This story was published in the Daily Times special supplement that was carried out within a week after President Bingu wa Mutharika’s wife demise. I HAVE JUST REPRODUCED IT
…"She closed her eyes peacefully today this afternoon, Monday 28th May 2007. A dark cloud has fallen over the state house and the nation...”
By Pacharo Felix Munthali
The story of how Madam Ethel Mutharika lived could hardly have been less inspiring – or touching. Possibly even before finding herself at the State House, she had one day sat down with President Dr Bingu Wa mutharika. Possibly she had said to him, “there are a lot that I can do for this country.” It is intricate to gauge the response from the-then mere politician, but one thing should have been very obvious, crystal clear: “go ahead.”
Being a man who believes the destiny of Malawi is in the hands of Malawians, the suggestion from the First Lady was timely. “Don’t ask what the country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country,” the long journey begun.
The way she lived is ineffable to illustrate. Others saw her smile, a beacon of good manners - smile that soothes those in suffering. It is until the nation staggered to reconcile the sad news of her death on that cloudy afternoon that many grasped the sort of life she led – the sea of suffering she swam in. More than the one that some people went through, perhaps.
“In her pain and suffering, she smiled, reached out to her women empowerment projects, did her farming and everyday from my City Centre office could see her four vehicle motorcade passing,” Kondwani Munthali, who has interacted with her in various occasions writes, adding that she is a woman that the first citizen of the country hugely relied upon.
Her death is one of the most strictly grief in the modern Malawi, the least thing imagined, but as Mzati Nkolokosa says, “life is a journey,” people have different times of reaching their destinies. For her, the time for her destiny, had clocked.
She was a quite lady. At times she looked as if she doesn’t speak. Seeing her making utterances in public was a rare occasion. Even during such occasions, all she did was have a brief speech. It’s only the works of her thinking that spoke. A lot! Her works echoed, and are still reverberating a year after her untimely bereavement.
Born to a Malawian medical assistant in Zimbabwe and a Zimbabwean mother, Madam Mutharika was until her death had been married to President Mutharika for thirty-seven years. They had four children and several grand children.
Though gone for ever, Ethel Mutharika will continue to be remembered for being a respectable voice for the underprivileged and marginalized girl children and the elderly. The coming to life of Ethel Mutharika Foundation was not just one of those set-ups that are there with no vision. It was established to serve the lives of girls and the elderly. The foundation after her death is still buzzing with all sorts of activities. Recently, the country witnessed the coming together of various artists. The funds realized are not for the enrichment of the artists. The monies are there to help the target groups – the orphans, the underprivileged, girls and the elderly.
"The foundation is sourcing finances to build a modern orphanage in the country and we will maximize this event to raise the required funds for the underprivileged. We have therefore set a reasonable entry fee so that many people should patronize," Tay Grin had told the Nyasa Times as pertaining to the event.
In the three years she had been a First Lady, Madam Mutharika showed that she was a very generous lady. This is despite battling with cancer. In the north, especially Karonga she established gardens that are there to help the orphans get some care.
She had also been helpful to the girls. She lived a life to inspire many. Ethel Mutharika during the luncheon with the Lilongwe Girls 2005 MSCE class, she was happy among the children. Her speech was very inspiring to the girls. She believed in empowering girls so are other youths.
She even allowed the youths to visit her Mitundu farm; she it is reported that she personally supervised it. She was a farmer, so focused and dedicated. This is in line with the calls to make Malawi, a food secure country.
At a time when all sorts of nasty things were happening for the girl- child, she opened her mouth. She called for the protection of the girl-child, from all extremes of abuse. Unfortunately she succumbed to death before finishing her programs.
Her death, just like that of many but rare individuals with unique approaches to life, is not only tearful one. It has patches from which lessons can be drawn. As her face worms someone back to her sixty-three year life she ploughed through and contributions she made to the nation, it’s a lesson enough that whatever people do, they should do that with the nation in their mind.
She might be dead, but her smile in the thicket of suffering is still illuminating up to date. She smiled in her own sufferings, now her works are trying to brighten the faces of many people suffering in the country in various ways.
Death in its crude form is not welcome, however good or bad an individual is. It is probably inevitable - but it was shocking. The death of Madam Ethel Wa mutharika was not welcome. No wonder, Malawi government described the death of Madam Mutharika as a “deep sorrow and a great sense of loss.” More calls of a great loss followed.
But death can inspire. Basing on one’s approach to life, the people may get inspired. Especially when you have a mission especially for the nation, death means nothing. The late first lady walked the talk. She smiled at a time when she was supposed to grumble. She did not smile to herself, but to the whole nation- really a good lesson. Reminding the people to lead a positive life, even when in the storm, the people must carry and light a candle.
President Dr Bingu Wa mutharika is such an individual that has been inspired. He fears no death any longer, “because death will come when it will come. The death of my wife gave me new courage to face the world. Therefore, death has no venom and no power over me.”
She might be gone, but her smile is conspicuous in her works. Beneficiaries are benefiting. Her foundation is still soldiering on. A sign post of being visionary. Her smile in the midst of suffering, is a smile of the once under-privileged now smiling.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Preparing for World Economic Forum
By Pacharo Felix Munthali
From 10 to 12 June 2009, the numbers exceeding 600 of heads of governments from all pockets of Africa and other corners of the world will be converging in Cape Town, South Africa. The theme is obvious, the implications of the Global Economic Crisis for Africa.
The repercussions of the world economic crisis have been rather harsh. Many governments had thought that it would be confined to the Western countries. But as the economic upheaval continues to plunge more economies into levels unprecedented, many of them registering growths that are nearing negatives, nerve-shuddering fear continues to wreak havoc especially amongst African leaders, and other developing countries.
These countries have a reason to fear the invisible danger. Since the turn of the new millennium many developing countries have strived to turn around their economies. That coupled with debt cancellation, it as well meant that the monies that used to be channeled to debt paying were used for creation of favourable conditions for economic growth.
The news was even sweeter. There was a substantial reduction in natural disasters and uncertainties. This meant one thing. It meant popping up of even smooth treading platform in the walk towards attainment of economic prosperity. Malawi is such a good example of a lucky nation.
The country might have become a role model to the fellow African countries, but that to extent did not only rely on good economic formulae. To a considerable extent, there was lucky. The rains were just generous. Being a country with agriculture contributing over 70% of its GDP, the good climatic conditions were important. Luckily, all went on accordingly. That’s the country today can have that time of whistling its success, while other countries are scratching their heads in trouble.
The tiny Southern Africa country, wedged between Tanzania and Zambia sharing half of the upper boarder, and Mozambique, has seen its food security status becoming a world anthem. The economic growth at above 6% in three consecutive years.
Today the country is busy trying to find markets to its abundant produce. Unfortunately the markets are not in Malawi. Those that buy most of the commodities are buyers from the oversea. With the world economic crisis biting like never before, the gains that this tiny country and other nations had made are under threatened.
Everyone in one respect or another is little by little feeling the pinch. “Businesses are not going on smoothly,” laments a Kaunjika seller. “This is the worst year in my career.” He has been in the game for ten years, but as Ackim Shaibu is selling second clothes in Lilongwe, he sees the change.
The debates, on whether the world economic crisis would affect the country or not, are frequenting. Some think so. Others not. That’s how it is. In a society of today there can not be one answer.
Perhaps this is why there is this economic forum in South Africa. There are questions that will need to be answered. According to Media reports, the participants at the forum will focus on addressing the global and regional implications of the economic mayhem. After taking in some coffee and tea, the participants will sit down and develop a new “roadmap for Africa’s future.”
As Jacob Zuma will be hosting the 19th summit, all eyes will focus at the outcome. Malawi is a member of SADC. South Africa is now in recession. The Malawi nation pretty well knows that if South Africa is in economic crisis, it not only becomes South Africa’s crisis, but the whole SADC region’s problem.
This is time to chalk new chapter for betterment of the country.
From 10 to 12 June 2009, the numbers exceeding 600 of heads of governments from all pockets of Africa and other corners of the world will be converging in Cape Town, South Africa. The theme is obvious, the implications of the Global Economic Crisis for Africa.
The repercussions of the world economic crisis have been rather harsh. Many governments had thought that it would be confined to the Western countries. But as the economic upheaval continues to plunge more economies into levels unprecedented, many of them registering growths that are nearing negatives, nerve-shuddering fear continues to wreak havoc especially amongst African leaders, and other developing countries.
These countries have a reason to fear the invisible danger. Since the turn of the new millennium many developing countries have strived to turn around their economies. That coupled with debt cancellation, it as well meant that the monies that used to be channeled to debt paying were used for creation of favourable conditions for economic growth.
