Malawi: A sudden change comes over the land

Jul 27 2012 under malawi | Leave a comment

Checking in with my former homeland…

A version of this article was originally published in Global Briefing magazine on July 1, 2012.

A most unusual set of political changes has unfolded in Malawi since former president Bingu wa Mutharika unexpectedly died of a heart attack on 5 April 2012.

At the time of his death, Joyce Banda was effectively a member of the opposition and one of the president’s most vocal crit­ics, but she was also Malawi’s constitution­ally elected vice-president, despite having fallen out with Mutharika in 2010. In fol­lowing the constitutional process, Banda emerged as the new head of state, overrid­ing efforts to appoint the late president’s brother. And so Malawi’s new leader has worked at a fervent pace to move the coun­try away from the policies of a government that just three years earlier won a majority in free and fair elections – a majority she helped to achieve.

Banda’s efforts have been met with ap­plause. Members of the international com­munity have expressed support for depar­tures from the policies of her predecessor. In Malawi, civil society leaders now speak with palpable optimism. And large numbers of MPs have flocked to Banda’s People’s Party (PP) – which didn’t exist during the last election – having crossed the floor from Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The new president’s success in winning the support of a majority of MPs has at the same time raised questions about the per­sonalised nature of Malawi’s politics. One analyst, John Lwanda, commented: “If the same MPs who contributed to making the autocratic Mutharika, and Bakili Muluzi before him, have thrown in their lot with Joyce Banda, then the only change is the leader herself. Can she change the political culture?”

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Gay in Malawi: 14 years for the “supposed crime of loving each other”

Nov 4 2011 under malawi | Leave a comment

This is an excerpt from a feature article that was originally published in Canada’s Toronto Star on October 17, 2011.

In Malawi, revealing that you are gay is a very brave thing to do. David Chibwana recounted the day he told a carefully selected few.

“My older brother by four years, he said that whatever happens, he will support me,” whispered Chibwana. “But others said that they do not want to be close to me. That they were afraid that other people would associate them with what I am; that I am gay. So they shun me.”

Since then, Chibwana (not his real name) has suffered through worse circumstances than simply being ignored.

“One evening, I was walking home and somebody shouted, “We do not want you here,” he said. “And then a group threw stones at me. I had to run away so fast.”

In the southern African nation often touted as one of the continent’s most-peaceful, gays, lesbians and transgender citizens face up to 14 years in prison for, in the words of the editorial board of the Guardian, “the supposed crime of loving each other.”

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Malawi: Activists’ homes burn as unrest continues

Sep 14 2011 under malawi | Leave a comment

This article was originally published at Africa Report on September 13, 2011.

When Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika warned activists, “I will follow you to your hiding place and smoke you out,” the public was startled. But few took their leader’s threats literally.

That was before two lead organisers of July 20 demonstrations saw their properties burn in obvious acts of arson (bringing the total for the year to three). Now, people are asking, is Mutharika making good on his threat?

Shortly after midnight on August 11, a “petrol bomb” sailed through the window of Rev. MacDonald Sembereka’s home. Thankfully, no one was hurt. But the house was gutted by the blaze.

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Malawians protest a nation in decline

Sep 6 2011 under malawi | Leave a comment

This is an excerpt from a feature article that was originally published in Canada’s Toronto Star on September 6, 2011. It was coauthored with Archibald Kasakura.

By Travis Lupick and Archibald Kasakura

BLANTYRE, MALAWI—A silent line of cars and buses rolls down a hill leading out of Blantyre, Malawi. It’s an eerie thing. So quiet, save for the faint sound of rubber rolling over asphalt. Every vehicle’s engine is turned off — their drivers, desperate to save every drop of fuel.

There are much louder signs that this southern African country is missing out on the continent’s slow climb from poverty. On July 20, demonstrations caught the world’s attention, when protests turned to riots that left 19 dead.

Since then, a shaky UN-brokered dialogue between civil society leaders and President Bingu wa Mutharika has begun. But a second round of nationwide demonstrations is scheduled for Sept. 21, and the anxiety surrounding that date is palpable.

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August 17 passes without a shot fired, but Malawi remains on edge

Aug 17 2011 under malawi | Leave a comment

Something to listen to while you read this post. Lucius Banda‘s “Tikamalira”. It means “why we cry.” Not a song that you hear on state-owned radio lot.

The joke around the office today is one about how many international news organizations paid for journalists’ flights into Malawi, only to have the day pass without a single dead body on which to file a story. It’s a tough life, right?

Leading up to August 17, it certainly looked like violence was in the cards. One month earlier, on July 20, nationwide demonstrations deteriorated into riots that left 19 people dead. The weeks following were nearly as grim. President Bingu wa Mutharika embarked on an erratic whistle stop tour, brushed aside the deceased as common criminals, and threatened demonstrators, promising to “meet them in the streets.” Another highlight: The country’s first lady, Callista, publicly told civil society leaders to “go to hell.” And right up until August 16, demonstration organizers maintained that vigils for those killed on July 20 would go ahead.

What happened next isn’t yet totally clear. Not to me, anyways.

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