Witchcraft: Malawi's Dogmatic Monster!

Forty-two year old Jonathan Mbulaje from Kanjuli village in the area of Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza, Dedza, once sacrificed the outer part of his left ear to rumour; now, he struggles to live up to the haunting reality he will never have it back.

It all started as a simple matter one September day in 1999 when, after establishing a flourishing maize mill enterprise that helped save people from the hassles of traveling a sweat-filled seven kilometers to either Bembeke Trading Centre or (Bembeke) Turn-off, he was accused of ‘magically’ killing people and placing them inside his mill. The locals generally believe that, when that happens, the business thrives, generating quick returns.

“The next thing...I was awakened around mid-night by the thunderous roll of people who, first, smashed the window panes of my house and then broke my door. Some of them bit me up and...I don’t really remember what actually happened next but I just felt blood oozing from my left ear;(and) when I touched it, the left part was not there. Where it went, who took it, and for what reason, I will never know," says Mbulaje, adding:

“But that experience shuttered and devastated me, mainly because what they said was not true. In fact, I have never believed that there is witchcraft, that these things are real. I feel the whole belief is merely opium smoke from exhausted brains. We can never develop with this attitude and that’s the reason I left the area a long time ago and am now into cross-border trade, buying things like brankets and shit-beds in South Africa for sale back home,” says Mbulaje.

The father of six adds that when the mob realised that he had lost an ear, they became scared, knowing it would now be a Police case, and disappeared quieter than they came. Some of them were fellow villagers, he says.

Mbulaje must have been fortunate to have escaped with his life as others, like 82-year old Patani Phiri from Nkhota-kota, lost their lives under similar circumstances.

Worse still, there are scores that have been chased from their respective communities- the only people and places they probably ever knew in this life turning their backs on them, as Civil Liberties Committee Executive Director Emmie Chanika observes. Over the years, her organisation has been over-whelmed with requests for shelter and legal aid from individuals suspected by their communities to be practicing witchcraft.

“It’s really becoming nasty and worrisome. Innocent people are being victimized, maimed, even killed –all this for something as nonsense as witchcraft,” says Chanika.

“But, somehow, we still have to do something. Government should stop burying its head in the sand like an ostrich. The thing is, our laws should now recognise the existence of witchcraft, realising that colonialists included a clause in the Witchcraft Act stipulating that anyone who accused another of practicing it was committing a criminal offence simply because it suited their interests. They never wanted mob justice in villages; they never wanted to see people being forced to drink Mchape, as used to happen with our early traditions and, really, it worked.”

According to the human rights activist, her organisation is currently working on a case where a civil servant in Chikwawa (name withheld) is being chased from an area on accusations of practicing witchcraft. Several children have complained that they were being taught witchcraft by the same- accusations the 'accused' denies.

As if to stamp the issues with his authority, the village headman jurisdicting over the area summoned the individual and ruled in his absence that she lives the area. But the suspect never appeared before the village court on grounds that, as a civil servant, she is not under the jurisdiction of the headman, an argument Cilic supports.

“In fact, we have told her not to move out, and we will make sure we get to the dead-end of this issue. Why it is that only women are accused of teaching children witchcraft? Where are the men in all this? I feel it is because, culturally and traditionally, women are looked down upon; they are the easy scape-goat.”

Pastor Willie Chaponda of Mustard Seed Ministries supports the idea of amending the Witchcraft Act, saying, as a church leader, he has received several complaints from people, lamenting about the practice. Witchcraft has reached a crescendo, he says.

Chaponda explains that he has, to date, received over a hundred people asking him to pray for either them or their children because they are “active witches. So,he says, witchcraft is really there and needs to be recognized as such. There must also be clearly-stipulated punishments for those practicing it to bring back sanity in our communities.

He describes as a fallacy assertions to the effect that only those who accept practicing, “rather, the constitution says ‘pretending' to practice”, should be punished because we know it (witchcraft) is there but not everybody can just come forward and say ‘I practice it’”.

He has ‘proof’: “I once went to minister at a funeral in Chiradzulu and was bewildered that, upon my arrival, children who had been there since morning started to disperse one by one. When I enquired as to what the matter was, I was told that the children had heard that I exorcise people of witchcraft through prayer, and were afraid that I would do the same to them. Here, we see children who practiced witchcraft running away on their own, showing that the practice is there.”

