Two of the great attractions of Malawi’s national parks and wildlife reserves are their completely unspoilt wilderness and the absence of mass tourism. You really do feel you’re looking at a scene that David Livingstone would recognize. There’s a real touch of the Garden of Eden about them. You discover the animals, they’re not lined up for your viewing as though in a theme park.

Types of Safari

There’s a wide choice of safari. You can use the customary 4×4 vehicle (most are open) for your game drives or you can really get to know the country and its wildlife on a walking safari. Other options include boat safaris along the Shire river. This is a wonderful way to see the animals close-up as they seem unfrightened by people in a boat. You can float close to the hundreds of hippos and watch the elephants drink just a few metres away. Other close encounters can be had, for example, when tracking elephant in Majete. The famous horseback safaris are back in 2010, an opportunity to ride alongside the antelope and zebra.

It is difficult to find many countries that can approach Malawi as a destination for birdwatching. Few indeed will get close to the range of species that can be seen and even fewer have such ease of viewing.

Parks & Reserves

Malawi’s nine national parks and wildlife reserves cover a great variety of landscape and vegetation types, and include areas of genuine unspoilt wilderness. In the north are the unique Nyika Plateau and Vwaza Wildlife Reserve: one a highland, the other a lowland area. The central region has two vast game areas: Kasungu National Park in the west and Nkhotakota Reserve in the east. The latter is currently being developed to accept tourists. In the south, the best known national park is Liwonde, along the River Shire, but there are also three game areas further south: Lengwe National Park and the wildlife reserves of Majete (recently restocked) and Mwabvi. Near the southern limits of Lake Malawi is the world’s first freshwater national park at Cape Maclear. This is one of Malawi’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Animals

The big five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) can be seen in Malawi as well as a splendid range of antelope and the smaller cats such as caracel and serval. Hippos are to be found in large numbers, so much so that they are almost symbolic of Malawi’s wildlife. A safari in Malawi is about memorable experiences, not tick lists, plenty of game in beautiful surroundings but no convoys of vehicles characteristic of some African game parks. Visitors are relatively few in number, giving everyone the opportunity to experience all types of safari: in a 4×4, by boat, on horseback or on foot, in peaceful privacy.

Malawi is truly an ornithologist’s paradise. Few countries in the whole of Africa can rival Malawi’s range of bird species coupled with the relative ease of birdwatching. Around 650 species have been identified with over ten per cent not being seen in other parts of southern Africa. Best known is the fish eagle to be seen at the Lake and along the River Shire but, as with the Lake’s fish, the range of species is breathtaking.

The variety of fish, over 600 species, to be seen in the Lake Malawi National Park is unequalled anywhere else in the world.

Source: malawitourism.com

Seasons come and go. And so is the trend in music favoured by the listening public. At the moment, Zambian and South African music dominates the Malawian industry.

While comparisons between Malawi and South Africa find little common ground, the association with Zambia brings too many common interests.

However, despite this, Zambia outshines Malawi in terms of music.

Only a handful of Malawian musicians, such as Skeffa Chimoto and Lucius Banda, have impressed the Zambians and earned enough airtime in public places and on Zambian radio stations.

Contrastingly, in Malawi, an event is incomplete without Zambian music. Even in drinking joints and at parties, it is Zambian music that dominates.

There must be a reason. Chill took an initiative to learn from some popular Zambian musicians on what they think gives them an edge over Malawian artists and what Malawian musicians get wrong.

During the interviews, four issues dominated the discussions—Zambia leads in quality, seriousness, audience target and relevance.

B1, of Sikiriti ku Bedi and Perfecto hits, said he is a fan of Malawian music and his favourite stars are Skeffa and Lucius. He says Zambia learns a lot from Malawi, but Zambia beats Malawi on several areas, an element that makes Zambian music dominant in Malawi.

“We sing for the public and it is not easy to impress everybody. This is where the term ‘art’ comes in. It is the duty of the artist to think of the audience to lead in loving the song. A proper definition of this is what has helped Zambian songs excel. For instance, my music dwells much on daily issues and every person finds an element related to his or her daily life.“They might not love the entire album or song, but some messages will make them be part of the song,” said B1.

On his part, Danny said: “Zambian music is controlled by competition. There are many artists and everyone knows that to register success one has to work extra hard and take time to work on the song. Malawi should embrace this phenomenon. Take music as a serious business and perform every section of the song in steps, not producing song after song. This affects quality. Think of the audience and what it needs and debate whether the music is worth producing or not.”