The news was even sweeter. There was a substantial reduction in natural disasters and uncertainties. This meant one thing. It meant popping up of even smooth treading platform in the walk towards attainment of economic prosperity. Malawi is such a good example of a lucky nation.
The country might have become a role model to the fellow African countries, but that to extent did not only rely on good economic formulae. To a considerable extent, there was lucky. The rains were just generous. Being a country with agriculture contributing over 70% of its GDP, the good climatic conditions were important. Luckily, all went on accordingly. That’s the country today can have that time of whistling its success, while other countries are scratching their heads in trouble.
The tiny Southern Africa country, wedged between Tanzania and Zambia sharing half of the upper boarder, and Mozambique, has seen its food security status becoming a world anthem. The economic growth at above 6% in three consecutive years.
Today the country is busy trying to find markets to its abundant produce. Unfortunately the markets are not in Malawi. Those that buy most of the commodities are buyers from the oversea. With the world economic crisis biting like never before, the gains that this tiny country and other nations had made are under threatened.
Everyone in one respect or another is little by little feeling the pinch. “Businesses are not going on smoothly,” laments a Kaunjika seller. “This is the worst year in my career.” He has been in the game for ten years, but as Ackim Shaibu is selling second clothes in Lilongwe, he sees the change.
The debates, on whether the world economic crisis would affect the country or not, are frequenting. Some think so. Others not. That’s how it is. In a society of today there can not be one answer.
Perhaps this is why there is this economic forum in South Africa. There are questions that will need to be answered. According to Media reports, the participants at the forum will focus on addressing the global and regional implications of the economic mayhem. After taking in some coffee and tea, the participants will sit down and develop a new “roadmap for Africa’s future.”
As Jacob Zuma will be hosting the 19th summit, all eyes will focus at the outcome. Malawi is a member of SADC. South Africa is now in recession. The Malawi nation pretty well knows that if South Africa is in economic crisis, it not only becomes South Africa’s crisis, but the whole SADC region’s problem.
This is time to chalk new chapter for betterment of the country.
Roadmap for the future
Roadmap for the future
By Pacharo Felix Munthali
Tomorrow never comes. For today’s today, is yesterday’s tomorrow. Today’s tomorrow becomes tomorrow’s yesterday. Tomorrow is complex. Crudely putting it, tomorrow never comes.
These are exceptions. Yet these are just indicators. They help in shaping how the other day the sun will rise will be like. They help is shaping the future. It is what one does today that the future becomes. Or his or her future bears. A future will always be the fruit of yesterday’s sweat.
It is only when history records are chalked and made erasing-proof, when it becomes really clear that there was yesterday. It is only a fool who forgets the existence of yesterday. Failing to keep every day’s records for future’s reference is even more than suicidal bombing of a priest while preaching.
It is the very same disease that Malawi, as a country, is battling against. The past records are sporadic. It seems people rely on oral history. This perhaps explains why the former president, Dr Bakili Muluzi accused Malawians saying Vuto la a Malawi simuchedwa kuyiwala (Malawians forget easily).
It’s considerably unfortunate. Yet true. Its not that the writings are not there, no. Writings are there; perhaps it is the will to read that is leaving us. By day our memories become depleted. Perhaps the recent elections have answered the former president. People have shown that they learn from past experience. It is only through the study of the past that the present can be shaped, they may have used oral means to trace the past, but they have demonstrated that.
The recent elections have been unprecedented. To many, they exuded “an extraordinary” landslide. This has been a common theme. To others, the elections were also a new symbol for the future. It is during this year’s elections that regional barriers were leveled. These barriers had been there since the thirteen plus million people populated country embraced principles of democracy some fifteen or so years ago.
Equally crucial, the elections were also the source of political embarrassment to political heavyweights. Many political barons wobbled and crumbled before their opponents. The election results were also the first ones in which the nation saw numbers of women joining the wagon of seemingly purpose-oriented women ballooning.
The elections were a mixed bag. There were myriad crucial issues addressed, grinding of regional barriers, rising in number of women Parliamentarians, falling of political landlords as well as the unprecedented gap between the winning candidate and the nearest opponent.
But the elections were historic too. They were a source of prophesy. The question with reference to the past is why did the opposition fell down with such a landslide defeat?
Prophesy
“These writers hate Bakili Muluzi,” scrambling with fellow students to read Political Index of The Nation in Chancellor College library, voice of one student aback, summersaults to the present.
“No, they don’t hate him. Only that truth hurts,” one student engrossed in the Political Index feature story, responds. It is in 2007.
On this day, the feature title is not only beautiful. It is bright too. A Beaultiful flame that kills. On the byline there is Mzati Nkolokosa. The central character is Dr Bakili Muluzi. Like a meandering yet smooth river the feature drinks us with the waters of a long political journey that Muluzi has seen. Unfortunately, it is a path to destruction.
Of Muluzi, the story with much easiness starts, “he is so attractive, an irresistible, like flame that attracts moths.” A pause…
Another line. “But it’s a flame that suffocates and all who doesn’t realize early enough die.” The long story starts. Those that associate with Muluzi, according to the story, suffocates and perishes with him.
Big Bullets is the first one in this story. The team has seen itself, after ascending from rags to Bakili’s riches, with a thump it collapsed. Today, as Malawi News reporter, Vincent Phiri had written recently, the players have gone to the extent of walking on foot after games.
The list is long. For Chakufwa Chihana the story is evident. The miseries of his Aford party are a remaining testimony. For the man himself, Nkolokosa wrote: “He died politically long before his physical death in 2006.” Then there is Khwauli Msiska. Now he tells Malawians that he has learnt from his past mistakes of moving the open bill.
For Gwanda Chakuamba it is evident how his story has ended. Falling down from a man who sometime back was expected to be the country’s president, his miscalculations through his association with Muluzi have gravely berried him. Perhaps, it is Tembo who has the latest story.
As a beautiful flame kills, in the same year there is also candle Burning in the storm. The writer is Bright Molande. His feature, simply ties up everything. The writer focuses on the working together of Tembo and Muluzi. But this is 2007, mind you.
In one paragraph, Molande writes, “Tembo is destroying himself together with MCP. He is seen to be mobilizing the aspirations of the party against development, against the needs of the people, the voters.”
Tembo has fought hard in Parliament. Seemingly relying on the allegations that his votes were stolen, he took that as gospel truth. With a frustrated Muluzi and his allies of easily influenced MPs in Parliament, John Tembo saw all this as an opportunity he cannot let go. In the process, he worked with Muluzi. His MCP party in the process got money from Muluzi.
Then there is working together cooperation that was never an alliance nor a coalition. Unfortunately, today MCP is licking its wounds as in tatters in numerical presence in Parliament has drastically reduced. UDF too is the shadow of its former self. But UDF seems to learn something.
Way ahead
The writings had been written years ago. Yet the events have written themselves too. With the ticking of the clock signaling the new period of elections coming, it is a reminder to the losers that they should not keep on complaining. The heavy defeats that UDF and MCP registered must the cornerstone on which the future must be cemented upon.
MCP currently is faced with internal squabbles. There is a group of young blood calling for Tembo to bow down. The former spokesperson of the party has so far paid dearly for the calls. He has been fired. John Tembo did the firing.
When asked, the MCP president says there is a way that is followed for the party to let the young ones to run it.
While MCP is engulfed in the internal unrest, UDF is quietly yet surely covering some miles. When Sam Mpasu and Friday Jumbe in 2007 publicly contradicted Muluzi, as Molande quotes them, “arguing that the collective position of the party was to focus on rebuilding the party,” it looked like they were against the big man.
Today UDF seems to have learnt some lessons. Bakili Muluzi himself has agreed that this is time to revitalize the party. As Molande had written in 2007, that was the time of rebuilding the party. Perhaps the disaster the party saw during the elections wouldn’t have been witnessed.
However, Bakili Muluzi has even gone a step ahead. He is calling for cooperation amongst the political players. The interests of the nation should be on the forefront, his message is clear.
New form of message
Dr Benjamin Mays once said that “the tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.” For some time the country has concentrated on politics, even at time when elections are long gone. This has had a bearing. Unfortunately, a negative one. Even if the government can have plans and goals, in some way they end up getting blurred in the process. This is why Muluzi’s message should be a call that our politicians must embrace. But is only when it is done with great sincerity that it can help in transforming the country.
Today the country like Mahatma Gandhi must strive at bringing forth the change it wants to see. Time is now. Political squabbles must go. Let the country soldier on to the land of prosperity.
There is need for patriotism amongst the politicians. The interests of the country should come first. In that way, as the country celebrates the emergence two important things, the change we want surely will be seen.