Chaponda even adds that witchcraft varies with the extent of years in practice, it has degrees. It is difficult to pray for someone who has practiced for a long time, and it takes time to exorcise them completely. To some extent, people even vomit such things as snakes, frogs and centipedes, he reveals.

Elizabeth Divala, Blantyre Police Spokesperson- while acknowledging that her office has received as many as 20 cases of witchcraft, with six convictions of self-confessed practitioners (the law says pretenders)- argues that the issue is made complicated by lack of enabling legislation, as the current Act does not recognize witchcraft.

She says the Victim Support Unit (VSU) refers cases of witchcraft back to traditional leaders or the clergy, and that there have been some cases of success in that area, especially with people who are willing to be helped and thus confess.

“These are more-less like spiritual issues because they are mainly perceptions to do with the mind; we are talking about something people say is there but cannot point out (its) form. The only time it works with us is when individuals confess, and we open a file under the charges of pretending to practice witchcraft. Apart from that, we seek the help of religious leaders who seem to be helping us a lot,” says Divala.

Grant Chipangula, Traditional Healers Association of Malawi president, adds his voice to the hot-potato issue. He says any legislation dealing with witchcraft should first be handled by traditional doctors because they are the only ‘experts’ on the issue and, to that effect, more likely to find a remedy over the witchcraft jig-saw.

“Only us,traditional doctors and healers, can providing a lasting solution to this. The problem is that policy makers tend to over-look us, thinking we are less educated to grasp issues they treat as technical. But in our area, and the issue of witchcraft is a very good example, we are our own experts," says Chipangula.

His words could be sober and worth considering, it seems. What with African Network for the Protection and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN)-Malawi Chapter Executive Director, Ken Williams Mhango, claiming there is even a school drilling children in the practice in Salima district.

The organisation conducted a survey between January and February this year in Machinga. Among other findings, children who confessed to practing the same complained that those who refused t learn the 'trade' from parents or relatives suffered various kinds of abuse.

"Around 60 of the children we interviewed complained that they were subjected to physical assaults as well as food deprivation, so you can see that there is a relationship between child abuse and witchcraft. In fact, the issue also touches on other areas of development such as education, as most children end up sleeping in class instead of being attentive simply because they had been busy all night," says Mhango.

And in Salima, he adds, they established that there was a school training children in witchcraft. 'Around 1000 children are said to be in attendance, and 50 graduate every month".

"These things are real; let us look back into the law. A law that betrays the wishes of the people is not a law, it is a flaw."



Inside the law

Studies conducted by the Association for Secular Humanism indicate that up to 87 percent of Malawians believe in witchcraft.

This is despite he existence of a Witchcraft Act that renders it an offence (Section 4) to accuse any person of practicing witchcraft or being a witch. Those who perpetuate such an offence attract a fine of K25, 000 and up to a prison sentence of five years with hard labour.

That is not all, though. Section 5 makes it an offence to employ a sing’anga, sangoma (witchdoctor) to name-call or identify witches in a community. In that case, the personage is liable to a fine of K 25,000 and to imprisonment for five years if found guilty by the court.

And, as if taking cognisance of the fact that traditional leaders are sometimes in the lead, when it comes to accusing some of their subjects of practicing witchcraft, Section 7 stops chiefs from allowing witch-hunting in their communities.

‘Disobedient’ chiefs pay heavily- by local standards- for their role, as they are liable to a fine of K 25,000 and to imprisonment for five years.

Section 8 of the Witchcraft Act then caps it all by implicitly declaring that the calling of witch- finders or witchdoctors is illegal and that every person pretending to exercise such calling commits a crime and is liable to imprisonment for life.

Lastly, Section 3 stipulates that those who avail themselves, or participate in witch-hunting practices shall be liable to a fine of K5, 000 and serve one year in prison.

GOVERNANCE PLATFORM CALL FOR CREDIBLE AND CONSCIOUS DELIBERATION AND PASSING OF THE BUDGET: PARLIAMENT’S ROLE IN BUDGET REVIEW IS IRREPLACEABLE

PRESS RELEASE
Issued on Thursday, 20thJune 2013


INTRODUCTION
The Governance Platform (GP) is a grouping of civil society organizations that are currently implementing programmes that advance good governance in Malawi. As a loose grouping with a clear mandate to stir responsive transparency and
accountability and citizen voice, the GP was formed during the DPP-led administration as a mechanism for collective and proactive engagement with government, adding value and complementing to the work of like-minded CSOs.


