WORLD VIEW: A CASE STUDY OF GOGO NYANKHAMBULE OF MABILABO NGONI WOMAN.

WORDVIEW: A CASE STUDY OF GOGO NYANKHAMBULE, AN OLD MABILABO NGONI WOMAN.

BY: PETER QEKO JERE

1.0 INTRODUCTION.
Many times we forget that our worldview determines how we approach issues. Each time we have our presuppositions that are natural. Different people with different cultures have different views of what they think is the world. Thus worldview is something that is close to us and its that which makes what people think they are. It is something that many times is unchangeable unless Gods divine intervention breaks through, unless the Holy Spirit intervenes by Gods grace to start performing a new work in a man life. Many cultures of the world including Africa, shares different world views some of which are not biblical and need to change.

In this paper therefore, we shall look into worldview of Nyankhambule who is a very old lady. She is more that one hundred years old. As to when she was born, no body knows but the one thing that we know is that she is my great grandmother (my fathers grandmother and my grandmother’s mother). She comes from the Mabilabo Ngoni of Mzimba district in the Northern Malawi. We shall look into her worldviews in connection with the Mabilabo Ngoni people. We shall also look into the five magnetic points of religion where we shall crosscheck her with the Engel’s scale. Finally we shall do the evangelization as we evaluate her whole worldview in relation to Contextualization and syncreticism.

2.0 BACKGROUND OF NYANKHAMBULE.
The historical background of my great grandmother dates back to the early days of the Ngoni people when they entered Malawi (Nyasaland) from Zululand. Her parents were the direct generation of those who moved from Zululand into Malawi. She got married to Yakobe Mkweu who wrote many Christian Hymns in the local Ngoni/Tumbuka language.

Yakobe Mkweu was a shepherd and he used to spending time in the mountain with the cattle where he could write and compose hymns of praising the Supreme Being who created the mountains trees and rivers with beautiful green grass. However Nyankhambule daughter Lomatchinga got married to Aram, the son of the Inkosi Mabilabo 1, the direct grandson of Zwangendawa. It’s these two (Aram and Lomatchinga who are my very direct grandparents. Nyankhambule is very old because she has seen six generations coming and going. She also saw the generation of her children coming and going then she has seen generation of her grandchildren (my father) and finally she sees this generation of her great, great, great grandchildren.

2.0 NYANKHAMBULE WORLDVIEW.
Many people define worldview differently. For instance, Andrew says that worldview is the collection of people’s pre-suppositions or conviction about the reality of things and situations around them. He says they are so fundamental to what we believe and know and normally determines what we consider important (p: 155). But James olthius says this is the framework or again fundamental beliefs through which we view our world. While James calls this framework, Adeyemo call this the grid that that people uses to see their world. But Andrew Hoffecker says that worldview is the collection of presuppositions or convictions about reality, which represents total outlook of life, and nobody is without such fundamental beliefs (P: 1X).

As we shall be looking into worldview of Nyankhambule, there are some few things that we need to understand. Firstly is that the lives and culture of the people in this region has been greatly impacted by missionaries who came into the area in the eighteen hundreds. Her worldview has seen different generations of people with their different understanding of things. But the generation of her husband (yakobe Mkweu) was full of people who kept a lot of cattle in the mountains and used to singing songs of the Being of the mountains and skies and the rivers. However what we shall look into now are some of the elements of the Mabilabo Ngoni People of today. Of course education and westernisation have changed many things. But despite this, the majority of the people maintain what they traditionally are. In the western world, people are identified by their successes while in the Mabilabo Ngoni area, they are identified by their tribe, cultural customs, families and communities.

3.1 NYANKHAMBULE’S VIEW OF THE COSMOS.
Looking into the cosmos, she believes that this is something that came into being by the great magical work of the Supreme Being whom she calls Chiuta (the one who owns everything). She views the cosmos as a place that chiuta gave her so that she enjoy the mountains and trees, some of which provides fruits and shelter. Her husband wrote Hymns where the two thank Chiuta for creating the mountains and the rivers. She views the cosmos as something that was made by this chiuta who stays beyond the blue skies. Now in the area where she comes from there are rivers and mountains that have names with meanings.

Looking at the creation mandate of Genesis 1:28, she has no problems with it. This creation mandate is biblical and came from the heart of God (chiuta). While this is biblical true, it is also cultural true. The Mabilabo Ngoni believes in having many children. Children are important because they help in many different ways. Children are the riches parents can have. In this culture, children matters a lot. If one is rich but without children, he carries no big respect at all. If a lady is old but no children, she is still considered a girl. But if a girl has a child though still young, she is considered an old lady. The last thing of course in this tradition for those who are married is to stay for a long time without children. Traditionally, she believes that children are that which makes the cosmos beautiful and a great place to live in. Thus people are encouraged to have many children.

3.2 NYAKHAMBULE’S VIEW OF NORMS.
Though nyankhambule and her husband went up the mountain singing and composing hymns in praise of this Chiuta whom they believed stays far beyond the blue skies, they were still surrounded by the world which practiced a lot of traditional things. She was part of this tradition because culturally one has to automatically be part of what the community is doing. Of course, she believes that each time and each day, they have to be a close link between us the living and our ancestors. For instance, she believes that nothing happen without a main cause. Whatever thing that takes place has a cause that has to be in connection with the ancestors. For instance, when there is any outbreak in a community, then this would mean that there is immorality or anything wicked and the ancestors are angry. She believes that bad people when they die, they come back and torment the living. She believes that norms are important and have to be followed and strictly obeyed by all if communities are to be safe from the curses.

3.2.1 View of the Ancestral Spirit.
As far as nyankhambule is concern, the world of ancestral spirit is real. She looks at them as people who are still part of our world and lives and that we can communicate with them daily. There is respect for them and each day one has to make sure that he live good life. Now not all ancestors are good of course. She believes that some of them are bad. But we need to get reminded here that this respect vary from the age one died. This explains that there is more respect for those ancestors who died while old while those who died young, carry less respect.

Other people think that being of old age then she is likely to worship them which is not true. Actually she doesn’t respect them but just highly regard them because she believes that they communicate for us to the big Chiuta who stays beyond the blue skies. Now the question is how do they respect the ancestors? They do that by making sure that their graveyard is clean and properly maintained. Thus in all her life, there is a high regard for the ancestral spirit. People according to her, need to life good life so as to please them. Bad life that living people live displeases them and she believes that other times when angry, they come in many forms in the villages. This can be in form of hunger, inadequate rains, and diseases outbreak.

3.2.2 View of the Calendar.
Though in our time we have the western concept of calendar, she views it in terms of the main events and activities that took place in the Ngoni history and traditions. This include days like the inauguration of Mabilabo 1 and the day when all the Ngoni led by Zwangendabah crossed the Zambezi river in a small boat. This was a big day because about thirty thousand ngoni warrior plus their children used this one boat to cross the Zambezi River. This is also important because on that day the it is believed that the sun stood still until they finished crossing. The calendar in her case is also based on the major events like hunger and the year of plenty.

3.2.3 View of Magic
Though Nyankhambule is surrounded by the many elements of Christianity now, her worldview is not changed. She looks at magic as both good and bad. This explains that there are two different kinds of magic. She doesn’t use magic herself but her parents and great grand parents taught her that magic is either good or bad all depending on how it is used. Good magic is a traditional thing, which protects while the bad magic aims at killing innocent people. Of course we need to understand that this bad magic has the element of witchcraft, which is basically there to harm and destroy. Many people in the area use good magic to protect their children from traditional spells, witchcraft, and other harmful things. This is called (vinthumwa).

3.2.4 View of Death.
As regard death, she views it as a tool that brings people and communities together. This is a vital time because it is a time when someone joins the grand parents who died. It is believed here that when one dies, he joins the world of the ancestors. Now death for the good people is regarded, as a privilege to join ancestors hence it does not bring too much fear. Since she believes that death is a time when one joins the ancestors, it is therefore very important that one has to be buried where his ancestors and his people are. It is not acceptable to burry in town or anywhere unless it’s a place where his relatives got buried. She however emphasis that people of different family tree don’t have to be buried together for the sake of good fellowship, This is done so that the community of one family unit of ancestors should be maintained in one place. This explain that when someone in town dies, people travel many thousands miles to the village to burry him. She believes that the cost and all expenditure are not important than the life of togetherness that one can experience with the ancestors. Also regarding this, she maintains that people of different family tree don’t have to be buried together for the sake of good fellowship among the dead.

3.2.5 Burial. Procedures
Burial in many African communities is done according to the traditions and cultural beliefs of those people. While Christian Pastors perform church sermons, many times there is an additional of the African traditions. For instance, before the people enter the graveyard where the forefathers and all family people got buried, the village chief leads the whole team of mourners to the graveyard. His main job is basically to ask those who died before (ancestors) to welcome the spirit of the one who has just died. Thus he does that by mentioning and shouting names of all those who died before. This is normally done this as the mourners approach the graveyard gate . She believes that this is important here because the moment you come to the graveyard, you are coming to the home of ancestors and one need to explain why they are coming. This is done because she believes that there is a live communication going on between the living and the dead.

