Category Archives: Politics

Malawi has a multi-party system with over 40 registered political parties.The political process in Malawi is such that parties are voted into power. Parties participate in an electoral process. The parties with the most representation in the National Assembly are the People’s Party (PP), Malawi Congress Party (MCP), United Democratic Front (UDF), and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

President of Malawi 

Under the country’s 1966, 1994 and 1995 constitutions, the President is executive head of state. The first President was elected by the National Assembly, but later presidents were elected in direct popular elections for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy, the Vice-President becomes President.

  Denotes Vice-President acting as President
? President
(Birth–Death)		 Portrait Tenure Elected Political affiliation
(at time of appointment)
Took office Left office Time in Office
1 Hastings Banda
(1899–1997) [1]		 Dr HK Banda, first president of Malawi.jpg 6 July 1966 24 May 1994 27 years,319 days Malawi Congress Party
2 Bakili Muluzi
(1942–)		 Muluzi.png 24 May 1994 24 May 2004 10 years,3 days 1994
1999		 United Democratic Front
3 Bingu wa Mutharika
(1934–2012)		 Mutharika at Met.jpg 24 May 2004 5 April 2012
(died in office.)		 7 years,316 days 2004 United Democratic Front
2009 Democratic Progressive Party [2]
4 Joyce Banda
(1949–)		 Joyce Banda August 2012.jpg 7 April 2012 31 May 2014 2 years,54 days – People’s Party
5 Peter Mutharika
(1939–)		 Peter Mutharika 2011 (cropped).jpg 31 May 2014 Incumbent 4 years,103 days 2014 Democratic Progressive Party

Standards

Malawi, Politics, Top News

Education Minister Msaka seeks Machinga Likwenu Parliamentary seat’ mandate

Maravi Post Reporter

MACHINGA-(MaraviPost)-The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Eastern vice President Bright Msaka over the weekend set political ambition in seeking mandate for Machinga Likwenu parliamentary seat ahead of 2019 elections.

Msaka who is also Education, Science and Technology Minister Bright pledged more development projects to the constituency when takes reigns of power.

This will be the Education Minister’s first attempt to become a parliamentarian after being a long lucrative career as a highly learned Lawyer, top civil servant and senior cabinet minister.

Msaka is expected to have a tough ride as Machinga Likwenu is considered as United Democratic Front (UDF) stronghold having been represented mostly by UDF lawmakers in the last 24 years of the democratic dispensation.

The current MP for the area Davie Lali for UDF is likely to be among Msaka’s main challengers.

But the DPP Eastern region VP is not intimidated with the yellow camp by assuring constituents with meaningful developments.

With the football Bonanza put over the weekended, youth for the area will be in the Msaka’s shoes for more trophies to keep them busy.

Constituents patronised football match between Magobo Stars and Jando Stars with Msaka’s promise to introduce a full trophy that will accommodate more teams and other sports disciplines like netball.

“I want to join hands with the people of this area in their efforts to realize their long deprived development. We need to build proper schools and bridges and pave good roads.

“This is the reason, I manged to have this bonanza for the youth of the area while waiting more trophies to make them busy. The importance of exercise and physical fitness to the human body cannot be overemphasized. The youths need to embrace this. After all, these sports activities will make them stay busy,” said Msaka.

If elected, Msaka brings with him his vast knowledge, experience and influence to the constituency, raising high expectations among voters.

He was Chief Secretary to the Government at the collapse of the late Bingu Wa Mutharika’s regime and before becoming Minister of Education.

Msaka also served the current administration as Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and Natural Resources, Energy and Mining.

Politics, SADC

Remarks by President Mutharika at the Ground Breaking Ceremony for Blantyre Dual Carriageway

Maravi Post Reporter
Peter Mutharika
ARTHUR PETER MUTHARIKA, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI, AT
THE GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY FOR BLANTYRE DUAL CARRIAGEWAY 10th FEBRUARY 2018, MANKHOKWE GROUND

10th February 2018, Mankhokwe Ground (MaraviPost): When I was going into government four years ago, I promised that I would construct a dual carriageway between Blantyre City Centre and Chileka Airport.

