South Africa: Jacob Zuma ties knot

A day long Zulu traditional wedding ceremony is currently underway in South Africa where President Jacob Zuma is to marry Thobeka Madiba. She will be his third wife. Zuma is a Zulu traditionalist who practices polygamy and has married five times. The 68-year-old has 19 children.
The Zulu traditional ceremony will run the whole day in Zuma’s home village and the media have been asked to stay at bay by the office of the president, as the wedding is a private event.

Zuma was previously married to Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, whom he divorced in 1998 and Kate Zuma, who committed suicide in 2000.

2009: Nine journalists killed in Somalia

The number of journalists killed around the world rose to a record 70 in 2009, largely in part due to a slaughter in the Philippines and Somalia, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said. Somalia was the second most deadly country for journalists with nine media deaths in 2009.
According to the press group, those fighting in Somalia have carried attacks against the Somali press, murdering journalists and seizing news outlets.

On 3rd December, three Somali journalists were killed in same place after suicide bomb hit at a university graduation ceremony in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

Al Arabia camera journalist Hassan Zubeyr Haji and Mohamed Amin Adan shabelle reporter were among those killed in suicide bomb in Mogadishu including a freelancer. More than five other journalists were wounded in the event. The CPJ lists Somalia in 2009 as the seventh most deadly nation in the world for journalists.

A journalist Mohamud Mohamed Yusuf who was working for a local FM called IQK in Mogadishu was killed on 4th July, and in June unknown gunmen shot dead Muktar Mohamed Hirabe, director of Shabelle Media Network, one of the largest media houses in Somalia, while he was walking in the main market Bakara area, insurgent stronghold area. In that event, another Shabelle journalist Ahmed Omar Hashi-Ahmed Tajir was also wounded.

More deaths

The correspondent of Mogadishu based Radio IQK Nur Muse Hussein died in the centre town of Beledweyn, some 300 kilometres (180 miles) north of the capital of war-torn nation in the Horn of Africa as he was reporting the fight between government forces and the insurgents in town in May 26, 2009.

Abdirisak Mohamed Warsame of Radio Shabelle was also shot dead on May 22 during fierce fighting in Mogadishu. On February 2nd, Said Tahlil Ahmed, the director of Horn Afrik Radio, was assassinated in Mogadishu after the killing of another Radio Shabelle journalist Hassan Mayow Hassan on 1st January.

According to the report, the “most shocking statistics” of 2009 was in the Philippines, where around 38 journalists and media staff were killed in cold blood, mostly in a massacre in Maguindanao province on November 23.

In the last three years, most of old Somali journalists fled the country because of attacks and harassment but young journalists have taken over their works.

The young journalists are risking theirs lives and working under dangerous conditions.
Most of the exiled journalists are now living in Kenya, our correspondent said.

Abdirahman Sharif Mohamed, an exiled journalist in Nairobi told Africa News that they need a lot of assistance to survive in Kenya. "Two years in here, Nairobi, we got no aid except refugee status" said Mohamed.

Moroccan Blogger and Internet Cafe Owner jailed

When El Bachir Hazzam circulated information about the heavy handed crackdown on student protests in the village of Taghjijt (200 km south of Agadir) in Morocco he did so with the the intention of letting the Moroccan society know what was going on, this it seems was not the view of the Moroccan autorities who promptly arrested him and the owner of the cyber cafe he used to get online.

Hazzam was arrested on 7th December in relation to the protest but question revealed that the authorities also were interested in a September 2007 article he had written about the legislative process in Morocco. He was given a four month sentence while the cyber cafe owner, Abdullah Boukfou was given a 12 month jail term. Hazzam was charged with ‘?????spreading false information about human rights that undermined the kingdom’s image’ while Boukfou was charged with ‘being in possession of publications that incite racial hatred’.

To say that the charged are superfluous would be an understatement, these are just the cleverest of the what the Moroccan authorities could think of to get a conviction. At CPB we recognize this as a pattern of lies that governments manufacture to silence online dissidents.

Hazzam has indicated that he will be appealing against the sentence and we wish him the best of luck.

Senegal president, Wade, is most traveled worldwide

Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade, has been named "the greatest traveler since Alexander the Great." According to a study by Dakar-based Aid Transparency the West African president beats great leaders of today's generation even when their travel times are combined together.
The report published in a Dakar-based daily - The Kotch - said the time traveled by presidents Carter, Bush - father and son - Clinton, Obama, Sarkozy and Chirac, Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel, all put together, will not account for half the time that President Wade has spent traveling outside his country, after only nine years as head of state of Senegal.

According to the report, on average the Senegalese president embarked on 37 trips per year representing at least three trips per month. This also translates that he travels outside Senegal every 10 days.

The study which also pointed to France, the United States of America, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia as among countries frequented by the Senegalese president, made a striking contrast with an almost non-existent internal travels by the president.

The authors of the study pointed at the cost involved in such frequency of traveling, citing hiring or maintenance of the aircraft involved, accommodation, catering for the normally larger presidential entourage that is characteristic of African leaders, not to mention the "gifts" that goes with such high profile visits overseas. These, the authors argued, could mean a lot for many lives and families in a poor African country like Senegal.

Aid Transparency is an agency that seeks to protect aid recipients from donors. It also publicizes violations of people's rights to a fair delivery of international development.

Blantyre Magistrates Court denies gays bail

The Blantyre Magistrates Court on Monday refused to grant Malawian gays arrested after staging the country’s first public same-sex engagement bail, bowing to prosecutors demands to give the state more powers to carry out medical examinations, among other factors.
First Grade Magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwausiwa told crammed court the court wanted to give the state the benefit of the doubt by allowing it 10 more days of investigations, as opposed to the requested 14, allowing prosecutors to carry out a medical examination on Steven Monjeza Soko and Tiwonge Chimbalanga.
State prosecutors say the medical examination is crucial to their circumstantial evidence, but human rights activists have questioned the decision, saying it was tantamount to forcing people to join research initiatives or medical programmes.
Throngs of people sang songs of redicule to Monjeza Soko and Chimbalanga in the court, and the two seemed less at ease. The court was supposed to be their place of refuse and shelter from a highly homophobic society.
Both Malawi Gay Rights Movement (Magrim) Publicity Secretary, Wongani Phiri, and Centre for Development of People (Cedep) executive director Gift Trapeace have expressed concern over the way Malawians are treating the two.
Women poked fun and ridiculed the two when they were boarding a police vehicle, calling them all sorts of names, including ‘mentally-disturbed devils”.
Phiri says Magrim fears that, with people openly opposing the two including within court premises, they may not be subjected to a fair trial.
However, Malawi’s judiciary has a reputation for fairness and good-dealing with suspects, a development that has at times put it at loggerheads with ruling officials.
Monjeza Soko and Chimbalanga’s case has attracted a lot of attention, with people differing in opinions over the prospects of legalizing homosexuality.
Others feel there is no problem with that while the church community has ganged up against such a decision, openly calling for officials to punish the two sternly.

2009: My experiences as a blogger

Just 10 years ago, online journalism was a secret package alien to Malawi- so secret that not many within the country knew its contents.

Some dark age must surely have been reigning: what with the absence of Malawi’s big media house establishments online! Online media seemed something of impossible remoteness very few- and these were those who had ever been outside the country to such countries as the United Kingdom, USA, Germany, where the online culture was something embedded in their media culture as in stone- could be sure the waves would strike beach anytime soon..