Having said that, she completely believes in the manner in which the dead body is placed in the coffin facing the eastern direction. She also believes in the style of the coffin itself. For instance, the Mabilabo Ngoni people are put in a triangular coffin where the dead person is placed kneeling with a spear in his right hand. She believes that the dead body has to face east because the Mabilabo Ngoni came from the eastern (Zululand). The kneeling explains that though dead, he will still be a great protector and fighter in another world.

3.2.6 Types of Death.
In this culture where Nyankhambule comes from, death has got many main causes. There is old death where one dies while old. This is the most acceptable death and people have no problems with it. There is another kind of death cause by the anger of the living spirit of the dead. This mainly comes through the spread of many diseases in the area. Also not all disease are the same. In her view, there are diseases caused by natural phenomena and again there are diseases caused by the magical spells. There is also the so-called sudden death. This sudden death is the most confusing one and many people don’t like it. Many times she believes that they are caused by ancestor’s anger, witchcraft or magic.

4.0 NYANKHAMBULE’S VIEW OF THE EXISTENCE.
The biblical concept of man existence emphasized the active part of human life. As regard the dead, it is passive. Unlike the biblical understanding Nyankhambule and many of the old people in the area, views their existence active in both the physical and spiritual. Thus it is called the living spirit of the death. There is a continual life after death where one joins the ancestors. Within the ancestors, she believes that there is active life that takes place within the dead in their spiritual world. This explains that whatever the living people are doing, they have something to do with the dead. Their reality is that there are two worlds that work together.

5.0 NYANKHAMBULE’S VIEW OF SALVATION.
There are a lot of interesting things that she believes as far as salvation is concern. Of course the coming of Christianity changed some ways and forms of doing things. Actually she believes salvation come when someone is doing good works. This of course relates to the community. Thus the people perform good works so that they create more chances of living good and happy life after they die. The people believe that those who life bad life on earth, have their soul suffer when they die. Thus one save himself from this by doing good works to the community so that they enjoy life when they die. It is believed that good people have good life after they die while bad people have bad life after they die.

As regard the so-called eternal hope, this is not present in the vocabulary because life ends, as they live with the ancestors. In Christianity we believe in the coming judgment while nyankhambule believes that many people pass judgment on themselves by the kind of work they perform. This explains that work is the ticket to either good life or bad life. Thus people are encouraged to work hard and do good to all people because there is reward at the end in another life.

6.0 NYANKHAMBULE’S VIEW OF THE SUPREME BEING.
As regard the supreme being (chiuta), she believes that he has power than any thing that has ever existed. This being is called by many different names all depending on what that being is performing. This can be that day, that week that month or that year. His main name is called Chiuta and is personal but distant. He lives very far beyond the blue skies that no one can touch or physically see him.

God’s (Chiuta) other names includes; Fumu (king), Mlengi wa vyose (creator of all things), movwili (someone who helps) and mwenekhkongono (owner of all strength).she views this chiuta as someone who came first and was there before all things came into being. In the hymns her husband composed in the mountains , they sing saying that chiuta was there way back before all things came into being she maintains that this chiuta sometimes thunders in the black and dark cumulus clouds before the heavy rains fall down. When there was an outbreak of any disease, the people could go to the ancestors and ask this chiuta who was also mchizgi, mtetezi and mthanki (protector) to protect and heal the people. It was and still in some cases the duty of the ancestors to talk to this Chiuta on behalf of the people. According to Nyankhambule, she believes that the living have no power to communicate to (Chiuta). She views this Chiuta as someone who came first and was there before all things came into being. In the hymns her husband composed in the mountains, they sing saying that Chiuta was there way back before all things came into being. She maintains that this chiuta sometimes thunders in the black and dark cumulus clouds before the heavy rains falls.

7.0 NYANKHAMBULE ON THE ENGEL’S SCALE.
Having looked into the five magnetic points of religion, we see that she is on –7 on the Engel’s scale. This has come into being because though she is old, she has a very clear view of the Supreme Being, which she calls Chiuta. When we look at the characteristics of this Chiuta, we are able to see that this is the God who created the world and it’s the same God we worship. This Chiuta is highly regarded because of the rivers and mountains plus trees he has created. Also she looks at the cosmos as the magical evidence of chiuta’s power. She has a very clear picture of this Chiuta and he is descriptive and is named according to how he performs.

7.1 NEEDS
Having looked into the worldview of Nyankhambule and the weakness of the whole traditional beliefs and religion, we feel that something better than what she has can be done and offered. The whole truth needs to be revealed. This truth is that people will see the face of God unless they believe in Chiuta and accept him through yesu. Of course there are a lot of areas in her traditional beliefs that create good base or grounds from where we can start from. This includes, the usage of the concept of the first born, the concept of the Supreme Being and the respect for the elder. Therefore below are the steps on how we shall evangelise nyankhambule.

7.2 Evangelism 1
Since she is at –7, she is aware of the existence of the supreme being (Chiuta) whom she calls by the local language’s name. We shall inform her that this Chiuta she believes in , is someone who made mountains rivers, skies, trees and is the God of the Bible. Of course we shall not take the trouble of using the English name but we shall use the local name Chiuta for effective communication and understanding. We shall inform her that this chiuta has given all what he has to mankind and this is contain in the Bible. This knowledge shall bring us to –6.

7.3 Evangelism 2
Now having shared about the God of the bible, we shall teach her the fundamental of the gospel which is –5. Now before we reveal these fundamental truths of the gospel, there are things that will need to be clarified. We need to understand that though we shall elencticise, we shall not do it with a bung but we shall do following her weak points. Firstly we shall inform her that though chiuta is viewed as far, he has always wanted to be close and live with all his people because he loves them all. We shall however tell her that once upon a time the first man and woman on earth sinned and broke the commandment of Chiuta. We shall tell her that all the children born were sinners including us all and we deserved eternal death and hell. We shall tell her that People couldn’t save themselves from this and Chiuta allowed his only son and the first born to Come and die on the cross so that all mankind should be saved from fire and death. It shall be told that yesu is the only true son of Chiuta who connects us with the father in heaven directly without using anything else. We shall tell her that the ancestors are hopeless and cannot provide solutions. We shall tell her that it is possible to directly go to chiuta and talk to him through his son yesu.

With this, we shall point out to her that the truth is in yesu, who came and died so that all people can have life. It will be a joy to her that she can reach chiuta directly. This shall be credible and unheard of. It is impossible in her worldview for a man to see the face of this Chiuta. Now the problem would be the removing of the ancestral spirit. We shall however clarify this one by telling her that we need to respect the ancestors by not troubling them with our petitions but should leave them and allow them to rest at peace. This will be of great importance because in this culture, there is a great deal of respect for the ancestors. Having looked into this whole truth, this shall bring us to –4, which shall be the implication of the gospel.

7.4 Evangelism 3
The gospel is the good news and this is to say that Jesus (yesu) is the true son of the living God (chiuta) who came and died on the cross to save all mankind and that he ascended to heaven. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. Therefore all people need to repent for the forgiveness of their sins and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Now you can’t go straight to this old lady and bombard her with the gospel ignoring what she is. We believe that it shall be good and important to strategies and look for the weak points in her tradition and cultural beliefs. It will be from this point that we shall start from. We need to start from what she knows and progress like that. We shall share to her that chiuta has one only son yesu and this is the one he gave to the entire world for their salvation. Of course she will not understand this salvation, (saved from what?). We shall reveal it to her that all who wants to see the face of Chiuta and be in heaven have to accept yesu the only son of Chiuta whom he sent into the world to die for us.

This of course shall create a bit of confusion because she shall look at this chiuta as being abit careless and negligent. She shall think that may be this Chiuta does not know the concept of first borns that they are important. In this tradition, first born are important. The point is that first-born sons are the heirs to the throne and one has to care for them. To her, the death of yesu, this first-born son, will be hard to comprehend. If anything, in this culture, first borns don’t have to die. This will be pathetic and confusing but at the same time she shall have a very deep understanding of the love of Chiuta that he gave his first born son something which is not suppose to be done in this culture. This will be the only situation in the whole of her life that someone gave his first born for the betterment of other people. This will score a very high biblical point all together.

The other thing that will score points shall be the using of this first-born son as a bridge. In this culture, fathers stay very close to their first borns and this is mandatory so that they learn how to lead and serve people better in future. These first born sons also work for their fathers sometimes in many different ways. Since they stay close and work with their fathers these first born sons understand their fathers better. Now we shall inform her that just as the first-born sons are used, Chiuta also used yesu his only first born sons to come and die. This will make a clear sense because what yesu did is the kind of things that first borns in this culture have.

7.4.1. Concept of after Death.
We earlier said that she views death as something that ushers people into another word where ancestors live. This is the joining of ancestors and there is no any future hope or whatsoever hope. We earlier said that salvation just means doing good works so that one should be able to live good life with the ancestors.

