The new winter season that Malawi is experiencing risks a rapid spread of COVID-19 across the country, Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) Chrissy Banda has said.
In an interview with Xinhua, Banda said that there is no direct relation between winter and COVID-19 but its results could have a huge impact.
“It is common during winter that people tend to stay indoors, this is going to affect issues of social distancing and ventilation requirements that were set by the Ministry of Health. In consideration with how our most homes are set up, we believe the risk of high transmissions will be high.
Every year during winter, Malawi experiences high cases of cold, cough and flu, with this trend, the DHO office believes that this will aid easy transmission of the virus with reference to the fact that the virus is commonly transmitted through fluid droplets, she said.
Similarly, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Dan Namalika said that Malawians need to take further measures to avoid the spread of the virus.
However, he pointed out that Malawi is doing well in the fight against COVID-19 and that there are less cases that are being transmitted locally. Enditem
When Peter Mutharika was declared the official winner of Malawi’s hard-fought presidential elections in May 2019, he would not have expected – or wanted – to be doing it all again just one year later. Yet on 23 June 2020, Malawians will return to the polls to vote, once more, for their president.
This is because, on 3 February, the Constitutional Court annulled the previous elections due to serious irregularities. The judges ordered a re-run and made a list of recommendations to ensure the repeat poll would be free and fair.
President Mutharika called the ruling a “travesty of justice” and challenged it at the Supreme Court. On 8 May, its judges upheld the verdict. This finally prompted Jane Ansah, chair of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), to resign, having resisted months of demands, popular protests and calls from parliament and the Constitutional Court to step down. She was replaced by High Judge Chifundo Kachale, a SOAS graduate whose PhD thesis focused on constitutionalism and the rule of law.
Still, President Mutharika continued to resist the elections. In a move many interpreted as a deliberate move to delay the vote by forcing a legal challenge, he maintained two commissioners on the MEC that had been found to be incompetent and allowed the opposition just two of the three commissioners to which they are entitled. Moreover, in his 5 June State of National Address, Mutharika asked parliament to reverse the court ruling that demanded Malawi switch from its first-past-the-post system to one that requires the victor to garner a 50+1 majority.
President Mutharika’s stance endangers Malawi’s long cherished political stability and risks triggering a constitutional crisis. His comments divide the nation between those who feel the need to protect him as a victim of judicial injustice, and those who believe the ruling was fair.
Political alliances
In the annulled 2019 elections, President Mutharika of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was declared the winner with 38.6% of the vote. Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) garnered 35.4%; Saulos Chilima of UTM came third with 20.2%; and Atupele Muluzi of the United Democratic Front (UDF) received 4.7%.
The re-run looks like it will be similarly closely contested. All political parties have been campaigning as vigorously as before, despite the risks of COVID-19.
The crucial way in which the 2020 re-run differs from 2019, however, is the adoption of a 50+1 majority system. Instead of the candidate with the most votes winning, the victor now needs to secure an absolute majority.
This has made alliances important and, as Mutharika feared, the opposition MCP and UTM have formed a pact, with Chakwera as the presidential candidate and Chilima as his running mate. If the two parties performed as they did in the official 2019 results, they would expect to gain 55.7%. A recent opinion poll suggested 51% plan to vote for the MCP-UTM alliance, giving it an 18-point lead.
Mutharika on a campaign trail
According to the poll, many of its votes will likely come from the central region, where the MCP is strong, and from the north, which does not have a representative on any of the major tickets. In addition, the alliance is likely to win among the urban youth with whom Chilima’s message has resonated.
To try to combat this alliance, the ruling DPP has teamed up with the UDF. In last year’s results, Mutharika and Muluzi received a combined 43.2%. This alliance appears to be employing a regional strategy aimed at consolidating support in the southern region and hope to pick up some votes in the north.
These tactics may yet prove effective, especially in the south but the DPP-UDF ticket also faces another challenge. President Mutharika is the brother of former president Bingu wa Mutharika (2004-2012). His running mate is the son of former president Bakili Muluzi (1994-2004). This combination has become a hard sell for many voters who assert that Malawi is not a dynasty.
The opposition parties are not immune to similar invocations of history. But while the DPP and UDF have tried to remind voters of the three-decade dictatorship (1966-1994) of former MCP leader Hastings Kamuzu Banda, most voters are too young to have experienced his brutality firsthand. Instead, these youths are more concerned with the current high levels of unemployment and underemployment.
Judiciary vs Executive
Malawi’s current political environment has become increasingly tense and will likely remain so following the election. Many expect the losing side will challenge the outcome of the vote, unless there is a massive landslide.
Perhaps anticipating this, Mutharika has publicly expressed anger at the judiciary and last week attempted to forcibly retire Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda. The move was halted by a high court injunction following appeals by the Malawi Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), Association of Magistrates, and Malawi Law Society. It prompted widespread condemnation from law professors and academics around the world who said the administration’s actions “constitute an unprecedented assault on judicial independence in Malawi”.
The independence of the courts is more important than ever in Malawi. Many opposition voters see the electoral commission as one and the same as the ruling DPP and do not trust it to ensure a free and fair process. Much of their faith in the upcoming president election is down to the nation’s judiciary, which not only ordered a re-run but ensured the resignation of the MEC’s former chair Ansah.
The vote and results will be hotly contested, but whoever emerges victorious after 23 June will need to hit the ground running to fix the tanking economy and handle the COVID-19 pandemic. Malawi has effectively been in campaign mode since mid-2018, with much effort and energy directed into elections rather than governance. Malawi has a second chance in this election, but a third may be too much to bear.
With a few days to go before Malawi goes to the polls to elect a new President, the ever-energetic Commander-in-Chief of the Citizens for Transformation (CFT) People Power Movement, Timothy Mtambo was on the road again. This time Comrade Mtambo as he is popularly known, was in Kasungu encouraging people that time has come when the power of a vote need to be unleashed on DPP and Mutharika.
