Joyce Banda's Art of Taking Malawians Backwards

Her high-point came from a low.

She rode to the presidency of Malawi on the back of a misfortune.

Former president, Bingu wa Mutharika, while discharging duties of his office, collapsed at the New State House in Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe. The New State House, by design, served as both his tax-payers’ financed mansion and his tax-payers’ financed office.

President Bingu wa Mutharika, probably pondering on ways through which to lift Malawi up from the crises it was facing- fuel, forex (and hope?) shortage- suddenly collapsed to the ground in his office. It could not have been the ground, in its literal form; just that he still fell from his position, and went unnaturally lower than his normal position. That was a collapse- it doesn’t matter whether he collapsed to the carpet of what used to be his office and home, or remained fixed to his chiefly chair.

He had his hopes, and aspirations. These hopes and aspirations focused on betterment. An ‘up’ (better) world so to speak. A world whose standards kept on rising.

Attendants, so flabbergasted by the sudden fall of a man who thought so highly of himself and the nation, rushed him to the ill-equipped Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe. Clinicians, so surprised to have such a high-level patient, rushed about town, looking for this equipment or that.
For nothing. Really. At that hour, his life was not meant to be served.

In the nine years he had been at the helm of power in Malawi, he held the bigger picture of the country’s health system he could, certainly, not have thought of stocking, to the teeth, Kamuzu Central Hospital. But here he was, looking for help in a facilities-depleted heath institution.
To deprive a healthcare institution of drugs, medical equipment and other resources is to deprive it of life.
No life can be drawn from such lifeless institutions.

And, so, Mutharika died. He departed Malawi some thirty minutes to noon. These 33 minutes are double-faced and symbolic. They represent the two years that were remaining on his Second-Term bill. And, yet, Mutharika still died, on April 5, 2012.

Though the official stand is that he died on April 6, upon arrival at One Military Hospital in South Africa, the truth is that Mutharika died the moment he collapsed at the New State House, plunging Malawi into a record-low of sadness. The sadness was neck-high.
Never, in the history of the Southern African nation, has a president died while in office.

Mutharika is now not just Malawi’s former president; he is Malawi’s late president.

From Mutharika’s low rose Joyce Banda.

She rose on the back of bad luck. For her to rise, a high-flying president had to fall. Just like that.

Banda, the country’s first female president- and Southern Africa’s first at that- quickly stamped her authority after being sworn-in on April 7, 2012.

Even before hiring her new cabinet, she fired former Information and Civic Education Minister, the media-friendly Patricia Kaliati.

As long as Kaliati sat at the helm of information, Malawian journalists never starved of news. In fact, journalists will tell you that flamboyant Kaliati would start responding to one’s question even before the interviewer was half-way through it.
To every argument, every misunderstanding, every passing of a strong wind; Kaliati wanted to pend her audible signature to it. She wanted to attach government colours to it.
Along with Presidential spokesperson, Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba, they left Malawi on the wheeels, on the go, and on its toes. Good old Kaliati. Independence-witness Ntaba!

Kaliati never ostracised media practitioners, be it from private and public media. She could even grant interviews to the, then, pro-opposition Joy 89.6 FM. She would speak to each and every journalist who would pick up the line, and find her at the end of the line.

So, it was so paradoxical- a woman Information Minister becoming the first casualty (male or female) to the country’s first woman President.

Kaliati had plucked a few feathers- Banda’s back feathers, to be precise- by speaking on behalf of cabinet ministers (Democratic Progressive Party, DPP) loyalists who stood up in arms to oppose the ascendancy of the former Vice-President Banda. They propagated their views through a late-night press conference held at the State-run Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) television offices.

Even when it was clear that Mutharika had passed on, MBC still feared the cabinet ministers. MBC still feared the mighty DPP. That explains MBC management’s decision to allow those who have now come to be known as “The Mid-night Six’ address the anxious nation during that night of April 6, 2012- less than 12 hours before Banda was to be sworn-in.

 A President, in Malawi, is no ordinary being. A President, in Malawi, can resurrect even after 40 hours of death. A President, in Malawi, still rules until they are rocked, double as much, in their expensive caskets. Until they have their hands tied to their backs, and rocked in expensive caskets, they are alive.
 Given a chance, the apprehensive nation would even prefer to have them cremated, just to ensure that they are truly gone.

Without that assurance- a Death Certificate is no assurance or guarantee, mind you-  MBC still  believed the dead president to be 'alive'.

That, exactly, is what happened during the 'darkest' hour of the ‘Mid-Night Six’. They capitalized on the fear of a dead president to ‘fear’(threaten)  the President-designate into a great sense of hopelessness.

Of the ‘Mid-Night Six’ – who included former Local Government Minister, Henry Mussa; Energy and Mines Minister, Goodall Gondwe; Youth and Welfare Minister, Symon Vuwa-Kaunda; Deputy Minister in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Nicholas Dausi; Patricia Kaliati of Information- only Kaliati, a woman, faced the chop pending Banda’s appointment of a new cabinet.

April 7 now seems such a long time. Banda has clocked one month, eight days in office. Time, in Malawi, now ticks towards May 2014, when Malawians go to the polls to elect a new president and Members of Parliament and, possibly, councilors who will, once again, make Local Government politics sensible again. Power to the people is no good than ‘meat in every pot’ slogans if the people do not have their voice heard. Assurance itself, that people will, somehow, get their way inspires hope in the people, and the will to go on. Without the local government elections, Malawians have been deprived the chance to hope.

This, sadly, is the calamity that has befallen Malawi for over 10 years now. Local Government elections have been forsaken, disregarded, and discarded by those corrupted by power. But Banda could do well to restore citizens’ trust in their government by making sure that the country holds Local Government elections.

For that to happen, however- according to Malawi Law Society Honorary Secretary Bright Theu- Members of Parliament need to amend some provisions of Acts that govern the running of such elections as Parliamentary, Presidential and Local Government in the country. Without that, it will be like arresting a bird by attaching its limbs to bigger wings. It will fly higher, and never be reached again. All because you have given it the means to go away.

Once this harmonization of the laws is over, Malawi will be ready for democracy again.

As things stand now, the country is yet to embrace democracy. The good will may be there, the sentimentality in the donor community may be rampant,  but, if not well-harnessed, it has always been short-lived.

While political analysts feel that Malawi is ripe for positive changes in its societal and economic interface, the truth is that the country has a long way to go. What with Banda taking Malawians for a ride, and unimaginably backward!

Malawians are moving backward? Yes. For one, Banda is a slow-acting President. She has work in her hands, and she is doing nothing.

The work in question is the cheating by Finance Minister Ken Lipenga. Lipenga has not cheated in his capacity as Banda’s Finance Minister; he cheated as Finance Minister in the reign of the President who fell and died.

The fallen president had introduced one popular work of genius-in-doom: the Zero-Deficit Budget in response to the folding of hands by Malawi’s traditional development partners.

In 2012, Mutharika had grown so much wings as to expel British High Commissioner to Malawi , Fergus Cochraine-Dyet  in a row that started with a dead thing: a leaked cable to London that described Mutharika as a dictator.

“Malawians should not allow their leaders to be ridiculed by foreigners,” Mutharika had said of Dyet. “Even in America, this cannot be condoned.”

That was the defiance of the time; the defiance at the peak of Mutharika’s hour.

And he stood his ground.

