutharika has, really, started addressing some of the issues. The fuel situation is improving, for one. When there is no diesel, at least there is so much petrol nobody is queuing up due to its abundance.
When diesel comes, petrol is disappearing for a time, sometimes for two, three weeks on end. But we have fuel. Minibuses are still plying on the streets, long-distance buses are still ‘eating’ miles, and traffic jams continue to irritate drivers and passengers alike.
If this be untrue, visit Masauko-Chipembere Highway at Mid-day. As for the Paul Kagame Highway in Lilongwe, that route has never been plagued by traffic jams and, so, do not use it as a yardstick.
Mutharika has really shown that he can be stubborn at one time, and, then, humbled the next minute.
That is why the president attended the Tuesday prayers at COMESA Hall. It was his way of showing his humility to the nation. It was his way of playing his part to calm the nation down.
Surely, Mutharika heard from the preachers, and got a picture of how things should be, normally.
That is why Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Television repeated some of the scathing sermons and thinly-veiled remarks. That is tolerance.
But, in spite of this body of evidence that Mutharika is addressing the issues- some of them will not be solved overnight, including the lasting solution to the fuel shortages, which the president has identified as the establishment of the Oil Company of Malawi and erection of fuel reservoirs in Malawi’s major cities by December 2012- and, thus, no need to carry on with Malawi’s ‘Events of death’.
These ‘Events of death’ are the bloody demonstrations that have plagued our nation, sending, at least, 19, somewhere beyond the blue-less skies (if it so be that there is such a thing as blue-less skies).
Surely, NGOs are fighting their own battles; selfish battles that have national to do with the national cause. If anything, the war is more about ‘pocket’ causes than ‘national’ causes.
The war is not about fuel and forex shortage; the real issue is the art of making money out of chaos.
That is why the fuel and forex shortages- other than being problems facing us all, government and non-state actors- are a solution to NGOs. These temporary issues will be employed as fundraising grounds by NGOs, a way of building smiles out of people’s misery and ignorance.
Just like that.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
One Simple Question to Flames' Coach, Kinnah Phiri
You were recently in South Africa, right?
What bitter drinks did you take there; I mean, how can a coach worth his salt recall a man- redundant man, at that- who has no soccer team (a soccer-orphan we may say)to the 'Mighty' National Team?
Just a simple question to our man Kinnah Phiri.
What bitter drinks did you take there; I mean, how can a coach worth his salt recall a man- redundant man, at that- who has no soccer team (a soccer-orphan we may say)to the 'Mighty' National Team?
Just a simple question to our man Kinnah Phiri.
Re: Postponement of Vigil scheduled for Wednesday, 17th August 2011
Civil Society Coalition
(Southern Region)
Press Release
Tue 16 August 2011
Re: Postponement of Vigil scheduled for Wednesday, 17th August 2011
We, the Organising committee of the Vigil (Southern Region) scheduled for Wednesday, 17th August 2011, hereby announce the postponement of our much anticipated vigil with profound regret and disappointment. The main reasons underpinning this difficult decision are as follows:
Our colleagues in Lilongwe were invited to a meeting at the police HQ in Area 30, where they were apprised of S106 of the Police Act 2009 which reads as follows:
If any riot damage occurs as a result of an assembly or a demonstration, every organization on behalf of or under the auspices of which the assembly or demonstration was held, the convener, and every person participating in the assembly or demonstration, as the case may be, shall be liable for that damage as a joint wrongdoer together with any other person who unlawfully caused or contributed to such riot damage.
The CSO Leaders were then officially warned by the Police Top Brass that any persons who played any role in convening or holding a public demonstration of any sort would be held jointly liable damages emanating from any acts of violence, looting, arson, rioting, or other illegal activity carried out by any persons known or unknown prior to, during or after the said event.
The on-going court hearing on the injunction against demonstrations lodged by Messrs. James Willie and Rodrick Makapu may not be finalised in good time. This could lead to inadequate arrangements that could cause confusion and subsequent disturbances for which the blame would be laid squarely at our door. Further we have always subscribed to the Rule of Law and adherence to the Constitution and have no desire for inadvertent transgression.
We have been extremely perturbed by widespread rumours of a mercenary force imported from Zimbabwe with a singular purpose – i.e. to destabilise any protest gathering or demonstration with extreme violence. Being ever mindful of the safety of our fellow human beings, we do not wish to put any human beings in harm's way simply for adding their voices to ours.
When all is said and done therefore, we hereby join our colleagues in Lilongwe in postponing our anticipated vigil for the next thirty days during which time the United Nations Team can mediate the impasse towards peaceful and equitable resolution thereof. Our peaceful Vigil scheduled for Wednesday, 17th August 2011 has therefore been postponed until 17th September 2011 if no meaningful progress has been achieved.
However, we cannot prevent any Malawians from exercising their rights to freedom of assembly and of expression and would thus not dissuade or prevent our brothers and sisters if they are still determined to go ahead with actions such as staying at home, wearing red clothing, going slow, or walking to work etc. on their own volition. We believe that it is an inalienable constitutional right of all Malawians to hold elected Duty Bearers to account.
MODERATOR'S NOTE: The Civil Society leaders who announced the postponement in Blantyre in Institute for Policy Interaction's Executive Director, Rafik Hajat.
(Southern Region)
Press Release
Tue 16 August 2011
Re: Postponement of Vigil scheduled for Wednesday, 17th August 2011
We, the Organising committee of the Vigil (Southern Region) scheduled for Wednesday, 17th August 2011, hereby announce the postponement of our much anticipated vigil with profound regret and disappointment. The main reasons underpinning this difficult decision are as follows:
Our colleagues in Lilongwe were invited to a meeting at the police HQ in Area 30, where they were apprised of S106 of the Police Act 2009 which reads as follows:
If any riot damage occurs as a result of an assembly or a demonstration, every organization on behalf of or under the auspices of which the assembly or demonstration was held, the convener, and every person participating in the assembly or demonstration, as the case may be, shall be liable for that damage as a joint wrongdoer together with any other person who unlawfully caused or contributed to such riot damage.
The CSO Leaders were then officially warned by the Police Top Brass that any persons who played any role in convening or holding a public demonstration of any sort would be held jointly liable damages emanating from any acts of violence, looting, arson, rioting, or other illegal activity carried out by any persons known or unknown prior to, during or after the said event.
Any move to hold a demonstration of any sort would therefore invite the unmitigated brunt of legal action and any other consequences emanating therefrom.
The on-going court hearing on the injunction against demonstrations lodged by Messrs. James Willie and Rodrick Makapu may not be finalised in good time. This could lead to inadequate arrangements that could cause confusion and subsequent disturbances for which the blame would be laid squarely at our door. Further we have always subscribed to the Rule of Law and adherence to the Constitution and have no desire for inadvertent transgression.
We have been extremely perturbed by widespread rumours of a mercenary force imported from Zimbabwe with a singular purpose – i.e. to destabilise any protest gathering or demonstration with extreme violence. Being ever mindful of the safety of our fellow human beings, we do not wish to put any human beings in harm's way simply for adding their voices to ours.
When all is said and done therefore, we hereby join our colleagues in Lilongwe in postponing our anticipated vigil for the next thirty days during which time the United Nations Team can mediate the impasse towards peaceful and equitable resolution thereof. Our peaceful Vigil scheduled for Wednesday, 17th August 2011 has therefore been postponed until 17th September 2011 if no meaningful progress has been achieved.
However, we cannot prevent any Malawians from exercising their rights to freedom of assembly and of expression and would thus not dissuade or prevent our brothers and sisters if they are still determined to go ahead with actions such as staying at home, wearing red clothing, going slow, or walking to work etc. on their own volition. We believe that it is an inalienable constitutional right of all Malawians to hold elected Duty Bearers to account.
MODERATOR'S NOTE: The Civil Society leaders who announced the postponement in Blantyre in Institute for Policy Interaction's Executive Director, Rafik Hajat.
FIRST MEETING OF CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES 'AND MEMBERS OF PRESIDENTIAL DIALOGUE COMMITTEE
JOINT COMMUNIQUE
16 August , 2011
Concerned with the challenges facing the country and in the spirit of promoting peace and unity in Malawi , representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Presidential Committee on Contact and Dialogue held a preliminary dialogue meeting on 16 August, 2011 at Capital Hotel facilitated by the United Nations Representatives from both headquarters and Malawi Office.
The objective of the meeting was to explore modalities on dialogue following the presentation of a petition to the Head of State on 20 July, 2011.
The parties agreed on the following:
1. That there was need to develop common principles to guide the dialogue process. Mutual respect , transparency, confidentiality and integrity were some of the shared values that emerged from the meeting. This would include , inter alia, issuing of a Joint Communique after each session as the only means of communication to the nation as well as any other stakeholder. These would be outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding to be developed in due course. Both parties recognized that dialogue must be pursued for the common good of Malawi.
2. That a written roadmap should be developed to provide a framework for the forthcoming dialogue process .
3. Parties agreed that a Vigil could be held within a period of four weeks . The parties further resolved that the date may be reviewed in due course depending on the progress on the initiative on dialogue.
4. Members agreed that the Presidential Committee on Contact and Dialogue is the negotiating team on behalf of government. It was agreed that each team will have a maximum number of 6 members .
5. On content issues surrounding dialogue , it was agreed that the discussion should focus on the above mentioned petition .
6.For genuine dialogue to proceed , parties resolved that a monitoring mechanism should be put in place coupled with regular meetings with UN .
7.Both parties agreed request the UN to remain the facilitator of the process
8.Both parties underscored their genuine commitment to creating an enabling environment for constructive dialogue.
9.Members finally agreed that the next meeting on this initiative should be held on 25 August, 2011
Signed By:
1. Chairperson
~--~
On behalf of Presidential Committee on Contact and Dialogue
2. Civil Society Representatives
CONGOMA, Chairperson
HRCC, Chairperson
PAC, Executive Director
Civic and Political Space, Chairperson
16 August , 2011
Concerned with the challenges facing the country and in the spirit of promoting peace and unity in Malawi , representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Presidential Committee on Contact and Dialogue held a preliminary dialogue meeting on 16 August, 2011 at Capital Hotel facilitated by the United Nations Representatives from both headquarters and Malawi Office.
The objective of the meeting was to explore modalities on dialogue following the presentation of a petition to the Head of State on 20 July, 2011.
The parties agreed on the following:
1. That there was need to develop common principles to guide the dialogue process. Mutual respect , transparency, confidentiality and integrity were some of the shared values that emerged from the meeting. This would include , inter alia, issuing of a Joint Communique after each session as the only means of communication to the nation as well as any other stakeholder. These would be outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding to be developed in due course. Both parties recognized that dialogue must be pursued for the common good of Malawi.
2. That a written roadmap should be developed to provide a framework for the forthcoming dialogue process .
3. Parties agreed that a Vigil could be held within a period of four weeks . The parties further resolved that the date may be reviewed in due course depending on the progress on the initiative on dialogue.
4. Members agreed that the Presidential Committee on Contact and Dialogue is the negotiating team on behalf of government. It was agreed that each team will have a maximum number of 6 members .
5. On content issues surrounding dialogue , it was agreed that the discussion should focus on the above mentioned petition .
6.For genuine dialogue to proceed , parties resolved that a monitoring mechanism should be put in place coupled with regular meetings with UN .
7.Both parties agreed request the UN to remain the facilitator of the process
8.Both parties underscored their genuine commitment to creating an enabling environment for constructive dialogue.
9.Members finally agreed that the next meeting on this initiative should be held on 25 August, 2011
Signed By:
1. Chairperson
~--~
On behalf of Presidential Committee on Contact and Dialogue
2. Civil Society Representatives
CONGOMA, Chairperson
HRCC, Chairperson
PAC, Executive Director
Civic and Political Space, Chairperson
Preliminary Report on July 20, 2011 Demonstrations
Table of Contents
We, the members of the Malawi Human Rights Commission submit this Report pursuant to section 129 of the Constitution as read with sections 12 and 13(e) of the Human Rights Commission Act and commend the Report and its recommendations to the Government, Parliament and the people of Malawi.
MEMBERS
Mr. John Kapito - Chairperson of MHRC
..........................................
Ambassador Mrs. Sophie Kalinde - Commissioner
……………………………............
