Malawi urged to legalise homosexuality

Amnesty International  said it  is pleased with President Joyce Banda’s announcement  to repeal laws  that criminalize  homosexuality in Malawi.

 However the human rights organization has  urged the Malawi government  to introduce the bill to repeal the laws without delay.

In her maiden State of the Nation Address since assuming office, President Banda announced that her government will repeal the “provisions regarding indecent practices and unnatural acts contained in sections 137A and 153-156 of the Penal Code.”

"Amnesty International welcomes this development and hopes that this landmark decision will lead to an end to discrimination and persecution based on real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity in Malawi".Read the statement

Amnesty further called upon Malawi  government to  immediately introduce the bill to repeal the provisions in Sections 137A, 153 and 156 in the Penal Code.

Section 137A of the Penal Code criminalises “indecent practices between females,” provides that any female person who, whether in public or private, commits “any act of gross indecency with another female” shall be guilty of an offense and liable to a prison term of five years. Sections 153 and 156 criminalize same sex sexual conduct between men and those convicted face up to 14 years imprisonment.

In 2010, two persons were sentenced to 14 years imprisonment on charges related to same sex sexual conduct. They were later pardoned following international condemnation.

Lesotho Prime Minister's party behind in polls

As people are waiting for the final results this Tuesday the party of Lesotho's longtime prime minister is just behind the main opposition as vote counting nears completion.

The party of lesotho's longtime prime minister is behind the main opposition as vote counting is about to finish 

The Independent Electoral Commission reports posted results from 64 of 80 constituencies on its website on Monday . The  results showed the All Basotho Convention with 26 seats and Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili's Democratic Congress with 25.

The Lesotho Congress for Democracy had 12 seats while another opposition party had one according to the counts.

The Lesotho Congress for Democracy under Mosisili won elections in 1998, 2002 and 2007.

Views from opposition parties on homosexuality in Malawi

How will Malawi's opposition parties react to the legalisation of gay and lesbian acts: Find out soon 

Is Malawi ready to legalise Homosexuality?

unlike former President  Bingu wa Mutharika who vowed not to legalise same sex marriages Malawi's new president  Joyce Banda has said she wants Malawi to overturn its ban on homosexual acts.

However  Banda will inevitably face resistance from the masses.The question is Culturally and spiritually is Malawi  ready to legalise Homosexuality? Find out  how  Malawians will react to Banda's decision.

More to come 

E-tolling battle continues

The South African government has vowed not to backtrack on the implementation of e-tolling  and says it will appeal the high court interim order. 

"Cabinet has taken a decision to appeal the interim order to  stopping the implementation in Gauteng" . Government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi disclosed 

Manyi  said the government had only received a written copy of Judge Bill Prinsloo’s April 28 judgment late on Wednesday.

“As we are sitting here, our lawyers are studying the judgment and will advise the executive in due course.”

He added: “Cabinet reiterated its commitment to the user pays principle and its decision on e-tolling as an efficient mechanism of collection.”

He  said Cabinet also made plain it would not allow the embattled SA National Roads Agency Ltd to default on the debt it incurred to complete the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP).

“As a country we need to demonstrate unequivocal commitment to meet all our contractual obligations, including repaying the debt incurred in the construction of GFIP. Defaulting on our debt is simply not an option.” Said Manyi 

Tobacco Makes Malawi's Economy More Vulnerable

The European Union (EU) has warned that too much dependency on tobacco farming has made Malawi's economy so vulnerable.

The alarm was sounded by Head of  EU in Malawi Alexander Baum.

Baum however said that diversifying crop production is the only solution to help the economy to rebound from the current crisis. 

"The reality of Malawi's economic situation today is that agriculture has played the role it could play. Agriculture has not reached the potential we all know exists.There is too much dependency on tobacco which has made the economy vulnerable to external shocks" said Baum

Tobacco is the most important export crop in Malawi which accounts for about 70 percent of export revenues.  and over 2 million people are employed from related industries

However Malawi's heavy reliance on tobacco places a heavy burden on the economy as world prices continue to decline and the international community are putting pressure to limit tobacco production.

A trailblazer for women’s rights

Ulemu Teputepu
Coming from a society where there is a strong belief that women are inferior to men and cannot take up leadership roles, Joyce Banda is on a mission to prove that women can be good leaders.

Banda’s theatrical rise to power came when Bingu wa Mutharika’s authoritarian rule was tragically cut short by a fatal cardiac arrest on April 5. Though she faced resistance from the then ruling party, Banda was saved by her constitutional right to ascend to power and became the first female president of Malawi and the first in southern Africa.

