Self Enrichment and Perils of Representative Democracy in Malawi

Do politicians serve their people, their political parties or themselves? Pose this question to any politician, and the most likely response is that they serve the people. This is particularly common in representative democracies but even dictators always claim to be working in the interest of their people, and never personal interests.

Nothing surprising here given that all forms of leadership try to be popular with the people. Dictators are always afraid of uprisings and/or military coups. In a democracy it is a straightforward issue because of elections where people are allowed to choose their representative(s).

This evokes the question: do politicians really go through all the bruising political campaigns, investing a lot of resources, depriving themselves of time with their nearest and dearest just for the love of their people, communities, and countries?

It is an interesting hypothesis but not the easiest to solve given that it is unlikely that any politician would categorically admit to serving their own interests. This unwritten rule has been reversed in Malawi where both a former leader of opposition and a former parliamentarian have made it clear that they were interested in political positions to gain personal wealth.

First was the former opposition leader in parliament John Tembo, who recently lost his position to a younger member of his party and Tembo has since launched a legal challenge to reclaim the opposition leader’s position in house. This is not the first time in Malawi that leaders of an opposition party have had to fight for the opposition leader’s position; and Tembo is not new to such fights. After Malawi’s 1999 general elections, Tembo had to outwit his then colleague and a leader of the main opposition party at the time, Gwanda Chakuamba, to become an opposition leader in parliament.

This background has made Tembo’s current legal challenge trickier and harder to argue. As a result, Tembo has just decided to be frank: the position would put him in a better financial position. This is the argument that Tembo’s lawyer, Wapona Kita, has presented before the court. Kita told the court that his client’s financial position will be under threat if he is not made leader of the opposition: “The applicant’s [John Tembo] financial position has been affected and we ask the court to make a decision on this.”

On the other hand, Lucius Banda, a political aspirant and perhaps the most successful musician in Malawi, recently admitted that his interest in politics was only to enrich himself. Banda was speaking to a local journalist who sought to find out why Banda had decided to contest for the United Democracy Front (UDF) presidency instead of concentrating on his successful music career.

“Go around and see how musicians [in Malawi] are suffering and this is why many are trying other means of survival. This is the same with me I am in politics to try and solve these things but I will continue with my music,” Banda said.

Banda is not naïve about politics. He has been here before. He briefly served as a parliamentarian before he was convicted of using a forged Malawi Schools Leaving Certificate (MSCE), which he used to contest for the parliamentary seat. As it stands, Banda is a convict and according to the stipulations of the land he can only seek any elected public position after at least ten years of his conviction. This means that he would be ineligible to contest for the presidency in 2014 if elected as UDF leader, as he was convicted in 2005.

These cases not only highlight the greedy nature of politicians and the flaws of the so-called representative democracy, it also shows the patronising nature of Malawi politicians/leaders towards the people. Where else in the world can a politician categorically say they want to be elected so they can better themselves? Is this to suggest that the people of Malawi are so stupid that they can vote for someone who clearly does not have the interests of the people and the country at heart?

Banda also pointed out that music in Malawi is "not a career but a hobby." Apparently because there is not enough money to be made from it, it may be true but Banda would be the first person to admit that he is not poor, by Malawian standards. In fact he's arguably the richest musician in the country.

I suppose Banda was comparing himself with some international artists, which is not the best way of analysing the situation given that Banda sings for the local audience – Malawi is a poor country where most people lacking spending power. Buying music is not a priority for the majority of people who often lack basic life amenities. 53 percent of Malawians live bellow the poverty line and an estimated 45 percent of the country’s 13 million people cannot survive the whole year without food aid.

These are simple statistics that anyone seriously considering running their country should be aware of.They ought to also try to base their manifesto and policies around improving such horrendous living conditions even if such policies are disingenuous. At least that would show some respect for the people.

Equally, Tembo would have put a strong case before the courts in challenging the opposition leader’s seat if he chose to. The Malawian parliament is totally dominated by the ruling party, a situation that has thus far allowed the parliament to pass some unpopular bills without any notable debate or challenge. Tembo would have presented himself as someone who would use this position to strengthen the opposition and therefore democracy in the country. Again, this would show some seriousness to the people of Malawi, even if it would only be disguising his true motives.

How do we sort out this mess? Maybe the onus is on Malawians; they need to stand up against opportunist politicians like Tembo, Banda and many others, simply by not voting for them.  Politicians take advantage of their positions because the only chance the people have of voting them out of office is after 5 years after which time politicians would have made enough savings out of taxpayers’ money. Perhaps Malawi needs to make the oath that these representatives take legally binding so that constituents can sue anyone who fails to honour their oath whilst in office?

Malawi govt supported on gay rights case but conundrum continues

The embattled Malawi government and it's civil society have found unlikely support among the Scottish community following a diplomatic stand off with the Scottish government over the Malawi's continued detention of a male couple who were arrested on 28th December 2009 after their alleged wedding, which is said to be contrary to the countries penal code and is punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment if found guilty.

Reacting to Scotland's External Affairs Minister, Fiona Hyslop, statement that only those organisations in Malawi which agree to an equal rights agenda will benefit from the annual £3m aid package, George Laid of Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University, argued that the Scottish government has no right to impose its beliefs on other countries.

"...This begs the question do we have the right to impose our beliefs on people in other countries to conform to our beliefs of fairness and equality? The answer is no."

Elsewhere, comments on the issue were equally in favour of Malawi government's "right" to practice its beliefs. Commenting on Timesoline report, - "SNP to axe aid to Malawi causes that shun gay rights" - Stewart Cowan said that he hoped that SNP (Scotland National Party) would revise their position. Adding:

"...I hope the SNP will reconsider their decision because there is no way on earth I could vote for a party that deprives the poorest people in the world on the basis that they have the same values we had ten or twenty years ago."

Cowan followed up his argument on his blog, writing that:

"How ironic that David Livingstone, [Scottish missionary] and many other missionaries, brought the Gospel to Nyasaland [modern day Malawi] from Scotland and now the Scottish “Government” is basically telling them that if they want their aid they have to renounce their beliefs."

By the look of things, these voices are a minority and therefore it is unlikely that Scotland will reconsider its position. Nevertheless, this support will be welcomed by Malawi government, which still appears to have not realised that they are in a no win position on the case. Malawi has turned itself on the tight corner.

Malawi government seems to have not realised that if the detained couple are acquitted that will legalise the same sex marriages in the country, which will put the government at odds with powerful religious groups that have since denounced homosexuality in the country. In a case where the couple are found guilty and imprisoned, the government will have to leave with the consequences of increased back-lash from the international community, and not only donors and aid organisations but human rights groups too. 

