Master retains Mt Mulanje porters title
By Hastings Maloya
Point proven, she is a genius. She did not only defend her championship but also beat her own record of last year. Tereza Master has, for a second year running won the Mount Mulanje Porters Race after doing the trek in 2 hours 42 minutes seven minutes less of her 2006 record of 2 hours 49 minutes. She walked home K20, 000 richer and a trophy from NBS Bank. Her long time friend Nancy Matanda, current national marathon champion, came second after doing the distance in 2 hours 48 minutes, followed by Doris Fisha on the third position.
“This is a consolation as I was supposed to be at the All Africa Games in Algeria had everything gone as planned, but anyway I am very happy to have defended my title.” said the excited Master. She said the race helps her keep her fitness.
In the men’s category, a new name in the athletic circles, Charles Musowa, who has been on second position for the past two consecutive years, breathed fire and claimed the championship of Malawi’s only extreme sport. He also K20, 000 bank voucher to open an account with NBS Bank thanks to NBS Bank, the proud sponsors of the 2007 Mount Mulanje Porters Race.
Musowa, one of the porters from Likhubula zone, did the 25km mountain trek in 2 hours 9 minutes beating last years record of Francis Khanje at 2 hours 17 minutes. Mike Tebulo from Zomba came second while Khanje came third and received K15, 000 and K10, 000 respectively from NBS Bank.
“I have finally done it,” said the excited Musowa adding: “its time now Malawi knew that from Mulanje now comes another name in athletics.” He said his wish now is to claim championship at the national marathon.
Khanje accepted defeat and praised his colleague. “It is painful to see your championship taken away but I congratulate Charles. I really wanted to defend my title but my preparations were not very good,” he said while shaking hands with the new champion adding that this encourages him to do better but also shows that there is still hidden talent in Mulanje that needs to be explored.
Both winners were offered a one night full board accommodation courtesy of Kara O’ Mula Country Lodge in Mulanje.
The race this year, which attracted 304 participants was fully sponsored by NBS Bank to a tune of K1.3 million that included prizes and all administrative costs. The chief executive of the Bank, Mr. John Biziwick said his Bank is excited to be associated with the mountain race and also proud that it is playing a role in bringing out the unnoticed talent in athletics.
“As a caring Bank, we feel honoured to be associated with events like these. Let me assure you all that we are willing to sponsor the race again next year,” said Biziwick amid ululations and handclapping from the over five-thousand crowd that braved the chilly weather to witness the event.
Biziwick said apart from the lovely sport, his Bank is willing to support small scale projects that are aimed and natural resource and environmental management.
“This is your Bank and your Bank needs to be closer to you. While I congratulate the winners today, I would like to call upon everybody here to be associated with NBS Bank in one way or another” said Biziwick adding that plans are underway to open a branch at Likhubula which is a tourist spot.
And the district commissioner for Mulanje Moses Chimphepo thanked NBS Bank for the support and for making the Porters race such a beautiful event. He said the Mulanje District Assembly is always excited that the district is leading in as far as athletics is concerned.
The 304 runners, 112 of whom were women, trekked in a rocky and hazardous route with small paths from Likhubula to Chambe Plateau then along the plateau to Lichenya and descend back from the starting point. In total it requires a total of 11 hours for a good mountain climber to cover such a trek of about 25 kilometres.
The annual Mount Mulanje Porters Race which was in the eleventh anniversary this year has attracted the attention of runners both male and female from all over the world that athletically compete up and across the lovely plateaus of Mount Mulanje. This year it attracted 58 international runners.
On Political Defections - Dausi
,.....Its a political miscalculation
By Hastings Maloya
Politics, politics politics.
It is not amusing to comment on political issues especially when you are not a politician. It is therefore quite tricky to comment on the subject under debate today but living in a country thus governed by politics leaves all of us with no choice but to comment on political matters. After all, the fact that we all get involved in the process of choosing governments, makes all of us become politicians.
As an aspiring candidate for a parliamentary seat, it is purely a challenge to comment of political matters as readers, especially those that call shots in political parties may chose to read with different minds all together and make wild conclusions far from what is on the table. But all the same an opinion remains thus and certainly you will agree with my points of view. Please read on.
Recent political happenings in Malawi have to a greater degree made us all fail to concentrate on issues to do with development and have only turned us into serious politicians. What with the unfortunate debates in parliament and its subsequent suspension, the independence celebrations that saw a section of Malawians absconding and of course political statements from different commentators in all angles.
Any recent political development has in its own received different opinions from different people and different groups of people depending on which side one has tilted oneself to. Very unfortunate, but as said above we are in a situation that gives us limited choice and to comment soberly without taking sides is becoming a far-fetched trial.
But the biggest political news of recent times came on Sunday July 8 with the defection of one Mr. Nicholas Dausi from the ‘mighty’ Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to the ‘ruling’ Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Mr. Dausi was not just a mare member of the MCP. Worse still not only its spokesperson but the vice president, yes, second in command. Defection of a person holding such a portfolio is not only surprising but also put the party in a very awkward situation both within and outside it.
I believe Mr. Dausi’s decision to leave MCP is not only miscalculated but also wrongly timed. The reasons given are also far from convincing let alone slightly vague and unpalatable. Without mincing words, Mr. Dausi has made a wrong political decision or a good one but with wrong reasons and at a wrong time. Yes, with the current political tension, the move by Mr. Dausi is more or less adding sand on an already bruised eye.
Least I say, Mr. Nicholas Dausi happens to be a very good friend of mine and I have followed his political life with keen interest. Very understanding and helpful that man is. His most outstanding character being his ability to easily mix with people of all ages and races – very rare among politicians! Nevertheless, his recent political turn is today subject for debate.
Mr. Dausi is not knew on the political scene. He made the MCP tick in the southern region despite having not a single member of parliament. He has always been composed, a friend of the media and his political comments have always been intelligent. It is completely out of context to say the departure of Dausi from MCP is a good riddance – whoever said those words must be ashamed, but hear this…..
On June 15, Mr. Dausi was among hundreds of opposition leaders that celebrated the supreme court’s landmark judgement on section 65. He was quote in the media hailing the judgement and said it was now up to the speaker of the national assembly to do justice to members of parliament that obviously had crossed the floor. Mr. Dausi’s expectation, just as is the case with all opposition leaders, was that as soon as parliament meets, heads will roll and that would mark the exit of DPP as a ruling party.
Is it not interesting therefore, that three weeks later the same person will come round and tell the nation that he hates his former party because it is excited with the section 65 ruling?
How about the love for Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda?
Mr. Dausi tells us that he is impressed with the DPP and its leadership because it respects the former leader and founder of the Malawi nation. Again the interesting pustule will be the fact that ever since the death of Dr. Banda, MCP has maintained his face not only on its cloth but also on badges. Very ironic indeed for Mr. Dausi to see the love of Kamuzu in a different party thus away from his own. Interesting.
This former vice president also indicates that he was not respected or honoured in the party and was frustrated. Smells something. One can not be too sure what type of respect thus being described here and whether the leadership of MCP to which he was second in command was not following its own rules and regulations. Or there is nothing of that sort in MCP. No governing principles? And the Vice President could not work on some?
In different interviews with different media houses including the national broadcaster – the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Mr. Dausi had described DPP as a group of frustrated politicians and surely the least thing we were supposed to hear is someone joining a group of frustrated individuals.
Many a people would definitely be surprised why Mr. Dausi remained in MCP all these years. It still remains guess work as to when did he become conscious that MCP does not have the welfare of the people of Malawi at heart. And when did he come to realize that it’s the DPP and its leadership that recognizes and respects Dr Banda? It must have taken him quite sometime to compose the reasons and bring them forth and they are yet to become valid.
Maybe thus what politicians are supposed to do.
Nicholas Dausi is such an eloquent man and surely he has, for a long time, put the government in check. His comments and statements benefited the nation to a certain extent. Now chances are high that in him we will soon get praise-singing if he is not going to be silenced completely. This is a loss.
In summary where are these defections taking us to? Are we building Malawi? MCP just as any other political party in Malawi needs people of Dausi’s caliber.. people with brains that would help check the government is its operations. People that would give provoking thoughts in relation to different situations, for the love of the country. It is yet to be seen if this defection will help Malawi move some steps forward not just politically but in is democratic maturity.
Decisions that are seen to attract individual gains shall never be helpful. It should therefore be our prayer that when Mr. Dausi feels the heat in the new camp, we should not be here again to write about his next defection. And the DPP should not be excited with defections for the sake of it. Of course with Mr. Dausi, it’s quite a good catch.
Nonetheless, Mr. Dausi did a lot of service for Malawi while in opposition. He could have stayed put. We therefore expect a lot from him but not his personal gains.
Hastings Maloya writes in his personal capacity
By Hastings Maloya
Politics, politics politics.
It is not amusing to comment on political issues especially when you are not a politician. It is therefore quite tricky to comment on the subject under debate today but living in a country thus governed by politics leaves all of us with no choice but to comment on political matters. After all, the fact that we all get involved in the process of choosing governments, makes all of us become politicians.
As an aspiring candidate for a parliamentary seat, it is purely a challenge to comment of political matters as readers, especially those that call shots in political parties may chose to read with different minds all together and make wild conclusions far from what is on the table. But all the same an opinion remains thus and certainly you will agree with my points of view. Please read on.
Recent political happenings in Malawi have to a greater degree made us all fail to concentrate on issues to do with development and have only turned us into serious politicians. What with the unfortunate debates in parliament and its subsequent suspension, the independence celebrations that saw a section of Malawians absconding and of course political statements from different commentators in all angles.
Any recent political development has in its own received different opinions from different people and different groups of people depending on which side one has tilted oneself to. Very unfortunate, but as said above we are in a situation that gives us limited choice and to comment soberly without taking sides is becoming a far-fetched trial.
But the biggest political news of recent times came on Sunday July 8 with the defection of one Mr. Nicholas Dausi from the ‘mighty’ Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to the ‘ruling’ Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Mr. Dausi was not just a mare member of the MCP. Worse still not only its spokesperson but the vice president, yes, second in command. Defection of a person holding such a portfolio is not only surprising but also put the party in a very awkward situation both within and outside it.
I believe Mr. Dausi’s decision to leave MCP is not only miscalculated but also wrongly timed. The reasons given are also far from convincing let alone slightly vague and unpalatable. Without mincing words, Mr. Dausi has made a wrong political decision or a good one but with wrong reasons and at a wrong time. Yes, with the current political tension, the move by Mr. Dausi is more or less adding sand on an already bruised eye.
Least I say, Mr. Nicholas Dausi happens to be a very good friend of mine and I have followed his political life with keen interest. Very understanding and helpful that man is. His most outstanding character being his ability to easily mix with people of all ages and races – very rare among politicians! Nevertheless, his recent political turn is today subject for debate.
Mr. Dausi is not knew on the political scene. He made the MCP tick in the southern region despite having not a single member of parliament. He has always been composed, a friend of the media and his political comments have always been intelligent. It is completely out of context to say the departure of Dausi from MCP is a good riddance – whoever said those words must be ashamed, but hear this…..
On June 15, Mr. Dausi was among hundreds of opposition leaders that celebrated the supreme court’s landmark judgement on section 65. He was quote in the media hailing the judgement and said it was now up to the speaker of the national assembly to do justice to members of parliament that obviously had crossed the floor. Mr. Dausi’s expectation, just as is the case with all opposition leaders, was that as soon as parliament meets, heads will roll and that would mark the exit of DPP as a ruling party.
Is it not interesting therefore, that three weeks later the same person will come round and tell the nation that he hates his former party because it is excited with the section 65 ruling?
