BY: The church Correspondent
In commemorating Nelson Mandela’s 90th birth day, and inline with the spirit of giving back to the community, on the 17th of July, the City of Light Christian Church International in Alice donated Mathematics text books to the Mathematics Department of the University of Fort Hare at a ceremony which took place in the Department library room.
In his opening remarks, the Mathematics Head of Department Prof. B.B Makamba extended the word of appreciation for the Mathmatics text books donated to the department and the University at large. He said that the book donation has come at the right time and that they will use the book accordingly. Also speaking on behalf of the City of Light Christian Church Senior Pastor was Pastor Loyiso Maweza who briefly pointed out that it’s the mission of the church to serve the community where it ministers and that it does not only exist to preach the gospel but also empower the community through knowledge. Pastor Maweza concluded that the church has donated the books to the Department of Mathematics on this university because the University of Fort Hare is part of the community where it ministers.
Also speaking on the same function, Pastor Peter Qeko Jere added that the church is able to give such donations because of the help of their American Partners who are able to use the City of Light Church as the channel of blessings to the Alice community which include the University of Fort Hare. Pastor Jere added that the City of Light Christian Church has in the past months also donated Science and Mathematics text books to High Schools around Alice and Nkokobe Municipal which is in line with the Church main mission as recorded in the gospel of Matthwe 5:14. He therefore thanked the Mathematic department lecturers accepting to be used by God in the knowledge transfer process as they use the books donated.
Present during the function were Prof. Makamba (HoD), Prof. Van Dyke, Prof. Okecha, Dr. Sakile Ngcibi, Mahlasela Zuko, Odilo Ndiweni, Sunday Ogundare while the City of Light representatives include, Pastor Peter Qeko Jere, Pastor Loyiso Maweza and Pastor Munyai.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
RESPONSING TO WILSA-MALAWI ABORTION ISSUE
By: Peter Qeko Jere.
The news that women’s group led by WILSA-Malawi Executive Director, Seodi White have sued Malawi government over the abortion rights is sad, unmalawian, shocking, unchristian and so geared to tarnish the good image of Malawi’s God fearing society. We are aware that women have rights which need to be respected but we are not sure whether this includes the right to slaughter and intentionally shade innocent blood through the so called abortion.WILSA-Malawi’s main argument is (as in Nyasatimes of 30 April 2009) that when pregnancy is unwanted, a legal requirement to continue the pregnancy may constitute government intrusion on a woman’s body. Therefore they have taken government to court for as they argue, “failing to protect the women in the country”. Thus WILSA-Malawi wants our girls to be given the chance to terminate the so called, unwanted pregnancies. In so doing, WILSA-Malawi is advocating for the legalization of abortion in Malawi and that the penal code (149 & 150) be repealed.
In this brief article, I will be arguing that life and human rights begins at conception and that the unborn child has rights just like everybody else. I will also be arguing that abortion is murder, bloodshed of the highest order and should not be condoned in our society. In doing this, I have three point to argue my case.
Firstly is that what penal code 149 &150 stipulates is not a mistake but something which is geared to protect and promote Malawian culture, beliefs and identify. Law makers knew what they were doing to include this in our penal code. They were not drank or out of mind but very sober people who realized that they had to do justice to their country by putting in place something to safe-guide and protect the life of the innocent unborn child. Law makers knew and still know the history of this nation and what Malawi stands for. We don’t have to remind you that Malawi stands for peace while abortion is not peace, but the intentional slaughtering of the innocent unborn children.
Secondly is that Human Rights leaders do not have any idea as to where this nation is coming from. Malawi as a nation has its own unique history, culture, and beliefs which play major role when legalizing or not legalizing a strange way of life or anything that is not Malawian and outside our culture and tradition. Strange and unmalawian traditions are invading our society in the name of human rights and these includes, abortion, homosexualism and lesbianism. Now while we accept that people have rights, we at the same time should know that Malawians have their own unique culture and identity. Human Rights agencies need to understand issues of rights as Malawians, people who have their own unique culture. It is dangerous to understand issues of human rights outside the people’s culture.
Thirdly is that the unborn child has the same rights to life as everybody else.
Rights are God given, fundamental basic freedoms and entitlements that accrue to anybody by virtue of being human (that is to say, they inhere from within the individual). Since the unborn child (even hours after conception) is categorically a human being then this unborn needs protection under human rights. The right to life is such that it cannot be withdrawn from an individual even by the state. Rights and life begins at conception after which the unborn slowly develop in the womb and has full rights to life just like any other human beings. This does not mean therefore that the mother can just decide to terminate the pregnancy just like that. Terminating the pregnancy is stopping the development process and growth of a human being which is the same as committing murder. This is murder because human being development process starts soon after conception.
It is a scientific fact that life begins at conception when the first sperm penetrates the ovum forming a new 46 chromosome cell the process which forms a human being. It is scientifically proven that when a sperm and ovum join, there is a creation at that time a new living being; a being who has never before existed in the history of the world and never again will exist; a being completely intact and containing within himself or herself that totality of everything that that being will ever be; a being moving forward in an orderly process of growth and maturation, destined to live inside the mother for almost nine months and for as many as a hundred year outside.
Science has also proved the following; that even at 3 weeks when the mother is not even sure that she is pregnant, the genesis and beginning of every part of the child physiological features are there; that by the close of the first trimester the fetus is a sentient moving being; that at 10 days after conception (within a week), this tiny living human male or female sends a chemical hormonal message out into the mother’s body, which stops her menstrual periods. It is this tiny passenger who causes her breasts to enlarge in preparation for nursing, softens her pelvic bones to prepare for labour and without question, sets his or her birthday; that after 18-21 days the unborn is pumping through a closed circulatory system blood whose type is different from that of the mother; That at 6 weeks (1 1/2 months) after conception the brain of the unborn functions as measured on the Electroencephalogram machine (EEG); That at 7- 8 weeks, if we tickle the baby nose he will flex his head backward away from the stimulus and that at the same time you are able to listen to the heartbeat on an ultrasonic stethoscope machine; At 11 weeks, the face and all parts of the upper and lower extremities are sensitive to touch.
Responding to the question of whether the unborn feels pain and if ever he/she is human, the former President of America, Ronald Reagan said and I quote, “when the lives of the unborn are snuffed out, they often feel pain, pain that is long and agonizing”.
In support of President Reagan, group of 27 Medical Specialist, Pain Specialist, of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology said the following:
-That the human unborn and newly born do respond to stimuli is also a established beyond reasonable doubt
-That the ability to feel pain and respond to it is clearly not phenomenon that develops after birth. Indeed much of enlightened modern obstetrical practice and procedure seeks to minimize sensory deprivation of and sensory insult to, the fetus during, at, and after birth
-That the real time ultrasonography, fetoscopy, study of the fetal EKG (electrocardiogram) and fetal EEG (electroencephalogram) have demonstrated the remarkable responsiveness of the human fetus to pain, touch and sound.
