Centre For Social Concern Kanengo Malawi/ revue de Presse

On the political scene, the September reports saw how people of different political convictions could come together over the country's long-awaited debt cancellation. Political parties and economic commentators have hailed government for its sound economic performance that has evidently led to 90% debt cancellation. Activism and prayer for debt relief has always been one of the agendas of the civil society organisations and religious groups for sometime before the cancellation. Further, this great relief brought tentative unity among Malawians especially politicians. This means that irrespective of our various affiliations, the debt burden was affecting all of us equally. Indeed, the cancellation has been applauded from all fronts.

As people are still held in jubilation, the media reports exposed the interest by the general public into how the savings from the debt relief would be spent, outlining key areas especially those in the service delivery. All the papers reported the growing knowledge on the procedures for this money to benefit the poorest members of our society. This pro-poor expenditure would only make sense if transparency and accountability were observed. The need for tight fiscal measures in the administration of this money has been reported as a realistic solution in the efforts to reach out to the poor communities. The reports expressed a clear warning against abusing this money through unnecessary workshops and conferences whose impact does not bring tangible or plausible results. Observation has shown that a series of workshops by different governmental or non-governmental organisations has not benefited the local people in whose name they are convened. The vice is deeply rooted in many of our people. Further, most of these workshops are held in places like hotels as opposed to the rural set up where the poor could participate. They often hear about these seminars but they do not hear about the way forward.

Following the presidential referral case to the courts to interpret section 65 of the constitution as it interferes with other sections that allow for freedom of association and choice, many people chiefly politicians have come to the fore, expressing themselves over the controversial number. The section has brought tension among many politicians who needed to define and justify their siding with government or otherwise. As a neutral party the executive made the application with the enormous expenditure that this process would incur. The development has brought fear and uncertainty among adherents of various political parties. Media reports have foreseen a series of acrimonious resignations for fear of the infamous section once interpreted in favour of the proponents.

The continued rivalry or clash over responsibility between the executive and the legislature has been part of the press during the month. Their differing opinions over public appointments that have to be confirmed by the Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of parliament have come to the limelight, accusing each other of flouting procedures. These appointments included the anti-corruption bureau director and the diplomatic mission to South Africa who both faced the wrath of this committee. Further to this, some of the people already in the foreign mission have been asked to return, a situation that would send negative signals to hosting countries. The development is a clear demonstration of an opposition-dominated parliament that has a numerical advantage in the provision of providing checks and balances to government.

Media reports have observed little progress on the fight against corruption, attributing the development to the dysfunctional status of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and Director of Public Persecution offices that do not have leadership. However, the general public are still interested to see high profile cases come to a conclusion.

Political intolerance has not been far from the press this month. The reports have highlighted ugly incidences of fighting among supporters of different parties ahead of the coming elections of councillors. There have been campaigns by various parties and the vigour coupled with the exercise and the donor aid inflow is a clear manifestation of how much people need to have these controversial elections.

The current debate on the qualifications and requirement for those figures to hold public office enjoyed press coverage during the month. Except the judiciary, the executive and the legislature have been probed on their academic qualifications, a development that seems to spare no one. The newspapers alleged that some members of two arms of government did not possess the necessary qualifications.

The press spotlighted that fact distribution of development initiatives by government was selective, citing the northern region as lagging behind. There is growing realisation that the region's old development programmes needed to be sorted out in order for government to convince the electorate. There have been calls by the legislators that government needed to show commitment to the region's concerns, saying there is little taking place in terms of development initiatives. The media reports have unveiled an old "dead north syndrome" where development is still seen as selective. There is unequal distribution of wealth in the country, arguing that the balance is skewed towards the centre and the south. There is general observation that public appointments have taken the same course, the region suffers a marginalisation syndrome because statistically there are more public figures compared to the other regions. The issue on development has raised debate among different stakeholders that include religious leaders who have insisted on justice for all Malawians regardless of where they come from.

During the month under review, the media reports concentrated on debt cancellation and its impact on the Malawi economy. Malawians have since demonstrated their gratitude to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB). This month's report registers this unique achievement in many years in the history of Malawi that will be remembered for generations. The IMF team in the company of the Minister of Finance, Goodall Gondwe, jointly made the historical public announcement that 90 per cent of about US$3 billion had been written off the books of IMF, World Bank and the African Development Fund (ADF). This historic decision was arrived at after Malawi's successful implementation of the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF) program. Now that multilateral debt has been wiped out, Malawi would only be obliged to service debt from creditors other than the three institutions. The remaining per cents, which has not been included are monies borrowed from the Kuwait Fund, the Arab Bank for Economic Development (BADEA), the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and South Africa.

