Malawi: Namanja Chakwamba has been sentenced to 20 years in prison with hard labour after pleading guilty to acts intended to cause grievous harm over an incident in which he amputated the genitals of a 14-year-old.
There is a demand for sexual organs in Malawi as they are used in witchcraft rituals that are supposed to bring wealth. Chakwamba reportedly sold the genitals to Patrick Murama, now in prison for an unrelated murder, for $685.
Reconstructive surgery was unsuccessfully attempted on Chakwamba's 14-year-old victim. He now faces a life of disfigurement.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
MALAWI'S MARY WAYA CONFIRMED FOR TEST SERIES
NETBALL Malawi have confirmed the inclusion of inspirational player Mary Waya in their line up for April’s test series with England.
The Malawi side will travel to England next month to take part in the first international test series between the two countries played on home soil.
Waya, 38, was the superstar of November’s World Championships held in New Zealand, dazzling the crowds with her lightning quick reactions and cheeky passes that frequently left highly rated international defenders clutching at air.
The Goal Attack may have wowed crowds with blind passes to her shooters from behind her back - but it's her personality which makes Waya stand out from the crowd.
Malawi coach Griffin Saenda said at the World Championships: "She is a huge role model, not only to this team but to Malawi sports women in educating them about Aids."
"Young players have a great example in Mary. We are very proud of her."
The veteran netballer and mum-of-two announced her retirement after the Queens were knocked out of the World Championships in the quarter-final against England. It was to be her last performance after making her national team debut aged just 14.
But it seems the lure of a test series against their old rivals has persuaded her to extend her international career just a little longer, meaning that UK spectators are in for a real treat this spring.
"Mary Waya is a true star of the international game," says Nigel Holl, England Netball's Director.
Nine killed in Malawi bus crash
Nine people, one of them a Tanzanian, were killed and 36 others injured after the bus in which they were travelling overturned in northern Malawi, police said today.
The driver of the state-owned bus lost control yesterday on a bend in the Chiweta Hills in the district of Rumphi, said police spokesman Ephraim Chipojola.
Four other Tanzanians and a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo were also among those injured, he said.
Road crashes kill an average of four people per day in Malawi, according to officials figures.
The driver of the state-owned bus lost control yesterday on a bend in the Chiweta Hills in the district of Rumphi, said police spokesman Ephraim Chipojola.
Four other Tanzanians and a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo were also among those injured, he said.
Road crashes kill an average of four people per day in Malawi, according to officials figures.
Investing in the future for Africa and the west
ETHICAL investing moved to a new level this week, with the Conservatives proposing the development of "green" individual savings accounts – to be knows as Gisas.
The aim is to allow consumers to increase tax-free savings by investing in eco-aware firms. This is intended to make people think about saving more because they are helping in the fight against climate change, as well as encouraging companies to do their bit for the environment.
The move by the Conservatives should help make more people aware of green investment opportunities and increase demand for appropriate financial products.
Emma Howard Boyd, head of socially responsible investment at Jupiter fund managers, said: "As a pioneer in green investing, we believe there is a compelling case for a product of this kind. There is a huge investment required to make the transition to a low-carbon economy and allowing individuals to target green strategies through investing via a tax-free saving wrapper demonstrates how savings can form part of this process."
This development comes in the week that Cru Investment Management and Africa Invest visited Scotland to encourage the population to think about medium- to long-term investment in Malawi through a new "ethical" vehicle.
Justin Malewezi, MP for Ntchisis North–East in Malawi – and a former vice-president – was a member of the party touring Scotland to explain this new concept to independent financial advisers (IFAs).
From last month, retail investors have been able to invest in Cru's collective fund – a structured product – which will see their money going into the Africa Invest scheme for small commercial farms. As well as helping alleviate poverty in Malawi, it is hoped investors will generate a healthy return over the period of the seven-year plan. Because Scotland and Malawi have strong ties, dating back to the 19th century when David Livingstone from Blantyre travelled to Africa as a missionary, Scots may find this opportunity particularly appealing.
Since January 2005, Cru has been establishing Africa Invest as a commercial agricultural business in Malawi to see if investment could generate a profit and tackle poverty. Total investment to date is almost £2 million, which is provided by Cru itself, not by the investment funds it runs. Its financial forecast for 2008 for return on the pilot scheme is between 30 per cent and 40 per cent. It focuses on investing in an "out-grower" scheme which harvests high-value crops, mainly herbs and spices, such as paprika and bird's eye chillies.
