Malawi’s minister of labour Davis Katsonga has said that the Southern African country still lags behind in the use of the internet due to in adequate infrastructure and higher costs.
The minister was speaking in the country’s capital Lilongwe during the opening of the 3rd annual connecting Rural Communities Africa Forum.
Katsonga said a few people use the internet in the country due to high costs.
“Internet users’ diffusion in Malawi is the lowest among countries in the region and that has made the access to internet very high,” he said.
Recently during a meeting of Librarians and Information experts in Southern African region in Zambia, it was observed that Africa still lags behind in the use of computers especially the internet.
The gathering also noted that things like agriculture would improve tremendously as we look ahead to fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) if for instance farmers in the rural areas have access to the internet to learn new skills.
The Malawi minister said the country which depends on agriculture for its economy just like other nations in the region has a big mountain to climb as regards to spreading Information and communication technology (ICT) to the rural areas.
In Malawi the internet is mostly used in the urban areas and there is still a long way for ICT to penetrate the urban areas.
Malawi’s minister of information and civic education was quoted in the local newspaper on Wednesday as saying that the country is planning to have all urban centres connected by 2012 and connect rural areas by 2015.
The report further quoted the minister as saying Malawi has only 12 percent penetration of telecommunication.
The forum which opened on Tuesday has drawn together 180 international delegates with three ministers of information from Kenya, Tanzania and Sierra Leone.
According to the report Malawi is the third country to host the regional forum after Kenya and Rwanda.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Malawi Bans Private Corn Trade
Ordinary Malawians, cheered by the prospect of cheaper food, have welcomed government's ban on the private trading of maize, but food security experts and businesses have expressed concern.
The government recently announced the ban in an attempt to clamp down on hoarding and appointed the state grain marketer, the Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC), as the sole buyer and seller of maize in the country.
Andrew Daudi, principal secretary in the ministry of agriculture and food security, said the step had been taken to ensure food security. Despite government assurances of a surplus, Malawi's traders expect maize prices to rise later in the year and have been holding on to stocks, artificially pushing up the price at the tills.
The government and food aid agencies projected a food surplus, although the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Network (FEWS-NET) said it would be lower than initially estimated. The government has yet to release its final figures on the main maize harvest, collected between March and July.
The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) and the Grain Traders and Processors Association (GTPA) both described the ban as "unrealistic", and a disincentive to farmers and traders that would have little impact on hoarding.
Government has fixed the price at which ADMARC will buy and sell maize: the state marketer will pay farmers and traders K45 ($0.31) per kilogramme (kg), or K2,500 ($17.86) per 50kg bag, and sell it at K52 ($0.37) per kg, or K2,600 ($18.57) per bag.
Unlikely to impact hoarding
Grace Mhango, president of GTPA, said it was unfair to restrict traders to selling maize to ADMARC at a cheaper price, and hinted that the traders were unlikely to sell to ADMARC.
"They will be compelled to continue hoarding the maize," Mhango said. "How do you expect them to sell at a cheaper price, when ... they bought the maize at a much higher price?"
A trader in Blantyre, the commercial capital, told IRIN that he would not release his maize. "Those who need the maize will continue coming to us, and we will go by our terms ... I bought the maize at a high price and cannot accept anything less than the price I want."
Chancellor Kaferapanjira, chief executive of MCCCI, said the fixed price would discourage farmers from producing more maize. Some private traders have been paying farmers and other suppliers K3,000 ($21) per 50kg bag and reselling it to the public at K3,500 ($24.55), and even K4,000 ($28).
"This directive counters food productivity," Kaferapanjira argued. "It is obvious that smallholder farmers will not grow enough maize because they will not make any profits. I believe that farmers who have maize should continue selling to a trader who is offering more money."
Christopher Barrett, who teaches development economics at Cornell University in the US, described the ban as "a throwback to an era of failed state control over food markets", and pointed out that ADMARC was "an organ of the state and thus politically motivated, which adds another level of concern".
"Modern states typically work to reduce monopoly and monopsony power [when a buyer controls a large proportion of the market and drives prices down], to level the playing field for farmers, consumers and traders. This is a move in the opposite direction, reconcentrating market power in the hands of one organisation," he said.
Kaferapanjira said the government should rather opt for reducing the cost of food production by slashing the price of fertiliser. Only vulnerable small-scale farmers have access to subsidised fertiliser, which is available at $0.11 per kg, while others have to buy it from the market at over a $1 per kg.
Barrett suggested the government "would do better to focus on providing the physical and institutional infrastructure necessary for private small traders to blossom, grow, and compete with one another to offer the best prices, quality and service to farmers and consumers alike."
Traders have until 30 September to sell all the grain they have in their stock.
What people say
On the other hand, ordinary Malawians have supported government's decision to impose the ban. Mphatso Manda, who lives with her three children in the populous Ndirande township in Blantyre, said the ban would force traders to sell the maize they had been hoarding.
"Since January we have been buying maize at prices that were not justified at all," she said. "With ADMARC as the only buying and selling point we are assured of enough maize at an affordable price."
Christina Gondwe, another Ndirande resident, urged the government to punish private traders who continued to hoard maize. "They [the traders] sold us our own maize at exorbitant prices for no good reasons," she said.
"They started the speculation that there is no maize, when we were told by government that there is enough to feed us till the next harvest. All they wanted was to sell at high prices."
Malawi enjoyed a bumper harvest for two consecutive growing seasons largely because of a successful fertiliser subsidy program and good rains; this year over 1.5 million households are expected to benefit from the subsidy program.
Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2008
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)
The government recently announced the ban in an attempt to clamp down on hoarding and appointed the state grain marketer, the Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC), as the sole buyer and seller of maize in the country.
Andrew Daudi, principal secretary in the ministry of agriculture and food security, said the step had been taken to ensure food security. Despite government assurances of a surplus, Malawi's traders expect maize prices to rise later in the year and have been holding on to stocks, artificially pushing up the price at the tills.
