STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF A COMMUTER FAMILY
BY RICHARD CHIROMBO
The term ‘family’ continues to play a key role in assisting sociologists develop perspectives (defined by British sociologists Shaun Best, Janis Griffiths, and Tanya Hope as a representation of a particular view point, such as functionalism and feminism), and was one of the driving factors behind the emergence of sociology as a distinctly new academic discipline, from the ashes of a mere political and economic branch of philosophy before the coming in of people like Karl Marx (1818-83), Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and Max Weber (1864-1920)- widely considered the ‘founding fathers’ of sociology. Despite a spectrum of views on the family, sociologists acknowledge that it falls under the micro or interpretive perspective- which is basically the level of everyday interaction typically involving face-to-face negotiations between individuals (Best, Griffiths, Tanya, 2000)- as opposed to macro or structural perspectives -which refer to the global structures of societies, and the analysis of major institutions such as the interface between the economy and politics; it also deals with large-scale collective action including global social movements (Best, Griffiths, Tanya, 2000). At the same time, there seems to be a continuous struggle for a specific definition for family, as classifications generally accepted a few years ago fall under the microscopic eye of modern sociologists. Best, Griffiths and Tanya argue that the difficult in coming up with a simple family definition lies in the fact that the family is primarily a religious, moral, social and legal institution, rendering it “enormously difficult” to define. They cite the example of people who count distant and non-blood relatives and individuals, respectively, as family, and yet feel no sense of kinship with close relations who can be ignored for years and get contacted only for weddings and funerals. However, George Murdock, one of the earliest writers in the functionalist tradition, suggested that a family consists of a social group which includes sexually cohabiting adults and their children. He argued that, no matter how far from our own cultural norms, the standard family arrangement would always have sexually active adults (a man and a woman) at its core, a position being currently challenged in the wake of other emerging family forms. He continued to offer three main characteristics of the first social unit called family, namely: the development of a social structure that suits their physical environment, in accordance with cultural norms; linkage by kinship ties, duties, obligations, and rules which must be observed, and; provision of social support to the mother and her children. This tallies with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (7th Edition, 2006) definition. It describes the family as a group consisting of one or two parents and their children; enthusing that family members may even share a common feature or predicament, such as heart disease which may be said to ‘run in the family’.
Whereas married nuclear; cohabiting; single-parent; step, joint or shared-custody; grand parent-led; same-sex headed; foster, group, home, and community families have come to be accepted as ‘normal’ family kinds, difficulties in obtaining two suitable jobs in the same vicinity has paved the way for a new type of setting: Commuter family1. Research findings from the United Kingdom reveal three main characteristics in such families: parents live and work in different towns; one of the parents provides the primary residence, while the other parent visits home for short periods of time, and this may include weekends and holidays; while the third thread is the need to acquire additional skills or secure new jobs in a highly competitive world1. This paper attempts, using traditional family kinds as a litmus test, to examine both the strengths and weaknesses likely to be derived from commuter families, and sets out to achieve this by narrowing down its examination in the context of social, economic, religious, cultural and human development benefits or deprivations in Malawi’s context.
Consensus is emerging among economic and social commentators that Malawi has already caught the Globalization bug. The economic meltdown that affected a large chuck of the world population during the past two years is a good case in point. Except for strong linkages with foreign financial institutions, a trend that saved Malawi from the adverse effects of the Global Financial Crisis, the country continues to attain tremendous strides in linking up with the global community. It can also be safely argued that the country’s foreign policy is enshrouded in accommodative tendencies, a development that has eroded some of the country’s highly valued customs, including the role of women as custodians of the home2, something locals cannot run away from because it has quickly become part of the society’s psyche. The country should expect that, as economic needs override stereotypes on the role of women, traditional family values and meanings will erode while pushing the country’s economic indicators up, starting at the household level. This will become necessary to weather out the storm of poverty, dependency on one bread winner and the long-held subordinate status of women. All this will help boost economic growth, reduce poverty and meet the much-touted millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This withstanding, the country stands to benefit a lot in terms of economic emancipation for women, and because this has started changing at the micro (domestic) level, the overall effect on national development could be overly positive. Real economic development must start at the domestic level, and the commuter family has already started satisfying this need2. Feeding into this argument of stable economic standing at the household level are indicators from Blantyre Child Justice Court. Statistics for 2007 to 2010 reveal that, out of 387 cases of child trafficking, negligence, abandonment and abuse, only one occurred within a commuter family set up. But this, too, did not pertain to negligence but an ‘isolated case’ of a child who left his mother in Blantyre for Lilongwe, “just to see his father, who, in October 2009, was working for a hospitality company”. The child left the Blantyre family home without bidding bye, and got lost in Lilongwe. A Kasungu-based man took the boy home, and demanded K100, 000 to return the 12 year-old boy to his parents. The case reached the Blantyre Child Justice Court and the court ruled in favour of the parents and the Kasungu man went home ‘empty-handed’3. Children who have no biological guardian, or have no extended family relations are more likely to fall victim to abusers or people feigning to be good would-be adopters4.But children who come from economically-stable families tend to have access to the basic needs in life, including quality education, good nutritious, early childhood nourishment, and tend to be wary of strangers, making it unlikely for them to fall into abusers’ hands. Such children also achieve normal mental development.
Indicators also show that commuter families have raised the status bar for women. While, just two decades ago, women were largely presented as totally incapable human beings, trends are now changing. For instance, research findings on the image of women projected by radio (Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, in this case) revealed four shocking findings: women did not exist to the same degree as men do; they occupied restricted sex-defined spheres; they served primarily as auxiliaries to men, and; that all this (the above) is as it should be6. Increased cases of commuter families have prompted men to re-examine their attitude towards women, in the process reducing cases of domestic and gender-based violence as women get accustomed to living without the ‘man-of-the-house’ for longer periods of time, thus discovering their potential to live sustainable, fulfilled lives. This has also lessened the pains suffered from being widowed as paternal relations now think twice before indulging in such bad practices as property grabbing. Improved education and economic status have translated into women’s ability to buy and own property, including land and real estate property7. Property grabbing is likely to remain a huge problem, despite laws aimed at criminalizing the same, for the housewife, while commuter families have increased women’s belief in themselves8. A property grabbing case in Nkhatabay in January 2010 revealed just how deep-rooted the problem of property grabbing is, but the woman was able to retain all property after producing requisite receipts indicating she actually owned it. The woman’s husband was working and staying in Nkhotakota while she run a personal lodge business in Nkhatabay, a typical example that commuter families have become accepted in Malawi. However, the husband’s relatives took it that she was running the husband’s business, and rushed to grab all property when he died in April 2010. The wife graduated in Catering from the Malawi Institute of Tourism9.
This notwithstanding, social commentators acknowledge that Malawi remains deep-rooted in ideals of the extended family system10. So, while the wife may stay with her biological children in a town far away from the husband, it is less likely that the husband will be staying alone- doing all the cooking and laundry; he is more likely to invite some extended family members to be staying with, and is more likely to be meeting their basic education, economic and social needs, thus spreading his worth and contributing to government’s poverty reduction efforts11. More over, families forced to go commuter by the need to secure better employment and improve economic status are more likely to source enough funds for large-scale investment, apart from having ready collateral in case they want to borrow finances from Authorized Dealer Banks, making it possible to achieve their dreams12
For example, I have managed to consolidate resources with my husband, who works in for Mzuzu City Assembly, and have just bought a minibus. Together, we have also managed to buy a house in Chilomoni Township (Blantyre), and share responsibilities on paying school fees. We have two children; I pay for the Secondary School education of two, while my husband pays school fees for the other two, in addition to one extended family system member13.
While the real impact of commuter families is yet to be ascertained, owing to the need for more localised research findings, others fear that this set up is eroding family values. They share Marxism views that the family has become a unit of consumption, existing to buy goods, rather than a unit of production, which it was in the pre-industrial society; a view wholly supported by Friedrich Engels14, who purported that marriage and the family evolved along with the concepts of private property and inheritance. In crude terms, Engels said women can only be proved to be the mothers of the children they bear, as witnesses are present at the birth. However, there are no witnesses to conception and a man has no certainty that the children a woman bears are his- he must take her word for it. Blood testing and genetic analysis has altered that, but these are new technologies and largely inaccessible in developing countries. To ensure that the children to whom he intends to live property are his own, the man must own his wife and restrict her freedom.
Freedom associated with commuter families goes against this grain, and this has eroded the ‘sacred nature’ of the family. It is the weak link in this type of family. Then there is the notion of experience, which suggests that trust is a perishable product. The commuter family will thus pave the way for extra-marital affairs15. Add to this the reality of HIV and AIDS and the prevalence of Multiple Concurrent Partners, and it becomes a disaster of quadruple proportions. The establishment of HIV and AIDS Policies in most companies cannot guarantee against promiscuity, the more reason Trade Unions discourage commuter families because, apart from creating an artificial emotional gap, they also drain financial resources from people already grappling with the problem of poor perks, thus affecting economic emancipation. After all, workers already sacrifice their ‘blood and sweat’ in high tax cuts12.
‘Remote love’, as child rights activist Kenwilliams Mhango describes commuter families, has proved a big failure in Salima District, where children of fathers who go to work in tobacco estates in the Northern region have become easy targets for ‘teachers’ of witchcraft. Research conducted by the African Network for the Prevention and Protection of Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN)-Malawi Chapter between September and November 2009 revealed the existence of witchcraft schools in the district. This is because, in pursuit of role models and guidance, children find solace and camaraderie in ‘witches’, thereby affecting class performance of pupils as many sleep in class while their friends sail on in the sea that is basic education. Education pundits say education is a social vaccine but, because of commuter families, others are losing out on this, putting future prospects of the country in jeopardy17. While radical psychiatrists and psychoanalysts such as Laing and Copper suggest that some mental illnesses are caused by the strain of family life on individuals; and although this view (also known as anti-psychiatry) still influences some perspectives such as feminism (where a woman’s mental instability and misery is said to be caused by the heavy influences of patriarchy), critics of commuter families say the father and mother remain role models – experiences that stick throughout their lives (Best, Griffiths, Hope, 2000). Psychologist Harry Harlow also warns that children who don’t receive maximum attention tend to develop anxious attachment (a reaction they develop after noting that their caregivers are not always accessible) rather than the much-needed secure attachment (which develops after parents’ or caregivers promptness in responding to the child’s needs), and this sense they take well into adulthood and affects how they later relate, or socialize, with others.
It is a view shared by a host of religious institutions. The dominant view is that commuter families, like same-sex marriages, are against the principles of family values and are tantamount to abdicating from responsibility. The argument is the God’s purpose for the family is four-fold: attainment of sexual control, procreation, socialization of children, and the sustenance of a sense of belonging in children. The family should perpetuate a sense of solidarity, a feature that was losing value as members abandon moral values- becoming fragmented and less community-oriented18. This is likely to exert a negative ‘social influence’, and distort the real meaning of family (Elliot Aronson, 1972). This problem can be solved if families stick together, pray together and study scriptures together 20. Otherwise, The International Child Abuse and Neglect Journal (vol., 34, No., 1, January, 2010 pp., 20) reports that 70 per cent of children abused in South Korea and developing countries suffered such human rights abuses at the hands of people they knew or distant relatives simply because one or two biological parents were not at home, mainly in pursuit of good employment opportunities and economic prospects.
In concluding, it is clear that the family remains the most important social unit in Malawi, and shall- at least in the foreseeable future- continue to be held in high esteem. What is apparent, though, is the need for more localised research to ascertain the real long-term impact of the commuter family system, and the possible role it may play in advancing the country’s social-economic development agenda.
REFERENCES
Best, S., Griffiths, J., and Hope, T., (2000). Active Sociology (AS and A Level).London: Pearson Education Limited. Pp., 298-300 (14)
Blantyre Child Justice Court’s Civil and Criminal Cases Registry from January 2007- September 5, 2010. (2007/2010).
Chanika, E., Executive Director, Civil Liberties Committee. In an interview. (7)
Chidyaonga, G. F., Kanjo, K. K (1995).The Representation of Women in Malawian Mainstream Media; A paper presented at a Gender Sensitization Workshop for Media Personnel (Ryalls Hotel, Blantyre, November 30-December 2). Blantyre: The Malawi Polytechnic. (6)
Chilimasabwe, M. (2010). Understanding human behaviour in dating and divorce (The Nation Vol. 17 No. 143, Pp. 18). Blantyre: Nation Publications Limited. (10)
Chirwa, F., Executive Director for National Women’s Lobby Group. In an interview. (9)
Chisi, M., Sexual Reproductive Trainer, Blantyre. In an interview. (15)
Chawanda, O., Programmes Officer for Media AIDS and Health Watch (Mawa). In an interview. (16)
Kadawati, M., (Rev.) Chairperson, Public Affairs Committee; Saiti, J., Executive Director, Muslim Association of Malawi; Matale, E., Public Affairs Director, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and; Khoviwa, T., (Apostle) Word of Faith Temple. In separate interviews conducted on Tuesday, 28 September, and Wednesday 29 September, 2010 during an HIV and AIDS Interface Meeting held at Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre. (18)
Kenwilliams Mhango, Country Director; African Network for the Protection and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN)-Malawi Chapter. In an interview. (19)
Laston, M., Blantyre-based wife in a commuting family. (2010). In an interview. (11)
LDS Church (2009). Gospel Principles: Family Responsibilities. Salt Lake: LDS Church. (20)
Lecture Notes on Family Kinds. Lecture delivered on Monday, September 27. (1)
Mhango, K. W. (2008). Findings of Research on the Long-term Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect: The Case of Malawi, 17, 408-414. (17)
Mkwezalamba, R.: Secretary General, Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU). (2010). In an interview. (12)
Munthali, T. C., President, Economics Association of Malawi (ECAM). In an interview. (2)
Mussa, C., Executive Director for Gender Support Programme. In an interview. (8)
Mwamadi, L.: Primary School (Life Skills) Teacher at Mulunguzi in Blantyre. In an interview. (13)
Tembenu, E.; Presiding Magistrate at the Blantyre Child Justice Court. In an interview. (4)
Twea, E., (Justice), Chairperson for the National Child Justice Forum. In an interview. (5)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Arouson, E., (1972), The Social Animal. New York: The Viking Press.
2. Best, S., Griffiths, J., and Hope, T., Active Sociology, (2000). London: Pearson Education Limited
3. Gospel Principles, (1978, 2009), Family Responsibilities. Salt Lake: LDS Church
4. Ichheiser, G., (1970), Appearances and Realities: Misunderstanding in Human Relations San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc., Publishers
5. Kempe, H. C., and Wolfe, A. D (2010), Child Abuse and Neglect: The International Journal (Vol.34, Number 1). Oxford: Elsevier Limited
6. Loftus, E. F., and Wortman, C. B., Psychology (3rd Edition)New York: Vortman Loftus
7. Marriage and Family Relations: Participant’s Study Guide (2000). Salt Lake: LDS Church
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Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Four gays beaten in Salima
What started as a normal flirting thing in Sengabay, Salima, ended in trouble for four gays after community members descended on them for cuddling in public along Lake Malawi.
Community members were irked to see four men kissing and touching in broad daylight, a situation that was excerbated when the four told the people to 'mind your own business'.
One of the community members, Evans Kapwepwe, told Zachimalawi the four were contravening Malawi's customs by touching in public, especially people of the same sex.
"THey wanted to corrupt the morals of our children, and we took the lwa into our own hands," said Kapwepwe.