The Centre for Social Concern (CFSC) believes that the debt cancellation has freed up resources that will go a fair way to be used to speed up Malawi's efforts to reduce poverty and encourage investment in development.

Following this development on great debt relief of MK 400 billion, the IMF released its second trench of the PRGF arrangement worth US$7.3 million (MK900 million) after the completion of the second review of Malawi's economic performance. The disbursement of US$7.3 million brings the total disbursements for the new PRGF arrangement to about US$22.7 million. The IMF Executive Board approved the three year PRGF arrangement for a total amount of U$56.8 million to support Malawi economic program for 2005 - 2007 following the country's commitment to economic reforms. The World Bank too, during the month under review, released US$40 million grant for infrastructure development projects. The grant came at the right time when Malawi is experiencing frequent interruptions in electricity supply due to lack of generation capacity at Nkula Falls which has also affected the Blantyre Water Board, leaving the city's residents with no option but to draw water from untreated sources. It is the centre's view that the provision of efficient infrastructure services is of paramount importance to any expanding economy like Malawi.

The recent fuel increase effected barely five days after the international community announced Malawi's debt cancellation has had no significant impact on the prices of goods and services in the economy yet. According to Basic Needs Basket (BNB) by CFSC, the cost of living has remained stable, despite the increase at the fuel pump. The increase so far only affected the cost of mini-bus riders that went up by 20 per cent for the cities. The prices of most commodities have remained stable except for a few which fluctuate according to seasonal availability. The Petroleum Pricing Commission (PPC) announced an increase of fuel prices with effect from 6th September, 2006. In the recent increase, petrol has increased by 8.21 per cent from MK148.60 per litre to MK160.80 per litre while diesel has gone up by 6 per cent from MK146.10 per litre to MK154.50 per litre. Paraffin, the most essential for the poor went by 8.16 per litre from MK116.40 per litre to MK125.90 per litre. According to PPC, the increase in fuel products has been prompted by the increased cost of importing fuel which has also gone up by 60.76 per cent for petrol, 39.73 per cent for diesel and paraffin has gone up by 66.07 per cent.

During the month of September the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security has been busy assuring people all over the country about the government's commitment to ensuring food security this year. The Minister has focused on two main government programs: the fertilizer subsidy and the buying of smallholder farmers' maize through ADMARC. Regarding the later, the press has indicated that government gave ADMARC K500 million for purchasing only from smallholder farmers. The Minister is very confident that these two programs will be an incentive to smallholder farmers for producing more maize in the next season. In addition, the Ministry is also advocating for the Sasakawa method of maize growing because of its high yield.

The Minister is truthful to say that the two programs will increase food security, with evidence coming from press reports that this year's maize production (at 2.61 million tons) is above the 2.1 million tones required for national consumption of the food crop. The high yields have been attributed to the fertilizer subsidy and the good rains. With the introduction of smallholder farmers' access to ADMARC for selling their maize, the Minister is determined that food security will even improve further in the coming season. However, while this opening of ADMARC is a good development, there have been rumours that priority at many ADMARC depots is given to either vendors or commercial farmers (those bringing more bags of maize). Many smallholder farmers spend weeks without selling their maize. Many others, if they get a chance of selling at all, do not get fair price for their maize, as the actual weights are often not truly reflected. There are also unconfirmed reports regarding disparities in the distribution of coupons for subsidized fertilizer and about the difficulties that smallholder farmers encounter in accessing the subsidized fertilizer. This calls for an intensive investigation if smallholder farmers are to benefit from these two programs.

Besides this, while reports that over 40,000 tones of maize have been bought by ADMARC are a good development, there is a negative implication for food security at household level. If most of this maize is coming from smallholder farmers, whether directly or through vendors, the chronically food insecure households will be left with no food at all before the next harvest period. Attracted by the good pricing offered by ADMARC and coupled with their pressing need for cash, these vulnerable households are left with no option but to sell what would have been their food. Already, according to the press, the recent Vulnerability Assessment report has revealed that at least 833,000 people will have little or no food at all. In the future, it will pay if ADMARC depots were to be open at a time when cash-transfer programs (public works program) under social protection are being implemented. Food insecure households will not need to sell their food if targeted for these programs.