How about the love for Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda?
Mr. Dausi tells us that he is impressed with the DPP and its leadership because it respects the former leader and founder of the Malawi nation. Again the interesting pustule will be the fact that ever since the death of Dr. Banda, MCP has maintained his face not only on its cloth but also on badges. Very ironic indeed for Mr. Dausi to see the love of Kamuzu in a different party thus away from his own. Interesting.
This former vice president also indicates that he was not respected or honoured in the party and was frustrated. Smells something. One can not be too sure what type of respect thus being described here and whether the leadership of MCP to which he was second in command was not following its own rules and regulations. Or there is nothing of that sort in MCP. No governing principles? And the Vice President could not work on some?
In different interviews with different media houses including the national broadcaster – the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Mr. Dausi had described DPP as a group of frustrated politicians and surely the least thing we were supposed to hear is someone joining a group of frustrated individuals.
Many a people would definitely be surprised why Mr. Dausi remained in MCP all these years. It still remains guess work as to when did he become conscious that MCP does not have the welfare of the people of Malawi at heart. And when did he come to realize that it’s the DPP and its leadership that recognizes and respects Dr Banda? It must have taken him quite sometime to compose the reasons and bring them forth and they are yet to become valid.
Maybe thus what politicians are supposed to do.
Nicholas Dausi is such an eloquent man and surely he has, for a long time, put the government in check. His comments and statements benefited the nation to a certain extent. Now chances are high that in him we will soon get praise-singing if he is not going to be silenced completely. This is a loss.
In summary where are these defections taking us to? Are we building Malawi? MCP just as any other political party in Malawi needs people of Dausi’s caliber.. people with brains that would help check the government is its operations. People that would give provoking thoughts in relation to different situations, for the love of the country. It is yet to be seen if this defection will help Malawi move some steps forward not just politically but in is democratic maturity.
Decisions that are seen to attract individual gains shall never be helpful. It should therefore be our prayer that when Mr. Dausi feels the heat in the new camp, we should not be here again to write about his next defection. And the DPP should not be excited with defections for the sake of it. Of course with Mr. Dausi, it’s quite a good catch.
Nonetheless, Mr. Dausi did a lot of service for Malawi while in opposition. He could have stayed put. We therefore expect a lot from him but not his personal gains.
Hastings Maloya writes in his personal capacity
On Detention Camps
Detention Camps – the only sure way to end violence against women and children
By HASTINGS MALOYA
If it was a prayer, I could have asked all of us to bow our heads; close our eyes and pray. Well, it’s not a prayer, but nevertheless, let us take a bit of our time and silently reflect. Just come to think of it; a 57-year old man defiles a six-month old baby. A seven-year old girl is defiled by her own teacher, let alone a headmaster. And a woman has her arms chopped by her husband or has her private parts disfigured by someone who was supposed to be her lover.
How about issues of well-dressed men caught with private parts in their bags. Talk of news of unknown assailants removing women’s breasts and gouging their eyes. Then there is the-now famous Ndirande vampire who has the audacity of changing locations in Blantyre and targeting innocent women at will. The stories are endless and they do not make good reading. Each passing day we realize that Malawi is not as safe a place to live in as it was supposed to be especially for women and children.
All these sounds and feels easy when they are just in a form of news that we read in the papers, listen on the radio or watch on TV. We can as well get used to them and let them pass.
But why are we silently reflecting today? Well, I want us to try and imagine what our reaction would be if our closest relation was such a victim. We are trying to put ourselves in an imaginary situation where our daughter has been defiled, our sister has had her private parts removed or our only child has been attacked and his eyes removed! Our imaginations go beyond the act, but now the perpetrator has been caught and enough evidence lay bare. Here we are standing in front of the handcuffed culprit.
I know different people will react differently but honestly very few will talk of forgiveness. Individually, one would think of the trauma that might have engulfed the affected community, let alone the future of the victim is he or she is lucky to be alive. One would ask why such a heartless person should be forgiven. Others would even ask the police to release the culprits so that the concerned community can provide the required chastisement that the scoundrels deserve. Unfortunately, the police won’t allow people to take the law in their hands and there is no possibility that these merciless people shall be given the stiffest penalty that would deter others from committing similar crimes.
But then as a nation, do we have in sight any means that we can use to deal away with this situation? Yes. Introduction of detention camps where all proven perpetrators should be thrown and get the heat. They should realize that our society does not need such type of people whose behaviour is more or less that of a beast. Thus the only way we will deal away with the worries that we have today.
This is where His Excellency the President Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika deserves credit for proposing the reintroduction of detention camps for perpetrators of violence against women and children. He needs to be given all the support. We can build a better Malawi.
But; hear this.
At a rally addressed by the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) in Mulanje recently, some political leaders accused the President for having proposed the introduction of detention camps. They called it dictatorship. In other words, they are not supporting stiffer punishments for people who bring calamities and anxiety in our midst. After all they are free to do what they please – this is democracy. Isn’t it?
The president’s proposal for detention camps was not meant for politicians. It was not meant for those opposing to his governing policies. And it was not made at a political rally. It was meant to give peace and harmony to our women and children. How this noble thought was turned to mean politics is yet to be clarified. One wonders whether the opposition politicians just wanted to achieve political mileage by misguiding their followers or indeed they meant what they said. Again it would be very difficult to comprehend whether any of them has ever had an experience of what it means to go through an ordeal of violence. Turning this issue into politics is the last thing Malawians could have expected to hear from a government in waiting – if indeed thus what opposition means.
Nonetheless, who can blame the politicians when it was custodians of human rights in Malawi that started it all? Their reaction to the suggestion by the President was that of total condemnation regardless of what the suggestion was meant to achieve. The so-called human rights watchdogs never gave a chance to Malawians to debate the proposal and look at the pros and cons. Thus human rights – Malawi style. In other words, our colleagues who work for human rights organizations are the know-it-all supermodels and can positively think of a proposal only when it comes from among themselves. Sad.
Human rights? Whose human rights are we concerned with?
It makes some of us sad that we have people with little concern about our children being defiled daily, school girls and women being raped at will. Our mothers dehumanized, beaten and having their body and private parts tampered with. Gone are the days when we could leave our school girls freely walking distances to and from schools. Today we can not trust our own housemaids and watchmen. Notorious businesses are creeping in. And we want to sit there and silently watch. Poor we.
Its unfortunate but we do not need to overemphasize the fact that the so called human rights activists are only looking for their daily bread. It’s employment. They do not have the concerns of the nation at heart. We may delay if we were to waste our time listening to them. As for politicians, your guess is as good as mine.
With a level mind, President Mutharika ought to be given massive support for this brilliant proposal. Surely families that have had a share of the problems associated with violence on women and children now realizes that they have comfort in the country’s leadership. If there will be need to change the name of the camps from detention camps to something else, there will be no problem but the idea is luminous. We may see an end to the suffering that Malawian women and children have seen through the years.
And the President must know that not all will agree with his proposals regardless of how gleaming they may be. Whether it would be the fight against corruption, the fertilizer subsidy programme, the Shire Zambezi Waterway, the Kamuzu Mausoleum and many more, we still shall have people that will want to pull his legs despite having no convincing reasons. I bet he does not give up. If anything, let Malawians debate this proposal and views shared honestly. I strongly believe that we need the detention camps – it’s a solution.
* Hastings Maloya works as an Environmental Education Officer
for the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust
but writing in his personal capacity.
By HASTINGS MALOYA
If it was a prayer, I could have asked all of us to bow our heads; close our eyes and pray. Well, it’s not a prayer, but nevertheless, let us take a bit of our time and silently reflect. Just come to think of it; a 57-year old man defiles a six-month old baby. A seven-year old girl is defiled by her own teacher, let alone a headmaster. And a woman has her arms chopped by her husband or has her private parts disfigured by someone who was supposed to be her lover.
How about issues of well-dressed men caught with private parts in their bags. Talk of news of unknown assailants removing women’s breasts and gouging their eyes. Then there is the-now famous Ndirande vampire who has the audacity of changing locations in Blantyre and targeting innocent women at will. The stories are endless and they do not make good reading. Each passing day we realize that Malawi is not as safe a place to live in as it was supposed to be especially for women and children.
All these sounds and feels easy when they are just in a form of news that we read in the papers, listen on the radio or watch on TV. We can as well get used to them and let them pass.
But why are we silently reflecting today? Well, I want us to try and imagine what our reaction would be if our closest relation was such a victim. We are trying to put ourselves in an imaginary situation where our daughter has been defiled, our sister has had her private parts removed or our only child has been attacked and his eyes removed! Our imaginations go beyond the act, but now the perpetrator has been caught and enough evidence lay bare. Here we are standing in front of the handcuffed culprit.
I know different people will react differently but honestly very few will talk of forgiveness. Individually, one would think of the trauma that might have engulfed the affected community, let alone the future of the victim is he or she is lucky to be alive. One would ask why such a heartless person should be forgiven. Others would even ask the police to release the culprits so that the concerned community can provide the required chastisement that the scoundrels deserve. Unfortunately, the police won’t allow people to take the law in their hands and there is no possibility that these merciless people shall be given the stiffest penalty that would deter others from committing similar crimes.
But then as a nation, do we have in sight any means that we can use to deal away with this situation? Yes. Introduction of detention camps where all proven perpetrators should be thrown and get the heat. They should realize that our society does not need such type of people whose behaviour is more or less that of a beast. Thus the only way we will deal away with the worries that we have today.
This is where His Excellency the President Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika deserves credit for proposing the reintroduction of detention camps for perpetrators of violence against women and children. He needs to be given all the support. We can build a better Malawi.
But; hear this.
At a rally addressed by the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) in Mulanje recently, some political leaders accused the President for having proposed the introduction of detention camps. They called it dictatorship. In other words, they are not supporting stiffer punishments for people who bring calamities and anxiety in our midst. After all they are free to do what they please – this is democracy. Isn’t it?
The president’s proposal for detention camps was not meant for politicians. It was not meant for those opposing to his governing policies. And it was not made at a political rally. It was meant to give peace and harmony to our women and children. How this noble thought was turned to mean politics is yet to be clarified. One wonders whether the opposition politicians just wanted to achieve political mileage by misguiding their followers or indeed they meant what they said. Again it would be very difficult to comprehend whether any of them has ever had an experience of what it means to go through an ordeal of violence. Turning this issue into politics is the last thing Malawians could have expected to hear from a government in waiting – if indeed thus what opposition means.
Nonetheless, who can blame the politicians when it was custodians of human rights in Malawi that started it all? Their reaction to the suggestion by the President was that of total condemnation regardless of what the suggestion was meant to achieve. The so-called human rights watchdogs never gave a chance to Malawians to debate the proposal and look at the pros and cons. Thus human rights – Malawi style. In other words, our colleagues who work for human rights organizations are the know-it-all supermodels and can positively think of a proposal only when it comes from among themselves. Sad.
Human rights? Whose human rights are we concerned with?
It makes some of us sad that we have people with little concern about our children being defiled daily, school girls and women being raped at will. Our mothers dehumanized, beaten and having their body and private parts tampered with. Gone are the days when we could leave our school girls freely walking distances to and from schools. Today we can not trust our own housemaids and watchmen. Notorious businesses are creeping in. And we want to sit there and silently watch. Poor we.
Its unfortunate but we do not need to overemphasize the fact that the so called human rights activists are only looking for their daily bread. It’s employment. They do not have the concerns of the nation at heart. We may delay if we were to waste our time listening to them. As for politicians, your guess is as good as mine.
