Malawi’s international development partners have clearly called on government to address economic and non-economic concerns raised by various stakeholders and earnestly work on reviving the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme which is now off-track. This is contained in a stand by the Common Approach to Budgetary Support (CABS) now chaired by the World Bank Malawi […]
The United States says Malawi need to make “rapid improvement” to concerns of governance, human rights and economic policy through concrete, positive actions if the country is to access a $350m aid package which was “put on hold.” The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a US government agency that assists developing countries, has been reviewing its […]
Malawians are now living in fear, the United States Ambassador Jeanine Jackson has observed. The envoy speaking in an exclusive interview with private radio, Capital FM on its popular Straight Talk programme hosted by Brian Banda, said she was also “certainly aware that Malawians are struggling.” Afraid Jackson said since she took her tour of […]
Malawi’s Roman Catholic Bishops met President Bingu wa Mutharika at New State House in Lilongwe to present a petition and express their worries in person to him over things newly happening in Malawi, Nyasa Times understands This meeting was preceeded by an emergency meeting of the bishops at the Catholic Secretariat in Lilongwe on Thursday. […]
As the government continues to be criticized over formulation of draconian laws, including that of section 46 of the penal code that empowers a cabinet minister to ban any publication deemed to be “not in public interest”, former Justice Minister, Henry Duncan Phoya (HDP) said in parliament that the review of unpopular laws rests in […]
Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has been praised for the recent decisions that he has been making with a motive to bring back the southern African country from the brink of total collapse or take the Zimbabwe way. Mutharika has in the last few months come under heavy attack from diplomats, international organizations and Malawians […]
At long last the Commonwealth is being forced to face up to the appalling human rights record among some of its member states – particularly the criminalisation of homosexuality. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron has made it clear that Commonwealth member states refusing to decriminalise homosexuality risk losing British aid. The Prime Minister has […]
“…When a policy goal to save lives co-exists alongside other policy objectives, it is suggested that the duty of human rights activists is not to ensure that governments have pure motives but to monitor their performance closely to ensure that the humanitarian dimension of their interventions is not corrupted or subordinated to other political interests….” […]
United Nations resident representative in Malawi, Richard Dictus, says Malawi needs a “different thinking “and a “sustained effort” to resolve the political and economic turmoil. Dictus, whose UN is facilitating dialogue between government and the civil society leaders, made the remarks on Brian Banda’s Capital FM Straight Talk programme. He noted that the country was […]
The World Bank has made it clear that for Malawi to start receiving budgetary support the Bingu wa Mutharika administration should address concerns about his political and economic leadership. The donors are concerned about threats to media freedom, governance, deterioarating human rights situations and the “shrinking political space”. The lender, which is holding back $40 […]
The stubbornness of Malawi leadership is costing the country more with a new stand by the international donor community that they will never release funds unless President Bingu wa Mutharika overcomes political and economic hurdles. This has clearly led to failure of Malawi’s saviour paper, the zero-deficit budget, as donors are not willing to release […]
Two of Malawi’s leading Human Rights organisations, Centre for Human Rights Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Centre for Development of the People (CEDEP) are demanding that President Bingu wa Mutharika and his government must put in place political reforms that will be in line with good governance, respect for the rule of law, freedom of expression and […]
The adage which says, ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’, is indeed applicable to Malawi at the moment. Believe it or not, under the DPP led government Malawi has faced its worst economic woes in its 47 years of independence. Even the government and its leadership are aware of this fact. This is why […]
United States of America has pressed Malawi to swiftly reaffirm its commitment to human rights and governance issues that led to an operational hold of the K52 billion (about $312 million) energy improvement grant. The call has been made through new US Ambassador Jeanine Jackson when she presented her letters of credence to Malawi President […]
Malawi has been ranked 17 in the African-wide governance survey released on Monday by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF), the organisation committed to supporting great African leadership. The Ibrahim Index is Africa’s leading assessment of governance, established to inform and empower the continents citizens. Assessing all 53 African countries, the MIF index compiles rankings of […]
Some observers say the current political stand-off is between two tribes, northern region based Tumbukas in civil society organisations (CSO) and the southern region Lhomwe tribe dominating government positions. The civil society is dominated by northerners with its spokesman for the September 21 planned demonstration being Voice Mhone. Other outspoken activists are Undule Mwakasungura, Benedicto […]
President Bingu wa Mutharika government has appealed to African Union (AU) to hears his government’s side of the story regarding July 20 protests that resulted in 19 deaths and blamed the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for her economic problems. In a statement released by Malawi Embassy in Ethiopia, the Malawi government […]
The SADC Lawyers’ Association has urged the Malawi government to restore basic freedoms and fundamental human rights to its citizens to avoid Malawi receding into yesteryears of Zimbabwe. The group specifically cites press freedom and access by citizens to basic necessities such as fuel, food, foreign currency, adequate health and medical facilities and supplies. The […]