Delivering Change in Malawi

{Protocols Observed}

I am honoured to welcome you to the United Democratic Front’s first ever, National Policy Conference, on behalf of our organizing Committee, and in my own name.

I would like to extend a very warm and special welcome to our international guests, our sister parties and all stakeholders who have come to demonstrate their solidarity with us, to share their views and experiences with us, and contribute to our deliberations.

I would like to assure you, that we value your presence among us very highly and we thank you for your acceptance to our invitation to attend this first Policy Conference.

I am certain that this Policy Conference will live up to your expectations, and once again, serve to affirm the UDF’s commitment to transforming Malawi.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Let me begin with a few borrowed words from former President Thabo Mbeki:

“I am an African.

I am born of the peoples of the continent of Africa.

The dismal shame of poverty, suffering and human degradation of my continent is a blight that we share.
The blight on our happiness that derives from this and from our drift to the periphery of the ordering of human affairs leaves us in a persistent shadow of despair.”

Ladies and Gentlemen

This Policy Conference is a culmination of a journey which began two years ago, following our launch of the Agenda for Change. It is a product of blood, sweat and tears. We have worked so ferociously hard, sacrificed so much of our time, to be where we are today. I salute each and every one of my colleagues, friends and mentors who have been a part of this great effort.

{Pause}

This Policy Conference marks a new dawn to the way we conduct our business in Malawi. It marks a seismic shift from focusing on petty vendetta, personality politics and uninformed discourse, to a robust and well informed dialogue on what we must and should do to transform our society into a wealthy and well-governed nation.

Ladies and Gentlemen

This Policy Conference does not seek to re-invent the wheel. It starts from three very unique vantage points:

First: Malawians know and understand their problems. What they absolutely need is a credible forum where they can collectively develop solutions to address these challenges. This theme will reverberate all throughout this Policy Conference. Our mantra is that ‘it is not the what; but rather, it is the how that matters’.

Second: The backbone for this Policy Conference is ‘Delivering Change in Malawi’; upon which we have synthesised two key tenets: i) inclusive growth and ii) governance. These tenets have been further unpacked into four main cross-cutting themes that will deliberated and debated upon over the next two days.
These are: a) sustainable jobs and wealth creation, b) protecting our poor and vulnerable, c) making the public purse work for all Malawians and d) operating a political system that guarantees the voice and participation of ordinary people.

Third: These themes are interconnected. Making progress on some improves prospects in others, and vice versa. This means that any plan to transforming Malawi will only be effective if it is directed into a coherent strategy that covers these four themes.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have two tasks today.

First, is to make the connections between these four themes and illustrate how, taken together, they form the backbone of Malawi’s economic, social and political transformation agenda. A genuine Change Agenda needs to tie together, economic, social and political transformation in Malawi. We, in fact, have, in our own traditions across Malawi, proverbs that capture the importance of such coherence.

Chichewa: Mutu Umodzi susenza Denga
Chiyawo: We need a proverb
Tumbuka: We need a proverb

Ladies and Gentlemen

I will attempt to illustrate these interconnections as follows:

Number 1: we must focus on the root causes of Malawi’s challenges. I identify these to be:
• First, the state has failed to create wealth for all Malawian and to manage the economy.

• Second, we have a political system that allows the privileged few, to consume state resources for their own use while disregarding the voices of ordinary people.

Number 2: Malawi must create its wealth while protecting its poor. To do this, we must manage our public resources better and ensure that poor people (including the youth) have a say over how the country is run.
• Creating wealth for all Malawians rests on our ability to provide an enabling environment for this to happen. This means generating confidence of the private sector to invest in small, medium and large scale initiatives, guaranteeing our farmers that they will get their crops to market safely, providing the appropriate skills to all, especially our young men and women to get decent jobs in a market friendly environment. Alongside that, it is to develop a social protection system that will take care of our most vulnerable, whilst also guaranteeing them equal access to basic services such as education and health as well as other opportunities.

• But, to do this, the State has to master the discipline of managing its public purse in a manner that forces it to spend on the right priorities. This means that we must reform our political system, in a manner that ensures that those in power recognize that it is in both their and ordinary Malawian’s interests not to abuse state resources and that they will be punished for doing so. Most importantly, the public has to feel confident that it has the appropriate channels to have their voice and needs heard. Malawians must see exactly where every kwacha is going. Leaders must ensure that where our resources are not reaching the people who need it, this must be tracked and stopped. We have no right to ask for resources from our external partners if we cannot manage our public purse transparently. Malawi must lead by example.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I now want to focus on a second part of my task today, which is to share some thoughts on ‘the how’ (that is, the things that we must ensure to do, to deliver on this change). This must and should be one of our key discussion tenets during this Policy Conference.

At the risk of stealing the thunder from the various experts and discussants in attendance, let me focus on two key broad elements that must govern our ability to get things done.

First, the quality of leadership absolutely matters. This must entail a fusion of the wise and the young who bring a rich blend of elements to leadership. It is in having these forces combined that will guarantee the delivery of a reform agenda that really works for Malawi.

Leaders must live by example–as individuals, within a collective, in both private and public spheres. Leaders must commit to public service once they are chosen to serve.

Second, we need to build a culture that can prioritize; sequence and demonstrate results. We can’t do everything at once. We have finite resources. And we must be able to demonstrate tangible results to all Malawians against the use of these resources. This lies at the heart of any social contract between the state and its citizens.

