Bakili Muluzi's Costly Love for Gwapes

Before the advent of multiparty politics, Gwapes once walked the length and breadth of Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.
And, then, Bakili Muluzi came onto the scene as president of the Republic of Malawi.
One day, as he was being driven outside Sanjika Palace on one of his many political journeys, he spotted one Gwape crossing the road from one part of Sanjika Hill to the other.
Muluzi’s cleaving for Gwape meat was aroused.
On his way back, he issued an order.
“Kill one Gwape for me!”
He was the President. Nobody could challenge his authority.
That evening, one Gwape died.
That marked the beginning of the end for many Gwapes at Sanjika Palace.
And the Gwapes, possibly, new that another ruler was in town!
Every two days, Muluzi could order that one Gwape be killed. Until the numbers begun to dwindle.
Kamuzu Banda, Malawi’s first post-independence president, had worked had to have Sanjika Palace— his official residence— stocked with Gwapes.
Every time he was being driven out of Sanjika, he rejoined in seeing the Gwapes cross the road. From one bush to another, inside the gates of Sanjika Palace. The Gwapes could even defy the hooting of the vehicles on the presidential convoy and delay it, and Kamuzu, along the way.
Kamuzu made sure no one hit the Gwapes.
Until Muluzi came onto the scene. And started eating them one by one.
By the time he left office, the Gwapes’ numbers had so declined from 1, 750 to 380.
Today, not many Gwapes roam around at Sanjika Palace.
Some are in Muluzi’s stomach. But those who remain are too shy to come out in the open.
They have lost the trust they had in human beings. Thanks to Muluzi’s mouth.
Well, Muluzi has Gwapes at his BCA Hill Residence. Some of the Gwapes he took with him on his reluctant way out of Sanjika Palace.



Story as told by one of the bodyguards who worked at Sanjika Palace between June 1994 and April 2004.

o ban, or not to ban: music faces the test

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When Malawian musician Sonye stepped into the recording studios, his overriding thought might have been to step past reality and win the battle against his usual self.

Indeed, his ‘Tsika’ hit song reverses the conventional meaning of reality and, instead of suggesting that the persona is in down-trodden mood [as the literal meaning of ‘Tsika’ suggests] it is a state of merry-making he is talking about.

Every time women and girls sing ‘Tsika/Tsika Mtsikana tsika/’, the sense is that of celebration [which elevates one’s mood from bad to good] throughout: Be it at bridal showers, weddings, parties or drinking joints.

That’s what happens in an artist’s mind: A scene of constant bustle that constantly redefines people’s understanding of the world and, sometimes, as in ‘Tsika’, turns some conventional meanings upside down to create new meaning.

However, Sonye’s ‘Tsika’ has divided public opinion, with gender, culture and moral experts suggesting that the lyrics are demeaning to women and that the song should, therefore, not be entertained on radio stations.

Suddenly, the artist who saw the waves of creativity elevate him to instant fame has turned into the hunted—a diminutive creature at risk of being dwarfed by the vastness of gender and moral activism. It has even reached the extent where some radio stations no longer play ‘Tsika’, thanks to those who find its lyrics offensive to women.

Still, others feel that imposing bans on songs turns the artistic landscape into a narrow sphere and inhibits creative thought.

Where else, they ask, is it more possible to live a life-outside-life than in the arts? Where else, if not in the creative industry, can the artist’s mind be in full flower?



Travelled road

While debates over whether to ban songs deemed inappropriate to some quarters of society may be new to some, the country’s music history is littered with such events.

For example, San B’s ‘Amake Junior’ hit once attracted the wrath of gender activists in the early 2000s, so much that it was banned on both public and private radio stations.

Gender activists reportedly did not like the portrayal of the persona ‘Amake Junior’, who they said was portrayed as clueless [by calling each and every child ‘Junior’] and irresponsible [by failing to advise her son ‘Junior’, as represented through such lines as ‘M’malo moti mwana mumulange/Tabwera iwe/Ufatse iwe/M’malo moti muzimdzudzula.../].

And ‘Amake Junior’ faded from the airwaves as quickly as it hit the speakers.

Just recently, reports have filtered in that the song ‘Dzuka Malawi’, composed by Lilongwe-based musician Francis Kalawe, has been banned on some public radio and television stations, ostensibly because of the political connotations of the song.

For starters, United Democratic Front president, Atupele Muluzi, used the refrain ‘Dzuka Malawi dzuka’ to drum his ‘Ung’onoung’ono’ manifesto message home. But this is the story of yesterday.

Veteran musician Lucius Banda has also had his fair share of bans on the tax-payer funded public broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation.

However, while the banning of songs on political grounds has been a common phenomenon in Malawi, the suspension of the same on gender grounds is as recent a phenomenon as San B’s ‘Amake Junior’. The tendency can best be described as the ‘child of the new millennium’, considering that the trend started with ‘Amake Junior’ in the early 2000s.



Tsika’s turn

The sound of Sonye’s ‘Tsika’ has silently been muted in some private and public radio stations, resurfacing the old debate of gender and cultural sensitivity versus artistic license.

While the Musicians Union of Malawi (Mum) has called for dialogue between those who support the ban of songs based on content and the artists themselves, one of the gender and human rights activists who have been in the forefront calling for the ban on hits such as ‘Tsika’ has justified broadcasting houses that have adopted this position.

Speaking to Weekender on Wednesday, gender and human rights activist Emma Kaliya said songs such as ‘Tsika’ are demeaning to women.

“The issue is not just an activism issue; it’s a moral as well as principle issue. The issue [of songs that demean women] was tackled at a Sadc [Southern African Development Community] Gender Protocol meeting held in May [this year] in Malawi and it was observed that songs that demean the status of women are defeating principles of the Sadc Gender Protocol.

“So, without mentioning radio stations [that are not playing ‘Tsika’], it is true that some radio stations are not playing the song because of its demeaning lyrics to women. Sadly, there are some media institutions that have become immoral to the modesty of women and keep on playing such songs,” said Kaliya.

Kaliya added that radio and television stations that keep on playing songs that “undermine the modesty” of women were taking part in “promoting wrong things” in society.

“Surprisingly, these things [playing such songs] continue happening in the country. I am completely saddened with media houses who are promoting this practice. Of course, the artist is free to create anything but the media houses have a responsibility to scrutinise artistic works such as songs and make sure that they are in order. The media’s role is to educate and not promote insults,” added Kaliya.

While acknowledging that artists could explore all areas of life, Kaliya said the media has no business in “pleasing artists who are immoral”.

However, Mum president, Rev. Chimwemwe Mhango, has asked members of the general public not to rush into calling for impositions of bans on songs whose content they do not agree with, saying songs may not always mean what listeners think they do.

“People may conclude wrongly, which necessitates that artists should be involved. Songs should not just be banned anyhow and it’s always necessary to talk to the composer, reason together and, where it is agreed that a mistake might have been committed, correct such mistakes,” said Mhango.

He added: “The one thing about art is that things may not be what they seem to be. Art can be poetic. Meanings are not what they always sound and it is important that people should not take the lyrics literally. For people to appreciate, they need to go deeper and deeper in analysing content, hence the need for artists and concerned parties to sit down and engage each other.”

Mhango also expressed surprise that some of the songs people complain against are liked by listeners.

“Arguably, one would say: ‘Why do people like the song so much? Why do people like it?’ You will find that some of the songs that are deemed controversial enjoy massive airplay and are liked by people. This means they have appeal,” said Mhango.



Official side

Meanwhile, Director of Culture in the Ministry of Culture, Dr. Elizabeth Gomani Chindebvu, has said, used productively, creativity is an instrument that can be used to promote culture and create cultural awareness among people.

“That said, creativity should be on the people’s side, instead of being at the expense of people. So, while we know that creativity plays a crucial role in cultural development, it should not mean that people should accept offensive stuff,” said Gomani on Wednesday.

Speaking on the issue of whether it is justifiable for some segments of society to propagate the idea of banning some artistic works such as songs, Chindebvu said sometimes such sentiments may be a reflection of general perceptions of the citizenry.

“We don’t operate in a vacuum; we serve the people. We appreciate the fact that artists are also using culture but, at the same time, creativity is there for people’s enjoyment. If people are not enjoying [and are, instead, complaining] then they can speak out because creativity is there to serve as a source of enjoyment,” said Gomani.

Whatever the case, music could be turning into a jungle only the ultra-sensitive may come out of unscathed.

Phalombe’s long road to sexual reproductive health services

The thick, brown dust along the Chitakale-Phalombe earth road symbolises challenges encountered by Phalombe District residents in accessing free public health services very well: Without a public district hospital, the road to good health has never been smooth and clear.

“The challenges associated with accessing healthcare services, especially sexual reproductive health (SRH) care services, have been more pressing on women than men,” observes Philles Jailosi, Phalombe Women’s Forum chairperson.

Her forum provides a platform for women to discuss issues that affect them, and Jailosi observes that two issues often crop up during meetings: Poor access to SRH services and violence against girls and women.

“One of the challenges we face is that some men, in most cases married men, impregnate school girls. Worse still, some men forcibly sleep with their step daughters, leading to increased cases of unwanted pregnancies. Of course, we have established committees at Traditional Authority level, but it is impossible to completely bring these cases to a halt,” says Jailosi.

However, while acknowledging that pregnancies arising out of acts of incest, defilement or rape may be a burden on girls, Jailosi clearly states that advising the affected girls to go for safe abortion services is out of the question.

“We do not condone the practice of terminating pregnancy, whatever the case, because we believe that, under whatever circumstances, a girl or woman is not supposed to terminate pregnancy. It does not matter whether a girl wants to terminate the pregnancy in a public or private health facility, we do not condone that and all women and girls here know that,” says Jailosi.