-That the fetus responds to changes in light intensity within the womb, to heat, to cold and to taste (by altering the chemical nature of the fluid swallowed by the fetus) has been exquisitely documented in the pioneering work of the late Sir. Willaim Liley –the father of fetology.
-That observation of the fetal electrocardiogram and the increase in fetal movement in saline abortions indicate that the fetus experiences discomfort as it dies. One doctor who, the New York Times wrote, conscientiously performs Saline abortion stated, “when you inject the saline, you often see an increase in fetal movement, it’s horrible”.
Now the unborn child’s response to stimuli even at that early stay scientifically shows and demonstrates that life begins at conception. Since life begins at conception, it is proper therefore to say that the unborn (a human being developing) also need her/his protection just like everybody else. I am strongly arguing that what we have at conception is a human being who has full right to life hence terminating the pregnancy (in the name of unwanted pregnancy) is murder and bloodshed of the highest order. So when a girl has unwanted pregnancy, the solution is not abortion but to keep a child for adoption.
Calling for legalisation of abortion is promoting unsafe sex. This is because a girl can only abort if she gets pregnant and she gets pregnant if she have/had unprotected sex. So promoting abortion is the indirect way of advocating for unprotected sex which leads to not only pregnancies but also is a licence to the spread of HIV and Aids. WILSA-Malawi’s action on this matter is misplaced and wrong because this contradicts and defeats the efforts of other stakeholders’ working day in and day out fighting the spread of the deadly HIV and AIDS in Malawi. If WILSA –Malawi is saying “Yes” to abortion how will they advise Malawians girls on issues of HIV and AIDS? This is bearing in mind that both abortion and AIDS are the after effects of unprotected sex.
The news that women’s group led by WILSA-Malawi Executive Director, Seodi White have sued Malawi government over the abortion rights is sad, unmalawian, shocking, unchristian and so geared to tarnish the good image of Malawi’s God fearing society. We are aware that women have rights which need to be respected but we are not sure whether this includes the right to slaughter and intentionally shade innocent blood through the so called abortion.WILSA-Malawi’s main argument is (as in Nyasatimes of 30 April 2009) that when pregnancy is unwanted, a legal requirement to continue the pregnancy may constitute government intrusion on a woman’s body. Therefore they have taken government to court for as they argue, “failing to protect the women in the country”. Thus WILSA-Malawi wants our girls to be given the chance to terminate the so called, unwanted pregnancies. In so doing, WILSA-Malawi is advocating for the legalization of abortion in Malawi and that the penal code (149 & 150) be repealed.
In this brief article, I will be arguing that life and human rights begins at conception and that the unborn child has rights just like everybody else. I will also be arguing that abortion is murder, bloodshed of the highest order and should not be condoned in our society. In doing this, I have three point to argue my case.
Firstly is that what penal code 149 &150 stipulates is not a mistake but something which is geared to protect and promote Malawian culture, beliefs and identify. Law makers knew what they were doing to include this in our penal code. They were not drank or out of mind but very sober people who realized that they had to do justice to their country by putting in place something to safe-guide and protect the life of the innocent unborn child. Law makers knew and still know the history of this nation and what Malawi stands for. We don’t have to remind you that Malawi stands for peace while abortion is not peace, but the intentional slaughtering of the innocent unborn children.
Secondly is that Human Rights leaders do not have any idea as to where this nation is coming from. Malawi as a nation has its own unique history, culture, and beliefs which play major role when legalizing or not legalizing a strange way of life or anything that is not Malawian and outside our culture and tradition. Strange and unmalawian traditions are invading our society in the name of human rights and these includes, abortion, homosexualism and lesbianism. Now while we accept that people have rights, we at the same time should know that Malawians have their own unique culture and identity. Human Rights agencies need to understand issues of rights as Malawians, people who have their own unique culture. It is dangerous to understand issues of human rights outside the people’s culture.
Thirdly is that the unborn child has the same rights to life as everybody else.
Rights are God given, fundamental basic freedoms and entitlements that accrue to anybody by virtue of being human (that is to say, they inhere from within the individual). Since the unborn child (even hours after conception) is categorically a human being then this unborn needs protection under human rights. The right to life is such that it cannot be withdrawn from an individual even by the state. Rights and life begins at conception after which the unborn slowly develop in the womb and has full rights to life just like any other human beings. This does not mean therefore that the mother can just decide to terminate the pregnancy just like that. Terminating the pregnancy is stopping the development process and growth of a human being which is the same as committing murder. This is murder because human being development process starts soon after conception.
It is a scientific fact that life begins at conception when the first sperm penetrates the ovum forming a new 46 chromosome cell the process which forms a human being. It is scientifically proven that when a sperm and ovum join, there is a creation at that time a new living being; a being who has never before existed in the history of the world and never again will exist; a being completely intact and containing within himself or herself that totality of everything that that being will ever be; a being moving forward in an orderly process of growth and maturation, destined to live inside the mother for almost nine months and for as many as a hundred year outside.
Science has also proved the following; that even at 3 weeks when the mother is not even sure that she is pregnant, the genesis and beginning of every part of the child physiological features are there; that by the close of the first trimester the fetus is a sentient moving being; that at 10 days after conception (within a week), this tiny living human male or female sends a chemical hormonal message out into the mother’s body, which stops her menstrual periods. It is this tiny passenger who causes her breasts to enlarge in preparation for nursing, softens her pelvic bones to prepare for labour and without question, sets his or her birthday; that after 18-21 days the unborn is pumping through a closed circulatory system blood whose type is different from that of the mother; That at 6 weeks (1 1/2 months) after conception the brain of the unborn functions as measured on the Electroencephalogram machine (EEG); That at 7- 8 weeks, if we tickle the baby nose he will flex his head backward away from the stimulus and that at the same time you are able to listen to the heartbeat on an ultrasonic stethoscope machine; At 11 weeks, the face and all parts of the upper and lower extremities are sensitive to touch.
Responding to the question of whether the unborn feels pain and if ever he/she is human, the former President of America, Ronald Reagan said and I quote, “when the lives of the unborn are snuffed out, they often feel pain, pain that is long and agonizing”.
In support of President Reagan, group of 27 Medical Specialist, Pain Specialist, of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology said the following:
-That the human unborn and newly born do respond to stimuli is also a established beyond reasonable doubt
-That the ability to feel pain and respond to it is clearly not phenomenon that develops after birth. Indeed much of enlightened modern obstetrical practice and procedure seeks to minimize sensory deprivation of and sensory insult to, the fetus during, at, and after birth
-That the real time ultrasonography, fetoscopy, study of the fetal EKG (electrocardiogram) and fetal EEG (electroencephalogram) have demonstrated the remarkable responsiveness of the human fetus to pain, touch and sound.