One of the suspected gays, Martin Samuel Gwetsa, said he was disappointed with the action taken by the Salima community members.
"Actually, we were having fun along the Lake (Malawi) when, all of a sudden, we heard people shouting at us. It's like we were running over each other without our clothes on; after all, it was at the lake. But people thought otherwise and beat us," he said.
He, however, could not confirm people's suspicions that he and his coleagues were homosexuals, only saying "I have a girlfriend".
Homosexuality is prohibited in Malawi.
However, Vice President Joyce Banda told a grouping of faith leaders in Blantyre Wednesday that homosexuals were crucial to Malawi's fight against HIV and AIDS and other development ills.
The Vice President urged faithleaders to be in the forefront embracing homosexuals as one way of integrating them in various facets of development.
"Homosexuality is a reality in Malawi, and we must all take action to embrace people of this sexual orientation," said Banda.
However, some people have come down hard against the Vice President, accusing her of trying to corrupt Malawian children with 'strange' beliefs.
The HIV prevalence rate among Malawian gays stands at 25 per cent, according to Principal Secretary for Nutrition, HIV and AIDS in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr. Mary Shawa.
The country is yet to ascertain the HIV prevalence rate among lesbians.
Information on homosexuals' health conditions is derived from medical facilities, mainly because this category of people has found shelter in medical ethics.
Community members were irked to see four men kissing and touching in broad daylight, a situation that was excerbated when the four told the people to 'mind your own business'.
One of the community members, Evans Kapwepwe, told Zachimalawi the four were contravening Malawi's customs by touching in public, especially people of the same sex.
"THey wanted to corrupt the morals of our children, and we took the lwa into our own hands," said Kapwepwe.
One of the suspected gays, Martin Samuel Gwetsa, said he was disappointed with the action taken by the Salima community members.
"Actually, we were having fun along the Lake (Malawi) when, all of a sudden, we heard people shouting at us. It's like we were running over each other without our clothes on; after all, it was at the lake. But people thought otherwise and beat us," he said.
He, however, could not confirm people's suspicions that he and his coleagues were homosexuals, only saying "I have a girlfriend".
Homosexuality is prohibited in Malawi.
However, Vice President Joyce Banda told a grouping of faith leaders in Blantyre Wednesday that homosexuals were crucial to Malawi's fight against HIV and AIDS and other development ills.
The Vice President urged faithleaders to be in the forefront embracing homosexuals as one way of integrating them in various facets of development.
"Homosexuality is a reality in Malawi, and we must all take action to embrace people of this sexual orientation," said Banda.
However, some people have come down hard against the Vice President, accusing her of trying to corrupt Malawian children with 'strange' beliefs.
The HIV prevalence rate among Malawian gays stands at 25 per cent, according to Principal Secretary for Nutrition, HIV and AIDS in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr. Mary Shawa.
The country is yet to ascertain the HIV prevalence rate among lesbians.
Information on homosexuals' health conditions is derived from medical facilities, mainly because this category of people has found shelter in medical ethics.
Empowering and Protecting Adolescent Girls in Haiti
AmeriCares, Population Council and a consortium of aid organizations working together to help break cycle of poverty and violence for adolescent girls
The Haiti Adolescent Girls Network, a coalition of humanitarian organizations co-founded by AmeriCares and the Population Council, today received high-level recognition for its efforts to reduce girls' risks of poverty, violence, and rape. The Network's exemplary collaboration and commitment to empower and protect Haitian girls was featured during the opening plenary session of the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting held in New York City.
The innovative program was launched with leadership support from Nike Foundation, The Abundance Foundation, NoVo Foundation, United Nations Foundation, and Partridge Trust.
The earthquake that shattered Haiti last January left more than 3.7 million Haitians in need of humanitarian assistance. The quake not only leveled buildings but damaged already weak institutions and exacerbated the acute challenges facing women and children stemming from decades of political insecurity and recurrent natural disasters in that country. The earthquake orphaned thousands of children and separated thousands more from their parents.
Prior to the earthquake, 42 percent of girls in urban areas aged 10-14 years lived without parents. The numbers have increased since January, leaving girls as young as 10 years old to provide for their younger siblings.
With so much responsibility thrust upon them at such a young age, the girls are at risk of not finishing school and being caught in the cycle of poverty. Even worse, living in displacement camps and slums, girls are now especially vulnerable to violence.
A recent survey conducted by INURED, a local Haitian research organization, reported that 14 percent of the residents of Port-au-Prince's largest shantytown, Cité Soleil, witnessed or experienced violence, including beatings and rape. The study also reported that it is common for girls living in relief camps to resort to trading sex for food and shelter.
The Haiti Adolescent Girls Network is spearheading a movement to bring groups of at-risk girls together at least weekly in dedicated girls-only, safe spaces. "We are empowering adolescent girls to secure their rights and health, receive psychological support, continue their education, and find safe and productive livelihoods. As their future is reconfigured, so are the families they support and the communities in which they live," said Judith Bruce, senior associate and policy analyst at the Population Council.
The Haiti Adolescent Girls Network was founded on the possibility that even in times of violence and tragedy, the most extraordinary results can be achieved through collaboration and a common vision. The organizations in the Network are committed to increasing awareness among humanitarian responders and service providers about the distinctive and critical needs of adolescent girls in post-earthquake Haiti.
"Having a diverse group of local and international organizations come together with a shared vision is incredibly powerful. We invite others to join this collaborative effort. Together we can reduce risk and create opportunity for girls, and put them at the forefront of building back a better Haiti," said Curt Welling, president and CEO of AmeriCares.
The Haiti Adolescent Girls Network, a coalition of humanitarian organizations co-founded by AmeriCares and the Population Council, today received high-level recognition for its efforts to reduce girls' risks of poverty, violence, and rape. The Network's exemplary collaboration and commitment to empower and protect Haitian girls was featured during the opening plenary session of the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting held in New York City.
The innovative program was launched with leadership support from Nike Foundation, The Abundance Foundation, NoVo Foundation, United Nations Foundation, and Partridge Trust.
The earthquake that shattered Haiti last January left more than 3.7 million Haitians in need of humanitarian assistance. The quake not only leveled buildings but damaged already weak institutions and exacerbated the acute challenges facing women and children stemming from decades of political insecurity and recurrent natural disasters in that country. The earthquake orphaned thousands of children and separated thousands more from their parents.
Prior to the earthquake, 42 percent of girls in urban areas aged 10-14 years lived without parents. The numbers have increased since January, leaving girls as young as 10 years old to provide for their younger siblings.
With so much responsibility thrust upon them at such a young age, the girls are at risk of not finishing school and being caught in the cycle of poverty. Even worse, living in displacement camps and slums, girls are now especially vulnerable to violence.
A recent survey conducted by INURED, a local Haitian research organization, reported that 14 percent of the residents of Port-au-Prince's largest shantytown, Cité Soleil, witnessed or experienced violence, including beatings and rape. The study also reported that it is common for girls living in relief camps to resort to trading sex for food and shelter.
The Haiti Adolescent Girls Network is spearheading a movement to bring groups of at-risk girls together at least weekly in dedicated girls-only, safe spaces. "We are empowering adolescent girls to secure their rights and health, receive psychological support, continue their education, and find safe and productive livelihoods. As their future is reconfigured, so are the families they support and the communities in which they live," said Judith Bruce, senior associate and policy analyst at the Population Council.
The Haiti Adolescent Girls Network was founded on the possibility that even in times of violence and tragedy, the most extraordinary results can be achieved through collaboration and a common vision. The organizations in the Network are committed to increasing awareness among humanitarian responders and service providers about the distinctive and critical needs of adolescent girls in post-earthquake Haiti.
"Having a diverse group of local and international organizations come together with a shared vision is incredibly powerful. We invite others to join this collaborative effort. Together we can reduce risk and create opportunity for girls, and put them at the forefront of building back a better Haiti," said Curt Welling, president and CEO of AmeriCares.
POEM: Scattered flowers
BY RICHARD CHIROMBO
Pettled settled,
In the empty nest,
So lodded to the chest,
With hope's heavy load,
During time's seventhe acre so filled with golden chuff.
A question of wholesome trodding,
The way life's sign posts we passed;
We saw, as we hopped along
The 'All-alone-inside' flag
Pushed by the warmth from our hands.
Such a sweetsome, fillfull feeling,
Abruptly hindered by the mid-nood shed:
Between Dedza Mountain and the Chikudzukudzu plain;
The clean-shaven forest and well-watered pavement;
A gintantic buiding now rests.
Beaten by the Salima mid-day sun,
Whipped by the Bembeke chill,
So often suppressed by Mangochi's southerly winds,
Unlike life's natural click
Peddling us where wishes an empty will.
At sunset,
They hymn and cry,
Heroic fathers before their bewildered children,
Subdued wived kissed by lukewarm water,
Scrawling down grandular oases.
Natural salt caresses the agony within.
The dilapidated buiding that brings hope to their tattered souls and minds,
Occupies the yard cosmology designated for my feet,
Cutting through the threads on wich stands your future and mine,
Grasing down the pasture that is you and me.
Pettled settled,
In the empty nest,
So lodded to the chest,
With hope's heavy load,
During time's seventhe acre so filled with golden chuff.
A question of wholesome trodding,
The way life's sign posts we passed;
We saw, as we hopped along
The 'All-alone-inside' flag
Pushed by the warmth from our hands.
Such a sweetsome, fillfull feeling,
Abruptly hindered by the mid-nood shed:
Between Dedza Mountain and the Chikudzukudzu plain;
The clean-shaven forest and well-watered pavement;
A gintantic buiding now rests.
Beaten by the Salima mid-day sun,
Whipped by the Bembeke chill,
So often suppressed by Mangochi's southerly winds,
Unlike life's natural click
Peddling us where wishes an empty will.
At sunset,
They hymn and cry,
Heroic fathers before their bewildered children,
Subdued wived kissed by lukewarm water,
Scrawling down grandular oases.
Natural salt caresses the agony within.
The dilapidated buiding that brings hope to their tattered souls and minds,
Occupies the yard cosmology designated for my feet,
Cutting through the threads on wich stands your future and mine,
Grasing down the pasture that is you and me.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Beijing police raid gay hungout
Beijing police raided a popular park where gay men meet and detained dozens for questioning over the weekend as part of a security sweep in advance of a national holiday.
According to the Associated Press, “At least 80 gay men were taken away from a park in the capital's Haidian district by police during night raids on Saturday and Sunday, said Guo Ziyang, a project manager with the Beijing Working Group of Gay Movement, a non-governmental group that promotes gay rights.
“The men were brought to the police station where they were questioned and asked to show their identity cards," said Guo, who interviewed several of the men. He added that there were rumors that some men were made to take blood tests.
The AP reports that the Global Times newspaper said police officers and SWAT teams stormed Mudanyuan Park for a security inspection before National Day on October 1, which commemorates the start of Communist rule in 1949. It was not clear what regulations the men in the park would have violated.
According to the Associated Press, “At least 80 gay men were taken away from a park in the capital's Haidian district by police during night raids on Saturday and Sunday, said Guo Ziyang, a project manager with the Beijing Working Group of Gay Movement, a non-governmental group that promotes gay rights.
“The men were brought to the police station where they were questioned and asked to show their identity cards," said Guo, who interviewed several of the men. He added that there were rumors that some men were made to take blood tests.
The AP reports that the Global Times newspaper said police officers and SWAT teams stormed Mudanyuan Park for a security inspection before National Day on October 1, which commemorates the start of Communist rule in 1949. It was not clear what regulations the men in the park would have violated.
Report of Concerns of Youths in Malawi
1 Executive summary
1.1 Introduction
Network for Youth Development is a membership network committed to empowering young people to act around youth concerns and play an active role in the development process. The network gives a forum to young men and women from different backgrounds to share ideas, exchange experiences and learn from each other in the struggle for a better life.
Network for Youth Development is a vital and creative youth network in Malawi – Africa with room for all kinds of engagements that are youth related. It is very important that young people use their own abilities to make a difference in their own communities realize that their efforts are necessary and needed.
1.2. Background Information
In November 2006, young people representing youth organisations and groups from Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe had the opportunity to come together, share ideas and experiences. During this process, young people from these countries felt that there is so much in common and want to support each other and cooperate in making a difference in each other’s lives. As a result a regional collaboration process was proposed to take place, in the form of a Regional Youth Hearing. This will give representatives of young people from participating countries the opportunity to express their ideas and concerns to decision makers.
It was further proposed that national youth hearings be conducted in the each participating country and then later a Regional Hearing where all the youth concerns solicited from these countries shall be presented.
It has been further recommended in the recent meeting held in South Africa that all participating countries will send representatives who will meet early 2008 to present their concerns to regional leaders together. This very important gathering is what has been named Youth Hearing. The process will provide a forum where young people from all walks of life use as a channel to present their concerns on the topic “the environment we want”. This will be a grand opportunity to young people from across Southern Africa to bring their problems with some suggestions as solutions to such problems.
It is a fact that young people in Africa as a continent are facing a lot of problems; this is why young people in the southern part of Africa, having similar problems, are coming together in one voice in order to make their region a better place for young people. This is a very important function for Southern African Young People such that they already expressed their commitment and interest by conducting several different programmes with specific country problems. For Example, in Malawi young people conducted a survey on Urbanization and the effects it has on Young people of which the findings disclosed causes of a lot of problems facing the young people. These range from HIV/Aids to unemployment.
A Youth hearing is a gathering where young people will present their concerns and ideas to decision makers and then decision makers will comment and share their views on the concerns presented.
The success of the hearing will depend on the levels of participation. In Malawi a large number of youth organisations and groups were invited to submit their concerns and ideas on the “Environment they Want” to Network for Youth Development which is facilitating the process in Malawi. Based on these concerns and ideas a national hearing will be organized in Blantyre where the collected concerns will be represented to the targeted decision makers. A key person will be invited to chair this event, among others shall have influential people in our societies.
2. Processes of Collecting Concerns in Malawi
2.1 Method of Accessing Concerns
The Youth for Solidarity Movement (Y4SM), a National Steering Committee of South Africa had developed a standardized questionnaire to facilitate getting data from their targeted groups; NfYD also adopted the same and used the same system of using a questionnaire.
Regional briefing meetings with members were conducted in all regions to promote, orient and seek support from all members of the network. This was to ensure that concerns were coming from a national platform.
All the organisations that participated had an opportunity to go around in their constituencies to collect as many concerns as possible, when the process was conducted in all the areas, the compiled questionnaire were submitted to NfYD to compile all the concerns into one document – a report.
2.2 Lead Question on the questionnaire
As a young person, what is it that you need that can contribute to a better life for you?
2.3 Getting Concerns through a Questionnaire
The questionnaire was printed and distributed to member organisations that were going around in their constituencies. In the process they handed over the questionnaires to the respondents in order that respond. In order to accommodate the participants who can not write, the facilitators were asked to guide the respondents through reading the questions interpret them according to the language of choice. Responses would then be written on the questionnaire on their behalf.
2.4 How Long Did the Process Take?
The collection process began in November 2007 when NfYD got financial assistance from Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA) to facilitate the whole process of the Hearing, The process took a period of 4 months (November – February) and the responses were collected and captured for analysis.
2.5 Analyzing the Questionnaire
A team of experienced members for NfYD were gathered to capture and analyze all the responses of the collection of youth concerns in all the regions of Malawi.
The questionnaire was in English but other respondents decided to respond in the vernacular (Chichewa) and was included and presented in a summary in English.