This, more likely, may increase chances of pregnancy-related deaths. A report titled ‘Epidemiology of Maternal Mortality in Malawi – 2nd edition’, produced by Cameron Bowie and Eveline Geubbels under the Department of Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, indicates that pregnancy-related death refers to “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the cause of death”.

This is the definition used in Malawi demographic health surveys, but not the one that was used by the United Nations in calculating maternal mortality for the Millennium Development Target 6 of Goal 5— which sought to reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio. The Millennium Development Goals have been replaced by Sustainable Development Goals.

Challenges faced by the victim of incest, rape or defilement in Malawi are compounded by the fact that the medical procedure of terminating pregnancy is allowed only on the ground that the life of the woman is in danger. But, for the Phalombe girl, other challenges come into the balance, among them lack of a public district hospital and the fact that the hospital that serves as a district hospital— Holy Family Mission Hospital— is affiliated to a religious institution, the Catholic Church.

Just on March 13 this year, in a Pastoral Letter titled ‘Mercy of God as a Path of Hope: On Current Socio-Political and Economic Issues in Malawi’, Catholic Bishops condemned pro-abortion campaigners.

“On the evils of promoting abortion and its unlawfulness, we already made our position clear to you through our 2013 Pastoral letter titled ‘Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality, Abortion, Population and Birth Control’. In the face of the new campaign termed ‘safe abortion’, we are compelled to reaffirm our position on the matter as a way of offering direction and guidance.

“We reiterate our position on the right to life and dignity of every human person. In a country little by little marked by trends in the declining respect for human life, the Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. Our belief in the sanctity of human life and the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all the principles of the social teaching. Through the agents of the culture of death, campaigning for abortion legislation, human life is under direct attack,” the bishops observed.


The Pastoral Letter was signed by Archbishop Thomas Msusa of the Archbishop of Blantyre, Archbishop Tarsizio Ziyaye of the Archbishop of Lilongwe, bishop Martin Mtumbuka of Karonga Diocese, bishop Peter Musikuwa of Chikwawa, bishop Emmanuel Kanyama of Dedza, bishop Montfort Stima of Mangochi, bishop George Tambala of Zomba and Monsignor Michael Muwowo, Diocesan Administrator of Mzuzu.

Indeed, a clinical officer at Holy Family Mission Hospital said when we visited the facility in February this year that the institution “does not offer services related to the termination of pregnancy”, but was quick to point out that it was under obligation to treat women seeking post-abortion care services.

“We do not turn women who seek post-abortion care services down. We do not even consider the circumstances that led them to terminate pregnancy. As a hospital that serves as a district hospital [in the absence of a public district hospital in Phalombe District] we find no problems providing post-abortion care services because Mulanje District Hospital also offers similar services,” said the official.

He said Holy Family Mission Hospital offers services such as consultation, casualty, dental, pharmacy, haematology, maternal and child health, labour, delivery and post-natal care, obstetrical and gynaecological services.

According to Phalombe District Health Office spokesperson, Daniel Chilomo, Phalombe public health institutions do not offer services related to the termination of pregnancy, but access to post-abortion care services is not restricted.

One commercial sex worker (CSW) from Mkhumba Village in Traditional Authority Mkhumba in Phalombe reveals, in an interview at Phalombe Boma, that CSWs in Phalombe have discovered ways of beating the system, and relocate to Blantyre City whenever they fall pregnant.

“CWSs are always in touch and that is why you will find that we easily move from one part of the country to another. We use our links to access health services away from where we work. Otherwise, we are subjected to bad attitude when we visit public health centres close to us,” she says, only identifying herself as Maggie.

Some of the public health facilities in Phalombe include Phalombe Health Centre and Namphungo Health Centre.

Chilomo also said, in cases of health complications, patients are referred to Zomba Central Hospital for further attention.

Phalombe has five constituencies— Phalombe Central, Phalombe East, Phalombe North, Phalombe North East and Phalombe South.



Healthcare challenge

The College of Medicine report, ‘Epidemiology of Maternal Mortality in Malawi – 2nd edition’ makes a number of observations.

“The main risks associated with induced or spontaneous incomplete abortion are the same as those of delivery, i.e. infection and bleeding. However, for induced abortion, lack of adequate family planning can be seen as a risk factor, because without unwanted pregnancies, no induced abortions would be carried out.

“A study in Kamuzu Central Hospital reported that admissions for abortions constituted 40 percent of all admissions to the gynaecology ward. Seventy-one percent occurred in first trimester. Incomplete abortions made up 85 percent of total and of these women, 38 percent were septic on arrival. One third needed blood transfusion. Thirty-three cases (5.5 percent) were obvious induced abortions, 30 had sticks introduced in the vagina by traditional healers and three admitted having taken ‘home medicine’. This is most likely an underestimation,” reads the report in part.

It adds that, of the women who had induced abortions, 72 percent were school girls, with the case fatality rate among women with obviously induced abortions being pegged at 9 percent while the overall case fatality rate was 0.5 percent.

The report quotes another study performed in Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Ekwendeni Mission Hospital in Mzuzu and Mangochi District Hospital. In total, 1,325 incomplete abortions were recorded in these facilities.

Ridding tobacco farming of child labour

Boyd Ndhlovu, 50, grew up believing that nothing short of daily exercise could help the son and daughter of a tobacco farmer understand the basics of tobacco farming.

No wonder, then, that the Tobacco Association of Malawi executive member’s father started teaching him the tobacco farming skills at a tender age. Once satisfied that the son could take over the farming business and scale new heights, Ndhlovu’s father left the responsibility of looking after Kampala Estate to him in 1989.

Today, Boyd is sad that his father— who died last year— can no longer watch the son supervise works or till the land with the Ferguson tractor that bears testimony that, despite starting off with one hectare of small scale flue-cured and Barley tobacco, respectively, the son has perfected the farming business.

At the same time, he is happy that the knowledge acquired from his father— who used to be one of the well-known commercial maize farmers during the one party regime— has been put to good use. His father was a hard-working farmer who, using 20 hectares of land, used to cultivate tobacco, onions, bananas and owned fish ponds.

However, while the sight of a father inspecting a tobacco farm with his son in tow used to be common then [when Ndhlovu the senior taught Boyd the basics], Ndhlovu can no longer walk around the farm with his beloved son, or give him hands on experience.

While business consultants such as Economics Association of Malawi president, Henry Kachaje, have emphasised the need to cultivate in young ones business skills so that the knowledge may not be lost when the parents die, this cannot be practiced everywhere— especially in tobacco estates.

And Ndhlovu knows that pretty well.

“In Integrated Tobacco Farming (IPS), otherwise known as contract farming, farmers are not allowed to engage children in the work as this would be interpreted as child labour and child labour is a vice because it denies children their right to go to school,” Ndhlovu says.

Ndhlovu says, ever since he joined Alliance One Tobacco Company as his sponsoring merchant in 2001, he is not allowed to employ children or allow them to work on his farms.

He says children are not even allowed to get closer to the tobacco leaf selection area, observing that, apart from child labour being a setback to development, tobacco has some harmful substances that may negatively affect children’s health.

So, Ndhlovu rests assured of the market for his tobacco— safe in the knowledge that no buyer may fault him for employing children. He says one of the lessons he has been able to quickly learn through IPS is that children have no business in the tobacco industry.

If anything, his only worry is that the Malawi Kwacha behaves “abnormally’ in the period leading to the opening of the Auction Floors.

“The Malawi Kwacha gains strength against foreign currencies and this acts as a disservice to us because we buy inputs at expensive prices because the Malawi Kwacha is at its lowest ebb— only to sell our tobacco at a relatively cheap price when the Malawi Kwacha gains strength,” Ndhlovu laments.

Another tobacco farmer, Owen Musongole from Joseph Village, Traditional Authority Mwaulambya, in Chitipa says IPS has taught him to “leave children alone because, as potential leaders, they should be busy attending to classes instead of working”.

Forty-two year-old Musongole, who joined IPS in the 2013/14 planting season, says he has been able to construct houses, buy livestock and establish a bottle store by working on his farms alone, despite having two children who may be more than willing to offer a helping hand.

“A responsible farmer should not engage children in farming. The children can learn about good farming practices in the formal education system. Parents should be in the forefront promoting the welfare of their children, instead of spoiling it,” Musongole says.

International tobacco buyers promote seven principles in tobacco farming. These include a crusade against child labour, the promotion of a safe work-environment, the matching of income and working hours, fair treatment, guarding against forced labour, the promotion of freedom of association and compliance with the law.

A ‘Training in all Agricultural Labour Practices’ manual, released in September 2011 by Philip Morris International— one of the international tobacco buyers— when PMI Africa trained Alliance One International Malawi in November 2011 indicates that farmers who violate these principles face dire consequences.


The manual seeks to “progressively eliminate child labour and other labour abuses where they are found and to achieve fair working conditions on all farms from which Alliance One customers source tobacco”.


Child labour is prohibited in Malawi. The Malawi Government, in the Employment Act, Chapter 55, directs that no children under 16 years should be involved in work. It only allows persons aged between 16 and 18 years to do “non-hazardous work”.


Alliance One Tobacco (Malawi) Corporate Affairs Manager, Fran Malila, observes that “Hazardous child labour is work that is dangerous, unsafe or unhealthy to the child because of its conditions and the type of work. Such work could result in a child being exploited, killed, injured, or become ill”.


Malila says, to avoid cases where children are employed on farms in the country, tobacco farmers are informed about acceptable agricultural labour practices.


