Zambia and Malawi Tuesday commissioned a hydro-power int er-connector in Zambia's rural Chama district, East of the country, an occasion w itnessed by Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa and his Malawian counterpart Bingu w a Mutharika.
The state-run Zambia Daily Mail reported Tuesday that the Zambian would spend about US$ 400,000 on the project.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mwanawasa said the connection of Chama to the Malawi national grid was a manifestation of the true relationship between the two countries.
President Mwanawasa said the electrification of Chama would enable the Zambia Electricity Corporation (ZESCO) save some 200 million Kwachas which would be spent on diesel for the thermo power machines used in servicing the district.
He said regional integration was important in addressing the shortage of energy in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
President Mwanawasa said energy was vital for economic growth, stressing that if the power shortage was not addressed, Zambia's economy and that of the region would be constrained.
Also speaking, President Mutharika said the connection of Chama to Malawi national grid was part of that country's energy policy aimed at helping people in the rural areas.
"Chama is the second district to be connected to the Malawi national grid. Lundazi was connected in 2004 and this shows a fine bilateral relationship between Malawi and Zambia," the mail quoted Mutharika as saying.
He commended the Zambian government for connecting Chama to the system and pledged hiscountry's full support.
According to President Mutharika, Malawi has the capacity to produce an additional 1,500 megawatts of power.
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
New Malawi coup plot raises suspicions
Malawi's announcement that it had foiled a fourth coup attempt in four years is fuelling suspicions of growing government paranoia and doubts over chances for a political deal crucial to donor funding.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has won praise and billions of dollars in debt relief for driving reforms that have steered growth of around 7 percent a year for the past 3 years in the southern African country of 12 million.
But the arrest of senior opposition figures last week over the latest suspected plot has left crisis talks between the government and opposition near collapse and worsened the political uncertainty that has dogged wa Mutharika's four years in power.
"We seem to be increasingly guided by some illusions or rather hallucinations," said University of Malawi Political Science lecturer Boniface Dulani.
"In the process, we are making so many blunders that are sadly taking us backwards to the dark days of one-party rule."
Among those arrested over the latest plot were three army generals, two retired senior police officers and four members of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) politburo.
An arrest warrant was issued for former President Bakili Muluzi, the UDF's candidate for next year's presidential election. He is out of the country.
"This is the fourth time we are hearing this and it is very difficult for me to believe that the same UDF was again plotting to topple government when elections are a year away," said Yotham Wambetha, a businessman in Lilongwe.
ASSASSINATION PLOTS
The first alleged attempt on the president's life was in 2005 and two UDF lawmakers were arrested for treason. The case fell apart when they were charged with sedition instead.
A year later, another plot to kill wa Mutharika was foiled and again the world was told that two senior UDF members and a member of the ruling party were behind the alleged plot.
But before the case was concluded, the president appointed one of the accused into his cabinet and acquitted the other.
The next plot involved Vice President Cassim Chilumpha. He was accused of hiring South African assassins to kill wa Mutharika. He is on bail and the state is yet to produce evidence against him.
Wa Mutharika's rule has been troubled since he took office in 2004, after winning an election marred by violence and rigging accusations.
His decision to quit the UDF, the party that sponsored him as a candidate, is the root cause of an ongoing and bitter fight over a constitutional provision which stops parliamentarians quitting one party to join another.
Wa Mutharika has been in talks with the opposition to end an impasse over 70 legislators that switched to his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The crisis led to a recent 5-day opposition boycott of parliament and its temporary suspension, and threatens to again delay important debates on the country's budget and other measures required by donors.
SQUABBLES OVERSHADOW GROWTH
The economic picture looks the brightest for years in a heavily agricultural country where annual per capita GDP was estimated at $800 in purchasing power parity terms in 2007 -- still among the lowest in southern Africa.
While growth in the tobacco exporting country has held steady and is forecast by the IMF at over 7 percent this year too, inflation has eased to single digits and interest rates have fallen to 15 percent from 25 percent.