Through this, the Governance Platform seeks to consolidate the efforts of CSOs in sustaining citizens’ voices on emerging socio-economic and political governance issues.


The GP has closely followed the tabling of the 2013/14 national budget statement by the Minister of Finance and continues to follow the mood, context of the subsequent plenary proceedings in Parliament. As a platform interested in budget credibility, including the much needed independence and increased role of Parliament in the budgetary processes; we, the undersigned, wish to raise a few observations that are CFSC critical in bringing the budget close and responsive to the citizenry issues of concern.


The GP is further mindful of the earlier comments and observations raised by different actors, and is therefore driven by its commitment to stewardship, service for mankind, trust, transparency, accountability and mutual respect.



BUDGET OVERVIEW


According to the Budget Statement for the 2013/14 fiscal year, the national budget is still being anchored around "No Net Domestic Financing". This fiscal anchor is reported to be premised at reducing the domestic debt stock to allow the private sector space to borrow at reasonable rates for productive investment.


Total revenues and grants for the 2013/14 financial year are expected to amount to K603.4 billion from K460.9 billion in 2012/13 FY. Domestic revenues are projected at K363.1 billion, representing 60.0 percent of total revenue and grants, while K240.3 billion are donor grants, representing 40.0 percent of total revenue and grants. Of the
total domestic revenues, tax revenues are projected at K328.1 billion while the non-tax revenues are estimated at K35.0 billion.

Grants, on the other hand are expected to increase by 36 percent from K177. 4 billion estimated for 2012/13 financial year to K240.3 billion.


The overall fiscal deficit for the 2013/14 FY is thus projected at K34.8 billion.

This deficit will be wholly financed by foreign borrowing amounting to K42.0 billion. Part of foreign borrowing will also finance domestic debt repayment of K7.2 billion which in turn will reduce the domestic debt stock from K170.6 billion at the end of 2012/13 financial year to K163.4 billion at the end of the 2013/14 financial year.



OUR OBSERVATIONS

• The Governance Platform partners are concerned that Government is not doing much to reduce the level of borrowing.

We note that while efforts are being made to stop domestic borrowing and repay domestic debt stock of about
MK170.8 billion, it appears that Government’s shift to foreign borrowing currently estimated at K42 billion puts to question its commitment to long term fiscal sustainability.

This is particularly important looking at the amount of loans Government is intending to borrow coupled with some of the seemingly unplanned project related loans that are not premised on viable returns.

• The Governance Platform is also worried with incorporation of some initiatives in the budget that are a duplication of existing Government’s efforts, and remain a drain of taxpayers through either direct financing or repayment of loans. One such effort is the new Mudzi Transformative Trust which in essence is a duplication of the Local Development Fund (LDF) and COMSIP projects.

As a platform we believe that any serious Government needs to be sensitive in avoiding efforts that are rather a burden to taxpayers, as this may be construed to be politically motivated ahead of the 2014 polls. It is our
considered view that any new initiative should be based on wide consultation and empirical evidence to justify its relevance and the prospects gains and returns on investments.


• While commending development partners for financing the budget to the tune of 41 percent of total expenditure, we therefore also wish to reiterate that Government needs to always strive to be cautious with donor aid as any lack of
concrete commitment from donors may render the national budget extremely difficult to execute. This is in line with other suggestions that Malawi should reflect and move with speed to reduce donor support through good, consistent
and sustainable monetary and fiscal policies. Unfortunately, it appears the Budget Statement remains blank and rather just ‘politically correct’ on strategies to reduce donor dependence but instead appeals for more support.


As a platform we believe this is attainable if Government is able to display total commitment in pronouncements and action reducing corruption and other forms of economic wastage.


• While the Budget Statement also makes emphasis on the development of the mining sector as a potential sector for economic growth in line with the Economic Recovery Programme, it is worrying that the statement lacks details
on the current performance of the sector to warrant this optimism for more tax incentives for recovery.

The Governance Platform is not in any way against provision of targeted incentives which are based on concrete economic prospect and a clear corporate social responsibility strategy for private investors; rather it remains worried that, unfortunately, to date, no one seems to know how much mining exploits such as Kayelekera and other operational ones are contributing in taxes or corporate social responsibility to serve as a basis for more such incentives.

