The private sector and an economist say the weakening of the rand for the past five months is an opportunity for businesses, but may affect Malawi’s balance of trade with South Africa (SA) if it persists.
In an interview yesterday, Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) director of business environment and policy advocacy Madalisto Kazembe said most of the country’s imports are from SA; hence, a weak rand is good news for the businesses.
“This will mean that there will be an increase in imports from South Africa as the currency is worth less. Imports from South Africa will become less expensive,” she said.
The rand has continued to weaken over the past five months
But Kazembe noted that the development may also negatively affect exports to SA, saying it will be more expensive for SA to import goods from other countries.
She said: “If the rand depression trend prolongs, there is a possibility of a widening trade deficit since Malawi is a net importer and has a narrow export base.
“Just to put things into perspective, Malawi’s exports to South Africa as a percentage of gross domestic product [GDP] were at 1.3 percent while our imports from the same country were at 7.7 percent as a percentage of GDP. The drop in value for rand may, therefore, result in an increase in Malawi’s imports which may increase our trade deficit.”
While arguing that the softening of the rand is not surprising as it was only buoyed by speculation, University of Malawi’s Chancellor College macroeconomist Lucious Cassim said this is a boon for importers but a disadvantage for exporters.
He said: “The gain in the rand was largely on the perception people had upon the coming in of the new government. The current state of the rand is its true value.
“Nonetheless, the trend may have both negative and positive implications for traders. This simply means that while importers will get goods at a lower value, exports will be expensive.”
But for Small and Medium Enterprises Association (Smea) president James Chiutsi, a weak rand presents an opportunity for local businesses to run at a lower cost.
“Most of our members in the trading business buy raw materials from South Africa. This means we will produce cheaply and be able to offer goods competitively. This is a chance we are going to be utilising,” he said.
The rand, which strengthened against the kwacha and other major currencies in January 2018 has within months changed direction, weakening against the kwacha and other trading currencies.
Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) figures show that between April and July, the rand dropped from K60 to around K54.
Since Malawi trades more with SA compared to other countries in the region, economic conditions in that country are likely to influence Malawi’s economy.
Last year, Malawi exports to SA stood at $82.53 million (about K59.8 billion) while imports were recorded at $487.16 million (about K355.5 billion), according to the National Statistical Office.
British High Commissioner Holly Tett says the country’s economy can only grow further if the private sector takes a leading role in coming up with innovations.
Speaking in an interview yesterday on the sidelines of the first-ever Umodzi Park Business Leaders’ Breakfast in Lilongwe, the envoy said the private sector—which is touted as the engine of economic growth—is crucial to spur the country’s socio-economic development.
Tett (L) chats with Church after the event
She said innovations and ideas such as the business leaders’ breakfast could help business captains network and find solutions to challenges rocking the country and also improve their businesses.
“I find the idea of organising the business breakfast by Umodzi Park beneficial because in Malawi, what will drive the economy is the private sector. Networking among peers is beneficial and as the British High Commission, we are also excited that is why I came to meet the business gurus,” said Tett.
She said Britain is also taking a leading role in supporting small-scale enterprises.
Said Tett: “There are many opportunities in Malawi. As UK, we are supporting horticulture business because it has potential as well as another enterprise involved in egg production.
“Through Common Development Corporation [CDC], we have set aside 70 million pounds [K64 billion] to stimulate growth of medium enterprise.”
On his part, Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) president Chikumbutso Kalilombe advised management of Umodzi Park to include a theme in the forthcoming business breakfast meeting to make them more exciting.
“The whole idea to bring business captains to a networking breakfast is brilliant, but in future if they should add a theme on any topical issue,” he said.
Umodzi Park general manager David Church said the event was organised to bring together business captains to network.
“We will make this a quarterly activity as this is a good platform for everyone. We are coming up with various innovations to excite our customers, including business captains,” he said.
Umodzi Park manages The President’s Walmont Hotel, Bingu International Convention Centre and Presidential Villas in Lilongwe.
Scholar Lewis had his take on stages of development or better, growth. The statistics are, however, worrying and do not paint that picture any dreamer wishes for.
Neither do sentiments nor the psyche give you a feeling that the conditions of a take-off are close by. The only positive thing one feels is that we have known no war but the annoying part is the inability to build prosperity on a foundation solid in peace. Ironically, war-torn countries have moved on and their progression to prosperity is enviable. What is it that other countries do right? Or, what wrong is it that we do?
Trending now is electricity cuts with more than five hours without power supply. This is not a new development, but it has become the norm. Some big finance head honcho spoke of an economic miracle where all of us would be clapping hands. Being a land awash with prophets, you cannot fault his thinking. We are all hoping for one to restore power.
I do not think we should be hiring world class physicists or rocket scientists to help us crack the puzzle that our nation appears eternally entangled in. The finger loves to point at the politician, but I reckon, that most of us bear the blame somehow. Though not directly linked, a collection of individual personal decisions culminate into what becomes a national whole.
All I am saying is that maybe as individuals we are not doing enough. Maybe all of us thrive in a short-term culture. Worse still, with a papsa tonola sudziwa mtima wamoto mentality (make hay while the sun shines). Who would want to invest in a power plant that cost billions when they can buy generators and quick fix? Everyone is stuck with a short-term mentality.
Yet electricity tariffs keep rising every year. To those tasked with selling this country as an investment destination, it is a stab in the back. Businesses and would-be investors rate this as a cost anywhere. Something like this adds into the cost of doing business in an environment saturated with chronic inflation.
Prices or tariffs should rise once in a while, but there should be a strategy.
If I was manning the water boards of this country or running the ministry responsible for rainfall and rivers, I would take notice that our population is rising. Similarly, if I was in charge of generating electricity I would take the same cognisance.
This way, I would do a great favour to the guys tasked with selling this country as an investment destination. By recognising that Malawi has close to three million households, with an average household size of six, I would do my maths and think of how many megawatts need to be generated at a minimum for each home to have electricity. I would also pay attention to the current power needs for businesses. I would do similar maths if I needed to think of water needs for all households and businesses. That way, I would not focus my business strategy on raising tariffs to pay bonuses that my staff require at the end of each year.
Maybe I am being simplistic, but great ideas begin with crafting a basic model. Otherwise, I don’t envy the job of the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (Mitc). It requires one to master the art of mumbling if confronted by obvious questions from would-be investors on reliability of utilities such as water and electricity.
In the business world, there is no mumbling. The language is so blunt, straight simply because entrepreneurs invest millions and take huge risks on their investment. For sure, the risk they take is never lack of water or electricity to run a machine, but something else. You can call it basics of investment promotion. It is not surprising that investors sometimes flock to countries that appear volatile and less peaceful than ours.
Investing in huge power plants with a 100 million population of Malawi in mind should be our pre-occupation. The billions going into Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) and Malata and Cement Subsidy should be channelled to key infrastructure. Maybe electricity is a luxurious product.