Blogging was thus out of question for a people who had scant information about online media technologies, more so when what those in know valued about modern media was scarcely encouraging.

It was like knowing an art by report, other than experience; by theory other than deeds- a situation tantamount to knowing a man by speech and company, instead of the daily trail of his life.

Then, Malawians living abroad, notably United Kingdom, learnt the art that side of the oceans. These were mostly people with dissenting views and human rights advocates. That was to become part of the beginning of such online publications as Nyasa Times. Others have since joined the bandwagon, one of which being malawionline.net (established as late as March 2009!).

However, some of the country’s founding media establishments were yet to join the bandwagon. A good case in point in Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL). BNL is Malawi’s oldest publishing house, and started publishing as early as 1895. Yet, the company still found online publishing more luxurious than habit-forming.

Same with Nation Publications Limited (NPL), the country’s next big print media institution. NPL could, however, be excused for entertaining some vain delays: it only came onto the Malawi media scene in the early 1990s.

This was a time when the winds of democracy were blowing across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member state, and the new entrant- founded by political activist Aleke Kadonaphani Banda – influenced, in a way, the outcome of the elections.

Malawians overwhelmingly voted for multiparty democracy, ending a 31-year iron fist rule of former dictator, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda.. When people Okayed multiparty democracy in a June 1993 National Referendum, the black curtain hanging over freedom of expression guarantees made by United Nations member states was half-open.

In the country’s 1994 elections, won by former president Bakili Muluzi, the work was complete. 1994 can thus be described as the Genesis of respect for freedom of expression and other human rights freedoms.

Many newspaper publications were to follow; the likes of The Democrat, UDF News, The Democratus, The Enquirer, The Mirror, The Country Register, Pan-African Press Service, Discover Magazine, Fairlane Magazine, Pride Magazine and a host of private radio stations. Whereas Malawi Broadcasting Corporation remained the sole broadcaster since Malawi’s independence from Britain in 1964, the advent of multiparty democracy provided new opportunities for the country’s broadcasting media, with Power 101 FM becoming the first privately registered radio station in 1998.

Now, Malawi has 13 other radio stations including Radio Maria, Radio Islam, Calvary Family Church Radio, Capital FM, Joy FM, MIJ FM, MBC Radio 2 FM, Dzimwe Community Radio, Nkhota-kota Community Radio, ABC Radio, Radio Alinafe, Mzuzu Community Radio among others, and three TV stations in Malawi Television (state-owned), Luntha and AFJ. It must be noted that most radio stations and two TV stations are owned by religious institutions, so the aim is not mainly to disseminate (hard) news related materials but evangelism.

Community radio stations are also becoming part of the norm, as communities realize that they can influence positive change in their areas.

All these media developments would have been achieved as early as 1964 to 1980, had it been that the country’s democracy was not botched. The country first had multiparty (read, democratic) elections in 1964 when about four parties contested for the presidency and members of parliament in the elections. However, as was to happen elsewhere in Africa, where Africa’s first generation clung on to power as the West fought the battle against communism, Malawi fell into that age-old trap of power. Too much of it corrupts!

Therefore, Malawi went to the first multiparty polls again in 1994, after the long, lonely journey from 1964, and many print publications and radio stations came onto the scene. The beginning was nowhere insight for online media, what with the first privately owned radio station being registered in 1998!

Things were, however, changing after the country’s second elections in 1999. People begun to talk about vote rigging and other issues too sensitive for the nascent radio stations and newspapers. 31 years on one party regime and no real freedoms had meant that people who were working for state-run media were not journalists. Most of them were party zealots and secondary school teachers.

The in-thing then was to have their news articles pre-written, whereas they would only be required to fill in pre-designed gaps. There was nothing like being enterprising; you were doing what the boss had sketched for you.

There surely was need for new forms of media to accommodate the non-conventional dissenting views. Online publications like Nyasa Times provided the sure answer. It must be noted that most Malawians based abroad frequent Nyasa Times, though some have misforgivings about its values.

People can use any sort of language on Nyasa Times, and most people who comment on various issues use raw, foul language many Malawians loathe. They say Malawi is a God-fearing nation.

This has led many people to be suspicious of online publications, wondering whether the people who run them have any values at all. But for Malawian journalists, the online publications have provided a means of getting their work published in a country where the media industry is still small. This has led to poor perks and very few complain. Why? The long queue waiting for same employment opportunities!

People have come to accept online publications now, and know, more than ever before, that these publications are there to stay. And the country has just now also begun to witness the spiraling on Blogs.

The reasons for the escalation of number of Blogs, and thus Bloggers, are too fold. They either worked for Nyasa Times and Malawionline.net (for those just joining the growing online industry) and never received their promised pay. While employment contracts are signed between the two parties, the two biggest online publications are published by people who live abroad. In addition, online publications such as Nyasa Times are not registered in Malawi, as the law requires, because the owners are afraid of lawsuits due to the unsubstantiative nature of the work they publish and the defamatory nature of their stories.

In the end, the disgruntled contributors consider it better to establish Blogs for the satisfaction aspect of it. They know they will get no, or little money, for their sweat. But they will, at least, be happy and satisfied.

The second reason for the increased number of Blogs is the reason to have an outlet, and this applies to people already working for other media houses- especially state media such as Malawi Television and Malawi Broadcasting Corporation. They will be flaunting contractual obligations if they write for other publications, including those online, so they write for themselves.

However, there is still room for improvement. The country still has few numbers of Bloggers. A March 2009 Development Media Africa (Dema) report on online media in Malawi revealed that the country has less than 7000 Bloggers.

In addition, the Dema report also added, almost embarrassingly, that there are only six (6) people with Flip Video camcorders in Malawi. What is more? Two (2) of these Flip Videos are now out of use (breakdowns) and only four (4) are working!

It further said Malawians have started reading other people’s Blogs the past three years, reading habitually that is. It seems people want to know what is in the mind of others now than ever before.

Talking about by experience as a Blogger, well, I find the work rewarding. At least on the satisfactory level of it. It’s only last month that I monetized my Blog, to get a little something out of it because internet costs in Malawi are exorbitant. That is scarcely strange in a country where only 6 per cent is connected to the National Electricity Grid.

Also, Malawi has less than four internet service providers rendering end-user costs a little out of rich for many people in Malawi. Internet café owners pay something between 500 Euros and 600 Euros for quick internet services- and the ‘quick’ stands for something like two-minutes for you to finally sign in into your email or Blog account when checking mail, surfing or posting materials!

But I am satisfied with the responses I get from people who e-mail me (mtolankhani@gmail.com) from all over the world. I often wonder how they come across my Blog, www.zachimalawi.blogspot.com. Here, I tackle issues I feel are Malawian in nature, or have implications for Malawi.

But I have also landed into trouble for doing just this. I once posted an article about The State House. I posted something about my feelings on the Communication Strategy that was being employed at The State House, the residence of incumbent President, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika.

The then State House Press Officer (who got the sack, I suspect for adding no value to the State House, a couple of months ago) Mr. Chikumbutso Mtumodzi was victimizing online journalists, me inclusive. In the first place, he engaged media spies who were spying on fellow members of the media. Their task was tom report to State House the names of online journalists, most of them were using pen names, who were writing for online publications including Nyasa Times.