The government and food aid agencies projected a food surplus, although the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Network (FEWS-NET) said it would be lower than initially estimated. The government has yet to release its final figures on the main maize harvest, collected between March and July.
The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) and the Grain Traders and Processors Association (GTPA) both described the ban as "unrealistic", and a disincentive to farmers and traders that would have little impact on hoarding.
Government has fixed the price at which ADMARC will buy and sell maize: the state marketer will pay farmers and traders K45 ($0.31) per kilogramme (kg), or K2,500 ($17.86) per 50kg bag, and sell it at K52 ($0.37) per kg, or K2,600 ($18.57) per bag.
Unlikely to impact hoarding
Grace Mhango, president of GTPA, said it was unfair to restrict traders to selling maize to ADMARC at a cheaper price, and hinted that the traders were unlikely to sell to ADMARC.
"They will be compelled to continue hoarding the maize," Mhango said. "How do you expect them to sell at a cheaper price, when ... they bought the maize at a much higher price?"
A trader in Blantyre, the commercial capital, told IRIN that he would not release his maize. "Those who need the maize will continue coming to us, and we will go by our terms ... I bought the maize at a high price and cannot accept anything less than the price I want."
Chancellor Kaferapanjira, chief executive of MCCCI, said the fixed price would discourage farmers from producing more maize. Some private traders have been paying farmers and other suppliers K3,000 ($21) per 50kg bag and reselling it to the public at K3,500 ($24.55), and even K4,000 ($28).
"This directive counters food productivity," Kaferapanjira argued. "It is obvious that smallholder farmers will not grow enough maize because they will not make any profits. I believe that farmers who have maize should continue selling to a trader who is offering more money."
Christopher Barrett, who teaches development economics at Cornell University in the US, described the ban as "a throwback to an era of failed state control over food markets", and pointed out that ADMARC was "an organ of the state and thus politically motivated, which adds another level of concern".
"Modern states typically work to reduce monopoly and monopsony power [when a buyer controls a large proportion of the market and drives prices down], to level the playing field for farmers, consumers and traders. This is a move in the opposite direction, reconcentrating market power in the hands of one organisation," he said.
Kaferapanjira said the government should rather opt for reducing the cost of food production by slashing the price of fertiliser. Only vulnerable small-scale farmers have access to subsidised fertiliser, which is available at $0.11 per kg, while others have to buy it from the market at over a $1 per kg.
Barrett suggested the government "would do better to focus on providing the physical and institutional infrastructure necessary for private small traders to blossom, grow, and compete with one another to offer the best prices, quality and service to farmers and consumers alike."
Traders have until 30 September to sell all the grain they have in their stock.
What people say
On the other hand, ordinary Malawians have supported government's decision to impose the ban. Mphatso Manda, who lives with her three children in the populous Ndirande township in Blantyre, said the ban would force traders to sell the maize they had been hoarding.
"Since January we have been buying maize at prices that were not justified at all," she said. "With ADMARC as the only buying and selling point we are assured of enough maize at an affordable price."
Christina Gondwe, another Ndirande resident, urged the government to punish private traders who continued to hoard maize. "They [the traders] sold us our own maize at exorbitant prices for no good reasons," she said.
"They started the speculation that there is no maize, when we were told by government that there is enough to feed us till the next harvest. All they wanted was to sell at high prices."
Malawi enjoyed a bumper harvest for two consecutive growing seasons largely because of a successful fertiliser subsidy program and good rains; this year over 1.5 million households are expected to benefit from the subsidy program.
Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2008
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)
Malawi parliament passes budget after two months
Malawi's opposition-led parliament finally passed the national budget after a two month wait, signalling an end to an impasse that has stalled the southern African nation's development agenda.
The opposition alliance of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Malawi Congress Party adopted the $1.6 billion draft 2008/09 budget, which was tabled in June but stalled over a political feud.
"I am relieved that the budget has finally come through and I would like to thank all players that have made this possible by ignoring our political differences and giving our people what they deserve," finance minister Goodall Gondwe told Reuters.
The opposition alliance of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Malawi Congress Party adopted the $1.6 billion draft 2008/09 budget, which was tabled in June but stalled over a political feud.
"I am relieved that the budget has finally come through and I would like to thank all players that have made this possible by ignoring our political differences and giving our people what they deserve," finance minister Goodall Gondwe told Reuters.
MALAWI: Cheer and concern over ban on private sale of maize
LILONGWE, 28 August 2008 (IRIN) - Ordinary Malawians, cheered by the prospect of cheaper food, have welcomed government's ban on the private trading of maize, but food security experts and businesses have expressed concern.
The government recently announced the ban in an attempt to clamp down on hoarding and appointed the state grain marketer, the Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC), as the sole buyer and seller of maize in the country.
Andrew Daudi, principal secretary in the ministry of agriculture and food security, said the step had been taken to ensure food security. Despite government assurances of a surplus, Malawi's traders expect maize prices to rise later in the year and have been holding on to stocks, artificially pushing up the price at the tills.
The government and food aid agencies projected a food surplus, although the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Network (FEWS-NET) said it would be lower than initially estimated. The government has yet to release its final figures on the main maize harvest, collected between March and July.
The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) and the Grain Traders and Processors Association (GTPA) both described the ban as "unrealistic", and a disincentive to farmers and traders that would have little impact on hoarding.
Government has fixed the price at which ADMARC will buy and sell maize: the state marketer will pay farmers and traders K45 ($0.31) per kilogramme (kg), or K2,500 ($17.86) per 50kg bag, and sell it at K52 ($0.37) per kg, or K2,600 ($18.57) per bag.
Unlikely to impact hoarding
Grace Mhango, president of GTPA, said it was unfair to restrict traders to selling maize to ADMARC at a cheaper price, and hinted that the traders were unlikely to sell to ADMARC.