2.6 Questionnaires Distributed
NfYD had printed 6,423 questionnaires and distributed across all the three regions of Malawi. All the forms were filled and completed by the informants and NfYD received back all the forms. Though this was an original plan, in other areas they had to re-print the questionnaires due to high demand of the respondents i.e. Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Dedza respondents were members of different youth organisations, students and other youths. An estimation of 1,000 plus or minus questionnaires was a contribution from the youth from these districts.
The findings were analyzed in order to categorize the types of issues, sex, concerns and comments expressed by the various youths. These areas were not obligatory upon the youth because we believed that it is good to get first hand concerns of young people because they are the ones who are affected in their communities.
3 Summary
Young People were asked to present their information which would help classify respondents by the following categories; occupation, age, gender, region, race and area of residence.
No In-put Category
1 Occupation Youth that are;
Students
Unemployed
Employed
2 Age Youths between 15 – 30 years
3 Gender Male and female
4 Region South, Central and North
5 Areas Urban, Sub Urban, Rural, Townships, City
3.1 Results of the analysis
Out of 7,423 concerns which were collected and analyzed the following were the results of the summary;
Students: 50%
Employed: 10%
Unemployed: 40%
3.2 Age
Out of the 7,423 respondents, 6,309 (making 85%) were of ages between 15 – 26 years, while 1,114 respondents, (making 15%) were between 27–30 years old
3.3 Gender
Out of the 7,423 respondents; 2,449 respondents (making 33%) were females and 4,974 respondents, (making 67%) were male while one did not indicate their sex.
3.4 Region
Out of the 7,423 respondents; 4,082 respondents (making 55%) were from central region, while 1,855 respondents (making 25%) were from southern region and 1485 respondents (making 20%) from northern region.
3.2 Areas
Out of the 7,423 respondents; 3,340 respondents (making45%) were from urban, 223 respondents (making 3%) from townships, 148 respondents (making 2%) were from sub-urban, while 2,227 (making 30%) were from rural areas and 1,485 respondents (making 20%) were from cities.
3.4 Concerns Raised
The main concerns that young people raised by responding to the questionnaires were summarized as follows;
No Category Percentage Summery of Concern for the Category
1 Education 52.4% Most young people raised various concerns on this topic; they are able to realize that education is a key to success as such they objectively presented concerns. Among notable concerns raised included the recognition of the UDHR article 26 “right to education”.
o Access to schools within the reasonable distance or geographical location from place of residence.
o Access to university Education, Government to introduce more Universities in the country than the present number.
o Resources allocation i.e. Libraries and teachers quality in schools should be improved.
o University and Secondary school fees are not affordable.
o Government should monitor Private schools to improve Quality of education.
o Increase of Tertiary Education and Entrepreneurship Education
2 Job/Employment Opportunity 11.2% Young people expressed the following concerns on Career development, employment and Job opportunities;
o Job experience should not be a must when looking for employees; government must ask employers to introduce and adopt on the Job coaching policies
o Young Entrepreneurs must get financial support from the Government and the private sector in order to set up businesses so as to increase Employment opportunities.
o Possibility of revisiting the retirement age in order to give room to a lot of graduating young people a chance of employment
o Entrepreneurship training and Education must be encouraged to prepare young people a self reliant future
3 Drug and Alcohol abuse 2.1% Young people expressed the following concerns on Drug and Alcohol Abuse
o Calling for the Government to enforce alcohol and beverage bi-laws which restrict young people below the age of 18 to patronize or purchase alcohol
o Control of alcohol and beer drinking venues and shabeens
o Bringing about stiffer punishment for those found in possession and abusing of drugs.
4 Infrastructure Development 2% Young peoples concerns on infrastructure to contribute for the environment they want;
o Government to build more schools especially in the rural areas
o Government should improve access roads to the main roads
o Government and private sector to invest in building Libraries in each District in order to encourage the reading culture for young people
o Government and The Private sector to build more recreation centers for young people in each district
o
5 Health and HIV related concerns 8.5% Concerns on Health Related issues from young people were as follows;
o Leaders to include young people representatives in decision making forums on health issues
o Young people who are sexually active should access Life planning information, and support
o Life skills to be taken seriously as a need for young people in schools, and there should be qualified teachers for the subject.
o Government should join the Nongovernmental organisations in bringing an end to bad traditional practices that put young people’s life at risk of contracting the HI Virus, STI’s or early marriages.
o
6 Social Security 2.8% On social security young people had the following concerns;
o Tough punishments for those who Harrass,abuse and violate young people sexually, or physically
o Government to introduce more counseling centers for young people who have found themselves in conflict with the law.
o Government to emphasize on tough measure to combat pornography and information that will confuse and mislead young people
7 Crime 6% Young people expressed the following concerns on Crime;
o Government and Non governmental organisations to revisit and restructure the juvenile justice system to be effective and accessible by all young people without regard to their status.
o Make sure that the young people who have found themselves in conflict with the law must receive proper counseling.
o The Malawi prison service to be a reformatory other than as a punishing institution for young people.
8 Child abuse 11% Young people observed the following as their concerns on Child Abuse;
o Government must make Child Employment (as domestic workers, farm workers),a crime in order to stop the behavior.
o The ministry of Education should apply the same procedures of measuring standards for primary, secondary and pre- schools.
o Stiffer punishments for those who abuse children in any way.
9 Environment 7% Young people also expressed the following on their concerns on environment;
o Leaders to continue sensitizing their people on the importance of planting trees to replace the ones used
o The government and the private sector must introduce recycling plants for Plastics, metal and other materials which are a danger to the environment if just thrown away.
4 Conclusions
NfYD as facilitators for this process in Malawi would like to indicate that this process has provided an opportunity for us to observe certain areas that youths in Malawi find to be a priority and that many stakeholders ought to pay special attention to the concerns raised in this report.
It is very encouraging to note that young people are able to identify education as a very important tool in their lives.
School fees has been raised as a serious concern for the youth, many young people indicated that money is an impediment to their progress in receiving an education, which will usher them to getting a improved life in the near future.
NfYD encourages all the stakeholders in education sector to seriously investigate further to establish means of assisting youths who have a challenge of continuing education because of school fees because denying youths education, we are preparing a doomed future.
Job and employment has been expressed as a necessity to certain factions of youths in order to provide for their survival. Although some were not expressed as a means for direct gain, through families are the youths able to benefit. Job creation is cited as a more serious concern to income based on the feeling that family members can get employed in order to provide for youths financially.
The concern towards HIV/AIDS, being the only exception citing HIV/AIDS at a far more serious tone than any other problem. However, both issues pertain to engagement in unprotected sexual intercourse which leads to young girls falling pregnant and the continuous infections of sexually transmitted diseases.
Programme need to be considered to further raise awareness of this problem and to determine other means
of interventions to highlight the seriousness of this issues.
Many other young people expressed concern towards sports and recreation, which is rated among the top concerns raised. Sports and recreation is cited as a positive alternative to “idle time”, which could deter youth away from engaging in sexual activities or even drug abuse.
5. Recommendations
Malawi is one of the countries which adopts many policies but do not implement such in different fields, most of the issues raised in this report are policy-based and solutions have once suggested and policies developed but still the situation is still not improving.
It is quite important to realize that young people of these days are more advanced in terms of getting development information and are well able to follow what is happening is their countries, as such one has to realize that young people may not stay idle if they see something going wrong, especially in cases that would affect their lives.
It is very imperative to re-examine a compartment of fundamentals next to policies pertaining to education in-order to bring into line with educational concerns as presented within the findings of this report.
This should further integrate study geared towards deducing way for economic support that can be attributed to the Malawian youths for their education and education-related needs. The same approach to policies should be considered for HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy as well as sports and recreation and many other issues affecting young people in Malawi.
1.1 Introduction
Network for Youth Development is a membership network committed to empowering young people to act around youth concerns and play an active role in the development process. The network gives a forum to young men and women from different backgrounds to share ideas, exchange experiences and learn from each other in the struggle for a better life.
Network for Youth Development is a vital and creative youth network in Malawi – Africa with room for all kinds of engagements that are youth related. It is very important that young people use their own abilities to make a difference in their own communities realize that their efforts are necessary and needed.
1.2. Background Information
In November 2006, young people representing youth organisations and groups from Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe had the opportunity to come together, share ideas and experiences. During this process, young people from these countries felt that there is so much in common and want to support each other and cooperate in making a difference in each other’s lives. As a result a regional collaboration process was proposed to take place, in the form of a Regional Youth Hearing. This will give representatives of young people from participating countries the opportunity to express their ideas and concerns to decision makers.
It was further proposed that national youth hearings be conducted in the each participating country and then later a Regional Hearing where all the youth concerns solicited from these countries shall be presented.
It has been further recommended in the recent meeting held in South Africa that all participating countries will send representatives who will meet early 2008 to present their concerns to regional leaders together. This very important gathering is what has been named Youth Hearing. The process will provide a forum where young people from all walks of life use as a channel to present their concerns on the topic “the environment we want”. This will be a grand opportunity to young people from across Southern Africa to bring their problems with some suggestions as solutions to such problems.
It is a fact that young people in Africa as a continent are facing a lot of problems; this is why young people in the southern part of Africa, having similar problems, are coming together in one voice in order to make their region a better place for young people. This is a very important function for Southern African Young People such that they already expressed their commitment and interest by conducting several different programmes with specific country problems. For Example, in Malawi young people conducted a survey on Urbanization and the effects it has on Young people of which the findings disclosed causes of a lot of problems facing the young people. These range from HIV/Aids to unemployment.
A Youth hearing is a gathering where young people will present their concerns and ideas to decision makers and then decision makers will comment and share their views on the concerns presented.
The success of the hearing will depend on the levels of participation. In Malawi a large number of youth organisations and groups were invited to submit their concerns and ideas on the “Environment they Want” to Network for Youth Development which is facilitating the process in Malawi. Based on these concerns and ideas a national hearing will be organized in Blantyre where the collected concerns will be represented to the targeted decision makers. A key person will be invited to chair this event, among others shall have influential people in our societies.
2. Processes of Collecting Concerns in Malawi
2.1 Method of Accessing Concerns
The Youth for Solidarity Movement (Y4SM), a National Steering Committee of South Africa had developed a standardized questionnaire to facilitate getting data from their targeted groups; NfYD also adopted the same and used the same system of using a questionnaire.
Regional briefing meetings with members were conducted in all regions to promote, orient and seek support from all members of the network. This was to ensure that concerns were coming from a national platform.
All the organisations that participated had an opportunity to go around in their constituencies to collect as many concerns as possible, when the process was conducted in all the areas, the compiled questionnaire were submitted to NfYD to compile all the concerns into one document – a report.
2.2 Lead Question on the questionnaire
As a young person, what is it that you need that can contribute to a better life for you?
2.3 Getting Concerns through a Questionnaire
The questionnaire was printed and distributed to member organisations that were going around in their constituencies. In the process they handed over the questionnaires to the respondents in order that respond. In order to accommodate the participants who can not write, the facilitators were asked to guide the respondents through reading the questions interpret them according to the language of choice. Responses would then be written on the questionnaire on their behalf.
2.4 How Long Did the Process Take?
The collection process began in November 2007 when NfYD got financial assistance from Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA) to facilitate the whole process of the Hearing, The process took a period of 4 months (November – February) and the responses were collected and captured for analysis.
2.5 Analyzing the Questionnaire
A team of experienced members for NfYD were gathered to capture and analyze all the responses of the collection of youth concerns in all the regions of Malawi.
The questionnaire was in English but other respondents decided to respond in the vernacular (Chichewa) and was included and presented in a summary in English.
2.6 Questionnaires Distributed
NfYD had printed 6,423 questionnaires and distributed across all the three regions of Malawi. All the forms were filled and completed by the informants and NfYD received back all the forms. Though this was an original plan, in other areas they had to re-print the questionnaires due to high demand of the respondents i.e. Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Dedza respondents were members of different youth organisations, students and other youths. An estimation of 1,000 plus or minus questionnaires was a contribution from the youth from these districts.
The findings were analyzed in order to categorize the types of issues, sex, concerns and comments expressed by the various youths. These areas were not obligatory upon the youth because we believed that it is good to get first hand concerns of young people because they are the ones who are affected in their communities.
3 Summary
Young People were asked to present their information which would help classify respondents by the following categories; occupation, age, gender, region, race and area of residence.
No In-put Category
1 Occupation Youth that are;
Students
Unemployed
Employed
2 Age Youths between 15 – 30 years
3 Gender Male and female
4 Region South, Central and North
5 Areas Urban, Sub Urban, Rural, Townships, City
3.1 Results of the analysis
Out of 7,423 concerns which were collected and analyzed the following were the results of the summary;
Students: 50%
Employed: 10%
Unemployed: 40%
3.2 Age
Out of the 7,423 respondents, 6,309 (making 85%) were of ages between 15 – 26 years, while 1,114 respondents, (making 15%) were between 27–30 years old
3.3 Gender
Out of the 7,423 respondents; 2,449 respondents (making 33%) were females and 4,974 respondents, (making 67%) were male while one did not indicate their sex.
3.4 Region
Out of the 7,423 respondents; 4,082 respondents (making 55%) were from central region, while 1,855 respondents (making 25%) were from southern region and 1485 respondents (making 20%) from northern region.
3.2 Areas
Out of the 7,423 respondents; 3,340 respondents (making45%) were from urban, 223 respondents (making 3%) from townships, 148 respondents (making 2%) were from sub-urban, while 2,227 (making 30%) were from rural areas and 1,485 respondents (making 20%) were from cities.
3.4 Concerns Raised
The main concerns that young people raised by responding to the questionnaires were summarized as follows;
No Category Percentage Summery of Concern for the Category
1 Education 52.4% Most young people raised various concerns on this topic; they are able to realize that education is a key to success as such they objectively presented concerns. Among notable concerns raised included the recognition of the UDHR article 26 “right to education”.
o Access to schools within the reasonable distance or geographical location from place of residence.
o Access to university Education, Government to introduce more Universities in the country than the present number.
o Resources allocation i.e. Libraries and teachers quality in schools should be improved.
o University and Secondary school fees are not affordable.
o Government should monitor Private schools to improve Quality of education.
o Increase of Tertiary Education and Entrepreneurship Education
2 Job/Employment Opportunity 11.2% Young people expressed the following concerns on Career development, employment and Job opportunities;
o Job experience should not be a must when looking for employees; government must ask employers to introduce and adopt on the Job coaching policies
o Young Entrepreneurs must get financial support from the Government and the private sector in order to set up businesses so as to increase Employment opportunities.
o Possibility of revisiting the retirement age in order to give room to a lot of graduating young people a chance of employment
o Entrepreneurship training and Education must be encouraged to prepare young people a self reliant future
3 Drug and Alcohol abuse 2.1% Young people expressed the following concerns on Drug and Alcohol Abuse
o Calling for the Government to enforce alcohol and beverage bi-laws which restrict young people below the age of 18 to patronize or purchase alcohol
o Control of alcohol and beer drinking venues and shabeens
o Bringing about stiffer punishment for those found in possession and abusing of drugs.