But, like the expulsion of Dyet, not all was well with the Zero-Deficit Budget. The fiscal plan failed to meet financial expectations, forcing the people at the revenue-collection body, the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), to cheat on tax collections. Accountants at MRA forgot the principles of accounting and started treating debt as revenue, and, thus, hoodwinking Malawians into believing that the Zero-Deficit Budget was working.

MRA borrowed K30 billion from commercial banks such as Standard Bank, NBS Bank, Malawi Savings Bank, Inde Bank, National Bank of Malawi, among others. These funds were deposited in MRA’s accounts as revenue.

These figures were later presented in Parliament by Lipenga, as part of his Mid-Budget Review report. He thought his game of cheating was over but, boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

The moment he took his seat, there , wearing a black jacket and blue neck-tie, stood a Member of Parliament from the Southern region district of Balaka, Malawi Forum for Unity and Development (Mafunde) president George Mnesa.

Government thought it was a nightmare, and might have asked why Balaka MPs are always causing problems.

Government might have remembered musician Lucius Banda who, as MP for Balaka Central Constituency, introduce a motion to impeach Mutharika over poor human rights and governance records. The main reason was revenge. Mutharika had dumped Lucius’ party, the United Democratic Front (UDF), unceremoniously and formed his own Democratic Progressive Party.

The UDF saw this as grotesque and wanted to flex its political muscle in Parliament. In the end, it is Lucius, and not the UDF, that lost.

One good ‘archaeologist’ from the, then, ruling DPP  ‘remembered’ that Lucius had a bogus, and not genuine, Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE certificate), tipped Mutharika, who set his legal machine rolling.

Lucius was found guilty for forging MSCE certificate, and given the jail term he deserved.

But it was not the jail term that was questionable, it was the manner in which Lucius’ past was ‘dug’ that raised eyebrows.   His prosecution, though professionally executed, was politically-motivated. That is how the regime of Mutharika worked, after all.

Now, in the corridors of the Chinese-built parliament, stood Mnesa. Mnesa pulled a shocker from his pocket, telling the nation the MRA tax collection figures were doctored to suit the political ambitions of those in power.

Predictably, Lipenga- as Finance Minister- stood up, and trashed Mnesa’s sentiments. Lipenga, a creative writer of sorts, put Mnesa’s words in the frame of some kangaroo court out to executive judgement in no-man’s land.

It was quiet a novella for Lipenga, speaking short, purposeful poetic words as if he was reciting a poem.

The nation was surprised, and, inevitably, took Mnesa for the naughty boy who vomits in the dinner plate his mother works so hard to raise to high cookery standards. But Mnesa stood his ground.

When Khwauli Msika, MP  for the Alliance for Democracy, moved a private motion bill to have the issue investigated by Parliament, Lipenga got angry on behalf of Mutharika, and fought tooth and nail against the same. He, along with the likes of Symon Vuwa-Kaunda, finally got their way when they proposed that Mnesa carries out the investigation at his own cost.

It was so bad a cost to Mnesa. But he stood his ground. The investigation never got to the heads for reasons attributable to resource-constraints.   In that little moment, the government had won against the people again.

The people’s wishes always ended in calamity, then; as Malawi’s leaders grew wings on their heads and discarded sense at the wave of their left hand.

The DPP cohorts never imagined that Mutharika would soon disappear from the scene. All these developments took place in March, early March. I March. By April 5, all the truth would be known.

When the government changed hands, half truths begun to appear, including this big truth.

But Banda, who has maintained Lipenga as Finance Minister (she even sent him to discuss with IMF officials in Washington last month; which discussions were successful), is failing to stamp her ground on this issue by firing Lipenga.

Lipenga, for his part, has said: “I will not resign because I was not aware of the facts. I learnt of the whole truth when I instituted my own investigations. In fact, I have been briefed that MRA has been cooking up figures, and that this is not the first time…”.

Hear, hear, hear! Confessions, confessions, confessions!
Revelations are also coming in that MRA has never been audited for 10 'full' years. 10 years, no brush passed through MRA's books! Now, if that is no disaster, there never will.

But Banda, as a slow-acting woman, has not been drawn into taken requisite action.

She has chosen to act as Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, Dr. Bakili Muluzi and, more recently, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika: They heard from nobody but their own heads.

Muluzi did it during the Third Term bid saga. He was so intoxicated with power he wanted a third term against the dictates of the Constitution. He failed miserably.

Dr. Banda, even in the face of pressure from development partners, refused to take the easy path to honour by resigning and paving the way for democratic governance. He faced the blood-less hand of the ballot, and lost to Muluzi. He tried to cap some honour by congratulating Muluzi even before the final election results, but his real hour of honour had just passed the corner.

Mutharika failed to hear from the voice of reason on devaluation, good governance, and executive extravagance. Fate took him away on April.

Now Banda is worse. Already, she has dilly-dallied to make crucial decisions, as in Lipenga’s case. She also practices nepotism in that, wherever she goes, she picks with her a blood-sister- who is now  ‘eating’ free government money for being in the (foreordained) privileged position of sharing the same breast with a woman who, after all those years (including sad years in an abusive relationship after marrying at the age of 22) was meant to become Malawi’s President, after all.

This is the fate of Malawi: Having leaders who don’t listen but to themselves. Such leaders always fall in the end, and regret all the lost opportunities that would have cultivated only honour for them.
Apart from South Africa's independence icon, Nelson Mandela, no African leader takes to that honourable path any more.

The Poor and Vulnerable People ought to be protected: CfSC

April 2012 Press Statement

The human costs of a broken economy are serious and perilous. When we look at the situation of unemployed people and many ordinary workers, we see not only individuals in economic crisis, but also struggling families and hurting communities. We see a society that cannot use the talents and energies of all those who can and should work. We see a nation that cannot assure people who work hard every day that their wages and benefits can support a family in dignity. We see a workplace where many have little participation, ownership, or a sense they are contributing to a common enterprise or the common good. An economy that cannot provide employment, decent wages and benefits, and a sense of participation and ownership for its workers is broken in fundamental ways. The signs of this broken economy are all around us.
The case studies undertaken by our Rural Basic Needs Basket in our impact areas in rural Lilongwe, Dedza, Chikwawa and Zomba districts paint a very grim picture. Households in these areas are struggling to keep their bodies and souls together. The months of January to April 2012 had been characterized by decreasing calorie (energy) intake by households in these study areas. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the minimum calorie intake of 2400 Kcal/person/day for an average person. The reality; however is that in our impact areas the calorie intake dropped drastically. For instance, in Kasiya - Lilongwe the calorie intake dropped by 424 Kcal, from 1630 Kcal in January to 1206 Kcal in April. Similar trends have been observed in our study areas of rural Zomba, Chikwawa and Lilongwe. Low calorie intake is one of the most accurate indicators of household food insecurity. When households are food insecure, household members consume inadequate and low quality food. This has a negative impact on their wellbeing and especially on the physical, psychosocial and emotional development prospects for children.
As for the Urban Basic Needs Basket, the pre-devaluation cost of living survey results for April reveal that the cost of living for Lilongwe, Blantyre and Zomba went down by 4.6%, 4.6% and 6.5% respectively. Mzuzu was an exception where the cost of living went up by 1.1%. The main reason for the fall in prices is that most food commodities are in season. Maize for instance, has registered a huge slump in prices to the extent that in some rural areas farmers desperate for cash are selling it below the minimum Farm Gate price of K35 per kilogram. Much as the low price for maize is good for town dweller consumers; it is bad news for producers; as it is far much less than the cost of production which includes inputs like seed, chemicals, fertilizers and labour.
The most worrisome thing about maize is that when the supply is high, prices tend to go very low such that producers hardly find enough money to buy farm in-puts for the following growing season. Spot checks of maize prices in rural areas show that maize prices have gone as low as K15 per kilogram. This situation calls for government to adopt a regulatory approach to maize because as it stands, it is the middlemen (traders) that are benefiting from maize growing other than the producers themselves. We applaud the Ministry of Agriculture for introducing the minimum Farm Gate prices for agricultural produce. By setting minimum prices, producers can anticipate the prices and that enables them to plan for the future. Having said that, in spite of introducing the minimum prices, most producers are ‘forced’ to sell their crops at a lower price to middlemen because ADMARC delays in buying from farmers. Thus, government ought to re-enforce these Minimum Gate Prices by raising awareness among small producers. ADMARC also ought to start buying maize from farmers in good time so as to protect them from being exploited by traders (middlemen).
It should, however, be stressed here that selling maize which is a main staple crop for Malawians does not necessarily imply over-production at household level. Producers are impelled to sell in order to raise funds for their basic needs and other non-farm commodities such as school fees, clothes and also meeting their medical expenses. Simply put, they do not have alternative source of income.