But political bickering has overshadowed those gains.
Last year it took five months for the opposition to agree to present the government's $1.2 billion budget for fiscal 2007/08.
In a repeat of last year's crisis, the opposition UDF and Malawi Congress Party have vowed to thwart the passage of the 2008/09 budget, due in parliament this month, unless the speaker of Parliament removes MPs from Mutharika's DPP.
If the opposition succeeds in getting the president's supporters removed from parliament, however, it would have enough support to pass a no-confidence vote in his government and impeach him. The opposition says it has no such plans.
But if there is no budget, it will put at risk donor funding on which it is heavily reliant for public funding.
"Such political uncertainties have the capacity to affect development aid in one way or another if not resolved quickly," said a diplomat in Lilongwe. (Editing by Gordon Bell and Matthew Tostevin)
President Bingu wa Mutharika has won praise and billions of dollars in debt relief for driving reforms that have steered growth of around 7 percent a year for the past 3 years in the southern African country of 12 million.
But the arrest of senior opposition figures last week over the latest suspected plot has left crisis talks between the government and opposition near collapse and worsened the political uncertainty that has dogged wa Mutharika's four years in power.
"We seem to be increasingly guided by some illusions or rather hallucinations," said University of Malawi Political Science lecturer Boniface Dulani.
"In the process, we are making so many blunders that are sadly taking us backwards to the dark days of one-party rule."
Among those arrested over the latest plot were three army generals, two retired senior police officers and four members of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) politburo.
An arrest warrant was issued for former President Bakili Muluzi, the UDF's candidate for next year's presidential election. He is out of the country.
"This is the fourth time we are hearing this and it is very difficult for me to believe that the same UDF was again plotting to topple government when elections are a year away," said Yotham Wambetha, a businessman in Lilongwe.
ASSASSINATION PLOTS
The first alleged attempt on the president's life was in 2005 and two UDF lawmakers were arrested for treason. The case fell apart when they were charged with sedition instead.
A year later, another plot to kill wa Mutharika was foiled and again the world was told that two senior UDF members and a member of the ruling party were behind the alleged plot.
But before the case was concluded, the president appointed one of the accused into his cabinet and acquitted the other.
The next plot involved Vice President Cassim Chilumpha. He was accused of hiring South African assassins to kill wa Mutharika. He is on bail and the state is yet to produce evidence against him.
Wa Mutharika's rule has been troubled since he took office in 2004, after winning an election marred by violence and rigging accusations.
His decision to quit the UDF, the party that sponsored him as a candidate, is the root cause of an ongoing and bitter fight over a constitutional provision which stops parliamentarians quitting one party to join another.
Wa Mutharika has been in talks with the opposition to end an impasse over 70 legislators that switched to his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The crisis led to a recent 5-day opposition boycott of parliament and its temporary suspension, and threatens to again delay important debates on the country's budget and other measures required by donors.
SQUABBLES OVERSHADOW GROWTH
The economic picture looks the brightest for years in a heavily agricultural country where annual per capita GDP was estimated at $800 in purchasing power parity terms in 2007 -- still among the lowest in southern Africa.
While growth in the tobacco exporting country has held steady and is forecast by the IMF at over 7 percent this year too, inflation has eased to single digits and interest rates have fallen to 15 percent from 25 percent.
But political bickering has overshadowed those gains.
Last year it took five months for the opposition to agree to present the government's $1.2 billion budget for fiscal 2007/08.
In a repeat of last year's crisis, the opposition UDF and Malawi Congress Party have vowed to thwart the passage of the 2008/09 budget, due in parliament this month, unless the speaker of Parliament removes MPs from Mutharika's DPP.
If the opposition succeeds in getting the president's supporters removed from parliament, however, it would have enough support to pass a no-confidence vote in his government and impeach him. The opposition says it has no such plans.
But if there is no budget, it will put at risk donor funding on which it is heavily reliant for public funding.
