Gender Agenda Moving? Female Chief Justice En Malawi

On Friday morning the Malawi Parliament unanimously voted yes effectively confirming Justice Anastasia Msosa as the country's first ever female chief justice...my research is crapy but this lady might as well be the first if not only the the top five chief justices ever appointed in the world..of course not counting ancient civilization.

This means that Malawi has two females heading the two of the three branches of government, the executive being in the hands of Joyce Banda...even speaker of Parliament Chimunthu Banda spoke  about it saying he is now proud of Malawi.

Msosa has integrity. Out of 118 that voted, she got 117 votes. 1 abstained and I still wondering who that karanga is.

In her time as leader of the Malawi Electoral Commission, Msosa has never goofed...she is always cool and calm.

Whether this means the gender agenda is moving in Malawi is another issue because this is a poster position, patriachy is still the order of the day in Malawi...illiteracy and HIV all favour women.

Mdulidwe ungachepetse tsoka lotenga HIV

Akatswiri a za kafukufuku apeza kuti kupanga mdulidwe kutha kuchepetsa tsoka la mwamuna kutenga kachilombo koyambitsa matenda a Edzi ka HIV.

Atalengedza za kafukufukuyo, bungwe lowona za umoyo pa ziko  lapansi la WHO ndi bungwe la mgwirizano wa mayiko onse la United Nations anavomereza kuti mdulidwe ndi njira imodzi yochopetsa kufala kwa kachirombo ka HIV.

Malawi monga mayiko ena akumusi kwa chipululu cha Sahara nndi dziko limodzi lomwe lili ndi vuto lalikulu la kachirombo ka HIV.

Mwa a Malawi khumi aliwonse mmodzi ali ndi kachirombo ka HIV, A Malawi odutsa zikwi makumi anayi (44,000) amawalira ndi matenda oyamba chifukwa cha HIV chaka chilichonse komanso komanso ena ofanana ndi nambala yomwalirayo amatenga kachiromboko chaka chilichonse.

Izi zikubwera pomwe njira zopewera kutenga kachiromboka  monga ma kondomu zili mbwee komanso mauthenga ofalitsa kufunika kwa kuziletsa ndi kuopsa kwa HIV ali pali ponse mmawayilesi ndi mumatchalitchi momwe.

Ndi nthawi yoti a Malawi avomereze mudulidwe ngati njila imodzi yothandizila kuthana ndi kachiromboka?

Mkulu oyang'anira anthu owgira ntchito za udotolo mu boma la Lilongwe bambo Mwawi Mwale adasimikiza za kufunika kwa mdulidwe.

“Mdulidwe umabweretsa ukhondo pa munthu, umachepetsa tsoka lotenga kachirombo, koma sikuti munthu odulidwa asagwiritse ntchito kondomu, kondomu igwire ntchito nthawi zonse

Azimayi amakwaniritsidwa kwambiri ndi mzibambo wodulidwa, komanso nawonso amapindula chifukwa cha ukhondo  umene mdulidwe umabweretsa,”

Adatero a Mwale.

Boma la Malawi lili pa kalikiliki kuyetsetsa kuti a Malawi ambiri apange mdulidwe.

Chipatala cha Bwaila ku Lilongwe chomwe chinkatchedwa Botomu chili pa kalikiliki kupangitsa mdulidwe mwaulere kwa anthu a mu boma la Lilongwe ndi madera ozungulira.

“Indedi tikupaga mdulidwe pa chipatala cha Bwaila  kapena kuti Botomu. Pompano tiyamba  kupanga mdulidwewu m'madera ena  kudzera mu zipatala zazing'onozing'ono.

Mdulidwe sumawawa kwambiri munthu amakhala bwino bwino pakangotha masiku asanu ngakhale kuti timamulesa kuti asakagone ndi mkazi wake kwa ma sabata angapo kuti achile bwinio bwino kaye,” adatero bambo Mwale.

Kafukufuku anapeza kuti mwa anthu makumi khumi amene anapanga mdulidwe anthu makumi asanu ndi awiri amatha kusatenga kachirombo ka HIV akagona ndi mkazi woti ali ndi kachiromboko.