"They will be compelled to continue hoarding the maize," Mhango said. "How do you expect them to sell at a cheaper price, when ... they bought the maize at a much higher price?"
A trader in Blantyre, the commercial capital, told IRIN that he would not release his maize. "Those who need the maize will continue coming to us, and we will go by our terms ... I bought the maize at a high price and cannot accept anything less than the price I want."
Chancellor Kaferapanjira, chief executive of MCCCI, said the fixed price would discourage farmers from producing more maize. Some private traders have been paying farmers and other suppliers K3,000 ($21) per 50kg bag and reselling it to the public at K3,500 ($24.55), and even K4,000 ($28).
"This directive counters food productivity," Kaferapanjira argued. "It is obvious that smallholder farmers will not grow enough maize because they will not make any profits. I believe that farmers who have maize should continue selling to a trader who is offering more money."
Christopher Barrett, who teaches development economics at Cornell University in the US, described the ban as "a throwback to an era of failed state control over food markets", and pointed out that ADMARC was "an organ of the state and thus politically motivated, which adds another level of concern".
"Modern states typically work to reduce monopoly and monopsony power [when a buyer controls a large proportion of the market and drives prices down], to level the playing field for farmers, consumers and traders. This is a move in the opposite direction, reconcentrating market power in the hands of one organisation," he said.
Kaferapanjira said the government should rather opt for reducing the cost of food production by slashing the price of fertiliser. Only vulnerable small-scale farmers have access to subsidised fertiliser, which is available at $0.11 per kg, while others have to buy it from the market at over a $1 per kg.
Barrett suggested the government "would do better to focus on providing the physical and institutional infrastructure necessary for private small traders to blossom, grow, and compete with one another to offer the best prices, quality and service to farmers and consumers alike."
Traders have until 30 September to sell all the grain they have in their stock.
What people say
On the other hand, ordinary Malawians have supported government's decision to impose the ban. Mphatso Manda, who lives with her three children in the populous Ndirande township in Blantyre, said the ban would force traders to sell the maize they had been hoarding.
"Since January we have been buying maize at prices that were not justified at all," she said. "With ADMARC as the only buying and selling point we are assured of enough maize at an affordable price."
Christina Gondwe, another Ndirande resident, urged the government to punish private traders who continued to hoard maize. "They [the traders] sold us our own maize at exorbitant prices for no good reasons," she said.
"They started the speculation that there is no maize, when we were told by government that there is enough to feed us till the next harvest. All they wanted was to sell at high prices."
Malawi enjoyed a bumper harvest for two consecutive growing seasons largely because of a successful fertiliser subsidy programme and good rains; this year over 1.5 million households are expected to benefit from the subsidy programme.
MALAWI: Cheer and concern over ban on private sale of maize
LILONGWE, 28 August 2008 (IRIN) - Ordinary Malawians, cheered by the prospect of cheaper food, have welcomed government's ban on the private trading of maize, but food security experts and businesses have expressed concern.
The government recently announced the ban in an attempt to clamp down on hoarding and appointed the state grain marketer, the Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC), as the sole buyer and seller of maize in the country.
Andrew Daudi, principal secretary in the ministry of agriculture and food security, said the step had been taken to ensure food security. Despite government assurances of a surplus, Malawi's traders expect maize prices to rise later in the year and have been holding on to stocks, artificially pushing up the price at the tills.
The government and food aid agencies projected a food surplus, although the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Network (FEWS-NET) said it would be lower than initially estimated. The government has yet to release its final figures on the main maize harvest, collected between March and July.
The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) and the Grain Traders and Processors Association (GTPA) both described the ban as "unrealistic", and a disincentive to farmers and traders that would have little impact on hoarding.
Government has fixed the price at which ADMARC will buy and sell maize: the state marketer will pay farmers and traders K45 ($0.31) per kilogramme (kg), or K2,500 ($17.86) per 50kg bag, and sell it at K52 ($0.37) per kg, or K2,600 ($18.57) per bag.
Unlikely to impact hoarding
Grace Mhango, president of GTPA, said it was unfair to restrict traders to selling maize to ADMARC at a cheaper price, and hinted that the traders were unlikely to sell to ADMARC.
"They will be compelled to continue hoarding the maize," Mhango said. "How do you expect them to sell at a cheaper price, when ... they bought the maize at a much higher price?"
A trader in Blantyre, the commercial capital, told IRIN that he would not release his maize. "Those who need the maize will continue coming to us, and we will go by our terms ... I bought the maize at a high price and cannot accept anything less than the price I want."
Chancellor Kaferapanjira, chief executive of MCCCI, said the fixed price would discourage farmers from producing more maize. Some private traders have been paying farmers and other suppliers K3,000 ($21) per 50kg bag and reselling it to the public at K3,500 ($24.55), and even K4,000 ($28).
"This directive counters food productivity," Kaferapanjira argued. "It is obvious that smallholder farmers will not grow enough maize because they will not make any profits. I believe that farmers who have maize should continue selling to a trader who is offering more money."
Christopher Barrett, who teaches development economics at Cornell University in the US, described the ban as "a throwback to an era of failed state control over food markets", and pointed out that ADMARC was "an organ of the state and thus politically motivated, which adds another level of concern".
"Modern states typically work to reduce monopoly and monopsony power [when a buyer controls a large proportion of the market and drives prices down], to level the playing field for farmers, consumers and traders. This is a move in the opposite direction, reconcentrating market power in the hands of one organisation," he said.
Kaferapanjira said the government should rather opt for reducing the cost of food production by slashing the price of fertiliser. Only vulnerable small-scale farmers have access to subsidised fertiliser, which is available at $0.11 per kg, while others have to buy it from the market at over a $1 per kg.
Barrett suggested the government "would do better to focus on providing the physical and institutional infrastructure necessary for private small traders to blossom, grow, and compete with one another to offer the best prices, quality and service to farmers and consumers alike."