Now we shall tackle this by introducing her to the elements of the theology of hell. Of course we shall start from where she is. She believes that there is good life and bad life in the world of ancestors all depending on good works while still alive. This will be our base or operation point.
We shall tell her that there is paradise and hell for the people and the bad people. We shall inform her that hell was created as a home of Satan and all bad people, those who reject yesu while paradise is a place for all who accept yesu. We shall not forget to inform her again that all those who go to paradise live with God in heaven while the bad ones go to the lake of fire (in hell). We shall finally tell her that there is big hope of eternal life by accepting yesu. Of course she shall be joyous because in her worldview, man has no right to get to heaven. Her worldviews explains that when they die, they go and stay with ancestors and not God. But here we shall put in this different view of life. She shall be glad to be in a place with Chiuta something her tradition doesn’t offer.

7.4.2 Concept of Hope.
We at his moment in time shall tell her that when she dies she shall go to hell or heaven. We shall also tell her again that she will be in the lake of fire if she is refusing yesu. But we shall encourage her that though she is very old, yesu came even for all the old people so them too may have abundant life in him. Now it shall strongly be emphasized that she need to welcome yesu as her redeemer and repent of all her old ancestral belief and ask God to forgive her. The truth shall be convey that Chiuta is calling her and wants to welcome her into this kingdom. This shall bring us to-3 which shall be the conviction of sin.

7.5 Evangelism 4.
Having done –4 there shall be strong sense of sin conviction. This will come into being because of the many years she has lived without a real sense of proper destiny. She shall be informed that real life and proper destiny is in yesu and not in the ancestral beliefs. She shall be remind that Chiuta who is full of love and mercies will forgive her. This will bring us to –3 where her response and the whole atmosphere will bring us to –1, as we shall lead her into the Lord. She will not resist because culturally, people trust first borns of kings and shall do the same to the first-born son of Chiuta. We shall encourage that Chiuta loves her and he wants to be with her in all eternity. Thus this shall lead us to +1 where after her acceptance of Jesus she shall be put into gospel preaching church.

7.6 Follow Up
Having put her into the Presbyterian Church in the area, a lot of things shall be done to her. Due to old age, we shall make it appoint to bring the gospel right at her doorsteps. Actually she has no strength to walk long distances to and from church hence we shall make it a point that the gospel of John is read to her one chapter per day and allow her to ask questions so that she widens knowledge of Chiuta. All the basics shall be taught here to her. This shall bring us to +2, which shall be walking with Christ and her obedience. Her obedience shall be checked as from daily prayerful life and love for God. Of course she shall be taught how to pray directly to Chiuta through yesu his only first born son. To fully accomplish this, we shall come up with the Nyankhambule Home Ministry where different committed Christians shall be scheduled to minister to her three times a day every week. This ministry shall also strategise on how to domestically help her at home. However it should be noted here that we shall stop here on +2, we shall however make it a point to continue feeding her with the word of God and familiarising her with bible stories.

7.7 CONTEXTUALISATION
According to Bruce Nicholls this is the capacity to respond meaningfully to the gospel within the framework of ones own situation or culture (1979:21). Unlike Nicholls Moreau says that contextualisation means that the word of Chiuta (God) should dwell among all families of mankind just as Jesus lived among his own people (2000:225). Thus this process is contextual in approach. Nyankhambule understood the gospel because of this contextual approach. The gospel was shared considering her world. We used the good cultural customs in the process of reaching out to her.
For instance, we used the traditional view of first borns and the traditional way of respect for the ancestors. We also used the existing knowledge of the Chiuta (God). Thus we contextualized and put the gospel in a way she could understand. We used illustrations from her culture and tradition, something she could easily understand.It is therefore important to start from where one is unlike from the unknown. This is the same point from where you have your way into the whole process of reaching out. Many people fail to reach out because they use different context in different direction. Of course we realise we have been elencticising but at the same time we were careful not to say things that were to put off the old lady.

7.8 SYNCRETICISM
This is a kind of a disease or problem in the whole of modern mission. It appears in a different shapes and forms. By definition, this is the mixing of Christian’s assumption that are incompatible with Christianity so that the result isn’t biblical Christianity (Meroeu 2000:924). Now as regard nyankhambule, she was born and believed in the existence of this Supreme Being for the rest of her life. Syncretism may come in if there shall be no sense of truth in the things shared to her. She is old and cannot walk long distances hence all depend on us to choose what kind of teaching lesson to give her. We have to reach to her through reading everything because she is almost blind due to old age. However we shall emphasis more on the fact that the chiuta (God) she worship is the one who created the whole world. Also we shall put more emphasis on the importance of understanding the whole concept of Yesu as opposed to the elements of the ancestor beliefs.

8.0 CONCLUSION.
Having looked into all these, the following shall be pointed out: Firstly is that every culture is rich and has elements that will makes the gospel penetratable all the time. We actually mean to say that every culture has a door that will get open when the gospel time comes. No culture is too hard enough and without such a door. Secondly, nothing is able to change the worldview of people apart from the word of God and the working of the Holy Spirit. Like Nyankhambule who is very old, her worldview and focus on things changed because the word of God performed its work. Thus the word of God will not come back meaningless when it gets into any form of tradition but that it will perform its work and things will begin to change and move.

With the continual teaching of the word of God at her house, her whole worldview shall change from that of ancestor belief to that of God (Chiuta) and Christ (Yesu). Thirdly, it has been observed that not all the traditional customs are bad. Some are good and some are. The good ones have to be effectively used in the proclamation of the gospel. Finally, its is important to realise that the gospel need to be put in a simple way and in a way that even the old people can understand. We need to simplify the gospel and maintain the truth there in. without contextualising the gospel, many will not be effectively reached with the word to the level they can understand. We are therefore encouraged to put the seed of the gospel and let it grow in the heart of the people.

9.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Adeyemo T, Toward an understanding of African Worldview (p1)
Andrew H: Building A Christian worldview- Vol.1 P. x1).
Nicholls B, 1979: Contextualisation, A Theology of Gospel and Culture,
Paternoster Press, UK
Moreau S, 2000: Evangelical Dictionary of World Mission,
Baker Book House,

ADDITIONAL REFERNCE.

James O: On Worldview.

SHOULD GOVERNMENT BEGIN TO SPEND WITHOUT PARLIAMENT AUTHORISATION?

As Opposition Parliamentarians abandoned their responsibility in the August House

By: Peter Qeko Jere

It was section 65 then the budget and this time around those who hate this nation are asking, why should government begin to spend without parliament authorization? The UDF and MCP have said that government should not spend any tambala because it has not been told to do by parliament. They want government to stay phwii and wait for the sick in hospitals to die and fertilizer not bought in time so that Malawians should die again of hunger as it happened in 2002. Now what do we say? Should government go ahead to spend from the national coffers or wait for parliament and have people die?

Due to poor worrisome behavior of our opposition parliamentarians and their abandonment of their responsibility in that August House, Malawians have no choice but to ORDER government to begin spending what it has in the coffers because we don’t have MPs anymore this time around. We had no idea that we were without MPs in Malawi until this last budget sitting when those in opposition openly declared war on the budget and on all those who love life in the country.

Government in Malawi has to go ahead spending because if it fails to do so, one day we will blame it for not providing food for us through the budget. Section 30 (1) of our constitution says that all Malawians have right to development and we believe that this is in the budget which opposition MPs don’t want it passed. Without the budget, all our rights to development will have been infringed upon by MCP and UDF parliamentarians and therefore, government through this constitution has the right to do something about it. Also section 30 (2) says that the state shall take all necessary measures for the realization of their rights development where ordinary Malawians should have access to education, health, food, shelter, employment and good infrastructures. In section 30 (4) its says that the state has a responsibility to respect the right to development and to justify its policies in accordance with this responsibility. Therefore, the government has huge task of making sure that Malawians have food on the table, that there is medicine in all hospitals, that schools are not closed and this is through the budget. Now in a situation where some confused MPs think they are clever than everybody else, government need to use whatever it has to provide these services. When it comes to providing basic services that are life saving, we put our foot down and do the right thing and in this case, use the money even without parliament. What is parliament after all if it fails its responsibility? What do they think they are to go against the voice of the majority poor who voted them into those honorable positions? Don’t they think that in 18 months time they will come back asking for mercy from us? Will John Tembo or Muluzi give them what they want to get back to parliament? We the voters are the ones who shall determine their political destiny and as of now, they know that their political careers is absolutely over.

Government need to spend money this time on all necessary services that will directly benefit the poor Malawians because this is about saving lives. When it comes to this process, we don’t play games because Malawians have the right to life and no one has the right to create a situations that would lead to many death just because they don’t want the budget. Life is life and we don’t play jokes with it. We only live once on this planet. Even those in opposition knows that we live once and that they should not do something sick this time around that will lead to death of many innocent Malawians as it happened in 2002 when they sold all the maize.

In this line of thought, we agree with every thing that took place in Blantyre at Njamba Park where concern Malawians demonstrated openly that they need the budget and that if MPs are not careful they will this time around know what representative democracy is all about. We voted these MPs into parliament and they are our servant and need to pay attention to what we MABWANA AWO tells them to do. They don’t have to listen from what John Tembo or Muluzi tells them because these guys never voted them into office. I mean Tembo and Muluzi didn’t cast any vote for these MPs but we did and therefore they need to listen from us.