Earlier in the day Mtambo took time to join the lawyers who we were marching for judicial independence in Mzuzu.
Surrounded by other members from CFT and party officials from the Tonse alliance parties, Mtambo first campaign stop was at Lojwa in Kasungu North. He did not waste time but remind the locals that the Mutharika and Muluzi families are the two families that have ruined Malawi. He attacked DPP and UDF governments for promoting nepotism and regionalism which has seen jobs being given to people from one region. He also reminded the locals not to forget about the high levels of corruption which has been instrumental in crippling the economy of Malawi.
Speaking at a large crowd that gathered at Chulu , Mtambo was quick to point out that God has favoured Malawi and has given Malawians opportunity to vote again. He commended the judges for doing a great job in nullifying last year’s illegitimate elections. Among other officials at the meeting were MCP National organizing secretary and member of parliament for Kasungu South East Khumbi Chiponda and national executive member Wazamazama Katatu
Mtambo dwelled on the issues in the manifesto of Tonse alliance telling the gathering that Tonse government is geared to reduce the price of fertiliser to K4495. “For the same amount that you used to buy 1 bag of fertiliser under DPP, you will be able to buy 4 bags when Chakwera is the president”
He also tackled on the issue of job creation promising that Tonse alliance has set a target of one million jobs in its first year in office. Mtambo called upon Malawians to rally behind the capable and visionary leadership of the Tonse Alliance torch bearers, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and his running mate, Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima ahead of the fresh presidential polls slated for 23rd June.
Mtambo warned people of apathy encouraging them that the forthcoming elections are a once in a lifetime opportunity and that they should go and vote in large numbers “ Mutharika doesn’t like you, doesn’t care about you and that’s why he has to be voted out and that’s why you have to go and vote “
He promised the gathering that Tonse government will make sure business loans are given out without favours. He also reminded them that old people will be receiving pension funds from the government as an initiative to make sure old people are cared for.
Mtambo has been on the campaign trail almost every day, that has seen him do whistle stops in all the districts in the North in the past week.
As football is set to return in August for this season, Nigerian striker, Amos Bello has hinted that he is willing to return to Be Forward Wanderers after undergoing a successful surgery for the knee injury he sustained at Bingu National Stadium (BNS) in 2017.
The injury rendered Bello unable to play until the time he returned to his home for further medical help.
Being a free agent back in his home country, the forward said in an interview on Monday that he is harbouring interest to reunite with the blue side.
“I would like to return to Wanderers. I don’t know when or how or what, but playing at Wanderers obviously I like it. I have great memories for Wanderers. Wanderers is a lovely family and it was great memory and it surely remains one of the best part of my life and am looking forward to a day when I will be part of this great club again,” he said.
The towering striker said there was a lot of talk about him when he was in Malawi and that he is ready to unite with a fellow countryman Babatunde Adepoju.
“I was also injured for a while so it wasn’t a good moment for me. My contract expired while l was still in love with the Nomads but it was difficult to negotiate for another contract while l was injured,” he said.
Be Forward Wanderers general secretary, Victor Maunde said they have no problem welcoming back Bello, but was quick to stress that his return can only be subjected to two conditions.
“He is always welcome to Lali-Lubani because we still regard him as our son, but on two conditions which are assessment by the coaches and how he could fit into our budget. He is a brilliant player and we enjoyed his stay at Wanderers,” said Maunde.
Currently, the Nomads have two players from abroad namely, Eric Atsigah from Ghana and Babatunde Adepoju from Nigeria.
While in Malawi, Bello was also linked with a move to Nyasa Big Bullets but it failed to materialise.
World Vision Malawi (WVM) has said violence against children remains a major threat and driver of children vulnerability to long term poverty.
WVM National Director, Hazel Nyathi said this Tuesday during tele-conference Press briefing in Lilongwe as part of commemoration of Day of the African Child, 2020 under the theme Access to a Child-Friendly Justice System in Africa.
She said it was for this reason that WVM in 2016 launched a campaign on ending all forms of violence against children.
“Even though most countries have pledged to protect children, observations on the ground show that, children, young women and men remain unrepresented, exposed to violence, robbing them of their childhood, hence compromising their future development,” Nyathi explained.
WVM National Director, Hazel Nyathi
The National Director added that against this backdrop that WVM finds the 2020 theme very timely and relevant if a promising future was to be secured for children, young women and men.
She said efforts to protect children from harm including child marriages, rape and gender based violence, deprivation to education, and economic participation will not yield positive outcomes without child friendly justice.
Nyathi pointed out that all vacancies for lawyers at Legal Aid Bureau should be filled and have offices established in all districts as opposed to the current situation.
“Currently, the understaffed Legal Aid Bureau was confined in four cities. There was need to recruit more para-legals to support legal aid and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to address the challenge of lack of legal representation,” she noted.
Nyathi added that there was need to address police violence against children through special training of police on child-friendly techniques for dealing with children generally and to introduce guidelines eliminating the use of police “deadly force” on children.
“We advocate that children’s rights are secured at all stages of judicial and extrajudicial procedures including promotion of their rights to information, appropriate representation and participation of children. An effective child friendly justice system can act as a deterrent and remedial measure to young women and men who are vulnerable to child rights abuses,” National Director viewed.
Children, Adolescent Girls and Boys account for over 50 per cent of the country’s population.
However such population dividends can only be truly achieved if the young women and men are well nurtured and their interests and protection is placed at the centre of the social, economic and political discourse.
WVM strategy places a special focus on securing the holistic well-being of young women and men. When children, young women and men are fully protected and engaged, only then a process of building a brighter future the continent.