Malawi’s leadership, through its Cabinet, has to be at the center of infusing this culture across state and society. A credible Cabinet must: a) set major policy priorities of government and b) make choices within those competing priorities through its national budget; c) hold it-self accountable to the people for delivering on measurable results.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank the Working Committee for all the preparatory effort that has gone into this endeavour.

I welcome the feisty debates that will take place over the coming days as they indicate your interest in UDF policy making. We look forward to fruitful, open and engaging debates at this Conference as well on all the issues.

We pride ourselves in pioneering a movement towards policy dialogue and changing a political culture that focuses on substantive issues that matter for Malawians. Let us go to the deliberations with open minds and engage in the discussions with a view to strengthening and improving UDF policies. Most importantly, let us remember that we are not doing this for ourselves as UDF. We are doing it for Malawi.

The outcomes of this Policy Conference must demonstrate in clear terms that Malawians are ready to ‘deliver change’.

We dare not disappoint expectations.

So, let me end.

‘I am an African and a Malawian.

This thing that we have done today, in this small corner of a great continent that has contributed so decisively to the evolution of humanity says that Malawi reaffirms that she is continuing her rise from the ashes. Whatever the setbacks of the moment, nothing can stop us now!

Whatever the difficulties, Malawi shall be at peace! However improbable it may sound to the sceptics, Malawi will prosper!

Whoever we may be, whatever our immediate interest, however much we carry baggage from our past, however much we have been caught by the fashion of cynicism and loss of faith in the capacity of the people, let us err today and say – nothing can stop us now!’

Ladies and Gentlemen

Let the deliberations begin.

Thank you very much.

MALAWI CONGRESS PARTY

RESPONSE PRESENTED BY

THE RT. HON. REV. DR. LAZARUS CHAKWERA

PRESIDENT OF THE MCP

On

Friday, 25th October, 2013

At the MCP NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

LILONGWE

MALAWI

 MCP RESPONSE TO THE SPEECH MADE BY THE RT HONOURABLE KHUMBO HASTINGS KACHALI, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI AT THE 3RD MEETING OF PARLIAMENT IN THE 44TH SESSION SAY NO TO CORRUPT POLITICIANS AND SAVE MALAWI

In the wake of the atrocious plunder of the public funds whose epicentre is at the seat of the Malawi Government-Capitol Hill, it is easy to engage in blame game. While it is very disheartening to hear of the sums involved and yet it is even more depressing to note that those at the centre of this shameless loot and plunder are walking freely to enjoy the spoils of an official kleptocracy.

The Malawi Congress Party has followed the sordid details of how those charged with the responsibility to look after and safeguard the public purse decided to put themselves first at the expense of starving and sick Malawians. We have also followed keenly on the official response on these events from the President of this country.

While Malawians thought that the Government was going to deal with this thievery with the forthrightness it deserves, we have observed deliberate attempts to deflect peoples’ attention by peddling numerous fantastic illusions that have nothing to do with the issues at hand. The Malawi Congress Party took its time to critically examine the Report presented by the Rt Honourable Khumbo Hastings Kachali-to the National Assembly.

We are desirous of putting certain things into clear perspective and wish to add our voice to the on-going financial tragedy and the knee jerk reaction of the Government. This press release therefore attempts to put across the views of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to Malawians, especially those who sincerely take serious exception to the endemic abuse of public resources.

1.0 LEGAL FRAMEWORK

The Government of Malawi functions with a specific legal framework which sets out very clear mandates, powers, functions, duties and responsibilities. We wish to remind Malawians and the Government of the following central provisions of some of the laws at the centre of the management of public resources in Malawi.

1.1 REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTION

Section 12(1), paragraphs (a) and (b) of the Republican Constitution states and we quote:

“This Constitution is founded upon the following underlying principles—

(a) all legal and political authority of the State derives from the people of Malawi and shall be exercised in accordance with this Constitution solely to serve and protect their interests;

(b) all persons responsible for the exercise of powers of State do so on trust and shall only exercise such power to the extent of their lawful authority and in accordance with their responsibilities to the people of Malawi.”

Again, section 173 of the same Constitution states as follows:

“No money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund except—

(a) to meet expenditure that is charged upon the Fund by this Constitution or by any Act of Parliament consistent with this Constitution; or

(b) where the issue of those moneys has been authorized by an Appropriation Act, a Supplementary Appropriation Act or by an Act made in pursuance of subsection (5) of this section or of sections 178, 179, 180, 181 or 182 or by a resolution of the National Assembly made in accordance with section 177”

Finally, section 184(2) of the Republican Constitution provides as follows:

“(2) The Auditor General shall submit reports at least once a year to the National Assembly, through the Minister responsible for Finance, not later than the first meeting of the National Assembly after the completion of the report”

We can go on to quote chapter and verse of the Public Finance management Act, the Public Audit Act, the Corrupt Practices Act, the Penal Code etc. all of which contain very exhaustive provisions on public finance management or various criminal offences ranging from outright corruption and fraud to abuse of office.

We would like to emphasise therefore that the loot and plunder that has taken place in Malawi has been done so in clear and blatant breach of clear laws. The Government need not improvise any action in the face of this massive pilferage of public resources because the law is clear.

It must be understood therefore that we are not dealing with accidental theft or petty corruption, we are dealing with a deliberate and Government orchestrated embezzlement of public finances. So any pretence that someone somewhere might have taken advantage of legal loopholes must be dismissed outright with the contempt it deserves.