Of the Kwacha Devaluation:

The protracted delay to devalue the Kwacha for sometime in a way exposes the government’s inadequacies to proactively manage the monetary policy. This devaluation should have started way back in 2008 or there about in a sequential manner. That failure to proactively intervene means that the poor who have negligible ways to generate household income will bear the brunt. Hypothetically, this devaluation would have significant inflationary impacts; however, we ought to realise that the market system had already devalued the kwacha and that led to the soaring of the cost of living. This in a way invokes the ethical question: Will our traders increase the prices of commodities again considering that such an increase was already implemented to reflect the parallel market value of the kwacha?

These failures and challenges are not just economic, but also ethical. They are not just institutional, but also personal. The seriousness and the peril of the current economic situation require clear commitment from all sectors to come together to shape and rebuild a stronger economy that safeguards the lives and dignity of all, especially providing opportunities for work. No one entity alone can turn the economy around and every institution must move beyond their own particular interests. Structures for dialogue leading to comprehensive and coordinated action need to be established or strengthened among leaders in government, business, unions, investment, banking, education, health care, philanthropy, religious communities, the jobless, and those living in poverty so that the common ground can be laid for pursuing the common good in economic life.
CfSC believes that this devaluation is a bold step in the right direction however, it remains a temporary measure. The key still remains in addressing the fundamentals of our economy which will not be addressed by the resuscitation of donor support to Malawi, as it is generally meant for service delivery. Having said that, CfSC recommends that in re-negotiating the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) with the IMF, government should advocate for the provision of safety-net package or scaling up the existing safety nets to cushion the poor. Interestingly the terms of the ECF support an environment conducive for low inflation, more jobs, more forex, better public finance management, and increased pro-poor expenditures and safety nets.
Secondly, with the value of the Kwacha depreciating alarmingly, the cost of living has increased way above the income and expectations of low and middle income earners. One way to cushion the blow to the low and middle income earners is to increase the tax-free band to enable them to have at least enough money to meet their food basket. At present, the food basket stands at an average of K39, 577 while the average Basic Needs Basket which comprises food and non-food items is at K69, 221. Thus increasing the non-taxable band from K12, 000 to a range between K25, 000 to K40, 000 would go a long way in enabling low income earners to meet their food requirements. The money lost through the expansion of the income-tax bracket could be recouped through a negotiated social protection mechanism or by introducing a fourth bracket for high income earners. Thirdly, there is also need for government through its Ministry of Labour to raise the minimum wage so that it reflects the current situation. This too should have been done long time ago.
CfSC appreciates that the government through the Ministry of Finance is reviewing the Zero Deficit Budget (ZDB) which introduced and increased taxes on goods and services which pushed the prices up. Once the ZDB is removed, commodity prices might come down and assist in cushioning the impact of the devaluation.

BRITAIN STANDS BY MALAWI

   Urgent British support for the Malawian health system to prevent the cancellation of vital vaccination and bed net programmes was announced today by Andrew Mitchell as part of a refreshed development partnership between the two countries.

Britain will also bring forward previously-agreed funding to help the new President, Joyce Banda, to continue with a positive reform programme in the face of economic turmoil which is threatening to
engulf the country.
The International Development Secretary has agreed with the Governor of the Bank of England for a British economic official to be drafted in to help the Government of Malawi deal with the effects of devaluing the kwacha.
 President Banda welcomed Britain’s commitment to Malawi and said she was looking forward to discussing her future plans with Andrew Mitchell in more detail.
British emergency funding for the Malawian health system will (help) purchase malaria and TB drugs, therapeutic feeding for malnourished children and training equipment for new health workers. It will also support services delivered by the Christian Health Association of Malawi.
Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development, said: “I am encouraged by President Banda’s early progress in office. She has put the people of Malawi right at the centre of her Government’s programme and she is listening to the sensible advice from the IMF about how to get the economy back on its feet.
“I called President Banda to tell her that Britain will support Malawi’s Health Ministry and the Christian Health Association of Malawi to ensure that vital services are taken off the ‘at risk’ list
and are delivered for the people of Malawi.
“We are also bringing forward financial support to help the Malawian economy following devaluation and the Governor of the Bank of England has kindly agreed to provide technical assistance in this area.”
Reacting to the announcement, President Banda said: "We welcome this much needed support from the UK for health and to support the economic recovery of Malawi. This support is provided at a
critical time for Malawi and will help to manage the impact on the poor and most vulnerable.
“I look forward to welcoming the Secretary of State for International Development to Malawi in the near future and to discussing the future of UK aid in Malawi with him."
  Andrew Mitchell will travel to Malawi at the end of the month to meet President Banda in person and have detailed discussions with her and her Ministers on further support to help stabilise the economy and how Britain can help drive through the necessary reforms across areas such as education and health and to help boost the private sector.
He will be accompanied by Diana Noble, the new head of CDC, who will see first hand the opportunities for the newly-focused organisation to invest in the Malawian private sector.
Britain has a long and deep friendship with the people of Malawi. In the past two years alone, UK support has provided food security for over 3.5 million people, of which almost two million are women;improved access to emergency drugs for 200,000 people.
Andrew Mitchell suspended budget support to Malawi last year after deceased former president Bingu wa Mutharika failed to address concerns over economic management and governance.
As a result, British funding earmarked for general budget support has been rerouted via NGOs working on the ground with poor Malawians.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL:

 •     Britain will provide £10 million in urgent funding for the Malawian health system and £20 million to help stabilise the Malawian economy. All funding comes from  the UK’s existing aid budget in Malawi.
 •     The UK has already agreed to provide £110 million (US$168  million) over five years through the Malawi Health Sector Programme (MHSP), in support of the Government of Malawi’s (GOM) five year health sector strategy, the Health Sector Strategic  Plan 2011-2016 (HSSP). This is the first tranche of support.
 •     Malawi’s first health sector wide programme, the 2004-2011 Programme of Work (POW) which has recently concluded, is judged to have been successful in expanding service coverage and enabling improved and more equitable health outcomes.  However, with continuing shortages of resources and a rapidly growing population, the HSSP faces major challenges in sustaining these health gains.
•     The Ministry of Health will be the primary partner.  Other partners include the Central Medical Stores, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MOLGRD), the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) (which provides parallel nationwide health services). DFID looks forwards to working with a range of Development Partners from the bilateral and multilaterals under the framework of a memorandum of understanding and a financing arrangement for those who will provide funds to the government.-  PRESS RELEASE FROM THE BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION IN MALAWI.