Traders have until 30 September to sell all the grain they have in their stock.
What people say
On the other hand, ordinary Malawians have supported government's decision to impose the ban. Mphatso Manda, who lives with her three children in the populous Ndirande township in Blantyre, said the ban would force traders to sell the maize they had been hoarding.
"Since January we have been buying maize at prices that were not justified at all," she said. "With ADMARC as the only buying and selling point we are assured of enough maize at an affordable price."
Christina Gondwe, another Ndirande resident, urged the government to punish private traders who continued to hoard maize. "They [the traders] sold us our own maize at exorbitant prices for no good reasons," she said.
"They started the speculation that there is no maize, when we were told by government that there is enough to feed us till the next harvest. All they wanted was to sell at high prices."
Malawi enjoyed a bumper harvest for two consecutive growing seasons largely because of a successful fertiliser subsidy programme and good rains; this year over 1.5 million households are expected to benefit from the subsidy programme.
The government recently announced the ban in an attempt to clamp down on hoarding and appointed the state grain marketer, the Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC), as the sole buyer and seller of maize in the country.
Andrew Daudi, principal secretary in the ministry of agriculture and food security, said the step had been taken to ensure food security. Despite government assurances of a surplus, Malawi's traders expect maize prices to rise later in the year and have been holding on to stocks, artificially pushing up the price at the tills.
The government and food aid agencies projected a food surplus, although the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Network (FEWS-NET) said it would be lower than initially estimated. The government has yet to release its final figures on the main maize harvest, collected between March and July.
The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) and the Grain Traders and Processors Association (GTPA) both described the ban as "unrealistic", and a disincentive to farmers and traders that would have little impact on hoarding.
Government has fixed the price at which ADMARC will buy and sell maize: the state marketer will pay farmers and traders K45 ($0.31) per kilogramme (kg), or K2,500 ($17.86) per 50kg bag, and sell it at K52 ($0.37) per kg, or K2,600 ($18.57) per bag.
Unlikely to impact hoarding
Grace Mhango, president of GTPA, said it was unfair to restrict traders to selling maize to ADMARC at a cheaper price, and hinted that the traders were unlikely to sell to ADMARC.
"They will be compelled to continue hoarding the maize," Mhango said. "How do you expect them to sell at a cheaper price, when ... they bought the maize at a much higher price?"
A trader in Blantyre, the commercial capital, told IRIN that he would not release his maize. "Those who need the maize will continue coming to us, and we will go by our terms ... I bought the maize at a high price and cannot accept anything less than the price I want."
Chancellor Kaferapanjira, chief executive of MCCCI, said the fixed price would discourage farmers from producing more maize. Some private traders have been paying farmers and other suppliers K3,000 ($21) per 50kg bag and reselling it to the public at K3,500 ($24.55), and even K4,000 ($28).
"This directive counters food productivity," Kaferapanjira argued. "It is obvious that smallholder farmers will not grow enough maize because they will not make any profits. I believe that farmers who have maize should continue selling to a trader who is offering more money."
Christopher Barrett, who teaches development economics at Cornell University in the US, described the ban as "a throwback to an era of failed state control over food markets", and pointed out that ADMARC was "an organ of the state and thus politically motivated, which adds another level of concern".
"Modern states typically work to reduce monopoly and monopsony power [when a buyer controls a large proportion of the market and drives prices down], to level the playing field for farmers, consumers and traders. This is a move in the opposite direction, reconcentrating market power in the hands of one organisation," he said.
Kaferapanjira said the government should rather opt for reducing the cost of food production by slashing the price of fertiliser. Only vulnerable small-scale farmers have access to subsidised fertiliser, which is available at $0.11 per kg, while others have to buy it from the market at over a $1 per kg.
Barrett suggested the government "would do better to focus on providing the physical and institutional infrastructure necessary for private small traders to blossom, grow, and compete with one another to offer the best prices, quality and service to farmers and consumers alike."
Traders have until 30 September to sell all the grain they have in their stock.
What people say
On the other hand, ordinary Malawians have supported government's decision to impose the ban. Mphatso Manda, who lives with her three children in the populous Ndirande township in Blantyre, said the ban would force traders to sell the maize they had been hoarding.
"Since January we have been buying maize at prices that were not justified at all," she said. "With ADMARC as the only buying and selling point we are assured of enough maize at an affordable price."
Christina Gondwe, another Ndirande resident, urged the government to punish private traders who continued to hoard maize. "They [the traders] sold us our own maize at exorbitant prices for no good reasons," she said.
"They started the speculation that there is no maize, when we were told by government that there is enough to feed us till the next harvest. All they wanted was to sell at high prices."
Malawi enjoyed a bumper harvest for two consecutive growing seasons largely because of a successful fertiliser subsidy programme and good rains; this year over 1.5 million households are expected to benefit from the subsidy programme.
Irrigation boost for Malawi farms
Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika has announced plans for a massive irrigation project to increase the country's food production.
He said a green belt would be established along Lake Malawi, which straddles a third of the country.
Although Malawi has huge supplies of fresh water, only 2% of the land is irrigated, experts say.
Most farming is done on a small scale mainly by peasant farmers who grow maize, the country's staple food.
President Mutharika said he would appeal for international investment to increase food production not just for Malawi, but for the world.
"Where there is a river, we will try to start irrigation. We should grow everything so that we have food all the time," he said as he prepared to leave for Norway to attend a conference on how to bring about a "Green Revolution" in Africa.
"God gave us water. We have a lot of rivers and lakes. We are going into irrigation farming in a big way," he told state radio.
He said his country would no longer beg for food, and would boost its food production to start exporting to other countries.
"We don't eat much rice but we are going to produce a lot of rice to feed the rest of the world."
In 2005, the government imported more than 300,000 tonnes of food as up to five million people faced starvation following drought.