Malawi government may argue that the case is decided by the judiciary, which is a separate, and "independent" arm of the state but the state president has pardoning powers and so the case still resides in the hands of the government, as the President heads it.

Here is the conundrum Malawi government has to solve: acquit the couple and face the wrath of church organisations that are more than capable of galvanising their followers into voting against the ruling party. Or, arrest the couple and face the repercussions of donors, aid and international community.

Malawi Food Security

First, Malawi's president, Bingu wa Mutharika, who also heads the country's agricultural Ministry, reacted to the Famine Early Warning Network's (FEWS) warning that some districts in southern region will be affected by drought. President Mutharika has ensured his people that the country will produce enough food adding: “We may even produce a surplus, but lower than what we produced in the past three years."

Earlier this year the president assured his people that his government had set aside 215,000 tonnes of maize from last season’s surplus to mitigate hunger that may result from the inadequate rains.

On the other hand, his Ministry (agriculture) has come up with an unusual strategy of banning the traditional selling of green corn by all Malawians, as one way of ensuring food security at both national and household levels. Under normal circumstances, Malawians are allowed to trade green corn until such a time when all the corn in the fields has matured. The trade is then stopped in order to protect farmers from thieves that sell corn from other people's gardens.

This move is a clear indication that President Mutharika is very worried about the food situation despite his words of assurance. Barring this, most people would justifiably be compelled to go with Mutharika's assurance, given his record. Agriculture has been the strongest achievement of Mutharika's presidency so far, having registered the average of 3.1 million metric tonnes of maize surplus in the last three harvesting seasons.

All this is good for Malawi but everyone is missing the point: the main issue with food security in Malawi is its tragic policies, if there are any. Malawi is a very poor country, and people starve even when the country has surplus food. In September 2009 the World Food Programme (WFP) made an international appeal for 5.2 million US dollars to help feed more than half a million Malawians until the end of 2010.

"We are seeking donor support to meet the 5.2 million US dollars shortfall to enable WFP provide the food needs of the targeted beneficiaries up to December 2010... despite a bumper maize yield of 3.3 million tonnes, this national surplus does not automatically and directly trickle down to vulnerable groups such the chronically-ill and orphans", said WFP’s country director, Anne Callanan.

This is the area president Mutharika and his administration must address. Last year Malawi reportedly sold maize to Zimbabwe and Kenya, and according to the president, the country managed to put aside 215 000 tones of maize for emergency. Yet WFP was busy begging money from the international community so it can feed Malawi's "vulnerable" groups, which consists of nearly half (45 percent) of Malawi's 13 million people.

This case clearly shows that the question of how much corn Malawi will have this harvesting season is not all that relevant given that nearly half of the population - the "vulnerable" groups - will starve regardless. To address the situation Malawi could do very well to address the following areas as identified by FEWS:

First, the government must find answers as to why some areas that are considered food secure still show high rates of chronic malnutrition. Second, the country must address the inadequacy of appropriate skills and technologies for food preparation, preservation, and storage, which lead to high food losses in terms of both quantity and quality.

Also, food taboos resulting from cultural and religious beliefs limit consumption and/or use of certain foods, hence reducing food diversity at the household level.

FEWS also recommends that the Malawi government must ensure that traders in food commodities are equipped with information on market dynamics in order to make better decisions in terms of where they can trade in a particular year. Finally, FEWS points out that the government must be in control of food prices, especially in times of scarcity because traders sometimes take advantage of the situation and worsen the problem by pricing food commodities too high for the rural poor, who have little or no purchasing power.

If the government of Malawi is really serious about improving the food situation, then these are the areas that must be looked into very seriously. Going around discussing food surpluses and droughts is good; it shows that the government cares but it will not curb the situation.

Africa: Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse

In the book "Wars, Guns and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places", there is a passage where its author, Paul Collier argues that one of the differences between African and Western [referring to western Europe and North America] leaders is that Western leaders always try to smile in their public appearances, which is not always the case with their African counterparts.

Collier is not implying that African leaders are nastier or more grumpier than the westerners, rather, he is trying to emphasize the fact that western leaders acknowledge their people as masters who gets them into the positions of power, hence a smile, even a fake one, can certainly help them in retaining or winning the elector's favour. In Africa elected leaders are still treated the same way as dictators before them; they are masters to be feared and revered: demigods to be praised.

Perhaps African democracies must be allowed time to mature given that it was only in the 1990s that most African countries turned democratic after gruelling decades of dictatorship, which was preceded by another uncomfortable era: colonialism. This is valid point, and must be acknowledged.

However, the biggest mistake that Africa and Africans can make is to use these past experiences as excuse for the continuing treatment of its leaders or rulers, in this case, as demigods. Given the circumstances in Zimbabwe, it may not be ideal to use Robert Mugabe's reported lavish 86th birthday party and the on coming 30th anniversary of his coming to power, as an example of this point.

Even so, it is still shocking that the Zimbabwe parliament, among other public institutions, is spending a lot of money placing advertisements in the media to wish Mugabe a happy birthday and happy anniversary while 1.6 million Zimbabweans are without food; 1.9 million Zimbabweans are currently surviving on food aid and four in five of the country's young cannot afford school fees.

Of course the money being spent on these lavish activities cannot feed all the people needing food support, but these activities indicates a complete lack of concern and diminished responsibility on the part of the officials.

Incidentally, Zimbabwe is not the only African country that is spending big on its leader while majority are struggling to make ends meet. Recently in Malawi media organisations that are still in good books with the government got more than they bargained for, in advertising revenue. The election of Malawi's president, Bingu wa Mutharika as African Union (AU) leader came barely two weeks before his wedding. Just like in Zimbabwe, both public and private sector seized the opportunity to shower their praises and congratulatory messages for their leader in the local media.

Even charity organisations that are always looking for donations joined the frenzy. One European expatriate working with Population Services International (PSI) in the country was so dismayed that they let it be known on micro-blogging site, Twitter. This is happened in a country where more than half of its 13 million people are leaving below the poverty line.

Walk in every office, bank, shop or any public building in Malawi and you will be greeted by a flamed picture of the president. It was the case under Hastings Kamuzu Banda's presidency; it was the same during Bakili Muluzi's era, and now it is Mutharika turn.

Malawi is a poor democratic country; its constitution guarantees that there will be a different president every ten years, or five years if the incumbent fails to win their second term; and change is a certainty in the case of death of the president. Now, does Malawi have resources to replace all these presidential faces every time there is a change? How much does it cost? Can the government not use this money for better initiatives? Improve the high poverty and illiteracy rates for example.