The main target was those writing for Nyasa Times and Blogs perceived pro-opposition. As I am writing, there is a Black Book of journalists perceived anti-government something at The State House, and I am sad that I happen to be there. For what reason I don’t know; I am a humble citizen. But one who will stand for the Constitution of Malawi when times come to choose between individuals and the Constitution. And such times were many in the past six years!

These journalists or Bloggers were then being victimized. The process went like this: The State House Press Officer would invite you to the House whenever the President wanted to have an audience with the country’s journalists. You would have an Invitation Letter like the rest, of course, but Mr. Mtumodzi would be personally there at the gate waiting for you.

He would then single out the Black-Booked journals, all of them unsuspecting, and tell you that you were invited by mistake. The Invitation Letters would then be snatched from you, though they had your names inscribed on them, and given to State media reporters. You would always have seven to 10 state-run media reporters at such functions, with one (or two for the very lucky ones) representative from the other private media houses.

The other strategy would be like this: State House officials would give you Pass IDs during the President’s functions, enabling you to take pictures of the President at close range. The State House Press Officer would then come and snatch them from you, sometimes telling you bluntly: “you don’t write good things about this government. We know you have been sent”!

It is always embarrassing to have your ID or Pass snatched in public. It was one of the government’s strategies to make you mind what you write, and you always had that feeling that if you want to attend a Presidential function and take his photos at close range, you really need to become the ‘good boy’ you deserve!

I can say without fear of contradiction that I have experienced these things, along side ‘open’ Nyasa Times journalist Madalitso Kateta. As a result, Kateta’s Blog (christened willsmadyk) is the epitaph of a ‘good boy’ the world wants him to be.

It is one day, however, I shall live to remember. As Malawians prepared to go the polls on May19, 2009 (to elect a Head of State and Government and 193 members of parliament), I bumped into the State House Press Officer himself in Blantyre City Business District and greeted him. He did not answer.

I did it the second time and he answered. But the answer was clearly a way of brushing you off. He said “I am fine, thank you”! Mr. Mtumodzi was in the company of three City Vehicle Parking Fees collectors I knew. The City collectors work for the City Assembly but also ask for cash if it so happens that a big government official parks by. In that case, they will not even charge any parking fees, but will ask for ‘consideration’ (in terms of cash) from the big government or political gurus.

In Mr. Mtumodzi, they thought they got one such guru. Cash delivered at the fingertips! I am big enough to know that I was not wanted at that place, let alone my greeting, so I went on, on my way.

I met two of the parking fee collectors twenty minutes later, and was puzzled by the question they put across me.

“How do you two co-relate? Mr. Mtumodzi told us that he never wants to come anywhere closer you; let alone being seen with you”!

I told them he thought I wrote badly about government, his government.

That is as far as it can go in Malawi, 15 years down the road, in our second try at multiparty democracy.

It may not be over for me, I think. Mr. Mtumodzi was sacked as State House Press Officer a couple of months ago. Now the State House has no Press Officer, two months down the line.

Now he (Mtumodzi) is the Director of Information in Malawi. He is my Director, and he would surely not be proud to be such. Only that I am yet to meet him in his new appointment.

Of course, there are times I like him. I will never forget the time he told Mr. Sam Mpasu, an opposition politician from the United Democratic Front (UDF) that he was not eligible to comment on any issues in Malawi because his (Mpasu’s) son, Joseph, was in prison!

The fact still remains that I get more satisfaction writing what I do on my Blog, and receiving encouraging feedback from all over the world. I have even turned my Blog into a public forum: readers ask me to investigate an issue and report to them through the Blog, or ask many interesting questions they want me to answer.

My Blog is a humanitarian effort; I serve myself, and more over, others.

Hw to manage blood sugar while drinking

From the start of December to the first week of the New Year, we often reflect upon what we've endured throughout the course of the previous 11 months - and endure the assault of numerous holiday parties, friendly get-togethers and family gatherings.

Holiday parties are just as big a part of the season as ole' Tannenbaum and partridges in pear trees. And the one thing that makes these seasonal parties such a hit? Alcohol, and lots of it.

Alcohol has long been a staple at holiday parties, from hearty eggnog and spiced cider to neon-colored mixed concoctions and the traditional brewskie. But, with so many alcoholic drinks available and being enjoyed, it can be easy to forget about the effects the drinks are having on your body.

Besides causing the well-known effect of drunkenness, alcohol wreaks havoc upon the body's blood sugar, which can pose serious health problems for someone who lives with diabetes or who takes certain prescription medications.

Alcohol not only lowers blood glucose levels over the long term, but mixed drinks with their high sugar content can cause a sharp spike in blood glucose levels, which can be just as dangerous to a person with diabetes.

Research shows that shortly after drinking (and up to 12 hours later) the body can enter a state of hypoglycemia. For diabetics, the symptoms of hypoglycemia can be nearly identical to that of being drunk - disorientation, sleepiness and dizziness. One of the biggest concerns is that friends and family often are unable to discern the difference between someone who had a little too much to drink and someone who is in a medically dangerous situation. The amount of alcohol a diabetic drinks is important to monitor because, according to the American Diabetes Association, the body needs about one hour to break down a single ounce of alcohol.

Therefore, it's up to the individual to learn how to manage their own blood sugar while drinking.

Contrary to common belief, most diabetics don't need to strictly avoid alcoholic beverages. Today's research indicates that many diabetics can drink a moderate amount of alcohol without risk of compromising their health. That said, there are certain things they need to keep in mind when drinking to keep their blood sugar level in a safe area. Of course, anyone who has diabetes should always consult their doctor before drinking alcohol as they may have specific reasons for avoiding it.

Arrested gays in court Monday

Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga will appear in court Monday, where the Blantyre Magistrates Courts is expected to make a ruling on their bail application.
The two are at Blantyre Police Station, after being arrested monday for what state prosecutors call 'gross indecency".
There have been mixed reactions following their arrest, with people arguing for and against thir conduct on December 26, when the engaged in public along the Chileka Road in Blantyre.
Meanwhile, the two have decried police torture a the hand of Blantyre officers, saying they were being victimised.

How to Cure a Hangover With Asparagus

The latest hangover remedy is asparagus, researchers say. According to "HealthDay News," asparagus may help protect the liver and ease hangover symptoms.

A "Journal of Food Science" study also revealed that asparagus, a widely consumed vegetable eaten worldwide, has been used for its anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and diuretic effects.

Asparagus is not only a cure for hangovers, but it's also a beneficial source of folic acid, potassium, fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamins A and C and thiamin, according to the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board.

Thankfully, there's a cure for those nauseous, head-pounding mornings. You know, those nights when your stomach is in knots-when you just want to go back to sleep.

The next time you have a hangover, try one (or all, depending on how bad you feel) of these suggestions to help alleviate your hangover.

Arrested gays tortured at Blantyre Police

Blantyre Police officers have been torturing Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, the two Malawian gays arrested for staging a public engagement- the first ever in Malawi's history.
The torture started Monday night for the two, and continued on Tuesday, Zachimalawi can reveal.
"Why torture us instead of just throwing us into a cell? What wrong have we done," queried Chimbalanga.
Police torture is common in Malawian cells, prompting suspects to acknowledge crimes they never committed.