Joyce Hilda Banda née Ntila was born on April 12, 1950 in Malemia, a village in Domasi, Zomba, in Malawi. She began her career as a secretary and became a well-known figure during the rule of dictator Kamuzu Banda – not related to her.

She has a Cambridge school certificate, a bachelor of arts degree in early childhood education from Columbus University and a diploma in management that she received in Italy.

She first married Roy Kachale with whom she had three children. She described the marriage as abusive.

Her marriage to Kachele ended in 1981. She later married Richard Banda, a retired chief justice of the Republic of Malawi with whom she has two children.

“I got married at 22 and remained in an abusive marriage for 10 years,” she said. “I made up my mind that was never going to happen to me again. I made a brave step to walk out in a society when you didn’t walk out of an abusive marriage. It was mental and physical abuse.” By the age of 25, she was living in Nairobi, Kenya.

Between 1985 and 1997 Banda established various businesses and organisations including Ndekani Garments in 1985, Akajuwe Enterprises in 1992, and Kalingidza Bakery in 1995. Her success moved her to help other women achieve financial independence and break the cycles of abuse and poverty.

Before entering the realm of politics Banda was the founder of the Joyce Banda Foundation, founder of the National Association of Business Women (NABW), Young Women Leaders Network and the Hunger Project. She was listed in Forbes Magazine 2011 as the third most powerful woman in Africa.

“Every day of my life I look out and see what I can do to empower another woman to an extent that I have an organisation that has 110 000 women now under the Joyce Banda Foundation, 2 300 girls going to school, 10 000 orphans to whom we provide nursery school from the ages of two to five years old, and 620 000 youths,” said Banda.

Joyce Banda entered politics in 1999. She made it into Parliament in Malawi’s second democratic election as a member of United Democratic Front (UDF) led by Bakili Muluzi. She represented the Zomba-Malosa constituency.

Muluzi named her minister for gender and community services. As minister, she fought to enact the Domestic Violence Bill, which had failed for seven years previously. She designed the national platform for action on orphans and vulnerable children, and the zero tolerance campaign against child abuse.

In 2004, she was reelected as a member of Muluzi’s party. Bingu wa Mutharika became the president. Even though Banda was not a member of his party, Mutharika appointed her as foreign minister in 2006. She led her country to cut ties with Taiwan and establish relations with Beijing.

She said the switch would bring economic benefits to Malawi. In 2010, China finished the construction of a new Parliament building in Malawi.

Banda ran as the vice-presidential candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the May 2009 presidential election, running alongside Mutharika, the DPP presidential candidate. She served as Malawi’s first female vice-president, before becoming the country’s first woman president on Mutharika’s death.

After she was axed from the DPP, the then ruling party, Joyce Banda formed the People’s Party last year.

Banda, whose vision is to lead Malawi from aid to trade, called for support from fellow women and Malawians.

“If Malawians can replicate what I have been able to do in assisting others, we can achieve the millennium development goal 3 (promote gender equality and empower women),” said Banda.

She further disclosed that she is restoring diplomatic ties with Malawi’s number one donor, the UK.

“We have assured the UK that the high commissioner will be given space to work efficiently without disturbances,” disclosed Banda.

“We do realise that we need to be moving very fast from aid to trade and that is what I am starting to do now but this far we will still continue to hope that our donors will stand by us.”

Banda, who cited Kenya as an example where the majority of their budget is generated by themselves, said Malawi must move towards becoming independent.

“We must be looking at a country like Kenya, we should be aiming at getting where Kenya is where the majority of their budget is generated by themselves,” she said.

Banda further added that the only way Malawi can move towards becoming independent is through trade.

“In our case 50% of our budget is donor funded. We must be moving towards becoming independent and I see the only way we can do that is through trade,” said Banda.

