Aziz Pahad visits Malawi

Deputy foreign minister Aziz Pahad will depart for Malawi tomorrow, where he will co-chair the first session of the South Africa-Malawi joint commission for co-operation (JCC) in Lilongwe, the foreign affairs department said.

Spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said today that Pahad would chair the session with Malawi’s deputy foreign affairs minister, Henri Mumba.

The JCC would strengthen bilateral political, economic and trade relations between the two countries.

"Both countries regard the establishment of the JCC vital to strengthen relations and create an environment for a more focused and well co-ordinated engagement in the areas of trade, tourism and mining, sport and culture."

Mamoepa said the JCC would plan and implement bilateral programmes of co-operation and undertake studies in areas such as agriculture and livestock.

Other areas to be studied include monetary and financial arrangements, trade, industry, mining and tourism.

The departments of agriculture, arts and culture, home affairs, and transport would take part in the JCC, Mamoepa said.

Malawi’s ex-leader cannot seek another term

Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika said yesterday the constitution does not allow his political rival and the country’s former leader Bakili Muluzi to run for a third term of office.

“For Bakili, according to our constitution, he is not allowed to stand again,” Mutharika told a rally here, speaking of next year’s general elections. He added that if the constitution allowed the ex-president to stand in 2009, he would not have “hired 24 lawyers” to fight a legal battle at the high court over his candidacy.
“I am standing next year, but I will not hire a lawyer,” said Mutharika, who has served one term since 2004.

Muluzi faces a court battle over whether he can contest the vote, the fourth since the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.
He ruled the impoverished southern African nation from 1994 to 2004 before handing over power to his chosen successor Mutharika.

The former president wrestled power from dictator Kamuzu Banda in 1994, but failed in his bid before the 2004 polls to amend the constitution to allow him to stand for a third term.

Mutharika has been at odds with the ex-leader since he ditched Muluzi’s former ruling United Democratic Front to form his own party.
He recently voiced fears of a plot to topple him, allegedly hatched by Muluzi’s party and an ex-army chief.

Muluzi was arrested but not formally charged by police over allegations of the coup plot.

He has laughed off the accusations, saying documents that were said to link him to the plot were intended to wreck his bid to win back his old office in upcoming elections.