"Such political uncertainties have the capacity to affect development aid in one way or another if not resolved quickly," said a diplomat in Lilongwe. (Editing by Gordon Bell and Matthew Tostevin)
Bakili Muluzi: A Disgrace to Malawi
Wa Mutharika’s suavity is costing him dearly looking at what has been going on in Malawi. Recent news that there was a foiled coup d’Etat in Malawi can adumbrate this. If you microscopically examine Malawi, you’ll agree that the main cause of all this instability is none but former president Bakili Muluzi whose hunger for power is destabilizing this young and poor nation. I am trying to imagine what would have become of Muluzi if this had been committed in Ethiopia or Uganda.
That Muluzi is directly linked with the coup attempt was divulged by Wa Mutharika while briefing the nation on what transpired.
"Malawians, let me tell you,” he said. “This was their plan: That Bakili Muluzi would come back home [from London] on 16th and that he would not be leader of his party, but president of Malawi after removing me from power."
Behind the coup were former army commander Gen Joseph Chimayo, former Inspector General of Police Joseph Aironi, UDF Secretary General Kennedy Makwangwala and former Blantyre Mayor John Chikakwiya among others.
President Bingu wa Mutharika at the weekend accused his predecessor Bakili Muluzi of being behind a plot to remove him by Friday 16 May. The media in Malawi was quoted as saying. Wa Mutharika whom Muluzi has taken for a punching bag did not nonetheless keep mum or swallow his pride. He ridiculed Muluzi for being a coward that could plot a coup and travel abroad.
Muluzi however denied the allegations on his private Joy Radio. "I am not a violent person," Muluzi said. But looking at how Muluzi has been sabotaging wa Mutharika, chances are, if he is not dealt with, he will cause mayhem in Malawi.
What makes everybody dress down Muluzi is the fact that the only agenda he has for Malawi is to serve his vendetta against Mutharika’s refusal to act as his stooge and protégé to shield him from corruption allegations! Muluzi has been looking for a leeway to avoid being brought to books for felons he committed when he was president.
If possible Muluzi should be booked and made to pay for his sins resulting from corruption, sabotage and abuse of office. In 2003, he even tried to ameliorate the constitution so as to run for a third term in office as opposed to the provisions of the constitution.
For the person contemplating to topple the government at this time is a political waste. Does Muluzi aim at creating yet another Burundi under Dictator Pierre Buyoya? Africa needs to take a note and do something to avoid the unthinkable in Malawi.
By Nkwazi Mhango
Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He is a Journalist, Teacher, Human Rights activist and member of the Writers' Association of New Foundland and Labrador (WANL)
Joely Richardson Speaks About Her Emotional Trip to Malawi
The Hollywood star helps launch ‘Be Water Wise’ campaign to end 4000 child’s deaths each day
Hollywood beauty Joely Richardson, who starred in hit series Nip/tuck and Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, has returned from Malawi where she went on an emotional trip to raise awareness of the one billion people in developing countries who do not have access to safe drinking water.
With no running water, these families have no choice but to drink from contaminated rivers and streams which leads to more than 4,000 children dying unnecessarily every day. As a result Joely is calling on the British public to support the ‘Be Water Wise’ campaign, which aims to donate a total of 80 million litres of safe drinking water to children in developing nations.
The programme has already provided 1 billion litres of clean drinking water for children and their families in need around the world. Working in partnership with Children’s Safe Drinking Water Programme and Five and Alive, Ariel has pledged to donate 10 litres of safe drinking water per special pack purchased in the UK – equivalent to a week’s supply of drinking water for a small child in the developing world. The initiative will enable the public to help get safe drinking water to families in countries that need it most.
With your help, the partnership can continue to expand these efforts and provide immediate relief to families in crisis in countries including Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia. Clean water will be supplied to the countries using PUR™ Purifier of Water technology – sachets of a powder that cleans and purifies litres of water to World Health Organisation standards for safe drinking water, importantly reducing diarrhoeal illness.
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