C F S C

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R E DECEMBER S 2012 S Review of the Year

R News clippings with E analysis from the major V newspapers in Malawi I

E Compiled by the W Center for Social Concern (CFSC) Box 40049 Lilongwe 4

Area 25 Next to St. Francis Parish Tel: 01 715 632 www.cfscmalawi.org CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

LIST OF NEWSPAPERS REVIEWED

Daily Times The Weekend Nation T he Sunday T i m e s Malawi News The Guardian Nation on Sunday The Nation

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

THE POLITICS OF 2012

Many commentators have tried to give a suitable title to this year’s happenings. It is hard to come by since politics continue to surprise friend and foe alike. It seems the rulebook of democracy continues to be reinvented all the time. May be that is why it deserves the title of The Year of Many Firsts!

Firsts such as: The year of a sixty-day ultimatum to the incumbent president to resign by an inclusive conference of religious leaders, civil society, academicians and politicians.

The year that a sitting president died while in office. The year of the presidential state funeral. The year of the attempted ‘coup’ trying to thwart the constitutional provisions for succession at the death of the incumbent president. The year of Malawi’s first woman president. The year of revoking legislation deemed against democracy. The year of reinstating the flag adopted at independence. The year of about turns: the vice president as overseer of the Malawi Electoral Commission, the VP without that portfolio.

Yet we could also use the title: The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same! While one might have expected from a female president to be more like a mother to her country, we saw that in spite of many complaints the presidential motorcades did not decrease in number of accompanying gas-guzzlers, while most motorists off and on needed to cue for fuel.

The extravagant lifestyle of her predecessor impressed Madam President enough to imitate it. Recently it was published in the Netherlands that JB was driven by Rolls Royce to her £6,000 a night suit in a London hotel where she stayed for 14 days. This bit of news discouraged many ‘a-would-be-contributor’ to a very popular fundraising event. Four or five disk jockeys enclose themselves in a glasshouse and fast for four days while playing requests from donating individuals and groups to raise money for children and mothers. This year the contributions are to go to Malawi. Previous years they collected up to over €8 million.

What did the Centre for Social Concern say at the end of 2012?

By way of conclusion, 2011 can be said to have been a very tumultuous year politically. What is coming out of the events that were characteristic for 2011 is the fact that the president seems to have waged war against all the sectors of the society: the clergy, the academia, the opposition parties, the international community, the civil society and the citizens themselves that are the fabric of the society. The consequence of the fight has been costly resulting in some innocent citizens of this country that are supposed to be protected by the government losing their precious lives. When you discern these occurings, the message is clear: bad politics evidently lead to bad economy. The year 2011 has been bad politically and economically!

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

Those who believe that the country had learned from the mistakes that led to the 2011 economic crash are mistaken: on the contrary, by December 2011 the reality on the ground indicated further financial turmoil in the year 2012. By the end of the year it was no longer rocket science to read that the current government exhibited a bareness of ideas, policy options and limited governance capacity.

In fact, the real problem was not a lack of potential responses to the truly colossal economic threats we faced and lived. What was genuinely alarming was that the political-economic establishment had a built-in inertia that stopped it responding quickly, effectively and adequately to these threats as they present themselves. It is therefore not farfetched to say that the economic collapse in 2011 was simply the trailer for a succession of avoidable domestic politics that eroded good governance. It is therefore important to understand at the beginning of the year 2012, that to cure the economy, we need to understand exactly what fails it. An accurate diagnosis is just as important as a proper prescription.

The economic problem carried forward from 2011 is more severe than most people realize and the shocker is this: arrogance and hubris, the status quo that wants to see “business as usual” will not cure it. The situation demands that we rethink what political and economic power involves. Because there is a host of things that can and must be done to reorganize society such as the cruel arrogance that arises from a failure of bottom-up feedback in systems where vast social and geographical distances exist between the powerful and the powerless must be addressed; equally we must not condone the fact that for a long time it has been the “little people” who bear the costs while those higher up the food chain reap the benefits. Power means that our leaders are effectively cocooned from the negative kickback from their actions. In the year 2012, we ought to aim at securing economic resilience to protect and ensure that the basic needs of all can be met fairly through influencing public expenditure priorities, programme priorities for grant-aid funding and legal framework.

A short overview of 2012

While these conclusions of 2011 were not very encouraging we saw some small points of hope. The Hope Alliance: a grouping of some 30 DPP MPs. It looked as if the DPP party somehow from its interior was trying to introduce some form of intra party democracy. They had a lot of opposition also from within. It seemed a ‘bridge to far’. But 30 are a large number and if they would have been given a chance they might have reached sufficient critical mass to bring about change. The problem seemed to be one person, the one who called all the shots and was not willing to listen to any voice of reason, neither the voice of money or rather lack of it when donors suspended their budgetary support.

Opposition political parties also tried to meet the president. But in spite of referring to home- grown policies, the president did not listen to anyone in Malawi except himself. As a reaction there are some voices that start calling for a referendum or for Mutharika to resign. Of course all this falls on deaf ears. The midbudget reports are dismissed by serious commentators as based on cooked figures. There is a little debate about the hosting of the African Union summit but it remained a voice in the wilderness, that of the vice president.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

March 2012

March brings us the all-inclusive meeting of religious leaders, civil society and political parties called by the Public Affairs Committee (PAC). The Government did its utmost to stop it. It went as far as to stop the Mount Soche Hotel hosting it. Luckily the Catholic Church, Limbe Cathedral offered its premises and the meeting continued be it under close supervision of armed police and with great tension. After a day of input about the political, economic and social situation in the country, the different interest groups met. Out of these meetings the stronger voice was that of civil society calling for the resignation of the president in 60 days unless there is going to be some serious change. While religious leaders don’t want to underwrite such a drastic demand, they have difficulty to bring this across. So the meeting went into history as having demanded the resignation of the president.

The response of the president was of course negative. It was to be expected after authoritative voices like those of the Catholic bishops had been shoved aside earlier on. But this meeting was a milestone. It showed that sometimes the way of confrontation has to be chosen. It also shows that things could have deteriorated further approaching the Zimbabwe scenario had they been allowed to continue. Malawi has not really drawn its lessons from this event. What if April the 5th had not happened what then? Because Bingu instead of listening the voice of reason told his party stalwarts to counter any demonstrations in the streets and he continued to tell donors to ‘go to hell’. With the advent of armoured vehicles in the streets Malawi has more and more the appearance of a police state.

The 5th of April

It was Holy Thursday, just before the feast of Easter. The rumour goes around that Bingu has died. Talk of a massive heart arrest. The country is in uncertainty. News can only be had from external sources and some who were close to Kamuzu Central hospital were they took him. Up to now it is not clear whether he was already dead upon reaching Kamuzu central. In order to manipulate the handover of power the DPP send an already dead Bingu to South Africa. In the meantime the so-called midnight six tried to get Peter Mutharika to assume power. At the same time many call for the constitution to be applied. When finally the army commander joins this group, the vice president Joyce Banda is sworn in as president of the republic of Malawi. The plotting took place on what we in liturgical terms refer to as Good Friday. On Holy Saturday, Mrs Banda becomes the first female president of Malawi, the second in all of Africa. With a great sigh of relief that the transition went after all without great problems and turmoil, we can now celebrate Easter: resurrection.