There is nothing wrong with people being nice and appreciative to their leaders but it must not come at the expense of more important and urgent issues. It is our leaders who take an oath to serve their people and not the other way round. As for Malawi, presidents have enough packages once they have done their time; including tax-free imports.

Gay Rights in Africa: What is the Donor Community Up To?

The dictatorial manner in which the donor community is handling gay issues in Malawi and Uganda clearly shows that they are not driven by Africa’s best interests but rather, pushing their own agenda. This is a wake up call for African nations to rethink donor intervention in African affairs.

The issue of gay rights in Malawi and Uganda has recently received unprecedented international attention, and rightly so. Two separate issues have ignited the debate within the said countries and condemnation from the international community.

First is Malawi’s arrest of two gay men after their alleged wedding, which according to Malawi authorities was against the law and a crime punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment. On the other hand, Uganda has been criticised for its ‘private members bill’ that proposes to punish all gays with life imprisonment.

There is a famous concept that the world is not a bad place because it has bad people but it is because of the good people who do not stand up against evil. In the spirit of this saying, I find it appropriate that international community, including reputable organisations like Amnesty International have stood up for the rights of gay communities, and they have duly called for the release of the arrested homosexuals in Malawi.

Meanwhile, the issue has not only highlighted the huge cultural and ideological gulf between the West and the East, but it has also opened a whole bucket of worms that could have some serious implications on international relations.

According to Timesonline, Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, has distanced himself from an anti-homosexuality bill currently before the Ugandan parliament in Kampala after pressure from the Prime Ministers of Britain, Gordon Brown, and Canada, Stephen Harper, and the United States’ secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.

Timesonline has also reported that United Kingdom’s ‘Queen’s music composer’, Sir Peter Maxwell Davis, has called on the Scottish government to suspended its aid to Malawi until the government of Malawi frees the gay couple currently in custody under anti-gay laws.

Malawi's Information Minister Leckford Mwanza Thoto holds that the gay couple have broken the laws of the land, hence the ‘government cannot interfere in the court process’ [presumably emphasising the separation of powers]. The minister also adds: ‘we depend on our Western friends, yes, but we are a sovereign country.’

As much as I believe the Western countries are acting in the interest of the gay community, I also think that this case has exposed the fragility of Africa’s so called independent countries. Scotland contributes £3 million of the forty percent budgetary support that Malawi gets from the donor community. In 2008 / 2009, the Ugandan government received £35 million in budgetary support from the UK government. The donor community consequently feels that the African countries [receiving support] must toe their line.

The gay rights issue is cultural if not an ideological. There should be a rational discussion to find ways of dealing with it. Threatening Uganda and Malawi with aid freeze / withdrawal may get the donor community their intended results but it will not change people’s ideologies and beliefs. This can only be done through discussion as equal partnered.

The West must not imply that they are the all consuming ogres of knowledge to do the teaching but not the learning from ‘others.’ Such a mentality and will only breed resistance.

Africa is a home to 17 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who according to Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), often have very limited or no access to food, employment, education and healthcare. The IDMC further states: "large number of IDPs are caught in desperate situations amidst fighting or in remote and inaccessible areas cut-off from international assistance. Others have been forced to live away from their homes for many years, or even decades, because the conflicts that caused their displacement remained unresolved."

IDPs are people who are forced to flee their homes but who, unlike refugees, remain within their country's borders. While refugees are eligible to receive international protection and help under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol, the international community is not under the same legal obligation to protect and assist the IDPs.

How does the donor community and indeed the international media explain their reluctance to fight for the rights of these IDPs when they can do it for the gay community?

Museveni has backed down on the proposed anti-homosexual bill under pressure from the donor community; but why did the very same donor community fail to react when Museveni failed to protect an estimated 2 million of his people displaced by the Lord’s Resistance Army in northern Uganda?

The donor community has powers to force policy changes but when it applies double standards, Africans must question what it is up to.

Malawi: The case of Sweet Sixteen Marriage Bill Indicates the Lack of Evidence-based Policies

The last Parliament sitting passed more laws than any other sitting in Malawi’s democratic history. The Malawi government justified it by stating that there were a number of laws, the Penal code in particular, that needed reviewing. This is indeed necessary, as Malawi has changed a lot since the Penal code was first drafted in the late 1960s; and I believe the Penal code could adapt more.

Despite the fact that social and economical changes can be observed, it is necessary that studies and research be done in order to substantiate such changes. It is the findings of such studies that must then inform the necessary steps to be taken - changing laws, policies etc. This is what is known as evidence-based policy.

Mo Ibrahim recently bemoaned the lack of statistics in many African countries; and according to him, Malawi is one of these countries. Nonetheless, Malawi has the National Statistics Office (NSO) and Malawi conducts population and housing census every ten years. Therefore, I feel this is an indication that Malawi is aware of the importance of statistics in the running of government and policy formulation.

However, the recent rejection of the bill to allow children to marry at the age of sixteen, with the consent of their parents is an indication that policy makers in Malawi do not engage statistics in policy making. As a Malawian with a very good social knowledge of my country, I can understand the outrage towards the bill.

Malawians are supposed to be “God fearing people” who are against anything “immoral”. This indicates the huge conservatism in the country, but in the presence of hard evidence the policy makers must not shy away from the “inconvenient truth”. It is such act that will help the nation grow and perhaps liberate many from all forms of societal ills.

For instance, available statistics (both national and international) indicates that infant mortality has improved in Malawi while life expectancy has not; life expectancy remains at 49 for women and 51 for men. In fact, according to United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Malawi is one of the nine sub-Saharan countries (sub-Sahara has 49 countries) that will have the life expectancy of its people dropping by 20 years begging in 2010.

Thus, from 2010 life expectance in Malawi will be around 39 years for women and 41 for men. With the lowered infant mortality levels, this suggests that Malawi is going have a very young population; and policies to reflect these changes have to be implemented today. It’s those who adapt that survive; and to adapt one needs to have foresight.

According to Allafrica’s report, the marriage bill, known as “sweet sixteen bill” to many Malawians, was introduced as an improvement to the current legislation, which apparently pegs marriage age at 15 with consent of parents. The parliament initially passed the bill but the state president, Bingu Wa Mutharika, refused to sign it.

Knowing President Mutharika's arrogance, which has really worked for him so far; I cannot speculate that president Mutharika gave in to the huge protest from local NGOs and faith groups. However, given the statistics, I strongly believe the bill was necessary and president Mutharika should have signed it. This legislation would have done Malawi more good than harm – in the long term.

Nevertheless, given that the policy makers could not argue their case successfully, I do not suppose they knew why they proposed for the bill in the first place other than the flimsy argument that 16 years was an improvement from 15 years. Now here was the argument: if 16 years was an improvement from 15 years, then why not 17, 18, 19 or 20 years?