‘Consumers buy only feelings and contentment’

Author Emmanuel Chinunda (EC), who has three books to his credit, talks of customer care in this interview with Richard Chirombo (RC), and expounds on his experiences in Malawi and beyond, as espoused in his 2011 book, Practical Insights on Customer Services: An African Perspective. Excerpts:

RC: Malawi is a boiling pot, with so many issues. Why did you pick on the, rather, obscure issue of customer service?
EC: My experience in the area. I have been training people in customer service and, therefore, decided to turn my experiences into a book.
RC: Did you say ‘experience’?
EC: Yes. I have, for the past 10 years, been training people in customer service, supervisory management, leadership skills, team building, as well as on how they can devise strategic plans for organisations. This is why I am in the process of publishing two more books, one of them about issues I address in my business column in one of the local papers. My interest in these issues heightened when I met John Rae, who was managing consultant for a South African company called Executive Options International, in 1998. I worked hand-in-hand with him, and we, more like, partnered. That’s how I got introduced to the world of customer service.
Apart from that, I worked as Human Resources Manager for Fargo, Candlex, and Agma Corporation.
RC: Malawi, as a subject, has not been fully scrutinized. Why should a Malawian author write about customer care in Africa?
EC: I am an African, first. I have also travelled widely, having been to Italy, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Morte-Carlo, UK. In Africa, I have been to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho. These experiences have given me insight.
RC: Talking of Africa. What do Westerners make of Malawi and Africa; we are talking of first-timers?
EC: When people talk of Malawi and Africa, they think of poor time management. The tendency by Africans to disregard the dictates of time naturaly lead to poor customer service.
RC: Can we help it?
EC: We can do something about it. The first step is to appreciate the value of customer service, and live customer service.
RC: ‘Live’ customer service? Is customer care a way of life?
EC: Yes. Customer care is universal. Customer service is a moving target. Customer service, as a holistic thing, includes such things as how a product is made, packaged, and delivered. Things like smiling, timely delivery, courtesy will go a long way to give you a competitive advantage
RC: Is it that complicated? I thought customer care involves something as simple as the provision of products and services?
EC: There is more to that. Customer care is generally defined as the feeling that service or product has met the customer’s satisfaction. This is crucial to the individual, organisation, and members of the general public because it enables people and organisations retain their customers and build trust.
To tell you the truth, customers buy only two things…

RC: Products and services?
EC: No. Customers do not buy products or services. Customers buy feelings and solutions to their problems.
RC: What are the customer care challenges in Africa?
EC: The first challenge is time management. Africans perceive time differently. In Zambia, they talk of Zambian time; in Malawi, they talk of Malawian time; in Africa, they talk of African time. The common denominator with African time is that there is no sense of urgency.
Then, we have the issue of our social construction. The way we look at things locally differs from the way an outsider would see them. This is closely-related to culture, as a way of looking at things, and our development patterns.
We also have attitude problems. People in business think they are doing customers a favour. Wholesale adoption of Western concepts is another challenge.
Lastly, people need education on customer service.
RC: Malawians are not known for their reading culture. Do people really buy books on trade?
EC: That is not a challenge. In my case, I am only remaining with 10 copies since the launch of the book in May last year. At first, Maneno Bookshop used to sell some copies. I have actually only seen two copies of the book at the airport. But the book can still be found at www.amazon.com, and www.adonisandabbey.com
RC: Lastly, of what benefit has the book been to you, as an individual?
EC: It has given me exposure. People and organisations have been inviting me to make presentations on customer care in Africa. I have just received an invitation to make a presentation on customer care in Zimbabwe in June. The meeting has been organized by an organisation called Human Contact. It’s all because of the book.

Fuel Prices Up

Petrol: K490
Diesel: K475.

Agriculture Produce Prices for 2012

The Ministry of Agriculture released government's recommended prices for agriculture produce two weeks ago, but ministry officials now say they are reviewing the same to reflect last week's devaluation of the Malawi Kwacha by 49 percent.
President Joyce Banda bowed down to IMF instigation to devalue the local currency. Former president Bingu wa Mutharika, who died on April 5 this year, vehemently refused to bow down to IMF pressure to down-slide the Kwacha, fearing it would reap Malawi's economy apart and leave its people stuck in the mud of poverty.
Zachimalawi is, therefore, unable to furnish the blog follower who requested for the same with information pertaining to new produce prices until after a review is carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Please write again.  

Whose Servant is Joyce Banda?

People are asking.
In the wake of devaluation of the Malawi Kwacha by a whopping 49 percent.
Many feel that President Joyce Banda is pleasing the International Monetary Fund and World Bank instead of the people that did not elect her as State President.
But Banda is right.
Neither the people nor IMF/World Bank elected her!
Fate did.

MALAWI KWACHA DEVALUED

The Reserve Bank of Malawi (the Bank) has today 7 May 2012 devalued the Malawi kwacha exchange rate from K168 to K250 per United States dollar. At K250 per dollar the Kwacha exchange rate is fully adjusted. The Bank believes that the black market rate must be substantially undervalued given the extent of the scarcity of foreign exchange.

In anticipation of this devaluation, the Bank has taken steps aimed at allowing the Kwacha exchange rate to be determined by market forces as well as improving the availability of foreign exchange in the market. In this respect, all United States dollars earned at the tobacco auction floors will now be transferred to the sellers’ commercial banks rather than to the Bank. Second, tourists can now settle their local bills in any convertible foreign currency or in Malawi kwacha after selling foreign exchange in the market.

The devaluation of the Kwacha and the liberalisation of foreign exchange market are expected to contribute to government’s efforts to reach early agreement with the IMF. Such an agreement is needed to unlock donor flows in the next few months.  The currency adjustment is further expected to have the effect of reducing demand for imports of consumer goods in favour of domestically produced goods.

Existing exporters, including sellers of tobacco at the auction floors, are expected to benefit from the devaluation through increased Kwacha earnings. Furthermore, the smuggling of products (including tobacco) across the borders is likely to be reduced as a result of the devaluation.

The impact of the devaluation on general prices is anticipated to be muted because most prices already reflected the black market rate at which most suppliers have been sourcing foreign exchanges for quite a while.

Admittedly, the devaluation should have awaited the clearance of external payments arrears to avoid adverse impacts on the corporate sector. However, this was not possible as efforts to source foreign exchange for the purpose were unsuccessful.

Finally, in spite of the devaluation, the Bank remains committed to its overarching objective of price stability in the medium to long term.