By opening this up to retail and institutional investors Cru aims to raise £30m by May this year.
On his trip to Scotland, Malewezi, who is now on the board of Africa Invest, told The Scotsman: "Africa Invest will only work through local participation in Malawi. A lot of development work in Africa has failed because of a lack of understanding of tradition and culture and the importance of family.
"I've been in government and public service for over 40 years and can assist Africa Invest through my understanding of chiefs, government officials and the small-farmer system in Malawi. The greatest benefits of Africa Invest is that its work should be sustainable."
Jon Maguire, founder of Cru, said: "Africa Invest brings wealth and philanthropy together as it puts money into something that will help transform the lives of some of the poorest people. We hope this will be the first of a whole new breed of investment."
Unlike many parts of Africa, Malewezi explained that Malawi has a stable economy with relatively low inflation and has been a democratic state for some time.
So, is Africa Invest a viable option for Scottish investors?
Barry O'Neill, a chartered financial planner and director with Thomson Shepherd, said: "There is no doubt that this is a laudable project which could potentially change the lives of many thousands of Malawians. The underlying investment is in food – paprika to be precise – and this offers potentially lucrative returns for those with the stomach to include such spicy ingredients within their portfolio.
"As the risks are not insignificant, this is certainly not a core holding, nor is it comparable with many, if any, investment propositions you are likely to see this year. For that reason it is probably best not to even try to compare it and simply to view it for what it is, a unique offer from an investment house that specialises in being different."
Julian Parrott, an IFA with Ethical Futures, described Africa Invest as something that could be called "the acceptable face of capitalism". He said it can be viewed as an "ethical" investment, but only as part of a more widely diversified portfolio.
Parrott said: "The opportunity to help develop an active economy in Malawi is welcome and the attraction is that it uses 'western capital' to seed-fund the structural changes but does not create a debt burden.
"Essentially, this is a private-equity venture focusing our capital into the project with the local Malawians doing the labour for a share of the profit.
" When we have been so used to giving money to Africa, we might feel a bit squeamish about taking a profit from such activities, but perhaps, like Fair Trade and Micro-credit schemes such as the Blue Orchid Dexia fund, we have to start to take a grown-up approach to doing business in a fair but not exploitative way.
"I'm not an expert in agriculture but have been assured that the local food economy will not be damaged by these agricultural developments and that Malawians will continue to be able to feed themselves and not give all land over to cash crops.
"I'm sure that some people might feel uncomfortable with an air of 'colonialism' of predominantly white western businessmen running the show but, again, I understand that there are very clear plans to develop skills and local management capability within the new business."
He explained there are two options for investors.
One is direct investment which comes with considerable risk and has a high threshold of £40,000, but with potentially high returns.
The other is a capital protected investment – not guaranteed – from £4,000.
A clear advantages is that it can be held as part of an Isa.
AFRICA INVEST – PROS AND CONS
JULIAN Parrott of Ethical Futures gives his view of the investment opportunity:
Pros
• Professionally resourced cash crop business.
• Established and successful pilot project.
• Industrial agricultural experience to help overcome climatic issues.
• Access to western markets.
• Creation of alternative income stream which will trickle down into and stimulate the local economy.
• Proposal to extend activities into added-value processing.
• Social programmes such as feeding and provision of a nurse with intentions to ext
end this to education and healthcare.
• Breaking the dependency culture.
• Non exploitative – with the intention to cap profits and plough surplus back into development.
Cons
• Only 30 per cent of investment funds in the capital protected version go to Africa – the rest is used to buy protection of original investment.
• Intensively farmed, reliance on agri-business farming.
• Western-led initiative. Will real opportunities for development arise for local people – "commercial colonialism"?
• Dependent on projected demand for the cash crops – no clear information on other competing suppliers.
• Reliant on Africa Invest establishing markets for products and making supply chain work.
• Climatic, legal and political risks.
• Significance of expansion plans – risk of over-extending abilities or capacity
The aim is to allow consumers to increase tax-free savings by investing in eco-aware firms. This is intended to make people think about saving more because they are helping in the fight against climate change, as well as encouraging companies to do their bit for the environment.