One of Zambia’s finest musicians JK believes Zambian music beats Malawi in terms of seriousness. He says in Zambia, a music producing firm employees the best producers and because there are many music studios, there is high competition to produce quality music.

This in turn influences the quality of music each studio produces.

He says music consumers can demonstrate against poor music.

“There should be a moment when musicians can shun some studios due to low standards of its products. Similarly, music consumers should not buy half-baked material. Some artists ignore the basics of music and, in professional music, this in intolerable,” said JK.
The three musicians also wondered whether Malawian musicians know the purpose of music and what they ought to achieve when they compose their messages and take them to studios.

“Music helps in soothing the minds. There are times when music with unhappy lyrics is preferred, but research shows that people seek to get fun and excitement from music which helps them to forget about hard times. Malawi misses it on this.

“Most of their songs are about issues that portray that life is and mind you, messages in music control the people’s mindset. So the more you complain in your music, the more people will live complaining and hate the songs,” he said
B1 said Zambians compose songs that soothe the heart.

“We compose for the people and our focus is on what they want, what they will want to listen and dance to and this is accomplished by the melody to create the real mood and life reality. People have more fun at clubs and parties and they cannot listen to complaining songs,” he said.

JK concurred with B1: “Malawian musicians complain in their music.

People want to dance, have fun and forget about their problems and good music achieves this. In Zambia or South Africa, it is more of dance music and despite that some people do not understand the messages, they still dance because the rhythm alone defines the mood,” said JK.

Malawi sees gold in foreign things. There is a good crop of music purely copied from foreign artists.
Danny said the basics of music should not be ignored and artists should be natural.

“We are Zambians and we have an identity with our music. Malawian musicians should create an own identity and not copy from Zambia or South Africa. Any song that passes the basic elements of music can do well and there is no best genre. Artists should bring a new touch to music and perform it to entice the audiences.”

B1 and JK feel it is not too late for Malawi. They believe with seriousness, consultations, quality messages and instrumentations, it can pick itself up from the shards.

Recently our donor partners unanimously agreed to suspend budgetary support worthy $150 million to the government following corruption scam, and the IMF followed suit by withholding $20 million citing the same reason. The decision sent a wave of shock to some quarters considering the consequences of donor aid withdrawal on the economy.

Previously, Mutharika administration experienced donor aid freeze after expelling Cochrane Dyet, the former British envoy. The effects were very devastating and detrimental to the economy as the country experienced forex shortage, endless fuel queues, companies retrenched workers, inflation and interest rates skyrocketed, etc, etc.

Foreign aid is the transfer of resources from developed countries to under-developed countries, either through bilateral or multilateral donors. Malawi just like many African countries has been receiving donor aid to eradicate poverty since attaining independence. Donor aid is normally subject to certain conditions, which reflect the motives of the donors as to how much they are sincere to the development and welfare of the developing countries, or pursue their own obvious and clandestine interests.

In Africa foreign aid reached its peak between 1960s and 1990s, but it has dried up due to the fact that donor countries are increasingly focusing on former socialist Europe, including the new Commonwealth Independent States (CIS) which has replaced Soviet Union, and due to the fact that the Cold War is over. Western powers, therefore, no longer need to use foreign aid as a tool to counteract the incursions of the Soviet Union in influencing African nations. However, studies have shown that some foreign aid donors have provided aid with the sole objective of having influence on the recipient countries. They refer to this as conditionality-based foreign aid.

According to the World Bank (2003) report which examines foreign aid dispensed to Africa, 11 countries (Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA) have been outlined as principal donors between 1996 and 2001. Over this period only Japan, UK and USA slightly increased their aid flow while the rest of the donor countries diminished their aid dispensation. Aggregately, donor aid declined from 0.25% to 0.22% of the donor countries’ Gross National Product (GNP).

ATLANTA -Updated: 08:10, Friday December 20, 2013,  The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has asked judges to delay the start of the war crimes trial of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement on Thursday she needs time to reconsider her case after one key witness decided not to testify and another confessed to giving false evidence “regarding a critical event” in the case.

Bensouda said the remaining evidence is not enough to take the case to trial and she wants to gather more.

Judges must rule on whether to grant the adjournment.

Kenyatta’s trial was to start on February 5.

Kenyatta has pleaded innocent to charges including crimes against humanity, murder, rape and forcible population transfer for his alleged role in violence after the 2007 election that left more than 1000 people dead.