As we march on and really try to crack the puzzle, I am still trying to fizzle the puzzle. Simple and blind decisions to start building our generating capacity beyond multiple factors of current demand oriented at future generations should underpin our minds to strategic investment in public infrastructure.
While utilities were a classic case, we can replicate other sectors such as hospitals, universities and roads that are failing to cope with our rising population.
Otherwise, the mumbling makes the business of investment promotion a hard one. Can we be fair to these guys for once? Maybe electricity is a luxury product and Malawians should focus on essential products. n
The High Court in Blantyre will today start hearing a case relating to the freezing of bank accounts for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Pioneer Investments in connection with the K2.7 billion Malawi Police Service (MPS)food rations scam.
High Court judge Jack N’riva is expected to hear arguments and counter-arguments on the application by Mzuzu-based Youth and Society (YAS) through Ritz-Attorneys at Law for commercial banks to provide disclosures of transactions in the deal.
First defendant: Jeffrey
On July 30 this year, the court ordered National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc to freeze an account for Zameer Karim of Pioneer Investments over the supplier’s alleged link to the K2.7 billion scam.
The order followed a court case in which YAS sued DPP and Pioneer Investments on July 24 2018, asking the court to freeze the accounts for the two institutions, among others.
In the Civil Case No.215 of 2018, DPP secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey and legal affairs director Charles Mhango are first defendants on their own behalf and that of members of the DPP; Karim is second defendant while Innocent Bottoman of MPS is the third defendant.
On the other hand, Standard Bank plc, NBM, director general of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and former Secretary to the Treasury Dr Ronald Mangani are first, second, third and fourth parties cited, respectively.
The case follows a leaked ACB investigation report which documented that Pioneer Investments made an abortive interest claim of K466 million and deposited K145 million into the DPP bank account at Standard Bank whose sole signatory is President Peter Mutharika.
The court also issued a fresh order for the freezing of the DPP account at Standard Bank after it transpired that the initial order made last week Friday had an error on the account number for the party.
YAS took the DPP and Pioneer to court after the two failed to pay back the money, having demanded such through demand letters on July 17 2018.
Former president Bakili Muluzi has drawn criticism over his call for politicians to respect President Peter Mutharika with some commentators suggesting that respect is earned; hence, leaders should lead by example.
In an address to the United Democratic Front (UDF) convention at Comesa Hall in Blantyre on Wednesday, Muluzi—the country’s second Head of State who formed the first multiparty administration in 1994—noted that some politicians were disrespecting the President by calling him ‘mtchona’, a description of someone who has been away from his or her country for long.
Political commentator Humphreys Mvula, who previously worked with Muluzi in UDF, and analyst Henry Chingaipe yesterday said political leaders such as Muluzi himself should be the first to stop using offensive language if leaders are to be respected.
Muluzi: You cannot call your President mtchona
Mvula observed that politicians from the government side have on different occasions used foul and degrading language against their rivals, a development he said does not set a good example of any leader vying for top political position.
He said: “Those speeches from government have been unpalatable against citizens on account of disagreement. The issue applies to all politicians. They should not use foul language and they should not describe each other in a manner that defeats the whole elements of democracy.”
In his reaction, Chingaipe said by advising politicians to stop calling Mutharika ‘a mtchona’, Muluzi, like others, was exercising his freedom of speech.
But he bashed the former president for accusing people who said what he termed ‘a painful truth’ that many people are afraid of saying.
Chingaipe said there is nothing wrong with calling Mutharika that way because it is a truth that exists.
He said: “It depends on what respect is because respect is a generation aspect. What other generations understand as respect is not the similar thing as what our generation understands what respect is. For them not saying the truth is sometimes respectful but for us saying the truth is not a show of disrespect.”
According to Chingaipe, the fact that Mutharika is a ‘mtchona’ and what the former first lady and the incumbent President’s in-law Callista Mutharika and others said about him is just a statement of fact since Mutharika stayed abroad for decades where he was employed as an academic.
He said if Muluzi and Mutharika are to enjoy the right to be respected they should be on the front to desist from uttering language that is degrading to other politicians as well as citizens.
Said Chingaipe: “Muluzi may have said things which were disrespectful of other people, degrading their dignity and being disrespectful of their privacy. But that does not mean that he cannot criticise because he has come wiser over time, for me I do not want to say that simply because he was uttering disrespectful words then he should let others say.
“Our leaders should be the first to demonstrate respect of dignity to a person. They should be very careful in the language they choose.
“Even the President is saying things that are degrading to other people. I do not expect the Head of State to talk about citizens of his country kumanena kuti ndikunyenyani [I will cut you into pieces].”
Muluzi could not pick his phone yesterday when The Nation called for his comment.
In his address, Muluzi appealed to politicians against abusing the spirit of multiparty democracy as that is destroying the country.
He also urged people to exercise their democratic rights with responsibility and respect their leaders.
Said Muluzi: “Please do not destroy this country because of politics. This is the only country we have. Should we destroy it because of politics? Multiparty should not destroy this country.
“Whether mlamu [in-law] or not, you cannot stand on the podium and call your President mtchona.”
Muluzi himself is on record to have mocked his Vice President Justin Malewezi over his health condition after the two fell out. Muluzi also spoke ill about his former Cabinet minister Brown Mpinganjira.
In case of the DPP administration, recently the party’s Southern Region governor Charles Mchacha publicly used offensive remarks to Mulanje West legislator Patricia Kaliati through her husband and Mulanje Pasani legislator Angie Kaliati at a rally addressed by Mutharika. The President did not condemn the unsavoury remarks.
Malawi Police Service (MPS) has fully reinstated officers withdrawn from the security detail of Vice-President Saulos Chilima following a High Court order granted last Friday.
Press officer in the Office of the Vice-President, Pilirani Phiri, yesterday confirmed that Police Mobile Service (PMS) officers withdrawn and transferred with immediate effect last week Wednesday had been reinstated on the VP’s security detail.
He said: “Security has been restored at the Vice-President’s residences, the guard commander confirmed this morning. It is the same officers who were on the list to be transferred to other duty stations.”
Part of the Vice-President’s security detail during the Masintha rally
A lawyer from the firm that obtained the order, Bright Theu, also confirmed that the security personnel have been reinstated.
Minister of Information and Communications Technology Nicholas Dausi, who is also the official government spokesperson, said government has simply complied with the court and the action should not be construed as an admission that the action went overboard.
He said: “Whether we went overboard or not is not the issue, but when one obtains a court order, we are in a democracy and we must respect that.”
MPS transferred about 46 PMS officers, leaving Chilima with seven to man his residences, office at Capital Hill and motorcade.
The Vice-President, who has fallen out with the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and is now in the newly formed United Transformation Movement (UTM), sought redress from the court and obtained the injunction pending a judicial review.