The government has also spent $50m on a programme which provides subsidised fertiliser to small-scale farmers.
He said a green belt would be established along Lake Malawi, which straddles a third of the country.
Although Malawi has huge supplies of fresh water, only 2% of the land is irrigated, experts say.
Most farming is done on a small scale mainly by peasant farmers who grow maize, the country's staple food.
President Mutharika said he would appeal for international investment to increase food production not just for Malawi, but for the world.
"Where there is a river, we will try to start irrigation. We should grow everything so that we have food all the time," he said as he prepared to leave for Norway to attend a conference on how to bring about a "Green Revolution" in Africa.
"God gave us water. We have a lot of rivers and lakes. We are going into irrigation farming in a big way," he told state radio.
He said his country would no longer beg for food, and would boost its food production to start exporting to other countries.
"We don't eat much rice but we are going to produce a lot of rice to feed the rest of the world."
In 2005, the government imported more than 300,000 tonnes of food as up to five million people faced starvation following drought.
The government has also spent $50m on a programme which provides subsidised fertiliser to small-scale farmers.
Amajimbos gear up for Malawi clash
The South African Under-17 team has advanced its preparations ahead of the Algeria 2009 African Championships first round, first leg qualifier against Malawi at Eldorado Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Tebogo Moloi-coached Amajimbos are starting off their campaign in the first round after having been handed a bye in the preliminary round where Malawi overcame Mozambique.
The South African youths are due to travel to Malawi after a fortnight for the second leg that will conclusively determine who proceeds to the last qualifying round.
Since Friday the team of teenage school boys has been sweating it out with a positive vibe in camp alternating between Marks Park and Eldorado Park.
“The boys are in a positive frame of mind and we have no injuries. Serame Letsoaka, who has vast experience in this type of tournament, has been in attendance to share his insight so we are well prepared. You can tell the boys really want to play and achieve something judging by their body language,” says Moloi.
Amajimbos go into this qualifier with a slight advantage having beaten Malawi 1-0 in the Cosafa tournament played in Malawi last December.
Safa president, Molefi Oliphant has already thrown his weight towards the junior team encouraging them to overcome the Malawians in order to step up the ladder of aiming towards the World Championships..
The full squad:
Goalkeepers: Sanele Ngubane (Afrika Sports Academy), Abram Marosha (Harmony Academy)
Defenders: Mbongeni Gumede, Siyabonga Mkhwananzi, Kamogelo Ratau (all Orlando Pirates), Itumeleng Moleofi (United FC), Doctor Mampuru (BidVest Wits), Sello Mohlaka (Afrika Sports Academy), Faeez Khan (Santos)
Midfielders: Thomas Sertubarube (Orlando Pirates), Xolani Mdaki, Lebohang Moloto (all BidVest Wits), Jabulani Ncobeni (Maritzburg United), Khulekani Khumalo, Lehlonoholo Masalesa, Menzi Masuku (Afrika Sports Academy), Mothusi Gopane (BidVest Wits)
Strikers: Justice Nozozo (Afrika Sports Academy), Sanele Mkhize (Maritzburg City), Zanele Zungu (NRD Flotech)
The Tebogo Moloi-coached Amajimbos are starting off their campaign in the first round after having been handed a bye in the preliminary round where Malawi overcame Mozambique.
The South African youths are due to travel to Malawi after a fortnight for the second leg that will conclusively determine who proceeds to the last qualifying round.
Since Friday the team of teenage school boys has been sweating it out with a positive vibe in camp alternating between Marks Park and Eldorado Park.
“The boys are in a positive frame of mind and we have no injuries. Serame Letsoaka, who has vast experience in this type of tournament, has been in attendance to share his insight so we are well prepared. You can tell the boys really want to play and achieve something judging by their body language,” says Moloi.
Amajimbos go into this qualifier with a slight advantage having beaten Malawi 1-0 in the Cosafa tournament played in Malawi last December.
Safa president, Molefi Oliphant has already thrown his weight towards the junior team encouraging them to overcome the Malawians in order to step up the ladder of aiming towards the World Championships..
The full squad:
Goalkeepers: Sanele Ngubane (Afrika Sports Academy), Abram Marosha (Harmony Academy)
Defenders: Mbongeni Gumede, Siyabonga Mkhwananzi, Kamogelo Ratau (all Orlando Pirates), Itumeleng Moleofi (United FC), Doctor Mampuru (BidVest Wits), Sello Mohlaka (Afrika Sports Academy), Faeez Khan (Santos)
Midfielders: Thomas Sertubarube (Orlando Pirates), Xolani Mdaki, Lebohang Moloto (all BidVest Wits), Jabulani Ncobeni (Maritzburg United), Khulekani Khumalo, Lehlonoholo Masalesa, Menzi Masuku (Afrika Sports Academy), Mothusi Gopane (BidVest Wits)
Strikers: Justice Nozozo (Afrika Sports Academy), Sanele Mkhize (Maritzburg City), Zanele Zungu (NRD Flotech)
Both sides are probably wrong
The latest evidence leaves the case for GM foods open
I met Likeness last month in Malawi. She is a peasant farmer with three kids and no prospects. The rains came late to her maize field near the Zambian border and then they stopped early. The result, just like in 2002, is misery: her crop failed, what she harvested has nearly gone, she has no work, and there's no money to buy food, fertiliser or seeds for next year. She is the face of world hunger, along with nearly one billion others caught up in the vortex of unprecedented food-price inflation and extreme poverty.
So could GM maize, or industrial farming and giant agribusiness - the "unmentionables" that Prince Charles railed against this month - make any difference? One man who may know is the head of Monsanto, Hugh Grant, who was in Malawi just before me at a conference on the future of world agriculture. He recalled how, after the 2002 famine, Monsanto sent Malawi hundreds of tonnes of hybrid (not GM) seeds. "Yields increased by 50 per cent to above 32 bushels per acre," he said. "Better seeds and fertiliser make an enormous difference."