“All Alliance One contracted growers are sensitised on ALP [Agricultural Labour Practice] issues and are invited for training by the leaf technicians. All farmers are contractually obligated to comply with all of the seven principles through contracts signed at the beginning of each season. Through the IPS system and the ALP programmes, Alliance One is better able to reach and educate it’s contracted growers on the importance of ALP compliance,” Malila says.


She adds: “Our approach is to improve conditions for farmers and workers through direct interaction with contracted farmers by leaf technicians and area field administrators based in each of the 10 growing areas, conducting training on ALP codes to encourage farmers to comply with labour codes, following up on reported incidences, [and taking] remedial actions whenever non-compliance is observed, [and conducting] sensitisation meetings with community leaders and members.”


She says, to ensure that all contracted tobacco farmers are informed, Alliance One has 185 leaf technicians in 10 growing areas as well as 10 area field administrators who concentrate solely on ALP monitoring, reporting, training, and advising farmers, workers and the communities on ALP.


Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Minister, Allan Chiyembekeza, says the government is committed to ensuring that no children are employed on farms, hence welcomes all initiatives aimed at stemming child labour in the country.


Chiyembekeza says child labour gives nations a bad name, hence the government’s commitment to eliminating all forms of child labour.


Gender, Disability and Social Welfare Minister, Patricia Kaliati, says her ministry has stepped up efforts aimed at dealing with perpetrators of child labour, observing that “those who deliberately engage children in harmful labour will be smoked out and shamed”.


“Child labour should never be condoned and we are ready to work with those who are willing to cooperate with us on ending this malpractice. We are happy that some tobacco companies are promoting adherence to this law. Our appeal is that we should join hands and ensure that children are in class, instead of working places,” Kaliati says.


Still, a lot needs to be done to ensure that those who think employing children forms part of the child’s learning process are reached out. Otherwise, some people and institutions may be fighting on the surface while others are planting the seeds of child labour in the background.

Zachimalawi Wins Misa-Malawi Annual Media Awards ‘2016 Best Blogger of the Year’

…Government of the United States gives Blogger Galaxy Tab A
…As Zachimalawi Blogger also wins Misa-Malawi 2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year [Print]

When Zachimalawi started blogging on November 25 2008, the idea was to archive news articles written by Richard Chirombo.
However, five months later, the Blogger was surprised to discover that seven people were ‘following’ the blog. Having realised the blog was no longer a preserve of Richard Chirombo, the blogger decided to start posting articles every day.
Initially, I could post articles once or twice a week, depending on what I wrote.
Before long, the Blog’s followership grew to 89. The blog became known, too, with traffic indicators showing that there are more followers in Europe and the Americas, than in Africa [Malawi inclusive].
Posting articles was no longer a question of ‘whenever time permits’; it was obligatory. My first responsibility was to the followers, and not myself.

Challenges
However, the frequency of posting was somewhat disrupted, following my admission into the University of Malawi’s Bachelor of Arts [Communication and Cultural Studies] in September 2013. I am still learning, this being Fourth Year, First Semester.
Being a student has, somewhat, disrupted my work ethic, and, in the past two years, I have not been posting every day or every two days. School work takes much of my time.
It is not surprising, therefore, that, in the history of Zachimalawi, 32 followers stopped following the blog three months ago. I must say, when I discovered that 32 people had stopped following the blog, I felt sad. It was the saddest moment in my life.
I think the issue of posts not being updated every day, or two days, played a role.
I also think the blog has, somewhat, minimized its focus on minority rights. Not that things have not been happening in Malawi; it is because of the studies.
Let me assure followers of the blog that I will be through with my studies by November [I am becoming a cultural theorist] and I will get into the habit of posting everyday again.

Vote of thanks
Let me, then, thank all of you, good people, for being there for me. I do not take your continued following of the blog for granted. I am sorry for not giving you reasons for my failure to update daily. But, again, thanks for your understanding.
I would like to thank two Chinese friends who have been pressing me to start a news website that would operate like the others. Well, maybe time will come.

Winning formula
Before I finish, let me thank Malawian journalists who, through the Media Institute of Southern Africa- Malawi Chapter, voted for Zachimalawi as ‘2016 Best Blogger of the Year’.
Thanks, again, to the people of the United States of America who, through the Government of the United States, have given www.zachimalawi.blogspot.com the prize of a Samsung Galaxy Tab A
LTE, HSPA+
245.8 mm (9.7 inch) XGA LCD
1.2GHz Quad Core Pricessor
2GB LPDDR3 RAM
5.0MP (AF) / 2.0MP
Full HD Playback & HD Recording
6,000mAh
I am sure that failure to post due to time will no longer be an excuse. I have been given the necessary tool by the American people.
In the end, emerging as the ‘MISA Malawi Annual Media Awards 2016 Best Blogger of the Year’ will motivate me into working very hard.
In another development, Richard Chirombo [who blogs on Zachimalawi] was on May 7 [Saturday] voted ‘Misa Malawi Annual Media Awards 2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year [Print] at a function that took place at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi District [Southern Malawi].
The event pulled together journalists from all media houses in Malawi, including Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation radios and Television, FM 101, Capital FM, MIJ FM, Yoneco FM, Chancellor College Community Radio Station, Times Group [publishers of The Daily Times, The Sunday Times, Malawi News, owners of Times Radio, Times Television], Nation Publications Limited [publishers of The Nation, The Weekend Nation, Nation of Sunday], Ufulu FM, Joy Radio and Television, among others.
Richard Chirombo emerged winner as ‘2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year’ for his news articles on the persecution of people with the condition of albinism in Malawi.

Zachimalawi Wins Misa-Malawi Annual Media Awards ‘2016 Best Blogger of the Year’

…Government of the United States gives Blogger Galaxy Tab A
…As Zachimalawi Blogger also wins Misa-Malawi ‘2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year [Print]

When Zachimalawi started blogging on November 25 2008, the idea was to archive news articles written by Richard Chirombo.
However, five months later, the Blogger was surprised to discover that seven people were ‘following’ the blog. Having realised the blog was no longer a preserve of Richard Chirombo, the blogger decided to start posting articles every day.
Initially, I could post articles once or twice a week, depending on what I wrote.
Before long, the Blog’s followership grew to 89. The blog became known, too, with traffic indicators showing that there are more followers in Europe and the Americas, than in Africa [Malawi inclusive].
Posting articles was no longer a question of ‘whenever time permits’; it was obligatory. My first responsibility was to the followers, and not myself.

Challenges
However, the frequency of posting was somewhat disrupted, following my admission into the University of Malawi’s Bachelor of Arts [Communication and Cultural Studies] in September 2013. I am still learning, this being Fourth Year, First Semester.
Being a student has, somewhat, disrupted my work ethic, and, in the past two years, I have not been posting every day or every two days. School work takes much of my time.
It is not surprising, therefore, that, in the history of Zachimalawi, 32 followers stopped following the blog three months ago. I must say, when I discovered that 32 people had stopped following the blog, I felt sad. It was the saddest moment in my life.
I think the issue of posts not being updated every day, or two days, played a role.
I also think the blog has, somewhat, minimized its focus on minority rights. Not that things have not been happening in Malawi; it is because of the studies.
Let me assure followers of the blog that I will be through with my studies by November [I am becoming a cultural theorist] and I will get into the habit of posting everyday again.

Vote of thanks
Let me, then, thank all of you, good people, for being there for me. I do not take your continued following of the blog for granted. I am sorry for not giving you reasons for my failure to update daily. But, again, thanks for your understanding.
I would like to thank two Chinese friends who have been pressing me to start a news website that would operate like the others. Well, maybe time will come.

Winning formula
Before I finish, let me thank Malawian journalists who, through the Media Institute of Southern Africa- Malawi Chapter, voted for Zachimalawi as ‘2016 Best Blogger of the Year’.
Thanks, again, to the people of the United States of America who, through the Government of the United States, have given www.zachimalawi.blogspot.com the prize of a Samsung Galaxy Tab A
LTE, HSPA+
245.8 mm (9.7 inch) XGA LCD
1.2GHz Quad Core Pricessor
2GB LPDDR3 RAM
5.0MP (AF) / 2.0MP
Full HD Playback & HD Recording
6,000mAh
I am sure that failure to post due to time will no longer be an excuse. I have been given the necessary tool by the American people.
In the end, emerging as the ‘MISA Malawi Annual Media Awards 2016 Best Blogger of the Year’ will motivate me into working very hard.
In another development, Richard Chirombo [who blogs on Zachimalawi] was on May 7 [Saturday] voted ‘Misa Malawi Annual Media Awards 2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year [Print] at a function that took place at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi District [Southern Malawi].
The event pulled together journalists from all media houses in Malawi, including Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation radios and Television, FM 101, Capital FM, MIJ FM, Yoneco FM, Chancellor College Community Radio Station, Times Group [publishers of The Daily Times, The Sunday Times, Malawi News, owners of Times Radio, Times Television], Nation Publications Limited [publishers of The Nation, The Weekend Nation, Nation of Sunday], Ufulu FM, Joy Radio and Television, among others.
Richard Chirombo emerged winner as ‘2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year’ for his news articles on the persecution of people with the condition of albinism in Malawi.

Zachimalawi Wins Misa-Malawi Annual Media Awards ‘2016 Best Blogger of the Year’

…Government of the United States gives Blogger Galaxy Tab A
…As Zachimalawi Blogger also wins Misa-Malawi ‘2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year [Print]

When Zachimalawi started blogging on November 25 2008, the idea was to archive news articles written by Richard Chirombo.
However, five months later, the Blogger was surprised to discover that seven people were ‘following’ the blog. Having realised the blog was no longer a preserve of Richard Chirombo, the blogger decided to start posting articles every day.
Initially, I could post articles once or twice a week, depending on what I wrote.
Before long, the Blog’s followership grew to 89. The blog became known, too, with traffic indicators showing that there are more followers in Europe and the Americas, than in Africa [Malawi inclusive].
Posting articles was no longer a question of ‘whenever time permits’; it was obligatory. My first responsibility was to the followers, and not myself.