The increase in number of women and the grinding of regional barriers should surely go into history books as the turning point for the country. In countries like Rwanda, after seen bloody period of civil war, they changed their policy. They don’t identify one another as a Hutu or Tutsi. They see one another as Rwandans.
Malawi is surely following suit. It is a new roadmap for the future. The today’s sweat is tomorrow’s sweet. Though tomorrow never comes, but when the fruits shall be seen, we shall say tomorrow has come.
By Pacharo Felix Munthali
Tomorrow never comes. For today’s today, is yesterday’s tomorrow. Today’s tomorrow becomes tomorrow’s yesterday. Tomorrow is complex. Crudely putting it, tomorrow never comes.
These are exceptions. Yet these are just indicators. They help in shaping how the other day the sun will rise will be like. They help is shaping the future. It is what one does today that the future becomes. Or his or her future bears. A future will always be the fruit of yesterday’s sweat.
It is only when history records are chalked and made erasing-proof, when it becomes really clear that there was yesterday. It is only a fool who forgets the existence of yesterday. Failing to keep every day’s records for future’s reference is even more than suicidal bombing of a priest while preaching.
It is the very same disease that Malawi, as a country, is battling against. The past records are sporadic. It seems people rely on oral history. This perhaps explains why the former president, Dr Bakili Muluzi accused Malawians saying Vuto la a Malawi simuchedwa kuyiwala (Malawians forget easily).
It’s considerably unfortunate. Yet true. Its not that the writings are not there, no. Writings are there; perhaps it is the will to read that is leaving us. By day our memories become depleted. Perhaps the recent elections have answered the former president. People have shown that they learn from past experience. It is only through the study of the past that the present can be shaped, they may have used oral means to trace the past, but they have demonstrated that.
The recent elections have been unprecedented. To many, they exuded “an extraordinary” landslide. This has been a common theme. To others, the elections were also a new symbol for the future. It is during this year’s elections that regional barriers were leveled. These barriers had been there since the thirteen plus million people populated country embraced principles of democracy some fifteen or so years ago.
Equally crucial, the elections were also the source of political embarrassment to political heavyweights. Many political barons wobbled and crumbled before their opponents. The election results were also the first ones in which the nation saw numbers of women joining the wagon of seemingly purpose-oriented women ballooning.
The elections were a mixed bag. There were myriad crucial issues addressed, grinding of regional barriers, rising in number of women Parliamentarians, falling of political landlords as well as the unprecedented gap between the winning candidate and the nearest opponent.
But the elections were historic too. They were a source of prophesy. The question with reference to the past is why did the opposition fell down with such a landslide defeat?
Prophesy
“These writers hate Bakili Muluzi,” scrambling with fellow students to read Political Index of The Nation in Chancellor College library, voice of one student aback, summersaults to the present.
“No, they don’t hate him. Only that truth hurts,” one student engrossed in the Political Index feature story, responds. It is in 2007.
On this day, the feature title is not only beautiful. It is bright too. A Beaultiful flame that kills. On the byline there is Mzati Nkolokosa. The central character is Dr Bakili Muluzi. Like a meandering yet smooth river the feature drinks us with the waters of a long political journey that Muluzi has seen. Unfortunately, it is a path to destruction.
Of Muluzi, the story with much easiness starts, “he is so attractive, an irresistible, like flame that attracts moths.” A pause…
Another line. “But it’s a flame that suffocates and all who doesn’t realize early enough die.” The long story starts. Those that associate with Muluzi, according to the story, suffocates and perishes with him.
Big Bullets is the first one in this story. The team has seen itself, after ascending from rags to Bakili’s riches, with a thump it collapsed. Today, as Malawi News reporter, Vincent Phiri had written recently, the players have gone to the extent of walking on foot after games.
The list is long. For Chakufwa Chihana the story is evident. The miseries of his Aford party are a remaining testimony. For the man himself, Nkolokosa wrote: “He died politically long before his physical death in 2006.” Then there is Khwauli Msiska. Now he tells Malawians that he has learnt from his past mistakes of moving the open bill.
For Gwanda Chakuamba it is evident how his story has ended. Falling down from a man who sometime back was expected to be the country’s president, his miscalculations through his association with Muluzi have gravely berried him. Perhaps, it is Tembo who has the latest story.
As a beautiful flame kills, in the same year there is also candle Burning in the storm. The writer is Bright Molande. His feature, simply ties up everything. The writer focuses on the working together of Tembo and Muluzi. But this is 2007, mind you.
In one paragraph, Molande writes, “Tembo is destroying himself together with MCP. He is seen to be mobilizing the aspirations of the party against development, against the needs of the people, the voters.”
Tembo has fought hard in Parliament. Seemingly relying on the allegations that his votes were stolen, he took that as gospel truth. With a frustrated Muluzi and his allies of easily influenced MPs in Parliament, John Tembo saw all this as an opportunity he cannot let go. In the process, he worked with Muluzi. His MCP party in the process got money from Muluzi.
Then there is working together cooperation that was never an alliance nor a coalition. Unfortunately, today MCP is licking its wounds as in tatters in numerical presence in Parliament has drastically reduced. UDF too is the shadow of its former self. But UDF seems to learn something.
Way ahead
The writings had been written years ago. Yet the events have written themselves too. With the ticking of the clock signaling the new period of elections coming, it is a reminder to the losers that they should not keep on complaining. The heavy defeats that UDF and MCP registered must the cornerstone on which the future must be cemented upon.
MCP currently is faced with internal squabbles. There is a group of young blood calling for Tembo to bow down. The former spokesperson of the party has so far paid dearly for the calls. He has been fired. John Tembo did the firing.
When asked, the MCP president says there is a way that is followed for the party to let the young ones to run it.
While MCP is engulfed in the internal unrest, UDF is quietly yet surely covering some miles. When Sam Mpasu and Friday Jumbe in 2007 publicly contradicted Muluzi, as Molande quotes them, “arguing that the collective position of the party was to focus on rebuilding the party,” it looked like they were against the big man.
Today UDF seems to have learnt some lessons. Bakili Muluzi himself has agreed that this is time to revitalize the party. As Molande had written in 2007, that was the time of rebuilding the party. Perhaps the disaster the party saw during the elections wouldn’t have been witnessed.
However, Bakili Muluzi has even gone a step ahead. He is calling for cooperation amongst the political players. The interests of the nation should be on the forefront, his message is clear.
New form of message
Dr Benjamin Mays once said that “the tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.” For some time the country has concentrated on politics, even at time when elections are long gone. This has had a bearing. Unfortunately, a negative one. Even if the government can have plans and goals, in some way they end up getting blurred in the process. This is why Muluzi’s message should be a call that our politicians must embrace. But is only when it is done with great sincerity that it can help in transforming the country.
Today the country like Mahatma Gandhi must strive at bringing forth the change it wants to see. Time is now. Political squabbles must go. Let the country soldier on to the land of prosperity.
There is need for patriotism amongst the politicians. The interests of the country should come first. In that way, as the country celebrates the emergence two important things, the change we want surely will be seen.
The increase in number of women and the grinding of regional barriers should surely go into history books as the turning point for the country. In countries like Rwanda, after seen bloody period of civil war, they changed their policy. They don’t identify one another as a Hutu or Tutsi. They see one another as Rwandans.
Malawi is surely following suit. It is a new roadmap for the future. The today’s sweat is tomorrow’s sweet. Though tomorrow never comes, but when the fruits shall be seen, we shall say tomorrow has come.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Resurrecting a crumbling giant
By Pacharo Felix Munthali
The count down towards a political smack down has begun. Pacing down the political terrains, a wave of uncertainty is being felt. The next year’s elections are stirring a lot than an eye can see: the electorates are anticipating who to vote for. Perhaps it is the battle of running mate that is intriguing.
No party in Malawi has, so far, identified the running mate. Very few have chosen the presidential candidates. Of the giant parties, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) might have confirmed honorable John Tembo as its presidential candidate, but the more battle seems to be seething.
The party has the image, not only to protect, but to mend instantly re-invent its identity. The party that has seen its long journey moseying from Nyasaland African Congress, before being banned followed by resurrection through one Orton Chirwa, has maintained to stamp its image as the country’s biggest opposition party since creeping in of multiparty dispensation.
During the first democratic elections after the plunging one party rule, MCP managed to have Members of Parliament in the North and South. With Gwanda Chakuamba in its boat, the party managed to have votes in the Lower Shire.
However as the journey, the political journey has showed, with each passing day, the party has struggled to regain the strength it had in the 1994 election. With each election coming the party’s strength has plummeted.
With 2009 election beckoning around the corner, the battle for next year’s election is on again. Parties will have to employ all strategies that could see them having their leaders going to the state house.