Pakati Alomwe ndi Ayao omwe anapanga mdulidwe, kafukufuku waboma anapeza kuti ambiri amene ali ndi kachirombo ndi omwe sanapangitse mdulidwe.

Izi zili chonchi chifukwa mdulidwe umachotsa khungu limene limavindikirira kusogolo kwa joni wa amuna. Kuchoka kwa khunguli kumapangitsa kuti timabowo timene tinaliko titsekeke komanso kuti kustogoloko kukhwime.

Mwamuna odulidwa akamagona ndi mkazi samachekekachekeka chifukwa choti kutsogolo kwake kunakhwima, ndiye poti HIV imalowera mumabala odza kaamba kochekeka pogonana ndi maboo omwe sasekeka chifukwa chakhungu lakutsogolo, anthu odulidwa ali ndi mwayi osatenga kachiromboka.

Amuna omwe anadulidwa amakhalanso amphamvu chifukwa kukhwima kwa kusogolo kwa joni wawo kumapangitsa kuti asamalize msanga akamagwira ntchito yachikulu ndi akazi awo.

Nanga ndichifukwa chani a Malawi sakuthamangira kukapangitsa mdulidwe?

Mwa a Malawi asanu aliwonse m'modzi yekha ndi amene ali wodulidwa, anthu ambiri amawona ngati mdulidwe ndi wa chisilamu kapena a Yao chomwe chili chinthu cholakwika chifukwa panopa mdulidwe wuli ngati makondomu: aliyense ofuna moyo amagwiritsa ntchito posaona ndi kuopa mtundu, kapena chipembezo.

“Mdulidwe si wa mtundu umodzi wokha, ndi wa mwamuna aliyense,” adatero a Mwale.

Battle over Budget: Malawi Govt Vs. Civil Society

…Lipenga takes on Budget critics

Finance minister Ken Lipenga says the draft national budget is properly pro-poor and not mere lip service as some critics have described it.

Lipenga said this as he wound up debate on the 2013/14 fiscal year budget debate in Parliament on Friday afternoon.

“The overall easing of inflation, stabilisation of the exchange rate, falling treasury bills rates, increasing investiments portfolis as well as rising aggregate demand are all signs that the economy is genuinely recovering,” said Lipenga.

His statement comes in the wake of massive criticisms from the civil society organisations and private sector players who have described the budget as heavily bitched up.

MEJN

On Thursday The Malawi Economic Justice Network unveiled its budget analysis findings to parliamentarians at crossroads hotel and among other issues said the budget is inconsistent with the ERP and Malawi Growth Development Strategy because it has allocated more to general public administration (39 percent) than economic services spending (29 percent)

“The increase in public administration (i.e increase in internal travel budget) is at the expense of economic growth generation,” reads the MEJN report in part.

Lipenga defended the increase in internal travel budget saying the increase is due to the elections budget, a one off expenditure for all who will be involved in election activities.

But a Friday Press Release by Civil Society Education Coalition and Malawi Health Equity Network has faulted Lipengas elections explanation saying the figures are questionable since there is already Malawi Electoral Commission to handle elections.

Lipenga also said the travel budget looks big because of an amount under the National Aids Commission Grants which has erroneously classified as internal travel and also due to another misclassification of Agriclture Sector Wide Approach expenditure from the World Bank which he said will be rectified.

The MEJN report also bemoans the underfunding of some key sectors such as trade, transport, tourism and mining which it says are vital to the ERP.

MCTU

Bright Mhango - Wrote this story/did all interviews

The Malawi Congress Of Trade Unions also commenting on the Budget said in a Press Release released on Friday that Government should raise the zero percent threshold for Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax from the proposed K20,000 to K30,000 and  reduce the percentage from 30 to 20% for the next MK5, 000 saying that would mean more income for the already poorly paid majority of Malawians.

But Lipenga said the proposal is impossible owing to the “structure of the economy and our (its) tax base.”