If this brilliant piece legislation (in my reckoning) was to be evidence-based, the policy makers could have argued that this was the reason why 16 years was an appropriate age:

Suppose one gets married at 16 and has a child, two or three before the age of 30; the statistics shows that at the current life expectancy rate, the parent(s) would have another 15 to 20 years to look after their children. This would inevitably ease the current burden of orphans fending for themselves because the children would be a bit older and more capable to handle the situation.

Now based on the UNDPs above statistics, (life expectance to drop by 20 years) these parents would have only 5 to 10 years to look after their children. Here one do not need to be a genius to see that the children will have no one to cater for them, as they are not old enough to look after themselves; the country would be clattered with hopeless and helpless orphans. This would be catastrophic!

Policy makers must forget and ignore the need to be popular with traditionalists and moralists. Instead, policy makers must stick to helpful indicators of human development. I should think this is why Malawi has National Statistics Office in the first place. History has taught us that only those who dared to differ are the ones that have made positive changes: Galileo Galilei, Martin Luther (the protestant) Socrates, Mahatma Gandhi… etc

This is my theoretical interpretation of the status quo and there is a possibility that I am wrong. I would love it if someone can prove me wrong.

Malawi: The end of civil liberties?

So, Malawi Parliament has finally passed the so-called “Police Bill”. I fear this legislation could further erode Malawi’s already fragile civil liberties. In fact, Malawi may already be sleepwalking into such state. According to recent reports, the bill has been will increase police powers to search and arrest without a warrant.

Also, the bill empower the minister responsible for internal security to issue warrant of arrest and it will also make it illegal for citizens to hold demonstration or protest at the houses of parliament, the state house and the courts.

It’s not difficult to see that there are two practical problems with the proposed regulation. The first one is that by allowing a minister to issue the warrant of arrest, the police service would be politicised; this would inevitably lead to some form of coercion, which is not ideal in a democratic country where differing political views must be allowed to be voiced without any fear or restriction.

The second problem is that thugs would easily break into people’s house posing as police hence the police do not need any warrant. As a result, the legislation would weaken and undermine the integrity of the police.

I am sure the authorities are well aware of this potential problem. Therefore, it would not be irrational to conclude that the bill is not meant to protect citizens but the interests of the state.

History indicates that tampering with civil liberties has been a problem with Malawi parliament, since the first democratically elected parliament assume office in 1994. For instance, the very first amendment of the republican constitution, since its attainment, fourteen years ago, was to slash-off the recall provision, which was the only section that empowered the people.

The section empowered constituents to remove their legislatures if they are not working according to the wishes of the constituents and their campaign manifestos.

There have been arguments that the recall provision was never practical in the first place. There maybe be a grain of truth in this but the fact that it was removed altogether instead of trying to improve it has some strong correlation with the current proposals.

Malawi has only been democratic, if democracy means voting alone, for fifteen years and we could already be returning to the dark days of dictatorship when coercion and state terrorism was the order of the day.

Democracy isn’t just voting. Civil liberties are a big part of it; true democracy allows its citizen freedom and expression in whichever way or form they please, so long as it is peaceful. Banning demonstrations at public institutions is an attempt by politicians to hide from being accountable to their own people, the taxpayers.

Politicians do not own the courts, the state house and the houses of parliament, the people do. Therefore the people must be allowed to have a say on how these institutions are run. After all, the literal meaning of democracy power to the people; and you cannot empower the people by depriving them of their civil liberties.

Malawi: sex workers must be helped not loathed

About three weeks ago I wrote an article congratulating Mrs Patricia Kaliati and her ministry, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development, for proposing a regulation that would protect “sex workers” in Malawi.

In the article I agued against Human Resources Consultative Committees’ stance to discourage the bill because Malawi was a “God fearing nation.” I also made it clear that I am not a prostitution advocate but that I believed that the only way forward was to acknowledge its existence and try to deal with it.

Nearly four weeks after latter, allafrica.com has reported that a similar plan has been put in place by the same Ministry; they are planning to offer “prostitutes low-interest loans to start small business in return for abandoning sex work is generating controversy.”

Once more, I am in full agreement with Mrs Kaliati and her ministry; and I have to emphasise that I do not believe that any well meaning Malawian could try to block the Ministry’s brave move, which could yet turn out to be crucial step in combating HIV/Aids and other sexual transmitted diseases.

Remember: the first step to overcoming any problem is to admit its existence; the second step is to find its cause or roots; the third step is to devise a strategy of overcoming it. This is exactly what the Ministry of Gender have done; kudos to Mrs Kaliati and her Ministry for devising the plan when they knew fully well that it will attract criticism.

According to Ayam Maeresa, a special assistant to Mrs Kaliati, “most [sex workers] leave school at an early age, get pregnant, and then [they] have to provide for a child, so they end up on the streets as a way to earn a bit of money.” Kaliati herself added that most sex workers have been driven “into prostitution” by poverty.

I know that there are a lot of women in Malawi who have hard the unfortunate situation of having unwanted children at a tender age and did not go into prostitution. That is the world, we all react differently to similar situations; some are weak and some are stronger than other; and it is the duty of the government, through its ministries to the help the weak.

However, looking at the two key findings from the Ministry of Gender on what leads women into prostitution, it should be easy for any rational person to understand the Ministry’s position.

I am aware that the ministry has yet to indicate the sought of businesses they would be offering “the sex worker”. I am also aware that this is only a plan and not all plans come into fruition. Nonetheless, this remains an important proposal insofar as combating HID/Aids is concerned.

I would like to appeal to all the moralists in Malawi to always put the interests of the country first. Criticism must be constructive and practical. We have been hearing how “God fearing” Malawi is; yet sex trade prevails. The epidemic is killing thousands of people every year. Yet we prefer to be seen as “God fearing”?

I often wonder about the role fathers in all this; we have a lot of fathers in Malawi, whose children qualify as “fatherless”, only because the fathers have opted to stay away. Remember Chifundo? Madonna’s adopted daughter, her father opted out; he only appeared after international media had paid him to claim the child.

I would urge all “God fearing” moralists in Malawi to start looking at these issues more seriously, as they are just “immoral”, if not worse. We need to start seeing things as they are; not how we want them to be. That is the only way forward.

Malawi: Why the Sex Workers Bill Must be Encouraged

When the Minister of Women, Gender and Community Development, Patricia Kaliati, announced her ministry's proposed Sex Workers Bill I expected backlash from faith groups - it may yet come.