Charles S.R. Chuka

GOVERNOR

7 MAY 2012

Leave Omar al Bashir Alone

Against the cold tide of normalcy in Malawi, warm drops of water fall from the Horn of Africa.
The warm drops come with news. The news that Sudanese president, Omar al Bashir, is coming to the Warm Heart of Africa to attend an African Union meeting.
Somewhere very far away, in a country tucked between Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania, Joyce Banda, the woman who must ride her luck for ascending to the highest office in the land- in the process becoming the first woman president in Malawi and Southern Africa- shakes in the knees.
Al Bashir is bad news. To Joyce Banda.
He will take all the donors away.
He will push all the development partners far away from the warm-hearted people of Malawi. He will suck all the forex dry.
That is Joyce Banda, a lady swimming in good will. That will has become a common currency. Celebrated by both locals and the international community.
But what Joyce Banda believes in is not the truth.
The truth is that al Bashir is not breaking any African Union law or statute or instrument by coming to Malawi.
He will come to Malawi to represent his people. The Sudanese people.
Sudanese people are African people.
Why is the West crying? Why heap their sorrows and disenfranchisement on Malawi?
Don't they cl;aim to be advanced?
Why can't they arrest al Bashir in the air. Intercepting his plane and arresting him.
That will leave Malawi free of blame.
But the West can't. They want a bait. They want an excuse.
A head of state worth their salt should be able to stand against such bullying behaviour and say- as former Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika used to say-: "Go to hell; I repeat, you donors can go to hell"!
But nobody went to hell. It's the forex that dried.
Does foreign exchange go to hell when it dries? No.
So, let al Bashir come here.
Let the African Union, and not Malawi, stop him if it wants.
After all, the International Criminal Court has no country, no economy, no national currency, no people, and no hope.
In addition, one of its backers- the United States of America- does not abide by its recommendations. In fact, no U.S. citizen will ever go to the Hague.
Why plague developing countries with the budden of arresting another country's head of state?
If the truth be told, the African people should be respected, and not taken for pawns.
Allowing al Bashir in Malawi is a statement. (A statement that) 'African people must be respected'!

Joyce Banda: A President Afraid!

April 7, 2012 is not such a long time.
May 5 (today) is hardly a month since President Joyce Banda accidentally became Malawi's forth President after independence. Her ascendancy, sadly, came about because of death. That is death; always unexpected.
While performing his official duties in his New State House office in Lilongwe, President Bingu wa Mutharika suddenly collapsed.
The nature of the collapse, as Malawi has come to learn, was such that he would never stand again from the carpet he fell onto.
In his collapse, an important chapter in the history of Malawi has fallen.
And another risen.
The rising chapter came with the face of a woman.
Down, on the floors of the New State House, fell the President; up rose a woman. Joyce Banda. That is the name.
This woman, it seems, has inherited fears that have plagued the presidency in Malawi since 1994. It is the fear of nothing.
It started before the turn of multiparty democracy in 1994. People could be arrested on imaginary treason charges. Justice would, then, be dispersed through the infamous traditional courts.
Many a citizen lost their lives to imaginary cases. They will, having fallen  in our moment of political madness, never rise again to defend themselves.
But people said it was a one party regime. That the rulers could be excused.
That, because that is what was happening all over Africa (that most countries had one party regimes, partly fueled by the cold war), those leaders could be excused.
Malawians excused them.
Then the democracy in 1994, bearing the face of Bakili Muluzi.
Muluzi started well.
Then went down the wire in governance.
People like Sudi Sulaimana were arrested on trumped up treason charges.
Government lost millions in compensation.
Then, after Muluzi, came Bingu wa Mutharika.
As usual, he started very well.
During his first term, from 2004 to 2009, the economy improved, agriculture output peaked.
Then, he went towards the same dark path taken by Muluzi. He started arresting people on trumped up treason charges.
The like of Former Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha, politicians such as Alfred Mwechumu and Harry Thomsom.
Others were steal answering to treason charges on April 5, the day that will go down in history as the time Malawi lost a sitting president to death.
After April 5, Malawi has known only one woman as president. Joyce Banda.
This woman started well, with a speech that sent showers of good will across the nation.
But now, Joyce Banda is already losing the key. She has been caught by the fear of imaginary enemies.
She is taking the same path of 'creating' treason charges as if all the themes in creative arts are exhausted.
Joyce Banda, the so-called God-fearing woman, now wants to persecute former Information Minister Patricia Kaliati, former Youth and Welfare Minister Symon Vuwa-Kaunda, former Local Government Minister Henry Mussa, former health Minister Jean Kalilani, former Deputy Minister in the Office of the President and Cabinet Nicholas Dausi, and former Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa for addressing a late-night briefing at Television Malawi offices telling the Malawi nation that Joyce Banda couldn't take over power from the fallen Mutharika because she had formed her own People's Party.
It should have been better to let bygones be bygones. It would have been wise to stop this chain of treason charges.
But Joyce Banda is already corrupted by power. No, it is because she is afraid; afraid of nothing but her own shadows. She wants to consolidate her power by riding on the back of the good will from people who, just yesterday, ganged up to kill the local economy.
Surely, with the forks in two, Banda is in bad company.
She is being ill-advised.
Bad riddance.  

Joyce Banda Rouses Ecstacy, Excitement in Zomba

This point in President Joyce Banda’s life could, probably, have been entranced by visions, images, and dreams that connected her to this new-found destiny.

After all, these aspects of life have become some of the natural ways of coming into touch with new regions of oneself, and discovering revealing connections with the future.

While it may sound strange for the people of Zomba, President Banda's home district- especially those from Traditional Authority Malemia- to claim that they shared similar visions, images, and dreams with the daughter of their own soil just two months ago, it would be equally baffling if these people did not now share something in common with her: joy and happiness.

This (joy) is what we found in abundance when we visited Zomba on Friday in our quest to ‘catch’ the people's feelings on the ascendancy of Banda to the highest office in the land.

Crown hopes

Group Village Headman Kapwepwe, one of the traditional leaders who stood with Banda during her trying times, talks about how the President’s days after being booted out of the Democratic Progressive Party were just this huge battle of who could get the most favours from government among chiefs, because there was so little faith Banda could one day rise.

“Some of us suffered a lot because people were associating us with her when she formed her own party. Just imagine that I have never been given the cloak given to chiefs simply because I was deemed anti-government. Government officials also reduced the number of coupons I am entitled to from 296 in 2010/11 agriculture season to 41 this year. All this was happening because I knew that, with her heart, she would get to the high office of President one day,” Kapwepwe says.

All this happened to him because of the interview he granted to reporters from Joy Fm. This was after the late Senior Chief Chikowi had told public media that all the people of Zomba were supporting DPP’s Peter Mutharika’s presidential ambitions.

“I said ‘No’; that is not true. There are people here who support Banda. And they started victimising me,” Kapwepwe said.

 Among other things,  Kapwepwe said Banda has done a lot for the people, and points to Mafufuni mosque, a borehole at the mosque, revolving fund initiatives and agriculture schemes, the distribution of cellphones, and the provision of fertiliser coupons bought with her money to chiefs every year as some of the notable achievements.

“She also opened a free secondary school called Msigalira Joyce Banda Foundation where students learn for free, receive free school uniforms and food. She is a caring woman who wants people to be educated and find what they need in life,” Kapwepwe adds.

Ordinary hopes

For Laikia Kusinyala, 36, Banda’s position is nothing more than a mark of hope.

She expects her to drill more boreholes, apart from one she drilled at Mafufuni Mosque, construct feeder roads for cassava farmers, and improve the status of women.

“We also need improvements in the education sector. Our children, especially small ones, travel long distances to go to Nyani Pamtondo Primary. I also hope that the Farm Inputs Subsidy Programme will continue,” Kusinyala said.

She spoke as if she had read the mind of Paulo Salim, a 31-year-old we found a kilometre away. Salim, like Kusinyala, was happy that a daughter of Zomba had become the Malawi leader.

Salim said people knew Banda as a hardworker, pointing at development projects she introduced as Member of Parliament for Zomba-Malosa.

“We have benefitted a lot from her sanitation, education, and health initiatives. In fact, Msigalira Health Centre will be opened before the end of 2012, and we hope that this will reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates,” Salim said.