After reading in the media about the so-called mysterious jet which is flying the State President around, we carried our own very careful investigations. We were greatly shocked to find out that it is the same former Malawi Government plane which was flying Late Bingu around. It is the very same plane that President Joyce Banda swore to the Malawi nation and the world at large that she would never fly in.

She in fact urged her Government officials to sell this plane very quickly, telling us that she does not need it. She assured us all that she would be using commercial flights. We are now forced to conclude that all this was deliberate misinformation. There must have been some underground deals with the buyer of the plane, such as being assured of some favors, material or otherwise, or being allowed to fly in the plane afterwards in return for favorable transactions in the sale.

We now know that the plane was sold to a company called Bohnox Enterprise Limited. Although this company is registered in the Virgin Islands, the owner, a Mr Ivor Ischikowitz, is a resident of SouthAfrica. He also owns Paramount Group, a company which deals in military hardware and it is registered in South Africa. This is thecompany which paid for the UK PR firm which came to Malawi to clean upthe President’s image in the face of Cashgate scandal. In addition,this is the same company that sold us seven gun boats to patrol over Lake Malawi soon after our lake dispute with Tanzania started.

We all remember how the State House chose to hide the source of funding for the UK PR firm. The revelations came from an overseas publication. Now the same State House is being very tongue-tied about the secret well-wisher who is providing this mysterious plane for the President to fly around.

We worried then about how the Paramount Group funded the PR firm andwhy the State House wanted to hide it all. This is obviously because we know that there is a high propensity for bribes, corruption, and fraud in sales and transactions of military hardware worldwide. We were somewhat relieved when we read that President Joyce Banda has terminated her contract with the UK PR firm even if this may have been done in order to avoid the discovery of more irregularities in the deal.

We now would like to leave it up to the Malawi public to figure out why a South African resident should use a Virgin Island registered company to buy a plane from the Malawi Government, paint it differently and change its registration number, keep it in South Africa, and clandestinely fly the President of Malawi around the globe in that plane. This situation is made more troublesome by the fact that the State House still wants to keep all these facts secret from the Malawi public. They cannot somehow learn from the PR firm fiasco.

We also hear that this is the same company which leased MbalachandaEstate from ADMARC and also owns Engen Oil Company in Malawi. We now must ask ourselves that with such level of presence in Malawi, how many other secret deals is the PP Government making with this company?

To what extent is the company willing to go to fund the cleaning up the Government image in the face of scandals like Cash-gate?

Can this Government assure us that there are no elements of Cash-gate in its dealings with this company that may show up elsewhere like in the on-going forensic audit? In short, is Paramount Group not another Cash-gate company?

Dr Jean A Kalilani, MP

Secretary General

DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSVE PARTY

Malawi is going to capture more hearts than ever in 2014.

As well as being no. 5 in Lonely Planet’s top destinations for 2014 (beating the likes of Mexico and the Seychelles), the only African country to make the top ten. Malawi also celebrates 50 years of independence and has exciting new developments in wildlife conservation. Add to this brand new luxury accommodation and now the opportunity for big 5 wildlife viewing along with crystal clear waters and golden sandy beaches …..

Lonely Planet’s advice is  “best get there quick!“

They go on to say that this “slip of a country has so far escaped the safari-suited ‘bush and beach’ crowd. You get up close to elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo without the pesky 4WD scrum so common in Africa’s best known parks.”

Malawi’s Lake
The world’s first freshwater National Park covers nearly a third of the country. Its crystal clear waters, golden sandy beaches and unique fish species brings sustenance, livelihood, tourism and leisure and forms an integral part of Malawi’s cultural heritage.

Malawi – The Warm Heart of Africa
Not a marketing slogan. It is reality. Malawians are the most friendly people you could meet anywhere in the world. A welcoming and safe nation, locals love to share their communities with visitors and cultural experiences here are genuine and true to life.

Malawi’s New Lodges
Malawi now finally offers a great range of international quality accommodation from 5* luxury to locally run eco-lodges – and owners seem dedicated to supporting their local communities and environment, which can be experienced by visitors too.

Malawi’s Wildlife Conservation
The restocking of Malawi’s Majete Wildlife reserve is one of Africa’s best conversation success stories. The amazing transformation has taken a desolate area devoid of any wildlife, and turned it into a thriving BIG 5 destination with more than 2,500 animals including black rhino, lions and leopards. The organization behind Majete’s success – African Parks – is now working with the government in Liwonde and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. This provides a unique opportunity to see the ‘before and after’ of their amazing conservation efforts.