 

Today, I come to deliver my promise to the people of Malawi. I promise what I do; and I do what I promise.

 

My promise is to modernise Blantyre City. And modernize Blantyre – we will!

 

This road will improve traffic flow between Blantyre City Centre and Chileka International Airport. Everything we are doing is part of a bigger vision.

 

By constructing a dual carriageway between the airport and the city, we are preparing for a bigger and modern Chileka International Airport.

 

Peter Mutharika
Peter Mutharika: This road will improve traffic flow between Blantyre City Centre and Chileka International Airport

In our vision, we expect to have a bigger airport that will bring more airplanes. It will mean more traffic between the airport and the city. That is why we need this dual carriageway.

 

We have a similar vision for Lilongwe and Mzuzu. I want us to transform our cities.

 

In Lilongwe, we are dualising the road between Parliament and Bingu National Stadium.

 

We are also planning to construct a dual carriageway from Kamuzu International Airport to Crossroads. We are about to expand Kamuzu International Airport. We need a dual carriageway from the airport.

 

From Mchinji Roundabout at Crossroads, I also to see a new dual carriageway crossing Lilongwe River, past Lilongwe Old Town to Biwi. This road will be funded by the Japanese and designs are in the final stages.

 

In Mzuzu, we will soon construct a dual carriageway from Mchengaotuwa, past Katoto Roaundabout all the way to Mzuzu University. We are finalizing the designs of this road.

 

As you can see, I am determined to change the face of our cities. I am determined to transform this country.

 

Construction of good roads is one of the priorities of my government. Good roads are one of the surest ways of developing a country.

 

Now let me turn to the development needs of this area. I know that communities in this area have acute water shortage. I want to commit that we will do everything possible to provide safe water to the people.

 

Indeed, the Chileka has a unique place in Malawi’s cultural heritage. This area has produced the highest number of famous musicians.

 

I am going to build a community college in this area. I want that community technical college to have a department of music to keep heritage. In fact, we will name the community college after one of the musicians.

 

Let me also announce that we are planning to construct a tarmac road between Chileka Airport and Mpatamanga. This road will meet the Blantyre Bypass Road. This road will cross Shire River at Mpatamanga Gorge and proceed to Mwanza.

 

With these remarks, I declare construction of the Clock Tower – Chileka Airport launched.

 

God Bless Malawi!
And Bless You All!
Thank you!

Malawi, Politics, Top News

Malawi female Parliamentarians at the mercy of media for retainship’ objective reporting

Lloyd M’bwana

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s female lawmakers through its Parliamentary women caucus committee are pleading with media for objective reporting ahead of 2019 elections.

With objective reporting, female legislators bank on retaining their constituencies during the next year’s Parliamentary elections.

The female Members of Parliament (MPs) who are 32 in total are geared supporting each other that theirs seats are retained while banking their hopes on the media for positive coverage of their activities.

The female legislators think that much of their constituencies’ work achievements are not covered fully but only scandalous issues.

Malawi’s First Deputy Speaker, Esther Mcheka Chilenje told the Maravi Post after opening the media and political campaign three days training for female lawmakers in the capital Lilongwe on Friday that the media need to spearhead their agendas.

With financial support from Scottish’ Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the workshop has attracted female lawmakers from both Malawi and Scotland on how best to engage the media in advancing retainship.

First Deputy Speaker Mcheka Chilenje observed that female legislators are not getting full support for their constituency achievement which is key to the public for retainship.

Chilenje pleads with the media in advancing women agendas for the transformation of the country saying female MPs have proven to be advocates for community transformation.

“We are pleading with the country’s media to help us in publicizing of what female MPs have done in various constituencies. This will help in instilling trust among the populace. We want the public to appreciate on what female lawmakers are best of their abilities to serve their people,” urges First Deputy Speaker Mcheka Chilenje.

Echoing on the same, Parliamentary committee on women caucus chairperson, Dr. Jessie Kabwira lauded the Scottish National Party (SNP) that the training be materialized as promised during her last year’s visit to that country.