Iron Lady Facts and Figures

She is Malawi’s fourth president and its first woman president. Prior to becoming president she served as the country’s first woman vice-president.  She was also an MP and minister for gender, children’s affairs and community services. Before Banda entered politics, she founded the Joyce Banda Foundation in 1997 and was the founder of the National Association of Business Women, Young Women Leaders Network and the Hunger Project.  Forbes magazine last year listed her as the third most powerful woman in Africa.  In 2011, she founded and led the People’s Party. An upcoming convention expects to see her leadership confirmed. Her long list of achievements include:  1. Born April 12, 1950 in Zomba district 2. Formed non-governmental organisation National Business for Women in 1990 3. Set up the Hunger Project in 1998  4. National director for the United Democratic Front, 2003 5. Secretary-general for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), 2005 6. MP, May 2004-2009  7. Minister of gender, child and women affairs, 2004-2006  8. Minister of foreign affairs, 2006-2009  9. Presidential running mate for the DPP – 2009  10. Took vice-presidency oath in 2009  11. President of the People’s Party (PP), 2011  12. Board chairperson for the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation of Malawi  13. Board chairperson for Malawi Communications Regulation Authority  14. Board chairperson for Malawi Housing Corporation Education:  1. Bachelor of Science degree in gender studies, 2010, obtained at the Atlantic International, US  2. Studying for a Master’s degree in leadership through Royal Lords University 3. Certificate in board chairing obtained in Canada  4. Diploma in international relations  5. Secretarial certificate, Polytechnic College of the University of Malawi  6. Cambridge Overseas 2nd Grade obtained from Providence Secondary School

Malawi to move forward

I would prefer to think Malawi our country is on political watershed.
Provided this point in our nationhood is appreciated by the vast
majority of her peoples. It is for us to see the opportunity created
by God for us and to take up the challenge. We dare not miss this
opportunity. We have all along allowed ourselves to learn from our
mistakes in the governing of our country. This has resulted in fearful
costs. In time in human and material resources. The question is can we
afford to continue incurring such awful costs we who are poor?

Now we essentially have a transitional President. There is very little
Joyce Banda can accomplish in the remaining two years by way of
infrastructural deveolpment in a poor and cash strapped country. Let's
be realistic. I for expect her to focus in mop up operations - e.g
repairing strained diplomatic relations; reuniting a divided nation,
reestabilishing some rule of law and some measure of trust by citizens
in their government. And most importantly to begin the process of
Constitutional Reforms that PAC demanded

Just as the Constitution was respected in allowing Vice President
Joyce Banda to succeed the deceased President Bingu wa Mutharika so it
must be in recogniznig DPP the Majority Party in Parliament. How can
Majority Party be called an opposition. If this is what the
Constitution says it is an anomaly. Another valid reason to
reform/rewrite our Constitution

Governance
Why are we at crossroads in the history of our country. Malawi has a
government that has two centres of power namely President Mrs Joyce
Banda who is leader of Peoples' Party and DPP the Majority Party in
Parliament. This is Democracy at work. I'm excited. By the way DPP are
not an Opposition Party. In my view that's the function and title of
MCP. The first time Malawi had this situation was from 2005 to 2009.
Many Malawians admit that President Bingu wa Mutharika did a good job
in his first term. Correct. For the President gets the credit when
things go well in the country.He also gets the blame when things are
bad
But the Parliament should get some credit too for her Bingu's DPP was
insignificant just as is PP now.. With the benefit of hindsight. For
in the absence of strong Parliament the worst side of Bingu surfaced
as evidenced by failure after failure in governance and by his
autocractic rule

Resources
Is it really true our country is poor? I beg to disagree. Kamuzu Banda
came back home with only his life and his education. Nothing in
materail wealthy contrary to popular belief inculcated by he himself
and his Goebbels. Bakili too had nothing, if any thing only debts when
he entred the State House. Bingu wa Mutharika' recognizable asset was
a poor secondhand minibus when he became President. Yet all three left
the State house shamefully wealthy. If Malawi were poor where did
these three Presidents obtain their riches? Of course from the
country. For hand in hand with their accumulation of wealthy ordinary
Malawians got poorer and poorer. It is asimple law of physics applied
on the monetary arena. Where the land terrain is uneven water drains
from upland to lowland. The money too flow from the haves to have notd
- from taxpayers to the Presidents who had nothing in the first place.
And of course from donors too
A country operate pretty much like a house. A house earns good money
by the average standrads but the husband spends most of it on loose
living. The wife and children suffer in perpetual poverty. No matter
how lttle money the family makes that family will thrive and prosper
if the husband and all its members utilize the meagre resources for
the benefit of the house only. The neighbours will also benefit by
lesson or by the fact they don't have a begging neighbour. But if this
poor house has a husband who spends the little earnings on loose
living, that family is in danger of pershing

Malawi is rather like the latest scenario. The so called political
readers weren't leaders at all. A leader is that one who like a
sherpard leads the country and people to green pastures. But they
didn't. All three