As regard threats of prosecution that MCP and UDF are talking about against finance Minister in future, this is just wishful thinking because we have the doctrine of necessity when its comes to life saving in Malawi. So government is saving Malawians from death hence spending of this money. No one will prosecute anybody in future and we shall not watch and sit phwii seeing somebody taking this action because we know why this government has done this. So keep your threats and let Malawi be saved from evil minded men. May God bless our land and our president Bingu Wamthalika in Jesus Name!

THE NATIONAL BUDGET, JEHOVAH GOD AND SECTION 65 IN MALAWI

What is actually happening in Malawi's politics?

By: Peter Qeko Jere

Parliament in Malawi has again adjourned indefinitely, a situation which leaves many poor Malawians wondering why these honorable people could abandon their responsibility in the August house this time around. The house adjourned without passing this year’s budget. There are many questions that patriotic sons of the land are asking. Some are wondering ifever the almighty God has forgotten the suffering poor in Malawi? Others are saying, why have these parliamentarians decided to intentionally punish the voters by refusing to have the budget passed? Who is behind all the political madness in the house? And if we were in the shoes of His Excellency Bingu Wa Muthalika, what could we have done in this situation? Finally who is ruling in that house? Is it God or Satan?

To begin with, let us openly say that what the opposition parliamentarians led by John Tembo and Ntafu have done this time around is bad for this nation. These en have decided to punish Malawians by denying the people their right to have this budget passed. This is denying Malawians the right to development which comes through the budget.

As veteran politicians, Malawians expected element of wisdom from John Tembo and Ntafu mainly on this budget issue. Infact John Tembo could have been the first person to advise his MCP comrades to support the budget because he knows that budget is not a game or a joke but real thing for the electorate out there. From what they have done, we this time around are failing to understand the nature of people they are because they have decided to intentionally punish the very people who put them into power (tragic indeed!)

Having said this then, why have our parliamentarians decided to intentionally punish the poor in the many villages nationwide? In response to this, we argue that they have done so because they care less about the poor in their constituencies. These opposition parliamentarians’s are there to promote their party ideologies and programs on the expense of the poor. To them, party politics comes first and the electorate comes second. They are the “Yes Bwana” to everything that comes from their leaders. It’s from this understanding that when the budget was presented in the house, they openly declared war and made it clear that section 65 was a priority to them. While Malawians all over cried out that budget was a priority, our opposition parliamentarians led by John Tembo and Ntafu, declared that to them section 65 was a priority. They are the kind of heartless people who care less about the poor. Their actions as of now is so much geared to destroy anything that is good in the country.

Someone was asking, who is to blame for all this mess in the house? I heard people saying that it’s not good to point fingers this time. But we strongly think that we need to clearly say that all opposition parliamentarians are to blame for this mess and pain that Malawians are going through now and in particular, leaders of MCP, UDF. Many were expecting opposition parliamentarians to consider the budget for the sake of those who voted for them. Parliamentarians have refused to discuss the budget because of the influence and dictatorial tendencies by their leaders to dictate on what their parliamentarians need to do when they are inside the house. We agree that due to lack of freedom and democracy in the opposition parties, parliamentarians are not free to make their own decision. Opposition parliamentarians live in a shackle of political fear because they always are there to say yes to orders from their political masters. They are always afraid hence they go by what their party leaders dictate on them even when it comes to serious issues of the national budget. The way forward to internal party freedom and democracy, is for parliamentarians to be liberated from threats and bulldozing so that they can serve the interest of their voters.

Now in a situation where opposition parliamentarians have refused to have the budget passed, many are asking as to where will government get the money to function. If we were in Bingu's shoes, what could we have done in this situation for the sake of the poor? In response to this, we could sit down and deeply consider the welfare of the poor and do the right thing about it. This is because God blesses when rules are broken and violated for the sake of serving the weak and the poor. When it comes to dealing with the poor, God has his own ways and means of protecting those who do something about their warfare. Now if we were in the shoes of the president, we could make sure that the weak and the poor are saved even if it means breaking whatever law because you cannot keep the law and watch the poor dying. The law is good when it is serving the needs of common poor. There is no need of having the kind of law that kills lives and deny the poor access to life. We all need to live and life is not only for the rich but for all of us and we need to equally benefit from the law. We thus could spare no law but break and tear it apart if it is denying the poor access to food. Its as simple as A,B,C: Should you keep the law and watch people die or break it and save them from death? Once again these laws we have are there for our own good and not to deny or stop us from accessing our blessings. Any law that stops our blessings is useless and need to be destroyed forth with. Also you can not follow protocol if its main goal is to destroy and kill people who are the very image of God. It’s better to do good than to have rules that will cause pain in the lives of the poor. Now we could take drastic steps here to protect the poor from dying using whatever money available for the sake of the poor. We hear some opposition guys saying that they will prosecute the minister of finance should he begin to use whatever money they are talking about. These threats are sick and wishful thinking because no one will prosecute our minister of finance now or even in future because we shall not just watch and see this happening. This current finance minister has done alot for this country and Malawians will not just sit phwii watching some confused, selfish politicians playing games to their advantage.

Also some are asking as to who is in charge of this house? Is God or Satan? Some are asking this question because it is evil to reject or say no to the budget which is the very lifeline of the poor. Someone said that we have this situation now because Satan has taken over the house. They say this because of the way deliberations are handled in the house. Their analysis of the parliament deliberation shows that something evil has taken charge in there. To this view, we strongly say that its true that Satan has taken over the lives of some parliamentarians but this does not mean that God is loosing the war. What we know and believe is that God is in total control of that house though at the same time He has allowed Satan to use some parliamentarians this time around purposefully. Here are the reasons why we share the notion that God is in total control of that August House.

Firstly is that activities in that August House shows that God is busy preparing the downfall of some prominent politicians in the country. This is because blindly politicians are sailing in a boat that has no political future and soon or later their political career will be no more. Their hearts are so hardened that they are not able to listen while their eyes so much blind that they can not see anything good. God has hardened their hearts as He did with Pharaoh in Egypt. God hardens purposely the hearts of those He has prepared to bring down and humble. What we are saying is that God almighty has allowed a situation which shall continue to make opposition Parliamentarians unpopular in the country. This situation will at the end make things difficult for them to politically survive. For as long as pharaohs armies died in that Red Sea, it will be so much hard for all parliamentarians ( who refuse the budget) to make a strong come back into Malawi’s politics again. So God is in charge and there is a blessing behind all this political madness we see now. We are saying this because prophetically, we have signs of the times that clearly show that the almighty God is doing something about the downfall of some politicians in the country. These signs of the times include the way various social political issues were handled in the country recently and these include the third term, impeachment, section 65 and budget. What we see is that the same people who promoted these issues are the ones who by and large have refused to discuss the budget. We see God at work each time we analyses the pattern of events from the third term issue to this abandoned budget setting of parliament. We see that God has blinded them so much that their actions are making them unpopular as never before. God will continue to hardens their heart until there are fit to be destroyed and wiped away from the political platform in the country.

Secondly some are asking that how can you say that God in heaven is planning the downfall of politicians in Malawi? They are saying how can God do this? Some are saying that we have gone out of mind and that we don’t know what we are talking about. But listen here! because in history we see people’s impending downfall through what we call signs of the times. These are pattern of events that take place in the social political life of someone that tells that there is more to what we hear and see. In this regard, we are not out of mind but knows that God is in charge of all what we see taking place in Malawi. Also that God is too busy hardening hearts of particular individuals so that blessings of His people should continue flowing. While God is in charge, he has allowed the devil to get into their hearts and hardens them even more so that He (God) can easily implement His divine plan to have them wiped away from the political face of the land. The issue is that these men have decided and given in to the plan of the enemy, the devil to use them and in the process go against God’s divine plan for his people. The mistake they have made is going against God's will for his people.Therefore the only sin committed by these gentlemen is that they have said yes to the calling from Satan to use them and it’s from there that the divine Chikwanje from heaven will cut them off from the political life of this nation. God knows that these men should go otherwise the coming generation will have their blessings blocked. We also should know that while God cuts some off, He at the same time raises some to prominence to His own glory. So there are young politicians that the Lord is busy preparing and they will not have their dreams come to pass unless some of these heartless politicians are cut off from the political scene in Malawi something that only God could do.

Finally we should know that as a nation, we are going through a time when God is doing great things and no one will stop Him. God will remain God in Malawi even in this situation where confused parliamentarians says No! to the budget. God controls the universe and Malawi is just a drop in the ocean as far as His authority and power is concern. Nothing will ever be too hard for the Lord to fail to sort out because He is bigger than the opposition’s ideologies. God loves this nation and His people. We are moving in a time when He is opening the flood gets of heaven blessing this nation and its leadership as never before and He will turn plans of all enemies into total foolishness to His own glory. We are in a season and a time when God is revealing His supernatural power upon this land as he expose the inner thoughts and plans of evil men. God will remain the God of this land and in Jesus name Malawi shall continue to be a blessed nation.