Correct. As any farmer knows, you don't need GM crops to grow more food. Rather, you need good seeds and soils, better manures, crop rotation and irrigation. Education, markets, places to store the food where the rats can't get at it, all help farmers earn money. GM promises increases of 10-20 per cent in some crops. Good farming can more than double yields.
Another man who knows whether or not GM will help Likeness is Professor Robert Watson, chief scientist at the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and formerly Bill Clinton's scientific adviser. Watson recently chaired the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), an immense and rigorous three-year, government-level scientific study of world agriculture, backed by the UN and the World Bank and independently peer-reviewed twice.
The 400 authors looked at the evidence and concluded that business as usual - industrial agriculture and trade rules tilted towards large corporations - can barely feed people today and won't be able to in future. The problem is that the present financial and trading systems work at the expense of the deteriorating environment and the growing numbers of poor.
But what about GM crops? The IAASTD authors kept the door open on the technology but said that it was not the solution for the world's poor. Instead, they called for more respect for the knowledge of local communities. This enraged the participating US-dominated agrochemicals and biotechnology industries, which walked out, claiming the whole exercise was unbalanced. The US, alone of all major countries, has refused to endorse the study.
GM acreage is growing worldwide, but it may never provide for the poor. In the 20-odd years since the first crop was sown, billions of dollars have been spent researching, developing and marketing the technology. But it is stuck on a very few commercial crops, and is still at single-gene transfer level. What's more, it is suited to monocultural farming, and the questions of ownership and safety just won't go away.
Over the years, there have been genuine safety concerns over individual GM foods but early fears have been allayed by US and EU government insistence that these are some of the world's most regulated foods. Activists still argue that there have been few major human health studies of an inherently unpredictable technology.
Back in 1994, the industry was promising crops that resist cold weather, drought, pests and disease, as well as plants that reduced the need for fertilisers. The world is still waiting. Last month, Hugh Grant said he now expected drought-resistant crops to be ready in the US "within six years"; it seems the science is more complicated than was thought. That hasn't stopped the industry enjoying an expansionist phase as agribusiness takes advantage of the food crisis, but anyone trying to assess the success or failure of GM can find themselves in a snake pit of claim and counterclaim.
Companies regularly overstate the potential gains of GM by under-reporting average yields in conventional production; activists seize on individual crop failures to propose that the whole technology is corrupt. Meanwhile, academics are partial to the big bucks that industry offers for GM research and development, and governments fear to upset their legions of small farmers.
One side paints a picture of the world's poor being denied a technology that could hugely improve lives; the other side claims industrial agriculture's heavy gun is aimed directly at it. Both are probably wrong.
Monsanto espies huge profits in places such as Malawi, where the whole country depends on maize. It's not legal to sell GM there but even if it were, the chances of Likeness and the small farmers like her, 90 per cent of the population, benefiting from it are utterly remote. Malawi is a land of conservative, uneducated and vulnerable farmers. They could not possibly afford the seeds or the herbicide, let alone take the risk. It would be criminal to ask them to.
Hugh Grant probably isn't losing much sleep about Malawi. The company is making record profits out of selling a high proportion of its GM seeds and herbicides to American and other farmers for the growing of biofuels. Of course, the company cannot be blamed if there's less food on the world market, or that maize prices have more than doubled. Instead, Monsanto's share price has risen to dizzy heights and the company has just raised prices for its seeds and herbicides by more than a third.
Now even farmers in the US are complaining about GM.
I met Likeness last month in Malawi. She is a peasant farmer with three kids and no prospects. The rains came late to her maize field near the Zambian border and then they stopped early. The result, just like in 2002, is misery: her crop failed, what she harvested has nearly gone, she has no work, and there's no money to buy food, fertiliser or seeds for next year. She is the face of world hunger, along with nearly one billion others caught up in the vortex of unprecedented food-price inflation and extreme poverty.
So could GM maize, or industrial farming and giant agribusiness - the "unmentionables" that Prince Charles railed against this month - make any difference? One man who may know is the head of Monsanto, Hugh Grant, who was in Malawi just before me at a conference on the future of world agriculture. He recalled how, after the 2002 famine, Monsanto sent Malawi hundreds of tonnes of hybrid (not GM) seeds. "Yields increased by 50 per cent to above 32 bushels per acre," he said. "Better seeds and fertiliser make an enormous difference."
Correct. As any farmer knows, you don't need GM crops to grow more food. Rather, you need good seeds and soils, better manures, crop rotation and irrigation. Education, markets, places to store the food where the rats can't get at it, all help farmers earn money. GM promises increases of 10-20 per cent in some crops. Good farming can more than double yields.
Another man who knows whether or not GM will help Likeness is Professor Robert Watson, chief scientist at the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and formerly Bill Clinton's scientific adviser. Watson recently chaired the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), an immense and rigorous three-year, government-level scientific study of world agriculture, backed by the UN and the World Bank and independently peer-reviewed twice.
The 400 authors looked at the evidence and concluded that business as usual - industrial agriculture and trade rules tilted towards large corporations - can barely feed people today and won't be able to in future. The problem is that the present financial and trading systems work at the expense of the deteriorating environment and the growing numbers of poor.
But what about GM crops? The IAASTD authors kept the door open on the technology but said that it was not the solution for the world's poor. Instead, they called for more respect for the knowledge of local communities. This enraged the participating US-dominated agrochemicals and biotechnology industries, which walked out, claiming the whole exercise was unbalanced. The US, alone of all major countries, has refused to endorse the study.
GM acreage is growing worldwide, but it may never provide for the poor. In the 20-odd years since the first crop was sown, billions of dollars have been spent researching, developing and marketing the technology. But it is stuck on a very few commercial crops, and is still at single-gene transfer level. What's more, it is suited to monocultural farming, and the questions of ownership and safety just won't go away.