Malawi, Togo game chancelled

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) President, Walter Nyamilandu has for the last minute told Malawian soccer fans that the game between Malawi and Togo has been cancelled. Nyamilandu said the game has been cancelled because they have not received any official confirmation from their opponents.
The flames
"As the situation stands now, we would rather play Kuwait other than hope for a friendly against either Togo or Zambia because up to now there is no confirmation.

"Togo's friendly was subject to their trip to Congo Brazaville where they were scheduled to camp which has not materialized. So, we could not take a gamble because Togo were not forthcoming and instead we will play Kuwait," he said, on speaking to the country's local news paper, Nation Sport.

The game between Togo was scheduled to be played on January 2 after Flames' return from Egypt where they are playing another friendly with Egypt today.

Kuwait is also in Egypt amid preparations for their Asian Cup match against Austria which will take place on January 6.

Meanwhile, Malawian soccer fans are worried since they were preparing to see another top class player, Emanuel Adebayor after they last watched Didier Drogba and Solomon Kalou to name a few.

Malawi is preparing 2010 African of Nations Cup matches that will take place in Angola. They were drawn in Group A with Mali, Angola and Nigeria.

Tiwonge Chimbalanga, Steven Monjeza's bail ruling Monday

The Blantyre Magistrates Court has set Monday next week as a date on which to decide whether to give the two arrested gay partners, Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, bail.
The two staged a public gay engagement on Saturday, December 26, 2009- the first of its kind in Malawi.
That led to their arrest on Monday.
Chimbalanga and Monjeza have since been committed to the Chichiri Maximum Prison as they await their bail ruling on Monday.
Edgar and Davis Law Firm is representing them.

Malawi has no respect for human rights, say arrested gays

Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, the two Malawian gays arrested for organising a public gays' engagement on Saturday, have accused Malawian authorities of surpressing human freedoms, citing the arrests as a living example.
Monjeza and Chimbalanga told Zachimalawi yesterday (Tuesday, when Zachimalawi paid them a visit alongside other Malawian journalists, they had gone through hell they no longer believed they were Malawians.
"In fact, we are separating now, having realised that Malawi has no homosexual rights. We are saddened with what has happened to us; all the brutal questioning and the like. God is the best judge," said Chimbalanga, as Monjeza shook his head in disbelief.
The two, however, said they would not change their sexual orientation because of the harassment, but would instead be steadfast in defending their rights.
They have since appealed to well-wishers for financial and legal help, saying this was the requisite time to challenge Malawi's "repressive laws" on homosexuality.

Gays activists' demonstrations Friday

The arrest of two gay lovebirds, Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, has irked the Malawi Gay Rights Movement (Magrim), a representative body for Malawian gays and lesbians, which has since planned one big demonstrations slated for Friday in Malawi’s commercial city, Blantyre.
Magrim Publicity Secretary, Wongani James Phiri, confirmed the development, adding the grouping was saddened that police officers acted with “brutality by expediently arresting the two innocent citizens” yet the country was grappling with increased cases of armed crime.
Phiri said Magrim was also planning to team up with well-wishers in a drive aimed at raising funds for the two’s defence in what will be Malawi’s first court case on homosexuality.
“We have always said that Malawian homosexuals have been suffering in silence for a long time, and our pleas have always fallen on deaf ears. Look at what is happening now; this is harassment and an infringement on personal freedoms, as enshrined in the United Nations’ 1948 Declaration of Human Rights. We have organized a demonstration scheduled for Friday in Blantyre,” said Phiri.
The Magrim publicist revealed that the demonstration will take place on Friday, and will start from Upper Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre at 08:30am, and end at the Old Town Hall in Blantyre City Centre.
“Let all gays and lesbians come out in the open and fight for their rights. This is also an opportunity for us to challenge our repressive laws. We are also asking lawyers wishing to stand up for human rights to contact us; we have special arrangements for them,” he said.
He said it was very unfortunate that the two were arrested while the government has recently been making statements that it has been failing to reach out to the gay community because they are operating underground.
However, there are mixed reactions over the gays’ arrest, with the Christian community condemning their “regrettable” action and some regal minds saying the Malawian penal code is very open on the matter.
Blantyre based evangelist Reverend Sylvester Chabuka said he was very disappointed with the stand that the two people chose to take saying it was morally ‘rotten and inhuman’.
He said while the Malawian constitution does not allow discrimination of some groups of society there was need for Malawians to be cautious on behaviors they are copying from what he described as ‘western elements’.
However, a prominent Blantyre lawyer said the actions of the two did not warrant any arrest.
He said that the Malawi penal code was drafted at a time Malawi was still a closed society and there was need to loosen up some of the strict provisions.
Southern region police publicist Davie Chingwalu has since said the two have not been charged.
“We are still questioning them, after which we will determine what to do with them,” said Chingwalu.
Meanwhile, the two are expected to appear before the Blantyre Magistrates Court on Wednesday, with Magrim imploring the homosexual community to patronize the court and stand up for one of their own.

Former Malawi president, Bakili Muluzi, seriously ill

Former Malawian president Dr Bakili Muluzi is seriously ill.
Muluzi, who recently returned to Malawi from the United Kingdom where he was operated on dislocated spinal disks, Tuesday sought medical attention at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital’s Magnetic Resonance Centre reportedly after enduring a sleepless Monday night.
The former President’s son, Atupele, said in an interview his father was advised to seek urgent medical attention in South Africa for the slipped disks but awaits court approval as he is currently answering to corruption charges in his K72 billion corruption case.
He revealed that his family lawyers were currently working on the court documents to allow his father fly to South Africa for “immediate” medical treatment.
QECH does not have the medical facilities requisite to Muluzi’s ailment, yet another reminder of perpetual resource constraints currently facing the country’s health care delivery system.
Frail looking Muluzi, who announced his retirement from active politics on the eve of Christmas last week, drove into the grounds of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital at around 8am in the morning and some people present at the hospital said Muluzi was visibly in pain.
Muluzi himself confirmed the development at the hospital, only answering, “I am in great pain” when journalists sought his views.
According to his family, the former president is experiencing back problems around the area he was recently operated on for dislocated spinal disks.
This has forced Muluzi to make the United Kingdom, where he receives specialized medical treatment, his abode of hope.
His family has since revealed that Muluzi was advised by his doctors to stay in London, and not come to back to Malawi on December 16, 2009 according to bail-bond conditions for his corruption case, until he healed successfully. A medical report indicates that the former president needed two more weeks of recuperation in London, noting his trip to Malawi could have aggravated his medical condition.
But that would have put him in bad books with the country’s Anti Corruption Bureau. Officials, who already doubted Muluzi’s prospects to return to Malawi when he sought a court injunction permitting him to seek medical help in the UK some three months ago.
The Anti graft body alleges that the former Malawi president diverted millions of donor funds into his personal account to build his business empire.

