Malawi issues food crisis appeal

Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika has declared a national disaster over the
food shortages which are threatening almost half the population.
In a radio and TV broadcast, the president said the crisis had worsened and the
country needed more help.

UN estimates suggest about five million people will need aid after Malawi's
worst harvest for more than a decade.

Mr Mutharika had been criticised for denying reports of deaths from
hunger-related illnesses in Malawi.

Crisis 'escalates'

Mr Mutharika said all 28 districts of Malawi were affected by shortages.

Malawi needed an extra 144,000 metric tons of food on top of 300,000 tons
expected to be imported from South Africa, he said.

"The food crisis has escalated and we need more assistance," the Malawian leader
said.

"We are facing a national disaster affecting the lives of our people."

The shortages are blamed on poor rains, a lack of seed and fertiliser during the
planting season, and the effects of HIV and Aids.

Mr Mutharika's announcement follows increasing criticism from the opposition and
church leaders, who urged him to do more to highlight the problem.

Correspondents say it comes as a dramatic turnaround for a president who three
weeks ago said his government was in control.

Donors needed now

The president's declaration was welcomed by the UN World Food Programme.

A spokesman for the agency said it reflected the growing seriousness of the
problem.

The hope now is that donors will be more generous in their response to a WFP
appeal for $88m for Malawi, says the BBC's African affairs editor Grant Ferrett.

The deputy head of the agency, Sheila Sisulu, complained during a recent visit
to the country that donations tended to be made only when images of large
numbers of emaciated children began appearing on television screens around the
world.

She said Malawi need not suffer the sort of severe hunger experienced earlier
this year in the west African state of Niger, but warned that donors should come
forward now.

It is not just Malawi which is threatened - across southern Africa, the UN
estimates that 12 million people will need help in the coming year.

*****

Kwacha drops against dollar
by Taonga Sabola, 17 October 2005 - 06:32:01
The Malawi kwacha registered a small drop against the country's major trading
currencies the United States dollar and the South African rand in September
while at the same time it appreciated against the British Pound and the Euro.
Financial investment firm Continental Discount House (CDH) says in its September
2005 Economic review the US dollar traded at an average middle rate of K124.1002
in September 2005 compared to K123.4109 in August.
It also weakened against the South African rand from K19.0115 in August 2005 to
K19.6212 in September .
"On the other hand, Malawi kwacha strengthened against the British Pound and the
Euro traded at middle rates of K220.3528 and K150.3503 from K151.7372
respectively," says CDH.
It says the depreciation of the kwacha against the dollar may be partly
explained by "artificial" shortage of foreign exchange in the foreign exchange
market.
Reserve Bank of Malawi Governor Victor Mbewe recently pegged the country's
import cover at 2.6 months which is slightly lower than the required three
months cover,
The financial securities firm says the local currency is expected to continue
with marginal depreciation as the country approaches the lean period for foreign
exchange.
"However, if the inflow of donor aid continues, the Malawi kwacha exchange rate
against other currencies may stabilise somewhat in the issuing months," says
CDH.
CDH also predicts a likely acceleration in the rate of headline inflation in
October due to current maize price hikes. It also indicates that the headline
inflation may be exacerbated by further spill-over effects from the recent fuel
price adjustments.
Maize is currently being sold at an average price of K1,800 in most local
markets with government yet to implement the proposed price hike which
Agricultural Minister Uladi Mussa alluded to a couple of weeks ago.
The country's inflation rate was at 15.4 percent as of September 2005, according
to National Statistical office.
"As inflationary pressure gets momentum, the monetary authorities may be forced
to maintain the bank rate at the current 25 percent and may lead to stability of
the rest of the money market rates," says CDH.

*****

UDF plans demo for impeachment
by Penelope Kakhobwe, 17 October 2005 - 06:27:35
The UDF says it plans to hold demonstrations to encourage members of Parliament
to support the impeachment of President Bingu wa Mutharika when the time comes.
UDF spokesperson Sam Mpasu said on Sunday "we want to encourage members of
Parliament to follow their conscience and support the impeachment as it is their
constitutional duty".
Mpasu said: "There have been demonstrations in the past to discourage MPs from
discussing the impeachment procedures but we want to show MPs the support they
have for the impeachment.
Mpasu, who described Malawi as a country that believes in the rule of law, said
it was only right to remove the Mutharika as he had breached written laws of the
Constitution.
"If you break the law in church, you get punished and anyone who breaks the law
gets punished," he said.
The UDF recently came up with eight grounds for impeaching Mutharika which
include abuse of official powers and failure to observe, preserve and uphold the
Constitution and the rule of law.
Mpasu said the eight grounds were enough grounds for the impeachment of
President Mutharika as he had broken several laws.
Mpasu gave an example the procedures of the appointment of Mary Nangwale as
Inspector of Police, the fertiliser deals with 'fishy businessmen' as reasons
for removal of Mutharika.
Mpasu said the party will inform the public when it is ready for the
demonstrations.

*****

Kaliati claims Bingu declared disaster in May
by Henry Chilobwe, 17 October 2005 - 06:14:06
  Information Minister Patricia Kaliati insists President Bingu wa Mutharika
declared Malawi a state of disaster way back in May soon after the Malawi
Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) warned that over 4.2 million Malawians
are facing hunger.
Parliament on Thursday passed a resolution to force government declare Malawi a
state of national disaster. Mutharika on Friday openly declared that Malawi is a
state of disaster and requires emergency food aid.
Some politicians have described the declaration as a positive step made too
late.
But Kaliati dismissed the claims on Sunday.
She said Bingu's gestures have always shown that he accepted there was serious
food crisis threatening lives of many Malawians.
She said even after the budget session Mutharika called donors and other
stakeholders and told them of the problem.
"That is why donors have been assisting us through food or cash donations. If he
had not declared it then, for what purpose is the maize being distributed by
World Food Programme?" wondered Kaliai.
She said Malawi donors have pumped in over 100 million US dollars for the
purchase of maize because of the calls for aid that Mutharika has been making.
Kaliati explained that Mutharika's appeal for food aid at the 60th United Nation
General Assembly that was held in New York last month and the initiative to
establish the Feed the Nation Fund were also ways of declaring that Malawi was
in a state of disaster.
"Maybe, the people wanted him to say it as he did on Friday but what I am saying
is Malawi was declared a state of disaster way back, even before people started
demanding that he does so," she said.

*****

Bingu directives drain development budget
by Joseph Langa, 15 October 2005 - 09:21:15
The Mutharika administration has started making good the president's promises to
buy buses for some schools and universities with the purchase of a minibus for
Dedza Secondary School but the unbudgeted for expenditure might make the
Controlling Officer for the Ministry of Education answer for flouting Public
Finance Management Act, experts warn.
Director of Finance in the Ministry of Education Chris Kang'ombe said on
Thursday the minibus worth about K10 million including comprehensive insurance
cover was bought last week from HTD Limited and is now with Plant and Vehicle
Hire Organisation (PVHO). He said the other minibuses will be bought in phases
later.
Mutharika, an alumnus of Dedza Secondary School, promised the bus when he
visited the school on September 6. The other institutions the president promised
buses include Chancellor College, the Polytechnic, Bunda College of Agriculture,
Kamuzu College of Nursing as well as Providence, Zomba Catholic, Blantyre, and
Lilongwe Girls secondary schools.
Asked where funding for the buses, estimated at over K90 million, is coming
from, Kang'ombe, who is also acting PS for Education, said the money was sourced
by Ministry of Finance from "other votes". He said his ministry's job is to
follow up on Presidential pledges, process and forward them to Treasury to find
out whether they have the resources to buy them or not since the Ministry of
Education budget has no allocation for the minibuses.
But Acting Secretary to the Treasury Patrick Kabambe, while confirming that
Treasury released K10 million to the Ministry of Education for the purchase of
the minibus, disputed that the money was sourced from other votes, saying it
will be deducted from the development budget of the Ministry of Education.
Ministry of Education was allocated K2.6 billion in the 2005/2006 financial year
for development projects, most of it earmarked for the building of new primary
and secondary schools. In the electronic version of the approved budget
estimates for the 2005/2006 financial year, there is no allocation for the
purchase of minibuses for schools and colleges.
Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) acting Executive Director Mabvuto Bamusi
said the reallocation of resources from the development budget to the purchasing
of minibuses is illegal.
"This is gross abuse of the Public Finance Management Act and the budget as
whole," said Bamusi, stressing that the act does not give room for political
directives.
Bamusi said what has happened clearly shows that the budget is not being
properly implemented and this is likely to reflect at the end of the financial
year.
"Expenditure outside the approved budget, whether directed by the President or
not, is not supposed to be encouraged because it affects development plans,"
said Bamusi.
Kang'ombe expressed surprise to learn that Treasury will deduct the money for
the minibuses on his ministry's development budget allocation.
"That has not been communicated to us, that they will be using our budget to buy
these things unless if that has been done behind our back," said Kang'ombe,
adding that in as far as the ministry is concerned, the money never came from
its budget.
But Kabambe said Treasury treated the expense as part of the activity for the
ministry's development budget, saying it is up to the Ministry of Education to
look at how best they can defer certain expenditures to accommodate the buying
of the minibuses.
In his earlier interview on Wednesday, Kabambe said although ministries now have
powers to buy anything without consulting Treasury, they are supposed to request
for approval if they want to buy items outside the budget. Asked if the Ministry
of Education sought the approval to reallocate funds for the purchase of the
minibuses, he claimed not to have received any such request.
"If they indeed used the money to buy something outside the approved budget it
becomes an audit query," he said, adding that it is against the Public Finance
Management Act for a Controlling Officer to spend resources on something which
is not in the budget.

*****

Gwanda, Zikhale register NRP
by Mabvuto Banda, 15 October 2005 - 09:23:40
Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) stalwarts Gwanda Chakuamba and Ken
Zikhale Ng'oma have registered a party called the New Republican Party (NRP)
which will be launched next month.
NRP legal officer Dick Chidika said on Friday Chakuamba is the interim president
and Ng'oma is deputy president for administrative and political affairs. Eston
Kakhome is the vice president for social and economic affairs. Lawyer Rodrick
Makono is the interim national chairman while Mzimba East MP Abbie Shawa is
interim secretary general."
The new party first attempted to register last week as National Republican Party
but the Registrar of Parties rejected the application on the grounds that NRP
did not get permission to use the word "National" from the Office of the
President and Cabinet.
"This is the reason why we decided to change the name to New Republican Party, a
party whose mission is to embark on an agriculture revolution," he said.
Steve Malamba, MP for Nsanje Lalanje, is also in the committee.
Chakuamba's personal assistant Silas Kanjere said the colour of the new party is
green and its symbol is one maize stalk with three maize cobs on it.
NRP becomes the third party to use green as its official colour after MCP and
Republican Party (RP). Chakuamba has been president for the two parties.
The formation of NRP comes while the courts are yet to rule on the dispute over
the de-registration of the RP, a party Chakuamba formed after he quit the MCP
shortly before the 2004 general elections. After losing the presidential race in
May, 2004, Chakuamba took RP to a coalition with UDF then later decided to
dissolve RP and became vice president of DPP, a party he founded together with
President Bingu wa Mutharika.
Last month Chakuamba returned to RP after leaving the DPP but was fired last
week following accusations that he was bringing divisions in the party.
The RP is meanwhile fighting the de-registration in court.
RP president Stanley Masauli on Wednesday warned that his party would drag NRP
to court if it is established that the new party has same ideals and symbols as
RP.
Ng'oma, Bingu wa Mutharika's closest aide from their days in the United Party
(UP) which disbanded after unsuccessfully contesting the 1999 general elections,
last month resigned as director of campaign for DPP .
His resignation followed Mutharika's decision to demote him from the position of
secretary general of the party. Chakuamba resigned from the party after he was
sacked from cabinet.
Meanwhile, MPs that were sponsored by RP are split on their political
allegiances.
In the Northern Region, Bazuka Mhango said he will decide after looking at the
party's ideologies and manifesto while Good Kayira, Khumbo Chirwa, Pisho
Nkhwazi, Richard Msowoya and Benjamin Banda indicated that they would not join
Chakuamba's new party.
In the South, Malamba and Charles Luya are on record as pledging their support
to Chakuamba's new party.


*****

Gangs pillage potato farms near Harare

Harare, Zimbabwe



17 October 2005 11:35

As economic hardships and food shortages bite in Zimbabwe, thieves are mounting
armed raids on potato farms near the capital Harare, the state-controlled Herald
reported on Monday.

Thieves armed with axes, spears and slingshots in large groups of up to 80
people have assaulted guards, killed their dogs and stolen potatoes worth one
billion Zimbabwe dollars ($38 000) from Stamford and Goodhope Farms over the
past three months, it said.

"While a selected group will be fighting the guards, a larger group will be
digging for the potatoes before getting away with their loot," the newspaper
said.

"The latest raid was on Saturday night when two security guards were injured and
two dogs killed in the skirmishes," the paper added.

The report said the stolen potatoes are sold in the capital Harare for up to
Z$250 000 ($9,60) a sack.

Zimbabwe is in the grip of its worst economic crisis in 25 years of
independence, with inflation close to 360% and spiralling poverty and shortages
of basic commodities, including the staple maize meal.

President Robert Mugabe's government, which has so far refused to make an
international appeal for food aid, claims it is importing sufficient quantities
of maize meal to feed its 11,6-million people.

Last month Mugabe said in an interview on the sidelines of the United Nations
General Assembly summit that while maize meal was in short supply due to
drought, the country has "heaps of potatoes".

"We have heaps of potatoes but people are not potato eaters... they have rice
but they're not as attracted [to that]," he was quoted as saying.

Zimbabwe was once dubbed the bread basket of southern Africa due to its bumper
harvests of maize. However, following several years of drought and a
controversial land reform programme launched five years ago that saw the seizure
of white-owned farms for redistribution to blacks, harvests have plummeted.

In a separate article, the Herald reported that Mugabe told Zimbabweans in Rome,
Italy where he is attending a Food and Agriculture Organisation meeting that the
country would harvest only 250 000 tonnes of maize this year, out of a required
amount of 1,8-million tonnes. - Sapa-DPA

*****

Also, I've really been enjoying a webcam that Nat'l Geographic has set up near a
water hole in Botswana.  It's got streaming video and sound.  There was a big
herd of elephants there earlier this morning, for instance.

http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/wildcamafrica/wildcam.html

ACB wants Muluzi to explain deposits
by George Ntonya, 18 October 2005 - 06:47:38
  The ACB has summoned former president Bakili Muluzi to explain why he received
K1.4 billion from donor countries, foreign organisations and local private
firms, which he deposited into a personal account during his 10-year tenure of
office.
According to a letter of notice from ACB director Gustave Kaliwo to Muluzi dated
17th October 2005, Muluzi is requested go to ACB offices in Blantyre on October
24, 2005 at 1200GMT to shed light on the issue.
Muluzi is expected to answer questions and produce all original documents or
certified true copies of documents in his possession or under his control in
respect of transactions he had with the Republic of China (Taiwan), Libya, the
Kingdom of Morocco, Rwanda and some foreign organisations (names withheld).
The letter, which indicates Muluzi pocketed a total of K1,399,191,218.64 between
April 1999 and November 2004, says the UDF national chair's explanations would
help the bureau in its investigations into his affairs.
Lawyer David Kanyenda from Sacranie and Gow, Muluzi's lawyers, confirmed receipt
of the notice and said they had forwarded it to their client.
"I can confirm that at around 4.30 pm today we were served with the notice. In
the meantime we are getting instructions from our client regarding the conduct
of the matter," Kanyenda said when contacted Monday afternoon.
Muluzi's spokesperson Sam Mpasu said he was not aware of the development,
describing it as government's ploy to embarrass the former head of state.
Jimmy Wu, a counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Lilongwe, said he was not aware
of money Taiwan is alleged to have given Muluzi as an individual.
"All I know is that there is a government-to-government cooperation and the
money that comes from the Republic of China is for development programmes in
Malawi," he said, adding that constitutionally people in Taiwan have the right
to know how their tax is used.
According to ACB documents, Muluzi is alleged to have banked K46 million and
K252 million donated by local firms and unknown sources respectively, while
Taiwan and its embassy in Malawi provided close to K700 million. The rest is
from other sources.
If Muluzi does not comply with the notice to appear before the bureau, he can be
guilty of an offence with a fine of K50,000 and imprisonment for two years,
under Section 11 (c) and (d) of the Corrupt Practices Act.



*****

Malawi: Mutharika Declares Disaster As Food Crisis Deepens

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

October 17, 2005
Posted to the web October 17, 2005

Johannesburg

Malawi's worsening food crisis has been seized on by opponents of President
Bingu wa Mutharika, intent on forcing him out of office.

Apparently bowing to opposition pressure, Mutharika on Saturday declared a state
of disaster in all 28 districts of Malawi in response to widespread food
shortages - an indication that the food crisis had become politicised, said
Rafiq Hajat of the Blantyre-based Institute for Policy Interaction.


Hajat noted that the declaration came several weeks after the UN launched its US
$88 million Flash Appeal for Malawi and was tantamount to "closing the stable
door after the horse has already bolted".

"It's basically long overdue - some of us in civil society have been raising the
alarm over the impending food crisis since December 2004 and January this year.
The crisis was created by a combination of factors, such as the non-delivery of
subsidised fertiliser last year and the erratic rainfall - it did not take a
rocket scientist to figure out that we were going to face a food crisis this
year," Hajat commented.

Aid workers told IRIN the Flash Appeal had been out since the end of August and
it was unlikely that a state of disaster would deliver significant new levels of
funding.

According to the Financial Tracking System of the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs, $28 million had so far been received towards the $88
million Malawi appeal.

Mutharika has been fighting for his political survival since June, with the food
crisis seemingly overshadowed as opposition parties forged ahead with plans to
impeach him.

The fight has pitted Mutharika against former president of the country and now
chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF), Bakili Muluzi, with the UDF
proposing an impeachment motion after Mutharika left the party which had
sponsored him in the national elections.

On paper the opposition parties form the largest bloc in parliament, though
Mutharika formed his own political organisation, the Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP), it does not have any seats.

Earlier this month, British High Commissioner to Malawi David Pearey said the
ongoing political crisis was distracting government and had caused parliament to
lose focus amid a worsening food crisis. He warned that the political imbroglio
could also jeopardise foreign development assistance.

"Certain quarters seem hell-bent on self-destruction. It's the old African
adage: 'When the elephants fight the grass gets trampled underfoot'," Hajat
remarked.

The World Food Programme (WFP) spokeswoman in Malawi, Antonella D'Aprile, said
the government - with donor backing - was already distributing food aid in the
central and northern parts of the country, alongside WFP's efforts in the
worst-affected southern districts.

"The situation is, however, complex and we've been monitoring the maize price
over the past six months, and we knew something big was coming [in terms of
needs]," she said.

The volume of food aid required was "much higher now, and we are now looking at
five million people in need [of food aid]". Earlier estimates had put the number
at 4.2 million.

*****

Lucius Banda fears political persecution
by Bright Sonani, 18 October 2005 - 07:42:00
Balaka North MP Lucius Banda (UDF) said Monday he fears that government is going
to use the Police to persecute him.
Banda made the remarks following the arrest of his driver Hassan Mulozi last
Tuesday when he was involved in an accident in which a child in Banda's
neighbourhood in his constituency was killed on the spot after being hit by the
legislator's Nissan UD truck on Saturday.
"My driver has been charged with manslaughter because they are saying it was a
hit and run. However, what surprises me is that the accident happened about
three hundred metres from my house where the vehicle was parked soon after the
accident and the traffic police found no fault with both the vehicle and the
driver," he said.
Banda, who controversially came into the limelight in June after moving a motion
on impeachment procedures for the President and his Vice, said accident happened
when the child playfully jump-dangled onto the body of the moving truck but
later fell down as the driver was reversing.
"It was while we were preparing to go to [UDF National Chairman] Bakili Muluzi's
rally in Mangochi and we wanted to use the same truck for the trip. However, I
was surprised that after we had finalised everything Police could not release
the truck," he said.
According to Banda, the case has since been committed to the High Court and the
driver has been transferred to Ntcheu Police on remand.
Police Public Relations Officer Willie Mwaluka refused to comment on how police
handled the accident since he said the issue was already in court.

*****

Tembo clarifies on Bingu snub
by Gedion Munthali, 18 October 2005 - 07:34:15
  MCP President John Tembo has said President Bingu wa Mutharika wrote him a
letter for talks on the second vice presidency offer, not on reconciliation as
the Head of State claimed recently.
Mutharika recently said he wrote opposition leaders inviting them for
reconciliation talks, but they declined the offer.
"The [MCP] president says it is true that the State President wrote him a letter
on September 12, 2005, but it was not for reconciliation talks," said MCP
publicity secretary Nicholas Dausi Monday.
Dausi said Tembo told him Mutharika offered the second vice presidency for
another time, but the offer was declined again.
"Hon. Tembo says besides offering him the post of second vice president,
President Mutharika also asked to see him in person," said Dausi.
The MCP spokesman said Tembo responded to the letter on September 13, 2005
declining the offer and the meeting.
"He has [informed] me he told the State President he would not take up the post
because he did not want to be an opportunist," said Dausi.
"He also said he declined to meet the State President because the meeting was
not qualified. Hon. Tembo thought the meeting was about the post he had already
declined, so it was not necessary to meet," he added. "He said if the State
President mentioned that the meeting was about issues of national importance, he
would have accepted it."
UDF spokesman Sam Mpasu said his party did not receive Mutharika's letter.
"UDF has never received any letter from the President," said Mpasu. "I do not
want to go further than this because a President does not lie."
State House Press Officer Chikumbutso Mtumodzi asked for a questionnaire when
contacted on the issue. It was e-mailed to him, but had not been answered at the
time of going to press.
Mutharika told a rally recently he was open for talks, but it was the opposition
which was unwilling to attend them.
"I wrote the letters to the opposition leaders inviting them for talks, but they
declined. I can even show you the letters," said Mutharika.
But civil and religious organisation have been unanimous in accusing Mutharika
of shunning talks.

*****

Mutharika will not go to Parliament
by Henry Chilobwe, 18 October 2005 - 07:30:54
  President Bingu wa Mutharika will not appear before Parliament on Wednesday to
answer questions on how the K5.2 billion the National Assembly allocated for the
purchase of maize was used.
Information Minister Patricia Kaliati said on Monday the President will not go
to Parliament to answer those questions because at the moment there are no
procedures to allow him to go to Parliament.
Members of Parliament last week demanded that President Mutharika should appear
before the House to explain why people are dying of hunger when during the last
sitting of the National Assembly K5.2 billion was allocated for the purchase of
maize.
Kaliati also said it is not proper for parliamentary committees to wait for the
House to sit and raise pertinent issues. She said if Parliament's Committee on
Agriculture had issues to raise with Mutharika it should have asked for an
audience with him.
Kaliati said the issues the House wants to raise with the President are obvious
as "everybody knows that the money was used for buying maize which government is
selling and distributing in some areas" of the country.
"Everybody knows that the money was used for buying the maize which we have now.
So if he goes to Parliament what will he be explaining? And if the Committee on
Agriculture wanted to meet him, why did they not book an appointment with him
instead of waiting for Parliament?
"That's not the way we should work because Parliament meets at long intervals,"
said Kaliati, apparently referring to the Agriculture Committee chairperson
Vitus Dzoole Mwale's remarks in the House last week that a survey carried out by
his committee in March warned of a looming hunger but government down-played the
warning.
Malawi Law Society president Alick Msowoya said Mutharika's refusal to appear
before Parliament is unconstitutional as he is obliged by the Republican
Constitution to appear before the House.
"It is not a matter of discretion. It is a matter of duty and he has to appear
before the House in line with the Constitution and Standing Orders," said
Msowoya.
Chapter 8 Section 89 (4) of the Constitution of Malawi stipulates that "the
President shall be called to Parliament to answer questions at such times as may
be prescribed by the Standing Orders of Parliament or on a motion of the
National Assembly."
Attorney General Ralph Kasambara, who is government chief legal advisor, refused
to comment on why the President will not appear before Parliament, saying he can
only give the reasons to the House if required.
"I cannot discuss the reasons in a newspaper. If Parliament asks for the reasons
I will advise them accordingly but at the moment I do not know what you are
talking about," said Kasambara.
Malawi Congress Party president and leader of opposition John Tembo refused to
comment on Mutharika's refusal, saying it is the Speaker of Parliament Louis
Chimango who summoned Mutharika to Parliament.
Chimango also refused to comment but leader of government Henry Chimunthu Banda
said the President cannot go to Parliament because procedures have not been
drawn yet.
"What Parliament expressed last week was just a wish. Even those who said the
President should come to Parliament know that there are procedures to be
followed and that has not been done yet," said Banda.
United Democratic Front (UDF) chief whip Leonard Mangulama could not be reached
Monday.

*****

PPM says no to impeachment
by George Ntonya, 18 October 2005 - 07:05:42
  The People's Progressive Movement (PPM) has disassociated itself from
politicians who are agitating for the impeachment of President Bingu wa
Mutharika.
PPM president Aleke Banda said Monday at a press conference the impeachment
process, if allowed to proceed, would only worsen the already fragile Malawi
economy and render the country poorer.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) is pushing for procedures in Parliament's
standing orders so that the President, who became Malawi's leader on its ticket
and resigned to form his Democratic Progressive party (DPP), gets impeached as
soon as possible.
"It might be easy to find two-thirds majority in Parliament, but the person who
has been impeached by Parliament would not accept that position lying down. Most
probably he will challenge it in court," Banda said, adding that as the two
sides will be fighting in court, development programmes in the country are
likely to halt and donors and foreign investors are also going to back away.
"PPM strongly believes that Mutharika's impeachment is not necessary because it
is not in the interest of poor Malawians, who would like the people they elected
into Parliament to address issues of HIV and Aids, tuberculosis (TB), poverty
and food security," said Banda, who was flanked by his vice Mark Katsonga Phiri
and director of legal affairs James Makoza Chirwa.
"It is our considered view that there will be no winner. The opposition will not
win. The President will not win. All of us will be losers," he emphasised,
adding that Parliament should avoid playing complainant, prosecutor, jury and
judge at the same time, as some MPs have shown in the House.
Banda said PPM is not against the proponents of the impeachment, but feels that
there are other ways of solving problems that led to Mutharika falling out with
UDF.
Katsonga Phiri said PPM is concerned that some MPs are preoccupied with
Mutharika's impeachment when there are many more important things for them to
fight for, for their constituents.
"[Impeachment] is really occupying a lot of our time. We are ignoring the
important issues of our nation. This is worrying us. [It] is disturbing the
rapport we were creating with our donors and friendly governments," he said,
adding that "after all this government has only three years to go and to some of
us who have struggled in life, three years is nothing."
If Mutharika is not the right material for the presidency, reasoned Katsonga
Phiri, let the electorate say so at the polls in 2009.
But Banda said PPM feels that Mutharika should initiate contact and dialogue
with the opposition to avert the looming political crisis.
He said although the President has said at political rallies that he is ready to
discuss his differences with UDF and other opposition parties, he has fallen
short of taking a lead in ensuring the round-table discussions take place.
"We have always advocated for contact and dialogue but it seems it is falling on
deaf ears," Banda lamented, adding that Mutharika has nothing to lose by letting
the opposition leaders "bare their chests".

*****

Veep calls defectors mad people
by Bright Sonani, 18 October 2005 - 07:00:00
  Vice President Cassim Chilumpha has said "only the insane and mad politicians"
can abandon a political party that sponsored them into positions, arguing that
in civilised politics the only reasonable thing for such people is to resign.
But government has described the VP's remarks as unfortunate, saying President
Bingu wa Mutharika has never forced Chilumpha to join the DPP.
Chilumpha made the remarks during a rally he addressed in Namwera, Mangochi, on
Sunday soon after he graced a Paper Sunday offertory at Namwera CCAP Church.
"It is like when you have appointed someone a chief in a village and after
sometime you tell those people who appointed you that you are moving out of that
village and establish another village somewhere. What would you say about that
man? You would say he is mad, he is insane," he said, amid ululation from
supporters.
"When you leave the party that ushered you into a position you are supposed to
resign. In civilised politics that is what is supposed to happen, you resign
from your position.
"In Parliament there are rules as well, that when you leave a party that
sponsored you it means you have crossed the floor. I am challenging whoever can
dispute this fact to come forward," said Chilumpha, whose remarks apply to those
who left their original parties, including the President, who resigned from the
United Democratic Front (UDF) that sponsored his 2004 successful presidential
bid.
The Vice President reiterated his position that he was not ready to leave the
UDF even if it means being fired from government.
He said there was no way anyone could take him to task on that position since it
was his freedom and he would "stubbornly" not let go what he is believing in.
"You mandated me to be your Vice President and voted for a clasped hands symbol.
Check on that ballot paper, there was the presidential candidate on top and
below it there was my name. It is not possible for me to leave the party. Where
should I go? Whether someone has left, that's not my business," said Chilumpha.
He also called upon UDF leaders not to be swayed by the current political
climate in the country by moving out of the party but to remain loyal to it and
its national chairman Bakili Muluzi.
On the food situation in the country, Chilumpha said government in collaboration
with donor countries was doing everything possible to make sure that maize is
available in Admarc markets as well as for free distribution to the needy.
He, however, called on those who have little food to assist those who have
nothing, instead of waiting for government's assistance.
Chilumpha also asked religious leaders to organise countrywide prayers to have
God's indulgence in the crisis.
Commenting on Chilumpha's statement, government spokesperson Patricia Kaliati
said it was unfortunate that the Vice President was speaking as if President
Bingu wa Mutharika has ever forced him to join the DPP.
"President Mutharika has never forced anyone to join the DPP. As the second
citizen of this country we have a lot of respect for him, we also expect him to
respect the President and those who have left the UDF. We have never embarrassed
anyone including the VP. As our number two man and a lawyer, he is aware that
those people he is calling mad have their rights too," she said.
Chilumpha has remained in the UDF after Mutharika abandoned it, but his
relationship with his boss has never been clear with speculation that the two do
not see eye to eye.
Since the fallout, the Vice President's position has never been clear. Recently,
during a function in the same district, Chilumpha said he would not abandon
those who voted for him even if it meant him being fired from government.