Mr. Desmond Kaunda - Commissioner
……………………………..........
Mrs. Veronica Sembereka - Commissioner
............................................
Mr. Marshal Chilenga - Commissioner
..............................................
Mr. Shenard Mazengera - Commissioner
....................................................
Mrs. Gertrude Lynn Hiwa - Law Commissioner
............................................. - Commissioner
Justice Mrs. T. Chizumila (Rtd) - Ombudsman
............................................. - Commissioner
Acronyms
ACHPR: African Charter on Human and People’s Rights
AU: African Union
CCAP: Church of Central African Presbyterian
CSO: Civil Society Organisation
CONGOMA: Council for Non-Governmental Organisations
DC: District Commissioner
DPP: Democratic Progressive Party
FBO: Faith Based Organization
FMB: First Merchant Bank
ICESCR: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
ICU: Intensive Care Unit
KCH: Kamuzu Central Hospital
MACRA: Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority
MBC: Malawi Broadcasting Corporation
MCP: Malawi Congress Party
MDF: Malawi Defense Force
MHRC: Malawi Human Rights Commission
MIJ: Malawi Institute of Journalism
MK: Malawi Kwacha
MoH: Ministry of Health
MPS: Malawi Police Service
MSB: Malawi Savings Bank
NGO: Non Governmental Organisation
OIBM: Opportunity International Bank of Malawi
OPC: Office of the President and Cabinet
PAC: Public Affairs Committee
PETRA: Peoples Transformation Party
PP: Peoples Party
PPM: Peoples Progressive Movement
UDF: United Democratic Front
UDHR: Universal Declaration of Human Rights
UN: United Nations
QECH: Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital
ZBS: Zodiak Broadcasting Station
1.0 Introduction
The Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) is an autonomous National Human Rights Institution established by section 129 of the Republic of Malawi Constitution as read with section 12 of the Human Rights Commission Act, Chapter 3:08 of the Laws of Malawi. The mandate of MHRC is to protect and promote human rights in Malawi in the broadest sense possible and to investigate violations of human rights on its own motion or upon complaints received from any person, class of persons or body.
MHRC has observed that there have been disagreements between the Government and Civil Society on various issues. The disagreements have led to a conflict situation. The conflict situation culminated in the violence that ensued from the 20th July 2011 Demonstration. The conflict seems to be ongoing with further demonstrations planned for 17th August 2011. It is imperative that various stakeholders should engage in processes for resolution of the conflict using lawful means. The Constitution of Malawi in section 13(l) obliges the State to actively promote the welfare and development of the people of Malawi by progressively adopting and implementing policies and legislation aimed at achieving the goal of peaceful settlement of disputes through putting in place mechanisms by which differences are settled through negotiations, good offices, mediation, conciliation and arbitration.
In view of the above, MHRC convened a special Commissioners meeting to discuss prevailing human rights issues following the 20th July demonstrations. Commissioners resolved to undertake comprehensive investigations into the events surrounding the 20th July demonstrations and the violence that ensued pursuant to its mandate of promotion and protection of human rights and investigation of violations of human rights.
This Report covers the preliminary findings and recommendations of MHRC in the course of its investigations. In circulating widely the information contained in this Report to all stakeholders, MHRC is invoking its promotion and protection mandate by ensuring that all stakeholders are adequately informed before taking any further actions. This would in turn ensure the prevention of further violations of human rights in whatever form and by any persons.
The Report also takes stock of the events surrounding the demonstrations with a view to drawing lessons that should inform further actions by stakeholders. Further, MHRC envisages that the information would facilitate access to effective remedies by affected parties, promote conflict resolution, peace building and dialogue in resolving issues of common concern to all people in Malawi.
This preliminary Report covers the events prior to, during and after the 20th July, 2011 demonstrations. MHRC deployed staff, led by Commissioners, on the ground to investigate and document the demonstration-related violence. This promoted the process of gathering information directly from victims of human rights violations, eyewitnesses and others. Therefore, much of the information contained in this Report is based on information received from MHRC stakeholders, human rights defenders, human rights organizations, civil society organizations, media sources and other individuals, including a large number of victims of human rights violations and eyewitnesses.
The public response to the call by MHRC for information was positive leading to a significant amount of information that will form the basis of a final comprehensive report. However, the information gathered so far has some gaps that require further work. Despite these gaps and further investigations to be done, MHRC notes that the events relating to the demonstration raise a serious human rights situation in Malawi.
The evident breaches of fundamental rights and freedoms in the period under consideration on such a large scale require thorough investigations and, with respect to the perpetrators, full accountability. For these reasons, MHRC will in addition to this preliminary Report, continue with its investigations. Thus MHRC emphasises its call and plea to the Government of Malawi to grant the necessary support and access required for MHRC’s team of investigators to effectively accomplish this important exercise. MHRC intends to provide a more extensive assessment of the human rights situation in Malawi in light of the demonstration-related events in the final comprehensive report.
2.0 Preliminary Findings and Analysis
The ensuing paragraphs outline the key findings of MHRC’s fact finding exercise into the events surrounding the 20th July Demonstrations. The findings pertain to the period before, during and after the Demonstrations.
2.1 The Pre-Demonstrations Period: A Brief Situation Analysis
2.1.1 In order to put the findings and analysis of the events surrounding the 20th July demonstrations and the violence that ensued into a proper perspective, an outline of the background to the period is necessary.
2.1.2 The ensuing paragraphs detail this background which is derived from the Petition that the CSOs presented to authorities on 20th July 2011. The issues were compiled in a petition that CSOs earlier produced and submitted to authorities. The continued existence of the issues variously raised by the CSOs ultimately progressed into the economic, social and political factors that are contributing factors to the 20th July demonstrations and the violence that followed.
2.1.3 The key issues include:
The acute foreign exchange shortage;
The acute fuel shortage;
ElectriCity shortages;
Lack of economic prudence;
Corruption and abuse of power;
Disrespect of the rule of law
Deliberate efforts to avoid or interrupt the holding of Local Government Elections
The University of Malawi crisis (failure to resolve the current stalemate between the University Council and its two constituent Colleges) and
Political intolerance and violence
2.1.5 Much as the issues are non-violent, they have negative implications for human rights, human security and development, are structural and embedded in socio-economic, legal and political sectors and are a manifestation of poor economic and democratic governance.
2.1.6 In light of these issues, the CSOs made the following demands as recommendations
.Sell the Presidential jet and minimise all foreign trips by the Head of State;
.Ban all importation of luxury cars (M/benz, Limousines, and Luxurious 4x4s). Any new cars for the President, Ministers or State Officials must reflect our impoverished state and should thus not be as ostentatious as in the past;
.All foreign trips by Ministers and State officials must be severely curtailed forthwith;
.Superfluous costs such as the new 'eavesdropping' machine being installed at a cost of US$6 million at MACRA merely to assuage creeping paranoia in an unconstitutional manner must be discontinued and reversed forthwith;
Zimbabwe must immediately repay the US$20 million that has long been outstanding for food supplied by Malawi. The payment can be made in cash or in fuel;
.Scrutinise all fertiliser imports for the previous year to track the fairness of the pricing – all those who have inflated their costings must be brought to book and penalised for the full amount of overpricing as well as harsh penalties for committing the crime.
.Scrutinise all fuel imports for overpricing practices and bring the perpetrators to book. All forex gained through such malpractices must be returned to Malawi immediately;
Massive fuel importers such as Paladin (usage: 3,000 litres diesel per day) must use their own forex reserves to bring in their fuel and should not drain Malawi's scarce reserves;
.Allow independent importation of fuel by any entrepreneur who has the means – this will break the stranglehold monopoly of PIL and open the market for free competition;
.Paladin's exports of 'yellow cake' must be checked to ensure that a fair market price is being charged and the proceeds are being brought back to Malawi without any transfer pricing;
.Gemstone exports must be monitored closely by trained experts to ensure that fair values are being declared. Malawi may have been short changed for decades in this area due to lack of capaCity and negligence;
It may be necessary, in the short term, to listen to the IMF and devalue our currency in order to gain their approval which would then open the doors for other Donors to come in and pump much needed forex into our flagging economy. The inflationary aspects of this can be countered by other anti inflationary measures.
It is essential to immediately mend fences with our long term development partners, the British Government by apologising for the diplomatic faux pas and making amends. Their contribution to our economy is too significant to shrug off with cavalier disdain – especially when it means that the poorest sections of society will be worst afflicted by the suspension of British aid.
The bloated Cabinet must be trimmed to 14 members and their allowances of fuel and air time adjusted to reasonable levels with immediate effect;
2.1.7 The CSOs proposed the time frame for the implementation of the recommendations as follows
Within reasonable time adopt measures and actions so that there is availability of and access to forex.
Within reasonable time adopt special measures to avail adequate forex to Petroleum Importers Limited and other suppliers so that they are able to import fuel without interruption.
Within reasonable time the ESCOM board and top management should be replaced with independent experts who, within 3 months, must demonstrate that the acute electriCity shortages have begun to reverse.
In addition, form a consultative forum which solicits input from all stakeholders who may have valuable information, ideas and new concepts with which to tackle the issues of capaCity and cost of power generation;
Within reasonable time the Anti corruption Bureau should commence an investigation of all people implicated in the recent Malawi Housing house sale scandal.
The Anti Corruption Bureau should start investigating ALL Cabinet Ministers and public servants on the unexplained wealth that some seem to have accumulated whilst holding office. The Penal Code calls upon all citizens to explain the source of their wealth, All moneys stolen should be returned.
Within 1 month; The President should fully declare his assets, explaining sources of funds to acquire and develop Ndata farm.
The First Lady's contract should be nullified and all earnings refunded back to Government.
The Law Commission should set up a special law commission to revisit the Penal Code and the Injunctions Bill, which should lead to submission of recommendations within reasonable time.
The President should demonstrate good faith towards the Office of the Vice President, starting by returning her official motorcade.
The Government should commit to hold Local Government Elections and not in 2014 as announced.
The University Council should immediately reinstate the four lecturers dismissed during the academic freedom stalemate, and issue a statement committing that no spies will be allowed in lecture rooms.
Issue a circular nullifying the instruction to require a deposit of MK 2, 000,000 for mass demonstrations.
Immediately stop unfair usage of MBCTV public broadcaster and television to castigate and threaten those with dissenting views.
Immediately stop of disregarding of court orders by the Executive arm of Government
Immediately provide drugs in all hospitals and clinics as lack of drugs is frustrating health/care workers and patients.
Immediately look at addressing health human resource for Nurses.
Immediately address incentives of Nurses as of 300 have not been paid their allowances for 3 years now.
To consider living wage as opposed to minimum wage and living wage raised to MK25, 000 a month.
We demand decent jobs and conditions for all workers
We demand social protection system for the good of welfare of Malawians
2.1.8 The Government’s failure to correct or to be seen as earnestly attending to these issues contributed to increasing levels of disgruntlement in the citizenry.
In some cases, the Government actually issued out statements that made it to appear to have taken defensive or safe-saving stances leading to a buildup of discontentment on the part of the Malawi populace. For instance, in a national address that the President made relating to some of these concerns, he virtually absolved the Government of any responsibility and pushed blame for the various issues of concern such as the fuel shortages, scarcity of forex, and calls for the devaluation of Kwacha on other players such as fuel haulage companies, Commercial Banks, Forex Bureaus, the IMF among others.
2.1.9 The period before the demonstrations was also characterised by a lack of, or limitations of, space for open, constructive and objective dialogue between the Government and other players, the Civil Society Organisations being the major grouping, to constructively discuss issues of national importance. This fueled the situation forcing the CSO to plan for a nation-wide demonstration to force Government to positively respond to the national concerns. The situation culminated in the CSOs resorting to mobilizing people to stage mass demonstrations on the issues of concern. By 8th July 2011 as indicated by the Nation Newspaper, these plans by the CSOs had reached an advanced stage.