The order also restrained the Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) from withdrawing some of the vehicles assigned to the Vice-President even though the government was yet to effect this action.
Following the transfers, some officers were given three to 10 days to wind up at their duty stations while others, such as at the Vice-President’s official residence in Blantyre, Mudi House, were given immediate transfers.
An officer who opted for anonymity said the order to stay has come as he was about to report for duties at his new station.
The High Court also granted Chilima’s lawyers permission to commence judicial review proceedings.
“It is hereby ordered as follows: Permission to commence judicial review proceedings is hereby granted [and] the proceedings for judicial review be expedited,” the order reads.
The withdrawal of security detail came days after Chilima unpacked his political mission to challenge President Peter Mutharika and DPP.
Under the Presidents (Salaries and Benefits) Act, the Vice-President, among other benefits, is entitled to one personal bodyguard, one head of security guard, six security guards, two chauffeurs, two cooks and personal assistants.
Earlier yesterday, Chief Secretary in the OPC Lloyd Muhara had written all principal secretaries and heads of departments in what was classified as Distribution List ‘A’ under the subject Privileges and Benefits for the Right Honourable Vice-President.
Since Chilima announced on June 6 this year that he was leaving DPP, he has been stripped of the Cabinet portifolio of Minister responsible for Disaster Management Affairs and National Public Events.
The President on July 8 also ordered that Chilima should no longer be co-chair of the Malabo Montpeller Forum, an international think tank to which he was appointed in September 2017.
The proximity of two rival political rallies held by governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and United Transformation Movement (UTM) in Mzuzu tomorrow could be a recipe for violence, a commentator has warned.
In an interview yesterday, University of Livingstonia (Unilia) lecturer George Phiri proposed that either of the two groups should reschedule their meeting to another date to avert violence.
Chidanti-Malunga: We were the first to book
He said: “If UTM and DPP may hold parallel rallies on the same day in a small city like Mzuzu, it will create unnecessary tension. If UTM and DPP proceed with their plans to hold their rallies at the same time in a city which is so small then definitely that will cause chaos and violence.”
Phiri recalled the violence that broke out in Mzuzu in 2016 during a joint opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and People’s Party (PP) rally where panga-wielding thugs believed to have been sponsored by DPP attacked and wounded people.
But UTM spokesperson Joseph Chidanti Malunga said their supporters will not waste time to engage in violent scenes since they are eager to listen to the message from their leader and the country’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima.
He said UTM was the first to plan a rally in Mzuzu on the day.
DPP publicity secretary Nicholas Dausi, who is also Minister of Information and Communications Technology, said he needed time to consult on the concerns.
Phiri observed that DPP does not seem willing to give UTM the freedom to hold rallies as evidenced by its sponsoring parallel events in Blantyre and Lilongwe on the day the grouping held rallies.
Malawi Law Society (MLS) says any decision or action Law Commissioner Gertrude Hiwa has made after the expiry of her contract on June 23 2018 is invalid.
In a written response to a questionnaire from The Nation sent on Wednesday, MLS president Alfred Majamanda said the decision by the Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) Lloyd Muhara to extend Hiwa’s term at the Malawi Law Commission after the expiry of her second five-year term is invalid.
Majamanda’s sentiments are in tandem with what private practice lawyer John-Gift Mwakhwawa and Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) told The Nation on Thursday that allowing Hiwa to continue working as Law Commissioner in the absence of an appointment and when she has already exhausted her terms to serve in that capacity is inconsistent with the provisions of sections 133 and 134 of the Constitution.
Majamanda: It is also unconstitutional
Said the MLS president: “Therefore, any act or decision by Hiwa would be invalid and of no effect.
“In other words, she is not qualified on the position at the expiry of her maximum terms. Her continuation to work on such capacity is not only illegal, but also unconstitutional.”
By law, the President appoints the Law Commissioner on recommendation from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Since the expiry of her term on June 23 2018, Hiwa’s contributions that are at risk of being declared invalid include the meeting on Special Law Commission on Review of Prisons Act she attended at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi between June 25 and 27 2018.
Her contribution to Preliminary Consultation Review of Supreme Court of Appeals Act between July 9 and 10 in Lilongwe and July 12- 13 2018 also risk being invalidated.
On July 13 2018, Hiwa also co-signed an advertisement nominating individuals to be members of Malawi Human Rights Commission. HRDC is asking for invalidation of this exercise.
Monthly benefits that Hiwa has accrued since the expiry of her terms include a basic salary of around K1.4 million, fuel allocation of 600 litres, airtime allocation of K35 000 and medical aid scheme for her family worth K289 275.
The Law Commissioner also gets a gross pay of K520 130 as a commissioner of the Malawi Human Rights Commission.
In letters dated March 22 and June 21 2018, Hiwa reminded Muhara about the expiry of her term and also asked the Chief Secretary to allow her to continue serving in her position until an appointment was made.
In his response, Muhara said: “I have taken note of your notification. I wish to advise that you should continue to serve to continue working as Law Commissioner until the decision regarding your deployment is made.”
Mzuzu City legislator Leonard Njikho has ditched the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) citing personal reasons. He has since reverted to independence status which took him to the National Assembly in 2014.
Njikho’s resignation has coincided with the United Transformation Movement (UTM) rally in Mzuzu to be addressed by Vice-President Saulos Chilima this Saturday and sources hinted that the legislator could be welcomed into the newly formed political grouping.
The legislator could neither confirm nor deny joining UTM, only saying he was at liberty to mingle with any other party now that he is an independent member of Parliament (MP).
Njikho: I am now independent and can mingle with any any group
In an interview yesterday, he said: “I have resigned for personal reasons and have already informed the DPP regional governor for the North Kenneth Sanga on this. I am now independent and can mingle with any party or group.”
Sanga, sounding rather low, confirmed that Njikho informed him of his decision, but insisted that the party would move forward.
“He has cited personal reasons,so we have accepted. Everybody is at liberty to do what he wants and he has chosen to do just that. As a party, nothing will stop, we will move on,” he said.
Ironically, Njikho is on the list of DPP leaders set to address 22 meetings in Mzimba this Sunday.
According to the programme of events The Nation has seen, Njikho was supposed to lead a team of four DPP officials to a rally at Zubayumo in Mzimba Solora Constituency.
Sanga said the party will identify another person to fill that gap.
If Njikho joins UTM, he will become a third parliamentarian from the North to join the movement after Speaker Richard Msowoya of Karonga Nyungwe and Olipa Chiluba Muyaba of Mzimba North East.
There is an Indian proverb that goes like, ‘Somebody who finds excuses in others has a long way to go; one who finds excuses in himself, is almost close to the destination; somebody who does not find any excuse at all, has arrived.’
Communication with the core people in your life is important, but equally important (if not more so) is communication with yourself. If you don’t understand why you are doing the things that you are doing then you are begging for problems that will stand directly in your way of achieving big goals.