2.0 GOVERNMENT’S REPORT TO PARLIAMENT

On Monday, 21st October 2013, the Right Honourable K.H. Kachali introduced the Government Report in Parliament with a promise that it will to deal with two issues among others, namely:

1. The problems facing the Public Financial Management System; and

2. The public outcry for declaration of assets by Senior Public Officers.

Without unloading the problems facing the Public Financial Management System and public outcry on the declaration of assets by the senior public officers, Report goes straight to explaining how the PP led Government remains steadfast in fighting corruption in the country. While the general feeling would have it that the Report was meant to outline the roadmap on what went wrong and how such wrongs will be straightened, the Report deliberately focuses on the popular evil; ‘corruption’.

The approach of the Report has left Malawians wondering whether the Capitol Hill is really hit by a corruption scandal or a theft one i.e. IFMIS aided looting? Or does the theft by public servant exactly tantamount to corruption?

2.1 THE ALLEGED GOVERNMENT STANCE ON FIGHTING CORRUPTION

The Report says that on more than one occasion President Joyce Banda did raise the alarm to her Minister of Finance and other unnamed officials that the IFMIS has loopholes that needed to be sealed. Sadly the Report does not tell Malawians as how the President came to know about those loopholes and what the Minister of Finance then did afterwards.

The report further fails to mention the strategies which were put in place after the Minister of Finance was summoned to seal the discovered loopholes in the IFMIS. Our guess is that, the Government was waiting for Mr Paul Mphwiyo to be shot before it started fumbling for strategies in a media blitz fashioned to hoodwink Malawians into thinking that the Government has always been committed to routing corruption out.

The Government including the President has perpetually admitted that the case of an accounts clerk caught with MK400 million in his account was discontinued with orders from above. This incident took place way back in 2011 and we assume that the President has always known about this. Were the Government committed to fighting corruption and abuse of public resources, why has it not taken any action about this case?

We further hear that between 2009 and 2012, the DPP-led Government plundered a whooping MK91 billion and there is an Audit Report to this effect. Why did the PP-led Government wait until now to tell Malawians about this? But even more importantly, what else is the PP-led Government waiting for to bring those responsible for this massive theft to book?

The frantic efforts to explain the situation on the cash-gate scandal to everybody who matters in Malawi must be taken with a big pitch of salt. Why did she wait until now to tell the nation all about this massive pilferage of public resources at Capital Hill?

We are calling upon all Malawians to be wary of the crocodile tears the Government is shedding over this issue. The truth remains that the Government is neither innocent about this nor a victim of a financial system gone awry. The Government is the perpetrator of this heinous kleptocracy that has come to characterise the public service in Malawi.

Furthermore, whereas the Report states what the President has been telling leaders of opposition parties and the donor community, it does not make any mention of what the Donor Community offered as a way forward to fighting the fraud and the pilferage that has characterised PP-led Government.

The report acknowledges that fraud and pilferage are the main achievements of our democratic governments for the past 19 years. Those who were old enough before 19 years ago know very well that no public servant would dare, let alone with the help of the banks attempt to defraud the Malawi Government. As usual the report kept on reminding Malawians that the previous governments are to blame in all this. Malawians are however, fully aware that the current President, her Vice and some key Ministers were actually part of the elite in all those previous Governments.

On 16th September 2013, the Report says that the President met the Chief Secretary to Government, Commissioner General (MRA Boss) and the Auditor General instructing them to start auditing government books of accounts. One cannot help wonder, why the President instructed the tax collecting body boss and the boss of the civil servants to start auditing government books of accounts.

The laws of the land are very clear on who is mandated to audit public finances. We have quoted but just one example in the opening paragraphs of this Statement. If this Report is a true reflection of what the President did, then either the President is seriously ignorant about the laws of the land or she simply is bluffing.

Whichever the case may be, in the event that the President did indeed give these instructions, then Malawi as a Nation has all the reasons to get worried with the frame of mind of the President. This means that Malawi is in real serious leadership trouble. The President can only be seen as clueless and without interest to know the functionalities of her top servants.

And this does not give evidence or render credence to the claim that the President is steadfast on fighting corruption when she confuses the functions of the Auditor General to those of SPC and MRA Commissioner General. A loaded instruction of such nature hardly inspires hope to Malawians on the seriousness, not only on the Government’s claim on the fight against corruption but even on the personal competences of the President herself in running the affairs of mother Malawi.

It is, therefore, important to note that this is no laughing matter as we all know that it was the accidental shooting of Mr Paul Mphwiyo that has led to the Cash-Gate Scandal. Events following such a tragedy cannot neither constitute a breakthrough nor herald credible acclamation of zero tolerance to corruption.

If the Government will wait for another Malawian to be shot in order to sort out the mess in FISP or the alleged rotting of maize at NFRA, then the PP led Government has truly ushered into Malawi’s political history a comprehensive management by crisis. Such turn of events does not border on political mediocrity; it is monumental economic tragedy from which Malawi may never recover.

Malawians are aware that when a lizard falls from a tree to the ground, it cannot start clapping hands for itself claiming that it has “jumped” from the tree. Spectators always know that the lizard has in fact fallen.

This is what has happened to President Joyce Banda and her Government-they have fallen down from the high ground.

2.2 PROPOSED IMMEDIATE ACTION TAKEN BY PP LED GOVERNMENT

The Report suggests that in the short term, the PP led Government has put the following measures to arrest the situation from permanently getting out of hand:-

2.2.1 IFMIS has been suspended and they have gone back to the old system which the report does not say why it was initially discarded. The question however, is, ‘how does suspending the system help the investigators catch those who have already stolen through the system?