With a level mind, President Mutharika ought to be given massive support for this brilliant proposal. Surely families that have had a share of the problems associated with violence on women and children now realizes that they have comfort in the country’s leadership. If there will be need to change the name of the camps from detention camps to something else, there will be no problem but the idea is luminous. We may see an end to the suffering that Malawian women and children have seen through the years.
And the President must know that not all will agree with his proposals regardless of how gleaming they may be. Whether it would be the fight against corruption, the fertilizer subsidy programme, the Shire Zambezi Waterway, the Kamuzu Mausoleum and many more, we still shall have people that will want to pull his legs despite having no convincing reasons. I bet he does not give up. If anything, let Malawians debate this proposal and views shared honestly. I strongly believe that we need the detention camps – it’s a solution.
* Hastings Maloya works as an Environmental Education Officer
for the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust
but writing in his personal capacity.
On Traditional Healers
Let them advertise their services
by Hastings Maloya
They were supposed to be known as traditional healers. It could simply mean that they can traditionally treat ailments and save lives. And thus what they have done over the years. They were supposed to be recognised as traditional doctors but nay they are better known as witchdoctors and are mainly associated with witchcraft and sorcery.
One would argue that apart from treating ailments, which ironically most people recognise and accept, the traditional healers are architects of witchcraft and the cause of harm on innocent people. It could also be contended that many people have failed to progress or have died earlier than normal because of the work of the local medicine people who are blamed for casting bad spells (matsenga) on guiltless individuals.
If we were given an opportunity to tell a story related to bad spells that we believe are a result of the work of medicine people, each one of us would tell a story different from another and we would think ours is classic! To a certain extent, people that trade in traditional or local medicines are not very welcome in our society. Much as they have been very helpful to most of us, and have assisted us in most trying times, we may not want to be allied with them. We can’t publicly tell of the assistance we got or we keep getting from traditional medicine people but we will be able to talk of any negatives associated with them. Most religious groupings may not want to associate themselves with people that have traces of traditional medicines.
Surprisingly, much as all of us are free to say all the negatives about the medicine people, rarely are they given an opportunity to give their side of the story let alone allowed to defend themselves through widely accepted media outlets. There is a problem here.
It is against this background that I suggest that these people be given an opportunity to tell their stories and advertise their services as much as they can and through any available medium. The choice shall be ours.
Historians and history books tell of witchcraft not only in Africa but the world over. If it’s a profession, then it’s a very old one. Issues of sorcery are not new and have been recorded in a lot of history books including religious ones. It is also said that since time in memorial there were people that had skills to do away with bad spells in a society. Much as it can be accepted that the causative agent of all reported cases of witchcraft and sorcery have been medicine people, it should also be recognised that it has been the same medicine people that have dealt away with those problems.
Recently a man who works around the Ginnery Corner in Blantyre challenged a known wizard that whatever he would try to do, his wizardry wont work. This was after the ‘known wizard’ threatened that he would turn computers into stones and bring thousands of butterflies into an office so that no one would work in that office. This was after some disagreements between the man and the ‘wizard’ – of course the disagreement was nothing to do with medicines. While accepting the existence of witchcraft and acknowledging that it is possible for people to cast bad spells on others, the man challenged that he was well protected him that not a single charm can cause any harm on him. His colleague said he believes in Jesus Christ and fears nothing. It seems the wizard left, he never did anything, and the butterflies were never seen to date.
Now thus the problem with our medicine people. They believe in threatening others and creating an environment of fear and danger. Some of them dress in a way that scares off level-headed individuals. They associate themselves with ominous wild animals like snakes. The vicinities they live in are shabby and in most cases they seem not believing that some ailments can have natural causes. To them any ailment is connected to witchcraft and bad spells (kulodzedwa). This is where we need to help them for a change.
Now coming to advertising. Recently there have been advertisements in the press about some traditional healers that are able to find jobs for the jobless (regardless of education? Search me). They claim that they can ably find stolen goods, can sort out any problems be if family or otherwise. They can make one a millionaire within days, they can help you find a partner in case you are looking for one and they can treat any disease.
After reading the advert, while others would wonder how possible these things could be, some people would want to give it a trial. Others will just throw away the newspaper while others will copy the contact details and make follow-ups. Thus how things are supposed to be. They call it freedom of choice and that of association. And whatever repercussions or results, there is nothing to do with an advertisement but the person who chose to make an attempt. In any regard a lot might have been assisted that way.
Traditional healers, or witchdoctors as they are commonly known today, are in business. As is the case in any business, they must advertise. It is said that doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark – no body knows what you are doing. It is up to the audience to make a decision on their own whether to go for it or not. These people must be allowed to advertise as much as they can. It could be the only way they would be given an opportunity to have their stories heard. If they are liars, we will realise after trying them.
Over the years we have heard of adverts of different medications especially from the west. This has been on the radio, in the newspapers and on television. Some adverts are very unrealistic to the effect of telling us that when you take a particular drug, only in less than a minute the headache or cough is gone. How could that be? But why have we accepted that and take it as part of our living? Shall we not accept our local medicine people to advertise because they are local or they do not deserve to be known?
We are living in an open society where technology is also advancing and everyone is free to make a decision provided one has the much-needed information. When the traditional healers or asing’anga are given an opportunity to advertise their services, and advertise widely, they will give people an opportunity to make an informed choices and it will also help to create an environment where people can easily discuss issues related to traditional medicines. Religious groups need to open up to these people and give them an opportunity to be heard.
Not all that is traditional medicine is bad. A lot of people have been assisted by traditional healers. As was sang by one Michael Mukhutho Phiri in the late 80s, “ kupanda mitengo iyi, ife tikanalowa” (if it was not for the trees, some of us could have been dead by now). The trees that Mukhitho talked about were nothing but the work of traditional healers, as the trees are their capital.
There could be an opportunity that we are losing or missing. It is only the availability of information that will make an informed society. Time to get things that are ours! Let traditional healers advertise.
by Hastings Maloya
They were supposed to be known as traditional healers. It could simply mean that they can traditionally treat ailments and save lives. And thus what they have done over the years. They were supposed to be recognised as traditional doctors but nay they are better known as witchdoctors and are mainly associated with witchcraft and sorcery.
One would argue that apart from treating ailments, which ironically most people recognise and accept, the traditional healers are architects of witchcraft and the cause of harm on innocent people. It could also be contended that many people have failed to progress or have died earlier than normal because of the work of the local medicine people who are blamed for casting bad spells (matsenga) on guiltless individuals.
If we were given an opportunity to tell a story related to bad spells that we believe are a result of the work of medicine people, each one of us would tell a story different from another and we would think ours is classic! To a certain extent, people that trade in traditional or local medicines are not very welcome in our society. Much as they have been very helpful to most of us, and have assisted us in most trying times, we may not want to be allied with them. We can’t publicly tell of the assistance we got or we keep getting from traditional medicine people but we will be able to talk of any negatives associated with them. Most religious groupings may not want to associate themselves with people that have traces of traditional medicines.
Surprisingly, much as all of us are free to say all the negatives about the medicine people, rarely are they given an opportunity to give their side of the story let alone allowed to defend themselves through widely accepted media outlets. There is a problem here.
It is against this background that I suggest that these people be given an opportunity to tell their stories and advertise their services as much as they can and through any available medium. The choice shall be ours.
Historians and history books tell of witchcraft not only in Africa but the world over. If it’s a profession, then it’s a very old one. Issues of sorcery are not new and have been recorded in a lot of history books including religious ones. It is also said that since time in memorial there were people that had skills to do away with bad spells in a society. Much as it can be accepted that the causative agent of all reported cases of witchcraft and sorcery have been medicine people, it should also be recognised that it has been the same medicine people that have dealt away with those problems.
Recently a man who works around the Ginnery Corner in Blantyre challenged a known wizard that whatever he would try to do, his wizardry wont work. This was after the ‘known wizard’ threatened that he would turn computers into stones and bring thousands of butterflies into an office so that no one would work in that office. This was after some disagreements between the man and the ‘wizard’ – of course the disagreement was nothing to do with medicines. While accepting the existence of witchcraft and acknowledging that it is possible for people to cast bad spells on others, the man challenged that he was well protected him that not a single charm can cause any harm on him. His colleague said he believes in Jesus Christ and fears nothing. It seems the wizard left, he never did anything, and the butterflies were never seen to date.
Now thus the problem with our medicine people. They believe in threatening others and creating an environment of fear and danger. Some of them dress in a way that scares off level-headed individuals. They associate themselves with ominous wild animals like snakes. The vicinities they live in are shabby and in most cases they seem not believing that some ailments can have natural causes. To them any ailment is connected to witchcraft and bad spells (kulodzedwa). This is where we need to help them for a change.
Now coming to advertising. Recently there have been advertisements in the press about some traditional healers that are able to find jobs for the jobless (regardless of education? Search me). They claim that they can ably find stolen goods, can sort out any problems be if family or otherwise. They can make one a millionaire within days, they can help you find a partner in case you are looking for one and they can treat any disease.
After reading the advert, while others would wonder how possible these things could be, some people would want to give it a trial. Others will just throw away the newspaper while others will copy the contact details and make follow-ups. Thus how things are supposed to be. They call it freedom of choice and that of association. And whatever repercussions or results, there is nothing to do with an advertisement but the person who chose to make an attempt. In any regard a lot might have been assisted that way.
Traditional healers, or witchdoctors as they are commonly known today, are in business. As is the case in any business, they must advertise. It is said that doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark – no body knows what you are doing. It is up to the audience to make a decision on their own whether to go for it or not. These people must be allowed to advertise as much as they can. It could be the only way they would be given an opportunity to have their stories heard. If they are liars, we will realise after trying them.
Over the years we have heard of adverts of different medications especially from the west. This has been on the radio, in the newspapers and on television. Some adverts are very unrealistic to the effect of telling us that when you take a particular drug, only in less than a minute the headache or cough is gone. How could that be? But why have we accepted that and take it as part of our living? Shall we not accept our local medicine people to advertise because they are local or they do not deserve to be known?
We are living in an open society where technology is also advancing and everyone is free to make a decision provided one has the much-needed information. When the traditional healers or asing’anga are given an opportunity to advertise their services, and advertise widely, they will give people an opportunity to make an informed choices and it will also help to create an environment where people can easily discuss issues related to traditional medicines. Religious groups need to open up to these people and give them an opportunity to be heard.
Not all that is traditional medicine is bad. A lot of people have been assisted by traditional healers. As was sang by one Michael Mukhutho Phiri in the late 80s, “ kupanda mitengo iyi, ife tikanalowa” (if it was not for the trees, some of us could have been dead by now). The trees that Mukhitho talked about were nothing but the work of traditional healers, as the trees are their capital.
There could be an opportunity that we are losing or missing. It is only the availability of information that will make an informed society. Time to get things that are ours! Let traditional healers advertise.
On Floods
January 2007
Government should continue supporting its people
By Hastings Maloya
The rains are here once again. We should be a happy nation, as we cannot overemphasise the importance of the rains to Malawi whose economy is mainly agro-based. However, as it has always been the case over the years, problems associated with them, especially floods overshadow the importance of these rains.
As it continues to rain, certainly our worry and fear are the floods that may follow especially in the low lying geographical areas like in the Shire Valley area, Ntcheu and some parts of the central region, parts of the lakeshore districts and some low areas of the northern region. Each time we have excess incessant rains as we are experiencing now; there has been a result of suffering among Malawians who become victims of the effects of floods. This leads to loss of household property, crops and animals while to a serious effect, over the years there has been loss of lives. In the process we have also lost infrastructure like bridges, schools and hospitals.