CEPA

The Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (CEPA) expressed concern the 2013 – 2014 budget allocation to issues of climate change, disaster risk management and environment management issues saying the allocations are insignificant.

 The organisation exposed to parliamentarians at Crossroads Hotel on Wednesday how for example the fertiliser subsidy programme gets 50 percent of the ministry of agriculture budget but ignores areas such as conservation agriculture  which got 0.16 percent.

Chadza - Budget not green

CEPA argues that areas such as conservation agriculture need more attention as unlike the subsidy programme, they are sustainable.

The analysis by CEPA also laid bare the meagre amount allocated to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs which has actually seen its budget slashed by 28 percent in the current draft budget to a mere K82.02 million.

“There is need for government to review and increase meaningfully the allocation for the department so that it responds effectively when called to duty, more especially now when disasters are becoming a regular and predictable occurrence due to climate change effects,” reads a report prepared by CEPA.

CSEC/MHEN

CSEC and MHEN say the increasing of the Education Minister’s budget by 33 perecnt while the general internal travel by 80 percent is questionable and unjustifiable when sectors like health need such resources.

“The explanation that the Ministers allocation of MK51 million per year is solely meant for procurement of furniture, office supplies and other expenses is unjustified considering that there are core departments whose allocation has only increased by 3 percent and some by 19perecent.

“In the eyes of outsiders, any claim about modest increment to the Ministers office is far-fetched, and sends wrong signals about Government’s commitment to austerity measures. It could also be a reflection of wrong priorities by government.

“Why should the Minister’s office in education spend 50% more resources than health in procurement of similar “furniture and office supplies”?,” reads a joint release from MHEN and CSEC.

HRCC/CEDEP

Lipenga also responded to last Fridays petition by the CSOs led by the Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) and The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) in which the CSOs said the budget allocation to health of 12 percent is not in line with Abuja Declaration on 2001 which says nations should allocate a minimum of 15 percent of their budget to health.

Mtambo of CHRR - His petition was adressesd by Lipenga?

“Over and above this allocation (the 12 percent), resources amounting to 16 million British Pounds (K14 billion) have been provided by DFID for direct purchases of drugs…when added to the resources of the sector, then the requirement of allocating 15 percent of the Budget to health is met,” said Lipenga.

Budget not for the poor?

Lipenga also addressed concerns that the budget does not protect the low income Malawians from adverse effects of the reform. He said K74 billion has been allocated in the budget to deal with just that via the Public Works Programme, Social Cash Transfer and Farm Input Subsidy.

Campaigners decry budget allocation to climate change, disaster management

The Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (CEPA) has expressed

concern at the draft 2013 – 2014 budget allocation to issues of

climate change, disaster risk management and environment management

issues saying the allocations are insignificant.

CEPA executive director William Chadza said this at Crossroads Hotel

on Wednesday at a dialogue meeting his organisation organised for some

parliamentarians to highlight the issues of budgetary allocation to

environmental affairs.

“On the surface the budgetary allocations to these areas have

increased but in real sense the allocations are for personal use in

the ministries and when we compare the value of the Kwacha of last

year and today, the allocations are insignificant.

“We hope that when the specific votes come up the MPs will champion

our issues to effect change and reallocation of the issues we believe

are important and have been underfunded,” said Chadza.

The organisation exposed to parliamentarians how for example the

fertiliser subsidy programme gets 50 percent of the ministry of

agriculture budget but ignores areas such as conservation agriculture

which got 0.16 percent of the ministry’s total budget.

CEPA argues that areas such as conservation agriculture need more

attention as unlike the subsidy programme, they are sustainable.

The analysis by CEPA also laid bare the meagre amount allocated to the

Department of Disaster Management Affairs which has actually seen its

budget slashed by 28 percent in the current draft budget to a mere

K82.02 million.

Budget not Green - Chadza

“There is need for government to review and increase meaningfully the

allocation for the department so that it responds effectively when

called to duty, more especially now when disasters are becoming a

regular and predictable occurrence due to climate change effects,”

reads a report prepared by CEPA.

Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources

chairperson David Luka said his committee is in agreement with the

issue raised by CEPA but also admitted that it is difficult to change

budget figures during committee stage.