THE POWER OF PRAYER

As God intervenes in Malawi today.

BY: Peter Qeko Jere

On the 15th of July, churches in Malawi conducted special prayers for peace to prevail in the country. Church leaders prayed that God should intervene in the currently political madness where some gridy, selfish politicians are denying the people the budget. His Excellency the President Dr. Bingu Wamthalika on the 6th of July called upon all Malawians to pray to the Lord for a divine intervention on the current issue taking place in our country. Malawi has never witnessed a thing like this that you hear the Head of State setting a day for the Church to kneel down and pray. I mean this is just too spiritual and it’s uncomprehandable because it is happening for the first time.

Some have question why the president asked the church to pray at this moment in time. Why did it take the whole of the president to ask for God’s divine intervention at this moment in time? Firstly we need to know that the fact that the President asked the Church to pray shows that this president believe in God and that he walks with Him. Now since the President walk with God, he is able to see things that are happening in the spiritual realm and also able to take up a spiritual step through prayer. We need to know that it is different when it’s the President calling upon the nation to pray. In the bible, we have many instances where Kings and leaders called upon the Lord for intervention. I don’t have to remind you the many instances in the bible here because they are many. However we need to know that God respect his word when a national leader calls upon His people to pray. God comes down to do what He knows best when it’s about serious issues negatively affecting His people.

When it comes to prayer, God comes down and get involved in the process. As the President called upon the nation to pray, we know and believe that the God we serve has already answered our prayers and that this nation shall move forward politically, socially and economically. Malawi shall never be the same again because on that day, the host of heaven came down to put things together. No one will stop God from doing His work in this country. You see as a nation we are in a season where God is abundantly blessing us. You see people, since Bingu took over the leadership of this nation God has been pouring uncountable blessings upon this land mightily. For instance, we witnessed debt cancellation, good rains and bumper yield, national peace and good security and many others. God blesses the time and season of a leader whom He has chosen and it’s a situation that no one can stop it.

All those who serve various forms of demons and satanic kingdom to bring down this nation will not make it in Jesus name. In parliament those who are against this leadership that God has given this nation will not prevail and God shall turn all their plans and actions into foolishness. Their actions will be darkened in Jesus name and if they continue causing pain and suffering in the lives of God’s people then we should expect God’s divine hand to deal with them severely. Ladies and Gentlemen, we serve the Living God who is an answering God. He is awake all the time and directs events in the world. He is in control of all what we see taking place in Malawi and will do everything possible to save His people from the mouth of the many lions that comes on our way.
Finally, we thank God for the opportunity to pray for this nation and appreciate that Malawi has a leader who believes in the supernatural power and works of God.

MALAWI POLITICS AND GOD'S HARDENING OF HEARTS

As God takes Control of Malawi's social political situation

By: Peter Qeko Jere

This time around, many people in Malawi are still wondering with the continual refusal of the opposition Malawi Congress Party and the United Democratic Front to consider and make the national budget a priority.

It’s so much shocking that the opposition parties have openly declared war on the budget and are decided not to discuss it unless section 65 is sorted out first. Led by John Tembo and Dr. George Ntafu the MCP and UDF still maintain that the budget is not very important but section 65. NGO’s, the church and Malawians all over the country have called upon the John Tembo and the UDF to come to consider the poor who voted for them by considering the budget. The one question in mind is; why is John Tembo and the UDF hardening their hearts like this? Why it is that he is not able to see that his actions are likely to destroy and kill Malawians social economic expectation and hope? Should Malawians suffer because of their actions? I mean should the poor be denied access to the national budget just because of their selfish ambitions?

Before I respond to these questions, let me bring you back to the time when Israelites were in Egypt suffering in the hands of pharaoh and what the Lord God did to have them redeemed. We all know that for a long time God’s children suffered in the hands of Pharaoh. Moses went to Pharaoh several times to ask him to release the people but couldn’t. The bible says that Pharaoh hardened his heart such that he could not allow them to go. Pharaoh could not listen to anyone but instead oppressed God’s children even the more. While we know that pharaoh hardened his heart, the bible also says that it was the Lord God almighty that hardened his heart so that he should be easily crushed and destroyed. Divine darkness overshadowed Pharaoh such that he was stubborn and his heart hard that he could not listen to anyone even when Moses demonstrated God’s powers. The encounter we see is that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh such that he could not let the people go. We are actually saying that IT WAS THE LORD GOD WHO HARDENED PHARAOH’S HEART AND in other words, God stepped into the poor people’s situation and he begun a redemption process by hardening Pharaoh’s heart. God almighty got involved because of Pharaoh’s selfish ambitions and the injustices that that God’s children went through. God will always be involved when it comes to mistreating his children and denying them justice. God gets involve and punishes those responsible and he begins the process by hardening their hearts as he did with Pharaoh.

Having said this therefore, what is happening in Malawi’s politics today is similar to what God’s children went through in the book of Exodus during the days of Moses. Just as God’s children complained against Pharaoh, in Malawi many are complaining about what John Tembo and the UDF party are doing about the budget. Many are complaining that these guys are denying them access to the budget which is the very lifeline of all Malawians. Just as Pharaoh had selfish ambitions, John Tembo and the UDF have selfish program and ambitions that will not benefit Malawians. Just as Pharaoh could not listen to the voice of the people, John Tembo and the UDF have made up their minds not to listen to anyone but maintain their stand on section 65. Just as many Jews cried and needed to be redeemed from Pharaoh, many Malawians currently have raised their voice against John Tembo and the UDF in total unity.

In the bible, Pharaoh didn’t listen to anybody and had one goal and that was to oppress and deny the people freedom and liberty. Even when Moses went several times to ask him to change his mind, Pharaoh never could listen but went ahead to oppress God’s people even the more. This is exactly what we see today happening in our social and political life of this country where the opposition led by John Tembo has hardened their hearts and are not ready to listen from anyone’s view on the matter at hand.

We therefore see that this hardening of heart is done by God himself as he prepares to destroy those who oppress His people. Hard and stony hearts is a sign that God is in charge and in total control of things. This is the strategy and technique that the almighty uses against oppressors of God’s people. Since He is God, He does everything possible that will prepare somebody’s downfall and in this case we see that God has hardened the heart of John Tembo and the opposition parliamentarians to prepare their downfall.

What we see is the kind of thing that shows that God is in charge preparing their very downfall. In other word, what is happening today means that God almighty has taken charge and is controlling the political game in Malawi and that its just a matter of time when we shall all witness the very end of John Tembo, Ntafu and other opposition parliamentarian’s political life in this country. Normally God hardens people’s heart for a purpose and that is to destroy and crush them. Hardening of people’s hearts is a sign that somebody’s downfall is eminent and at the corner.

What we mean is that we should not be alarmed with the hardness of heart that we see in John Tembo and others in opposition because this is the sign that God almighty is preparing their downfall and the very end of their political life. We are saying this because we have enough evidence to show that in the bible Pharaoh’s history never lasted long because his army died in the Red Sea waters. Now in this situation, we need to know that God is always in control, in charge and command of this very situation we see around us and we should not worry about it but begin to see that the Lord God almighty is in control and in charge in Malawi. In this regard therefore, Malawians should know that John Tembo and the entire opposition will never soften their position because this is God hardening their hearts in readiness for their downfall. We need to know that this uncompromising spirit is a sign that God is executing his divine judgment upon those that are hardening their hearts.

PRAYER FOR MALAWI's SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE

As everything is possible in Jesus name!

BY: Peter Qeko Jere
In the name of God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Father we come before your presence to thank and to bless you for what you and for what you always shall be to us as a people belonging to this beautiful land of Malawi. Father we thank you because we are what we are today because of your divine will and plan for us. Lord we thank you because of everything that you have done to the people and land of Malawi in history.

As the nation is going through a crisis in terms of the budget and issues surrounding section 65, Lord we ask you to get involved in the affairs once again because we realize and know that things begin to happen when you oh! God steps in. Lord in the days of the old,, we know you got involved in the lives of the nation of Israel in Egypt and you, oh God came down to rescue your people from the autocratic rule of Pharaoh by your mighty hand. Lord you demonstrated that you are God who is always in control and that nonone can come on your way. Lord we know that no plan from the kingdom of darkness can ever come on your way because you are God.

We thus pray for this nation that Lord you step in and intervene even this time around when Parliament has become a political battler ground. Lord our parliament has become a place where the devil’s power is clearly seen in the language and behavior of our parliamentarians. Lord we know that you are God and out of you flows love and not bitterness and anger. Lord we know that any hatred and anger comes from the kingdom of darkness and that the enemy uses it to fulfill his own selfish ends. We pray Lord that by your power and mercy, things in parliament shall change in Jesus name. We pray that you shall begin to deal mightily with all parliamentarians as you open their eyes and ears to hear and see the cross of Calvary because its only when they see the cross that they will begin to realize that there are in that house as tools of hope in the lives of many poor people in the villages. Lord we pray that you fix hearts of those parliamentarians who are rigid and stony and considers themselves untouchable and that you show and demonstrate to them that you are Lord God Jehovah who respects nobody but is able to deal with anyone who oppresses the poor who represents the very image of you oh! God. Heavenly Father we pray that you begin to deal with them in a special way as you touch and speak into their lives and hearts in Jesus name.