Kabwira who is also the lawmaker for the main opposition Malawi Congress Party’s (MCP)Salima North West appealed for more financial support for bankrolling elections materials saying campaign exercise is very expensive.

Hannah Bardell, SNP MP for Livingston assured Malawians counterpart of total support in towards retainship program that they continue serving the public.

Malawi, Politics, Top News

Shutdown averted as President Trump signs budget bill

Lloyd M’bwana

WASHINGTON-(MaraviPost)-President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping budget bill approved by Congress to re-open the government after it was briefly closed overnight.

According to BBC, the Federal funding for government services expired at midnight (05:00 GMT), after the Senate missed a voting deadline.

The 650-page plan proposes an increase in spending on defence and domestic services of about $300bn (£215bn).

The shutdown, which lasted five hours, was the second under the Republican-controlled Congress this year.
Winners and losers from the January shutdown

What does a government shutdown cost?

The president, who signed the bill early on Friday, said the military “will now be stronger than ever before”.

The bipartisan measure is the fifth temporary government funding measure for the fiscal year, giving lawmakers until March 23 to draft a full-year budget.

The bill had been expected to pass before the midnight deadline but senators struggled with last-minute objections from Republican Rand Paul, which meant they could not vote in time.

The shutdown came within three weeks of the last one. Lawmakers have wrangled over the spending plan and other political demands from either side.

The House approved the bill by 240 votes to 186. The Senate had passed it by 71 to 28 three hours earlier.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a top Republican, said the bill was “a great victory for our men and women in uniform” as the military would get more resources.

He said: “Ultimately, neither side got everything it wanted in this agreement, but we reached a bipartisan compromise that puts the safety and wellbeing of the American people first.”

Politicians from both opposing parties criticised Senator Paul for slowing the bill up and provoking the shutdown.
Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill said “it looked like he was clueless”, while Republican Senator John Thune called the shutdown “a colossal waste of time”.

Why were budget hawks opposed to the bill?

While the spending bill’s funding for the Pentagon delighted the national security wing of the party, fiscal conservatives were concerned about ramifications for the nation’s debt.

In a doom-laden speech, Senator Paul angrily charged his fellow Republicans with fiscal profligacy, accusing his colleagues of “spending us into oblivion”.

“I ran for office because I was very critical of President Obama’s trillion-dollar deficits,” he said.
“Now we have Republicans, hand-in-hand with Democrats, offering us trillion-dollar deficits.

“I can’t in all good honesty, in all good faith, just look the other way just because my party is now complicit in the deficits.”

This would be “the very definition of hypocrisy”, he added.

US spending-hike budget a ‘monstrosity’, say budget hawks.

What’s in this bill?

The 650-page spending plan was only unveiled on Wednesday night, so the finer details are still unclear.

White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said the package would increase spending by “just shy” of US$300bn.

The Washington Post put the figure at half a trillion dollars.

The bill contains $165bn of additional defence spending and $131bn in domestic spending, including funding for healthcare, infrastructure and tackling the US opioid crisis, reports Reuters news agency.

The proposal would raise the US debt ceiling until March 2019.

Why were some Democrats unhappy?

Despite the support of their Senate leader Chuck Schumer, who said the budget accord will “break the long cycle of spending crises”, some Democrats have complained that the bill does not address immigration.

The party’s leader in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said on Thursday morning that she was opposed to the plan, but would not order rank-and-file Democrats to vote against it.

The California congresswoman called for the bill to include a provision shielding so-called Dreamers, young immigrants who entered the US illegally as children, from deportation.

Her remarks came a day after she told the stories of immigrants for eight hours on the floor of the lower chamber in a record-breaking speech.

Obama-era guarantees for those immigrants were cancelled by US President Donald Trump and are set to become invalid next month.

Illinois representative Luis Gutierrez, one of the leading congressional advocates for immigrants, urged colleagues to vote against the plan.

“Don’t collude with this administration,” he said.

What would a shutdown have meant for ordinary people?

Many government agencies close during a shutdown as their future funding is theoretically not secure. Many employees are asked not to come to work and will not be paid – although some get back pay.