4 Infrastructure Development 2% Young peoples concerns on infrastructure to contribute for the environment they want;
o Government to build more schools especially in the rural areas
o Government should improve access roads to the main roads
o Government and private sector to invest in building Libraries in each District in order to encourage the reading culture for young people
o Government and The Private sector to build more recreation centers for young people in each district
o
5 Health and HIV related concerns 8.5% Concerns on Health Related issues from young people were as follows;
o Leaders to include young people representatives in decision making forums on health issues
o Young people who are sexually active should access Life planning information, and support
o Life skills to be taken seriously as a need for young people in schools, and there should be qualified teachers for the subject.
o Government should join the Nongovernmental organisations in bringing an end to bad traditional practices that put young people’s life at risk of contracting the HI Virus, STI’s or early marriages.
o
6 Social Security 2.8% On social security young people had the following concerns;
o Tough punishments for those who Harrass,abuse and violate young people sexually, or physically
o Government to introduce more counseling centers for young people who have found themselves in conflict with the law.
o Government to emphasize on tough measure to combat pornography and information that will confuse and mislead young people
7 Crime 6% Young people expressed the following concerns on Crime;
o Government and Non governmental organisations to revisit and restructure the juvenile justice system to be effective and accessible by all young people without regard to their status.
o Make sure that the young people who have found themselves in conflict with the law must receive proper counseling.
o The Malawi prison service to be a reformatory other than as a punishing institution for young people.
8 Child abuse 11% Young people observed the following as their concerns on Child Abuse;
o Government must make Child Employment (as domestic workers, farm workers),a crime in order to stop the behavior.
o The ministry of Education should apply the same procedures of measuring standards for primary, secondary and pre- schools.
o Stiffer punishments for those who abuse children in any way.
9 Environment 7% Young people also expressed the following on their concerns on environment;
o Leaders to continue sensitizing their people on the importance of planting trees to replace the ones used
o The government and the private sector must introduce recycling plants for Plastics, metal and other materials which are a danger to the environment if just thrown away.
4 Conclusions
NfYD as facilitators for this process in Malawi would like to indicate that this process has provided an opportunity for us to observe certain areas that youths in Malawi find to be a priority and that many stakeholders ought to pay special attention to the concerns raised in this report.
It is very encouraging to note that young people are able to identify education as a very important tool in their lives.
School fees has been raised as a serious concern for the youth, many young people indicated that money is an impediment to their progress in receiving an education, which will usher them to getting a improved life in the near future.
NfYD encourages all the stakeholders in education sector to seriously investigate further to establish means of assisting youths who have a challenge of continuing education because of school fees because denying youths education, we are preparing a doomed future.
Job and employment has been expressed as a necessity to certain factions of youths in order to provide for their survival. Although some were not expressed as a means for direct gain, through families are the youths able to benefit. Job creation is cited as a more serious concern to income based on the feeling that family members can get employed in order to provide for youths financially.
The concern towards HIV/AIDS, being the only exception citing HIV/AIDS at a far more serious tone than any other problem. However, both issues pertain to engagement in unprotected sexual intercourse which leads to young girls falling pregnant and the continuous infections of sexually transmitted diseases.
Programme need to be considered to further raise awareness of this problem and to determine other means
of interventions to highlight the seriousness of this issues.
Many other young people expressed concern towards sports and recreation, which is rated among the top concerns raised. Sports and recreation is cited as a positive alternative to “idle time”, which could deter youth away from engaging in sexual activities or even drug abuse.
5. Recommendations
Malawi is one of the countries which adopts many policies but do not implement such in different fields, most of the issues raised in this report are policy-based and solutions have once suggested and policies developed but still the situation is still not improving.
It is quite important to realize that young people of these days are more advanced in terms of getting development information and are well able to follow what is happening is their countries, as such one has to realize that young people may not stay idle if they see something going wrong, especially in cases that would affect their lives.
It is very imperative to re-examine a compartment of fundamentals next to policies pertaining to education in-order to bring into line with educational concerns as presented within the findings of this report.
This should further integrate study geared towards deducing way for economic support that can be attributed to the Malawian youths for their education and education-related needs. The same approach to policies should be considered for HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy as well as sports and recreation and many other issues affecting young people in Malawi.
Did you say, freedom? Lest I forget August 22, 2008: Why is armed police hunting me down?
Posted on Sunday 24 August 2008 - 13:35
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Richard Chirombo, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi
Armed officers from Blantyre Police on Friday stood in ambush along the Kaohsiung Road, and then chased Africa News reporter ,Richard Chirombo, through Blantyre market after the reporter discovered their plans and tried to run for safety.
But Blantyre Police Spokesperson, Elizabeth Divala, in an interview, denied knowledge about the development, also saying she did not know anything to the effect that there was any Warrant of Arrest for me.
"No, I don't know anything about that," Divala said.
The officers, who were three, hid behind a guard house which houses Popat wholesalers, GTV Kameko Communications, Armatile Roofing Sytems, Link Building Products and Flair Flooring and Furnishings along the Kaohsiung Road. The road is located where the Upper Blantyre Inde Bank is located, along the old Mandala road.
Two were in civilian clothes carrying small fire arms, while one, the only one who had an AK 47, was in Police uniform.
The development follows inquiries from some Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers from Blantyre Police Station about the residence of this reporter on Thursday. The officers asked a prominent Blantyre-based freelancer journalist about where I stay, telling him it was because I write for Nyasa Times.
According to the journalist, the CID Police officers also told him that, since articles purportedly written by this reporter had at various occasions appeared on the internet-based publication, then I must have information about some meetings opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) officers have had in the recent past.
Said he:" Some CID Police officers said they have been looking for you because you write on Nyasa Times. They said they wanted to question you on some of your articles: they also said that some senior UDF party officials had a meeting at night about two or three weeks ago, and that, since you write for Nyasa Times, you know everything about that meeting, and you were there. They then asked me about where you stay so that they should arrest you."
Another reporter also collaborated being asked by CID officers from Blantyre Police about my whereabouts, adding that, from the look of things, the officers wanted me so quickly.
Apparently, I have never worked for Nyasa Times,,and have never received even a single penny from the internet publication.
Neither do I have any knowledge about the said night meeting, for whose purpose they did not elaborate.
The chase happened when this reporter was coming from Mandala Road, after branching off from Ginnery Corner. I had met a civilian officer who, upon seeing and recognising me because of my picture found on my Africa News Profile, phoned someone else.
Then, as I went on unperturbed towards muds Residence, which houses Vice President Cassim Chilumpha, and CFAO, then upper Inde Bank branch towards the fence of the building they lay invisibly in ambush, I saw someone come from the opposite direction and enter the fence of the buiding.
Twenty meters after I passed the entry to the gate, the three police officers came out, and walked almost on their tip toes so they could not be detected. Then, I dont know why, I looked backward and one of them beckoned me, saying "Hey Nyasa guy, we are looking for you. Wait".
I did not wait but hastened my steps. Then did the same. But, somehow, I managed to reach Blantyre Market. The market has two car parks; a lower one, which accommodates over 30 vehicles, and another on the upper side. This one accommodates less than ten vehicles.
I took the upper park, but the officers went on and stood at the entry of the lower park. After which they started sharing tasks, telling one to go behind the market fence, one through the gate, and the other to take the upper park. I was just watching them, then started walking faster.
They then begun chasing me, literally, calling on me to stop. I, however, managed to run, reached where they sell cabbages on the other side of the market, went behind a brick fence, and through Word Alive Ministries (Church) where people were having a lunch hour service.It was around 13:00 hours.
I joined the congregation but, five minutes later, saw two of the police officers at the back. As people stood to pray, pretended to bend my back and went out. One followed me, but lost track of me as I went into, and hid in, the toilet. I was there for almost an hour, all the while calling fellow journalists, informing them about the ordeal so that they could be with me and see what would happen to me.
There is a river to the left side of the church, just outside as people go toward the Catholic Institute (CI).when I looked that side, I saw the officers, standing there, playing with their phones, apparently playing some 'bluff y meal' on me. I then went the other side, saw them following me, and, luckily, saw someone in a vehicle who picked me and dropped me at Vanimali House.
I then went to the Malawi Law Society (MLS), where I met, and explained the ordeal , to the president, Mandala Mambulasa.
Then on Saturday, CID officers followed me as went to the National Media Institute of Southern Africa (Namisa) Annual General Meeting which was being held at the Blantyre Sports Club. I did not take long after informing some journalists about what was happening to me.
This contradicts what Ruling Democratic Progressive Party ( DPP) officials- Secretary General Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba and Spokesperson Nicholas Dausi- say that, since state president, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, took over office on May 20,2004 there has never been a journalist arrested because of their duty.
The two officials maintain that, under no circumstances will a journalist be arrested in Malawi, as Mutharika values press freedom.
Malawi does not have an access to information law: though the constitution says then press shall have the freedom to publish freely in, and without, the country.
Efforts by Namisa to have a bill of that nature passed have so far proved futile, despite assurances from the Ministry of Information. Now, with the next general elections just a stone-throw away, prospects are that the proposed bill may gather dust for a more while.
There was recently an outcry from the media after the State house accused private radio station, Joy, of employing foreigners, threatening to deport the station's manager Peter Chisale, on the basis that he was Zambian. Ironically, Chisale hails from the Southern Malawi district of Machinga.
It follows a myriad of accusations that Joy Radio was airing "slanderous and libelous articles and playing derogatory songs about the president".
Then, there is a case where Daily Times Editor, James Mphande, and reporter Mike Chipalasa got arrested by the police on allegations of publishing a 'false story' that claimed that Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Tembo had accused government of hiring rigging experts for the May 19, 2009 general elections.
Another Blantyre Newspapers reporter, Wanangwa Tembo, was arrested by the police for taking pictures of law enforcers who had gathered outside Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) offices in Mzuzu, where one cop was arrested for soliciting a bribe.
Maxwell Ng'ambi of Nation Publications Limited (NPL) was also arrested by police for allegedly interviewing former UDF Publicity Secretary Sam Mpasu at Maula prison.
According to former Namisa chairperson Martines Namingha, in his report during the 2008 AGM held on Saturday, said "the above cases of police arresting journalists and not taking them to court are a cause for concern to us. We feel police rush to arrest journalists without proper investigations; hence subject them to psychological torture".
One of the officers, apparently using a fictitious name after getting my e-mail address, richiesimons@yahoo.com on the net, e-mailed me as follows (apparently to corner me):
--- On Wed, 8/20/08, Stonoldy Ramuel wrote:
From: Stonoldy Ramuel
Subject:
To: richiesimons@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 6:27 PM
Hie,
I read some of your articles at African News.com and was very interested in most of them. I wonder if we could meet and talk more on some of the articles. I stay in Blantyre. How can we meet please?
stoney
At the moment, plain-clothed police officers are tailing me that I am living in fear.
NOTE TO THE READER: THAT WAS THEN (AUGUST 22, 2008) AND THIS IS NOW. WE ARE FREE NOW!
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Richard Chirombo, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi
Armed officers from Blantyre Police on Friday stood in ambush along the Kaohsiung Road, and then chased Africa News reporter ,Richard Chirombo, through Blantyre market after the reporter discovered their plans and tried to run for safety.
But Blantyre Police Spokesperson, Elizabeth Divala, in an interview, denied knowledge about the development, also saying she did not know anything to the effect that there was any Warrant of Arrest for me.
"No, I don't know anything about that," Divala said.
The officers, who were three, hid behind a guard house which houses Popat wholesalers, GTV Kameko Communications, Armatile Roofing Sytems, Link Building Products and Flair Flooring and Furnishings along the Kaohsiung Road. The road is located where the Upper Blantyre Inde Bank is located, along the old Mandala road.
Two were in civilian clothes carrying small fire arms, while one, the only one who had an AK 47, was in Police uniform.
The development follows inquiries from some Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers from Blantyre Police Station about the residence of this reporter on Thursday. The officers asked a prominent Blantyre-based freelancer journalist about where I stay, telling him it was because I write for Nyasa Times.
According to the journalist, the CID Police officers also told him that, since articles purportedly written by this reporter had at various occasions appeared on the internet-based publication, then I must have information about some meetings opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) officers have had in the recent past.
Said he:" Some CID Police officers said they have been looking for you because you write on Nyasa Times. They said they wanted to question you on some of your articles: they also said that some senior UDF party officials had a meeting at night about two or three weeks ago, and that, since you write for Nyasa Times, you know everything about that meeting, and you were there. They then asked me about where you stay so that they should arrest you."
Another reporter also collaborated being asked by CID officers from Blantyre Police about my whereabouts, adding that, from the look of things, the officers wanted me so quickly.
Apparently, I have never worked for Nyasa Times,,and have never received even a single penny from the internet publication.
Neither do I have any knowledge about the said night meeting, for whose purpose they did not elaborate.
The chase happened when this reporter was coming from Mandala Road, after branching off from Ginnery Corner. I had met a civilian officer who, upon seeing and recognising me because of my picture found on my Africa News Profile, phoned someone else.
Then, as I went on unperturbed towards muds Residence, which houses Vice President Cassim Chilumpha, and CFAO, then upper Inde Bank branch towards the fence of the building they lay invisibly in ambush, I saw someone come from the opposite direction and enter the fence of the buiding.
Twenty meters after I passed the entry to the gate, the three police officers came out, and walked almost on their tip toes so they could not be detected. Then, I dont know why, I looked backward and one of them beckoned me, saying "Hey Nyasa guy, we are looking for you. Wait".
I did not wait but hastened my steps. Then did the same. But, somehow, I managed to reach Blantyre Market. The market has two car parks; a lower one, which accommodates over 30 vehicles, and another on the upper side. This one accommodates less than ten vehicles.
I took the upper park, but the officers went on and stood at the entry of the lower park. After which they started sharing tasks, telling one to go behind the market fence, one through the gate, and the other to take the upper park. I was just watching them, then started walking faster.
They then begun chasing me, literally, calling on me to stop. I, however, managed to run, reached where they sell cabbages on the other side of the market, went behind a brick fence, and through Word Alive Ministries (Church) where people were having a lunch hour service.It was around 13:00 hours.
I joined the congregation but, five minutes later, saw two of the police officers at the back. As people stood to pray, pretended to bend my back and went out. One followed me, but lost track of me as I went into, and hid in, the toilet. I was there for almost an hour, all the while calling fellow journalists, informing them about the ordeal so that they could be with me and see what would happen to me.
There is a river to the left side of the church, just outside as people go toward the Catholic Institute (CI).when I looked that side, I saw the officers, standing there, playing with their phones, apparently playing some 'bluff y meal' on me. I then went the other side, saw them following me, and, luckily, saw someone in a vehicle who picked me and dropped me at Vanimali House.
I then went to the Malawi Law Society (MLS), where I met, and explained the ordeal , to the president, Mandala Mambulasa.
Then on Saturday, CID officers followed me as went to the National Media Institute of Southern Africa (Namisa) Annual General Meeting which was being held at the Blantyre Sports Club. I did not take long after informing some journalists about what was happening to me.
This contradicts what Ruling Democratic Progressive Party ( DPP) officials- Secretary General Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba and Spokesperson Nicholas Dausi- say that, since state president, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, took over office on May 20,2004 there has never been a journalist arrested because of their duty.
The two officials maintain that, under no circumstances will a journalist be arrested in Malawi, as Mutharika values press freedom.
Malawi does not have an access to information law: though the constitution says then press shall have the freedom to publish freely in, and without, the country.
Efforts by Namisa to have a bill of that nature passed have so far proved futile, despite assurances from the Ministry of Information. Now, with the next general elections just a stone-throw away, prospects are that the proposed bill may gather dust for a more while.
There was recently an outcry from the media after the State house accused private radio station, Joy, of employing foreigners, threatening to deport the station's manager Peter Chisale, on the basis that he was Zambian. Ironically, Chisale hails from the Southern Malawi district of Machinga.
It follows a myriad of accusations that Joy Radio was airing "slanderous and libelous articles and playing derogatory songs about the president".
