Update On Why Tahrir Should Come To Malawi

1. So rumour has it that Mutharika has assented to the Injunctions Bill and that the bill is now law...with that said, injunctions will be a mountain to the usually wronged average Malawian: http://www.nyasatimes.com/politics/mutharika-approves-injunctions-law.html

2. Britain has suspended the much needed aid to Malawi: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/media-room/news-stories/2011/government-to-suspend-general-budget-support-to-malawi/

3. Britain says it will not accept any Diplomat from Malawi nor will it send another after the one that was there was chased by Mutharika: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=PressS&id=631051082

If you are still not feeling like jumping into the streets then you are a serious problem...I hope you realise that we have lost a long standing partner in the name of United Kingdom, our right to seek court redress and our aid!....

Uthenga Wa Chichewa Kwa A Malawi Onse Pa Za Kuyendera Ufulu Za Pa 20 Julayi

A Third In A Series Of Articles On The Malawi 20 July Demonstrations:

"Pa 20 July Pano, Monga Mwamvera Kale, A Malawi Okonda Dziko Lawo Azayenda Ngati Mbalame Zakunyanja Kuyendera Ufulu Wawo Umene Ukunka Nasowa Ndikuponderezedwa Muno MuMalawi, Amalawi Okhuzidwa Amene Akupanga za Ziwoneserozi Ali Ndi Uthenga Uwu Kwa a Malawi...."

Inu nonse a Malawi mukudziwa kuti mudzaka zisanu zoyamba za ulamuliro wa a pulezident Bingu wa Mutharika anthu tinatangwanika ndikuona ngati tiona zeni zeni ngati dziko. Ife ngati anthu amene timatsatira mwandondomeko zakayendetsedwe ka boma la democracy komanso potsatira zimene inu a Malawi eni munasankha mmene tinkasintha ulamuliro kuchoka ulamuliro wa chipani chimodzi mzaka za 1992 mpakana 1994.

Malawi tsopano wabwerera mbuyo ndipo wasanduka choseketsa cha anthu zifukwa za zinthu izi:-