While most kept decorum because of the demise of the head of state, there was a general sigh of relief and some people openly celebrated. Others commented that one must not mess with religious leaders, since the perception was that they had called for the resignation of Bingu. He refused and God found a way out.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

A new start: the first 100 days of Joyce Banda

In spite of the climate of renewed expectation, some observers were cautioning stakeholders like civil society to be alert and sound the alarm at the first signs of a return to past practices. Probably this was because of the make up of the PP, which had now assumed power together with its president Joyce Banda. There was much talk in the press about recycled politicians. In the face of this there is a need for a watchdog. To be charged with the function of watchdog means that one should be alert. But quite many organisations and individuals were keeping quiet no matter what, because of expectations of rewards for past “good behaviour”. Quite a few persons who criticized the Bingu regime where saying that we must give the president the benefit of the doubt. This was interpreted as being too soft because of expecting a cushy job. And some of these jobs were actually given to the most vocal activists.

But the months of May, June, and July in general were like a breath of fresh air. After all Joyce Banda herself was once part of civil society. She was given the benefit of the doubt and many thought that may be she was going to be different from all her predecessors.

She did not inherit a pretty package: an economy in tatters, a people disappointed with politicians, the international community willing to reengage but at a price. Very soon she did the needful things: devaluation of 49%, flotation of the kwacha, opening negotiations with donors. While her predecessor was completely against bowing to pressure from the international community and donors, JB bend over backwards, in a manner which some have deemed as too accommodating.

Locally JB puts together a cabinet inclusive of all parties. Of course some interpreted this as positioning her People’s Party (PP) for the 2014 elections. The cabinet is a bit leaner than before but it is still bloated.

Following a now unwritten rule of democracy Malawi style, many DPP parliamentarians are flocking to the now ruling PP and giving their public support to JB and her PP party. This causes calls for the application of the famous section 65 of the constitutions, which regulates the crossing of the floor. The country will witness for months a crossing from DPP to PP and back according to the threat of whether section 65 will be applied or not. However the year- end will be reached without it being invoked by the speaker of parliament. As happened under Bingu initially, the PP is ruling without having one elected Member of Parliament. As happened with Bingu, when he assumed power in 2004, the nation saw a moment of hope. Listening to his acceptance speech when he was sworn in, one could have thought: Malawi is in for better times. JBs acceptance speech caused the same feeling among the general public and even donors reacted very favourably.

Some of the bad laws are revoked; the zero budget is done away with; Malawi also loses out on the holding of the African Union (AU) summit because it does not want to invite Al Bashir of Sudan. Relations are restored with Britain; Joyce Banda does not attend the AU summit; the country is told to improve its international ratings and be watchful so that the aid and other inflows, which are much needed to restore the battered economy, will come again. Both

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year donors and NGOs remind government about the tripartite elections, which should take place in 2014.

July traditionally the month that Malawi celebrates its independence, passes without the usual pomp because the austerity demanded by the budget does not allow for it. It surprises many Malawians all the more because the first 100 days in power by JB are celebrated for a select few but with no costs spared.

This month sees also a changed DPP apologizing for some of the abuses of the past but many argue that DPP only engages in make believe, real change is something else.

August sees the first ever PP convention. And while the outcome as far as president and vice president could have been guessed, quite a few heavy weights do not make it into the national executive committee of the party. The party gets good marks from many observers.

The country has to cope with a spate of strikes because the devaluation and subsequent slide of the floating kwacha is biting into people’s livelihoods. Government continues to argue that for the economy to turn around it takes about eighteen months and about a billion dollars. That money is very slowly coming into Malawi’s coffers. Too slowly many argue. Others will also mention that the poor are actually paying heavily for the devaluation. Something, which was argued by the Bingu regime when it refused to devalue and now becomes a reality.

Waste vs. budgetary restraints

Complaints about the president for being wasteful and travelling too much with entourages that are too numerous continue to be heard. The UN meeting in September was a prime example blowing more than 300 million kwacha. Preaching austerity will not be believed if the example is not given. But to her credit the meeting in Brussels she attended she took only six people along. So at times Banda gives the impression of being a listening president. Austerity is also shown by the proposed cutting of the salaries of president and her vice by 30%. It may not bring in much money but it is important symbolically.

In the latter months of the year the inclusive government got some dents when Atupele Muluzi decided that he was ridiculed too much and quit his post as minister of economic planning. The venture of an inclusive government or government of national unity has never been very successful because it missed the deliberations between parties that should be the foundation of such a venture. It has been too much an approach of approaching individuals rather than an agreement between parties, with a well hammered out program between the parties.

On the threshold of 2012

So we come to the end of the 2012. Cama’s John Kapito has thrown a challenge to the JB government. 7 or rather 6 points will be presented to her on which she will get 14 days to act. If not on the 17th of January he will organise a demonstration. He has been complaining quite

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year openly that the country is not being ruled by Malawians but by the donors, that there is lack of direction as if no one is in charge. Most of Civil Society except for agreeing that each Malawian has the right to go to the streets seems a bit cool towards this initiative. In the meantime Malawians continue to survive in the face of great odds. The people who are at the bottom of the ladder are feeling the pinch, but those who are at the top continue to say that the economy will turn around. Hardships are only temporary. Goodall Gondwe has joined the cabinet as minister of economic planning. Will that help Malawi? It surely will not take away the pain so many suffer now. The FISP subsidy program is being implemented with many hiccups. But it did help enormously in the past and should mostly benefit those at the bottom of the ladder. Rains have started but it seems do not come as hoped for. It is early day but it makes it also clear that Malawi is still at the mercy of the ‘weather gods’. There are some signs that things are progressing, but it is very much necessary that the gap between poor and rich is lessened. It is in countries where this gap is smaller that economies seem to thrive more than in countries where the gap is very big. The CFSC has been arguing that one way to reduce this gap is by taxation. This also could have been used to help the low incomes to cushion the gap of the devaluation.

Christmas has passed and revelations that the State House has already spent in five months more than its total budget for the year are worrying. This especially in the face of less spending by the public at a time when the economy should be thriving. The newspapers are publishing the end of year comments and making up the balance. On average they say that while they shudder at the thought of Bingu still having been in power and the results thereof, the first woman president has not brought about great change. We seem not to be able to ‘get the best minds’ around the table who can help chart the way forward for Malawi. We seem still to be adhering to the mind-set of ‘others’ be they donors, be they investors, be they Members of Parliament, government bringing us development. On the one hand we are still having problems in claiming our rights and entitlements and the other we are still expecting too much from others not using our own potential to change our country for the better. In the meantime the country has started preparing for the first ever tri-partite elections. 2013 will be a year of campaigning even if the elections will only take place in 2014. Will that mean that decisions needing to be taken will be avoided for fear of losing votes? Another point to remember is that the central event of the year took place in the Easter Triduum: between Holy Thursday and Easter. Easter is the main feast on the Christian calendar. It is about resurrection: a new start, life to the full. May it also mean this for all Malawians: life to the full because of the realization of each one’s potential.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

FOOD SECURITY 2012

In January Malawians asked why the government had raised the maize price by 50% when it continued to say there was plenty of maize. This time ADMARC raised maize price from K1500 to K3000. In February, it was again reported people were not pleased after adjusting maize prices as the country was boasting to have plenty. MPs took the Minister of Agriculture to task over the issue. The government justified the increase saying it was normal. With just few weeks to the harvest, press reports had shown that prices of maize had gone down because of the flooding of the grain on the markets. Apart from ADMARC, Mulli Brothers who had a lot of maize, released their stocks on the markets-prices went down by 20-30%. This was lower than prices at ADMARC markets and many people resorted to buying from Mulli Brothers markets.

During the same month, the government announced it had banned all maize exports since there was tendency among Malawian grain traders to buy the crop from farmers and export it to other countries. There were also reports that people in Chiradzulu were living on mangoes. The situation in Chikhwawa and Nsanje was the same. This only proved that at national level there was plenty of food as reports suggested, but certainly not everywhere at household level.

In January, the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) announced that it had 150,000 metric tons of maize in the silos. Although this seemed enough, some organizations thought that this was too little. It further announced that although they had plenty of maize in stock, it was too difficult to keep it in good quality for a long time. Therefore at a certain point NFRA advertised for the sale of maize that had been kept for a long time in the silos.