Floods are natural disasters and to a certain extent very difficult to predict and control. If we are to go with the warnings and prediction from experts at our meteorological department, we still have days ahead of us with continuous rains and we cannot rule out the possibility of worse effects than last year. It is only worrisome and painful that mostly the affected people are the same year in and year out. Surely as of now our colleagues in the affected areas are not too sure what will come of them in the next few days.
Nevertheless, much as natural disasters are sometimes unpredictable, floods and flooding is slowly becoming part of us and surely as a nation we need to start and effect planning to contain such situations. I find it unfortunate that very little is done to avert flooding and indeed very little is done to assist people who are slowly becoming perennial sufferers of the effects of floods.
It is even more worrying when some quarters of the society call on the affected people to move to higher grounds – whatever that means. Some things are easier said than done especially when it is not the one saying who is supposed to implement the suggested action.
It should be accepted that naturally all of us have villages and homes where we come from and very few of us made choices to be born where we were born. We have, over the years, lived in the available geographical landscapes as is provided and it will not be very easy to be told to move just like that. More so, there has never been any provision of infrastructure or amenities in areas where suggestions are made for people to move to. One wonders what is expected of the people to do once they move to the so-called higher areas.
It has been urged in some quarters that because people are not moving to higher grounds, they should not be assisted or given hand outs because this creates a dependence syndrome and that people remain in low areas because they know they will be assisted. Sadly these arguments are coming in at a time the people have not been physically assisted especially in the preparation of their next settlement places.
First of let us think of why people settle where they are. It could be farming coming with fertile soils, availability of drinking water, availability of social amenities and infrastructures that leads to accessibility and communication. We have also noted that initiatives for development whether by government or non-governmental organisations have taken place around where people live. Why then should people be advised to move to higher grounds where there is almost nothing to sustain them? By the way, do we have enough land in the proposed areas? Issues of land are sensitive, no need to overemphasise this.
It must be noted and agreed that in the situation that we are in now, there has not been any provision from the government in proposed areas for relocation, and therefore the government should give continuous support to the affected. Actually there is need to budget for these kind of expected calamities. Hopefully as parliament meets in a couple of weeks, this issue will be tabled and enough allocations set aside to assist the people that might be affected by the anticipated floods. The government should never give up in taking care of its own people.
Issues about floods are purely environmental problems and one would want to know how committed is the Malawi government in efforts to tackle environmental problems and their effects. Are the people educated on natural resource conservation and the dangers associated with environmental degradation? For example, both the national state of environment report (SOER) and the national environmental action plan (NEAP) only mentions about environmental education in Chapter 9 but mentions nothing of actions that needs to be taken if people are to do away with problems that come due to environmental degradation. Again there is no mention to the effect that environmental education is one of the integral components of natural resource and environmental management.
This also tells us that most of the infrastructures that we see are developed without any environmental impact assessments otherwise the structures could not have been erected where they are today. The structures could not have been attracting people to be where they are today.
There is need for the government to increase basic knowledge and understanding of the environment and its inter-relationship with human and raise awareness of the environment and its problems while identifying social values and attitudes which are in harmony with environmental quality and develop skills to solves environmental problems. It is wrong for the government or government officers who are transmitters of knowledge to turn the learners or the villagers into mere receivers of the transmitted knowledge without involving them to make an informed decision.
To solve this perennial problem, we need a multisectral approach in experimental learning where the government as a facilitator shall enable its people to draw on their own experiences and create new knowledge. The people shall therefore be active constructors of knowledge through experience.
It should always be appreciated that it is very difficult to change peoples’ mentality more especially when benefits cannot be seen immediately with the proposed change. One must also appreciate issues of poverty and livelihoods and that people are not deliberately where they are but rather they are trying to survive in the short term.
The problems we are facing now can not be sorted out by the affected people. This is the responsibility of the government and should be a long-term initiative that the government needs to engage on. People should not be told to move just for the sake of it when there are no facilities to sustain their livelihood.
Ends!......04.01.07
Government should continue supporting its people
By Hastings Maloya
The rains are here once again. We should be a happy nation, as we cannot overemphasise the importance of the rains to Malawi whose economy is mainly agro-based. However, as it has always been the case over the years, problems associated with them, especially floods overshadow the importance of these rains.
As it continues to rain, certainly our worry and fear are the floods that may follow especially in the low lying geographical areas like in the Shire Valley area, Ntcheu and some parts of the central region, parts of the lakeshore districts and some low areas of the northern region. Each time we have excess incessant rains as we are experiencing now; there has been a result of suffering among Malawians who become victims of the effects of floods. This leads to loss of household property, crops and animals while to a serious effect, over the years there has been loss of lives. In the process we have also lost infrastructure like bridges, schools and hospitals.
Floods are natural disasters and to a certain extent very difficult to predict and control. If we are to go with the warnings and prediction from experts at our meteorological department, we still have days ahead of us with continuous rains and we cannot rule out the possibility of worse effects than last year. It is only worrisome and painful that mostly the affected people are the same year in and year out. Surely as of now our colleagues in the affected areas are not too sure what will come of them in the next few days.
Nevertheless, much as natural disasters are sometimes unpredictable, floods and flooding is slowly becoming part of us and surely as a nation we need to start and effect planning to contain such situations. I find it unfortunate that very little is done to avert flooding and indeed very little is done to assist people who are slowly becoming perennial sufferers of the effects of floods.
It is even more worrying when some quarters of the society call on the affected people to move to higher grounds – whatever that means. Some things are easier said than done especially when it is not the one saying who is supposed to implement the suggested action.
It should be accepted that naturally all of us have villages and homes where we come from and very few of us made choices to be born where we were born. We have, over the years, lived in the available geographical landscapes as is provided and it will not be very easy to be told to move just like that. More so, there has never been any provision of infrastructure or amenities in areas where suggestions are made for people to move to. One wonders what is expected of the people to do once they move to the so-called higher areas.
It has been urged in some quarters that because people are not moving to higher grounds, they should not be assisted or given hand outs because this creates a dependence syndrome and that people remain in low areas because they know they will be assisted. Sadly these arguments are coming in at a time the people have not been physically assisted especially in the preparation of their next settlement places.
First of let us think of why people settle where they are. It could be farming coming with fertile soils, availability of drinking water, availability of social amenities and infrastructures that leads to accessibility and communication. We have also noted that initiatives for development whether by government or non-governmental organisations have taken place around where people live. Why then should people be advised to move to higher grounds where there is almost nothing to sustain them? By the way, do we have enough land in the proposed areas? Issues of land are sensitive, no need to overemphasise this.
It must be noted and agreed that in the situation that we are in now, there has not been any provision from the government in proposed areas for relocation, and therefore the government should give continuous support to the affected. Actually there is need to budget for these kind of expected calamities. Hopefully as parliament meets in a couple of weeks, this issue will be tabled and enough allocations set aside to assist the people that might be affected by the anticipated floods. The government should never give up in taking care of its own people.
Issues about floods are purely environmental problems and one would want to know how committed is the Malawi government in efforts to tackle environmental problems and their effects. Are the people educated on natural resource conservation and the dangers associated with environmental degradation? For example, both the national state of environment report (SOER) and the national environmental action plan (NEAP) only mentions about environmental education in Chapter 9 but mentions nothing of actions that needs to be taken if people are to do away with problems that come due to environmental degradation. Again there is no mention to the effect that environmental education is one of the integral components of natural resource and environmental management.
This also tells us that most of the infrastructures that we see are developed without any environmental impact assessments otherwise the structures could not have been erected where they are today. The structures could not have been attracting people to be where they are today.
There is need for the government to increase basic knowledge and understanding of the environment and its inter-relationship with human and raise awareness of the environment and its problems while identifying social values and attitudes which are in harmony with environmental quality and develop skills to solves environmental problems. It is wrong for the government or government officers who are transmitters of knowledge to turn the learners or the villagers into mere receivers of the transmitted knowledge without involving them to make an informed decision.
To solve this perennial problem, we need a multisectral approach in experimental learning where the government as a facilitator shall enable its people to draw on their own experiences and create new knowledge. The people shall therefore be active constructors of knowledge through experience.
It should always be appreciated that it is very difficult to change peoples’ mentality more especially when benefits cannot be seen immediately with the proposed change. One must also appreciate issues of poverty and livelihoods and that people are not deliberately where they are but rather they are trying to survive in the short term.
The problems we are facing now can not be sorted out by the affected people. This is the responsibility of the government and should be a long-term initiative that the government needs to engage on. People should not be told to move just for the sake of it when there are no facilities to sustain their livelihood.
Ends!......04.01.07
On Madonna
(this article appeared in the Sunday Times)
This adoption is not right
By HASTINGS MALOYA
Today, the one-year-old little known David Banda from Mchinji is spending his fifth day in his new home near London's Marble Arch in the United Kingdom at a start of his 18 months’ temporary custody by his new parents. And when all the legal requirements are made, this home shall never be temporal and from then, his mother will be no other than the internationally acclaimed pop star, Madonna.
Yes, David has been adopted by the queen of pop. It is said by some quarters that the child is out of the poverty circles and chances are high that he might have an enjoyable life. His father Yohane Banda was quote in the international press saying, "I am the father of David, who has been adopted. I am very very happy because as you can see there is poverty in this village and I know he will be very well looked after in America."
One could not be too sure whether David will go to America or will stay in Britain. Maybe the father was not told the exact destination. But the father, just as many commentators, was more exited that his child will be out of poverty. The issue has raised international media interest and locally the entire process through which it has been handled has brought up an interesting debate.
David, to be assisted and supported away from home? Not a good idea really.
When it was first reported in June, 2006 that Madonna will tour Malawi before the end of the year, surely many people were trying to imagine and figure out what type of a concert she would perform and at which venues. Of course it was mentioned that she was coming for charity towards the HIV/Aids pandemic. Fun seekers were meanwhile guessing how much it could cost to witness such a concert. For those that had an idea of her performances were not too sure if Malawi has any sort of arena for the Material Girl, as she is popularly known.
It was left to be seen once she is in the country.
Very few people, if any, were aware of the exact dates for the visiting Madonna. It therefore came as a surprise when she landed. There was no proper schedule nor itinerary released. Since journalists had problems to trace the pop queen, it was difficult to have a clear indications and objectives of the visit. The government also seemed to be in the dark. There was a lot of secrecy.
News had it that she was in Lilongwe before it was reported that she was at Bvumbwe in Thyolo and later she opened up to the press when she was in Mchinji. She was visiting orphanages. And after these visits, speculation that the singer was planning to adopt a child began. Through the BBC, Madonna's publicist Liz Rosenberg initially denied the adoption reports. But it was said that the 48-year-old Madonna had travelled to Malawi with her husband, film-maker Guy Ritchie, to help fight poverty and the problem of HIV and AIDS. A wonderful idea.
But later the rumour about adoption was becoming a reality. First it was a girl from Lilongwe that was in the papers claiming that she would be the one to join Madonna across the oceans. Later things changed and the name of David came in. What followed was a marathon of legal battles and protests. Nevertheless, the pop diva won and managed to get the child out of Malawi. Definitely there was much work done to have the baby’s passport and visa applied, approved and processed.
The biggest worry has been changes and inconsistence of statements especially from government officials.
Several TV news channels showed footages of a woman carrying the child through the Johannesburg airport with officials that acted as bodyguards. The TV pictures showed the baby with a grey-hooded top hiding him from the view of surrounding press. The secrecy remained. It still remains to be explained why such an action.
