Malawi News March 5-11, 2005
By Patrick Chinguwo
John Zenus Ungapake Tembo is one of the Oldest Politicians in Malawi. He needs no introduction. He isthe man who came second in the 2004 Presidential andParliamentary Elections. During this Election, Tembo'sParty Malawi Congress Party {MCP} amassed the biggestnumber of seats in Parliament. They are 63 in total. Imust confess that I do not support MCP or itsPresident. My vote did not go to JZU Tembo and noteven in future. But this time around it seems Tembo ismaking a lot of sense. In the words of Chinua Achebe'sArrow of God. "When two brothers fight, it is thestranger that gets the harvest". The infighting in theUnited Democratic party has seen Tembo ascending to amuch Stronger position.To be specific, UDF's loss of a Constituency formerlyheld by Dr. Chilumpha in the recent by-election shouldbe a big disappointment to the two Bs- Bakili andBingu- and a big smile for Tembo. The Open Terms Billmust have taught Tembo a big Political Lesson. Sincethen, he has learned the hard way that it is bad to goAGAINST the wishes of the people. Today it seems thathe is the only Politician who is making a lot ofPolitical Sense. Tembo and his MCP proposed during theElection Campaign the reduction of Fertilizer Prices.MCP fought a Protracted War for Fertilizer Subsidy butto no avail. Although Tembo is not a ProfessionalAgriculturalist, he knows that Malawian Soils needfertilizers. Tembo knows that with Cheaper Fertilizerthe Agricultural Sector is likely to expand.Agricultural Growth means a Reduction in Unemploymentin Agro-Industries and the Growth of the Economy aswell etc.But what is Evident now is that there will be Faminedue to Scarcity of Fertilizers on the Malawian Market.With the shortage of rains the artificial fertilizerscould have saved some of the maize planted. Tembo'sargument carries a lot of weight. It is not good todepend on Target Input Programme (TIP) every GrowingSeason. Reducing Fertilizer prices could have solvedthe puzzle. Indeed Tembo has been proved right atlast. Tembo's presence in the Opposition when manyPoliticians in the Country are changing allegianceslike nobody's business is an effort worth commending.It shows that Tembo of Kamuzu is different with Temboof Muluzi. Tembo of Bingu is even much different fromthe Tembo of the Past Regimes. As Fortune Seekers aremoving to Government side, Tembo and MCP have Opted toremain Poor but with the people. That is what iscalled Political Maturity.Tembo has shown that he is capable of withstanding thePolitical Tsunami. Everybody wants Tembo to remain inOpposition. Many people think Tembo is Anti-Bingu. ButI beg to differ. During the Last Budget-Sitting, itwas MCP that saved Bingu from a possible rejection ofthe Budget. It would be Political Suicide ifGovernment does not consult MCP on possible bills.Simple mathematics tell us that MCP MPs plus threemore MPs saying No to a bill equals No bill passing.In essence Tembo will set the Table Conditions.Recently, Tembo has condemned the President's quittingof the UDF. One would have expected him to be the lastperson to take such a stand. This shows that he hasrisen above Party Politics to the Level of wantingMalawian Democracy to Survive. For instance, he couldhave been happy that Bingu had left UDF because itmeant weakening UDF while his Party got Stronger. Thisis the type of Tembo that Malawians want. Maybe Tembowill call Bingu and Atcheya for a Round TableDiscussion. The rejected Stone has now become theCorner Stone.
Friday, July 4, 2008
THE ROLE OF WOMEN POLITICIANS IN THE MEDIATION TALKS.
I have followed with keen interest how the mediations on the currently ‘ndale impasse’ (ndale because they are trying to make each other look like failures). The most unpleasant development that I have noted is the missing of women in the opposition and even the government teams conducting the negotiations. Persons like Hon. Patel, Hon. Joyce Banda, Hon.Naccy Morgan Tembo just to mention a few could have ably handled the negotiations even bet that if these women were left to do the negotiations we could , as a nation , have had the deal already in place. It seems Malawians we do not borrow a leaf from our cultural practices. It is a tradition that a chief is chosen by a group of women. It was not by mistake that our fore fathers decided to use this strategy. Try it, we can be surprised of it result. I for one doubt the commitment of the men involved with negotiations. After all women are in the majority in the country hence the import need for them to be in the fore front of the negotiations.
I have followed with keen interest how the mediations on the currently ‘ndale impasse’ (ndale because they are trying to make each other look like failures). The most unpleasant development that I have noted is the missing of women in the opposition and even the government teams conducting the negotiations. Persons like Hon. Patel, Hon. Joyce Banda, Hon.Naccy Morgan Tembo just to mention a few could have ably handled the negotiations even bet that if these women were left to do the negotiations we could , as a nation , have had the deal already in place. It seems Malawians we do not borrow a leaf from our cultural practices. It is a tradition that a chief is chosen by a group of women. It was not by mistake that our fore fathers decided to use this strategy. Try it, we can be surprised of it result. I for one doubt the commitment of the men involved with negotiations. After all women are in the majority in the country hence the import need for them to be in the fore front of the negotiations.
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND POLITICS OF BUDGET
In the recent times there have been issues of the fact that university students are used by the politicians for their own ends. But looking at the current just suspended budget session would one blame the university students for demanding their right to education? They demand the right to education because the budget also carries with it their university’s budget including the stationery and book allowances popularly called ‘sacco.’