In March, there was great concern over minimum prices of some crops for this farming season. New prices were criticized by some agricultural experts who felt they were at the low side, meaning that there would be no profits.

Food security reports showed that maize production was down this farming season and would contribute to a shortage in some parts. This was due to prolonged dry spells in some parts and heavy rains in other parts. The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological services had this to say ‘due to late planting in some areas, there is surely going to be less in terms of harvests and this would affect the availability in some households’. Results further indicated that the number of hunger stricken families increased from 21,000 to 35,000 this season. The increase was way too much and there were calls for urgent action. Dowa district as a whole reported to have food shortages. Others were Nsanje, Chikhwawa, Chiradzulu and some parts of Thyolo.

In April, there were reports that a lot of maize was on the market and some other foods in speculation because it was harvest time. According to CFSC monthly BNB, prices of food had stabilized. The National Statistical Office (NSO) also echoed the CFSC and came up with a similar report on prices of food. Press reports on food security showed that there was a decrease in food production in Malawi and crop estimates by Ministry of Agriculture showed that there was a decrease of 7.1%.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

In May, press reports disclosed that with so many farmers harvesting maize this time it created a glut of the crop on the market. The prices of the staple maize was said to be on the lower side. For example, some areas maize was sold at K15/kg.

During the month of June, although the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) received lots of praise locally and internationally, it had also its hitches. Malawi became a role model to other nations in Africa for its newly earned status as a food sufficient nation. While FISP was deemed a good idea by some, others were not happy with the way it was being administered. Some experts blamed the programme for forex shortage in Malawi. In the national budget agriculture had a bigger chunk because of the allocation to the subsidy programme. Many resources found their way into the FISP. In a number of occasions Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other agricultural advisers asked the government to find ways of exiting the programme. It could indeed be bearing the good fruits it was meant to. But what about the long term effects to both farmers and government? Press reports had shown that the introduction of FISP has jeopardized some of the plans of compost manure making as farmers easily access the farm chemical inputs at a take away price.

During the month of July, two different reports on food security came out about the situation in Phalombe district. One announcement indicated that there had been an improvement in people’s livelihoods in the district due to methods of irrigation while another report indicated that 15,025 people faced hunger. The Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) announced that actual figure of people who would need food assistance was 1.63 million, the majority being in southern region.

In July, government announced it had cancelled all the fertilizer subsidy tenders, in order to review them because some suppliers failed to meet their allocations.

Members of the press, in July, were applauded for the good coverage on food security because in Malawi, the trend had always been for political talk to overshadow all the other equally important issues.

In August, Ministry of Agriculture held the agricultural fair at the trade fair ground in Blantyre. One of the issues that came out was the use of machinery in the industry.

Press reports on food security disclosed that people of Likoma Island were also in need of food because the only reliable transport to and from the island, the Illala, was undergoing maintenance since the island normally relies on the main land to get food.

It was during the same month of August when, for the first time in many years, we heard from the state president’s own mouth that there is food shortage in Malawi. In Malawi, food shortage scenarios are rarely mentioned by politicians.

The CFSC monthly cost of living survey showed that the cost of basic food items had gone up, despite the fact that people had finished harvesting and had plenty of food.

In September, recent reports showed that the food distribution exercise had started successfully in Chikhwawa and Balaka. Although MVAC had indicated that 1.6 million

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

Malawians would need food assistance, some officials felt the figure was more than that. According to CFSC monthly survey on cost of living, food crop prices had gone up, contributing heavily to an increase in the entire BNB and FUM had noted that farmers should take this as an opportunity to grow more food crops and invest. Since globally, the prices of crops are high, farmers should produce more and export-this will help improve the availability of foreign currency.

During the same month, government announced its fertilizer subsidy-screening programme un covering some tricks that people played so that they benefit from the exercise. Some leaders went as far as to create ghost villages.

In October, there were reports that figures of those people in need of food assistance had gone up. World Food Programme (WFP) also noted that food relief items were insufficient because of the higher prices locally. The reports from different quarters disclosed that Malawi was among food insecure countries in the world, contradicting what we were made to believe in recent years. Despite reports of starvation in some areas, governments had always painted a rosy picture on food availability in Malawi. However, the present administration of PP has on several on several occasions shown knowledge of the situation.

In November, we always expect first planting rains but unfortunately this was not so. The temperatures were just too high and the showers, which fell in some parts were not enough for planting. Heavy rains were reported in some parts of Malawi in December, prompting people to start planting. In December the Department of Disaster Management Affairs reported the launch, at TA Kapeni in Blantyre, of a Cash Transfer Programme by WFP benefiting the needy. This was a response to the MVAC report on hunger. The cash transfer programme is part of a relief operation targeting over 1.9 million in 16 districts in the south and parts of central region, who, according to MVAC are food insecure. Airtel Malawi is providing cash transfer service through Airtel money. According to WFP, the programme targets 1.8 million people with food distribution and about 108,000 people with cash transfers, which will be used in areas where food is available but people have low purchasing power.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

CIVIL SOCIETY AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS

The year 2012 started on a high note for the civil society organizations. Memories of the July 20 2011 were still very fresh in people’s mind. Day in day out the civil society leaders were being verbally harassed by those in authority. On their part the CSOs did not relent but continued giving government checks and balances. For sure all the civil society groups spoke with one voice. That oneness is what made the CSOs strong as they attacked the Mutharika administration left right and center.

Despite all the efforts by the civil society to caution government on some on economic and political governance issues the government that time went ahead to make some of the most questionable decisions. For very doubtful reasons the government arrested activist John Kapito, politician and lawyer Ralph Kasambara and Atupele Muluzi. Not only did this annoy the families of the arrested few but many human rights watchers and international observers. Even the daily press coverage was very bad on a good part of 2012.

The press carried almost every day condemnation after condemnation. But like previous ruling parties the government of the Democratic Progressive Party DPP applied the same tactics of silencing the activists. We witnessed the appointment into government positions of some CSOs leaders and this meant a change of tune by the appointed ones. But this did not stop the others from cautioning government whenever necessary and this time around government became the enemy of some media organizations, CSOs and religious leaders. Government blacklisted any organization that spoke what was seen to be critical. A case in mind is that of the banning of all government advertisement in the independently owned Nations Publications a non-partisan media organization. At that time the Nation Publication felt the pinch because government is one of the major advertisers. Reporters at the Nation were at times barred from attending some government functions even at the State House.

The acts of the DPP during the first half of 2012 show that not too many people in power are willing to listen to criticisms. Even at village level it is very rare to have Village heads heed advice. This is because in Malawi there is too much power given up to very few people who are in leadership positions and the rest of the population is left with no option but to hero worship those in positions. In the end one can easily blame the same people for creating dictators after worshiping the leaders to the extent that they do not listen to advice even when it is good.

This was the case with the Mutharika administration. It reached a point where the civil society and government were in a cat and dog relationship, a thing, which is not healthy in a democracy. Normally speaking CSOs and government are supposed to complement each other but this has not been the case with the past government. At the rate Malawi was going back then one would think CSOs only role is to criticize government, but they did so out of necessity.

On their part the religious leaders did not relent but added a big step in their quest to ask government then to change some of its policies. Both the religious leaders and the civil society had made it clear that they were not happy with some of the stands government had

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year taken. For instance despite their plea to stop government from passing the infamous injunctions bill, government went ahead. It is thus that Malawi got a bad governance record.