1. Kusowa ndalama za kunja zomwe timatha kugulira zinthu monga mankhwala, mafuta ndi zina zofunika.
2. Kupereka bizinesi kwa anthu omwe ali pa ubale ndi pulezidenti ndi amtundu wake.
3. Kusamvera malangizo ngakhale ochokera kwa atsogoleri a mipingo ndi zipembedzo.
4. Kudzichemerera ndikusamvera kwake kwamtsogoleri wadziko lino
5. Kufuna kusandutsa u pulezidenti ngati ufumu pofuna kusiira mng’ono wake mpando wa pulezidenti mopanda kutsatira ndondomeko zoyenera za demokalase ndi ulamuliro wabwino.
6. Kuchitira nkhanza ndi kusawalemekeza a Malawi ena omwe agwira ntchito yokonza dziko la Malawi mbuyomu komanso ngakhale omwe iye wagwira nawo ntchito chifukwa chomulangiza.
7. Kuthamangitsa anthu othandiza dziko lino komanso otigula malonda athu ngati fodya.
8. Kuopyedza ufulu wachibadwidwe wa a Malawi poopsyedza atsogoleri a mabungwe omwe Sali a boma komanso manyuzipepala ndi mawailesi omwe Sali a boma.
9. Posintha malamulo mosaganizira zomwe a Malawi anawaikira malamulowo ndizolingazo.
10. Kusowa kwamafuta a magalimoto ndi zina zotero kwa nthawi yayitali.
11. Kuletsa kugula mafuta mzigubu ngakhale galimoto itakuthera mafutawo panjira kapena kunyumba kwanu.
12. Kunyozera zigamulo za ma khoti komanso kuopyeza ogwira ntchito mmakhotimo ndikuwamana malipilo awo motsutsana ndi malamulo.
13. Kukondera popatsa maudindo a mboma ndi mabungwe aboma komanso business kwa anthu a mtundu wake wokha.
14. Kuzunza atsogoleri akale ndi ena monga a pulezidenti opuma powakaniza kupita kuchipatala ndi achiwiri awe komanso a Chilumpha ndi a Vice Prezident a dziko lino  chifukwa choti ndi mzimai.
15. Kuzikundikira chuma pogula ndi kumanga nyumba 15  kunja ndi kuno komwe pogwiritsa ndalama zomwe zikanatukula dziko lino.
16. Kupatsa mkazache malipiro (salary) pogwira ntchito yothandiza yomwe ena amagwira osalipidwa.
17. Kumangiridwa nyumba ndi zina ndi contractor yemwe akumpatsa ma contract a boma popanda ndondomeko.
18. Kusamutsa university yoti imangidwe ku Lilongwe kuipititsa ku mudzi ndi munda wake ku Ndata ngati ndi yake
19. Kumpatsa galimoto zomwe ziyenera kuyenda ndi anthu ngati pulezidenti ndi wachiwiri wake (convoy) kwa Peter Mutharika atalanda kw a Veep ndi a pulezidenti opuma pamene iye ali nduna wamba.
20. Kulemba ntchito achibale ake mmaudindo akulu akulu a boma ndi mabungwe a boma.
21. Kupereka chimanga mwaulere ku Zimbabwe mopanda chilolezo chochokera kunyumba ya malamulo.
22. Kunamiza a Malawi kuti iye ngwa nzeru pamene akulephera kuyendetsa dziko.
23. Kutseka sukulu zaukachenjede pamene analumbira kuti muulamuliro wake sukulu zimenezi sizizatsekedwanso.
24. Kunyoza mavenda ndi anthu amalonda.
25. Kuononga ndalama za boma pomanga damu kuNsanje popanda kuwafunsa a ku Mozambique omwe akukhudzidwa ndi mbali ina yantchitoyi.
26. Kuwabera anthu omwe akupereka zinthu mboma ponama ndi nkhani ya funding.
27. Kukhometsa misonkho mosaona kuvutika kwa anthu.
28. Kuopsedza atsongolori a Zipani zotsutsa ndi amabubgwe amene si Aboma
29. Kungwiritsa ndi kuphangira nyumba zaulusila mau za Amalawi (MBCTV) kutukwana amalawi.
30. Kusapereka malipiro kwa Ziphunzitsi and ena ogwira Mmboma mu nthawi yoyenera 
31. Kugwiritsa Ntchito Apolisi molakwika kutolera makobili Mmusewu ngati  MRA kutolera Misokho. 
32. Kusakha popereka Chitukuko cha Dziko pokondera Madera ena monga kwawo kwa A Prezidenti

Nkhani zonsezi ndi zina zotero zikuonetsa kuti akuluwa boma lawakanika kuliyendetsa- akuyesa kuti utsogoleri ndi njira yongolemelera ndikutchukapo. Tsopano nthawi yakwana kuti a Malawi tonse tidzuke ndikumuchotsa munthu wadyerayu pampando akupume kundende. Tikupempha a Malawionse kuti tigwirane manja kuti pa 20 July pano tichotse munthu ameneyu. Tipemphe achitetezo monga asilikali a nkhondo ndi apolisi kuti ateteze a  Malawi onse patsiku limeneli ndi masiku akubwerawa.

Ife a Malawi okhudzidwa.

Planning The Demos Has Been A Thorough Job Here Is A Peek

Theme: Uniting for Peaceful Resistance Against Bad Economic and Democratic Governance

“A Better Malawi is Possible! “

Task to be done:-

·         Establishment of a core organising team, comprising of leaders from stakeholder organisations

·         Letters to City Assemblies (North, Centre and South)  for notification on  the demonstration

·         Write the police to  provide security and guard against thugs, unruly elements seeking to disrupt the  March;

·         Mobilise urban and rural stakeholders to generate a massive response;

·         Coordination ensuring that we all move together, handling internal communications, establishing chain of command;

·         Drafting of themes for flyers/ posters/banners, use of red cards. Flyers should be distributed 2/3 days before the demo date. 20,000 flyers to be printed. 500-1000 whistles. Flyers will include issues in relation to economic hardships and bad governance. (key fuel ,forex shortage and undemocratic laws)

·         Use of an open truck and one or two musicians on it during match or pre-match into key townships.

·         Publicity – to organise & handle media coverage to achieve maximum effect through i.e. Zodiak, Joy, Mij, nation and daily times. We need use of public address a day before for publicity and on the actual day.