What has surprised me however, is the fact that the only criticism so far has come from a human rights group, Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC). Through their national coordinator, Mabvuto Bamusi, the rights group has argued that "Malawi is a faith-based country with all forms of religions whose beliefs condemn prostitution; therefore we must not forget who we are, culturally and morally, Bamusi told Reuters.

I find this argument cheap and scandalous, more so that it is coming from a self-styled human rights group that ought to stand for the rights of all. Malawi may indeed pride itself in being "God-fearing nation" but the fact is that prostitution exists in Malawi. Also, not every Malawian is "God-fearing" citizen. These people ought to recognised and protected like all other citizens.

I am not advocating for prostitution but recognising its existence is the only way we can improve things. After all, the essence of the bill is to protect sex workers from abusive clients and I feel the ministry has done a good job by coming up with this proposal.

HRCC needs to look at a bigger picture; there are many unintended positive consequences that may come out of this bill. For instance, by protecting sex workers they will also be empowered to demand safe or protected sex from their clients, hence they know they have somewhere to go if they are abused. Furthermore, sex workers are most likely to seek health advise if they know they are accepted.

This would help curb the rate of HIV/Aids and other sexual transmitted diseases. HIV/Aids is one of the biggest problems facing the country today. Therefore, every little step that would help curbing it must be encouraged.

According to National Aids Commission (NAC) Chairperson Reverend Bernard Malango, Malawi has been registering an average of nearly 90,000 new HIV/Aids infections annually. Half of these cases are among the youth.

I therefore urge the HRCC to take all these issues into account when they are talking about the of morality the country or lack of it.

Does the Politics of Food Distribution in Malawi Indicate Moral-Bankruptcy?

I have recently discovered that the root to my endless curiosity is not just the passion for my beliefs, but also the fact that the more I know the less I seem to understand. The latest episode doing my mind is World Food Programme's (WFP) recent appeal for money donation to help vulnerable people in Malawi.

The WFP have launched a global appeal for 5.2 Million US Dollars to help "around 45 percent" of vulnerable Malawians who will face food shortage between this November and December of 2010.

Nothing new here, and I applaud the WFP's continued efforts and support for those in need of such help. The downside of this development however is the fact that Malawi has had maize (maize is staple food in Malawi) surplus in the last three harvesting seasons, a success that has recently won Malawi's president, Bingu wa Mutharika, many kudos and accolades.

Yet the WFP has said that despite the 3.3 million metric tones of surplus maize, vulnerable people in Malawi will still face food shortage as the surplus food "does not automatically trickle down to vulnerable groups, such as the chronically-ill and orphans."

I never thought, not even for a split second, that the surplus maize meant an end to hunger and starvation. There are homeless and starving people even in the mega cities of this world, but one would think that the surplus maize would at least improve the the food situation a little. Alas! The frightening statement from the WFP that the surplus food "does not trickle down to the vulnerable people" suggests that this is only a wishful thinking: Those that have lacked food in the past will still starve!

I find it awfully wrong, has Malawi become the country where only the fittest will survive? If we are to define the word vulnerable, we will see that only those who are not in a position to cultivate for themselves are the ones starving. Does this mean the government do not have policy in place to care and protect these vulnerable groups?

Where are our traditions? Where is the spirit of Chidyerano? (eating together) Where is the spirit of Ubuntu/Umunthu (humanity) that epitomised the generations of our ancestors? Maybe it was a stroke of luck that I come across the WFP appeal whilst reading Ernesto "Che" Guevara's The Motorcycle Diaries, a book that recaptures the spirit of good old days when one would set off on a journey with only little resources knowing they would be fed and cared for by "total strangers" on their way.

Che was South American but this was the same spirit that embodied Africa and Africans; the spirit of Ubuntu! (here is Nelson Mandela on Ubuntu). Legend has it that Malawi's first "post-colonial" president Hastings Banda set-of on foot from Malawi to South Africa in search of education. He made it only because he was cared for by "Other" people on the way. A Malawian reggae singer, the late Evison Matafale, also decried about these good old days in one of his songs, "Yang'ana Khope Yako / Yang'ana Khope Yanga" (Look at your face / Look at my face). A very pan-African song that promoted the spirit of one-love and togetherness. We are all one!

Going back to the past would be a nonstarter and that is not what I am advocating, but we can surely learn something from our ancestors, the people we perceive today as uncivilised than we are. There were no awards for "good performing" leaders or good will ambassadors, but what mattered is that people looked after one another. The interest of the people first and everything later.

Now, if Malawi's food surplus is not for the vulnerable people, someone has to explain what all those accolades that have been heaped on Mutharika are for. The fact that the most needy, the vulnerable, which are approximated at 45 percent of the 13 million national population, cannot benefit from the success of the their own country speaks the volumes of the undeniable negligence on the part of the government. How can a country even develop when almost half of its population live on empty stomachs? Let us strive not to be successful; let us strive to be of a value, and that value means respecting human lives, not accolades and gongs!

Malawi: Why Mutharika Must not Set Price on Agricultural Products

Folks, you have to excuse me but I will not stop ranting about the state of affairs in loved country, Malawi. President Bingu wa Mutharika has been in the headlines of late, both locally and internationally after ordering deportation of 'foreign' tobacco buyers. Mutharika accused the tobacco buyers of paying less than his set price on the commodity.

I do not have an idea how tobacco is graded and priced. Therefore, I cannot comment on the effectiveness of his policy of having a fixed price on a commodity with quality that constantly changes. What is apparent however, is the fact that Mutharika will have to find buyers from somewhere. Tobacco selling season in Malawi is coming to an end but there is disaster looming in the agricultural industry.

For instance, about a moth before this tobacco incident, The Nation news site reported that cotton farmers in Southern Malawi had pleaded with the government to lower down the set price of MK75 (MK is Malawi Kwacha)because buyers were unwilling to pay the amount due to poor quality of the product. This standstill meant that the quality of the cotton was getting worse by day whilst still in the hands of the farmers. According to the story, the farmers resorted to selling their product to "unscrupulous" buyers who were paying MK30, which is even less than Mutharika's set price.

What this means is that Mutharika's policy may be tough on the "foreign" buyers that he is chasing away, but the truth is that the policy is affecting the very farmers that Mutharika was meant to be protecting. If Mutharika wants to protect farmers, the best move is to anchor the industry to the market; attract as much buyers as possible, the more bidders for the product the higher the price.

I strongly believe this is the only way forward. State regulations will always be there but resorting to dictatorial threats is not a solution. After all, tobacco is a dying industry. I am not trying to write its eulogy here but as a concerned citizen I am surprised that the government has not started looking at its alternatives more seriously.