In another development, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is reported to have encouraged private sector participation in agricultural production. A positive response by the private sector will not only boost food security at national level, but will also preserve the hard-earned foreign exchange, because there will be no need for importing food.

The recent cancellation of US $2.9 billion (approximately K406 billion) from Malawi's total external debt by the IMF and the World Bank has brought sighs of relief and jubilation to the civil society and religious groups, applauding the current administration of president Bingu Wa Mutharika for its fiscal discipline that has born plausible results. But they have warned the president and his team against complacency and relaxation, mentioning high profile meetings and travels as a waste of resources. There is need to consult when implementing certain programmes. Concerned stakeholders who want the money freed through debt cancellation to reach the rural masses in every region say it will be a serious violation of justice if only a handful of Malawians profit from such a huge saving. The Civil Society together with the Religious Groups have proposed that the health and education sectors should receive great shares as usual, in order to improve the lives and education of the ordinary people in the villages.

The newspapers this month have exposed a rivalry of boundary disputes between Nkhoma and Livingstonia Synods. It is reported that the infighting has reached a record low. According to the press reports Nkhoma Synod was the first to encroach onto the Livingstonia Synod territory and, despite earlier meetings between the synods' leaders to resolve the issue amicably, all hope of peaceful settlement melted. One would have assumed dangerous bickering between religions was that of Christians and Muslims. The Livingstonia Synod has reiterated by publicly opening a church at Kawale 2, describing the structure as a symbol and a first step of mass invasion into Nkhoma Synod territory. The media reports have put into question the integrity of the religious groups whose primary mandate is to promote among all.

There is a growing concern over the misunderstanding of human rights especially by young people whose respect for their parents and teachers has drastically gone down. Many young people have little regard for old people to the extent that both parents and teachers fear them. The media have suggested a serious gap in the teaching of human rights because they are grossly misunderstood by the youth.

A 16-year tax break given to Paladin Resources Incorporation, a uranium mining company based at Karonga by Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) attracted media coverage during the month. Five NGOs question the MCCCI on the sense in giving the mining company a 16-year tax break while the government heavily taxes the government teachers and other civil servants.

The September press reports have continued to register ugly incidents that still take place in our various societies, apparently without regard for human dignity. What seems to count more these days is the quest to get more wealth irrespective of the means leading to the goal. There are many stories that emphasize the use of human private parts for one to accumulate riches in a much quicker way. It is alleged that some of these charms are exported to other countries where they are sold for exorbitant prices. People have become more afraid of even their relations who have been involved in these crimes. The abuses against the human dignity include violence, oppression and rape that leads to the contraction of HIV/AIDS.

The reports have put part of the blame on witchdoctors who play a great part in this development. They are well placed in society and their advice or medicine is usually taken seriously. In extreme cases people are advised to suck blood of their relatives in order to amass wealth. The practice has been compounded by the alleged presence and worship of Satan around our cities. Therefore, witchcraft and Satanism have been described in the same way in the sense that both undermine human dignity.

The September reports included women rapists, a new phenomenon that does not have punitive measures to-date according to the laws in Malawi. The development has shown how women have been described and sidelined as weak members of society from time immemorial. The absence of the law is a clear indication that at no point in history would women have attempted to rape. Men on the other hand, have been described as powerful and dominant, exerting doubt on the possibility of women waging violence against them.

There are reports of traditions still holding to old practices that fuel the rapid spread of the HIV/Aids through initiation rites. These are deeply rooted in society and its leadership and, the reports have covered the difficulty to eradicate the practice completely, claiming that the pandemic is a recent man made disease. Similarly, the undesirable relationships between young girls and old men, popularly known as ' sugar daddy relationship" have scaled up the spread of the diseases because young girls want survival from older colleagues.

Another felony that is happening almost on a daily basis from all the three regions of Malawi is that of men raping infants and sleeping with one's daughter, or a brother getting married to his own sister. The Malawian conscience seems to have reached its lowest ebb.

The September reports are a continuation of the many appeals to the Ministry of Education to improve the standards. Quality education has been heavily compromised by a general lack of resources, understaffing, lack of incentives, abrupt changes to the curriculum and corruption at all levels. These have been described as ingredients for poor quality education.

The recent Mzuzu University (Mzuni) case in which the staff was implicated in fraud gained media attention. It is imagined that the huge sums of money that ended up in the pockets of a few individuals would have been used in the daily running of the institution. Such losses bring serious implications on the life of the college because it brings in unprecedented shortfall.