After negotiations and other means of putting through their concerns to government, the Public Affairs Committee held an all-inclusive stakeholders meeting in Blantyre. The meeting was scheduled to be held at the Mount Soche Hotel, but was moved to Limbe Cathedral and there was heavy presence of police at the venue. At the end of the meeting one of the recommendations made was a call for the resignation of President Dr Bingu wa Mutharika within three month. But Mutharika died before the three months expired.

The coming in of a new government gave hope to many because at the rate the Mutharika administration was going many people had given up hope on good political and economic governance. Therefore President Joyce Banda gave the nation hope with some of her policies and within weeks of taking power Banda became the darling of many.

It was the same old story among the civil society because they seemed to have waited for a long time to before they started to caution the new government. At some point some people thought the CSOs had forgotten their role as watchdogs. They seemed more like observers and spectators as the new government made some questionable decisions. As some put it there was no way civil society would speak against the Banda administration before she would have finished making all the appointments. True to some people’s expectation Banda appointed some of the most vocal activists to work for her government.

For some moment people thought all was well in civil society until such a time when there seemed to be some divisions among the CSO leaders. Some deliberately went to meet the president at Mzuzu State lodge without the knowledge of the other leaders. Although there were these disappointments and fear of divisions among civil society organizations it is good to note that most problems were later resolved. The reconciliation of the CSOs is a positive development because activism requires people to speak with one voice and fight for a common cause. Therefore the more the activists work together, the more people will be willing to listen to them.

Like her predecessors Joyce Banda is also being accused of travelling extensively especially on the local scene. The CSOs in Malawi are worried that even while preaching on austerity, the opposite is being done as so many allowances are given to people who are accompanying the president on her many trips. It really makes people wonder if the government is really serious about these austerity measures. Obviously it finds it hard to walk the talk.

Memories of the July 2011 demonstration against the Bingu administration still haunt many Malawians. The death of 20 people during the mass protests in July 2011 is still fresh in people’s minds and therefore, it has also impacted on their participation in demonstrations. Coming form a background of dictatorship Malawians were used to being submissive to the government of the day. Therefore there is not enough activism in Malawi. Those that seem to speak against the government are therefore taken as rebels. It is therefore a lone battle because so many people are afraid to oppose their leaders.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE

Marriage age debate

The beginning of the year 2012 brought hope to many Malawians on the possibility of a change in the marriage age. There have been so many debates ever since the bill was tabled and passed in 2009. Parliamentarians came under heavy attack for passing the bill that put the marriage age at 16. In a Malawian setting at 16 many girls are still in school and therefore allowing the girl child to get marriage at such a tender age would put their future in jeopardy. Malawi surely needs highly educated girls and therefore early marriages should not be encouraged. With so many programmes that target women, there is need for more resources for girl’s education and so prevent early marriages.

Similarly at this age the girls are still not matured enough to go through the process of child bearing. According to health experts such scenarios also increase the number of cases of maternal death. In the event that a girl has conceived, chances are very high that there may be complications arising from the pregnancy at the time of birth. This is what has worried many people because at present the marriage age is still very low. Therefore it is not surprising to see a number of campaigns just to make sure that the age is pushed upwards. Some sectors of society are advocating for the age to be put at 21. At 21 most girls are done with school and are matured enough and therefore can make their own decisions.

On the global level it is a shame that Malawi is among the top ten countries with early marriages. Such a record only shows that as a nation we are not too serious on safeguarding the future of girls. But who is supposed to make sure that these girls remain in school? It should start at the grassroots with parents leveling the playing field for both male and female children. The tendency in many Malawian homes has been that education be given only to the boys because the girls would sooner on later get married. A change in people’s mindset on the girl child would keep them in school and off early marriages.

Prisons conditions in Malawi

A lot has been said over the condition of Malawi prisons and there is nothing good that is coming from the reports. Almost every report about the situation in Malawi prisons talks about congestion. The situation in Malawi prisons only shows that there is an increase in crime or Malawi’s population is too big for the small number of prisons. Evidence shows that prisons in Malawi are supposed to keep 5500 but now there are more than 12,000 prisoners. One would not be surprised to hear that it is very difficult to manage such a large crowd and therefore more resources are needed.

As some human rights organizations have noted the population of prisoners is way too much to be managed by the small number of warders. At present the warder prisoner ratio is way too high and raises security concerns. With some hardcore criminals in these prisons it is

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year surprising that there are not many cases of prisoners escaping or attacking warders. Is there anything that authorities can do just to make sure that the ratio is improved?

For the better part of the first half of the year under review, the situation in prisons was actually going from bad to worse because of congestion. With staff at the Judiciary striking it reached a point where police cells were heavily congested and so were the prisons. Cases stalled in the courts in Malawi resulting many remandees and in congestion in the cells. The 2012 judicial strike was not the first of its kind because the support staff had another strike over lower salaries in the past. Therefore people are not keen to demonstrate. July 20 still haunts the youth and even other members of the society are not ready to participate.

Security Lapse The second quarter of the year under review saw an increase in the crime rate. So many reasons came up as to why so many cases of violent robbery and theft were recorded at this time around. The coming in of a new Inspector of General of Police Loti Dzonzi who took over from Peter Mukhitho, saw a change in the way the police operated. This new approach, which saw the police acting in a more civilized manner, came up as one of the reasons why there was an increase in the crime rate. At the same time that people blamed the approach the police had taken, others felt the increase in the level of poverty had led to the sudden increase in crime. With so much poverty most people are desperate and to make it in life they indulge in crime.

Death penalty It has been a hot issue as the majority of Malawians are in favour of the death penalty. The past two democratic presidents Dr Bakili Muluzi and late Professor Mutharika did not sign any death warrant despite having some prisoners that are on death row. Human rights groups have made it clear that even the worst offenders have a right to live.

Research indicates that the death penalty does not stop people from doing crimes. Reports show that even with the death penalty people still commit crimes. Even some ordinary people do not want the death penalty. Not so long ago when there was a constitutional review many people supported the abolition of the same. Similarly a Catholic organization called St Egidio wants the death penalty abolished. It is against these people’s principles to put to an end the life of another person.

In a number if countries where people on death row ended up being put to death, the crime rate has not improved. This only means that the death penalty does not in any way improve the crime rate. It is just one of those policies that implement a tit for tat: a life for a life and therefore smacks after revenge. Does Malawi as a nation benefit by having death warrants? The fact that all the three presidents in democratic Malawi did not sign a death warrant despite having some people on death row, shows they are in away not interested. In the absence of the constitutional review the death penalty still remains in the laws of Malawi. Meanwhile calls are getting louder to have the death penalty abolished

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

Child labour In the year under review Malawi hosted an international meeting on child labour. Reports of child labour are not something new, because in the press in recent years they have taken center stage. It is not a secret that on its part government and other stakeholders are trying their best to improve on this. We have read of various reports on the same meaning at least there is something that is being done. Efforts are indeed being made to eliminate child labour completely.

One of the concerns is the passing of laws that have a component on child labour. One such law, the Tenancy Labour Bill, to date the Tenancy Labour Bill has not made it to the National Assembly. Advocacy work around the tabling and passing of the tenancy labour bill has been going on for more than a decade but it has not been to parliament. Civil society organizations have put a lot of resources into this work so that the bill is passed but to no avail.

Experts feel the tobacco industry also contributes greatly to child labour in Malawi. Reports show that in some estates children are made to work even during school hours. A report by Plan International also revealed that more than 60,000 children are at a health risk because they are exposed to chemicals in tobacco estates without wearing protective gear. Although some quarters disputed these findings there could be some truth in this because there is great evidence that children are working in tobacco estates. Others have noted that with the passing of legislation to do with child labour this could be eliminated completely.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

EDUCATION

Background

Using a rights-based approach, education is considered to be a fundamental human right and each government has the primary responsibility to provide it as a duty bearer. There is a direct correlation between education and economic development and, in order for any country to graduate from underdevelopment; education should become a strategic priority. Malawi, like any other country is called to meet its set goals- Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Even early nationalist leaders; for example, Kwame Nkrumah, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Jomo Kenyatta and Julius Nyerere, championed this cause - education for development.