Arrested gays plan seperation, say homosexuals have no rights in Malawi

Two Malawian gay lovebirds Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga have announced their pans for separation after noticing that Malawi has no gay rights.
Speaking from Blantyre police, the equally shaken two said they did not understand why the police was keeping them under custody.
Chimbalanga said she saw no reason for police to pounce on homosexuals when heterosexuals wed openly.
“We are being victimized for simply expressing what we feel, why are police officers victimizing us when heterosexuals wed publicly without being bothered, we have done nothing wrong our conscious is clean God is the best judge,” said Chimbalanga.
On his part Monjeza was very saddened with what had happened adding that this would affect their sexuality.
“However we are separating because we have realized that Malawi has no homosexual rights,” said Monjeza.
The two are to appear before the Blantyre magistrates’ courts today with scores expected to witness the hearing of the case that has raise a lot of public interest.
According to views monitored on radio phone-in programmes, many Malawians want a speedy trial for the two for doing what has been described as indecent act.
Meanwhile the Malawi gay rights movement (Magrim) has blamed increased public outrage against the two (gays) on ignorance, saying when it comes to issues of homosexuality many Malawians is illiterate.
Magrim publicist Wongani Phiri said the problem with many Malawians was that they failed to differentiate sodomy and homosexuality.
“For example many Malawians don’t know the difference between sodomy and homosexuality attributing the sex acts that happens in prisons to homosexuality, however being gay is natural as opposed to the behaviour that happens in prisons,” he said.
He said the movement was in full support of the present development trends taking in the country that demonstrated that Malawi was no longer a conservative nation.
“We are in full support of the government plans to change the national flag because it shows that government realizes that things are no longer the same and that modern laws and national emblems should reflect the modern trends. The same is true with the country’s homosexual statutes; they are old fashioned, do not reflect current trends, and need to change. It is no longer a luxury but a matter of urgency now,” said Phiri.
Meanwhile, the two appeared before the Blantyre Magistrates Court this morning, where, among others, their lawyers Noel Supedi of Edgar and Davis Law Firm argued that the two’s case was not as serious as treason.
The lawyers cited the case of former Vice President Cassim Chilumpha, whom government accused on planning to assassinate president Bingu wa Mutharika but still got court bail.
However, prosecutors argued that the case was so serious it would be immaterial for the court to grant bail.
The court is expected to make a ruling pertaining to bail next Monday.
Monjeza and Chimbalanga have since been transferred to Chichiri Maximum Prison.

Gay lovebirds at Blantyre Police

Blantyre Police has confirmed reports it is keeping the two lovebirds arrested yesterday for staging a public gay engagement, the first of its kind in Malawi.
Steven Monjeza and Tiomge Chimbalanga complained to Zachimalawi, however, that they were forced to sleep the rainy, cold night without any covers on. The two were shaking like birds soaked in refregerated water.

The year that was 2009

Manganya Strategises on Piracy
By Richard Chirombo
Comedian Michael Usi, aka Manganya, says he has put in place stringent anti-piracy mechanisms ahead of the release of his latest movie, ‘Living on Poison’.
‘Living on Poison’ is set to be premiered next month, August 1, at Comesa Hall in Blantyre- a development Usi describes as a life-time opportunity for Malawians to choose their favourite episodes for inclusion in the final product.
Usi says he has leant a bitter lesson from what happened to his ‘Dr. Manga’ film, which got into the wrong hands and is now out of his control. ‘Dr. Manga’ continues to be shown on various international Airlines, yet the talented comedian has got nothing to show for his talent and sweat contributed towards that acclaimed film.
This has prompted Usi to put in place stringent measures aimed at arresting piracy long before the release of ‘Living on Poison’.
“This time around, we have become cleverer in that we have put in place stringent measures aimed at preventing piracy. We are building from our experience with ‘Dr. Manga’ film; a lot of people got arrested because of pirating that film. This time, we have increased monitoring mechanisms and are ready to take those caught pirating to book,” said Usi.
A soft-spoken Usi, resting his right leg over the left in his office in Blantyre, promised that ‘Living on Poison’ would be a record breaker for Malawi, as he has become more and more inquisitive about human behaviour in the film.
“I have always been fascinated with human behaviour: why do people behave the way they do? This, and many more, forms the thesis of this film,” said Usi.
The yet-to-be-released ‘Living on Poison’ has episodes that tackle various real life experiences- a cheating husband, an inner political cycle that happens to be a lying lot in a bid to impress the President, and prisoners convicted on grounds of reformation, only to be turned “from criminals to beasts” because of the poor treatment they get at prison.
The short of it all is that people pretend to be what they are (cosmetic living)- which Usi equates to living on perform, as an individual’s natural scent gets enveloped in perform and fellow beings live a lie about such an individual since they merely get the painted side- when they are far from it.
“Living on Perform’ is an ambitious film. That is manifest in the fact that it represents, at least, four nations: Sweden, Burundi, United Kingdom and Malawi. These nations are represented by the people who play their roles in the film, adding the much needed flavour, experience and solidarity to the Malawian production.
Usi would also wish to involve the Malawian public, that those who will trek to Comesa Hall on August 1 and partake of the feast will be in for an entertaining surprise.
There will be an assortment of public competitions-all funny, really. One will be about overalls; who will dress quicker than the rest?
Nsima, too. Who will eat his mountain load of Nsima faster than the other?
Laughing: Who will hold the vocal chords a little longer. Who will laugh a little longer?
“There will be many interesting things,” he said.
Usi became the first Malawian to receive international recognition when, in August 2008, he was honoured with a plaque for his outstanding service to youth ministry in West-Central African Division. The event took place in Calabar, Nigeria.

‘Dr. Manga’ piracy case lingers on
By Richard Chirombo
Comedian Michael Usi has so many unanswered questions about his first film, ‘Dr Manga’.
When he set out to release ‘Dr. Manga’ some four years ago, he had a clear vision. He wanted to take Malawi’s film industry to the next big level.
That happened because the film found itself in such countries as Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania and United Kingdom. The film even flew on acclaimed international Airlines free of charge, in both the economy and business class segments.
It was with the same spirit, wishing to make it big for Malawi, that he sought the services of a merchandise film, which promised it would reproduce ‘Dr. Manga’ and make it available to as many as possible. Usi, too, would get more money for his sweat.
He never did.
And the film is no longer in his hands.
What happened?
Usi could not say much, for fear of pre-empting what has been lined up for the courts. He could only reveal, however, that: “In fact, that issue has gone to court, and my lawyers have advised me against speaking much about it, as it remains a sensitive issue. All I can say is that that issue is now in court.”
Usi hoped that he would come to the root of so many unanswered questions. He, and Malawians, may also get to know how the ‘Dr. Manga’ film grew legs and found itself being shown in world acclaimed Airlines.
He, and the nation, will also learn how ‘Dr. Manga’ film went to the airport, booked a ticket, and……..boom, found itself in the United Kingdom, Nigeria and other countries.
No that he loathes success and fame, who would hate that? It is a question of benefiting from one’s sweat.
“A lot goes into producing a film. So much money that you need something back. Justice, too, is another issue. Piracy harms innocent people,” he said.