Why the university students demonstrate when the budget is delaying is that they are usually tired with politicizing the budget. University students, as intelligentsias, do know that their voices are so influential. The nation can not forget the various demonstrations that the university students have so far organized in support of the budget. The demonstrations have always been successful. However this des not mean that university students are being used. I believe that they are exercising their right to demonstration. In the process they are fulfilling their social and political responsibility in demanding and promoting their rights as well as right of the general public of having a budget in place. The former president and the current presidential candidate and Atheya of UDF Dr. Muluzi use to say ‘amai ndi abambo ndale samadya (ladies and gentlemen people do not eat politics).’ This therefore drives the university student into realizing that how much politics or Ndale is happening as Malawians it the budget that is important. Hence the university students have always stood by the people in support of the budget. I would say it is Atheya’s problem that he inspired into the university students’ minds that ndale samadya (we cannot eat politics). Bravo Atcheya
The university students are always proud to be associated with the successes of ensuring that politicians do not play around with the lives of the poor and voiceless Malawians. By demanding the budget first and nothing else the university students in Malawi are ensuring that our country does not retrogress economically. I believe the signs are clear that the university student is not against practicing of ndale. In fact it makes life funny hearing a so called Honourable Member of Parliament saying things like ‘agalu inu’, ‘Madam Deputy Speaker , Sir’ and even ‘lepi’ instead of ‘rape.’ But the outcry is that the Ndale must be done after people have been their budget. It is a known fact that money in the budget has and will never belong to UDF, MCP, Afrod, PPM, RP etc or let alone the DPP parties. That money belongs to the people of Malawi and some from the developing partners. Thus the university students are not likely going to be silent sitting pwii and watch the country being destroyed because of politicians. World over university students have been known for not sitting pwii on issues affecting them and the society at large. I very much doubt that the university students in Malawi are any exception.
The politicians should however resist the temptations of thinking that when the university students demonstrate for a particular cause then they are for such and such political party. Such thinking is being myopic on their part. UDF knows what this means. However, while this is true, there are clear statistics that the currently government (not DDP party) of Dr. Bingu Wa Muthalika, PhD is being rated highly within the intellectual corridors of various campuses hosting University students. This explains the reasons that it is easier for the university students to leave their wells of knowledge, books, library, assignments, and even research projects in order to demonstrate for the budget. When the bad turns into worse we have seen them getting court orders in form of injunctions so that they see to it that the budget is debated and passed so that the ordinary people benefits.
Since because of their sufficient interest in the budget, university students I believe would continue taking a closer look with keen interest how the budget is being deliberated during the budget session. They know that their loans and allowances are within the budget. Even more, the Agriculture vote with its subsidies like fertilizer, pesticides etc is of greater importance to Malawi’s inflation rate to remain in the single digits and interest rates to go down probably to slightly over 10%. Politician watch out the university students are watching.
In the recent times there have been issues of the fact that university students are used by the politicians for their own ends. But looking at the current just suspended budget session would one blame the university students for demanding their right to education? They demand the right to education because the budget also carries with it their university’s budget including the stationery and book allowances popularly called ‘sacco.’
Why the university students demonstrate when the budget is delaying is that they are usually tired with politicizing the budget. University students, as intelligentsias, do know that their voices are so influential. The nation can not forget the various demonstrations that the university students have so far organized in support of the budget. The demonstrations have always been successful. However this des not mean that university students are being used. I believe that they are exercising their right to demonstration. In the process they are fulfilling their social and political responsibility in demanding and promoting their rights as well as right of the general public of having a budget in place. The former president and the current presidential candidate and Atheya of UDF Dr. Muluzi use to say ‘amai ndi abambo ndale samadya (ladies and gentlemen people do not eat politics).’ This therefore drives the university student into realizing that how much politics or Ndale is happening as Malawians it the budget that is important. Hence the university students have always stood by the people in support of the budget. I would say it is Atheya’s problem that he inspired into the university students’ minds that ndale samadya (we cannot eat politics). Bravo Atcheya
The university students are always proud to be associated with the successes of ensuring that politicians do not play around with the lives of the poor and voiceless Malawians. By demanding the budget first and nothing else the university students in Malawi are ensuring that our country does not retrogress economically. I believe the signs are clear that the university student is not against practicing of ndale. In fact it makes life funny hearing a so called Honourable Member of Parliament saying things like ‘agalu inu’, ‘Madam Deputy Speaker , Sir’ and even ‘lepi’ instead of ‘rape.’ But the outcry is that the Ndale must be done after people have been their budget. It is a known fact that money in the budget has and will never belong to UDF, MCP, Afrod, PPM, RP etc or let alone the DPP parties. That money belongs to the people of Malawi and some from the developing partners. Thus the university students are not likely going to be silent sitting pwii and watch the country being destroyed because of politicians. World over university students have been known for not sitting pwii on issues affecting them and the society at large. I very much doubt that the university students in Malawi are any exception.
The politicians should however resist the temptations of thinking that when the university students demonstrate for a particular cause then they are for such and such political party. Such thinking is being myopic on their part. UDF knows what this means. However, while this is true, there are clear statistics that the currently government (not DDP party) of Dr. Bingu Wa Muthalika, PhD is being rated highly within the intellectual corridors of various campuses hosting University students. This explains the reasons that it is easier for the university students to leave their wells of knowledge, books, library, assignments, and even research projects in order to demonstrate for the budget. When the bad turns into worse we have seen them getting court orders in form of injunctions so that they see to it that the budget is debated and passed so that the ordinary people benefits.
Since because of their sufficient interest in the budget, university students I believe would continue taking a closer look with keen interest how the budget is being deliberated during the budget session. They know that their loans and allowances are within the budget. Even more, the Agriculture vote with its subsidies like fertilizer, pesticides etc is of greater importance to Malawi’s inflation rate to remain in the single digits and interest rates to go down probably to slightly over 10%. Politician watch out the university students are watching.
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