*****

Govt labels procedures as fraud
by Bright Sonani, 18 October 2005 - 06:56:55
Government has described Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee report on
impeachment procedures for the President and his Vice as "fraud" while some MPs
have suggested that a referendum be considered as another way forward to allow
people have a final say on the issue.
All government MPs who spoke in the National Assembly on Monday vehemently
opposed to how the report was compiled, saying that the committee, which was
accused of having interest in the issue, failed to incorporate vital suggestions
from stakeholders who were consulted but instead chose to be defensive.
Throughout the debate, it was a battle between government and UDF as at times
the two camps traded barbs while the main opposition, the MCP, watched the
drama. Only two MCP MPs, Lilongwe North West Ishmael Chafukira and Nkhotakota
Adden Mbowani contributed to the debate in support of the report.
Standing on a point of order, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Ken
Lipenga labelled the report as "a fraud" after one of the members of the Legal
Affairs Committee Martha Lunji referred to Nebraska as one of the countries used
as a reference point when compiling the report.
"In her intervention she repeatedly referred to Nebraska as one of the
countries. If indeed she was a member of the committee that came up with this so
called report then no wonder this report is taken as totally fraud," said
Lipenga, who is also MP for Phalombe.
Mzimba MP Khumbo Kachali, who is also Deputy Minister of Defence, said it was
surprising that the report has only included oral submissions from stakeholders
without including their written submissions.
He also observed that crucial recommendations from the stakeholders were ignored
and instead the committee decided to defend itself on several of them.
Some of the suggestions that Kachali cited included the issue of the House being
accuser, prosecutor and judge; setting up of a special tribunal and that the
procedures should be developed by the Law Commission.
"Being defensive is uncalled for. The committee has to be reminded that it was
acting on behalf of this House not on its own. This report has to be rejected
because this House should not condone substandard work. Let us find an
alternative to develop the procedures," said Kachali.
MP for Nkhata Bay Central Simon Vuwa Kaunda said the report lacked proper
consultation and there was need to take it back to the committee for further
consultation with other parliaments in countries like Zambia and the US which he
said have had similar experiences.
"Again, the President is elected by millions of Malawians and I would ask the
committee to consult people in the villages. Let's it go for a referendum. A
referendum is what we need," he said.
Kaunda also questioned the speed at which the Legal Affairs Committee was
pushing the procedures and also the urgency in the time frame of the procedures
themselves.
"What is the justification of this urgency?" He queried.
Kaunda said people were suspicious because no one has disputed reports that
eight grounds have already been prepared for the impeachment of the President.
Karonga Nyungwe MP Richard Msowoya also said the report overlooked one aspect of
rules of natural justice.
Karonga Central MP Frank Mwenifumbo said he was worried that the composition of
the Legal Affairs Committee was by opposition members only, saying that put the
report in disrepute and doubt
But most UDF MPs argued that the report was not targeting anyone and also that
the committee has taken on board all suggestions made by various stakeholders.
Nkhotakota Central MP Clement Stambuli said the issue of calling for a
referendum was for the President and not Parliament.
He said it was nobody's fault that government was lacking representation in the
Legal Affairs Committee.
"If there is a side without numbers that's their problem because Parliament is
all about numbers. I think government fears are because they appreciate and
understand that the President has violated the Constitution," he said.

*****

Kutengule arrested
by Gedion Munthali, 18 October 2005 - 06:52:18
  The ACB on Monday arrested suspended Secretary to Treasury Milton Kutengule and
there is a strong hint that former Education Minister Yusuf Mwawa might be
picked in a matter of days on corruption allegations.
ACB spokesperson Egrita Ndala said Kutengule was picked in Lilongwe over a K20
million Credit Scheme Account he is said to have opened at Finance Bank of
Malawi and was the sole signatory to transactions that followed.
"Today, Monday October 17, 2005, the Anti Corruption Bureau has arrested Dr.
Milton Kutengule on allegations he used his public office for his own advantage
to open an account where he was a sole signatory being an act which resulted in
theft of government money amounting to K15,767,565.00," she alleged.
"Dr Kutengule will be taken to court in Lilongwe where he will be formally
charged," Ndala added. She was not sure when he would appear in court.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Ishmael Wadi confirmed Monday
afternoon*just before news of the Kutengule arrest started filtering in*he had
accepted the ACB's application to act.
He dismissed fears some opposition MPs raised last week Kutengule's arrest might
be used to block discussion on a report on the issue the Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) will table during the ongoing sitting of the National Assembly.
According to the MPs, government would say the matter is in court to stop the
discussion.
"Those statements are unfortunate, and the fears are uncalled for," said Wadi.
"The MPs can proceed with discussion because their context is transparency,
while the context of the arrest borders on a suspected breach of the law."
Meanwhile, Wadi has hinted similar action might be taken on Mwawa on
transactions related to transfer of funds to the Special Client Account for the
mobilisation of MPs' support for the Malawi Rural Development Fund (Mardef)
He was commenting on reports another ACB application is on his desk seeking his
consent to pounce on Mwawa.
"I do not have the said application. But I am aware he is implicated in
transactions related to the Special Client Account, according to the Auditor
General's report," said Wadi.
"I am also aware that signatures of MPs who are purported to have received the
money for the Mardef support mobilisation meeting were fake. It has been
discovered the said MPs did not actually receive the money," he alleged.
"This is the reason I wrote PAC seeking its input. I do not want to move before
the committee's observation. If I move before its response, it might have some
information which would be helpful. But rest assured whoever took this money
will be picked," he warned.
Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe, Mwawa, former Finance Bank Managing Director
Subramania Pillai and Ministry of Finance official Alfred Nyasulu appeared
before PAC.
Gondwe was wanted to comment on claims that the account was opened and
transactions were conducted in a clandestine manner due to pressure to get the
Malawi Rural Development Fund (Mardef) under way.
Mwawa was summoned due to allegations that he asked for a sum of K8,375,000.
According to the Auditor General, the money was withdrawn from the controversial
account and then deposited into another account called Livelihoods and
Diversification Directions Explored by Research (Ladder), pending transfer to
the Ministry of Education's Special Client Account.
The report said Kutengule said Mwawa, who was also leader of government business
in the National Assembly, made the request for the funds "for the promotion of
government's business in Parliament and sensitisation of MPs to the concept and
operations of Mardef.."
Nyasulu was called regarding Ladder account for which, according to the Auditor
General's report, he and Kutengule were signatories.
The Former Finance Bank boss Pillai was wanted for the bank's insights into the
Credit Scheme Account.


******

Chipata Motorists Turn to Malawi for Fuel

The Times of Zambia (Ndola)

October 17, 2005
Posted to the web October 17, 2005

Xavier Manchishi


SEVERAL motorists in Chipata district are crossing into neighbouring Malawi in
search of fuel as the shortage continues to hit the country.

Chipata district commissioner, Moses Nyirenda confirmed the development in an
interview with the Times during the week.


The fuel crisis had forced motorists to buy fuel in Malawi, a distance covered
in about 15 minutes drive, to avoid long queues in Chipata.

BP Zambia, one of the fuel stations in Chipata had managed to maintain a
constant supply of fuel despite the preference by the motorists to buy the
commodity in Malawi.

Mr Nyirenda also said kerosene which most of the rural people depended on for
their domestic use was the most sourced for fuel product but it was currently
difficult to find.

The situation was made difficult following the routine load shading by Zesco as
three quarters of the residents relied on the kerosene during disruptions of
electricity supply.

It was also feared that fuel shortage might have a negative impact on farmers'
preparations for the forthcoming season.

Mr Nyirenda said the shortage had already affected most of the machinery that
was fuel-operated and that adequate preparations for the farming period were at
a standstill at the moment.

"Although we have this crisis, we hope the farming season will not be as
affected as was the case last season when the farmers had to make do with
erratic rainfall," he said.

Local farmers were advised to consider diversification and grow crops like
cassava, tobacco and cotton which were also cash crops as an alternative to
maize.

The dependency on maize could be done at a different level and consider planting
early maturing crops in case of a short rainy season.

He said the farming capacity of Chipata was enough to feed the whole district
and even supply to neighbouring districts but farmers had not reached their
peak.

Meanwhile, the district commissioner has called on Chipata residents to step-up
measures to avoid recurring diseases like cholera and dysentery as the rainy
season nears.

Mr Nyirenda said with basic principles of desisting from throwing litter in the
drainages and having pit latrines in all remote areas could help curb what had
become annual diarrhoea diseases.

Silently, Malawi begins to starve

19 October 2005 07:00

Farayi Mutsa is slumped in the shade outside Nsanje district hospital, gently
holding his daughter, Azineyi. Her wrists are barely thicker than an adult thumb
and her mouth is stained purple where nurses have applied zinc oxide cream to
her sores. She looks six months old; she is three years.

Mutsa (33) planted maize, rice and bulrush millet but the rains never arrived
and he had no crops to bring home last April. He survived on the pittance he
earned from working as a traditional "African doctor" but his unguents could not
protect his daughter from the hidden hunger that threatens the lives of five
million people in Malawi.

Last week the entire country was declared a disaster area by its president. Aid
agencies warn that nearly half the country's 12-million population could starve
in the next six months without massive and immediate food donations. So far, it
has not been forthcoming. The UN World Food Programme still needs $76-million to
feed 2,9-million Malawians until the harvest in April. Sheila Sisulu, deputy
executive director of the WFP, described international inaction over Malawi as
"deplorable".

While the British government aims to feed 2,2-million Malawians through a
voucher scheme in 16 districts, it is not enough. "We know governments only act
when they see children dying on their TV screens, but once the damage is done
it's very difficult to undo," said Peter Smerdon of the WFP. It's much harder to
fund an emergency and prevent massive loss of life than stop one happening."

Oxfam said on Tuesday that Malawi was one of the "less visible crises" that
governments had "virtually ignored". Mutsa, typical of several million
subsistence farmers who farm on average just 0,4ha yet make up 85% of Malawi's
agricultural production, cycled about 48km to bring his daughter to the hospital
in Nsanje, in the far south of Malawi, where four nurses work in its nutrition
rehabilitation unit.

They have no specialist equipment, just a set of scales hanging in the outside
shelter where families sit during the day, making clothes and toy balls from old
sheets. There is silence; the children are too ill to cry. Weighed and measured,
they are given watered down milk and porridge to build them back to health. Many
have sparse blonde hair and swollen legs, a sign of the protein deficiency
disorder kwashiorkor, or pitifully thin limbs, indicating marasmus, a form of
acute malnutrition.

A survey of similar units across Malawi found a 29% increase in admissions in
August compared with the same month last year. In the worst hit regions, there
were 40% more malnourished children being treated in hospitals.

Outward appearances are deceptive. Malawi's plains are tinged with green and
there is still food in the markets. Livestock is not dying and Nsanje hospital
is not yet besieged by the starving. But people's supplies have run out and,
weakened from eating just one poor meal a day, they will have no more crops
until April's harvest. Even then, the situation may not improve. With the price
of maize spiralling, many farmers cannot afford to buy seed or fertiliser to
plant crops for next year. The "hungry season" that usually starts early next
year and ends with the harvest has already begun. "In January it will be worse
because there is a lot of hunger and no way to survive," said Maria Musa, who
has brought her child to Nsanje hospital.

Local people blame the food shortages on drought and a bad harvest. Analysts are
more critical of Bingu wa Mutharika, the president. Recent spending has included
$460 000 on a limousine. Opposition MPs on Tuesday debated a new law to bring
about his impeachment. Aid agencies fear that the political crisis will
discourage donors and detract from the government's limited ability to help its
people.

"We had erratic rainfall but it was by no means a disaster situation," said
Rafiq Hajat of the Institute for Policy Interaction. "People are now lethargic
and listless because of starvation. They don't have seeds or fertiliser. How on
earth are they going to plant for next year?"

One of the president's campaign promises when elected last year was subsidised
fertiliser. According to Hajat, it never materialised, lowering yields for small
farmers who have become dependent on chemical fertilisers. Their productivity
has also been hindered by the commercialisation of Admarc, a government-funded
organisation which previously provided tools, seed and fertiliser and a market
for farmers to sell their produce. While it still offers some subsidised maize,
it has been dismantled in many areas. "Malawi should be the bread-basket of
southern Africa," said Hajat. "We have fertile soil, we have plentiful water.
There is no reason why we should be starving."

HIV/Aids has worsened many cases of malnutrition. Malawi has one doctor per 100
000 people, the lowest of all 177 countries in the latest UN human development
index, yet 14,4% of adult Malawians have HIV/Aids. The pandemic has killed or
incapacitated many parents of working age. Mutsa's wife is dead and, staying
with their only child in hospital, he wonders how to grow next year's crops. "I
don't have enough money to plant crops this time around. I'm not sure how I can
help my child. This is the time when farmers till their fields yet I am in
hospital."

About 50km away in the Shire valley, 1 700 people are quietly queuing under kina
trees outside a distribution centre run by the charity Goal. Village committees
have decided who most needs a 50kg sack of maize. Clutching a ration card, Tembo
Nsawaka has been queuing for six hours. "I eat once a day, in the evening," he
said. "All the family is hungry, all the time."

The 50kg sack he can collect from the centre once a month only lasts his wife
and five children two weeks, he said. So he survives by diving for nyika, black
and bitter-tasting water-lily tubers at the bottom of the Shire river. It is a
hazardous task. Alice, a local woman, sells five tubers for two kwacha to the
crowds waiting for maize.

"One person in my village died because of a crocodile but I haven't any choice,"
she said. "Sometimes when I am in the water my body feels weak because I've got
no food but I still have to do it." In another region, it has been reported that
women and children have resorted to frying and eating termites.

Hunger's progress
Region
The World Food Programme is seeking $185-million to feed up to 9,2-million
people across southern Africa in Lesotho, Swaziland, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia
and Zimbabwe. Around 80% of Africans depend on farming and in the region 30-40%
of adults are HIV positive. Oxfam estimates 10-12 million people urgently need
food aid.

Swaziland
A drought has left many families hungry for a fifth consecutive year. Crop
yields were not as disastrous as in Malawi but food shortages have been
exacerbated by the highest rate of HIV/Aids in the world.

Zambia
Fuel shortages have prevented imports of maize and the government needs aid for
at least 1,2-million people. Current food programmes help 500 000 people.

Zimbabwe
The WFP estimates that more than four million people are likely to face severe
food shortage in the next year. - Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers
Limited 2005

*****

Malawi's top dog under fire

Raphael Mweninguwe | Lilongwe



18 October 2005 08:59


President Bingu wa Mutharika being sworn in to office last year.
(Photograph: AP/Obed Zilwa)
The Malawi Council of Churches has threatened to enter the country's National
Assembly draped in gowns to protest against opposition moves to impeach
President Bingu wa Mutharika and to press politicians to focus on "problems
besetting the people".

It is estimated that up to 4,2-million Malawi citizens, of a population of
12-million, face serious food shortages. Already health officials have warned of
an increase in hunger-related deaths and it is feared that the number could
reach hundreds by the end of the year.

Mutharika took office in May last year and soon won over the donor community,
who had suspended aid to the country in 2001 because of rampant corruption. But,
since June this year, economic turnaround has been put on the back-burner as the
opposition intensifies its impeachment campaign.

The United Democratic Front (UDF), the party on whose ticket Mutharika ascended
to the top job, but from which he resigned this year to form his own Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP), is leading the drive.

The 2005/06 Budget was derailed when the UDF moved that Parliament's standing
orders be amended to allow impeachment procedures to take precedence, vowing to
remove the president by December. A R250-million loan scheme geared at financing
small business was also blocked by Parliament.

"The opposition and the government are failing to sort out the country's
problems. Of course, we have heard the opposition telling the government to
mobilise resources to help feed the nation, but if the executive and Parliament
are at loggerheads, there is nothing that can be done," lamented executive
director of the Institute for Policy Interaction Rafiq Hajat.

"The government is not being open about how much food has been ordered from
outside, and how much is already in the depots. Every-thing the government does
takes place in secret," he said.

Mutharika has lashed out at his detractors, accusing the opposition of
deliberately frustrating his development agenda because of his stance on
corruption. His dismissal of the inspector general of police, the director of
public prosecutions and the army commander, all perceived allies of former
president Bakili Muluzi, who effectively runs the UDF, are among the reasons
cited for the impeachment.

Mutharika's chiding of the opposition, which collectively have a two-thirds
majority in the 193-member legislature, is not helpful, according to Chancellor
College political scientist Dr Nadine Patel. "The president's attitude also
leaves a lot to be desired. He has been castigating the opposition MPs at
rallies. He needs to tone down his language. The country is suffering and the
president needs Parliament."

The brittleness of the DPP was shown by three recent senior resignations.
Minister of Water and Irrigation Gwanda Chakuamba and Chief of State Residences
Zikhale Ng'oma both quit, accusing Mutharika of being "ungrateful".

Last Sunday, the Minister for People with Physical Disabilities, Clement
Chiwaya, announced his resignation at a rally organised by Muluzi. "The DPP was
formed for convenience. The party existed without any primary objectives, no
ideological base to hold it together. This is the same scenario in other parties
such as the UDF," said Hajat.

Legal analysts are doubtful about whether grounds exist to impeach the
president, but the opposition continued its onslaught in Parliament this week.

*****

UDF admits Muluzi banked donations
by Bright Sonani, 19 October 2005 - 07:03:03
  The United Democratic Front (UDF) has admitted that the K1.4 billion from
various donors that was deposited into party chairman Bakili Muluzi's personal
account was used for UDF's electoral campaign last year, and that one of the
beneficiaries was President Bingu wa Mutharika.
Leader of UDF in Parliament George Mtafu made the admission Tuesday in the House
when he raised a point of concern over the summoning of Muluzi by the
Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to explain why and how the money ended in his
account.
"These are the donations which were partly used in elections last year. It means
that he who stood as a presidential candidate last year used part of this money.
My worry is that there is an intentional sniffing into private accounts which
has started," said Mtafu.
He said under the laws of the country it is not an offence to receive donations
and that under the Constitution everybody is entitled to a private life.
"It is only when public money has been stolen when it is an offence," added
Mtafu.
The ACB disclosed on Monday that it has summoned Muluzi to explain the money he
deposited in his personal account during his 10-year tenure of office.
The former head of state is expected to answer questions and produce all
original documents or certified true copies of documents in his possession or
under his control in respect of transactions he had with the Republic of China
(Taiwan), Libya, the Kingdom of Morocco, Rwanda and some foreign and local
organisations.
But Chinese Embassy Counsellor Jimmy Wu said on Monday he was not aware of the
money Taiwan is alleged to have given Muluzi as an individual, saying since
there was a government to government cooperation, the money that came was for
development programmes.
Mtafu, who also raised a concern over the arrest of Secretary to the Treasury
Milton Kutengule and the impending arrest of former Education Minister Yusuf
Mwawa, described the move on Muluzi as a "resurrection of harassment on the
former head of state."
Government did not comment on Mtafu's concern in the House, but in an interview
outside, Deputy Information Minister John Bande said government was happy that
Mtafu made such a revelation because it shows that the ACB was not just
witch-hunting.
"It shows that indeed some money meant for public use was put into personal use.
This would make the job of the ACB easy because Mtafu has disclosed where the
said money went," he said.
Bande said it would be wrong to connect the money to Mutharika and other
individuals who stood on a UDF ticket because during the campaign everybody,
including the President, did not know where Muluzi was getting the funds for the
campaign.
"The way I know the President, he is a man of principles and if he knew that the
money was from donors he could not have accepted. Nobody knew where the money
came from, it was personalised and went straight into his personal account and
probably this time he has confided in Mtafu," he said.
UDF spokesperson Sam Mpasu in a separate interview concurred with Mtafu that the
money in Muluzi's account was for the party's campaign.
"There is no law which stops a party leader from seeking financial assistance
for campaign. The money was for the party and Mutharika also benefited," said
Mpasu.

*****

Fire guts Kasungu market
by Felix Malamula, 19 October 2005 - 07:47:54
Fire on Friday gutted Kasungu Market and destroyed restaurants and salons that
were inside and closer to the market.
Kasungu Town Assembly Chief Executive Stuart Ngoka confirmed the accident on
Monday saying the fire started around 9 pm on Friday.
"We are told the fire started when a charcoal burner was left in one of the
structures which later spread to other structures. It is not the whole market
that has been gutted, but one fifth of the market, mainly the craft centre,"
said Ngoka.
He said the town assembly was yet to assess the damage, saying the process of
determining the property lost would be through after seven days.
This is not the first time that Kasungu Market has been gutted by fire.
Two years ago, according to the assembly's Director of Public Works Amon
Chisimba, another fire originating from the carpenters' part of the market also
destroyed the market.
He said the earlier fire was also caused by a charcoal burner.

*****

Aleke calls for hard work
by George Ntonya, 19 October 2005 - 07:46:49
  People's Progressive Movement (PPM) president Aleke Banda has said the problem
of food insecurity will not be addressed unless Malawians change their attitude
to work harder in their gardens and government makes farm inputs affordable.
Banda, who served as Minister of Agriculture during former President Bakili
Muluzi's term of office, told a news conference in Lilongwe on Monday that
Malawians were in the past known for hard work. He said that spirit is absent
now in most of them.
"People have to change their attitude. They have to work hard," he said.
However, he added that hard work alone could not bring about food security if
the government does not make farm inputs affordable to most Malawians and make
massive investment in irrigation.
"The bulk of our farmers cannot afford the current prices of farm inputs," he
said.
The government intends it implement universal fertilizer subsidy for maize and
burley tobacco growers, but there are indications the programme may not achieve
intended results because of logistical problems the government is facing.
Executive Director of Farmers Union of Malawi Benito Eliasi advised smallholder
farmers in an earlier interview not to bank all their hopes on the promised
subsidised fertilizer.
Banda's deputy Mark Katsonga Phiri said that if the country had substantial
maize surplus in two consecutive years when Banda was Minister of Agriculture,
it means that Malawi has the potential to feed itself and bid bye to food aid.
Currently, about 4.5 million Malawians are in need of food assistance and
President Bingu wa Mutharika on Friday declared a state of national disaster.
World Food Programme (WFP) deputy director Sheila Sisulu, who was in the country
to assess the food situation, said the country could slide into a crisis similar
to the one that occurred in 2001/2002 if the government and donor agencies do
not scale up efforts to avert the crisis.

*****

MPs adopt impeachment procedures
by Bright Sonani, 19 October 2005 - 07:21:50
MPs on Tuesday adopted impeachment procedures proposed by the Legal Affairs
Committee of Parliament. But soon after a vote was taken, the House got stuck on
the way forward as the members differed on which Standing Orders to follow to
effect the procedures.
The loss of direction forced Speaker Louis Chimango to adjourn the House without
making a ruling, saying he has to consult first before moving forward.
While the opposition side wanted the mover of the impeachment procedures motion,
Balaka North MP Lucius Banda, to wind up the debate and have the procedures
incorporated into the House's Standing Orders, the government side said the
right way forward was to follow the Standing Orders as prescribed on reports
from committees.
Leader of government business in the House Henry Chimunthu Banda, standing on a
point of order soon after the report was adopted, observed that accepting the
report was a first step in a long process of having the procedures incorporated
and there was need to go into a second step of giving the report to Clerk of
Parliament who would send it to a relevant government department as per Standing
Order 184.
However, Speaker Chimango said the section only deals with Bills and not
amendments of Standing Orders which he said was an issue of the procedures in
the National Assembly and an internal matter for the House.
Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee Atupele Muluzi said since they were only
dealing with the standing orders, Standing Order 184 did not apply. He however,
asked the Deputy Clerk of Parliament to guide the House on the way forward.
Nkhotakota Central UDF MP Clement Stambuli said since the report has been
adopted it was time for the mover of the motion to wind up and have the motion
carried and have the procedures incorporated in the Standing Orders.
"The assumption by the Leader of Opposition is that we are adopting a report
from a committee this is not a government report, this is a report of this House
and from a private member. Now since the report has been adopted it is up to
that private member to wind up the motion and we move on," said Stambuli.
Chiradzulu North MP Henry Mussa, who is also Minister of Transport and Public
Works, argued that it would not be logical to treat the Legal Affairs Committee
report in isolation to other reports which the House has handled in the past,
without following relevant Standing Orders.
Another bone of contention was whether Banda would be required to give notice to
wind up his motion for it to be carried.
After Chimango ruled that Banda should give the appropriate notice, opposition
MPs argued that since the motion was already tabled in the House there was no
need for another notice and they demanded that the mover of the motion be given
time to wind up today and have the motion carried.
After a long debate on the issue Chimango said he would reserve his ruling on a
way forward but said he would not assure the House if Banda's winding up of the
motion would be appearing today.
Meanwhile, scores of people took to the streets in two separate marches that
took place in Thyolo yesterday to protest against the proposed impeachment of
President Bingu wa Mutharika.

*****

Kutengule charged, gets released on bail
by Felix Malamula, 19 October 2005 - 07:27:34
  Suspended Secretary to the Treasury Milton Kutengule was on Tuesday formally
charged of theft by public servant and abuse of office by the Lilongwe
Magistrate's Court.
Kutengule, who was arrested on Monday by the ACB in Lilongwe over a K20 million
Credit Scheme Account he is said to have opened at Finance Bank of Malawi, has
since been given bail by Magistrate Jack N'riva.
Lawyer for Kutengule Powell Nkhutabasa argued before N'riva that he saw no
reason why Kutengule should remain arrested when the ACB had finished its
investigations.
"It appears the investigations are over and that the ACB has gathered all
information and evidence and are ready to prosecute the accused. There is also
no likelihood that Mr Kutengule will jump bail. Therefore, it is my prayer that
he will be given bail," pleaded Nkhutabasa.
ACB director Gustave Kaliwo did not object to Kutengule's application, but
pointed out that the court should make sure the accused avails himself for
trial.
"While I appreciate that bail pending trial is a right and that bail should not
be denied unless there are [reasons] otherwise, it is my prayer that the accused
be given bail on condition that he avails himself for trial," said Kaliwo.
Kaliwo then said the accused should also be given bail on condition that he pays
cash the court may deem reasonable.
But Nkhutabasa told N'riva that the court should consider that the accused is a
civil servant and that he receives a low salary.
Granting bail, N'riva said under the country's constitution, every person has a
right to be released on bail unless it in the interest of the state not to do so
and that everybody is innocent until proven guilty.
"I, therefore, give the accused bail on condition that he gives a bail bond of
K35,000, he reports to the ACB offices once a week, surrenders his travel
documents to the ACB and that he seeks consent from the court before going out
of the country," said N'riva.
He also gave bail on condition that Kutengule provides two sureties with
K150,000 each not cash. Kutengule provided his brothers Charles and Alfred as
sureties.
Magistrate N'riva has since committed the trial to the High Court.
"I commit the case for trial to the High Court and the Registrar of the High
Court will set dates for trial," ruled N'riva.
According to Kaliwo, Kutengule was arrested on allegations that he used public
funds for his own advantage to open an account where he was a sole signatory,
being an act which resulted in the theft of government money amounting to
K15,767,565.

*****

WLSA says high maternal deaths gender problem
by Bright Sonani, 19 October 2005 - 07:44:28
Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) has said the country's high maternal
mortality rate of 1,820 per 100,000 women giving birth is part of the many
severe consequences resulting from marginalisation of women in the country.
Malawi's number of women who die in the process of giving birth*maternal
mortality rate*is rated as the third highest in the world.
Seodi White, WLSA National Coordinator, said in Lilongwe on Thursday the problem
of maternal deaths and early pregnancies can positively be dealt with if society
ensures that delivery of government services is fair to both men and women.
White said this during the launch of two books entitled Beyond Inequalities
2005; Women in Malawi and Gender: What Does It Entail? Engendering Parliament in
Malawi.
The books discuss gender issues that affect both men and women in education,
health, reproduction, governance and other issues.
"In reproduction, the mean distance to a basic health care facility in a village
is about 21 kilometres. Two thirds of pregnant women live more than 15
kilometres away from a hospital and many have no money for transport," said
White.
She also observed that due to lack of resources for women and girls, the
country's hospitals are full of teenage pregnant girls. She said this trend also
contribute to high maternal mortality rate.
White also said it was sad that despite a campaign to incorporate more women in
the governance sector, the country still lag behind with only 14.5 percent women
representation in Parliament, 21 percent in cabinet, four percent at board
chairperson level and 11 percent as principal secretaries.
"All these indicate that very few women have economic independence let alone
economic dominance," she said.
Speaker of Parliament Louis Chimango launched the two books and White said it
was Parliament's role that whatever is observed in the books should be
implemented to create a gender justice society.
In his remarks, Chimango said it was sad that the maternal mortality rate was
going up in the country while in other countries the figures are going down.
"We are as if we are a nation killing mothers," he said.