Challenges
However, the frequency of posting was somewhat disrupted, following my admission into the University of Malawi’s Bachelor of Arts [Communication and Cultural Studies] in September 2013. I am still learning, this being Fourth Year, First Semester.
Being a student has, somewhat, disrupted my work ethic, and, in the past two years, I have not been posting every day or every two days. School work takes much of my time.
It is not surprising, therefore, that, in the history of Zachimalawi, 32 followers stopped following the blog three months ago. I must say, when I discovered that 32 people had stopped following the blog, I felt sad. It was the saddest moment in my life.
I think the issue of posts not being updated every day, or two days, played a role.
I also think the blog has, somewhat, minimized its focus on minority rights. Not that things have not been happening in Malawi; it is because of the studies.
Let me assure followers of the blog that I will be through with my studies by November [I am becoming a cultural theorist] and I will get into the habit of posting everyday again.

Vote of thanks
Let me, then, thank all of you, good people, for being there for me. I do not take your continued following of the blog for granted. I am sorry for not giving you reasons for my failure to update daily. But, again, thanks for your understanding.
I would like to thank two Chinese friends who have been pressing me to start a news website that would operate like the others. Well, maybe time will come.

Winning formula
Before I finish, let me thank Malawian journalists who, through the Media Institute of Southern Africa- Malawi Chapter, voted for Zachimalawi as ‘2016 Best Blogger of the Year’.
Thanks, again, to the people of the United States of America who, through the Government of the United States, have given www.zachimalawi.blogspot.com the prize of a Samsung Galaxy Tab A
LTE, HSPA+
245.8 mm (9.7 inch) XGA LCD
1.2GHz Quad Core Pricessor
2GB LPDDR3 RAM
5.0MP (AF) / 2.0MP
Full HD Playback & HD Recording
6,000mAh
I am sure that failure to post due to time will no longer be an excuse. I have been given the necessary tool by the American people.
In the end, emerging as the ‘MISA Malawi Annual Media Awards 2016 Best Blogger of the Year’ will motivate me into working very hard.
In another development, Richard Chirombo [who blogs on Zachimalawi] was on May 7 [Saturday] voted ‘Misa Malawi Annual Media Awards 2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year [Print] at a function that took place at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi District [Southern Malawi].
The event pulled together journalists from all media houses in Malawi, including Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation radios and Television, FM 101, Capital FM, MIJ FM, Yoneco FM, Chancellor College Community Radio Station, Times Group [publishers of The Daily Times, The Sunday Times, Malawi News, owners of Times Radio, Times Television], Nation Publications Limited [publishers of The Nation, The Weekend Nation, Nation of Sunday], Ufulu FM, Joy Radio and Television, among others.
Richard Chirombo emerged winner as ‘2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year’ for his news articles on the persecution of people with the condition of albinism in Malawi.

Richard Chirombo is 'Misa-Malawi 2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year'!

Richard Chirombo [who blogs on Zachimalawi] was on May 7 [Saturday] voted ‘Misa Malawi Annual Media Awards 2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year [Print] at a function that took place at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi District [Southern Malawi].
The event pulled together journalists from all media houses in Malawi, including Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation radios and Television, FM 101, Capital FM, MIJ FM, Yoneco FM, Chancellor College Community Radio Station, Times Group [publishers of The Daily Times, The Sunday Times, Malawi News, owners of Times Radio, Times Television], Nation Publications Limited [publishers of The Nation, The Weekend Nation, Nation of Sunday], Ufulu FM, Joy Radio and Television, among others.
Richard Chirombo emerged winner as ‘2016 Human Rights Journalist of the Year’ for his news articles on the persecution of people with the condition of albinism in Malawi.

Marital rape: dusted, but sleeping, debate

A mass of tangled hurdles, mainly stemming out of cultural inhibitions, stood in the way of the campaign to have marital rape recognised in the statutes in Malawi.

And, in the end— judging by the silence of hither to relentless campaigners – the majority who opposed the suggestion seem to have won, yet another indicator that gender activism faces various windings before gender equality principles could become entrenched in Malawi society.

But, according to gender activist Emma Kaliya, it is just unfortunate that a significant number of Malawians” misunderstood the whole concept, a development that culminated in people pouring cold water on the suggestion.

“But the essence [of the suggestion] was to ensure that human rights are protected, irrespective of gender,” she says.



Uncharted territory

Today, marital rape remains an uncharted territory in Malawi, though other Southern African Development Community (Sadc) countries have taken that route, most notably South Africa.

According to Solidarity Helping Hand Women in Action, South Africa holds the title of “rape capital of the world” with reports that “a woman is raped every 17 seconds”.

This, says the organisation, is in spite of the fact that South Africa’s laws make rape an offence. It observes that “The situation is even more dire regarding marital rape – a form of rape that is arguably the least recognised of all forms of rape. One wonders whether the law is enough to deal with what appears to be an attitudinal problem more than anything.”



Attitudinal problem

An October 2012 paper titled ‘Marital rape in South Africa’, published by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (Osisa), indicates that marital rape is “one of the most serious violations of a women’s bodily integrity”.

Yet, according to a 1997 report by the South African Law Commission, it [marital rape] “is a term that many people still have a problem comprehending, with some still describing it as a ‘contradiction in terms’, adding that “The attitude of many – not just in South Africa, but also in Southern Africa, and perhaps the whole continent – is that it is not rape as long as the perpetrator is one’s husband, or known partner”.

Ironically, marital rape is recognised in the definition of gender-based violence given by the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women which states that “violence against women shall be understood to encompass…marital rape”.

According to the Osisa paper, “Marital rape is any unwanted sexual acts by a spouse or ex-spouse, committed without consent and/or against a person's will, obtained by force, or threat of force, intimidation, or when a person is unable to consent”.

The paper then cites a 2006 World Health Organisation study on domestic violence. The study found that intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence in a woman’s life – “much more common than assault or rape by strangers or acquaintances”.

According to a Human Rights Watch report titled ‘The costs of marital rape in Southern Africa’, the Sadc Protocol on Gender and Development obliges member states to amend their laws to ensure equal rights for women across a wide range of issues.

Sadc countries include South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

However, the report, compiled by Dr Nada Ali, researcher in the Women’s Rights division of Human Rights Watch, observes that there are many cases of resistance in terms of recognising marital rape.

Ali observes: “This stark picture shows exactly how a lack of commitment to fighting domestic violence, marital rape and gender inequality could make fighting the HIV pandemic harder – and could cost Sadc countries universal access to HIV prevention and treatment. This is why women’s groups must continue to press governments to do more to combat domestic violence, until the idea that marital rape is a contradiction in terms becomes a thing of the past.”



Can marital rape work?

According to human rights lawyer, Chrispin Sibande, there are cases where marital rape becomes a straightforward issue in countries where it is criminalised.

“For example, when a husband and wife are on separation [and one of the parties still wants to exercise conjugal rights], it [marital rape] becomes a clear-cut issue,” Sibande says.

Otherwise, the ‘Marital rape in Southern Africa’ report indicates that it is a tall order for marital rape to become a part of the laws in Sadc countries, including Malawi.

“Malawi, for instance, only defines rape outside of the marriage context despite the fact that 75 percent of married women in the country have admitted to being raped by their husbands,” the report says, quoting a 2001 British Broadcasting Corporation report.

Yet another indicator that the road to recognising marital rape in Sadc is winding and half lit.

COSTLY OVERSIGHT

...AS FILMMAKERS, PLAYWRIGHTS: UNWILLING EXPORT GOAL ORPHANS


Policies are, ideally, a light along the road to development.

But it seems that some policy goals are so confusing in their application that they may as well be equated to passing through a badly lit road.

Take, for instance, government’s policy goal of turning Malawi into “a predominantly importing nation from a predominantly exporting nation”, as declared by former president, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, and reiterated by President Peter Mutharika.

While some sectors of national development, including the private sector, have started living the talk— as evidenced by the launch of ‘Best Buy Malawi’ campaign this year— others, most notably the expressive arts, are just getting reports through the grapevine. It is as if the arts are steeped in their own order, separated from the rest of the sectors.

This is the impression one gets from filmmakers who, instead of being included in efforts aimed at meeting the export goal, seem to have been thrown out of the ‘exports’ boat.

Film Association of Malawi president, Ezaius Mkandawire, observes that the arts sector does not get as much financial backing as other sectors in the country.

“Certainly, if you look at that level of investment as evidenced by the amount of money allocated to specific sectors of the economy, we will conclude that the arts in general are not part of what the country wants to export,” Mkandawire observes.



But, then, drawing conclusions depends on what part of the coin one focuses on. If the focus is on the arts as a stand-alone sector, it is clear that funding has been minimal or outright absent. At the same time, if the arts are encompassed in other sectors such as tourism goals, it becomes clear that there has been too much rhetoric with little funding to back the rhetoric.

Mkandawire observes: “However, if you look at the arts as part of culture, it, then, follows
that it is part of the tourism industry which we understand was a priority in the Economic Recovery Plan, as well as the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy. [Still, the] reality on the ground is that funding to the sector says something different.”





Half steps

However, filmmakers and some theatre groups seem to have taken it upon themselves to ensure that they sail with the [predominant export nation] wind. They have, in this vein, initiated efforts aimed at positioning the arts as a viable alternative when it comes to exporting aspects of Malawi’s diverse cultures.



Solomonic Peacocks director, MacArthur Matukuta, says his grouping has carried out a number of initiatives in a bid to promote the conception that the expressive arts can serve as a form of entrepreneurship.