·         Radio announcements to emphases DISCIPLINE during demonstrations.

·         Creating publicity through social networking i.e. FB/twitter/SMs etc.

·         Liaise with Vendors Association, Minibus Association and Taxis Association.

·         Linking up with Nurses Ass. Congoma, MCTU, CCJP, Nkhoma Synod and Students.

·         Linking up with Cosatu and other SADC regional NGOs for solidarity.

·         Press conferences; 2 days before the march and immediately after the march

·         Invite international media to cover

·         Assign a communication officer from one participating organisation to coordinate recording of the events in all regions (through videocam and still camera’s)

·         Assign someone to manage demo facebook page and update the demo page constantly, especially with pictures

·          

Tentative date: - 20^th July 2011/ Regional demonstration/down tools.

Message: 'If you can't join and you're an all CEO, MD, Police, Army, and Civil Servant' please release your house servant/garden boy etc on that day.

Aftermath: - Continued voice and maintaining the pressure on the Government until they address the issues and improve their   performance/ use creative media to mobilise involvement e.g. facebook, blogs, twitter;

Colours to be used: - Red Colour (dress/wear anything RED (T/Shirts/Red Card/ placards/ banners, Red whistles)

Route to Use:-

Southern Region: - Blantyre District Office through Kamuzu Highway to Kamuzu Stadium to Civic Offices

Central region: from Community Ground through old town/ Kasungu Highway to City Centre

Northern Region: From Katoto Ground to City Assembly.

Public Announcement On 20 July Malawi Demonstrations

From Today Up to 20 July This Blog Will Host Info and Details On The Anti-Bad Governance Demonstrations That Are Being Called By The HRCC and Its Partners.....this is the first of their announcements:

This is to inform all Malawians that Concerned Malawians and various stakeholders have organised peaceful demonstrations to take place on 20^th July 2011 in all the regions of the country.

The peaceful demonstrations have been organized as part of our constitutional right to express alarm regarding the current economic and democratic crises facing Malawi, with the aim of calling for an end to the current poor economic and democratic governance being advanced by the current administration.

These demonstrations are the first phase towards the grand mass demonstrations set for 17^th August 2011 national wide.

The Theme of the Demonstrations is:  Uniting For Peaceful Resistance Against Bad Economic and Democratic Governance – “A Better Malawi Is Possible”

Outline of the Demonstrations is as Follows:-

SOUTHERN REGION

Starting point: - Blantyre District Office through Kamuzu Highway to Kamuzu Stadium to Civic Offices

We are calling all Malawians from Ndirande, Chilomoni, Chilobwe, Bangwe, Zingwangwa, Machinjiri, Mbayani, Chileka, Ludzu and all areas to join the demonstration on 20^th July.

CENTRAL REGION

Starting Point: - From Community Centre Ground through Old Town then Kasungu Highway then to City Centre.

We are calling all Malawians from Area 25, Kawale, Biwi, Mchesi, Chitsapo, Area 23, 33, 49, 39, Bunda, Likuni,Mugona and all areas to join the demonstration on 20^th July.

NORTHERN REGION

Starting Point: - From Katoto Ground through Town to City Assembly Office.

We are also calling on all Malawians from Zolo Zolo, Katawa, Chiwanja, Mzilawayingwe, Chasefu ndi all Areas to join the demonstration on 20^th July.

Colour: - We are appealing to all Malawians to put on anything RED on 20^th July wherever they are. 

If you can't join and you're a Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director , in the Police, Army, and a Civil Servant please release your house servant/gardener on that day.

Note:  This is a peaceful demonstration and we would appeal to all Malawians to be DISCIPLINED during the demonstrations.  Lets us show the authorities that much as they are oppressing us we are peaceful and constructive Citizens.

This is your chance to make the difference by being heard and be counted on 20^th July.  COME ONE COME ALL!

Viva Democracy!  Viva Struggle for Freedom!

RSA bishop warns media on bad publicity as Bushiri insists chaos await BT

Bishop Magola has warned Malawian media to desist from dissing men of God to avoid “forced early retirement, death and curses” and other unspecified action, Nyasa Times has the details.

Magola, a South African who is dubbed terminator by his followers, fired the warning shots at Chichiri Stadium on Sunday where he was a guest preacher at Shepherd Bushiri’s “Three Days of Prophecy Conference.”

