by Akwete Sande, Malawi, January 1998
THEME = SOCIAL CONDIT
The following article deals with various
issues
with immediate or long-term effects on many Malawians
Over the last two years, the number of minibus accidents has risen to alarming proportions. During the first quarter of 1997, 371 people died in 715 accidents throughout the country. The reasons for these accidents are always the same: Poor braking systems; unlicensed drivers (or drivers using fake licences); poor law enforcement by the traffic police; inefficiency by the Department of Transport when it comes to issuing licences.
Symon Penjani, is Principal Data Officer at the National Road Safety Council, a parastatal set up to co-ordinate the training of road users in Malawi. He says that overloading and excessive speed are the two main causes of minibus accidents.
The question may well be asked: "Why does Malawi have such a large number of minibuses?" Penjani says: "This is the result of the liberalisation of public transport. The government ended the restrictive practices which gave the national bus company a monopoly on passenger services". He adds: " However, the government's intentions were good".
For many years, Stagecoach Malawi Ltd owned the largest fleet of buses plying the roads. There was not much competition. Stagecoach is still the sole training organisation for passenger vehicle drivers, also for long-haul truck drivers.
Peter Kwalira is leader of the Business Owners Association of Malawi. He blames the government for discouraging many people from joining his association. He says: "If every minibus owner was a member, we would be able to institute regulations, monitor the behaviour and standards of minibus crews, supervise drivers' training courses. Malawi has about 7,000 minibus owners, but Kwalira claims that only 500 are members of his association, thus rendering it powerless.
It should be noted that Parliament has just passed a revised Road Traffic Bill which prescribes stiff penalties for traffic offenses. Penjani says this will make people think, before they commit a traffic offence. Especially when they risk having their licences confiscated and their cars impounded. "We believe this to be a step in the right direction".
The public are not entirely convinced. Fingers are pointed in the direction of the traffic police who are known to let culprits go scot-free, either because they are well-known or because the culprits give the police a "little something". These accusations are vehemently denied. "After all, we are there to enforce the law and protect everyone", says a police officer.
When Malawi's new democratic Constitution was adopted in 1994, the death penalty was retained on the statute books. Recently, the Civil Liberties Committee, a human rights organisation, held a round-table discussion with members of the Press, asking them to put pressure on the government to abolish the death penalty. Civil Liberties Committee's executive director, Emmie Chanika, said: "We don't want the issue of the death penalty to go through a referendum. We just want it abolished. The death penalty doesn't solve anything".
An opposite point of view was expressed by one of the few lady chiefs in the country, Chief Chitera. She said: "We are already faced with a great deal of criminal activity in this country. Many people own guns and they use them to rob us. If the death penalty is abolished, there will be chaos". She was backed by many other chiefs especially those in districts bordering Mozambique, a country blamed for the large influx of guns into Malawi.
Desmond Kaunda is a lawyer with the Danish Centre for Human Rights in Malawi. He said that although Malawi has retained the death penalty, President Muluzi has not signed any death warrant, and has commuted to life imprisonment those on death row. "But it is important that the death penalty should be entirely abolished in our country".
Malawi has presently 800 people awaiting trial on murder-related charges.
What future is there for Malawi's tobacco industry? Dr Godfrey Chapola is general manager of the Tobacco Association of Malawi (TAMA). He says that due to over-production, a large amount of the tobacco crop remained unsold last year, when the market season closed. 185 million kg were produced, but only 152 million kg were sold. If a similar amount is produced this year, the market will once again be flooded.
Why this situation? A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report, indicates that the anti-smoking lobby is gaining ground in the western world. (The situation is somewhat different in the Pacific region where China is registering an increasing number of smokers). For many years, Malawi's tobacco industry found ready markets in the West, especially in the United States, but now the American tobacco industry is in serious difficulties, due to the growing power of the anti-smoking lobby.
During his recent visit to the country, the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation's Director, Jacques Diof, advised policy-makers to intensify a move towards crop diversification. "The fact is", he noted, "there are fewer smokers around and growing tobacco is a dicey business because tobacco needs water and for some years, Malawi has been experiencing drought. These factors make tobacco-growing a "risk-crop" industry".
Agriculture always has been, and still is the major player in Malawi's economy but there is need for the country to work towards an industrial-based, and an export-orientated economy instead of relying on locally produced agricultural products, destined for home consumption.
Dr Charles Chanthunya is an economic consultant. He says that Malawi's manufacturing sector currently makes a small contribution to the country's national income and employment, but there is limited industrial diversification. He said that for an industrial based economy to be realised, the following must be addressed: Ensuring that local industry conforms to international standards and ways and means must be found to market products abroad. In particular, a good look needs to be taken at the mining industry: prospecting for future mines; encouraging small-scale mining; ensuring easy access to mineral rights; promoting research and development in the mining industry; providing adequate funding for research in mining activities. Malawi's mining sector is presently very small (contributing only 3% to GDP) and the few existing mines are small.
In August 1996, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) signed a trade protocol which seeks to create a free-trade zone in the region, but so far, only two countries, Tanzania and Mauritius have ratified the protocol. Malawi has its own reasons for adopting a cautious stance, thus avoiding past mistakes.
Trade agreements have previously been signed between Malawi and South Africa and Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, the agreement with Zimbabwe created animosity between Malawi's business community and their government. Why? Because Malawi's government was accused of entering blindly into the agreement without prior consultation with their own business community. Also, Malawian business people observe how their Zimbabwean competitors receive incentives from the Zimbabwe government to encourage them to export goods, whereas Malawian exporters get nothing from their own government.
The protocol aims to liberalise trade between the various signatories by establishing a free-trade area, with the gradual elimination of import/export duty.
However, Malawi's Trade Officer, Geoffrey Mkandawire, has his reservations. "Every time a free-trade area is established, there is increased competition between countries. This could be to the disadvantage of poorer countries who might not have the capacity to produce high quality products".
Reacting to this observation, the SADC's executive secretary, Dr Kaire Mbuende, plays down these fears. "There will be mechanisms to ensure the equitable distribution of resources. And poorer nations in the region will be assisted to improve efficiency and quality in production, so as to be able to compete on an equal level".
But, and there is a big "but" which influences local Malawian industry. Local manufacturers must improve their efficiency, quality production, packaging and use of human resources, otherwise they will not benefit from any preferential trade agreements, even the SADC Protocol.
Without investment in new technology and improved use of its labour force, Malawi cannot possibly compete favourably in the regional market.
END
PeaceLink 1998 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement