Zachimalawi's Top Three Personalities for 2011!!!

Awana child-members in Malawi (above), Malawi's incumbent President, Bingu wa Mutharika, before he dumped the United Democratic Front, and (below) Tony Chimpukuso, Air Malawi's Commercial, Tariffs and Industry Affairs Manager

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Awana Ministries for planting in children's psyche that attitude of helping others when hopes fall short. The adage that children are future leaders applies more to those within the age ranges of two to 18. That, exactly, is what Malawi's Awana Ministry is doing- teaching our children that 'giving is loving' and that 'sharing is serving'! Really, those who are called are not ashamed!
President Bingu wa Mutharika for putting a brave face in face of all the problems Malawi is facing.
And, lastly, Tony Chimpukuso for working around the clock- together with other Air Malawi officials- to make sure that Air Malawi's battered image does not suffer further damage by his insistence that "things will be alright" for the national flag carrier. Malawi needs men and women who can hope, and men and women who do not waver in the face of adverse circumstances.

Malawi This Year

Malawi's Flight Woes

The on-going crisis at the national flag carrier, Air Malawi, has left local air passengers at the mercy of market devices. Investigations carried out by The Sunday Times Business have revealed the spectacle of passengers starved of choice, a development compounded by findings that seats on almost all the planes are fully booked.
Some travelers who talked to The Sunday Times complained that some operators have hiked fares from as low as K112, 000 in November to K290, 000 by December 10 in the same category. Most observers have blamed the situation on the crisis at Air Malawi.
The national flag carrier has two out of its three birds grounded, with only the ATR 42 doing the rounds on domestic and regional routes.
Mathews Jeremiah Kalanda, who granted The Sunday Times an interview at Air Malawi premises on Wednesday, said he has been tossed from one airline office to another in the endless search for a seat to no avail.
“I was supposed to travel to the United Kingdom on December 17; however, I have so far failed to secure a seat because there are no available seats. Workers at one airline operator even told me that seats may only be available on February 9, 2012. I think all these problems are coming in because of government’s failure to bail Air Malawi,” Kalanda said.
The situation in the corridors of Air Malawi is said to have spurred a chain of fare price rises, with some operators reported to have hiked the cheapest economy class seats by almost 150 percent.
This was revealed by another passenger found at Air Malawi offices, Agness Philemon. She said she secured a seat on one of the airline operators, but “I have been forced to pay three times as much as I paid on October 16, when I traveled to Johannesburg. I paid K112, 000 in October and, now, I have been forced to pay K290, 000”.
When contacted to comment on the situation, Air Malawi’s marketing, tariffs and industry affairs manager, Tony Chimpukuso, acknowledged that other airline operators have taken advantage of the situation at the national flag carrier to rip passengers off.
Chimpukuso further admitted that passengers only have two choices at the moment: either to pay the higher fares or stay home!
“This is the reason we are working hard to have the (two) airlines operational again. What is happening now is that people are paying double the normal price and we want to bring normalcy to the industry. We are a national carrier; we are not in business to make money or punish the traveler,” Chimpukuso said.
Chimpukuso added that there were many advantages appended to traveling on the national flag carrier, among them the fact that all proceeds, including foreign exchange, are invested locally. He added that the airline operator also spends significantly on corporate social responsibility initiatives.
“Therefore, our current situation is translating into the loss of some advantages, especially those to do with Bilateral Air services Agreements (Basas). Basas allow foreign airline operators not to pay taxes. This means even Air Malawi does not pay taxes to governments of destinations it travels to, and that money is brought to Malawi.
“This means that, with Air Malawi not capitalizing much on Basas, foreign operators are enjoying the advantage over us, and externalizing forex,” said Chimpukuso.
Apart from failure to capitalize on Basas, Air Malawi has also been losing out on Code Share Agreements (CSA) following the collapse of its CSA with Zimbabwe Airways. However, the flag carrier still maintains Inter-Line Agreements with a horde of other airlines.
Chimpukuso said, however, that, in the face of escalating fares, some passengers were connecting to far-away destinations through ATR 42’s flights to Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
He also dispelled the notion that Malawi had a narrow airline industry currently; saying, instead, that 23 other off-shore planes also service Malawians.
In a related development, South African Airways (SAA) - one of the dominant airline operators on the domestic market- has dismissed reports that it was one of the operators cashing in on Air Malawi’s flight problems.
SAA country manager for Malawi, James Chikaonda, indicated in a written response that SAA was not one of the operators that have raised fares by almost 150 percent. He said the operator last reviewed fares between October and November, which saw fares rise by only between 3 and 5 percent.
“Just a little explanation as to how the pricing system airlines use (works). We do not sell the seats on the aircraft using one type of fare only. We have a number or a list of fares to any given point within the economy class or business class. And on each flight there are specific fares allocated to specific number of seats. So, date of travel and availability of what type of fare and seat on a particular flight determines the final fare to be charged.

“So you find people paying for different fares on the same flight and in the same class of travel. The cheapest fares or seats on any given flight are the fastest to be taken. Then as time goes the next higher ones get sold too until the highest fares/seats are eventually sold. This is explained better in yield management.

“So if you look at November as a month of reference, we had fares as low as MWK118,000 in economy class to as high as MWK327,000. Those cheapest seats/fares are no longer in the inventory. Meaning they are all sold out,” Chikaonda said.

Chikaonda also dismissed suggestions that SAA was now enjoying monopoly power over the local market.
“South African Airways is not a monopoly power on the market as we have many other players, too, that we call ‘online carriers’ that operate into Malawi and fly to the very destinations that South African Airways fly to. We have other players, too, that we call ‘offline carriers’ that offer services from hubs outside Malawi but have agreements with the online carriers to uplift their passengers from Malawi.
“So (put both, the online carriers and the offline carriers) we cannot call SAA as a monopoly power or player on the Malawi market. Consumers are spoiled with choice as to who they want fly with. We do not discount the ground operators as part of the players,” said Chikaonda.

But Chikaonda acknowledged that SAA flights were fully-booked, attributing the trend to school holidays and festivities. He said people’s increased movements push up the demand for seats.

On concerns that airline operators were making a killing out of the current situation, Chikaonda said: “Our customers may appreciate the fact that not all that they pay to the airlines is a fare and thus revenue to the airlines. Airlines have been mandated by respective governments to collect taxes on behalf of those governments.

“Taxes like airport departure taxes, security taxes are some of those taxes airlines collect on behalf of governments and differ from one country to another. The total amount paid to the airline consists of the fare and the taxes. The taxes may go up and affect the final amounts to be paid,” Chikaonda said.

He added that foreign exchange rate was another factor that influences fare prices. He said SAA fares are quoted in US Dollars and converted to Malawi Kwacha at a given rate of exchange.

“The rate of exchange may change and that affects the final amount to be paid,” he said.

Grace Mvutho, Bata-Malawi's Children's Programme Coordinator

Optichem supplies 5000 tonnes towards Fisp

Optichem Malawi, the only local company with a fertilizer granulation plant, has contributed 5, 500 metric tonnes towards the 2011/12 Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) in what Productions Manager, Samuel Synoden, says is a sign that the local industry can meet local demand if well- supported.
Government introduced Fisp in 2004/05 agriculture season to improve the national food security situation and uplift production levels among smallholder farmers following years of poor harvests.
According to Agriculture and Food Security Principal Secretary, Erica Maganga, 1.6 million farmers received coupons to buy subsidized fertilizer during the 2010/11 season, as compared to the 2011/12 growing season following government’s decision to slash the number of beneficiaries to 1.4 million. This has led to a 30,000 reduction in procured tonnage this year, with only 140,000 metric tonnes of inputs procured, as opposed to 170,000 metric tonnes for last season.
Speaking in an interview Tuesday, Synoden said changes in the programme have not affected Optichem as the company has still contributed “significantly” towards the 2011/12 inputs programme.
“We are happy that, as a local company, we have been given a chance to contribute towards Malawi’s food security programme again. In fact, Optichem started operating in Malawi in 1969 because we wanted to be part of the country’s efforts to attain food security,” said Synoden.
Synoden said, however, that the company has the capacity to contribute more, citing the capacity of Optichem’s granulation and blending plants.
“We have the capacity to supply all types of fertilizer because our plants give us the capacity to cater for all types of fertilizer. For example, our granulation plant has the capacity to produce 50,000 metric tonnes per annum, while our blending machine produces 60, 000 metric tonnes a year. In total, we are producing 110, 000 metric tonnes a year,” said Synoden.
Granulation is a system where raw materials for fertilizer are melted (turned into liquid form) and, then, used to make free-flowing granules. Blending, on the other hand, involves the mixing of various raw materials to make one product. These raw materials, which may include Urea, D.A.P. and filler, are then used to meet any specification of fertilizer.
He added that the fact that the company produces a total of 110, 000 metric tonnes of fertilizer a year shows that Optichem can contribute even more fertilizer towards Fisp. Optichem has, during this year’s programme, supplied 23:10:5:+4s+1zn. This is fertilizer used for plant growth (basal).
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security inputs’ statistics indicate that Malawi needs 300, 000 metric tonnes of fertilizer to satisfy demand in the agriculture sector. Malawi fills the demand by importing fertilizer, a development Consumers Association of Malawi executive director John Kapito blamed in a separate interview for escalating fertilizer commodity prices.
Optichem is the only local company engaged in fertilizer granulation, with such other manufacturers as MFC engaged in blending of various fertilizer products. However, the capacity of Malawian companies remains low, prompting government to punch the gap up with foreign fertilizers.
Apart from chemical fertilizers, Optichem also manufactures organic manure.
“We manufacture manure because we want to be part of government’s efforts to mitigate climate change. The good thing about manure is that it retains soil fertility,” said Synoden.
Asked why the prices of locally-manufactured fertilizers were almost the same as those for imported fertilizer, Synoden said “this is not true because the price of locally-manufactured fertilizers is cheaper than that of imports”.
Said Synoden: “Prices for locally-manufactured fertilizers are much lower than those of foreign fertilizers. That is why we are saying that, if well-supported, local fertilizer manufacturing companies can help reduce fertilizer prices in the country. In fact, you will find that local-fertilizer prices are within the ranges of K7000 to K7,900 while some foreign fertilizers sell at as high as K10,000 .”
He said the other advantage is that locally-manufactured fertilizers are tailor-made to suit local climatic conditions. Synoden, therefore, asked Malawians to support local industries because they employ local people, do not externalize forex, and manufacture products that suit the local environment.
Speaking in a separate interview on progress in this year’s Fisp, Maganga said distribution work continues, and that most areas have since received farm inputs.
“Work is still going on. We want to make sure that all target beneficiaries receive the inputs in good time,” said Maganga.