“Don’t play with major prophets, they can kill or curse you without involving God or the devil, “ said Magola, “if you don’t understand us just shut your mouth because  we can send you on early retirement, we can close your company and we send you to heaven or hell early.”

He went on to defend Bushiri saying that despite the bad publicity he was enjoying, he [Magola] had had a vision in which Bushiri was first swimming in Lake Malawi, then the Mediterranean Sea then the Atlantic, adding that by next year, Bushiri will not be as he is.

“I am not defending Prophet [Bushiri], you don’t need to defend a lion, I am just saying that what you have here is not a small thing,” said Magola.

Several other international pastors also took turns to warn Malawians not to play with Bushiri because they [the visitors] would whisk him away instead, drawing cheers of no! No! from the animated crowd.

Bushiri himself compared some Malawians to crows, which he said liked to scavenge bad things only despite having white necks.  He wondered why Malawians only like bad news.

Bushiri then made similar remarks to those Mutharika made on the same venue on 6 March, saying that when the press lands on men of God’s necks, it was also on the church’s and that it was the responsibility of the church to protect the leaders.

 During the sermon, Bushiri repeated his prophecy that Blantyre would degenerate into chaos from what would start as a simple demonstration, he thus called on faithfulls to pray so that the dark cloud would spare Blantyre.

“Pray that it may not happen, if you don’t it will and don’t say I never told you, and then you may need me but I might be away on honeymoon,” said Bushiri to a dead silent crowd, “I know most people call names what they cannot understand, it’s good that they just call us names than to understand us and destroy us.”

Ha challenged that if his prophecy does not come alive, he should be called a false prophet and said that a prophet never visits a place without a message, going ahead to quote Amos 3 verse 7 which says that God never does anything without speaking through his prophets first.

The crowds braved the weather to witness Bushiri who arrived in a motorcade of about 15 vehicles alighting from a Nissan Teana with the personalised license plates “Tyna 74,” flanked by body guards with the crowds in frenzy singing the tune: “Give me power every hour.”

The Conference ran for three days and focused on giving hope to the masses, strengthening their spiritual stand in the eschatological times and prophesying on the future. It was spiced by music from Geoffrey Zigoma, Martha Kasambala, Habakkuk and Bushiri’s own Praise Team.

Church, Tobacco company pair in novel anti-child labour campaign

The Livingstonia Synod’s Church and Society Program on Saturday paired with the most unlikely of partners, Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company to deliver 1,500 school kits to children of Kabwafu tobacco farmers in a bid to curb child labour which is rife in the area.

The school kits which consisted of a school bag, a mathematical instruments set and a drink bottle were given out at Kabwafu Primary School ground in Mzimba, a development that Senior Chief Mpherembe hailed as “commendable.”

“Buyers were concerned of the ‘dirty’ tobacco that was being produced with child labour so as a company we thought it wise to campaign against that to make the tobacco clean,”  said Themba Machila, Social Responsibility Programs Coordinator for Limbe Leaf.

Machila revealed that the company has pumped about 20 million Kwacha into the Central and Northern Regions’ tobacco areas to try and root out child labour. He also spoke of plans to give out ploughs, boreholes and other inputs to its contracted farmers to better their lives.

The Church and Society Program recently conducted research that saw 36% of the respondents acknowledging existence of child labour in Mzimba and especially the Kabwafu area.

“The school Kits will go a long way to encourage children to go and stay in school, they will also serve as bait for those not interested in going to school,” said Moses Mkandawire, Director of Church and Society, “ lets end child labour and send our kids to school to brighten theirs and our future.”

Now this calls for a big WTF!

As if petroleum fuel shortages are not enough, the country’s sole electricity provider, Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (Escom), has just announced that it is embarking on a massive load-shedding program that will see the whole of Malawi in darkness everyday from four to 10 PM for the rest of this year.

The announcement was then defended and sugar-coated on the state broadcaster MBC TV in its News Hour programme on Wednesday by one of the parastatal’s officials.

The move has already become one of the most discussed topic on the social media and cyber sphere with some backing Escom, and some trashing it as part of DPP’s continued failure to run the country.