All three giant parties haven’t yet identified the running mate. Bakili Muluzi and Dr Bingu Wa Mutharika are all mum. One thing is common among all the parties; they don’t want someone from the same region with the president. The reason is simple, perhaps very obvious; they want to be masked as national parties. The parties don’t want to be defined by regional lines. They want to woo as much votes as they can.
The Malawi Congress Party has been busy. In the South it has gone there, so is the north. The latest rumours had it that the party had met with Loveness Gondwe. She had denied it. But this is Malawi. People deny when they mean what they are denying.
The fact that MCP is desperately seeking for a running mate is bizarre. What went wrong to the country’s possibly biggest party? The most stable so far, though full of disgruntled voices in the background.
Kamuzu’s Legacy
Everyone, then, pretty well knew that one day Dr Kamuzu Banda would go. Even though they branded him messiah, there was time for his departure. Perhaps that is why Ecclesiastics says there is time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.
Kamuzu still the centre of the party. It seems they never thought that one day he would have to die. No one had the urge inside to hatch a proposal – a proposal that would have shaded a clearly succession plan. At times the future really looked gloomy. But as a tradition, they pretended – all is well.
This is the period when Gwanda Chakuamba was locked up behind the bars. Tembo was around. His eyes were watchful, very alert. Tembo had a dream – one day he would rule the country. From Nsanje to Chitipa the drums would burrow. Bow down to him as not only the party’s leader, but the president of the country.
But the change of winds in 1993 ushered in a period that was to determine the strength of MCP in the years to come. Dr Banda had bowed to the pressure. It had all started with the Lantern letter popularly known as Pastoral letter.
The Letter had attacked the one party rule. It left no room. It was too much, especially for the MCP faithfuls. This did not go down well with Tembo. He was angry with the Bishops who had authored the latter. It is alleged that he led the signing of a death warrant for them.
The acceptance speech by Kamuzu of the multiparty did not easily permeate down Tembo’s heart. Dr Banda had made an acceptance speech at Sanjika and it had to be sent to MBC to be aired. Tembo had followed it.
Before MBC had aired it, he told them not to go ahead. It was now very apparent that the man from Dedza didn’t want multiparty. MBC had to follow the old man at Sanjika. The MBC recorded his speech at Sanjika.
What was to follow years later was Kamuzu’s vote of no confidence in Tembo. Age was now catching up with him. It was now time to choose the successor of the party. Dr Banda bypassed Tembo. Gwanda was picked. Dr Banda had chosen a man who was seen as rebellion – a person who was a throat to Kamuzu.
But was the choosing of Gwanda Chakuamba a right move…
Gwanda Chakuamba
Immediately after ushering Gwanda Chakuamba on the pinnacle of MCP’s leadership summit a wrangle rumbled. The appointment spurred a tussle. It was a leadership battle - Gwanda versus Tembo.
With Gwanda Chakuamba as the president and Tembo as the deputy there was a problem, and there always would be a problem. The pain inflicted by the daggers of what Bright Molande calls ‘politics of imposition’ dug deeper. These people were imposed on one another. They were imposed, also on the people.
Ascending Gwanda into the pinnacle of MCP powers equates to giving someone leadership where he did not deserved to lead.
As Bright Molande, a Literary critic notes, “Unlike Nelson Mandela, Gwanda Chakuamba was serving a prison sentence not fighting for change whilst in prison.”
He barely had a dream for the country. He never harboured any meaningful vision. In fact when he was in the prison, Gwanda said he wanted to be a pastor. He never had any political direction – no vision.
Thus, “it is dangerous to be ushered into power when you have no vision,” notes Molande.
Gwanda Chakuamba way to MCP was like a visitor – a guest. He was just invited. After being released from the jail he had joined UDF. Later MCP coaxed him. He gave in. He joined the party. His past has no literature of someone with burning desire to lead the nation.
After 1999, Molande describes Gwanda as a “man without house.” He kept on changing parties. He was someone not settled. Up to date he is unsettled.
Perhaps, the last fight he fought was through Mgwirizano Coalition. An important indication of a “powerless man, and up to date he is still a man without a house.” Up to date he is talking of coalitions, if not then it’s an alliance. A man without a house.
John Tembo
The question of defining Tembo is elusive one. Molande describes him as “a man forced into the dance of democracy, and it has taken time for him to learn to dance.” Tembo is one person who was refusing multiparty.
Perhaps that spirit is what is gradually with far reaching consequences eating away MCP. Though Tembo seems to have leant some democratic steps, he doesn’t wholly abide by the principles of the game.
Sometime back in March 2006, a group of MCP members of Parliament adding up to forty-five had signed a petition to remove Tembo. They accused him of abusing his position. Tembo was striking deals without consulting the party’s MPs. Not even the national executive committee.
“We are fed up with being intimidated,” one of the MPs had said to the media. “These are days when leaders must accept diversity of opinion. How do you enrich the party if you take with those with a different opinion as rebels or confusionists?” The statement tells a lot. He has been struggling to learn step over styles that are in the political game.
He is a man whose “ultimate goal is the power itself as the end to the means.” Muluzi had forgotten this statement. Late last year Tembo kept Muluzi waiting. Muluzi had proposed to Tembo that Tembo should be the running mate. Muluzi got the share of a good dose of frustrations. Tembo kept on asking for more time. Today the move is down. Muluzi might think that Tembo was not serious. He is serious. But he wants to be a president before he bows out. In fact he is not getting any younger. With age catching up with him, he can’t give it a damn in accepting to be a running mate.
In fact he is the one busy looking for the running mate.
Now he is busy. With 2009 furiously approaching, he is trying to dance. He has always said he will leave politics when he gets hot seat. That is perhaps he is running up and down – to find a running mate.
The running mate puzzle
Then, especially the MCP needed Nicholas Dausi very much. He was a good reserve of Kamuzu, says Molande. At this crisis time MCP would have needed him most – he is from south.
There is no doubt that MCP is very powerful in the centre. It has by default become a fact that the strengths of the parties in Malawi follow the regional lines.
But now it is facing probably the most difficult tastes in the modern era. It is running up and down searching for the running mate to the president. It is very difficult, especially when you become serious during the election time.
The MCP has been dormant. It is party well known that when it has a rally its in the centre region. Much as all parties are regionalistic, MCP is somewhere up. Now it wants to heal that wound. In the 2004 it is strongly believed that much as the late Dumbo Lemani said the votes were rigged still MCP would have been in government had it that they had someone so powerful in a certain region like Gwanda Chakuamba.
The media had unearthed it all that the party’s president had approach loveness Gondwe. In the media she had said no. We don’t know what happened on the other side. Tembo is busy. He has tried in the south. In fact rumours are spreading their wings that the likes Mark Katsonga are some of the people he has earmarked as his running mate.
But it is yet to be seen how far the party will go on. Will it regain the lost vigour. It is perhaps everyone’s guess.
The count down towards a political smack down has begun. Pacing down the political terrains, a wave of uncertainty is being felt. The next year’s elections are stirring a lot than an eye can see: the electorates are anticipating who to vote for. Perhaps it is the battle of running mate that is intriguing.
No party in Malawi has, so far, identified the running mate. Very few have chosen the presidential candidates. Of the giant parties, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) might have confirmed honorable John Tembo as its presidential candidate, but the more battle seems to be seething.
The party has the image, not only to protect, but to mend instantly re-invent its identity. The party that has seen its long journey moseying from Nyasaland African Congress, before being banned followed by resurrection through one Orton Chirwa, has maintained to stamp its image as the country’s biggest opposition party since creeping in of multiparty dispensation.
During the first democratic elections after the plunging one party rule, MCP managed to have Members of Parliament in the North and South. With Gwanda Chakuamba in its boat, the party managed to have votes in the Lower Shire.
However as the journey, the political journey has showed, with each passing day, the party has struggled to regain the strength it had in the 1994 election. With each election coming the party’s strength has plummeted.
With 2009 election beckoning around the corner, the battle for next year’s election is on again. Parties will have to employ all strategies that could see them having their leaders going to the state house.
All three giant parties haven’t yet identified the running mate. Bakili Muluzi and Dr Bingu Wa Mutharika are all mum. One thing is common among all the parties; they don’t want someone from the same region with the president. The reason is simple, perhaps very obvious; they want to be masked as national parties. The parties don’t want to be defined by regional lines. They want to woo as much votes as they can.
The Malawi Congress Party has been busy. In the South it has gone there, so is the north. The latest rumours had it that the party had met with Loveness Gondwe. She had denied it. But this is Malawi. People deny when they mean what they are denying.
The fact that MCP is desperately seeking for a running mate is bizarre. What went wrong to the country’s possibly biggest party? The most stable so far, though full of disgruntled voices in the background.