PPPs Act offers room for sanitation marketing

The Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) Act offers local entrepreneurs an opportunity to generate income through sanitation marketing, experts have observed.
This comes after Parliament passed the PPPs Bill, presented by Finance and Development Planning Minister Ken Lipenga, into law. Lipenga said the new Act will prioritise infrastructure projects in the agriculture and public health sector, among others.
One of Malawi’s leading ‘Sanitation Marketing’ experts, New Restoration Plan- Malawi’s country director, Dr. George Chaima, said in an interview that countries like Togo, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria have used PPPs arrangements to turn their sanitation industries into billion-dollar cash spinners.
“We can do the same in Malawi and create employment opportunities for our people,” Chaima said.
He said the World Bank also recognizes the economic contribution of ‘Sanitation Marketing’, citing the bank’s support of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaboration Council and the Global Sanitation Fund.
“Sanitation Marketing can become a big industry. Opportunities exist in disposable-toilets designing and manufacturing. The construction industry can also experience a boom,” Chaima added.
He said sanitation investors could start with city toilets’ management, and called on government to create a special ministry, in anticipation of the sector’s contribution to the national economy.
Responding to Chaima’s suggestion on city toilets’ investment, Blantyre City Assembly’s (BCA) director for health and social services, Dr. Emmanuel Kanjunjunju, noted that better collaboration between private entrepreneurs and city authorities could help cities generate more income.
Kanjunjunju said BCA has started courting private investors. He said BCA was strategizing on how to encourage huge investments in the sanitation sector.
“However, we need to come up with modalities that will ensure that charges imposed by private operators do not hinder access to sanitary facilities. Profit-maximization, if not well-balanced with social responsibility, forces many people to engage in open defecation,” Kanjunjunju said.
Other observers, notably Tools for Enterprise and Education Consultants, have said the sanitation sector could generate more than K2 billion annually.

Forex Shortages Hit Malawian Banks Hard

As the problem of foreign exchange shortage continues to bite, Authorized Dealer Banks (ADBs) have set different limits on the quantity of foreign exchange individuals can draw from personal and business
accounts.
A snap survey conducted between Wednesday and Thursday revealed that banks remain the preferred sources of forex, although forex-counter personnel from all the ADBs visited said their forex reserves were dry.
These include Inde Bank, Standard Bank, NBS Bank, Malawi Savings Bank, National Bank, and FDX Forex Bureau. Forex buying rates in these financial institutions ranged from K161.19 to K161.98 while forex selling rates ranged from K165.28 to K168.115.
However, the ADBs differed on the issue of forex purchase-limits, with different players charging differently, depending on whether it is a business of personal account.
For example, while the forex-withdrawal limit for United States Dollars was 3000 at FDX Forex Bureau, at Nico complex in Blantyre, workers at Top Mandala Inde Bank said the bank has set no limits on the amount of foreign currency one can purchase.
However, customers using business accounts at National Bank Victoria Avenue Branch could purchase as much as 5000, in stark contrast to Standard Bank Blantyre Branch, where a counter official said the purchase limit on business accounts was US$3800, and those with personal accounts could not withdraw more than US$2,200.
One of the people who have been to different banks in search of forex, Kenwilliams Mhango, suspected that ADBs have set different limits on forex as one way of maintaining control over the little they have in forex reserves.
“However, I think this is not working because the forex is not there at all. Some people have been waiting for forex for six months now,” said Mhango.
Mhango said he knows of people who have been on the waiting list for eight months, noting that the situation was creating opportunities for parallel market trading.
The Bankers Association of Malawi (Bam) says it has equally been affected by the forex shortage problem, with its president, John Biziwick, shifting part of the blame on Reserve Bank of Malawi’s (RBM) decision to route money generated through tobacco sales through its own system, as opposed to ADBs.
Biziwick maintains that ADBs’ core line of business remains forex trading, and that the Central Bank’s decision has hurt the banking sector.
In addition to this, Bam chief executive officer, Lyness Nkungula, says failure by local companies to import materials was making it difficult for banks to operate.
“On forex shortage, I will answer this by giving an example. You have heard that companies are failing to import materials because of forex shortage. These are bank customers and they process the payment
through banks. So, if bank customers are affected; obviously the banks are, too,” says Nkungula in a written response.
Asked to comment on who was responsible for setting forex purchase limits, RBM spokesperson Ralph Tseka said on Thursday he could not immediately respond since “I am cruising, on my way to Lilongwe”. He promised to respond to questions Friday morning.
However, when called on Friday, Tseka said he was consulting and would e-mail and call later. He never did.
But one of RBM’s officials said the central bank is responsible for fixing forex purchase limits, and that ADBs take the cue from RBM.
The official added, however, that the amount of foreign currency customers could buy depended on the nature of activity the money is spent on.
He said it was not uncommon for business enterprises to negotiate and purchase more forex than RBM’s stipulated limits.
However, said the official, customers purchasing forex for personal use were not allowed to exceed their limits since the effects of their purchases on national development could not be validated.
Nevertheless, it was clear from the snap survey that ADBs have devised means of coming over the problem. Almost all the ADBs visited said they were giving their customers cash purchase passports (cards), giving them the opportunity to spend money abroad.
The ADBs credit the money to the customers’ accounts.

Bata spends K5m in education, social campaigns

Bata Shoe Company says it has spent K5 million in corporate socio responsibility (CSR) campaigns on education and social welfare this year, a development it says has helped it become more responsive to community challenges.
Bata Children’s Programme National Coordinator, Grace Mvutho, said in an interview Thursday that one of the most successful programmes has been the ‘Children’s Programme’- an initiative currently being implemented in two Blantyre primary schools namely; Blantyre Girls and Chichiri.
The programme awards outstanding and most improved pupils in a bid to promote hard work and dedication towards education.
“We are proud of the successes we have achieved in the programme. These include the selection of pupils from Blantyre Girls and Chichiri to various national secondary schools,” said Mvutho.
She added that the programme has also increased competition among pupils, saying, for example, that it was becoming increasingly difficult for pupils who claim first position during one term to maintain the same in the next.
“What we have been doing is to give outstanding and most-improved students vouchers to buy Toughees (shoes). We want to help reduce the burden associated with the cost of purchasing school shoes for school-going children. The advantage is that a pupil can use these shoes for several years,” said Mvutho.
Mvutho added that part of the K5 million Bata has spent on CSR campaigns has gone towards alleviation of suffering among orphaned and vulnerable children. She said some of the funds have gone towards school construction and the provision of vocational materials to Non Governmental Organisations.
“We want to assure Malawians that we will continue to be responsive to community needs. In fact, we plan to extend the Children’s programme to other districts. We wanted to extend it to Lilongwe but, unfortunately, we were visited by one of our directors that time and we couldn’t go ahead,” said Mvutho.
Implementation of the programme started in Malawi in 2009, though it has been running in other countries for a while, according to Mvutho.
The Malawi programme is part of the Lausanne (Switzerland’s capital city)-based Bata Children’s Programme Foundation, created with the aim of contributing to the support and development of children worldwide.
“The Bata Shoe Organisation operates in over 50 countries across five continents. For 115 years, our core belief has always been to contribute and support the communities in which we work,” said Mvutho.
However, Mvutho said the programme was an independent, worldwide project backed by the Bata Children’s Programme Foundation.
“As a world-scale organisation, we aim to play a part in addressing international social concerns. More so, our historical strong presence in many developing countries provides us with a deep understanding of the local cultures and people’s needs,” she said.