Over the years, there have been genuine safety concerns over individual GM foods but early fears have been allayed by US and EU government insistence that these are some of the world's most regulated foods. Activists still argue that there have been few major human health studies of an inherently unpredictable technology.
Back in 1994, the industry was promising crops that resist cold weather, drought, pests and disease, as well as plants that reduced the need for fertilisers. The world is still waiting. Last month, Hugh Grant said he now expected drought-resistant crops to be ready in the US "within six years"; it seems the science is more complicated than was thought. That hasn't stopped the industry enjoying an expansionist phase as agribusiness takes advantage of the food crisis, but anyone trying to assess the success or failure of GM can find themselves in a snake pit of claim and counterclaim.
Companies regularly overstate the potential gains of GM by under-reporting average yields in conventional production; activists seize on individual crop failures to propose that the whole technology is corrupt. Meanwhile, academics are partial to the big bucks that industry offers for GM research and development, and governments fear to upset their legions of small farmers.
One side paints a picture of the world's poor being denied a technology that could hugely improve lives; the other side claims industrial agriculture's heavy gun is aimed directly at it. Both are probably wrong.
Monsanto espies huge profits in places such as Malawi, where the whole country depends on maize. It's not legal to sell GM there but even if it were, the chances of Likeness and the small farmers like her, 90 per cent of the population, benefiting from it are utterly remote. Malawi is a land of conservative, uneducated and vulnerable farmers. They could not possibly afford the seeds or the herbicide, let alone take the risk. It would be criminal to ask them to.
Hugh Grant probably isn't losing much sleep about Malawi. The company is making record profits out of selling a high proportion of its GM seeds and herbicides to American and other farmers for the growing of biofuels. Of course, the company cannot be blamed if there's less food on the world market, or that maize prices have more than doubled. Instead, Monsanto's share price has risen to dizzy heights and the company has just raised prices for its seeds and herbicides by more than a third.
Now even farmers in the US are complaining about GM.
Malawi: AMPROC to Audit 60 Malawian Institutions
American Procurement Company Inc (Amproc), an American firm, which provides procurement audits in governments and private corporations, has won a deal to audit 60 institutions in Malawi.
This will bring to six, the number of African countries the firm with its overall headquarters in Washington D.C, will be providing audit, monitoring and evaluation services. The others are Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria.
A Procurement Specialist from the Malawian office of the President and Cabinet Mr Joe Kamvantope, said in a statement, which Daily Monitor has seen that Amproc won the deal through an international competitive bidding process.
Mr Kamvantope said the contract for consultants' services by the Malawi Office of the Director of Public Procurement (ODPP), an equivalent of Uganda's Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), attracted four companies, namely AH Consulting from Uganda, SGS from Netherlands, Charles Kendal and Partners from United Kingdom (UK).
"These firms submitted both technical and financials proposals. Our minimum technical score point was 70 per cent. Amproc scored 90.2 percent, SGS 73.4 per cent Charles Kendal 70.2 per cent and AH consulting 56.2 per cent," Mr Kamvandope said.
"In view of the above, we would like to inform that the firm that has not achieved the minimum technical score points that their financial proposal were returned unopened after the signing of the contract."
Amproc's Chief Executive Officer Robert Mwesigwa said on August 27 that the contract between Amproc and ODPP through Financial Management, Transparency and Accountability Project (FIMTAP), was signed on July 17 in Malawi.
"Yes, we got the deal," Mr Mwesigwa said, adding "Our experience in the region and the experience we have gained from Uganda over 10 years is making other countries seek our services."
Procurement officials from Malawi who are currently in the country to study Uganda's procurement processes, said that the scope of the audit will cover all procurement carried out by the sixty selected public entities. Ms Gloria Macheso, ODPP's Regulatory Officer, said the audit was out-sourced with financial support from the World Bank.
Ms Macheso said the purpose of the procurement audit is to seek independent auditor's opinion on the procurement, contracting and implementation processes. A statement from ODPP said the review will cover major procurement within two financial years under review, 2005/06 and 2006/07.
"The audit team will conduct a thorough review of the procurements undertaken by the entities," a statement from ODPP said. It said some of the contracts procuring entities will be visited to make physical inspections of quality and quantity of goods, works, services procured.
"Where appropriate, and to the extent practical, prices will also be compared with similar contracts in the country and region and verified against local and international market prices for the items in question," the statement said.
According to the mandate of ODPP, an independent ex-post procurement audit is required for procurement activities undertaken in the various public procurement entities.
Under Malawi's procurement law, public procurement entities are expected to ensure that procurement and contracting activities are carried out in accordance with the procedures specified in the public procurement act. Malawi like Uganda is also facing challenges in the procurement industry.
This will bring to six, the number of African countries the firm with its overall headquarters in Washington D.C, will be providing audit, monitoring and evaluation services. The others are Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria.
A Procurement Specialist from the Malawian office of the President and Cabinet Mr Joe Kamvantope, said in a statement, which Daily Monitor has seen that Amproc won the deal through an international competitive bidding process.
Mr Kamvantope said the contract for consultants' services by the Malawi Office of the Director of Public Procurement (ODPP), an equivalent of Uganda's Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), attracted four companies, namely AH Consulting from Uganda, SGS from Netherlands, Charles Kendal and Partners from United Kingdom (UK).
"These firms submitted both technical and financials proposals. Our minimum technical score point was 70 per cent. Amproc scored 90.2 percent, SGS 73.4 per cent Charles Kendal 70.2 per cent and AH consulting 56.2 per cent," Mr Kamvandope said.
"In view of the above, we would like to inform that the firm that has not achieved the minimum technical score points that their financial proposal were returned unopened after the signing of the contract."
Amproc's Chief Executive Officer Robert Mwesigwa said on August 27 that the contract between Amproc and ODPP through Financial Management, Transparency and Accountability Project (FIMTAP), was signed on July 17 in Malawi.