2.1.10 The CSOs formed organising Committees which held meetings in Lilongwe, Zomba, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Karonga and other districts. In Lilongwe, the Malawi Police Service, City and district assemblies did not attend the meetings despite the notice being sent to them until 19th July, 2011 when members of CSOs were called by the District Commissioner of Lilongwe District for a meeting which started at around 14:00 pm. In Blantyre and Mzuzu, Zomba, and Karonga, the organizers had a good relationship and dialogue with the Police prior to the 20th July 2011 and the Police managed to attend the meetings organized by the CSO assuring maximum protection on the day. For Zomba, the cordial relationship between the demonstrations’ organisers and the Police contributed to a good management of the demonstrations by the police which averted any violent incidences.
2.1.11 In the course of the mobilisation of the masses by the CSOs to participate in the demonstrations and indications from the media that relevant Government authorities were non-committal on authorizing the demonstrations, MHRC issued a Press Statement relating to the developments. MHRC’s statement clarified the nature and scope of the right to hold peaceful demonstrations and other related rights as guaranteed in the Constitution of Malawi and relevant international human rights instruments. Further MHRC clarified on the obligations and responsibilities of Government and its agencies, the organisers of demonstrations and the public at large on the right to hold peaceful demonstrations. MHRC therefore called on the Government to guarantee the exercise of this right and the organisers and the people of Malawi to have regard to the attendant responsibilities at all times.
2.1.12 In the progression of the plans by the CSOs for the demonstrations other players made public pronouncements of their support for the idea of the demonstrations or indications that they would actually participate in the demonstrations. For instance, the Vice President, opposition leaders such as John Z. Tembo of MCP, Kamuzu Chibambo of PETRA, and Mark Katsonga of PPM made indications that they would join the demonstrations. On its part the DPP members disseminated information that discredited the organisers of the demonstration. On the 19th of July 2011, a day before the demonstrations, DPP vehicles paraded people wielding pangas and knives in the City of Blantyre chanting anti-demonstration songs. In the ensuing chaos, a journalist who witnessed the event was hacked on the head.
2.1.13 The pre-demonstration period was also characterised by an intensified monopolization of MBC TV, the public broadcaster which has nation-wide coverage by Government and the DPP. In this regard, MBC TV variously aired information that amounted to propaganda and demonization of the planned demonstrations and labeling it as a Gay Rights campaign, which was a clear misinformation to the general public. In a related development, the public broadcaster variously featured traditional chiefs who propagated messages against the demonstrations planned for the 20th July 2011. However, the Broadcaster did not at any occasion air, or feature people that were in support of the CSO-led demonstrations.
2.1.14 Furthermore, the period was also characterised by heightened hostility towards some private broadcasters such as ZBS which had one vehicle damaged and another torched down by unidentified persons.
2.1.15 The actions of the President as well as some Government and DPP figures prior to the demonstrations also compounded the ready volatile situation. For example on one occasion, the President indicated that he would meet the CSO demonstrators on the streets. Furthermore, the President’s making of a public lecture on the day of the demonstration also exacerbated the situation. The lecture was scheduled in a manner that made it to coincide with the day that had long before been earmarked for the demonstration, when evidently the lecture could have been scheduled for a different date. This could have been a bid to divert people’s attention from the demonstrations or dissuade people from participating in the demonstrations. The Governments’ acquiescence to the moves of the DPP Young Cadets that drove through the City of Blantyre in the ruling DPP’s vehicles blandishing panga knives and other arms in the presence of the Police and on the eve of the planned peaceful demonstrations also heightened the volatility of the situation.
2.1.16 The acceptance on the part of authorities for a counter demonstration on the same day that the CSOs planned demonstration was to be held, also worsened the situation. Through a press statement, the organisers of the counter demonstrations indicated that the grouping would demonstrate on the same route as proposed by the CSOs. The relevant authorities ought to have taken a pro-active role and clarified the law on point to the grouping and the general public that the proposal for the second demonstration was not tenable, and that in the event of a crash, the earlier group to give notice takes precedence.
2.1.17 Events close to the 20th July also show inordinate delays on the part of the relevant authority in authorizing the planned 20th July demonstrations. Interview with the District Commissioner of Lilongwe, Mr. Paul Kalilombe indicated there was confusion as to where the notice for demonstrations by the Civil Society Organisations would be delivered. At first it was delivered to the Chief Executive of Lilongwe City Assembly, but was later on delivered to the DC on the following day. Upon receiving the notice, the DC called for a meeting with all concerned parties like the CSO, the police and the Chief Executive of the City Assembly to map the way forward. As events unfolded, it was evident that no authority clearly came out to play their rightful roles in response to the CSOs notice to hold demonstrations. On 19th July 2011 the Police was quoted in an article in the Daily Times assuring people that they would provide maximum security to the demonstrators. However, this did not get close to an express authority to the CSOs to go ahead with the demonstration, which according to law, should have come from the District Commissioner in consultation with other concerned authorities (the police, the conveners of the demonstrations). This resulted in confusion and uncertainty; a recipe for the chaos that followed. This could have been averted if authorisation was clearly given in good time, creating for certainty and ample room for the preparedness of relevant players to effectively respond to the demonstrations.
2.1.18 The eventual obtaining of injunctions stopping both the planned demonstrations and the counter demonstrations, on the eve of the demonstrations, by concerned citizens: Mr. Chiza Mbekeani, through lawyer Mathews Chidzonde obtained before Justice Chifundo Kachale; and Mr. James Willie and Mr. Rodrick Makapu through Lawyers Denning Chambers, before Justice Potani in Lilongwe and Blantyre respectively, worsened the already volatile situation. Reportedly, as indicated by Mr. Mbekeani in an interview with ZBS, on July 31, 2011 he had conceived the idea to stop the demonstrations long before the 20th July, and his motive to obtain the injunction was based on good faith, i.e. to protect property, children, women, the disabled, the elderly and businesses owned by both Government and private individuals.
2.1.19 The period that followed the court’s restraint of the demonstrations was filled with tension, uncertainty, and increased disgruntlement. Furthermore, in some areas, the police compounded the situation by pre-maturely resorting to employing force e.g. firing of teargas and beating people, in order to disperse people that had gathered to demonstrate but was instructed by the demonstration organisers not to commence the marching until the injunctions had been vacated. This led to commotion and chaos. In some instances, the CSOs leaders did not have a presence in the areas where people had gathered to demonstrate, e.g. at the Lilongwe Community Ground. This was due to the strategy by the organisers to initially convene at Lilongwe CCAP premises in order to strategise the march. In Blantyre, the leaders had been disrupted by the Police, with whom they were discussing the injunction and its implications. These scenarios resulted in leadership gaps which left the crowd without guidance.
2.1.20 The totality of this situation: the uncertainty and anger created by the injunctions; the absence of decisive leadership and guidance; the premature use of force by the police; created a hostile atmosphere and precipitated the violence that ensued. In the alternative, the Police could have used other measures other than force for containing the crowd that was unarmed and relatively calm. This approach was actually adopted in Zomba and evidently resulted in a different situation, whereby the demonstrations took place without incidents of violence.
2.2 Events during and Post the Demonstration
The ensuing paragraphs outline the events that took place in the course of the demonstrations on 20th July 2011 and in the aftermath of the demonstrations. MHRC focused its investigations in the districts where the demonstrations were reported to have taken place. The findings from these Districts are presented in the ensuing sections. MHRC obtained relevant supporting documents on the information relating to reports on deaths and people that were treated in hospitals discussed in the tables below.
2.2.1 Mzuzu
Church and Society of the Livingstonia Synod was coordinating the demonstrations in Mzuzu;
On the 20th of July, the demonstrators gathered at Katoto Freedom Park to start the marching to present a petition to Mzuzu Chief Executive Officer. Some police officers were present to ensure security and order;
On the robots at the junction to Karonga road, they were met with the some police officers who informed that an injunction had been obtained that stopped the demonstrations and the demonstrators were advised to disperse;
This angered the demonstrators which resulted in running battles with the police;
Some of the demonstrators went on rampage, looting and vandalizing property. Three DPP vehicles were set alight; two houses were set alight, one belonging to Hon. Vuwa Kaunda and being used as Mzuzu DPP office and one belonging to Mr. Philbert Ngoma, an employee of Airtel Malawi; Shops and Malawi Savings Bank were also targeted in Mzuzu;
On 20th July, nine people died as a result of the violence; eight died as a result of gunshot wounds, while one died of suffocation from tear gas.
The CSOs in Mzuzu made arrangements to bury the dead at Mzuzu Heroes Acre. However, Government objected to the idea, and the dead were buried in a mass grave in Zolozolo Township.
Below is the identities of the people that died and causes of deaths as provided by the Ministry of Health
Persons who died to Mzuzu Central Hospital
1 Chimwemwe Ngwira 21 Male Died either of Asphyxia due to teargas or Hypoxia due to cardiologic shock or Hypoxia due to respiratory distress. Mzimba
2 King Msuku 43 Male Died of severe haemorrhage due to possibly gunshot and penetrating deep wounds on the chest. Nkhata bay
3 Adam Banda 35 Male Died of severe haemorrhage due to gunshot; deep penetrating wound on left neck and upper jaw. Lilongwe
4 Charles Chibambo 33 Male Died of severe haemorrhage due to gunshot; deep penetrating wound on mid thoracic region; one entry wound. Mzimba
5 Abel Kanyenda 19 Male Died of ruptured viscera, spleen and stomach due to gunshot. Radial pellets on the chest x-ray compatible with bullets. Mzuzu
6 Jacob Nyangali 25 Male Died of severe haemorrhage due to gunshot; deep penetrating wounds on thoracic region. Mzimba
7 Julius Kaunda 55 Male Died of head injuries possibly due to gunshot; penetrating deep wounds on direct left ear and skull; bleeding from ears and nostrils. Mzimba
8 Aaron Chilenje 30 Male Died of severe bleeding due to gunshot; open fracture on left femur; massive tissue destruction on left thigh. Mzimba
9 Samson Ngulube 23 Male Died of ruptured viscera-Liver with severe haemorrhage due to gunshot. Mzimba
Mzuzu hospital also registered 21 casualties (17 were males and 4 were females). The table below show the identities, diagnosis and status of the people that were treated at the hospital:
Victims taken to Mzuzu Central Hospital alive
1 Robert Kuwali 34 Male Gunshot Operated on Nkhata bay
2 Timeyo Juwa 26 Male Gunshot Operated on Mzimba
3 Marko Simkonda 13 Male Gunshot Operated Chitipa
4 Alfred Ngulube 15 Male Gunshot Operated on and right leg amputated -
5 Wongani Kasambala 22 Male Gunshot Wound treated and discharged Mzimba
6 Aaron Chitenje Not known Male Gunshot Died after operation Not known
7 Elia Munthali 15 Male Gunshot Wound treated and discharged Karonga
8 Mary Kasale 14 Female Gunshot Bullet retrieved Mulanje
9 Mphatso Gondwe 13 Female Gunshot Wound Karonga
10 Golden Kalua 38 Male Gunshot Operated on Not known
11 Andrew Nyasulu 17 Male Gunshot Wound on the right shoulder Mzimba
12 Winstone Mpuluka 26 Male Right hand cut Wound and tendon repair Chiradzulu
13 Mary Wilson 13 Female Fracture sustained while running Back slab Mangochi
14 Abel Kanyenda 25 Male Gunshot Died after operation Mzimba
15 Esther Phiri 21 Female Gunshot Wound debridement Karonga
16 James Phiri 27 Male Gunshot Bullet removed Unknown
17 Steven Soko 29 Male Gunshot Wound Mzimba
18 Chaofu Mwandemange 31 Male Gunshot Operated on Mzuzu
19 Samson Ngulube 43 Male Gunshot Died after operation Mzimba
20 Alex Jabili 25 Male Gunshot Operated on Mangochi
21 Chiza Mwanganya 35 Male Swollen elbow due to trauma X-ray and treated Mzuzu
2.2.2 Lilongwe
Demonstrators gathered at Lilongwe Community Centre;
Before the start of the demonstrations, the police informed the CSO leaders that an injunction had been obtained stopping the demonstrations;
The CSO convened at Lilongwe CCAP church strategizing while waiting for their lawyer, Mr. Wapona Kita, who was working on having the injunction vacated. Some journalists and politicians were also there;
When the demonstrators were informed of the injunction by Mr. Mkwezalamba, one of the organizers of the demonstrations, they were angered and started chanting songs of discontent;
The police fired teargas and guns to disperse the crowd;
The crowd went on rampage, looting and destroying property;
Running battles between the police and the people ensued in town and townships of Kawale, Areas 23 and 22 (near Works Training Centre).