-That the fetus responds to changes in light intensity within the womb, to heat, to cold and to taste (by altering the chemical nature of the fluid swallowed by the fetus) has been exquisitely documented in the pioneering work of the late Sir. Willaim Liley –the father of fetology.
-That observation of the fetal electrocardiogram and the increase in fetal movement in saline abortions indicate that the fetus experiences discomfort as it dies. One doctor who, the New York Times wrote, conscientiously performs Saline abortion stated, “when you inject the saline, you often see an increase in fetal movement, it’s horrible”.
Now the unborn child’s response to stimuli even at that early stay scientifically shows and demonstrates that life begins at conception. Since life begins at conception, it is proper therefore to say that the unborn (a human being developing) also need her/his protection just like everybody else. I am strongly arguing that what we have at conception is a human being who has full right to life hence terminating the pregnancy (in the name of unwanted pregnancy) is murder and bloodshed of the highest order. So when a girl has unwanted pregnancy, the solution is not abortion but to keep a child for adoption.
Calling for legalisation of abortion is promoting unsafe sex. This is because a girl can only abort if she gets pregnant and she gets pregnant if she have/had unprotected sex. So promoting abortion is the indirect way of advocating for unprotected sex which leads to not only pregnancies but also is a licence to the spread of HIV and Aids. WILSA-Malawi’s action on this matter is misplaced and wrong because this contradicts and defeats the efforts of other stakeholders’ working day in and day out fighting the spread of the deadly HIV and AIDS in Malawi. If WILSA –Malawi is saying “Yes” to abortion how will they advise Malawians girls on issues of HIV and AIDS? This is bearing in mind that both abortion and AIDS are the after effects of unprotected sex.
TIME, SEASON AND THE WRITING ON BAKILI MULUZI’S POLITICAL WALL
By: Peter Qeko Jere 2/4/09
The Malawi Electoral Commission has finally passed a political death sentence on the former president Bakili Muluzi who wanted to contest the 2009 Presidential elections though he already served his maximum of ten years. Many people came up with their own interpretation of section 83/3 of the constitution to determine the eligibility of Bakili Muluzi to contest this year’s election. Legal and political analysts had their own opinion on the highly debatable issue while the highest courts left the matter in the hands of the main electoral body to decide whether Muluzi was eligible to contest or not.
The announcement by the Malawi Electoral Commission means that Bakili Muluzi cannot contest this year’s election because he already served his maximum of ten years. It is a known factor that the Muluzi legal team will begin a long tiresome legal battle which they will by and large not succeed. In this brief article, my two main arguments are as follows; firstly that the words of Ecclesiastes 3 have been fulfilled in Malawi politics. Secondly is that divine darkness has covered the entire Muluzi team as they continue to fail to read the words of divine judgement written on his political wall.
In Ecclesiates 3, the bible clearly states that everything takes place within God designed time-flame. There is time when God opens the political door and there is also time when the same door can be shut and sealed forever. In God’s designed time-flame, there are activities which make up a season for a particular nation, political party or ordinary people. Nations, political parties and individuals have activities that take place around them. Activities determine the life-span of a particular Season. Seasons come, change and even go depending on the kind of activities that takes place in the life of an individual, nation or political party. For instance from 1964-1994, the nation went through the season of dictatorship and oppression under Dr. Banda. Then came the 10 years season of UDF’s oppressive rule where the UDF young democrats made Malawi hell on earth with the unspeakable brutality. Finally we are in a season of plenty with abundant blessings from the Lord as His Excellency the President Ngwazi Dr. Bingu Wamthalika leads the nation.
In the life of any nation, God appoints leaders to fulfil specific divine mandate and this is divinely designed in time-flame and dispensation. Our lives have time-flame where God gives us grace to fulfil specific tasks in a particular season. The life of a nation is also divided into time-flame where God appoints specific individual to lead His people and fulfil specific divine mandate from Him.
When it comes to time and seasons, it is God who opens up a season for a particular individual, party or nation to fulfil specific mission from above. Nothing takes place outside God’s knowledge and He is always in charge. For instance, it was God who chose Banda to rule Malawi for more than 30 years. During the Banda era, the Shire River crocodiles and brutality were some of the major activities that defined the season Malawi went through. We define this as the season of death, terror and darkness for the nation where innocent blood was shed.
When Malawians cried unto the Lord to redeem them from the autocratic rule of Dr. Banda, God open up another season where Bakili Muluzi became the first president in the multiparty Malawi. The Muluzi –Malawi season was opened from 1994-2004. God chose Muluzi and He gave him specific mandate to rule His people. Unfortunately due to corruption, tribalism, regionalism, nepotism and many other “isms”, Muluzi ruled without the guidance of God as evidenced from the many indicators during the latter part of his reign.
However the oppression, UDF Young democrats’ brutality, tribalism, nepotism and corruption forced Malawians to cry unto the Lord again for a new leader and heaven responded by providing His Excellency Ngwazi Dr. Bingu Wamthalika unto us. It is a known factor that before 2004, indicators were pointing towards the implementation of God’s plan for Bingu to rule Malawi. In this divine plan, it pleased God to used Bakili Muluzi as an instrument to have Bingu chosen. God did everything to create a situation where Muluzi had no option but to have Bingu chosen. Even if Muluzi was not around, God in His own greatness could still have created a way for Bingu to still take over from Muluzi and He could have done this in His capacity as God. What am saying here is that Muluzi was just an instrument or the tool that God used and not that it was him who did it all. Muluzi was just following that which was decreed by heaven before the creation of the world because according to God’s original plan, it was written before the creation of the world that His Excellency Ngwazi Dr. Bingu Wamthalika would rule Malawi from 2004 -2014 and no one has the power to stop the unstoppable God from doing His will upon the land.
Many attempts were made by Muluzi to remove Bingu but this has all failed. For instance, the nation went through the Muluzi’s third and open term bid, the impeachment and section 83/3 issues all of which were geared to remove Bingu. Muluzi’s plans and attempts shows that these plans were done with bad motives hence they couldn’t come to pass. In everything we do God checks the motives and if they are bad, He put a stop to them. All Muluzi’s plans failed due to bad motives behind them and God can not allow that and hence they all have publicly failed.
The failure of the third and open term was the writing on Muluzi’s political wall and his very signs of the times indicating that God didn’t want him to rule Malawi again. God closed the chapter for him and unfortunately he has ever been blind not to read the signs of the time and the writing on his political wall. The sign of the time and the writing on his political wall has ever been clear that God closed the chapter for him to rule Malawi. When God closes no one can open and Muluzi’s team needed and still need to read this clear writing on his political wall.