Employees deemed essential – including military personnel and air traffic controllers – are required to work regardless of shutdowns.

It was unclear which agencies would close on Friday if the shutdown continued into the working day.

Law and order, Politics, Top News

MP tells govt to act on Chief Lundu’s remarks against Goal Malawi

Special Absalom

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Dowa East, Richard Chimwendo Banda, has cautioned that the over zealousness of some traditional leaders has the potential to shrink the operating space for non-government organisations (NGOs) in the country.

In Parliament yesterday, Chimwendo Banda, who also chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Social Welfare and Community Development, demanded to know what the government is doing to mend the relationship between chiefs and NGOs.

In an unsuccessful supplementary question to Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kondwani Nankhumwa, the lawmaker cited Paramount Chief Lundu’s recent outbursts, when he took issues with international NGO, Goal Malawi.

“I would like to know what the government is doing on [working on] the relationship between chiefs and NGOs. I have in mind the scenario where the [Paramount] Chief called an international NGO stupid in the presence of the President.

“Chiefs threatening or insulting NGOs is a very big threat to the development of this country. It has the potential to shrink space for the NGOs. What measures is the government putting in place to ensure that there is a good relationship between the Chiefs and NGOs?” Chimwendo Banda said.

But second deputy Speaker of Parliament, Clement Chiwaya, told Chimwendo Banda that his supplementary question was a policy question not related to the construction of markets and upgrading of trading centres questions that Nankhumwa initially responded to.

Malawi, Politics, Regional

Mozambique denies doing business with North Korea

Maravi Post Reporter

WASHINGTON — Mozambique is denying allegations that it continues to do business with North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions.

A CNN report published this month found that North Korea has signed contracts worth millions of dollars in Mozambique, funneled the money through diplomatic channels and used profits from fishing vessels off the Mozambican coast to fund its nuclear program.

But Mozambique’s deputy minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Maria Manuela Lucas, denied that her government has made any agreements with North Korea that violate sanctions. She said Mozambique welcomes outside monitoring.

“The Mozambican government recently invited the U.N. panel to visit Mozambique to see the work that the country is doing to be able to collaborate with this panel.

The panel has recently been assembled and will also publish a report of the last meeting. The panel promised to visit Mozambique this quarter,” said Lucas.

She also said her government is working with private Mozambican businesses to educate them about the sanctions and shut down illegal operations.

The report also alleges that North Korea is providing military training to elite Mozambican forces and offering technical support to the military.

A previous U.N. report alleged that North Korea and Mozambique had a military partnership worth at least $6 million.

North Korea used a shell company to sell weapons, including missiles, radar and air defense systems, according to the report.

Mozambican opposition figures seized on the CNN report as evidence of the ruling Frelimo Party’s corrupt and inept leadership.

“It shows lack of seriousness on the part of our government, by our rulers, who establish shady business on the fringes of what are the international rules, which can somehow penalize the image of Mozambique,” said Fernando Bismarques, a spokesman for the Democratic Movement of Mozambique, an opposition party.

The United States, which has led the charge for tougher sanctions against North Korea, declined to comment specifically about the Mozambique case, but said it would continue to hold countries accountable.

“All U.N. member states are required to implement sanctions resolutions in good faith, and we expect them all to do so,” a U.S. State Department official said.

“We continue to call on all countries, including Mozambique, to take the appropriate steps to apply maximum pressure on the DPRK including reducing economic ties.”

Malawi, Politics

Mia denies sealing a MK30 million deal with Nkasa to sing pro-MCP songs

Maravi Post Reporter

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) member Muhammad Sidik Mia has come out of his cocoon to trash social media reports alleging that he has sealed a MK30 million deal with veteran musician Joseph Nkasa to start composing pro-MCP songs.

Yesterday the social media was awashed with reports that Mia held a secret meeting with pro-DPP music star Joseph Nkasa where they discussed a number of issues one of it being for the artist to change his goal post and start praising MCP.

According to information at hand, Nkasa agreed to the deal upon receiving MK30 million from Mia.

Writing on his official facebook page, Mia trashed the reports saying its fake news aimed at tarnishing his image.