The MDF joined to reinforce the MPS capaCity to provide security and order.
Below is the list of some of the properties that were looted and vandalized:
1 Chipiku Stores Shop Chipiku Stores looted Lilongwe
2 First Merchant Bank (FMB) Bank Vandalised Lilongwe
3 Opportunity International Bank of Malawi (OIBM) Bank Vandalised Lilongwe
4 Kulima Gold Agricultural company Looting Lilongwe
5 Peoples Trading Shop Supermarket Looted and set alight Lilongwe
6 Lilongwe Auctioneers and Estate Agents Auction and estate agents Looted and set alight Lilongwe
7 Pakeezah Investiments Company Retail shop Looted Lilongwe
8 Mulli Brothers Pharmaceutical Company Warehouse looted Lilongwe
9 Police houses Residential houses Set alight Lilongwe
The police invaded the CCAP Church where the CSO, some journalists and politicians were hiding. The police, led by a Mr. Chirambo, beat up some CSO leaders (Undule Mwakasungula, Billy Mayaya, Peter Chinoko, Benedicto Kondowe and Rogers Newa); journalists (Kondwani Munthali, Amos Gumulira, Isaac Kambwiri, Rabecca Chimjeka, Yvonne Sundu, Emmanuel Chibwana); and politician Nancy Tembo, and other people including Jean Msosa and Anjimile Mtila Oponyo despite being shown and told that the injunction had been vacated;
Violence and looting continued on 21st July 2011, a day after the planned demonstrations. This was evident in Kawale, Area 25, Lumbadzi, Mponela and Chinsapo where Peoples Trading Shop, Bata Shoe Company and Chipiku Stores and a police unit were targeted;
The violence on 20th and 21st July resulted into 7 deaths in Lilongwe as recorded at Kamuzu Central Hospital. One person (Elida Kampira) died on the 20th July while the rest were deposited to the mortuary on the 21st July.
In Lilongwe the District Commissioner received a directive from the Office of President and Cabinet to arrange coffins, transport and K30, 000 for funeral arrangements for those who identified the dead bodies of their relatives.
Below is the list of the persons that died and the causes of their deaths.
Victims brought dead to Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe
1 George Thekere 21 Male Died of severe head injury due to gunshot Chiradzulu
2 Lovemore Navira 19 Male Died of haemorrhaegic shock due to gunshot Thyolo
3 Luka Ignasiyo 38 Male Died of haemorrhagic shock following gunshot; crush fractures to the bilateral femur; severed genetalia. Dedza
4 Michael Ayami 36 Male Died of haemorrhagic shock following gunshot injuries Mangochi
5 Elida Kampira 24 Female Died of gunshot Lilongwe
6 Edward Phiri 24 Male Died of gunshot on the fore head Ntchisi
7 Unidentified Male
2.2.3 Blantyre
Demonstrators gathered at Victoria Hall led by CSO leaders with the police around to ensure that there was security and order;
When news of the injunction reached the police, they decided to stop the people from demonstrating. The people waited for the process of vacating the injunction before marching;
Various radio stations (Capital FM, MIJ Radio and Joy Radio) in Blantyre were airing a live coverage of the events as they unfolded. In the course of the coverage, the Radio Stations were contacted by MACRA to stop airing the live coverage. The stations were deemed by MACRA to be contravening the Communications Act as they were perceived to be airing information that was tantamount to inciting violence. MACRA followed up on its warning by shutting down the radio stations for a period of close to four hours. Other radio stations e.g. ZBS were also warned to stop airing the live coverage on the demonstrations.
When the injunction was vacated, the demonstrations started. However, there was another group of people that did not follow the prescribed route. They started looting and vandalizing property;
Running battles between the looters and the police ensued. The looting and vandalism resulted in the destruction of property. Chipiku Store in Zingwangwa, First Merchant Bank, NBS Bank and International Commercial Bank were targeted;
Queen Elizabeth Hospital registered 2 deaths and 11 injuries as a result of the violence that ensued. The 2 deaths occurred on 20th July 2011.
Below is the list of the identities of the dead and injured persons and causes of death and injuries respectively:
Victims brought to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital
1 Joseph Lingimani Gunshot 25 Ndirande Brought dead
2 John Mora Gunshot 13 Ndirande Brought dead
3 Philip Mkutu Deep cut 26 Chemusa Out-patient
4 Francis Songweje Cut 22 Chimwankhunda Out-patient
5 Evance Mtethe Multiple bruises 51 Nkhumbe Out-patient
6 Dean Zulu Gunshot 42 Mbayani Out-patient
7 Imani Zabula Gunshot 15 Chirimba ICU
8 Mphatso Mphoka Gunshot 25 Chirimba ICU
9 Griven Medi Gunshot 37 Chirimba 5A
10 Tenson Luhanga Gunshot 15 Chirimba 5A
11 Lackmore Misi Gunshot 18 Chirimba 5A
12 Chancy Chibaka Gunshot 24 Chilomoni 5A
13 Madalitso Seyani Gunshot 16 Chilomoni 5A
2.2.4 Zomba
Demonstrators gathered in readiness to march but were stopped because of the injunction that stopped the demonstrations. After the injunction was vacated, the demonstrators marched peacefully and delivered the petition to the DC with police escort;
Some Chancellor College students were arrested when they were found looting and vandalizing some property.
During the demonstrations and the violence that ensued on the 20th and 21st, the police arrested 259 suspects. MHRC assisted in releasing 67 of the suspects in Mzuzu.
2.2.5 Karonga
The demonstrations in Karonga were coordinated by Karonga Youth Development CBO which had a series of meetings with the police in preparation for peaceful demonstrations;
Before the start of the demonstrations, there was communication that an injunction had been obtained to stop the demonstrations. As a result, the demonstrators were advised to wait for court proceedings that were working on vacating this injunction;
When the injunction was vacated, the demonstrators marched peacefully to the office of the DC to present the petition;
After delivering the petition, the people assembled for speeches and some people started to leave the venue while the leaders were still addressing them.
When the people were going back from the DC to their respective homes, violence broke out because some people started to loot and vandalise property;
• Below is the list of the property that was destroyed:
1 Sub/Chief Kalonga Chief Personal vehicle burnt Karonga
2 Ministry of Water Development and Irrigation Ministry MG vehicle burnt Karonga
3 Mr. Chaponda Employee of Ministry of Water Development and Irrigation Personal vehicle burnt Karonga
4 Chipiku Stores - Chipiku building burnt Karonga
5 Bata shoe company - Bata shop looted Karonga
6 Pep store - Pep store looted Karonga
7 Greenwitch - Greenwitch house destroyed Karonga
8 Total Filling Station - Filing Station destroyed Karonga
9 Simama buildings Businessmen (Chinese stores) Shops looted Karonga
10 Mphasa shop Airtime seller Shop destroyed Karonga
•
The police used teargas and live bullets to bring order;
• The police arrested 36 suspects, 8 women and 28 men as perpetrators of the violence;
• One person, Mavuto Banda was shot dead by the police on the 20th of July. The postmortem report indicated that he had open wounds on the left upper lobe of the lungs and upper aspects of the liver. Gun bullet was found buried in the chest muscles;
• Three other persons were also injured by the shooting. These are: Kondwani Jere, a guard at MRA who was shot on the upper knee area. He was shot around the Chitipa-Karonga-Mzuzu roundabout; Ella and Bertha Ndileke who were shot at their home around 19.20 hours when they were about to retire to bed; Ella was shot on the foot while Bertha was shot on the calf muscles of the right leg.
• Below is the list of casualties in Karonga.
Victims of July 20, 2011 registered at Karonga District Hospital
1 Madalitso Mponda 17 Male Shot on the left hand Karonga
2 Chancy Mwanyongo 22 Male Shot on the left femur Karonga
3 Michael Mwambila 26 Male Shot on the left proximal arm Karonga
4 Kondwani Jere 34 Male Shot on the left thigh Karonga
5 Winfred Ngosi 18 Male Shot on the right femur and thigh Karonga
6 Owen Sichali 17 Male Shot on the cheek Karonga
7 Ella Ndileke 18 Female Shot on the left foot Karonga
8 Bertha Ndileke 19 Female Shot on the calf of the right leg Karonga
2.3 Developments in the Aftermath of the Demonstrations
2.3.1 There were continued incidences of violence characterized by shooting, looting arrests and beatings. These incidences of violence are what resulted into numerous deaths and injuries as reported above. This signifies police’ failure to effectively respond to the situation, particularly since the previous day (20th July) had already registered spates of violence, which should have put the police on high alert.
2.3.2 In separate public statements, the President initially registered regret for the loss of life and damage to property that emanated from the events surrounding the demonstrations. In a later statement, while presiding over the graduation of Police recruits the President expressed his cynicism particularly questioning if fuel or forex was now available in Malawi following the demonstrations. On another occasion, the President blamed the leaders of the CSOs and opposition politicians for the violence that ensued during and after the demonstrations. Yet in another statement, the President expressed his readiness to meet the CSOs for dialogue on issues raised. On other occasions the President also stated that he would hunt for those that were responsible for the demonstrations “smoke them out”. He further indicated that those whose property was destroyed had to sue the organizers of the demonstration. Furthermore, Government through the Police issued statements to the effect that the police did not use live bullets on the day of the demonstrations, the 20th but on the 21st as on this day people were engaged in criminal activities.
2.3.3 A number of FBOs such as Catholic Bishops issued out statements calling the State President to listen to people’s cries and genuinely respond to them. In addition a New York based international media body (Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ)) and MISA issued out a statement condemning the banning of radio stations from broadcasting live the demonstrations and described the action as superfluous, unconstitutional and retrogressive as it take away the right of people to access information.
2.3.4 Some NGOs and opposition UDF warned the President of more protest if the Civil Society and political leaders are arrested. PAC also said that the President’s remarks fell short of people’s expectations as they contradicted his earlier call in the national address for contact and dialogue. PAC indicated that naming of people who should be arrested and his appeal to the Judiciary “to deal with the matter fairly” are unacceptable and amount to influencing law-enforcing agents.
2..3.5 On 31st July, Sunday Nation reported that the petition by organizers of the July 20 demonstrations to President Bingu wa Mutharika was yet to reach the Head of State. Several Government officials including Information Minister, indicated that Hon. Symon Vuwa Kaunda and Presidential spokesperson, Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba were not aware if the petition had reach the President.
2.3.6 The First Lady, Madam Callista Mutharika made comments on 2nd August 2011 when she officially opened Matuli Health Centre in Mzimba that the NGOs were fighting for petty issues such as good governance, fuel shortage and minority rights. She accused NGOs of soliciting money from donors to stir unrest and disturb peace in the country. She also indicated that 85% of Malawians live in the villages and do not need fuel for vehicles and forex to travel abroad. She told the crowd that what they need is subsidized fertilizer to have more maize to eat not go to the streets to fight for little issues.
3.0 Conclusion
3.1 The investigations by MHRC have so far shown that gross human rights violations took place before, during and after the 20th July Demonstrations. MHRC notes with concern the death of 19 people and the destruction of property on 20th July and thereafter. MHRC condemns the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators and urges the Malawi Government to protect civilians and respect fundamental freedoms, including the freedoms of expression and assembly. MHRC condemns the looting and the destruction of property that ensued from the demonstrations.
3.2 MHRC finds that the following human rights were violated in the violence that emanated from the demonstrations: the right to life (not to be arbitrarily deprived of life); the right to personal liberty; the right to human dignity; the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; the right to freedom and security of the person; the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of property; the right to freely engage in economic activity, to work and pursue a livelihood anywhere in Malawi; the right to freedom of expression; the right to right to report and publish freely within Malawi and abroad (freedom of the press); the right of access to information and the right to assemble and demonstrate with others peacefully and unarmed.
These human rights are guaranteed by the Republic of Malawi Constitution in sections: 16; 18; 19(1); 19(3); 19(6); 28; 29; 35; 36; 37; and 38 respectively. These human rights are also provided in a number of international human rights instruments that Malawi has ratified such as: the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the Convention against Torture, Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The human rights are also embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which Malawi subscribes and is part of the Laws of Malawi.