“We heard that Escom got funding to improve power generation where is that? And not only that, Escom is a monopoly that enjoys abnormal profits and economies of scale, where is that again?” wondered one Malawian on Facebook.

“This will mean more trees going down, they can’t bring this move when winter is at its peak, what will we cook with?” said a DJ on Radio 2 of the MBC.

“I hope this will not affect Poly, because we never live in darkness without raising hell,” said a Poly student.

Escom has been under constant criticism over its incapacity and misuse of revenue with the recent K80 million kwacha party scandals still vivid in Malawians memories.

Some quarters of Malawi have since planned to march against the country woes with posters in Blantyre’s Ndirande calling for a 6 July march, in Mzuzu Msenga Mulungu, one of the protest organisers said they [Fond] are planning something on the 20^th of next month.

In the world over such issues as tax raises, fuel shortages and energy woes result in nationwide demonstrations but Malawians never seem to agree on one course of action.

“Why are only 6 Malawians RSVPing this event?” Wondered Fungai Chiposi, a Zimbabwean who is a critic of Robert Mugabe’s rule, he was referring to the event “Malawi Revolt Update” which is being hosted by a Malawian living is Seychelles.

Signs of division are eminent in the drive to protest Malawi’s woes with tribalism raising its dirty head in some occasions.

“Atumbuka you just want to revenge Bingu on Quota, we will not join you,” said one user on the Malawi Revolt Update wall, referring to the ‘Mhango’ surname of the host.

Tribal issues also played out in one of Poly lecturers’ meeting in March where lecturers from the Central and Northern Region voted against teaching while those from the south and especially from the Mhlakho belt voted to teach because they said the others were only being personal against Bingu because he was a Southerner.

Undule Mwakasungula (Ngonde) and Gift Trapence (Lower Shire), the two top most human rights activists in Malawi have also seen their share of the tribal labelling on the social media; it seems that Malawians are yet to agree that the country’s woes are for everybody.

Meanwhile to stage a demonstration police are demanding that the Intelligence unit be involved in the planning, that the planners give the exact number of people that will be present; this is reportedly according to the new Police Act. The go ahead for demonstrations has also been shifted from City CEO’s to District Commissioners.

Reports also indicate that an extra band of intelligence spies have been deployed to eke out intel on demos in the country’s night clubs.

Paladin exploiting Karonga without giving back

General Secretary of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Reverend Levi Nyondo, on Saturday expressed disappointment in the role of government and the Uranium mining company for ‘not doing enough, quickly’ for the people of Karonga following the floods and earthquakes that have affected the district over the last 12 months.

Nyondo, Male in foreground

Nyondo said this at Iponga Primary school where the Synod was launching its own relief response that will see thousands of victims receive food, medicine, seeds, mosquito nets, water treatment materials and plastics  sheets for three months.

“Let the representative of the government here take this plea to the powers that be, we are all Malawians, and we all pay taxes, let government treat everybody as equals. If you don’t forward my plea I will do it myself,” boomed Nyondo drawing applause from the seated masses.

In a later interview Nyondo said he feels that government is not doing enough for flood victims, he also said the government similarly delayed in responding when the district was pounded by a series of earthquakes that left thousands homeless.

“Then we have Paladin at Kayerekera...they should not just steal the peoples minerals and make moneys, they should do more for the common people and not just build houses for chiefs,” said Nyondo

However Traditional Authority of the area, T/A Mwakaboko thanked the synod, government and others Nongovernmental Organisations for their effort. He then piled blame on the shift cultivators who inhabit the hills west of the flooded areas.

According to Donald Manda, Director of the Synod of Livingstonia Development Department (SOLDEV), the three-month response program will cover about 1000 households in the areas under the dominions of T/A Mwakaboko, Kyungu and Kilupula.

The program is being bankrolled by Tear Fund UK and Presbyterian World Service and Development to the tune of K20.5 million.

We won’t go to class before our demands are met - Poly lecturers

Lecturers from the University of Malawi, The Polytechnic on Tuesday snapped their fingers in the face of their employers, listing down resolutions which ‘have to be honoured’ before the dons can return to pushing chalk.

In a meeting that went well into Tuesday evening, the lecturers formulated their resolutions which they have since forwarded to the University of Malawi Council.