It is amazing that Muluzi and his entire team is so much in darkness that they cannot read the writing on the wall that God has hardened his heart so that he can easily be destroyed. Muluzi’s reaction to the MEC rejection shows how deep the darkness is in the camp and how publicly God will continue to humiliate him. Just as God hardened the heart of Pharoah, God has hardened the heart of Bakili Muluzi until he is fully destroyed. Due to this hardening of heart, Muluzi will not listen to anyone but trust his lawyers who are the very agents and instruments of his own political disaster story. This kind of darkness is unredeemable because Muluzi team is spiritually and intellectually challenged as they cannot understand, know, analyse or interpret the signs of the time and even read or comprehend the writing on his (Muluzi) political wall.
The Malawi Electoral Commission has finally passed a political death sentence on the former president Bakili Muluzi who wanted to contest the 2009 Presidential elections though he already served his maximum of ten years. Many people came up with their own interpretation of section 83/3 of the constitution to determine the eligibility of Bakili Muluzi to contest this year’s election. Legal and political analysts had their own opinion on the highly debatable issue while the highest courts left the matter in the hands of the main electoral body to decide whether Muluzi was eligible to contest or not.
The announcement by the Malawi Electoral Commission means that Bakili Muluzi cannot contest this year’s election because he already served his maximum of ten years. It is a known factor that the Muluzi legal team will begin a long tiresome legal battle which they will by and large not succeed. In this brief article, my two main arguments are as follows; firstly that the words of Ecclesiastes 3 have been fulfilled in Malawi politics. Secondly is that divine darkness has covered the entire Muluzi team as they continue to fail to read the words of divine judgement written on his political wall.
In Ecclesiates 3, the bible clearly states that everything takes place within God designed time-flame. There is time when God opens the political door and there is also time when the same door can be shut and sealed forever. In God’s designed time-flame, there are activities which make up a season for a particular nation, political party or ordinary people. Nations, political parties and individuals have activities that take place around them. Activities determine the life-span of a particular Season. Seasons come, change and even go depending on the kind of activities that takes place in the life of an individual, nation or political party. For instance from 1964-1994, the nation went through the season of dictatorship and oppression under Dr. Banda. Then came the 10 years season of UDF’s oppressive rule where the UDF young democrats made Malawi hell on earth with the unspeakable brutality. Finally we are in a season of plenty with abundant blessings from the Lord as His Excellency the President Ngwazi Dr. Bingu Wamthalika leads the nation.
In the life of any nation, God appoints leaders to fulfil specific divine mandate and this is divinely designed in time-flame and dispensation. Our lives have time-flame where God gives us grace to fulfil specific tasks in a particular season. The life of a nation is also divided into time-flame where God appoints specific individual to lead His people and fulfil specific divine mandate from Him.
When it comes to time and seasons, it is God who opens up a season for a particular individual, party or nation to fulfil specific mission from above. Nothing takes place outside God’s knowledge and He is always in charge. For instance, it was God who chose Banda to rule Malawi for more than 30 years. During the Banda era, the Shire River crocodiles and brutality were some of the major activities that defined the season Malawi went through. We define this as the season of death, terror and darkness for the nation where innocent blood was shed.
When Malawians cried unto the Lord to redeem them from the autocratic rule of Dr. Banda, God open up another season where Bakili Muluzi became the first president in the multiparty Malawi. The Muluzi –Malawi season was opened from 1994-2004. God chose Muluzi and He gave him specific mandate to rule His people. Unfortunately due to corruption, tribalism, regionalism, nepotism and many other “isms”, Muluzi ruled without the guidance of God as evidenced from the many indicators during the latter part of his reign.
However the oppression, UDF Young democrats’ brutality, tribalism, nepotism and corruption forced Malawians to cry unto the Lord again for a new leader and heaven responded by providing His Excellency Ngwazi Dr. Bingu Wamthalika unto us. It is a known factor that before 2004, indicators were pointing towards the implementation of God’s plan for Bingu to rule Malawi. In this divine plan, it pleased God to used Bakili Muluzi as an instrument to have Bingu chosen. God did everything to create a situation where Muluzi had no option but to have Bingu chosen. Even if Muluzi was not around, God in His own greatness could still have created a way for Bingu to still take over from Muluzi and He could have done this in His capacity as God. What am saying here is that Muluzi was just an instrument or the tool that God used and not that it was him who did it all. Muluzi was just following that which was decreed by heaven before the creation of the world because according to God’s original plan, it was written before the creation of the world that His Excellency Ngwazi Dr. Bingu Wamthalika would rule Malawi from 2004 -2014 and no one has the power to stop the unstoppable God from doing His will upon the land.
Many attempts were made by Muluzi to remove Bingu but this has all failed. For instance, the nation went through the Muluzi’s third and open term bid, the impeachment and section 83/3 issues all of which were geared to remove Bingu. Muluzi’s plans and attempts shows that these plans were done with bad motives hence they couldn’t come to pass. In everything we do God checks the motives and if they are bad, He put a stop to them. All Muluzi’s plans failed due to bad motives behind them and God can not allow that and hence they all have publicly failed.
The failure of the third and open term was the writing on Muluzi’s political wall and his very signs of the times indicating that God didn’t want him to rule Malawi again. God closed the chapter for him and unfortunately he has ever been blind not to read the signs of the time and the writing on his political wall. The sign of the time and the writing on his political wall has ever been clear that God closed the chapter for him to rule Malawi. When God closes no one can open and Muluzi’s team needed and still need to read this clear writing on his political wall.
It is amazing that Muluzi and his entire team is so much in darkness that they cannot read the writing on the wall that God has hardened his heart so that he can easily be destroyed. Muluzi’s reaction to the MEC rejection shows how deep the darkness is in the camp and how publicly God will continue to humiliate him. Just as God hardened the heart of Pharoah, God has hardened the heart of Bakili Muluzi until he is fully destroyed. Due to this hardening of heart, Muluzi will not listen to anyone but trust his lawyers who are the very agents and instruments of his own political disaster story. This kind of darkness is unredeemable because Muluzi team is spiritually and intellectually challenged as they cannot understand, know, analyse or interpret the signs of the time and even read or comprehend the writing on his (Muluzi) political wall.
FALSE PROPHETS IN MALAWI
By: Peter Qeko Jere
The current political situation in Malawi is closely linked to OT false propheticism. Reading through the line one see a lot of issues that could have been easily avoided if only current Malawian Prophets (church leaders) were true to themselves and our politicians. In this brief article, I want to show that false prophets in Malawi in the names of Revelands, Pastors, Apostles, Bishops and Evangelists continue to play a key role in the downfall of Malawi’s politicians. I will argue my case firstly by acknowledging the presence of both false and true prophets in Malawi today. Secondly I will show the behaviour of false prophets as opposed to true prophets. Finally I will show the damage false prophets can cause in the social political lives of not only ordinary people but politicians as well.