Because of the deficit, the same Mzuni is demanding a staggering K480,000 fee from any student who wants to complete his/her studies at one of the constituent colleges of the University of Malawi (Unima) in Zomba or Bunda in Lilongwe, against the usual fee of K55,000.

Bunda College too has been in the press with its students invading the Ministry of Education offices and Vocational Training at Capital Hill in Lilongwe. The students were demanding to meet Dr Lamba who is the current chairperson for Public Universities Student Loan Trust Board to sort out the mode of payment for the books and stationery. The students wanted to express their wish to have hard cash instead of designated vouchers. The meeting was abortive as they were refused audience with the chairperson, a situation that poses doubt to effective communication.

Recent revelations in the press have confirmed reports that some Malawians have resorted to forging Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) in order to get senior positions, which require such qualifications. The development is a cause for major concern. Many employers regard the MSCE as a minimum requirement for any interviewee and this has compelled many of the job seekers who do not have the requirement to cheat by forging the said certificate. After many such cases came in the open, the Malawi National Examination Board (Maneb) has declared that it will screen and reseal certificates, which were obtained before 1998 after cabinet approval. The reason is simply because such certificates do not have security features.

Any nation, which endevours to reach high standards of livelihood needs to invest a lot of resources in educating its citizens. Such an exercise must start at an early age. But what happens if the children are hungry? This follows newspaper reports that 70 % of Malawian children go to school on an empty stomach. Worse still, only 30% of Malawian children of school-going age eat breakfast all year round. The subsequent result of all this is malnutrition and chronic diseases among the children.

However, all is not lost as more help for primary schools is in the pipeline. The Ministry of Education has introduced what will be called the Direct Support to Primary School (DSS), which will empower public schools to get direct monetary help from the government to buy teaching and learning materials. This system will prop up the Free Primary Education, which is falling apart because of lack of teaching materials and insufficient infrastructure.

Featuring highly on health among the media reports this month are the issues of HIV/AIDS, traditional healers and drug scams. On HIV/AIDS, the Ministry of Health is quoted in the press, as saying that the pandemic is destined for extinction before 2050 international deadline set by the World Health Organization. The ministry mentioned the introduction of a single dose of ARV drugs and the HIV/AIDS vaccine as enough testimony. However, contradictory to this are reports of increasing cases of HIV/AIDS in various parts of the country - one of them being the lakeshore areas where women and girls allegedly have unprotected sex with fishermen in exchange for money. This is a great challenge to the ministry's ambition of having the extinction of HIV/AIDS before the set deadline. Adding on to this are traditional healers' claims for a cure for fatal diseases including AIDS. According to The Nation and Daily Times newspapers of 5th September, some herbalists go to the extent of calling HIV positive people who are on ARVs to abandon the hospital therapy and adopt their concoctions. However, the regulation of traditional medicines alone cannot benefit the desperate chronically ill person. All she/he needs is just healing regardless of the means that are employed to bring about quick recovery.

The problem of HIV/AIDS pandemic can best be challenged by behavioural change that leads to prevention. The ministry should focus on this rather than measuring success on fight against HIV/AIDS based only on possibility of its cure. Besides, other reports have indicated that while HIV/AIDS patients on ARVs require nutritious foods, prison patients such as those at Mzuzu prison get access to only one meal a day, which is also rarely a balanced one. Everybody would agree that it is not only these prisoners who face such a predicament. The majority of HIV/AIDS patients in the rural sector face similar situations. As already said, it is also a fact that these HIV/AIDS patients face a choice between conventional and traditional medicines, therefore, the introduction of a single dose on ARVs and the vaccine can only perform the expected "miracle" if everybody had easy access to them.

According to media reports, government has attributed the shortage of medicines in most government hospitals and health centres to the increase in drug thefts. In order to combat this unfortunate conduct, the government, with the assistance of some donors has engaged American consultants to probe drug and medicine supply leakages from Central Medical Stores. Unfortunately, this development did not go well with most of the officials at the Ministry of Health as they are reported to have made threats to both the consultants and the minister - to the extent that the two parties fear for their lives and ministerial post, respectively. Enough supply of medicines in government hospitals is very essential and the basis of a good health status in a country such as Malawi where the majority of people are prone to all sorts of illnesses. That is why the supply of 54 ambulances to districts and central hospitals can only be of much benefit to the patients if these referral hospitals are stocked with the essential medicines and medical equipments. Otherwise the ambulances will only be there to ferry dead bodies from the hospitals back to the villages for funeral.