3.3 MHRC affirms that the people in Malawi have the right to hold demonstrations peacefully and unarmed. The state is the primary duty bearer to ensure that this right is effectively realized. To this end, the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi in section 153 and the Police Act Chapter 13:01 of the Laws of Malawi in section 4 obligates the Police to preserve law and order and to protect life, property, fundamental freedoms and rights of individuals, and to protect public safety. Clearly, the events surrounding the 20th July Demonstration indicate that the Police did not effectively perform this role. For the most part, the manner in which the Police managed the Demonstrations of the 20th July failed to meet the threshold set out in part 9 of the Police Act. The police disproportionately used firearms in quelling the situations that emanated from the demonstrations. This contravened the provisions of the Police Act (sections 44 and 105(5) and relevant constitutional provisions and international human rights standards.
3.
4 MHRC further observes that the eruption of the violence was precipitated by a number of structural causes, including the roles of public institutions e.g. MACRA, MBC TV and the Police. For example, the state broadcaster contributed to a worsening situation through biased reporting of events that surrounded the demonstration and broadcasting of propaganda.
3.5 Further, while the violence on the 20th July was for the most part sporadic the incidences of violence that followed on the 21st July took a structured pattern, for example the characteristics of the places on which the violence was targeted, e.g. Police officers houses and businesses deemed to belong to DPP supporters or sympathizers.
3.6 The findings also bring out the issue of leadership gaps on the part of the organisers in directing the people that had gathered to participate in the demonstration. To a large extent this arose from instances where the police intervention led to their protracted engagement with the leaders. In turn, the people were left without leadership
3.7 The injunctions that were obtained on the eve of the day earmarked for the demonstration was the ultimate trigger of the injunctions.
3.8 In the final analysis, the developments surrounding the demonstrations bring to the fore issues of a lack of common values between the rulers and the ruled. The events also signify a failure of a system for the peaceful resolution of differences that is envisaged in the Constitution in section 13(l). This makes it imperative for the events surrounding the 20th July demonstrations and the ensuing violence to be carefully examined, with a view to drawing lessons that should inform future actions.
4.0 Recommendations
In view of the findings in this preliminary report, MHRC makes the following recommendations:
4.1 The State President and Government
i. MHRC takes cognizance of the fact that Malawi is a State party to the core international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Further that Malawi has a Bill of human rights entrenched in the Constitution. Thus, MHRC calls upon the Malawi Government to ensure that human rights, in particular, the rights to life, liberty and security of person, human dignity and freedom from cruel, degrading treatment or punishment are protected in all circumstances, including in the context of efforts to maintain law and order.
ii. The Government should ensure that the people that were affected by the violence that ensued during and after the demonstrations, including subjection to human rights violations access effective remedies.
iii. Government should facilitate the conduct of credible and impartial investigations and prosecution of those found responsible for the killing of people, looting and destruction of property during and after the demonstrations. In particular, the Government should cooperate fully with and grant every access to personnel from MHRC to conduct further investigations into the 20th July Demonstrations related violence.
iv. It is imperative that the Government as obliged under section 13(l) of the Constitution should adopt mechanisms for peaceful settlements of disputes. To this end, the President and Government should provide and maintain channels for contact and dialogue. In this regard, a culture of tolerance should be inculcated in the Government machinery to avert situations where people have to resort to demonstrations to communicate contrary views. Evidently, where demonstrations turn violent, the consequences are far-reaching and development is derailed. The President should arise above party politics and effectively address issues of national interest. The President and Government should desist from making provocative remarks that may fuel further violence and instead work towards reconciliation of differences.
v. The President and the Government should acknowledge and objectively and meaningfully address the state of affairs raised in the petition as issues of concern to the people in Malawi. In this regard, the President and Government should be guided by the Constitutional principles set out in Section 12 (a), (b) and (c) of the Constitution as follows:
(a) all legal and political authority of the State derives from the people of Malawi and shall be exercised in accordance with this Constitution solely to serve and protect their interests;
(b) all persons responsible for the exercise of powers of State do so on trust and shall only exercise such power to the extent of their lawful authority and in accordance with their responsibilities to the people of Malawi
(c) the authority to exercise power of the State is conditional upon the sustained trust of the people of Malawi and that trust can only be maintained through open, accountable and transparent Government and informed democratic choice.
vi. Government should acknowledge the fact that people have got a right to hold demonstrations peacefully and unarmed. While the right is not absolute, it can only be limited in accordance with the law. Therefore the relevant authorities should not inordinately delay responding to notices for people to demonstrate.
vii. Government should refrain from interfering through its machinery or otherwise in instilling fear or violence in the people;
4.2 The Malawi Police Service (MPS)
i. The Police should professionally and independently execute their duties at all times.
ii. The Police should ensure that the use of force and firearms is guided by the law. The Police should observe the threshold provided in the Police Act on their roles with regard to assemblies and demonstrations.
iii. Police should refrain from a culture of violence and disrespect of human rights.
iv. The police should thoroughly investigate the disproportionate use of firearms during the demonstrations and in the aftermath and ensure that all those implicated are duly prosecuted.
4.3 Civil Society Organisations
a) CSOs should meet the threshold set in part 9 of the Police Act in planning and executing demonstrations, in particular putting in place effective leadership (conveners) for the demonstrations.
b) CSOs (Organizers of demonstrations) should intensify civic education and adequate dissemination of information before the conduct of such events. In particular, they should ensure the effective mobilisation of the masses to exercise the human rights in question with due regard to corresponding responsibilities.
c) CSOs should ensure proper planning of demonstrations, including issues of timing, meeting places, routes, and strategies and points of dispersal etc and adequate consultations with relevant stakeholders.
d) CSOs should give chance to dialogue before calling for another demonstration.
4.4 The media
Media should provide fair coverage of events and desist from reporting that may incite hostility and violence.
4.5 The General Public
i. People in Malawi should take cognizance of the fact that the exercise of the right to demonstrate peacefully and unarmed has attendant responsibilities. These should be respected in the exercise of the right.
ii. People should respect authority of the MPS as they execute their duties responsibly
We, the members of the Malawi Human Rights Commission submit this Report pursuant to section 129 of the Constitution as read with sections 12 and 13(e) of the Human Rights Commission Act and commend the Report and its recommendations to the Government, Parliament and the people of Malawi.
MEMBERS
Mr. John Kapito - Chairperson of MHRC
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Ambassador Mrs. Sophie Kalinde - Commissioner
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Mr. Desmond Kaunda - Commissioner
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Mrs. Veronica Sembereka - Commissioner
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Mr. Marshal Chilenga - Commissioner
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Mr. Shenard Mazengera - Commissioner
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Mrs. Gertrude Lynn Hiwa - Law Commissioner
............................................. - Commissioner
Justice Mrs. T. Chizumila (Rtd) - Ombudsman
............................................. - Commissioner
Acronyms
ACHPR: African Charter on Human and People’s Rights
AU: African Union
CCAP: Church of Central African Presbyterian
CSO: Civil Society Organisation
CONGOMA: Council for Non-Governmental Organisations
DC: District Commissioner
DPP: Democratic Progressive Party
FBO: Faith Based Organization
FMB: First Merchant Bank
ICESCR: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
ICU: Intensive Care Unit
KCH: Kamuzu Central Hospital
MACRA: Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority
MBC: Malawi Broadcasting Corporation
MCP: Malawi Congress Party
MDF: Malawi Defense Force
MHRC: Malawi Human Rights Commission
MIJ: Malawi Institute of Journalism
MK: Malawi Kwacha
MoH: Ministry of Health
MPS: Malawi Police Service
MSB: Malawi Savings Bank
NGO: Non Governmental Organisation
OIBM: Opportunity International Bank of Malawi
OPC: Office of the President and Cabinet
PAC: Public Affairs Committee
PETRA: Peoples Transformation Party
PP: Peoples Party
PPM: Peoples Progressive Movement
UDF: United Democratic Front
UDHR: Universal Declaration of Human Rights
UN: United Nations
QECH: Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital
ZBS: Zodiak Broadcasting Station
1.0 Introduction
The Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) is an autonomous National Human Rights Institution established by section 129 of the Republic of Malawi Constitution as read with section 12 of the Human Rights Commission Act, Chapter 3:08 of the Laws of Malawi. The mandate of MHRC is to protect and promote human rights in Malawi in the broadest sense possible and to investigate violations of human rights on its own motion or upon complaints received from any person, class of persons or body.
MHRC has observed that there have been disagreements between the Government and Civil Society on various issues. The disagreements have led to a conflict situation. The conflict situation culminated in the violence that ensued from the 20th July 2011 Demonstration. The conflict seems to be ongoing with further demonstrations planned for 17th August 2011. It is imperative that various stakeholders should engage in processes for resolution of the conflict using lawful means. The Constitution of Malawi in section 13(l) obliges the State to actively promote the welfare and development of the people of Malawi by progressively adopting and implementing policies and legislation aimed at achieving the goal of peaceful settlement of disputes through putting in place mechanisms by which differences are settled through negotiations, good offices, mediation, conciliation and arbitration.
In view of the above, MHRC convened a special Commissioners meeting to discuss prevailing human rights issues following the 20th July demonstrations. Commissioners resolved to undertake comprehensive investigations into the events surrounding the 20th July demonstrations and the violence that ensued pursuant to its mandate of promotion and protection of human rights and investigation of violations of human rights.
This Report covers the preliminary findings and recommendations of MHRC in the course of its investigations. In circulating widely the information contained in this Report to all stakeholders, MHRC is invoking its promotion and protection mandate by ensuring that all stakeholders are adequately informed before taking any further actions. This would in turn ensure the prevention of further violations of human rights in whatever form and by any persons.
The Report also takes stock of the events surrounding the demonstrations with a view to drawing lessons that should inform further actions by stakeholders. Further, MHRC envisages that the information would facilitate access to effective remedies by affected parties, promote conflict resolution, peace building and dialogue in resolving issues of common concern to all people in Malawi.
This preliminary Report covers the events prior to, during and after the 20th July, 2011 demonstrations. MHRC deployed staff, led by Commissioners, on the ground to investigate and document the demonstration-related violence. This promoted the process of gathering information directly from victims of human rights violations, eyewitnesses and others. Therefore, much of the information contained in this Report is based on information received from MHRC stakeholders, human rights defenders, human rights organizations, civil society organizations, media sources and other individuals, including a large number of victims of human rights violations and eyewitnesses.
The public response to the call by MHRC for information was positive leading to a significant amount of information that will form the basis of a final comprehensive report. However, the information gathered so far has some gaps that require further work. Despite these gaps and further investigations to be done, MHRC notes that the events relating to the demonstration raise a serious human rights situation in Malawi.
The evident breaches of fundamental rights and freedoms in the period under consideration on such a large scale require thorough investigations and, with respect to the perpetrators, full accountability. For these reasons, MHRC will in addition to this preliminary Report, continue with its investigations. Thus MHRC emphasises its call and plea to the Government of Malawi to grant the necessary support and access required for MHRC’s team of investigators to effectively accomplish this important exercise. MHRC intends to provide a more extensive assessment of the human rights situation in Malawi in light of the demonstration-related events in the final comprehensive report.
2.0 Preliminary Findings and Analysis
The ensuing paragraphs outline the key findings of MHRC’s fact finding exercise into the events surrounding the 20th July Demonstrations. The findings pertain to the period before, during and after the Demonstrations.
2.1 The Pre-Demonstrations Period: A Brief Situation Analysis
2.1.1 In order to put the findings and analysis of the events surrounding the 20th July demonstrations and the violence that ensued into a proper perspective, an outline of the background to the period is necessary.
2.1.2 The ensuing paragraphs detail this background which is derived from the Petition that the CSOs presented to authorities on 20th July 2011. The issues were compiled in a petition that CSOs earlier produced and submitted to authorities. The continued existence of the issues variously raised by the CSOs ultimately progressed into the economic, social and political factors that are contributing factors to the 20th July demonstrations and the violence that followed.
2.1.3 The key issues include:
The acute foreign exchange shortage;
The acute fuel shortage;
ElectriCity shortages;
Lack of economic prudence;
Corruption and abuse of power;
Disrespect of the rule of law
Deliberate efforts to avoid or interrupt the holding of Local Government Elections
The University of Malawi crisis (failure to resolve the current stalemate between the University Council and its two constituent Colleges) and
Political intolerance and violence
2.1.5 Much as the issues are non-violent, they have negative implications for human rights, human security and development, are structural and embedded in socio-economic, legal and political sectors and are a manifestation of poor economic and democratic governance.