2.2.2 Controlling officers who are directly linked are either posted away or in the process of being posted away to allow investigations run without interference. The leading words are either/or. Their usage can only mean that the Government does not know for a fact as to what it is doing with those officers linked to the Cash-Gate Scandal or does care as to how it deals with them to recover the monies’. And by the way when did the criminal law of the land punish a crime by transferring the perpetrator from office to another?

2.2.3 Law Enforcing Agencies have been provided with additional resources to facilitate the investigations. What types of resources have been provided at this point? Can this be verified?

On the results or the successes on the alleged fight against corruption, the Government claims that it has recovered the deleted data while at the same time admitting that the fraudulent transactions started way back in 2006.

Unless we are all mistaken, the wind about the deleted transactions seems to have first come from the media and not necessarily from the Government. The report presented in Parliament does not even have the list of the beneficiaries of the ‘IFMIS Self Financing Fund’. Malawians are also aware that both President Joyce Banda and Kachali were together with Bingu in 2006 when all this started, why did they not stop the thievery then?

3.0 WHAT MALAWI CONGRESS PARTY WILL DO TO CURE THIS DISEASE

Guided by the spirit of unwavering patriotism and integrity, MCP will liberate Malawians from this wanton misuse of taxpayers’ money by taking the following measures:-

3.1 The President will be given a clear job description to ensure that he stays in office and understand the systems of his government instead of guessing the functionalities of his officers.

3.2 No accounting or financial management technology will be brought into the Government financial and administrative management systems before the officers managing it receive a specialised training on the technology. And where such technologies are implemented, they will be subjected to periodic audits and back-ups to avoid situations similar to the IFMIS saga.

3.3 Civil servants will not be allowed to do any inside trading as the case is right now. In the event that any civil servant is caught doing inside trading activities, his/her employment contract with the Government will be terminated to allow such a person concentrate on his/her business.

3.4 All fraud and pilferage cases will be independently investigated by the relevant authorities and the President will not be involved in assembling teams that carry out such investigations.

3.5 IFMIS will be permanently discarded as it has proved to be inferior technology to the minds of devious Malawians bent on plundering the public resources.

3.6 Directors of Budgets will only be experienced professionals recruited on merit and will not be allowed to do the job of the Anti-Corruption Bureau as they are not properly trained to curb corruption via that route.

3.7 All the beneficiaries to the Cash Gate scandal will be re-investigated and be brought to book. The investigations will include the current big fishes that are currently protected by the constitution. Government servants will be required to explain their wealth when deem un-proportional to their income sources.

3.8 The banks involved in all the Cash Gate Scandal having flouted the rules and regulations of the country governing deposits and withdrawals, will be investigated and closed down when found aiding and abating the money laundering activities that the Cash Gate Scandal has created.

3.9 The senior employees in Government, commercial banks as well as at the Reserve Bank of Malawi who will be found to have been involved in this scandal will be brought to book and their ill-gotten wealth will be moved to government coffers.

3.10 Recruitment of controlling officers and the entire civil service recruitment exercise will be based on merit and not on creed, region, political leaning or one’s tribe.

3.11 Laws which promote corruption like Public Procurement Act, -Money Laundering Act and the Corrupt Practices Act will be repealed until they start serving Malawians both poor as well as rich. We have no business in having laws that protect crooks.

3.12 Public servants involved in any theft cases will be prosecuted under the Penal Code and not through Corrupt Practice Act as there is no evidence that corruption can be fought using this piece of legislation.

3.13 The issues of asset declaration by senior public servants which have not been addressed in this report will seriously be implemented as we take over the government after elections next year. We strongly believe that refusing to declare one’s wealth while holding a highest office is an admission of one’s involvement in corruption and ill-gotten wealth.

3.14 MRA will independently be allowed to ensure that every one pays tax including the President and the Vice to ensure that they become good stewards of the public resources.

4.0 CONCLUSION

We wish to conclude this Statement by quoting the oath of office of the President as a reminder to all Malawians that there is someone who is responsible for running the affairs of this country. Section 81(1) of the Republican Constitution requires every President to promise all Malawians by saying this:

“I, …………. do solemnly swear that I will well and truly perform the functions of the high office of President (or Vice-President) of the Republic of Malawi, and that I will preserve and defend the Constitution, and that I will do right to all manner of people according to law without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. So help me God.”

The Government has publicly acknowledged that the DPP-led Government looted over MK90 billion from the public confers, it is now up to the PP-led Government to do right to all manner of people according to law without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. The President has promised to all and sundry not to shield any, it is time that she matched her words with action.

We in Malawi Congress Party, on behalf of numerous Malawians who sleep on empty stomachs and dying due to shortage of drugs therefore, ask the current Government to stop blaming previous governments and focus on providing solutions.

After all, the President and his Vice have been part of UDF, DPP and now PP and all these parties are responsible for the corruption that is fast bringing down the Malawi economy on its knees. The political interlude of words and pretence has run its course. The President must not enforce the laws of this country as head of the Executive Branch of Government instead hiding behind Parliament.

The Malawi Congress Party does not wish to turn this event into a campaign tool, and it would be unfathomable for any Malawian who is paying exorbitant taxes, high fuel costs, high bank interest rates etc. to forgive the PP-led Government with the knowledge that not only has introduced harsh economic reforms, but it has also presided over one of the worst get-rich government sponsored looting of public confers at Capital Hill.

Say no to corrupt politicians and save Malawi! Remember, MCP has already proved that it can run a corruption free Government. Please, try us you will never again regret.