Malawi's Beef Shortages, Survival Mechanisms

A blessing. A disguise.
Malawi’s current beat shortages have become much more than a blessing in disguise as the country’s top meat suppliers, who are facing capital-busting supply chain hiccups, have devised cushioning mechanisms to beat the crisis.
The country is some two moths’ old into an unprecedented beef crisis, a development suppliers blame on Foot and Mouth disease that has hit the Lower Shire districts of Chikhwawa and Nsanje. These are the country’s beef supply hubs.
A snap survey conducted on Wednesday revealed that, while tell-tale signs of the crisis are there for all to see, most suppliers still have stocks of meat. It was also clear that the situation was much better than a month ago.
Visits to Chichiri Shoprite, PTC Superete in Blantyre, Super Halaal, S&A Cold Storage, Chirimba, Ndirande and Chilomoni Markets revealed that, contrary to the situation early November, beef products were available.
However, this contradicted sharply with the situation is such shops as Chitawira Shopping Centre, Ginnery Corner Sana Cash ‘n’ Carry, Ndirande PTC, Limbe Shoprite, among others, where other meat products were in good supply.
One of Southern region’s top beef suppliers, who also runs a retail meat products’ outlet, S&A Cold Storage’s co-managing director, Abida Mia, said on Wednesday that the issue of beef shortage was no longer a crisis, saying most suppliers have come up with ways of making up for the shortfall.
Mia said S&A Cold Storage was still able to supply beef to Southern region’s main beef outlets because it was sourcing livestock from areas that have not been affected by Foot and Mouth disease.
“Things are better now. We are still meating the demand for beef and supplying to most shops that depend on our meat products,” said Mia.
She was also hopeful that things could come back to normal once the Department of Livestock Production of the Ministry of Agriculture lifts the movement-ban on movement of cattle from the Lower Shire.
“We are hoping that, with reports that the ban may be lifted on December 2, beef supply will reach normal levels. But, as I said, the supply of beef can no more be described as a crisis. We are able to supply products,” she said.
However, a worker at Blantyre’s PTC Superete said the situation has not improved at all. He said the shop has had no beef for over a month now, though he admitted that consumers had alternatives in chicken meat, sausages, and fish.
These commodities, he said, have never run out of supply since the beef crisis emerged in the wake of the Lower Shire travel ban imposed on animals.
Other visits to Chilomoni’s Nthukwa market and Chirimba in Blantyre revealed that both goat meat and beef were available.
Joe Sato, one of the beef sellers, said traders were purchasing the commodity in Mwanza.
He said the K1000 per Kg cost was meant to make up for transportation costs incurred in ferrying the animals to Blantyre.
“There is no beef around, and we get ours from far. In addition, we don’t use road transport but hire people who ferry the animals from Mwanza. At the moment, the charge per animal is K7900. This is why we are selling beef at K1000 and people are still buying,” Sato said.
He added that, should the ban not be lifted, the price per kg of beef could go as high as K2000.
“We are nearing the festive season when the cost of commodities is bound to go up. I don’t rule out a rise in beef prices should things not improve,” he said.
Ministry of Agriculture officials announced three weeks ago that they would analyze the situation and, should it be promising, lift the ban on cattle movement.

Authorised Dealer Banks, Banking in Malawi

Malawi’s commercial banks have embarked on a rural-outreach drive, a development the Bankers Association of Malawi (Bam) says is in response to growing concerns that financial sector players are concentrated in urban areas.
Responding to a questionnaire this week, Bam chief executive officer, Lyness Nkungula, said almost all banks now have programmes aimed at wooing rural dwellers as part of the effort to promote a savings culture.
“In short, banks are embracing the concept of financial inclusion. The perception is slowly changing as banks have resorted to go into rural areas and relax some of the fees and we also have financial literacy (programmes) at individual bank level. You might have heard that some banks are not deducting transaction fees for the rural masses and they do not have a minimum account balance,” said Nkungula.
Nkungula said Bam has also embarked on an outreach initiative targeting rural masses. She said, through the initiative, “we will come up with products specifically packaged for people in rural areas to encourage them to come on board” as one way of making sure that “banks are reaching out to all the unbanked”.
She added that, because traditional brick and mortar banking services were more expensive, most Bam members were investing in innovative mechanisms such as armored vehicles. These vehicle visit rural areas during market days, offering people the chance to deposit and withdraw money.
“Others have gone to the extent of having kiosks in markets,” she said.
However, Nkungula noted that banks faced three major challenges in their bid to bring the unbanked on board.
“There are several factors that affect the ability to operate a banking account in rural areas. First, is the savings’ culture. In most cases, if someone operates from hand to mouth, it is not easy to save money, let alone operate a bank account.
“Second, I would say that people make choices to have an account with a particular bank or not,” said Nkungula.
Nkungula said that the third factor was people’s perceptions of bank operations, noting that most rural dwellers believe that if they deposit a certain amount of money today, they should withdraw more than the amount of money deposited at some stage without any charges.
“You see, the banks are doing business and they need to cover operating costs for the service they render to customers. That is why we have monthly transaction fees and some other banks will charge an ATM (Automated Transaction Machine) fee,” said Nkungula.
On areas that should be looked into to facilitate banks’ operations to rural areas, Nkungula suggested the laxation of some standards set by the Reserve Bank of Malawi as part of Malawi’s financial inclusion framework.
These include the regulatory requirement that the outside and inside of a banking premise meet certain standards, without which no bank is allowed to open an outpost.
Nkungula also cited the issue of infrastructure development. She said most rural areas were difficult to access due to poor road and communication infrastructures, and asked government officials to intensify road construction programmes because “banks need to disperse money in the (ATM) machines as well as the branches themselves”.
“Then, there is the issue of security. We need police units in all areas as banks are targeted by thieves. In addition, you are aware that the modern banking platforms are electronic and integrated; therefore, reliable electricity and communication facilities are pre-requisites to banking services
“We also face problems of communication facilities. While the operators are trying, there are still issues of quality, availability and reliability of the services (and) as a result banks use several service providers and technologies which are very expensive,” said Nkungula.
She said the other major challenge pertained to “perpetual” electricity black outs that adversely affect operations of the banks.
“Of course, despite that all the banks have invested in having generators on standby to help in times of need, we now do not have the fuel to keep the generators running,” said Nkungula, adding:
“Put simply, it involves a lot of stakeholders, other than banks, to go to rural areas,” concluded Nkungula.

Malawi's Need for More Medical Personnel

Malawi should graduate at least 120 doctors annually to meet the growing shortage of skilled healthcare personnel in both public and private hospitals, a senior academician has observed.
Speaking in an interview Saturday, on the sidelines of an Open Day organized by the College of Medicine (CoM) in Blantyre, CoM’s Dean of Faculty, Dr. Mwapatsa Mipando, said the country currently graduates 90 doctors a year, a figure he described as being ‘on the lower side’ to meet current health challenges.
“For us to fully improve the health situation, we need to increase the number of doctors we train to, at least, 120. Fortunately, this is contained in CoM’s 2010 to 2020 Strategic Plan. Our plan is to achieve this by 2015,” said Mipando.
CoM, a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima), currently accommodates 90 doctors, 40 pharmacists, 40 medical laboratory science, 40 physiotherapy, and 50 health management students. Mipando said, however, that the target is to increase the number to 120 for doctors, and 50 for each of the allied health sciences.
The college’s plans come at a time when Unima has increased the number of students gaining access to its constituent colleges, a development that has led to an increase in the number of people sitting for University Entrance Examinations (UEE).
For example, out of the 7791 candidates who wrote UEE for the 2011/12 Academic Year, 6,615 passed, representing an 85 percent pass rate. However, only 2,379 (36 percent) of these have been selected to pursue studies in various programmes.
Compared to the 2009/10 Academic Year, however, this still represents an increase in the number of students selected to Unima colleges, Mipando observed.
However, Mipando has hailed government’s sponsorships for 90 students pursuing courses in medicine. Under the arrangement, students pay only K25, 000 of the K1.6 million required annually, with government footing the remaining bill through a National AIDS Commission Bursaries’ programme.
“These efforts have helped us produce over 400 doctors since CoM’s establishment in 1991. But we still need to introduce more disciplines because doctors do not work in isolation,” said Mipando.
Apart from training local personnel, Malawi is under Southern African Development Community (SADC) obligation to reserve 5 percent space at CoM for training medical personnel from other SADC member-states. This is part of a SADC Health protocol that aims at filling the gap of skilled health personnel in countries without doctors’ training institutions.
“Apart from people from SADC countries, we have also trained personnel from West Africa. Just last year, we graduated a doctor who came all the way from Ireland,” said Mipando.

Poor savings culture blamed for Pension Act’s cold reception

The Employers Association of Malawi (Ecam) has hit back at trade unions for expressing reservations over the new Pension Act, blaming their attitude on Malawi’s poor savings culture.
Ecam executive director, Odridge Khunga, said in an interview Thursday that employers were not surprised with recent ‘outbursts’ from workers’ representatives- notably the Building, Construction, Civil Engineering, and Allied Workers Union (BCCEAWU), which recently tore into the Reserve Bank of Malawi and employers for purportedly conniving to exploit workers.
BCCEAWU general secretary, John Obongo Mwafulirwa, told The Workplace last week that workers were suspicious with the manner in which the Central bank has been identifying participants to its sensitization meetings on the new Pension Bill.
Mwafulirwa noted that, while the Ministry of Finance disregarded most of the suggestions proffered by trade unions, and only backtracked on the proposed retirement age limit of 60 to fix it at 50, the Central bank has only empowered employers with information, leaving the worker at a disadvantage in cases of negotiations.
This follows gazetting of Malawi’s new Pension Act, effectively rendering it the guiding principle on pension matters from June 1, 2011.
But Khunga expressed surprise at trade unions’ surprise.
“There is no grain of truth in what the unions are saying about us (employers) conniving with RBM. We categorically deny that. The issue is that the new Pension Act came into force after thorough consultations, and the unions, through the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions, were part of the process,” said Khunga.
Added he: “What is clear, also, is that Malawi’s poor savings culture is coming into play in the trade unions’ arguments. Generally, Malawians are afraid of saving their money because they are afraid of dying before laying their hands on it. Malawians always want to utilise their money immediately, and leave nothing for others.”
On the issue of forcing workers to contribute their funds to pension houses they did not choose, Khunga said the new Act provides for transfer of funds to other houses, “but the cost will be borne by the employer, and not employee. After all, it is the employee who wants the money transferred”.
“In fact, the most interesting thing about the new Act is that it allows people who have been laid off to apply to the RBM Registrar (Director of Pensions and Insurance), whom may, then, pay such individuals part of their monetary contribution to keep them going as they look for another job,” said Khunga.
He asked employees to realise that pension funds contributed towards national economic development because they could be invested in productive activities.
However, Khunga acknowledged that there were delays in forming the committee comprised of three employees’ representatives as well as an equal representative number for employers.
Ecam, which has over 200 registered members, was established in 1963 as a representative organisation for agriculture-sector players, notably tea estates from the tea belt of Mulanje and Thyolo.
However, the organisation has evolved into a national body over the years, in stark contrast to the situation between 1963 and 1990 when it was regarded as an organisation for Southern region employers.
Ecam is the only employers’ organisation recognized in Chapter 54, Part 111 of the Labour Relationjs Act of 1996.