It is said that David’s mother Marita died a month after his birth from childbirth complications and that since then the child had been cared for at Orphan Care Centre. It could possibly be that he needed special attention being in the tender age. But surely the father is energetic enough and at some point he could be able to look after the boy. It is not very clear whether on Malawian standard such a child would be classified as an orphan.
Much as we could all be happy for little David, Malawians, culturally we are an extended family-type of a people. Most orphans are looked after by grandparents, while others are in a child-headed family environment. In this regard, Madonna should not have adopted the child but instead, with such prosperous financial success, she should have created a charity that she should have been funding to have a multiplier effect of helping a lot of Malawian underprivileged children.
Celebrities like Madonna, and more are needed, could render much help to our impoverished children by forming organisations, which they could closely monitor that should support children to go to school, have food, access accommodation, and have good medical services.
Removing children from their local environments could bring a risk of severing their roots and creating a generation without a sense of true identity. Why not support the child's paternal father, house them, feed them, educate the little boy and give him the chance to succeed in his own society?
In one of his lovely songs, music maestro Mlaka Maliro, sang and I quote: “chuma chomadya popanda abale sichimakoma” (money doesn’t mean a lot when you don’t have your family and relations around you). To go with Mlaka’s thinking Madonna could have supported the father and child in its own district of Mchinji. He would grow up not knowing his roots and with good guidance the money that the musician could provide could and would have helped David’s family to prosper.
Celebrities of the Madonna calibre can make a huge difference not necessarily by adopting a child but give over a portion of the millions, which surely they have and to a certain extent, they undoubtedly don't use or need to improve the lives of hundreds if not thousands of children, not only in Mchinji but most parts of Malawi. It would help to leave these children where they are in their native locality and make a better life for them.
Many have said that taking this child away from his homeland is right because he'll have access to money and education. That could be true. But with the association with Madonna and whether the London or the American home, as has already been noted about the publicity that the issue has attracted, this little boy will grow up being hounded by the press and we are supposed to think that this is a better life. After a second think, we will realise its wrong and not pleasant!
Also, it is not very right for celebrities to just be able to adopt children from less fortunate countries like ours just by opening a cheque book. We should not create a precedent! Next time it would help if celebrities go through all proper adoption channels like every one else..
On Lake Chilwa
(This article appeared in the Traveller Magazine)
Lake Chilwa – Malawi’s forgotten lake?
Stories and pictures by Hastings Maloya
If a group of primary school pupils were asked today to name Malawi’s second largest lake, surely it would take sometime before a correct answer is given. Not only among primary school pupils, even secondary school students may not know which lake in Malawi is second to Lake Malawi in size.
More so, known professionals in different fields may not have an immediate idea that Lake Chilwa is Malawi's second largest lake. It could be a forgotten lake but it does not deserve to be. How about the fact that it is one of the most productive lakes in Africa?
Situated in the country's former capital of Zomba, about 70 km from the commercial city of Blantyre, Lake Chilwa is a shallow tropical salt-water lake with no outlet. The inland drainage lake stretches 60km long and 40km wide and shared in boundary by Phalombe, Machinga and Zomba districts. Many people are silently benefiting from this shallow body of water, which is only seven metres at its deepest point.
Over 6000 fishers ply their trade on the salty waters of Lake Chilwa. It has a dozen of fish species with a highest population of herrings (matemba). It is estimated that over 20% of fish caught in Malawi, comes from Lake Chilwa. Wherever one may live in Malawi despite whatever distance it could be from Zomba, but whoever enjoys fish for a meal may have had a taste of local matemba. And they are all from Lake Chilwa. Then, there is the popular matemba a Domasi – proudly a Lake Chilwa product.
The lake also lies in the boundary between Malawi and Mozambique to the east. It is therefore a route for people travelling to and from both countries. This creates a major trade route for informal import and export of goods between the two countries. Ferry owners and operators transit goods including bicycles, cement, iron sheets, sugar, soft drinks and many more through the waters of Lake Chilwa.
On the lake are two islands of Chisi and Thongwe. Chisi the bigger island has a population of over 2000 habitants. Their main source of livelihood is fishing.
The lake and its wetland is also a home of large populations of breeding waterfowls and an estimated 1000 bird catchers are economically relying on the lake. Lake Chilwa and its wetland boasts a total of 161 localised bird species and 41 Palaearctic migrant bird species with a total estimated bird population of 350, 000. The lake also supports large populations of breeding waterfowls.
What a beautiful place for bird watching.
The existence of fish and other natural resources on Lake Chilwa which are sustaining thousands of people economically, makes it not only one of the most productive lakes in Africa but unique as well.
The Lake Chilwa wetland was declared a listed site under the Ramsar Convention on March 14 1997 making it qualify as a wetland of international importance alongside other wetlands of the same nature world-wide. The wetland comprises open water, typha swamp, marsh and flood plain grassland. It has a vegetation that is used for economic activities like making brooms, baskets, fish traps and building materials for roofs, walls and fences. The grassland also forms the basis for existence of livestock.
However, the majority of Ramsar-listed wetlands in Africa and elsewhere are situated in national parks and are thus legally protected. This is not the case with Lake Chilwa wetland. It is an open-access common resource, which lies in one of the most densely populated and impoverished areas of Africa, making it a unique wetland with unique problems.
To get to Lake Chilwa, from Zomba town go on with the road to Liwonde to Matawale turn off; take the Air wing road about 30 km of dusty road past Govala Trading Centre takes you to Kachulu Harbour. You are at Lake Chilwa!
It’s a place worth travelling to.
On Mt Mulanje
(This article appeared in This is Malawi Magazine)
Mount Mulanje, Malawi's Island in the Sky
by Hastings Maloya
Malawi is very rich in natural resources, which makes it indisputably one of the most beautiful countries in the world. These resources, if put to full potential use, as observed by tourism experts, could complement dwindling foreign exchange earning from agriculture. One such resource that the country needs to be proud of is the Mulanje Mountain.
Situated about 80 km from the commercial city Blantyre, past the green beautiful tea field of the Thyolo Highlands, the attractive Mulanje with its Sapitwa Peak, standing over 3000m above sea level, is not only the highest mountain but also the most impressive and unique massif in the southern and central African region. With its evergreen forests, woodlands and Montane grasslands, the mountain has attracted increasing attention to many tourists.
Mulanje Mountain is much more than a barren rock. Covering an area of 640,000 hectares within Mulanje and Phalombe districts, the mountain has a Forest Reserve thus made up of a range of ecological habitats from rain forest to alpine, woodland to grassland. There is a great diversity of plant and animal life and many of species are endemic. The most famous endemic is the magnificent and endangered Mulanje cedar, Malawi¹s National Tree, which dominates the high altitude forests.
The great variety of wildflowers make the Mulanje grasslands a delight at any time of year but especially during the rainy season, during which time, the plateau is a riot of colour with, amongst many other species, orchids, gladioli and red hot pokers. The Mulanje Massif, apart from its natural beauty, is an important ecosystem. It has stunning forests which are a source of timber and other non-timber resources and home to a rich and diverse endemic plants and animals. The mountain also boasts the presence of hundreds of both localised and migrant bird species
The bird life of this afro-montane habitat is rich and species range from the impressive crowned and black eagles to Malawi¹s only endemic the yellow-throated apalis. The mammals, which include serval cats, hyrax, duiker and bushbuck, are shy and elusive but some are occasionally seen. Two species of dwarf chameleon and several lizard species are only found on this Mountain and in the streams are frogs that also occur nowhere else in the world.
Apart from the famous Sapitwa Peak, there are a lot of striking sites on this massif that has a grouping of lovely hills. Some appealing sites on top of the mountains include the splendid Chambe basin and the superlative Lichenya and wonderful Sombani Plateau. How about the outstanding Rou Gorge and exquisite water falls?
The weather on the top, with the breeze from the natural woodlands, makes the mountain an alternative place worth spending time at. It is therefore not surprising that there are always a lot of people from different parts of the world that visit the mountain with love to appreciate the wonders of nature.
A group of students from England that visited the mountain recently saw the need to leave a comment about the mountain. After what they called 'a three hour task of climbing the hills up to Chambe peak,' the students wrote in a visitor's book:
"What seemed to be a never ending uphill trudge soon led us over the hill to our first view of the beautiful Chambe peak." Three days of their stay in a suitable mountain hut was too little for what they were to see on the mountain. They left with emotive words describing what they saw; "Absolutely gorgeous place that will be described to all of England when we get home. Loved it!"
Bounded by precipitous slopes and a series of discontinuous marginal plateaus, the massif, shared by Mulanje and Phalombe districts is also vital for watershed protection. It is a catchment of headwaters for nine strong rivers in the two districts. Apart from the sturdy perennial rivers, tens of streams have their sources in the mountains. Mulanje Mountain has been managed by the Department of Forestry as a Forest Reserve since 1927.
There are about nine well constructed Mountain huts on the mountain that will offer you a lovely and memorable sleeping time within natural noises and away from hassles. You just need to bring your food and you are safe! Among the well established mountain huts are Lichenya, Chambe, Minunu, Thuchila, Sombani, Chisepo, Madzeka and the CCAP Hut on Lichenya plateau. Well trained and well behaved porters and guides are readily available to assist.
For outdoor enthusiasts, Mulanje offers spectacular hiking on the plateau and peaks, fly-fishing and invigorating swimming in the crystal-clear mountain waters. For the really adventurous there is also serious rock climbing - the west face of Chambe peak provides the chance to undertake 1,700 metres of technical climbing and is the highest rock climb in Africa.
Those that have not been to Mulanje yet, and have not been up onto Mount Mulanje, have not done justice to themselves. Its time they did just that!
On Aids and Soccer
An available way to fight HIV/Aids through football
by Hastings Maloya
Whether it is by design or default, most hospitals and health centres in Malawi have a football team. Different thoughts can be debated as to the relevance of a health institution to have a football team. It could be that football is such a famous or beautiful sport that many people would love to be associated with. It could also be a way for health institutions to get a mixing pleasure with communities that they serve as people come to watch a team thus carrying a name of their hospital, clinic or health centre.
The availability of teams aside, what has interested me lately is that almost all teams with thus carrying a name of a medical institution is doing very well in respective district soccer leagues through out the country. Names like Rumphi Medicals, Liwonde Medicals, Chikwawa Medicals, Salima Medicals, Mulanje Medicals and the list is endless are heard day in and day out for their impressive soccer talents in their respective district leagues.
Some of them have gone further to participate in the newly launched FAM Cup. What a feat!
Now wait a minute.
Apart from just playing soccer and registering positive results, are there no messages that these teams can carry? I have in mind the HIV/Aids pandemic thus on our midst.
It does not need to be overemphasised that soccer, despite whether it is played in urban or rural areas, attracts huge gatherings and of people from different walks of life, thus both male and females, old and young. Here is an opportunity thus being wasted. Here are people who only come to watch soccer, they talk soccer and will come again to the football ground the following week to watch soccer, talk soccer and go home.
I am certainly sure that the spectators, apart from watching soccer they could also ably listen to different messages that they could take with them back home. In this regards I have the medical teams in mind. To supplement their winning streaks , these teams must be supported to all carry messages to the people especially on the dangers of HIV/Aids and how to prevent the spread of the disease.
My call is to the National Aids Commission (NAC) to take advantage of this well established system which could prove an easy way of message delivery. One would argue that maybe there is need to develop a proposal to NAC for this noble task. I would say there is no need to do that because the teams to be used are already in the health system. It would just be an opportunity to reach more people who could not be able to get the same messages from the hospitals.