                                                                                                                                                                       As the ruling Peoples Party in Malawi is busy politicking and fooling underprivileged Malawians that things are okay in the country, I have noted with great concern that Malawi is in a critical state and destined for destruction and more sufferings for millions of Malawians are to be braced up for grabs owing to the on going challenges the country is facing.

To be honest, the Peoples Party has all the blame for the state Malawi is in for their selfishness and greedy. It’s very shameful that this is happening at a time Malawi had restored its lost trust and confidence in the donor community and put in place measures that could result in the countries gaining its lost economic glory. Revelations have proved beyond reasonable doubt that the ruling Party took this time as an opportunity for siphoning government money using few individuals attached to the ruling class.

At a time the state President of the country Joyce Banda and her ruling Peoples party are busy travelling almost daily distributing cows and making media statement challenging Malawians that the ruling party will not stop providing political handouts instead of basics to the majority, our hospitals in Malawi are being faced with shortages of drugs and other equipments inflicting the majority of the populace and posing a big threat to the lives of many Malawians.

In addition to that, the government statutory corporation-ADMARC which has the responsibility of ensuring food security at a national level is running out of maize supply. There is no maize in ADMARC depots despite the government call that the country has maize. This has resulted in rationing of maize to 10Kgs per buyer in case maize supplies are available which is not even enough to feed a family for a week. This is very pathetic and as Malawians we are worried.

As we speak now, the European Union and some countries inclusive of Ireland have pulled off their aid to Malawi where as other nations and agencies are holding their aid. Much as I understand, the mismanagement and siphoning of Billions of Kwacha by the Peoples Party government to some of its senior party members who have been paid for nothing and a chain of cash being found in houses of some junior staff working at the Capital Hill have contributed to these challenges which at last are having a great negative impact on the living standards of innocent Malawians. For sure, Malawi is in a critical state and I call upon the ruling Party to accept the fact that they have tried but their trial was not good enough as Malawi is now in crisis.

To: The Speaker of the National Assembly

Cc: Chair, Parliamentary committee for Health

Cc: Minister of Health

Cc: Minister of Finance

From: Members of Staff, Kamuzu Central Hospital

Date: 29 October, 2013

PETITION CALLING FOR GOVERNMENT TO URGENTLY PROVIDE DRUGS AND OTHER MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO KAMUZU CENTRAL HOSPITAL

We, the undersigned, call for URGENT action by the State Legislature and the government of Malawi to rescue Kamuzu Central Hospital from its current crisis. Currently patients are not being served effectively and efficiently because of lack of basic drugs and medical supplies. This has led to unnecessary suffering of patients and preventable deaths of Malawians.

There are no diagnostic facilities at the hospital. For example, at the radiology department they have not been able to do x-ray radiographs for more than a month’s running forcing clinicians to blindly treat patients with conditions like fractures or send them away to private radiographers. The laboratory has not been able to do full blood counts among other important investigations for more than 6 months running because the old machine is broken down and there are no reagents. This is an impossible situation for any hospital let alone a central hospital.

There has been no theatre supplies such as sutures, bandages, face masks etc forcing the referral hospital to cancel elective surgeries and only conduct emergency procedures. This has left patients languishing on the wards waiting to find space on the theatre list while their disease conditions worsen.

Other support services such as the Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) has not been able to efficiently provide sterilizing services due to lack of chemicals and persistent break down of the old machines. There has been a longstanding lack of cleaning materials such as mops, soap and disinfectants, a situation that has put patients and health workers at risk.

The pharmacy has not been able to consistently stock supplies such as bandages, sutures, medicines, gauze, and gloves a situation that has forced health workers to improvise by using plastic papers when handling patient with wounds.

Patients are being sent away to buy their own drugs at private pharmacies because there are no drugs at the hospital’s pharmacy. As most of these drugs are expensive most patients default treatment and end up complicating and dying. Simple drugs like brufen and crucial antibiotics are not available, patients turn to cry to and even insult the helpless health worker at the bedside. What has made the situation worse for the health worker is the fact that ministry of health has been heard on media telling the nation that the situation has normalised at the hospital when that is not the case.

At the moment, Kamuzu Central Hospital has one running utility vehicle which also has a fault. There has been inadequate fuel supply which has worsened the problem.

There has been an endemic scarcity of stationary for writing patient case files and for day to day running of the hospital. This has forced doctors and nurses to write on wrappers and even on cartons.

The mortuary has not been spared from the crisis, due to the apparent increased mortality there has been inadequate space at the referral hospitals morgue whose air condition and coolers are not working exposing workers to appalling smell as the bodies decompose. The incinerator at the facility is not working, human and other wastes are being unsafely disposed causing pollution and posing a hazard to workers and patients.

Compounding this problem is the inadequate funding that the hospital is currently receiving from the government. Despite devaluation and the free floating of the currency, the central hospital’s budget has been cut to less than 30 million kwacha compared to 80–100 million which was given three years ago. This is an insult to the managers and health workers, a sign of lack of responsibility for the poor Malawian on government’s part.

We urge the government;

1) To provide basic medical supplies and drugs to Kamuzu Central Hospital to serve patients effectively and efficiently. Kamuzu Central Hospital is not there to provide meals and accommodation to patients but healthcare. We took oath to save lives! We are here to work, give us materials to work with.

2) To increase ORT budget for normal running of the Central Hospital. The current 26 million kwacha the hospital is receiving is not enough for a central hospital. Three years ago, the hospital was getting 80-100 million kwacha per month, 26 million kwacha today is nothing.