*****

Another accident at Linthipe: 35 dead
by Lucas Bottoman, 19 October 2005 - 07:30:31
Thirty-five people travelling from Malawi's commercial city Blantyre to the
Capital Lilongwe in a Toyota Coaster Registration Number BN 78 died on the spot
at Linthipe 3 Bridge in Dedza Tuesday when a tyre burst and the driver lost
control.
Police Public Relations Officer Willie Mwaluka confirmed the accident, saying
all the 35 passengers died on the spot while six others were reported to be in
critical conditions at Dedza District Hospital.
Mwaluka said it was difficult for the police to identify some of the victims'
bodies and asked for the cooperation of the general public, particularly those
whose relatives or friends were travelling from Blantyre to Lilongwe Tuesday.
"People should go to identify the bodies at Kamuzu Central Hospital mortuary
where all the bodies had been transferred to yesterday afternoon," said Mwaluka.
He appealed to all minibus drivers to avoid over-speeding when travelling on the
roads to prevent such accidents which are claiming a lot of people's lives.
According to Mwaluka, the minibus was thrown off the Linthipe Bridge after the
driver had lost control.
He identified the owner of the minibus as a Chisesele. Christopher Chisesele is
the president of the Minibus Owners Association of Malawi.
Tuesday's accident comes barely a year since a similar accident killed 27 women
from Utatu Woyera Catholic Parish at the same spot.
A week ago two minibus accidents also claimed 11 lives in Mponela during
Mothers' Day Holiday.
Mwaluka said it was sad that most of the accidents on the roads of Malawi are
due to careless driving, saying there is need for every Malawian to report to
Police whenever he or she comes across vehicles driving at very abnormal speed.
"We have had cases when some good citizens have taken it upon themselves to
alert the police of careless drivers," said Mwaluka. "In fact, there are
instances when they have even given us vehicle registration numbers and police
have managed to track them down. It is also important for passengers to stop any
driver who is driving carelessly and join hands to take him [or her] to police."
He said it was shocking that Malawi is listed as one of the worst in the Sadc
region where deaths resulting from road accidents are concerned, saying the
traffic police have intensified their patrols to ensure that such a bad record
is erased.
Meanwhile, MPs on Tuesday observed a minute of silence in honour of the victims
of the Linthipe accident after government spokesperson Patricia Kaliati broke
the sad news to the House.

*****

Zambia starts traditional medicine HIV trials

Lusaka, Zambia

19 October 2005 02:11

Zambia on Wednesday began a three-month trial of traditional medicines on 25 HIV
patients to test claims that they could cure the deadly virus.

Health Minister Sylvia Masebo said the government would use World Health
Organisation (WHO) guidelines in the clinical trials of three traditional drugs
made by traditional medical practitioners.

"We expect the results of this historical clinical trials in three months,"
Masebo said.

The 25 HIV carriers will be taking the traditional medicines at secret locations
where they will be monitored by a group of medical experts before the results
are announced.

Zambia is expected to spend about $56 000 in various clinical trials of
traditional drugs whose owners claim that they can cure the virus that cause
Aids.

One of the drugs on trial is the popular "Sondashi therapy," formulated by
former works and supply minister, Ludwig Sondashi, who is also a prominent
constitutional lawyer.

About 920 000 Zambians are living with HIV/Aids, or one in six adults, according
to the United Nations Aids agency, and the pandemic has left 600 000 children
orphaned, most of whom live on the streets. - Sapa-AFP

*****

Zimbabwe police force 'dangerously' underfunded

Harare, Zimbabwe

19 October 2005 01:17

Zimbabwe's police chief says the authorities are "dangerously underfunding" the
police force, which does not have enough money to pay decent wages or buy new
uniforms, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri told a parliamentary committee in the
capital Harare on Tuesday that as a result morale in the police force was low
and law enforcers are tempted to take bribes, the private Daily Mirror reported.

"Over the years we have been saying the same things over and over again... that
we are dangerously underfunding the organisation and this has not been taken
seriously," Chihuri was reported as telling the committee.

"Now we have ordinance stores where we should be keeping materials, but they are
empty," he said.

He said the authorities had allocated the police force a fraction of their
financial needs.

Zimbabwe is in the grip of an economic crisis marked by inflation of close to
360%, and acute shortages of foreign currency needed to pay for vital imports
like fuel, food and medicine.

Prices in shops are going up every few days, and low-income earners are
struggling to afford one square meal a day.

Chihuri said that the police force was currently receiving a ration of just 20
000 litres of fuel a month, when it needed 260 000 litres to run its fleet of 1
500 vehicles.

The police chief reportedly told the committee that low wages resulted in
members of the police force accepting bribes of between 20 000 and 50 000
Zimbabwe dollars ($0,76 - $1,92) "to buy cabbages for the family".

The Daily Mirror said Chihuri lamented the lack of funds to buy new uniforms,
saying it was like "sending people to do work naked". - Sapa-DPA

UDF marches for Bingu ouster
by Henry Chilobwe, 20 October 2005 - 08:39:37
  Hundreds of United Democratic Front (UDF) supporters on Wednesday marched along
the Masauko Chipembere Highway in Blantyre to ask MPs to impeach President Bingu
wa Mutharika.
Similar demonstrations however failed to take place in Zomba and Mzuzu as
earlier planned. UDF spokesperson Sam Mpasu could not immediately give reasons.
Director of youth in the party Kennedy Kuntenga said the marches were put on
hold in Mangochi, Balaka, Liwonde and Machinga to let people prepare, but said
the demonstrations will take place at a later date.
The marchers also allegedly manhandled a passer-by at Blantyre's Petroda Filling
Station near the Clock Tower for shouting Bingu woyee!
Mpasu, who led the march from UDF's Southern Region headquarters in Limbe to
Blantyre, said the marches were a way of expressing their wish to have President
Bingu Mutharika impeached because of serious breaches of the Constitution.
He said the marches were staged to encourage MPs currently sitting in Lilongwe
not only to endorse the impeachment procedures in the House's Standing Orders
but also to go ahead and impeach the President.
Mpasu said the MPs should not go back to their constituencies if they do not
impeach Mutharika who, he alleged, has seriously breached the Constitution and
is busy effecting arrests of his political enemies instead of eradicating hunger
and poverty.
"How many people has he arrested so far in the one year he has ben office and
how many people are going without food within the same period? If the UDF was
able to impeach him on its own we would have done so months ago so the
demonstration is to tell MPs to impeach him. He is not fit for the presidency
because he has failed to respect our Constitution," said Mpasu.
But Mpasu could not highlight breaches of the Constitution, saying it is up to
Parliament to lay down the charges against Mutharika.
Random interviews with the marchers indicated that the majority of the
demonstrators did not understand the impact of impeachment. They could also not
have concrete reasons for the march.
A Limbe-based vendor Romex Matemba, who claimed to speak on behalf of other
vendors, said the MPs should impeach the President because their businesses have
failed to flourish and threatened that if Parliament does not heed the UDF's
march, the vendors will also stage their own demonstrations to show their
dissatisfaction with government.
Other marchers said the President should be impeached because he is sending
maize to Zimbabwe when there is severe hunger in the country and also because
the Mardef loan scheme has been highly politicised. (The President is on record
to have challenged those who are alleging that he is sending maize to Zimbabwe
to come up with evidence).
"Why should maize be sent to Zimbabwe when we are dying of hunger? And who is
benefiting from the loans he said he would give to Malawians? It's only those
who support his party, the Democratic Progressive Party," said James Chiwalo,
who said he had come from Mulanje to take part in the demonstrations.
Meanwhile, the alleged victim of the UDF violence, Edward Phalula who lives in
Mbayani and works for Quantum Solutions, however denied shouting the pro-Bingu
slogan but said he was mistaken for a vendor who was trading barbs with the
marchers.
Phalula, who said he was thrown into Mudi River after some UDF supporters
swarmed and beat him, has since sought legal assistance from the Civil Liberties
Committee (Cilic).
"I was coming from lunch and some vendors were swearing at the marchers but some
of them thought it was me. They beat me up and threw me into Mudi River but they
were dispersed by a guard at the filling station who shot in the air. They tore
my shirt and I lost my flash disk," complained Phalula.
Mpasu denied that his party followers beat up Phalula.
"If the supporters beat him he would have died on the spot. They were in
multitudes. Of course, they were about to manhandle him but he was rescued by
the police," said Mpasu.
Cilic executive director Emmie Chanika has condemned the incident and appealed
to government and the police to take the suspects to book. She said people must
be responsible for their actions.

*****

Many still homeless in Zimbabwe

Many thousands of Zimbabweans whose houses were destroyed earlier this year
remain in rural areas without proper homes, say a group of church leaders.
Speaking in Johannesburg about Zimbabwe's Operation Murambatsvina, priests from
various churches said evictions were still continuing.

The government crackdown targets informal traders and buildings the authorities
deemed illegal.

A United Nations envoy said 700,000 people were affected by the operation.

"Eighty percent of those displaced people who were sent to rural areas have not
yet acquired any permanent settlement," said Pastor Albert Chatido, the
logistical co-ordinator of church aid efforts in Bulawayo.

"They are dwelling with relatives or in the headman's homestead. NGOs are only
allowed to supply food to a certain area."

Dispersed

Pastor Ray Motsi, chairman of the Combined Churches of Bulawayo, said that "out
of the 700,000 the UN was talking about, between 300,000 and 400,000 have been
displaced to rural areas".

"The tragedy is that many had no rural background and made their way back."

However, Shari Eppel, human rights advisor to the Archbishop of Bulawayo said
that while the UN figures on displacement were credible, there were no reliable
figures on how many had ended up in the rural areas.

"Where people are now we just don't know," she told the BBC News website.

Church leaders say it is not possible to get an accurate number of the number of
people forcibly displaced to the rural areas, since they are widely dispersed.

A survey published in a report by the Solidarity Peace Trust - a South
African-based group working in Zimbabwe - suggests that of the people whose
homes were destroyed in Bulawayo's Killarney squatter camp, 70% said they had
nowhere else to go.

Pastor Chatido said between 500 and 1,000 people were still living in the open
in various parts of Bulawayo.

He said that a group of people of Malawian descent, interviewed by the BBC News
website in August, were still living in the bush in the Bulawayo suburb of
Cowdray Park.

"One of them died recently," Pastor Chatido said.

More demolitions

He added that demolitions were continuing in Killarney, after people rebuilt the
shelters that had earlier been demolished.

"Killarney Village 2 was recently squashed for the third time," he said.

In Killarney Village 3, Pastor Chatido said informal settlement dwellers had
come up with a novel way of beating the demolitions: "They take down their
corrugated sheets in the morning, and then reconstruct their shelters in the
evening."

In Victoria Falls, Pastor Chatido said people were living 15 in a small house,
after the destruction of outbuildings forced people to share the available
accommodation.

The priests warned of hunger in Zimbabwe getting worse, owing to the influx of
people into the rural areas and the political manipulation of food aid.

"Hunger is due to the Zimbabwe government refusing food aid," said Bulawayo's
Catholic Archbishop, Pius Ncube.

"Even if there are good rains this year, the government is so bankrupt that it
has very little to spend on seed, and there is no fertiliser."

*****

Zimbabwe opposition in crisis talks

Harare, Zimbabwe



20 October 2005 07:04

Zimbabwe's main opposition movement, which risks a split over whether to contest
next month's controversial Senate polls, on Wednesday began crisis talks to
close ranks, party vice-president Gibson Sibanda said.

Sibanda, who along with the majority of the senior members of the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) voted in favour of contesting the November 26 polls for
the newly created Senate, denied, however, that there are cracks in the party.

He said he was summoned to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai's house on Wednesday
morning and the two agreed to call an emergency meeting of the MDC's top
officials. Tsvangirai cast a deciding vote on boycotting the elections.

"We discussed the crisis that the organisation is facing and after pointing up
the issues, we have agreed to meet ... this afternoon," said Sibanda.

Answering reporters, Sibanda denied speculation that the six-year-old party is
on the verge of splitting.

"We are still seeking a solution; there is no question [of splitting], we never
said we were going to split and there are no signs of a split. It is simply that
there are some differences in issues and the approach to those issues," said
Sibanda.

Speculation that the MDC has been riven by divisions and a power struggle gained
momentum after party leaders last week issued contradictory statements over its
participation in the Senate elections.

Party leader Tsvangirai announced a boycott, but hours later on Wednesday, MDC
spokesperson Paul Themba Nyathi said the party's supreme decision-making organ
had voted to take part in the elections.

Sibanda accused Tsvangirai of "wilfully violating the constitution of the MDC"
by disregarding results from a vote to decide whether the opposition part should
contest the Senate polls.

"The president himself uttered threats and allowed other office bearers to utter
threats against a number of office bearers who had opposed his view that the MDC
should not participate in the Senate elections," Sibanda said in a statement.

"The president also issued disparaging statements against members of the
national council who had voted in favour of participation."

He said the opposition party would not allow "one person or a group of persons"
to violate its rules.

The MDC, which won nearly half of the contested parliamentary seats in the 2000
elections, decided to contest parliamentary elections earlier this year despite
concerns they would not be fair.

But President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF won 109 out of 150 seats in
Parliament in the March election, which was derided as a farce by the opposition
party.

It also gained a crucial two-thirds majority that allowed it to make
constitutional changes on its own -- and in August pushed through the creation
of a Senate.

Tsvangirai argues against contesting the Senate election, saying its creation is
an ill-timed and expensive venture amid the food and economic crisis wracking
the country. -- Sapa-AFP

*****

Police arrest Mugabe's MP nephew

A nephew of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has been arrested on suspicion of
illegally exporting flour to Mozambique, say the police.
A spokesman said Leo Mugabe, who is a member of parliament, would appear in
court shortly.

He is accused of exporting 30 tonnes of flour to Mozambique violating strict
controls on trade in basic foodstuffs.

Illegal exports are among the reasons given for food shortages that leaves a
third of people dependent on food aid.

President Mugabe launched a campaign against corruption last year.

Leo Mugabe was ousted as chairman of Zimbabwe's Football Association (Zifa) in
December 2002, after being accused of misusing funds although he was
subsequently cleared.

He stood for the ruling Zanu-PF party in elections in March 2005 and won 83% of
the vote in the rural constituency of Makonde.

Folks,

We are recruiting Field Officers for Provincial
Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan if you or your
colleagues might be interested in such a thing.

It's really on the cutting edge of humanitarian
practice and civil/miltary interaction in a much
different context here than groups are used to.

It's tough, exhausting, exciting and where US/ISAF
policy meet the ground here. We also work a lot with
UN, local governance, and NGO actors. Field Officers
do at least a year tour in locations around the
country. Most here are going on their second year and
often get promoted within. I'm the Regional Advisor
for the south with four Field Officers under me, but
could put you in another area if that is a conflict of
your sanity.

Please forward to appropriate colleagues if you would
like.

JP

--- notifier@... wrote:

> Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 01:36:43 -0400 (EDT)
> From: notifier@...
> To: jppatten98@...
> Subject: FBO posting update
>
> Be advised!  The FedBizOpps 'eps.gov' domain name
> will be deactivated and retired effective 1 October
> 2005. Please use only www.fbo.gov or
> www.fedbizopps.gov to access FedBizOpps site after
> that date and update your links accordingly.  For
> more info see What's New
>
> For information on registering your business
> capabilities to assist in the Hurricane Katrina
> disaster relief efforts please visit the following
> web site: http://www.fbo.gov/katrina.html
>
> The following postings have been made on FBO:
>
> AID
> Overseas Missions
> Afghanistan USAID-Kabul
> R -- Field Program Officers (PRT)
> Solicitation 01, Synopsis
>
http://www.fbo.gov/spg/AID/OM/AFG/306%2D05%2D32%2DOPPD/listing.html
>
>
>
>
>
> Please do not respond to this message.  This is a
> post-only mailing.  To unsubscribe from this
> notification service, go to the following URL and
> then follow the instructions for unsubscribing:
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__________________________________
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Judge delays Malawi impeachment

The High Court in Malawi has delayed the latest move by opposition MPs to
impeach President Bingu wa Mutharika.
More than 80 MPs signed a motion on Friday ordering him to appear before
parliament next week to answer charges of improperly using state funds.

But Judge Richard Chinangwa said he needed more time to review the legality of
the impeachment proceedings.

Since his election in 2004, President Mutharika has fallen out with the former
ruling United Democratic Front.

On Friday, MPs loyal to Mr Mutharika stormed out of parliament, accusing the
opposition of not respecting parliamentary rules.

'Sad day'

Constitutional Affairs Minister Henry Dama Phoya described the events as "a sad
day in the history of parliament in Malawi".

The UDF - which backed President Mutharika in the 2004 election - and the Malawi
Congress Party accuse him of using state funds to finance the Democratic
Progressive Party he set up in February.

His supporters say the impeachment drive is revenge for his anti-corruption
drive.

*****

MCP MPs caution Tembo on impeachment
by Henry Chilobwe, 24 October 2005 - 07:43:04
  Malawi Congress Party (MCP) MPs have warned their president John Tembo against
throwing his weight behind the indictment of President Bingu wa Mutharika
because he may not get the presidency or head the proposed National Governing
Council (NGC).
The MPs also fear that the United Democratic Front (UDF), which is baying for
Mutharika's blood, only wants to use Tembo and his numbers in Parliament and
later leave him in the cold after the President's impeachment.
The MPs sounded the warning during their caucus held on Wednesday night at
Tembo's Area 10 residence in the capital Lilongwe.
Three MCP MPs who attended the caucus said on Sunday the popular view at the
meeting was that "the proposal to have Tembo to lead the NGC was just a mere
carrot dangled in front of Tembo's nose but he risks not getting it as the
Constitution is clear that the Vice President takes over when there is a vacancy
in the office of the president."
"Most of the MPs felt that the idea of an NGC might not work as it can be
challenged in court. And on top of that the members felt that there was no
commitment on the part of the UDF to ensure that JZU heads the council," said
one of the sources who asked for anonymity.
Section 83 (4) of the Constitution reads: "whenever there is a vacancy in the
office of the President, the Vice President shall assume that office for the
remainder of the term and shall appoint another person to serve as first Vice
President for the remainder of the term."
But the sources said Tembo remained adamant and told them that he would meet the
UDF national chairman Bakili Muluzi and the Vice President Cassim Chilumpha
where the three would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) guaranteeing that
Tembo should take over and that Chilumpha should not "make noise" should
Mutharika's indictment succeed.
Meanwhile, the sources said, a number of MCP MPs have agreed not to support the
UDF-led motion for fear of being used.
The party is yet to hold another secret meeting Monday to persuade Tembo to
withdraw his support from the impeachment motion.
MCP spokesperson Bintony Kutsaila and Tembo could not be reached for comment
Sunday but vice president Nicholas Dausi said he did not know the party held
such a meeting.
Chief whip Betson Majoni could not comment as he said he was in church when
contacted.
In a related development, the High Court last Friday granted Karonga Nyungwe MP
Richard Msowoya an injunction restraining Parliament from indicting President
Mutharika on Thursday.

*****

Nkhotakota minister, chief deny chamba reports
by Felix Malamula, 24 October 2005 - 08:50:03
Mines and Natural Resources Minister Henry Chimunthu Banda and Senior Chief
Kanyenda on Saturday have distanced Nkhotakota from the top three Indian hemp
(chamba) growing districts in the country as reported by the Malawi Police
Service (MPS).
The Police said Kasungu, Mzimba and Nkhotakota are the major chamba producing
districts.
But Chimunthu Banda, speaking during the commemoration of the International Day
Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Nkhunga in Nkhotakota, said it is
very degrading for people of Nkhotakota to be associated with chamba growing.
"Every time we introduce ourselves as people of Nkhotakota, the first thing
people say is that we grow chamba. But I want to tell you here that chamba is
not grown in Nkhotakota. If it is found here then it is just in transit to other
districts," he said.
In his remarks, Kanyenda observed that Nkhotakota is regarded as the chamba
growing district but he told the gathering that he does not know of any place in
the district where the drug is grown.
Chimunthu Banda and the chief's remarks contradicted what Freeshard Nyirenda,
Officer-In-Charge of MPS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section said earlier that
chamba is mostly grown in Nkhotakota, Kasungu and Mzimba.
"The problem of chamba growing is mostly serious in three districts of
Nkhotakota, Mzimba and Kasungu," observed Nyirenda.
Home Affairs Minister Anna Kachikho said it is unfortunate that young people
were the ones who easily fall prey to the problem of drug abuse.
"At the tender age, young people experience peer pressure to try illicit drugs
and alcohol and self esteem is often low," lamented Kachikho.
This year's International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was
commemorated under the theme: "Value yourself: Make Healthy Choices"
Mental Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Immaculate Chamangwana said in an
interview cases of mental illnesses are on the increase in the country because
of the problem of HIV and Aids.

*****

Aford MP differs with Chihana on impeachment
by Francis Tayanjah-Phiri, 24 October 2005 - 08:49:05
Chitipa Central MP Luwi Musongole (Aford) said on Friday he is against his party
president Chakufwa Chihana's support for the impeachment of President Bingu wa
Mutharika.
Musongole, who missed the Friday session because the Friday meeting of
Parliament because he attended the official opening of NBS Bank in Chitipa, said
he was shocked to learn that the National Assembly could sit down and waste time
deliberating the impeachment procedures and consequently moving a motion to
impeach the president.
"In as much as I am still Aford, I will honestly say here that I don't support
the whole issue about impeachment. This process would not benefit ordinary
Malawians. Those supporting it are just doing it to appease few greedy
individuals," he said.
Musongole said he was in support of MPs who walked out of Parliament when the
impeachment motion was moved on Friday.
Cabinet ministers and other MPs sympathetic to government on Friday walked out
of the National Assembly after Speaker Louis Chimango started verifying
signatures of MPs who signed the indictment motion filed by Mangochi Malombe MP
Maxwell Milanzi (UDF).
Those who walked out argued that the motion, moved by a private member, could
not be discussed on a government business day.
Musongole said he would not blindly follow his party president's support for the
impeachment process. saying he had the needs of his constituents at heart.
"Firstly, I have to serve my constituents. I cannot just blindly follow whatever
he [Chihana] and my party think. In as far as the people of Chitipa are
concerned, their priority is the road to Karonga*not impeachment," said
Musongole.
He said ordinary villagers were the ones to suffer most if "greedy politicians"
manage to impeach Mutharika.
"Definitely most of the donors would pull out, there would be bickering among
those people, and the impact of the impeachment would be felt by the ordinary
masses, through suffering," he said.
Parliament last Friday set Thursday as the day when Mutharika would be required
to appear before the House for indictment where charges of impeachment will be
read out to him.

*****

Ku tenants fleeing hunger
by George Ntonya, 24 October 2005 - 08:48:27
People who went to Kasungu to work as labourers in tobacco estates are asking
for government help to travel back to their respective homes because they are
facing a food crisis.
Austin Phiri, crops officer at Kasungu Rural Development Programme (RDP), said
Thursday some people are going to the RDP offices and the DC's office to ask for
help so that they can return to their respective homes.
A similar situation arose in the 2001/2002 season when tens of estate tenants
converged at the DC's office to ask for food and transport back to their
respective homes. Some of them, particularly children, died of hunger-related
illnesses while they waited for the assistance.
"Indications are there [that more tenants will be fleeing the estates because of
hunger]. Some of them have started coming to our offices," Phiri said in a
telephone interview, adding that some people in the district have started
selling household possessions to raise money for food.
Director of administration at the DC's office Thomas Chirwa said in a separate
interview there are plans to set up a task force to deal with tenants who might
be fleeing the estates to look for assistance both in terms of food and
transport back to their respective districts.
Most of the tenants in Kasungu, the hub of tobacco farming, are from Mulanje and
Thyolo districts.
Chirwa said the 2001/2002 experience is unavoidable in the district, where 38.4
percent of 35,225 farming families were in need food aid last month.
The figure is going to continue rising.
Meanwhile, regional director (eastern and southern Africa) of Plan International
David Muthungu said on Thursday that the organisation has set aside $600,000 for
the purchase of food items for free distribution in some parts of the country.
About 4.2 million Malawians are facing a serious food shortage, according to
official statistics.

*****

Muluzi's appearance at ACB is not certain
by Henry Chilobwe, 24 October 2005 - 08:02:51
Lawyers for United Democratic Front (UDF) national chairman Bakili Muluzi are
not certain whether he will appear at the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) offices
in Blantyre to answer questions regarding how K1.4 billion from foreign
governments and local organisations ended in his personal account.
Jai Banda of Sacranie Gow and Associates, a firm that is handling Muluzi's
issue, said it was not immediately known Sunday what would happen Monday
afternoon as "everybody in the company is working hard to see what can be done."
Another lawyer, Shabir Latif, also from the same company could not say whether
they had advised Muluzi to appear before the ACB officials or not.
"It's too early to say that now, call me later," said Latif.
Muluzi is expected at the ACB Blantyre offices Monday afternoon to explain why
money amounting to K1.4 billion ended in his pocket between April 1999 and
November 2004.
The bureau further wants him to produce all documents pertaining to his
transactions with foreign governments and organisations.
ACB spokesperson said Muluzi's questioning will be done in closed doors as they
do with everybody else.
Meanwhile, Muluzi's spokesman Sam Mpasu has indicated that UDF supporters will
gather outside the ACB offices Monday to give moral support to their leader.
He said the gathering will be a symbol of solidarity with their leader "during
this troubled time".


*****

Zimbabwe frees trade in currency

Zimbabwe's central bank is to allow the Zimbabwean dollar to trade freely, a
move seen as a way to aid both exports and stocks of foreign currencies.
The move is also seen as a means to reduce the vast difference between the
official and black market values of the Zimbabwean dollar.

The currency has been pegged against the US dollar for several years, recently
at Z$26,000 per US$1.

The black market rate for the Zimbabwe dollar can be as high as Z$90,000.

Sky-high inflation

Under the new system, exporters will be allowed to trade 70% of their foreign
currency earnings at the "market-determined rate", but 30% will have to be
surrendered to the central bank, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

The government hopes this will encourage businesses to increase exports.

Inflation in Zimbabwe is rampant, increasing by 360% so far this year, according
to the government's own figures.

Analysts say the liberalisation of trading in the Zimbabwe dollar will initially
further increase inflation, until the official and black market values move
together.

"We should see the Zimbabwe dollar trading at around 60,000 (per US dollar) in
the first week, while will be followed by a gradual depreciation to within
parallel market levels, that's where it should settle," one Harare commercial
bank told the Reuters news agency.

Land-grab consequences

Economist Eric Bloch said Zimbabwe's exporters would benefit from the changes -
but not immediately.

"This move is going to be positive but it's not a quick fix to our problems," he
said.

"There is a time lag for [exporters'] response and I can't see that happening
until around April next year."

Zimbabwe's economy has been reeling from six years of recession caused, critics
say, by the land reform policies of President Robert Mugabe.

Since 1999, the government and its supporters have seized white-owned farms,
leading to widespread food shortages.

Zimbabwe now has to import at least 37,000 tons of maize a week to help feed its
population.

The government blames the food shortages on poor rains in recent years.

However, in recent months the government has made renewed efforts to reduce its
overseas debts, including making US$135m in payments to the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF had earlier threatened to throw Zimbabwe out of the organisation, and
continues to say it could return to this threat in the future.

Marchers besiege Parliament
by Bright Sonani, 25 October 2005 - 07:51:51
  Thousands of government sympathisers on Monday besieged the New State House in
the capital Lilongwe and held Parliament hostage in protest against the
indictment motion which was introduced in the House last week against President
Bingu wa Mutharika.
The sympathisers, who had petitioned Speaker of the National Assembly Louis
Chimango, called for his immediate resignation and labelled the impeachment
process "a coup d'etat".
The marchers carried placards, some of which read: "Malawians ready to die for
Bingu wa Mutharika's leadership", "Atcheya tavuka na vitusi" and "Call
referendum or Bingu is our leader at heart."
The demonstrators invaded the Presidential Drive as early as 12 noon and marched
to the gates of the New State House while chanting songs in praise of Mutharika
and against the impeachment.
Led by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regional governor for the North Harry
Mkandawire, the marchers searched all vehicles going towards the State House
while shouting: "We want Lucius Banda, we want Atupele!"
But things got nasty when the marchers reached State House gates and started
smashing vehicles and throwing missiles at police who were trying to control the
situation.
Some police officers were seen scampering for their lives as several vehicles,
including a government one registration MG 857V, were smashed, while MP for
Mangochi Monkey Bay Alinane Chipwete also had windows of his Mazda Drifter BK
5690 smashed.
Four other vehicles were smashed by the angry marchers who insisted that anyone
stopped at the New State House gates should first state their name and political
party.
Police spokesperson Willie Mwaluka confirmed the incident and said two men,
Clifford Ganiza from Mitundu area, TA Chadza in Lilongwe and John Jere of TA
Kasakula, Ntchisi, were arrested as suspects on the malicious damage of the
vehicles.
The House, which sat at 1230GMT instead of 1200GMT as scheduled, failed to start
deliberations after a resolution was made that government should act on the
demonstrators, who were said to be threatening the MPs.
Chimango made announcements on the two injunctions against the House's
indictment process obtained by Richard Msowoya and Silvester Kasambara.
He said the Business Committee had resolved that the House should find a private
law firm to represent them in the cases instead of the Attorney General Ralph
Kasambara.
But the House could no longer conduct further business after it unanimously
agreed to adjourn until the situation outside was normal.
After the House resumed sitting later at 1500GMT, the Speaker announced that it
would adjourn to 1200GMT Tuesday but said if the marchers were not moved he
would make another announcement.
Chimango expressed concern that leader of the government side seemed not to have
control over the situation and said nowhere in the world "are MPs held hostage
in their own building of National Assembly."
"This issue will not bring honour to the Malawi nation," he said.
Concerned with their security and when it was apparent that the marchers would
not leave the gates before the House adjourned, the MPs asked to have police
escort while leader of the UDF in the House George Mtafu suggested that the Army
should be called to escort the MPs out of the premises.
But the Speaker could not comment on the petition that was presented to Deputy
Clerk of Parliament Stanislaus Chisanu.
Mkandawire, when presenting the petition, said the demonstrators want it to be
read in the House or they would not leave the premises.
He also accused Chimango of being biased towards the opposition.
"Honourable Chimango, you don't fit in democracy now. We want to say in no
uncertain terms that we are calling for your immediate resignation and a trial
of treason for you and others who are drifting the country into a war
situation," said Mkandawire.
Mkandawire said because of the trust that people have lost on the MPs, they
would no longer let them operate in the premises which also houses the head of
state, adding that they should therefore move out and look for alternative
premises.
When the House finally adjourned, there was more drama as all the ministers, MPs
and all those attending the deliberations were forced to use a dusty road from
the State House which took the journey over 10 kilometres off the normal route.
Meanwhile, some Chancellor College students have also threatened to march to
Parliament on Thursday if the House will go ahead with the indictment and
impeachment motion.
But Students Union of Chancellor College (Succ) chairman Steven Masiyano could
not confirm the march Monday, saying he was waiting for a general assembly
meeting which is yet to decide on what action the college should take on the
issue. The general assembly was meeting Monday evening.