“The next step will be to talk to the minister of finance and climate

change management to discuss these issues,” said Luka.

ActionAid asks Malawi leader to reject Land Bill

ActionAid Malawi has called on President Joyce Banda not to assent to the recently passed Land Bill saying the bill heavily disempowers women and the landless.

ActionAid Country Director, Martha Khonje made the call at Crossroads Hotel on Friday on  the side lines of a dinner her organisation organised for some parliamentarians to appreciate the flaws in the passed bill and to highlight those in the yet to be tabled Customary Land Bill.

“We notice the main bill which is the land bill has been passed but there is an opportunity, currently we are counting on the President who is female and has worked with women before. We believe that she understands the plight of women when it comes to land. 

Our hope is on the President - Khonje

“It’s not too late to reconsider the land bill just like the president did not assent the bill on marriage age. Our hope is not lost as the same can be done on the land bill. The president can intervene on behalf of women and the landless,” said Khonje.

ActionAid is arguing that the bill is not in tandem with the constitutional provisions of guaranteeing equality saying the bill does not empower women to own land and it does not say anything about the landless and the fate of idle land among other issues.

Khonje says she hopes that the parliamentarians would go back to parliament and try to send back the customary land bill saying the bill is not practical and will fail on the ground if pased.

Lawyer Justin Dzonzi who has been reviewing the land bills said substantive principles of land acquisition and maintenance are not spelt out in the land bill. He said the proposed law has concentrated on facilitating land transactions and not basic principles of land.

“We still don’t have a basic land law as was proposed in the national land policy we currently do not have basic principles that will govern land management in the country. There are a lot of people who have accumulated land and there is no principle that says that you cannot and in the end it disadvantaged the landless.

“If you simply say everybody has equal access to land and without changing the law that favours men you are only perpetuating the current status. It should have come with an affirmative strategy that sought to correct inequalities on the ground,” said Dzonzi.

But minister of lands and housing who is also leader of the house Henry Phoya in an earlier interview after the session that passed the bill, played down the fears by the bills critics saying the land bill was just a general bill and that upcoming bills such as customary law bill will explain some issues better.

Members of Parliament at the lobby dinner complained of the limited time they have to review bills and urged the civil society and non-governmental organisations to help iron out anomalies in bills at consultation stage.

One MP, Alekeni Menyani of Dedza Northwest, said land is the basic pride of poor Malawians and he expressed worry at the way the bill was rushed through parliament and wondered if Malawi was being sold.

Civil Society petitions Parliament over health budget, Media freedom

A group of civil society organisations on Friday stormed Parliament to deliver petitions asking for the august house to embrace the Table Mountain Declaration and to increase budgetary allocation to the health sector to 15 percent of the budget as per stipulations of the Abuja Declaration of 2001.

The CSOs, led by the Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) and The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), flanked about a hundred banner-bearing protestors, descended on parliament and delivered the two petitions to the parliamentary committee chairpersons responsible for health and media, Paul Chibingu and Godfrey Munkhondia respectively.

“It’s pathetic that though it is recommended that nations should strive to allocate at least 15 percent of their national budget to health we are still dragging, we are still at 10 percent. We still have a lot of challenges such as the recent drug shortage.

“We thought this budget would consider that and try to solve some of those problems. The HIV fight for example sees almost all the money is donor funded, we seem not to realise that we have that problem. It’s time we started allocating our own funds to the HIV fight,” said Timothy Mtambo, CHRRs Programmes Manager.

Asked why the CSOs were asking parliament to intervene on the Table Mountain declaration, Mtambo parliament has the potential to push the president to sign the agreemen

Photo-essay: Roger Federer - ActionAid Malawi school building project

ActionAid Malawi and Roger Federer Foundation partnered to buidl 80 Model schools for Malawian prescholars, i was there at the launch of the programme and visited several of the schools, here is my photo essay. from Ntchisi to Rumphi. This story links from this one

Kambwiri - ActionAid Malawi Board Chair

TA Kasakula

Handel