The move by the Conservatives should help make more people aware of green investment opportunities and increase demand for appropriate financial products.
Emma Howard Boyd, head of socially responsible investment at Jupiter fund managers, said: "As a pioneer in green investing, we believe there is a compelling case for a product of this kind. There is a huge investment required to make the transition to a low-carbon economy and allowing individuals to target green strategies through investing via a tax-free saving wrapper demonstrates how savings can form part of this process."
This development comes in the week that Cru Investment Management and Africa Invest visited Scotland to encourage the population to think about medium- to long-term investment in Malawi through a new "ethical" vehicle.
Justin Malewezi, MP for Ntchisis North–East in Malawi – and a former vice-president – was a member of the party touring Scotland to explain this new concept to independent financial advisers (IFAs).
From last month, retail investors have been able to invest in Cru's collective fund – a structured product – which will see their money going into the Africa Invest scheme for small commercial farms. As well as helping alleviate poverty in Malawi, it is hoped investors will generate a healthy return over the period of the seven-year plan. Because Scotland and Malawi have strong ties, dating back to the 19th century when David Livingstone from Blantyre travelled to Africa as a missionary, Scots may find this opportunity particularly appealing.
Since January 2005, Cru has been establishing Africa Invest as a commercial agricultural business in Malawi to see if investment could generate a profit and tackle poverty. Total investment to date is almost £2 million, which is provided by Cru itself, not by the investment funds it runs. Its financial forecast for 2008 for return on the pilot scheme is between 30 per cent and 40 per cent. It focuses on investing in an "out-grower" scheme which harvests high-value crops, mainly herbs and spices, such as paprika and bird's eye chillies.
By opening this up to retail and institutional investors Cru aims to raise £30m by May this year.
On his trip to Scotland, Malewezi, who is now on the board of Africa Invest, told The Scotsman: "Africa Invest will only work through local participation in Malawi. A lot of development work in Africa has failed because of a lack of understanding of tradition and culture and the importance of family.
"I've been in government and public service for over 40 years and can assist Africa Invest through my understanding of chiefs, government officials and the small-farmer system in Malawi. The greatest benefits of Africa Invest is that its work should be sustainable."
Jon Maguire, founder of Cru, said: "Africa Invest brings wealth and philanthropy together as it puts money into something that will help transform the lives of some of the poorest people. We hope this will be the first of a whole new breed of investment."
Unlike many parts of Africa, Malewezi explained that Malawi has a stable economy with relatively low inflation and has been a democratic state for some time.
So, is Africa Invest a viable option for Scottish investors?
Barry O'Neill, a chartered financial planner and director with Thomson Shepherd, said: "There is no doubt that this is a laudable project which could potentially change the lives of many thousands of Malawians. The underlying investment is in food – paprika to be precise – and this offers potentially lucrative returns for those with the stomach to include such spicy ingredients within their portfolio.
"As the risks are not insignificant, this is certainly not a core holding, nor is it comparable with many, if any, investment propositions you are likely to see this year. For that reason it is probably best not to even try to compare it and simply to view it for what it is, a unique offer from an investment house that specialises in being different."
Julian Parrott, an IFA with Ethical Futures, described Africa Invest as something that could be called "the acceptable face of capitalism". He said it can be viewed as an "ethical" investment, but only as part of a more widely diversified portfolio.
Parrott said: "The opportunity to help develop an active economy in Malawi is welcome and the attraction is that it uses 'western capital' to seed-fund the structural changes but does not create a debt burden.
"Essentially, this is a private-equity venture focusing our capital into the project with the local Malawians doing the labour for a share of the profit.
" When we have been so used to giving money to Africa, we might feel a bit squeamish about taking a profit from such activities, but perhaps, like Fair Trade and Micro-credit schemes such as the Blue Orchid Dexia fund, we have to start to take a grown-up approach to doing business in a fair but not exploitative way.
"I'm not an expert in agriculture but have been assured that the local food economy will not be damaged by these agricultural developments and that Malawians will continue to be able to feed themselves and not give all land over to cash crops.
"I'm sure that some people might feel uncomfortable with an air of 'colonialism' of predominantly white western businessmen running the show but, again, I understand that there are very clear plans to develop skills and local management capability within the new business."
He explained there are two options for investors.