3) STOP Henry Chimbali from giving false information to the public. Kamuzu Central hospital has its own spokesperson that is trusted to give accurate information about the hospital.

4) To provide health care workers with adequate personal protective equipment such as face masks, aprons, boots, gloves etc. as is stipulated in the healthcare workers Bill of Rights.

5) To send top government officials and politicians to Kamuzu Central Hospital instead of flying them to South Africa, India or other countries for simple ailments which can be treated here. Why not improve the local hospitals so that every Malawian can be treated here, equally? Amathawa chani kuno?

6) On the ‘Cash-Gate’ scandal, to bring all the culprits to book. To confisticate all the stolen property and the millions of kwachas recovered to purchase medical supplies and drugs.

7) We want Central Hospitals to be semi-autonomous. We need hospital reforms now! We want decentralization now!
 we are calling on the State President, Dr Joyce Banda to cancel her planned presiding over of the opening of the dialysis unit at Kamuzu Central Hospital and the launch of the masters program in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Kamuzu Central Hospital and to instead divert the funds to solving challenges currently facing the hospital.

9) To start acting on the petition within 48 hours otherwise the services will not continue to be provided at the hospital starting from Monday the 4th of November 2013

Atlanta (Maravipost) — President Barack Obama didn’t know the United States was collecting communications of allied leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said on Monday.

Moreover, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California said in a statement that her panel was unaware of the sweeping intelligence effort and said that the White House had told her that such data collection “will not continue.”

 Feinstein’s overall comments confirmed recent news reports on the National Security Agency electronic surveillance network revealed in classified leaks by former agency Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Separately, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said late Monday that he was authorizing the release of more details about the government’s collection of telephone records under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, in an effort to show the extent the spying program was overseen by a secret federal court and Congress.

Clapper testifies on Tuesday before the House Select Intelligence Committee about the program.

The documents date mostly to 2009, when the administration was pushing lawmakers to reauthorize sections of the Patriot Act that were set to expire.

One document from 2011 notifies the House and Senate intelligence and judiciary committees of the NSA’s testing in 2010-2011 of a program to collect cell phone tower data that could track mobile phone users. The NSA acknowledged this month that it tested such collection but discontinued it.

The document says the Justice Department prepared a memorandum authorizing the program, which the document said fell legally within guidelines of another existing program under Section 215 of the Patriot Act.

Most of the newly-declassified documents describe the aggressive push by the NSA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department for lawmakers to save the bulk telephone-data collection effort, known as the 215 program, because it was important for their efforts to thwart terrorist threats. Lawmakers were urged not to discuss the classified program for fear it would hurt national security, the documents show.

With the latest revelations from Snowden threatening to roil diplomatic relations in Europe, South America and elsewhere, the Obama administration maintained its firm and consistent response to all seeking answers — we’re not admitting anything, but we’ll change it for the better.

“I’m not here to talk about classified information. What I am confirming is the fact that we’re undergoing a complete review of how our intelligence operates outside of the country,” the Obama told a TV station.

“We give them policy direction, but what we’ve seen over the last several years is their capacities continue to develop and expand, and that’s why I’m initiating now a review to make sure that what they’re able to do doesn’t necessarily mean what they should be doing,” he said.

Spain become latest to Protest

Spain became the latest to protest, summoning U.S. Ambssador James Costos for a Madrid meeting Monday to discuss an El Pais newspaper report that quoted unnamed sources as saying the NSA spied on Spanish officials and politicians.

Much of the focus is on expanded surveillance under the Patriot Act passed in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Snowden’s leaks in June have led to continued reports of collecting millions of phone and Internet records from around the world, as well as the reports of monitoring communications of governments and even leaders in Germany, Brazil and other countries.

Barack Obama doubtful claims

Barack Obama did not learn until recently of the NSA surveillance of other world leaders, including allies, a senior administration official told a TV Station on Monday. However, other officials said the president or at least his White House staff did know about it.

White House spokesman Jay Carney refused to discuss particular reported operations on Monday, but went on at some length on changes ordered by Obama in response to the Snowden leaks, including a review of surveillance programs to be completed in December.

“There are a number of efforts under way that are designed to increase transparency, to work with Congress to look at reforms to the Patriot Act, to look at ways that we can increase oversight and increase constraints on the authorities provided by these programs,” Carney told reporters.

Without confirming any of the news reports about alleged U.S. spying on foreign leaders, Carney also said that also was being addressed.

“There’s a review under way that will look at, among other issues, some of the very specific things with regards to intelligence-gathering, including matters that deal with heads of state and other governments,” he said.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the president was unaware of the full scope of the surveillance programs involving heads of state.

A senior administration official confirmed some of the details in the newspaper’s report. In particular, the official said the White House didn’t learn of all of the surveillance programs until its internal review over the summer, after which some of them were stopped.

The targeting of Merkel’s phone did not end until more recently, the official said.

Saying Feinstein’s statement was not completely accurate, a senior administration official said some changes have been made but they are not across-the-board changes in policy like terminating intelligence collection aimed at allies.

Another U.S. official said Obama, like every president, received detailed documents on the framework of the programs as part of his briefing when he took office in 2009.

One of the programs targeted leaders in specific countries, which would have been a focus of the briefing, according to the official.

Another senior administration official argued the president approves a set of intelligence priorities, and then it’s the responsibility of his administration to determine how to carry those out, making it unreasonable to expect Obama to know every detail of exactly how that happened.