Lord we come against any principalities and power from the kingdom of darkness destroying the political life of this country in Jesus name. We come against the demonic spirit of hatred and anger in Parliament in Jesus name. Lord we declare that no weapon so formed against this nation shall prosper. We pray that no frustration from the enemy will prevail in this country. Yes Lord no plan from the kingdom of darkness will disturb this nation in any way but that the Lord’s divine will be done. We pray that in everything that happen in this nation, your nation shall be exalted.

We also pray for this peace to prevail. Lord without you Malawi will be in flames politically, economically and socially. Lord without you this nation will continue to fall backward and the enemy will continue to play games with your people. We thus pray that those the devil uses to pull down this nation shall live in eternal darkness and that all their actions shall fail in Jesus name. We pray that for the sake of peace in this country, Lord you step in the affairs of your people in this country as you protect them from the hands of the enemy. Lord we pray that in Jesus name, you shield them with divine protection from the hand of the enemy. Lord we pray that from Chitipa to Nsanje and Nkhotakota to Mchinji, your people shall be safe in Jesus name. We pray that no devil in hell shall do anything to frustrate your plan for this nation in Jesus name.

Lord we realize there is this wind of Satanism in the country as manifested in the many evils seen in the land. We thus pray that all those involved shall have their dreams destroyed and pulled down in Jesus name. We ask you Lord that this time around Satan’s authority and power is disarmed in Jesus name. We ask you lord again that we get victory in Jesus name and that no one is getting this victory away from your people.

We also pray for this government Lord in a special way today that you safeguard and protect it from the hands of the enemy in Jesus name. We pray that you protect this government that you yourself oh Lord has given us the people of Malawi at this moment in time. We realize Lord that Satan has three missions, to steal, kill and destroy and he is moving up and down to fulfill this assignment but we pray that all this shall fail in Jesus name. We pray that whatever plan he has shall completely fail and that this government shall prevail. We ask a lord that you protect the Leadership of this nation and its entire cabinet that you give them wisdom and grace to administer this nation in line with your will. We ask you Lord that you bless them abundantly in all they do.

In a special way Lord we pray that you give your servant, His Excellency Dr. Bingu Wamthalika more wisdom on how to manage this country. Give him grace to continue providing for the people of Malawi. Protect him from the hands of the enemy. We pray that keep him safe and secure and that you protect his presidency from those who are spending sleepless time to destroy it. We pray that total darkness shall fall on all those who are fighting against God’s anointed and that the sword of Judgment shall deal with them in Jesus name. Lord we command in Jesus name that whatever they do shall fail for as long as they continue to undermine your anointed.

We also remember the churches in this country Lord. Thank you that they always have shown and proved to this nation that they are true representatives of God. We pray for them that you continue to use them mightily to save the lost and also to fight for the poor in this country. Bless the leadership of all the churches in this country and show them that you are Jehovah God. Show them your ways oh God and let them continue to see the cross of Calvary. Give them grace to be great blessing to this nation. Bless all Christians in Malawi and lord we ask you that you protect them from the attacks from the kingdom of darkness in Jesus name. Touch and visit them Lord. We pray that you stay, live and dwell in them in Jesus name. Finally Lord we ask you that keep this nation in total peace and let your favour flow upon this land in Jesus name!!

NICHOLAS DAUSI: WILL MCP BE THE SAME AGAIN?

As the party strive survive the political shakeup

By: Peter Qeko Jere

Its was first Dr. Peter Chiona, Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba, Kettie Kainja Kaluluma, Benton Kutsaira and Ted Kalebe and its now Uncle Nicholas Dausi leaving the once mighty Malawi congress Party. At first it was like a joke when my Sister’s daughter told me that Nicholas Dausi had a press conference and that he had joined Bingu Wamthalika’s Democratic Progressive Party. I waited till late in the evening that I saw on TVM Uncle Dausi briefing the press. I had many questions myself about this whole move to DPP because I can’t just imagine the party loosing all these known people like that. Actually what is wrong with MCP? Something should be happening in this party that things are like this? Now that Dausi is in DPP what will his political future be like? Is this a good move for a politician like him? Will this going to have any impact on MCP?

To begin with, let me firstly say that to me, Uncle Nicholas Dausi has expressed his constitutional right to move to any party he feels like. As a Malawians he has this right just like any Malawian. The only issue is that this move becomes a headline story if its people like him making the move. If it was Jim or jack moving to any of the parties in town, nothing could happen.

Now it is wrong and untrue to say that there is political stability in MCP as of now when you see big politicians leaving it like that. It is a fact that something is happening inside the party that is forcing many politicians leave it. If this party was stable and at peace, I don’t think all these politicians could have left it. So we strongly argue that something in this party is wrong and we just need to do a little research to discover and see what actually if the reason behind all this Political Tsunami. The MCP we know is that party which once was mighty and has political support from all Malawians. Infact all Malawians were once registered members of this party and we love it. Then we never used to seeing such things happening as we see today.

As from the Mwanza press briefing, it was mentioned that Dausi has moved from MCP because the party is championing section 65 and not the national budget. The other issue is that the party respecting Kamuzu and the fact that government has put a Kamuzu’s statue in this year’s budget. Now some of us agree with what Dausi has done by taking a strong stand on issues of Kamuzu. It is wrong for MCP to say that section 65 is more important than the national budget. By considering section 65 and not the budget, Tembo and MCP have created a very difficult situation for themselves because they have to convince Malawians why they think the budget is not needed this time around. This is a political death sentence of MCP politician’s political career because by and large the power of the vote will be the judge during the 2009 election. As to Dausi’s political career, he will be more used and fruitful in government than in MCP because this time around he will have real work to do and shall be able to demonstrate his political skills. It is good seeing a situation where someone is deciding to serve his country in a time like this. We are saying like this because many times opposition parties don’t have the means and resources to promote the daily welfare of the people hence its always better to work with government.

Some have said that Dausi’s move to DPP has no effect in the daily life of MCP as a party. Actually it is wrong to say that this move will leave MCP the same. Dausi’s departure will leave a gap in MCP’s political life and things will never be the same. This is because this man is a charismatic politician who has his own way and style of playing this political game. It will take God’s grace for this party to have a charismatic PRO of the party like Dausi hence this is not an easy thing for the party.

Now the question is how can this party be the same if it’s in a situation where it lost Dr. Peter Chiona –Vice President, Dr. Ntaba-Publicity Secretary, Kettie, Kainja Kaluluma-Genera Secretary, Beton Kutsayira, Ted Kalebe and now Nicholas Dausi the Deputy Vice President? Thus we are arguing that it’s a wishful thinking to say that things in MCP are OK and that they are not affected with this Exodus of politicians to other parties.

Now a way forward for MCP is for them to put their house in order before the party sees more exodus. As of now, the party has no General Secretary, Vice President, Deputy Vice President Publicity Secretary and others. They should democratize their party system so that it should they should retain their old glory. If they will continue with this trend then we are likely to see the natural political Tsunami in the political life of the party.

MALAWI NATIONAL TEACM: WHATS THE PROBLEM AND A WAY FORWARD?

The team at the crossroad of soccer

BY: Peter Qeko Jere

For a long time now our national team has performed poorly and I don’t have to remind you about all the games played because it’s just a shame. A lot is being said about this team and we wonder this poor performance this time around. When I was doing my primary education, football was at its best in the country because I remember those days though we had no Television; we still have huge passion for soccer through the radio. Jeffrey Msampha, Elias Kapangama spiced soccer that we could follow what was happening on the field of play. In my village weekends used to being nice because we could gather on a Khonde and listen to the broadcast and celebrate goals scored. For example, I remember this time when Malawi beat Egypt in Kenya and that evening when Clifton Msiya scored the only fantastic goal at the African Cup of Nation. Though I was not in the stadium but the guy took the ball from the opponent half and went through inside the enemy’s territory and crossed the 18 yard area and destroyed the defense and finally scored the goal. I will not forget this because I stayed awake that night to listen to the live commentary of the match. There was passion and Malawians love the good game.

Anyway am talking about the current national teams’ crisis where there performance is undesirable. They have tried many to instruct the boys to play and score goals but still sizikuyenda ayi. Now what is the problem here? As for me and many, we feel the problem is not the instructor or instructors we hire from abroad but our players. We don’t have good quality players this time in Malawi football. I mean players who can match the likes of Lule Way, Young Chimodzi, Gilbert Chirwa, Felix Nyirongo, Mabvuto Lungu, Ian Banda, Holman Malunga, Donex Gondwe, Denis Said, Frank Sinalo, Dickson Mbetewa , Jonathan Billy to mention but a few. We don’t have quality players in this country. We need to start all over again as far as football is concern. We need to abolish the national team and begin a rebuilding exercise. There is a need for a five years rebuilding plan for the national team so that talent identification should be done as it used to been those old good days. Blaming any instructor is not a solution to Malawi football. Even hiring a foreign coach is not a solution to this crisis because whoever will come to do the job will still be using unqualified football resource hence wastage of time and money. We need to go to the drawing board and put the house in order.