Kamuzu’s Legacy
Everyone, then, pretty well knew that one day Dr Kamuzu Banda would go. Even though they branded him messiah, there was time for his departure. Perhaps that is why Ecclesiastics says there is time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.
Kamuzu still the centre of the party. It seems they never thought that one day he would have to die. No one had the urge inside to hatch a proposal – a proposal that would have shaded a clearly succession plan. At times the future really looked gloomy. But as a tradition, they pretended – all is well.
This is the period when Gwanda Chakuamba was locked up behind the bars. Tembo was around. His eyes were watchful, very alert. Tembo had a dream – one day he would rule the country. From Nsanje to Chitipa the drums would burrow. Bow down to him as not only the party’s leader, but the president of the country.
But the change of winds in 1993 ushered in a period that was to determine the strength of MCP in the years to come. Dr Banda had bowed to the pressure. It had all started with the Lantern letter popularly known as Pastoral letter.
The Letter had attacked the one party rule. It left no room. It was too much, especially for the MCP faithfuls. This did not go down well with Tembo. He was angry with the Bishops who had authored the latter. It is alleged that he led the signing of a death warrant for them.
The acceptance speech by Kamuzu of the multiparty did not easily permeate down Tembo’s heart. Dr Banda had made an acceptance speech at Sanjika and it had to be sent to MBC to be aired. Tembo had followed it.
Before MBC had aired it, he told them not to go ahead. It was now very apparent that the man from Dedza didn’t want multiparty. MBC had to follow the old man at Sanjika. The MBC recorded his speech at Sanjika.
What was to follow years later was Kamuzu’s vote of no confidence in Tembo. Age was now catching up with him. It was now time to choose the successor of the party. Dr Banda bypassed Tembo. Gwanda was picked. Dr Banda had chosen a man who was seen as rebellion – a person who was a throat to Kamuzu.
But was the choosing of Gwanda Chakuamba a right move…
Gwanda Chakuamba
Immediately after ushering Gwanda Chakuamba on the pinnacle of MCP’s leadership summit a wrangle rumbled. The appointment spurred a tussle. It was a leadership battle - Gwanda versus Tembo.
With Gwanda Chakuamba as the president and Tembo as the deputy there was a problem, and there always would be a problem. The pain inflicted by the daggers of what Bright Molande calls ‘politics of imposition’ dug deeper. These people were imposed on one another. They were imposed, also on the people.
Ascending Gwanda into the pinnacle of MCP powers equates to giving someone leadership where he did not deserved to lead.
As Bright Molande, a Literary critic notes, “Unlike Nelson Mandela, Gwanda Chakuamba was serving a prison sentence not fighting for change whilst in prison.”
He barely had a dream for the country. He never harboured any meaningful vision. In fact when he was in the prison, Gwanda said he wanted to be a pastor. He never had any political direction – no vision.
Thus, “it is dangerous to be ushered into power when you have no vision,” notes Molande.
Gwanda Chakuamba way to MCP was like a visitor – a guest. He was just invited. After being released from the jail he had joined UDF. Later MCP coaxed him. He gave in. He joined the party. His past has no literature of someone with burning desire to lead the nation.
After 1999, Molande describes Gwanda as a “man without house.” He kept on changing parties. He was someone not settled. Up to date he is unsettled.
Perhaps, the last fight he fought was through Mgwirizano Coalition. An important indication of a “powerless man, and up to date he is still a man without a house.” Up to date he is talking of coalitions, if not then it’s an alliance. A man without a house.
John Tembo
The question of defining Tembo is elusive one. Molande describes him as “a man forced into the dance of democracy, and it has taken time for him to learn to dance.” Tembo is one person who was refusing multiparty.
Perhaps that spirit is what is gradually with far reaching consequences eating away MCP. Though Tembo seems to have leant some democratic steps, he doesn’t wholly abide by the principles of the game.
Sometime back in March 2006, a group of MCP members of Parliament adding up to forty-five had signed a petition to remove Tembo. They accused him of abusing his position. Tembo was striking deals without consulting the party’s MPs. Not even the national executive committee.
“We are fed up with being intimidated,” one of the MPs had said to the media. “These are days when leaders must accept diversity of opinion. How do you enrich the party if you take with those with a different opinion as rebels or confusionists?” The statement tells a lot. He has been struggling to learn step over styles that are in the political game.
He is a man whose “ultimate goal is the power itself as the end to the means.” Muluzi had forgotten this statement. Late last year Tembo kept Muluzi waiting. Muluzi had proposed to Tembo that Tembo should be the running mate. Muluzi got the share of a good dose of frustrations. Tembo kept on asking for more time. Today the move is down. Muluzi might think that Tembo was not serious. He is serious. But he wants to be a president before he bows out. In fact he is not getting any younger. With age catching up with him, he can’t give it a damn in accepting to be a running mate.
In fact he is the one busy looking for the running mate.
Now he is busy. With 2009 furiously approaching, he is trying to dance. He has always said he will leave politics when he gets hot seat. That is perhaps he is running up and down – to find a running mate.
The running mate puzzle
Then, especially the MCP needed Nicholas Dausi very much. He was a good reserve of Kamuzu, says Molande. At this crisis time MCP would have needed him most – he is from south.
There is no doubt that MCP is very powerful in the centre. It has by default become a fact that the strengths of the parties in Malawi follow the regional lines.
But now it is facing probably the most difficult tastes in the modern era. It is running up and down searching for the running mate to the president. It is very difficult, especially when you become serious during the election time.
The MCP has been dormant. It is party well known that when it has a rally its in the centre region. Much as all parties are regionalistic, MCP is somewhere up. Now it wants to heal that wound. In the 2004 it is strongly believed that much as the late Dumbo Lemani said the votes were rigged still MCP would have been in government had it that they had someone so powerful in a certain region like Gwanda Chakuamba.
The media had unearthed it all that the party’s president had approach loveness Gondwe. In the media she had said no. We don’t know what happened on the other side. Tembo is busy. He has tried in the south. In fact rumours are spreading their wings that the likes Mark Katsonga are some of the people he has earmarked as his running mate.
But it is yet to be seen how far the party will go on. Will it regain the lost vigour. It is perhaps everyone’s guess.
Only if they debate…
By Pacharo Felix Munthali
The former president, Dr Bakili Muluzi has always maintained. You can not measure good economic progress by the economic growth statistics. The best one can do to see if the economy of the country is on the right track is by making sure that the people have money. This view is a complete contrast of what the state president Dr Bingu wa Mutharika believe in. For the country’s president, the statistics really shows that economy is going on smoothly, which result in winning the hearts of the donors.
Winning the hearts of donors is good, treasured blessings in fact. The result is an increase in funds inflow from the bilateral and multilateral donors. The funds are good for country’s development. It can take long to discuss this debate. Yet there is another skirmish…
Honorable John Tembo on the issue of Fertilizer Subsidy believes in Universal fertilizer subsidy. Then man from Dedza also believes in setting up farmers clubs through with the fertilizer coupons can be administered. In so doing the leader of opposition sees the chances of some unscrupulous individuals having little or no access of coupons deceitfully. The rampant scenes where coupons ended up in wrong hands would not be there.
The first citizen thinks otherwise. The current system is the best. Only the real beneficiaries are the ones that get access to the commodity.
The debates are many, tense in fact. But there has never been the platform where these political heavyweights can sort one another – where they can convince Malawians. Where all presidential candidates could come together.
In few months, people will be queuing on the long lines through the rains or sun. Ready to vote for someone, ascending him or her into power. The battle perhaps is on now, yet signs are all over that it will get heart throbbing once the campaign window is opened.
Once the nomination process starts, it will mean signifying the blowing of the campaign whistle. It will be symbolic. The Malawi Electoral commission by then would have received the nomination papers. The nomination papers will have the faces – sad faces, angry faces, disgruntled faces – whatever they will represent, it will be amusing.
Once the nomination process starts, as if MEC is exclaiming let the games begin politicians will be all over. The presidential candidates will bring in all extremes of political gimmicks – to woo as much votes as possible.
This is the period when the presidential candidates are expected to attack one another’s policies. The presidential candidates sell themselves, why they have to be put into power. Certainly, it is the most crucial period in the Presidential candidate’s political life. It is the period that the politician can make or break whatever he wants to achieve. His dreams can be shuttered.
Over the years, the country has seen a lot. The behaviour of some presidential candidates in other instances has been a concern. There have been instances where the some presidential candidates have been awesome at being better than the devil himself in hurling insults on one anther’s backs. They had spent much of their time rattling nothing rather selling themselves why they must be voted into power.
Of course, to reveal the weakness of the other candidate is a good Jocker to gain as many points in the presidential race. Unfortunately, such a trend harbours some faults. It has the blunder of diverting from issues of national importance. They spend much time in retaliating, blabbing.