NAC should develop a deliberate policy or programme by incorporating in their system some creative people that would maximise any available opportunity like this case of soccer especially at district level. Support in any form to medical teams like uniforms with proclamation scribbled on them would go along way in message delivery.
The teams have already proved good on the field of play and there is no way they would fail to deliver to save Malawi. Most of them, in fact, have very energetic and sporty young men who may not want to be associated with failure.
Organisations like the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) have used sports in message delivery on natural resource and environmental management and it has bore fruits. What can stop us fight Aids through sports?
The author is Treasurer for Mulanje Medicals
by Hastings Maloya
Whether it is by design or default, most hospitals and health centres in Malawi have a football team. Different thoughts can be debated as to the relevance of a health institution to have a football team. It could be that football is such a famous or beautiful sport that many people would love to be associated with. It could also be a way for health institutions to get a mixing pleasure with communities that they serve as people come to watch a team thus carrying a name of their hospital, clinic or health centre.
The availability of teams aside, what has interested me lately is that almost all teams with thus carrying a name of a medical institution is doing very well in respective district soccer leagues through out the country. Names like Rumphi Medicals, Liwonde Medicals, Chikwawa Medicals, Salima Medicals, Mulanje Medicals and the list is endless are heard day in and day out for their impressive soccer talents in their respective district leagues.
Some of them have gone further to participate in the newly launched FAM Cup. What a feat!
Now wait a minute.
Apart from just playing soccer and registering positive results, are there no messages that these teams can carry? I have in mind the HIV/Aids pandemic thus on our midst.
It does not need to be overemphasised that soccer, despite whether it is played in urban or rural areas, attracts huge gatherings and of people from different walks of life, thus both male and females, old and young. Here is an opportunity thus being wasted. Here are people who only come to watch soccer, they talk soccer and will come again to the football ground the following week to watch soccer, talk soccer and go home.
I am certainly sure that the spectators, apart from watching soccer they could also ably listen to different messages that they could take with them back home. In this regards I have the medical teams in mind. To supplement their winning streaks , these teams must be supported to all carry messages to the people especially on the dangers of HIV/Aids and how to prevent the spread of the disease.
My call is to the National Aids Commission (NAC) to take advantage of this well established system which could prove an easy way of message delivery. One would argue that maybe there is need to develop a proposal to NAC for this noble task. I would say there is no need to do that because the teams to be used are already in the health system. It would just be an opportunity to reach more people who could not be able to get the same messages from the hospitals.
NAC should develop a deliberate policy or programme by incorporating in their system some creative people that would maximise any available opportunity like this case of soccer especially at district level. Support in any form to medical teams like uniforms with proclamation scribbled on them would go along way in message delivery.
The teams have already proved good on the field of play and there is no way they would fail to deliver to save Malawi. Most of them, in fact, have very energetic and sporty young men who may not want to be associated with failure.
Organisations like the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) have used sports in message delivery on natural resource and environmental management and it has bore fruits. What can stop us fight Aids through sports?
The author is Treasurer for Mulanje Medicals
Cry our Environment
This article appeared in the Sunday Times of June 5, 2005
A one year stock-taking on our environment
Since 1972 June 5, every year is World Environmental Day (WED), a day set aside by the United Nations as one of the principal vehicles through which nations the world over should stimulate awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and action.
Today Malawi joins the international community in commemorating the day under the global theme “Green Cities” and the slogan is “Plan for the Planet!” Locally the theme has been narrowed down to “Keep our cities Green and Clean”. Environmental journalist HASTINGS MALOYA ponders on the theme in relation to challenges facing our cities and towns.
Once upon a time, people leaving in and around the cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre had pride in the free flows of Lilongwe, Lingazi, Mudi, Limbe and Likhubula rivers, just to mention but a few. Women would do much of their laundries in the rivers while children would spend afternoons playing in the waters, of course learning the art of swimming. Others would enjoy the rare trade of fishing from the rivers while others would use them as a source of water for small scale irrigation.
The same was the case in other towns like Zomba and Mzuzu where availability of water in the rivers did not only ease house chore activities but also added beauty to the towns especially with the provision of wonderful vegetation in the river banks that made towns look green and beautiful..
With its beautiful trees and flowers, the City of Blantyre was once known worldwide due to its cleanliness and caring residents. There were designated places where one would litter and refuse collection was order of the day. Today it is a completely changed situation, not only in Blantyre but in all our cities, towns and districts. Litter is everywhere, surely an eyesore and residents seem they mind very little of how they should manage waste. The rivers that people used to be proud of now have no water and are a supply of pungent smells following piles and piles of waste.
The rivers are polluted and this has led to inadequate access to safe drinking water and cause to different sicknesses. Another hitch is lack of proper sanitation facilities and overcrowded conditions in our cities and towns due to unplanned expanded settlements which pose a high risk of communicable diseases and caused additional pressure on management of waste. We continuously witness residents dispose waste in a lamentable manner. Our towns and cities today are no longer a pleasant sight – yes they are full of waste. This is not only bad to our health but to our environment too. No body can claim to be happy with the current situation.
We can fairly define waste as leftovers after products have been made by producers and have been used by consumers. Waste can be quite hazardous to the health of humans as well as plants and animals. Common waste in domestic garbage include cans, bottles, cardboard and paper, plastic, and rotting organic material.
Much waste in a form of volume of garbage in our cities and towns come from our own homes, offices and schools. Packaging of the products sold in most shops has also been another cause of the pathetic situation that our cities are in today. Of late there has been a lot of paper being distributed from shops in the form of carrier bags but which have not been carefully disposed after use.
Most of our industries lack responsible strategies for dealing with the waste by-products of their manufacturing processes. And not much has been said in condemning the production and release of waste from industries simply because industries have been looked at as an engine for economic growth and a starting place of development. We have therefore ended up living in very a very polluted environment in our quest to support industrial growth.
And our towns cities and districts lack regular waste collection services hence we have noticed garbage building up on road sides, footpaths and vacant land, especially along river banks. With little understanding, knowledge and awareness we have let things happen the way they do without raising much concern. Sometimes we have only complained within ourselves while situations continue to deteriorate.
Most unfortunately this appalling situation comes after peoples’ realisation that the traditional reliance on landfill as a method of disposal can create its own set of problems. In the first place, landfills take up space which in most cases, especially in cities and towns, is very valuable. Secondly, landfills can eventually 'leak' - releasing a toxic mix of rainwater and decomposing waste into the soil and groundwater.
However, all is not lost yet. Commemoration of the World Environment Day should open up new horizons and give us an opportune time to take stock of the environment that we live in. It should be a people's event to promote an understanding that we have a responsibility to changing attitudes towards management of our surroundings. The day should be used to advocate means of ensuring that people enjoy a safer living environment. On this day, it would be imperative for us to examine the state of our environment and seriously consider actions which each of us must take with a sober mind and quiet confidence.
It also takes people in responsible positions in our cities and towns to measure their performance against the environmental situation of their responsible towns and cities. It should be a shame for a responsible officer to be seen in the city jumping up and down in the streets trying to avoid piles of waste or when an officer witnesses minibus commuters throwing litter through windows.
For example, in his message on the commemoration of the day, Governor of California State in the US, Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger has promised to passionately commit himself to defending California's environment, and providing real leadership to protect its precious land, air and water.
“Here in California, we have rejected the notion that we must choose between protecting the environment, and protecting jobs and economic growth. We know that if our beaches are soiled by oil spills, tourists will not experience the wonders of our magnificent coastline. If we log our forests irresponsibly, streambeds will be destroyed and our fishing industry will suffer”, says the well known film star of the Terminator fame.
And the California Governor advises: “If we are going to leave a better planet for generations to come, we must work within a global effort to ensure the economy and the environment never become competing interests”. It is encouraging and indeed exciting when people whom we have known most in the entertainment or rather in political circles make positive comments in relation to the day.
To us, this day should be for stock taking. Let us accept that we have done much damage to our environment and we have lost the pride of having beautiful towns and cities. We have irresponsibly turned our towns and cities as dumping grounds. But all in all, we are ready to reverse the situation.
For a while, let us look at the environment as our surroundings and check whether we are using our natural resources in a sustainable manner and how we dispose unwanted materials in our daily living. This will give a human face to environmental issues and we would empower ourselves to becoming active agents of environmental management as an aspect of development.
The media has a big role to play. As observed recently by the deputy minister of mines, natural resources and environmental affairs Sidik Mia environment is a key component of the country’s sustainable development. Mia bemoaned lukewarm reporting on environment by Malawian journalists and urged them to report more observing that the media is a better channel that would enable people and institutions to appreciate serious environmental problems facing the country.
“One of the deficiencies identified in achieving the noble task of informing and educating Malawians, is lack of proper reporting and sufficient coverage of issues that matter,” observed Mia.
Malawi also lacks environmental education. Environment should be considered as a subject in the curriculum so that school going children whether in kindergarten, primary or secondary are instilled with environmental issues at a tender age. They definitely would grow while appreciating the environment that they live in and taking steps to jealously gourd it.
For government, the observance of the World Environment Day should provide an opportunity to establish permanent government structures dealing with environmental management and economic planning for sustainable and equitable development. So far the Malawi Government has done considerable strides on the environmental management. A lot of policies in line with good environmental management have been produced.
Through the Department of Environmental Affairs the government has facilitated the production of district and national State of Environment Reports and Environmental Action Plans. While State of Environment Reports enlighten environmental situations, Action Plans provide strategies and directions on management.
However, we cannot talk of environmental management as an achievement relating to the production of reports or plans or policy reviews alone. These documents may be useless unless information contained in them is put to better use. Considering the state of our cities and towns today, the need for empowerment and instillation of ownership among residents cannot be overemphasized.
It is only unfortunate that the concept of the environment is fairly new and this presents a challenging task to sensitize people on the effects of poor waste management and ideas of sustainability. However, it only takes us to acknowledge that we are the custodians of places that we live in and it is our responsibility to care for our environment.
Many people view their environment as solely natural resources to benefit from and rarely question the aftermath effects of overuse or abuse of resources. It’s also very difficult to change ones mentality if benefits cannot be seen immediately with the proposed change. One must also appreciate issues of poverty and livelihoods and that people are not deliberately trying to destroy their environment but rather they are trying to survive in the short term.
As we join the international community in observing the day, we have a challenge to mend our situation. After reading this piece, look at your surrounding – if you are not happy the way it is, what do you think should be done? And who should do it? Surely it is yourself.
On Honey & Money
This article appeared in Sapitwa Newsletter and the Sunday Times
From bees now come money
by Hastings Maloya
Stories of bees having disturbed gatherings especially at funerals are very common in Malawi. Through the popular Nkhani za Mmaboma programme on MBC Radio 2, stories have been said on how bees in different parts of the country have made people run for their lives. To some extent communities have associated bees with some kind of witchcraft. But apart from the fact that bees can sting and cause havoc, what more do we know about them?
They produce honey.
And indeed over the years since time in memorial, people especially in Africa have enjoyed honey from bees. It could be the process of getting honey thus cumbersome but the joy associated with it surpasses the problems in trying to get it. The taste of honey has also led to lovers calling each other ‘honey’ in comparison to the taste thus delivered from products of bees.
Now honey is money. In most parts of Malawi, today bee keeping has become a potential activity that is quickly becoming a source of income. It is also an initiative in line with sustainable natural resource conservation and utilisation. Different non-governmental organisations that are promoting sustainable livelihood initiatives are encouraging communities to take up a challenge in bee keeping.
The Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) is facilitating bee keeping initiatives among communities living in and around the Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve. The ultimate output is conservation of Mulanje Mountain natural resources and improved economic status of communities living in the boundaries.
According to Moffat Kayembe, programme officer responsible for forest co-management and sustainable livelihoods for MMCT, the initiative started in 2003 with three villages in the areas of traditional authority Mabuka and Nkanda in Mulanje. Fifteen individuals from the three villages showed interest and started bee keeping with an initial production was 45Kg, which was sold at MK120.00/Kg and MK5, 400.00 was realised by people.
“Since then, many people developed interest and now we have several people that are engaged in this activity”, says Kayembe. He explained that by the end of 2005, 15 villages and 300 farmers respectively were in full swing with bee keeping and honey production in the areas of traditional authority Nkanda and Mabuka.
“At this point, production had increased from 45Kgs to 1000Kgs (1tonne) and prices have gone up from MK120.00/Kg to 145.00/Kg. Based on the good quality, more buyers are now interested to buy honey from Mulanje. In addition, people from 20 more villages including those from traditional Authority Mkhumba in Phalombe district have been trained and ready to start bee keeping and honey harvesting.
Kayembe says the training for bee keepers include technical aspects of beehive construction, installation, monitoring, record keeping, harvesting, storage and general hygiene. Through the training, people are now able to harvest honey without using fire thereby maintaining the resources in a way they naturally would be.
“The increased beekeeping activities are a clear indication that the initiative is empowering people economically while promoting conservation of natural resources around the mountain,” says Kayembe.
Kayembe explained that currently, 6 villages, which are under beekeeping initiative, have decided to go into a Forest Co-Management arrangement with Department of Forestry where management of resources would be done in partnership between communities and the department. This, observes Kayembe, is a positive way forward towards sustainable utilization of natural resources and community’s’ participation in natural resource management. To ensure that the groups are both economically and technically sustainable experienced beekeepers are challenged to train beginners as a way of using available resources and expertise within the local set up.
Meanwhile the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) is the main local buyer of the produced honey which is eventually treated, bottled and sold in the country’s super stores.
Who does not want honey!
On Snakes
Nalikukuti, One of Malawi's popular snakes
by Hastings Maloya
A relatively small but long snake. Very common in most parts of Malawi. This could be one of the snakes that most people have managed to see or heard of in and around their localities. It is very common but has caused minimum harm on people.
This is a vine snake , which is also known as a twig snake, or sometimes it is referred to as a bird snake. It is locally known as nalikukuti or kalikukuti but its scientific name, which is mostly used by scientists and biologists is Thelotornis capensis.
An adult vine snake would averagely be 80cm long but most of them are 1.2m long. According to records, the longest so far was recorded in Mozambique and was 1.47m long. The vine snake is always thin and looks small despite its age. It does not have a specific colour because mostly it resembles the colour of the environment in which it is found. The snake is cryptically coloured or camouflaged especially when it is motionless in a tree or on a shrub. It resembles tree branches or twigs (hence the name twig snake).
Despite its size, a vine can swallow something two or three times its size. Though timid and tiring, the vine snake will inflate its neck to display its anger when threatened. It actively hunts for food during the day. It takes time to catch its prey but when it does, no matter how long it would take to swallow it, it would. It is a slow eater but with a very flexible neck that allows big prey to pass. The vine mainly eats lizards, chameleons and frogs. Snakes and birds are also taken on occasion. This snake usually strikes from above and often swallows its prey. It spits and the venom takes control of the prey!
The difference between a male and a female is not enormous. A male has much longer tails than the females and women (females) are more heavy-bodied than males. If not disturbed, this snake can stay motionless on the same spot for four days. In most cases, the vine snake changes position or moves from wherever it is when it is disturbed. Just as is the case with most snakes, the vine snake does not move in pairs nor is it seen with its off springs. This snake is a beauty to watch for those that have a liking for snakes.
The vine snake has a coloured long tongue, which mostly is bright yellow to orange-red but black to its tip. As is the case with any other snake, the vine has a forked tongue. And just like any other snake, the vine uses its tongue for smell and not taste as is the case with other animals. Every snake uses its tongue to smell and look for its prey. A snake does not need a feel of taste because it enjoys what it normally eats. Be assured that the forked tongue of a snake can not harm or sting in any way and is used only for smelling.
As stated above, Thelotornis capensis is mostly found in trees and shrubs in lowland forest to moist savanna and arid savannas. In other words, the vine snake is predominantly found in the southern Africa region and mainly in countries like Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa. Among the countries, South Africa has the most population. This could be because most South Africans love keeping snakes and they are serious on regulations about conservation of wild animals.
These snakes are not naturally found in Europe. Izi ndi zathu zathu za ku Africa. Of course Sweden has some but are all exported from Southern Africa
For the sake of interest, and to be sure you have seen a vine snake, look out for:
• Lance-shaped head with keyhole-shaped pupil
• Superbly camouflaged as a branch or twig
• Inflates the neck showing the skin colours when comforted
• Spends most of its life in trees and shrubs
• Top of the head is green or blue-green
• Red and black tongue is held out when threatened
Most people in Malawi are yet to develop the liking for snakes. As such very few individuals keep snakes. And the vine snake has not been fashionable among snake keepers.
On Porters Race
This article appeared in ULENDO - Air Malawi's Inflight Magazine
The tenth time racing in the mountain
by Hastings Maloya
Some ten years ago it was an event not worth noticing. It wasn’t an event that would attract the interest of a cabinet minister. It wasn’t an event that would make one travel all the way from Europe to participate. Ten years down the line, it is an event that everyone would want to be part of be associated with. Yes you are not wrong, thus the Mount Mulanje Porters Race, Malawi’s only extreme sport.
Originally, the Porters Race was a competition limited to porters and guides (who escort tourists up the mountain). Later it became an annual event attracting any interested runner and over the years it has become a big event through which Malawi has produced reputable athletes. It’s a Race whose participants prove not only strong but that they have a passion for natural beauty apart from looking for honours. And the 2006 Race was not just a race, but a remarkable one attracting 438 runners out of which 148 were female and 28 were foreigners.
News about this race was known from January when notices flew all over and it sounded like a long distance to get to July 15. The runners waited patiently looking forward to the date while the organisers were putting in everything to make sure that the event is a success. Sponsors were also looking forward with great anticipation to the event.
It was a beautiful Saturday morning and the weather was cool. People around Likhubula Forest Office, venue for the race woke up as early as 4’oclock in the morning looking forward to what tuned out to be an outstanding occasion. At exactly 6 o’clock, the Minister of Information and Tourism, Hon Patricia Kaliyati was already at the venue, signs of something good to come! Joined by her my ministry officials and members of parliament for Mulanje Pasani and Mulanje South, Hon Ebbie Mathanda and Ina Mezalumo respectively, the Minister was there clad in the running beep and ready for the big race.
But, would she and the other distinguished guests, make it into the mountain?
No, it had to take the masters of the trade to do it. The 25km race, which is open to all interested male and female athletes or runners above eighteen years of age and who feel fit enough to run in a rocky and hazardous route into the mountains, starts at Likhubula Forest Office. The runners trek to Chambe Plateau about 2500m above see level before proceeding via the plateau to Lichenya Plateau and back to Likhubula.
So the Honourable Minister only had to be on the starting line-up in an effort to give courage and morale to the runners and she did it very well! She saw the runners off and in less than three hours, we saw the winners coming back finishing a distance that would take one over 16 hours on a normal walk.
Malawi’s renowned athletes Francis Khanje and his female counterpart currently the junior SADC athlete’s champion Tereza Master carried the day during the gruesome race in the male and female category respectively.
Twenty-two year old Khanje crossed the finishing line after 2 hours 17 minutes to claim the first position but failed to beat the standing record of 2hours 12minutes set by Byson Willy who had won the race for three consecutive years. It wasn’t a good year for Willy this time round as he came out on position four.
In the female category Master proved to be the fastest female runner in the past 10 years when she finished after 2 hours 49 minutes making it an all time record for a female runner. The previous record was 3 hours and 11 minutes
Both Khanje and Master went away with K20 000 each, certificates and beautiful trophies courtesy of NBS Bank, Malawi’s caring bank. The Bank also honoured winners for the second and third positions for both categories with MK15, 000 and MK10, 000 respectively.
Charles Musowa maintained the second position, which he won last year and was trailed by Paul Sitima. Nancy Matanda and Mwandida Mpandawawo were the proud holders of the second and third positions in the female category.
“I trained hard. The pain in me was that Willy had won this race three consecutive years. There was need to stop him. I am happy I have done it,” said Khanje with smiles. And Master said, “I am excited. I have conquered the mountain and this is a warning to all female runners in Malawi.”
Impressed with the whole event, Minister Kaliyati said the Porters’ Race has a capacity to put Malawi on the international map and encouraged the organisers to put in more efforts in future. She promised her Ministry’s support towards organisation of the race.
“My ministry is currently working on strategies of how tourism products can be diversified through cultural activities and sports. I am very hopeful that as we move towards the 2010 World Cup which will be host by South Africa, Malawi will have strategically positioned herself as a major sporting tourism destination,” said the Minister.
The 2006 Porters Race enjoyed the proud sponsorship of NBS Bank, Rab Processors Malawi Limited, Kingfisher Associates, Population Service International (PSI), Bowler Beverages, Dispatch Newspaper, Dairibord Malawi, Arkay Plastics and Multochoice Malawi..
Mount Mulanje with its Sapitwa Peak standing over 3,000 metres above sea level is not only the highest mountain but also the most impressive massif in the south-eastern African region. Situated to the south east of Malawi, to the border with Mozambique, Mulanje Mountain has attracted attention of researchers and tourists from different parts of the world. Mulanje Mountain and its forest reserve ranks high in terms of terrestrial biodiversity richness in Malawi. Globally it is an ecological site. Mulanje Mountain is also a home to Malawi’s national tree, Mulanje Cedar (Widdringtonia Whytei).
The massif, covering an area of 250,000 hectares and shared by Mulanje and Phalombe districts, has a very rich and stunning forest reserve, which is a home to a rich and diverse endemic plant and animal species. The forests and woodlands are vital for watershed protection and is the catchment of headwaters for nine strong rivers in the two districts. The mountain also represents an important source of resources like firewood, grass (for thatching), water, timber, animals, and fruits. Close to a million people have their livelihood dependent on resources from the Mountain and the Forest Reserve. To underscore the importance on this resource, the government of Malawi gazetted Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve as a protected area in 1927.
This Hastings Maloya
Hastings Maloya is currently working as Programme Officer responsible for Environmental Education, Awareness and Communications for the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) since September 1, 2002. Hastings, who comes from Tradional Authority Mabuka in Mulanje District, was born on January 21, 1972 at Mulanje Mission Hospital. He is an Adventist Christian, married to Emily and have two daughters Eva and Eve (seen in the picture).
Professional Highlights
• Public relations, feature and story writing and editing, press releases, photography and video production
• Production of radio and TV documentary programmes and information pieces like posters, brochures, newsletters
• Practical experience in development communication and action research
• Desktop publishing and designing (Quark Express, Adobe Indesign, PageMaker, PhotoShop and Microsoft Publisher
• Practical experience in Environmental Education, public awareness and development communications
• Practical experience in working with community leaders and youths
• Introductory skills and experience in Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
• Experience in workshop organising, facilitation and training
• Knowledge of website development and management, use of the internet and e-mail
• Practical experience in community mobilisation
Employment History
(a) Programme Officer –Environmental Education, Awareness and Communications MMCT.