To begin with, biblical history shows that God did not only appoint Kings but also prophets to go alone with them as they lead the people. Prophets were there to communicate God’s mind to the king and not their own thoughts. These prophets categorically were divided into two; true and false prophets. Some of the true Prophets in the bible includes; Nathan who worked with King David (2 Sam 12), Isaiah who prophesied during the reign of following Kings of Judah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1); Jeremiah who prophesied during the time of the following kings, Josiah, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah (Jer 1: 1-3); Ahijah who prophesied during King Jeroboam (1 Kings 14), Elijah who prophesied against King Ahab (1 King 17, 18, 19, 21). False Prophets included Zedekiah son of Kenaanah who prophesied during the time of King Ahab and Jehoshaphat to mention but a few.
The bible reveals the characteristics and manners of a false prophet and how you can know them. Jeremiah (23:16-17) says that they speak vision of their hearts and not from the Lord. In doing this, they speak lies in the name of God where they falsely convince people that what they are saying is the word from the Lord while in actual sense, they speak their mind. Jeremiah (23:13-14) also says that these prophets many times cause many people to err and walk in lies. Ezekiel (13:22) asserts that these false prophets strengthen the hand of the wicked by lying to them in the name of God. Also it is important to say that these Prophets prophecies according to what their victims want to hear. They many times speak so as to make their victim happy while down their hearts they knows that they are telling lies. Finally these false prophets are like chameleon where they change colour and follows where the wind is blowing at that particular time for their own economic gains and not to speak the truth of the word of God.
Applying this to Malawi, there are some things that we need to know: firstly is that there are false prophets who are out there working so much hard to propagate lies from the devil and messing up people’s lives. Many have fallen victim of these wicked act of terror from these prophets because to them what matters more is to propagate lies for their own economic gain. By and large, Malawians have fallen victims of these prophets.
Secondly is that in Malawi we have many instances where some politicians and ordinary people have been misled by lies from these false prophets. For instance, for more than 30 years of Dr. Banda dictatorial rule, Prophets existed and continuously lied and never said the truth.
During the ten years of Bakili Muluzi’s reign, we had a bunch false prophets who continuously prophesied lies for their own economic gains. They went about to propagate wicked propaganda in the name of God that Malawians wanted Muluzi to rule the country through third and open terms bid. Such wicked and false prophets economically benefited from the Muluzi administration and could manufacture every kind of lie in the name of God. These false prophets are not able to read the signs of the times for a particular regime. In this regard, while patriotic citizens of the land were all saying no to third terms, some few confused prophets in the name of church leaders were behind the Muluzi third term bid.
The current political situation in Malawi is closely linked to OT false propheticism. Reading through the line one see a lot of issues that could have been easily avoided if only current Malawian Prophets (church leaders) were true to themselves and our politicians. In this brief article, I want to show that false prophets in Malawi in the names of Revelands, Pastors, Apostles, Bishops and Evangelists continue to play a key role in the downfall of Malawi’s politicians. I will argue my case firstly by acknowledging the presence of both false and true prophets in Malawi today. Secondly I will show the behaviour of false prophets as opposed to true prophets. Finally I will show the damage false prophets can cause in the social political lives of not only ordinary people but politicians as well.
To begin with, biblical history shows that God did not only appoint Kings but also prophets to go alone with them as they lead the people. Prophets were there to communicate God’s mind to the king and not their own thoughts. These prophets categorically were divided into two; true and false prophets. Some of the true Prophets in the bible includes; Nathan who worked with King David (2 Sam 12), Isaiah who prophesied during the reign of following Kings of Judah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1); Jeremiah who prophesied during the time of the following kings, Josiah, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah (Jer 1: 1-3); Ahijah who prophesied during King Jeroboam (1 Kings 14), Elijah who prophesied against King Ahab (1 King 17, 18, 19, 21). False Prophets included Zedekiah son of Kenaanah who prophesied during the time of King Ahab and Jehoshaphat to mention but a few.
The bible reveals the characteristics and manners of a false prophet and how you can know them. Jeremiah (23:16-17) says that they speak vision of their hearts and not from the Lord. In doing this, they speak lies in the name of God where they falsely convince people that what they are saying is the word from the Lord while in actual sense, they speak their mind. Jeremiah (23:13-14) also says that these prophets many times cause many people to err and walk in lies. Ezekiel (13:22) asserts that these false prophets strengthen the hand of the wicked by lying to them in the name of God. Also it is important to say that these Prophets prophecies according to what their victims want to hear. They many times speak so as to make their victim happy while down their hearts they knows that they are telling lies. Finally these false prophets are like chameleon where they change colour and follows where the wind is blowing at that particular time for their own economic gains and not to speak the truth of the word of God.
Applying this to Malawi, there are some things that we need to know: firstly is that there are false prophets who are out there working so much hard to propagate lies from the devil and messing up people’s lives. Many have fallen victim of these wicked act of terror from these prophets because to them what matters more is to propagate lies for their own economic gain. By and large, Malawians have fallen victims of these prophets.
Secondly is that in Malawi we have many instances where some politicians and ordinary people have been misled by lies from these false prophets. For instance, for more than 30 years of Dr. Banda dictatorial rule, Prophets existed and continuously lied and never said the truth.
During the ten years of Bakili Muluzi’s reign, we had a bunch false prophets who continuously prophesied lies for their own economic gains. They went about to propagate wicked propaganda in the name of God that Malawians wanted Muluzi to rule the country through third and open terms bid. Such wicked and false prophets economically benefited from the Muluzi administration and could manufacture every kind of lie in the name of God. These false prophets are not able to read the signs of the times for a particular regime. In this regard, while patriotic citizens of the land were all saying no to third terms, some few confused prophets in the name of church leaders were behind the Muluzi third term bid.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Gay conviction and sentencing a positive development.
By: Peter Qeko Jere
The news that the court in Malawi sentenced the gay couple to 14 years in prison is most welcome, good and a positive step towards protecting our society from foreign influences. Though they are released, these two were firstly convicted of gross indecency and unnatural acts before the Judge sentenced them to 14 years IHL under section 153 of the penal code. These two are allegedly agents of gay institutions across the globe who are doing everything possible to poison and contaminated African societies with abomination and detestable life style that is against the norms of African tradition, culture and religious beliefs.
It was during the Xmas season that the gay couple, Steve Monjeza and Tionge Chimbalanga, were arrested by the Malawi police for holding the unnatural engagement ceremony. At first Malawians thought it was a joke that two men were engaged to each other though relief came when the police had them arrested. They were arrested because they violated the laws of the land which stipulates that unnatural sexual act (homosexualism) is illegal in Malawi. According to Malawi’s supreme tradition, cultural and religious values, it is un-malawian for a man to marry a fellow man or a woman to marry a fellow woman. What Malawians know is that marriage is for a man and a woman and this has been the Malawian way of life ever since. Anything to the contrary is abomination and a taboo.