“I really doubt he had to sign off on something like that or get into the details,” said a former senior administration official who worked on national security for the Obama White House.

To Feinstein, the fact that neither Obama nor her committee knew about the program was a “big problem.”

“As far as I’m concerned, Congress needs to know exactly what our intelligence community is doing,” her statement said. “To that end, the committee will initiate a major review into all intelligence collection programs.”

Merkel said last week that reports of American spying on her and other leaders had “severely shaken” relationships between the United States and European nations.

The German leader said she told Barack Obama last week that eavesdropping among friends “is never acceptable.”

Carney repeated Monday the White House line that Merkel was not being monitored now and would not be in the future — without saying whether she had been targeted in the past.

Also Monday, Sen. Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she knew of “no justification for the Administration’s collection of intelligence on the leaders of our closest allies,” such as Merkel.

“I will be seeing the German Ambassador tomorrow night and will express directly to him my belief that it was wrong for the Administration to engage in monitoring of the Chancellor’s telephone calls,” she said in a statement.

Should the president know wiretap details?

Separately, the NSA on Sunday denied a report by the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag that NSA Director Keith Alexander told Barack Obama about the surveillance of Merkel in 2010.

“Gen. Alexander did not discuss with President Obama in 2010 an alleged foreign intelligence operation involving German Chancellor Merkel, nor has he ever discussed alleged operations involving Chancellor Merkel,” NSA spokeswoman Vanee’ Vines told CNN.

German intelligence officials are scheduled to meet with their American counterparts in Washington this week to ask about surveillance programs.

Other news media reports, based on documents leaked by Snowden, have said the NSA monitored the communications of the leaders of Brazil and Mexico.

Germany and Brazil are drafting a United Nations resolution on privacy in electronic communication, officials in those countries said last week.

 

The Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported Monday that the NSA collected data from 60 million phone calls in Spain in one 30-day period.

One of the authors of the El Mundo article was Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who first reported on documents supplied by Snowden for the British newspaper The Guardian.

The El Mundo article cited what it said was an NSA report titled, “Spain — last 30 days.” The 60 million calls were not recorded, but the NSA collected serial numbers of devices, phone numbers, locations and durations of calls, the newspaper said.

In an interview Monday with CNN, Greenwald denied assertions by U.S. officials that the surveillance program was purely for security reasons.

“None of this has to do with terrorism,” he said. “Is Angela Merkel a terrorist? Are 60 or 70 million Spanish or French citizens terrorists? This is clearly about political power and economic espionage and the claim that this is all about terrorism is seen for what it is all around the world, which is pure deceit.”

Carney denied any economic motivation, telling reporters that “we do not use our intelligence capabilities for that purpose.”

“It’s very important to recall, too, that we have extraordinarily strong and important intelligence and security relationships with our allies,” he said, adding that the White House review of surveillance issues would “look at how we can better balance our security needs, and the security needs of our allies, against the real privacy concerns that we all share.”

In Spain, a Foreign Ministry statement said Monday that in the meeting with Costos, the government “conveyed to the United States the importance of preserving a climate of confidence” in bilateral relations, adding that “some practices, which if they are true, are inappropriate and unacceptable between partners and friendly nations.”

A statement by Costos repeated the administration’s past statements that the surveillance policies are under review. It said the policies have “played a critical role in protecting citizens of the United States” and played “an instrumental role in our coordination with our allies and in protecting their interests as well.”

“We will continue to confer with our allies, such as Spain, through our regular diplomatic channels to address the concerns that they have raised,” the Costos statement said. “Ultimately, the United States needs to balance the important role that these programs play in protecting our national security and protecting the security of our allies with legitimate privacy concerns.”

The French daily newspaper Le Monde reported last week on claims that the NSA intercepted more than 70 million phone calls in France in 30 days. That report did not specify whether the calls were recorded or whether the interceptions were limited to data about calls.

Sources:  CNN, AP

I received some interesting feedback on my last week’s take on the sacking of Finance Minister Ken Diston Lipenga from a muckraker who wants to remain anonymous. I here-in-under reproduce those thoughts verbatim. Enjoy:

I think it is not really that Ken Lipenga is a novice in financial and economic matters that made his exit from cabinet such disastrous. He had the requisite experience to have been a minister in any socio-economic portfolio.

You must recall that previously Lipenga has been at Information, Tourism and Trade and Industry. All these are portfolios that should prepare anyone to be a Finance and Economic Planning minister, if not a Reserve Bank Governor, at any time.

In fact, it can easily be argued that Dr. Lipenga was “over-educated/qualified” as Finance Minister considering that a number of previous Finance Ministers were basic degree holders – Goodall Gondwe, Louis Chimango and John Tembo. These have neither a PhD nor MA in Finance/Banking or Economics.

But they ran the ministry satisfactorily still.

Aleke Banda, too, had even much less qualifications but he was a ‘star performer’ at Finance.

Of course, it can be said that only Bakili Muluzi knew how to assign Lipenga to fitting ministries – Information and Tourism – where, of course, he was also over-qualified.

But I guess the main problem with Dr. Lipenga is that he has not been resolute and principled enough. He was unable to stamp his authority on the Ministry of Finance. He ought to have exercised that authority in reigning in financial controls at various levels.

But, in retrospect, Dr. Lipenga rendered himself an ideal object for abuse by his officers.

I think his lackadaisical approach in Finance should not mean he was foolish enough not to realise what was going on. Analysts – like you, the Muckraker – were conveniently made to question Ken’s proficiency in finances. 