(b) Communications Specialist for the DANIDA -funded Capacity Development in Environment (CDE) Project– Lilongwe
(c) Community Liaison Officer – DANIDA-funded Lake Chilwa Wetland and Catchment Management Project
(d) Communications Officer for the Projects Office – CCAP Blantyre Synod
(e) Editor for the Business Telegraph newspaper
(f) Associate Editor for the Independent Newspaper
(g) Assistant Editor/Reporter for the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)
Missing in Mt Mulanje
(This article appeared in the Sunday Times of 10 September, 2006)
Three years missing in the mountain
by Hastings Maloya
“Three years gone, yes but I still have a feeling like it is only a dream,” says Emie Suliwa almost shading tears in disbelief. She raises her head and through my office window she looks at the magnificent Mulanje Mountain. Shakes her head again and says, “in that mountain, my friend Linda Pronk went missing three years ago.”
Emie works as an office assistant for InfoMulanje, the information centre that offers all tourism information about Mulanje Mountain. When I normally call her to my office, her expectation is that there is some information that she needs to collect or has to clarify on the number of tourists that have visited the mountain in a given period. Wednesday, September 13, could not have been a good day to call Emie to my office.
It was far from what she had expected. She was shocked when I mentioned to her that I wanted to have a brief interview with her as I was writing an article on the missing of Linda in Mulanje Mountain. She recalled, it was on September 13, and this was exactly three years after the demise. For a while, I had to change the subject a bit to let her take a breath before continuing with the interview.
Linda Pronk, a 22-year-old Dutch citizen, served as a development worker with the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) working in the laboratory of the CCAP Mulanje Mission Hospital. On Saturday 13th September, 2003, Linda set off, alone, to climb Sapitwa peak, the highest point of Mount Mulanje. She has not been seen since.
Linda was no stranger to Mulanje, she worked at the CCAP Mission Hospital and had enjoyed climbing the mountain many times, explains Emie.
“We went up the mountain on Friday and we were a group of more than seven. We camped at the newly constructed Chisepo hut and we had all the fun that is associated with mountain climbing,” recalls Emie. “I left the mountain early on Saturday because I had some assignments to sort out down here. We agreed with Linda to meet the following day as she still remained with other friends. I never knew; it was the last time that I had seen her”.
On this particular day, while they were still at Chisepo hut, basically the base of Sapitwa, it is said that Linda expressed an interest to climb the peak and was advised by the rest of the group not too attempt it on her own. Later, it was noticed that she was not on the vicinity of the camp and apparently she might have started off to the peak. That was all about the young Dutch girl.
The alarm was raised early on the Sunday morning and a message was sent down speedily to Likhubula Forest Office. The request for assistance was communicated to the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust and Mulanje Mission Hospital, and soon after, the police were also informed.
I was in office that Sunday but I could not know what to do let alone where to start from, if indeed I was to do anything. There was no rescue plan at hand, no specified leadership, no trained personnel, little equipment and no radio communication! However, there was a rapid reaction from concerned organisations and institutions immediately, a base was established at Kambenje Village, and a search had started.
According to Carl Bruessow, Executive Director of MMCT, the main achievement that day was the climb that was made in very difficult rains by some porters to reach Chisepo with radio and other basic supplies so that there was at least communication between top and bottom. Police, porters, friends, forestry staff and colleagues all rallied to join the effort but lo! there had been no sign of Linda during the searches made in the vicinity of the Sapitwa path. The stormy, wet cold weather atop made life even more difficult.
First thing Monday morning, I got a call from the Daily Times, I stammered before confirming that indeed we were in a situation as a young lady is missing in the mountain. “We are trying all we can and I am hopeful that we may succeed by the end of the day.” I said and could not take more questions. Just as I thought that was enough, it was another call from the Nation, then Power 101fm, before MBC came in. I could tell indeed how serious this issue is. What with the BBC getting wind of the news and their correspondent was already on line for clarification.
Then came a game capture helicopter from Majete Wildlife Reserve to assist in a sky search, if only to raise the morale of Linda, should she be stuck somewhere in that bad weather. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday saw very difficult weather conditions with strong cold winds, heavy cloud and rain prevailing for most of the days.
The area above Chisepo towards Sapitwa is very rugged with many steep slopes interspersed by boulder-strewn stream valleys. According to Bruessow, the helicopter flew at least ten hours of aerial searches over these days negotiating the difficult winds around the peaks. Seven days later, the search effort was beginning to lose momentum as people had to leave the mountain to attend their normal commitments. Hope was beginning to be lost.
In the October - December, 2006 edition of Sapitwa newsletter, Bruessow wrote, “the improved weather over the next four days through to Saturday enabled a full search to be launched and coordinated. At full capacity between 60 and 75 searchers worked the rugged mountain-top carrying out group line searches, often covering priority areas several times.”
All efforts by the army and police bore no fruits. Another effort ten days later was made by a number of dog-sniffer teams who flew out from the Netherlands and gave of their time over five days, again turning up with nothing. And as Bruessow puts it, ordinarily, in any usual situation Linda should have been found but it was not to be and the reason for this failure will elude us for some time.
Thirty-one local traditional healers and medicine men came with different skills and different approaches. Others went through the office of the District Commissioner while others came through village heads and recognised local leaders. They raised the hopes that one of them would succeed in finding the missing lady. It could not work.
Preachers and leaders of different religious beliefs and sectors also participated in the search. They used different approaches and methodologies, still it is three years this week, no success registered.
As for the local people living around the mountain, ancestral spirits played a role in the missing of Linda. They say there are spirits in the Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve and can react in case they are not happy with a particular situation.
“My advice is that we should visit the mountain with respect. This is a treasurer for the people of Mulanje and Phalombe. It must be respected,” says a chief from Phalombe without elaborating.
To date, there is nothing conclusive as to what exactly happened. Someone is yet to come up with a possible assumption. And Emie concludes our interview saying, “sometimes you can not tell about this mountain. Some things you just can not understand them, maybe thus what makes it more important.”
All in all, this tragic incident on the mountain should serve to remind us all to strongly adhere to the well-established safety principles that guide mountain climbing.
No-one can really tell what exactly happened to Linda. However, notwithstanding this unfortunate event, Mount Mulanje remains one unique resource for Malawi as it continues to attract tourist from all over the world. According to the laws of Malawi, Linda shall only be declared dead after seven years. Practically, we have four more years to concretely say the final word about her. But then, where is she? Living in the mountain?
Hastings Maloya is Programme Officer for environmental education
and communications for the Mulanje Mountain
Conservation Trust (MMCT)
On Minister Kaliati
Kaliati was to apologise to who and why?
by Hastings Maloya
The just-ended sitting of parliament will definitely go down the memory lane. It was long, tough and a heated one. For the first time, we were about to witness a rejection of a national budget. What an unfortunate thing that could have been!
Personally I have never enjoyed commenting on issues to do with parliament let alone about conduct of parliamentarians. Because I aspire to becoming a legislature at some point, I always believe that our parliamentarians know what they are supposed to do in the August house for the best of the nation.
However the issue about demand for an apology from the Minister of Information and Tourism Honourable Patricia Kaliyati before passing the budget allocation for her ministry has made me go against my norm of not commenting about parliament. Much as thoughts of the honourable members need to be respected, it is not easy to imagine people with the welfare of the nation at heart, to refuse passing a budget vote, not because of its contents, but because of an individual.
When it was reported that parliament has finally approved the 2006/07 budget and that the impasse on the Ministry of Information vote was resolved by an arrangement that the Minister responsible should miss the session, which she duly obliged, I laughed and asked, so what have they achieved?
Just like most Malawians, I am still not convinced as to why Madame Kaliyati was supposed to apologise and apologise to who? Unless it is clearly stated that with effect from this sitting of parliament, anyone who utters statements that are not palatable will be asked to apologise. Otherwise there are tens and tens of examples of acts that needed a demand for an apology than forcing Malawians to comprehend the unfair demand on one Mrs. Kaliyati.
Some Mps dwelt much on the use of tax payer's money in the form of resources that maybe the minister uses in her infamous routine distribution of bad political language. However, there has not been a case or an example given of those that used public resources to a bad use and came out apologising, or asked to apologise.
Think of the former president Dr Bakili Muluzi’s public comments and pronouncements at political rallies. With peace he could call his opponents zimphonongolo, mutu ngati screw driver, mphuno biii – forsake! He even had an audacity to ridicule his on Vice, Hon. Justine Malewezi that he takes 32 tablets daily calling him munthu opusa uja! Kumbwambwana! How I wish our Parliament could at some point demand an apology for such utterances.
Who among us does not remember the acts of the young democrats? Think of our own Emie Chanika being beaten at the COMESA Hall in the full view of the police officers. Come to think of journalists being beaten on the streets of Blantyre. Examples are numerous and the list is endless yet to-date none of the culprits, despite some of them being known, has been asked to apologise. Worse still, they are yet to be brought to book despite the fact is that they inflicted pain on innocent Malawians. Its sad that our parliamentarians can not see that or maybe the poor souls do not deserve an apology.
It is said, and it has never been denied, that at some point, when Malawi was in dire need of food, some government officials thought it wise to sell to Kenya the only grain that we had. Malawians were left to starve to death when a few selfish individuals were swimming in money through such an inhuman act. And up to this very day our good law makers do not see anything to demand an apology for this.
Our parliamentarians, in their competence as law makers, need to elucidate as to what sort of issues that would lead to a demand for an apology. Should the whole house really demand an apology for political statements? And if indeed thus what it should be, then there are more politicians than Mrs. Kaliyati that need to apologise. For those that have followed political comments from Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba, for example, one would think that he would have been the first one to be asked for an apology. At times it is very difficult to tell whether he is speaking for the government or for his party, but whichever between the two that he speaks for, he causes much more damage than good.
How about Minister George Chaponda who could not see the importance of councillors in local assemblies and indicated that government was not interested in local government elections despite each one of us knowing the importance of these elections. Wait a minute, did I hear our vocal opposition MPs asking Minister Chaponda to apologise? And I hear a deputy minister had to insult a police officer on duty, and todate no apology made? Ah! No. Surely our knowledgeable MPs demanded an apology!
Now, someone please tell Malawians why Honourable Kaliyati was asked to apologise for purely making a political statement and outside the house. It is also very important for the MPS to tell us why the demand for this apology was tied to a budget vote for the Ministry of Information and Tourism.
It would be a little bit unfair for lay people like us to think that maybe the so-called lawmakers had forgotten that ministers can be moved from one ministry to another at any time. Poor them if indeed they could not know that Kaliyati’s salary and benefits is already taken care of by the office of the president and cabinet. Very unfortunate if indeed our ‘honourables’ could not know that employees of the ministry, some of whom their own relations, would suffer simply by demanding an apology and tying it to a budget. This act can be described as the worst from our MPs.
The parliamentarians could have known that it is under Kaliyati’s leadership as Minister of Information that for the first time ever, Malawians were able to follow parliamentary deliberations live on MBC. Malawians were able to hear their MPs, others speaking geography instead of English. Under her leadership, Malawians could stay awake to watch parliamentary proceedings on Television Malawi. Our MPs could have known that for the first time we have a Minister of information who does not keep information to herself. My colleagues in the media will agree that for the first time we have a minister who would pick up a phone any time and will not give hassles for an interview.
What else does Malawi need? Before demanding an apology parliament was supposed to applaud the good job she has done and advise her to improve on areas that are not doing well.
From me, Thumbs up to Kaliyati. She never apologised! She has impressed me. Standing on her principles.
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