He asked the President to promote rural electrification, and make sure that “those who live in darkness are connected to the national electricity grid”.

Blood is thicker than water

Banda is so many things to so many people. President, business woman, gender rights activist, Southern Africa’s first woman president, the list goes on. To Vera Malamusi, 29, the president is her aunt.

“She has been like a mother to me: Caring, loving, concerned, and helpful. She has always helped me in so many ways; she is educating my son, who is doing Form 2 at Msigalira Joyce Banda Foundation.  Without that chance, my son would have dropped out of school by now. We also have many other people who have benefitted from her charitable works,” Malamusi said.

You would think that, being niece to the First Citizen, Malamusi will be among the chosen few to benefit from Banda. She says ‘No’; Banda is different, she cares for all.

“What surprises me about President Banda is that, often, she helps people who are not related to her first, before shifting her attention to relatives who are in need of help. This only shows that she doesn’t practice favouritism, and treats all people equally,” Malamusi added.

These, workers at the President’s Domasi home said, Malamusi’s speeches are punctuated by smiles. She could be so overwhelmed with her Aunt’s rise to prominence

She pays in time!

MacLoud Nyamuka, 28, has been working for Banda since 2004. He talks of her as an honest employer.

“She has never delayed my salary. Actually, I am paid by the 21^st or 22^nd of every month, which only shows what a virtuous woman she is.  Nyamuka said.

He did not end there; he asked to excuse himself.

“Please, allow me to speak as a Malawian, and not her worker now. So, I will not be speaking as her worker when I say she is a caring individual. She treats all people equally. The one thing about her is that she is a philanthropist, who values human life and dignity,” he said.

All this, Nyamuka feels, is a foundation she has built for herself; one that will help her solve Malawi’s challenges.

The nature of women

Maulana Fulaide, 54, is so happy that, finally, a female President is in charge.

“Women are, by nature, caring individuals who listen to people’s concerns. That is why she has been able to respond to the socio-economic problems facing Zomba-Malosa constituency.

“Because of her, we drink portable water ; poor and vulnerable children have been handed a lifeline to continue with their education, and; women are respected here, instead of being abused. This is because of her example. Men know that, if given a chance, women can do a lot for their communities and contribute towards the development of their areas.

“Ever since I came to know her, in 2006, I have come to appreciate her more and more. Malawians, I think, are blessed,” he said.

Ronnie Kazembe, 43, could not agree more.

“Her pro-poor projects here, including Msigalira Joyce Banda Foundation, have revolutionalised this area. I am a mother of four children, two of them learn for free at Msigalira.

“I also know of orphans, including one I look after, who have benefitted a lot from her charitable projects. She has been feeding them. She has been dressing them, by providing school uniforms, and these children will now have the opportunity to sleep on beds and mattresses because these items have just arrived at the school,” Kazembe said.

Asked what she could do for the area if she were elected President of the Republic of Malawi, Kazembe said:” I would establish revolving funds for women engaged in small scale trade. We all know that the HIV and AIDS pandemic has left women in a precarious situation because they now combine care-giving to their everyday chores. Women need money to improve their lives now more than ever before.

“I would also establish more health centres. It is good that Msigalira Health Centre will be opened soon, but women in other villages need similar facilities. I ensure hospitals have medical drugs because having a beautiful health facility is one thing, and stocking it with medicine (is) yet another thing.”

Banda, like Kazembe, is a woman. It may be that she also appreciates these things.

It was all happiness and hopes for the people of Malosa on Friday. Those from such villages as Machinjiri, Mtogolo, Minama, Chupi, and Kasonga said, with Banda in tow, Malawi was enjoying a good spell of luck.

Is this (sentiment) prophetic, with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank re-opening those closed doors for us? Time is a just judge.

Where Is Chikumbutso Mtumodzi?

Chikumbutso Mtumodzi was once Malawi's State House Press Officer.
A position he abused.
Or, put more bluntly,  (a position) he did not understand.

The problem with Chikumbutso Mtumodzi is that he made hatred his communication strategy. In other words, hatred was his communication strategy. 