By the admission of the Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Andrew Daudi, in the last two or three harvesting seasons Malawi has had good tea and coffee harvests. This has also coincided with the rise of the price of the commodity on the international marker. Yet our country stays mum on this and keep its focus on tobacco. Malawi is second-biggest tea producer in Africa, after Kenya. The commodity brings 7.9 per cent of foreign exchange, annually; only second to tobacco. Yet Malawi has only one tea market (in Limbe) where farmers can sell their product?

My point here is that by chasing or deporting "foreign" tobacco buyers branding them "colonialists", right or wrong, Mutharika has priorities and his main priority in this case are the farmers who are clearly not going to benefit from this policy. Mutharika needs to look at a bigger picture. The policy in place will only hurt Malawian farmers, the very people Mutharika is meant to be protecting!

Malawi: Chakumba's case undermine virtues of good governance

They say time is a healer, I fully agree. You may also wish to accept that old age can save you from persecution; well, especially if you are a former political prisoner, a former leader of opposition and a failed presidential aspirant like Gwanda Chakuamba Phiri in Malawi.

Chakuamba was recently found guilty of inciting violence by a Malawian court but the court cannot sentence him due to his old age, apparently. Mr Chakuamba is 78. I find the ruling very troubling and shambolic, to put it in lighter terms.

Does this ruling suggest all the prisoners currently behind bars are under 78 years of age? Fair enough, degrees of crime are considered in every judgement and that is traditionally reflected in the length of a sentence that one gets, but if someone can incite violence surely they are young enough to serve jail term of every capacity - house arrest, travel ban or prison. Will I not be arrested at 78 if I incite violence? I wish I had 50 years to add on current my age!

What is more puzzling, perhaps more significant about the whole thing is that one can be a president in Malawi at 81 years old, which is what the incumbent president, Bingu wa Mutharika will be in 2014 when his last term in office finishes. Here it gets more complex. Suppose Mutharika's successor(s) are suspicious of some wrong doing by him, will they not take legal action against him, just as Mutharika's administration is doing with his predecessor, Bakili Muluzi? If found guilty would Mutharika not be sentenced at 81?

Comical as this case may sound, it has some serious implications on good governance and the justice system in the country. Previously I have argued that good governance in Africa is undermined because public figures have too much immunities and protection. Chakuamba's case has nothing to do with his age but everything to do with who he is. Any ordinary citizen in his shoes could have been behind bars - without trial in many cases. Malawi and indeed, Africa will not improve if our leaders and public figures are not held accountable for their actions.

This case brings to mind Bakili Muluzi's well publicised medical treatment in the UK, which is being payed for by Malawi taxpayers. Muluzi ruled Malawi for 10 years and failed to improve health care system, taxpayers in the country are dying from curable diseases because public hospitals cannot afford medicine among other things yet their money is spent on an ex-leader to go abroad for his medical help? Where is the justice? I am not faulting Muluzi here, he is just benefiting from inefficient system that is in place.

How would our leaders improve health care system when they know taxpayers will fly them abroad for medical attention when when they are down? These people must be treated in our local hospitals, that will not only serve money, but it will bring justice to everyone, and perhaps improve services as well. If anyone wants treatment abroad let them pay for it.

Everyone is supposed to be equal under the law, that is what the Republican Constitution preaches but on this evidence, some people are more important, even failed leaders!

Africa must do away with presidential immunities

The news of Fredrick Chiluba's acquittal came as surprise to many given that the former Zambian president had already been convicted of similar changes by a UK High Court in 2007. Luck enough for Chiluba, his UK conviction can not have him jailed in Zambia, as it is outside the country's boundaries.

As is the norm with court battles, many people would be suing for damages. Instead Chiluba has decided to fight for restoration of his immunity, as a former president. His immunity was revoked as a result of his conviction in the UK.

I find this a truly bizarre stance by the former president and his legal team. I am not a legal expert and I am not advocating that Chiluba seek damages either, but if he is an innocent person, as the Zambian High Court has found him, why is he fighting for his immunity?

In the last couple of months, or also, I have repeatedly said that presidential immunities undermine transparency and good governance in Africa, and indeed elsewhere. Apart from the high price that tax payers have to pay in legal fees, immunities are also incentive for these leaders to cling on to power or handpick the leaders that they think will protect them.

This is exactly what Chiluba and his Malawian counterpart, Bakili Muluzi did. They both failed their unconstitutional third term bids then forced successors on the people, late Levy Manawasa and Bingu wa Mutharika, respectively.

Today Malawi's online news site, Nyasatimes and Afrik.com are reporting that Chiluba's acquittal gives Muluzi hope of winning his on going corruption case where he is accused of diverting government funds into his personal accounts.

There is a tell in Africa: when elephants fight it is the grass that gets trampled, while these leaders are spending their retired years in courts, the poor people are dying in prisons without trial; the poor tax payers are meeting these legal costs that could be avoided simple by abolishing the stupid and unnecessary presidential immunities.

Now in my loved country, Malawi, ex-leaders won't even be paying tax for their 'personal' imports. Yet another incentive for our greedy leaders to cling on to power. With immunities in place we can all forget the rhetoric of good governance, transparency and whatever good democracy entails.

Prejudice is one thing, ignorance is another

Prejudice and ignorance is not the same thing, but prejudice can sometimes lead to the later. In thinking that we are better than other people we sometimes deprive ourselves of new and sometimes invaluable knowledge. I once attended a journalism school where I learned that one of the qualities of a good journalist is curiosity; and one of the worst habits any journalist can have is to draw conclusions based on assumption.

This is exactly what led to the Associated Press' news story: "Poverty-stricken Malawi feasts on mice". The content of the story is accurate, no doubt about that. However, the headline is nothing but a distortion based on prejudice.

Had the writer took their time to do simplest of researches, speaking to the mice sellers, for instance, they could have established that the people who buy the mice are the people with some sort of income. In other words, people who are not starving. People that can afford to buy food; they buy mice as a luxury, for the love of it. That is why mice is sold on the roadsides. The idea is to sale the product to the motorists; poor people in Malawi don't drive. This is a simple logic.

Similarly, mice is consumed in the villages but not as a staple food. In fact, the period when people hunt mice is just after harvest because during this time the mice is everywhere in the corn and groundnuts fields looking to steal farmer's produce. As it is harvesting time, it means that the people would have enough food to feed themselves. After all, Malawi has had food surplus in the last three harvesting seasons. Eating mice is more of a tradition in Malawi. People with or without food do it.

I applaud the initiative to write stories on small countries as Malawi but I would urge the people involved to do more research and try to understand the topics before jumping into assumption based conclusions. In this case, I am sure the writer already had in mind about the kind of story they wanted to tell. That is why the available facts were ignored.