Malawi and Lottery Droughts

…investor to claim less than 30% of profits

Three years has been such a long time, but Malawi’s penchant for ‘voluntary taxes’ is set to be tested when the sad tale of a nation-without-a-national-lottery-operator comes to an end on December 19, the day the National Lottery Group (NLG) launches the country’s first operations in three years.
Malawi has been without a national lottery operator since Aflot, the company National Lotteries Board (NLB) awarded a national operator licence abandoned ship under circumstances NLB executive director, Francis Mbilizi, says hinged on inferiority of equipment used in the games.
The country’s lottery laws- as stipulated in the Lotteries Act, Number 9 of 2003- give NLB the mandate to offer only one licence per five years, a development that contributed towards Malawi’s failure to have a national lottery operator after Aflot pulled out mid-way through its licenced tenure.
However, Mbilizi said he is now a happy that NLG has come on board. He says the coming in of NLG will bring income to government coffers, citing the monetary contribution national lottery operators are obliged to make through taxes.
Mbilizi said national lottery operators play a pivotal role in the economic development of any country, citing their contribution to government revenue.
“National lottery operators benefit the economy because they invest their money to collect voluntary taxes on government’s behalf basing on the face value of tickets. In addition, the operator just retains a fraction of the profits, and channels the rest back to community causes,” he said.

Under the Lotteries Act of the Laws of Malawi, NLG will be expected to remit 50 percent of
its revenue to members of the public through lottery prizes, 3 percent is earmarked for the lotteries board- which donates the funds to development activities of its choice through the National Lottery Distribution Fund- while 10 percent will be paid to the Malawi Revenue Authority.
“NLG will also be required to pay between 5 and 8 percent to vendors as their sales’ commission. This means that the investors in national lotteries take less than 30 per cent, but this is enough for them to
meet their operational and administrative needs and realise profits,” Mbilizi said.
NLG hopes to generate between US$14 million and US$28 million (between K2.3 billion and K2.8 billion) within the next four years.
The company’s investment plan indicates, among other projections, that the company will generate between US$14 million and US$17 million (Approximately between K2.3 billion and K2.8 billion) in 2012; between US$20 million and US$22 million (approximately K3.3 billion) in 2013, and; between US$25 and US$28 million (K4.1 billion and K4.6 billion) in 2014.
“This presents great opportunities for Malawi,” Mbilizi said.
The NLB chief added that the board has put in place mechanisms aimed at averting mistakes that led to the closure of Aflot.
While showing reluctance to talk about Aflot, Mbilizi said the company stopped its operations because it was using low level technology, as evidenced by over-reliance on paper-based systems loathed worldwide for their susceptibility to human interference and operational mistakes.,
Speaking in a separate interview, NLG executive director, Momi Nahum said the company will use its experience in Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, Euro-Asia and other countries in Africa to ensure it raises the much-needed money for public causes.
These countries include Mexico, Colombia, Georgia, Macau, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea.
“This year, we are adding Malawi and Central African Republic to the list, and Kyrgyzstan in the near future.
“We will create memorable experiences for Malawians. By playing the games, many Malawians will realize their dreams and live a completely different life because we are giving out huge sums of money in prizes. We will provide Malawians with the most innovative value for money experiences,” said Nahum.
He added: “We are in Phase One till the launch day (December 19) and, in this phase, we have invested US$ 6 million. There will be further investments in millions of dollars. So you can see that we mean serious business.”
Cheng said the launch has deliberately been set closer to Christmas “to give the first winner an early Christmas gift”.
“In terms of products, we will start with two: Instant Game and Lotto Game. The first one uses scratch cards while the second one uses 6/36 game,” said Nahum.
Cheng added that his company will create between 100 and 150 direct jobs for Malawians, apart from creating between 2000 and 4000 indirect job opportunities through 2000 point-of-sale terminals.

Fuel Shortages in Malawi, The World

As 2011 draws to a close, indications are that the long-winding fuel queues will remain part of the warm-heartedness that is Malawi come 2012. The fuel shortages have created consternation among government, consumers and civil society organizations, but this barrage of anger has not been pulley enough to bail Malawi out of a crisis that has spread to the country’s foreign currency reserves.
Finance and Development Planning Minister, Ken Lipenga, told Parliament two weeks ago that Malawi’s current economic challenges would not end until 2012. On the other hand, Consumers Association of Malawi’s executive director, John Kapito, regards the current situation as the mark of a “failed state”.
However, research carried out by The Sunday Times Business reveals that Malawi was not the only country affected in 2011. Others included China, Egypt, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen. The only difference could be that, as Malawi’s fuel crisis continues, other affected countries have successfully brushed it off.
Here is a round up of the affected countries, and the reasons for their fuel shortages:
China
According to Crude Oil Peak- an organisation that monitors global production and sales of crude oil- China experienced a round of diesel shortages in October, with many private gas stations run out of stocks.
While diesel shortages are common in October, which form part of China’s traditional peak season, this year’s diesel pinch was unprecedented in magnitude.
The shortages came after the country’s top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, cut the retail price for gasoline by 47 US$ (approx. K78) per ton.
Refiners’ reluctance to produce further made the situation worse, with China’s two largest oil refiners and suppliers facing the brunt of consumers’ anger for stockpiling diesel in a bid to pressure the government into raising fuel prices.
Before that, Shanghai truck drivers had on April 20 gone on strike requesting the authorities to abolish fuel surcharge, and manufacturers to pay higher shipping fees.
Egypt
Egypt faced diesel shortages in May this year, a problem that affected its governorates, creating the sorry sight of long queues of trucks, minibuses, agricultural tractors and lorries.
In Daqahliya, Qalioubiya, and Kafr Al-Sheihk governorates, vehicles lined up along streets, causing heavy congestion on major roads and blocked traffic for long hours. Drivers in other provinces clashed, resulting into several injuries, according to Crude Oil Peak.
Diesel is regarded as the basic fuel for heavy transport vehicles, bakeries, electricity generators, and tourism players in remote areas.
The country’s Ministry of Petroleum statistics indicate that local diesel production generates only 75 percent of the country’s consumption, with the remaining 25 percent gap being filled through imports.
Fuel shortages in Egypt, which has been suffering from heavy fuel shortages for the past three years, is a recurring problem and is mainly caused by an increase in local diesel consumption due to the agricultural harvest season.
Nepal
Nepal had its turn in April, following an announcement by the state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) that it could no longer afford to import fuel from India.
NOC- which controls the importation and distribution of all petroleum products in the country- complained that, in the wake of the Libyan political crisis, fuel price rises were translating into losses on petrol, diesel and kerosene sales.
Land-rocked Nepal, which depends on India for all its oil imports, faced another blow when India refused to supply it with the much-needed fuel due to outstanding debt with its sole supplier, Indian Oil Corporation, prompting the Indian supplier to cut off shipments.
It was not the first time Nepal faced a fuel shortage problem. In February 2008, the country was also hit by a crisis following a strike by ethnic minorities who were demanding more rights.
Nigeria
Nigeria experienced a kerosene supply shortage in August, prompting consumers to question the Kerosene Direct Programme jointly launched by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and Capital Oil to alleviate kerosene distribution problems nationwide.
In some states, delivery dropped from 200 trucks to 10 trucks per depot. Observers blame recurrent kerosene shortages on the monopoly being enjoyed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company in the importation of the product.
The world’s sixth-largest exporter of crude oil, Nigeria imports refined petroleum products like kerosene, gasoline and diesel because refineries work at low capacity ostensibly due to decades of corruption that have left most public utilities in a state of disrepair.
According to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ Annual Statistical Bulletin 2010/2011 published in July, Nigeria shipped 2.464 million barrels a day in 2010. Latest figures released by the country’s Central Bank Monetary Policy Committee show that Nigeria spent 1.34 billion dollars importing petroleum between January and March 2011.
Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum told parliament on Jul. 7 that the country needs eight million litres of kerosene daily.
Pakistan
Pakistan faced a petrol shortage in June, affecting traffic in such cities as Multan, Sargodha, Jhang, Faisalabad, and Muzzaffabad in Azad Kashmir.
At least 90 percent of all petrol pumps closed down in cities like Faisalabad, when they were receiving 250,000 litres against its total daily consumption of 600, 000. In other cities, pump stations raised petrol prices.
The petrol shortages were blamed on the closure of PARCO and Attock Refinery, some of the biggest oil refinery companies in the country. Petrol station owners blamed PARCO, but PARCO owners hit back, saying pump owners were not booking orders due to oil price decreases.
Russia
Russia found itself in a gas crisis in April, forcing the country to cut petrol exports.
Russia often faced natural gas crises due to disagreements with other states. In January 2009, instance, the country was embroiled in a dispute with Ukraine over natural gas, which contributed to Russian energy giant, Gazprom, decision to shut down all supllies to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines.
Russia supplies about two-fifths of the European Union’s (EU) total imports. In fact, 10 of the 12 states that have recently joined the EU depend on Russia for at least 60 percent of their natural gas.
Tanzania
August saw Tanzania struggle to keep its fuel pumps wet.
The shortage arose after fuel suppliers refused to comply with Tanzania’s Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority policy directive that they lower fuel prices.
Economists accused Ewura of contradicting Alfred Marshall’s economics of demand and supply by imposing ‘artificial’ fuel prices below the prevailing market price.
Uganda
Another country that joined the fuel fray was Uganda.
Uganda faced the crisis in July, forcing the Uganda Electricity Generation Company to shut down one of its thermo generators.
The country was also hit by another crisis in March, creating a wave of price rises.
The shortages were sparked by supply inefficiencies in neighbouring Kenya.
Yemen
The country faced a petrol crisis in July following a tribesmen attack on a major oil pipeline in March. Another standby oil pipeline was blown up in the same month, plunging Yemen into a fuel crisis.
This forced the country to rely on Saudi oil imports. Its first batch arrived in Yemen in mid-June.
On May 4, Energy Minister Amir Salim Al-Aydarus warned that Yemen could face an economic collapse if attacks on oil pipelines continued.