“We have asked Council to put their words in writing on the issue of the closure of the college, on the issue of the freezing of salaries and on the issues of the signing of the forms. The fourth resolution is for council to go by the chancellor’s speech that there should be no casualties in the quest for academic freedom,” said Griffin Salima, Chairman of the Pascow, the college’s academic staff association. 

Council printed out forms for the academic staff to fill if they wanted to keep their jobs, very few filled them and Salima said the issue should be clarified by the council. Salima also said that the council should clearly state that it has withdrawn the cases in court against lecturers before classes can resume.

“We also took time to analyse the presidents’ speech on academic freedom and we are in total agreement with what he said that there should be a win win situation at the end of this, it’s why we have asked council to withdraw the cases it is pursuing against us.

“imagine Council sued government for paying us salaries, it’s why we joined the case to defend ourselves, unless such cases are withdrawn and council clearly puts it in writing to us, it’s hopeless,” said Salima.

Asked what the lecturers would do if council doesn’t honour the resolutions, Salima said it would then be hopeless and that only force would see them back in class.

This comes at a time when students soared their hopes of returning to school this July; the ball now remains in the court of the University Council.

Meanwhile MBC TV has been parading Chancellor College lecturers who have been condemning the CCASU and Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula’s leadership with one Philosophy Lecturer, Pascal Mwale, calling the union combative and disrespectful.

.

Mwale took time to condemn Blessings Chinsinga saying that what he underwent under Mukitho was a personal thing and that his statement that he underwent trauma are contradictory because he [Chinsinga] also told the nation that he was never intimidated by his being summoned by the police inspectors.

 However, one lecturer from Chanco wondered why MBC is using people who have admitted not being part of CCASU.

“I don’t know if that is even journalism, why would they parade Pascal Mwale when we all know that he has been to a mental hospital?” wondered the source

Protests Today

From today I will try to map the world protests.....here is a sample:

Today Cab drivers protested in New York

http://newyork.ibtimes.com/articles/166327/20110620/new-york-city-mayor-bloomberg-livery-taxi-cabs-cab-job-loss.htm

About 200 public employees marched across the Delaware River this morning in protest of cuts to their benefits.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/nj_public_workers_march_across.html

Great article on Protests here:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C06%5C21%5Cstory_21-6-2011_pg3_2

Here is how the first paragraph has been tackled: ‘We as a people are much too easily persuaded to lose our temper and get angry. We look for elements of negativity in situations that confront us. Furthermore, instead of being modest or sceptical about the validity of our own position and conceding that the other side’s interpretations may merit serious consideration, we tend to be loud and exaggerative in pressing our point of view’ – cool stuff!

One from Jo’Burg!: Taxi commuters were planning to protest against exclusive bus lanes in Soweto on Monday, the SA National Taxi Council said.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Joburg-taxi-commuters-to-protest-20110620

While we are busy organising the toppling of governments via facebook, in Israel our protest friends are using social media to protest....against cheese prices!

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-06-20/israeli-facebook-protest-targets-high-cottage-cheese-prices.html

Rest in Peace Brian Haw, the good protest shepherd

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/gallery/2011/jun/20/peace-campaigner-brian-haw-pictures

Out in the US, Members of a controversial church plan to protest today's memorial service of a 21-year-old Marine from Gastonia who was killed while serving in Afghanistan.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/06/20/2392145/group-to-protest-marines-memorial.html#ixzz1PrWxnA00.

Spain's 'indignant' activists launched protest marches today which will culminate in a major Madrid rally on 24 July, showing no let-up just a day after rallying an estimated 200,000 protesters.

I wonder if they play soccer while protesting in Spain!: http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0620/spain.html

Come on Asad, go! ‘As a pro-democracy uprising continues to rage in Syria, about 100 protesters marched Sunday night from Laurel Street and Sixth Avenue through Balboa Park, shouting “Long live Syria. Down, down with Assad.”’

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jun/19/balboa-park-protest-supports-pro-democracy-effort/

The King says he is bringing reforms, the people think its not enough: ‘Several thousand Moroccans have taken to streets in the country's biggest city, Casablanca, in protest against the constitutional reforms proposed by King Mohammed VI.’

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/185447.html

I thought the Catholics were Conserving in nature?  But...