*****

NGO condemns chief for grabbing property
by Mark Ndipita, 25 October 2005 - 08:43:54
Women's rights watchdog, Women's Lobby has condemned the acting Traditional
Authority Malemia of Zomba, Mabvuto Kapandansalu, for allegedly grabbing a house
from the wife of the late T/A Malemia this year.
Women's Lobby Programmes Manager Rodgers Kaunda said yesterday T/A Malemia who
died in July last year left a house built with own resources to widow, Margaret
Jana, 71.
"We do not find any concrete reason for chasing the widow (Jana) out of the
house left by her late husband. They stayed together on the same land for 47
years and to chase her now is not humane," he said.
Kaunda said that in August this year Women's Lobby organised mediation talks on
the issue with elders concerned with the chieftainship where they agreed that
Kapandansalu should move out of the house but up to now he is still leaving in
the house.
Kaunda said when Women's Lobby approached Kapandansalu after the mediation
telling him that they agreed that he should move out and build his own house,
Kapandansalu allegedly refused saying what he was doing was traditionally
accepted.
"People can be arrested for property grabbing but no one in the country has been
convicted. We need to do something if at all this behaviour is to be curbed," he
said.
Zomba District Commissioner Kweza Kalilombe confirmed the incident saying
Kapandansalu told him that he would build another house for the widow.
"We received a complaint from a relative of the widow and we referred them to
Women's Lobby who are currently dealing with the issue," he said.
Kalilombe further said Jana is just a victim of the ongoing squabbles among
three families who are competing for the Malemia chieftainship.

*****

Impeachment rules ruling Wednesday
by Gedion Munthali, 25 October 2005 - 08:27:46
High Court Judge Joseph Manyungwa will Wednesday rule whether or not to grant
the Public Affairs Committee (Pac) a stay order against effecting impeachment
procedures the National Assembly adopted last Thursday.
Pac lawyer Chifundo Ngwira on Monday applied for the order until a judicial
review of the constitutionality of the procedures takes place.
"The judge has reserved his ruling until Wednesday morning," said Ngwira. "Leave
to apply for judicial review was already granted on Friday."
Memory Kapezi from the State Advocate Department represented the Attorney
General and the National Assembly who are respondents in the matter.
Pac publicity secretary Maurice Munthali explained on Thursday his organisation
was challenging the procedures because they were unconstitutional.
"Selfish MPs must not be allowed to get away with this rubbish," said Munthali.
"These people have a target in mind, and that is why they were in a hurry."
A few hours after Munthali expressed these fears, news started filtering in that
Mangochi Malombe MP Maxwell Milanzi had filed a notice of motion to indict and
impeach President Bingu wa Mutharika.
This development came against denials during debate in the House by opposition
MPs that the procedures would not be used on Mutharika.
Pac chair Boniface Tamani said his organisation would also challenge the
National Governing Council in court.
UDF spokesman Sam Mpasu reacted by accusing Pac of overstepping its limits.
"Pac should know what its powers are and what those of the National Assembly
are. Pac is a private organisation while the National Assembly is a public
institution.
"A private organisation cannot stop Parliament from doing its work, just as it
cannot stop the Judiciary or the Executive from doing its work," said Mpasu.
During Mpasu's tenure as Speaker, Pac successfully challenged the
constitutionality of the amended version of Section 65 of the constitution which
regulates movement of MPs across parties and the courts invalidated the
amendment.

*****

Man arrested for insulting Bingu
by Olivia Kumwenda, 25 October 2005 - 08:25:55
Police in Blantyre on Sunday arrested a Petroda fuel attendant for allegedly
insulting President Bingu wa Mutharika.
Blantyre Police public relations officer Elizabeth Divala said on Monday John
Mtawali, who works at the Clock Tower filling station in Blantyre, is still in
custody and is expected to appear in court Tuesday.
"The report indicates that Mtawali was listening to a speech by the President on
the radio and when [Mutharika] said he is not going to spare anyone who indulges
in corrupt practices, the attendant is alleged to have sworn [at the
President]," said Divala.
He said some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters who were around the
area informed the police officer who arrested Mtawali.
"He is expected to be charged with an offence of using insulting language and
may appear before court tomorrow," said Divala.
According to Section 4 of the Protected Flags, Emblems and Names Act in the Laws
of Malawi, insulting a President is an offence.
Section 4 of the Act says: "Any person who does any act or utters any words or
publishes or utters any writing calculated to or liable to insult, ridicule or
to show disrespect to or with reference to the President, the National Flag, the
Armorial Ensigns, the Public seal, or any protected likeness, shall be liable to
a fine of 1,000 pounds and to imprisonment for two years."
Last month former DPP vice president and fired Republican Party national
chairman Gwanda Chakuamba was also arrested for allegedly insulting Mutharika at
a rally he addressed in Ndirande, Blantyre. He was released on bail the
following day after paying K1,000. The matter is in court.

*****

Usaid, Unicef donate for food
by Nation Reporter, 25 October 2005 - 08:41:17
The United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) and the United
Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) last week gave Malawi $400,000 grant to assist
the country buy food for the starving.
The grant followed an appeal by the Malawi Government for assistance to avert
the food shortage crisis.
Mitchell Moss, United States Embassy Public Affairs Officer, the grant will
provide resources and increase the capacity for the government and Unicef to
monitor child malnutrition cases across the country from now to March 2006.
"The monitoring is crucial in identifying children who may be at risk of
malnutrition-related illness and who may need supplementary feeding or admission
at Nutrition Rehabilitation Units over the next four to six months," said Moss.
Over the past year, the United States has pledged approximately 30,000 metric
tonnes of food mainly maize, sorghum, pulses and vegetable oil valued over K2.75
billion to help people in the country in the current food crisis.

Malawi: Donors Shape Malawi's Food Policies, Says Report

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

October 25, 2005
Posted to the web October 25, 2005

Johannesburg

Donor ideologies and programmes implicitly shape Malawi's food security
policies, says a USAID-commissioned report that laments a lack of local
ownership.

"Donor advice on growth, agriculture and poverty reduction changes, depending on
international development trends," said the report, which cited the
controversial sale of the Strategic Grain Reserve in 2000 at the insistence of
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as an example.


The IMF recommended the sale as part of its privatisation model, leaving the
country with no stockpiles when it faced one of its worst food shortages later
that year.

A subsequent presidential inquiry into the deal found not only serious conflicts
of interest and possible evidence of personal enrichment by senior officials,
but also the IMF and the World Bank at fault for pressurising the government.

"The country unfortunately does not have much choice [in its policies], as most
of its programmes are funded by donors," suggested one aid worker.

Donors financed 83 percent of Malawi's 2004/05 development budget, leaving major
uncertainties among Malawians about the explicit or implicit conditions attached
to so much financing, said the USAID report. Malawian NGOs and analysts echoed
similar concerns.

"The dependency culture is particularly poignant now, when Malawi is in the grip
of its worst drought in a decade," commented an aid worker. The current
shortages have been compounded by the late delivery of fertilisers and seed.

Given Malawi's traditional reliance on external funding, it was not clear
whether the government was in charge of the policy-making process, noted
political analyst Boniface Dulani.

"To the extent that [agricultural] policy follows the money, the twists and
turns of policy formulation mirrors the ebb and flow of resources as well as
international donor trends," commented the USAID report.

"Donor advice on policies impacting upon economic growth, agriculture and
poverty reduction has been characterised by shifts and turns, depending on the
development models currently in fashion in Brussels, London or Washington."

An aid worker pointed out that "there are constant battles between donor
consultants and certain government officials, who decide to stick with existing
policies - sometimes there is a compromise; most of the times there is uneasy
compliance".

Various donors have taken charge of the country's agricultural policies: the
European Union (EU) has conditioned its new funding according to its own set of
development indicators.

The EU currently is financing the preparation of a Food and Nutrition Security
Policy, "in which we see a European emphasis on economic rights, which has
created a lot of uneasiness - there is nothing Malawian about it," said a relief
worker with a local NGO.

The UK Department for International Development influences policy on fertiliser
subsidies; World Bank assistance is conditioned upon progress made in
restructuring the state grain marketer, ADMARC, observed the USAID report.

With so much donor influence on policy, ordinary Malawians could not hold the
government accountable, NGOs and aid workers commented.

"Feeble national ownership of strategy makes it difficult to implement policy,
because it belongs to no one in particular," said USAID.

*****

No NGC, no impeachment, says Tembo
by Bright Sonani, 26 October 2005 - 06:45:34
  The impeachment process of President Bingu wa Mutharika is likely to hit a snag
* if the United Democratic Front (UDF) fails to push for the tabling of the
National Governing Council (NGC) Bill, according to MCP leader John Tembo.
In an interview Tuesday, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) boss Tembo said his party
would not support the impeachment process without the NGC.
"If there is no NGC there is no way MCP would support the impeachment," said
Tembo.
His remarks come amid reports that the UDF was deliberately dragging its feet on
tabling the NGC Bill as a ploy to dupe the MCP in case the impeachment succeeds
without the Council.
Some MCP MPs have also alleged the UDF was conniving with former Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) vice president Gwanda Chakuamba to sideline the MCP once
the impeachment passes.
Chakuamba's relationship with Tembo has been sour since the former dumped the
MCP to form his own Republican Party (RP) and observers have indicated that
there is no way the two could work together.
On whether he would be comfortable to work with Chakuamba in the event the
Mutharika's ouster is successful, Tembo said: "NGC would not include anybody
outside Parliament.
"That does not mean MPs who are supporting the NGC would not be considered in
other positions but they will not be in the NGC."
Last week UDF raised concern in Parliament through its leader in the House
George Mtafu who said the NGC Bill was "deliberately" being held at Government
Print in Zomba. Since then no follow up has been heard of.
Some UDF sources have said the party, after moving the indictment motion and
getting support from the House to call Mutharika, was no longer interested in
the bill. The sources claimed UDF was behind the holding of the bill.
"If government could manage to hold the NGC Bill, why did the same government
not hold the indictment motion which was also printed at the same Government
Print?" Asked the source.
UDF spokesperson Sam Mpasu said it was not true his party was behind the holding
of the bill.
"That story is a complete fabrication and a total lie. The issue of the bill is
between the Clerk of Parliament's office and Government Print," he said.
Mpasu said the issue of Chakuamba and Tembo working together is based on
negotiations going on between the UDF and the two camps.
"This is not a matter of thinking. I don't think they have gone into this
blindly," he said. He could not be drawn to discuss what the UDF has agreed with
Chakuamba and Tembo.
The NGC bill, expected to be moved by Mangochi North MP Ibrahim Matola, proposes
that if the President is removed by impeachment there shall within 14 days be an
NGC which shall discharge the powers and duties of the President for six months.
The NGC shall consist of the first vice-president and elected leaders of
political parties or their nominees with the highest representation in the
National Assembly.
Legal experts have argued that it would need a referendum to amend Section 6 of
the Constitution in order to institute an NGC in the country.
Section 6 stipulates that the authority to govern shall be derived from the
people of Malawi through universal and equal suffrage in elections and the
Constitution stipulates that Parliament can only amend the section through a
referendum of the people of the country.
But Tembo argued that there would be no need for a referendum to amend Section
6.
"It doesn't need (a referendum). There are so many people with different views,"
he said.
The MCP President also said he has not signed any memorandum of understanding
with the UDF because "the issue at stake is not an issue of a party. Even if it
happens that a member of one party introduces a bill, its up to MPs to agree
with it or not."
Controller of Government Press Emmanuel Gondwe in an interview explained that
the NGC Bill was being held at the print along three other bills because of
outstanding amounts Parliament has not settled.
"All the bills have been processed ready for printing, but we ran out of blue
paper where we print bills. It was unfortunate that those in the know did not
give a proper picture," said Gondwe.
He said there was about K1.2 million to be paid.
Gondwe said Government Print has so far managed to source the blue paper on
credit and the outstanding bills would be printed, but the agreement was that
they will only be delivered on cash basis.

*****

Lucius Banda faces arrest
by Gedion Munthali, 26 October 2005 - 07:00:00
Balaka North MP Lucius Banda (UDF), the architect of impeachment procedures,
faces arrest any day after the current sitting of the National Assembly.
A police source said on Tuesday Banda will be arrested on allegations he
presented to the Malawi Electoral Commission a Malawi Schools Certificate for
Education (MSCE) which does not belong to him.
"We are only waiting for the House to rise, and then we will arrest him. He
might be charged with forgery," said the police source.
He said findings of investigations so far seem to allege that Banda does not
have an MSCE.
"The transcripts of his Form Four results show that he did not qualify for an
MSCE certificate," he said.
When contacted on the development Tuesday afternoon, Banda declined to comment.
Electoral Commission Chief Elections Officer Anthony Masanza said he needed time
to check records on qualifications Banda presented to the Commission in 2004.
"I will come back to you on that," he said. He, however, disclosed that after
the 2004 elections, the Electoral Commission stopped insisting on qualifications
for one to run in parliamentary elections.
"The requirement now is one's ability to speak English to be able to understand
and take part in the proceedings of the National Assembly," said Masanza.
He said the Commission waived the academic benchmark after the High Court upheld
an application "by someone that it was not our duty to administer examinations."
"So in the forthcoming by-elections we will not require candidates to give us
their qualifications. We will just see if they are able to speak English," he
said.
Government seem to have started cracking down on those that have had a hand in
Mutharika's impeachment process.
On Monday Attorney General Ralph Kasambara asked Speaker of the National
Assembly Louis Chimango to declare vacant Mangochi Malombe seat vacant, claiming
its MP Maxwell Milanzi was convicted of theft in 1999, an allegation the MP has
denied.
Milanzi last week filed a notice of motion to indict and impeach President Bingu
wa Mutharika.



*****

Profile: Bingu wa Mutharika
By Raphael Tenthani
BBC, Blantyre


Bingu wa Mutharika has nursed ambitions of ruling Malawi since the Hastings
Kamuzu Banda dictatorship began to unravel in 1993.

But having achieved his goal last year, he could now become the first African
president to be impeached.

His career began when Mr Banda, Malawi's founding father, became president in
1964.

Mr Mutharika became the first Malawian administrator in the civil service, which
was then still dominated by the British.

But during the so-called "cabinet crisis" in the same year, he fled Malawi for
fear that Mr Banda would associate him with the rebelling ministers.

Mr Mutharika's studies took him to Zambia, India and the United States, where he
eventually obtained a doctorate in economics.

He then began a long career as an international civil servant, working for many
international bodies, including the World Bank.

Changing names

Born Ryson Webster Thom in the southern tea-growing district of Thyolo in 1934,
the schoolmaster's son adopted the more African name of Bingu Mutharika during
the 1960s when pan-Africanism was sweeping across the continent.

He later added the prefix 'wa' between his names to disguise his identity from
Mr Banda's state security, who were hunting down his opponents around the world.

In 1992 he became a founding member of the then underground political pressure
group, the United Democratic Front (UDF).

The party was later transformed into a political party and eventually ruled
Malawi for 10 years after the first multi-party elections were organized.

Mr Mutharika's first try for the presidency was in the 1999 elections but he
came last among the five candidates.

He disappeared from public view for a while but later resurfaced as a surprise
presidential candidate for the UDF after President Bakili Muluzi failed in his
bid to be allowed a third term.

Mr Muluzi, who dubbed himself the "political engineer", sold Mr Mutharika to
Malawians as the "economic engineer" and did all the campaigning on behalf of
his protege - so much that it was a complete surprise that the two fell out
immediately after the elections.

To seal the strained relations between the two former political buddies, Mr
Mutharika quit the UDF and founded his own Democratic Progressive Party.

Mr Mutharika blamed his decision to quit the UDF on his former political
associates whom he accused of frowning upon his tough anti-corruption drive.

The UDF has been in the forefront of attempts to impeach Mr Mutharika over
accusations that he used state money to set up his party and other charges of
going against the constitution. He denies the charges, saying they are
politically motivated.

Mr Mutharika, a church-going Catholic, is married to a Zimbabwean wife, Ethel,
and they have four grown-up children.

*****

MDC head disowns rebel candidates

Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has distanced himself from
Movement for Democratic Change members who registered as election candidates.
This week 26 MDC members registered to stand in Senate elections next month.

Mr Tsvangirai had earlier announced the MDC would not field candidates. The
dispute over the Senate election has left the MDC in its worst-ever crisis.

Mr Tsvangirai's spokesman, William Bango, said state security services were
sowing divisions in the MDC.

"Mr Tsvangirai maintains the party is not contesting the elections, and any
[MDC] person who found their way into the nomination court was committing
fraud," Mr Tsvangirai's spokesman, William Bango, told the BBC News website.  
There is agreement across the board on the goals and the ideology of the party

Paul Bango, Morgan Tsvangirai's spokesman
"The party directed the nomination court not to accept MDC names," he added.

"We are waiting for an answer on why the nomination court accepted them. We
suspect the nomination court was pressured by the security services to ignore
our instructions."

'Political problem'

Asked whether the 26 candidates would be subject to disciplinary action by the
party, Mr Bango said Mr Tsvangirai's intention "was not to seek blood at the
earliest opportunity".

Opposition's uphill battle

"Mr Tsvangirai believes this is a political problem and he is seeking a
political solution - he does not want to embark on retribution over a difference
of opinion."

He warned though that a solution "could involve disciplinary action".

Mr Bango said he did not think the MDC was in danger of splitting.

"There is agreement across the board on the goals and the ideology of the
party," he said.

Differences

Elections were called after a recent constitutional change reintroduced an upper
house into parliament.

Mr Tsvangirai believes that there is no point in contesting elections when the
government will do anything in its power to win.

His opponents within the MDC believe it is important to keep a presence in the
polls and to allow voters to express their opposition through the ballot box.

Government critics say the constitutional change was introduced to strengthen
the hold on power of President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.

The MDC believes violence and fraud have made previous poll results unfair.

Zimbabwe has had a single-chamber parliament since 1987, when Mr Mugabe
abolished the Senate.

But the government now says the reintroduction of the Senate will boost the
authority of parliament.

The Senate will comprise 10 traditional chiefs, 50 senators elected on a
constituency system and six appointed by the president.

Malawi impeachment drive halted

In Malawi a constitutional court has called a temporary halt proceedings to
impeach President Bingu wa Mutharika.
Mr Mutharika was summoned to appear before parliament on Thursday to answer
eight charges, but his lawyer argued the procedures are unconstitutional.

The court ordered the parliament speaker not to go ahead until it approved
procedural rules.

The president has fallen out with his predecessor and the ruling UDF party he
was elected to lead.

Last year, Mr Mutharika quit the UDF and founded his own Democratic Progressive
Party.

He accused his former political associates of frowning upon his tough
anti-corruption drive.

The UDF has been in the forefront of attempts to impeach Mr Mutharika over
accusations that he used state money to set up his party and other charges of
going against the constitution.

He denies them, saying they are politically motivated.

More than 80 MPs signed a motion on Friday ordering him to appear before
parliament.

The constitutional court ruling follows the High Court injunction granted over
the weekend to delay the proceedings.

*****

Chaos again: House adjourns prematurely
by Bright Sonani, 27 October 2005 - 07:00:12
Parliament Wednesday degenerated into another round of chaos and ended
prematurely after government failed to agree with First Deputy Speaker Esther
Mcheka-Chilenje on the interpretation of Standing Orders regarding the handling
of government bills which ministers wanted to be deferred.
The House spent 48 minutes without tangibly tackling any business amid jeering
and cheering as Chilenje and government jostled each other throughout.
The House was thrown in the mire amidst accusation from the government that the
opposition has been holding caucuses where they agreed to reject and sabotage
government bills in the House.
In an attempt to counter the plot, soon after the House resumed sitting at 2.00
pm, leader of government business Henry Chimunthu Banda suggested that the order
paper for the day be deferred and suggested going straight to ministerial
statements, a thing which did not go down well with the opposition.
The disagreement over how business should be handled forced the First Deputy
Speaker to call for a vote which the opposition got, forcing the House to follow
the Order Paper and start with the bills.
But the development took another twist when Minister of Home Affairs Anna
Kachikho said her bill Number 8 of 2005 on Police was not ready for second
reading.
Chilenje instantly put the question for a vote on whether Kachikho's motion
should be taken and the 'nos' had the vote. Government objected to the procedure
which was followed, arguing that after the minister had said that the bill was
not ready for the second reading, there was no need for the Speaker to put a
question for a vote but rather proceed to another bill.
"Madam First Deputy Speaker, which Standing Order are you following?" Started
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Henry Phoya, as soon as Chilenje
pronounced that the motion had been defeated.
Phoya's question threw the House into confusion, forcing Chilenje to consult
with the clerks' desk amid calls of point of order from both sides of the House.
Then Chilenje read the procedures which she was following.
But her interpretation of the Standing Order on bills attracted opposition from
the government bench.
"I think the whole process has landed us and you Chair in problems," said
Chimunthu Banda.
Chilenje, however, insisted that she was right.
Phoya on the other hand told the Speaker that according to Section 119 when a
minister said a bill was not ready to go into a next stage she was not supposed
to put it to a vote.
When everything was thought to be settled, the House erupted again when Minister
of Finance Goodall Gondwe also said his bill on Money Laundering and Proceeds of
Serious Crime was also not ready for a second reading and had to be referred to
the Legal Affairs Committee.
MP for Lilongwe Mapuyu Joseph Njobvuyalema, who earlier accused Kachinkho of
failing and called for her resignation, accused the government side of not being
serious with business.
"There is something shamefully happening in this House," he said.
The mayhem forced Chilenje to suspend the sitting for 15 minutes. But after
business resumed, Chimunthu Banda and leader of opposition John Tembo announced
that they have agreed to prematurely adjourn the sitting to today.
In an interview, Chimunthu Banda said government did not want to table the bills
because of the opposition's plans to reject and sabotage all government business
in the House, accusations which both UDF leader George Mtafu and Tembo refuted.
"MCP has not had any caucuses. This is in spite of MCP members' having their
cars smashed. We are keeping discipline," said Tembo in the House, when
answering to the accusation of sabotage from the government side.
Before the House started, Chilenje announced that a ruling on the controversial
Section 65 of the Constitution on crossing the floor will be made on Monday.

*****

MPs inconsiderate of the poor* govt
by Edwin Nyirongo, 27 October 2005 - 07:04:00
Government says MPs' hiring of private lawyers to represent them in the
impeachment case shows they do not have the welfare of people at heart.
But the opposition says it wants justice.
The Business Committee of the House agreed on Monday to hire lawyers Kalekeni
Kaphale and Mordecai Msisha to defend Parliament against an impeachment
injunction obtained against the House by Karonga Nyungwe MP Richard Msowoya.
Information Minister Patricia Kaliati said private lawyers are expensive and
will only worsen the financial position of government, which is overstretched by
the purchase of food for starving masses.
"The same Parliament is talking about buying food for the people yet it wants to
spend the same money that is supposed to buy food. That is being deceitful," she
said.
Kaliati wondered whether the opposition MPs consulted their constituents before
tabling the impeachment issue, saying most of them live in towns.
Asked what government is doing about it, the information minister disclosed that
there is nothing they can do because the same people will accuse it of
interfering with Parliament.
"The people who would have benefited from the maize should be the ones to come
in the open because they will suffer," she said.
But deputy leader of UDF in Parliament Friday Jumbe said they decided to ignore
Attorney General Ralph Kasambara on the matter because he is an interested
party.
"The Attorney General is chief legal advisor of the state and cannot be chief
legal advisor of Parliament at the same time. He cannot be impartial," noted
Jumbe.
He said Kasambara is also an interested party because he is the executive member
of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and has special interests in the
issue.
Jumbe noted that there was no problem with the arrangement [of having a doubling
AG] in the past because government was controlling the House. He said Bingu, who
decided to form government outside Parliament, caused the problem.
"The Speaker has the duty to defend Parliament. He cannot pick the AG to defend
Parliament when he knows that he would be biased," said Jumbe.
Parliament last week agreed to debate the impeachment of President Bingu wa
Mutharika, causing government MPs to walk out.
The opposition, however, continued to debate the issue and summoned the
President to appear to answer charges today.

*****

Poly students starve for the hungry
by Juliet Chimwaga , 27 October 2005 - 07:49:22
Polytechnic students have decided to starve themselves this week to help people
affected by hunger in Mulanje district.
Chairman of the 'Miss a meal, feed a friend campaign' Dwight Kambuku, a final
year Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering student, said in an interview
students have agreed to sacrifice their meal coupons which the college cafeteria
would use to release uncooked food planned to be distributed in Mulanje
tomorrow.
"I came up with this idea after learning that in some parts of Mulanje people
have reached the extent of feeding on termites in trying to subdue the current
hunger," he said.
He said the students were also being mobilised to contribute money or buy the
food themselves.
Kambuku urged the rest of the constituent colleges of the University of Malawi
and other organisations to emulate the move since the entire country has been
affected by hunger.
Official estimates indicate that about 4.6 million people in the country are
facing starvation due to prolonged dry-spell during the last growing season
which led to a food deficit.

*****

Death could halt Tanzania polls

The Tanzanian elections, due to take place next Sunday, may have to be postponed
after the death of one of the vice-presidential candidates.
The death of Jumbe Rajab Jumbe of the opposition Chadema party is said to have
followed a long illness.

Election Commission Chairman Judge Louis Makame told the BBC it would decide
what to do on Thursday.

He said it was possible presidential elections might be postponed, but that
parliamentary elections could go ahead.

The election for the presidency of Zanzibar, which is semi-autonomous, might
also be able to go ahead.

Several violent incidents have been reported there in the hotly contested
island.

In one incident a gang of youths attacked a former presidential bodyguard and in
another, three people were injured when young men tried to prevent supporters of
the opposition Civic United Front (Cuf) from putting up posters of their
candidate.

The Cuf accuses Zanzibar's governing Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CMM) party of planning
to rig the ballot.

The CUF maintains that it has been cheated of victory in Zanzibar - its main
power base - in the past two Tanzanian elections, in 2000 and 1995.

On the mainland, the CCM is expected to maintain its grip on power, with their
presidential candidate Jakaya Kikwete tipped to succeed outgoing President
Benjamin Mkapa who steps down after two terms in power.



*****

Split over strategy weakens MDC

The Movement for Democratic Change was always going to be a broad church.
From its foundation in 1999, it has brought together city workers and farm
labourers, small businessmen and big landowners, Zimbabwe's Shona majority and
the Ndebele minority, as well as a small number of white Zimbabweans.

What united these people was their dissatisfaction with President Robert
Mugabe's government, be it on the grounds of human rights abuses or the steady
collapse of the economy with its consequent job losses, shortages and growing
poverty.

From the start, sceptics predicted that this alliance would collapse under the
weight of the conflicting interests of its broad constituency, as soon as its
focus moved beyond the immediate wish to replace Mr Mugabe.

Strategy

But with Mr Mugabe still firmly in power, the strains are starting to show - and
the fundamental differences seem to be over strategy.

  MDC's changing fortunes
1999: Founded by Morgan Tsvangirai
2000: Wins 57 parliamentary seats
2002: Tsvangirai loses presidential challenge
2003: Mass protests quashed by security forces
2004: Says will not contest 2005 election
2005: Contests election, wins 41 seats


Opposition's uphill battle
The current crisis began when the ruling Zanu-PF party changed the constitution
to reintroduce a Senate, an institution that was abolished in 1987.

Fifty senators are to be elected on a constituency basis on 26 November; the new
upper house will also include a further six senators appointed by the president,
and 10 traditional chiefs.

Mr Tsvangirai wants the party to stay out of the Senate elections. The other
five of the party's six top officials, led by secretary general Welshman Ncube,
want to participate - and 26 party members have gone ahead and registered their
candidacy.

The Ncube faction says that in declaring a boycott, Mr Tsvangirai overrode a
decision taken democratically by the party's structures.

Waste of money?

Although Mr Tsvangirai's stance has left him looking isolated among the party
leadership, his views resonate with those of many Zimbabweans who feel the
Senate is a waste of money, and exists mainly for President Mugabe to hand out
jobs to more of his political allies.

   Some of these candidates were brought into the city by the CIO and driven to
the nomination court

Last Maengahama, MDC Harare secretary
The National Constitutional Assembly - a coalition of pro-democracy civil
society groups - is also supporting a boycott of the Senate elections, believing
it was conceived only as the result of an undemocratic constitutional change.

At the moment, neither faction is prepared to concede that the other side might
have a point.

Party spokesman Paul Themba-Nyathi - who favours participation - earlier this
week described Mr Tsvangirai's views as "unfortunate", as though the opinions of
the party leader were not particularly relevant.

Political solution

Mr Tsvangirai's spokesman, William Bango, insisted that the 26 MDC members who
had registered their candidacy had done so in their personal capacity - and that
to have registered in the name of the MDC was an act of fraud.