In other words the people instead of listening to crucial issues of national importance, have been treated to a raw deal – instead of having the catalogue of what the presidential candidate will bring once in the power, the electorates have been treated to a political mockery that at worst is tragic political comedy.
With such a set up, it would be good if the Malawi Electoral commission (MEC) or other organizations of relevance had done something that could bring the presidential candidates together. The political debates involving the presidential candidates would be of the enormous importance.
The presidential candidates instead of misusing their oxygen in uttering insults and slinging them on one another, they could do something justice by scaling and squaring each other on relevant matters of the national significance.
With a chunk of political parties with no clear political ideologies, which at times are the duplications of other parties, it would be an opportunity to cherish, as political parties would strive to define themselves. The parties would try to look unique against others.
Such a time would be of enormous important, as the presidential candidates would be dealing with issues in greater depth. The presidential candidates at this point would be subjected to all sorts of questions.
The panel of those firing question might involve the journalists and some well-learned individuals in specific areas like academicians like lecturers.
The debates taking into consideration with the Malawi’s size it could take place three times. One in the Southern region, then Central region before ending up with Northern region. It can really be a revelation.
During the day of actual debate, those in attendance can include the representative of the parties. The number of the party representatives can depend upon the place where the debate is taking place. But each candidate could have equal number of the representatives during the debate. If the debate is taking place in the south, then the representatives would come from such region, in centre or north the trend would be the same, except for members of the executive committee.
With debate, it could be good to air it live on the public service broadcasters like Malawi broadcasting corporation (MBC) and Television Malawi (TVM). Thus this could offer almost everyone to get a depiction of what the presidential candidates have for them.
Those attending the debate would thus be told not to clap or do anything that could show the support for one of the presidential candidates. In fact such a scenario would bring that spirit of co-existence. Members of different parties would be able to co-exist, thereby mastering political tolerance.
Perhaps the headache that is there is the number of parties. Malawi has parties close up to forty. Fortunately very few are active. And experience has showed that Malawi has never had more than six presidential candidates in a single election. After all there are small parties that are but jolly riders that are there just to confuse people.
Thus chances are high that come next year Malawi will have not more than five presidential candidates. With such a scenario, the debate could be feasible.
The former president, Dr Bakili Muluzi has always maintained. You can not measure good economic progress by the economic growth statistics. The best one can do to see if the economy of the country is on the right track is by making sure that the people have money. This view is a complete contrast of what the state president Dr Bingu wa Mutharika believe in. For the country’s president, the statistics really shows that economy is going on smoothly, which result in winning the hearts of the donors.
Winning the hearts of donors is good, treasured blessings in fact. The result is an increase in funds inflow from the bilateral and multilateral donors. The funds are good for country’s development. It can take long to discuss this debate. Yet there is another skirmish…
Honorable John Tembo on the issue of Fertilizer Subsidy believes in Universal fertilizer subsidy. Then man from Dedza also believes in setting up farmers clubs through with the fertilizer coupons can be administered. In so doing the leader of opposition sees the chances of some unscrupulous individuals having little or no access of coupons deceitfully. The rampant scenes where coupons ended up in wrong hands would not be there.
The first citizen thinks otherwise. The current system is the best. Only the real beneficiaries are the ones that get access to the commodity.
The debates are many, tense in fact. But there has never been the platform where these political heavyweights can sort one another – where they can convince Malawians. Where all presidential candidates could come together.
In few months, people will be queuing on the long lines through the rains or sun. Ready to vote for someone, ascending him or her into power. The battle perhaps is on now, yet signs are all over that it will get heart throbbing once the campaign window is opened.
Once the nomination process starts, it will mean signifying the blowing of the campaign whistle. It will be symbolic. The Malawi Electoral commission by then would have received the nomination papers. The nomination papers will have the faces – sad faces, angry faces, disgruntled faces – whatever they will represent, it will be amusing.
Once the nomination process starts, as if MEC is exclaiming let the games begin politicians will be all over. The presidential candidates will bring in all extremes of political gimmicks – to woo as much votes as possible.
This is the period when the presidential candidates are expected to attack one another’s policies. The presidential candidates sell themselves, why they have to be put into power. Certainly, it is the most crucial period in the Presidential candidate’s political life. It is the period that the politician can make or break whatever he wants to achieve. His dreams can be shuttered.
Over the years, the country has seen a lot. The behaviour of some presidential candidates in other instances has been a concern. There have been instances where the some presidential candidates have been awesome at being better than the devil himself in hurling insults on one anther’s backs. They had spent much of their time rattling nothing rather selling themselves why they must be voted into power.
Of course, to reveal the weakness of the other candidate is a good Jocker to gain as many points in the presidential race. Unfortunately, such a trend harbours some faults. It has the blunder of diverting from issues of national importance. They spend much time in retaliating, blabbing.
In other words the people instead of listening to crucial issues of national importance, have been treated to a raw deal – instead of having the catalogue of what the presidential candidate will bring once in the power, the electorates have been treated to a political mockery that at worst is tragic political comedy.
With such a set up, it would be good if the Malawi Electoral commission (MEC) or other organizations of relevance had done something that could bring the presidential candidates together. The political debates involving the presidential candidates would be of the enormous importance.
The presidential candidates instead of misusing their oxygen in uttering insults and slinging them on one another, they could do something justice by scaling and squaring each other on relevant matters of the national significance.
With a chunk of political parties with no clear political ideologies, which at times are the duplications of other parties, it would be an opportunity to cherish, as political parties would strive to define themselves. The parties would try to look unique against others.
Such a time would be of enormous important, as the presidential candidates would be dealing with issues in greater depth. The presidential candidates at this point would be subjected to all sorts of questions.
The panel of those firing question might involve the journalists and some well-learned individuals in specific areas like academicians like lecturers.
The debates taking into consideration with the Malawi’s size it could take place three times. One in the Southern region, then Central region before ending up with Northern region. It can really be a revelation.
During the day of actual debate, those in attendance can include the representative of the parties. The number of the party representatives can depend upon the place where the debate is taking place. But each candidate could have equal number of the representatives during the debate. If the debate is taking place in the south, then the representatives would come from such region, in centre or north the trend would be the same, except for members of the executive committee.
With debate, it could be good to air it live on the public service broadcasters like Malawi broadcasting corporation (MBC) and Television Malawi (TVM). Thus this could offer almost everyone to get a depiction of what the presidential candidates have for them.
Those attending the debate would thus be told not to clap or do anything that could show the support for one of the presidential candidates. In fact such a scenario would bring that spirit of co-existence. Members of different parties would be able to co-exist, thereby mastering political tolerance.
Perhaps the headache that is there is the number of parties. Malawi has parties close up to forty. Fortunately very few are active. And experience has showed that Malawi has never had more than six presidential candidates in a single election. After all there are small parties that are but jolly riders that are there just to confuse people.
Thus chances are high that come next year Malawi will have not more than five presidential candidates. With such a scenario, the debate could be feasible.
Roars of Renaissance
By Pacharo Felix Munthali
Seasons change. There are times of reaching the heights. Then there are the times of falling down, and sinking very low as if you will never rise up. But when you are down there is always hope of rising, and when that hope comes there is no turning back. This perhaps fits Chancellor College.
Sometime on Monday in March last year at about 7:30 am, all classes that were meant to take place at the time were cancelled. The Principal of Chancellor College Dr Luis Fabiano was addressing the College community of his vision after years of college down turn.
In his introduction, he had said “the mandate of universities focuses on advancement of knowledge and promotion of wisdom and understanding.” To realize this, the universities engage themselves in teaching, research, outreach programmes and provision of services as is “responsive to the needs of the nation and the world.”
This is very much in line with the vision of the University of Malawi, which Fabiano said is “to be an academic institution providing relevant world class education, research and services for sustainable development of Malawi and the world.”
The vision is a bright one. The college can thus attain unimaginable heights. This comes out of a state of ruins that the college has found itself. The infrastructure that more than three decades ago glittered with majesty of beauty was at the time of address entangled in all sorts of moulds.
“For the first time in many decades, the government has decided to provide funds for rehabilitation and infrastructure development,” the Principal had said before a jam-packed Great Hall.
The College has limped in its attempt to leap out of infrastructure mess due to lack of rehabilitation. Little by little, however, the college is trying to crawl out of the problem. That coupled with restructuring, though unfortunately for those that got retrenched, the college is striving to wear a new face.
Today, the college might still be roaring in problems of lack of chairs and other problems, but as students are carrying chairs from one class to another, from a distant noise of trucks and Lorries can be heard.