Then, probably after realising what sheer folly it was to put Chikumbutso Mtumodzi there, former president, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, shifted him to another position. Even without having the necessary qualifications, he was 'made' Director of Information.
In that capacity, he introduced the Malawi Mail- a government publication published by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education.
But, like his State House Press officership, that (publication), too, did not last. It disappeared from the market.
At first (before it existed on the market), the Malawi Mail  was a dream in Chikumbutso Mtumodzi's head. Then, it became reality. Palpable reality. After some time on the newspaper market, where it was not faring well despite having government backing, the dream (Malawi Mail) died with the sunset of September 24, 2011. Needless to say there was no funeral ceremony.
High-tempered dreams die young, really. It is me saying this. It is my impression.
Chikumbutso Mtumodzi may now be somewhere in the civil service, working for the Malawian citizen. But Joyce Banda's broom will get him out of whichever hole he is hiding in.
After all, his was a political position. Especially that of State House Press Officer.
People privy to the issue of how he ascended to that high office have it that his (Chikumbutso Mtumodzi's) mother was friends with the former First Lady, the late Ethel Zvauya Mutharika.
And, on that basis (the basis of familiarity), Chikumbutso Mtumodzi got his job.
As State House Press Officer, Chikumbutso Mtumodzi will be remembered for his reckless comments.
At one time, when former Speaker of the National Assembly, the late Sam Mpasu, was spokesperson for the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), Chikumbutso Mtumodzi touched the ex-parliamentarian's raw nerve when he said:
"Sam Mpasu should not comment on government issues because his son is in prison". That was Chikumbutso Mtumodzi at his best.
What had happened for Chikumbutso Mtumodzi, who once belonged to the duplicate New Dawn for Africa, along with the likes of Thom Chiumia and Ken Ndanga (a party that was formed to foil the agenda of National Democratic Alliance, which was formed by former UDF strongman and Information Minister Brown Mpinganjira. Mpinganjira, the favourite of the British Broadcasting Corporation, is now a member of President Joyce Banda's People's Party politburo), to become this outrageous?
Here is what happened. Mpasu was the spokesperson for the opposition UDF. It was a tough time. Mutharika had just dumped the UDF, the party that campaigned for him during the 2004 Presidential elections, for political waters that were then unknown.
This (resignation) happened on February 5, 2005 during an Anti-Corruption Bureau's Anti-Corruption Day in Lilongwe, Malawi's capital.
This development led to the flaring of tempers.
Surely, the UDF was bitter. The way Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) zealots are bitter right now. That is why they (DPP members) wanted to foil the ascendancy of Joyce Banda to the highest office in the land. They forgot that, as Vice-President, Banda was within stiffing distance of the throne. Poor thinking!
To UDF's pill of bitterness was added political gamesmanship by the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD).
Because State-run Malawi Broadcasting Corporation was giving all the airtime to UDF and, later, DPP, CMD's Kizito Tenthani and his colleagues came up with a trap for the ruling party in the name of training for senior members of opposition political parties including those of the ruling party.
At the training, opposition political parties were drilled in how to set the agenda (that is, how to be pro-active), instead of waiting for ruling parties (the government side) to set the agenda. This agenda, the parties learned, could be well-set by having party spokespersons.
These spokespersons, that's what the training was all about, could do well by speaking on issues before the government (which, in Malawi, has come to wrongly mean the ruling party) did so.
The opposition parties could do this by attacking government policies. This way, the government (and, therefore, ruling party) would spend much time defending itself instead of campaigning or 'stealing' all the lime in the light!
Now, if there is someone who put this to good use, it is Sam Mpasu.
Mpasu could, on a clear morning, 'create' dark clouds for the government (and, therefore, ruling party) by introducing an imaginary issue, link it to the national agenda, make all the people believe in it, and steal all the lime in the light!
It was as simple as that.
And that (this;Mpasu's machinations) irked Mtumodzi so much that he run short of counter-arguments.
It is in this light that, one day, Mpasu spoke about the loss of direction on the part of the ruling party, and suggested solutions. He even had the audacity to draw resolutions on behalf of what he thought was a tactless ruling party.
But, instead of coming up with an equally-sound response, Chikumbutso Mtumodzi took it upon himself (and, therefore, upon the narrow shoulders of the 'whole' State House) to shrug off Mpasu's sentiments with a statement that sounded unprofessional at best and childish at worst. It was not a statement worth the effort of an individual with a clean-shaven head like that of Mtumodzi. But from inside that clean-shaven head of his came that statement. Now, it is not up to me to say whether Mtumodzi's head is big or small. This blog is too honourable to focus on that!
Needless to say, under normal circumstances, it was the DPP that was supposed to respond to Mpasu's political jabs. And not the government, let alone New State House. But Chikumbutso Mtumodzi responded. It was a strange world, then.
"Mpasu should not comment because his son is in prison".
Not that Mpasu's son was not in prison. He was. For his own sins.
But does that stop a father from speaking on national issues? No.
At the State House, it is true, people lose their heads.
But not all the people lose their heads at the State House.
Alaudin Osman, one of the directors for private-run Capital 102.5 FM radio, was once the State House's Press Officer.  He executed his duties professionally. He did not pluck people's feathers unnecessarily. He did not take his position (as State House Press Officer) as a license to political madness.
Osman's experience in Botswana could, perhaps, have helped him execute his State House Press Officer duties with impartiality and professionalism. To him, we can just guess, the party was the party, and the State House was the  State House. Two different things.
Not with Chikumbutso Mtumodzi.
To cut a long story short, let me explain one experience I had with Chikumbutso Mtumodzi. This is when he was still State House Press Officer.
I met with him in town. Blantyre Central Business District (CBD) to be precise.
Those who have been to Blantyre CBD may know Escom House, the headquarters of the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi.
Chikumbutso Mtumodzi was talking to two city car parking-fee collectors. I knew one of these parking fee collectors. He was a DPP zealot. A DPP Youth Cadet (as the late Mutharika later christened them).
I gave him a "Good Afternoon!".
Not because he was State House Press Officer. Because I knew him. I knew him the time he was running his own media agency.
No, I knew him through and from an encounter at Njamba Freedom Park. As way back as 2003.
I had gone to Njamba Freedom Park (the place Pope John Paul 11 stepped upon during his State Visit to Malawi in 1989) to cover a New Dawn for Africa rally. This, as alluded to earlier, is the party Chikumbutso Mtumodzi, Chiumia and Ndanga formed to counter the agenda of the National Democratic Alliance of Mpinganjira. This New Dawn for Africa was a fruit of Muluzi's head; yes, it was the 'child' of Muluzi's confusion-marred line of thinking. Muluzi 'forced' these rational 'boys' into forming the duplicate party to achieve his own political agenda: That of making sure nobody challenged his ill-intentioned Third Term Bid.
I was the first to arrive at Njamba. No, perhaps the fifth. Chikumbutso Mtumodzi and some four rough-necks were already at the venue of the rally. They were guarding the tent against imaginary National Democratic Alliance attackers!
I arrived quietly and sat under a Mango tree. One of the 13 mango trees that surround the venue of political meetings at Njamba Freedom Park, a place that will, forever, remain in the hearts and minds of Malawian Catholics because Pope John Paul 11 stepped on this very place; yes, the very same Pope who was being beautified by Pope Benedict the Sixteenth on Sunday.
Then, from nowhere, Chikumbutso Mtumodzi came. No, he came from behind one mango tree. I did not see him as he came towards me.
He grabbed my hand, rather violently.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I have come to cover the rally," I said.
"What rally? I say which rally?" he queried, holding me by the arm. Tightly.
"To cover this meeting," I said, as I squeezed his ankle.
Let me say that that tussle ended in a "draw'. After I told him the media house I went there to represent.
It was a media house owned by the one who forced them to form the New Dawn for Africa.
So, from this point, I thought I knew Chikumbutso Mtumodzi. Let me say we, somehow, clicked after that.
I could see him drive the Nissan Twin-cab that was New Dawn for Africa's only 'tangible' property.
I could see him walking, on foot of course, in Blantyre CBD while the sun's rays beat his clean-shaven head without mercy. At least he had some money to pay for shoe-polishing services close to Chayamba Building because, every time one of the shoe-polishers from Chisomo Children's Club polished his pair of shoes, the shoes would be as shiny as Mtumodzi's clean-shaven head. 
I met him so many times. Before he became State House Press Officer.
Then, from nowhere, Mutharika appointed him State House Press Officer.
And things changed.
Chikumbutso Mtumodzi was always (at every opportunity he saw me) accusing me of "reporting bad things" about Mutharika.
The climax came that day in late 2008, at Escom House.
I gave him a "Good afternoon, Sir?" He did not respond.
"Good Afternoon, Sir?" I repeated.
He did not respond. He just looked at me.
I greeted him for the third time: 'Good afternoon (for it was 'Afternoon'), Sir?"
Chikumbutso Mtumodzi did not respond.
I continued on my journey, wondering: 'Does this boy think that he will be State House Press Officer for ever? Isn't this a political office? This boy was walking on foot just three years ago and now he thinks he is up there with the stars. Now he thinks that journalists should not point out the wrongs in government. He wants journalists to praise the government and practice blind loyalty. No, this is not journalism. Journalists should be vigilant all the time. Journalists should, of course, be fair. Journalists should be the watchdogs in society, the watchdogs of society. When powerful people like Chikumbutso Mtumodzi dislike you for what you are doing, professionally; then, you are doing a good job. If public officers praise you, as a journalist, just know that you are doing a bad job. It could be sunshine journalism. It could be bias. Oh, it is good; when people like Chikumbutso Mtumodzi shun you because of the way you report, because of your dedication to the truth...'
This is what I was thinking  when, suddenly, someone touched my arm. It was the (Blantyre City Assembly) parking-fees' collector I knew.
"Chikumbutso Mtumodzi was just telling us that 'I don't want to come anywhere near that boy. He is a bad boy, who hates the government. That's why I did not respond to his greeting'," said the parking fees' collector.
I was dismayed.
I was surprised.
Chikumbutso Mtumodzi is a journalist, I thought.
He should have understood the role of journalists in national development.
The journalist is not a praise-singer.
Unfortunately, Chikumbutso Mtumodzi continued with his habit of 'shunning' me, ostensibly because I was an enemy of the State; someone out to destroy Chikumbutso Mtumodzi's pay-masters' names.
That is why I am wondering today: What will Chikumbutso Mtumodzi do, now that his 'journey' is over. What will Chikumbutso Mtumodzi do, now that the DPP is no longer in power?
What will Chikumbutso Mtumodzi do...now that so many things have changed?
Surely, as we read in Julius Ceasar , the evil that men do lives after them.
Let's hope Chikumbutso Mtumodzi did no 'evil'.
But Chikumbutso Mtumodzi's ordeal must serve as a lesson to People's Party officials.
President Banda will, surely, appoint some of the confused people to influential positions. Those officials should not look down upon other people. Those officials should not dislike others on the basis of those (others') work.
When all this is over, we, like chickens, all go back home to roost.