Be fully honest with yourself. It is easy to convince ourselves that our mistakes are not really mistakes or that a mistake is not really a big deal. As long as we keep telling ourselves that poor choices are okay and not really a problem, we are going to continue to make poor choices. But listen, do not be afraid to take yourself to task for mistakes. Be hard on yourself about them sometimes. At the same time, do not be afraid to feel good about the positive steps you take. Feel ashamed when you don’t bother to take a positive step. Feel proud when you do. Know that excuses are the worst enemy of progress.
Excuses are incredibly dangerous things. They provide a convenient reason to not follow up on the positive behaviours we know we should be doing. Good choices do not require a reason or an explanation. If you find yourself making an excuse on something you are about to do or making an excuse for something you already did, that’s a big warning sign that there is a change you really need to focus on in your life. Why are you making that excuse, like postponing certain investment or saving decisions? Answering that question to yourself deeply and honestly is perhaps the most valuable investment of time and energy you can make.
At the same time that you are practising full honesty with yourself, you should also practice full honesty with your partner. Your partner is usually a big part of achieving your goals, so full honesty here is vital. If you make a mistake, admit it and say so. If you are struggling financially, admit it and say so. If you are frustrated, admit it and say so. It takes far more strength to be honest about such things than to hide them under a false veneer. Wearing a sad or intimidating face and barking at your spouse and children at any slightest provocation when you are bothered with something, will only worsen things. Talk about everything that bothers you—and everything that brings you joy. Actually, they say there is courage in laughter after an affliction. Many people let minor problems fester inside of them until they explode in an emotional burst. Along the way, those festering problems often lead us to make regrettable money and time choices – and we are afraid to say it to our spouses when we flop because we did not consult them in the first place. Never, ever let that happen.
Well, this is not a session on how to manage relationships but it is about the importance of honestly communicating to yourself and those core people in your life before making important investment/money decisions in your life. No excuses.
The world will never be surprised one day when the southern terraces of Kamuzu Stadium will rise after being enchanted by the footballing magic feet of Gabadihno Mhango Jnr.
Almost everybody grows up admiring what his father does. Such is the nature of the world.
Made first appearance at Carlsberg Street Party in Blantyre
Circumstances have often times defied this logic though. But for Jonny Zembani Banda, son to Malawi’s music icon Lucius, the tale is about to take this predictable course. Jonny is one guy who needs extra motivation to take on the music path.
His father has breathed music all his life. An art he credits to the orientation he got from his elder brother Paul during their days at Allelujah Band. Paul is Jonny’s uncle. Such has been how close music has been in Jonny’s life.
The 22-year old does acknowledge the influence he has received is the son to ‘Soldier’ but he says ultimately the decision to take the music path lays in his hands.
“The influence the two have had on my life is huge. Music is mainly what I have grown up watching and listening to. Music has defined the environment that I have grown up in. There is no other thing I know more than music.
“My parents raised me and my siblings to go for what we believe God gifted us with. Personally, I feel music is what flows in me naturally. I have not gone to any school to attain this art, it is in me,” Jonny says.
Jonny is the older of the three Banda siblings, a nest which includes sister Laura and Mapiri (Bakili).
The young lad has just finished Business Administration studies at Malawi Assemblies of God University in Lilongwe.
Despite his early ambition to become a businessperson, Jonny is destined to take music as a career. He says he is doing so with full knowledge of the challenges associated with the industry has been close to his dad all his life.
“My dad and I have been really close, and I know what it means to survive in this industry. It is never always easy. I pray to God to give him a long life because when the going will get tough, I know I will always run to him,” says.
Much as being a son to one of the country’s most successful and vastly respected musicians come along with its advantages, the young Banda knows that association attracts its fair of challenges as well.
He explains: “You know where my father has been to and choosing a similar career path as him is both exciting but also challenging. The quest will be big as the expectation is that I have to live up to his standards or more. But that is a normal thing.”
He has grown up idolising many great artists both from Malawi and abroad such as Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, His dad Lucius, Lawi, Chris Martin, Faith Mussa, the late Sam Mtukudzi, Anthony Makondetsa, Chronix just to mention but a few.
Friday (yesterday) evening, Jonny made his official bow on the stage at Motel Paradise during a thank you show by the Black Missionaries band which was organised by the Entertainers Promotion.
“I have ever performed on stage but this is the first time that I have been told well in advance that I will perform. It has allowed me to rehearse because I know people’s expectations are quite high. I do not bring people a half-baked performance,” he said.
His father says the decision by his son to take music as a career brings a good feeling to him since he knows that he is following his dreams.
“As parents we made it a point that he will not be allowed to do music before he finishes his first degree. Now he is done and just waiting for his graduation. He is following his dreams and I cannot stand in his way.
“I will support him as a musician and as a fellow artist. I would encourage him to work so hard because the shoes he has to wear are quite huge. And the expectations from the people will be too high as well,” said Lucius.
But Soldier has urged people to give the boy some time since he is new in the industry as it may take long for him to master the trade and its demands.
Entertainers Promotion Jai Banda said he felt compelled to include the young Banda on the line up of performers after he saw him perform during the Carlsberg Street Party in Blantyre.
“He has undoubted potential. And people have been coming to me enquiring why we do not include him during the various shows that we have across the country. Now this is his opportunity to show the world what he is made of.”
The shy and usually reserved Jonny has three singles under his belt, She is Mine, Usasiye and Mwai.
Every year from August 1 to 7, Malawi joins the rest of the world in commemorating the World Breastfeeding Feeding week which is aimed at encouraging mothers to continuously breastfeed their babies. Our reporter PRECIOUS KUMBANI engaged United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Malawi representative Johannes Wedenig why this initiative is important.
Wedenig: Every Malawian will understand the importance of breastfeeding
Tell us more about the World Breastfeeding week?
August 1 to 7 every year is World Breastfeeding Week. It is a global initiative commemorated by 120 countries, to promote and support optimal breastfeeding for children aged 0 to 24 months. Optimal breastfeeding includes initiation of breastfeeding during the first one hour after birth, exclusive breastfeeding which means feeding the child breast milk only up to six months after the child is born and continued breastfeeding up to 24 months or beyond.
The motivation for this global initiative is that breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to provide children everywhere with the best start to life. The theme for this year’s breastfeeding week is Breastfeeding: Foundation for Life”— a recognition of the importance of breastfeeding to a baby’s future.
Give us a brief insight on why breastfeeding is important for child growth?
Breastfeeding is important because it gives children the healthiest start in life, stimulation of brain development and protects women’s health. It helps young children grow, prevents under nutrition and reduces the risk that children will become overweight. Breastfeeding acts as a baby’s first vaccine and leads to lower health care costs. Putting newborns to the breast within the first hour of life prevents newborn deaths. Breastfeeding is one of the first early childhood development interventions and helps prepare children for a prosperous future in a cost-effective way for families and society. Breastfeeding also supports healthy brain development by providing frequent close interaction and attachment between mother and infant. This kind of nurturing interaction has a two-generation effect because positive behaviours are modeled for the next generation.