“For example, we introduced the Easter Theatre Festival as one way of promoting entrepreneurship in Malawi and the festival will be back from April 14 to 17 next year [2017] because we still want to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship. We believe that we can use theatre as an export product and generate income for the country,” Matukuta says, adding:



“In fact, as one way of selling the country through theatre, I will be travelling to Scotland [United Kingdom] in August this year and I will use theatre to advertise Malawi to the outside world through the Edinburg Festival, which is one of the world’s biggest festivals. All these efforts serve to confirm the fact that, although theatre is overlooked as an export product, it has the potential [to become one of the country’s export products].”



On his part, Mkandawire says filmmakers have also done their part to become part of the export agenda.



“The Film Association of Malawi certainly did capitalise on that policy. I presented a concept paper. We lobbied the Ministry of Finance for funds last year [and] the Government of Malawi
did set money amounting to K150 million aside. That money is being used to implement a project called Integrated Arts Development,” Mkandawire says.



The programme Mkandawire is referring to has components of a credit cooperative,
production and marketing cooperative , a school for the arts as well as the holding of consultation meetings on the National Arts Heritage Council bill .

It is premised on the idea of ensuring that the creative sector has access to money— through the cooperative— and opportunities to produce quality products through the production and marketing cooperative.



“So, we are slowly getting there,” Mkandawire observes.


Stumbling blocks

But filmmaker Villant Ndasowa observes that it may be a long way before Malawians can dream of exporting local films.



“The first thing we need to do [to reach that level] is to change our mindset. The knowledge of filmmaking must be in sync among the people involved in all stages of production and post-production,” Ndasowa says.



Ndasowa says this aspect is missing at the moment, hence he need to work on these aspects.



Mkandawire concurs: “At the rate, and the quality, of production I doubt that we can, as the
arts, start to claim that we can be a viable exporting sector. A lot needs to be done in the areas of quality and quantity. We are producing far too few films and other forms of art to make an impact on the international scale and, much more critically, the quality is also very low.”



Meanwhile, the gulf between the arts and the private sector has remained unabridged and the cracks do not seem good.

‘Amayi Akuferanji’ pits old against new

COVER PAGE WORDS: Theatrical collabo




The play, ‘Amayi akuferanji’ had, at first, the appearance of randomness. Such is the expense of bringing together people who had not united since the death of the last remembered famous artist!

Normally, stage performers meet in one place when death acts as a magnet and, after the funeral, they emerge from their sadness to continue with their solitary journeys in terms of performances— one theatre group doing its own act. It is as if a theatrical journey is best carried out alone.

But the fact is that collaboration, as actor Mafumu Matiki observes, promotes exposure, unity, the sharing of experiences, the vulnerability to others, the chance intimacies, and other benefits of human contact.

“Artists can do a lot of things together,” Matiki, musician-cum-dramatist says.

While collaborations have become so common place that they are part of the menu in the music industry, the case is different in theatre, where isolation remains, to a great extent, an integral part of the game.

Actor Darlington Harawa acknowledges this point but points out that this could be a disservice to the theatre industry as the arts are a vehicle that reaches all mental terrain.

“The arts can play a huge role in, for example, mobilising community members to civil action. When artists are brought together, they share experiences on a personal level and those who regard them as role models are able to interact with them and appreciate their live performances,” Harawa says.

Veteran playwright and actor Mphoka feels that performers in the theatre industry should be able to come together of their own accord, and work as a team.

He observes that it should not always be the initiatives of other organisations to bring artists together.

It is a point well-appreciated by Bantu Arts Theatre artistic director, Frank Mbewe, who believes that collaboration between performers helps perfects artistic work as the old guard mingles with new blood to create lasting memories.

“When performers star in one play, for example, everyone strives to deliver while getting the opportunity to get used to one another,” Mbewe says.

Indeed, as I sat beside veteran playwright and actor Charles Mphoka— a stage-hardened artist— on the way to Thyolo and Mulanje, and observed the way he interacted with the rest. They were people sewn from one cloth— the old and the young.

.



Amayi akuferanji

While opportunities to sample actors from different groups and backgrounds are hard to come by, drama lovers from Thyolo and Mulanje districts were able to sample a number of artists – most of whom they know just by name, voice, or passing images on television— star in one play, ‘Amayi Akuferanji’ on Sunday and Monday.

The play was made possible through the Coalition for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion (Copua), which mobilised drama hardened playwrights and actors such as Mwandipa Chimaliro, Mphoka, Mafumu Matiki, MacArthur Matukuta, Enifa Luwamba, Mphatso M’bang’ombe, Lewis Thembachako, Mphundu Mjumira, Misheck Mzumara, Enifa Chiwaya, McBain Kochi, among others.

In the play, Leah [played by Luwamba]— sister to a housewife who has never known the pains and joys of child-bearing due to an abortion that went sour— is preyed upon by a married charismatic pastor who only sees abortion as the only way out of trouble.

When the husband [played by Mphoka] to Leah’s barren sister is told about Leah’s pregnancy, he takes it as an opportunity to finally corner the elusive Leah and take her to wife. Leah, ever more cunning than the traditional Kalulu the Hair, has been dodging the husband’s advances on her.

At one point, Leah turns down the husband’s suggestion for a covert rendezvous in their garden at the crack of dusk and that marks the beginning of problems for the two sisters as the husband dodges the responsibility of fending for the family. It is as if fending for the family has become a stray bullet he has to dodge at any hint of a request.

One’s of the husband’s relations [played by Mbewe] also suffers the same fate. He was plucked from the village to town so he could establish a flitters’ selling business, but hopes of ever making it into a trader hit a blank wall as the husband keeps changing the goal posts.

“You are not ready for the market. You do not have the looks to attract customers. Again, I want to make you stout before you engage in the business,” the husband dresses the relation down in one of the scenes.

It is his unwillingness to play game in providing for the family that pushes Leah into the arms of the calculating pastor [played by Mzumara] and it is only a matter of time before the fruit in the womb reveals itself through Leah’s persistent nausea, vomiting and missed periods.

Coerced by a calculating uncle [played by Matiki], Leah spills the beans but, to the chagrin of her sister’s husband, she reveals that it is the pastor who has planted the seeds. It turns out that the pastor is a two-faced creature who speaks one thing and does the opposite.

For example, Leah, her in-law and uncle find the pastor in the midst of a chiding mission. He chides two of the church’s elders [one of them being a character played by Mjumira] for indulging in sex with girls in the choir. He whips them with the tough for turning the choir into a turning ground, instead of a soul-converting arena.

Then, all hell breaks loose as church elders and Leah’s relations and in-law turn against the pastor for proposing that Leah should procure an unsafe abortion from one of the women. But, unlike the pastor, who is unwilling to part ways with K2000 to get the pregnancy ‘ironed out”, Leah is does not want to let go of her pregnancy.

She seems to have changed her mind, despite cashing in the money at first— away from the knowledge and prowling eyes of the world— when she was in the presence of the pastor.

Of course, a song graces the play, too.



Amayi akufa

Amayi akufa inu

Kuchotsa pakati mosatetezeka eeh



Chorus

Akufa inu

Akufa inu



It was clear that, like wine, the play got better with each passing performance— a development Mbewe attributed to the gelling that took place with each passing performance.

“The more artists from different groups work together, the more they understand each other and this makes collaboration a satisfactory experience. At first, there are always some struggles as each artist contemplates how best to work with the other. Then, you make the big break and know how to handle each other and you do not want to part ways,” Mbewe says.

But part they did, in the end.

AMBOKIRE SALIMU: MALAWI'S LOST POET

At some point, poetry built up a secure citadel in lawyer-cum musician, Ambokire,’s heart.

Using poetry, he attended to issues pertaining to human beings, human conditions, and anything implied in being human. It can be said that, somehow, he brought a new consciousness among poetry enthusiasts and the hope was that the poetry journey he had embarked on would go on.

And, then, something else took over the citadel in Salimu’s heart: music! And he has never looked back to the poetry he loved and, to good measure, used to elevate and explore human feelings and ideas.

“Of course, it is true that I used to be a poet at Chancellor College [University of Malawi], where I came up with my first poem and even served as chairperson of the Writers Workshop. To cap it all, one of my poems was published in the late Anthony Nazombe’s poetry anthology,” Salimu says.

But, then, his poetry journey— launched full of the ambitious dreams of youth when he was at Chancellor College between 1990 and 1995— foundered on its voyage, though the wreck
of that journey continues to float in Nazombe’s poetry anthology, ‘The Haunting Wind’.

But Salimu is adamant, and dismisses talk that he is out of poetry for good.

“The thing is, I have a lot of poems and my plans are to publish a collection of my poems. I still keep a number of them. Maybe I just need to send the manuscript to a number of publishers. I know that it is not a given that the manuscript will be automatically accepted, but I believe the poems are good enough to sway some publishers,” Salimu says.



Path taken

At one point, Salimu’s name represented hope— hope that another poet was born and had made himself available on the domestic scene. Starting off as an on-campus poet at Chancellor College, Salimu let the outside world sample his talent by publishing his poem in Michiru Sun.



“It was not easy to get one’s poem published in those days and I was glad that the Michiru Sun published my poem. I felt on top of the world,” Salimu says.



And, surely, that ‘public’ foray into poetry did not go unnoticed.



Former Malawi Writers Union president and renowned poet, Stanley Onjezani Kenani, remembers that Salimu, really, announced his arrival on the poetry scene with one unforgettable piece in Michiru Sun.