Awana Ministry in Malawi Growing

Approved Men are Not Ashamed (Awana) Ministry, an integrated evangelism and discipleship programme that started in the US in 1941, is making in roads in Malawi, following its introduction in 1999, the country’s programme overseer has disclosed.
Reports of Awana ministry’s growth locally comes just after a national survey in the US found that Awana’s activities were as important to its alumni’s spiritual foundations as other church programmes. Among the alumni who participated in its programmes for, at least, six years, 92 out of every one hundred were still attending to church at least weekly.
Each week, over 12, 000 churches in the US and more than 10,000 internationally-run Awana programmes, in addition to the 1.5 million youth, 250, 000 volunteers and 170 field staff who take part in its activities the world over.
Awana programmes overseer in Malawi, Pastor Rusten Kalenga, revealed in an interview that the local programme has registered tremendous growth since its establishment in 1999.
“The programme is growing at a faster pace, with three churches establishing children’s spiritual clubs. So far, the programme is being run independently in the Baptist Church, Faith in God and the Evangelical Church of Malawi. In terms of clubs, there are 138, which points to growth,” said Kalenga.
Kalenga said the programme, which targets young people from the age of two to 18, has so far distributed various materials to nine orphanages. He added that Awana Malawi was still interested in establishing partnerships with orphanages in all parts of the country.
“Through the programme, we distribute spiritual books to children, apart from instilling a sense of discipline in them. We also share what we have with the less privileged. Because this is an inter-denominational programme, it also helps foster unity among churches,” Kalenga said.
Speaking in a separate interview, Awana Ministry programme director at Blantyre Baptist Church, McNovance Potani, hailed the programme for changing children’s lives in the church.
“Experience has shown that children who take part in Awana programmes are disciplined and do well in class. For example, all Awana child members at Blantyre Baptist Academy passed their Primary School Leaving Certificate examinations, an indication that the programme really changes children and makes them more responsible,” Potani said.
Awana began as a children's program at the North Side Gospel Center in Chicago in 1941. Lance Latham, North Side's senior pastor, collaborated with the church's youth director, Art Rorheim, to develop weekly clubs that would appeal to churched and non-churched kids, lead them to trust Christ for salvation and grow them in enduring faith and service to God.
Other churches learned about the success of the program and inquired about its availability. In 1950, Latham and Rorheim founded Awana as a parachurch organization. By 1960, 900 churches had started Awana programs and, by 1972, the programme established its first international club.
Potani said founders of Awana derived the name from the first letters of "Approved workmen are not ashamed" as taken from 2 Timothy 2:15 of the Bible.
Today, more than 12,000 U.S. churches run Awana with programs in all 50 states. Awana can also be found in over 10,000 churches in 109 other countries, with Jack Eggar as the President and Art Rorheim serving as Co-Founder and President Emeritus.
“Churches that are yet to join are free to come. Let us unite for a better tomorrow,” Kalenga said.

Religion and Maternal Health in Malawi

Somewhere along the way, the majority somehow learned of, and fell
into, this ‘trap’; a trap experts say is commendable and in tune with
human passions of the day. This ‘trap’ is religion, a world of belief
in the existence of a supreme being.

“We need religion and spirituality in life,” says College of
Medicine’s Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor, Dr. Chiwoza
Bandawe. “We learn from Psychology of religion studies that faith
promotes good health.”
Without religion, says Dr. Bandawe, human beings are bound to be
gnawed constantly by a sense of inadequacy, frustration and failure.
This explains why, globally, most people are caught in the web of
religious orientation.
Religion is, in other words, the easy, straight path to a fulfilling life.
“The benefits of religion far outweigh the negatives. Religion helps
people become focused, and is critical in mental health because it
helps them navigate from challenges,” says Dr. Bandawe.
However, religion is not always a faultless paragon of virtue, he
notes; it sometimes renders its fanatics emotional in their
deliberations, vituperative in their denunciations, and prone to
engage in bitter, exaggerated personal attacks instead of
concentrating their fire upon the merits of an issue.
“This leads to self-guilt, and may lead to condemnation of others,” he says.
This is where religion turns into a trap because such individuals
cannot be swayed from negative practices, even in the midst of such
tragedies as poverty and disease.
A good example pertains to the issue of HIV and AIDS. As Malawi
teetered on the edge of a health- collapse between 1989 and 2004, some
religious leaders were raising the torch of faith as a cure for HIV
and AIDS.
“This proved to be a hindrance to national efforts to contain HIV and
AIDS. We had people who died after stopping taking ARVs. Others died,”
says Dr. Mary Shawa, Principal Secretary for Nutrition, HIV and AIDS
in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
In the end, government officials were prompted to incorporate prayer
as part of Malawi’s three-tier response to HIV and AIDS, and Shawa is
impressed with results of the Nutrition, ARVS and Prayer HIV and AIDS
response model.
So well for HIV and AIDS efforts, but the same cannot be said of best
Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) practices campaigns.
Take, for instance, the case of Ketula Frank, Rose Thauzeni and Olive
Nsona of Chilomoni Township in Blantyre.
Frank, a mother of four, says she has never delivered at the hospital
and sees no value in seeking prenatal and antenatal services from
health centres.
“Prayer, and not the SRH clinic, helps me deliver at home, without any
hassles whatsoever. In fact, I deliver without those doctors and
nurses. To me, faith in God serves as the best SRH clinic,” she says.
The same applies to Thauzeni, who answers with questions.
“Have you ever heard of cattle seeking SHR services at the clinic? I
have two children I delivered without health officials and will do
that again,” says Thauzeni.

Dr. Chiwoza Bandawe and (below) Dr. Fatsani Ngwalangwa-Kasinja

Their story of faith does not end without Olive Nsona, a mother of
four. “If hospitals are safe places for child deliveries, why do they
have mortuaries close by? Have you heard of a church building that is
adjoined to a mortuary?”
Theirs is a world of questions whose answer is always prayer.
Chances are that they may not be the only women who do not believe in
modern SRH practices. Chikhwawa district is one other place, according
to T/A Katunga.
“Fortunately, only a handful of my subjects are stopping their
pregnant wives from visiting hospitals for maternal health services,”
says Katunga.
Chikhwawa District’s Health Officer, Dr. Fatsani Ngwalangwa-Kasinja,
observes that, other than religion, cultural practices pose a
challenge to maternal health services.
For Fred Kwacha, head of Malawi’s traditional church, “imported
religion” is to blame for maternal deaths.
“’Foreign’ religion is to blame for all our problems, including
maternal deaths. This never happened in the past, when we used to
worship our ancestral spirits. Now the spirits are angry because
people have lost touch with culture,” says Kwacha.
While his conservationism has a strong strain of pragmatism, it also
points to the fact that religion could under siege in Malawi.
This is evident in a joint May 2011 Ministry of Health and UNFPA
report released in May 2011. The ‘Abortion in Malawi: Results of a
Study of Incidents and Magnitude of Complications due to Unsafe
Abortions’ report, the product of 2009 research, reveals that
religious women constitute 85.2 percent of people who carry out unsafe
abortions.
Although Henry Chimbali, Ministry of Health’s spokesman, says the
findings are not an attack on religion, the truth remains that they
(results) forced some people to go home in silence- weighing the
significance of such words.

