Going to any motor vehicle authority, I am reminded of Tolstoy’s opening line to Ana Karenina: “All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
My trip to the Malawi Road Traffic Authority on Monday of last week was no exception. What follows is a user’s guide to obtaining a license in Malawi.
I was instructed by a police office that after being in Malawi for three months, I was required to obtain a Malawi drivers’ license. Monday, I finally decided to end my streak of procrastination and dive into the bureaucracy of registering myself as an officially licensed driver.
1. Arrive at the Road traffic authority as early as possible. ( I arrived at 8:20am)
2. Go to the door labeled “1 Application room / 5 Driving license collection”, where you are immediately told to go to Window #3.
3. Proceed to Window #3 and ask for an application. Don’t worry if it says “Learner’s License Application”…I was told that the form itself doesn’t matter.
4. Enter Door #2. Oops…”Test going on!” you are warned by the attendant.
5. Wait.
6. Ok, Door #2 open now, go in and submit your application.
7. After submitting your application, you are told to go to the un-marked door at the end of the corridor for “scanning and printing”. DO NOT CONFUSE THIS ROOM WITH THE ROOM LABELED “6 Photograph, Fingerprint and Scanning”
8. Wait in line to be digitally fingerprinted (all 10 fingers) and photographed.
9. Once your biometrics are in the database, proceed to “4 Cashier office, card receiving and Enquiries.” Don’t be afraid make physical contact with others as you protect your place in line waiting to pay MK 5270. (NB: never go to this room with an “Enquiry”…As with most of the signs, you are bound to go wrong if you trust their advertised services.)
10. With your payment receipt in hand, return to Door #2 and submit all paper work.
11. Obtain your temporary license at wait for “one to two months” for the permanent card.
The experience was a mixture of technology and speed at times, chaos and misdirection at others. All said, I can’t say that the entire experience was entirely more frustrating that what I have undergone in the United States.
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Students in court following protests
More than 40 university students in Malawi have appeared in court for violent behaviour during protests against the non-payment of allowances, a police spokesperson said last week. The students at Mzuzu University went on the rampage after waiting for nearly three months to be paid allowances. The university is Malawi's second public higher education institution.
"Those cases are now before the courts. Once a case is before the courts, I can't comment," police spokesperson Edward Longwe told University World News. "More than 40 students were arrested following the riots. The situation was brought under control."
Meanwhile, the media has reported that one Mzuzu University student, Sara Nakhozwe-Nkoma, is suing the security forces in the High Court for injuries sustained when they stormed the university campus to restore order. Nakhozwe-Nkoma alleges that a brutal attack by heavy-handed law enforcement agents left her unable to walk.
Demonstrations by Malawian university students have subsided in the past five years since the coming to power of President Bingu wa Mutharika, who was re-elected for a second term in May. Wa Mutharika, a western-educated economist, has turned Malawi's economy into one of the fastest-growing in the world and last year it posted a 9.7% growth.
"Those cases are now before the courts. Once a case is before the courts, I can't comment," police spokesperson Edward Longwe told University World News. "More than 40 students were arrested following the riots. The situation was brought under control."
Meanwhile, the media has reported that one Mzuzu University student, Sara Nakhozwe-Nkoma, is suing the security forces in the High Court for injuries sustained when they stormed the university campus to restore order. Nakhozwe-Nkoma alleges that a brutal attack by heavy-handed law enforcement agents left her unable to walk.
Demonstrations by Malawian university students have subsided in the past five years since the coming to power of President Bingu wa Mutharika, who was re-elected for a second term in May. Wa Mutharika, a western-educated economist, has turned Malawi's economy into one of the fastest-growing in the world and last year it posted a 9.7% growth.
Malawi growth seen slower at 7.9
Malawi's economic growth is expected to slow to 7.9 percent in real terms in 2009, while inflation should average 9.7 percent, Finance Minister Ken Kandodo said on Friday.
Malawi has said it has not been overly affected by a global slowdown, but that the downturn could still hit tobacco and other key exports in the medium term.
"Malawi's economy is projected to grow in real terms by 7.9 percent. The forecast is underpinned by expectations of strong agriculture production, (the) imminent start of uranium production at Kayelekera and continued growth in service sectors such as telecommunications," Kandodo said in a budget statement.
Paladin (Africa) Ltd, a subsidiary of Australian uranium miner Paladin Energy Ltd, started production at its $200 million Kayelekera uranium mine in northern Malawi in April.
Kandodo said the annual average inflation rate was expected to remain in single digits at around 9.7 percent.
"Due to the forward procurement system used in Malawi for petroleum products, the decrease in world fuel prices in the first and second quarter of 2009 will have a lagged effect," Kandodo said.
"The benefits to the country should be manifested in the third and beginning of the fourth quarter which will ease inflationary expectations for the year."
The southern African country expected an overall fiscal deficit of about 1.6 percent of gross domestic product.
"Such a deficit is deemed to be prudent since international best practices prescribe 3 percent as an upper limit." Kandodo said.
Malawi's economy is expected to be one of the fastest-growing in the world this year.
Malawi has said it has not been overly affected by a global slowdown, but that the downturn could still hit tobacco and other key exports in the medium term.
"Malawi's economy is projected to grow in real terms by 7.9 percent. The forecast is underpinned by expectations of strong agriculture production, (the) imminent start of uranium production at Kayelekera and continued growth in service sectors such as telecommunications," Kandodo said in a budget statement.
Paladin (Africa) Ltd, a subsidiary of Australian uranium miner Paladin Energy Ltd, started production at its $200 million Kayelekera uranium mine in northern Malawi in April.
Kandodo said the annual average inflation rate was expected to remain in single digits at around 9.7 percent.
"Due to the forward procurement system used in Malawi for petroleum products, the decrease in world fuel prices in the first and second quarter of 2009 will have a lagged effect," Kandodo said.
"The benefits to the country should be manifested in the third and beginning of the fourth quarter which will ease inflationary expectations for the year."
The southern African country expected an overall fiscal deficit of about 1.6 percent of gross domestic product.
"Such a deficit is deemed to be prudent since international best practices prescribe 3 percent as an upper limit." Kandodo said.
Malawi's economy is expected to be one of the fastest-growing in the world this year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