“I remember reading Ambokire Salimu’s poem, ‘Daddies and Mommies of Sugar Visited’, back in 1994, in the Michiru Sun, which was a vibrant newspaper at that time. It read:

Mirages brandishing the mint:
Come home, sordid fires,
Furtive abnegation of the ego
Emasculation of your sanctity
Return from your recalcitrant escapade
Corrosive slime.

“Or something like that, I am not sure, because I remember this stanza from memory, and my memory is now overwhelmed as I keep all interesting poems there. I do not remember the piece he published in Anthony Nazombe’s collection, The Haunting Wind,” Kenani says.



It is during this period, also, that Kenani developed interest in other poets who were making their presence felt through their poetry works.



“So, from the mid-1990s I became interested in Ambokire Salimu’s work. Other poets I became interested in at that time were Max Iphani and Shemu Joyah. Unfortunately, I do not recall seeing any of Ambokire’s poetry since then, and the next thing I remember seeing is his music on the local television,” Kenani says.



Kenani says he liked the rhythm in Salimu’s poems “and he gave me an appetite to read more of his work, which did not come. As you know, poetry – or indeed any genre – requires writing and reading daily. If you don’t do that, it slowly says goodbye to you”.



Maybe it is not time to say goodbye to Salimu the poet!



Music after poetry

Salimu had his first encounter with music as a 10-year-old, and regards himself as a musician by birthright.

“My mother, the late Tamara, used to sing in the choir in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She had a beautiful voice. As for myself, I started off in a choir in Mzuzu City, where we were coached by the then famous Malikebu Brothers. The Malikebu Brothers had a quartet. Those were the early days, while I was in Secondary School,” Salimu says.

Intent on putting the lessons acquired from the Malikebu Brothers to good use, Salimu continued to experiment with music when he was selected to Likoma Secondary School in 1986.

He formed a quartet with fellow students, including Lameck Manda and William Kaunda, and the group specialised in performing copyrighted material from the likes of Golden Gates Quartet [United States].

The quartet’s journey was short-lived as, three years later, it had to be disbanded after one of the members— William Kaunda, who was a class ahead of the rest— went to Chancellor College.

Before long, Salimu followed Kaunda to Chancellor College and his romance with music— and not the quartet — continued.

“At Chancellor College, I was into music. In fact, that is where I moved from Gospel to secular music. I remember performing on stage and being backed by the then famous Kandojje – uncle to DJ Sonye, of the ‘Tsika’ fame— who was singing in Chilunga Band. I was not a member of the band, though,” Salimu says.

From that moment, he has never looked back and has produced songs such as ‘Zamchikondi’, which was produced by Ralph Ching’amba,

In fact, he has two albums to his credit. The first one is ‘Sheds of the Real’ and the second one is ‘Zamchikondi’. He is working on ‘Rhythms Unleashed’.

“By the way, what I mean by ‘Sheds of the Real’ [first album] is that the songs composed and released did not represent the real me; and that the best, the very best, was yet to come,” Salimu says.

Salimu adds: “Today, I have over 300 singles. Some of the songs I am releasing were done a long time ago. On Valentine’s Day, for example, Deejay Sley in Lilongwe did one song from my old songs.”

While Salimu admits that his main strength is the vocals, he reveals that he has always been interested in mastering musical instruments.

“In fact, I started learning how to play instruments at the French Cultural Centre and our teacher was Aaron Sangala. When he joined active politics, he stopped teaching us. But I have rekindled my love for music instruments and I am pursuing an online course with Don Foxxy onlinemusic.com. One of the singles I have recorded is ‘Tiziyambira m’chikwati nkumathera mchibwenzi’

“The gist of the song is that, when people are courting, they enjoy a lot but the joy disappears once they marry. I want a reversal of the trend,” he says.

The song features Blasto and Stitch Fray and their verses are very clear. Someone is complaining that he used to enjoy in the past but the happiness has been blown away by the wind of marriage.

Another single, ‘Ndatondeka’ , is enjoying airplay on Times Television, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Television, and radio stations. He says it is part of his next album project, which he hopes will come under the banner of the album ‘Deep/Zozama’.

But, then, as he goes deep into the sea of music, he loses touch with poetry, and the citadel it held in his heart falls. At least for now!

Abortion and Its Cost to Malawi

A self-conscious woman must, most likely, be in a tight spot when she decides to terminate pregnancy and part ways with a would-be baby before touching its nose.

Still, some women go ahead with the decision and part ways with would-be ‘babies’ before they are born. Others, however, die in the process— like a teenage girl from Zomba whose case of health complications was referred from Ngwelero Health Centre to Zomba Central Hospital last year.

Travelling from Ngwelero Health Centre, which is located 45-plus-kilometres away from Zomba Central Hospital, is no mean thing, according to Franstone Duwa, a clinical officer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Zomba Central Hospital.

One health worker in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Zomba Central Hospital said on February 25 this year that the would-be mother did not make it, and died despite the health workers investing their best efforts in the task of saving “her dear life”.

“The woman who was referred to us from Ngwelero terminated her pregnancy unsafely [at home] around 9 o’clock in the morning, was rushed to Ngwelero Health Centre from where, after medical personnel observed some health complications, she was referred to our facility [Zomba Central Hospital]. She arrived around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Unfortunately, there was no blood in the bank and she died,” said the health worker.



Costly affair

The extent of cases and costs associated with treating health complications arising from unsafe abortions at Zomba Central Hospital was, however, brought into the picture when Duwa cited statistics in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Zomba Central Hospital.

“At the Gynae [Gynaecology] Clinic, we recorded 1, 150 admissions between July 2015 and December 2015, of which 544 – representing 47 percent— patients were admitted for post-abortion care,” said Duwa.

Out of the 1, 150 patients,21 were girls aged below 15 years [representing 3.8 percent], 109 were teenage girls aged between 15 and 19 years [representing 23.1 percent], 345 patients were married women aged between 20 and 34 years [representing 63.4 percent], and 69 patients were aged 35 years and above [representing 12.6 percent].

There was one case of death: That of the Ngwelero, self-conscious, woman who might have been in a tight spot to decide to terminate pregnancy and part ways with her would-be baby before touching its nose.

The situation is not very different at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre where records indicate that, in the month of November 2015, 344 admissions were registered, out of which 93 patients needed post-abortion care services. Of these cases, 8 patients were below 19 years, 54 patients were aged between 20 and 30 years, 31 patients were aged between 30 years and above, among other findings.

In December, 255 admissions were made, of which 82 patients were treated for post-abortion care. Out of these patients, 18 were aged below 19 years, 53 were women aged between 20 and 30 years, 11 patients were above 30 years, among others.

In January this year, 301 admissions were recorded, of which 74 patients required post-abortion care services. Of these admission cases, 24 patients were aged below 19 years, 31 patients were aged between 20 and 30 years, and 30 patients were above 30 years.

There was one death.

“This is [the case of] a 20-year-old woman who was breeding heavily. A plan for MVA [Manual Vacuum Aspiration— a medical procedure that results in removal of retained body products of child conception] was made. While in the MVA room, the woman had hypertension, shortness of breath. Then, the mother went into cardiac arrest and we administered CPR for some time but, unfortunately, she died,” said one health worker at Qech on February 26.

The news from another reputable health facility, Mwanza District Hospital— which serves patients from Chikhwawa, Mwanza and neighbouring Mozambique— is, again, not pleasing to the ear. It is the same, old story of self-conscious women who, finding themselves in a tight spot, decide to terminate pregnancy and part ways with their would-be babies before touching their noses.

Records indicate that there are 30 to 40 unsafe abortions registered every month, and the affected women report to Mwanza District Hospital to access post-abortion care services.

Statistics indicate that, between January and December 2015, two patients were referred to Queen Elizabeth Central hospital due to complications related to the use of unsafe abortion tools.

Such tools, according to Dr Francis Kamwendo, Associate professor Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the College of Medicine, a constituent college of the University of Malawi, include alligator pepper, chalk and alum, bleach, Bahaman grass, cassava sticks, among others. These are weapons of death.

However, the 30 to 40 women who have been admitted to Mwanza District Hospital in the past two years must thank the private sector for timely intervention.

Mwanza District Health Officer, Raphael Lawrence Piringu, said the district used to struggle to get MVA kits before Vale Logistics bought the kits and donated them to the hospital. Other districts, like Neno, are not very lucky. In fact, Mwanza District Health Office donated 15 MVA sets to Neno, which did not have any, early this year and these are enough to serve Neno women and health workers for one year, according to Piringu.

“Generally, between 15 and 20 percent of cases registered in the female ward and maternity wing have to do with [the provision of] post-abortion care services. We sometimes register four to five post-abortion care cases or those related to miscarriage. In fact, most abortion cases are induced [not natural],” said Piringu, adding:

“In the case of those who induce abortion, we ensure that we quickly stop the breeding and, within 24 hours, take the patient to the theatre. Sometimes, we face the worst case scenario where we have to remove the uterus. In 2015, we surgically removed two uteruses and it is not a nice experience,” said Piringu.



Keeping pregnancy to term

Not that all women terminate pregnancy when circumstances surrounding conception justify such a course of action, though.

In Mwanza District, a 13-year-old girl decided to hold on to the foetus and successfully delivered at the hospital despite being a victim of rape.

And, in the last week of February this year, a 23-year-old rape victim chose to deliver when others would have embraced the option of terminating pregnancy.

These are cases of women who, finding themselves in a tight spot, decide to hold on to the pregnancy in order not to part ways with their would-be baby before touching its nose.



Dangerous terrain

Dr Chisale Mhango, one of the commissioners for the Special Law Commission that was established in 2013 and given the task of reviewing the country’s abortion laws, said unsafe abortion is one of the factors that contributed to Malawi’s failure to meet the Millennium Development Goal on reducing maternal mortality rate to 275 [deaths] per 100, 000 live births.