The most significant education-affirming initiative was the adoption of the World Declaration on Education for All in 1990. This was followed by the World Education Forum in Dakar (Senegal) that adopted six Education for All (EFA) goals to be achieved by 2015. Malawi in particular signed this declaration in 1994 and introduced free primary school education. The sub-Saharan region also adopted the Education for All; A Framework for Action in Sub- Saharan Africa: Education for African Renaissance in the Twenty-first Century in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 6 December 1999. What has Malawi done with the above instruments?

The experience of 2012 – what happened in the education sector in Malawi? With a budgetary allocation of 18% of the national cake, one would have expected better services towards achieving quality education. Unfortunately, media reports highlighted a litany of challenges that continued to rock the sector resulting in poor service delivery. Compared to other sectors in the 2012/2013 national budget, the 18% allocation to the ministry is relatively sufficient to make meaningful progress on the planned goals if responsible officers acted more accountably and transparently in their execution of set priorities. In addition, the politicization of any policy change and formulation has negatively affected the system – education is at the mercy of what takes place on the political scene.

Education at the mercy of politics The just ended year witnessed continued political manipulation of the education sector for political gains. Selected incidences stand out to substantiate this argument. When holding political rallies, politicians often ask surrounding schools to attend their functions at designated venues. Fearing for their jobs as civil servants, teachers have had no choice but to avail themselves to such functions. While it contradicts the education act and impacts negatively on the performance of pupils, the practice has generally been accepted. It is regretted that only few civil society organizations continue to question the system.

The introduction of the free primary education remains a political game and continues to impact negatively on poor Malawians. While the move has been commended to provide equal

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year access to quality education for all, the system is not supported by the much-needed political will. The increased enrolment called for more commitment and a forecast on its implications with regards to human resource and infrastructure. The aftermath of the system has raised the following questions: Who benefits from the free primary education? Who goes to these schools? What caliber of staff teach in these schools? Rarely if none at all does one see a child of a prominent Malawian attending the free primary school. They are either in private schools or indeed abroad attending decent schools, while a poor child is compelled to go to a local school where they are subjected to a number of challenges that range from a lack of political will to improve the learning environment to high teacher-pupil ratio. There have been reports on the lack of teaching and learning materials, compounded by unqualified staff that are recruited to meet the growing demand.

The inadequate infrastructure hit hard on learners during the year under review; students were spotted learning under trees, along brick fences and indeed in the open space around the school area. This situation becomes unbearable during rainy season where, very often such classes have been disrupted when it rains.

Further, the use of borrowed premises; lack of mobility, necessary equipment; insufficient trained club patrons and youth officers are major causes of poor education standards and, if unchecked the learning will continue to dwindle.

The current status quo automatically creates a two-tier society, where the poor will remain poor and the rich richer? Children from rich families will assume better jobs and other responsibilities than those have poor education today.

Media reports also indicated that the achievements or gains in net enrolment are negated by the relatively high dropout rates, a situation that has been attributed to negative attitudes of certain communities towards education chiefly for girls. Some media reports spotlighted initiation ceremonies that collide with the school calendar as a reason to the dropout rate statistics. Still certain communities believe that such a cultural practice leads to early maturity in the youth. Through this initiation, young people tend to rush for marriage at an age when they are expected be at school. The dropout from school has serious ramifications for the already-high illiteracy rate in Malawi.

Every year there are reports of examination papers leaking to the public before the actual date of writing. Similarly, the year under review went through the same experience, a development that undermines and compromises the importance of critical steps in one’s education career. But one may ask: how do these papers sneak out of the Malawi National Examinations Board (Board)? This is an in-house problem that needs to be corrected from within. Students who take these exams need to believe in themselves and not wait for the leaked information. This is also disturbing news to parents and guardians who toil to pay for their children.

The media reports captured the ministry’s initiative to change the objective-based curriculum to the outcome-based one. This is a commendable development as the sector envisages what is expected to be achieved in a given space of time, both short and long term. This theory of

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year change calls for multi-faceted support from all stakeholders including parents and guardians- they are supposed to be interested in the education of their children.

For some time now the University of Malawi has become a political battleground, the academic calendar has been disrupted on several occasions by politicians who have seen in the college a fertile ground for their political propaganda. Chancellor College and other constituent colleges continued to witness unprecedented closures because of political interference or indeed failure by government to honour promises towards students’ book and other allowances.

The issue of the academic freedom was supposed to be left to the university council a body that was expected to create space for dialogue between the concerned parties. The involvement of the head of state then paralyzed any meaningful contribution to solve standoff. Reports suggest that any government is kindly advised to mandate the council to run the affairs of the university independently of political interference.

The Quota system has been part of the media and it is another weapon that has been used by politicians to gain political mileage. It is a symptom of government’s lack of commitment to the growing education demand. The system arises from an acute shortage of infrastructure and personnel. Government should meaningfully concentrate on establishing more universities that will cater for deserving students who are often left out. With a population growth of 2.8%, one would normally expect more demand in infrastructure, quality personnel and teaching and learning materials. Unfortunately the needed commitment does not come forth and the country depends on the only one university established many years ago. How then does education correlate with development if the entry to higher learning continues to be so restrictive even to deserving students? How many pupils pass every year and cannot access higher education, where do they go?

While government is commended for running a few vocational training schools via TEVETA, the quota system still suggests that government should also commit itself to open up more of these training institutions as an alternative way of meeting the growing demand by Malawians. This innovation will wipe out the mindset of a white-collar job as the only way to success. The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training should be empowered to facilitate and monitor this process. This initiative should be supported by an increased allocation to the ministry, which is often under funded.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Overall, progress has been slow and uneven at all levels of learning, casting doubt on the set targets by government to achieve quality education standards by 2015. While the main reason remains the financial resource, which poses a major challenge towards the production of the desired results, the apparent lack of political will continue to negatively affect the education sector. Access to education at any level is still below 40%. The human resource capacity to implement programs is far inadequate as the sector is still having a personnel vacancy rate of

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

40% since 2000. As such, there is need for strengthened efforts towards teacher recruitment, training and deployment.

The year under review also saw huge disparities in terms of infrastructure, teaching and learning materials, and number of teachers between rural and urban areas at primary and secondary level. Furthermore, teacher motivation at all levels of education is low, prompting teachers/lectures to seek alternative ways of finding money.

It is believed that the introduction of the Free Primary Education was done at a time when the necessary elements for quality education were not yet in place, the infrastructure could not cope with the demand for free education. These factors have led to the poor performance of the implementation of Education for All in Malawi. There is need for deepened and continuous political will – government in particular should go beyond rhetoric. The placing of education as a priority within priorities in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy should translate into adequate financing of the sector.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

Health

Ethel Mutharika maternity wing closed

The closure in 2012 of Ethel Mutharika High Dependence Unit at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe must have sent shock waves to women who had hoped to receive first class treatment when faced with complications after delivery. The reason? No accommodation for staff! One cannot help wondering as to why such an important facility can be allowed to exist without suitable housing. After all, the unit was established to help combat maternity complications especially after delivery. Maternal deaths in Malawi are a serious problem and Ethel Mutharika Maternity Wing was an answer to that.

Kamuzu Central Hospital director Dr Noordeen Alide confirmed the closure was due to lack of houses for accommodation for staff. A source at the hospital said the Ethel Mutharika High Dependence Unit said women with complications after delivery are resuscitated back to normal life. The unit also reduces congestion at the Intensive Care Unit. It seems the decision to close the unit was made abruptly and it affected patients,” said the source.