It is even more worrisome that efforts by the August House to demand this information have always not been supported to facilitate the rich debate of the sector that should yield us the answers long awaited; thereby leaving room for perceived speculations about Government led corruption in the sector.

We cannot sing the song of the booming extractive industry in Malawi when there is no information made public as to how much Malawians are benefiting through taxes and other royalties. We are still not clearly told of development initiatives by government financed through the budget from proceeds from mining revenues thus far, for instance.


• The Governance Platform further notes that many changes have been effected to the current national budget in attempt to improve the budget classification and information. While some developments such as simplification of the budget documents are welcome, we are however concerned with the missing allocations in the name of reclassification.

While there have been verbal pronouncements by the Minister of Finance in explaining where certain votes have been allocated, it is rather doubtful if such information is worthy trusting in the absence of written information as it could be easy for Government to just make such verbal claims for purposes of passing the budget.

Similarly, the budget votes that many stakeholders have raised their concerns on need to be procedurally and accordingly adjusted without and not through verbal assurances only from the Minister of Finance.


• The Governance Platform still remains worried with the manner in which the State Residences vote was handled by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament.

This is made against the understanding that there was a strong contrary opinion demanding further explanation on this particular vote in the House and that amidst this, the “No Passing Vote” was more than the “Yes Passing Vote”, and contrary to this, the Deputy Speaker still declared the Vote passed.

While the intention of every Malawian is to have the budget passed, we are aware that passing the budget without accountability and scrutiny is not only counter-productive but also a recipe for laxity in the performance of the budget.

It is for this reason that we find the Deputy Speaker’s remarks urging Members of Parliament to pass the budget running contrary to their mandate. This, in a way, rather puts to question the neutrality of the Office of the Speaker in moderating the enactment of the national budget.


• The Platform finally observes a huge imbalance towards consumption without supportive focus to the productive sectors in line with the export-led growth through operationalisation of the National Export Strategy. A case in point is the FISP budget of MK60.1 billion in the MK118 billion budget for Ministry of Agriculture, which remains highly contentious with the gross in-efficiencies that are not giving us the returns on investments.


Perhaps it is high time that Government should rationalize such an allocation by for instance taking off say
MK20 billion (as championed by the Farmers Union of Malawi) towards the commercial oriented production for exports and forex generation.



RECOMMENDATIONS

The Governance Platform is cognizance of the complexity of the budget design and the need to promote a fair balance between efforts for private investment and the call for duty to public service delivery.


The Platform agrees with Government that there is need to continue with a tight fiscal and monetary policy stance, to ensure that Government operations do not contribute to soaring inflation as well as interest rates; and the crowding out of the private sector.

However, as the Minister of Finance is calling for every citizen to continue to strive to live within our means, Government must also demonstrate by act and deeds that they are equally taking full responsibility in spending within their means without compromising on public service delivery.


Specifically, the Governance Platform wishes to make the following recommendations:

1. Parliament is encouraged to give the national budget due justice by ensuring that every vote is scrutinized and passed with clear understanding.

This is cognizance of the importance of the supply committee of the budget for which the Office of the Speaker needs to facilitate such rich critique rather than bulldoze the passing of the budget that lacks its people-centred and long term aspirations of Malawians.


It would be in the interest of Malawians to see unjustified allocations recommended for review or reduced or indeed
completely rejected such as the OPC, Minister’s Office, State Residence, FSIP and internal travels.


2. While the deficit in the budget has to be filled through borrowing from external sources or more revenue collection, we urge Government to be cautious with level of borrowing to avoid accumulating borrowing debt stock. It is for this reason that we find the shift from domestic borrowing to foreign borrowing as insignificant effort to the call to live within our means.


3. The Minister of Finance is duty bound to avail written evidence of explanations made on any missing budget allocations or those that have been reclassified as he is responding to concerns by the August House. We therefore caution Members of Parliaments from accepting verbal claims as there is a risk of passing a budget that looks different in the House yet executed in the same away as presented in the initial detailed draft budget estimates.


4. On one hand, we urge the donor community to fulfill its resource commitments for 2013 and beyond in order to support faster stability of the exchange rate and moderation of inflation.

On the other hand, we urge and insist that Parliament and Government should find concrete strategies to reduce donor
dependency both in the medium and long terms.