Then, there is a case where Daily Times Editor, James Mphande, and reporter Mike Chipalasa got arrested by the police on allegations of publishing a 'false story' that claimed that Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Tembo had accused government of hiring rigging experts for the May 19, 2009 general elections.
Another Blantyre Newspapers reporter, Wanangwa Tembo, was arrested by the police for taking pictures of law enforcers who had gathered outside Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) offices in Mzuzu, where one cop was arrested for soliciting a bribe.
Maxwell Ng'ambi of Nation Publications Limited (NPL) was also arrested by police for allegedly interviewing former UDF Publicity Secretary Sam Mpasu at Maula prison.
According to former Namisa chairperson Martines Namingha, in his report during the 2008 AGM held on Saturday, said "the above cases of police arresting journalists and not taking them to court are a cause for concern to us. We feel police rush to arrest journalists without proper investigations; hence subject them to psychological torture".
One of the officers, apparently using a fictitious name after getting my e-mail address, richiesimons@yahoo.com on the net, e-mailed me as follows (apparently to corner me):
--- On Wed, 8/20/08, Stonoldy Ramuel
From: Stonoldy Ramuel
Subject:
To: richiesimons@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 6:27 PM
Hie,
I read some of your articles at African News.com and was very interested in most of them. I wonder if we could meet and talk more on some of the articles. I stay in Blantyre. How can we meet please?
stoney
At the moment, plain-clothed police officers are tailing me that I am living in fear.
NOTE TO THE READER: THAT WAS THEN (AUGUST 22, 2008) AND THIS IS NOW. WE ARE FREE NOW!
Lest I forget August 22, 2008: Armed Malawi police officers chase Africa News reporter
Posted on Sunday 24 August 2008 - 13:31
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Armed officers from Blantyre Police on Friday stood in ambush along the Kaohsiung Road, and then chased Africa News reporter ,Richard Chirombo, through Blantyre market after the reporter discovered their plans and tried to run for safety.
But Blantyre Police Spokesperson, Elizabeth Divala, in an interview, denied knowledge about the development, also saying she did not know anything to the effect that there was any Warrant of Arrest for me.
"No, I don't know anything about that," Divala said.
The officers, who were three, hid behind a guard house which houses Popat wholesalers, GTV Kameko Communications, Armatile Roofing Sytems, Link Building Products and Flair Flooring and Furnishings along the Kaohsiung Road. The road is located where the Upper Blantyre Inde Bank is located, along the old Mandala road.
Two were in civilian clothes carrying small fire arms, while one, the only one who had an AK 47, was in Police uniform.
The development follows inquiries from some Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers from Blantyre Police Station about the residence of this reporter on Thursday. The officers asked a prominent Blantyre-based freelancer journalist about where I stay, telling him it was because I write for Nyasa Times.
According to the journalist, the CID Police officers also told him that, since articles purportedly written by this reporter had at various occasions appeared on the internet-based publication, then I must have information about some meetings opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) officers have had in the recent past.
Said he:" Some CID Police officers said they have been looking for you because you write on Nyasa Times. They said they wanted to question you on some of your articles: they also said that some senior UDF party officials had a meeting at night about two or three weeks ago, and that, since you write for Nyasa Times, you know everything about that meeting, and you were there. They then asked me about where you stay so that they should arrest you."
Another reporter also collaborated being asked by CID officers from Blantyre Police about my whereabouts, adding that, from the look of things, the officers wanted me so quickly.
Apparently, I have never worked for Nyasa Times,,and have never received even a single penny from the internet publication.
Neither do I have any knowledge about the said night meeting, for whose purpose they did not elaborate.
The chase happened when this reporter was coming from Mandala Road, after branching off from Ginnery Corner. I had met a civilian officer who, upon seeing and recognising me because of my picture found on my Africa News Profile, phoned someone else.
Then, as I went on unperturbed towards muds Residence, which houses Vice President Cassim Chilumpha, and CFAO, then upper Inde Bank branch towards the fence of the building they lay invisibly in ambush, I saw someone come from the opposite direction and enter the fence of the buiding.
Twenty meters after I passed the entry to the gate, the three police officers came out, and walked almost on their tip toes so they could not be detected. Then, I dont know why, I looked backward and one of them beckoned me, saying "Hey Nyasa guy, we are looking for you. Wait".
I did not wait but hastened my steps. Then did the same. But, somehow, I managed to reach Blantyre Market. The market has two car parks; a lower one, which accommodates over 30 vehicles, and another on the upper side. This one accommodates less than ten vehicles.
I took the upper park, but the officers went on and stood at the entry of the lower park. After which they started sharing tasks, telling one to go behind the market fence, one through the gate, and the other to take the upper park. I was just watching them, then started walking faster.
They then begun chasing me, literally, calling on me to stop. I, however, managed to run, reached where they sell cabbages on the other side of the market, went behind a brick fence, and through Word Alive Ministries (Church) where people were having a lunch hour service.It was around 13:00 hours.
I joined the congregation but, five minutes later, saw two of the police officers at the back. As people stood to pray, pretended to bend my back and went out. One followed me, but lost track of me as I went into, and hid in, the toilet. I was there for almost an hour, all the while calling fellow journalists, informing them about the ordeal so that they could be with me and see what would happen to me.
There is a river to the left side of the church, just outside as people go toward the Catholic Institute (CI).when I looked that side, I saw the officers, standing there, playing with their phones, apparently playing some 'bluff y meal' on me.
I then went the other side, saw them following me, and, luckily, saw someone in a vehicle who picked me and dropped me at Vanimali House.
I then went to the Malawi Law Society (MLS), where I met, and explained the ordeal , to the president, Mandala Mambulasa.
Then on Saturday, CID officers followed me as went to the National Media Institute of Southern Africa (Namisa) Annual General Meeting which was being held at the Blantyre Sports Club. I did not take long after informing some journalists about what was happening to me.
This contradicts what Ruling Democratic Progressive Party ( DPP) officials- Secretary General Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba and Spokesperson Nicholas Dausi- say that, since state president, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, took over office on May 20,2004 there has never been a journalist arrested because of their duty.
The two officials maintain that, under no circumstances will a journalist be arrested in Malawi, as Mutharika values press freedom.
Malawi does not have an access to information law: though the constitution says then press shall have the freedom to publish freely in, and without, the country.
Efforts by Namisa to have a bill of that nature passed have so far proved futile, despite assurances from the Ministry of Information. Now, with the next general elections just a stone-throw away, prospects are that the proposed bill may gather dust for a more while.
There was recently an outcry from the media after the State house accused private radio station, Joy, of employing foreigners, threatening to deport the station's manager Peter Chisale, on the basis that he was Zambian. Ironically, Chisale hails from the Southern Malawi district of Machinga.
It follows a myriad of accusations that Joy Radio was airing "slanderous and libelous articles and playing derogatory songs about the president".
Then, there is a case where Daily Times Editor, James Mphande, and reporter Mike Chipalasa got arrested by the police on allegations of publishing a 'false story' that claimed that Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Tembo had accused government of hiring rigging experts for the May 19, 2009 general elections.
Another Blantyre Newspapers reporter, Wanangwa Tembo, was arrested by the police for taking pictures of law enforcers who had gathered outside Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) offices in Mzuzu, where one cop was arrested for soliciting a bribe.
Maxwell Ng'ambi of Nation Publications Limited (NPL) was also arrested by police for allegedly interviewing former UDF Publicity Secretary Sam Mpasu at Maula prison.
According to former Namisa chairperson Martines Namingha, in his report during the 2008 AGM held on Saturday, said "the above cases of police arresting journalists and not taking them to court are a cause for concern to us. We feel police rush to arrest journalists without proper investigations; hence subject them to psychological torture".
At the moment, plain-clothed police officers are tailing me that I am living in fear.
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Richard Chirombo
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Armed officers from Blantyre Police on Friday stood in ambush along the Kaohsiung Road, and then chased Africa News reporter ,Richard Chirombo, through Blantyre market after the reporter discovered their plans and tried to run for safety.
But Blantyre Police Spokesperson, Elizabeth Divala, in an interview, denied knowledge about the development, also saying she did not know anything to the effect that there was any Warrant of Arrest for me.
"No, I don't know anything about that," Divala said.
The officers, who were three, hid behind a guard house which houses Popat wholesalers, GTV Kameko Communications, Armatile Roofing Sytems, Link Building Products and Flair Flooring and Furnishings along the Kaohsiung Road. The road is located where the Upper Blantyre Inde Bank is located, along the old Mandala road.
Two were in civilian clothes carrying small fire arms, while one, the only one who had an AK 47, was in Police uniform.
The development follows inquiries from some Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers from Blantyre Police Station about the residence of this reporter on Thursday. The officers asked a prominent Blantyre-based freelancer journalist about where I stay, telling him it was because I write for Nyasa Times.
According to the journalist, the CID Police officers also told him that, since articles purportedly written by this reporter had at various occasions appeared on the internet-based publication, then I must have information about some meetings opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) officers have had in the recent past.
Said he:" Some CID Police officers said they have been looking for you because you write on Nyasa Times. They said they wanted to question you on some of your articles: they also said that some senior UDF party officials had a meeting at night about two or three weeks ago, and that, since you write for Nyasa Times, you know everything about that meeting, and you were there. They then asked me about where you stay so that they should arrest you."
Another reporter also collaborated being asked by CID officers from Blantyre Police about my whereabouts, adding that, from the look of things, the officers wanted me so quickly.
Apparently, I have never worked for Nyasa Times,,and have never received even a single penny from the internet publication.
Neither do I have any knowledge about the said night meeting, for whose purpose they did not elaborate.
The chase happened when this reporter was coming from Mandala Road, after branching off from Ginnery Corner. I had met a civilian officer who, upon seeing and recognising me because of my picture found on my Africa News Profile, phoned someone else.
Then, as I went on unperturbed towards muds Residence, which houses Vice President Cassim Chilumpha, and CFAO, then upper Inde Bank branch towards the fence of the building they lay invisibly in ambush, I saw someone come from the opposite direction and enter the fence of the buiding.
Twenty meters after I passed the entry to the gate, the three police officers came out, and walked almost on their tip toes so they could not be detected. Then, I dont know why, I looked backward and one of them beckoned me, saying "Hey Nyasa guy, we are looking for you. Wait".
I did not wait but hastened my steps. Then did the same. But, somehow, I managed to reach Blantyre Market. The market has two car parks; a lower one, which accommodates over 30 vehicles, and another on the upper side. This one accommodates less than ten vehicles.
I took the upper park, but the officers went on and stood at the entry of the lower park. After which they started sharing tasks, telling one to go behind the market fence, one through the gate, and the other to take the upper park. I was just watching them, then started walking faster.
They then begun chasing me, literally, calling on me to stop. I, however, managed to run, reached where they sell cabbages on the other side of the market, went behind a brick fence, and through Word Alive Ministries (Church) where people were having a lunch hour service.It was around 13:00 hours.
I joined the congregation but, five minutes later, saw two of the police officers at the back. As people stood to pray, pretended to bend my back and went out. One followed me, but lost track of me as I went into, and hid in, the toilet. I was there for almost an hour, all the while calling fellow journalists, informing them about the ordeal so that they could be with me and see what would happen to me.
There is a river to the left side of the church, just outside as people go toward the Catholic Institute (CI).when I looked that side, I saw the officers, standing there, playing with their phones, apparently playing some 'bluff y meal' on me.
I then went the other side, saw them following me, and, luckily, saw someone in a vehicle who picked me and dropped me at Vanimali House.
I then went to the Malawi Law Society (MLS), where I met, and explained the ordeal , to the president, Mandala Mambulasa.
Then on Saturday, CID officers followed me as went to the National Media Institute of Southern Africa (Namisa) Annual General Meeting which was being held at the Blantyre Sports Club. I did not take long after informing some journalists about what was happening to me.
This contradicts what Ruling Democratic Progressive Party ( DPP) officials- Secretary General Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba and Spokesperson Nicholas Dausi- say that, since state president, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, took over office on May 20,2004 there has never been a journalist arrested because of their duty.
The two officials maintain that, under no circumstances will a journalist be arrested in Malawi, as Mutharika values press freedom.
Malawi does not have an access to information law: though the constitution says then press shall have the freedom to publish freely in, and without, the country.
Efforts by Namisa to have a bill of that nature passed have so far proved futile, despite assurances from the Ministry of Information. Now, with the next general elections just a stone-throw away, prospects are that the proposed bill may gather dust for a more while.
There was recently an outcry from the media after the State house accused private radio station, Joy, of employing foreigners, threatening to deport the station's manager Peter Chisale, on the basis that he was Zambian. Ironically, Chisale hails from the Southern Malawi district of Machinga.
It follows a myriad of accusations that Joy Radio was airing "slanderous and libelous articles and playing derogatory songs about the president".
Then, there is a case where Daily Times Editor, James Mphande, and reporter Mike Chipalasa got arrested by the police on allegations of publishing a 'false story' that claimed that Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Tembo had accused government of hiring rigging experts for the May 19, 2009 general elections.
Another Blantyre Newspapers reporter, Wanangwa Tembo, was arrested by the police for taking pictures of law enforcers who had gathered outside Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) offices in Mzuzu, where one cop was arrested for soliciting a bribe.
Maxwell Ng'ambi of Nation Publications Limited (NPL) was also arrested by police for allegedly interviewing former UDF Publicity Secretary Sam Mpasu at Maula prison.
According to former Namisa chairperson Martines Namingha, in his report during the 2008 AGM held on Saturday, said "the above cases of police arresting journalists and not taking them to court are a cause for concern to us. We feel police rush to arrest journalists without proper investigations; hence subject them to psychological torture".
At the moment, plain-clothed police officers are tailing me that I am living in fear.
Malawi fails to tap from high coffee demand
Malawi is failing to fully reap from the current high global demand for coffee due to productive capacity constraints, says Peter Njikho, Coffee Technical and Marketing Exucutive for the Coffee Association of Malawi.
Prices for the commodity have been increasing for the past five years. In 2006, the average price for coffee on the international market was U$D2.60, U$D3 in 2007, and the association expects prices of no less than U$D3 this year, according to Njikho.
"Prices of coffee have really been favourable for the past five years such that there is high demand which, unfortunately, we are failing to fully utilise due to lack of capacity to match with demand," said Njikho, who added, however, that Malawi has been working on improving quality first.
The initiative to improve quality has now borne fruit, as the country's coffee has been elevated from Faq (Fair Average Quality) to premium, quaranteeing high market value for the crop.
Njikho also attributed the country's failure to tap from the high demand on the inactivitity of the Central region in growing coffee. He said the Central region districts of Ntchisi, Dowa, Dedza and Ntcheu, but they stopped cultivating the crop in the wake of the coffee pricing crisis that marred the world in the early 1990s.
"Not only the Central region, even some estates in the Southern region up-rooted the crop because of that crisis, and we have been trying to build from that over the years to make sure that these districts join Mzimba, Rumphi, Nkhatabay and Chitipa in the Northern region; as well as Chiradzulu, Thyolo and some estates- who are currently active growers of the crop," he said.
Malawi has, however, seen an increase in coffee production over the same past five years to the effect that, in 2007 coffee production reached 2250 metric tones. It is expected that 2600 metric tones will be produced in 2008. Already, the country has exported seven containers, and the average price for that coffee has been U$D3.
The country's coffee is sold in the Netherlands and Germany, through South African brokers.