The arrest and sentencing of the gay couple continue to open the floodgates of criticism and anger from Western donor nations and human rights activists across the globe. their overseas Masters, the human rights organisations in many parts Africa and Malawi in particular continue to criticise government for the sentencing of the two and says that the rights of minorities have been violated. For instance, the Malawi Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (MCHRR) condemned the sentencing and says that the gay couple’s human rights have been violated. Amazingly MCHRR says that they are particularly disappointed with the sentencing because the crime the two have been convicted of (homosexualism) is not a serious offense. However MCHRR should know one thing; that homosexual may not be a serious offense to them and their Masters (Western nations) but this remains an abomination as far as Malawi is concern and infact this is a taboo. In as much as MCHRR and other rights activists have to speak for their Masters overseas on this gay issue, they should realise that they are in Malawi where things are done the Malawian way. These human rights agencies should know that the fact that homosexualism is allowed and legalised in USA, UK and other European nations does not mean that this can be legalised in Malawi because Malawi is different from USA, UK in terms of culture, tradition and religious beliefs.
Also these rights agencies should learn to respect the cultural and tradition values that Malawi has and should not sink so low to the point of asking government to legalise abomination. How do you open your mouth to ask for the legalisation of a wicked way of life in the name of promoting human rights? Even if Malawi is poor, it does it means that we have to accept anything just because it’s the donor community demanding of us. Acceptance depends on whether what they want us legalise is in line with Malawi’s culture, tradition and religious value.They also should know that the more they make noise against the sentencing, the more they become unpopular amongst Malawians.
Western donor nations have threatened to withdraw aid to the country so as to force Malawi recognise and legalise homosexuality. And in an effort to enforce their colonial authority, 65 British MPs signed a House of Common motion condemning Malawi’s while the Scottish MPs threatened to ask the Scottish government to withheld aid to Malawi until the two gay men are released. Britain, Norway, German and the USA who contribute about 40% of Malawi’s budget support have expressed their concern. The British says they are dismayed while the US State department says they are appalled by the sentence and called on the Malawi Government to respect the human rights of all its citizens while the Amnesty International in support of this abomination, have adopted the two gay men as prisoners of conscience and have asked Malawi Government to immediately and unconditionally release them.
In all this however, what is the main agenda of these western donor nations and why are they more interested in this issue? Don’t they know that on the 6 July 1964 Malawi became a sovereign state? Yes they may be economically supporting Malawi but that does not mean that they can still through their financial muscle dictate the terms of life for Malawian people.
It is wrong that even in the 2st Century western nations still wants to indirectly colonise African countries in the name of human rights and the so called “freedoms”. They are bankrolling huge sum of money to promote their wrong concept of life without considering that in Africa and Malawi in particular, people have values which can not easily be bought with donor money. Malawians will remain Malawians and can not be forced to accept detestable and abominable way of life in their society in the name of human rights and to make donors happy. Donors need to accept the fact that Malawi as a sovereign state has its own cultural values which does not accommodate and accept homosexualism. It is better to live in poverty with our head high than to accept or legalise homosexualism and get this money from the west.
Having said this, the donor community should be civilized enough and know that they don’t have the right whatsoever to force Malawians to legalise homosexuality. Just as there are things that western nations can accept in their society, we also in Africa and Malawi in particular have some things which though they may be bad for Europeans, they still remain good for us. Also there are things that though they may be good to western nations, they still remain detestable for Africans and Malawi in particular hence the best thing is for both western and African nations to respect each other’s point of view. Western nations should not impose on Malawi what they think is good for them because theirs is not the standard for all and also that Malawi is different from Western nations in terms of values. Western nations should know that Malawians are people of value and they respect their tradition, culture and religious beliefs which by and large shapes their daily lives. Malawians are people who believe in their culture which does not accept strange way of life particularly homosexualism.
Some have argued that sentencing of the gay couple contradicted the conventions that Malawi signed. However the fact Malawi is a signatory to the said human rights conventions does not mean that we are bound to apply everything thereof even to the point of legalising the abominable way of life into the country against our cultural and religious values. Countries are free to apply human rights guided by other statue which governs them. The so called conventions are not an end to themselves. In addition to the convention and the country’s constitution, there are some norms which are cultural and can turn the tables if not properly handled. What we are saying is that the so called human rights conventions have to be crosschecked with the laws of the land and what the culture of the people say about them. All nations of the world have different values and tradition which shapes their existence and in this regard, Malawi cannot accommodate homosexualism in the name of promoting human rights.
Now those who are unhappy with the sentencing of the two should know that Malawi is a religious society where 75% are Christian, 20% muslims and 5% African Tradition beliefs and others. Both Muslims and Christians (who make up 95%) do not accept homosexual way of life In this regard, western nations should know better the dynamics of Malawi religious life which plays supreme role in the way major decision are made. It is dangerous to undermine the role of religious institution in Malawi because about 95% of the population belong to such organisations and their influence in the way things are done is clearly known.
However below are the addition reasons why Malawians will never accept same sex marriage. Firstly is that religious and cultural values has taught Malawians that it is an abomination for man to marry a fellow man or a woman have it with a fellow woman. What Malawians know is that God created Adam and Eve to complement each other and not James and John. How do you expect a man to compliment a fellow man in the first place?
Secondly Malawians are aware of the various biblical stories where due to homosexual way of life, God destroyed the entire city of Sodom. God rained down burning fire and brimstone on the city of Sodom and Gomorrah where every living thing perished apart from Lot and his daughters. Thirdly Malawians are aware of what happened in the Judges 19 where due to homosexual behaviour of the people of Gibeah, God had it destroyed. Also no Malawian can forget Leviticus 18:22 where God declares, “Thou shall not lie with mankind as with womankind, it is an abomination”(KJV). If God Himself declares that homosexualism is detestable then who are we Malawians to go against the Lord’s command? Western donor nations may have chosen to disobey God on this one but they should not force Malawi to do likewise because Malawians knows better who God is
Finally Malawians knows very well that homosexual behavour degrades human dignity, offends and violates the law of nature while at the same time this practice moral values. So Malawians themselves as custodian of their tradition and religious values have the responsibility to safe guide and protect the nation from any foreign ideology (ie homosexualism). Legalising homosexualism could lead to collective punishment from God upon the land. Just as God destroyed Sodom because of this abomination, the same God could destroy the entire Malawi if this is legalised.
The news that the court in Malawi sentenced the gay couple to 14 years in prison is most welcome, good and a positive step towards protecting our society from foreign influences. Though they are released, these two were firstly convicted of gross indecency and unnatural acts before the Judge sentenced them to 14 years IHL under section 153 of the penal code. These two are allegedly agents of gay institutions across the globe who are doing everything possible to poison and contaminated African societies with abomination and detestable life style that is against the norms of African tradition, culture and religious beliefs.