MPS pays up
By Richard Chirombo
The Malawi Police Service (MPS) has paid the K5.7 million fine meted by the Super League of Malawi (Sulam) for the unceremonious way they withdrew Eagle Beaks from the league.
MPS announced recently it would not allow Eagle Beaks, one of the two sides it sponsors in the league, to continue plying its trade in the country’s prestigious league. Instead, MPS was for merging of the two sides into one team.
This irked the Super League of Malawi, which threatened to penalize sponsors of the two sides. MPS would be required to cough half of the league’s running costs, amounting to over K25 million.
The figure was later reduced to K5.7 million following some mitigation from MPS, which included the point that off loaded players would still be well taken care of.
Williams Banda, Sulam General Secretary, confirmed today MPS had paid the fine.
“The money will help us off set some of the costs incurred in preparing for the league. We will also modify the fixture we have released to accommodate the team that will replace Eagle Beaks,” said Banda.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that NCIC, formerly Pakeeza United, will replace Eagle Beaks.
A Sulam meeting held this week resolved to bring Pakeeza back into the league, owing to its league position the time it got the boot from the TNM Super League last season.
The team slided back to the Central Region Chipiku Football League alongside Michiru Castles, which is now playing in the Southern Region Arkay Plastics Football League.
Banda asked other teams, such as Michiru, not to despair as their time would come in future.
Initially, Sulam planned to organize play offs amongst Michiru and Pakeeza following the withdrawal of a Northern region side on grounds of financial incapacity.





AFRICAN ELECTIONS PROJECT TODAY

Comedian Tackles Malawian Politicians in New Film
By Richard Chirombo
Michael Usi, aka Manganya, has prepared a timely concoction for politicians in his ‘soon-to-be-released ‘Living on Perform’ film.
‘Living on Perfume’ will be premiered at Comesa Hall in Blantyre on August 1, a development Usi says will accord Malawians film lovers an opportunity to critique and suggest episodes to be included in his final release less this year.
Malawi is still leaking of the May 19 Presidential and Parliamentary elections scent, elections widely acclaimed for their peaceful conduct.
Usi says he had included an episode tackling politicians because he wants the newly-elected President, and all other world presidents, to know that there are inner cycles in political administrations who tell the president outdated realities.
These people feed the president with barium meal because they want to protect their jobs, a trend that disadvantages the voting public because the leader they elected ends up leaving in a cosmetic world- a world and far from present realities, he says.
‘Living on Perfume’ is an episode-centred production tackling various other issues, apart from politics. These include the barbaric treatment of prisoners in Malawian penitentiary institutions when the basis for convicting such individuals was ‘reformation and rehabilitation’.
“It is like living on perfume, living the cosmetic side of life. Instead of being reformed, as prisoners are made to believe, our people are turned from ‘criminals’ to ‘beasts’. That is living on perfume.
“It’s the same with our politicians: We elect them for what they tell us during campaign, believing, as they do, that they will fulfill their part of the promise. The next thing is that the president meets an inner political cycle of advisers that tells him things not reflective of the situation on the ground. The president starts living on perfume,” said Usi.
He asked presidents to be careful, if they were to be in touch with realities on the ground. That will save them from ‘living on perfume’ and getting out of touch with the electorate.
Usi has produced two films so far, films that made international in roads. These include ‘Dr. Manga’ and ‘Manganya in Action’.
He was last year in August honoured with a plaque in recognition of his outstanding service to youth ministry in West-African Division, at a ceremony held in Calabar, Nigeria.
His main concern, however, remains piracy of his films.
Usi doesn’t understand how his films have found themselves on international Airlines. ‘Dr. Manga’, for instance, continues to be shown on various international Airlines.
‘Dr. Manga’ can also be found in Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Mali, and Zambia, among other countries, yet he did not contract any production company there.
Malawi’s film industry is in its nascent stage, though talk of the country’s own Mollywood version has recently been on film lovers lips.

We are here, opposition
By Richard Chirombo
Opposition political parties have assured voters they will not abandon their checks-and-balances role over government actions, putting to rest fears Malawi has a lame-duck opposition following the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) overwhelming victory on May 19.
The opposition now has a combined 44 seats, against DPP’s official tally of 114. The majority of independent Members of Parliament has declared their allegiance to the ruling party, waving the development tag for their sudden change of heart.
The country’s largest opposition, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has 26 seats, though it has fired former party Publicist Ishmael Chafukira from its membership ranks, reducing its tally to 25.
Chafukira still seats on the opposition benches.
United Democratic Front (UDF), the second largest party, now has to make do with 16 MPs as independent MPs stole the show from the political parties and got more MPs as a block. They got 36 in the 193-member parliament.
Parliamentary elections never took place in Blantyre City Central following the death of National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) candidate Masautso Mbewe. A by-election will take place on July 31, though the Narc- the party that caused failure of the polls- has indicated it will not feature any candidate.
The opposition has surprised political observers by showing it still had teeth to bite, though the bite would be less fatal than during the past five years- when the opposition dominated parliament and made government business python-some.
It all started with MCP president John Tembo after Finance Minister, Ken Kandodo Banda, presented his budget Friday. Tembo said the budget was not pro-poor and would not benefit the ordinary voter in the village.
Tembo faulted the budget for reducing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation, a development described as sad and inconsiderate since the ordinary person has been allocated a smaller cake as large business players feast.
“I am rather disappointed that our people will not benefit much from this, though the budget is a mixed bag,” said Tembo.
Political analysts said Tembo’s sentiments indicated that he could still rise above internal party squabbles to speak out on crucial issues. Tembo’s Leader of Opposition position is currently being disputed, changing him from de facto opposition leader to mere backbencher in parliament.
The issue has been referred to the newly-instituted Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament for deliberation.
The surprise came through Ibrahim Matola, Leader of the UDF in Parliament.
Matola surprised the ruling side by describing the country’s economic achievements as a “fruit tree that bears no fruit”.
Malawi has been described by the United Kingdom based Economist Intelligence Unit as the second fastest growing economy in the world after oil rich Qatar.
Matola said this was merely opium smoke because ordinary Malawians were yet to benefit from the economic growth.
“There is nothing on the ground; commodity prices continue to rise. Where is the logic? Malawi is currently a fruit that has not borne fruit. The same thing applies for the so-called economic achievements,” said Matola.
In separate interviews, Tembo and Matola vowed to press on with their role as opposition leaders. He said that was the only way Malawians could have faith in the opposition.
“Let me dismiss fears that there will be no real opposition this time around; we are here. But we will not just oppose, we will make constructive criticisms and contributions,” said Tembo.
Matola, on his part, said UDF was committed to complimenting government’s development efforts, a task he said could be well done through constructive criticism.
“Let me say here that we have a vibrant opposition. Our wish is that the government side will be considering our legitimate concerns. We all want Malawi to develop,” said Matola.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has promised to make it easy for the opposition, saying DPP will not abuse its majority in Parliament- the way the country’s opposition abused its majority during the last parliament and made government business tough business.

Alliance Partners Take Low Profile
By Richard Chirombo
Alliance partners to opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) have been conspicuously quiet after the May 19, Parliamentary and Presidential elections, keeping people wondering about their next move.
UDF/MCP alliance partners were vocal before the elections, following UDF National Chairman Bakili Muluzi and MCP president John everywhere they went. These parties included the Congress for Democrats, Malawi Democratic Party, and Malawi Democratic Union.
It was the same case with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) electoral partners in the names of Peoples Progressive Party and Peoples Patriotic Front. These parties have also been conspicuously absent from the scene.
Some of the party leaders have been seen, mainly in the commercial city of Blantyre, attending to private business issues, presenting a cool picture miles and miles away from the vocal politicians they were.
One of the party leaders, Malawi Democratic Union president Amunandife Mkumba, said the parties were now strategizing on the next move.
It is time for political reflection and, there after, you will learn of our next move,” said Mkumba.
However, some of the leaders said they were now attending to their private businesses ina bid to improve on their parties’ financial position.
Most political parties in Malawi are funded by their founders, a development that has been blamed for inculcating the ‘founder’s syndrome as it became difficult to replace such leaders in cases where they are not willing to relinquish power voluntarily.