What is the situation like in Malawi in terms of breastfeeding?
Currently, 76 percent of children in Malawi are put to the breast within one hour of birth and 61 percent of the children below the age of six months are exclusively breastfed. While this may appear a higher statistic compared to other countries globally, Malawi needs to step up efforts to ensure that more children are exclusively breastfed.
What are the attributing factors?
There are so many reasons why mothers may not optimally breastfeed their children including; Lack of knowledge of the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding, lack of support to breastfeed from family or community members, influence of opinion leaders like grandmothers who would promote giving babies food before they reach an appropriate age [six months], cultural beliefs around breastfeeding including that the first milk that the mother produces is bad and therefore it cannot be given to the infant, inadequate time for mothers to breastfeed due to a high workload, for instance, mothers leaving their children with other caretakers when going to the fields or any other form of work.
What are the interventions so far?
Malawi is promoting optimal breastfeeding which includes early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour after birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding of the child up to two years and beyond. These interventions are delivered to mothers, caregivers and families through health facilities and community volunteers [care groups and local leaders]. In addition, Malawi has put up policies which promote breastfeeding for children.
What else needs to be done?
To improve the situation, there is need for joint and collaborative effort from all sectors including the media. Fathers are particularly encouraged to support women to adopt exclusive breastfeeding and provide a conducive environment to provide and promote consumption of adequate, safe and diversified foods for the entire family and breastfeeding mothers. There is need to support working mothers to create time to breastfeed their children either at workplace or at home.
What are the dangers associated with poor breastfeeding among children?
The risk of death for children increases if they are not breastfed. If children are not exclusively breastfed they may become malnourished and malnutrition has other long-term effects such as poor performance in school, class repetition, onset of other diseases and increase in expenditure on health care.
What are the expectations during and after the week?
It is expected that every Malawian will understand the importance of breastfeeding; early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour after birth and exclusively breastfeeding the child within the first six months of life and continue up to two years or beyond. The individual mothers and families should take actions that will promote exclusive breastfeeding for a better life for their children.
The government of Malawi and its development partners such as Unicef will continue to support breastfeeding interventions at both health facility and community level. In addition, regular surveys instituted by government assist in monitoring the breastfeeding situation in the country. Unicef runs a poll on its SMS polling platform – U-Report and will continue getting opinions on this important matter through this platform.
When the Vice-President spoke about the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) alleged plans to rig next year’s elections, many of his critics, especially from the blue camp, dismissed the claim as one of his many stunts to woo support to his newly-launched United Transformation Movement (UTM).
But we, on the streets, believe that the veep should not be dismissed outright, after all, who can trust the DPP-led government anyway? These people can steal anything, including our wives!
I digress. But my point is; allegations of misconduct during elections should put us all on our guard. That’s why, we on the streets, ask the government machinery and the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to take these concerns seriously and investigate because electoral coups and rigging come in many forms.
This week, my Kenyan friend Fidel, helped me to do a simple Internet research to find out how rigging can be carried out. In Kenya, conspirators identified strategic locus or loci of State power, for example, the security apparatus, State broadcaster and parastatals which they infiltrated and controlled during and post-campaign periods.
Those in the know say that people who steal elections use these centres of power to acquire the remaining levers of State machinery, and eventually the State.
Whether they succeed or not election riggers are able to create and sustain a perception of victory once they have seized a strategic locus of State power.
Another tool electoral coup plotters use is to deploy threat or use of violence against those who may resist them. They carefully identify their friends as well as their enemies and opponents whose capacity for resistance must be sabotaged or neutralised sequentially or simultaneously. If buying the youth beer so that they do not attend opposition political rallies is one of such tools, then what is it? If camping outside UTM’s interim secretary general Patricia Kaliati’s house at Nkando is not part of intimidation, then what is it?
Ladies and gentlemen, electoral coups can also be messy and in some people adopt military warfare techniques, such as the use of psychological operation tactics (spying). The Vice-President raised this important point two weeks ago, which I think all Malawians must consider seriously.
In the United States, Donald Trump’s campaign team is alleged to have engaged Cambridge Analytica to harvest 50 million Facebook profiles to be used to build a powerful software programme to predict and influence choices at the ballot box.
What can stop riggers from doing the same with the local telecommunications data? That’s why; we on the streets say that the Veep’s allegations should not be dismissed as political banter.
Electoral coup conspirators also use civic spaces of democracy, such as the “mainstream” and social media to create and sustain a perception of the incumbent’s inevitable victory or invincibility and to intimidate the opposition. Malawians must be on the lookout for fake news, fake appointments and indeed fake decorations of political leaders. These tools are used to make people believe that a leader is important on the global stage when they are not.
When all is said, all the Vice President wanted to say is that Malawians must start sleeping with one eye open because, in this country, we have thieves who can steal an election.
Last week we promised to follow the unelected president of the United Transformation Movement (UTM) and witness UTM’s third launch this weekend at Mzuzu Upper Stadium. Those who follow our expeditionary exploits know that we deliver what we promise. However, we are not going to Mzuzu, not because we are tired of the launches, but because we want to stay in Ntcheu and suffer in solidarity with our Mangonian brethrens until the Mpira Dam, or whichever alternative water source there is, is activated and water flows again right down to Balaka.
We were on our way to Mzuzu when we decided to stay here. We stopped here, the capital city of Mangoni, to have lunch and check oils in the Toyota Misfortune, a car a well-wisher has given us to use until we are tired. We parked near the bus depot and walked to a nearby open-air restaurant.
“What are you having, sir?” asked a young man wearing a white shirt.
“What do you have?” I asked.
“Rice and chicken, beans and vegetables!” the food server responded.
“Give me a charcoal-grilled chamba,” Jean-Philippe ordered.
“That’s haram! We don’t stock, touch and sell chamba here,” the food server protested.
“He means chambo; not chamba,” corrected Abiti Joyce Befu, MG 66 and MEGA-1.
“My apologies,” Jean-Philippe said, “Can I also have a beer, any beer. I am thirsty!”
“This is a halaal place. No alcohol. No drugs. No smoking. No coughing. Only halaal food is served here.”
“OK,” Mzee Mandela said, “give me a bottle of fantakoko!”
“Same, here,” I said.
“Here, too,” Nganga and Abiti said in unison.
The young food server left and some minutes later came back with plates of rice for all of us. He left for the kitchen and came again with plates of beans and green vegetables. He went away and on his third return, he brought cutlery.
“Are you through?” I asked the food server.
“Yes, but your braii will come from the grill master,” the food server said pointing us to another man who was busy turning pieces of chicken from time to time over his smoking grill.