In a related situation 5 health centres in Mangochi closed because of shortage of healthcare workers. The nearest centres that can offer medical services are eight kilometers away. The closed health centres are Sinyala, Maleta, Jalasi, Iba and Chiunda. Unfortunately this is not the first time for Mangochi.

New dialysis machines

The Malawi government received a donation of ten dialysis machines from Japan, thereby easing problems patients with kidney complications were facing. According to Ministry of Health spokesperson Henry Chimbali, 8 of these will be installed at Kamuzu Central Hospital because it will cater for patients from the nine districts of the central region and the other six districts from the northern region. Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre will have the other two.

It is said before the dialysis machines broke down public hospitals had about 16 in operation, but this dwindled down to 4 by 2011. Treatment in private hospitals can be quite expensive and according to one of the patients, treatment can be K28,000 per session once a week.

Maternal deaths too high

Malawi is about 50 years old as an independent state yet the condition of expectant women is ever at risk as more and more of them either die while in labour or soon after delivery. According to the press, Malawi is second to Sierra Leone in maternal deaths in Africa. “Quite understandably,” President Joyce Banda said Sierra Leone experienced a war in its country; but Malawi has enjoyed peace since 1966 when the country attained republican status.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

Malawi Health Equity Network Executive Director Martha Kwataine expressed the need for a multi-sectoral approach to lessen maternal deaths in Malawi. Kwataine suggested the introduction of incentives for nurses to work in rural areas. It has been suggested that there is need to put a deliberate policy that would ensure that more nurses and midwives are being trained to meet the ever- increasing demand of health personnel in the country’s hospitals. Unfortunately there are times in Malawi when a nurse works 24 hours because of shortage of trained staff. This situation inevitably leads expectant women to seek assistance from Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs). The Malawi government has effectively banned these traditional medical practitioners and only allowed them as a referral point.

For maternal health programmes to succeed the government has called Malawians from all walks of life to take part. Starting with traditional authorities, members of parliament including cabinet ministers, religious leaders, teachers and all parents ought to hold hands in the fight against maternal deaths by strictly adhering to health programmes set by experts.

Circumcision practice gathering momentum

It all started as a rumor; then stories started to appear in the media that circumcision can reduce transmission of HIV/Aids virus. It was heartening to learn that the Malawi government introduced a programme to circumcise 2.1 million Malawi men over a period of 5 years.

Although the programme got off to a slow start, it is however good news that HIV/Aids, once viewed as an undefeatable disease, is being effectively tackled.

A convincing proof that circumcision renders HIV/Aids ineffective is a study done in South Africa, which showed a 60 percent reduction in its acquisition among circumcision men aged 18-24 years. And two other studies in Kenya and Uganda have demonstrated reduction in risk of HIV acquisition of 53 percent and 48 percent respectively.

According to the year under review, about 10 percent of Malawi’s population is infected with HIV. Over 300,000 people have enrolled for free Aids drugs.

On a district level Chiradzulu plans to implement a five-year voluntary medical male circumcision programme as an HIV prevention strategy under which over 38,000 men have been targeted to undergo the process. It is worth noting that male circumcision, besides reducing HIV infection, also reduces the risk of contracting STIs, keeps the manhood clean and lessens the danger of genital and cervical cancer.

Shortage of drugs on the increase

The sad story about drug shortage in Malawi hospitals is that many lives are being lost even when the diseases they are suffering from are treatable. It is a long list of drugs that are in short supply. The media is full of reports of such shortages. Tuberculosis drugs are in short supply, Bactrim, an essential drug among people living with HIV and Aids is difficult to

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year acquire, medication for rabies is rarely found, mental health patients continue to roam the streets because they cannot be treated and Anti-retroviral therapy has become scarce.

One newspaper report in the year under review showed how a young man of 26 years of age from Chilomoni in Blantyre died of rabies even though he tried very hard to get medication from the hospitals. Frank Makuluni visited the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Chilomoni and Ndirande clinics in Blantyre and ended losing his life at Mlambe hospital.

For many years drug shortage had been blamed on theft by some unscrupulous employees at the Central Medical Stores. The situation improved when several were arrested. However the current drug shortage is due to government reduction of funding to its hospitals in the 2012/13 financial year as compared to 2011/2012 budget. Some of these hospitals are Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital whose budget has been cut from K960m to K898m, Zomba Central Hospital from K468m to K414.9m, Dedza district hospital from K457m to K415m,and Thyolo district hospital from K447m to K415m. According to the Executive Director of Health and Rights Education Programme Maziko Matemba the reduction in the national health budget is coming at a time when Malawi has just adopted a new health sector strategic plan 2011/2013 which has identified and prioritized health issues that need attention in the next five years.

2012 a year of hospital strikes

The Malawi government has been pushed to declare hospital strikes illegal because they lead to unnecessary loss of life and they are inhuman and senseless. The said strikes were at Balaka, Neno, and Thyolo district hospitals and Zomba Central Hospital. At another time staff at Kamuzu Central Hospital also downed their tools.

In a statement released on July 3 2012, the principal secretary in the Ministry of Health, Willie Samute said although some of the issues raised by the disgruntled workers were valid, sit-ins should be the last resort after exhausting all engagements and discussions. Most times democracy is being misunderstood by both hospital workers and medical students who forget that their profession is special because it deals with life saving.

Bed grabbing for political campaign

The Ministry of Health angered the people of Mponela in Dowa district when it moved 13 beds from the children’s ward to Mzimba where political parties were campaigning for parliamentary by-elections. Patients and guardians were astonished because the beds were being transferred at around midnight, leaving some of the children on the floor. The Member of Parliament for this area Dr Jean Kalirani said she had personally bought the beds after building the children’s ward for K12 million.

Although the government returned the beds after a public outcry, Malawians in general, and people from around Mponela in particular, still wag their tongues in shock. It has been a hard lesson for politicians to learn. The Vice President Khumbo Kachali then as Minister of Health

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year was alleged to have ordered the transfer of the beds since he is from the same area the by- election were taking place.

Diaspora doctors to help Malawi

The African Diaspora Health Initiative has pleaded to help the government in combating maternal mortality and solve other health care challenges. The pledge was made in reaction to President Joyce Banda’s call for support when she was visiting the United States and the United Kingdom. Banda invited the diaspora either to return to Malawi or start supporting the country and the continent.

The African Diaspora Health Initiative is composed of medical personnel from Africa including Malawi. A group of 14 of them was in Malawi on a fact-finding mission to assess how best to support the local health care particularly on maternal health. Leader of the delegation which was in the country Arikana Chihombori famously said, ”We believe you are not African because you are in Africa, but because Africa was born in you. Majority of Africans are dying before they are even here.”

Malaria deaths decline

Although malaria remains a leading killer in Malawi among women and children, there has been steady progress towards weakening it, so much that malaria-related deaths decreased by 32 percent in the year under review due to interventions among pregnant women and under five children. The nationwide distribution of over five million insecticide-treated mosquito nets has assisted in mitigating the challenges malaria brings into the health sector.

There are annually up to four million cases of malaria recorded by the Ministry of Health and between 4,000 and 5,000 deaths from the disease, which is preventable through the use of bed nets. There is hope Malawi will continue to make strides in the war against malaria, and thanks to the United States President’s Malaria Initiative, fewer cases of the disease and deaths are expected in the near future.