2.1.6 In light of these issues, the CSOs made the following demands as recommendations
.Sell the Presidential jet and minimise all foreign trips by the Head of State;
.Ban all importation of luxury cars (M/benz, Limousines, and Luxurious 4x4s). Any new cars for the President, Ministers or State Officials must reflect our impoverished state and should thus not be as ostentatious as in the past;
.All foreign trips by Ministers and State officials must be severely curtailed forthwith;
.Superfluous costs such as the new 'eavesdropping' machine being installed at a cost of US$6 million at MACRA merely to assuage creeping paranoia in an unconstitutional manner must be discontinued and reversed forthwith;
Zimbabwe must immediately repay the US$20 million that has long been outstanding for food supplied by Malawi. The payment can be made in cash or in fuel;
.Scrutinise all fertiliser imports for the previous year to track the fairness of the pricing – all those who have inflated their costings must be brought to book and penalised for the full amount of overpricing as well as harsh penalties for committing the crime.
.Scrutinise all fuel imports for overpricing practices and bring the perpetrators to book. All forex gained through such malpractices must be returned to Malawi immediately;
Massive fuel importers such as Paladin (usage: 3,000 litres diesel per day) must use their own forex reserves to bring in their fuel and should not drain Malawi's scarce reserves;
.Allow independent importation of fuel by any entrepreneur who has the means – this will break the stranglehold monopoly of PIL and open the market for free competition;
.Paladin's exports of 'yellow cake' must be checked to ensure that a fair market price is being charged and the proceeds are being brought back to Malawi without any transfer pricing;
.Gemstone exports must be monitored closely by trained experts to ensure that fair values are being declared. Malawi may have been short changed for decades in this area due to lack of capaCity and negligence;
It may be necessary, in the short term, to listen to the IMF and devalue our currency in order to gain their approval which would then open the doors for other Donors to come in and pump much needed forex into our flagging economy. The inflationary aspects of this can be countered by other anti inflationary measures.
It is essential to immediately mend fences with our long term development partners, the British Government by apologising for the diplomatic faux pas and making amends. Their contribution to our economy is too significant to shrug off with cavalier disdain – especially when it means that the poorest sections of society will be worst afflicted by the suspension of British aid.
The bloated Cabinet must be trimmed to 14 members and their allowances of fuel and air time adjusted to reasonable levels with immediate effect;
2.1.7 The CSOs proposed the time frame for the implementation of the recommendations as follows
Within reasonable time adopt measures and actions so that there is availability of and access to forex.
Within reasonable time adopt special measures to avail adequate forex to Petroleum Importers Limited and other suppliers so that they are able to import fuel without interruption.
Within reasonable time the ESCOM board and top management should be replaced with independent experts who, within 3 months, must demonstrate that the acute electriCity shortages have begun to reverse.
In addition, form a consultative forum which solicits input from all stakeholders who may have valuable information, ideas and new concepts with which to tackle the issues of capaCity and cost of power generation;
Within reasonable time the Anti corruption Bureau should commence an investigation of all people implicated in the recent Malawi Housing house sale scandal.
The Anti Corruption Bureau should start investigating ALL Cabinet Ministers and public servants on the unexplained wealth that some seem to have accumulated whilst holding office. The Penal Code calls upon all citizens to explain the source of their wealth, All moneys stolen should be returned.
Within 1 month; The President should fully declare his assets, explaining sources of funds to acquire and develop Ndata farm.
The First Lady's contract should be nullified and all earnings refunded back to Government.
The Law Commission should set up a special law commission to revisit the Penal Code and the Injunctions Bill, which should lead to submission of recommendations within reasonable time.
The President should demonstrate good faith towards the Office of the Vice President, starting by returning her official motorcade.
The Government should commit to hold Local Government Elections and not in 2014 as announced.
The University Council should immediately reinstate the four lecturers dismissed during the academic freedom stalemate, and issue a statement committing that no spies will be allowed in lecture rooms.
Issue a circular nullifying the instruction to require a deposit of MK 2, 000,000 for mass demonstrations.
Immediately stop unfair usage of MBCTV public broadcaster and television to castigate and threaten those with dissenting views.
Immediately stop of disregarding of court orders by the Executive arm of Government
Immediately provide drugs in all hospitals and clinics as lack of drugs is frustrating health/care workers and patients.
Immediately look at addressing health human resource for Nurses.
Immediately address incentives of Nurses as of 300 have not been paid their allowances for 3 years now.
To consider living wage as opposed to minimum wage and living wage raised to MK25, 000 a month.
We demand decent jobs and conditions for all workers
We demand social protection system for the good of welfare of Malawians
2.1.8 The Government’s failure to correct or to be seen as earnestly attending to these issues contributed to increasing levels of disgruntlement in the citizenry.
In some cases, the Government actually issued out statements that made it to appear to have taken defensive or safe-saving stances leading to a buildup of discontentment on the part of the Malawi populace. For instance, in a national address that the President made relating to some of these concerns, he virtually absolved the Government of any responsibility and pushed blame for the various issues of concern such as the fuel shortages, scarcity of forex, and calls for the devaluation of Kwacha on other players such as fuel haulage companies, Commercial Banks, Forex Bureaus, the IMF among others.
2.1.9 The period before the demonstrations was also characterised by a lack of, or limitations of, space for open, constructive and objective dialogue between the Government and other players, the Civil Society Organisations being the major grouping, to constructively discuss issues of national importance. This fueled the situation forcing the CSO to plan for a nation-wide demonstration to force Government to positively respond to the national concerns. The situation culminated in the CSOs resorting to mobilizing people to stage mass demonstrations on the issues of concern. By 8th July 2011 as indicated by the Nation Newspaper, these plans by the CSOs had reached an advanced stage.
2.1.10 The CSOs formed organising Committees which held meetings in Lilongwe, Zomba, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Karonga and other districts. In Lilongwe, the Malawi Police Service, City and district assemblies did not attend the meetings despite the notice being sent to them until 19th July, 2011 when members of CSOs were called by the District Commissioner of Lilongwe District for a meeting which started at around 14:00 pm. In Blantyre and Mzuzu, Zomba, and Karonga, the organizers had a good relationship and dialogue with the Police prior to the 20th July 2011 and the Police managed to attend the meetings organized by the CSO assuring maximum protection on the day. For Zomba, the cordial relationship between the demonstrations’ organisers and the Police contributed to a good management of the demonstrations by the police which averted any violent incidences.
2.1.11 In the course of the mobilisation of the masses by the CSOs to participate in the demonstrations and indications from the media that relevant Government authorities were non-committal on authorizing the demonstrations, MHRC issued a Press Statement relating to the developments. MHRC’s statement clarified the nature and scope of the right to hold peaceful demonstrations and other related rights as guaranteed in the Constitution of Malawi and relevant international human rights instruments. Further MHRC clarified on the obligations and responsibilities of Government and its agencies, the organisers of demonstrations and the public at large on the right to hold peaceful demonstrations. MHRC therefore called on the Government to guarantee the exercise of this right and the organisers and the people of Malawi to have regard to the attendant responsibilities at all times.
2.1.12 In the progression of the plans by the CSOs for the demonstrations other players made public pronouncements of their support for the idea of the demonstrations or indications that they would actually participate in the demonstrations. For instance, the Vice President, opposition leaders such as John Z. Tembo of MCP, Kamuzu Chibambo of PETRA, and Mark Katsonga of PPM made indications that they would join the demonstrations. On its part the DPP members disseminated information that discredited the organisers of the demonstration. On the 19th of July 2011, a day before the demonstrations, DPP vehicles paraded people wielding pangas and knives in the City of Blantyre chanting anti-demonstration songs. In the ensuing chaos, a journalist who witnessed the event was hacked on the head.
2.1.13 The pre-demonstration period was also characterised by an intensified monopolization of MBC TV, the public broadcaster which has nation-wide coverage by Government and the DPP. In this regard, MBC TV variously aired information that amounted to propaganda and demonization of the planned demonstrations and labeling it as a Gay Rights campaign, which was a clear misinformation to the general public. In a related development, the public broadcaster variously featured traditional chiefs who propagated messages against the demonstrations planned for the 20th July 2011. However, the Broadcaster did not at any occasion air, or feature people that were in support of the CSO-led demonstrations.
2.1.14 Furthermore, the period was also characterised by heightened hostility towards some private broadcasters such as ZBS which had one vehicle damaged and another torched down by unidentified persons.
2.1.15 The actions of the President as well as some Government and DPP figures prior to the demonstrations also compounded the ready volatile situation. For example on one occasion, the President indicated that he would meet the CSO demonstrators on the streets. Furthermore, the President’s making of a public lecture on the day of the demonstration also exacerbated the situation. The lecture was scheduled in a manner that made it to coincide with the day that had long before been earmarked for the demonstration, when evidently the lecture could have been scheduled for a different date. This could have been a bid to divert people’s attention from the demonstrations or dissuade people from participating in the demonstrations. The Governments’ acquiescence to the moves of the DPP Young Cadets that drove through the City of Blantyre in the ruling DPP’s vehicles blandishing panga knives and other arms in the presence of the Police and on the eve of the planned peaceful demonstrations also heightened the volatility of the situation.
2.1.16 The acceptance on the part of authorities for a counter demonstration on the same day that the CSOs planned demonstration was to be held, also worsened the situation. Through a press statement, the organisers of the counter demonstrations indicated that the grouping would demonstrate on the same route as proposed by the CSOs. The relevant authorities ought to have taken a pro-active role and clarified the law on point to the grouping and the general public that the proposal for the second demonstration was not tenable, and that in the event of a crash, the earlier group to give notice takes precedence.
2.1.17 Events close to the 20th July also show inordinate delays on the part of the relevant authority in authorizing the planned 20th July demonstrations. Interview with the District Commissioner of Lilongwe, Mr. Paul Kalilombe indicated there was confusion as to where the notice for demonstrations by the Civil Society Organisations would be delivered. At first it was delivered to the Chief Executive of Lilongwe City Assembly, but was later on delivered to the DC on the following day. Upon receiving the notice, the DC called for a meeting with all concerned parties like the CSO, the police and the Chief Executive of the City Assembly to map the way forward. As events unfolded, it was evident that no authority clearly came out to play their rightful roles in response to the CSOs notice to hold demonstrations. On 19th July 2011 the Police was quoted in an article in the Daily Times assuring people that they would provide maximum security to the demonstrators. However, this did not get close to an express authority to the CSOs to go ahead with the demonstration, which according to law, should have come from the District Commissioner in consultation with other concerned authorities (the police, the conveners of the demonstrations). This resulted in confusion and uncertainty; a recipe for the chaos that followed. This could have been averted if authorisation was clearly given in good time, creating for certainty and ample room for the preparedness of relevant players to effectively respond to the demonstrations.
2.1.18 The eventual obtaining of injunctions stopping both the planned demonstrations and the counter demonstrations, on the eve of the demonstrations, by concerned citizens: Mr. Chiza Mbekeani, through lawyer Mathews Chidzonde obtained before Justice Chifundo Kachale; and Mr. James Willie and Mr. Rodrick Makapu through Lawyers Denning Chambers, before Justice Potani in Lilongwe and Blantyre respectively, worsened the already volatile situation. Reportedly, as indicated by Mr. Mbekeani in an interview with ZBS, on July 31, 2011 he had conceived the idea to stop the demonstrations long before the 20th July, and his motive to obtain the injunction was based on good faith, i.e. to protect property, children, women, the disabled, the elderly and businesses owned by both Government and private individuals.
2.1.19 The period that followed the court’s restraint of the demonstrations was filled with tension, uncertainty, and increased disgruntlement. Furthermore, in some areas, the police compounded the situation by pre-maturely resorting to employing force e.g. firing of teargas and beating people, in order to disperse people that had gathered to demonstrate but was instructed by the demonstration organisers not to commence the marching until the injunctions had been vacated. This led to commotion and chaos. In some instances, the CSOs leaders did not have a presence in the areas where people had gathered to demonstrate, e.g. at the Lilongwe Community Ground. This was due to the strategy by the organisers to initially convene at Lilongwe CCAP premises in order to strategise the march. In Blantyre, the leaders had been disrupted by the Police, with whom they were discussing the injunction and its implications. These scenarios resulted in leadership gaps which left the crowd without guidance.