Mzee Mandela could not stomach the time-wasting. He stood up and went to the grill master. We did not hear the words they exchanged. But Mzee Mandela came back in silence and sat back in his chair in silence.
Like philosophers in cogitation, we sat there in silence watching the political flags fluttering from every electricity, telephone and banner pole. The symbolic dominance of the political party at Ntcheu, the capital city of Mangoni, was clear as no other political party had its symbols so prominently dominating the sky. The PP was nowhere to be seen, MCP was represented by one flag. Aford was not there. UTM was not there. The UDF, whose flags used to dominate the same poles, was not symbolically represented.
“Tell me,” I asked the grill master when he came to give us our grilled chicken, “Mangonians love the party. Don’t they?”
“I am not interested in that topic,” the grill master dismissed me.
“Why?” Jean-Philippe asked.
“This is the second week we have had no water; not even a single drop of water for two straight weeks,” the grill master responded, “We often have dry taps here in Ntcheu but they last a day or two but this time around we have had no water for two full weeks. But nobody is saying anything sensible about our situation. We need water; not party flags. Don’t you, government people, say water is life?”
“Point taken,” Jean-Philippe. “Although we are not government people, we will talk to the Vice-President of this country to talk to his Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development to ensure Mangonians have their water back immediately!”
The grill master laughed in disbelief as he retreated to his ‘office’.
So much is being said about the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom), the country’s quasi-monopoly power supply utility. Unfortunately, most of the narrative is negative. From posting losses in 2017 to what appears to be organised fraud, abuse of billions of kwacha through misprocurements, fraud, corruption and abuse. Escom, in short stinks. Of course, it is not only Escom where the rot stinks. The Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) and the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra), water boards are others. They are cash cows of the ruling party. But here, I will focus on Escom.
Escom has been abused before. Without beating about the bush, what is really stinking at the power utility provider this time round is the extent of the rot. A 2016/17 National Audit Office shows that Escom and Admarc together abused K9.3 billion through procurement transactions the institutions could not account for. Escom ordered goods worth K8.3 billion from 23 suppliers without following procurement procedures and knowledge of key management. Really?
The firm procured goods in excess of K5 billion of what it required. Is it any wonder that when its former chief executive officer Evelyn Mwapasa refused to authorise payment for a certain order she was unceremoniously removed? Even before that a former finance director Bettie Mahuka resigned from her job when she could not stoop so low as to betray her conscience after being pressured to authorise alleged dubious payments. The new Escom board chair Thom Mpinganjira, an accomplished entrepreneur and business captain is on record as saying the K5 billion worth of items Escom procured may not be required in the next 10 years, if at all.
What has broken the camel’s back this time round is the theft of 3.8 million litres of diesel worth K1.9 billion from the organisation. To put the magnitude of the malfeasance into perspective, one tanker carries 50 000 litres. The theft of 3 800 000 litres means that 76 tankers of 50 000 litres of fuel each were stolen from Escom. This is the fuel which is supposed to power the gensets leased from Aggreko. Talking about the gensets, even before the dust has settled down regarding the suspicious manner they were procured, Escom now has this gargantuan ‘theft’ in its hands.
Then who is blamed for the theft of the 76 tankers? A security guard, truck driver and stores clerks! We must be joking. Seventy six tankers is massive and there is no way mere security guards, a truck driver and stores clerks could have masterminded such an operation. Where could they be keeping the fuel without anyone knowing about it? Was the fuel procured or someone just prepared some documents to indicate such and pocketed the money? And we are not even ashamed to be blaming these lesser mortals. There is no question that there is something much bigger and Malawians are being lied to.
And when such things happen, one wonders what the investigating agencies are doing. Is the Anti-Corruption Bureau doing anything about this? Are we serious about developing this country? The disappearance of the 76 tankers, followed by the arrest of mere guards, truck drivers and stores clerks is a clear example of the colossal levels of corruption in the country. Is this not confirmation of what Transparency International has been saying all along that Malawi has slipped on its Corruption Perception Index from 43 during its last ranking to 31 last year?
Then you hear someone saying the Malawi government is committed to fighting corruption. Are we surprised that Malawi is one of the three poorest countries in the world and only better than war-torn South Sudan and Somalia? All this is happening on the watch of someone. To say that someone is sleeping on the job is an affront to our intellect. President Peter Mutharika owes Malawians a better explanation about what is happening.
Truth be told, Escom’s inefficiency is because it is being abused, not so much by its corporate management as by its political masters.
It must have been a proud moment for former president Bakili Muluzi. His son—Atupele—who is a Cabinet Minister in the Peter Mutharika administration—had just retained his post as president of the United Democratic Front (UDF).
This is the party the self-styled political engineer helped to establish and almost single-handedly turned into a governing party for 10 years (two terms).
In fact, under the senior Muluzi’s stewardship, UDF won three elections—in 1994, in 1999 and in 2004.
Of course, the party found itself in the bitterly cold world of the opposition doldrums when the fellow he anointed as his successor—Bingu wa Mutharika—on the dangerous assumption that he would be fickle and allow Muluzi to run the country from behind the curtains turned out to be a ruthless politician when he dumped the party that sponsored him into power and formed the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The bitterness between the senior Muluzi and the man who kicked him and his party out of the power table was on full display.
So bitter were the Muluzis that when Bingu died—some say three times in one month in April 2012—Atupele joined the ill-fated regime of Joyce Banda and her People’s Party (PP).
But the young Muluzi’s eyes were always on the big prize—he wanted the seat his father and mentor had warmed for 10 years.
But to do that he needed some sort of experience, which the naïve Mrs. Banda provided by giving him a Cabinet post.
With a Cabinet portfolio on his resume to brag about as some kind of achievement, the young Muluzi dumped Banda’s PP-led government claiming widespread and high-level corruption as the reason. As Cashgate turned out, he just might have been right.
Atupele went on to mount his presidential campaign, riding on the message of change in the shadows of his father.
He lost miserably to Peter Mutharika, coming a distant fourth in the 2014 presidential election. He was in the cold yet again and Atupele does not like the cold political weather.
He then decided to go into the changing room, put on the best make-up he could lay his hands on and painted himself as the patriot ready to partner a victorious DPP, which had a miserable minority in Parliament.
Peter Mutharika took one look at the glittering young Muluzi and made his move: he proposed, promising plenty, but only scrapped away crumbs in the form of a Cabinet post for the young Muluzi and some meaningless parastatal non-executive board positions for the rest of Atupele’s minions.
Right from the start it was a marriage made from hell that tore the UDF apart and reduced it to a crappy wallet political unit, maybe a wing, of the UDF.
Bakili Muluzi must really be proud of his son, who is following in his father’s footsteps.
But was it pride in his son’s mediocre political performance that made Muluzi wiser and asked all of us to start being civil with each other, especially our leaders. Or is he just being mellow these days?