It is an open secret that in Malawi environmental degradation is a great concern not only to the government and civil society but also to the people themselves. It's really pathetic to see how our natural recourses have been polluted, plundered and destroyed and yet no tangible action has been taken to avert the situation.

There has been continued debate in the media this month on the use of charcoal in Malawi. With only one company that provides electricity in Malawi, the primary source of fuel is being plundered. According to an article in the Sunday Times by Chachacha Munthali, entitled "Criminalizing charcoal production" the writer asserts that "there could be no alternatives to charcoal, but, surely, there is none to trees from which charcoal is made." This is actually why Malawi is currently experiencing high levels of deforestation. Most Malawians are dependent on firewood and charcoal. It is an undeniable fact that we all have and are still plundering the forests, but have made no or very little effort in a forestation. This explains the outcry of most environmentalists in Malawi. For years Malawi has 'been famed for its breathtaking, green scenery but exotic trees did not lay down this green carpet; it was the indigenous trees that did." Of course one would not run away from the many problems that deforestation has brought and that is why environmentalists are advocating for criminalizing charcoal production.

On the other hand, proponents of legalizing charcoal production argue that with the economic standards of most Malawians and Malawi as a country, it is unlikely that we can do away with charcoal. Malawi is still considered an economically poor nation and so are its citizens. The other alternatives available are in themselves expensive to the masses. Daniel Nyirenda has extensively explored this view in his article "Legalising Charcoal in the Sunday Times of 3rd September, 2006. He summaries his argument by stating that, 'charcoal, banned as it is, remains the most affordable form of energy in the homes in Malawi. Other forms of energy have not been developed to a capacity that they could become appropriate alternatives to charcoal.' The public are eagerly waiting for the introduction of the rural electrification that should have been put to use many years ago. It is alleged that donor aid inflow took place whose fruits are yet to be seen.

Following the growing realisation of the costs of deforestation, the people of Traditional Authority Pemba in Salima launched a self-initiative forestation project, which is bearing fruits and it is an example to emulate. They are eying 40 hectares of forest cover by 2010. Of course this is commendable, but at the rate at which deforestation is growing in Malawi, this is a drop in the ocean.

The other area that attracted media attention is excessive fishing and environmental degradation on Lake Malawi. The research at the Malawi Fisheries Research Station established that "poor land and fishing management coupled with poverty had done the lake a lot of harm." The catch of the lake has fallen by 40% due to the dwindling stocks of fish. Fishing communities are now being empowered to take interest in guarding the lake resources to manage them productively.

In a nutshell, we all have witnessed environmental degradation, but have done little to rest the situation. We all need to walk the talk to show our commitment to this cause.

Media reports expressed a deficit in women's participation in decision-making forums. This observation is contrary to the SADC declaration of having at least 30% of women participation in key management. The ministry of Gender and Child Welfare continues to make strides in raising awareness on the need for increased number of women in strategic positions. However, Malawi still faces a special challenge in meeting this declaration because government is currently at 17% of women taking part in high profile management in the country.

Despite the ongoing campaign on gender-based violence, the proponents of this unwanted behaviour continue to pay a deaf ear to this awareness, prompting unwarranted reaction from various activists. Besides, the month saw the sexual abuse of girls by their teachers, a human rights issue that tampers with one's right to education and many others. There are reports of some teachers being transferred due to these scandals. The Storey workshop in Mzuzu highlighted a number of issues related to this violation.

There is growing preference to boys going to schools while girls have to manage the home. Girls actually play a second fiddle to boys. This tendency is being perpetrated by certain cultural values that put men first before women. Most societies still consider boys more intelligent than girls, hence their need to attend school. Another aspect spotlighted is that boys, if well educated would be breadwinners other than girls who end up getting married, and do not take their own decision.

The HIV/AIDs pandemic continues to be more devastating among women than men due to the biological make up. As stated earlier, men tend to dominate women in most activities because of the latter's little education. The demands by men that include sex are rarely rebuffed because they have more say in society. This makes women more vulnerable to the infection.

Center for Social Concern (CFSC)
Box 40049 Lilongwe 4
Area 25
Next to St. Francis Parish
Tel: 01 715 632
jkuppens@malawi.net -