“That Musician Joseph Nkasa made a courtesy visit at my office yesterday is true.

“However, that Nkasa signed a 30 million kwacha deal to start singing pro MCP songs as some news outlets on the social media are reporting, is outright FAKE news,” wrote Mia.

He added: “We all know Nkasa. He is way above the age of majority and I think he is guided by his conscious to do what he thinks is right. Whether his conscious will lead him to release pro MCP songs is his personal choice and I have nothing to do with that except respecting his choice.

“However, what is misleading and fallacious is to assume that his visiting my office means we were signing a multi-million kwacha deal. It is simply cheap propaganda which you, my revered followers on this page, must ignore.”

Malawi, Politics, Regional

George Bush: ‘pretty clear evidence Russia meddled’ in US election

Maravi Post Reporter

WASHINGTON-(MaraviPost)-George W Bush has said there is “pretty clear evidence that the Russians meddled” in the 2016 US presidential election, forcefully rebutting Donald Trump’s denials that Moscow tried to affect the vote.

While never mentioning Trump by name, Bush, the US president from 2001 to 2009, appeared to be pushing back at Trump’s attempts to foster warmer relations with Russia.

The White House did not immediately comment on Bush’s remarks. “There’s pretty clear evidence that the Russians meddled,” Bush said at a talk in the United Arab Emirates.

“Whether they affected the outcome is another question. It’s problematic that a foreign nation is involved in our election system. Our democracy is only as good as people trust the results,” he said.

Bush said the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had “a chip on his shoulder because the demise of the Soviet Union troubles him.

Therefore, much of his moves [are] to regain Soviet hegemony

He stressed the need to back Nato and other alliances the US has with the rest of the world. Putin was “pushing, constantly pushing, probing weaknesses. That’s why Nato is very important,” Bush said.

Malawi, Politics, Regional

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma could quit within days- ANC

Maravi Post Reporter

PRETORIA-(MaraviPost)-South Africa’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is holding direct talks with embattled President Jacob Zuma over a transfer of power.

President Zuma has faced increasing pressure to quit since December, when Ramaphosa replaced him as leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

South Africa had seen “systematic looting” under Zuma’s rule, and he “must go sooner rather than later”, it said in a statement.

The best guess here is that Zuma, who is facing multiple corruption charges, may be looking for some sort of legal guarantees, although an amnesty is not an option in South Africa.

Ramaphosa, already sounding like the country’s new president, said both he and Zuma were aware of people’s anxieties, and the need for a speedy resolution in the “coming days”.

Malawi, Opinion, Politics

Of MCP infighting and need for independent crisis management

MaraviPost

By Kelvin Sulugwe

The infighting in the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is a very good sign that the party is democratic, but needs an independent crisis management, damage control team If you asked me.

I would be very slow to tell you why I have decided to write this piece today, but it has to be enlightened and I have taken a very sober minded stand in what is happening in the party right now.

At first, I was very concerned with the ongoing fights that have given birth to factions such as that of Richard Msowoya, Gustav Kaliwo, Sidik Mia and Jessie Kabwira, but now.

I decided to take it from another angle. This is a sign of mature democracy in the party. It means MCP is indeed very democratic and that people are able to take different stands against matters, unlike other parties where blind loyalty is the uniform for patriotism. It should be noted that in a democracy, everyone is able to express his/her views, but at the end, it is the majority view that prevails.

The majority will speak at the coming convention, for now, here is what I wish to put forward. For starters, it was very disturbing when a letter written by the Vice President Hon Richard Msowoya leaked to the media.

One should be of the view that such high profile communication should be safeguarded with the utmost confidentiality the two sides can afford. I will not stand here to accuse a side that leaked the letter, because I have no idea who did.

It might be the side of Hon Msowoya who leaked it to buy public sympathy or it might be the other side that leaked it to make Msowoya less matured. We move on. Then, after the letter, came the decision (not officially communicated) that the party decided to fire Kaliwo, suspended the rest.

The most disturbing occurrence was the fact that even party youths were pictured going to the headquarters, carrying banners that called for the blood of Kaliwo out of the party.