Two grounds against World Bank’s K3b. loan
By Richard Chirombo
The World Bank has come under a spate of criticism from Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) experts, who accuse the bank of playing hide and seek over repayment terms and leaving out a corresponding infrastructure development component necessary to increase universal access.
This follows the decision on June 25 by the bank’s Board of Executive Directors to approve a US$20 million (K3 billion) International Development Association (IDA) credit for Malawi. The initiative is part of the Regional Infrastructure Project which aims at reducing the countries connectivity problems to international communication services, and is envisaged to reduce connectivity charges for the population.
The project also has a component that facilitates the review of policy and legal frameworks currently in use in the ICT sector, apart from strengthening the enforcement capacity of the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority’s.
However, Information, Communication and Technology Association of Malawi (Ictam) has warned that the project could end up being too costly for the country for its oversight of two crucial development components.
Ictam Publicity Secretary, Tobias Kumwenda, said in an exclusive interview this week Malawi stood to lose more than it could gain, in terms of financial obligations, if the issues of repayment terms as well as a corresponding infrastructure development project funded by the same IDA facility were not addressed.
“We feel that the government made a fundamental mistake in not conducting comprehensive consultations with ICT experts, including their mother body, Ictam. This had led to the exclusion of two crucial components, namely: corresponding infrastructure

Malawi: The world's virgin tourist destination

They were their smiles on their sleeves.
In fact, the infectious friendliness of Malawians is not only evident in smiling people; it resonates through a huge billboard with the inscription ‘Exit the land Jeito, welcome to the land of Chishango’ as you enter Malawi from Mozambique through the Southern tip district of Mwanza.
As a first traveler to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member state, you are bound to be surprised why any country would be proud to align its identity to a condom brand. Well, the truth is that Malawi is one of the sub-Saharan African countries highly affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Sub-Sahara Africa is said to be the epicenter of the HIV and AIDS pandemic- no wonder, Malawians seem to increasingly feel that a true friend is one who warns you about any possible danger, a gesture of good will, in a Malawian way.
However, despite the condom advertisement, Malawi, just as its neighbours Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, has stinging statutes regulating sex work.
As if realizing that the commercial sex industry cannot be fully controlled, especially behind the curtains, the two countries take pleasure in warning tourists in advance of the importance of safer sex during their days of stay as they remain some of the countries having high HIV and AIDS prevalence rates.

Impressive: Pottery in Malawi--Picture by Richard Chirombo
Reaching the border post on the Malawian side, you would have already started feeling as if you chose a wrong destination for your holiday. Occasionally, you see children begging for alms; however, these are just some of the few-orphaned children that survive on alms they solicit from the several travelers going in and out of Malawi.
The blur of some reggae music from the bars just near the border post will soon greet you with the spirit of the warm-hearted nation. As you wait for the immigration and customs officials, you probably will be enticed to go and try one Malawian beer and even food as most of these bars also have restraints serving a wide range of Malawian and Portuguese cuisines.
“The first time I traveled to Malawi from south Africa I found the border at Mwanza very boring. I felt like I had landed my self in a wrong holiday destination when compared to my home in Ontario,” said Christen Hoffman a Canadian national based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
She recalled that whilst she was regretting having chosen Malawi out of all tourist destinations in southern Africa, a black market forex vendor who wanted to know if she wanted some local currency approached her.
“I did not have any local money at that point and was feeling very hungry having traveled the whole day from Johannesburg to Mwanza and the polite way he approached me just made me feel like I was in my second home,” she recalled.
She said, as opposed to young men from other countries she has traveled to, the young vendor treated her like a queen that she instantly fell in love with Malawi.
“The good thing about Malawians is that they are very polite and usually happily come to your side when you need help,” she said.
Driving from Mwanza towards the commercial city of Blantyre, a 110-kilometer drive, takes you about two hours and, as you drive in the December heat, the cicada tweeter greets you as you enjoy the best scenery of Malawi’s natural beauty.
The traditional mud huts along the M6 road that connects Malawi to the rest of southern Africa will pop their way up your camera lens even before you reach the shire river, one of the never-miss-to-shoot spots. You would be empty going back home without taking some memory shots at this place.
A word of comfort would suffice at this point: Never be touchy with the seemingly ‘raw’ treatment you get from overzealous police officers at police checks as they go about their routine search.
A tour guide, Edward Sakwata, renders credence to this. He complained in an interview that police officers usually wear hard faces when they see tourism in the company of dreadlocked tour guides. The reason, as you may guess, borders on drugs.
Sakwata alluded to the cat-and-mouse relationship that exists between Malawian police officers and dread-rockers, mostly young men: there are always suspicions of drug peddling.
“When a police officer sees a European tourist accompanied by a young dreadlocked tour guide, their impression is that the two are involved in a drug deal,” he said.
Arriving in Blantyre you will be feeling very tired. However, you have just started your Malawian adventure for nightlife in Blantyre is the most thrilling experience to many a tourist.
If you did not have advance bookings for accommodation, there are several backpackers’ packs offering a variety of affordable prices for tourists.
Most of these clubs do not close until the wee hours of morning, and you will actually realize the more reason why a huge condom billboard greets you at Mwanza border.
Girls that usually eke their living through commercial sex work will surely not leave the bar counters, their source of income, until they drop dead in sleep or get hooked up by some hot-blooded client. That is the cut-home point for them, when tomorrow’s financial mists are cleared, and they have only hope for better things to come.
Chris Johnston, a British national on some two-week vacation to Malawi, said his first day in Malawi was the most interesting one.
“Upon arriving in Blantyre, I did not have an idea of where I would sleep for the night as I was proceeding to Mulanje Mountain the following day; however, when I went to the Blantyre tourist market, I met this young girl who showed me the other side of Blantyre,” he said laughing.
Ironically, Johnston almost mistook the towering Soche hill- one of the green hills perched gigantically in the ever-clear Blantyre sky- for Mulanje Mountain. Blantyre, the commercial city of Malawi, is the anti-thesis of a European city: so many industrial establishments, little, if any, pollution at all.
Mulanje Mountain is among Africa’s three highest mountains in Africa, and a never-miss destination for any tourist visiting Malawi. Attached to the mountain is a rich cultural history.
To some hikers, the myths attached to the mountain’s highest peak, christened ‘Sapitwa’ (No-go-zone) sound more less like fairly tales, It would, however, be in your interest to heed what the locals say.