Njikho added that many small holder farmers were now taking to the trade as 3500 farmers had joined the association, increasing the number of smallholder farmers in coffee farming from 1500 who were growing coffee five years ago.
The association, which was formed in 1981, now aims at reviving coffee farming in the Central region to meet demand, a development the Technical and Marketing executive says would ultimately see Coffee replacing tobacco as the country's net export earner.
Prices for the commodity have been increasing for the past five years. In 2006, the average price for coffee on the international market was U$D2.60, U$D3 in 2007, and the association expects prices of no less than U$D3 this year, according to Njikho.
"Prices of coffee have really been favourable for the past five years such that there is high demand which, unfortunately, we are failing to fully utilise due to lack of capacity to match with demand," said Njikho, who added, however, that Malawi has been working on improving quality first.
The initiative to improve quality has now borne fruit, as the country's coffee has been elevated from Faq (Fair Average Quality) to premium, quaranteeing high market value for the crop.
Njikho also attributed the country's failure to tap from the high demand on the inactivitity of the Central region in growing coffee. He said the Central region districts of Ntchisi, Dowa, Dedza and Ntcheu, but they stopped cultivating the crop in the wake of the coffee pricing crisis that marred the world in the early 1990s.
"Not only the Central region, even some estates in the Southern region up-rooted the crop because of that crisis, and we have been trying to build from that over the years to make sure that these districts join Mzimba, Rumphi, Nkhatabay and Chitipa in the Northern region; as well as Chiradzulu, Thyolo and some estates- who are currently active growers of the crop," he said.
Malawi has, however, seen an increase in coffee production over the same past five years to the effect that, in 2007 coffee production reached 2250 metric tones. It is expected that 2600 metric tones will be produced in 2008. Already, the country has exported seven containers, and the average price for that coffee has been U$D3.
The country's coffee is sold in the Netherlands and Germany, through South African brokers.
Njikho added that many small holder farmers were now taking to the trade as 3500 farmers had joined the association, increasing the number of smallholder farmers in coffee farming from 1500 who were growing coffee five years ago.
The association, which was formed in 1981, now aims at reviving coffee farming in the Central region to meet demand, a development the Technical and Marketing executive says would ultimately see Coffee replacing tobacco as the country's net export earner.
Meet Malawi's ageing Obamas
Wanted to know the most travelled man in Malawi? One who can be found in forty places all at once? Barack Obama, that's his name- rather, their names!
Malawi is experiencing a historic rise in Barack Obamas, following the Illinois Democratic senator's triumph over Hillary Clinton in the race to be the party's torch-bearer come November.
But the irony behind Malawian Obamas is that a majority of them seem over the hill. How can a Barack Obama be 68 years old, for example?
Leading the cart are United democratic Front (UDF) aspiring Members of Parliament, another irony because Obama, after all, is for president- President of the United States of America, and Commander-in-Chief!
Kenson Msonda, former Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) board chairperson, aspires to stand on the UDF ticket in Blantyre-Kabula constituency. The most notable tool of his campaigning is that he calls himself 'Obama wa ku Kabula' (Kabula's Obama). He is already older than Obama himself, much much older.
He defends himself:" All I mean to say is that, for Kabula, here is an opportunity for change for the better: a new beginning in terms of development and, like Obama, I represent that change, that opportunity. No problems about that."
On Sunday this week, Msonda was at Mbayani, Blantyre's ramshackle suburb. The banners and flags flying in the July-sodden wind said it all- Our Obama, Always for Change. One banner even read: Msonda and Obama are twins, born the same day!
Born the same day? One in the US, and one in Malawi? Impossible. In Mbayani, and Blantyre-Kabula constituency, it is real and possible.
Masautso Phiri, another aspiring MP, this one in Malawi's Central region district of Dedza, aspiring to stand on a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ticket in Leader of Opposition, John Tembos Dedza South constituency, is 68 years old and 1.89 metres tall.
In the first place, how can Barack Obama stand for two ideologically (if Malawi's political parties have any ideology at all) different political parties? Again, how can Obama be 1.89 metres tall.
To cap it all, this Phiri is a bachelor- no wife, no wife and has never left his church since 1940 when he started praying. Surely, just recently Obama deserted his church, purpotedly because of the sayings of his pastor. Well, perhaps some things pastors say take more than eight years to understand!
"Sure, I am Obama, and will win," said Phiri, at a campaign meeting he addressed at Bembeke Trading Centre on Wednesday.
In Chitipa Wenya Constitutency, in Northern Malawi, McFord Nyirongo will stand, at least that's what he says, on Alliance for Democracy (Aford) ticket. That party which was alive, under the influence of its one-party-numbing hero Chakufwa Chihana, and died. And now says it is alive again, that, in the Northen region, DPP is nly on paper. A dead personage speaking from the grave? Obamas party has never died, but.
Nyirongo says he is greatly inspired by Obama, that he would die shouting 'Obama!' in the Middle of Malawi's largely-deteriorating road infrastructure.
Obama to him means the 'ability to win against all odds'. The problem is; the odds he is facing in Chitipa Wenya are hinged on the reality, sad to him, his number one enemy is the truth that there are no odds to run against in that constituency. President Bingu wa Mutharika's administration has done better that area than other political parties ever, according to Nyayoli Njikho, a DPP faithful.
His campaign placard reads: 'Barack Obama for McFord Nyirongo!'
Perhaps they talk, in his sweet dreams.
Jonathan Banda, a Malawian political analyst based in Switzerland, but currently in Malawi, says, with the win chalked by the US Illinois senator to represent the party despite racial bias and doubts raised by his competitor Clinton, over his capacity to become Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces should he win against Republican John MacCain, many Malawians and, in deed, Africans will now be using his name enmasse to represent success.
"People, like MPs, will even use the name even if it does not apply to them. Look at the 80-year olds saying (they) are Barack Obamas. It's interesting, though," said Banda in an interview.
As Malawi goes to the parliamentary and presidential polls on May 19, 2008, the impasse is for the Malawi government, or private operators, to open a museum, or museums, where all 80 year-old Obamas, some twice as fat and black as him, should be kept. That is, those ageing Obamas who fail to make it in any of the 2009 contested positions.
After all, they will have lied to the nation. And sending them to their home villages to start farming, or evangelism, as former presidential hopeful Gwanda Chakuamba promised in the run-up to the May 20, 2004 general elections in case of his failure to make it as Citizen Number One, is a waste of creativity.
Obama, for all he stands for, is history in the making- part of it already made.
Malawi is experiencing a historic rise in Barack Obamas, following the Illinois Democratic senator's triumph over Hillary Clinton in the race to be the party's torch-bearer come November.
But the irony behind Malawian Obamas is that a majority of them seem over the hill. How can a Barack Obama be 68 years old, for example?
Leading the cart are United democratic Front (UDF) aspiring Members of Parliament, another irony because Obama, after all, is for president- President of the United States of America, and Commander-in-Chief!
Kenson Msonda, former Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) board chairperson, aspires to stand on the UDF ticket in Blantyre-Kabula constituency. The most notable tool of his campaigning is that he calls himself 'Obama wa ku Kabula' (Kabula's Obama). He is already older than Obama himself, much much older.
He defends himself:" All I mean to say is that, for Kabula, here is an opportunity for change for the better: a new beginning in terms of development and, like Obama, I represent that change, that opportunity. No problems about that."
On Sunday this week, Msonda was at Mbayani, Blantyre's ramshackle suburb. The banners and flags flying in the July-sodden wind said it all- Our Obama, Always for Change. One banner even read: Msonda and Obama are twins, born the same day!
Born the same day? One in the US, and one in Malawi? Impossible. In Mbayani, and Blantyre-Kabula constituency, it is real and possible.
Masautso Phiri, another aspiring MP, this one in Malawi's Central region district of Dedza, aspiring to stand on a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ticket in Leader of Opposition, John Tembos Dedza South constituency, is 68 years old and 1.89 metres tall.
In the first place, how can Barack Obama stand for two ideologically (if Malawi's political parties have any ideology at all) different political parties? Again, how can Obama be 1.89 metres tall.
To cap it all, this Phiri is a bachelor- no wife, no wife and has never left his church since 1940 when he started praying. Surely, just recently Obama deserted his church, purpotedly because of the sayings of his pastor. Well, perhaps some things pastors say take more than eight years to understand!
"Sure, I am Obama, and will win," said Phiri, at a campaign meeting he addressed at Bembeke Trading Centre on Wednesday.
In Chitipa Wenya Constitutency, in Northern Malawi, McFord Nyirongo will stand, at least that's what he says, on Alliance for Democracy (Aford) ticket. That party which was alive, under the influence of its one-party-numbing hero Chakufwa Chihana, and died. And now says it is alive again, that, in the Northen region, DPP is nly on paper. A dead personage speaking from the grave? Obamas party has never died, but.
Nyirongo says he is greatly inspired by Obama, that he would die shouting 'Obama!' in the Middle of Malawi's largely-deteriorating road infrastructure.
Obama to him means the 'ability to win against all odds'. The problem is; the odds he is facing in Chitipa Wenya are hinged on the reality, sad to him, his number one enemy is the truth that there are no odds to run against in that constituency. President Bingu wa Mutharika's administration has done better that area than other political parties ever, according to Nyayoli Njikho, a DPP faithful.
His campaign placard reads: 'Barack Obama for McFord Nyirongo!'
Perhaps they talk, in his sweet dreams.
Jonathan Banda, a Malawian political analyst based in Switzerland, but currently in Malawi, says, with the win chalked by the US Illinois senator to represent the party despite racial bias and doubts raised by his competitor Clinton, over his capacity to become Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces should he win against Republican John MacCain, many Malawians and, in deed, Africans will now be using his name enmasse to represent success.
"People, like MPs, will even use the name even if it does not apply to them. Look at the 80-year olds saying (they) are Barack Obamas. It's interesting, though," said Banda in an interview.
As Malawi goes to the parliamentary and presidential polls on May 19, 2008, the impasse is for the Malawi government, or private operators, to open a museum, or museums, where all 80 year-old Obamas, some twice as fat and black as him, should be kept. That is, those ageing Obamas who fail to make it in any of the 2009 contested positions.
After all, they will have lied to the nation. And sending them to their home villages to start farming, or evangelism, as former presidential hopeful Gwanda Chakuamba promised in the run-up to the May 20, 2004 general elections in case of his failure to make it as Citizen Number One, is a waste of creativity.
Obama, for all he stands for, is history in the making- part of it already made.
Kristof of NY Times Spotlights Population Council Contraceptives
In his column in yesterday's New York Times, Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof argued that it's time to make family planning a priority as a basic human right and a crucial component in the effort to overcome global poverty. We at the Population Council agree.
We were pleased that Kristof cited the contraceptive research and development underway at the Council as an example of the promise that greater investments hold. He described the the Council's contraceptive vaginal ring, a user-controlled method that provides protection for one year without replacement, which means lower costs and fewer trips to the doctor, pharmacy, or health clinic. The Council is now preparing a new drug application on the contraceptive ring for submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for review during 2001 to 2012. Kristof's column also highlighted Council research on dual-purpose rings that once developed, not only should prevent unintended pregnancy, but may also help prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections or provide additional benefits, such as safeguarding breast health.
Please read Nick Kristof's column (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/opinion/26kristof.html). I hope it encourages you to visit the Population Council's website and learn more about our pioneering contraceptive research and development. We are proud of our history of innovation, which includes the Copper T intrauterine device, the Mirena® intrauterine system, and the contraceptive implant, Jadelle®--products that have been used by over 120 million women around the world. Consider sharing Kristof's article with friends and family to encourage greater support for developing safe and affordable contraceptive options, especially methods well suited to women and their partners in need in developing countries.
Contraceptive research and development is one aspect of our long-standing effort to advance human rights, save women's lives, and enhance development prospects through better quality, more available family planning services. You can learn more about this work at www.popcouncil.org.
We were pleased that Kristof cited the contraceptive research and development underway at the Council as an example of the promise that greater investments hold. He described the the Council's contraceptive vaginal ring, a user-controlled method that provides protection for one year without replacement, which means lower costs and fewer trips to the doctor, pharmacy, or health clinic. The Council is now preparing a new drug application on the contraceptive ring for submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for review during 2001 to 2012. Kristof's column also highlighted Council research on dual-purpose rings that once developed, not only should prevent unintended pregnancy, but may also help prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections or provide additional benefits, such as safeguarding breast health.
Please read Nick Kristof's column (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/opinion/26kristof.html). I hope it encourages you to visit the Population Council's website and learn more about our pioneering contraceptive research and development. We are proud of our history of innovation, which includes the Copper T intrauterine device, the Mirena® intrauterine system, and the contraceptive implant, Jadelle®--products that have been used by over 120 million women around the world. Consider sharing Kristof's article with friends and family to encourage greater support for developing safe and affordable contraceptive options, especially methods well suited to women and their partners in need in developing countries.
Contraceptive research and development is one aspect of our long-standing effort to advance human rights, save women's lives, and enhance development prospects through better quality, more available family planning services. You can learn more about this work at www.popcouncil.org.
"The elderly are History still living"
Have you ever touched hands with History? No..,here is how you saw History, and never really saw it!
Women and Child Development Minister, Anna Kachikho, says Malawi cannot develop if policy makers overlook the needs of women and children.
Kachikho said today in Neno when the Association of Progresiive Women (APW) launched a shelter for orphans the aged women, policies that excluded the needs of the two groups were efforts in futile.
"Women and children are a crucial component of national development: they feed our nation, because they do all the farming, and also tender for our sick; yet society is prive to their needs, their plight. It cannot be denied that such attitude throw spanners in the work of developing our nation," she said.
Kachikho said, however, things had begun to change with the current administration of president Bingu wa Mutharika.
"Now our women, especially the aged, are taken as citizens of this country. In the past, we had common cases of the aged being tortured or their houses burnt on suspicions that they were practicing witchcraft. How can a normal child work up today and accuse the very woman who tendered them to grow of practicing witchcraft? Why, if that were the case, couldn't she just eat them when they were young? That is nonsense," said Kachikho.
APW Executive Director Reen Kachere, who used her personal finances to construct the shelter, located in Southern Malawi, described the aged as "walking libraries" whose services should be utilised for the benefit of posterity.
"In old people we have our past with us, today. Let us take care of them, let us not accuse them of practicing witchcraft, let us give them fertiliser subsidy coupons because they are still active citizens of this country," said Kachere, who pledged to continue uplifting the lives of the aged in Malawi.
She said the shelter would not be the last, as APW planned to construct more shelters in Mwanza, a neighbourly district to Neno. Mwanza and Neno used to be one district, but the Bakili Muluzi administration declared the later a district before he handed over the reigns of power to Mutharika.
Todate, perhaps reflecting the hasteness of that fateful decision, Neno has no tarred road- perhaps the only administrative centre in Malawi without the black staff on top of its red dust.
There are, however, developments taking place now, what with former United States president, Bill Clinton, in partnership with Scortish anthropologist Thom Hunter, constructing a hospital that is billed to be one of the best in Southern Malawi.
Francis Mkandawire, Bingu Silver Grey Foundation executive director- an charitable organisation owned by Mutharika- said it was time Malawians treated the elderly better.
"In fact, we say life begins at 60, and that is true. Those below 60 are tied up by work, their wives, the battle for every day survival; while those at 60, and above, have all the world to them, they are free.
"It becomes as a bad omen, therefore, to find people accusing these people of all sorts of things, most of which are aimed at making life at 60 the beginning of a bad end. Accusations of witchcraft, exclusion in societal activities, among others, yet these people are a treasure to all nation, a library, a gold-mine of experience," said Mkandawire who, at over 60 years of age, has just started her life.
