Unrest in Lilongwe, As Atupele Is Rushed To The Hospital

Business has come to a standstill in the capital Lilongwe  as tear gas and rubber bullets are exchanging the airwaves.

This  follows   chaos which  has broke  in the city following the arrest of opposition leader Atupele Muluzi.

Riots started when it was reported that Muluzi who was remanded at Maula Prison is not feeling well and is being rushed to the hospital.

Muluzi started complaining about high blood pressure before he was sent to the hospital


MORE UPDATES TO FOLLOW

ATUPELE MULUZI SICK IN PRISON

Opposition leader Atupele Muluzi is reported not to be feeling well in prison

According to sources who visited him at Maula Prison where he has been remanded, Muluzi is complaining of high blood pressure and doctors visit him for treatment.


BP is high

"He says his blood pressure is up and as I was leaving a doctor was about to give him a check up" disclosed Billy Mayaya one of the Activists who visited him.

However chances are slim that Muluzi will be granted a police bail as Law enforcers are playing hide and seek  on the issue.

According to one of his lawyers  Kalekani Kaphale police officers are refusing to meet  them  despite promising that bail will be granted today.

JOYCE BANDA VISITS ATUPELE:FORCED TO WALK TO MAULA

All roads lead to Maula Prison in the Malawi commercial capital Blantyre where thousands of Malawians, politicians and Civil Society leaders are flocking to visit the detained opposition leader Atupele Muluzi in a show of solidarity.

Some of the notable faces who have been spotted at the prison are Malawi's Vice president Joyce Banda, top lawyer and activist Ralph Kasambara, musician and politician, Lucius Banda, activist Ben Chiza Kandawire .


Walked to Maula

However the road to Maula prison has been closed by heavy armed  police stopping everyone from driving into the prison road a development which forced the vice president to walk for about a kilometer to meet Muluzi.

Speaking to people who visited him Muluzi disclosed that he was intimidated by law enforcers on the way to Maula Prison.

He said he is being remanded awaiting to be charged.

Muluzi  was arrested on 20 March 2012 in the capital Lilongwe and charged for inciting the public to engage in violence.

This follows an incident on Sunday when angry residents in the capital, Lilongwe, attacked a police Station after the security forces tear gassed a gathering crowd at a political party he was addressing.

TOP HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH DOG JOHN KAPITO ARRSTED

As Malawi government is leaving no stone unturned to silence whoever is against president Bingu Wamutharika, police in the capital Lilongwe has arrested a top human rights activist John Kapito in what observers deplores as an attempt to silence government critics.

However  Malawi police spokesperson Davie Chingwalu said  Kapito  was arrested for illegal possession of forex .
Kapito who chairs Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHCR) was taken to Lilongwe Police Station for
 interrogation.
 
According to one of his lawyers, Wapona Kita, Kapito was about to leave for Geneva, Switzerland upon his arrest.

Kapito is however reported to have applied for forex using Standard Bank.

But one of the Lawyers Ralph Kasambara disclosed on his facebook page that  police are hiding the whereabouts of Kapito.

Kapito who has been regarded as a human rights Mafia has been receiving threats from ruling DPP cadets for criticizing government.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEETING COMMUNIQUE

We, members of Public Affairs Committee (PAC) and other interested groups such as media fraternity, political parties, academia, business groups have had a two-day (14-15 , March, 2012) at Limbe Cathedral.

Prompted by signs in our society that point to a crisis in political, economic and constitutional governance and iinspired by our God prophetic mandate, realising that God does not change the conditions of people unless the people themselves show commitment to change them, did serious introspection and critical analysis based on hard questions that need to be addressed if we have to reclaim our future as a nation.

PAC is a faith based organization mandated to:
To encourage religious bodies to fulfil their prophetic and religious roles, and respond to the socio-economic and political affairs of the Republic of Malawi.

To encourage religious bodies to fulfil their prophetic and religious roles, and respond to the socio-economic and political affairs of the Republic of Malawi.

To enter into and maintain a dialogue with any person, political body or any other institution in the republic of Malawi regarding any issues of concern to the nation;

To promote peace and tranquillity in the Republic of Malawi
The Conference was specifically called to:

To mobilize key stakeholders and various efforts towards a common agenda and collective redress to Malawi’s political and economic challenges.

To define a concerted strategy for engaging the government in dealing with the present challenges Malawi is facing.