Post Natal Care in Malawi

The majority of Malawian women do not return to the hospital for postnatal care after delivery, a development that has contributed towards high maternal death rates both locally and globally, research findings by two leading Malawian health experts indicate.
These findings are contained in the ‘Evidence Based Midwifery (EBM)’ Magazine edition of December. This is a quarterly journal published by the Royal College of Midwives And features academic research findings from around the world.
Presenting the findings after analyzing factors that influence utilization of postnatal care (PNC) between the first and sixth week of delivery among mothers at Zomba Central Hospital, Head of the Midwifery Department at Malawi College of Health Sciences, Betty Sakala, and Abigail Kazembe- a lecturer in Maternal and Child Health at Kamuzu College of Nursing- say most urban women shun PNC.
“Two-thirds of all women that deliver in urban hospitals in Malawi do not return for PNC care at one and six weeks,” reads part of their report.
Sakala and Kazembe warn that this situation could impact negatively on Malawi’s maternal statistics because, after delivery, both the genital and the urinary tract are prone to infections arising from the labour process.
“Follow up of the mother within the first week is critical for detecting postpartum infections. Although postnatal services are free, 69 percent do not return for one week and six weeks PNC,” observes Sakala and Kazembe in the report.
The 2011 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey indicates that the country’s maternal mortality rate is at 6.7 per 1000 live births. However, a 2008 United Nations Children’s Fund and National Statistical Office report partly attributed Malawi’s high mortality rate to women’s failure to attend PNC.
However, the study- which was approved by the College of Medicine’s Ethical Review Board and had a sample of 154 women- has placed the blame on midwives’ failure to advise women on the importance of attending to PNC, lack of awareness on postnatal services, low levels of education among most women and poor enforcement of growth-monitoring mechanisms.
The report suggests that, as part of the solutions, medical training institutions should emphasise the importance of PNC at between one and six weeks of delivery. It also suggests that midwives’ supervisors should ensure that mothers are advised and booked for postnatal care.
This is not the first time that research findings have revealed that most Malawian women shun PNC services. For instance, the Malawi Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey report of 2006 reported that the mothers’ age and education levels had a positive influence on PNC services, citing the “increased reasoning capacity of older women”, as opposed to younger girls, as one of the factors that promotes access to PNC services.
The report also noted that women with secondary education or higher were more likely to go for PNC within 42 hours after delivery (54.0%), compared to women with no education (29.0%). It also said working women are more empowered to make decisions on when to go for PNC due to their financial independence.

Malawians and Blood Donation

The Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS) says prevalent myths on blood donation are hindering people’s willingness to donate blood.
MBTS Medical Officer, Dr. Bridon M’baya, revealed this Thursday during a science café jointly organized by MBTS and the Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust in Blantyre.
M’baya, who suspected that Malawians might have developed cold feet due to the famous ‘Chilobwe (township) Murders’ that took place between 1968 and 1973, said myths have contributed directly towards the country’s blood shortage problem.
The Chilobwe murders led to the death of over 20 people, and the subsequent arrest and conviction of two government officials.
“This is evident in the fact that, out of 80,000 units of blood that the country needs annually, the best we have achieved is (to) collect 42,000 units in 2010. Many people are not willing to donate blood,” said M’baya.
M’baya described this as an act of selfishness as “the 450 millilitres of blood we draw from an individual person can save the lives of four children”, apart from contributing towards medical research and disease diagnosis.
M’baya’s sentiments were shared by Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital-based Hematologist-consultant Dr. Steve McKew and College of Medicine’s Hematology lecturer, Dr. Ben Chosamata.
McKew said he found Malawians’ reluctance to donate blood “a little bit strange” because in such countries as The United Kingdom blood banks are always almost full “due to the increased number of people who show willingness to, and actually, donate blood”.
On his part, Chosamata urged Malawians to embrace the culture of blood donation, saying donated blood helps medical personnel come up with answers to complex health situations.
“In which case, it is not only the individual (blood) donor who benefits but mankind. Blood gives us an insight into many issues pertaining to an individual’s health status,” said Chosamata.
The three experts also answered participants’ questions on blood, among them why, on average, women have 4.8 litres of blood while men have 5.7 litres. The other questions hinged on intervals between one blood donation and another.
M’bawa said women have, on average, less blood than men due to issues such as menstruation. He, however, added that people’s blood volumes also varied with one’s height and body weight.
Chosamata said, on the other hand, that medical experts recommend that men donate blood after three months while women are given four months- again, due to menstruation issues.
This forced one participant to loudly suggest that men should be having their own monthly periods as well in order to level the playing field.

Malawi's Traditional Church

Head of Malawi’s Chipembedzo Chamakolo (Traditional Religion), Fred Kwacha, explains his religious beliefs: Excerpts:

When we say Chipembedzo Chamakolo, what do we talk about?
Chipembedzo Chamakolo is a religion that believes in the worship of ancestral spirits. There are two types of spirit, namely: ‘family’ and ‘national’ spirits. Family spirits are those of people who were members of a household or clan. Their spirits are consulted in cases of child sickness and rains.

The Biblical Adam and Eve are not related to us: Fred Kwacha, Head of Malawi's Traditional Church
Then, we have ‘national’ spirits- spirits of people who were national figures. These are Individuals who performed great works in society. These include Mbona, Chauta, Makewana, Bimbi and Chikang’ombe in the Northern region.

Before you go any further, what is the name of your religion in English?
What? English? (Laughs). Our ancestors don’t understand English. This is why we are speaking in Chichewa; we want them to understand what we are saying. English, just like these other forms of religion, is a foreign thing.

You seem to emphasise on the point of ‘foreign’ and ‘alien’ when referring to other religions. Can you elaborate?
Yes, Malawians have their true religion: Chipembedzo Chamakolo. We are all members of this religion, whether we want or not. Unfortunately, most Malawians have joined foreign religions. It’s all because Missionaries would go to communities with guns and holy books, and people, naturally, were afraid of death and joined their religions. Our people chose life. And that is how foreign religion interrupted our ‘original way of life’.
I am not saying that people from other countries should not worship freely here. All I am saying is that Malawians should not waste time with foreign gods and prophets because they have their own religion, Chipembedzo Chamakolo. In fact, all these problems we have, you talk of erratic rains, unnecessary deaths, plagues- it’s because we have forsaken our religion and our ancestral spirits. These spirits are angry.

Now, back to the issue of ‘family’ and ‘national’ spirits. In which places were they worshipped?
Don’t say where ‘were’ they worshipped. They are still worshiped. Of course, some placed have ceased to be shrines, places like Pambalale (at Michiru). However, we still have other places that used to serve as shrines, and continue to do so. Places like Khulubvi.

When did you join Chipembedzo Chamakolo?
You don’t join Chipembedzo Chamakolo; you take over from your ancestors. All of us are part of it.

How many members do you have at the moment?
That question, too, does not arise. All Malawians are members of Chipembedzo Chamakolo. So long as one is an indigenous Malawian. So, talking of membership, we have over 14 million members.

Where do all these 14 million members meet?
In Chipembedzo Chamakolo, you don’t meet anyhow. You meet when need arises. You don’t even have a specific meeting day during the week. When the rains are a problem. When plague strikes. When a nation is going through problems. That is when people meet, and sacrifice offerings.

Religion has, for a long time, been associated with miracles. What miracles, if any, have you performed?
You may wish to remember that Malawi went through a dry spell between 2004 and 2005. Other religions prayed to their foreign gods and prophetsbut rains did not come. That is when I, as head of Chipembedzo Chamakolo in Malawi, decided to consult Senior Chief Lundu (of Chikhwawa) on what we needed to do, in terms of offering sacrifices to our ancestral spirits. I consulted Lundu because he (Lundu) is Mbona’s grandson through the lineage of M’dzakula. Along with Chipembedzo Chamakolo friends from Mwanza, Zomba and other districts, we bought food, goats, and black clothes. Lundu advised us to abstain from sexual intercourse for some two weeks and we did that. Miracles started happening mid-way through our offering at Khulubvi. By the time we reached Ngabu (in Chikhwawa), I tell you that the whole landscape was filled with rain water. I tell you, all other religions failed to bring rains, and it was us who finally did it. Since then, Malawi has been registering bumper harvests.

Do you believe that Adam and Eve are our original parents?
No, Adam and Eve have nothing to do with us. We don’t owe our parentage to them.
People believe that there will be punishment for sinners in the end. What’s your take on this?
There is nothing like fire, or any form of punishment, after this life. Tell me: Is there any ‘normal’ father who, after bearing children, prepares a fire for them? What for?

M'bona the rain-maker: One of the people whose spirits are worshipped in Malawi's Traditional Religion (Chipembedzo Chamakolo). Portlait by Chileka-based artist Ngalamila

So, there is no fire after this life. What happens is that, after you die, your spirit may be there to represent your people, and help them in times of trouble.

Any last words?
Malawians should learn to respect their leaders. Nobody will come and honour them for us. After all, these leaders are part of us, and share similar blood with us. These are the only leaders we have in the world.