Constitutional Refeorms - Creating a New Malawi

This crossroad we are at we need to look on the present and then peer
into the future. The cruel present ought to be a wake up call to fresh
thinking. And say enough is enough. Since 1962 Malawi has been a
nation of personlities in the Presidents. What has been the
consquencies? Disaster -  political confusion, enslavement and
economic stagnation and mess. Socially we are a people who shun the
facts and the truth, the cunning work of of the Presidents. Zambia
chose to be neighbouly

Now is the time to recreate our country. It must be a country of laws
now. A country where all her people are under law. No one irrespective
of position must never be above law

The Constitution of Malawi now. Let's start from here. We should
reform the Constitution. Or better still we should rewrite a new
Constitution. This Constitution must declare Malawi a Federal country,
Federalism being a system that divides the government into national
and provincial levels will diminish the threat of dictatorship, abuse
of power and theft of State resources by elected government officials
at either the two levels as well as at lower levels (districts). The
form and shape of federalism are the subject of discussions during the
reform/rewriting process, Federalism will unite the country more than
ever before. For only free people can live with other free people.
Managing some of their local affairs gives a measure of satisfaction
to a people and this contentment in in turn is likely to excite and
strengthen national unity

Conclusion
President Mrs Joyce Banda stands on the crest of that watershed. She
is advised to respect DPP's majority status in Parliament and
acknowledge the party the other centre of power. This summons forth
her negotiating and persuasive skills and her power to ininfluence
people and events. For she will these qualities if she hopes to get
her programs through Parliament. The peoples of Malawi too need do
their part - to accept DPP as the Majority party and another centre of
power. The other citizen duty is to watch that neither of these power
centre is a danger to personal freedom and to democracy. Stop
personalising the country. JB to see that Constitutional Reforms get
underway without delay

Her two years of Presidency might be the best years our country ever had

News and Views across Africa: Britain refreshes its Aid to Malawi

News and Views across Africa: Britain refreshes its Aid to Malawi: The British Government has announced its  urgent  support for the Malawi health system which is aimed at preventing the  cancellation  o...

Britain refreshes its Aid to Malawi

The British Government has announced its urgent support for the Malawi health system which is aimed at preventing the cancellation of vital vaccination and bed net programmes.

Making  the announcing  Britain International Development  Secretary Andrew Mitchell said the support is part of a refreshed development partnership between Malawi and Britain.

According to Mitchell the emergency support will provide Malaria and TB drug, Therapeutic feeding for malnourished children, training equipment for new health workers and support services delivered by the Christian Health Association of Malawi.

Mitchell further disclosed that Britain will also bring forward previously-agreed funding to help the new President, Joyce Banda, to continue with a positive reform programme in the face of economic turmoil which is threatening to engulf the country.

As part of this support, Andrew Mitchell has agreed with the Governor of the Bank of England for a British economic official to be drafted in to help the Government of Malawi deal with the effects of devaluing the kwacha.

Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development, said:

"I am encouraged by President Banda’s early progress in office. She has put the people of Malawi right at the centre of her Government’s programme and she is listening to the sensible advice from the IMF about how to get the economy back on its feet. 

"I called President Banda to tell her that Britain will support Malawi’s Health Ministry and the Christian Health Association of Malawi to ensure that vital services are taken off the ‘at risk’ list and are delivered for the people of Malawi.

"We are also bringing forward financial support to help the Malawian economy following devaluation and the Governor of the Bank of England has kindly agreed to provide technical assistance in this area."

President Banda welcomed Britain's commitment to Malawi and said she was looking forward to discussing her future plans with Andrew Mitchell in more detail.

Reacting to the announcement, President Banda said:

"We welcome this much needed support from the UK for health and to support the economic recovery of Malawi. This support is provided at a critical time for Malawi and will help to manage the impact on the poor and most vulnerable.

"I look forward to welcoming the Secretary of State for International Development to Malawi in the near future and to discussing the future of UK aid in Malawi with him."

In the past two years alone, UK support has provided food security for over 3.5 million people, of which almost two million are women; improved access to emergency drugs for 200,000 people.

The British Government suspended budget support to Malawi last year after deceased former president Bingu wa Mutharika failed to address concerns over economic management and governance. As a result, British funding earmarked for general budget support has been rerouted via NGOs working on the ground with poor Malawians.

Andrew Mitchell will travel to Malawi at the end of the month to meet President Banda in person and have detailed discussions to help stabilise the economy and support necessary reforms.

The early indicators about President Mrs Joyce Banda's Presidency

There many Malawians I have talked to who say it is too early to place
any degree of judgment on the performence of President Joyce Banda.
Give her a break the lady has just taken over the Office

Perhaps that's so but Joyce Banda has come from outside. She was
Bingu's Vice President and although there had been apparently some bad
blood between the two any claim that she is new to doesn't wash. It
the first few day in the Office that provide the nation the direction
and tone of the President and her Administration - the President's
actions, speeches and the very posture

Two reported actions of the President's I find rather disconcerting:

a. The President's appointment of Perliamentary leaders. Perhaps the
Constitution of the Republic of Malawi gives the President that
authority. I haven't checked but this part of my ignorance doesn't I
think in anyway excuse the anomaly. A government consists of three
branches nameli Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary. I expect the
Constitution clear states that there is between these branches the
Separation of Powers. I understand by this to mean the legislature
must ont function like they are the executive or Judiciary. the same
applies to the executive and the Judiciary, The principle of
Separation of Powers is for the protection of the peoples of the
country. These branches like parts of a living body are interdependent
- a necessity for the proper functioning of the entire government but
without compromising the principle of Separation of Powers

If news item is correct that said President Mrs Joyce Banda appointed
Parliamentary Leaders then I find that action to compromise that time
honoured principle of separation of powers in a truly free and
democratic country. The Parliament in such states elect its own
leaders in a session convened for that purpose. Preserving the
independence of Parliament, protecting democracy as well as freedom of
the citizens

This event is one of the reasons why in Malawi we need Constitutional
Reform. Perhaps a complete rewriting of the Malawi Constituion is more
appropriate. In its present form the Constitution encourages
dictatorship. A Constitution is meant to limit the authority of
elected representatives. It would appear this is not the case in our
country. Any wonder malawi has had only dictatorships for all thsese
decades - since 1964? My fellow citizens you are the Sovereign,
Authority is yours and it must be you to lend part of that your
authority to the elected government officers. I suppose the present
Constitution does not express your will. It doesn't express my will at
all. PAC is now silent on their demand for Constitutional Reform. This
their demand must be carried through. We must stop building our nation
around personalities. It is time now to make Malawi a nation of laws -
not a nation of men. Now that Mrs Joyce Banda is President does not
remove the dire need for reformingthis Constitution or better still
writing a new one. A constitution is supposed to a living document and
as such need to change as time and people change

b. Donations

This unethical chain practice started by Kamuzu Banda apparently has
assumed a life of its own. Muluzi, Bingu not only continued the
malpractice they extended it. Muluzi even used to throw Banknotes to
crowds at public meeting! And poor Malawian scramble to have a grab of
some notes. Those able cheered. Joyce Banda is doing the same. For one
big reason I expected her never to it. But she is continuing the
malpractice. A Government holds all the country's resources in trust
for the people. The President as Chief Executive Officer controls the
resources such as the country's Treasury. Do these Presidents of
Malawi, previous and present, dead and alive failt o see any conflict
of interest in thie distasteful conduct? How do the people of Malawi
tell that the donations come from their taxes? Besides it show the
President is campaigning already at the expense of taxpayers and to
the disadvantage of other Presidential hopefuls in opposition parties
and even in her own party. That is unethical. That is an excercise in
the creattion of personality cults as well as in personalising the
government. And the country to have forever dictators - providing them
doors for illegal self enrchment. And poor Malawians? Perpetual
poverty

I'm roundly disappointed in President JB

Now it's for and I fellow country to reclaim our sovereignty, our
authority. Lets once and for all decide which of our authority we give
to the federal government specifing which for Parliament, which to
President and whuch to Judiciary. Then which of our authority we lend
to provincial government - Parliament, Governor, Judiciary
in a a new Constitution of the republic of Malawi. Our country


By Aston Cheyo Nyondo

Polytechnic confirms the death of its student

The University of Malawi the Polytechnic has confirmed the death of one of its students who died on the road accident on 3rd May 2012

According to the statement released on 4th May 2012 the two students are disclosed as Thokozani Chalemera and Mphatso Chipala.

 "The two students involved were studying with our Management Developing Center.Both were studying Human Resources Management" read the statement

The statement further  disclosed that the two were rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Centre Hospital were Thokozani Chalemera was pronounced dead on arrival while Mphatso Chipala  still being treated after sustaining serious injuries.

According to the statement the body of Thokozani which is being kept at College of Medicine mortuary will be taken to her home village in Mangochi.for burial

"The body of late Thokozani will be taken from College of Medicine mortuary at around 10:00 am this morning to Mangochi district where burial will be conducted on Saturday, 6th May 2012 at Mpondasi area."