CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
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Malawi |
POLITICS
Malawi is experiencing its worst economic crisis since Independence
Malawi’s poor are facing increased hardship as a result of rising prices for food, shelter, education, transport and health care. The country has been hard hit by the AIDS pandemic, with at least 15% of the population estimated to be infected with HIV/AIDS. In addition to the loss of family breadwinners and the costs of medical and funeral bills, hundreds of thousands of AIDS orphans remain.
Some are being cared for by extended family members while others have been abandoned on the street. The problem of orphans has led to the establishment of institutional homes for orphans. It is usually women, however, who bear the added social and financial costs of looking after sick relatives or supporting additional children, as Malawi’s social services are limited. If you want to receive any state assistance, there’s a long bureaucratic process for what help may be available.
Malawi is experiencing its worst economic crisis since independence. The refusal of the IMF, the World Bank and many donor countries to release funds to Malawi because of its economic policies and poor economic governance, has resulted in an extreme shortage of foreign exchange.
A colossal sum of money is alleged to have been squandered every time President Muluzi held a presidential rally. In January 2002, inflation was at 26.0% and remained at about 23.1% for most of that year. Recent increases in fuel prices of over 60% for petrol and diesel, and 40% for paraffin (an energy fuel used by poor households in the urban areas), has meant that incomes for an average poor urban family have been further eroded.
On 1 November 2002, the government extended surtax to retailers. The extended surtax which is intended to increase government revenue, means that because of rising prices, the poor have not been spared. Over 85% of Malawi’s 11 million people live in the rural areas. About 60% of the population are living below the poverty line of US $1.00 per day as measured by the World Bank.
The «Third Term» controversy
The economic crisis had been worsened by the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s failure to find a suitable successor to replace President Bakili Muluzi, who is barred from standing for a Third Term in office, after his second term of office ends in 2004. The «Third Term» debate has been very costly in both humanitarian and financial terms.
Until recently, President Muluzi had been holding rallies to garner support for a third term, at a cost of approximately US $67,000 per rally. On 26 January 2003, Members of Parliament (MP)s were summoned to an emergency sitting of Parliament to debate the «Third Term» Bill. This cost the taxpayers approximately US $110,000.
The are other costs as well. Ordinary Malawians have been forced to remain silent for fear of the all-powerful Young Democrats. Opposition MPs have been brutalised, dissenting views stifled, the clergy has been castigated as being «blind and backward». Journalists have been attacked. The right to demonstrate has ceased to exist.
Some MPs «sold their consciences» and supported the «Third Term», in exchange for handouts. The «Third Term» issue became a national priority, in place of real issues affecting the country — poverty, HIV/AIDS, corruption, civil service inefficiency, illegal immigration, unemployment, deforestation, dwindling education standards, and lack of population growth.
The Church’s role also came under intensive scrutiny during the debate. For instance, Mike Mbewe in a letter to the Editor of The Lamp, (Issue 40, March-April 2003), noted that many MPs supporting the Bill to change the Constitution were Catholics.
Mike asked: «Is the Church losing out? Facts show that political parties continue to wield more influence on the conduct of prominent people than the Church would ever hope to. The Church seems to be relevant only to the poor, voiceless people.» Whether the Church is in fact really losing out, remains to be seen.
Winners and losers
Winners in the crisis have been those accompanying President Muluzi to his presidential rallies. They’ve amassed small fortunes in the form of «allowances». The President is known for his generosity during public rallies. For each group that dances or sings at the president’s rallies, a minimum of approximately US $100 has been given to the groups. This is seen as a token of the President’s appreciation to those who compose songs and dance at his rallies.
On 30 March, in a dramatic turn of events, President Muluzi finally announced his successor, Dr. Bingu wa Muntharika, thus laying to rest the «Third Term» debate. This was a blow to «Third Term» proponents, especially people such as Gerald Johnstone and the Southern Region’s UDF Governor, Davies Kapito.
While this appears to be a loss for those who supported the Third Term Bill, it’s a triumph for the Churches, civil society and all those who opposed a Third Term of Office for President Muluzi.
The announcement that Dr. Bingu wa Muntharika will lead the UDF party in the 2004 general elections came as a relief to Malawians. Dr. Cassim Chilupmha will assist Wa Muntharika, as his running mate. However, the two have yet to be confirmed by the UDF National Convention scheduled to take place in April this year.
The future challenge
Now that the «Third Term» issue is over and done with, does this mean the end of Malawi’s political crisis? The challenges facing the country are awesome. The country remains impoverished. The social services have collapsed after years of corruption and plunder. A spiralling AIDS epidemic could swamp the whole society. Already, life expectancy has declined from around 41 to 39 years.
Father Peirgiorgio Gamba, in his editorial of The Lamp Magazine (Number 38, November-December 2002), wrote: «Facing the present economic situation we have to conclude that the music is over and the dancers will have to pack and go. The challenge is no more on the Third Term of the Open Term or whatever new formulation can be invented to fit the desire of personal immortality. The challenge today is the actual survival of the present government or more precisely, the survival of its people.»
Although President Muluzi has finally made his position clear, the people are still angry. The harassment that was experienced in the fight against the Third Term, the wrath of the UDF Young Democrats, and the amount of money spent on MPs in order to gather support for the Third Term, are all issues of concern. Can Malawians ever forgive the man who has brought the country to such a condition?