Some have argued that government is to blame. But we can’t blame government because we all know that with the resources that they have provided; our prayers have failed miserable even at our own backyard. It all goes back to the kind of prayers we have in this country at this moment in time.

Other blames the private sector for not sponsoring soccer into the country. We need to know that no one can put his money in a team that is not performing. If we had that team of long ago composed of these: Donnex Gondwe, Young Chimodzi, Gilbert Chirwa, Dickson Mbetewa, Rodgers and Felix Nyirongo , Mphatso Namwali in defence, things could not have been the same in this country. Malawi need to look for defenders of this caliber otherwise we will always not make it.

I heard someone blaming Malawians for not supporting the team. That the team performs poorly because we Malawians are not patriotic enough this time around as far as soccer is concern. I think We the people should not be blamed. Players need to be blamed because they are of poor quality and not able to match the standards of these men I have just mentioned in here.

Having said this, let me agree with those who blame the football administrators in Malawi. In additional to players, these people are killing football. They all know what used to happening in football for a player to be identified and pick for training. They all know that we used to having the coca-cola trophy where teams all over the country compete. They also know we used to having regional select that were competing and out of that prayers were identified. But it’s a shock that the same people went through this process this time around fail to do like wise in Malawi soccer. They were suppose to force matters and make sure that Football standards are maintained and that we maintain our tradition in national team player identification. For your information, Mabvuto Lungu was identified at Saint Peters primary School because the man could score goal during Mayors Trophy games. Kinna Phiri was identifies all the way from Karonga. Now this time around it’s a joke for our officials to wake up in the morning and pick prayers in cities. There is no soccer in the cities but in the rural areas. Finally, let us do something about our nation time we are to retain our old glory.

SECTION 65 AND THE CHURCH IN MALAWI

The Voice of the Voiceless Poor

BY: Peter Qeko Jere

Section 65 is the most talked issue in Malawi politics today. It is all over in the print media, Radios, Television, and on people’s lips in town and villages. Politicians in Parliament have failed to map a way forward and as of now parliament is adjourned indefinitely. We don’t know when they will meet to discuss the national budget and for how long this parliamentary adjournment shall be before the budget is discuss. Voiceless poor Malawians do not even know when their MPs shall get back to parliament to discuss the budget. Therefore this section 65 saga is negatively affecting the psychological thinking of many Malawians as of now.

The voiceless poor in the villages are shocked and surprised that members of parliament mainly from opposition have openly declared war on this year’s budget. Led by John Tembo, the opposition members of parliament declared that section 65 is more important than the budget hence it has to be discussed first in parliament. In other words, John Tembo and all opposition members of parliament are saying that they care less about the welfare of the poor and have nothing to do with them this time around. They also are saying that their party politics in parliament is vital than issues of the voiceless poor in their constituencies.

In the same vain, many Malawians are keeping a close watch on what is happening in our politics and one day the power of the vote shall be the judge. There is nothing the electorate can do now because constitutionally they don’t have any power to deal with those members of parliament who are against and undermine the budget. Some have strongly argued that opposition members of parliaments careless about the poor people in their constituencies because they know that they will not make it to parliament during the next General Election.

It is vital to note that there are many interested in this section 65 issue because it is directly affecting the budget which is the very lifeline of all Malawians. The nation can not function without the budget hence anything to do with it become an issue of interested for anyone who is a Malawian. In this regard therefore, the church is not excluded.

The church in Malawi directly gets negatively affected in a situation where someone is blocking the budget because majority of the people in this country belong to various Christian churches. The church largely depend on weekly and monthly contributions from their faithfuls hence any blockade to the budget produces serious repercussion on the daily operation of the church. This is because the Malawi church by and large does not have long term functioning investment activities. Therefore politicians should bear in mind that the budget is not only a national issue but is also a Church issue because members of the church directly face the consequences of delaying passing the budget. For instance, adjusted new salary in the budget will create an improvement in the weekly and monthly contributions to the church while any blockade and political madness surrounding it will in one way or the other directly suffocate the church finance hence it is vital that MP should consider the budget first and not section 65. Our politicians should understand that the church can not remain silent this time around because they are directly affected by any political madness that blocks the budget. Also it should be noted that the same people who are denied access to the budget by the opposition parliamentarians belong to the church a situation which forces the church to directly get involved in issues surrounding the budget and section 65 and the budget.

The church can not remain silent in issues of the budget and section 65 because the church represents the voice of the suffering voiceless poor who are being denied access to the budget due to greedy and selfish actions by opposition politicians. The poor in the villages in Malawi don’t have a platform where they could air their grievances in times like these while politicians are free to have their peace of mind broadcast in the many radio stations in the country. In such times, it is the duty of the church to stand between the gap and become the voice crying in the wilderness to speak on behalf of the poor. The church which fails to defend the poor is not a true church at all because a true church is the one which sides with the voiceless poor.

The church can not afford to remain silent in this political madness going on in our country because it is the very voice of God, the kind of God who gets involved in the lives of the poor when they are suffering and are oppressed. Throughout Old Testament and New Testament politics, we have God full time involved in the lives of his children when they were oppressed in Egypt by Pharaoh. In Egypt, God came down and redeemed his people from autocratic rule of Pharaoh. God sided with the voiceless poor in Egypt and he came down to redeem them. Now if God get involved in the lives of the poor then what will stop the church from doing likewise and who shall stop it? This is the nature of God and the very model the church follows even today. The church in Malawi even in the current scenario can not remain silent but become the voice of the voiceless and stand between the gap to protect the poor from being any economic abuse by the opposition. Someone asks how is the opposition economically abusing the poor? They are directly abusing the poor by undermining the budget and openly declaring that their number one priority is section 65 and not the national budget. Therefore, opposition politicians should realize that by undermining the budget, they have undermined the very lifeline of Malawians, the national budget.

MALAWI'S OPPOSITION ACTIONS WORRISOME AND MISGUIDED

As they undermine the national budget.

Peter Qeko Jere

The current behaviour of the opposition parties in parliament is worrisome, dangerous, selfish, unparliamentary, and unchristian and is so geared to not only undermine government but also punish the poor people in the villages. It is a well known fact that this sitting of parliament is there for MPs to discuss the budget and pass it. This is the budget for all Malawians including the opposition themselves. They all need this budget after all they need this budget because without this budget, parliament itself will not be able to meet and MPs will not access the K15,000 they get per day or K105,000 per week or again K420,000 per month as allowances during the sitting.

However Malawians were on Monday shocked to hear and see that the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Chimango adjourned the house prematurely. During the evening parliamentary TVM broadcast, it was more shocking to hear Hon John Tembo proposing that the house should not discuss the budget until the section 65 issue is resolved. UDF’s Ntafu seconded Tembo by saying that it was wrong for government to exert pressure on the speaker through court injunction. As if this was not enough, the opposition forced parliament to adjourn because of section 65 issue.

Now when we look critically at what is happening in this august house this time, one sees that our honorable MPs from opposition have lost direction, focus and the very reason why they are in that house this time around. They seem not to know what they are doing and mixed up completely. They have forgotten that they are representing the people in their various constituencies. In other words they are entrusted by the poor to come to parliament and speak the minds of their people. Funny and surprisingly enough, the opposition have taken a different direction because they care less about those who voted for them because to them, section 65 is more important than the budget. This means that they don’t mind about the lives of the people but section 65 which is unfortunate.

This sitting of parliament is for budget and nothing else. Malawians sent these hourable MPs into parliament to discuss this budget because this is what the poor in the villages and towns need. In this budget we have roads, hospitals, subsidized fertilizer and schools, civil servant salaries to mention but a few. This budget is about poverty alleviation and uplifting the lives of the poor, the very people who voted these MPs into parliament. Having said this, it is with pain seeing people like John Tembo saying that the house should discuss section 65 first and not the budget. It is worrisome that John Tembo who was once a Finance Minister can have the nerve to tell the august house that section 65 needs to be discussed first and not the budget. Tembo needed to be the first person in this August house to understand what the budget is all about. Infact Tembo needed to school all his opposition MPs on issues surrounding the budget because this is the very lifeline of the Malawians. Playing games with the budget is playing around with people’s emotions and expectation which can be dangerous sometimes.

In the same line of thought, what is the relationship between section 65 and the budget? What is it that the poor in the constituencies need right now? A brief survey that I conducted revealed that about 96.4% Malawians need the budget while 2% want clarity on section 65 and 1.6 are not sure of anything.

This strange behavior and action by the opposition in the august house is questionable and reveals the following:

Firstly is Jealosy-nsanje. This is because Tembo and the opposition know that God is blessing Dr. Bingu Wamthalika’s administration and they can stop it. The opposition should know that no created human being is able to stop God’s blessing flowing when its season is come. In this regard, we as a nation are in a season where God is releasing His supernatural blessings upon the Wamthalika’s administration which include good rains, restored economy to mention but a few. This is because every leadership has its own special blessings the flow of which depends on how connected it is to God.