Nurses: there, when life matters

The Malawian health facility remains, largely, a net- catching up committed workers in a trap of adverse ‘circumstances’. These workers include nurses, midwives, medical assistants, clinical technicians, doctors, among others.
But what are the circumstances?
“Human resource constraints, failure to retain staff and disparities between number of workers in rural and urban areas,” says Martha Kwataine, national coordinator for the Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN).
These circumstances have particularly pinned one medical worker, the nurse, down. In rural health facilities, the nurse is the ‘doctor’, and often triples as nurse, midwife and medical assistant.
Not that no one cares, though; just that policymakers still drop, from time to time, in a vacuum of policy objectives that take us nowhere, enthuses Kwataine.
Indicators are that, unless Malawi presents better ‘Commitment Deeds’ towards its 13,066,320 population, it will be tough to fill this vacuum. On one hand, MHEN estimates that Malawi only has half the required number of nurses.
Against the national requirement of 10,000 nurses, for example, Malawi has 5000. One mind does the work of two.
It has been like this since independence that, in 2007, the Ministry of Health had 54 out of every 100 posts for nurses unfilled, a health system the Malawi Health Report described as “…close to collapse.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), on the other hand, indicates that Malawi is nursing a medical personnel crisis because, instead of 100 nurses serving 100,000 patients, 59 Malawian nurses serve 100,000 patients.
“This is why the nurse’s role remains unappreciated in our society,” says Dorothy Ng’oma, National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives (Nonm) executive director.
She says moral courage of nurses alone is insufficient to register national success unless it is executed as part of that greater entity called ‘collective action’.
Health Minister, Dr. Jean Kalirani, claims just that. She says Malawi has recently been taking the right direction, as seen by increased enrollment numbers. Over the past five six years, the intake to Kamuzu College of Nursing and Christian Health Association of Malawi training colleges has doubled.
This comes against the background of the national scare of 2009, when The Sector Wide Approach programme for medical students ended, and government officials were forced to withdraw student scholarships. Consequently, the majority of nursing students withdrew due to failure to raise K350, 000 for one year’s learning.
It was a temporary predicament, though, because, during the 2010/2011 Fiscal Year, government rescinded its decision and channeled K398 million towards tuition scholarships meant to benefit 1,200 medical students.
“This administration is very much committed to improve the situation, as seen by high level involvement in Safe Motherhood issues. The First Lady’s initiative is a sign of commitment on government’s part,” says Dr. Kalirani.
But Ng’oma maintains that nurses continue to face enormous challenges. She adds, however, that, against all these odds, Malawian nurses still play the lamb, and resist the human urge to make inconsistent demands for all their unsatisfied grievances.
“The nurse is the bastion of love and compassion,” says Ng’oma. “The issue of compromise also comes into play.”
Indeed, for the Malawian nurse, being there is a compromise because job opportunities abound Western countries, rife with better salaries and conditions. Ng’oma says local nurses do a ‘sacrificial and commendable’ job
Go to Mulanje Mission Hospital to get the real meaning of ‘commendable’. There, Blantyre C.C.A.P. Synod’s Health and Development Commission (BSHDC) is running a programme on Safe Motherhood.
Before October 2010, Mulanje District Health Office’s reports were awash with statistics of deaths that could be avoided, adding on to Malawi’s tally of 675 deaths per 100,000 live births. But a 30 September 2011 report points to positive changes.
By working with 250 safe motherhood committee members in 25 villages, the initiative has strengthened referral systems for SRH services by increasing health-seeking behaviour among pregnant women.
Says Anthony Kanyoma, BSHDC Programmes Manager: “Among other outcomes, we have reduced community members’ dependence on Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs). We have also engaged nurses to follow up on hospital attendance while midwives follow up on home deliveries,” says Kanyoma.
One of the success points is that TBAs have been incorporated, and serve as ‘referral agents’ who refer women to health facilities for proper care. To ensure compliance, Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) are monitoring the TBAs.
So far, 72 traditional leaders in T/A Mabuka, Chikumbu and Mkanda have joined the campaign. In T/A Chikumbu’s area, for instance, women choose between K500 and a goat in fines for home deliveries.
“However, because Mulanje Mission Hospital serves both Malawian and Mozambican women, TBAs continue to carry out deliveries on Mozambican women. They argue that Malawian laws cannot apply to Mozambicans,” says Kanyoma.
But not all community members are happy. One of the dissatisfied is Maxwell Nazombe of Salamba village.
“We are disappointed that HSAs are not trained in midwifery. I have seen pregnant women die from labour complications in HSAs’ presence. I fear for their (HSAs) lives because people may beat them up one day,” says Nazombe.
The situation is, however, different in Mangochi district, where a College of Medicine’s Centre for Reproductive Health (CRH) initiative has unveiled new type of ‘nurses’- community members.
Andrew Ngwira, CRH Research Officer and project assistant on youth affairs, says cases of early marriages leading into teen-age pregnancies used to be common, chocking services at Lungwena Health Centre and St. Martin’s Hospital.
“This has changed now following our intervention to improve the maternal mortality situation in Malindi, Lungwena and Makanjira by promoting contraceptives’ use,” says Ngwira.
The Community-Based Distribution Agents’ approach, which engages community volunteers in promoting best SRH practices, has reduced burdens associated with nurse-to-patients ratio.
“We have trained nurses in customer care, so that they may cordially handle clients. Early marriage incidences have been reduced. Fish-for-sex practices have been minimized and, so, have cases of fistula- issues that contributed to high maternal mortality rates,” says Ngwira.
However, as the situation improves in Mulanje and Mangochi, an SRH disaster rooms in other parts of Malawi, according SRH expert, Timothy Bonyonga.
“Good SRH practices will not lead into improved conditions because young people continue to get pregnant before the right age. This is creating a wave of mentally disturbed children, children who show signs of poor physical development as well,” says Bonyonga.
Bonyonga warns that this situation could turn Malawi into a nation of “stubborn, selfish, irrational individuals”.
“Nobody wants this to happen to Malawi,” says Bonyonga.

Gambling in Malawi

Gambling has finally found a home in Malawi, with industry players
generating K3.26 billion in revenues over the past seven years, Malawi
Gaming Board (MGB) statistics indicate.
The statistics also show that the gaming industry has contributed K270
million in Pay As You Earn, corporate tax, withholding tax and fringe
benefits, a development MGB chief executive officer Master Maliro
said has boosted Malawi’s economic standing.
“There is growth in the industry (as) more gaming sites are being
opened as evidenced by number of gambling sites which provide
entertainment to Malawians , (there is) increased investment in terms
of gaming equipment and, on the part of MGB, increased regulatory
costs due to expansion of the industry, ,” Maliro said.
This comes after Parliament passed the Gaming Act in 1996 with the aim
of legalizing gaming in Malawi. Before that, the country was replete
with illegal gambling activity as evidenced by the proliferation of
‘Wachiona ndani? and ’Kakuda Kali Pati’? games on the streets and in
community hideouts.
Unscrupulous gamblers would target women going to buy produce at
Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation outlets and trading
centres and defraud them of their cash and material possessions.
Maliro said, however, that since enactment of the same, gaming has
become a cash spinner for the country.
“Its spin-off benefits include increased revenue to government,
development of tourism infrastructure, and job creation. 167 Malawians
have been employed directly into gambling occupations and many others
in support services such as transport, security, food and beverage,”
Maliro said.
Maliro added that, through legal gambling, MGB has managed to donate
food and other items worth K563, 000 to Mary’s View School (for the
deaf, blind and special children) in Chiradzulu. The Board has also
funded Tourism Desks at Chileka and Kamuzu International Airports,
sponsored the Lake Malawi Yachting Marathon, a tourism marketing
entourage to Egypt, and refurbishment of tourism offices in Blantyre.
He added that gambling has boosted local entrepreneurship, with eight
sites and three gaming machines being run by locals.
Sunday Times investigations reveal that Malawi has, for the past five
years, been making a fortune out of gaming. For example, statistics
indicate that, in 2006, MGB generated K48, 716, 000, of which K27,
464,000 was used for operations and K21, 252 was surplus.
However, income levels declined slightly in 2007 when the Board
generated K42, 463, 000 in income. Of this, K40, 405, 000 was used in
operations, with the remaining K2, 058, 000 as surplus.
MGB then went back to winning ways in 2008, when it generated K47,
523, 000 in income, spent K46, 148, 000 on its operations, and posted
a K1, 375, 000 surplus.
In 2009, the Board managed to generate K59, 920, 000 in income, used
K44, 256, 000 in operations, and registered K15, 663, 000 as surplus.
MGB’s income then rose by over K30 million in 2010, when it posted
K82, 062, 000 in income, spend K58, 429, 000 on operations and
corporate social responsibility campaigns, to register a K23, 633, 000
surplus.
Maliro said Malawians have become the biggest beneficiaries of legal
gaming because, while MGB collects revenue from gaming operators,
Malawi Revenue Authority also collects other taxes. These include
excise, PAYE, and Corporate taxes.
“Part of the levies that are collected by the Board are used for
operations of the Board and its secretariat. The other part of the
proceeds is used for the development and promotion of tourism related
activities, responsible gaming and rehabilitation. Surplus registered
is invested in the money market,” said Maliro.
The Gaming Act, No. 26 of 1996 (as amended in 1998) provides for the
regulation of gaming, control and licensing of gaming premises,
imposition and the recovery of tax on gaming.
Meanwhile, Maliro has parried aside fears that illegal gambling could
be eating away part of government’s revenue. He said the Board has
been running massive campaigns against unlicensed gambling.
“We have closed down illegal gambling operations. We work with the
Malawi Police Service to eliminate street gambling. Following a series
of sensitization programmes on street gambling, number of prosecuted
cases has increased and incidences of street gambling have declined,”
said Maliro.
MGB started its operations in 2002, after appointment of its first
board by the Minister of Tourism. The Board was responsible for
developing modalities for the local gaming industry as well as
creation of a secretariat which serves as the functional arm of the
Board.
However, the Tourism Ministry seconded some of its officers to the
Board’s secretariat, which started its operations in 2002 as part of
the ministry. The secretariat was finally de-linked from the Ministry
in 2003 and, since then, MGB operates autonomously from its Blantyre
offices.