Tsvangirai's boycott call has been ignored by the candidates
He said that while the party leader was seeking a "political solution" to the
crisis, disciplinary action against those who had registered could not be ruled.

Some commentators speak of an ethnic split - and it is true that Mr Tsvangirai
is from the majority Shona ethnic group, and his five most prominent opponents
within the party are from the Ndebele minority.

But in another sense, the split represents a philosophical difference: can
structures like the Senate be a valuable platform for the MDC to put its views,
or will the presence of the opposition simply grant legitimacy to an electoral
system which in the past has been manipulated by the ruling party to its own
advantage?

In the western Ndebele heartland, the MDC already controls the city of Bulawayo
and is an established political force - it is perhaps understandable that party
members in the region are more confident about being able to work within the
system than is the case with their colleagues elsewhere in the country.

State role

But whatever real differences may exist, there are signs that the Zimbabwean
state is doing its best to exploit them, and to turn a disagreement over
strategy into a full-blown crisis.

   We must come together and re-group instead of spending endless hours bickering

Paul Themba-Nyathi, MDC spokesman
Since the MDC is the only party that has ever posed a serious challenge to
Zanu-PF rule, the current mess has obvious benefits for the ruling party.

Mr Tsvangirai believes the nominations court - the body responsible for
registering candidates - came under pressure from the state security services to
register candidates in the name of the MDC, against the party leader's own
instructions.

The Tsvangirai camp maintains that the Central Intelligence Organisation is
actively supporting the electoral ambitions of the 26 candidates.

"What is particularly worrying is the information we received indicating that
some of these candidates were brought into the city by the CIO and driven to the
nomination court a few minutes before 4pm yesterday [Monday, the nomination
deadline]," Last Maengahama, MDC secretary for Harare province, said in a
statement.

The state-controlled media has made much of the divisions within the MDC,
running headlines such as "The people versus Morgan Tsvangirai".

Damage

MDC officials admit that the row has already damaged the party's prospects.

Even if MDC candidates were to win all 26 seats that they are contesting -
itself an unlikely outcome - Zanu-PF would still control the senate.

MDC activists remain optimistic that they can overcome their differences.

But for the moment, both sides are sticking firmly to their positions - and
there is no indication of who will blink first.

Attached is a photo I found on the web of a Peace
Corps Malawi party in 1967. don't know if I sent it
before.

It could have been any of us only with worse glasses.
the dancing looks about the same.



__________________________________
Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click.
http://farechase.yahoo.com

Malawi agents raid Muluzi's home

Anti-corruption agents have raided and removed papers from the house of Malawi's
ex-president, Bakili Muluzi.
A court search warrant was obtained despite a ruling that he did not have to
undergo questioning about his financial dealings with donors.

Hundreds of Mr Muluzi's supporters gathered outside during the search chanting
angry anti-government slogans.

They say President Bingu wa Mutharika is mounting a witch-hunt against his
predecessor, after the two fell out.

Mr Mutharika, who was handpicked by Mr Muluzi to run as the United Democratic
Front candidate in the 2004 presidential elections, resigned from the UDF
earlier this year because of the unpopularity of his anti-corruption campaign.

'Political harassment'

David Kanyenda, Mr Muluzi's lawyer, said that the former president had been at
home in Blantyre when the seven police officers and seven Anti-Corruption Bureau
agents arrived at 0900 local time.

Mr Muluzi had co-operated fully with the agents, who left after five hours, he
said.

He described the raid as political harassment because the High Court had granted
an injunction that Mr Muluzi did not have to appear before the Anti-Corruption
Bureau hearing on Monday.

He had been summoned to testify to account for millions of dollars of aid money
during his presidency between 1994 and 2004.

"You must understand that this is a campaign to intimidate and harrass the
former state president," Mr Kanyenda told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

Other agents searched Mr Muluzi's house in his home village of Kapoloma, 120km
north east of Blantyre.

The private residence of his son, MP Atupele Muluzi, was also searched.

The BBC's Raphael Tenthani, reporting from the scene, said about 50 heavily
armed police officers were trying to keep at bay some 300 pro-Muluzi supporters.

They had gathered to vent their anger at Mr Mutharika, who they feel is
ungrateful to the party that sponsored his election victory last year.

"As a party, we're angry and annoyed because we know this is a political move,"
Kennedy Makwangwala, the UDF's secretary general said.

Mr Muluzi's UDF is at the forefront of the bid to impeach Mr Mutharika, who was
elected on a UDF ticket.

On Tuesday, supporters of the president, angry at moves to impeach him, attacked
opposition MPs outside parliament.

Impeachment proceedings have been temporarily halted as a constitutional court
considers procedural rules.

*****

Court stops impeachment procedures
by Olivia Kumwenda , 28 October 2005 - 07:36:42
The constitutional court in Blantyre Thursday issued an injunction stopping the
Speaker of Parliament from implementing the recently adopted impeachment
procedures until judgement is made on whether they are in accordance with the
Constitution.
The injunction followed government application to the court that it reviews the
procedures to see if they are in line with Section 86 (2) of the Constitution.
The section reads: "the procedure for impeachment shall be laid down by the
Standing Orders of Parliament, provided that they are in full accord with the
principles of natural justice."
Lawyer representing government Maxon Mbendera said in an interview Thursday the
application was made with reference to section 89 (h) of the Constitution which
says the President shall have power to refer disputes of a constitutional nature
to the High Court.
"So we thought it was proper for the constitutional court to grant an injunction
stopping Parliament from using the procedures until it determines the
constitutionality of the just adopted procedures," said Mbendera.
The injunction was granted by a panel of three judges: justices Andrew Nyirenda,
George Chimasula-Phiri and Rizine Mzikamanda.
"The injunction is not objected by the Speaker. It is, therefore, the order of
this court to grant the injunction until further notice," said Justice Nyirenda
who chaired the panel.
Commenting on the injunction Mbendera said, "the injunction granted today
(yesterday) stops them (Parliament) from using the procedures for a trial
against the President until a judgement is made on the constitutional review."
Parliament was represented by Lawyer Kalekeni Kaphale who was standing in for
Titus Mvalo.
MPs on Tuesday last week adopted the impeachment procedures proposed by the
Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament.
On Friday the House set Thursday (yesterday) as the day when President Bingu wa
Mutharika would appear before the House for indictment where charges of
impeachment were expected to be read out to him.
However the move was blocked when Karonga Nyungwe MP Richard Msowoya obtained an
injunction on the indictment.
Meanwhile people in Mulanje on Thursday marched to the office of the district
commissioner to present a petition against the impeachment of Mutharika.
In a telephone interview, one of the marchers Andrew Machinjiri said the people
do not want Mutharika to be impeached as he has development plans for the
district.
"Most of us here rely on selling fruits for our survival and most of our
products go bad before selling. The President has plans to construct factories
to process the fruits in addition to loans for small businesses, so if he is
impeached all these will go," said Machinjiri.
Director of Administration at the DC office Redgson Nkolombwe confirmed to have
received the petition and said it was in the process of being faxed to the
Speaker of Parliament to whom it was addressed.

*****

Women MPs up against Kasambara
by Edwin Nyirongo, 28 October 2005 - 07:34:49
  Female MPs almost put Parliament to a standstill when they wanted the House to
discuss allegations against Attorney General Ralph Kasambara who is answering
charges of impregnating a 22-year-old woman.
Kasambara is answering charges of impregnating Rubina Kawonga who is seeking
money for maintenance of her unborn baby and herself.
Nkhotakota North East MP Martha Lunji stood on a point of order when Health
Minister Hetherwick Ntaba was answering questions. She started talking about the
issue but Speaker Louis Chimango ruled her out saying the issue was not
supplementary to what was being discussed.
But Lunji insisted that she should be allowed to speak saying the issue was very
urgent and important but the Speaker refused.
Mzimba West MP Loveness Gondwe asked the Speaker why the issue was not on the
order paper when the notice was presented to him on Wednesday.
Leader of Women Parliamentary Caucus Lillian Patel said the MPs wanted to find
out from three ministers on what they are doing about the issue.
"We want to find out from the Minister of Gender what she is doing because
Rubina is being threatened. We also want to know what the Minister of Home
Affairs is doing because if some one wants to terminate life (abortion), it is
supposed to be a crime. Lastly, the Minister of Justice should tell us if such a
person can continue to be legal advisor of government and state," said Patel.
Kasambara was not in the House.

*****

Three arrested over relief maize
by Olivia Kumwenda, 28 October 2005 - 08:18:09
Police in Balaka have arrested three people for being found selling maize meant
for free distribution at Kafulafula Primary School in the district.
According to a press release from police headquarters in Lilongwe, the suspects
were sent to distribute the relief maize at the school but instead they diverted
it into a nearby bush and started selling (the maize) to people in the
surrounding village.
"The public tipped the police about the incident who arrested the suspects and
recovered the maize," reads the statement.
The suspects Chisomo Mandala 24, from Chilunga village T/A Kaphuka in Dedza,
Aubrey Chawinga 20, from Bolero in Rumphi and Levison Jentala 30, from
Nalisenjere village T/A Chitseka in Lilongwe are expected to appear before court
soon.
In another development a child in Kasungu on Wednesday fainted due to
suffocation as the mother who was carrying the child was scrambling to buy
fertiliser at Chamama Admarc depot in the district.
A source informed The Nation that people in the district are scrambling for
fertiliser as there is not enough for everyone.
"At first people thought the child had died but it was later discovered that the
child just fainted," said the source.
About 4.2 million Malawians are facing hunger this year after the country
produced 1.25 million tonnes, just 37 percent of the 3.4 million tonnes of maize
for national consumption.
Government has since subsidised the prices of maize and fertiliser to enable
more Malawians buy the commodities.

*****

Aford treasurer in court over stolen vehicle
by Phaless Chisenga, 28 October 2005 - 08:19:20
Aford treasurer general Nolia Chibvundiko Gondwe on Wednesday appeared before
Mzuzu Magistrate Court to answer charges of being found in possession of a
vehicle alleged to have been stolen in South Africa.
This follows a recent sweep up exercise conducted by Interpol across the country
where a number of vehicles said to have been stolen from South Africa were
seized.
During a hearing before Chief Resident Magistrate Dingiswayo Madise, Gondwe
insisted that she was not guilty and presented before the court documents she
claimed were used in the purchase of the vehicle registration number Mitsubishi
colt JKN440GP.
Asked why she did not bring to the court a motor vehicle dealer she bought the
vehicle from, Gondwe said the dealer was proving difficult to get hold of.
"I have been trying to urge him to come and testify here but every time I talked
to him he was just giving me excuses," she said.
Gondwe then asked the court to help her recover K750,000 she claims to have
purchased the vehicle for by issuing a summon and a warrant of arrest for the
dealer.
Madise positively acted on Gondwe's concerns and directed that a summon and a
warrant of arrest be served to the dealer who was reported to be based in
Lilongwe.
The case has since been adjourned to November 4.
According to police prosecutor Collins Mwanza a man claiming to own the vehicle
is in the country and was taken by police on Thursday to MRA premises where the
said vehicle is being kept.
Said Mwanza: "He brought with him keys he alleges are for the car. He tried them
on the car and managed to ignite the vehicle."
In a related development DPP regional governor for the North Harry Mkandawire
did not appear before the same court to answer similar charges after obtaining
an injunction from the High Court restraining the police from prosecuting him on
grounds of being found in possession of a stolen vehicle.
According to Mwanza, Mkandawire's lawyer, Davie Lameck argued that the offence
was unconstitutional and that his client was not in the wrong because the said
vehicle was bought with no knowledge of theft.

*****

Zanzibar's polls 'will go ahead'

Zanzibar's elections will go ahead on Sunday despite the delay until 18 December
of mainland polls in Tanzania.
Tanzania's postponement was due to the death of Chadema's vice-presidential
candidate, Jumbe Rajab Jumbe.

The Zanzibar Election Commission said the semi-autonomous archipelago had
different electoral rules.

Earlier, Chadema's presidential candidate critised the length of the delay
accusing the ruling party of making politcal capital out of it.

Heavy security

Tanzania delayed national presidential, parliamentary and local elections on
Thursday, but there was uncertainty overnight about whether the polls on
Zanzibar and Pemba would proceed.

But electoral commission official Swaleh Yusuf told the BBC that Zanzibar was
not bound by national electoral rules and voting would go ahead.

There has been a hotly contested campaign on the islands and several violent
incidents have been reported.

In one incident a gang of youths attacked a former presidential bodyguard and in
another, three people were injured when young men tried to prevent supporters of
the opposition Civic United Front (Cuf) putting up posters of their candidate.

The BBC's Noel Mwakugu in Zanzibar said security has been stepped up ahead of
voting.

In a bid to calm tension, the Zanzibar Electoral Commission announced on
Thursday it had struck off the voters' roll the names of 2,000 people who had
registered twice.

Cuf accuses Zanzibar's governing Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CMM) party of planning to
rig the ballot.

Cuf maintains that it has been cheated of victory in Zanzibar - its main power
base - in the past two Tanzanian elections, in 2000 and 1995.

'No money'

On the mainland, the CCM is expected to maintain its grip on power, with its
presidential candidate Jakaya Kikwete tipped to succeed outgoing President
Benjamin Mkapa who steps down after two terms in power.

According to Tanzania's National Electoral Commission, Chadema has until 18
November to decide on a new vice-presidential candidate, when campaigning will
start again.

But Chadema's presidential candidate, Freeman Mbowe, said a week's delay would
have sufficed and his party cannot afford to finance extra campaigning.

He told the BBC's Network Africa programme that the commission took the decision
to halt national polls to favour the ruling CCM.

"It's going to harm my chances; it's going to harm all opposition parties
chances and work in favour of the ruling party," he said.

"They have the whole government machinery in support of them and under such
circumstances they're going to have a win-win situation."

Looks like Erin's party in Ntcheu without the MoodStick.....

Hi Joanna and all -

Did you get MCV's contacts?  Mr. Sibale is still running the show
there as far as I know, the phone is +265 1-584-345 and the e-mail
is mcv@...

If I can facilitate something for you to connect, let me know. I'm
still here in Malawi.

I don't get the e-mails from Ujeni anymore but am still a member and
will attempt to check up on conversations from time to time.  With
all that is happening in Malawi there just isnt much time!

Stacia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stacia Nordin, RD
Nutrition Consultant
Specialist in Sustainable Food & Nutrition Security and HIV/AIDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Post Dot Net X-124, Crossroads, Lilongwe, Malawi
Physical Location:  Chitedze Trading Centre, Lilongwe, Malawi
(Africa)
+265  1-707-213  (home)
+265  9-333-073  (home cell)
nordin@...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--- In ujeni@yahoogroups.com, "Joanna Jane Hooper" <johooper@u...>
wrote:
>
> Hi!
>
> Is anyone out there involved with Malawi Children's
> Village?  Our International Health Interest Group here at
> the UNM medical school is interested in doing a fundraiser
> for MCV's mosquito net project, but I've lost track of my
> contact with MCV.  Can anyone out there help me get in
> touch?
>
> Thanks!
> Joanna Hooper
>

Uneji -

As you garner support for the latest perpetual famine in Malawi,
please aim your support at accessing the local foods.  There are
foods here, just not maize.  All food prices are rising incredibly
and access to the market foods are out of reach of many.

The famine will continue forever if programmes continue to focus on
maize eating and growing with fertilizer.  There is now increasing
support for diverisfying diets and agriculture, but unfortunately
some is just lip service and it doesn't pan out on the ground, and
for some it means just promoting cassava or sweet potatoes which
also misses out on the true diversity of all the foods groups.
Fertilzer use can be reduced significantly even in the first year of
healing the soil!

I see the hundreds of news stories about pending doom in Malawi, and
much of it is true, but they mostly miss the other side of the story
that there are foods here, and that there are local resources for
healing the soil.  One highly mis-lead journalist went so far to say
that people had to resort to eating mangoes and termites!  A diet of
manoges and termites is much more nutritious than a mountain of
maize on the plate!

I'm currently with a project with World Food Programme (on a modest
budget Paul, I'm still in a modest home with a chimbudzi!) that is
testing a model for Low input Crop and Diet Diversification
(essentially permaculture principles).  We have just put together
the model after testing it with 70 sites around the country
(Mangochi, Mulanje, Kasungu and Nkhata Bay) which included about
4,000 people.  AMAZING what the model sites were able to grasp and
apply in a short time period.  The model includes gardens, animal /
fish raising, environmental repair concepts, diet diversity, energy
use - too much to include in this e-mail, but suffice it to say that
it is very integrated yet very simple to implement at the same
time.  It takes great facilitation out in the field without the
typical 'workshop' setting and follow up with those implementing.
It is very exciting to work with 5 government ministries, UN
organizations, international organizations, local groups and
individuals all under one project.  It gives me hope for Malawi.

We moved to a new plot of land about 2 years ago and even in the
first year we were able to have a maize harvest without fertilizer
(along with a myriad of other foods) by applying basic principles
that anyone, at any income level, at any level of stress from
diseases and orphan care, in any location, can use.  Of course it
takes work and understanding and it is a big change for most people
in thinking and action, but with the recent testing we've done,
we've shown that it is feasible for those who are ready to go
against the mainstream culture of maize, fertilizer, sweeping and
burning!

The greatest thing that people around us are realizing now is that,
yes, drought is the norm in many parts of Africa, but by taking care
of the land, the effects of this natural weather pattern can produce
large amounts of food and money!

Feel free to contact at us at any time for more information!

Stacia, Kristof and Khalidwe (our 3-year old daughter)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stacia Nordin, RD
Nutrition Consultant
Specialist in Sustainable Food & Nutrition Security and HIV/AIDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Post Dot Net X-124, Crossroads, Lilongwe, Malawi
Physical Location:  Chitedze Trading Centre, Lilongwe, Malawi
(Africa)
+265  1-707-213  (home)
+265  9-333-073  (home cell)
nordin@...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


--- In ujeni@yahoogroups.com, "Paul DEVER" <pcpaul@h...> wrote:
>
> Your congressman was hedging his bets....
>
> There was no time to get the Katrina Relief fund in the regular
cycle, but
> they got that money ready...they could do the same with Malawi if
it were on
> the radar...
>
> So write those guys!!!!!!!!!
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: Eric Bone <edbone73@y...>
> Reply-To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
> To: ujeni <ujeni@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [ujeni] Latest famine in Malawi
> Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 00:02:11 -0700 (PDT)
>
> Perhaps others have been aware of this for a while, but I just
recently
> became aware of how bad the latest food situtation is in Malawi --
lots of
> people once again slipping from "barely enough food to live"
to "not enough
> food to live."  A disaster in slow-motion, like most in Malawi.
>
> You can find the UN's August 30 appeal for $88 million in
assistance at
> http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EVOD-6FRD84?
OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=ACOS-635PKL
> And I'll also cut and paste a short version below.
>
> I haven't heard of any governments contributing to this yet.  At
the State
> department, my contacts in the Africa bureau say they have not
been able to
> get any attention paid to this.
>
> This is hardly surprising, since the appeal was announced the day
after
> Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.
>
> I thought the least I could do was bring this to the attention of
my
> Congressman.  I was fortunate to see him at an event just this
evening, but
> he said that since the House Foreign Operations Appropriations
bill has
> already passed, there was nothing he could do about getting money
for Malawi
> in the annual budget cycle.  He recommended I contact a staff
member of
> Senator Patrick Leahy to see if they could get money put in the
Senate bill.
>
> If other people have a chance to alert their Congresspeople or
Senators
> about this, I would recommend it.  It appears that no high-level
person in
> the executive branch is going to pay attention to this for a while.
>
> -Eric
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
---
>
>
> UNITED NATIONS                       NATIONS UNIES
>
>
>
> Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
>
>
>
> $88 MILLION NEEDED TO AVERT FOOD INSECURITY IN MALAWI
>
>
>
> (Geneva and New York, 30 August):  The United Nations today
launched a Flash
> Appeal for nearly $88 million for Malawi, where at least 4.2
million people
> -- 34 per cent of the total population -- are currently threatened
by acute
> food insecurity.
>
>
>
> Calling for some $51 million for food and nutritional assistance
and $37
> million for emergency agricultural assistance, the Appeal
reinforces the
> Government¡¯s two-track approach aimed at relieving the country¡¯s
chronic
> food insecurity situation.
>
>
>
> In the immediate term, the requested funds will be used to provide
emergency
> humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable.  In the longer term, the
Appeal
> strengthens a national plan to provide much-needed maize seed and
> fertilizer.  International assistance will be used to distribute
one bag of
> seed and fertilizer each to one million of the poorest farming
families.
> Without assistance, these farmers will be unable to produce enough
food to
> feed their families, and the current food crisis will be repeated
in the
> coming year.
>
>
>
> ¡°This appeal,¡± said Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian
> Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, ¡°is truly forward-
looking in that
> it attempts to avert hunger and at the same time promote
sustainable
> recovery of livelihoods.  Investing in prevention will prove much
more cost
> effective than providing emergency assistance year after year.¡±
>
>
>
> The World Food Programme (WFP) will take the lead in providing
immediate
> humanitarian assistance to 2 million of the most vulnerable in the
> country¡¯s hardest-hit southern region, as a complement to the
national
> effort to assist a further 2.2 million individuals through food
distribution
> and voucher schemes, and through cash interventions.  The United
Nations
> Children¡¯s Fund (UNICEF) will provide emergency nutrition
assistance.  On
> the second track, the Appeal will enhance the Government¡¯s effort
to
> subsidize seed and fertilizers to ensure small farmers¡¯ access to
these key
> agricultural inputs.  Also participating in the Appeal are the
United
> Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Food and Agriculture
> Organization (FAO).
>
>
>
> By addressing the underlying causes of the food crisis, as well as
emergency
> needs, the Government of Malawi and the United Nations will be
working
> together to lay the basis for food security in the long run.  ¡°
Similar to
> other countries in the region, Malawi continues to reel from the
impact of
> food insecurity, HIV/AIDS, and weakened government capacity -- a
deadly mix
> which threatens the livelihoods of millions,¡± said James Morris,
WFP
> Executive Director and United Nations Special Envoy for
Humanitarian Needs
> in Southern Africa.  ¡°This Appeal represents a real opportunity
for the
> international community to focus on the immense challenges facing
people
> today, as well as those in the future.¡±
>
>
>
> The full text of the Malawi Flash Appeal is available at
www.reliefweb.int.
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! for Good
>   Watch the Hurricane Katrina Shelter From The Storm concert
>

Stacia,

Thanks so much for the info!  I was able to get ahold of
the folks here who are involved in the mosqutio net
project.  I have heard great things about Mr. Sibale.

How are things going for you in Malawi?

Joanna


On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 07:11:30 -0000
   "Stacia Nordin" <nordin@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Joanna and all -
>
> Did you get MCV's contacts?  Mr. Sibale is still running
>the show
> there as far as I know, the phone is +265 1-584-345 and
>the e-mail
> is mcv@...
>
> If I can facilitate something for you to connect, let me
>know. I'm
> still here in Malawi.
>
> I don't get the e-mails from Ujeni anymore but am still
>a member and
> will attempt to check up on conversations from time to
>time.  With
> all that is happening in Malawi there just isnt much
>time!
>
> Stacia
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Stacia Nordin, RD
> Nutrition Consultant
> Specialist in Sustainable Food & Nutrition Security and
>HIV/AIDS
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Post Dot Net X-124, Crossroads, Lilongwe, Malawi
> Physical Location:  Chitedze Trading Centre, Lilongwe,
>Malawi
> (Africa)
> +265  1-707-213  (home)
> +265  9-333-073  (home cell)
> nordin@...
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> --- In ujeni@yahoogroups.com, "Joanna Jane Hooper"
><johooper@u...>
> wrote:
> >
> > Hi!
> >
> > Is anyone out there involved with Malawi Children's
> > Village?  Our International Health Interest Group here
>at
> > the UNM medical school is interested in doing a
>fundraiser
> > for MCV's mosquito net project, but I've lost track of
>my
> > contact with MCV.  Can anyone out there help me get in
> > touch?
> >
> > Thanks!
> > Joanna Hooper
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>        SPONSORED LINKS
>                                                      Peace
>dollars                                       Marine
>corps                                       Inner peace
>
>         Peace
>                                      Peace sign
>                                      Peace jewelry
>
>
>         YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>     Visit your group "ujeni" on the web.
>     To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> ujeni-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>     Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
>Terms of Service.
>

Hmmm ...nice to see they have updated from Lawyer.....

----Original Message Follows----
From: Matthew McNulty <mcnurty@...>
Reply-To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
To: Matt McNulty <mcnurty@...>
Subject: [ujeni] Silly
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:53:09 -0800 (PST)

  >> David was in his 5th grade class when the teacher asked the
  >> children what
  >> their fathers did for a living. All the typical answers came up-
  >> Fireman,
  >> policeman, salesman, etc.
  >> David was being uncharacteristically quiet and so the teacher
  >> asked him
  >> about his father.
  >> "My father's an exotic dancer in a gay cabaret and takes off all
  >> his clothes
  >> in front of other men. Sometimes, if the offer's really good,
  >> he'll go out
  >> to the alley with some guy and have sex with him for money."
  >> The teacher, shocked by this, hurriedly set the other children to
  >> work on some coloring. She took little David aside and asked, "Is
  >> that
  >> really true about your father?"
  >> David hesitated a moment and, looking down at his shoes, said,
  >> "No, he works
  >> for the Bush administration, but I was just too embarrassed to say
  >> that in front
  >> of all the other kids."


---------------------------------
   Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

Bingu Says 'No' to Muluzi After Appeal to Mutharika to Drop Probe

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

October 28, 2005
Posted to the web October 28, 2005

LEVISON MWASE
Lilongwe

Former President Bakili Muluzi this afternoon faces tough questions from the
Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on how he pocketed over K1 billion from donors,
just days after President Bingu wa Mutharika threw out his predecessor's plea to
order the graft busting body to stop the probe.

Muluzi, who is also the national chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF),
is expected to explain why and how K1.4 billion from donor countries, foreign
organisations and local private firms allegedly ended up in his pockets.

A letter of notice from ACB director Gustave Kaliwo to Muluzi dated 17th October
2005 says the money was deposited into personal bank accounts during Muluzi's
10-year tenure of office.

But sources confided in The Chronicle that Muluzi telephoned Mutharika
immediately after he got the notice to appear before the ACB, pleading with him
to stop the ACB from probing into his private bank accounts.

The sources said Muluzi also pleaded with Mutharika to advise the ACB not to
leak such sensitive information to the media.

Mutharika is said to have rejected the pleas outright, arguing that the ACB is
an independent body that needs no interference.

However, State House Press Officer Chikumbutso Mtumodzi said in response to a
questionnaire that, to his knowledge there had been no communication between
Mutharika and Muluzi on the issue.

Muluzi's spokesperson Sam Mpasu could neither deny nor confirm that Muluzi had
had a conversation with Mutharika on the ACB notice to appear before it in
Blantyre this afternoon. He confirmed that Muluzi will indeed appear before the
ACB in Blantyre today. "The national chairman has no choice. But what we are
saying is that he is a former Head of State and that the bank accounts being
mentioned are private. As a country, we need to respect banking secrets," he
said.

Mpasu further accused the ACB of deliberately leaking the summons to the media,
describing it as a ploy by government to damage the reputation of Muluzi. "What
has happened is a big blow to the reputation of the country because you do not
mention foreign governments in internal matters of a country," said Mpasu.

According to the ACB summons, Muluzi is expected to answer questions relating to
financial transactions he had with foreign governments and local private firms
between 1999 and November, 2004.

The ACB would also like Muluzi to produce all documents in his possession or
under his control relating to transactions he had with the government of Libya,
the Kingdom of Morroco, Rwanda and the Republic of China on Taiwan.

According to the ACB summons, Muluzi received over K1.4 billion in donations
from these governments and local private firms which he later deposited into a
personal account in the period.

The largest donation, according to the ACB letter, was from the Republic of
China amounting to K700 million that Muluzi deposited into a personal account.

However, Counsellor at the ROC Embassy in Lilongwe, Jimmy Wu told one of the
local dailies last week that he was not aware of money from Taiwan that is
alleged to have been offered to Muluzi in his individual capacity. "All I know
is that there is a government-to-government cooperation and the money that comes
from the RoC is for development programmes in Malawi," said Wu.

During the third term debate in 2002 and campaign for presidential and
parliamentary elections last year, Muluzi was constantly questioned over the
source of funds he was using to win support.

Muluzi constantly insisted it was personal money from his many business
enterprises.

President Bingu wa Mutharika, who resigned from the UDF, the party that
sponsored him into power, said during his inaugural speech in Blantyre that his
administration would embark on a 'zero tolerance' campaign on corruption.

Mutharika resiged from the UDF, accusing the former ruling party of high-level
corruption and alleged that Muluzi was attempting to rule the country from his
BCA Hill residence.

Soon after Mutharika took power, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the ACB
pounced on former Shire Bus Lines Chief Executive and Muluzi's close ally and
strategist Humphrey Mvula and former Finance Minister Friday Jumbe.

The ACB also asked Muluzi to explain how he built the multi-million kwacha Keza
Office Park Building in Blantyre.

The police said they have stepped up security around ACB offices and the city
centre in Blantyre during the time that Muluzi is expected to be taking
questions from the organisation to minimize supportive action from rowdy UDF
supporters.

*****

MCP Joins UDF in Impeachment

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

October 28, 2005
Posted to the web October 28, 2005

LEVISON MWASE
Lilongwe

The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President John Tembo has finally accepted an
offer from the United Democratic Front (UDF) to act as state president in the
event that members of parliament impeach Bingu wa Mutharika.