In his energetic years, was it not Muluzi who told all of us how many tablets then estranged vice-president Justin Malewezi was taking a day? Was it not the same Muluzi who laid bare what he claimed were Brown Mpinganjira’s moral decay—even went as far as the man’s bedroom? Muluzi was the master of vituperative language on live radio and television.
That said, I really want to believe that the senior Muluzi wants everyone to practice civilised politics; that we must avoid personal attacks he was so fond of and instead concentrate on issues and how to address them.
But could someone tell Muluzi that respect is earned not shoved down people’s throats simply because the one he is lobbying respect for happens to be a leader?
Malawian boxing icon Isaac ‘Golden Boy’ Chilemba has vowed to become a world champion again today when he takes to the ring against Dmitry Bivol in a World Boxing Association (WBA) light-heavyweight title fight.
The 31-year-old takes on the Russian this weekend at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlanta City, United States and is relishing his shot at glory.
Sizing each other up: Chilemba (R) and Bivol at the press conference4
Speaking at a pre-bout press conference monitored on You Tube yesterday, Chilemba who has won 25 (10 KOs) and drawn two of his 32 career fights, said: “It’s been a long road to get here, I had two rough years.
“I am here to win and I am not gonna let it go. This time I am not gonna let it slip through my hands and I will walk out a world champion again come the 4th of August.”
He also hailed his team for their unwavering support.
“My team stood by me, they supported me. I would like to thank my manager, Jodi Solomon, for her good work. I want to thank Roy Jones. I would like to thank Dmitry Bivol for giving me this opportunity. I want to thank Main Events. I want to thank all the fans, Hard Rock and HBO for this opportunity.”
In Chilemba, Bivol will face a 13-year pro who has only fallen short in recent meetings with both Alvarez and Kovalev, losing majority and unanimous decisions in 2015 and 2016.
He held the IBO’s title at 168 pounds and defended once back in 2010, then drew and lost in a two-bout series with two-time light heavyweight challenger Tony Bellew in 2013.
In his most recent fight, on March 16, he beat former Kovalev victim Blake Caparello by a unanimous decision.
On his part, Bivol said: “I’ve seen his [Chilemba’s] fights. I’ve seen his fights against Kovalev, against Gvozdyk, against [Vasily] Lepikhin. “He’s a strong guy.
“He can work 12 rounds and he has good experience. I know he’s lost fights, but sometimes defeat makes you better. I know that he can move backward and he can move forward. He can do everything and he’s a quick boxer. But we train to be the winner, to beat him.
“We prepare full out 100 percent every time for every opponent. My trainer tries to make sure that the strong qualities get developed more and more and I get better and better at the things that I do well, instead of looking for the certain negative qualities of the opponent. Because we believe being more confident and strong and better at what we do will make us better in the fight against the opponent.”
Chilemba has never been knocked out and failed to last the scheduled distance just once, retiring with a broken hand against Gvozdyk after eight rounds of the scheduled 10 in November 2016.
The fight will be Bivol’s 14th since turning professional in late 2014, though his transition to fighting for pay came after a prolonged amateur run in which he won 268 of 283 bouts. He won a pair of world championships in the under-17 age group, a bronze medal at the AIBA’s 2008 Youth World Championships and Russian National Amateur Championships in both 2012 and 2014.
With the country’s pension funds rapidly increasing, corporate and financial strategist James Kamwachale Khomba has advised government to put the pool of resources into long term profitable investments.
Since the new Pension Act enactment in 2011, Malawi’s pension industry has been among the world’s fastest-growing following the sharp growth in pension savings and assets, growing at an average of 34 percent annually.
Gondwe: We are looking into proper investment
According to figures from the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), the sector registered significant growth last year recording a positive return of 62.1 percent compared to a negative return of 8.5 percent in 2016.
Khomba said in an interview on Wednesday pension funds presents great opportunities for increased savings and investments to boost productive sectors; hence, the need for government to take charge of its financial management.
He said pension funds are supposed to be well managed by a designated office that is supposed to take care of such issues but the Malawi case seems different.
“We know that annual pension funds [are idle]. This is the kind of attitude we are failing to understand. We have so many ways in which pension funds can be utilised such as in Treasury Bills [TBs], Unit Trust and even in the private sector directly. This is the kind of management that must be enhanced if we are at all serious about utilising these recourses,” he said.
He said the government needs to manage these resources, saying the billions that the country is currently sitting on in form of pensions could multiply if handled correctly.
“We encourage the government to take a proactive action in as far as financial management is concerned about investing in portfolios that give us the best returns. With this in place, we can make more billions than what we currently have and use this for other meaningful uses,” he said.
Meanwhile, the pensions and gratuities budget line has been allocated K80.6 billion representing a six percent increase from the 2017/18 National Budget likely outturn figure of K76.1 billion.
Of the K80.6 billion, K11.4 billion is a contribution to the National Pension Scheme for newly recruited staff and officers of 35 years and below, according to the 2018/19 National Budget.
But Minister of Finance Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe said in an interview government along with the pensions trust is currently looking into proper investment avenues to invest the money in.
“We are aware that there are indeed some idle funds in the economy but the ministry does not make the decisions on its own. Government is just part of the existing trust that looks into such matters. For now, I am aware the trust is looking into ventures in which this money can go into,” he said.
In the previous entry, contributor STEVE SHARRA discussed the history that has created a mindset that holds back higher education enrolment rates in Malawi. In this final entry, he discusses the lack of student support systems in Malawian universities and analyses the strange paradox of “weeding” students who have already been selected from the cream of Malawi’s education system. He concludes the series by outlining how the country can harness the trending continental and global development agendas as a way of allowing higher education to help change Malawian society for the better.
Higher education offers young people prospects for a bright and prosperous future
Because Malawi’s low tertiary and higher education enrolment rates have been a consequence of limited spaces in institutions of higher learning, access to universities and colleges in Malawi is a matter of stiff competition.
Many excellent and capable students are left out, making selection a matter of rare luck riding on top of high performance. However, this does not mean that those who are not selected are not good enough, as is widely but mistakenly believed in much of Malawian society.
It is, therefore, paradoxical that even the few who go into universities and colleges in Malawi, the best of the best, face being withdrawn “on academic grounds” when their performance falls short of certain set standards.
Malawian institutions of higher learning “weed” students who fail to meet certain academic performance benchmarks. The mindset behind “weeding” is based on a number of beliefs, chief among them the “fixed mindset” we discussed in the previous entry.
A fixed mindset is the supposition that human intelligence is innate and fixed, and can never change over the course of one’s life. It is the same supposition upon which the concept of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is built.
In Malawi this mindset holds sway in a context that provides little support to students to help them succeed. There are some contradictory practices in Malawian institutions of higher learning that militate against the national aspiration to widen access to higher education.
As opposed to a fixed mindset, a growth mindset takes human intelligence to be flexible. It sees academic performance as a work in progress that can get better with more practice and more support.