5. The Governance Platform reiterates the call for the establishment of the National Planning Commission. This will help to bring order in the borrowing of loans as currently there are some initiatives (such as Mudzi Transformative
Trust and one family one cow) that are not only suspicious but also not pressing priorities worthy investing on though politically popular.

We need choices and decisions that transcend political considerations.


6. In the work of self-reliance and economic recovery, we agree with Government that the people of Malawi have no wish to turn into a nation of subsidies.

By extension, we wish to bring to the attention of Government and Parliament that the people of Malawi are active and apt citizens to determine which subsidies are appropriate.

Henceforth, we urge politicians to desist from initiating more subsidies in the name of the poor for political mileage as doing so will trap Malawians in a cobweb of ‘dependency’ for life.


7. Above all, we urge Government to put in place concrete strategies to promote fiscal discipline and improved public service performance in view of the low absorption capacity as stated by the Minister of Finance. Government must therefore be on track to minimize wastage, and foster prudence in the management of public finance by among others strengthen systems and procedures, and a clear performance based awarding system for public servants.

We further reiterate our earlier appeal to Government to lead by example by ensuring that it avoids unnecessary expenditures in the budget which has the potential to undermine the burden that Malawians in general are bearing.


Endorsed by

Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (national)
Centre for Social Concern (CFSC)
Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC)
Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN)
Malawi Justice Economic Network (MEJN)

LAUNCH OF THE 2014 TRIPARTITE ELECTIONS AND 2013-2017 STRATEGIC PLAN

09/06/13

The Malawi Electoral Commission is informing the general public that it will launch the 2014 Tripartite Elections, the Civic and Voter Education Strategy and the 2013 to 2017 Strategic Plan at Hotel Victoria in Blantyre on Friday, June 14, 2013 starting from 8.am.


Delegates to the launch will include Presidents and Secretaries General of all political parties registered in Malawi, government officials, civil society organizations, the academia, development partners, the media, members of the diplomatic corps and other electoral stakeholders. All these have been sent invitations.


During the function, the Commission will among other things present the long-awaited electoral calendar which will outline all electoral activities and their dates and attendant responsibilities for stakeholders.


The Commission will also present the delegates with the Civic and Voter Education Strategy which will be the blueprint and guide for the conduct of civic and voter education for the Tripartite Elections.



The five-year Strategic Plan presents an ambitious plan by the Commission to transform its functions and presents a roadmap for making MEC a centre of excellence in elections management in Malawi and beyond.



Both the Strategic Plan and the Civic and Voter Education Strategy have been developed with support from the European Union under the Democratic Governance Programme.


Willie Kalonga,
Chief Elections Officer

Pathological Point as Malawi's Flames Meet Namibia

This time next day, Malawians will have forgotten their pathological rivalry (when it comes to supporting local football clubs) buried it under the hut of sentimentality, and recovered their less pathological stance again - thanks to one-and-a-half hour of a common global war fought with leather 'bullets'!

What occasion is this, bring people of different temperaments and heights together? It's the Flames, of course- the Malawi National Football Team. The senior team.

The Flames face Namibia in a World Cup qualifier this Wednesday, a day when, to Malawians of all ages, all motifs will weave into one word: Flames!

Flames coach, Edington Ng'onamo, told Zachimalawi that his charges will be up to the task.

"We have done our home work. We are ready for battle. What we need is the support of our fans. We know it is a Wednesday, and Malawians are not used to this. Still, they should come in their numbers," Ng'onamo said.

When the Flames faced Namibia in Windhoek earlier this year, they came back victorious- without nursing the scars of a bad memory. Indeed, they overwhelmed their luggage with stories packed in humorous knots.

South Korea Jobs: Government Says Dealing with Private Agencies

Moon Sung Hwan,Director at the Africa Division of South Korea's Foreign Ministry, was right, after all.

The sting in Hwan's words that “Our government has not received any official request from Malawi that they want to send their workers to our country” has evolved, within 60 hours, into a soft caress.

Malawi's Youth and Sports Minister, Enock Chihana, has acknowledged that the Malawi Government has not been dealing with the government of South Korea, putting its trust in private agencies, instead.

"We are working with private agencies. There is nothing strange with this. It is normal, in some cases, to deal with agencies," Chihana told Zachimalawi on Monday.