Last week, Tembo ordered all the 60 MCP MPs to support the actual impeachment of
Mutharika when it reaches voting stage, an indication that an agreement has been
reached with the UDF, which is frustrated because of Mutharika's resignation
from the party in February this year amid accusations of high-level corruption
among UDF top officials.

Some members of parliament who attended the caucus at Tembo's Area 10 Residence
in Lilongwe said Tembo told the MPs that the party stands to benefit a lot if
Mutharika is ousted from power through the impeachment this week or next week.

The MPs however said the caucus agreed not to openly support the impeachment
because of its sensitivity and lack of popular support. "The position is that
all MCP MPs should not openly support the impeachment but vote in its favour in
the National Assembly," said our source.

According to the MP, Tembo told the caucus that he has been assured by the UDF
that he, by virtue of being Leader of Opposition in Parliament; he would head
the National Governing Council (NGC) as acting President for 60 days (three
months) before calling for fresh elections. "Our president also told us that the
UDF has also assured him that cabinet posts would be shared based on the number
of MPs that a party has in the House," said another MP who attended the caucus.

Sources in the party said there is a proposal that apart from leading the NGC,
the MCP would get 10 cabinet posts in the proposed 30 -member cabinet.

The UDF, according to the sources, would get 10 cabinet posts while the
remaining 10 posts would be shared among other opposition parties that would
support the impeachment.

MCP Vice President and Publicity Secretary Nicholas Dausi refused to comment on
the issue when contacted, saying Tembo was the right person to comment on the
matter.

Tembo could not be reached for comment.

However, most MCP MPs interviewed expressed fear that President Bingu wa
Mutharika would refuse to assent to the NGC bill for it to become a law. "The
other major setback is that the NGC can successfully be contested in Court. The
Constitution under Section 83 (4) states that the Vice President would take over
for the whole remaining part of the term should the office of the President
become vacant," said one MCP MP.

The sources said at least 20 MCP MPs have expressed that they would vote against
the impeachment, saying it has no tangible benefit to the MCP and the nation.

Information Minister Patricia Kaliati said it was unfortunate that the MCP has
resolved to have Mutharika removed. "If that is true, then it is very
unfortunate. Malawians gave the President the mandate to govern this country for
five years and it is unfortunate that other people want to nullify that mandate
because of greed," said Kaliati.

During the caucus the MCP also agreed to support procedures for impeaching a
sitting Head of State or the Vice President.

The UDF has already prepared eight grounds for the removal of Mutharika.

However the Constitution under Section 11 (4) and 86 (e) gives the impeached
President a chance to challenge his removal in a higher court of the country.
"Any law that outs or purports to oust the jurisdiction of the courts to
entertain matters pertaining to this Constitution shall be invalid," states
Section 11(4).

*****

Malawi Poverty Rate Worsens As Launch of IHS2 is Postponed

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

October 28, 2005
Posted to the web October 28, 2005

CHIKONDI CHIYEMBEKEZA
Lilongwe

There has been no change in the country's poverty rate since 1998, the Second
Integrated Household Survey (IHS2) for 2005 has revealed, indicating that 52.4
percent of the population still live in dire poverty.

It says rural areas are worse on non-income dimensions of poverty as compared to
urban, saying urban poverty is non-negligible.

The survey however, says "the IHS2 estimate of 52.4 percent poverty rate should
not be compared to the 65.3 percent estimate in IHS1 since survey instruments
and methods were revised and improved." However, the launch of the survey in
Lilongwe last week Thursday was postponed prematurely because President Bingu wa
Mutharika had not responded to the memo the Minister of Economic Planning and
Development (EPD) David Faiti had sent to him the previous day to get his (the
president's) input.

He said the memo highlighted some of the grey areas that the President was
supposed to see. "My minister was trying to find out from HE if the survey is
acceptable," said the Principal Secretary of EPD, Patrick Kamwendo.

He said the minister was "uncomfortable" to proceed with the launch until the
views from the President are heard. "My ministry has been advised that we should
postpone (the launch) until we have heard and received the views from the
President," he said and added that the survey has to be withdrawn immediately.

According to the summary table of poverty headcount by place of residence, it
shows that rural poverty is worse that urban poverty which stands at 55.9
percent and 25.4 percent respectively.

In terms of region, the South is the worst hit with 59.7 percent, followed by
the northern region at 54.1 percent and Central at 44.2 percent.

As per the districts, Nsanje in the south, Mchinji in the Central and Chitipa in
the North are the worst hit by poverty. Nsanje's rate is at 76.0 percent and
that of Mchinji at 59.6 percent with Chitipa at 67.2 percent.

The survey also shows that most of the poor in Malawi, with 49 percent live in
the Southern region and 11 percent in the North and 34 percent n the south.

And poverty profile in terms of gender shows that overall 58.5 percent of women
are poor as compared to 51.0 percent for the men.

Poverty in rural areas is more severe that in the urban areas, the survey shows.
In the rural, 60.8 percent of women are poor in comparison to the 54.7 percent
of the menfolk whereas in the urban 31.8 percent of female are engulfed in
poverty, which is much more worse than that of men at 24.4 percent.

The survey further shows that adult literacy for people above 15 years old in
the country is higher in men than in women. The IHS2 shows that more than 70
percent of men are literate compared to 50 percent for women.

In the North, the IHS2 shows that Nkhatabay is the second poverty stricken
district with 63.0 percent, followed by Rumphi at 61.6 percent and Karonga 54.9
percent.

And in the Central, following Mchinji is Salima at 57.3 percent, then Dedza at
54.6 percent and Ntcheu at 51.6 percent.

In the South in terms of poverty rate, Nsanje is followed by Mulanje at 68.6
percent then Chikwawa at 65.8 percent and then Thyolo at 64.9 percent.

And in the Eastern region Machinga's poverty rate is the worst at 73.7 percent,
followed by Zomba rural at 70 percent and Mangochi at 60.7 percent.

The first IHS was done in 1997-98 and the second was conducted between March
2004 and March 2005.

*****

Leaders Demand More Powers On Environmental Protection

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

October 28, 2005
Posted to the web October 28, 2005

Hopkins Mundango Nyirenda
Lilongwe

Traditional leaders have demanded that they be given more powers to punish those
who cut down trees wantonly in forest reserves.

The remarks were made in Lilongwe where 44 traditional leaders from 15 districts
in the country met to discuss their role in Community Based Natural Resources
Management (CBNRM) that was organized by Community Partnership for Sustainable
Resource Management (COMPASS).

Senior Chief Mwaulambya from Chitipa said that chief's roles are not recognized
and respected in regards to natural resources management because some Acts of
Parliament are not explicit of the traditional leaders' role in such
undertakings. "There have been times when villagers have been caught cutting
down trees in protected areas but when they are brought before a chief, the
culprits challenge them, saying they have no powers to prosecute them," said
Mwaulambya.

Concurring with the chiefs, the Executive Director for Centre for Environmental
Policy and Advocacy Gracian Banda said powers of traditional leaders have been
reduced because of the Local Government Act which only provides that the chiefs
are ex-officio members.

Banda said this means the Act limits roles chiefs play in decision making
because they don't have voting powers in their respective assemblies

"This needs to be reviewed to give traditional leaders substantive role in the
assembly. Instead, it is the district assembly which has more powers out
smarting the chiefs who should have influence over customary land," said Banda.

In her presentation, the Assistant Decentralization Specialist for COMPASS
Priska Munthali said the role of chiefs in the forest sector are explicitly
outlined while in the Fisheries and National Parks and Wildlife are not visibly
outlined despite the policy being conducive to sustainable management.

"There is a need for synchronizing the Fisheries and National Parks to the
Environmental Act so that the rightful role of chiefs in CBNRM should command
respect. Otherwise if things continue as they are, it is a set back to
sustainable natural resources management," said Munthali.

Senior Chief Mabuka of Mulanje criticized government of paying mere lip service
to the powers it claims is invested in traditional leaders, saying the reality
on the ground is the opposite.

He said in his area, there is Milonde Forest Reserve where he said patrol-men of
the forest connive with business people to cut down trees wantonly, undermining
traditional leaders who are supposed to protect the forest for future
generations.

*****

Angry Opposition Asks Donors to Keep Out of Internal Politics

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

October 28, 2005
Posted to the web October 28, 2005

Lilongwe

Malawi's opposition have asked donors to keep out of their country's "internal
matters" following a letter from foreign envoys criticising an attempt to
impeach President Bingu wa Mutharika.

In a remarkable development on Thursday the donor community, including South
Africa, wrote to Malawian political leaders voicing their concern with the
impeachment proceedings when the country was experiencing a "serious and
prolonged food crisis".

Some members of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) have described the
donors' statement as "unfortunate".

Speaking during a phone-in programme on a local radio station, a former UDF MP,
Phillip Bwanali, commented, "Donors must not dictate to us on what to do -
Malawi is a sovereign state, and what is happening here is an internal matter
and does not involve the donors."

Thursday's letter, also endorsed by the US, the European Union and the British,
Norwegian and French governments, is the third intervention by the donor
community in response to the expanding political crisis in Malawi.

Political bickering between Mutharika and his political rival, Bakili Muluzi,
former president of the country and now chairman of the UDF, has been raging
since June, when Mutharika left the party after it sponsored him in the 2004
general elections.

Mutharika formed his own political organisation, the Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP). The UDF hit back with the impeachment charge, accusing Mutharika of
using US $300,000 in public money to launch the DPP.

The motion delayed approval of the country's budget, causing concern in the
donor and humanitarian community. In mid-October, British High Commissioner
David Pearey said the political crisis could retard the country's development,
and warned politicians against putting personal ambition ahead of the concerns
of ordinary Malawians.

Critical donors have warned that a government coming to power after a "hasty and
less than transparent constitutional process would be less likely to command the
respect and support of the international community, and could mar the image of
the country abroad."

Opposition MPs have proposed that a National Governing Council (NGC), headed by
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Tembo, run the country for six months
in the event of Mutharika's impeachment.

However, donors have commented that, "given the uncertain and transitory nature"
of the proposed NGC, "we cannot be certain of being able to build a satisfactory
relationship with such a body".

A member of the diplomatic community added that the letter should not be read as
a possible threat to continued donor funding.

Donor community opinion is vital to the country's economy. Political analyst
Boniface Dulani pointed out that although Malawi was a sovereign state,
"financially, it is fair to say the donors do run matters, since they contribute
a big chunk of the national budget". Donors financed 83 percent of Malawi's
2004/05 development budget.

The impeachment motion, backed by the UDF, the MCP, the Alliance for Democracy
and some MPs from the Republican Party, has deeply divided the country, with
demonstrations for and against taking place every day.

Mutharika was saved from impeachment by parliament on Thursday after a
constitutional court order blocked the move, saying it needed to review the
procedures for impeaching the president.

Malawi's constitution provides for the impeachment of a sitting president but
does not say how this should be accomplished. The opposition wants a two-thirds
majority vote by the current 193-seat parliament to impeach a sitting president.

The two largest opposition parties in parliament - the MCP and the UDF - already
have the 124 votes between them if the constitutional court ruling is
overturned.

Adding further fuel to an already smouldering situation, agents of the
Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigating Muluzi's alleged misuse of $11.4
million in donor aid, raided houses belonging to Muluzi in the capital,
Lilongwe, the second city, Blantyre, and his home village of Kapoloma in the
Southern province.

UDF deputy publicity secretary Mary Kaphwereza-Banda told IRIN, "In our view, we
think that government wants to harass Dr Muluzi - this is persecution at its
best."

Dulani said it was not "surprising" that the donors were "wary" of the
impeachment. "The leaders that are likely to benefit are the same leaders
accused of corruption and mismaganegement in the past...[because of which] donor
aid was suspended to Malawi until recently."

Western donors froze balance of payments support to Malawi over corruption and
governance concerns during Muluzi's 10-year tenure.


*****

Zanzibar president wins elections

Zanzibar's President Amani Karume has been re-elected after Sunday's poll, the
election commission has announced.
Opposition candidate Seif Hamad has rejected the results, claiming widespread
fraud and vowed to carry out threats of Ukraine-style protests.

Earlier, police and opposition CUF activists clashed for a third day on the
semi-autonomous Tanzanian islands.

The police fired tear gas and beat CUF activists outside their party base in
Zanzibar's historic Stone Town.

The BBC's Noel Mwakugu in Zanzibar says hundreds of opposition supporters kept
an overnight vigil before the police moved in, firing tear gas.

'Doctored'

Police were seen beating them with sticks and Red Cross workers said they had
taken at least 30 injured people to local hospitals - some had been hit by
rubber bullets.

Reuters news agency reports that the CUF activists responded by throwing stones
and lighting fires on the streets.

Mr Karume got 53% against 46% for CUF (Civic United Front) candidate Seif Sharif
Hamad, said Zanzibar Electoral Commission chairman Masauni Yussuf Massauni.

"According to the law, I declare and announce that Amani Abeid Karume has been
elected as the Zanzibari president," he said.

Mr Karume's ruling CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi) has also retained its majority in
the legislature, with 30 seats against 19 for the CUF. One seat will be rerun.

"They doctored the results," Mr Hamad said, claiming CCM supporters were bussed
in to CUF strongholds to vote illegally.

"The ZEC has planted Zanzibar into another political crisis," he said. "We are
not accepting [the results], we are going to demonstrate at a date that will be
determined later."

The claims of fraud were denied by both the CCM and the electoral commission.

Third time unlucky

As well as casting their ballots for a president for the islands, voters were
choosing 50 members for the legislature and 139 local councillors.

Mr Karume was running for a second term after winning elections in November
2000, while Mr Hamad was runner-up in Zanzibar's 1995 and 2000 presidential
elections.

There were also clashes after the 2000 elections, with the CUF crying foul.

Nationwide voting across Tanzania has been postponed until 18 December due to
the death of opposition vice-presidential candidate, Jumbe Rajab Jumbe.

photos of the Zanzibari political violence at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4392802.stm

*****

Zim opposition talks end in deadlock

Harare, Zimbabwe

01 November 2005 07:21

Zimbabwe's main opposition party edged closer to a split on Monday as crisis
talks to resolve differences over taking part in controversial polls next month
ended in a deadlock.

"We had a two-hour meeting to further discuss the crisis in the party, and the
president and members of the management committee agreed to disagree," said
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) deputy secretary general Gift Chimanikire.

"The president [Morgan Tsvangirai] refused to accept the national council
resolution to participate in the Senate elections in violation of the party's
constitution and placed himself not only above the council, but also above the
constitution," he said.

Chimanikire said after Monday's meeting of the opposition party's six
top-ranking officials that there are "no prospects of another meeting" and those
who have registered to contest the polls are going ahead.

He said Tsvangirai "and his cabinet of unelected, self-seeking individuals"
usurped the powers of the national council and sought to replace officials
elected by the party congress.

Chimanikire also accused Tsvangirai and other officials of inciting "hooligans
through lies and misrepresentation" to harass members of a faction that voted in
favour of contesting the Senate polls in the Southern African country.

Cracks in the opposition widened last week after 26 members defied Tsvangirai's
call to boycott next month's elections to a new Upper House of Parliament, which
critics say is aimed at tightening the ruling party's stranglehold on the
legislature.

Tsvangirai on Thursday said party officials had resolved "to continue the
dialogue with a view to finding an expeditious resolution of the dispute in the
party".

He said the MDC management committee also called on members to "immediately
refrain from all forms of threats, intimidation and violence against any
official or member of the party related to the dispute over the Senate
election".

As simmering divisions in the MDC became apparent two weeks ago, party leaders
issued contradictory statements over the party's participation in the Senate
elections.

Tsvangirai announced a boycott, but hours later party spokesperson Paul Themba
Nyathi said the MDC's supreme decision-making organ had voted to take part in
the elections.

The MDC, which won nearly half of the contested parliamentary seats in the 2000
elections, decided to contest parliamentary elections earlier this year despite
concerns they would not be fair. -- Sapa-AFP

*****

Zimbabwe's farmers lacking 'passion'

Fanuel Jongwe | Harare, Zimbabwe



01 November 2005 12:26

Zimbabwe on Tuesday launched its strongest criticism of black farmers who
benefited from its controversial land reforms, saying their apathy was
responsible for a serious food crisis.

"We have a few people that are really committed to production while many others
are doing nothing on the farms," Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sylvester Nguni
was quoted as saying by the state-owned Herald newspaper.

"The problem is that we gave land to people lacking the passion for farming and
this is why every year production has been declining."

He said although an ongoing drought had contributed to reduced yields, "the
biggest let-down has been that people without the slightest idea of farming got
land and the result has been declining agricultural output."

Nguni's remarks at a congress of the Zimbabwe Farmers' Union came on the heels
of warnings by the country's two vice-presidents that the government would
reclaim under-utilised farms.

"We will not hesitate to reclaim all the under-utilised farms and allocate
[them] to other farmers," Vice-President Joseph Msika was quoted as saying two
weeks ago.

"We do not want people who simply build homes at their new farms without using
the land for productive purposes and we want people to work the land to avoid
chronic food shortages."

Zimbabwe's land reforms, which began, often violently, in 2000 after the
rejection in a referendum of a government-sponsored draft Constitution, have
seen about 4 000 white farmers lose their properties.

Seized land has been distributed to landless farmers in a move that the
government has said is designed to correct imbalances created by colonial rule,
when the majority of prime farmland was owned by about 4 500 whites.

But critics of the land reforms say most beneficiaries lack farming knowledge
and depend on government handouts while others were sitting on fallow land.

International aid agencies estimate that about 4,3-million people out of
Zimbabwe's population of 13-million require food assistance.

Last month co-Vice-President Joyce Mujuru labelled new farmers who were
under-utilising the land "saboteurs" and "perennial beggars".

Central Bank chief Gideon Gono last week hit out at new farmers keeping farmland
purely for its own sake and turning once productive farms into "weekend picnic
venues" while the country is reeling under acute food shortages.

"We are not blind to the fact that it was not land for the sake of having it and
merely looking at it that mattered to our liberators. It was not about having
vast pieces of land and using them as braai [barbecue] spots and weekend picnic
venues," Gono said.

Opposition lawmaker suspended
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's main opposition movement has suspended a lawmaker who
claimed his party received $2,5-million in illegal funding from three foreign
nations, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Job Sikhala alleged last week that the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had
received funding from Ghana, Nigeria and Taiwan. The three countries have denied
bankrolling the opposition party's operations.

"He has been suspended for bringing the party into disrepute and his case will
be looked into at the national council meeting on Saturday," said MDC
spokesperson William Bango.

"He will remain suspended pending the determination of the national council
meeting."

Sikhala made an about-turn on Thursday, saying he was speculating on the cause
of a bitter feud rocking the party when he raised the issue of money.

But the country's police said it would still proceed with investigations into
the Movement for Democratic Change's funding.

"I was merely working on speculation on what was causing divisions in the MDC,"
Sikhala was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.

Sikhala could not be immediately reached for comment.

Zimbabwe's laws prohibit external funding of local political parties.

The MDC has denied ever receiving foreign funding and Bango suggested Sikhala
needed a psychiatric examination.

The leading opposition party has in recent weeks been rocked by divisions over
participation in next month's senatorial polls.

More than two dozen party members defied leader Morgan Tsvangirai's calls to
boycott the November 26 elections to the new upper house of Parliament and
registered as candidates.

Crisis talks to close the growing rift over the polls ended in a stalemate on
Monday. - Sapa-AFP

Parliament blew millions
by Gedion Munthali, 02 November 2005 - 06:06:04
  The three-week sitting of the National Assembly that adjourned controversially
on Monday cost the taxpayers about K56 million, a development Malawi Economic
Justice Network has described as a scandal given the non-pertinent issues
discussed.
Parliament's Principal Finance Officer Nelson Nankhumwa confirmed the
expenditure yesterday. He was asked to confirm the figure which appeared in a
statement Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN) issued Tuesday morning.
"That figure is correct," said Nankhumwa. "The money had been spent by Monday."
MEJN said it issued the statement to take stock of the sitting, given that K56
million kwacha is a contribution all Malawians, rich or poor, paid through
taxes, fees and other non-tax revenue.
"It is a scandal and an act of grave injustice to spend such an amount of money
and fail to agree on issues that are pertinent to the development of our
country.
"Such issues should have included the position of Malawi on the 6th World Trade
Organisation (WTO) ministerial conference scheduled for December 2005 in Hong
Kong.
"The general public would also have been proud of our MPs if they made calls for
debt cancellation whose prospects may be jeopardised by signs of political
instability," said MEJN.
It also observed that issues of economic growth, human capital development,
social protection and the HIV and Aids pandemic are immediate priority areas of
attention, not party politics.
"The citizenry deserves the best out of any parliamentary sitting," reads the
statement.
Deputy leader of government business in the House Ken Lipenga said different
agendas and priorities affected the sitting. This, he said, frustrated efforts
to post achievements for the common good.
"There were two agendas in the House. One was on the table, another was under
the table. The one on the table were government bills which were for the common
good. Money should have been spent on this.
"Unfortunately, we were not able to push through this agenda because it was
frustrated by the agenda under the table which had narrow goals for private
good," said Lipenga.
But UDF Chief Whip Leonard Mangulama said the sitting was worth it. He played
down the money issue, saying in other countries parliaments meet almost around
the year.
"I think it was very worth it," said Mangulama, citing the approval of a $30
million World Bank grant for food, a resolution condemning government's handling
of the hunger situation, and approval of impeachment procedures as some of the
achievements.
"We spent almost a week discussing hunger and this is what led to the State
President declaring a state of national disaster. We also posed lots of
questions to ministers on issues affecting our constituencies," said Mangulama.
Institute for Policy Interaction Director Rafiq Hajat said he would not comment
on whether on not the sitting was worth the money spent "because it is a
difficult question."
"What I would say though is that it was necessary to put in place impeachment
procedures, but not now. More time should have been spent on them.
"Bringing the motion to indict and impeach the President immediately after the
approval of the procedures created suspicion, tension and disturbed some really
good business through unnecessary adjournments," said Hajat.
MCP officials could not be reached for comment.

*****

Mwawa's case fails
by Zainah Liwanda, 02 November 2005 - 06:03:01
  Former Education Minister Yusuf Mwawa Tuesday failed to enter defence on four
charges levelled against him by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) because his
lawyer Gift Nankhuni was reportedly sick.
Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate Mzondi Mvula adjourned the case following a
request from Felix Tambulasi of Legal Aid, on behalf of Nankhuni, to be given a
week, saying he would be in a position to parade 10 witnesses in defence.
Mvula in September asked Mwawa to defend himself on all the four charges of
misuse of public office, theft by public servant, forgery and altering a false
document.
ACB director Gustave Kaliwo, while accepting the request, expressed concern that
the case was taking long to conclude.
Mvula then ruled that Mwawa will enter his defence starting Wednesday next week
to Friday nonstop to ensure that all the witnesses give their evidence.
In an interview after the adjournment, Tambulasi said Nankhuni was ready with
the defence.
"My humble duty was to ask for adjournment on behalf of Mr. Nankhuni. He is
ready with the defence and definitely next week he will be able parade the
witnesses," said Tambulasi.
Mwawa is alleged to have used K160,550 to pay for his wedding reception using
the Special Client Account from the Ministry of Education.

*****

Tembo wants his portrait on party cloth
by George Ntonya, 02 November 2005 - 06:09:25
  MCP President John Tembo is planning to introduce party cloth with his portrait
after construction of late Kamuzu Banda's mausoleum, he told a rally in Lilongwe
on Sunday.
Tembo, who took over the party's presidency from Gwanda Chakuamba about two and
a half years ago, said he could not introduce the new cloth earlier because the
party has been mourning Kamuzu for the past six years.
Kamuzu Banda, who ruled Malawi between 1964 and 2004, handed over the MCP
presidency to Gwanda Chakuamba in 1997 because of old age and died later the
same year.
Despite his death, the party's cloth has continued to bear Kamuzu's portrait and
some members display their allegiance by wearing his badge.
"How could I introduce a cloth with my face when we were mourning the Ngwazi? I
could not do that," Tembo told tens of hundreds of people who attended the rally
in Area 25.
The government is building a multi-million Kwacha mausoleum a stone's throw from
the Capital Hill as an honour to late Kamuzu, who is referred to as the 'Father
and Founder of the Malawi nation.'
Tembo said MCP would hold a special Chewa ritual at his grave when the mausoleum
is completed to mark the end of the mourning period.
"Let them do their part. We'll do ours after them," the leader of opposition
said, adding that Kamuzu, like him, was a Chewa and deserved a special ritual by
his kinsmen.
Tembo, who accused UDF of rigging the 2004 general elections that could have
seen MCP returning into government, did not say whether or not the new party
cloth would bear two faces including that of late Kamuzu, whose spirit some
people believe is still holding the party together.
"It's a welcome development, but I'll be happy to see late Kamuzu's portrait
maintained on the cloth so that we can have two faces," said MP for Lilongwe
Msinja Lingson Belekanyama (MCP) who attended the rally.
"If [Tembo] decides to have his portrait only I would still have no problem with
that because we already have a lot of cloth with the Ngwazi's portrait," he said
in an interview.
Some MPs from the party refused to comment on the matter.
Political analyst Mustaffa Hussein said in an interview there was nothing wrong
with Tembo introducing his portrait on the party cloth.
He said the phasing out of late Kamuzu Banda's portrait on the cloth would have
very little negative impact because Tembo has gained a lot of respect as party
president.
"People will still respect and remember late Kamuzu Banda as Father and Founder
of the Nation despite the bad treatment they experienced during his rule,"
Hussein said.
Tembo, who has a large following in the Central Region, is MCP's likely
presidential candidate for the 2009 general elections.

*****

Court clears Aford treasurer
by Phaless Chisenga, 02 November 2005 - 06:12:56
Mzuzu Magistrates' Court Tuesday acquitted Aford Treasurer General Nolia
Chivundiko Gondwe who was answering charges of being found in possession with a
vehicle stolen from South Africa.
The vehicle, a Mitsubishi Colt registration number JKN 440, was seized from
Gondwe in August this year during an exercise conducted by Interpol across the
country.
The case was adjourned last Wednesday because Gondwe's witness, Liston Mwala,
was at large. He, however, presented himself to the court on Sunday after,
according to him, learning of the court case through The Nation.
During hearing before Chief Resident Magistrate Dingiswayo Madise, Mwala told
the court that he was not the owner of the vehicle and that he only acted as a
broker.
"She [Gondwe] asked me to look for a car for her. And when I came across the
said vehicle, I informed her. She liked it and I contacted the owner, James
Phiri, after which the sale was concluded," said Mwala.
In cross examination, Mwala said he was not aware that the vehicle had been
stolen from South Africa and that the engine number had been tampered with.
Passing judgment on Tuesday, Madise said the court found Gondwe not guilty of
the offence and was therefore acquitted.
"The accused did not see the so-called Phiri. It is Mwala that appears on the
sale agreement as the seller of the vehicle. We find Gondwe to be innocent of
this charge. Mwala is in a better position to explain how he came by the same,"
ruled Madise.
The court ruled that Mwala should pay back the K750,000 Gondwe paid for the
vehicle.
"It is unfortunate that this syndicate has cost innocent Malawians a lot of
money and it is important that new systems should be put in place to safeguard
the interests of Malawians," said the magistrate.
He, however, ruled that the vehicle could not be sent back to the owner, Gary
Cox of South Africa, because his insurance company, Eagle Insurance, had already
paid him for the vehicle.
"In this regard, the court orders that the vehicle should [be] and is hereby
forfeited to the Government of Malawi, unless Eagle Insurance of South Africa
makes claim of ownership within six months," he said.

*****

Police arrest illegal power connectors
by Tadala Makata Kakwesa, 02 November 2005 - 06:44:00
Police in Lilongwe have arrested two people for illegally tapping electricity
from Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi Limited (Escom) poles.
Escom's Regional Manager (Centre) Macloud Mwanjasi described the development as
the worst since the offenders were tapping electricity straight from the poles
and buried the bare wires under the ground.
Mwanjasi, while showing the video that was recorded during the raid in the
presence of the police, said the exercise will go on.
Escom officials informed the police after receiving a complaint from faults
supervisors who inspected the place and discovered that about 15 houses were
using power from the tapping.
Two of the suspects, Mark Makolija and a Mr. D. Kamwana, both from Kawale
Township, were arrested after admitting supplying and getting money from
customers for the illegal connections.

*****

One million Mozambicans face famine

Lisbon, Portugal

02 November 2005 02:31

About one million people in Mozambique are facing hunger because of an ongoing
drought in the south-eastern African nation, Mozambican President Armando
Guebuza said in an interview on Wednesday.

"We have some one million Mozambicans who, at this moment, are undergoing the
effects of a drought and who suffer because they don't know what they are going
to eat tomorrow," he told Portuguese daily newspaper Diario de Noticias.

Mozambique, along with most parts of Southern Africa, is experiencing its fourth
consecutive year of drought.

Guebuza, who began a three-day official visit to former ruler Portugal on
Monday, said the government is seeking aid to help those facing hunger and is
encouraging farmers to alter their methods to be better able to face recurring
droughts.

More than half of the former Portuguese colony's population of 17-million lives
on less than $1 a day.

A steady economic growth rate has helped reduce poverty from 69% in 1997 to
54,5% in 2003.

Guebuza said his government intends to boost access to education and encourage
foreign investment, especially in agriculture, tourism and the service sector,
in order to reduce poverty further.

"We have to reduce this percentage as quickly as possible," he said. -- Sapa-AFP

More on that uranium mine....


Rights body queries govt on uranium deposits

The Nation
by Phaless Chisenga, 01 November 2005 - 05:10:55

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) on Friday accused government
of allegedly denying people of Karonga access to public
information on Kayelekera uranium mining project which it is venturing into.
CHRR acting Executive Director Undule Mwakasungula said during an information
forum in Karonga that communities within the precincts of the proposed area
of operation had little to no information on the project.