Adele Cutler : adele@kamageo.com / +44 (0)115 937 7475

Kelly White : enquiries@malawitourism.com

www.malawitourism.com

The Cash Gate Crisis has tarnished Malawi’s image. It has demonstrated that as a nation, we have failed to manage our public resources, especially those meant for ordinary Malawians who need them the most.

Malawi has shown that even after years of democratic transition, our political system is in fact regressing. What we have built appears to be a political system that continues to allow the privileged few, to consume state resources for their own private use while disregarding the voices of ordinary people.

This Crisis has had a knock on effect on investor opportunities and in turn, prospects for growth. It has eroded public trust and it has also resulted into disproportionate suffering of ordinary Malawians due to increased cost of living, fewer drugs in hospitals, unpaid civil servants, break down of social services and collapse of small scale businesses.

The fact that there is no clear strategy on the part of the Government, other than grand public relations efforts, attempting to demonstrate that it is managing this Crisis; is most worrying. It signals serious impunity and that those responsible would not be sanctioned.

Our assertion is that this Government continues to operate under a business as usual mode despite this being a grave issue for Malawi and Malawians. It suggests that it perceives this crisis as not exceptional. This is absolutely unacceptable.

It is surprising to suggest that the Government only understood the scale of the problem in the last few months.
First, any Government that assumes office starts off with a clear diagnostic of issues at hand.

Second, if corruption is a mere manifestation of a wider problem, then it means the Government failed to deliver on its fundamental objectives, which include:

1. Developing effective controls and mechanisms to regulate political party funding;

2. Upgrading salaries to a living wage in the public service with effective performance management, includingimpartial recruitment and promotion systems based on merit;

3. Tackling patronage and nepotism;

4. Adoption of more transparent financial management, procurement and auditing processes.

So far Malawians do not have a clear understanding of what exactly the problem we are trying to address is. We argue that the break-down of IFMIS as a system is a mere symptom of the problem. We believe that the underlying problem goes beyond a few technocrats and senior civil servants. Cabinet, (as a collective), needs to hold itself accountable to all Malawians for this crisis.

Through ad hoc channels, we understand that the Government has developed an action plan to address this Crisis. This Plan has neither been tabled to Parliament nor discussed with our civil society groups/stakeholders including ordinary Malawians. It remains unclear as to who will be accountable for the implementation of this plan. It is unclear what the milestones in this Plan are and who is to objectively monitor and assess progress against the implementation of this plan. Furthermore, it remains unclear as to how Government will go about to systematically re-orient its spending priorities, in light of the current Crisis, and specifically through our national budget. Which areas will incur spending cuts, especially within the ERP and how does the Government intend to cushion ordinary Malawians from the effects of these spending cuts?

We therefore DEMAND:

1. A clear articulation of the problem-and for leadership as a collective, at the most senior level (i.e. President and Cabinet) to take responsibility for addressing the Crisis.

2. A clear action plan, vetted by all Malawians, which the Government will implement and can be held accountable for, that addresses this Crisis-with both technocratic and political actions.

3. A revised budget that reflects expenditure cuts, savings as well as measures to cushion ordinary Malawians from effects of budgetary re-alignments, in light of a declining revenue base.

4. A clear outline of the consequences of this Crisis on the economic status of the country in the medium and long term; as this has implications on the new Government that will be ushered in power after May 2014.

Atupele Muluzi, MP

President

United Democratic Front

Dr Mudzafa Zaeni, controversial political analyst from the University of Mpatse Abwile claimed recently that in spite of unprecedented looting happening at Capital Hill, there was no crisis in the country. Dr Zaeni insisted that calls for Amai to do more than simply wallow in the praise showered upon her after reciting a Mandela eulogy written by the SADC secretariat were unfounded in a country that was witnessing what in his view was a major breakthrough. 

Luckily, Dr Mudzafa Zaeni accepted Gogo Sinsamala’s invitation and came to be interviewed at the Bawo Club on some of his recent statement. He welcomed the opportunity to give his take on recent political events in the country. The fact that it was none other than Laughter Kambala, fresh from his bail appeal, that drove him to the Bawo Club was something of a surprise. Nevertheless, the Bawo Club enjoyed the company of these two interesting characters, who seemed happy enough to sit down and enjoy a gourd or two of Abiti Mwenye’s legendary sour brew. 

Reproduced below is the transcript of the interview, conducted on behalf of the Bawo Club as usual by The Chief Mourner.

TCM: Dr Mudzafa Zaeni, recently you said that the exposure of rampant corruption at Capital Hill, where millions were being found in people’s cars did not amount to a crisis. Do you stand by that opinion?

