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MALAWI NEWS ONLINE/MALAWI NEWS ONLINE/MALAWI NEWS ONLINE
A fortnightly update of news from Malawi
Edition No: 22 10 January 1997
MALAWI NEWS ONLINE is written by Malawian journalists in Malawi and brings you the news from their point of view. It is assembled and edited in Denmark by South Africa Contact, the former anti-apartheid movement, publishers of i'Afrika, a quarterly magazine on Southern Africa.
The fortnightly news updates from Malawi are provided by our established network of journalists in Southern Africa. ZAMBIA NEWS ONLINE and TANZANIA NEWS ONLINE are our latest newsletters and they will be followed, in the not too distant future, by individual news updates covering other Southern African countries,.
MALAWI NEWS ONLINE is brought to you by a co-operation between South Africa Contact and Inform, the leading alternative information network in Denmark.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Feature: GOVERNMENT PUSHES FOR INCREASED MAIZE PRODUCTIVITY
Stories:
1. ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
2. BUREAU FIRES TWELVE
3. NO SCHEME TO BURN BIBLE
4. MALAWI AND ZAMBIA TO PARTICIPATE IN UN HIV/AIDS PILOT PROJECT
5. WEEK OF ACCIDENTS
6. UDF LEADERS GRAB LAND IN MULANJE
7. UNIVERSITY LECTURERS ACCEPT PAY RISE
8. DUTY AT PORT OF ENTRY
9. MAN DIES AFTER STEPPING ON LIVE POWER LINES
STORIES:
Smallholder farmer, Chitenje Mwamadi, is one person who has been converted to and is practicing the government's gospel propagating the growing of hybrid maize varieties.
She has seen the benefit of planting her small piece of land, as recommended by the government, with hybrid maize varieties which are believed to be higher yielding than local varieties. "It took a lot of conviction for me to change from planting the old maize variety to hybrid. I am very happy now," said Mwamadi, comparing the 9 bags she used to harvest before to the 28 bags she now reaps from the same 0.2 hectare piece of land.
Malawi - suffering chronic food shortages - is pushing for increased maize production. Last year the government launched the Maize Productivity Programme. This seeks to develop technologies that should improve efficiency in the use of fertilisers and promote crop diversification through the provision of a wide range of seeds. The programme aims to carry out extension campaigns targeted at poor farmers and train extension staff on new technologies.
Maize, largely grown by smallholder farmers in small pieces of land is the country's staple food. "Over the past years, there has been a decline in the maize productivity of smallholder farmers, a trend that poses a threat to household food security," Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Lizzie Lossa said last October at World Food Day Celebrations in the capital Lilongwe.
She listed factors that had contributed to the decline in maize production as poor uptake of improved seed, problems in managing soil fertility, poor resource base by smallholder farmers to enable them to purchase inputs and recurrent droughts. Between 1991 and 1994, Malawi witnessed three droughts which reduced food production by half. The decline in maize production has resulted in low per capita calorie consumption by most households. Half of Malawi's children suffer from chronic malnutrition.
A report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation showed that maize occupied 58.1% of the areas cultivated by smallholder farmers in 1994, a major percentage reduction when compared to 1978/88 when it occupied about 70% of the areas cropped. FAO said in 1994/95, 70% of maize planted were local low yielding varieties, whilst 29.7% were hybrid. Throughout the 1980s, 90% of maize planted by smallholders were low yielding local varieties.
"With the introduction of the semi-flint hybrids in 1990, there has been a gradual increase in the percentage of the areas planted with hybrids," said the FAO report. In 1992/93 - which was a good rainfall year - hybrids represented 24.5% of the maize planted, which fell back to 18.3% in 1993/94 which had poor rainfall.
With free fertiliser and hybrid seed distribution in 1994/95, hybrids plantings increased to 29.7%.
Estimates show that there was growth of 1.3337% per annum in the growth rate in smallholder maize production over the period 1983/84 to 1995/96. However, the introduction of semi-flint hybrids in 1990 saw positive growth of hybrids with an annual growth rate of 10.088%.
But the report cites a number of constraints which negatively affected the country's agriculture. Although the constraints have been documented, they are yet to be removed, which will continue to impact negatively on Malawi's food security.
Some of the constraints, according to the report, were land tenure and access to land, limited access to and the nature of agricultural extension messages, poor rural feeder roads, poor pricing of farm inputs and high prices of farm inputs.
1. ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
The Balaka-based (south Malawi) Allelluya Band has put its weight behind concerned citizens and other human rights bodies to woo public support against capital punishment.
For the first time in the history of the country's prisons, the band performed at Zomba Central Prison on December 30, in response to a public outcry against the death sentence.
Band leader and founder, Paul Banda said the decision to perform at the prison comes in the wake of findings by the Catholic magazine, Together, which sought people's views on death penalty. Banda said that through the magazine readers unanimously expressed a strong desire for the government to abolish capital punishment.
He said music has the power to transform society from bad to good. The move to hold the show in the prison premises was initiated by Rev Father Peter Gamba of the Montfort Press. Zomba was chosen as the first venue of the show because it has the most prisoners on death row.
"We want people of Malawi, including chiefs and parents, to rally against the death penalty." During a constitutional conference in 1994, chiefs voiced strong sentiments against abolishing the death penalty as punishment for convicted murderers. They argued that the move would pose a great threat to society by 'encouraging people to murder each other at will knowing they would not be hanged'.
Malawi has come under strong pressure from human rights organistations within and without to abolish capital punishment.
2. BUREAU FIRES TWELVE
The Malawi Bureau of Standards has fired 12 of the 59 workers who went on strike some three weeks ago demanding a rise in their salaries of 50% and the removal of the Bureau's Director General. The dismissals took effect 16 December. It is not yet clear why only 12 of the striking employees have been fired.
The Workers Committee within the Bureau has vowed to defend their dismissed colleagues in court and have since engaged the services of a lawyer.
The workers also want the Bureau's boss, Austin Khulumula, relieved of his duties alleging that he is mismanaging the company's finances and that he mistreats his subordinates. Earlier, all the workers who have since resumed work, were served with suspension letters.
3. NO SCHEME TO BURN BIBLES
Executive Director of the Bible Society of Malawi, Byson Nakhutho and Social Democratic Party president, Eston Kakhome on December 23 denied having organised a meeting to plot a scheme on the burning of mosques in the country.
President Bakili Muluzi said on December 22 that Kakhome, Nakhuto and People's Democratic Party president Rolf Patel, organised a secret meeting at the Bible Society offices to plot religious unrest by burning down mosques for political gains. Nakhuto said although a meeting took place to discuss allegations about the burning of Bibles by Moslems, the meeting never discussed the burning of mosques, adding he did not attend the specific meeting anyway.
Kakhome also rebuffed Muluzi's allegations and accused him of making public statements before weighing facts before them. He asked Muluzi to carry out thorough investigations into the issue and reprimand the people who are spreading the rumours.
Muluzi is a Moslem. The president's allegations came in the wake of media reports that Muluzi wants to "Islamise" the country through, among other things, building mosques and foreign funded Islamic educational institutions.
4. MALAWI AND ZAMBIA TO PARTICIPATE IN UN HIV/AIDS PILOT PROJECT
Malawi and Zambia are two countries in southern Africa that have been identified to participate in the initial phase of a pilot programme of assistance to people with HIV/Aids.
The UN resident coordinator, Terence Jones, says this follows as a result of the findings in November 1996 by the UN Volunteers consultative mission which looked for countries where the project would be useful depending mainly on 'the existence of strong networks of people living with HIV/AIDS.''
Terence said the mission held talks with the National Aids Control Programme (NACP) and other groups involved in the care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS, discussing policy making and strengthening support groups and networks, among other objectives.
"It has been designed on the premise that people living with and those with HIV/Aids are potentially the most effective educators, counselors, campaigners and care givers, given appropriate support," said Jones.
He said a consultative workshop, involving major partners like non-governmental organisations, donors, support groups and the UN, will be held within the next three months to get a common vision of the project and develop a work plan as well as identify training needs.
In 1996, according to NACP, Malawi was expected to record nearly 5,000 new HIV cases, almost the same figure recorded in 1995.
5. WEEK OF ACCIDENTS: 1. FIVE DIE IN BUS CRASH
Five people died and several others were seriously injured, on December 21, when a bus in which they were traveling overturned three times at Linthipe, Dedza, in central Malawi.
Police in Dedza said more than 40 passengers who sustained serious injuries were rushed to Dedza and Lilongwe hospitals. By December 23, the condition of most of them was said to be steadily improving.