   

Joyce Banda: Coward or Stateswoman?

Who is Joyce Banda, Malawi's chance President, accountable to?
Definitely not the people of Malawi, who did not elect her as President.
Definitely not Parliament, which only knew her as one who- as Vice-President- walked in the giant, relatively taller shadow of President Bingu wa Mutharika.
In everything, Mutharika was 'taller', including in shadows and realities.
That is why he grew a voice so different from that of African leaders.
Among other 'taller' things, Mutharika told the country-less, economy-less International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank that "No to devaluation; you can go to hell if you want".
Mutharika, in his economics wisdom, continued: "I wouldn't devalue the Kwacha to please some Washington chiefs who have had enough beans. If anything, let them tell me about the measures they will put in place to prevent the after-effects of devaluation on the rural masses".
But IMF, as usual, did not come up with alternatives.
It is, thus, so touching that Mutharika went to his final resting place of Mpumulo wa Bata (Rest of Peace) on April 23- two weeks after he succumbed to a heart attack on April 5, 2012- without getting any IMF response on the 'alternatives'.
Common sense dictates that them who are without alternatives to their criticism are without a voice (of common sense). That's what the IMF and World Bank are: Don't don't appreciate the positives; they only see the trouble.
And, to make life so simple, the Breton woods institutions know no solution but to yap 'devaluation'! Life must be serious- so serious it can not be answered by one phraseology!
Mutharika was there, talking.
Then, suddenly, he collapsed while performing state duties at the New State House in Lilongwe that fateful Thursday morning. Official records have it that he bid bye to the IMF and World- most importantly, his people- at around 11:15 am. He was taken to Kamuzu Central Hospital at 11:30am.
He found Kamuzu Central Hospital poorly equipped. His life could not be saved.
He went to South Africa no longer a man. He was dead. Having succumbed to Cardiac arrest within the confines of the maximum-security New State House.
The National Guard did not see it coming.
The well-fed dogs of the New State House did not see it coming.
The Democratic Progressive Party did not see it coming.
And, so, did the Malawi Congress Party, United Democratic Front, New Republican Party, Alliance for Democracy, Chipani cha Pfuko, People's Party, People's Progressive Movement, Congress for Democrats, among others, no see it coming.
But it happened.
And the result is that, just in the nick of time, Joyce Banda ascended to the highest office in the land.
With it came Malawi's new-found cowardice before the country-less, economy-less, currency-less IMF and World Bank.
Malawi is in a crisis of confidence.
Banda, back in Malawi from South Africa and Liberia (it has been three busy days for her), has goofed big time already. She told the South African media that her government will devalue the Malawi Kwacha by, not 10 percent (the way Mutharika did; of course, with complaints) but a whopping 40 percent!
Wait a minute. Here is a woman 'murdering' (economically) her own poverty-stained people to please the big-bellied boys and girls of the IMF.
Of course, there are elderly men and women at the IMF; experts in their area. But, if elderly experts conspire to perpetuate poverty, they are no older and no less expert than boys and girls! That is why the IMF and World Bank bosses are, simply put, boys and girls!
They are so senseless in their execution of duty. So murderous in their intentions. The way they prescribe devaluation and other 'international ills", one would be mad not rule out immorality and short brain-circuit on these folks' part.
All the IMF and World Bank gurus must be sick in some way; sick in an economic way. So sick their sickness widens the scope of the poverty malaise.
It is okay with them; so long as they receive their monthly cheque.
That is what Mutharika hated. And he hated it to his last day.
A president who never cowed before the nation-less, economy-less, currency-less World Bank and IMF duo.
But things have changed. Just in a nick of time.
And Banda is ruling the shots.
And the Kwacha.
Now, she has set her mind at making it lose value.
Not by 11 percent, or 15 percent, or 20 percent. By 40 percent.
She will cushion its effects with her obscene salary as President.
But the people will have nowhere to get the extra-Kwacha to purchase the now-available sugar.
And fuel.
And hope.
People do purchase hope. It takes will to purchase hope.
People purchase hope with will. They will they have to live on, and keep on going.
And Banda- by unilaterally devaluing-is killing that hope.  Stepping over Malawi's hope.
For one, people already harvested in March and early April. They did not anticipate what Banda has so brazenly set out to do.
They will have no money to afford life now.
Why, of all the reasons in this world, she would announce the imminence of such devaluation to the world in a foreign land defeats the purpose of states'womanhood.
Why tell it to the world, before informing her own people.
The answer is simple. It is a game. It is called cowardice.
IMF, World Bank cowardice if you make like.
Malawians should brace up for tough times.
Times created by cowardice.
Call it, IMF, World Bank "nobia'!
This 'nobia'? It is so unpatriotic it stinks!
    

Joyce Banda Goes To Work

Malawi's 'accidental' President, Joyce Banda, has set her feet to the peddle.
Her first task, as it were, was to sack flamboyant Information and Civic Education Minister, Patricia Kaliati. For a woman who prides herself in gender emancipation, Banda set in motion the opposite instinct in her mantle.
Malawians should expect more.
Banda, too unsure about herself and the laws of Malawi, also hastily fired Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Chief Executive Officer, Bright Malopa, and replaced him with the veteran broadcaster Benson Tembo. It is not the first time that Tembo has served in this capacity, having been appointed the first Director General of Television Malawi by former president Bakili Muluzi.
Kaliati, for all intents and purposes, is a Parliamentarian so loved by her people they bring her to Parliament every five years.
Kaliati takes good care of her people.
She is there when they cry.
And celebrate, too.
But people take her for what she said as Information and Civic Education Minister. They don't know the 'real' Kaliati. The real Kaliati is a gentle woman, a caring woman. She is a mother in Nkando and other areas.
As for Malopa, never has a Director General (now Chief Executive Officer) for State-run MBC been so creative as to introduce such massive-appeal programmes as Makiyolobasi.
In Malopa, Malawi has one of her most intelligent and creative sons.
MBC-TV was, really, the creator of possibilities. Not just possibilities; nameless, numberless (unlimited) possibilities.
That era, an era of creativity, is half gone now, simply because of the thinking of one Banda- Malawi's accidental president.
Now, Banda is in Liberia. She left for Liberia via South Africa, where she fulfilled official duties. Official duties? Yes. She went Down South to thank President Jacob Juma for all the goodwill, especially during the time our beloved president, Ngwazi Prof. Bingu wa Mutharika (oh, now we have to add 'the late') left this world.
The South African government bought the casket that took him to his Mpumulo wa Bata final resting place at Ndata Farm in Thyolo.
The South African government took care of the ministers and members of the Funeral Committee that went, and camped, there as Malawians eagerly, but sadly, waited for the return of the remains of their president-no-more.
Today, Banda is in Liberia.
On Monday, she will be in Malawi.
It will be the first time for Banda to go out on a tour of duty, and the first time she will come back home through Kamuzu International Airport and wave at women clad in party colours (Orange, the political colour of her People's Party) dancing for her.
It has been like that for ages. Nothing really changes.
Malawian women will always dance for the President. Be it male or female.
It is a symbol of work. The sign of someone who has gone to work, and is committed to finishing their mile.
On Monday, it will be done because Banda is working on 'Project Malawi'.

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