Ken is a linguist and literature fundi, a doctor of letters to boot. At face value many would expect him to be at Information or Culture. 

So, once you conveniently “misplace him” and looting of the current nature occurs, the reaction should be that a “wrongly-qualified” minister was sent to the “wrong place”. 

That’s politics at its best. If you buy the argument that Ken was the lame-duck who suffered the misfortune of being placed at the wrong ministry where – as you put it – he was ill-qualified for, you are subconsciously buying the yarn hook, line and sinker.

Need I say more? 

Me, from Blantyre

 “The truth
does not change
according to our ability
to stomach it”

– Mary Flannery O’Connor

 Whew! So Jacob Zuma decided to use us as a perfect example of how not to maintain national roads?

“This is not some national road in Malawi,” the maverick South African president said justifying his government’s plans to introduce e-tolls on the highway between Johannesburg and Pretoria.

First things first, let us not assume that we all know what ‘e-tolling’ is; indeed what are ‘toll fees’? A ‘toll fee’ is simply a tax that is levied for a motorist to use a road. ‘E-tolling’, therefore, means one does not have to part with hard cash to pay the tax; you just have to simply swipe your ATM card on some gadget or feed a PIN for your card into some machine.

The South African government introduced these toll fees to fund the R20 billion Gauteng Freeway Development Project.

But the Automobile Association (AA) opposed this, arguing that – while the South African public has generally come to accept paying toll fees on the major freight routes such as the N1, N3 and N4 – there is a huge difference between rural tolls and tolling in the urban environment.

The AA obtained a stay on the implementation of the e-tolls in the courts,  so – at Gauteng Manifesto Forum at Wits University last Monday – President Zuma implored South Africans that, “We can’t think like Africans in Africa.”

And then the Malawi snafu: “It’s not some national road in Malawi.”

Malawians took to facebook and twitter either to agree or condemn JZ’s tongue-in-cheek remarks. While some were of the view that Zuma just said it as it is, others thought Msholozi was condescending.

The remarks caused some expected diplomatic brouhaha with our usually polite Foreign Affairs Minister Ephraim Mganda Chiume summoning Pretoria’s lady in Lilongwe, Cassandra Mbuyane-Mokone, to explain Zuma’s words.

In a week when ‘Iron Lady’ Angela Merkel stared down Barack Obama after whistle-blower and former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden made it known that Washington was eavesdropping on the German premier’s phone conversations, the summoning of Mbuyane-Mokone was not unique.

But then, putting everything in context, was Zuma wrong to use us as a perfect example of how deplorable roads can be on the continent?

I must declare my hand; when Zuma made his undiplomatic remarks, patriotic flashlights in me started blinking. I was actually glad that the South African media, that is often hard on Zuma, dubbed those remarks ‘diplomatic gaffe’.

But then, come to think of it, instead of hiding K20 billion under beds or car boots of a few politically-connected people, we can do well to invest the same in a national road and name it after President Zuma for shaming us into action.

If truth be told, our roads are far from what national roads of a half-century-old country’s national roads should be. Raphael Tenthani

If truth be told, our roads are far from what national roads of a half-century-old country’s national roads should be.

Just imagine, as I was dropping my little ones to school while listening to Rafiq Hajat expressing indignation on Zuma’s remarks on SA 702 Talk Radio, I was ducking a pothole on Victoria Avenue right at the junction to Blantyre Sports Club.

This crater (it graduated from the pot-hole status months ago) has been there for ages and nobody seems to care.

Mind you, Victoria Avenue is one of the main roads in the commercial capital, so Blantyre City Council officials cannot claim not to be aware of it.

Also, on these pages, we recently discussed yet another crucial road in the city – the Hanover Street between Ryalls Hotel and the Reserve Bank of Malawi building that was closed for ‘renovations’ on the stretch where the famous Kips Restaurant used to be.

The situation is still the same; the road is still closed several months later.

Talk of township roads in Manja, Chimwankhunda, Mbayanani, Matawale, Kazembe, Sadzi, Area 23, 24, 24, 25, 36, 49, Biwi, Kawale, Mchenga Utuwa, Zolozolo, Ching’ambo, Chiputula, Masasa, you name them…you do not value your vehicle to take it on roads, nay paths, in these townships.

To say nothing about district/regional roads. Talk of the M5 Road between Salima and Nkhota Kota with its tiny death-trap single-lane bridges.

The Chinese gave us the much-touted Karonga-Chitipa Road but look at the gaping craters that are already laughing at us now Raphael Tenthani

The Chinese gave us the much-touted Karonga-Chitipa Road but look at the gaping craters that are already laughing at us now.

Talk about the dirt road to the historic district of Neno. Actually I envy Mark Katsonga-Phiri for putting a bus on such a craggy road!

And the M3 Road to the tourist hub of Mangochi is not any better.

And one Jacob Zuma decides to mention the sorry state of our roads in his speech and we cry blue murder?

C’mon, good people, patriotism aside, truth hurts, but let us accept that we are the very inpersonification of the adjective ‘pathetic’.

In fact, with my patriotism hat on, I wanted to quote the Czech proverb: “Better a lie that soothes than a truth that hurts”. But, on second thoughts, I thought we may be served better by the Turkish playwright, novelist and thinker, Mehmet Murat Ildan, who said: “Challenging the truth is like playing tennis against the wall; defeat is inevitable!”

Point is, yes, Jacob Zuma hurt our pride, but did he misrepresent us?