To enhance a unified voice among faith-based organizations, politicians and the rest of civil society on issues of economic and political governance.
The conference focused on three topics namely:

The current political situation in Malawi,

The economic situation in Malawi and

The constitutional challenges.
OUR OBSERVATIONS
Current Political Situation

The challenges facing the country are largely of our own making;

The expectations of the overwhelming majority that gave mandate to the present leadership are fading away;

Malawi has drastically deteriorated from a country on the move from 2004 to 2009; and is bordering on a “failed state” from 2010 to 2012 as seen in the passing of unpopular bills in parliament; shrinking of dialogue space and threats to alternative voices;
Lack of internalised democratic culture in the governance structures of our society especially in political parties;
For a country small as Malawi, we have too many political parties without defined and distinctive political ideologies
Economic Situation

There is rising cost of living

Businesses are shrinking and people are losing jobs

Policies to ensure that businesses thrive and attract foreign investment are not there

The zero deficit budget has tax burdens for Malawians

The losing out of donor support
Constitutionalism

Limited knowledge and internalisation of the Constitution

The Constitution has gaps and opportunities for our young democracy

Although the Constitution clearly states that the mandate to govern derives from the people of Malawi, we note that the balance of power is shifting to one branch of government

Our Constitution lacks a comprehensive mechanism of enforcement

Constitutional reviews which have previously been done have not been concluded

Governance challenges cannot be resolved by the Constitution alone

RECOMMENDATIONS

POLITICAL PARTIES Access to justice is a very important Human Right and PAC asks the government to settle its differences with the judiciary immediately as possible so that the courts can start functioning again.

It is the Constitutional Duty of the government of the day to promote the economic welfare of all Malawians. PAC asks Government to settle its differences with UK. The IMF, the World Bank and other donors immediately so that the economic deterioration is arrested immediately.

It is the responsibility of the President to speak and behave in an exemplary manner so that Malawians can relate to each other in a harmonious manner. PAC asks President Mutharika to stop speaking in a bullying manner with insulting language and threats so that Malawians can live in harmony and peace.

Bad laws-
MBC and Freedom of Expression
Media freedom
Inquest on the death of Chasowa
Electoral Commission
PVT
Negative campaign
Clear road map after Constitutional Conference
Nomination fees- reasonable
A

Condem all attempt to stop this PAC meeting No face of individual on the currency including the current president

1. Economic governance
2. Political governance
3. Electoral governance
POLITICAL AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE
a. open of courts
b. language of president
c. bad laws
d. campaign projects
ACADEMIA
The President should be asked to resign or, if he disagrees, call a referendum because

ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT

Sensible balance between creation and distribution of wealth market economy long-term involvement in basic social services and social development

PUBLIC TRUST AND GOOD GOVERNANCE

Measures guaranty accountability-effectiveness and transparency that strengthens confidence transparency personal integrity Financial probity

Independence of the legislative arm of the government secured by giving financial independence to the Legislative. Parliament must be given the right to own and manage its own budget.

MPs should be able to participate freely in the voting machine and not by show of hands as it will guarantee secrecy of voting
CSO

Members of civil society would like to put it on record that all is not well and the situation needs to be reversed forthwith: For this to happen we call for

1. Resignation-within 60 days
2. Referendum -90 days
3. Civil disobedience- mass action
4. NCC to resume

Reasons for calling resignation: Arrogance resume good relations with donors bad laws
IN CONCLUSION

PAC GIVE BINGU 60 DAYS TO RESIGN

The two day meeting chaired by the Public Affairs Committee to find solutions to the country's economic and social challenges has called upon president Bingu Wa Mutharika to resign or call for a referendum.

The recommendation was at the closing  of the meeting which took place at Limbe Catholic Cathedral in the commercial  capital, Blantyre. 

Delegates which include clergy,politicians, Civil Society activist, Law experts asked Mutharika to resign in 60 days giving his Democratic Progressive Party a record.


Given 60 days to step down 

The meeting found out that Mutharika administration has lost trust of Malawian citizen in a wake of deterioration social economic situation in the country.

The delegates offered Mutharika an option to call for a referendum in 90 days in order to seek fresh mandate from Malawians on whether he should continue ruling up to 2014 or not.

Malawi leading online newspaper Nyasa Times quoted Reverend Maurice Munthali, a leading member of PAC  who said delegates deliberated comprehensively before coming up with the solutions and recommendations.

Munthali disclosed that the meeting agreed that if Mutharika will not step down they will propose a referendum on the grounds that  Mutharika has failed  to address the country's problems.

The delegates argued that Malawians have every reason to call for a referendum as backed by the constitution following loss of trust in Mutharika's government, citing section 12 of the constitution that accentuates the sovereign authority of the electorate.

During his presentation University of Malawi Law expert Dr Edge Kanyogolo pointed out that the constitution has limitations in solving all challenges faced by the country.

He made it clear that recall movement such as impeachment is one of the opportunity in the constitution to deal with excessive power.

Mutharika's administration is under pressure by the opposition, Civil society as well as Malawians to resolve the current political and economical crisis the country is facing.

However Mutharika has threaten several times to deal with anyone who criticize his government

What we know is that such forums have influenced charge of  government before but what we don,t know is   what will cost Malawians to succeed such a regime change.

Madonna Responds to Malawi Government Accusations

A representative of Global Philanthropy Group has responded to Malawian government's protest about Madonna's plans to build 10 schools in the impoverished African nation. 
Trevor Neilson said there is no truth in the accusation that Madonna skipped the necessary authorization and discussion of her projects for Malawi. 

"This is simply not true," Neilson said in a statement released by Madonna's spokesperson, Liz Rosenberg. "The government of Malawi has been fully updated on Madonna's effort to provide funding for ten schools to be built in communities where there are no schools." Neilson also said that Madonna's Raising Malawi organization