According to the 2010 Malawi Demographic Health Survey (MDHS), out of every 100, 000 babies delivered in the country’s health facilities, 574 have to die! This means— pending announcement of the latest MDHS findings— Malawi is on tenth position in terms of countries with the highest maternal mortality rates in Africa.

An analysis of World Health Organisation statistics revealed that Chad, with 1, 100 maternal mortality rates per 100, 000 live births, tops the list of countries with the highest Maternal Mortality Rates. Somalia is second, with 1, 000 cases per 100, 000 live birth, followed by Sierra Leone [890], Central African Republic [890], Burundi [800], Guinea Bissau [790], Liberia [770], Sudan [730], Cameroon [690], and Malawi on tenth position [574].

“Seventeen out of every 100 maternal mortality rate cases in the country are a result of unsafe abortion. In fact, complications of unsafe abortion are the forth commonest cause of maternal deaths in Malawi, after breeding, sepsis [infection] and hypertension. This is complicated by the fact that research findings indicate that the proportion of girls [aged between 15 and 19 years] having their first sexual encounter is increasing. In 2004, it was 48 percent and in 2010, it [the rate] was at 56 percent,” said Chisale.

Chisale, who once headed the Ministry of Health’s Reproductive Health Unit before joining the College of Medicine, added that the situation is compounded by the fact that only 59 out of 100 women use contraceptive methods in Malawi.



Legal path

Mhango observed that the current law on abortion only allows health officials to terminate pregnancy on medical grounds. Sections 149, 150 and 151 of the Penal Code address issues of procuring abortion, penalties applicable to those who play a role in procuring it and women caught in the act.

Punishments range from monetary fines to custodial sentences ranging from three years to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour.

The proposed law proposes that rape, incest, medical grounds such as severe malformation of the foetus and the need to safeguard the life of the mother, be embraced as justifiable grounds to terminate pregnancy.

Head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at Gogo Chatinkha Maternity in Blantyre, Dr Phylos Bonongwe, observed that Malawi is losing millions of kwacha by sticking to the “old laws on abortion”.

“Research findings indicate that, after shifting to safe abortion, over K300 million could become available to spend on other healthcare needs in public facilities in Malawi. Mind you, it was discovered at the time of analysing the costs associated with unsafe abortion that the country could save US$250, 000, which is more than K300 million now considering that the kwacha has lost its value against the United States Dollar,” said Chisale.

Mulanje Mission Hospital-based nurse and midwife, Keith Lipato, said Malawi’s abortion law is “gender insensitive”. Lipato observed that a “restrictive legal environment’ was to blame for high maternal mortality rates in Malawi.

“It [the law] is basically unfair because it does not put the man in the picture. It punishes only women and, yet, it takes two [people] to tangle. We are being unfair to women. What if a woman has been raped and does not want to take the pregnancy to term?” queried Lipato.

In 2008, gender activists opened a can of worms when they proposed that rape cases that take place in the marriage set up [dubbed ‘marital rape’] should be penalised. But, while observing that it would be a violation of women’s rights to deny them the right to terminate pregnancy in cases of rape, human rights lawyer Chrispin Sibande said the concept of marital rape applies only when couples are on separation, and that it would be difficult to enforce the law on marital rape when couples are in good books.

THEO THOMSON: REINVENTING THE WHEEL

Officially Malawian but with very little to identify with Malawi’s local languages in his lyrics, it has been easy to paint artist Theo Thomson as a mysterious figure hiding behind a stained glass-window.

This picture has not been helped by the fact that his songs— early songs, that is— have been dominated by R&B. Maybe he concentrated on such a genre in a bid to appeal to everyone in a globalised world.

But, still— especially to the culturally-sensitive music lover— his lyrics seem to coil back and again, trapping the listener in a mesh of genres perfected by foreign artists.

The solace, over the years, has been that, to the attentive listener, Thomson’s message has been very easy to understand— often not requiring a complicated listener with an eye for hidden details.

But Thomson seems to have outlived the stage when a youth is attracted by everything that prompts a would-be-musician to develop a magnetic attraction to the first genre he comes into contact with. He says he believes it is high time he changed course and became “more available to everyone”.



The journey

It must be ironic that, for someone born in Blantyre, it had to take a group from England, the United Kingdom, to convince him that he had a life in music.

“My music development came from being in a group in England where I underwent dance tuition as well as song writing lessons. I am inspired by artists, other musicians, nature, people— anything that triggers an emotion in me is inspiration to write and artists like Justin Timberlake, Prince inspire me a lot musically,” Thomson says.

Despite being inspired by the likes of Timberlake and Prince, Thomson has always wanted to keep tabs on his culture. Starting off with ‘Gypsy’ as his first studio album, it was clear that Theo wanted to remain connected to his Malawian identity, as evidenced by the fact that the ‘Gypsy’ album included songs such as ‘Kutentha’. The others were, as expected, in English and they included ‘So Amazing’ and the title track itself, ‘Gypsy’.

Now, he has gone back into the recording studio and the product is ‘White Elephant’, marking his second foray into album-release business.

Surprisingly, Thomson says he wants his music to appeal to everyone— unlike in the past when his lyrics were deemed too classy, if not detached, to appeal to the tobacco farmer.

The Chinese say the ‘falling leaf goes back to the leaf’, but Theo wants to get back to his roots while on his way to the top [and not the roots]. In other words, he wants him and everyone to rise up together to the top— which may be the international music market that has proven elusive to him over the years.

He says his strategy [of reaching out to all manner of people] is simple: “By simply being present, making music and myself accessible is the intention with this project.”

He, however, says this does not mean he will be into ingoma or Manganje or mganda. He will remain very much the Afro-R & B singer, though he wants to appeal to the uncomplicated music lover on the local scene.

Thomson says: “I don't feel I have gone very far from that. [Just that] the album has something for everyone. It is multi-faceted just as I am. So, no matter where you are from, what era you relate to musically, this is our story, all of us.

“I stick to my strength [by singing in English]. I have never felt too pressured about that [aspect of singing in local languages]. To me, good music is good music.”

On why he has not been available for performances, Thomson has a quick fire response: “I felt, when there were shows, I was being excluded.”



The White Elephant

As if living up to his multi-faceted billing, Thomson seems to have searched far and wide just to come up with the album title ‘The White Elephant’. Actually, the title is drawn from an old tale in Thailand.

“It is basically the story of the white elephant in a room’. It’s a tale about two villages in Thailand. Roughly, the story goes thus: A small village gave a big village an elephant and the elephant attacked the big village, leaving the big village vulnerable to attack from the small village,” Thomson points out.

Some of the tracks in the 15-track album are ‘Magic’, ‘Where do we go’— which depicts a situation of quandary, which happens in life often when one is not sure where to go.

The other one is ‘Maybe Tomorrow’. The refrain is memorable because of its localized accent— probably because Faith Mussa collaborated with Theo in the song. In the lyrics, a persona tells a lover to come closer. Forever. Never to go away.

Another track is ‘Awake’ [featuring Fatsani Kalonde] and ‘Wings’, a love song that addresses the issue of empowering women every time.

“It [‘Awake’] also talks of my own battle with music itself,” Thomson says.

But, then, why are Thomson’s music videos not played internationally?

“They say [foreign television stations] the colour [in the music videos] is not in line with time. They talk of pictures. They say big journalists are not talking of them [his songs].”





Health advocate

Talking of battles, he has started helping out on health problems, specifically cancer. He admits that “I was affected by situations previously”.

He elaborates: “My grandfather passed away due to cancer. So, we go to the cancer ward [at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital] often. We are raising awareness on cancer. I know of a little boy from the village who has cancer. He needs about K40, 000 every two days to access treatment and he cannot afford.”



Retracing steps

Thomson’s brand manager, Prince Chikweba, says Thomson has set his eyes on being available while being relevant.

“In general, Theo used to use the genre Afro-R&B; like the modern R&B guy. Now, he is trying Afro-fusion. My role entails planning how to reach the goal we want to reach,” Chikweba says.

Chikweba says rebranding entails reaching outside as part of corporate social responsibility.

“That is why Theo is thinking of going to rural areas to reach out to rural masses,” Chikweba says.

It remains to be seen whether, as what used to be a somewhat detached Thomson stretches into a more available musician, he may not dilute his original touch in the soup of relevance.

Is President Peter Mutharika a Lame-Duck President?

There must be something terribly wrong with President Peter Mutharika, a man who does not exude confidence in the manner he stands up, walks, makes speeches, or responds to public issues.
His knack for making decisions very late seems to be a symptom of impaired judgement; or, rather, his late decision-making impairs his judgement. It is not clear which is which because the man does not make himself clear.
Two incidents attest to this.
Recently, when Mutharika was opening the Tobacco Auction Flours, it took him a whopping one minutes, 40 seconds to 'remember' the words "msika" [market]. The President meant to say, in vernacular Chichewa, that "Ndi mau amenewa, ndatsekulira msika wa fodya" [with these words, I officially declare the Auction Flours open".
Well, somehow, the President seemed unable to catch up with the words 'msika' and could not gather his thoughts to remember what he wanted to say.
Well, the cheer ladies interrupted him and when he resumed speaking, he went straight into his speech [written in English] before coming back to his senses on Chichewa. Well, a sign of a man with wangering thoughts perhaps.
On April 12 2016, the President showed, yet again, that he was a man out of touch with current affairs by declaring a state of disaster a tad too late.
Organisations, including the Civil Society Agricultural Network, had been on his neck as early as November last year, asking him to declare Malawi a food insecure nation because maize production levels [maize is the staple food] had fallen by 30 percent.
But, shielded by the neck-high walls of New State House in Lilongwe, the President could not 'see; the reality, and dilly-dallied in making the long-awaited statement.
Only for him to declare last week, when the truth that he had nowhere to hide availed itself in front of his face again, that Malawi was short on food [meaning, maize].
And it did not read very well when the President was forced to say thus:

DECLARATION OF A STATE OF NATIONAL DISASTER CAUSED BY PROLONGED DRY SPELLS DURING THE 2015/2016 SEASON BY HIS EXCELLENCY PROFESSOR ARTHUR PETER MUTHARIKA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI

12 April 2016
My Fellow Malawians

As you are aware, the 2015/2016 season has been greatly affected by strong El Nino conditions, resulting in erratic rains across most parts of the country.
Reports from the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services indicate that cumulative rainfall performance from October, 2015 to end March, 2016 has been below average in most parts of the Southern and Central Regions of the country.