One is direct investment which comes with considerable risk and has a high threshold of £40,000, but with potentially high returns.
The other is a capital protected investment – not guaranteed – from £4,000.
A clear advantages is that it can be held as part of an Isa.
AFRICA INVEST – PROS AND CONS
JULIAN Parrott of Ethical Futures gives his view of the investment opportunity:
Pros
• Professionally resourced cash crop business.
• Established and successful pilot project.
• Industrial agricultural experience to help overcome climatic issues.
• Access to western markets.
• Creation of alternative income stream which will trickle down into and stimulate the local economy.
• Proposal to extend activities into added-value processing.
• Social programmes such as feeding and provision of a nurse with intentions to ext
end this to education and healthcare.
• Breaking the dependency culture.
• Non exploitative – with the intention to cap profits and plough surplus back into development.
Cons
• Only 30 per cent of investment funds in the capital protected version go to Africa – the rest is used to buy protection of original investment.
• Intensively farmed, reliance on agri-business farming.
• Western-led initiative. Will real opportunities for development arise for local people – "commercial colonialism"?
• Dependent on projected demand for the cash crops – no clear information on other competing suppliers.
• Reliant on Africa Invest establishing markets for products and making supply chain work.
• Climatic, legal and political risks.
• Significance of expansion plans – risk of over-extending abilities or capacity
Malawi churches review role of condoms in AIDS fight
The Malawi Council of Churches is reviewing its opposition to the use of condoms in the country's anti-AIDS fight, and has said it may support the use of condoms by married couples where one or both partners are HIV positive.
"Where one partner or both are infected, and we want to avoid transmission of the virus to the other, condom use might be considered but only with proper counselling," said Lutheran Bishop Joseph Bvumbwe, chairperson of the council's board, on 25 February in the central region town of Mponela. Still, he added, "The church has not changed its stand on the use of condoms, and we will not support wholesale use of condoms."
In the past, a number of church denominations in Malawi have condemned the use of condoms for encouraging, as they believe, promiscuity and pre-marital sex among young people. Instead of condoms, the churches have called for sexual abstinence before marriage.
Bishop Bvumbwe was speaking at a meeting to review an MCC manual on HIV and AIDS. He also said that clergy should fight any harmful cultural practices that might increase the spread of the virus.
Bvumbwe said, however, that the process of uprooting harmful cultural practices should not affect Malawi's national traditions. "We should preserve our Malawian identity and not become westernised," he cautioned.
Health officials say that about 10 people die every hour in Malawi due to AIDS-related causes. Official estimates put the number of Malawians who are HIV positive at around one million. About 700 000 people have died in the country after being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Today, about 91 000 Malawian children are infected with HIV, with many of these having contracted the virus from their mothers.
The MCC has developed its HIV/AIDS training manual as something to be used by clergy in addressing the pandemic. The document offers information about HIV/AIDS, and tackles issues such as behavioural change, advocacy, human rights, and gender and programme development.
"Where one partner or both are infected, and we want to avoid transmission of the virus to the other, condom use might be considered but only with proper counselling," said Lutheran Bishop Joseph Bvumbwe, chairperson of the council's board, on 25 February in the central region town of Mponela. Still, he added, "The church has not changed its stand on the use of condoms, and we will not support wholesale use of condoms."
In the past, a number of church denominations in Malawi have condemned the use of condoms for encouraging, as they believe, promiscuity and pre-marital sex among young people. Instead of condoms, the churches have called for sexual abstinence before marriage.
Bishop Bvumbwe was speaking at a meeting to review an MCC manual on HIV and AIDS. He also said that clergy should fight any harmful cultural practices that might increase the spread of the virus.
Bvumbwe said, however, that the process of uprooting harmful cultural practices should not affect Malawi's national traditions. "We should preserve our Malawian identity and not become westernised," he cautioned.
Health officials say that about 10 people die every hour in Malawi due to AIDS-related causes. Official estimates put the number of Malawians who are HIV positive at around one million. About 700 000 people have died in the country after being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Today, about 91 000 Malawian children are infected with HIV, with many of these having contracted the virus from their mothers.
The MCC has developed its HIV/AIDS training manual as something to be used by clergy in addressing the pandemic. The document offers information about HIV/AIDS, and tackles issues such as behavioural change, advocacy, human rights, and gender and programme development.
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