Museum of Malawi: Uniting cultures through exhibits

He is old enough to understand that both culture and dead matter, having no living cells, are stripped of the ability to reproduce. Yet, despite the great weight of evidence in favour of this reality, he still wants them to attain the status of immortality.
“This is achievable,” says Mike Gondwe.
He is Education Co-ordinator for the Museums of Malawi, one of the rarest local places where human beings live and intermingle freely with the dead. All this happens in a plain building strategically located next to Blantyre Civic Centre offices along the Masauko-Chipembere Highway.
Welcome to Chichiri Museum, but do not be tempted to conclude that the seemingly tranquil environment that prevails in this place is a tell-tale sign of peace. Chichiri Museum is a battleground, a place where people like Gondwe wedge a daily war against the possible loss of citizens’ memory about the things that make Malawians unique when drawn against the rest of the world.
“Preservation of all things that have helped create our belief system and way of life is the only way to achieve immortality. That is what we do at the museum,” says Gondwe.
Those who visit the museum at Chichiri, and appreciate the many preserved exhibits in stock, go back home full of admiration for his fortitude, his faith, courage and dedication towards artifacts.
But Gondwe reveals that, these days, the territorial scope (of the battle ground) is uncharacteristically changing. He says the museum no longer fights against one enemy (loss of memory and appreciation for our cultural heritage); it now has to fight against “wrong perceptions” in the minds of those who have not yet fallen into the pit of forgetfulness.
“These are people who understand the concept of establishing museums but (still) fail to pay visits because of misperceptions that we only keep old, lifeless materials that offer modern society little value. The truth is that there is more to a museum than static exhibits. The museum offers vast opportunities for recreation activities and can be used as an educational and tourism tool,” says Gondwe.
Adds Gondwe: “In countries such as Kenya, governments are generating significant income in terms of foreign exchange because they have discovered ways of making money out of their cultural heritage. Places of tourist attraction work with museums to promote local cultures. They literally have the whole calendar filled up with activities.”
He describes museums as multi-faceted places that mean so many things to so many people. They are places bustling with recreational, tourism and educational facilities. What matters is the way these opportunities are communicated to all parts of the world,” he points out.
Gondwe describes museums as vehicles through which cultural values are passed from one generation to another, one nation to another; and that one of the many benefits to patrons is the chance to appreciate a multiplicity of cultures gathered together in an exhibition room. These cultures, he says, are portrayed by cultural exhibits different districts in Malawi.
“As an institution, we try our best to promote local cultural practices. We have different cultures portrayed through exhibits. But we also realise that exhibits are static; and, so, we have cultural troupes that perform live at the museum. These groups have undergone special training on how to promote Malawian cultural dances,” said Gondwe.
The only challenge facing the museum is that of lack of space.
“We don’t have enough space to showcase everything we have. This means we have not done as much as we want. We have not even reached half our potential and more needs to be done,” bemoans Gondwe.
Malawi has one of the oldest museums in Africa, following establishment of the National Museum in June 1960. Malawi’s first President, Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, opened the museum long before he became the country’s president in 1964.
However, the institution has gone through a metamorphosis process since its establishment.
It forms part of the museum’s on-going effort to adapt to scientific and technological advancements. A visit to Chichiri, for instance, reveals a plethora of science and technological exhibits. But these, too, are just a drop of the downpour the museum can offer; the rest remain under lock somewhere, prevented from making it to the exhibition room due to space constraints.
Among the few exhibits are Blantyre’s first fire-fighting brigade machines, traditional clay ovens, a pond of slow-swimming fish, among the limited offers on display.
But, at least, the museum is more than a dead place. For one, there are many fascinating objects, among them absorption spectrophotometers, motorized wheel chairs, gas coolers, cookers and cultural relics. The museum also plays host to a variety of masks and Liguria used in such traditional dances as Ingoma, Gule wamkulu, and Tchopa.
There is also an array of bows, arrows and spears- remnants of the stone and middle ages, when our ancestors counted on hunting to meet their daily needs. Not that all the arrows on display were used during the stone and middle ages, though, as some were used as lately as between the late 1890s and early 1900s during tribal wars- long before guns and bombs took all the fun out of warfare.
Chichiri is also home to other important exhibits, including traditional salt containers (zigulu), Malawi’s maiden decimal coinage, a picture completed by exhibition of the first banknote of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Also on display are some common insect families and fauna species found in Malawi, and a cross-section of game found in some of the country’s National Parks and Game Reserves.
“We receive people from different places. Some visit to learn about science, technology, animals, plants and culture. On average, we receive 5,000 visitors every month. They come to appreciate our wide range of cultural and scientific objects. It is interesting to note that some people visit the museum just to see the Bible Dr. Hasting Kamuzu Banda used during his swearing-in ceremony in 1964,” said Gondwe.
This confirms that the museum has become more of a baking machine than dead place. This machine needs the raw materials of culture, tourism, education, science, technology and curiosity to produce human food called unity. The unity of all cultures.

Culture: Malawi’s untapped commodity

There is a battle going on, started- like many before- by the machinations of Western governments. It all started as an unofficial report, over 13 years ago, to the effect that Western governments wanted to depose one of Africa’s market ‘leaders’: ‘Sir’ tobacco.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) then confirmed the reports, saying the ‘culprit’ was a dictator out to kill ‘his’ own subjects with a barrage of health complications that were causing preventable deaths among people who called his name from the shelves willingly, and inhaled him leisurely.
It has turned into a battle because WHO and most Western governments have stood their ground. Canada has, for instance, become the lead soldier in throwing a dagger at Africa’s, and therefore Malawi’s, economy by declaring a ban on barley imports. Tobacco is Malawi’s top forex earner.
This battle is truly on because affected countries such as Malawi and Zimbabwe have stood their ground by not relenting on ‘Sir’ Tobacco’s production levels. Every year, more tones of tobacco continue to grace the Auction Flours.
However, nobody doubts that, when all this confusion comes to an end, Malawi’s Africa will lose. This sense of imminent defeat is sufficient to send tongues wagging, with experts talking in different tongues- a day of Pentecost for crop strategists.
Their new language in face of defeat has no verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, or pronouns; it is comprised of nouns: cotton, tea, coffee, sugar, soya beans, macadamia nuts, ground nuts, pigeon peas, paprika, and cassava.
The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mzuzu Coffee Planters Association, Thyolo/Mulanje Smallholder Tea Growers Association and Farmers Union of Malawi will always pick their favourite noun from the list. Each of them chooses a different noun from the other. Only one point draws them into a unity of convenience, though: none mentions culture!
Is culture so difficult a commodity to sell?
Symon Vuwa-Kaunda, Minister responsible for Youth Development, Sports and Culture says culture can be tooled to contribute towards Malawi’s socio-economic development.
Kaunda adds that other African countries have invested in promoting their culture that, today, tourists travel across the vast oceans just to appreciate some African cultures.
“I don’t think that culture is not marketable. We already have countries that have capitalized on their unique cultures to influence the world. Culture, if well marketed, can help generate income for a country,” says Kaunda.
The minister adds that Malawi is more advantaged because every human activity seems to have some attachment to one or two traditional practices.
“We are one people with a diversity of cultures. You talk of dances, practices, events, and countless other interesting features. The potential is great,” says Kaunda.
Kaunda added that even the State President, Bingu wa Mutharika, realizes the effect of culture in shaping lives, hence his continued support towards the Ministry of Youth Development, Sports and Culture.
“You can appreciate this when you attend any international conference held here in Malawi. Delegates are always mesmerized by our colourful dances,” Vuwa-Kaunda adds.
His sentiments are echoed by Mike Gondwe, Education Coordinator for the Museums of Malawi.
Gondwe says culture- as expressed through dances, cooking, dressing, eating and pottery methods- has the potential to put Malawi on the map, and even generate foreign exchange.
“But the problem is that we do not take advantage of existing opportunities. A good example is that of the Five-Star International Hotel in Lilongwe. Are we going to have a section where local artwork, traditional implements, dances, and our history will be displayed for tourists’ sampling and appreciation? Very often, we miss opportunities like these,” observes Gondwe.
Gondwe says Malawi’s culture is marketable, adding, however, that the country has missed out on this goldmine because of too much obsession with foreign concepts.
“I find it sad that our places of tourists’ attraction have no sections where our cultural endowments are displayed. In countries like Kenya, you will find hotels running cultural sections. Tourists patronize these places and pay United States Dollars, Euros and British Pounds. Tourism destinations are making millions in foreign exchange, thereby fostering socio-economic development,” notes Gondwe.
Financial constraints, he says, should not be the excuse sold by tourism industry players.
Francis Mbilizi, executive director for the National Lotteries Board (NLB) - the body mandated to licence lottery operators in the country- says culture plays a crucial role in the development of any nation.
Mbilizi says this is the reason NLB has, through the National Lottery Distribution Fund (found in Section 34 of the Lotteries Act) disbursed part of generated funds towards sports, environment and culture, among other areas.
“We have supported cultural activities a number of times, and we continue to support culture. This is why NLB has in the past channeled part of its revenue to cultural efforts,” says Mbilizi.
NLB falls under the ambit of the Ministry of Tourism.
The section in question (34) reads:”The Minister, in consultation with the Board, shall prescribe the amount of money and the manner in which the money in the Fund shall be allocated to different sectors, and other good causes for the welfare of the general public and contribution to the national economy.”
Tourism Minister, Daniel Liwimbi, says Malawi is exploring all possible ways of raising the contribution of tourism towards Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and that culture could be one of these.
“At the moment, tourism is only contributing between 10 percent and 11 percent of GDP. We can do better than this,” says Liwimbi.
But Traditional Authority Chekucheku of Mwanza warns that “careless commercialization” of culture could lead to a decay of cultural values.
“What will happen when these (foreign) tourists demand that we change this, or that, practice? We should be careful and avoid what happened to Gule wamkulu. Missionaries said it was evil, and most of our people abandoned it,” says Chekucheku.
It is an inevitable question.