While there are reported gains in the fight against malaria, there is coming out of Asia and Africa news that low quality and fake anti-malarial drugs are flooding into markets. Media reports have found that around 36 percent of anti-malarial drugs analysed in southeast Asia were fake, while a third of samples in sub-Saharan Africa failed chemical testing because they contained either too much or not enough active ingredient. Experts say many of the deaths caused by the disease could be avoided if drugs available to patients were efficacious, high quality and used correctly.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

ENVIRONMENT

In February the International Centre for Journalists observed that Malawi media don’t cover enough climate change issues. Reporters find environmental events too boring to report about except when there is a disaster. This does not help to change the apathy of people on those. But in June there was massive coverage of climate change showing how agriculture can adapt to it and make the most of it. In March MPs of various nations across the globe have created an international network to promote legislation mitigating climate change: Climate Justice Network. MJEN & Citizens For Justice Malawi also belong to it. In Chikhwawa district a program is running to help farmers cope with climate change.

In April at the occasion of the formation of a new cabinet, President Joyce Banda created a separate and new ministry of environment and climate change to show greater commitment of the Malawian government on these issues. Catherine Gotani Hara is the new minister. Some hope that she will not be intimidated by powerful people who commit crimes against the environment such as the extinction of the Mulanje cedar and take sanction against them. In September the ministry of environment has launched a communication strategy on climate change to help Malawians to deal with it. The majority of Malawians are women and they suffer more of climate change. Having a female President should help. In November the World Bank reminded that because of climate change poor nations will suffer more of drought and famine than richer nations. Blantyre Synod of Christian Central Africa Presbyterians has organised a workshop to raise awareness about possible damages of climate change that any Christian should know and help mitigate.

From time to time there are signs of climate change. In January the Lower Shire i.e. Chikhwawa and Nsanje districts have been hit by heavy rains and floods, houses have been destroyed, people are in need of shelter. Normally rainy season ends in March but this year heavy rains fell in April but did not damage crops and the farmers could harvest. In June some report that Lake Malawi is drying up on the long term. That would be a major loss of livelihood for fishermen, irrigation schemes and tourism. Also in November observers say Lake Chilwa is drying up. Many people depend on it for their income. Fishing and transport by ship go down. People have moved on a better side of the lake but if drying up goes on, no good side will be left.

This year due to demographic pressure and ill planning Lilongwe Water Board failed many a time to provide water in area 23, 24, 25, Gulliver and Mtandire. Water shortages go on also in Blantyre. Human rights activists want to organize a march to protest the poor service.

Again demographic pressure make people encroach on lands not foreseen for building such as Mount Soche. For this reason some houses have been destroyed in Lilongwe area 49.

In October meteorological services predict normal rainy season. That would allow a good crop. In May there was an earth tremor in South Malawi. Most Malawians don’t know what to do in case of a violent earth quake. There is need for disaster management training.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

January is the ideal month to plant trees, like other years the President himself did it hoping to inspire people to imitate him. NASFAM reminds people that deforestation allows soil erosion and causes longer dry spells. Business people deplete Chikangawa forest at a fast rate selling the timber in Malawi and abroad for hard currencies. Maybe as political revenge some people burnt the remnant of the forest on a very large and worrying scale. Thanks to God some environment minded people like Officials of natural reserves at Dzalanyama try their best to replant trees.

Corporations like MBC radio and religious groups, Hindus included, donate tree seedlings for people of good will to plant and take care of on the long term, notably in Mulanje as an encouragement to reduce floods and droughts. Ndirande a mountain in Blantyre near Makata industrial area is another reforestation project. Improved Forest Management for Sustainable Livelihood Programme improves and promotes the participation of women in the renewal and exploitation of forests too often depleted, to ensure that their children will do so.

Charcoal production is the main cause of deforestation in Malawi. Ninety six percent of the population uses charcoal. From time to time police officers and forestry officials confiscate charcoal and firewood but it does not really stop the depleting of the forest. After devaluation of the Kwacha in May, electricity price went up and more people use charcoal and fire wood as cooking fuel. Environment ministry is ready to raise awareness about how to minimize the use of charcoal thanks to technology. Because of deforestation and bad farming practice forty tons of soils are filling up the lake every year. This affects electricity production on the Shire River.

Despite uranium extraction in Kayelekera mining is still only 10% of Malawi export. It should reach 30% in the near future. Aluminium, coal, niobium, gold, oil and rare earth are present in Malawi but more precise geological mapping remains to be done. Like in many other parts of the world, especially in Africa, Karonga people complain that Paladin’s extraction of uranium in Kayelekera does not bring enough benefits to them. The discovery of oil in the Northern part of Lake Malawi has triggered tension between Malawi and Tanzania about the position of the border: on the lakeshore or in the middle of the lake? Future exploitation of extractives should be more transparent and generous for local people.

Wildlife officials have a tough job to keep alive both people and elephants especially in Mangochi ---Liwonde, Rumphi and Mzimba areas.

International Red Locust Control Organization for Central and Southern Africa warns that there are traces of that locust near lakes Chirwa and Chiuta. They have to be eradicated before rainy season starts to avoid destruction of crops.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

GENDER

Victims of freedom of dressing

Malawian women started 2012 on a sad note as many faced the worst forms of gender based violence. It all started in Lilongwe where some women had their clothes stripped by vendors in some parts of the country. It was a shock to Malawians, as many people had never dreamt of this happening. But as it was it happened and it left people with bad memories of the sad incident. It does not get worse than this, to leave the house in the morning all dressed up only to be stripped naked. All along there had been reports of some vendors who had jeered at women for their dressing but certainly not undressing the innocent ladies. It happened and it dented the relationship between the vendors and women.

Women stood up together to fight for their rights and had marches and campaigns over this issue. One notable campaign was to stop buying goods from vendors for a month, which some women did. The battle was single-handedly fought by women without the help of any man. This only shows that men chose to remain neutral on this issue, but one thing is clear enough that they must have supported the barbaric acts. The men’s silence said it all that it was none of their business. Where was the togetherness in this fight, one may wonder?

How some men view women?

In this time and age some men still think there is no way a woman can make it big in life. Despite all the efforts some women have made in many spheres of life, some still look down upon women no matter what. Press reports show that many women in Small-scale businesses are failing to reach greater heights because they do not get all the needed support from men. Stories are narrated of how some men feel insecure when their wives are progressing in terms of businesses. In many homes the men create an environment of fear and at times confiscate whatever has been made from the sales of the day.

If only men supported the women, many homes would be economically stable. Many economically independent homes mean good productive citizens who would contribute tirelessly to the development of the nation. It is just a matter of changing one’s attitude. Being more aggressive towards a woman’s success in business does not make a man more human, it only shows that the man is living in the dark ages when it was only a man who was supposed to provide for the home.

Similarly this attitude of demeaning women was seen when Democratic Progressive Party DPP official Noel Masangwi openly said hat Malawi is not yet ready for female president. This statement was backed by handclapping from some men and women who were present at the time this was being said men and even some women hand clapped and ululated. Although some were happy with these pronouncements others, especially gender activists made sure they made their stand on the issue known.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

Joyce Banda becomes Malawi’s first female president

Vice president Joyce Banda became Malawi’s first female president and Africa’s second after the death of President Professor Bingu wa Mutharika’s sudden death. When certain things happen one can never understand why certain things that politicians say come to pass. Joyce Banda became president months after Masangwi uttered his Malawi is not ready for a female president. Such careless statements only show that even some politicians still think presidency is strictly meant for men.

Ever since Joyce Banda became president she has been given a lot of both local and international support. Africa’s first female president and local gender organizations and activists have since given Joyce Banda a vote of confidence. Banda has been recognized by some organizations across the globe. Forbes magazine in the United States of America at some point rated Joyce Banda as one of the most powerful women in the world. She was again said to the strongest woman in Africa after a survey conducted which focused on influence, presence in the media and many more issues.

In Malawi girls and other women are looking up to Banda as a role model and an inspiration Banda is not an ordinary woman who has had it smooth for her to reach this far. She has had tough times at the hands of the party that made her vice president but she never quit.