Rule of Law is the only prerequisite for good governance

After the G8 summit that was dominated by Silvio Berlusconi's scandals than demonstrations, the world's most popular leader, Barak Obama headed to Ghana for a snap visit. The speculation was that the choice of Ghana was due to its 'good democratic record', even though Botswana can match that. Nonetheless, Ghana is more visible on the world map and has larger presence on the global scale.

Given the reasoning behind Obama's choice of Ghana, one would easily predict that the theme of the visit would rally around democracy, good governance, development, aid, civil war etc... all the four topics sprung up, civil war did not, Mr Obama preferred to use the softer word: conflict.

However, I believe good governance is the key if any of the issues that Obama highlighted are to be achieved. The primary prerequisites of democracy are separation of powers, executive, legislature and judiciary. For checks and balance, we may include the media, which is free of corporate interest, free of state interest and manipulation, the media that is there solely to serve the interest of the nation. Such media holds the three branches accountable while also acting as a connective tissue between the electorate and the elected.

These are basic prerequisites of every functioning democracy. However, the mere existence of these structures do not guarantee good governance. Good governance can only work where public office holders are not immune to scrutiny and persecution. This is where Mr. Obama's words and plea for good governance will not deliver. Mr. Obama has acted like a farmer who sow his fertile seeds on hard ground, if the seeds germinate they won't bear any fruits because the roots will be two shallow to support it.

Just as many nations around the globe, rich and poor, great and small, a huge majority of African states have rule of law that fosters bad governance and not otherwise. According to ARTICLE 19's press release of 13th July 2009, its survey on decriminalisation of defamation laws has shown that of the 168 countries it surveyed, 158 have criminal defamation laws and 113 countries have laws offering special protection to the most powerful and privileged figures in public life.

"These laws shield public figures from criticism, public scrutiny and investigation by virtue of the power they hold, thereby eating at the very heart of global efforts to promote good governance and combat corruption."

Not only does such laws encourage corruption they also offer incentive to incumbent presidents to cling on to power or try to hand pick a successor that will not persecute them. The best example is Bakili Muluzi of Malawi, who unsuccessfully tried to change the Constitution to stay in power and later hand picked a successor when he had ran out of options. Fredrick Chiluba of Zambia, had the same case. Today Muluzi is under investigation by Malawi's anti-graft body and Chiluba is in the dock answering corruption charges. Daniel arap Moi of Kenya and most recently Olusegun Obasanjo in Nigeria all hand picked successors who failed in the subsequent elections.

Until these constitutional issues are dealt with, once and for all, good governance in Africa and, indeed elsewhere, will remain but a fretting illusion to be pursued but never attained.

To all the unsung heroes of Malawi

Malawi has been celebrating her Independence for 45 years, having emerged from British colonial rule in 1964. What has Malawi got to show for that independence? Is the question that has been circulating on social networking sites, mostly on tweeter and facebook. I do not have an answer for the question but I think it depends on what one considers independence to be.

Nonetheless, every struggle has its winners and losers, heroes and villains. The supposed heroes of Malawi independence were decorated at the independence celebration ceremony at Kamuzu Stadium on 6th June 2009, which is the independence day.

As is usually the case with these issues, I am sure the list of those honoured cannot be agreed across all the political spectrum. And, it has to be said that there has been some controversial choices.

For instance Cecilia Kadzamira, ex-official hostess of the former president Kamuzu Banda walked away with an award but not Justice Anastasia Msosa who has presided over Malawi's two of the most successful general elections (1994 and 2009). Former vice president Justin Malawezi got a gong but not the man he deputised, the first president of democratic era, Bikili Muluzi. Long at last, Chakufwa Chihana got a posthumous recognition he deserves for his bravery in his fight for democracy, but there was none for John Chilembwe. One of the first Africans to stand up against colonial oppression. The man whose face is a Malawi currency bearer. How unfitting could this be?

These anomalies could perhaps be understood in the context of a speech that the former leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro made at University of Venezuela, Caracas in February 1999. The speech was entitled: "Imperialist Globalisation" and it was given at the request of his pal, the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez. Castro is well known for his long speeches, and this one was not exception. It was a historical lesson for those who were privileged enough to be in attendance.

Castro discussed a number issues relating to the speech title but also the Cuban Revolution that he successfully led from 1952 to 1958. One of the main points he made in relation to the revolution is that achievements in our lives are, to a great extent, influenced by time and space. Historical occurrences play a big part in what one can do and cannot, which is the main byproduct of success and failure. Castro'S revolution succeeded not only because Castro was the best revolutionary ever lived, but also because he had the backing of the people of Cuba who had grown tired of Fulgencio Batista's regime. Yet Cuban people hardly get a mention for the role they played in the revolution.

Malawi has similar case here, Mutharika has so far done very well, as a president. The economy is healthy and stable and his good agricultural policies have improved food sufficiency in the country. Yet these things could as well be attributed to Muluzi's failure. Muluzi did very little for the country, therefore Mutharika could only improve things. Similarly, Chilembwe is undoubtedly the first hero of the Malawi nation but he has little to show for his patriotism and bravery. This is only because Chilembwe was way ahead of his time, not many Malawians at that time were ready to fight for what was theirs. Now, contrast contrast Chilembwe with Chihana.

The fact that Chihana's cause was a success does not mean he was any better than Chilembwe, but the people of Malawi had grown tired of Kamuzu's regime and they were ready to support his cause. People's attitude made the difference. We must also remember that international aid to Malawi had been frozen on condition that Kamuzu improve his political and social policies. All these factors were too much for Kamuzu to ignore. He had to do something about it, that's when he called for a referendum that took place on 14 June 1993, for Malawian to decide whether they wanted to continue with one party rule or if they wanted multiparty democracy. This is where the real hero of Malawi emerged: the people of Malawi. The unsung hero of our freedom and independence.

I would be ungracious of me if I fail to congratulate those who got the awards: congratulations! For those who feel grieved for losing out: don't worry trails of history will absolve you. On my part, Malawians are my heroes, true heroes of our freedom and democracy. And, I truly believe Aleke Banda is the best president Malawi never had.

Possible Answers to Western Media's Coverage of Madonna's Adoption

The last three weeks have been particularly fascinating for news media, there has been Iran elections and its subsequent fiasco, and 'the king of pop', died of suspect cardiac arrest. As you and I would expect, all these issues caused a stir and excitement among news makers, more especially in the West (Western Europe and North America). One thing that these issues managed to mask was Madonna's success in her appeal for the adoption of the second Malawian child.

While Madonna's adoptions have always been a hot topic, this time it faded rather quickly due to Michael Jackson's death and Iran's election protests. However, the issue sparked a fair amount of debate among Malawians. The central issue being whether the adoption was a good thing or not. Various opinions have been expressed and I am not adding mine to that corpus. What I want to comment on however, is the fact that the representation of Malawi in the Western media has been put to question.

