Livingstonia CCAP Synod demonstration against govt in Mzuzu
The clergy from Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central Africa will march in Mzuzu on Wednesday and deliver a petition to government at the Civic Officials, Nyasa Times can reveal.
Officials at the Synod headquarters say there are a number of issues which they are petitioning the government but top of the subject is the education quota system which has seen the northern regions share of form one secondary school selection dropping to less than fifty percent.
Deputy Secretary General, Revered Maurice Munthali confirmed that there is a planned march in Mzuzu by the men in collar.
Munthali said the protestors will present a petition to government on policies which discriminate the Northern Region and its people.
“It is true that we will be conducting a march in the city of Mzuzu but the contents of the petition are still being drawn up. One issue that will not miss from the list is the education Quota System,” said Rev Munthali.
The Synod said the protest will be peaceful.
The quota system was introduced by the late despotic ruler Hastings Kamuzu Banda in 1988, on the grounds that students from northern provinces were entering institutions of higher learning in greater numbers than their compatriots from southern provinces. But the system was abolished in 1993 following a court challenge.
There was an attempt to re-introduce quotas last year but it was again rejected by the High Court. Despite the court rulings, there are plans to start quotas next year – a move supported by the President.
Harry Mkandawire (pictured), was fired from ruling Democratic Progressive Party when he wrote a critical open letter questioning President Bingu wa Mutharika’s endorsement of the quota system .
“In my view, the quota system only serves to take away reward from well-deserving students. The system in the long-run will promote laziness because people will get the idea that they do not have to work hard because the government is going to take care of them,” Mkandawire said in his open letter addressed to the President. “Malawi as a country needs to address the root cause of the problem of disproportionate participation in higher education by people from different regions.”
Mkandawire who was arrested after his scatching letter added that instead of concerning himself with the quota system wa Mutharika should instead rectify a situation that has resulted in access to higher education in Malawi being the lowest in the Southern Africa Development Community region, with 54 per every 100,000 inhabitants.
He reminded Mutharika of the court injunction against implementing the quota system, saying that ignoring it would erode the rule of law.
The university quota system has proved divisive in Malawi, with politicians, students, lecturers and even the church expressing different opinions.
Tagged with: Bingu, Livingstonia CCAP, quota system, Rev Maurice Munthali
Education should be based on merit. Therefore what the government is doing i.e. pointing fingers at the Northerners is very surprising. The Livingstonia synod is only trying to fight for the truth. We don’t just wake up and implement policies that we surely know will be divisive among Malawians. This is a clear indication of Poor Governance.Kodi a Bingu nchifukwa chiyani muli ndi nsanje ndi anthu a ku Mpoto?
Pepani ine ndi wa ku central region.But what I see is that our friends from the north tend to see things faster than those of us from the center and the south.On quota, they noted that their secondary schools would be filled with MPTC students and it has happened.Similarly, we from the center have not yet seen that Lilongwe girls, Likuni girls and boys are now full of people from the south.Lets accept we are dull and these guys are cleverer than us.
Webster Thom is being illadvised tikuona zimene zikuchitika mwakakamila kota system without focusing the consequencies of the same. Entrance mwapanga hold ma results, za PSLCE ndi izi tikumvanzi zonyasa boma lakukanikani. Who are your advisers by the way, a Chaponda matchona achabechabe kusokoneza the claimed economist. It might not be proper for the men in collars to go into the streets but mind you the topic on quota has divided the country and ndakhala phhee kuona ngati ngati ma by elections DPP idutsa. This government is even more corrupt than the previous two govts , the tragets for corruption are opposition leaders leaving the Ministers D/Ministers, PSs, DHOs , Directors, DCs, DADOs, DPDs very corrupts reaping where they didnt sow and we claim kuti dziko likuyenda mukakhuta wine ndikumaphwisa. Ntata and Ntaba watch your press statements chitsiru ichi mupitira limozi simunati. Conversation yake ikakhala imeneyi musadabwe if there will be a civil war simply coz one region the north has been marginalised. I dont trust webster thom anymore and should not count my vote come 2014 as i did during the past two elections he is a dictator and very greedy person ever ruled Malawi.
Livingstonia Synod, please wear your armour and let’s match on! And you people who are calling our clerics names, you mean you do not see that this is more than this stupid qouta thing? You cannot see that this is the beginning of ethnic cleansing? We shall fight and you know what, we are going for a federal arrangement. And who said Livingstonia is not acting on Karonga disaster? Mukakhala inu a ku Central ndiye just shut your beaks. Munayamba mwatsogolera chiri chonse inu? ngakhale MCP was given to you on a silver platter by Chin’goli. Just shut up!Infact, we shall soon reclaim our party!Asa!
Livingstomia Synod, you are the custodians of our faith, our culture, our development, our inheritance, our pride. PLEASE PROTECT US!!
The governement of Malawi has lost Direction. It is true that our leaders do not care anymore. I wish those from the other regions could have shared what it means to be someone from the north. TIME WILL TELL. THOSE THAT CAN NOT SEE ITS EFFECTS TODAY WILL SEE WHEN TIME IS RIPE. I do not believe in Hate for a fellow human being. As someone to have come from parents from differents parts of this country, this is a pitty. Freedom at its maximum hour of danger there will always be a few to defend it. Malawi can today ignore feelings of resentment from the northerners which breed extremism, hatred, tribalism but it will not tomorow when your children and grand children will be fighting to correct the mistakes you are making today. MALAWI YOU ARE BEING CHALLENGED TO FACE A THING YOU HAVE IGNORED FOR LONG-TRIBALISM, ETHNICITY, REGIONALISM….NAME IT. WE HAVE ALWAYS AVOIDED SUCH DICUSSIONS BEING CHEATED BY OUR POLITICAL LEADERS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE SUCH PROBLEMS. THIS DEBATE ON EDUCATION/QUOTA IS JUST ONE ISSUE THAT IS AN INDICATOR OF SOME DEEP PROBLEMS………….THOSE THAT ARE TRUE TO THEIR COUNTRIES HAVE THE SPIRIT OF NATIONHOOD I PRAY BE SOBER ANND OBJECTIVE……….. WHAT THE SYNOD IS DOING IS BUT ONE SYMTOM OF THE PROBLEM WE HAVE.
Thank you so much livingstonia Synod.Please go ahead with matching for our freedom and rule of law in Malawi.
NO QUOTA SYSTEM IN MALAWI.I REJECT IT!!
To understand the Livingstonia Synod one has also to consider the fact they actually run the best primary school system in the country and in many ways it is this system that accounts for the success of the “North”. The government should try to understand that incredibly successful system and see how it can be “nationalised”.
PLEASE CAN SOMEONE POST THE DETAILED RESULTS OF THS YEARS PSCL EXAMS. Especially those from the north
I hear the government has instructed Maneb not to involve Northerners during the selection of Form 1 students. This is what they did during the selection of this year’s form 1 students – OPERATION KUTHANA NDI ATUMBUKA.