2.1.20 The totality of this situation: the uncertainty and anger created by the injunctions; the absence of decisive leadership and guidance; the premature use of force by the police; created a hostile atmosphere and precipitated the violence that ensued. In the alternative, the Police could have used other measures other than force for containing the crowd that was unarmed and relatively calm. This approach was actually adopted in Zomba and evidently resulted in a different situation, whereby the demonstrations took place without incidents of violence.
2.2 Events during and Post the Demonstration
The ensuing paragraphs outline the events that took place in the course of the demonstrations on 20th July 2011 and in the aftermath of the demonstrations. MHRC focused its investigations in the districts where the demonstrations were reported to have taken place. The findings from these Districts are presented in the ensuing sections. MHRC obtained relevant supporting documents on the information relating to reports on deaths and people that were treated in hospitals discussed in the tables below.
2.2.1 Mzuzu
Church and Society of the Livingstonia Synod was coordinating the demonstrations in Mzuzu;
On the 20th of July, the demonstrators gathered at Katoto Freedom Park to start the marching to present a petition to Mzuzu Chief Executive Officer. Some police officers were present to ensure security and order;
On the robots at the junction to Karonga road, they were met with the some police officers who informed that an injunction had been obtained that stopped the demonstrations and the demonstrators were advised to disperse;
This angered the demonstrators which resulted in running battles with the police;
Some of the demonstrators went on rampage, looting and vandalizing property. Three DPP vehicles were set alight; two houses were set alight, one belonging to Hon. Vuwa Kaunda and being used as Mzuzu DPP office and one belonging to Mr. Philbert Ngoma, an employee of Airtel Malawi; Shops and Malawi Savings Bank were also targeted in Mzuzu;
On 20th July, nine people died as a result of the violence; eight died as a result of gunshot wounds, while one died of suffocation from tear gas.
The CSOs in Mzuzu made arrangements to bury the dead at Mzuzu Heroes Acre. However, Government objected to the idea, and the dead were buried in a mass grave in Zolozolo Township.
Below is the identities of the people that died and causes of deaths as provided by the Ministry of Health
Persons who died to Mzuzu Central Hospital
1 Chimwemwe Ngwira 21 Male Died either of Asphyxia due to teargas or Hypoxia due to cardiologic shock or Hypoxia due to respiratory distress. Mzimba
2 King Msuku 43 Male Died of severe haemorrhage due to possibly gunshot and penetrating deep wounds on the chest. Nkhata bay
3 Adam Banda 35 Male Died of severe haemorrhage due to gunshot; deep penetrating wound on left neck and upper jaw. Lilongwe
4 Charles Chibambo 33 Male Died of severe haemorrhage due to gunshot; deep penetrating wound on mid thoracic region; one entry wound. Mzimba
5 Abel Kanyenda 19 Male Died of ruptured viscera, spleen and stomach due to gunshot. Radial pellets on the chest x-ray compatible with bullets. Mzuzu
6 Jacob Nyangali 25 Male Died of severe haemorrhage due to gunshot; deep penetrating wounds on thoracic region. Mzimba
7 Julius Kaunda 55 Male Died of head injuries possibly due to gunshot; penetrating deep wounds on direct left ear and skull; bleeding from ears and nostrils. Mzimba
8 Aaron Chilenje 30 Male Died of severe bleeding due to gunshot; open fracture on left femur; massive tissue destruction on left thigh. Mzimba
9 Samson Ngulube 23 Male Died of ruptured viscera-Liver with severe haemorrhage due to gunshot. Mzimba
Mzuzu hospital also registered 21 casualties (17 were males and 4 were females). The table below show the identities, diagnosis and status of the people that were treated at the hospital:
Victims taken to Mzuzu Central Hospital alive
1 Robert Kuwali 34 Male Gunshot Operated on Nkhata bay
2 Timeyo Juwa 26 Male Gunshot Operated on Mzimba
3 Marko Simkonda 13 Male Gunshot Operated Chitipa
4 Alfred Ngulube 15 Male Gunshot Operated on and right leg amputated -
5 Wongani Kasambala 22 Male Gunshot Wound treated and discharged Mzimba
6 Aaron Chitenje Not known Male Gunshot Died after operation Not known
7 Elia Munthali 15 Male Gunshot Wound treated and discharged Karonga
8 Mary Kasale 14 Female Gunshot Bullet retrieved Mulanje
9 Mphatso Gondwe 13 Female Gunshot Wound Karonga
10 Golden Kalua 38 Male Gunshot Operated on Not known
11 Andrew Nyasulu 17 Male Gunshot Wound on the right shoulder Mzimba
12 Winstone Mpuluka 26 Male Right hand cut Wound and tendon repair Chiradzulu
13 Mary Wilson 13 Female Fracture sustained while running Back slab Mangochi
14 Abel Kanyenda 25 Male Gunshot Died after operation Mzimba
15 Esther Phiri 21 Female Gunshot Wound debridement Karonga
16 James Phiri 27 Male Gunshot Bullet removed Unknown
17 Steven Soko 29 Male Gunshot Wound Mzimba
18 Chaofu Mwandemange 31 Male Gunshot Operated on Mzuzu
19 Samson Ngulube 43 Male Gunshot Died after operation Mzimba
20 Alex Jabili 25 Male Gunshot Operated on Mangochi
21 Chiza Mwanganya 35 Male Swollen elbow due to trauma X-ray and treated Mzuzu
2.2.2 Lilongwe
Demonstrators gathered at Lilongwe Community Centre;
Before the start of the demonstrations, the police informed the CSO leaders that an injunction had been obtained stopping the demonstrations;
The CSO convened at Lilongwe CCAP church strategizing while waiting for their lawyer, Mr. Wapona Kita, who was working on having the injunction vacated. Some journalists and politicians were also there;
When the demonstrators were informed of the injunction by Mr. Mkwezalamba, one of the organizers of the demonstrations, they were angered and started chanting songs of discontent;
The police fired teargas and guns to disperse the crowd;
The crowd went on rampage, looting and destroying property;
Running battles between the police and the people ensued in town and townships of Kawale, Areas 23 and 22 (near Works Training Centre).
The MDF joined to reinforce the MPS capaCity to provide security and order.
Below is the list of some of the properties that were looted and vandalized:
1 Chipiku Stores Shop Chipiku Stores looted Lilongwe
2 First Merchant Bank (FMB) Bank Vandalised Lilongwe
3 Opportunity International Bank of Malawi (OIBM) Bank Vandalised Lilongwe
4 Kulima Gold Agricultural company Looting Lilongwe
5 Peoples Trading Shop Supermarket Looted and set alight Lilongwe
6 Lilongwe Auctioneers and Estate Agents Auction and estate agents Looted and set alight Lilongwe
7 Pakeezah Investiments Company Retail shop Looted Lilongwe
8 Mulli Brothers Pharmaceutical Company Warehouse looted Lilongwe
9 Police houses Residential houses Set alight Lilongwe
The police invaded the CCAP Church where the CSO, some journalists and politicians were hiding. The police, led by a Mr. Chirambo, beat up some CSO leaders (Undule Mwakasungula, Billy Mayaya, Peter Chinoko, Benedicto Kondowe and Rogers Newa); journalists (Kondwani Munthali, Amos Gumulira, Isaac Kambwiri, Rabecca Chimjeka, Yvonne Sundu, Emmanuel Chibwana); and politician Nancy Tembo, and other people including Jean Msosa and Anjimile Mtila Oponyo despite being shown and told that the injunction had been vacated;
Violence and looting continued on 21st July 2011, a day after the planned demonstrations. This was evident in Kawale, Area 25, Lumbadzi, Mponela and Chinsapo where Peoples Trading Shop, Bata Shoe Company and Chipiku Stores and a police unit were targeted;
The violence on 20th and 21st July resulted into 7 deaths in Lilongwe as recorded at Kamuzu Central Hospital. One person (Elida Kampira) died on the 20th July while the rest were deposited to the mortuary on the 21st July.
In Lilongwe the District Commissioner received a directive from the Office of President and Cabinet to arrange coffins, transport and K30, 000 for funeral arrangements for those who identified the dead bodies of their relatives.
Below is the list of the persons that died and the causes of their deaths.
Victims brought dead to Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe
1 George Thekere 21 Male Died of severe head injury due to gunshot Chiradzulu
2 Lovemore Navira 19 Male Died of haemorrhaegic shock due to gunshot Thyolo
3 Luka Ignasiyo 38 Male Died of haemorrhagic shock following gunshot; crush fractures to the bilateral femur; severed genetalia. Dedza
4 Michael Ayami 36 Male Died of haemorrhagic shock following gunshot injuries Mangochi
5 Elida Kampira 24 Female Died of gunshot Lilongwe
6 Edward Phiri 24 Male Died of gunshot on the fore head Ntchisi
7 Unidentified Male
2.2.3 Blantyre
Demonstrators gathered at Victoria Hall led by CSO leaders with the police around to ensure that there was security and order;
When news of the injunction reached the police, they decided to stop the people from demonstrating. The people waited for the process of vacating the injunction before marching;
Various radio stations (Capital FM, MIJ Radio and Joy Radio) in Blantyre were airing a live coverage of the events as they unfolded. In the course of the coverage, the Radio Stations were contacted by MACRA to stop airing the live coverage. The stations were deemed by MACRA to be contravening the Communications Act as they were perceived to be airing information that was tantamount to inciting violence. MACRA followed up on its warning by shutting down the radio stations for a period of close to four hours. Other radio stations e.g. ZBS were also warned to stop airing the live coverage on the demonstrations.
When the injunction was vacated, the demonstrations started. However, there was another group of people that did not follow the prescribed route. They started looting and vandalizing property;
Running battles between the looters and the police ensued. The looting and vandalism resulted in the destruction of property. Chipiku Store in Zingwangwa, First Merchant Bank, NBS Bank and International Commercial Bank were targeted;
Queen Elizabeth Hospital registered 2 deaths and 11 injuries as a result of the violence that ensued. The 2 deaths occurred on 20th July 2011.
Below is the list of the identities of the dead and injured persons and causes of death and injuries respectively:
Victims brought to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital
1 Joseph Lingimani Gunshot 25 Ndirande Brought dead
2 John Mora Gunshot 13 Ndirande Brought dead
3 Philip Mkutu Deep cut 26 Chemusa Out-patient
4 Francis Songweje Cut 22 Chimwankhunda Out-patient
5 Evance Mtethe Multiple bruises 51 Nkhumbe Out-patient
6 Dean Zulu Gunshot 42 Mbayani Out-patient
7 Imani Zabula Gunshot 15 Chirimba ICU
8 Mphatso Mphoka Gunshot 25 Chirimba ICU
9 Griven Medi Gunshot 37 Chirimba 5A
10 Tenson Luhanga Gunshot 15 Chirimba 5A
11 Lackmore Misi Gunshot 18 Chirimba 5A
12 Chancy Chibaka Gunshot 24 Chilomoni 5A
13 Madalitso Seyani Gunshot 16 Chilomoni 5A
2.2.4 Zomba
Demonstrators gathered in readiness to march but were stopped because of the injunction that stopped the demonstrations. After the injunction was vacated, the demonstrators marched peacefully and delivered the petition to the DC with police escort;
Some Chancellor College students were arrested when they were found looting and vandalizing some property.
During the demonstrations and the violence that ensued on the 20th and 21st, the police arrested 259 suspects. MHRC assisted in releasing 67 of the suspects in Mzuzu.
2.2.5 Karonga
The demonstrations in Karonga were coordinated by Karonga Youth Development CBO which had a series of meetings with the police in preparation for peaceful demonstrations;
Before the start of the demonstrations, there was communication that an injunction had been obtained to stop the demonstrations. As a result, the demonstrators were advised to wait for court proceedings that were working on vacating this injunction;
When the injunction was vacated, the demonstrators marched peacefully to the office of the DC to present the petition;
After delivering the petition, the people assembled for speeches and some people started to leave the venue while the leaders were still addressing them.