In her doctoral research spanning three years from 2015 to 2017, Limbikani Kamlongera found high percentages of non-traditional students in one leading Malawian university college. More than two thirds of students from a representative sample were 21 years or older, indicating that they started school later or faced problems as they progressed. But anecdotal evidence also suggests that many students are entering university at much younger ages than is the case in other parts of the world.
Some of this is happening because people jump into and out of public and private schools offering a melange of local and international curricula with little government policy direction. Such students, whether too young or too old for university, need academic support services to help them navigate university education in order for them to succeed.
Kamlongera’s study, whose main aim was to “examine relationships between student academic preparedness, student use of university support systems and student success”, argues for institutions of higher learning to help students make use of such systems where they exist. Where they do not, institutions need to introduce them.
There is need to study Malawi’s higher education system more broadly to learn more about what student support systems are offered across universities and colleges. Students need support with academic work in their particular disciplines, counselling and psychological needs, financial needs, spiritual needs, and much more.
Malawian universities and colleges do offer some of this support, but the reality for many students is that they are on their own, left to fend for themselves.
The fixed mindset that pervades Malawi’s higher education system leaves students on their own because of the belief that one is either innately capable or not. “Weeding” is part of the fixed mindset which sees students in the same way.
But withdrawing students on academic grounds would make more sense in a context where all the necessary support systems were available, and it was the student’s choice not to take advantage of them.
But in Malawi students are “weeded” on the pretext, underlying or otherwise, that it is a quality assurance measure. There are academics who feel good about themselves and their institutions when students tout their courses as tough and when a lot of students fail rather than succeed. Such attitudes are sustained by a fixed mindset rather than a growth mindset.
In a country with the lowest higher education enrolment rates in the world, weeding students who already come from the cream of the cream is self-defeating and counter-intuitive, when considered in the light of national development.
What Malawi’s higher education system needs is a paradigm shift from seeing high student failure as a mark of quality to one where retention of students is.
Retaining students and helping them succeed and graduate not only ensures prudent utilisation of scarce national resources. It also offers young people prospects for a bright and prosperous future in which their capabilities are fully developed and their talents fully utilised to contribute to national development.
This is what will take Malawi in the direction toward achieving the continental Agenda 2063 and the global 2030 Agenda. In Agenda 2063, the first aspiration is for Africa to achieve “a high standard of living, quality of life and well-being for all citizens.” The second aspiration is for “well educated citizens and skills revolution underpinned by science, technology and innovation.”
For the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is goal number four that is aligned with the top two aspirations of Agenda 2063. SDG 4 is to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
Taken together, these goals both in Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda make an incontrovertible case for the role of higher education in national, continental and global development.
National development policies are being aligned with the two agendas although it is the SDGs that are getting far more attention. The theoretical framework of Agenda 2063 is the African Renaissance, whose ideological fulcrum is Pan-Africanism.
The African Renaissance and Pan-Africanism are deeply rooted in historical and contemporary desires for African people around the world to be free from global injustices, economic exploitation and neo-imperialism.
The SDGs have their theoretical framework and ideological underpinnings also, they require countries and regions to interpret them based on their historical circumstances, rather than in a generic way.
One thing that pervades the spirit of the SDGs is human dignity, an ultimate end resulting from the faithful pursuit of each of the goals. Whether Pan-African or humanistic, these are not easy ideals to craft into national development strategies without recourse to national histories.
And this is where higher education systems are called upon to offer direction based on deep knowledge and practical understanding of social change. For us here in Malawi, dealing with the challenge of low enrolments in our higher education system will be a central aspect of changing our society for the better.
It makes little sense to aspire to widen access in higher education while clinging to a fixed mindset that leads to very few students entering higher education, with little support, only to be withdrawn later, on so-called academic grounds.
*Steve Sharra, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Director of Research and Publications at the Catholic University of Malawi. He writes in his personal capacity.
This time about seven years ago, Malawians woke up to the realisation of the work of politicians in their attempt to ingratiate themselves to the powers that be when a then not-so-well-known politician Charles Mchacha was part of a trio recorded in a gossip session with the current President Peter Mutharika.
Mutharika then was embroiled in the academic freedom saga but had the temerity to have time for a little gossip which as it turned out showed what kind of leader he would be in future: One who listens to lies.
At the time, APM was touted to be his brother’s successor. Therefore, it was not surprising that the likes of Mchacha were seen to be skulking around the younger Mutharika.
Ironically, it is the same gossiper Mchacha that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) seems to have been trusted with developing strategies to counter the onslaught that the United Transformation Movement (UTM) seems to have launched on the Southern Region with the launch of the movement at Njamba Freedom Park.
Mchacha, the DPP regional governor in the South, was seen cowering in a car at a youth festival hastily organised to counter the UTM rally a mere two kilometres away.
At the so-called youth festival which was peppered with a live music concert, youths were made to get drunk on subsidised and free alcohol, then made to sign loan forms allegedly put together by an entity whose foundations were as dubious as the whole programme.
The DPP is now reaching dangerous levels of desperation with the coming in of UTM: From free entry to football matches in Lilongwe on the day of the UTM launch to free beers, and now organising parallel rallies in Mzuzu for the third regional launch of the movement.
Such levels of panic and desperation will not end well, not for the DPP or for the victims of these callous and ill-devised strategies. A party running around like headless chickens will not inspire confidence in the Malawian voter.
Where such ludicrous means are employed to counter a weeks’ old movement, the victims are the youth who are enticed by politicians who have made their future of boot-licking to obtain government contracts.
When the DPP decides to hold parallel rallies in a city as small but highly populated as Mzuzu, the results of the tension or any blood that is shed on this day will be on DPP’s hands.
The DPP and government machinery would do well to expend its energies on rooting out the rampant theft in its ranks.
The ruling party should be more concerned about solving the mystery of 3.8 million litres of fuel which grew legs and disappeared from Escom, leaving poor Malawians languishing in health centres that have no water or electricity let alone basic medicines such as panado.
Instead of unleashing the Police on the UTM leader and Vice-President Saulos Chilima for his allegations on a rigging machine, take some time to investigate the senior Police officers who authorised a dubious rations deal and thanked the president and his party with K145 million gift.
Since the DPP has K25 million to spend on getting the youth drunk, how about approaching some well-wishers to pave a few rural roads so its secretary general Greselder Jeffrey can reach potential voters easily? The voters will thank the DPP when an ambulance can reach their area and reduce maternal and child deaths.
But if the DPP strategies for countering the wave that is UTM is to induce the youth into a drunken stupor and pay for them to watch football matches, there is little hope for its win in 2019.
If the best that the DPP can come up with to counter Chilima’s evidential utterings is to round up five ministers in a room to call for the resignation of a constitutionally elected vice-president, then it is safe to conclude that the party is panicking and desperate.