Although Banda receives a lot of praises and support from international observers, the case is not the same back in Malawi. Like they say a prophet is not honoured in their homeland, Banda is also facing some criticism locally. Women activists noted that Banda is not inspiring enough to young ladies because of some of the things her government is failing to do.

Earlier in 2012 saw how politics take centre stage in almost all sectors of the society. Parliament with the Democratic Progressive Party in majority sacked some female MPs who were sympathetic of the then vice president Joyce Banda from parliamentary regional bodies. With the help of some female MPs, the DPP led government victimized the lady parliamentarians for belonging to Joyce Banda’s party. In normal circumstances, these women should have remained in these positions despite sympathizing with Banda who by then was not in good books with the DPP government.

As Malawians the women were representing the Malawi National Assembly at any regional meeting and not their individual parties. But knowing Malawi politics one has to come from the ruling party to enjoy such benefits. The ruling government dominates even the formation of the parliamentary committees. Malawians look forward to a parliament that will assign female MPs in various section of the National Assembly based on their capabilities and expertise and not on political affiliations.

50-50 Campaign

Despite the coming in of Joyce Banda as Malawi president, not much has been done on the 50-50 campaign. Some might claim that by having a female president Malawi has done well in the fight to have more women in decision making positions, a lot still needs to be done.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

Non Governmental Organization Gender Coordinating Network NGO GCN in 2012 said that there is still a long way to go to achieve this. For instance because of lack of funding many activities on the campaign have not been done in the year 2012.

Much as the NGO GCN would want its dream to come true, the women on their part should also show interest in leadership positions. An example is that of a position the National Assembly, where women have to compete with men to become a Member of Parliament. But if the women shun the race there is nothing one can do but to vote for the men. Former Malawi Electoral Commission MEC Mrs Anastasia Msosa was at pains to understand why women did not participate and compete fully in the October Mzimba by-election. Only one woman competed against 10 male contestants. What is it exactly that makes women shy away from such competitions? At a time the world is pouring some of its resources to empower women in various sectors of the society, the women themselves are at times not willing to get the exposure. Some people have argued that the reason why many women do not want to participate in parliamentary races is because they always face tough male competitors.

From the grassroots even fellow women are not prepared to support a female candidate for the obvious reasons. In a Malawian setting it is common to see women pulling each other down. Therefore any attempts by women to become parliamentarians are quashed by such an attitude hence more female aspirants fail to make it even at primary level. Education and financial independence is among some of the reasons we have very few women competing in parliamentary races. NGO GCN has a lot of work to do in changing people’ mindset where leadership is concerned because at present not many people are aware that women can also make good leaders.

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year

THE ECONOMY OF 2012

On the verge of collapse: Malawi’s Economy in 2012

The Malawi’s economic situation in 2012 was dire and so was the political situation. The Bingu administration became increasingly autocratic to the effect that anyone who expressed contrary views to what the leadership espoused was deemed a dissident. This intolerant attitude soon became pervasive to the extent that even Malawi’s cooperating partners were expected to tow the thinking of Malawi’s leadership. It was this awkward line of thought that led to the expelling of the British High Commissioner when it was discovered through a leaked cable that he had expressed a concern to the British government over the creeping and invasive undemocratic tendencies in Malawi.

That diplomatic gaffe, that act of declaring the British High Commissioner a persona non grata, was enough to trigger a freeze on financial support that Britain has been rendering to Malawi since time immemorial. It didn’t take long for the like minded traditional donors to Malawi to follow suit ... And the consequences of losing the 40% aid in budgetary support were enormous. Malawians started to queue for fuel ... then later on there was no fuel at all. The banks had run out of forex which led to the thriving of the parallel market (black market) where foreign currencies were unbelievably exorbitant.

In a typical act of desperation, the Bingu regime pretended as if everything was alright. The government then unleashed its propaganda machinery which was aimed at downplaying the obvious hardships that Malawians were going through. The government recruited sycophants in the range of politicians, journalists, the clergy and chiefs to attest to the fact that Malawi was doing “well” economically under the “wise and dynamic leadership of Bingu was Mutharika”.

It wasn’t long before the economic situation became so desperate to the extent that it even teetered on the verge of collapse. In a bid to apply breaks to an economy that was on a slippery slope, the then administration, introduced the unpopular “zero deficit budget” ... though, I must add in parenthesis, in principal a good concept but practically, a notion that was taxing to implement under the then prevailing circumstances. The zero-deficit budget meant that the entire national budget was to be financed by Malawians. While the concept propagated the virtue of self-reliance, it must be noted that it was conceived on the heels of the donor’s decisions to freeze aid to Malawi. And for an economy that relied on donor support for 40% of its budget, the burden of the zero-deficit budget became too much for Malawians to bear. Thus this ill timed if not ill conceived policy of the Bingu regime resulted in great suffering for the majority of Malawians. The zero budget which was supposed to help the country cope with the absence of donor support has economically set it back for years.

It is a common fact that poverty in Malawi is endemic and sincere. The Integrated Household Survey (HIS, 2012) indicates that 52% of the Malawian population lives under $0.50 per person per day and that 22% of the population lives in abject poverty of less than $0.31 per person per day. Having said this, the Centre for Social Concern Urban Basic Needs Basket revealed that most Malawians could barely afford to meet their basic needs. As the economy

CFSC Press Review December 2012 – Review of the Year continued to bite, some family had to engage coping mechanism which in some circumstances entailed living one meal per day. The cost of food skyrocketed and so were the prices of non- essential food items. When things became too much to bear, Malawians took to the streets on the 20th of July to demonstrate against the poor political and economic governance.

Just when people began to lose hope, in a dramatic turn of events, Bingu died when the nation least expected the tragedy to happen. However, considering the then prevailing circumstances, the demise of Bingu did not cause much grief but relief for a people that had very few reasons to smile about.

Much as the demise of Bingu had injected-in a feeling of relief and hope, the economy was still in Intensive Care Unit. As far as the state of the economy was concerned, the implications were that the country could least afford the slightest plunder and/or blunder on any front and for any reason.

When Joyce Banda took over the reins of power, the majority of Malawians were excited and hoped for the best. And one may add that her job was already well-cut for her. As is the tradition, the JB administration made all the right pronouncements but Malawians had already heard too much from the previous regime ... all they needed this time round was action. Malawians wanted an economy that brings them food on the table.

The JB administration hit the road running by mending fences with Malawi’s traditional donor, including the United Kingdom. Slowly, Malawi’s relations with cooperating partners began to thaw and so did the trickle-in of aid. Within months, the fuel problem had begun to ease and so was the much needed forex.

But it was now the time for Malawians to face the medicine for the blunder and plunder of their economy. When “boys” from the Bretton Woods institutions were in town, everyone knew that the long awaited prescription was about to be administered. After all the diagnosis has already been made and was well known to everyone!

Yes, the IMF and its sister, the WB did not even need to think about it ... it was clear; Malawi had to devalue its kwacha! To some extent, that was the right diagnosis and treatment because practically the kwacha had already lost its value. While the government held on to its parsimonious official exchange rate, the parallel market offered a much more generous and realistic rate ... and the market just thrived on black market.

In May 2012, finally the Malawi government decided to administer the painful medicine. The kwacha was devalued by 49 percent at one go. This devaluation came on top of another 10 percent devaluation which took place in August 2011 and in the context of 18.4 percent inflation. This structural adjustment to the monetary policies came with both positive and negative effects on various sectors of the economy as well as on different populations and consumers in Malawi. The worst of it all is that the kwacha was floated and liberalized at the same time. The removal of price controls meant Malawi kwacha will fluctuate according to demand and supply and send price commodities fluctuating too. In the midst of this, it seems the mood and feelings of Malawians are fluctuating too!