?In as much as we know that uranium mining is going to bring positive to
change to our economy, we are questioning the whole process. We feel key
stakeholders in Karonga have not been informed and consulted,? said
Mwakasungula.

He said besides denying the people the right to information, CHRR wanted
government to look at the cost benefit of the whole mining project.
?If you look at the project, the life span is 10-12 years according to the
estimates of the company licenced to do the mining but the effects and
consequences are going to be there for more than 100 years to come. So the
question should be, is it worthy going ahead with the project?? questions
Mwakasungula.

Village Headman Kayelekera confirmed in interview that people in his area
did not have any information on the planned mining of uranium deposits in
his land.
The two questions CHRR wanted government to answer were: when the environment
impact assessment was done and by which organisation and also why the report
has not been made public.

Mines, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Minister Henry Chimunthu
Banda said he did not know the report CHRR was looking for because the
environmental
impact assessment was not yet through.

Opposition Agrees to Frustrate Govt

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

November 2, 2005
Posted to the web November 2, 2005

Hopkins Mundango Nyirenda
Lilongwe

Malawi Congress Party [MCP] and United Democratic Front [UDF] have teamed up to
frustrate government business in parliament following thousands of government
sympathizers who besieged the New State House effectively holding Parliament
hostage in protest against the indictment motion which was introduced in the
House last week against President Bingu wa Mutharika.

Sources close to the opposition said the two parties met last week in different
caucuses and agreed to go flat out to frustrate government business in
parliament as a way of hitting back at government for also ordering police to
stop the UDF counter demonstrations on Tuesday last week.

The Minister of Health Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba told parliament that the opposition
had indeed connived in their different caucuses to give government, which has no
majority in parliament a tough time in this sitting, and all other sittings to
come until the government effectively concedes defeat.

"Indeed two shameful things are happening in the House today. One, the
opposition caucuses have agreed to shoot down every government bill," said Ntaba
amid wild and loud booing from crazed opposition benches which effectively
drowned out his second point.

Leader of Opposition John Tembo refuted the allegations that they agreed to
reject all government bills saying, as far as MCP is concerned they didn't have
a caucus. "It is not wrong for us to have caucuses. We can have it today or any
other day, but this time around we didn't have any caucuses for MCP.

This is in spite of the fact that some members of MCP have had their cars
damaged by crooks at the gate and yet we have kept our cool," said Tembo

One MP from the defunct Republican Party who sought anonymity said he has
information that indeed UDF and MCP have connived to bring the government to a
standstill and that they will not relent until Mutharika resigns.

"I am reliably informed that the two parties have agreed, including Gwanda
Chakuamba and Ken Zikhale Ng'oma to frustrate government and make this country
ungovernable because they believe that this will apparently force Bingu to
resign or for him to call for fresh elections to legitimize his mandate," said
the RP MP.

The sympathizers of government who held parliament hostage had petitioned the
Speaker of Parliament Louis Chimango to call for, among other things, his
immediate resignation. They labeled the impeachment process an effective "coup
d'etat'.

*****

Muluzi Goes for Shock-And-Awe Against Mutharika

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

November 2, 2005
Posted to the web November 2, 2005

Our Reporter
Lilongwe

Former president Bakili Muluzi has taken a leaf out of the United States
military campaign in Iraq by adopting "shock and awe" tactics against agencies
of the government and anyone else who is against him.

This strategy was demonstrated on Wednesday last when hundreds of Muluzi's
supporters, led by officials of his United Democratic Front, (UDF), poured onto
the Masauko Chipembere highway and the streets of Blantyre to press home their
campaign for the impeachment of president Bingu wa Mutharika.

UDF spokesman Sam Mpasu, who led the demonstrators, said the march - and others
that were to be held in other parts of the country -- was staged to encourage
Members of Parliament sitting in Parliament in Lilongwe not only to endorse the
impeachment procedures in the house, but also to go ahead and impeach Mutharika
for allegedly seriously violating the constitution.

But the impeachment strategy and the shock-and-awe tactic is being seen by
Muluzi watchers as a tactic "to kick up a lot of political dust to confuse
people" about the real issues behind the political squabble between Muluzi and
Mutharika: corruption.

"The real issue here," said one prominent businessman in Blantyre who asked not
to be identified, "is corruption and the fear by Muluzi and his cohorts like
Mpasu and others, that Mutharika's 'zero tolerance on corruption' will sooner
than later, net in Muluzi and his lieutenants." The Fieldyorke saga involving
Sam Mpasu has again reared its ugly head to torment the former Education
minister as the DPP has given his consent for the ACB to prosecute, after
examining all the evidence saying there was an indication that Mpasu did indeed
abuse his position as a public servant. The matter comes before the courts soon.

The big demonstration came just a day after the Anti Corruption Bureau, (ACB),
announced that it wants Muluzi to explain what happened to billions of donor
funds that he put into his personal account during his time in office as
president of Malawi.

Muluzi has so far not publicly denied the misuse of the funds or his abuse of
office. But one of his officials, George Nga Ntafu, a former cabinet minister
who is also MP for Likoma Island, in a round-about way admitted that the money
had indeed been kept in Muluzi's personal account.

In his backhanded admission, Ntafu claimed that Muluzi used some of the funds to
pay for the presidential campaign that saw Mutharika being voted into office as
Muluzi's successor.

But after he was sworn into office, Mutharika ditched the UDF, citing massive
corruption by the leadership of the party. He then declared zero tolerance on
corruption by his administration and he swore that he would rope in any official
who would be found guilty of corruption. "Muluzi has been shaken very badly by
the announcement by the ACB," said the businessman. "In the past, the government
has only threatened to ask Muluzi how he managed to acquire funds with which to
build structures like the Keza Office Complex and how he accumulated other
properties. "But this time, there is a real possibility that the ACB will nail
him.

Muluzi is deeply worried and so are some of his top officials who also enjoyed
some of the funds." The big question however, said the businessman, was whether
Mutharika was worried about whether the impeachment would succeed and whether
there could be a back-lash that the government could not handle, by people
opposed to the arrest of Muluzi.

"Muluzi and his people think that Mutharika is worried about this," said the
businessman. "This is why they have decided on the shock-and-awe tactics to make
Mutharika think twice." But other observers think that Muluzi will end up like a
character out of Shakespeare: full of wind and thunder, but signifying very
little. "Mutharika needs to act firmly, once and for all to stop all this
nonsense," said another businessman. "If he does not," he warned, he would have
displayed weakness that could well cost him his own job.

*****

The Aftermath of Impeachment

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

ANALYSIS
November 2, 2005
Posted to the web November 2, 2005

Gregory Gondwe
Lilongwe

Malawians, including Members of Parliament, the civil society, religious
groupings and the rest of the citizens are clearly divided between proponents
and opponents of the impeachment debate.

The donor community and law experts have come out to warn Malawians
repercussions of impeachment should the opposition members of parliament succeed
to impeach President Bingu wa Mutharika.

Both the proponents and opponents of the impeachment process agree on some
impeachment technicalities like having impeachment procedures entrenched within
the Constitution.

The aim of including the impeachment in the Constitution was to avoid having
another dictator in a multiparty set-up, a president without checks and
balances, who could do anything without fearing for his or her job.

The Law Commission, a body formed through an Act of Parliament to give technical
in-put to the laws which legislators intend to come up with, amend or repeal
among other duties, argued that the impeachment procedures were both misplaced
and hurriedly formulated.

Albeit the Law Commission's proposal that the procedures be part of the
Constitution and not just as parliamentary Standing Orders, Parliament snubbed
the suggestions and called the Commission's chair Elton Singini names before
going ahead adopting a report by the Legal Affairs Committee which now allows
amendments to the Standing Orders to enable members vote on the impeachment
procedures.

According to Parliament, Singini was wrong to call MPs incompetent to deal with
such issues because he argued that they could not draw clear guidelines on what
happens after a president is impeached. "For example will the person removed
from office be disqualified to stand in future elections for that office or for
what office, and if so what period?" argued Singini who was later forced to
apologise to the house.

Human Rights groups and churches tried in vain to call on MPs not to start the
impeachment debate claiming that it is ill-conceived and will create political
instability but the debate was started nonetheless and the adoption made.

The next step was making use of the procedures where in what is known as
indictment process the Speaker summoned Mutharika to the House to be charged
with eight grounds.

The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) instructed its lawyers to challenge the
constitutionality of the impeachment procedures which the courts dismissed while
MP for Karonga Nyungwe Richard Msowoya obtained an injunction stopping Mutharika
from appearing before the House for indictment.

But it had to take the Constitutional Court's ruling last week Thursday for
Mutharika not to really appear before parliament to answer impeachment charges
until the court makes a determination on the matter.

While all this was taking shape, opposition parliamentarians led by leader of
opposition and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President John Tembo and Leader of
the United Democratic Front(UDF) in the house George Ntafu were clearing path
for what was to follow after impeaching Mutharika.

For the two parties to work out their marriage of convenience, they have struck
a deal which allows the MCP leader to lead the National Governing Council (NGC).

While the UDF, which is licking wounds caused by 'Mutharika injustices' after
doing everything including using all tricks in the book to make him an all
conquering presidential candidate while Mutharika's only gratitude was dumping
UDF to form his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and arresting some UDF gurus
on charges which the UDF claimed were trumped up.

Now there is no NGC bill appearing anywhere on the parliamentary order papers
and MCP has asked the UDF to push for the tabling of it if the impeachment has
to succeed. "If there is no NGC (which seeks to amend section 83 of the
constitution to provide for its establishment), there is no way MCP would
support the impeachment," MCP President John Tembo told the local media last
week.

UDF sensed this, as some days before Tembo put this conditionality in the open,
its leader in Parliament Ntafu cried foul at the delay of the printed bill
papers by government.

On Wednesday, October 19 he asked the house to give UDF permission to circulate
rough copies of the NGC private members bill so that it enabled one member to
table the motion on Thursday October 20, 2005.

There is little being said about what happens after the impeachment as the only
indication is that there shall be an NGC which for six months will be an interim
governing body in the event that the president or his vice is impeached from
office until such a time when a presidential election is held.

With such a drive to boot out Mutharika, donors have cautioned political parties
and Members of Parliament against impeaching Mutharika predicting a disaster of
unprecedented scale through a letter copied to all heads of political parties in
the country. "The impeachment might place at risk Malawi's much prized stability
and given the uncertain and transitory nature proposed National Governing
Council (NGC), we cannot be certain of being able to have satisfactory
relationship with such body," reads the letter in part.

The donors have also questioned the speed at which the impeachment motion is
being debated at the expense of more pertinent issues like current hunger
crisis, development and poverty.

But in contradiction to the donors, the Blantyre CCAP Synod General Secretary
Daniel Gunya is of the opinion that Mutharika has to go. "The problem is that he
thinks he knows it all and he is very intelligent. This is bad. He'll have
nobody's sympathy if he's impeached and I'm for the impeachment, I say this with
no regrets," Gunya said.

Some commentators have warned that the impeachment aftermath would include
constitutional crisis because of the hurried manner in which the amendment will
be made to section 83 as it will be in contradiction with section 6 of
Constitution which says: "Save as otherwise provided in this Constitution, the
authority to govern derives from the people of Malawi as expressed through
universal and equal suffrage in elections held in accordance with [the]
constitution in a manner prescribed by an Act of Parliament." Commentators say
since the right to govern emanates from the polls which proceed from the bill of
rights it is never known under what mandate the NGC will be ruling within those
six months as prescribed in the NGC bill.

It is expected that there will be a lot of litigations, challenging the way the
procedures were formulated.

According to Commissioner Singini, the impeachment procedures are supposed to
contain the rules of natural justice which come under two headings; the rule
against bias and the right to fair hearing which the impeachment procedures were
made without consideration of.

The coverage of parliament by The Chronicle has led to close interaction with
some opposition Members of Parliament who have been heard avowing that whatever
the case the Mutharika ouster is a foregone conclusion.

In essence this is defeating the element of natural justice of fair hearing and
the rule against bias which gives ground of a legal challenge.

The impeachment aftermath would even include plundering the tax-payers' coffers.

*****

Children Hardest Hit By HIV/Aids

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

November 2, 2005
Posted to the web November 2, 2005

Gregory Gondwe
Lilongwe

Malawi joined the rest of the world on Monday last week in the launch of an
initiative with the theme 'Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS'. The UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman and UNAIDS
Executive Director Peter Piot, all in a joint statement noted that every minute
a child dies of an AIDS-related illness.

Children are the hardest hit by HIV/AIDS and, as a result the United Nations
Children Fund together with UNAIDS felt the need to launch a global campaign to
invigorate action for the millions of children affected by the pandemic.

The three UN officials noted that while a child becomes infected with HIV every
minute, four young people aged 15-24 also become infected with HIV. In addition,
an estimated 15 million children have lost at least a parent to AIDS.

"Nearly 25 years into the pandemic, help is reaching less than 10 percent of the
children affected by HIV/AIDS, leaving too many children to grow up alone, grow
up too fast or not grow up at all," said Annan, adding, "simply put, AIDS is
wreaking havoc on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)." UNICEF Resident
Representative to Malawi Aida Girma said eight out of 10 children (80%), which
the three officials spoke about live in sub-Saharan Africa and that by 2025, 20
million children would be missing one or both of their parents because of AIDS.

She said 46% of new infections are amongst young people aged 15 to 24 years and
in 2003 it was estimated that 70,000 children under the age of 15 were living
with HIV/AIDS. "Every year, close to 40,000 newborn babies get infected with HIV
through mother to child transmission of HIV (MTCT) in this country [and] of the
estimated one million orphans in Malawi, 500,000 have lost one or both of their
parents to AIDS," said Girma.

Girma said that the global campaign aims at telling the world that children are
missing out on efforts to fight AIDS and therefore the world has to achieve
measurable progress for children based on internationally agreed goals in four
key result areas.

The areas are; the prevention among young people aimed at reducing the
percentage of young people living with HIV by 25 % by 2010, prevention of
mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) which aims at providing 80% of women in
need with access to services to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies by
2010, an increase in the paediatric treatment which aims at improving the
current situation that shows that less than 5% of HIV-positive children in need
of AIDS treatment are receiving it. The initiative therefore aims at providing
antiretroviral treatment to 80% of children in need by 2010.

The last area of focus is the protection, care and support of orphans and
children affected by AIDS. It is estimated that by 2010 there will be 18 million
children who would have lost at least one parent to AIDS.

The campaign aims to reach 80% of children in need of public support and
services by 2010.

Girma indicated that Malawi has indeed made significant progress to respond to
the pandemic in the last three years. "There is growing commitment at all levels
to fight HIV/AIDS; policy and institutional frameworks are in place; sufficient
know-how has been acquired from the various initiatives supported over the years
and there is an increase in resources for HIV/AIDS," she said, adding that very
little resources are reaching the Malawian children.

Speaking at the launch UN Resident Representative Michael Keating said the
challenge is to use the money available in an effective way to make a difference
for Malawi.

*****

Environmental Sustainability Central to All MDGs

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

November 2, 2005
Posted to the web November 2, 2005

Gregory Gondwe
Lilongwe

Five global bodies have established that environmental sustainability is central
to achieving all the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and that the
conditions to meet the MDGs involve expanding per capita endowments of capital
assets or wealth.

Looking at what President Bingu wa Mutharika saidat the UN assembly recently, on
this seventh MDG which aimed at 'ensuring environmental sustainability' there is
little showing that the country is subscribing to this belief that all the
efforts to achieve all the MDGs have to be built around MDG 7.

The five global institutions say achieving all the MDGs will require expanding
environmental assets used by the poor to earn their livelihoods and increase
their well-being. "Achieving MDG7 on environmental sustainability, including its
cross-cutting impacts on all the other MDGs, will require that policymakers
target the productivity of environmental resources, especially those that
promote agricultural productivity, such as soil and water resources," says the
institutions in a well detailed report called 'Environment for the MDGs:
Investing in Environmental Wealth for Poverty Reduction.'

Mutharika at the UN World Summit said Malawi is looking at the MDG7 from two
folds; MDG 7A which seeks to halve the proportion of people without sustainable
access to safe drinking water and MDG 7B which targets to integrate the
principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and
reverse the loss of environmental resources.

He said the country plans to construct and rehabilitate water facilities;
increase capacity to meet demand from industry and domestic users which was
ironic as around the same time in Blantyre the taps had run dry.

The main focus of Malawi government was not as the institutions two-fold goal on
poverty reduction observed.

The institutions which include United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Institute for
Environment and Development (iied), The World Conservation Union (IUCN) and
World Resource Institute believe that expanding asset base of the poor and
increasing the efficiency with which those the assets are converted into
well-being for the poor.

According to the Malawi president the other areas of activities, which the
country planned to achieve MDG7, include the introduction and enforcement in
conservation and management of water resources and reduction of the incidence of
water borne diseases.

The other areas are strengthening the legal and institutional framework for
decentralized environment and natural resource and promoting alternative
livelihood strategies to reduce pressure on natural resources. "Create awareness
in sustainable utilization, development and management of natural resources and
the environment and integrate sustainable development into the country's
socio-economic development," said Mutharika.

In the foreword of the World Bank presentation to the summit called 'Ensuring
Environmental Sustainability: Measuring Progress Toward the 7TH Millennium
Development Goal' the bank's Vice President Ian Johnson says five years after
the Millennium declaration, the developed community and developing countries are
one-third away from the MDG target date of 2015. "There is shared sense of
urgency about meeting the MDGs, however, it would be tragic if the achievements
of 2015 are not sustainable because soils have been mined and fisheries and
forests depleted," he said before declaring; "Avoiding this outcome is the true
seventh Millennium Development Goal."

*****

US Gives Malawi K50m

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

November 2, 2005
Posted to the web November 2, 2005

Gregory Gondwe
Lilongwe

Barely two weeks after President Bingu wa Mutharika declared a national state of
disaster due to famine which threatening 4.2 million people in the country, the
United States government has given Malawi K50 million to be used in monitoring
child malnutrition.

A statement from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
says following an appeal by the Malawi government, USAID and the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF) signed the grant.

The grant, according to the statement provides resources for the government of
Malawi and UNICEF to monitor child malnutrition cases throughout the country
from this month to March next year. "This monitoring is crucial in identifying
children who may be at risk of malnutrition related illnesses and who may need
supplementary feeding or admission at Nutrition Rehabilitation Units over the
next four to six months," reads the statement.

The ministry of health and UNICEF will use the grant to increase the
government's capacity to monitor child malnutrition. "We believe that by working
together we can mitigate the impact of the drought and help Malawians plan for a
successful harvest in March next year," says the statement.

*****

ESCOM Doubts Effectiveness of Scrap Metal Act

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

November 2, 2005
Posted to the web November 2, 2005

Chikondi Chiyembekeza
Lilongwe

The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has said it is not sure if
the Second Hand and Scrap Metal Dealers Act is being followed to the book
because it has been observed that the dealers are disregarding the provisions of
the act.

The sole power supplier says it has noted that there is a general laxity in the
enforcement of the legislation to protect infrastructure that is being
vandalized.

ESCOM believes that the increase in the vandalism of the service provider's
equipment is as a result of a ready market for scrap metal in the country. "For
instance, of late, there has been a proliferation in the business of buying and
selling of scrap metal in the country," said a report from ESCOM.

It further adds: "It is doubtful if the operators are operating within the
provisions of the Second Hand and Scrap Metal Dealers Act (Chapter 50:06) of the
laws of Malawi." "If only the relevant Government department can take the
responsibility to enforce the provisions of the said Act, the market will not be
accessible to vandals, hence reduce the cases of vandalism," said the report.

The Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ESCOM, Kandi Padambo said the
company has recently lost money in excess of K300 million to replace vandalized
equipment.

However, officials from the company said they are working hand in hand with the
Malawi Police Service which acts as the registrar of scrap metal dealers in the
country and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to control the scrap metal
market.

The company says it has put in place three dimensional strategies to combat
vandalism of their equipment: Legal, Security and Technical.

In terms of the legal approach to the cases of vandalism, it is considered in
three spheres that include law reform, enforcement and prosecution of the
offenders. The parent legislation in the electricity sector is the Electricity
Act.

The act provides for penalties and punishments for individuals who break the
provisions of the law.

The Safety Officer, Patrick Jumbe lamented that the courts are not helping them
because penalties meted out on the culprits under the Act are on the lower side.
"Therefore the perception people have is that the courts are lenient on
lawbreakers," said Jumbe.

He also said the police appear not to be doing enough to bring the situation to
a halt.

The report further says that under the current setup, the maximum sentence that
courts can impose on a convicted vandal is five years.

In the meantime, the company is also lobbying the Department of Energy Affairs
to review the Act (Electricity Act) more specifically on provisions dealing with
penalties and sentences. "It is believed that once the necessary reforms have
been effected, the penalties would be realistic so as to act as a deterrent to
the would-be offenders on electricity apparatus." On the security side of it,
ESCOM, together with the police have embarked on two initiatives that include
the ESCOM/Malawi Police Service Anti-Vandalism Project and also the formation of
an Anti-Vandalism Task Team for different stakeholders.

As regards the technical aspect, "the approach is geared at looking at the
technical specification of ESCOM by modifying some of its equipment. ESCOM has
also deployed measures, which will protect its equipment. "ESCOM intends to add
a special colour tint to its transformer oil for easy identification on the
black market." About 7 percent of Malawians have access to electrical power and
ESCOM says it is becoming more costly to extend the power supply, as millions of
kwachas are regularly lost through vandalism.

The country's economy is also affected due to the vandalism as many large
companies become affected by power interruptions for their production.

*****

Speaker to Rule On Floor Crossing

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

November 2, 2005
Posted to the web November 2, 2005

Hopkins Mundango Nyirenda
Lilongwe

The First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Esther Mcheka Chilenje told
the House that the Speaker will make a ruling on Sec 65 [1] of the Constitution
today of members who are deemed by their parties to have crossed the floor.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) wrote to the Speaker asking him to declare
vacant the seats of MPs that defected from UDF and joined other political
parties, claiming that they had effectively crossed the floor.

The UDF spokesperson Sam Mpasu was quoted as saying: "There are a lot of MPs
that went in there on a UDF ticket but are now in a different party. These
people have crossed the floor and we want the Speaker to act on them." Some of
the MPs that risk losing their seats, should the Speaker act in UDF's favour are
Democratic Progressive Party's [DPP] secretary general Joyce Banda, its vice
president Uladi Mussa and organizing secretary Ken Lipenga. Others include Local
Government Minister George Chaponda, Justice Minister Henry Phoya, Works
Minister Henry Mussa and MP Callister Chimombo.

Asked how the party hoped to succeed considering that DPP, the party to which
most MPs defected to are not represented in the house, Mpasu said his party has
based its argument on Justice Chipeta's ruling on a similar issue two years ago.

On October 6,2003 Chipeta declared invalid and unconstitutional the amended
version of Section 65[1] of the constitution, which empowered the Speaker to
declare vacant any seat of an MP who voluntarily leaves his or her sponsoring
party and joins another political party or organization 'whose objectives are
political in nature'.

Malawi Law Society [MLS] Deputy President Noel Chalamanda said the UDF had a
slim chance of succeeding as it was just looking at a judgment with little or no
regard to the constitution. "The issue behind crossing the floor is about
switching from one party to another represented in parliament. That ruling was
against the background of the constitution. As such, they have to consider what
the constitution says," he said.

However the MLS President Alick Msowoya said, should the DPP scoop some
parliamentary seats in the forthcoming by-elections, the seats of MPs that
defected from other parties and joined it would then risk being declared vacant
as the issue of crossing the floor would then be applicable.

But wait, there's more...

Lucius Banda arrested
by Gedion Munthali, 03 November 2005 - 04:24:17
  Police in Balaka Wednesday evening arrested Balaka North MP Lucius Banda (UDF)
on allegations that he presented to the Malawi Electoral Commission a forged
Malawi Schools Certificate of Education (MSCE) to participate in the 2004
parliamentary elections.
Police spokesman Willie Mwaluka confirmed the development, saying the arrest was
effected following a complaint from the Malawi National Examinations Board
(Maneb) about a certificate problem.
"It is true that we have picked him. We received a complaint from Maneb and we
have acted on it," said Mwaluka. "For the other details, I think you can call me
tomorrow because the arrest has just been effected."
An eye witness said Banda, who is already facing a suit at the High Court in
Lilongwe that he should be disqualified as an MP on the same allegations, was
arrested around 1600GMT at his Zembani Lodge in the heart of Balaka Township.
The source said he was picked by undercover policemen and driven off in a black
Land Cruiser pick up.
"Only one police officer was in uniform, the rest were in civilian clothes,"
said the witness. "It is those in civilian clothes who entered the compound and
came out with him."
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Ishmail Wadi said he was not aware of the
arrest but indicated Banda would likely be charged with forgery.
"Forgery is quite a serious offence as it carries a maximum sentence of seven
years imprisonment," he said. "But I am not aware of the arrest because this
matter is being handled directly by police."
Banda is already scheduled to appear before the High Court in Lilongwe on
November 10, 2005 regarding an application by Foreign Affairs Minister Davis
Katsonga that the UDF MP should lose his seat, and that his motion to put in
place impeachment procedures, should declared null and void.
In his affidavit, Katsonga says he has advanced the complaint now "that it has
transpired that the 1st defendant did not qualify to be an MP as he presented a
fake MSCE certificate as his evidence of ability to write and read English.
There is now produced and shown to me a true copy of a bundle of documents
proving the falsity of the 1st defendant's MSCE certificate exhibited herein and
marked as DK1."
Supporting the application is a copy of the said fake certificate. Banda appears
as Lucius Chicco Banda. He is purported to have sat for seven subjects, and got
the following grades: Agriculture 7; Biology 6; Chichewa 2; English 4; Geography
7; History 7 and Mathematics 6. The certificate number is 1951/91 and the
examination number is 11/015. The certificate is dated June 1991.
A statement to the police by Balaka District Commissioner Atanazio Gabriel
Chibwana, who was returning officer for the district in the 2004 elections,
confirms Banda presented to him this certificate.
"In Balaka District one of the person presented his certificate number 1951/91
with an examination number 11/015. All the nomination papers were delivered to
the Malawi Electoral Commission...Whether the certificate presented by Hon.
Lucius Banda was genuine can best be explained by Malawi Examinations Board
(Maneb) because they are the ones who are responsible for awarding MSCE
certificate," said Chibwana.
However, a letter from Maneb Executive Director Mathews Matemba to Eastern
Region Police Commissioner says the certificate in question was forged.
"I am writing to confirm that we have checked the authentication of the attached
MSCE certificate number 1951/91 said to belong to a Mr Lucius Chicco Banda. It
is a forged certificate," said Matemba.
"Our records show that Mr Lucius C. Banda wrote the Malawi School Certificate
Examinations in 1991 at Bilira DEC in Ntcheu. He was candidate number 96/015. He
failed the examination. He got the following grades: Bible Knowledge 9; Biology
9, Chichewa 7; Commerce 9; English 7 and Geography 9," said Matemba.
This information is corroborated by 1991 MSCE Examination Results Sheet and
Bilira Secondary School Acting Headmistress Ruth Sophie Mankhamba.
"On the MSCE certificate you presented to us for verification, the candidate
number 11/015 belonged to a lady candidate in the name of Zione Precious
Mangwiro who withdrew from her 1991 MSCE at Chiradzulu Secondary," wrote
Matemba. Chiradzulu Secondary School Deputy Headmaster Lucky Tembo confirmed
this information.
Matemba went on: "However the certificate number 1951/91 on this certificate was
awarded to Alfred Blessings Mandala who sat for his 1991 MSCE at Mangochi
Secondary School as candidate number 34/044. He passed his MSCE examinations and
scored as follows: Bible Knowledge 9; Chichewa 7; English 7; General Science 6;
Geography 7; History 6; Mathematics 5."
This information was ascertained by Mangochi Secondary School Deputy Headmaster
Eustace Kuzemba.
"This is therefore to confirm that according to our records Mr Lucius C. Banda
does not possess any MSCE certificate. What he presented is a forged MSCE
certificate," said Matemba to the Police Commissioner.
As we went to press last evening, it was reported that Lucius Banda supporters
were protesting the arrest.

Milanzi arrested in Zomba
by Gedion Munthali, 04 November 2005 - 06:10:55
  Police in Zomba Thursday morning arrested Mangochi Malombe MP Maxwell Milanzi
on allegations he contested parliamentary elections last year when he stood
barred by the laws of Malawi for being an ex-convict.
Police spokesman Willie Mwaluka confirmed the development Thursday afternoon,
saying Milanzi would be charged at Zomba Magistrate Court Friday, for giving
false information to a person employed in the public service contrary to Section
122 of the Penal Code.
"It is true we have arrested him. He was arrested by police in Zomba. He is
suspected of giving false information related to the 2004 parliamentary
elections," said Mwaluka.
He declined to give details when asked if Milanzi had been granted bail.
"I think I should not answer that question because the arrest has just been
effected this [Thursday] morning. What I can say is that he will appear in court
tomorrow [Friday]," said the police publicist.
A police officer said Milanzi was picked from his house in Zomba Newlines at
about 9 am.
"We would have arrested him yesterday [Wednesday], but we did not find him in
his constituency. When we went there we were told he stays in Zomba," said the
officer.
He said Milanzi was questioned after his arrest by a criminal investigations
officer from Lilongwe.
"Milanzi refused to give a statement. He said he would exercise his right to
remain silent," said the police officer.
Milanzi was picked immediately after the arrest of Balaka North MP Lucius Banda
(UDF), who is alleged to have presented to the Malawi Electoral Commission a
forged Malawi Schools Certificate of Education (MSCE) to participate in the 2004
parliamentary elections.
According to Mwaluka, the arrest was effected following a complaint from Malawi
Examinations Board (Maneb) about certificate anomaly.
Milanzi and Banda were at Zomba Police Station around 3 pm on Thursday.
Both are also facing suits at the High Court in Lilongwe seeking their
disqualification as MPs on same grounds of their arrest.
They are also involved in the impeachment process of President Bingu wa
Mutharika.
Banda initiated the process of putting in place procedures for impeaching the
President and Vice President. Milanzi presented a motion to indict and impeach
Mutharika.
Meanwhile, UDF publicity secretary Sam Mpasu did not appear at the Police
Headquarters in Lilongwe on Thursday where he was expected to give his statement
and later appear before the Lilongwe Magistrate Court because it was a public
holiday. He will appear today at 9 am.
Mpasu is alleged to have committed offences related to a Fieldyork notebook
scandal about 11 years ago when he was Minister of Education.