When the people were going back from the DC to their respective homes, violence broke out because some people started to loot and vandalise property;
• Below is the list of the property that was destroyed:
1 Sub/Chief Kalonga Chief Personal vehicle burnt Karonga
2 Ministry of Water Development and Irrigation Ministry MG vehicle burnt Karonga
3 Mr. Chaponda Employee of Ministry of Water Development and Irrigation Personal vehicle burnt Karonga
4 Chipiku Stores - Chipiku building burnt Karonga
5 Bata shoe company - Bata shop looted Karonga
6 Pep store - Pep store looted Karonga
7 Greenwitch - Greenwitch house destroyed Karonga
8 Total Filling Station - Filing Station destroyed Karonga
9 Simama buildings Businessmen (Chinese stores) Shops looted Karonga
10 Mphasa shop Airtime seller Shop destroyed Karonga
•
The police used teargas and live bullets to bring order;
• The police arrested 36 suspects, 8 women and 28 men as perpetrators of the violence;
• One person, Mavuto Banda was shot dead by the police on the 20th of July. The postmortem report indicated that he had open wounds on the left upper lobe of the lungs and upper aspects of the liver. Gun bullet was found buried in the chest muscles;
• Three other persons were also injured by the shooting. These are: Kondwani Jere, a guard at MRA who was shot on the upper knee area. He was shot around the Chitipa-Karonga-Mzuzu roundabout; Ella and Bertha Ndileke who were shot at their home around 19.20 hours when they were about to retire to bed; Ella was shot on the foot while Bertha was shot on the calf muscles of the right leg.
• Below is the list of casualties in Karonga.
Victims of July 20, 2011 registered at Karonga District Hospital
1 Madalitso Mponda 17 Male Shot on the left hand Karonga
2 Chancy Mwanyongo 22 Male Shot on the left femur Karonga
3 Michael Mwambila 26 Male Shot on the left proximal arm Karonga
4 Kondwani Jere 34 Male Shot on the left thigh Karonga
5 Winfred Ngosi 18 Male Shot on the right femur and thigh Karonga
6 Owen Sichali 17 Male Shot on the cheek Karonga
7 Ella Ndileke 18 Female Shot on the left foot Karonga
8 Bertha Ndileke 19 Female Shot on the calf of the right leg Karonga
2.3 Developments in the Aftermath of the Demonstrations
2.3.1 There were continued incidences of violence characterized by shooting, looting arrests and beatings. These incidences of violence are what resulted into numerous deaths and injuries as reported above. This signifies police’ failure to effectively respond to the situation, particularly since the previous day (20th July) had already registered spates of violence, which should have put the police on high alert.
2.3.2 In separate public statements, the President initially registered regret for the loss of life and damage to property that emanated from the events surrounding the demonstrations. In a later statement, while presiding over the graduation of Police recruits the President expressed his cynicism particularly questioning if fuel or forex was now available in Malawi following the demonstrations. On another occasion, the President blamed the leaders of the CSOs and opposition politicians for the violence that ensued during and after the demonstrations. Yet in another statement, the President expressed his readiness to meet the CSOs for dialogue on issues raised. On other occasions the President also stated that he would hunt for those that were responsible for the demonstrations “smoke them out”. He further indicated that those whose property was destroyed had to sue the organizers of the demonstration. Furthermore, Government through the Police issued statements to the effect that the police did not use live bullets on the day of the demonstrations, the 20th but on the 21st as on this day people were engaged in criminal activities.
2.3.3 A number of FBOs such as Catholic Bishops issued out statements calling the State President to listen to people’s cries and genuinely respond to them. In addition a New York based international media body (Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ)) and MISA issued out a statement condemning the banning of radio stations from broadcasting live the demonstrations and described the action as superfluous, unconstitutional and retrogressive as it take away the right of people to access information.
2.3.4 Some NGOs and opposition UDF warned the President of more protest if the Civil Society and political leaders are arrested. PAC also said that the President’s remarks fell short of people’s expectations as they contradicted his earlier call in the national address for contact and dialogue. PAC indicated that naming of people who should be arrested and his appeal to the Judiciary “to deal with the matter fairly” are unacceptable and amount to influencing law-enforcing agents.
2..3.5 On 31st July, Sunday Nation reported that the petition by organizers of the July 20 demonstrations to President Bingu wa Mutharika was yet to reach the Head of State. Several Government officials including Information Minister, indicated that Hon. Symon Vuwa Kaunda and Presidential spokesperson, Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba were not aware if the petition had reach the President.
2.3.6 The First Lady, Madam Callista Mutharika made comments on 2nd August 2011 when she officially opened Matuli Health Centre in Mzimba that the NGOs were fighting for petty issues such as good governance, fuel shortage and minority rights. She accused NGOs of soliciting money from donors to stir unrest and disturb peace in the country. She also indicated that 85% of Malawians live in the villages and do not need fuel for vehicles and forex to travel abroad. She told the crowd that what they need is subsidized fertilizer to have more maize to eat not go to the streets to fight for little issues.
3.0 Conclusion
3.1 The investigations by MHRC have so far shown that gross human rights violations took place before, during and after the 20th July Demonstrations. MHRC notes with concern the death of 19 people and the destruction of property on 20th July and thereafter. MHRC condemns the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators and urges the Malawi Government to protect civilians and respect fundamental freedoms, including the freedoms of expression and assembly. MHRC condemns the looting and the destruction of property that ensued from the demonstrations.
3.2 MHRC finds that the following human rights were violated in the violence that emanated from the demonstrations: the right to life (not to be arbitrarily deprived of life); the right to personal liberty; the right to human dignity; the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; the right to freedom and security of the person; the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of property; the right to freely engage in economic activity, to work and pursue a livelihood anywhere in Malawi; the right to freedom of expression; the right to right to report and publish freely within Malawi and abroad (freedom of the press); the right of access to information and the right to assemble and demonstrate with others peacefully and unarmed.
These human rights are guaranteed by the Republic of Malawi Constitution in sections: 16; 18; 19(1); 19(3); 19(6); 28; 29; 35; 36; 37; and 38 respectively. These human rights are also provided in a number of international human rights instruments that Malawi has ratified such as: the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the Convention against Torture, Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The human rights are also embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which Malawi subscribes and is part of the Laws of Malawi.
3.3 MHRC affirms that the people in Malawi have the right to hold demonstrations peacefully and unarmed. The state is the primary duty bearer to ensure that this right is effectively realized. To this end, the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi in section 153 and the Police Act Chapter 13:01 of the Laws of Malawi in section 4 obligates the Police to preserve law and order and to protect life, property, fundamental freedoms and rights of individuals, and to protect public safety. Clearly, the events surrounding the 20th July Demonstration indicate that the Police did not effectively perform this role. For the most part, the manner in which the Police managed the Demonstrations of the 20th July failed to meet the threshold set out in part 9 of the Police Act. The police disproportionately used firearms in quelling the situations that emanated from the demonstrations. This contravened the provisions of the Police Act (sections 44 and 105(5) and relevant constitutional provisions and international human rights standards.
3.
4 MHRC further observes that the eruption of the violence was precipitated by a number of structural causes, including the roles of public institutions e.g. MACRA, MBC TV and the Police. For example, the state broadcaster contributed to a worsening situation through biased reporting of events that surrounded the demonstration and broadcasting of propaganda.
3.5 Further, while the violence on the 20th July was for the most part sporadic the incidences of violence that followed on the 21st July took a structured pattern, for example the characteristics of the places on which the violence was targeted, e.g. Police officers houses and businesses deemed to belong to DPP supporters or sympathizers.
3.6 The findings also bring out the issue of leadership gaps on the part of the organisers in directing the people that had gathered to participate in the demonstration. To a large extent this arose from instances where the police intervention led to their protracted engagement with the leaders. In turn, the people were left without leadership
3.7 The injunctions that were obtained on the eve of the day earmarked for the demonstration was the ultimate trigger of the injunctions.
3.8 In the final analysis, the developments surrounding the demonstrations bring to the fore issues of a lack of common values between the rulers and the ruled. The events also signify a failure of a system for the peaceful resolution of differences that is envisaged in the Constitution in section 13(l). This makes it imperative for the events surrounding the 20th July demonstrations and the ensuing violence to be carefully examined, with a view to drawing lessons that should inform future actions.
4.0 Recommendations
In view of the findings in this preliminary report, MHRC makes the following recommendations:
4.1 The State President and Government
i. MHRC takes cognizance of the fact that Malawi is a State party to the core international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Further that Malawi has a Bill of human rights entrenched in the Constitution. Thus, MHRC calls upon the Malawi Government to ensure that human rights, in particular, the rights to life, liberty and security of person, human dignity and freedom from cruel, degrading treatment or punishment are protected in all circumstances, including in the context of efforts to maintain law and order.
ii. The Government should ensure that the people that were affected by the violence that ensued during and after the demonstrations, including subjection to human rights violations access effective remedies.
iii. Government should facilitate the conduct of credible and impartial investigations and prosecution of those found responsible for the killing of people, looting and destruction of property during and after the demonstrations. In particular, the Government should cooperate fully with and grant every access to personnel from MHRC to conduct further investigations into the 20th July Demonstrations related violence.
iv. It is imperative that the Government as obliged under section 13(l) of the Constitution should adopt mechanisms for peaceful settlements of disputes. To this end, the President and Government should provide and maintain channels for contact and dialogue. In this regard, a culture of tolerance should be inculcated in the Government machinery to avert situations where people have to resort to demonstrations to communicate contrary views. Evidently, where demonstrations turn violent, the consequences are far-reaching and development is derailed. The President should arise above party politics and effectively address issues of national interest. The President and Government should desist from making provocative remarks that may fuel further violence and instead work towards reconciliation of differences.
v. The President and the Government should acknowledge and objectively and meaningfully address the state of affairs raised in the petition as issues of concern to the people in Malawi. In this regard, the President and Government should be guided by the Constitutional principles set out in Section 12 (a), (b) and (c) of the Constitution as follows:
(a) all legal and political authority of the State derives from the people of Malawi and shall be exercised in accordance with this Constitution solely to serve and protect their interests;
(b) all persons responsible for the exercise of powers of State do so on trust and shall only exercise such power to the extent of their lawful authority and in accordance with their responsibilities to the people of Malawi
(c) the authority to exercise power of the State is conditional upon the sustained trust of the people of Malawi and that trust can only be maintained through open, accountable and transparent Government and informed democratic choice.
vi. Government should acknowledge the fact that people have got a right to hold demonstrations peacefully and unarmed. While the right is not absolute, it can only be limited in accordance with the law. Therefore the relevant authorities should not inordinately delay responding to notices for people to demonstrate.
vii. Government should refrain from interfering through its machinery or otherwise in instilling fear or violence in the people;
4.2 The Malawi Police Service (MPS)
i. The Police should professionally and independently execute their duties at all times.
ii. The Police should ensure that the use of force and firearms is guided by the law. The Police should observe the threshold provided in the Police Act on their roles with regard to assemblies and demonstrations.
iii. Police should refrain from a culture of violence and disrespect of human rights.
iv. The police should thoroughly investigate the disproportionate use of firearms during the demonstrations and in the aftermath and ensure that all those implicated are duly prosecuted.
4.3 Civil Society Organisations
a) CSOs should meet the threshold set in part 9 of the Police Act in planning and executing demonstrations, in particular putting in place effective leadership (conveners) for the demonstrations.
b) CSOs (Organizers of demonstrations) should intensify civic education and adequate dissemination of information before the conduct of such events. In particular, they should ensure the effective mobilisation of the masses to exercise the human rights in question with due regard to corresponding responsibilities.
c) CSOs should ensure proper planning of demonstrations, including issues of timing, meeting places, routes, and strategies and points of dispersal etc and adequate consultations with relevant stakeholders.
d) CSOs should give chance to dialogue before calling for another demonstration.
4.4 The media
Media should provide fair coverage of events and desist from reporting that may incite hostility and violence.
4.5 The General Public
i. People in Malawi should take cognizance of the fact that the exercise of the right to demonstrate peacefully and unarmed has attendant responsibilities. These should be respected in the exercise of the right.
ii. People should respect authority of the MPS as they execute their duties responsibly
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