Pure magic--Msupa [magic bowl-- in the Warm Heart of Africa--Picture by Richard Chirombo
Only recently, Brazilian hiker Gabriel Bushman thought the locals, through a local Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust tour guide, were joking when they told him no one went to Sapitwa alone. Bushman so no sense in such sense and set on the journey himself, telling his guide to get lost! He never came back, only his lifeless body, and only after a tasking 10 days of searching.
What a coincidence that a plane sent by the Brazilian government failed to find his body; the locals did.
Some locals said Bushman was found because the spirits in the mountain liked him. They released him so he could meet his people; just unfortunate he tripped and fell on his way back. The locals wept heartily for him, as if he were their friend.
People of Mulanje have different theories about people who go missing on the missing. Others speculate that these people fall into Ruo River, whose source is the mountain that is Mulanje, are then washed away. Just like that.
Whatever the truth, the spirit tales dominate.
“When one wants to go to Sapitwa, there is need to offer special prayers- other wise there will be no return,” said Maxwell Chifika, a local from the district.
Chifika has seen people go on Mulanje Mountain and come; or go, and really go. No trace or clue to the living. Whatsoever.
After Mulanje, the Malawian adventure will not be complete if you do not swim in the warm, blue, fresh waters of the Lake Malawi. The country has one fresh lake, Lake Malawi, and three inlet lakes- Chiuta, Kazuni, and Chilwa.
The bus drive from Blantyre to Mangochi will take you four hours. The road from Blantyre to Mangochi has a rich vein of Malawian traditions.
The common sight is that of women wrapped in traditional Malawian Chitenje ‘Wrapper’. You will also not miss the art ware and handcraft merchandise
Skillfully displayed along road kiosks.
Zomba would be the next good stop over. Even if you arrive at night, you will not be up for a lonely night as the town that used to be Malawi’s capital city during the British rule has some interesting tourist spots.
Most of the Victorian houses that once housed the British administrators are now part of a flourishing hospitality industry, now serving as lodges and Restaurants.
However, of much interest would be a visit to Ku-Chawe just on top of Zomba plateau.
The trout farm on the plateau and the Chingwes hole have been some of the wonders that have made the Chawe adventure a must not miss for tourists in Malawi.
The emperor’s view just on top of the plateau offers you a rare opportunity to view places as far much as Mozambique. What is more, such a view at night offers you the tonic to appreciate the view of distant towns below.
“My Malawian experience could not have been complete without the Kuchawe sojourn; the tour to the plateau on a fair evening gave me an opportunity to enjoy a rare Malawian experience,” said Catherine Pereira a Canadian tourist.
As you go to your final destination, Mangochi, you will find lots of merchandise that would be good for take-home souvenir.
Namwera turn off, for one, offers a wide variety of sculptures and paintings
of high quality.
For Angela Tamayenda, a Malawian national staying in the US, says she usually finds time to stop at Namwera and buy her American friends some African crafts from this part of Africa.
“Every time I come to Malawi for holidays, I make it a point to visit Namwera and buy some art work. My American friends always appreciate these,” she said.
She said the unique thing about the arts and crafts at Namwera was that they had straightforward themes.
By the time you arrive in Mangochi, you really would have understood why the accolade the Warm Heart of Africa befits Malawi.
The beautiful lake birds and nice people you meet on the way could have long made their way into your camera. Sure enough, and the beauty of Malawian culture fully embedded in your bone marrow.
However, the best time for a nice Mangochi experience comes in the evening. Most resorts in the Lakeshore district organise scintillating cultural activities targeting both tourists and the local visitor.
Dances such as Gule wa mkulu, which UNESCO recognizes as a protected cultural heritage from Malawi, dominate in the evenings.

Music touch:Xylophone at the Museum of Malawi--Picture by Richard Chirombo
Just do not flit with a frying pan of commercial sex workers who flock into this area looking for the cash in the pleasure and fan. However, these women have their own sex styles, including ‘Aeroplane’ and ‘Winnower’. How they do it is another protected Malawian cultural heritage.
Warning: Please ‘get dressed’, Malawi has one of the highest HIV and AIDS prevalence
Rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Commercial sex workers have their own role in this!

Malawi: Cotton production gets a boost

Cotton farmers in Malawi are waiting for the commencement of production by a Chinese company to earn more on their commodity. Integrated Cotton and Textile Manufacturers, a Chinese company, has already started groundwork aimed at improving proceeds farmers earn on cotton products in Balaka.
Industry and Trade Minister, Eunice Kazembe, said the company was one of those that recently visited the country to explore investment opportunities, in line with government's goal to improve the number of industries.

Kazembe said the coming in of foreign direct investors spelled the beginning of good prospects for Malawi, as most people would now get employed, apart from increasing the number of textile and garment products manufactured in the country.

"Right now, officials from the Chinese textile and Garments Company are on the ground in Balaka district, and it is hoped that by the end of this year they will have brought all the equipment necessary to scale up their activities and bring tremendous improvements as far as the cotton industry is concerned," Kazembe said.

She lamented current trends, where the country exports raw products- a development that translates into low returns for the local grower while those who add value on the products elsewhere reap more profits.

"That is why we need more industries like this, inorder to transform the economy and bring about change. The good thing is that we have held a lot of fora on the issue of investment with foreign investors from Chana (Mainland), Britain, and even those from Asia. The idea is to transform this country by scaling up industrialisation," he said.

China’s impacts in Africa

While the coming in of Chinese companies may be good for Malawi, other countries have complained about the influx of Chinese products as Garment companies working in China are, for instance, making their own thread now, which they are exporting, thus increasing global competition.

Even the regional giant, South Africa, has not been spared, as the country's employment opportunities in the textile industry dropped from 70, 000 in 2003 to about 50, 000 in 2007. This came against increased cheap imports from Asia.

Yarn imports rose from 77, 000 in 2001 to over 100, 000 tonnes last year, though the truly alarming increase that fretted South African textile makers was the 600 per cent rise in imported textiles- up from about 5000 tonnes in 2001, to about 30, 000 tonnes in 2007.

This comes at a time when China's impact on the region's inputs is being felt, though local manufacturers like Mapeto DWSM offer outlets for locally produced materials. Regional textile trade is facilitated by the Southern African Development community (SADC) Free Trade Agreement, whose goal is to create a unified 'borderless' trading bloc for member states.

Malawi's neighbour, Mozambique, with its reviving economy at the north-eastern part of Maputo Corridor, has been putting in place initiatives aimed at garnering a share of the region's textile business. One big encumbrance, though, is that cotton production last year yielded only a forth of raw materials required by the country's ginning mills, a development that saw cotton being sourced from South Africa and Malawi, among others.

Cotton yields were 90, 000 tonnes in 2007, down from a record 122, 000 tonnes in 2006. Bad weather- droughty conditions in some growing areas but too much rainfall in other places- was blamed for the drop. Mozambican ginning mills require 400, 000 tonnes of cotton for their operations, a trend that necessitates measures to address the influx of cheap products from Asia if the region is to make any in roads into the textile market.

This has prompted South Africa to start addressing the influx of Chinese textiles through the introduction of a quota system. A China Restraint Agreement was introduced by government in January last year. It also covers such areas as firefighter gear and specialised sporting gear.

However, while conditions get tougher opportunities exist for fabrics for industrial applications globally, a market that has a growth rate of approximately 3 to 4 per cent per annum, which is far above the 1.5 per cent annual growth for conventional fabrics.

Malawi, however, is in dire need of industries, following the closing shop of most industrial players over the past ten years, a development trade expects blame on unfavourable policies and privatisation during the previous administration. However,

David Whitehead and Sons Malawi Limited, a textile and garments manufacturer has proved these assertions wrong as it continues to do better on the market, years after being privatised.