*****

No sense in Milanzi, Lucius arrests * Chilumpha
by Emmanuel Muwamba, 04 November 2005 - 06:09:42
  Vice President Cassim Chilumpha Thursday condemned the arrest of Balaka North
MP Lucius Banda and Mangochi Malombe MP Maxwell Milanzi, saying no sensible
person can applaud the arrest of the two.
He said he believes the two have been arrested because of the "noble" job they
did in the last sitting of Parliament.
The two MPs are involved in the impeachment process of President Bingu wa
Mutharika.
Banda initiated the process of putting in place procedures for impeaching the
President and the Vice President. Milanzi presented a motion to indict and
impeach Mutharika.
Chilumpha, who was guest of honour at Eid ul-Fitr celebrations at Sakata ground
in Zomba, wondered if there is a difference between the present government and
that of Kamuzu Banda.
"What is wrong with us Malawians? We clap hands because an MP is arrested for
doing a noble job. God save the country," said Chilumpha.
He also wondered why people are applauding the harassment of UDF Chairman Bakili
Muluzi and injunctions against Parliament.
The Veep said people should persevere in line with the teachings of Islam,
adding that "we will not leave it like that, they are looking at today's issues
but we will not respond immediately because we want the country to move
forward."
Chilumpha also challenged the nation to discuss the food crisis the country is
going through, saying "it is only when we cry together that others will know
Malawians are hungry."
Chairman of the Muslim Association of Malawi (Mam) Yusuf Kanyamula praised
Muluzi for helping Muslim youths know the teachings of the Qur'an through his
contribution to the translation of the Holy Book into Chichewa.
He also condemned President Bingu wa Mutharika for dumping UDF, saying it is
first degree corruption.
Kanyamula said Muslims will not tolerate the harassment of Muluzi.
In his address, Muluzi praised Muslims for observing the 30-day fasting, noting
that it was through perseverance that they did it.
Mam secretary general Sheikh Imran Shareef Mohammed asked Chilumpha to put some
Muslims in charge of relief maize distribution, noting that Mam has been
sidelined in the exercise despite several written calls to the OPC.
"When we go to receive relief maize they (NGOs) ask us to bargain with our
beliefs," claimed Shareef Mohammed.

*****

Masaf spends K700 million on rural roads
by Nation Reporter, 04 November 2005 - 07:21:05
The Malawi Social Action Fund (Masaf) says it has spent K700 million on a
special programme on improving access roads to the remotest areas in preparation
for the maize and food distribution exercise.
Masaf Development Communication Specialist Hudson Kubwalo said on Wednesday that
more than 300,000 households took part in the public works, which covered the
whole country.
Kubwalo said through the programme, implemented by the district assemblies, one
individual per household was employed for 10 days at a daily rate of K200.
"These people worked on improving roads to their communities in readiness for
government's maize and fertilizer distribution," he said.
Kubwalo added that the project ensured that the targeted needy households had
some cash to buy a bag of subsidised fertilizer or maize.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Chiwamba-Ngozi Road project in Dedza, Charles
Idrissa said people in his area used to walk for 20 to 40 kilometres to buy a
bag of fertilizer or maize.
"Now, as you can see, trucks will come down the mountains to deliver maize and
fertilizer," said Idrissa.
He said government will have no excuse for failing to deliver fertilizer and
maize in the areas where villagers have worked on the roads.
About 4.6 million Malawians are believed to be in dire need of food this year
and it is feared that distribution of maize will slow down when the rains start
next month.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that it may be difficult for food to
reach the most needy due to poor road conditions.
WFP's Deputy Executive Director Sheila Sisulu who was in the country recently
said there was a lot to be done before December.

*****

Govt to arrest Muluzi, claims Kamlepo
by Edwin Nyirongo, 04 November 2005 - 06:14:07
Malawi Democratic Party president Kamlepo Kaluwa on Thursday claimed government
is planning to arrest former president Bakili Muluzi today [Friday] and release
him on Monday in connection with the K1.4 billion donor money he is alleged to
have banked into his personal account.
But Information Minister Patricia Kaliati has played down the claim, saying
Kaluwa is saying all this because he has nothing to do. The Police have also
said they are not aware of the move.
Said Kalua: "He [Muluzi] is going to be arrested on Friday at around 2 pm and
will be driven slowly to Lilongwe where he will arrive at 7 pm and spend the
weekend at Maula Prison.
"Muluzi will be released on Monday and then President Bingu wa Mutharika will
declare that he has forgiven him in the name of reconciliation," speculated
Kaluwa.
He said the cell Muluzi is going to spend the weekend in started to be worked on
Monday and that it is ready.
Asked where he got the information, the MDP president claimed he has strong
contacts at Police Headquarters in Lilongwe.
"You see, because I am a fearless person who speaks out openly, the people there
come to me with information with the hope that I will make it public," boasted
Kaluwa.
He also said police are being ferried from different places so that they should
mount roadblocks in preparation for the arrest.
"You remember I said Lucius would be arrested on Wednesday but no one took it
seriously and even Capital FM removed the information from the interview I had
with them. But see how the story has come to be true," he claimed.
In her comment, Kaliati said: "This man is a pathological liar and should not be
trusted. If he has nothing to do, he should just apply for a Mardef loan and do
some business. If he can't, then he should register in my constituency and he
will get the loan."
Kaliati said as government, they have nothing to do with the former president
and if the issue is about K1.4 billion then it is up to the ACB whose
activities, she claimed, government does not interfere with.
Police spokesperson Willies Mwaluka said he was not aware of the impending
arrest.
ACB director Gustave Kaliwo's phone went unanswered.

*****

KU people spending nights to buy fertiliser
by George Ntonya, 04 November 2005 - 06:11:58
Tens of people are spending nights at the Smallholder Farmers Fertilizer
Revolving Fund (SFFRF) shop in Kasungu where buying of the subsidised commodity
has become a feat.
"I have been here for two nights and I am not sure whether I will be able to buy
the fertiliser today," said Loveness Banda a few days ago. "There is always a
scramble for the fertiliser and instead of two bags, people are allowed to buy
only one bag," she added.
She claimed to have travelled about 10 kilometres on foot to buy the fertiliser.
"I know of some people who have been here for up to four nights and have not
bought the fertiliser yet," said Alfred Zuwawo. "There is a lot of fertiliser in
the warehouse but people are buying it at a slow pace because of the screening
process to avoid selling it to vendors."
Another man said he had been at the depot for three nights trying to buy two
bags of fertiliser, but because he had to use part of the money for meals he
could only afford a single bag.
"When I was coming I didn't know I was going to spend three nights so I did not
take extra money for food," he said.
A few days ago the District Commissioner Kizwell Dakamau had to cut short a
visit of some activities being implemented under what is called Integrated Child
Labour Elimination Project (Iclep) to help SFFRF and Admarc officers control the
crowd at the depot.
Dakamau was supposed to travel with officials from Creative Centre for Community
Mobilisation (Creccom), Total Land Care (TLC) and Together Ensuring Children's
Security * implementers of Iclep and others to Dwangwa in Kasungu and Ngala in
Dowa to assess the progress made in the fight against child labour.
"I am sorry that I cannot proceed with you to Ngala because of the situation [at
the fertilizer depot]," the DC said after visiting an irrigation project at
Dwangwa.
This year, government has subsidised fertiliser for people wishing to grow maize
and burley tobacco. Maize growers are allowed to buy a maximum of two bags while
tobacco farmers can buy up to three bags.


*****

US calls for probe of Zanzibar elections

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

04 November 2005 02:27

The United States has called for a thorough investigation of alleged
irregularities in polls that led, amid opposition claims of fraud, to this
week's re-election of President Amani Abeid Karume of the offshore Tanzanian
state of Zanzibar.

"We remain troubled by the irregularities and reserve judgement on the freedom
and fairness of the elections in Zanzibar until their impact on the outcome is
clarified," the US embassy in Zanzibar said in a statement released late on
Thursday.

The US embassy did not send a representative to Karume's swearing-in ceremony on
Wednesday, which was also boycotted by opposition candidate Seif Sharif Hamad,
who insists he won.

European Union embassies have also called for investigations into the alleged
irregularities, such as the orchestration of widespread illegal voting for
Karume and his long-ruling Revolutionary Party (CCM).

Detailed election results should be published "to foster greater confidence
among the electorate in Zanzibar", the US statement said.

According to official results, Karume won 53,2% of the vote against 46,1% for
Hamad, who heads the Civic United Front.

The Zanzibar government shrugged off the request, issuing a statement denouncing
the embassy's claim of election fraud and suggesting that US officials may have
been influenced by CUF party members.

"It is surprising that only observers from the US National Democratic Institute
doubt the results of the elections. This clearly reflects that [the institute's]
opinion was predetermined by personal feelings and stories of opposition
leaders," Zanzibar's government spokesperson Ali Mwinyikai said in a statement.

Polling monitors from the National Democratic Institute pointed out several
areas of concern, not the least of which was the use of "excessive force" by
police during riotous demonstrations.

Rival groups of supporters clashed at several places in Stone Town, the historic
centre of the Zanzibar city, during Sunday's elections, leaving one dead and
more than 50 injured.

"Problems related to the permanent voters' register, election-day violence and,
in some instances, the excessive use of force by security personnel may have
undermined citizens' confidence in the electoral process and could have impaired
the integrity of the vote in some polling stations," the National Democratic
Institute said in a report issued on Tuesday.

However, the group stressed that there had been marked improvements over
previous polls and that the results could still be valid if allegations of fraud
are fully investigated and addressed. -- Sapa-AFP

*****

Zimbabwe MDC faction slams leader

Rifts within Zimbabwe's main opposition party have deepened ahead of a crisis
meeting called for Saturday.
Some Movement for Democratic Change officials say their leader acted
unconstitutionally and dictatorially in calling an extraordinary meeting.

Morgan Tsvangirai denies this. The MDC has been divided over whether to contest
Senate polls later this month.

However, both factions have now agreed that the row over the Senate has served
to reveal longer-standing differences.

A statement by MDC deputy secretary Gift Chimanikire accuses Mr Tsvangirai of
acting like a "dictator in the making" in calling a meeting of the National
Council - the party's policy-making body.

Opposition's uphill battle

Mr Chimanikire is one of five top party officials who favour participation in
the Senate elections, while Mr Tsvangirai has called for a boycott.

"In yet another move to usurp and violate the constitution of the party,
Tsvangirai has called a meeting of the National Council for this Saturday (5
November)," Mr Chimanikire's statement read.

"He does not have the powers to unilaterally convene such a meeting," the
statement argued.

"Having spent the past three weeks attempting to bribe and coerce members of the
National Council, Tsvangirai now hopes to 'persuade' the National Council to
reverse its decision on the Senate elections."

Mandate

Mr Tsvangirai's spokesman, William Bango, told BBC News website that the party's
last congress, in 2000, had specifically mandated Mr Tsvangirai to report to the
National Council.

"So if he calls for a meeting of the National Council to save the party from
collapse, how can he be said to be acting unconstitutionally? He is the only
party member who reports to the National Council - the secretariat reports to Mr
Tsvangirai," Mr Bango said.

He said he expected most council members to attend the meeting called for
Saturday to resolve the current differences.

"What is coming up now shows very clearly that the Senate debate is only a
setting for a more serious problem," Mr Bango said.

He added that some in the party were unhappy with Mr Tsvangirai's decision
earlier to consult with other party office bearers individually rather than as a
group.

Mr Chimanikire also said that "a gang of youths closely associated with
Tsvangirai" had attacked and intimidated party officials in July this year.

But Mr Bango said the youths in question had been suspended from the party once
the matter came to the leader's attention.

The MDC, founded in 1999, has presented the strongest ever challenge to
President Robert Mugabe's government.

Mr Tsvangirai has accused state agents of trying to sow division within the
party in order to weaken the opposition.

Hunger worsens Aids pandemic in Malawi

Stuart Graham | Blantyre, Malawi

07 November 2005 03:21

Two sisters from Napasha village in southern Malawi wake up before the sun rises
and start walking to the maize fields a few kilometres away.

Along the way, they stop to eat a slice of bread with the anti-retroviral
medicine given them by the Malawian government.

Once they get to the fields, they join other women and for the next few hours
work under the baking sun.

The sisters, Christina Simikwa and Miritina Nyapigoti, are both in their 50s
and, like many other HIV-positive women in Malawi, are having to raise a family
on their own at a time of a massive food shortage.

Malawi has been hit by a food crisis after a drought last season caused its
staple maize crop to fail. The maize price has shot up to 50 kwacha a kilogram
(R2,50) in some areas, but for those with money it is possible to buy cheaper
rationed amounts from the government.

Many in the poverty-stricken country earn just a few kwacha a day and cannot
afford maize. The government estimates that about 4,5-million out of 12-million
Malawians are in need of food aid.

The situation has become so dire that earlier this year President Bingu wa
Mutharika declared a national emergency and pleaded for aid from the rest of the
world.

The hunger crisis has worsened the Aids pandemic in Malawi, where about
1,7-million people (14,4% of the population) are said to be HIV-positive.

The government has rolled out a treatment programme, but to be effective
anti-retrovirals have to be taken with a balanced diet.

Hard-hit village
Napasha Village, a two-hour drive south of Blantyre, is in the Nsanje district.
It is one of the areas hardest hit by the drought -- and it has a massive HIV
infection rate.

The aid agency Goal, which works with the United Nations, estimates that about a
third of the people in Nsanje are HIV-positive. There are about 15 000 Aids
orphans in the area. With a life expectancy of just 40, not many Malawians live
to old age.

The bones on Simikwa's chest protrude as she sits on a log and stretches out her
legs.

"Once a month, an aid agency gives out food, but it is not enough to feed my
children," she says through a translator. "I have four children and my husband
is dead. There is no one else to bring in money. For now we have to rely on the
aid, which is no good because the aid can stop at any time."

Simikwa and Nyapigoti were registered for the government's anti-retroviral
campaign after they were confirmed as being HIV-positive.

They and their children receive food from agencies such as Goal.

Simikwa says other people are jealous of the aid she and her family receive.

"People talk and make comments, but I do not think it has reached the level
where we have to start worrying. It is normal that not everyone will be happy."

She says Aids has become so much part of life in the village that even the
village headman talks openly about it.

"Before people never used to talk about sex. Now it is no longer a secret. Aids
has made us talk about it openly."

Nyapigoti's eyes are bloodshot and her shoulders hunch forward as she speaks.
Flies swarm around her, but she does not bother to brush them away.

Her husband died in 1998 and she is the sole supporter of her two children.

She says she is grateful for the aid, but what people really want is a way of
earning an income of their own.

"In this place, people will always be hungry and poor. What we need is to have
businesses so that we can trade with each other. Maybe next year donors will be
tired of giving us aid.

"Maybe the government and the donors could find a way to help us start small
businesses. They could teach us skills. Some of us know how to make biscuits. We
could make money that way."

Rain suddenly starts pelting down on the dry earth and for a moment there is a
feeling of optimism. But it stops almost immediately and the sun comes out
again.

"It always comes for a few seconds like that," Simikwa says.

Undernourished children
In Trinity hospital near Napasha, six mothers are sitting on beds holding their
babies. The ward is hot. There are no blankets, just plastic-covered mattresses
and tied-up mosquito nets, ready to be draped over the beds.

Two of the babies are so thin that their bones are visible.

Sister Anna Bande, coordinator of the maternity ward, says in the past few
months far more undernourished babies have been admitted than usual.

"Maybe about 30% more children and babies with symptoms of malnutrition are
coming in than in previous years," she says. "We are treating about 100 children
a week and 20 of those are severely malnourished. Most are HIV-positive."

Once a week, Bande travels through the surrounding villages scouting for
chronically ill babies.

"When we go to the houses we find there is very little food. There are many
hungry children in these villages. The sickest are brought back here."

One of the women in the ward is Esnie Nyasangudza (29), who is breastfeeding her
11-month-old daughter, Gertrude.

Nyasangudza's husband left her when she was three months pregnant with Gertrude.

"I feed her porridge in the morning, but she will not eat," she says. "She has
diarrhoea and she vomits up her food."

Another mother, Mary Costa, looks after her baby, Hilda.

She walked for three hours to get to the hospital to have her infant treated.

Hilda has also been vomiting and has diarrhoea. Most of the babies in the ward
have similar symptoms.

Bande says these symptoms are typical of malnourished babies with HIV. She says
some could also have contracted malaria.

Outside the ward, a Canadian missionary, Will Phillips, has come to have a child
treated. He and his wife run an orphanage in a nearby town.

"The hunger situation is bad this year," Phillips says. "Much worse than usual."

In Napasha village, it is late afternoon and a group of boys has started a
soccer game. Women sit outside their homes chatting and those with food are
cooking dinner. Children splash in a small stream.

"Yes, we suffer," Simikwa says. "But life carries on." -- Sapa

*****

AG squares up to veep
by Edwin Nyirongo, 07 November 2005 - 07:51:00
  Attorney General Ralph Kasambara has challenged Vice President Cassim Chilumpha
to come into the open and declare whether he is in control of government or not.
Kasambara was asked during a press conference in Mzuzu on Saturday to comment on
the condemnation by the veep over the arrest of members of Parliament Lucius
Banda and Maxwell Milanzi.
Chilumpha said in Zomba during celebrations to mark the end of Ramadan that no
sensible person can applaud the arrest of Banda and Milanzi..
"Ask him [Chilumpha] whether he is in control of government affairs and also ask
him how many times he has attended Cabinet meetings for the past six months,"
challenged Kasambara.
The AG wondered how the Vice President could resort to commenting on what is
happening in government through rallies or gatherings instead of inquiring about
the matter from a concerned minister.
"If the Vice President wanted to know something about the arrest of Hon. Lucius
Banda and Hon. Maxwell Milanzi, he would have just called the Minister of Home
Affairs and demand an explanation, not condemning it at a religious gathering.
That is why people would like to know if he is indeed in control," he said.
Kasambara also questioned the wisdom of the Vice President, who is a lawyer by
profession, to comment on something that is in the courts, saying he was in a
better position to know that it is not right.
He also said it does not make sense for Malawians to be paying someone who is
not doing the job that he was employed for.
Asked why the two MPs were arrested after they played a part in the proposed
impeachment of President Bingu wa Mutharika, Kasambara said their positions put
them into the limelight.
He said the MPs were noticed through their names being mentioned in Parliament
and faces beamed on television.
"In fact, it was a woman from Dowa who noticed the Hon. Maxwell Milanzi and told
the police that he once worked for MEDI and was convicted," he said.
Asked who was running the country in the absence of the President, who was in
Scotland, Kasambara explained that the Constitution does not say that the Vice
President should automatically take over the reigns of power in the absence of
the President unless he is incapacitated.
"Right now the President is in charge of the affairs of the country. He is
directing everything from where he is, so there is no problem," he said.
Efforts to solicit the Vice President's comment on the matter proved futile
Sunday. After trying to solicit answers on the issue after a press briefing on
relief aid, the Veep was not accessible. The questions, left with his press
officer, were also not yet answered as we went to press.
Earlier, DPP Regional Governor for the North Harry Mkandawire urged Chilumpha to
resign, claiming he (the Veep) is interfering with the affairs of the Police.
Lucius Banda was arrested for allegedly forging a Malawi School Certificate of
Education which he presented to the Electoral Commission during 2004 General
Elections while Milanzi is said to have contested the elections when he was
allegedly aware he was a convict.

*****

Malawi's corruption ranking worsens
by Emmanuel Muwamba, 07 November 2005 - 08:46:56
Malawi has slipped seven steps lower on the Transparency International 2005 (TI)
index, an outcome the civil society has agreed with, saying the current
government has not done enough to arrest corruption.
But government has said TI is entitled to its opinion arguing that it
(government) is doing all it can to improve its record on the perception.
The report released a fortnight ago shows that Malawi, whose ranking last year
was 90, has now slipped to 97 while Botswana continued to top the list in
Africa.
Botswana is now listed at 31 on the list making it the least corrupt country in
Africa followed by South Africa which has moved from 44 to 46.
On the other hand, Zambia whose ranking was 102, slipped five steps to 107 while
Chad and Bangladesh are ranked the most corrupt countries.
Deputy Information Minister John Bande in an interview on Wednesday attributed
the slip to carried forward cases that have not been concluded and also fresh
cases which government is fighting in court.
"We give the TI a chance but we will improve on that index tremendously when
cases that are in court like the [Yusuf] Mwawa, [Sam] Mpasu, [Clement] Stambuli
and [former President] Bakili Muluzi are concluded in court. We are determined
to improve," Bande said.
Institute for Policy Interaction Executive Director Rafiq Hajat agreed that the
slip on the index is a result of the outstanding issues regarding corruption in
the country.
Hajat cited the awarding of a treadle pumps contract and the fertilizer fiasco
where government awarded to a company linked to al Qaeda as some of the
outstanding cases.
Human Rights Consultative Committee Executive Director Rodgers Newa said
President Bingu wa Mutharika's administration should be given a chance.
He observed that the Mutharika administration has not recovered from the corrupt
practices of the 10 years of the reign of his predecessor Bakili Muluzi which
was involved in high level corruption.
According to IT, countries that scored less than 3 on the Corruption Perception
Index (CPI) indicates serious problems of corruption and Malawi scored 2.8.
CPI Score relates to perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by business
people and country analysts and ranges between 10 (highly clean) to 0 highly
corrupt.
TI chairperson Peter Eigen said corruption is a major cause of poverty and a
barrier to overcoming it.

*****

Chiefs plan to unite political leaders
by Herbert Chandilanga, 07 November 2005 - 07:59:39
Traditional leaders in the country said on Saturday they plan to bring together
President Bingu wa Mutharika, his predecessor Bakili Muluzi and MCP president
John Tembo to a round table to iron out differences between government and the
opposition.
The chiefs unveiled their plan in Blantyre during a meeting for the Southern
Region organised by the Grand Coalition for the Defence of Democracy (GCDD).
Paramount Chief Lundu of Blantyre, who is heading the Southern Region Chapter,
said chiefs had the ability to mediate in talks between the concerned parties
because political leaders are part of the society that falls under their
jurisdiction.
"The political bickering should be checked before it worsens. We need to do
something as chiefs. We are optimistic the concerned parties will heed our
call," said Lundu.
Among other things, the chiefs observed that the impeachment issue be shelved
and that government cuts on "politically-motivated" arrests.
The chiefs said it was important that, for a start, MPs put aside the
impeachment drive and prioritise critical matters like making relief food
available for those hit by hunger.
Traditional Authority Chimombo of Nsanje stressed that "politically-motivated"
arrests would only worsen matters.
GCDD National Coordinator Marcel Chisi said a similar meeting took place in the
Central Region and that another one is being planned for the Northern Region.
Chiefs from the Southern Region are expected to liaise with their counterparts
from the Northern and Central regions on the dialogue plan.

*****

Commentators slam Bingu, predict opposition doom
by Mabvuto Banda, 05 November 2005 - 02:41:12
Political analysts blame President Bingu wa Mutharika for the current political
impasse in Parliament. They also say the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) may have lost ground following the recent
impeachment fiasco in the House.
Chancellor College political lecturer Nandini Patel on Tuesday said Mutharika
could have done better had he made initiatives as Head of State to sit down with
the opposition.
"The whole impeachment thing could not have happened had the President been more
accommodative to advice and stopped using provocative language," said Patel.
In June, when Parliament first started the impeachment bid, Mutharika threatened
to arrest political leaders, a warning analysts described as undemocratic and
not reconciliatory. Mutharika has also gone public saying he can do without
Parliament.
"For example, just last week he told people in Lilongwe that Parliament cannot
impeach him when the Constitution is so clear that Parliament [has those
powers]," Patel said.
Patel also said the impeachment debate has left opposition's image, in the eyes
of the public, bruised and left the Judiciary pre-occupied with injunctions.
"The position of the UDF and MCP may have weakened in the public eye because of
statements like [MCP president John] Tembo's that 'no NGC no impeachment', which
clearly exposed their motive to rule through the back door," said Patel, a one
time critic of Muluzi's third term bid.
Mustafa Hussein, another political science lecturer at Chancellor College,
thinks there is no winner or loser in the fiasco.
"Yes, the opposition is disappointed and that may cost them politically*but the
process highlighted one fact: that there is need for the President to engage
opposition in contact and dialogue," said Hussein.
Mutharika is accused of siphoning over K30 million from the public coffers to
finance his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and pay for his grandchild's
education at Mount Sinai International School in Lilongwe.
Boniface Dulani, another analyst, also believes the opposition's image has been
bruised because of the way the impeachment was handled.
"It was hasty and exposed their true motives to remove Mutharika by all means,"
Dulani said.
But Sam Mpasu, UDF spokesperson, believes otherwise.
"We have emerged stronger and more united. After all, the impeachment has not
failed, it has just been stalled by the courts," said Mpasu.
"But if Bingu continues with his obsession to fight UDF, he will not be able to
conduct government business," Mpasu warned.
Tembo, who is leader of opposition in Parliament, declined to comment when asked
how united his party is after the impeachment hiccups.
A fortnight ago, Parliament passed procedures to pave way for the impeachment of
Mutharika after a simple majority vote.
Two days later, a UDF backbencher moved the motion of notice which was followed
by setting of date the indictment of the President.
But this came to a standstill after the Constitutional Court ruled that
Parliament stops any debate on impeachment until a judicial review is held.
Mutharika came to power in May 2004 after Muluzi stood down at the end of his
constitutional second five-year term of office but the two fell out after
Mutharika launched a major clampdown on graft, targeting many prominent figures
from Muluzi's administration.
Muluzi is himself under investigation for allegedly pocketing K1.4 billion from
donors.
"The fight has come back to Mutharika versus Muluzi," said Dulani.
"Muluzi is using the legislature, with the support of opposition, to punish
Mutharika for quitting the UDF, and Mutharika is using the ACB to hit back at
Muluzi and in the end the loser is the man on the streets," observed Dulani.
David Peary, British High Commissioner, summed up the whole impeachment fiasco
when he said in a statement that the warring parties need to sit on a round
table and resolve their differences.
"It's time for Malawi's political elite to engage in an open debate free of
recriminations to solve the problems of one of the poorest countries in the
world*Trading insults by figures on all sides of the political divide is
unhelpful," Peary said.
The power struggle between Mutharika and Muluzi comes as aid agencies and
governments try to stave off hunger and consolidate donor relations, after the
International Monetary Fund threw a $55 million aid lifeline to Malawi in
August.



*****

Zimbabwe's MDC confirms boycott
By Barnaby Phillips
BBC News, South Africa

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe has reaffirmed its
decision not to take part in elections for a new upper house later this month.
But several senior MDC members boycotted a national council meeting in Harare
which they described as illegal.

The council called on those MDC members who have put themselves forward as
candidates to withdraw.

The meeting was overwhelmingly attended by MDC members loyal to the party's
leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.

Mr Tsvangirai says there is no point in contesting the elections because the
government will rig them and because the new senate will have no real power.

But many important people in the MDC disagree with Mr Tsvangirai, and they
stayed away from the meeting which they said was not legitimate.

This faction, which does want to participate, includes the MDC's
secretary-general, Welshman Ncube.

Zimbabwe desperately needs an effective opposition.

The government is responsible for widespread human rights abuses and disastrous
economic policies, but the MDC is on the verge of committing political suicide.



*****

US diplomat may be expelled from Zimbabwe

Johannesburg, South Africa

07 November 2005 07:03

United States envoy Christopher Dell could be expelled for what is seen as his
meddling in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe's Herald Online reported
on Monday.

It said precedent showed host countries reserved the right to expel a diplomat
whose behaviour they feel was unbecoming or undiplomatic.

"Zimbabwe could take that route in the case of Mr Dell."

Dell, US ambassador to Harare, raised the ire of the Zimbabwean authorities in a
speech he gave at the United Methodist Church-run Africa University in Mutare
last week.

He said the economic challenges facing Zimbabwe were a result of "corrupt rule"
and not sanctions.

"Neither drought nor sanctions are at the root of Zimbabwe's decline," said
Dell.

"The Zimbabwe government's own gross mismanagement of the economy and its
corrupt rule has brought on the crisis."

A Sunday newspaper in Harare quoted sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
as saying the government had had enough of Dell's conduct.

Zimbabwean security forces recently caught Dell entering a restricted zone at
the National Botanical Gardens in Harare.

The government described this as an act calculated to provoke an unnecessary
diplomatic row.

Last Friday, Dell voiced more criticism, saying "bad economic policies" pursued
by government made it difficult to fight the HIV/Aids pandemic in Zimbabwe.

The ministry of foreign affairs is expected to summon Dell this week for an
explanation of his actions and utterances, the paper reported. - Sapa