Average to above average rainfall amounts were only received in the Northern Region of the country. The season has been characterized by late onset of planting rains, between three (3) to four (4) weeks for the Southern Region and 2 to 3 weeks for the Central Region.
After the late onset of the rains, most areas, especially in the Southern Region, were receiving sporadic rains, interspaced with prolonged dry spells resulting in the drying, scorching and permanent wilting of crops.

These prolonged dry spells have resulted into severe crop failure, particularly in the Southern Region and parts of the Central Region. The situation is slightly better in the north although some areas there have also been affected by the dry spells.


My fellow Malawians, as you may all recall, the 2014/2015 growing season was one of the worst seasons in the country. The country experienced the worst floods in living memory which were followed by prolonged dry spells in a lot of districts. This resulted in a sharp decline in maize production rendering 2.8 million people in 25 districts food insecure.
While government, with support from development partners and other stakeholders, has been responding to the 2.8 million food insecure people, the country has experienced yet another severe prolonged dry spells during the 2015/2016 growing season due to the strong El Niño.

Most of the affected districts are the same districts that were affected by the 2015 floods
later on by the prolonged dry spells. The second round Agricultural Production Estimates Survey which the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development undertook between mid-February and March this year, estimates maize production for the season at 2,431,313 metric tons (mt), representing 12.4 percent decline in production as compared to the 2014/2015 final round estimate of 2,776,277 mt.

The major contributing factor to the decline is the unfavourable weather conditions for crop development resulting from dry spells the country experienced during the season, particularly in the Southern and Central Regions of the country. The country’s maize requirement for human consumption, seed, stock feed, and industrial use is currently estimated at 3,205,135mt.

This being the case, it is projected that the country will face a maize deficit of about 1,072,461mt.

My Fellow Malawians, I would like to indicate that the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development will ascertain the actual deficit after the third round production estimates in June, 2016, whose results will form a basis to compute a comprehensive national food balance sheet. However, basing on the weather pattern and the fact that the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has projected early cessation of the rainfall season, the Ministry is convinced that the projected maize production will not change significantly.

With the increased maize deficit, it is expected that an increased number of people will be food insecure and will require humanitarian relief assistance for the whole 2016/17 consumption year. The actual number of food insecure people will be determined by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee in due course when the annual vulnerability assessment is undertaken.


However, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development has estimated that due to the partial or complete loss of crops through El Nino induced dry spells, the affected population will require about 790,000mt of relief food.


Considering the magnitude of the projected maize production deficit, and the resultant food insecurity that the country will face, there is need to re-stock the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) with about 250,000mt as buffer stock during the season.
On the other hand, the Ministry’s projections show that ADMARC will require a total of 250,000mt of maize to sell to the general public and effectively stabilize maize prices in the 2016/2017 season.

Taking into account the above requirements, that is, re-stocking the SGR, restocking ADMARC, and providing adequate relief food for the season, the Ministry projects a total maize requirement of 1,290,000mt to avert a food crisis in the season.


In the circumstances, it is very clear that we have food shortage in the country which will affect a considerable number of our fellow citizens.


Accordingly, and in accordance with powers conferred upon me by Section 32(1) of the Disaster Preparedness and Relief Act, I declare a State of National disaster effective from today, 12th April, 2016.

I fully appreciate all the previous assistance Malawi has been receiving when affected by disasters, including support for the on-going humanitarian response programme.
However, I appeal for humanitarian relief assistance from the International donor community, the relevant United Nations agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, the private sector as well as all fellow citizens of goodwill,so that, together, we can contribute in alleviating suffering on the part of people who have been affected by the food shortage. Donations in cash or in-kind should be sent to the Secretary to the Vice President and Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, Private Bag 336, Lilongwe 3.
Indeed on our part as Government we will make sure that all affected people are taken care off.

Government will cash its drought insurance to start off the relief process.
Secondly, Government will use its remaining part of food items to distribute to the affected people.


I would like to assure all our partners that Government will see to it, that all the relief assistance received is channeled to the affected people in the affected districts.


My fellow Malawians, I thank you for your attention. May the Almighty God Bless you all and our country.


Well, there is nothing wrong when a president makes a statement like this. Just that, it came a tad too late!

The Vincent Wandale menace
As if these times are not bad enough for the President, People's Land Organisation leader, Vincent Wandale, has been tearing into the President's flesh with calls for secession.
At first, Wandale declared that the people of Mulanje and Thyolo -- the President's strongholds, would grab land from estate owners if they did not make back-dated payments for taxes.
"These people took our land for free," Wandale told Zachimalawi on Tuesday. "And we want, not the land, but the money they owe us back."
By the way, who made Wandale Malawi's tax-collector when the Malawi Revenue Authority has been doing a commendable job-- squeezing minority tax payers dry while ignoring the majority.
The surprising thing is that the President has kept conspicuously quiet on the issue, instead of whipping Wandale.
Maybe the President is a student of the 48 Laws of Power and wants to put Baltasar Gracian's words that "There is no revenge like oblivion. It is the entombment of the unworthy in the dust of their own nothingness" to good use.
But such treatment of Wandale is exposing the President to ridicule, putting him in the position of a leader out of ideas, and out of sorts.
Statements are not enough.
Statements from the Government spokesperson are not enough. I mean statements like the one below:




PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

THYOLO AND MULANJE LAND WRANGLE

Government has noted with interest the observations made in the Daily Times of Tuesday, 12th March 2016 by Mr Rafiq Hajat calling on Government to act decisively and swiftly on the so-called declaration of an independent state in Thyolo and Mulanje by a man called Wandale purportedly on behalf of a group called The People's Land Organisation. Mr Hajat's observations were the subject of an editorial comment in the same paper where the editors urged Government to resolve the issue of landlessness in Thyolo and Mulanje once and for all.

What both Mr Hajat and the editors of the Daily Times agree on is that Mr Wandale is a misguided and irrational individual who is seeking cheap popularity by taking the futile, bizarre, illegal and unconstitutional step of declaring Thyolo and Mulanje as an independent state. Government applauds both Mr Hajat and the Editors of the Daily Times for making this correct and important observation about Mr Wandale. Indeed, Mr Hajat correctly observes that Mr Wandale's declaration of an independent state within the Republic of Malawi is treasonous. However, while not restricting itself in future action, the present position of Government is to leave Mr Wandale alone. This is so because of the extent of the futility and the degree of irrationality of Mr Wandale's declaration. In fact, if Government prosecuted Mr Wandale for treason, the prosecution will be the significant action; not the declaration of independence. It would seem that this is what Mr Wandale hopes Government would do, so that he achieves fame, martyrdom and popularity. Government will not, for the time being, oblige Mr Wandale's wishes.

Leaving aside Mr Wandale's bizarre, irrational and illegal behaviour, Government would like to agree with both Mr Hajat and the editors of the Daily Times that the issue of landlessness in Thyolo and Mulanje is a grave matter and requires timely attention and resolution. Government, however, disagrees with Mr Hajat and the editors of the Daily Times in their assertion that Government is doing nothing about the matter. Seemingly unbeknown to Mr Hajat and the editors of the Daily Times, but certainly known to the traditional leaders of Mulanje and Thyolo, the other civic leaders of both Mulanje and Thyolo, as well as all leaders and members of the People's Land Organisation, Government is fully engaged in this matter and is committed to finding a durable solution to the problem.

To this end President Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika has personally met various stakeholders involved in finding a solution to this matter. At times the President has sent his Ministers and other officials to engage other stakeholders in the matter. These discussions are progressing well. Government is confident that the issue of idle land in tea estates in Mulanje and Thyolo will soon be resolves to the satisfaction of all those concerned. As a matter of fact, in the Daily Times article in which Mr Hajat appears, one of the civic leaders in this matter, Hon Bon Kalindo, expressly acknowledges the involvement of the President in this issue, and his confidence that a solution will be found.

This is obviously a weighty and delicate matter. It requires the attainment of a proper balance between our fundamental national interests, the law, and people's legitimate expectations. In resolving this matter, therefore, Government will not be acting in response to Mr Wandale’s bizarre and futile declaration of Independence. Government will be acting with a view to finding the best outcome for all our people and for our nation. President Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika, by reason of his eminent legal background, his experience in similar disputes, and his calm temperament, is best suited for this task.


HON. PATRICIA KALIATI, MP

GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON AND MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CIVIC EDUCATION
14THAPRIL, 2016.

Statements like these are not enough. Take action on Wandale.
And all of us will realise that we are equal before the law.
Otherwise, the impression created is that when people from the Northern Region call for the introduction of a Federal System of Government, they are separatists. When Wandale, from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party stronghold of Mulanje, makes similar-sounding stataments, it is normal.
Maybe it is the President who is weak!
What else can Malawians say when Wandale has declared that Thyolo and Mulanje have finally made the big break from Malawi? It points to weak leadership!