It was during the Xmas season that the gay couple, Steve Monjeza and Tionge Chimbalanga, were arrested by the Malawi police for holding the unnatural engagement ceremony. At first Malawians thought it was a joke that two men were engaged to each other though relief came when the police had them arrested. They were arrested because they violated the laws of the land which stipulates that unnatural sexual act (homosexualism) is illegal in Malawi. According to Malawi’s supreme tradition, cultural and religious values, it is un-malawian for a man to marry a fellow man or a woman to marry a fellow woman. What Malawians know is that marriage is for a man and a woman and this has been the Malawian way of life ever since. Anything to the contrary is abomination and a taboo.
The arrest and sentencing of the gay couple continue to open the floodgates of criticism and anger from Western donor nations and human rights activists across the globe. their overseas Masters, the human rights organisations in many parts Africa and Malawi in particular continue to criticise government for the sentencing of the two and says that the rights of minorities have been violated. For instance, the Malawi Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (MCHRR) condemned the sentencing and says that the gay couple’s human rights have been violated. Amazingly MCHRR says that they are particularly disappointed with the sentencing because the crime the two have been convicted of (homosexualism) is not a serious offense. However MCHRR should know one thing; that homosexual may not be a serious offense to them and their Masters (Western nations) but this remains an abomination as far as Malawi is concern and infact this is a taboo. In as much as MCHRR and other rights activists have to speak for their Masters overseas on this gay issue, they should realise that they are in Malawi where things are done the Malawian way. These human rights agencies should know that the fact that homosexualism is allowed and legalised in USA, UK and other European nations does not mean that this can be legalised in Malawi because Malawi is different from USA, UK in terms of culture, tradition and religious beliefs.
Also these rights agencies should learn to respect the cultural and tradition values that Malawi has and should not sink so low to the point of asking government to legalise abomination. How do you open your mouth to ask for the legalisation of a wicked way of life in the name of promoting human rights? Even if Malawi is poor, it does it means that we have to accept anything just because it’s the donor community demanding of us. Acceptance depends on whether what they want us legalise is in line with Malawi’s culture, tradition and religious value.They also should know that the more they make noise against the sentencing, the more they become unpopular amongst Malawians.
Western donor nations have threatened to withdraw aid to the country so as to force Malawi recognise and legalise homosexuality. And in an effort to enforce their colonial authority, 65 British MPs signed a House of Common motion condemning Malawi’s while the Scottish MPs threatened to ask the Scottish government to withheld aid to Malawi until the two gay men are released. Britain, Norway, German and the USA who contribute about 40% of Malawi’s budget support have expressed their concern. The British says they are dismayed while the US State department says they are appalled by the sentence and called on the Malawi Government to respect the human rights of all its citizens while the Amnesty International in support of this abomination, have adopted the two gay men as prisoners of conscience and have asked Malawi Government to immediately and unconditionally release them.
In all this however, what is the main agenda of these western donor nations and why are they more interested in this issue? Don’t they know that on the 6 July 1964 Malawi became a sovereign state? Yes they may be economically supporting Malawi but that does not mean that they can still through their financial muscle dictate the terms of life for Malawian people.
It is wrong that even in the 2st Century western nations still wants to indirectly colonise African countries in the name of human rights and the so called “freedoms”. They are bankrolling huge sum of money to promote their wrong concept of life without considering that in Africa and Malawi in particular, people have values which can not easily be bought with donor money. Malawians will remain Malawians and can not be forced to accept detestable and abominable way of life in their society in the name of human rights and to make donors happy. Donors need to accept the fact that Malawi as a sovereign state has its own cultural values which does not accommodate and accept homosexualism. It is better to live in poverty with our head high than to accept or legalise homosexualism and get this money from the west.
Having said this, the donor community should be civilized enough and know that they don’t have the right whatsoever to force Malawians to legalise homosexuality. Just as there are things that western nations can accept in their society, we also in Africa and Malawi in particular have some things which though they may be bad for Europeans, they still remain good for us. Also there are things that though they may be good to western nations, they still remain detestable for Africans and Malawi in particular hence the best thing is for both western and African nations to respect each other’s point of view. Western nations should not impose on Malawi what they think is good for them because theirs is not the standard for all and also that Malawi is different from Western nations in terms of values. Western nations should know that Malawians are people of value and they respect their tradition, culture and religious beliefs which by and large shapes their daily lives. Malawians are people who believe in their culture which does not accept strange way of life particularly homosexualism.
Some have argued that sentencing of the gay couple contradicted the conventions that Malawi signed. However the fact Malawi is a signatory to the said human rights conventions does not mean that we are bound to apply everything thereof even to the point of legalising the abominable way of life into the country against our cultural and religious values. Countries are free to apply human rights guided by other statue which governs them. The so called conventions are not an end to themselves. In addition to the convention and the country’s constitution, there are some norms which are cultural and can turn the tables if not properly handled. What we are saying is that the so called human rights conventions have to be crosschecked with the laws of the land and what the culture of the people say about them. All nations of the world have different values and tradition which shapes their existence and in this regard, Malawi cannot accommodate homosexualism in the name of promoting human rights.
Now those who are unhappy with the sentencing of the two should know that Malawi is a religious society where 75% are Christian, 20% muslims and 5% African Tradition beliefs and others. Both Muslims and Christians (who make up 95%) do not accept homosexual way of life In this regard, western nations should know better the dynamics of Malawi religious life which plays supreme role in the way major decision are made. It is dangerous to undermine the role of religious institution in Malawi because about 95% of the population belong to such organisations and their influence in the way things are done is clearly known.
However below are the addition reasons why Malawians will never accept same sex marriage. Firstly is that religious and cultural values has taught Malawians that it is an abomination for man to marry a fellow man or a woman have it with a fellow woman. What Malawians know is that God created Adam and Eve to complement each other and not James and John. How do you expect a man to compliment a fellow man in the first place?
Secondly Malawians are aware of the various biblical stories where due to homosexual way of life, God destroyed the entire city of Sodom. God rained down burning fire and brimstone on the city of Sodom and Gomorrah where every living thing perished apart from Lot and his daughters. Thirdly Malawians are aware of what happened in the Judges 19 where due to homosexual behaviour of the people of Gibeah, God had it destroyed. Also no Malawian can forget Leviticus 18:22 where God declares, “Thou shall not lie with mankind as with womankind, it is an abomination”(KJV). If God Himself declares that homosexualism is detestable then who are we Malawians to go against the Lord’s command? Western donor nations may have chosen to disobey God on this one but they should not force Malawi to do likewise because Malawians knows better who God is
Finally Malawians knows very well that homosexual behavour degrades human dignity, offends and violates the law of nature while at the same time this practice moral values. So Malawians themselves as custodian of their tradition and religious values have the responsibility to safe guide and protect the nation from any foreign ideology (ie homosexualism). Legalising homosexualism could lead to collective punishment from God upon the land. Just as God destroyed Sodom because of this abomination, the same God could destroy the entire Malawi if this is legalised.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
THE SERIOUSNESS OF MALAWI'S 2009 GENERAL ELECTIONS
Lets face the reality
By: Peter Qeko Jere
A quick analysis into the 2009 Parliamentary and Presidential elections in Malawi shows that these elections are very crucial in the life of the country. These elections are very important because the results there will determine the social, political, economic and spiritual destiny of the Church and entire Christian body in Malawi. Thouhg some may not like to hear this but it is an absolute truth as far as these coming elections are concerned. We have therefore put down some few points to show and demonstrate how serious these elections are to Malawians.
