On the First Lady - Madam Callista Mutharika

She deserves a salary
By Hastings Maloya

I always find it difficult and of course tricky to comment on issues related to the country’s highest office – the State House. In all aspect, this office deserves respect. In respecting the office, one also respects the powers that this office has and recognises appointments that this office makes, especially when the appointments are not legally erroneous.

There are countries, others very close to us, where its citizens cannot comment on issues related to the state house or office of the presidency. In Malawi things are different as we are free and able to discuss, comment and make opinions on issues related to the presidency. As an extension of the freedom, here we are today debating whether the first lady should be receiving a salary on her position as coordinator of Safe Motherhood programme in Malawi. I dare say, the position deserves a salary.

It is undeniable that negative news sells. When news came out from whichever source alleging that the first lady has a contract and is salaried, it had been exciting news and was hot both in print and electronic media including gossips among gatherings. Much of the comments and opinions that we have seen and heard are negative. Not many have been able to agree that it’s necessary to pay the coordinator. As usual communicating positive stories is challenging.

The first lady has been accused of drawing salary for charity work. One wonders if indeed what she is doing could be described as charity or that the crime is that she is married to the President. My understanding is that the Safe Motherhood programme seeks to promote the advancement of women and vulnerable populations in all sectors of our rapidly changing and developing society especially in the rural areas with an aim of developing women's leadership, improving health care for women and girls, reducing gender-based violence, and promoting the education of girls. This is not charity. This is work!

The empowerment of women is central to any agenda of sustainable development, democratization, and social cohesion. The education of girls and young people is essential for cultivating responsible and productive citizens.

The government of Malawi has shown its commitment to the improvement of the status of women. It has therefore taken the President to appoint a coordinator to be responsible for issues of safe motherhood. This shows commitment form the high office and needs to be a collective endeavour that must involve government, civil society, and the active participation of all citizens.

Perhaps we don’t understand safe motherhood, so we don’t appreciate the importance of that programme whose goal is to contribute to improved quality of life among poor people especially women, young people, children and vulnerable families living in rural areas by facilitating socioeconomic development.

We should imagine a decrease in number of girl-children dropping out of primary and secondary schools on the basis of social pressures, economic hardships and unconducive learning environment and also increased awareness among communities on socio-cultural practices that increase women’s vulnerability to gender-based violence, contraction of STIs/HIV, cancer of cervix and practices that negatively influence gender orientation and stereo-typing.

Surely to achieve this and more, this programme is not a charity. It is an activity that requires measurable indicators with a full time salaried coordinator. The organisation will be fundraising and it is wrong to make sweeping statements as tax-payers paying.

It must be noted and agreed that the first lady is not only marketable. She is qualified, dedicated and experienced. From her days at Hunger Project and the impact of that project to her being an MP let alone minister there are traces of positive delivery of services. One could also notice that the moment she became coordinator she has already attracted funding in excess of what could have been expected. Media reports also indicated that there have been discussions with the South African musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka on fundraising for children and they launched a vaccination programme in December in Lilongwe.

Achievements are being realised. The best example is the training of midwives from rural areas, and they will work in rural areas. This is a rare programme that will bridge the gap between hospitals and traditional birth attendants (TBAs). This will help in increased proportion of women, young people, vulnerable families, and children accessing holistic and quality integrated reproductive, child health and child development services.

Then there have been arguments that the previous holder of the position, Madam Joyce Banda never drew any salary for the work. This argument is very unfortunate as it is being wrongly equated. It requires no explanation that the previous holder, who actually was a Goodwill Ambassador for Safe Motherhood, was not a coordinator and in practice a civil servant could not be drawing two salaries. When an elected MP becomes a minister, one does not draw two salaries hence the Vice President could not draw another salary. These two people are different and its wrong to equate them in a comparison.


*The writer is a social commentator writing in his personal capacity

attached picture: Malawi’s Callista Mutharika with the German’s First Lady Bettina Wulff when they met in Berlin (source internet)