Passengers on the bus said the accident happened when the driver of the Mzuzu-Blantyre Express bus which was carrying 55 passengers, tried to overtake a truck.
2. EIGHT DIE IN ROAD ACCIDENT
Eight people died and several others sustained injuries on December 29 in Mwanza, south Malawi, when a lorry in which they traveling overturned. The vehicle was returning to Malawi Entrepreneurial Development Institute (MEDI), in Mponela, central Malawi with mourners to a funeral in Mwanza. Most of the accident victims are members of staff of MEDI.
Of the deceased, six are men and one is a woman while the eighth is a seven year old boy. Police in Lilongwe said it was raining heavily when the accident happened. President Bakili Muluzi and leaders of other political parties have sent messages of condolence to families of the deceased.
6. UDF LEADERS GRAB LAND IN MULANJE
Four UDF heavyweights in Mulanje, south Malawi, are embroiled in a row with traditional leaders over land previously occupied by the defunct Malawi Young Pioneers. The four, Information, Broadcasting, Posts and Telecoms minister, Brown Mpinganjira, Deputy Finance minister, Lizzie Lossa, Admarc General Manager, Eunice Kazembe and businessman, Joseph Mlelemba, are sharing the 350-acre piece of land the ministry of Lands and Valuation apportioned them.
Traditional leaders want the land to be distributed to the landless villagers and query the criteria used by the ministry in distributing the land to the four politicians. The land lies 10 kms west of Mulanje district headquarters.
In the wake of the wrangle, one man from the area has threatened to sue the four people unless the ministry rescinds its decision to share the land among them. Robert Chibwana, a bursar at Kamuzu Academy and who comes from the area, said he was going to consult with chiefs and village headmen in the area on the court action. "We feel the action taken by these UDF leaders is uncalled for because they are depriving land from the people who live in that area by taking advantage of their positions," he said.
7. UNIVERSITY LECTURERS ACCEPT PAY RISE
The prolonged dispute between university lecturers and government over pay is finally over following the former's acceptance of a 90% phased salary rise beginning this month.
Following the settlement of the dispute, students, who failed to write their end of year examinations in July when the lecturers went on strike, are expected to report between January 10-12 for their examinations.
Polytechnic and Chancellor College students had to be sent home before writing their final year exams. Students from Bunda College and Kamuzu College of Nursing wrote their exams but their lecturers refused to mark them until the dispute was resolved.
"Government has responded positively to what was compromised between University Council subcommittee and representatives of staff and students," said Chancellor College Principal Dr Emmanuel Fabiano. Fabiano said the students will be given time to revise their work before writing their end-of-year exams, which have to be processed before the new school session begins.
Government also accepted to review professional allowances for lecturers and administrative staff. A finance officer in the University Office, Stanley Namandwa, said the first increment in the phased structure will be for 50% effective January, 1997. The next pay rise will be for 25% starting April and will be on the salaries after the 50% January increment.
8. DUTY AT PORT OF ENTRY
The Customs and Excise department has with effect from January 1, 1997 stopped allowing motor vehicles to proceed to inland ports for payments of duty.
Controller of Customs and Excise, Ernest Mtingwi said in a statement that importers of motor vehicles will now be required to pay customs duties on motor vehicles at the port of entry into Malawi.
Mtingwi, however, said it was possible to avoid paying duty at port of entry if the vehicle is covered by a customs' agent bond and if duty on the vehicle is prepaid before entry into Malawi.
Mtingwi said the new measure was aimed at ensuring prompt payment of duty which was not possible if importers are allowed to pay at inland ports.
9. MAN DIES AFTER STEPPING ON LIVE POWER LINES
Relatives of a security guard who was electrocuted to death on Boxing Day in Blantyre, Malawi's biggest commercial city, were only able to pick up his bones, the only visible remains of his body, for burial.
The guard, who worked for Securicor Malawi Ltd, was identified as Kompaundi Solomoni, 40 died when he stepped on live power cables that had been cut and were lying on the ground.
Solomoni was returning from his office just after sunset, having been sent off by his superiors for allegedly reporting for work while drunk. Eye witnesses said only bones and his cap were picked for burial from the accident spot.
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From: AfricaNN@inform-bbs.dk (Africa_news Network) Subject: MALAWI NEWS ONLINE #22 Date: 10 Jan 1997 08:17:16 GMT Message-Id: <1262342109.50845104@inform-bbs.dk>
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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