Secondly is selfishness. There is selfishness of the highest order being exercised by opposition members of parliament this time around. They are selfish because they don’t want to discuss the budget while at the same time they pocket K15000 per day, K105000 per week and K420000 per month as allowances during parliament sitting. Now they want to accumulate this money and deny poor Malawians access to the budget. What do you call this situation where MPs are behaving this way and telling Malawians that they have nothing to do with the budget but section 65?

Thirdly is Uncaring spirit. This uncaring spirit manifested itself in parliament this week when opposition MPs demonstrated to the nation that they are in the house to serve their political party’s and their leaders interests. They work as a team to achieve the dreams of their masters and not those who voted for them in the villages. By agreeing that the budget needed to wait the verdict of section 65, the opposition demonstrated to the Malawi people that they don’t care about the needy of those who voted for them. They have demonstrated that they don’t want their people to progress economically, politically and socially.

SECTION 65 AND MALAWI'S FUTURE

A stumbling block to Malawi's social, political and economic prosperity.

By: Peter Qeko Jere

On the 15th of June 2007, the Malawi’s Supreme Court granted powers to the Speaker of the national assembly to declare vacant seats of MPs who defected from their parties. In this ruling, Chief Justice Unyolo pointed out that the Speaker of the national assembly could use a controversial provision to expel any MP who changed party affiliation. The learned Judge also said that the Court’s position is that section 65 is consistent with other provision of the constitution and is valid (am not sure about this!).

Malawians have reacted differently on this issue. Some still maintain that this constitutional provision need to be revisited and not used this time while some argue that the speaker need to use it during the budget sitting of parliament. UDF and MCP are so much happy with the ruling. One of them said, “I am failing to explain how excited we are in the UDF”. Some have argued that this s that this is democracy at its best and that truth has finally prevailed. In this regard, they expect the Speaker of the National Assembly to declare vacant seats of MPs that they think have crossed the floor. Some continues to argue that this will at the end lead to the collapse of Bingu Wamthalika’s government. A lot of things are happening as of now and we expect even more in the near future. Just yesterday (28/6/07) the High court granted an injunction stopping Speaker of the national assembly from using this section in the house as deliberate on the budge.

However, there are few questions that Malawians could have in mind regarding this section 65 and our current political situation. Firstly is this the right time for MPs to discuss issues of section 65? What is important for Malawians, section 65 or the budget? Of what benefit is this section 65 to the poor in the villages? Will our people in the villages directly benefit with this section 65?

In response to this, our MPs need to know that section 65 is not as important as the national budget. Malawians need the budget because this is the very life of the people. Malawians as of now need the budget and not section 65 because there is nothing in this section that Malawians in the villages could benefit from. In the budget there is food, road, bridges, schools and peoples salaries (including MPs salaries). In this regard, it is important that MPs in parliament should discuss budget which is the very life of the people who voted them into office. So it is uncomprehendable when we hear some politicians saying that to them section 65 is important than the budget. This is in the understanding that they want to discuss this section first before the budget. Such politicians who want section 65 more than the budget need to know that this mentality will create their own political gallows because soon or later the electorate will judge their actions.

As to whether this section will lead to the down fall of Bingu’s government, is something that some of us feels will not happen. This is because Malawi uses a presidential system where the president and his vice are elected separately.

Having said this, there is one aspect of this section that is worrisome to some of us. This aspect creates parliamentary dictatorship and anarchy. This is where the Supreme Court said that NEITHER THE HIGH COURT NOR THE SUPREME COURT HAS POWER TO DECLARE AS INVALID OR INVALIDATE A CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION. After reading through this judgment, I have come to realize that something is terribly wrong in our legal system is this is the position of the court in Malawi. Now if the courts say that they don’t have the power to intervene in such situations then who is the world is empowered to handle this? Also then what is the reason of having courts if they don’t have power to do something on what parliament implements? If this is the courts position then why are the courts there in the first place in a democratic Malawi?

If the Malawi court has no power to do something on what parliament implements then someday Malawians will be in for a rough ride when we shall have a party with majority MPs in the house. What am saying is that in such situation, majority MPs will be able to decide even to increase their salary to one Million kwacha or more and nobody will argue about it. Even this party in majority will be able to even the constitution in anyway they shall want and no one will say a thing about it become the courts shall be of no help. So in a way, section 65 ruling has reduced the authority of the courts in Malawi and has made Parliament supreme and powerful. This situation has made parliament untouchable because their decisions will be final and unchangeable a situation which is worrisome.

Now if Parliament is let like this is a democratic Malawi then shall be there to check them? To me the Supreme Court is best place to check all what parliament produces and see to it that our constitution is protected. Supreme Court is best placed to protect our constitution from abuse by our MPs in a situation where they are in majority. As things are now, it is really sad that our constitution has no one to protect it from any abuse. With this therefore, while some are happy with this section, Malawians should be sad about the whole situation because from this time onward, ANY PARTY IN MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT WILL BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTIN AND NO ONE WILL QUESTION IT.

In addition, in today’s Paper (29/7/07) (both nation and daily times), the Catholic Church has raised its voice asking MPs to concentrate on the budget and not section 65. Some politicians sadly enough in all these papers argue that the church should stay away from this whole issue and concentrate on preaching the gospel. To begin with, Malawian politicians need to know that Church and State will never be separated in as far as Malawi’s history is concern. You don’t separate these two because the church represents the voice of the voiceless poor in the villages. You can read more on Church and State in my other articles in my blog: www.zithandozami-qeko.blogspot.com

UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE GRADUATES

ITS A GREAT HONOUR TO BE PART OF THIS GREAT AND RICH HISTORY

Down here is a list of some of the great leaders and sons of Africa who went through the corridors of Fort Hare. Fort Hare prepared them to become the kind of leaders they are today. Of course some have gone to be with the Lord and may their soul rest in eternal peace (RIP). Many times I think big with coloured dreams and visions each time I walk down the same corridors that these great sons of africa once walked. Thus to be a fort harian means to dream big and in colours for the future and in this regard, to save Africa from the social, political and economic evils.

Briefly down here is the list of these graduates to mention but a few:

Dr. Nelson Mandela, Dr. Oliver Tambo, Dr. Robert Mugabe, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, Dr. Julius Nyerere, Dr. Joshua Nkomo, Sir Seretse Khama, Yusuf Lule, Bishop Dr. Desmond Tutu, Dr. Mangusuthu Buthelezi, Dr. Tshabalala Msimang, Dr. Motsepe Kasaburri to mention but a few.

This is Dr. Nelson Mandela the Greatest African States man of all time. He he lead in the fight against apartheid and in 1994, became the President of Republic of South Africa. He is admired by many around the world because of his good heart and love for all people, black and white.

This is Dr. Oliver Tambo the great ANC leader. He was also the great anti apartheid fighter and did alot to help african liberated. He was once the Chancellor of the University of Fort Hare






This is comrade Robert Mugabe the great son of Africa. He lead his country to independence in 1980. He still is the president of Zimbabwe. Though some people have problems with his adminstration, some of us who are so much conversant with the history of liberation of that country, dont have any problem at all. We need leaders who knows the destiny of their people and not just to do stuff to please colonialist. Robert Mugabe was once the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe before he officially became the president. The one thing I like about him is that he is doing alot to empower his people in terms of education.

Dr. Kenneth Kaunda remains the father and founder of the Zambia nation. He lead his country to independence in 1964. His name shall live forever in the history of Zambia because during his time zambia was one nation with one people (Zambian chabe-mulishane mwaishe!). He is a son of a Malawian missionary who trekked to Zambia to preach the gospel and finally stayed there. He was removed from power by Fredrick chiluba.

Dr. Julius Nyerera (RIP) was the father and founder of the federal republic of Tanzania. He united his country and the nation prospered and continues to move ahead. There has always been peaciful transition in Tanzania. We as Malawians regard Tanzanians as our very brothers and sisters and we shall do that.

Comrade Joshua Nkomo did alot in the liberation struggle of the nation of Zimbabwe. His name appear in all the history throughout. He was the Vice President of Zimbabwe. He is also one of those who went through the corridors of Fort Hare.

Far right we have Sir Seretse Khama the first president of Botswana who also walked down the corridoersof Fort Hare. Fort Hare prepared him in a way that he later played a key role in the liberation history of the Batswana people.

Dr. Tshabalala Msimang is the current Minister of Health in the Thabo Mbeki government in South Africa. She also went through the corridors of Fort Hare. This other guys is Yusuf Lule who ruled Uganda after Idi Amin Dada's government fell. But him too walked on these corridors.

This is the Bishop. He also went through the corridors of Fort Hare and its an honour for me to be part of this heritage. He is a retired Anglican bisho and a great freedom fighter.

This is Dr. Motsepe Kasaburri a member of the Thabo Mbeki Cabinet.