This is where I am afraid and like some people have observed, indeed, MCP lacks political strategists that are able to manage party crisis. What happened, if the firing is true and the news of possible impeachments are simply wrongs that will be added to the first wrong, of Vice Presidents letter being leaked to the media.

In the end, two wrongs do not make a right. We will sink from one level to another and at the end; we will be bruised to the ground. What people like me expected were not meetings to fire the other fractions. I will explain something later on that. Sometimes, political moves should not be very obvious.

When they become very predictable, we the opponents can easily lead the way, while making it look like we are the ones making such decisions. When Sidik Mia first joined the party and the rumours for possible fights started going viral, MCP hosted a political rally that had all these giants together.

That was very brilliant and it pained our major opponent to that fact that he changed direction of trying to disturb the party. MCP is a big threat to Progressive Democratic Party (DPP). I can say this a million times even in my sleep. It is the party that Malawians are looking up to.

Let me tell you something. No matter how the DPP can try to convince Malawians of the atrocities of MCP, we will come to one fact, the people who did such atrocities are no longer in MCP.

Hon Dr Lazarus Chakwera was not there when MYP terrorized Malawians. Hon Msowoya was not there, just like Hon Eisenhower Mkaka, Jessie Kabwira and most of the current MCP members were not there when this happened.

On top of this, not many people who are bound to vote in 2019 were there. I was young and never felt whatever people describe about MCP and I know there are lots of people like me who were not there.

Ofourse I can remind you some of the people who were there in such a time and I can easily bring to memory people such as Hon Nicholus Dausi, Hetherwick Mtaba and Dr Bakili Muluzi. They were there and of late, Hon Nicholus Dausi has received his compensation package for being there.

Today, he stands on a podium and saays he will reveal what MCP did. I can’t wait to hear what he did. Now, it is evident that what we have is a transformed MCP, with completely new ideas.

God has served the party and cleansed it. He has chased the bad omens, most of who run to DPP and are now standing on podiums and promise to reveal what they did in the name of MCP of their time. Someone is very afraid and it is at this point that MCP needs to be very serious in decision making and strategies.

I suggest, since it is already a rumour that the vice president has been fired, it remains such, let MCP fire and suspend no one. Instead, conduct three massive rallies in the north, central and south.

Tell people that we understand of the infighting currently rocking the party, but the party is working on it and very soon, everything will be sorted out. Tell people no one has been fired or suspended make sure that at such rallies, all the people should be present.

Invitations should be extended to Richard Msowoya, Kaliwo, Kabwira and the rest of them. Let there be no impeachment at parliament and pretend like nothing happened. This will indeed be a new song for a democratic party in Malawi.

If someone has eaten money from DPP, they will be put to shame, especially if they refuse to attend such rallies. Such a move will cripple all efforts for public sympathy and will send a strong message to people that MCP is ready to govern. Then we know that at the end of the day, general convention will say it all.

Believe me, Kaliwo is not a threat and I doubt he can even win back his post at general convention, the same way I doubt he can be of use to DPP. What they are enjoying now is fame and platform that party decisions are giving to them.

They don’t deserve such a decision and it is love and tolerance to their noise that will cripple them, if indeed they are making noise.

No matter what, Dr Chakwera should not be afraid, he has the support of many and come convention, he will be elected president once more. Sidik Mia also has more chances of beating Msowoya nice and clean to be the vice president.

Kaliwo can’t beat Mkaka on Secretary General Posts. In the end, these are simply my views, anything can happen. It is my prayer that MCP will now think of having a crisis management and damage control team, far from the NEC, an independent party body that should come in to sort out issues involving the NEC members.

Dr Chakwera is no way in a position to chair a meeting involving him and his vice president Msowoya. Again, party youth, with no political understanding of crisis management and winning strategies should not dictate what happens to people who speak against certain party decisions. We want to win in 2019 and we can only do it by being democratic, like we have always been.

Lastly, let not MCP be pushed to an early convention. We will do it when time comes. Long Live MCP, Long life to Dr Chakwera.