Neno has 3450 aged men and women, and 10,690 orphans who look up to them for survival. That is, food, school fees, shelter, and advice- having lost their parents to HIV and Aids or road accidents, Malawi having one of the highest incidences of road accidents.
But, according to former Member of Parliament (MP) for the area and aspiring DPP, Joe Manduwa, the aged are left out during distribution of subsidised inputs like fertiliser and maize.
"Yet, these are the people who are nurturing our children into productive citizens. But it is true that the Mutharika administration is doing fine in taking care for the elderly," he enthused.
His statement could emanate from the fact that, apart from having a ministry for the elderly, Bingu's Silver Grey Foundation has so far disbursed items worth over K30 million to the elderly in Malawi since its establishment.
What's more: plans are in the offing to construct shelters for the elderly through out the country, a move that has drawn criticism from opposition parties, fearing the shelters would act like Nazi concentration camps since the elderly will be taken from their places of residence and communities and put in secluded places.
"Waiting for what? Death?", asks John Tembo, the leader of opposition in Parliament.
To which Information Minister, Patricia Kaliati, responds: " Tembo himself has failed to look after his grandparents properly; so when we want to give them a decent life, what is wrong with that?".
A question for a question. And, still, the question remains: Arguing over what?
Women and Child Development Minister, Anna Kachikho, says Malawi cannot develop if policy makers overlook the needs of women and children.
Kachikho said today in Neno when the Association of Progresiive Women (APW) launched a shelter for orphans the aged women, policies that excluded the needs of the two groups were efforts in futile.
"Women and children are a crucial component of national development: they feed our nation, because they do all the farming, and also tender for our sick; yet society is prive to their needs, their plight. It cannot be denied that such attitude throw spanners in the work of developing our nation," she said.
Kachikho said, however, things had begun to change with the current administration of president Bingu wa Mutharika.
"Now our women, especially the aged, are taken as citizens of this country. In the past, we had common cases of the aged being tortured or their houses burnt on suspicions that they were practicing witchcraft. How can a normal child work up today and accuse the very woman who tendered them to grow of practicing witchcraft? Why, if that were the case, couldn't she just eat them when they were young? That is nonsense," said Kachikho.
APW Executive Director Reen Kachere, who used her personal finances to construct the shelter, located in Southern Malawi, described the aged as "walking libraries" whose services should be utilised for the benefit of posterity.
"In old people we have our past with us, today. Let us take care of them, let us not accuse them of practicing witchcraft, let us give them fertiliser subsidy coupons because they are still active citizens of this country," said Kachere, who pledged to continue uplifting the lives of the aged in Malawi.
She said the shelter would not be the last, as APW planned to construct more shelters in Mwanza, a neighbourly district to Neno. Mwanza and Neno used to be one district, but the Bakili Muluzi administration declared the later a district before he handed over the reigns of power to Mutharika.
Todate, perhaps reflecting the hasteness of that fateful decision, Neno has no tarred road- perhaps the only administrative centre in Malawi without the black staff on top of its red dust.
There are, however, developments taking place now, what with former United States president, Bill Clinton, in partnership with Scortish anthropologist Thom Hunter, constructing a hospital that is billed to be one of the best in Southern Malawi.
Francis Mkandawire, Bingu Silver Grey Foundation executive director- an charitable organisation owned by Mutharika- said it was time Malawians treated the elderly better.
"In fact, we say life begins at 60, and that is true. Those below 60 are tied up by work, their wives, the battle for every day survival; while those at 60, and above, have all the world to them, they are free.
"It becomes as a bad omen, therefore, to find people accusing these people of all sorts of things, most of which are aimed at making life at 60 the beginning of a bad end. Accusations of witchcraft, exclusion in societal activities, among others, yet these people are a treasure to all nation, a library, a gold-mine of experience," said Mkandawire who, at over 60 years of age, has just started her life.
Neno has 3450 aged men and women, and 10,690 orphans who look up to them for survival. That is, food, school fees, shelter, and advice- having lost their parents to HIV and Aids or road accidents, Malawi having one of the highest incidences of road accidents.
But, according to former Member of Parliament (MP) for the area and aspiring DPP, Joe Manduwa, the aged are left out during distribution of subsidised inputs like fertiliser and maize.
"Yet, these are the people who are nurturing our children into productive citizens. But it is true that the Mutharika administration is doing fine in taking care for the elderly," he enthused.
His statement could emanate from the fact that, apart from having a ministry for the elderly, Bingu's Silver Grey Foundation has so far disbursed items worth over K30 million to the elderly in Malawi since its establishment.
What's more: plans are in the offing to construct shelters for the elderly through out the country, a move that has drawn criticism from opposition parties, fearing the shelters would act like Nazi concentration camps since the elderly will be taken from their places of residence and communities and put in secluded places.
"Waiting for what? Death?", asks John Tembo, the leader of opposition in Parliament.
To which Information Minister, Patricia Kaliati, responds: " Tembo himself has failed to look after his grandparents properly; so when we want to give them a decent life, what is wrong with that?".
A question for a question. And, still, the question remains: Arguing over what?
Cyber Lotto acquires majority shares in Aflot
Employment creation, social responsibility, employment creation, business generation, turn some Malawians into instant millionaires, and a million customers to boot- and there comes Cyber Lotto Limited, a new Malawian lotteries company that has just acquired majority shares in African Lotteries Company (Aflot) to effectively take over operations.
The launch of Cyber Lotto follows a shift in focus by Aflot, whose hitherto majority shareholder, Intercorp Inc Limited sold its stake to the new company.
Chris Kanyuka, Cyber Lotto's Chief Executive Officer told the press in Blantyre today the new kid on the block brings on the market new games, new commitment, new management and new excitement, and would not take over-board former Aflot employees except those with exceptional skills.
Cyber Lotto faces dwindling confidence among Malawians for lotteries, after the former company wound up business without anyone hitting the jackpot of K5 million, a development most people view with both suspicion and contempt.
But Kanyuka assures Malawians that, with the new company came a new hope, and that, as part of this commitment, the operators would make sure that people win often.
"People should differentiate us from Aflot, because we are entirely a new company that intends to improve the living standards of Malawians. This will be in form of scintillating games, playing an active role in the area of social development, to plow back our profits to society and the less privileged, apart from creating employment and business opportunities to a lot of unemployed people," said Kanyuka.
How Cyber Lotto intends to ascertain its impact on the unemployment queue remains to be seen, as Malawi does not have official unemployments rates.
Even how the company plans to make sure that customer confidence retains the normal mark, and that people win that often, is yet to be calibrated.
But Operations Director, Ivan Goh, seems so eager to dispel the negative notions so soon, saying just mid-next month Cyber Lotto launches the first game, christened March-Two- where customers will have to chose two numbers, out of 26 figures, to win prises 100-fold the ticket price.
Said Goh:" For this one, the chances of winning are one-to-four, so we are really committed to making sure that people win. Then, in September, we will launch another game, March-Six- where will have to chose six out of 26 figures and win. From a mobile phone, each Short Message Service (SMS) will cost K140 while from our merchants (1000 to be hired by September), the minimum entry will be K75," said Goh.
The launch of Cyber Lotto follows a shift in focus by Aflot, whose hitherto majority shareholder, Intercorp Inc Limited sold its stake to the new company.
Chris Kanyuka, Cyber Lotto's Chief Executive Officer told the press in Blantyre today the new kid on the block brings on the market new games, new commitment, new management and new excitement, and would not take over-board former Aflot employees except those with exceptional skills.
Cyber Lotto faces dwindling confidence among Malawians for lotteries, after the former company wound up business without anyone hitting the jackpot of K5 million, a development most people view with both suspicion and contempt.
But Kanyuka assures Malawians that, with the new company came a new hope, and that, as part of this commitment, the operators would make sure that people win often.
"People should differentiate us from Aflot, because we are entirely a new company that intends to improve the living standards of Malawians. This will be in form of scintillating games, playing an active role in the area of social development, to plow back our profits to society and the less privileged, apart from creating employment and business opportunities to a lot of unemployed people," said Kanyuka.
How Cyber Lotto intends to ascertain its impact on the unemployment queue remains to be seen, as Malawi does not have official unemployments rates.
Even how the company plans to make sure that customer confidence retains the normal mark, and that people win that often, is yet to be calibrated.
But Operations Director, Ivan Goh, seems so eager to dispel the negative notions so soon, saying just mid-next month Cyber Lotto launches the first game, christened March-Two- where customers will have to chose two numbers, out of 26 figures, to win prises 100-fold the ticket price.
Said Goh:" For this one, the chances of winning are one-to-four, so we are really committed to making sure that people win. Then, in September, we will launch another game, March-Six- where will have to chose six out of 26 figures and win. From a mobile phone, each Short Message Service (SMS) will cost K140 while from our merchants (1000 to be hired by September), the minimum entry will be K75," said Goh.
G4S-Malawi workers’ compensation a pittance- union
A prominent workers’ union representing the interests of security guards in the country has quashed the K500, 000 compensation awarded to two G4S employees injured while on duty, describing the monetary compensation as a “pittance”.
The Textile Garments, Leather and Security Services Workers Union (TGLSSWU) says the gesture to give K544, 008.35 to Cosmas Harawa and Benson Phiri reflected the little regard employers accord security workers in Malawi, yet guards were in an occupational risk that put their lives on the line everyday.
MacDonald Chuma, TGLSSWU deputy General Secretary, said on Tuesday the money was barely enough to enable the two employees live a better life, since they could not discharge their normal duties as was rightly observed during the presentation ceremony by G4S Managing Director Basie Loubser.
Loubser said during presentation of cheques to the two employees the compensation package was meant to “enable them live a better life since they cannot discharge their normal duties”, a statement the security workers union say is merely a smoke-screen since K544, 008.35 is not even “enough to buy a second-hand minibus”.
Harawa, who was a dog handler, got injured on December 1, 2007 when armed robbers stormed Mbayani Filling Station, where he was on duty, and shot him on both thighs. Phiri lost his right eye and suffered serious injuries to his right leg when robbers attacked him while guarding at Dyson Kamkwatira’s residence in Chileka, on August 27 last year.
“We feel it is a mockery to these people and their families because they will never be able to discharge their duties normally again, and that puts a strain on their family. In fact, giving the two administrative duties should not be the reason they have received a pittance like K544, 008.35 because we have information from GMB, the union that represents G4S workers in the United Kingdom, that guards there receive much more than this,” said Chuma.
He added that it was hard to understand the reason Malawian guards were being given “below-par compensation” yet their colleagues working for the same company elsewhere were entitled to better compensation packages.
The move to compensate Harawa and Phiri is part of a newly-introduced Employee Trust Fund set aside by G4S in the UK to compensate workers injured while on duty. On June 3 this year, the G4S Cash Services and the GMB Union announced to Members of Parliament in Westminster the launch of a fund aimed at providing financial assistance to employees who suffer serious injury as a result of criminal attacks at work.
The fund, named The Criminal Attack Fund, awards workers based on the effect of an injury on the employee and is fully financed by contributions made by both the company and its employees, according to Chuma.
G4S Chief Executive Officer for Cash Services, Ian Nisbet, was quoted last month as saying the fund would go a long way in acting as a safety net for G4S workers, adding while the company was striving to reduce the number of attacks on guards, their safety and welfare came first in cases of attack.
Even GMB Union National Officer, Gary Smith, welcomed the development but warned that compensation should apply equally to all G4S workers world wide, a point Chuma said seemed to be overlooked in the Malawi scenario.
Said Chuma:“But that is not our only worry, the other problem is that it is only two employees who have been compensated yet we have records of more than 15 security guards who have been seriously injured in the course of duty but are yet to be compensated.”
He urged other security companies, however, to emulate the G4S gesture. Chuma also said companies should design their compensation packages in such a way that, after calculations, it should be 100 times more than the salary for security workers to be dedicated.
The Compensation Act we have now, he said, is outdated and should be reviewed. The TGLSSWU accused the Malawi Law Commission on the Review of the Constitution of frustrating security workers efforts in the quest for favourable conditions of service.
Security workers are some of the lowest paid workers in Malawi, receiving U$D23 on average, he added.
The Textile Garments, Leather and Security Services Workers Union (TGLSSWU) says the gesture to give K544, 008.35 to Cosmas Harawa and Benson Phiri reflected the little regard employers accord security workers in Malawi, yet guards were in an occupational risk that put their lives on the line everyday.
MacDonald Chuma, TGLSSWU deputy General Secretary, said on Tuesday the money was barely enough to enable the two employees live a better life, since they could not discharge their normal duties as was rightly observed during the presentation ceremony by G4S Managing Director Basie Loubser.
Loubser said during presentation of cheques to the two employees the compensation package was meant to “enable them live a better life since they cannot discharge their normal duties”, a statement the security workers union say is merely a smoke-screen since K544, 008.35 is not even “enough to buy a second-hand minibus”.
Harawa, who was a dog handler, got injured on December 1, 2007 when armed robbers stormed Mbayani Filling Station, where he was on duty, and shot him on both thighs. Phiri lost his right eye and suffered serious injuries to his right leg when robbers attacked him while guarding at Dyson Kamkwatira’s residence in Chileka, on August 27 last year.
“We feel it is a mockery to these people and their families because they will never be able to discharge their duties normally again, and that puts a strain on their family. In fact, giving the two administrative duties should not be the reason they have received a pittance like K544, 008.35 because we have information from GMB, the union that represents G4S workers in the United Kingdom, that guards there receive much more than this,” said Chuma.
He added that it was hard to understand the reason Malawian guards were being given “below-par compensation” yet their colleagues working for the same company elsewhere were entitled to better compensation packages.
The move to compensate Harawa and Phiri is part of a newly-introduced Employee Trust Fund set aside by G4S in the UK to compensate workers injured while on duty. On June 3 this year, the G4S Cash Services and the GMB Union announced to Members of Parliament in Westminster the launch of a fund aimed at providing financial assistance to employees who suffer serious injury as a result of criminal attacks at work.
The fund, named The Criminal Attack Fund, awards workers based on the effect of an injury on the employee and is fully financed by contributions made by both the company and its employees, according to Chuma.
G4S Chief Executive Officer for Cash Services, Ian Nisbet, was quoted last month as saying the fund would go a long way in acting as a safety net for G4S workers, adding while the company was striving to reduce the number of attacks on guards, their safety and welfare came first in cases of attack.
Even GMB Union National Officer, Gary Smith, welcomed the development but warned that compensation should apply equally to all G4S workers world wide, a point Chuma said seemed to be overlooked in the Malawi scenario.
Said Chuma:“But that is not our only worry, the other problem is that it is only two employees who have been compensated yet we have records of more than 15 security guards who have been seriously injured in the course of duty but are yet to be compensated.”
He urged other security companies, however, to emulate the G4S gesture. Chuma also said companies should design their compensation packages in such a way that, after calculations, it should be 100 times more than the salary for security workers to be dedicated.
The Compensation Act we have now, he said, is outdated and should be reviewed. The TGLSSWU accused the Malawi Law Commission on the Review of the Constitution of frustrating security workers efforts in the quest for favourable conditions of service.
Security workers are some of the lowest paid workers in Malawi, receiving U$D23 on average, he added.
Malawi to increase boat ambulances
Malawi plans to increase the number of boat ambulances to, at least, 20, up from less than four that currently ferry patients in Lakeshore districts to nearby public hospitals.