 Parishioners of a liberal Catholic Church demonstrated outside the facility Sunday, protesting what they say is a more conservative direction the parish has taken the past two years

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_18312325?source=rss&nclick_check=1

Up-close and personal is always the best!

Northern Territory cattlemen will deliver a personal message about the ban on live cattle exports to Indonesia when they meet federal parliamentarians in Canberra

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/cattlemen-deliver-personal-message-to-mps-20110621-1gc8k.html

Happy Protesting Everyone, but sincerely today belongs to Ben Haw who couldn’t beat Cancer....his cause lives on.

Unima Council Declares 4 Chanco Lecturers Pariahs

"this story was compiled anf filed for Nyasa Times"

Kabwila-Kapasula and company are on record to have said that they don’t want to see any victims in the academic freedom struggle, but it seems the University Council of Malawi has other ideas,  on Wednesday evening the University Council issued marching orders to the four ‘ring leaders’ it earlier attempted to fire.

The four are Associate Professor Blessings Chinsinga, Professor Garton Kamchedzera, Franz Amin and Dr. Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula.

“I was working late (around 7.pm) and when I was passing the administration block the head of security [at Chanco] came to me and told me that I was wanted by the assistant registrar,” narrated Kamchedzera in a phone Interview with Nyasa Times, ‘on my way to the registrar’s office I met the college principal who didn’t greet me, a thing I found very unusual.

“The assistant registrar then handed me a letter from Council which said that it was a follow up from the letters they served us earlier when they terminated our contract. The letter said that the council was aware of the injunction [against the fours’ firing] but said that our services were not desired anymore and that we are therefore not compelled to report for work,” said Kamchedzera.

Kamchedzera then revealed that the council had also sent a 10-paged document to the rest of the academic staff telling them among others not to try to engage it in any talks advising instead that all queries should be directed to the principal.

Kamchedzera bemoaned the confrontational approach the council has taken saying it comes at a time when lecturers were trying to engage in dialogue to quickly resume teaching.

Meanwhile Nyasa Times gathered that the few academic staff that were on campus briefly met and a bigger meeting is scheduled for today to chart the way forward on the firing and the continued targeting of the four by the University Council.

The University Council actions also did not go well with Lawyer-cum-Politician, Ralph Kasambara who described the action as retrogressive.

“That is contempt of court. Most likely the council's conduct will result in a deadlock. Lecturers might not go back to teach. It means that nothing has changed. Academic freedom is still under threat,” said Kasambara who was speaking from Stockholm.

  Despite President Mutharika suggesting that the closed universities of Polytechnic and Chancellor College be opened by 4 July, the University Council has been steadily making strides in preventing that happening by maintaining the court appeals aimed at freezing the lecturers’ salaries and completely shutting down the universities.

Some quarters in Malawi allege that Mutharika was just playing games when he ‘assured’ academic freedom on national television, because, the people say, as the chancellor of the university he is also head of the University Council hence part of the court actions fuelling the confrontation.

Lecturers to help defend suspended Bunda students

"Written for Nyasa Times"

University of Malawi’s Chancellor College lecturers who were fired by the University Council have pledged support for the seven students who were fired from the defunct Bunda College of Agriculture for their conduct during the Academic Freedom Demos.

Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula who is the Acting President for Chancellor College Academic Staff Union told Nyasa  Times that they will support the suspended students because they [CCASU] hate to see any casualties in the ight for Academic Freedom.

Bright Theu, Lawyer representing the lecturers in the court cases against the University Council also said that there are ‘plans to work with the students and to find possible ways to assist them,’ further revealing that he would soon be meeting the lawyers of the students to discuss how they can work together.

Kapasula and Theu all confirmed that one of the students has already secured an Injunction stopping Bunda from implementing the decision to suspend him.

“An injunction has indeed been granted in Lilongwe and it is due service. As you remember we said that we would provide whatever help we can,” Theu said.

Nyasa Times separately learned that Peter Mkandawire, one of the seven students obtained the
injunction through lawyer Chimwemwe Sikwese on Friday.

Vice-Principal and chairman of the disciplinary committee at Bunda, Charles Masangano, said the injunction is within the student’s rights but said that Bunda would face them in court.