Dr Zaeni: There is absolutely no crisis. A looting crisis is defined in politics as the worst form of stealing and pillaging of public funds. Now, my studies have shown that although there was looting here, the proportions are not catastrophically sufficient as to be referred to as a crisis. Finding the loot in car boots and bedrooms is not enough. It would be a crisis if the police were finding money in these people’s living rooms, toilets, refrigerators and kitchen pots. What happened here was a breakthrough. As you can see, we now know why Amai’s government has been unable to do any development projects and why her children have been putting on weight.

TCM: But Dr Zaeni, don’t you think it is an indication of a crisis that the donor community issued a statement against corruption in Amai’s government, and even summoned Khambi Kathyali to question him on the looting?
Dr Zaeni: Nonsense. You have been misinformed, Chief Mourner. Donors are spending huge sums of money to maintain Khambi Kathyali’s massive weight. I assure you that they summoned him to voice their concerns on his eating habits. In fact what led to the shooting of his homeboy Chingolopiyo was a disagreement over the need to compete with the eating habits of his boss. Cant you see that since then, Kathyali has gone underground?

TCM: So this is a breakthrough?

Dr Zaeni: Absolutely. These two-cent journalists tarnishing Amai’s name with their baseless headlines appal me. Had it not been for the CashGate, would we have known where Amai got the money she has been using for all her personal projects? Would we have known what her children are doing and why their wealth and fortune have multiplied overnight from owning a small bar to owning big trucks and international companies? You are looking at this the wrong way, Chief Mourner. This is a major breakthrough!

TCM: Now, turning to the arrest of our friend here Laughter Kambala. You know he says he wants Amai to testify at his trial. What are your thoughts?

Dr Zaeni: That too is nonsense- with due respect to my learned Senior Counsel here. In my extensive studies and experience in the political sciences, I can assure you that the legal position is that incumbent leaders can never ever be summoned to court to give testimony to anybody. Presidents are above the law. Though there may be no law giving her immunity, the position she is holding offers her that protection. Remember she is immune from prosecution. That is automatically extended to bar her from standing in a witness dock, or being investigated for her role either in Cashgate, how much she is worth or any declaration of assets, he shooting of Chingolopiyo, or even whether or not she washes her shoulder sashes!

TCM: Considering that the accused is a lawyer and not just a lawyer but one that has long experience as senior lawyer in government and at the bar, don’t you think that you are being somewhat presumptuous with your knowledge? After all many leading lawyers in the country have opined that a leader does not have such immunity under the constitution, and that you, Dr Zaeni are a confusionist who should stck to your political activism instead of making unfounded statements of law. Care to elaborate?

Dr Zaeni: Well, Amai is all-powerful and protected. She has the power to send anyone she wants to testify on her behalf. She could send the first gentleman, Malita Chitsononkho, or one of her children, or even me. By simply standing in that courtroom and announcing that I have been sent to testify on her behalf, the court has no choice but to see me as through I was she in every way! These lawyers do not know that when politics and law clash it all boils down to who has the power. Who cares about the law when you have political power?

Young Sandikonda, seeping on a somewhat diluted version of the sour brew looked disgusted enough by Dr Mudzafa Usana’s answers that he seemed ready to stand up and pay his respects to the doctor with a few honourable punches.

“This is such a crack of rubbish!” Sandikonda exclaimed right into the face of Dr Zaeni. “As we speak many civil servants including those in the Ministry of Information have not received their November salaries and yet their Civil Service minister is sojourning and gallivanting in foreign lands. If this is not irresponsibility and insensitivity of the highest order, what is? It is even more depressing that this kind of callousness or “unfeelingness” is emanating from a woman who is ordinarily expected to be motherly in her attitude where matters of life to her children are concerned. What kind of a President is this? What type of a woman is this? What variety of a mother is this? She is busy enjoying herself outside the country instead of being home to intervene in this and other crisis issues. You must be very stupid, Dr Zaeni!”

Mudzafa Zaeni was lucky that at this very moment, Laughter Kambala stood up, and announcing that he had just received a call from the State House threatening him to stop talking to “Makape” in the hope that he can gain some sympathy for his face had already been sealed. Apparently a police bigwig by the name of Iphani, together with loud mouth Chenji Golo were going to make sure that he either goes down into the cells, or down into the earth. Suddenly fearing for his life, Kambala forgot even about his suits, which had just arrived from Nampula, and left immediately to go and have a conference with Pako Kanundu about their trial.