The noise today may disturb the students that are learning in the law section, but it is the roar of hope. Edge Kanyongolo, the Dean of Law, as he looks around inside his office nods, this is not nothing – it is the project that is not only a sigh of relief to law faculty, but to the whole college. Long at last, the college is expanding.
“We got the money ourselves from the donors,” he says referring to the European Union. The European Union has a programme of the Rule of Law and has been helping the faculty in various ways. The piles of the books in Machika library are the example. Some of the international competitions that the students from the faculty enter are sponsored by EU.
The faculty realized that they had nowhere to keep their books. Space was limited. The faculty through the programmes sponsored by the Rule of Law got the help. The construction of the infrastructure must be completed by late 2009 or early 2010.
The expansion is seen as the opportunity for more – not only in number of intake of students but also facilities. Currently the majority of the lecturers have no offices, but once the project is completed about fifteen offices must be ready for lectures to use. Each class will accommodate as much as sixty students. At present in each law class there are less than forty students.
The students and their lecturers will no longer have to use Little Theatre for mock trials. A mock court room with court room standards is in the offing too.
Just about 100 metres from the Little Theatre another important project is going on. The faculty of education is also electing its infrastructure. The erecting of such infrastructure is a reaction to the secondary school sector which “has been expanding with many new conventional and private secondary schools.”
As Dr Dixie Maluwa Banda, the outgoing Dean of Education thinks on the pressure that is piled on teachers training institutions, says “the current in take has been limited by space available and financial hardships due to low funding levels.” This has resulted in an increased pressure on demand for qualified teachers.
As part of increasing intake of students at the college apart from the project, the outgoing Dean says, one way of opening up education is by the introduction of parallel programme for education students.
The outgoing Dean says the project is long overdue. “Delay due to the World Bank’s IPC procedure it’s a nightmare. The construction that is starting right now, would have been done two years ago,” Maluwa Banda says.
Once the infrastructure is put in place, the outgoing dean says, a number of postgraduate programmes are supposed to increase in numbers. The programme is one part that the World Bank’ funding to the Ministry of Education called Education Sector Support project (ESSP) which is helping training institutions that are dealing with education. Other institutions are the Polytechnic and Mzuzu University.
Chancellor College might not be there, but gradually the journey is on. Kanyongolo agrees with this statement. But still he concurs with the outgoing dean of Education, “College is overdue for expansion.” Kanyongolo only hopes that the University of Malawi will help other faculties to follow suit.
A number of bright and intelligent students have qualified for selection. Unfortunately out of more than 2000 students that qualify for selection less than 1000 get selected. One of the reasons that are attributed to them not being selected is lack of enough space.
As the Principal one of these days will once again be speaking to the college community, perhaps opening the new infrastructure, the fight towards rebirthing Chancellor College as top notched institution is still going on. Chancellor College is striving to remark its lost glory that little by little has been replaced with tatters. This is the period of renaissance; a new breeze is sweeping through Chancellor College. The College is trying to redefine itself. The construction works are just a part of it.
Seasons change. There are times of reaching the heights. Then there are the times of falling down, and sinking very low as if you will never rise up. But when you are down there is always hope of rising, and when that hope comes there is no turning back. This perhaps fits Chancellor College.
Sometime on Monday in March last year at about 7:30 am, all classes that were meant to take place at the time were cancelled. The Principal of Chancellor College Dr Luis Fabiano was addressing the College community of his vision after years of college down turn.
In his introduction, he had said “the mandate of universities focuses on advancement of knowledge and promotion of wisdom and understanding.” To realize this, the universities engage themselves in teaching, research, outreach programmes and provision of services as is “responsive to the needs of the nation and the world.”
This is very much in line with the vision of the University of Malawi, which Fabiano said is “to be an academic institution providing relevant world class education, research and services for sustainable development of Malawi and the world.”
The vision is a bright one. The college can thus attain unimaginable heights. This comes out of a state of ruins that the college has found itself. The infrastructure that more than three decades ago glittered with majesty of beauty was at the time of address entangled in all sorts of moulds.
“For the first time in many decades, the government has decided to provide funds for rehabilitation and infrastructure development,” the Principal had said before a jam-packed Great Hall.
The College has limped in its attempt to leap out of infrastructure mess due to lack of rehabilitation. Little by little, however, the college is trying to crawl out of the problem. That coupled with restructuring, though unfortunately for those that got retrenched, the college is striving to wear a new face.
Today, the college might still be roaring in problems of lack of chairs and other problems, but as students are carrying chairs from one class to another, from a distant noise of trucks and Lorries can be heard.
The noise today may disturb the students that are learning in the law section, but it is the roar of hope. Edge Kanyongolo, the Dean of Law, as he looks around inside his office nods, this is not nothing – it is the project that is not only a sigh of relief to law faculty, but to the whole college. Long at last, the college is expanding.
“We got the money ourselves from the donors,” he says referring to the European Union. The European Union has a programme of the Rule of Law and has been helping the faculty in various ways. The piles of the books in Machika library are the example. Some of the international competitions that the students from the faculty enter are sponsored by EU.
The faculty realized that they had nowhere to keep their books. Space was limited. The faculty through the programmes sponsored by the Rule of Law got the help. The construction of the infrastructure must be completed by late 2009 or early 2010.
The expansion is seen as the opportunity for more – not only in number of intake of students but also facilities. Currently the majority of the lecturers have no offices, but once the project is completed about fifteen offices must be ready for lectures to use. Each class will accommodate as much as sixty students. At present in each law class there are less than forty students.
The students and their lecturers will no longer have to use Little Theatre for mock trials. A mock court room with court room standards is in the offing too.
Just about 100 metres from the Little Theatre another important project is going on. The faculty of education is also electing its infrastructure. The erecting of such infrastructure is a reaction to the secondary school sector which “has been expanding with many new conventional and private secondary schools.”
As Dr Dixie Maluwa Banda, the outgoing Dean of Education thinks on the pressure that is piled on teachers training institutions, says “the current in take has been limited by space available and financial hardships due to low funding levels.” This has resulted in an increased pressure on demand for qualified teachers.
As part of increasing intake of students at the college apart from the project, the outgoing Dean says, one way of opening up education is by the introduction of parallel programme for education students.
The outgoing Dean says the project is long overdue. “Delay due to the World Bank’s IPC procedure it’s a nightmare. The construction that is starting right now, would have been done two years ago,” Maluwa Banda says.
Once the infrastructure is put in place, the outgoing dean says, a number of postgraduate programmes are supposed to increase in numbers. The programme is one part that the World Bank’ funding to the Ministry of Education called Education Sector Support project (ESSP) which is helping training institutions that are dealing with education. Other institutions are the Polytechnic and Mzuzu University.
Chancellor College might not be there, but gradually the journey is on. Kanyongolo agrees with this statement. But still he concurs with the outgoing dean of Education, “College is overdue for expansion.” Kanyongolo only hopes that the University of Malawi will help other faculties to follow suit.
A number of bright and intelligent students have qualified for selection. Unfortunately out of more than 2000 students that qualify for selection less than 1000 get selected. One of the reasons that are attributed to them not being selected is lack of enough space.
As the Principal one of these days will once again be speaking to the college community, perhaps opening the new infrastructure, the fight towards rebirthing Chancellor College as top notched institution is still going on. Chancellor College is striving to remark its lost glory that little by little has been replaced with tatters. This is the period of renaissance; a new breeze is sweeping through Chancellor College. The College is trying to redefine itself. The construction works are just a part of it.
The Chilling Perfect Storm
By Pacharo Felix Munthali
The storm was frightening, perhaps the tempest that may not happen again. The storm may have been brewed by a rare combination of never before imagined factors, but it was the felt storm in an after cold war democracy in Malawi.
The political storm created countless stories high, and winds of stories about Malawi swaying in the foreign media. The political storm whipped the mental functioning of the people to the inconceivable levels, yet very few people saw the storm as a perfect one. Yet it was a perfect storm.
If it were an earthquake, the day that an idea popped up in Bakili Muluzi’s mind that politics of imposition is important will remain an epicentre of this perfect timeline of the perfect storm. Former president calls himself a political engineer. If the very act of influencing the whole party, however the opposing views are, then he has the point. But such an attempt contradicts a mere literal retrieving of the meaning of “United Democratic Front.” The word may as well mean a grouping having one voice that is the representative of all in it.
However, the past, disputes all this. UDF is a party that is a party of Bakili Muluzi to Bakili Muluzi and for Bakili Muluzi’s views. Ever since Bingu dumped this party, former president has used it as a tool to express his views – thus the party has been used to frustrate what Bakili Muluzi sees as Bingu yet are the Malawians that got the raw deal in the end.