"Yes, we got the deal," Mr Mwesigwa said, adding "Our experience in the region and the experience we have gained from Uganda over 10 years is making other countries seek our services."
Procurement officials from Malawi who are currently in the country to study Uganda's procurement processes, said that the scope of the audit will cover all procurement carried out by the sixty selected public entities. Ms Gloria Macheso, ODPP's Regulatory Officer, said the audit was out-sourced with financial support from the World Bank.
Ms Macheso said the purpose of the procurement audit is to seek independent auditor's opinion on the procurement, contracting and implementation processes. A statement from ODPP said the review will cover major procurement within two financial years under review, 2005/06 and 2006/07.
"The audit team will conduct a thorough review of the procurements undertaken by the entities," a statement from ODPP said. It said some of the contracts procuring entities will be visited to make physical inspections of quality and quantity of goods, works, services procured.
"Where appropriate, and to the extent practical, prices will also be compared with similar contracts in the country and region and verified against local and international market prices for the items in question," the statement said.
According to the mandate of ODPP, an independent ex-post procurement audit is required for procurement activities undertaken in the various public procurement entities.
Under Malawi's procurement law, public procurement entities are expected to ensure that procurement and contracting activities are carried out in accordance with the procedures specified in the public procurement act. Malawi like Uganda is also facing challenges in the procurement industry.
One woman’s fight to ensure justice for child victims of abuse in Malawi
BLANTYRE, Malawi, 27 August 2008 - Malawi’s justice system, like those in many other African nations, was designed to punish offenders, not to protect the victims. When the victims are children, a lack of protection can have distressing, if not catastrophic, results.
The Chief Magistrate at the Blantyre Child Justice Court, Esmie Tembenu, hopes to improve this system. She has made it her life’s work to ensure that child victims of abuse get the justice they deserve.
Ms. Tembenu’s court offers a glimpse of a better future. All her cases involving child victims are conducted with the help of a video camera, and access is restricted to relatives, witnesses, the accused and court officers.
“The child sits in a counselling room with a parent or guardian,” she says. “Evidence is taken by video and relayed into the courtroom. The child talks freely to the counsellor, sometimes not even knowing that the testimony is being heard in court.”
‘It hurts me to see them suffer‘
UNICEF is supporting the establishment of similar courts throughout Malawi. So far, three are in operation, with plans to set up another in the capital, Lilongwe.
Ms. Tembenu’s efforts have reached beyond the court precinct. She is fighting to establish a transit centre, or safe house, to accommodate girls fleeing from abusive situations.
“I would like to see a safe house built near the court,” she says. “Sometimes I have had fleeing children turn up at my house at midnight. I welcome them, but at the same time, I cannot keep them forever.”
The absence of safe houses has, at times, left Ms. Tembenu with no alternative but to send a child to prison for his or her own safety.
“It hurts me to see them suffer in this way,” she says. “It is my dream to have a place where victims, especially girls, can be taken care of, protected and counselled.”
Expanding support for child victims
Efforts to combat child abuse in Malawi increased with the launch of a national multimedia campaign in June 2007.
The ‘Stop Child Abuse’ campaign has targeted policy makers and service providers through radio and television messages, billboards and more than 100,000 leaflets, as well as fact sheets, posters and handbooks.
UNICEF has also assisted Malawi police in responding to child victims of abuse by training police officers in play therapy, which helps children narrate their experiences without the risk of worsening the emotional and psychological impact of those events.
More than 400 community child-protection workers identify victims of abuse and refer them to the relevant authorities. These workers are at the vanguard of preventing child abuse, educating communities and empowering children to avoid abusive situations.
If their efforts occasionally fail, they can count on people like Ms. Tembenu to ensure that child victims of abuse receive the justice they deserve.
The Chief Magistrate at the Blantyre Child Justice Court, Esmie Tembenu, hopes to improve this system. She has made it her life’s work to ensure that child victims of abuse get the justice they deserve.
Ms. Tembenu’s court offers a glimpse of a better future. All her cases involving child victims are conducted with the help of a video camera, and access is restricted to relatives, witnesses, the accused and court officers.
“The child sits in a counselling room with a parent or guardian,” she says. “Evidence is taken by video and relayed into the courtroom. The child talks freely to the counsellor, sometimes not even knowing that the testimony is being heard in court.”
‘It hurts me to see them suffer‘
UNICEF is supporting the establishment of similar courts throughout Malawi. So far, three are in operation, with plans to set up another in the capital, Lilongwe.
Ms. Tembenu’s efforts have reached beyond the court precinct. She is fighting to establish a transit centre, or safe house, to accommodate girls fleeing from abusive situations.
“I would like to see a safe house built near the court,” she says. “Sometimes I have had fleeing children turn up at my house at midnight. I welcome them, but at the same time, I cannot keep them forever.”
The absence of safe houses has, at times, left Ms. Tembenu with no alternative but to send a child to prison for his or her own safety.
“It hurts me to see them suffer in this way,” she says. “It is my dream to have a place where victims, especially girls, can be taken care of, protected and counselled.”
Expanding support for child victims
Efforts to combat child abuse in Malawi increased with the launch of a national multimedia campaign in June 2007.
The ‘Stop Child Abuse’ campaign has targeted policy makers and service providers through radio and television messages, billboards and more than 100,000 leaflets, as well as fact sheets, posters and handbooks.
UNICEF has also assisted Malawi police in responding to child victims of abuse by training police officers in play therapy, which helps children narrate their experiences without the risk of worsening the emotional and psychological impact of those events.
More than 400 community child-protection workers identify victims of abuse and refer them to the relevant authorities. These workers are at the vanguard of preventing child abuse, educating communities and empowering children to avoid abusive situations.
If their efforts occasionally fail, they can count on people like Ms. Tembenu to ensure that child victims of abuse receive the justice they deserve.
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