This, according to Health Minister Moses Chirambo, will help reduce the number of patients who die on the way to medical facilities in a country dogged by transport problems for people who live along Africa’s third largest freshwater lake.
Malawi is one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the world that, out of every 100, 000 births, 894 have to die. Malaria remains another challenge crippling the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member state’s health care delivery system- already devastated by the twin challenges of HIV and AIDS and Tuberculosis.
Chirambo said communities living along Lake Malawi were facing insurmountable transport challenges during emergencies, a development that was increasing the number of preventable deaths.
“We talk of communities living along such Lakeshore districts as Nkhatabay District Hospital and others. There are very few boats ferrying patients to these hospitals. Government will, therefore, increase the number of boats in a bid to help improve service delivery of health services,” said Chirambo.
Chirambo said the initiative will be implemented in the course of two years. During the same time, renovation works will be taking place at Nkhatabay District Hospital, to cost a whopping K15.7 billion.
“We really want to change the face of health services in Malawi. As you can see, boat ambulances and a state-of-the-art hospital will help improve the health status of many people, not only in Nkhatabay and the Northern region but, in Malawi in general. We want to help meet the Millennium Development Goals,” said Chirambo.
This, according to Health Minister Moses Chirambo, will help reduce the number of patients who die on the way to medical facilities in a country dogged by transport problems for people who live along Africa’s third largest freshwater lake.
Malawi is one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the world that, out of every 100, 000 births, 894 have to die. Malaria remains another challenge crippling the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member state’s health care delivery system- already devastated by the twin challenges of HIV and AIDS and Tuberculosis.
Chirambo said communities living along Lake Malawi were facing insurmountable transport challenges during emergencies, a development that was increasing the number of preventable deaths.
“We talk of communities living along such Lakeshore districts as Nkhatabay District Hospital and others. There are very few boats ferrying patients to these hospitals. Government will, therefore, increase the number of boats in a bid to help improve service delivery of health services,” said Chirambo.
Chirambo said the initiative will be implemented in the course of two years. During the same time, renovation works will be taking place at Nkhatabay District Hospital, to cost a whopping K15.7 billion.
“We really want to change the face of health services in Malawi. As you can see, boat ambulances and a state-of-the-art hospital will help improve the health status of many people, not only in Nkhatabay and the Northern region but, in Malawi in general. We want to help meet the Millennium Development Goals,” said Chirambo.
Local governments ordered to clean up
Malawians hate paying up. This became more evident during consultative meetings for the introduction of ‘Polluter Pays Principle’ some two years ago, sending government to the drawing board.
Many stakeholders, industry players and community members alike, came flat out against the initiative, saying it would make life expensive since it would, in effect, make people pay for that they needed not.
There fears could, somehow, be understood since they emanated from the Ministry of Environmental Affairs. Now, government wants to start from the ground and instill a sense of cleanness over public infrastructure.
Minister of Local Government, Goodall Gondwe, has started the process, beginning with Mzuzu City in Malawi’s Northern region.
Mzuzu was declared a town in 1964, before graduating into the region’s only city. The country has four cities, one in the North, another in Central region, which also hosts the country’s capital city, and two in the Southern region. These are Blantyre and Zomba, Malawi’s former capital.
Gondwe is not happy with album dwellers he accuses of developing ‘strange’ tendencies.
“People seem to have developed strange tendencies, one of which includes litter- throwing in most parts of the country’s urban areas. This does not happen in rural areas, which means that it is not part of our culture,” said Gondwe.
Gondwe said government wanted to improve the level of cleanness in Malawian cities, some of which were once considered the cleanliest in Africa. Foreign heads of state even came to just appreciate how City Assemblies such as Blantyre managed to keep litter out of the streets.
But Gondwe said this reputation was fast dying because urban dwellers were losing sense of environmental management and throwing all responsibility to the wind.
“We want to start with local assemblies and take the initiative to the national stage. It is not too late to bring things back to normal,” said Gondwe.
He hoped that people would soon begin to own up to their mess.
Many stakeholders, industry players and community members alike, came flat out against the initiative, saying it would make life expensive since it would, in effect, make people pay for that they needed not.
There fears could, somehow, be understood since they emanated from the Ministry of Environmental Affairs. Now, government wants to start from the ground and instill a sense of cleanness over public infrastructure.
Minister of Local Government, Goodall Gondwe, has started the process, beginning with Mzuzu City in Malawi’s Northern region.
Mzuzu was declared a town in 1964, before graduating into the region’s only city. The country has four cities, one in the North, another in Central region, which also hosts the country’s capital city, and two in the Southern region. These are Blantyre and Zomba, Malawi’s former capital.
Gondwe is not happy with album dwellers he accuses of developing ‘strange’ tendencies.
“People seem to have developed strange tendencies, one of which includes litter- throwing in most parts of the country’s urban areas. This does not happen in rural areas, which means that it is not part of our culture,” said Gondwe.
Gondwe said government wanted to improve the level of cleanness in Malawian cities, some of which were once considered the cleanliest in Africa. Foreign heads of state even came to just appreciate how City Assemblies such as Blantyre managed to keep litter out of the streets.
But Gondwe said this reputation was fast dying because urban dwellers were losing sense of environmental management and throwing all responsibility to the wind.
“We want to start with local assemblies and take the initiative to the national stage. It is not too late to bring things back to normal,” said Gondwe.
He hoped that people would soon begin to own up to their mess.
13-year old Mswati inherits Ngoni chieftainship
Malawi has a 13-year old chief.
Willard Mswati Gomani, a Form Two student at Milanda Secondary School, has been named the next Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani following the death of his father, Kanjedza Alexander, who died last week at Ntcheu District Hospital.
He has held the position for less than 15 months, after being installed Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani 1V in June, 2008.
Willard Mswati Gomani, the first born to the late Inkosi, was installed Inkosi ya Makosi at a Ngoni ceremony held in Ntcheu. He becomes Inkosi ya Makosi V.
However, little Mswati will have to wait a little longer to sit on the royal throne as he will have to finish his education.
The new chief’s god father is King Mswati of Swaziland, who gave him the name Mswati.
Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani is a paramount chief for the Ngoni people, mostly found in Ntcheu district of Southern Malawi.
The Ngoni people originated from South Africa, and were forced, during the late 1800s, to spread across many parts of Southern Africa owing to the perceived cruelty of Tchaka Zulu, their paramount chief in South Africa.
Willard Mswati Gomani, a Form Two student at Milanda Secondary School, has been named the next Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani following the death of his father, Kanjedza Alexander, who died last week at Ntcheu District Hospital.
He has held the position for less than 15 months, after being installed Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani 1V in June, 2008.
Willard Mswati Gomani, the first born to the late Inkosi, was installed Inkosi ya Makosi at a Ngoni ceremony held in Ntcheu. He becomes Inkosi ya Makosi V.
However, little Mswati will have to wait a little longer to sit on the royal throne as he will have to finish his education.
The new chief’s god father is King Mswati of Swaziland, who gave him the name Mswati.
Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani is a paramount chief for the Ngoni people, mostly found in Ntcheu district of Southern Malawi.
The Ngoni people originated from South Africa, and were forced, during the late 1800s, to spread across many parts of Southern Africa owing to the perceived cruelty of Tchaka Zulu, their paramount chief in South Africa.
Malawi president for AU chairmanship
President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi could become the next African Union chairman in 2010, following a decision by Southern African Development Community leaders to proffer him up for the position. A SADC meeting held this month proposed Mutharika and the president of Lesotho for the position which falls vacant 2010.
The AU’s current chair is Muammar Gadaff of Libya.
The next AU chairmanship, which operates on rotational basis, will go to SADC next year. SADC leaders then earmarked Mutharika for the position, but the final decision will be arrived at after another contest between Mutharika and other leaders to be held in January next year- though Mutharika is well-placed and favoured to become the next chair.
Malawi’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof. Ettah Banda, has confirmed the development. “SADC leaders settled for Mutharika. The final event to come up with the final name will be held in January. Mutharika’s chances are very high, looking at his political and economic performance,” said Banda.
Mutharika has led Malawi to three successive bumper harvests, rescuing the country once known for befriending perpetual hunger from the pangs of poverty and food insecurity.
“We are happy with the decision of the SADC leaders and the probability of holding the AU chairmanship,” said Banda.
The AU’s current chair is Muammar Gadaff of Libya.
The next AU chairmanship, which operates on rotational basis, will go to SADC next year. SADC leaders then earmarked Mutharika for the position, but the final decision will be arrived at after another contest between Mutharika and other leaders to be held in January next year- though Mutharika is well-placed and favoured to become the next chair.
Malawi’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof. Ettah Banda, has confirmed the development. “SADC leaders settled for Mutharika. The final event to come up with the final name will be held in January. Mutharika’s chances are very high, looking at his political and economic performance,” said Banda.
Mutharika has led Malawi to three successive bumper harvests, rescuing the country once known for befriending perpetual hunger from the pangs of poverty and food insecurity.
“We are happy with the decision of the SADC leaders and the probability of holding the AU chairmanship,” said Banda.
Banda, Chavez call for Africa, S America unity
Malawi's vice president Joyce Banda has called for closer working relationships between Africa and South America, saying good working relations between the two continents were crucial to attaining sustainable social-economic development.
Banda said while there is disparity in terms of social-economic development, the two continents had some common challenges that needed shared solutions. She was speaking at a meeting of African and South American heads of state being held in Venezuela the two regions.
“It is sad that South America and Africa have often trodden on difference paths over common challenges. The end result has been disintegration, lack of unity, increased poverty and social-economic uncertainty among the people of the two great areas. This must change,” said Banda.
Banda cited mining, energy development, agriculture and industry development as some of the areas that needed a common approach, adding failure to harness each others’ ideas had increased economic disparities for the peoples of the two regions.
“Isolationism will never help us; it will never help things. Let us begin to work more closely, and join hands in development projects that may change the facet of people’s lives. For example, we have the Shire-Zambezi Waterway in Southern Malawi, a project that will help reduce transport costs by as many as 45 per cent and make life easier; we need you to work with us towards this goal.
“The project will help many other neighbouring countries and render the export and import of raw materials and finished products cheaper for many people. In the end, poverty will no longer be a reality but a song, and prosperity will come home for many poor people,” said Banda.
Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, acknowledged that there is a ‘big gap’ between Africa and South America, and called for the immediate bridging of the prevalent gap.
“There is real need for unity. It is time Africa and South America got united and up lift the lives of our people. Why have we allowed this gap to grow? Why have we let it drift us apart? Closer relations between us needed today more than ever before; what with the on going global economic crisis?” queried Chavez.
African leaders have since committed themselves to working more closely with South America, as the world grapples with the effects of the global economic crisis.
Banda said while there is disparity in terms of social-economic development, the two continents had some common challenges that needed shared solutions. She was speaking at a meeting of African and South American heads of state being held in Venezuela the two regions.
“It is sad that South America and Africa have often trodden on difference paths over common challenges. The end result has been disintegration, lack of unity, increased poverty and social-economic uncertainty among the people of the two great areas. This must change,” said Banda.
Banda cited mining, energy development, agriculture and industry development as some of the areas that needed a common approach, adding failure to harness each others’ ideas had increased economic disparities for the peoples of the two regions.
“Isolationism will never help us; it will never help things. Let us begin to work more closely, and join hands in development projects that may change the facet of people’s lives. For example, we have the Shire-Zambezi Waterway in Southern Malawi, a project that will help reduce transport costs by as many as 45 per cent and make life easier; we need you to work with us towards this goal.
“The project will help many other neighbouring countries and render the export and import of raw materials and finished products cheaper for many people. In the end, poverty will no longer be a reality but a song, and prosperity will come home for many poor people,” said Banda.
Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, acknowledged that there is a ‘big gap’ between Africa and South America, and called for the immediate bridging of the prevalent gap.
“There is real need for unity. It is time Africa and South America got united and up lift the lives of our people. Why have we allowed this gap to grow? Why have we let it drift us apart? Closer relations between us needed today more than ever before; what with the on going global economic crisis?” queried Chavez.
African leaders have since committed themselves to working more closely with South America, as the world grapples with the effects of the global economic crisis.
Malawi intensifies search for gold, diamond
Malawi has intensified the search for gold and diamond in a latest bid to prop up its agro-based economy. The country depends largely on agriculture, which contributes over 60 per cent to the national economy.
But tobacco, its highest foreign exchange earner faces an uncertain future in the face of a global onslaught against the health hazards associated with smoking.
Price instability for other strategic crops such as cotton, tea and maize have also meant diminished returns for impoverished farmers, prompting government to experiment with new viable forms of economic spinning.
Leonard Kalindekafe, Director for the country’s Geological Surveys Department, said mineral exploration offered the next best alternative for Malawi.
“Mineral exploration can contribute significantly towards economic development for Malawi. That is why we have intensified the search for gold and diamond. There are strong possibilities that we have these precious minerals in the country, and what was remaining has been exploration,” said Kalindekafe.
He said the department has started drilling for diamond and gold, a process he said would take as long as six to one year to bring results.
“We have started exploration works for diamond in Mangochi. So far, we have extracted some substantial amount of Kimberlitic stones. These are the stones that contain diamond, though it is not always the case that you will get the diamond,” he said.
While drilling works for diamond have already started in the Southern Malawi district of Mangochi, exploration works for gold have also started in Neno district, another Southern region district.
The works are taking place at a former blitz mine. Malawi has a variety of mineral resources. Some of which include bauxite and uranium.
Uranium mining has already started at Kayerekera in the Northern Malawi district of Karonga. Paladin Africa, an Australian company carrying out the works, announced last month uranium exportation would start between September and October this year.
Grain Malunga, Malawi’s Energy and Mines Minister, is thrilled with the prospects of Malawi becoming an uranium exporter.
“It is such a great thing to happen to Malawi. We will be making an average US$10 million from uranium exportation every year,” said Malunga.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has called for more investments in the country’s mining sector.
But tobacco, its highest foreign exchange earner faces an uncertain future in the face of a global onslaught against the health hazards associated with smoking.
Price instability for other strategic crops such as cotton, tea and maize have also meant diminished returns for impoverished farmers, prompting government to experiment with new viable forms of economic spinning.
Leonard Kalindekafe, Director for the country’s Geological Surveys Department, said mineral exploration offered the next best alternative for Malawi.
“Mineral exploration can contribute significantly towards economic development for Malawi. That is why we have intensified the search for gold and diamond. There are strong possibilities that we have these precious minerals in the country, and what was remaining has been exploration,” said Kalindekafe.
He said the department has started drilling for diamond and gold, a process he said would take as long as six to one year to bring results.
“We have started exploration works for diamond in Mangochi. So far, we have extracted some substantial amount of Kimberlitic stones. These are the stones that contain diamond, though it is not always the case that you will get the diamond,” he said.
While drilling works for diamond have already started in the Southern Malawi district of Mangochi, exploration works for gold have also started in Neno district, another Southern region district.
The works are taking place at a former blitz mine. Malawi has a variety of mineral resources. Some of which include bauxite and uranium.
Uranium mining has already started at Kayerekera in the Northern Malawi district of Karonga. Paladin Africa, an Australian company carrying out the works, announced last month uranium exportation would start between September and October this year.
Grain Malunga, Malawi’s Energy and Mines Minister, is thrilled with the prospects of Malawi becoming an uranium exporter.
“It is such a great thing to happen to Malawi. We will be making an average US$10 million from uranium exportation every year,” said Malunga.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has called for more investments in the country’s mining sector.
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