The dumping coupled by John Tembo’s frustration that the victory was snatched from his nose, as per revelations by other bigwigs in the UDF, made the life for president Bingu Wa Mutharika unbearable. On top of that, a number of MPs thought it right to practice ratting – crossing the floor from UDF, MCP or other small parties to the DPP.
In the end Parliament became the field for tit-for-tat politics.
Despite all the political mangling that the nation has witnessed and perhaps continues to witness, this is good news. The nation is still in the transit, especially democratically. The country is gaining mileage little by little.
It is through this storm that the Constitution of Malawi has been tested, and continues to be tested if issue of Bakili Muluzi’s eligibility is anything to go by. During the fracas, it has been revealed that our constitution might indeed be perfect, but it does contain what other experts have called “linguistic defects.” They are defects like these that politicians with all political trickeries like the former president want to capitalize upon. This explains why the donor community is pressing Malawi Electoral commission to declare Muluzi’s eligibility quickly.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of this political storm was president Bingu Wa Mutharika’s defection from the UDF to later form his DPP. It was a never imagined before. This surely should serve as a lesson in future conducts of the parties. They will ask why such a scenario should never happen again. It is this seen that is a source of many predicament turbulence that spurred the political confusion that marred the local political scene.
It is during such a storm that the independent MPs have as well learnt their perfect lessons. Bitter though. Most independent MPs were either poached or themselves joined the ruling party. In joining the party they claimed that they did so with the consent from their people. Unfortunately when the time of primaries came some of those independent MPs have miserably failed to win at the DPP primaries.
Some of them have gone back to their independence stance. This is a lesson. If one stands as an independent MP, it is better to stand on, as an independent. But due to that spirit of making more money by associating with the government, like leafs falling from trees in the dry season, these independent MPs are feeling the heat.
Out of this storm it is the right time that the electorates will surely separate their true representatives, and gold diggers that are in the game just to appease their political party leaders. It seems in the parliament some MPs even forgot why there were there. Now such MPs are returning to the people, the people this is the right time to make right decisions.
The wrangles that are going on in primaries can be a bad thing altogether. But it is a step towards the right direction. In the last two elections, the primaries did not take place at the scale the primaries are taking place this year. Of course the irregularities are just many in most parties, DPP, MCP and UDF.
But that is not a thing to worry about excessively. Out of these problems the parties when it comes to the primaries in 2014, will have to deal with such weaknesses. The parties after the elections like DPP especially with Davis Katsonga and Nicholas Dausi case will have to sit down and agree on who votes. The mere fact that each brought his list means the structures were not in place well.
The parties might as well say who in future should oversee these elections. Is the idea of having a minister overseeing a fellow minister contesting with someone who is not a minister justifiable?
The storm was beautiful. When the MCP president was forcing his MPs to deny the budget the MPs wrote him a petition. The MPs argued amongst other reason the MCP president had dictatorial tendency. It is perhaps not surprising to see the MCP president arguing that now he is a changed man. People might ask what kind of change, but to him he says he is now more democratic, no more dictatorship.
He might say that because of next year’s election while his actions are not like that, yes it’s possible. But it seems the old man is striving to walk the change. His party is as well doing primaries, impositions are there but not as in the past two elections. Change little by little is creeping in. The tenets of democracy are coming, the nation might look at the past and the present defects with despair, but these are defects of hope.
Correcting the past mistakes is the only way the country’s democracy can flourish. Repeating the same mistakes is not helpful. Fortunately, very few are the ones that seem to resist change; the majority will be there sooner than later.
Now if the storm that threatened the nation is not to take place again, at least the presidential candidates must be elected legitimately. The act of imposition is dangerous. The Bingu Chair saga is an example. Further to this the Malawi Electoral Commission has huge work at its disposal, to execute its operations professionally.
It is next year’s elections that will mark the end of this chilling perfect storm, and bring in a mild breeze.
The storm was frightening, perhaps the tempest that may not happen again. The storm may have been brewed by a rare combination of never before imagined factors, but it was the felt storm in an after cold war democracy in Malawi.
The political storm created countless stories high, and winds of stories about Malawi swaying in the foreign media. The political storm whipped the mental functioning of the people to the inconceivable levels, yet very few people saw the storm as a perfect one. Yet it was a perfect storm.
If it were an earthquake, the day that an idea popped up in Bakili Muluzi’s mind that politics of imposition is important will remain an epicentre of this perfect timeline of the perfect storm. Former president calls himself a political engineer. If the very act of influencing the whole party, however the opposing views are, then he has the point. But such an attempt contradicts a mere literal retrieving of the meaning of “United Democratic Front.” The word may as well mean a grouping having one voice that is the representative of all in it.
However, the past, disputes all this. UDF is a party that is a party of Bakili Muluzi to Bakili Muluzi and for Bakili Muluzi’s views. Ever since Bingu dumped this party, former president has used it as a tool to express his views – thus the party has been used to frustrate what Bakili Muluzi sees as Bingu yet are the Malawians that got the raw deal in the end.
The dumping coupled by John Tembo’s frustration that the victory was snatched from his nose, as per revelations by other bigwigs in the UDF, made the life for president Bingu Wa Mutharika unbearable. On top of that, a number of MPs thought it right to practice ratting – crossing the floor from UDF, MCP or other small parties to the DPP.
In the end Parliament became the field for tit-for-tat politics.
Despite all the political mangling that the nation has witnessed and perhaps continues to witness, this is good news. The nation is still in the transit, especially democratically. The country is gaining mileage little by little.
It is through this storm that the Constitution of Malawi has been tested, and continues to be tested if issue of Bakili Muluzi’s eligibility is anything to go by. During the fracas, it has been revealed that our constitution might indeed be perfect, but it does contain what other experts have called “linguistic defects.” They are defects like these that politicians with all political trickeries like the former president want to capitalize upon. This explains why the donor community is pressing Malawi Electoral commission to declare Muluzi’s eligibility quickly.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of this political storm was president Bingu Wa Mutharika’s defection from the UDF to later form his DPP. It was a never imagined before. This surely should serve as a lesson in future conducts of the parties. They will ask why such a scenario should never happen again. It is this seen that is a source of many predicament turbulence that spurred the political confusion that marred the local political scene.
It is during such a storm that the independent MPs have as well learnt their perfect lessons. Bitter though. Most independent MPs were either poached or themselves joined the ruling party. In joining the party they claimed that they did so with the consent from their people. Unfortunately when the time of primaries came some of those independent MPs have miserably failed to win at the DPP primaries.
Some of them have gone back to their independence stance. This is a lesson. If one stands as an independent MP, it is better to stand on, as an independent. But due to that spirit of making more money by associating with the government, like leafs falling from trees in the dry season, these independent MPs are feeling the heat.
Out of this storm it is the right time that the electorates will surely separate their true representatives, and gold diggers that are in the game just to appease their political party leaders. It seems in the parliament some MPs even forgot why there were there. Now such MPs are returning to the people, the people this is the right time to make right decisions.
The wrangles that are going on in primaries can be a bad thing altogether. But it is a step towards the right direction. In the last two elections, the primaries did not take place at the scale the primaries are taking place this year. Of course the irregularities are just many in most parties, DPP, MCP and UDF.
But that is not a thing to worry about excessively. Out of these problems the parties when it comes to the primaries in 2014, will have to deal with such weaknesses. The parties after the elections like DPP especially with Davis Katsonga and Nicholas Dausi case will have to sit down and agree on who votes. The mere fact that each brought his list means the structures were not in place well.
The parties might as well say who in future should oversee these elections. Is the idea of having a minister overseeing a fellow minister contesting with someone who is not a minister justifiable?
The storm was beautiful. When the MCP president was forcing his MPs to deny the budget the MPs wrote him a petition. The MPs argued amongst other reason the MCP president had dictatorial tendency. It is perhaps not surprising to see the MCP president arguing that now he is a changed man. People might ask what kind of change, but to him he says he is now more democratic, no more dictatorship.
He might say that because of next year’s election while his actions are not like that, yes it’s possible. But it seems the old man is striving to walk the change. His party is as well doing primaries, impositions are there but not as in the past two elections. Change little by little is creeping in. The tenets of democracy are coming, the nation might look at the past and the present defects with despair, but these are defects of hope.
Correcting the past mistakes is the only way the country’s democracy can flourish. Repeating the same mistakes is not helpful. Fortunately, very few are the ones that seem to resist change; the majority will be there sooner than later.
Now if the storm that threatened the nation is not to take place again, at least the presidential candidates must be elected legitimately. The act of imposition is dangerous. The Bingu Chair saga is an example. Further to this the Malawi Electoral Commission has huge work at its disposal, to execute its operations professionally.
It is next year’s elections that will mark the end of this chilling perfect storm, and bring in a mild breeze.
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