The seven students who include the students’ union president, Fraction Phwitiko, Peter Mkandawire, Benard Mshali, Ian Onion and George Thandaza, were suspended for alleged indiscipline during student riots and disrespect of the school’s disciplinary procedures as they demonstrated demanding academic freedom in April this year.

Cute Stranger

"Found this one while on a jog outside Mzuzu City, i have never seen it before and i am sure it is not in the flower diary....but i loved the fact that it produces a sweet smell plus feels like a woman's hair!"

Poly, Chanco July re-opening doubtful

'note one thing: I havent talked to Unima Council'

Despite President Mutharika directing that the embattled sister colleges, Polytechnic and Chancellor college open their doors to students by 4th July, there are indications that students are likely to remain home with the revelation that the University Council and lectures seem not ready to resolve their issues out of court.

Rumours started circulating on Thursday that the University Council still wants to proceed with court cases that are aimed at freezing lecturers’ salaries and completely shutting down the two colleges. On Friday the rumour was confirmed by both Pascow’s chairman Griffin Salima and Spokesperson, Simbarashe Mungoshi.

‘I will see the documents that they [University Council] have served us with on Monday but I hear they still want to completely close the college and freeze our salaries, “said Salima, “we agreed that we should go back to class but how do we do that while we are on campus through the courts and we are getting our salaries through the courts?”

Mungoshi said that they [lecturers] spent the day at the court and that the matter has been adjourned to Friday, next week.

Efforts to talk to a University Council proved futile but University of Malawi Students Union (UMSU), Secretary General, Mphatso Chirwa said that the University Council recently had a meeting where they discussed the Poly-Chanco issue.

“We [students] were not invited as per the rule [that when University Council discusses issues concerning students, the students are not supposed to be present] but we were only served with agendas which included the re-opening of the colleges, the academic calendar and students’ security,” said Chirwa.

On his part Polytechnic Students Union (PSU) president, Evance Morra, said he was in the dark on the issue and that he was just waiting for 4 July.

“If it’s true then it’s defying the president’s directive. We insisted and initiated this dialogue thing because we know how long court proceedings take and to hear that issues are still in court is disappointing, we don’t have all the time in the world,” said Morra.

University students reacted angrily to the development that the court issues were still being dragged on by University Council. A snap Survey of opinion on the social media shows allot of anger at University Council for the ‘politicking’ and president Mutharika for not being honest and clear in his recent speech on the matter.

Unima students dressed down Dausi, warned Mutharika of false advisors

i wrote this story for Nyasa Times... so read it in that context...

As Nyasa Times gathers more details of Saturday’s roundtable meeting between government and University of Malawi students, it has emerged that the students cautioned Mutharika to be wary of false advice from people looking for personal gains.

An inside source who opted for anonymity said the students were referring to Nicholas Dausi who was using the meeting to earn marks in Mutharika’s presence.

“Dausi picked on Lonjezo Sithole [Chanco Students union leader], accusing him of escorting Undule Mwakasungula to the UN to deliver ‘false’ complaints and allegations against Mutharika’s government,” said the source.

The outspoken Lonjezo Sithole protested, citing that he doesn’t even have a passport. The dressing down then begun, led by Polytechnic’s revolutionary Vice President, Victor Mandiwe who told Dausi that he was raising an issue that was irrelevant to the meeting.

The much Phlegmatic Evance Morra, then braved the numerical disadvantage the students were in to tell Mutharika that some people were ill-advising him for personal gains. Morra also suggested the colleges be opened in July to allow for non-residential students to secure accommodation and for the rest of the students to get into school mood.

“Dausi never spoke for the rest of the meeting and when we were leaving we overheard Peter Mutharika [Minister of Education] telling Dausi that he had goofed,” said our source.

The highly charged meeting saw Unima lecturers boycotting it for not being formally invited and saw tempers flaring with the student leaders being called names. The meeting resolved that Mutharika would soon issue a statement to address the issue of Academic freedom.

According to a statement monitored on the state-controlled broadcaster, MBC, Mutharika has assured the lectures of Academic freedom and has directed that the colleges of Chanco and Poly be opened on the 4^th of July.

Meanwhile unofficial reports indicate that lecturers are ready to resume teaching and the only questions being raised by students are those of stationery allowance and how the academic calendar will shape out.