Chihana said, however, that this did not mean that the deal was risky, maintaining that the Malawi Government would do everything possible to safeguard the rights of its citizens.

"We are following all the necessary processes. Visas are being processed. We don't think that the government there (South Korea) can deny our youths visas simply because we are dealing with private agencies. We are following all the normal procedures," Chihana said.

He said the government of Malawi wanted to create employment opportunities for its youth, a development he said would help "develop the nation as a whole, and our economy in particular".

"This is a caring government. President Dr. Joyce Banda has the interest of Malawians at heart," Chihana said.

South Korea Jobs: The Malawi Government Says Exported Labourers Will Be Safe

The Government of Malawi has vowed to go ahead with its plans to export human labour to South Korea, dismissing reports that Moon Sung Hwan, director at the Africa Division of South Korea's foreign ministry, told international media that there is no formal agreement.

The Malawi Government is in the process of sending 100, 000 youths agead between 18 - 25 to South Korea, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates as part of a strategy to create employment opportunities for its productive youth population and prop up its national kitty.

President Joyce Banda told the nation on her return from South Korea in February this year that she had struck an agreement with Seoul to export human labour.

The international media quoted Hwan on May 31 as saying: “Our government has not received any official request from
Malawi that they want to send their workers to our country.”

Ministry of Labour spokesperson, Linda Kawamba, told Zachimalawi that the government would go ahead with the plan to export humna labour to South Korea, a country with one of the world’s fastest-aging populations. The development has prompted the country to increase sevenfold the number of visas it offers to immigrants.

"We will go ahead with the programme, and everything is going according to plan because visas are being processed from youths who emerged successful during interviews conducted in all parts of the country. In fact, exporting labour to South Korea will help address the challenge of unemployment in the country," Kawamba said.

She said the government had hired people who will be monitoring the situation among the youth who will make it to South Korea, adding that the government would not hesitate to repatriate its citizens in the case of reports that that were being illtreated in South Korea.

"We will be free to withdraw our youth the moment we receive reports of inhuman treatment. Otherwise, we would like to assure Malawians that there is nothing to fear. South Korea is a nice country. All we want to do is to make sure that our youths are legally employed, as apposed to those (youths) who go and work in other countries illegally," Kawamba said.

Malawi is not on the list of 15 countries that provide human labour exports to South Korea.

Poem: Abundant Nothings

A Giraffe
Cross-pathed at the zoo,
And lonely among a thousand tortoises:
Struggles in the plentiful woods-
Fostering a craving that bears hills and mountains.

Ah, these unattainable presences and dreams;
A thousand dreams,
A thousand presences!

MISA Malawi calls for immediate arrest, suspension of Parliamentary Chief Security Officer

May 31st 2013- The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi Chapter is calling
upon the National Assembly and the Police to act on Parliamentary Chief
Security Officer Youngson Chilinda for assaulting Photojournalist Thoko
Chikondi.

Chilinda allegedly assaulted Chikondi, a photojournalist from one of the
country’s major publishing giants Nation Publications Limited (NPL) on
Thursday, May 30, while covering presentation of a petition to Parliament
by the Consumers Association of Malawi, (CAMA).

MISA Malawi condemns such barbaric and retrogressive behaviour in the
strongest manner possible and would like the National Assembly to take
serious disciplinary measures on Chilinda. MISA Malawi would also like the
police to arrest and prosecute Chilinda for beating up the
photojournalist.

MISA Malawi believes that the media have a right to gather and report
freely within Malawi and abroad and to be accorded the fullest possible
facilities for access to information as enshrined under section 36 of the
Republican Constitution. Taking photographs is part and parcel of a
journalists work to gather and report matters of public interest and
Chilinda’s actions clearly violates this provision.

Apart from violating this provision, Chilinda also assaulted and injured
Chikondi who had to be treated for bruises and soft tissue injury at
Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH).

This act is not only barbaric and retrogressive but also a sad reminder of
the dark days every Malawian is trying to forget.

MISA Malawi therefore requests the National Assembly and the Police to
take immediate action on Chilinda. The National Assembly should suspend
Chilinda for his barbaric actions and the police should charge and
prosecute him for assault.

MISA Malawi is monitoring the situation and will continue doing so until
the matter is dealt with to our satisfaction.

Signed


MISA Malawi Chairperson