I am by no means the first person to discuss this issue, many have discussed it before and I am sure many will do the same in future. On the 12th June I posted a blog article in response to Jacques Peretti's article on Madonna's adoptions in Malawi. I complained about the inaccuracy of the article and my surprise that the Guardian of all publications carried the article. As a result, I registered my fears for the Channel 4 (UK's terrestrial channel) documentary that Peretti went to Malawi to make, which was based on Madonna and her adoption business.

Barely a week later, a Malawi journalist and blogger Kondwani Munthani also posted a blog article on the same topic, bemoaning about Peretti's lack of journalistic professionalism. Two weeks after these blog posts it was the turn for Malawi's state president, Bingu wa Mutharika to have a go at Western media albeit with a different topic. Mutharika accused Western media and governments for not telling the 'success story' of the fight against HIV/Aids by his government.

In fact, the publication of Mutharika's story coincided with the broadcasting of the Peretti's documentary on Channel 4. Judging from comments that followed Nyasa Times' news article based on the story, most Malawians who saw the programme were well disgusted. I am one of them, but the documentary did not surprise me. Not only because I anticipated it as a result of my reading of Peretti's article earlier in the month, but also because the documentary did not differ from how the people of the East are generally portrayed and viewed by the Westerners. This is not exclusive to the media, but all the powerful institutions also.

Some of us will have noticed how quickly non-Westerners are reminded how far they have come whenever they achieve something, as if our history started with colonialism and slavery. Non-Westerners or the people of the East existed way before colonialism and slavery and there are plenty of monumental landmarks to show for that. Count seven wonders of the ancient world and you will see where they are to be found. These things show that the people of the East are not mentally inferior even though they have been constructed and forced to live as such.

The better explanation of this phenomenon can be drawn from post-colonial theory, more especially Edward Said's (1935 - 2003) seminal work, "Orientalism". Since its first publication in 1978 Said's book on Orientalism has attracted considerable criticism, especially from Western academics. This is typical of every influential work. Orientalism is a term Said used to mean the people of the East and he used the term Occidental for the people of the Western.

Said observed that through the period of history the people of the West have significantly manage to disguish themselves and their cultures, from that of the East, the East has thus become the place of its fantasy. He defined eighteenth century as the main starting point where the Westerners started patronising the people of the East by making statements about it, authoring views of it, describing it, teaching it, settling it and ruling over it. In other words, dominating, restructuring and having authority over the people of the East.

Here is Said in his own words:

"Orientalism is a style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between "the Orient" and (most of the time) "the Occident." Thus a very large mass of writers among whom are poets, novelists, philosophers, political theorists, economists, and imperial administrators have accepted the basic distinction between East and West as a starting point for elaborate theories, epics, novels, social descriptions, and political accounts concerning the Orient, its people, customs, mind, destiny and so on."

I think this assertion from Said sums up everything. Peretti's article and documentary including Mutharika's complain about Western media's misrepresentation is not mere prejudice on the part of the Western media, rather, it is a code they have to follow. this is something their audiences (Westerners) know and must be told about the people of the East - the Orientals. Anything other than that is not acceptable. Every movie has its hero and villian, in this case the West is the earlier and the East the is the latter.

The School Feeding Project is Welcome but More Needs to be Done

The school feeding project is a welcome development and could be the necessary spark that Malawi needed to re-organise the increasingly falling standards of education, a problem that has been particularly harsh on the poor majority. However, it is still a tricky jigsaw to overcome but it's doable, more so that all the necessary pieces are available.

I believe the most important step for the programme to realise its intended purpose is to make sure that the children are aware that they are not at school just for the meals. They must be taught to value education and make them to appreciate that the utmost reason they are in school is education. In order to create this kind of atmosphere, teachers have to act as role models. These are the people that the pupils, especially those from deprived backgrounds, will look up to, as most of these pupils will come from families and villages where no single person has gone to higher education.

These are qualities that Ministry of education must ensure all the teachers and people working within education system poses. As I have said, this is a jigsaw, as such, this would only be the first step to putting the jigsaw together, to complete it successfully, however, these grey areas observed by UNICEF, must be addressed:

- It takes an average of 14 years for a child to complete the eight-year primary school cycle as a quarter of children repeat a grade.

- Net enrolment rates are high in grades one and two for both boys and girls, but over half of the children do not reach grade 5, so they leave school before they are literate and numerate.

- Despite the abolition of school fees in 1994, over 10 per cent of eligible children in Malawi do not attend school.

- Net enrolment rates are high in grades one and two for both boys and girls, but completion rates for primary education are low at 26 per cent on average and only 16 per cent for girls.

- Class sizes are huge, with a teacher: pupil ratio of 1:107.

- There is a serious shortage of classrooms, estimated at above 20,000, forcing many children to learn outside in the open.

- Teaching and learning materials are in short supply, though the situation has eased somewhat with the new curriculum reforms.

- Teacher-pupil ratios are high, notably in the rural areas, due to lack of housing and other amenities.

- Teachers’ motivation is often low because of poor salaries, lack of housing, and other incentives.

- Female teachers are often reluctant to serve in rural areas, making rural girls less likely to attend school.

- Lack of any or separate sanitary facilities for boys and girls hinders attendance by girls and contributes to their dropping out of school.

I do not think these statistics need any anymore elaboration, they speak for themselves. As a Malawian who was fortunate enough to attend primary schools in both rural and urban areas can testify that these observation are spot on and discussing merits and demerits of these statistics is nothing but self defeating. Government must act, and act accordingly, or else the feeding project will only turn into another white elephant.

A while back I read an online article by a female Scottish teacher who had just returned from Malawi where she had been as an expatriate teacher for a given period. She was deployed at one of the primary schools in Dedza. I can not remember the actual name of the school. As is usually the case with many visitors to Malawi, she praised Malawians for their warmth and their friendliness.

However, she make some good points, regarding her purpose of the tour. It must have been around June - July period, as first of her recommendation was that pupils should be allowed to start at a latter time when it is cold, so as to encourage them to attend classes, as sometimes the weather can be unbearable. Also, teachers could start the day with subjects like Physical education, which is physically engaging and therefore would make pupils warmer and concentrate in mentally challenging subjects latter when the day is warmer.

I fully I agree with her observations and I think the onus is on the ministry responsible. More powers must be given to the headteachers encouraging them to make on spot decisions based on circumstances. Let us face it, this Scottish teacher was in Dedza, one of the coldest places in Malawi when it is June or July. Therefore her observation may not necessarily be true elsewhere.