Firstly is that the 2009 General Elections will be about Malawian Christians response to the question of whether there are ready and willing to be ruled by a Moslem president for the second time. It is a fact that Christians who are 80% in the country have a larger voice or say in determining the political destiny of anyone who would want to rule the country which at the same time brings religion into the power of Christianity in Malawi. What we mean is that any politician who wants to rule Malawi can not avoid the church because it is in majority and controls the destiny of the country and that of any presidential aspirant. Thus next year’ s elections are about whether Catholics, Presbyterians (Livingstonia, Nkhoma and Blantyre CCAPs), SDA, Baptists, Assemblies of God, Living Waters, Calvary Family and all charismatic and Pentecostal churches are ready to be ruled by a Moslem president for the second time. Some would get angry as to why we are bringing this issue into the picture now because they don’t want people to talk about real issues in Malawi’s politics. They may as well rebel us religious confusionists or call us any name suitable for them but the truth on the ground in Malawi remain that next year’s elections are so much crucial in the live of Malawian Christians because the results will affect the entire destiny of individual Christians and the church. What we mean also is that these elections will decide the destiny of the church in terms of propagation of the gospel because things can’t and will not be the same in situation where a president is a Moslem as we witness the last decade of UDF rule. We don’t have to pretend but become so much real and face reality here because 2009 election is about the destiny of the church and individual Christian whether we like it or not.
We argue this because it was during that troubled and trying time when we had a Moslem President (1994-2004) that Malawians lost Bible Knowledge as a course for student to pursue. We have in memory how the Catholic Bishops and the clergy fraternity tried and worked so much hard to save bible knowledge that hour. This course which some of us took during our old secondary school days has been diluted and its not the same again and will also not be the same anymore. We need to understand and not pretend that in any situation what matters in the kind of president you have in a country because he is the one who is at the heart of any policy. The most worrisome and threatening thing in their campaigns today is that Bakili Muluzi and his entire team are not saying anything regarding what they will do with existing policies in Education, Religion and others. They need to come to the open and tell the nation what they have and what they plan to do and not surprise us as they did when they were removing the bible from its rightful place in the syllabus. We are skeptical because if he comes again he will end up completely removing the bible in schools. Since 80% of Malawians are Christians, what is needed is bible knowledge and not religious and moral education. Removing and playing games with bible knowledge as Muluzi and his government did was stepping on the foot of the Malawi Church and it’s from such actions that the church can not be comfortable to hear of his coming back into politics. Therefore, the church and church leaders should realize that next years elections are not just like the other elections they have been having in Malawi because these ones are crucial in the life of the Malawi church.
Secondly the 2009 elections are about the decision that Malawians will have to make in order to protect the economic destiny of the country from collapsing again. That vote will be crucial because it will have the power to decide whether Malawians are ready to have their economy flashed into the toilet again? Malawians are aware and have vivid memories of how the economy was quickly flashed into a deep toilet the past ten years of UDF rule. The economy that Dr. Banda left was messed up and ordinary Malawians became poor faster than they could realise. There was no food at all and this was terrible and every family was affected. For some of us who have relatives in our villages, life was never easy because even if you wanted maize, you couldn’t get any because we heard that it was sold to Kenya. That difficult time, people left their villages so that they should die in town with their relatives. The idea was that it was better to go to town and eat whatever little those in towns were eating to survive. At the same time, the national riches were being consumed by the few elite mainly those close the President. They became richer faster than never before and there was no one to question the source of their income. They became millionaires and billionaires and the poor Malawians continued to live in poverty and misery. Now that we have our economy restored and we have food again, next year’s election will be so crucial because it will be about protecting that which Malawian have and are enjoying at the moment.
Thirdly the election is about the impact of religion and tribalism in the country’s politics. There are some few indicators that shows that in Malawi religion and tribalism plays a huge role in the political decision that people can make. Some people make decision based on their religious beliefs and others its because of both religion and the tribe they come from. For instance, a critical analysis of Bakili Muluzi and those who follows him, reveals that they do so because of their religion and tribal affiliation. This is clear because the UDF catchments areas of Machinga and Mangochi are full of people whose key influence is religion and tribalism. They follow him not because he is a great man with great idea but because he is someone from their religion and also because they relate with him very well in terms of their tribal background. This is what we may called blind politics where key issues and ideology are not issues at all but religion and tribal background. It is worse because leaders like Bakili Muluzi know that the support they get from their catchment’s areas is not because of their political brilliancy but because of their religious and tribal affiliation. This is the way how politicians abuses the tribal and ethnic divisions which creates resentments from other quarters. Like wise John Tembo, has some support in the central region not because he is great politicians but because he is a home boy from among the chewa people. Therefore next year’s elections will show us which part of the country practice tribal politics.
Finally, this election is crucial in Malawi because for the first time MPs will the severely punished by the power of the vote because of playing games with the budget. It has become so much clear that some MPs openly advocate for the implementation of section 65 over the budget and the good thing is that ordinary Malawians, who have the destiny of these politicians in their hands, are aware of everything they are doing and they are waiting for the right time and right moment to have them punished. As we pointed somewhere else, section 65 has nothing to do with the poor people in our villages and these are two different thing and MPs don’t have to used this as an issue to the point of refusing to have the budget passed. Malawians MPs mainly those from opposition will be in for a rough ride because they have not done enough to develop their constituencies and have ended up enriching themselves and at the same time they refuse the have the budget passed something which is there to help the poor.
WHY CLERGY CAN'T SUCCEED IN MEDIATING PEACE TALKS IN MALAWI
BY: Peter Qeko Jere
In Malawi political economy, the church has been instrumental to help bring about change in the country. From time in memorial the church has been a the forefront helping in the struggle for change. We don’t have to remind you that it was the church in the late 1800s which saved the southern part of Malawi (then Nyasaland) from the Portuguese occupation. What we mean is that if it was not for the church, Blantyre and the entire shire valley could have been part of Mozambique today. But it took the church of Christ in Malawi to fight this war and save the situation. It was also the church which played a strategic role in the fight against colonialism in the country. It was the church again which helped a lot in the fight against Dr. Banda and bring about democracy in the country. In Malawi there is the unwritten law which states that you don’t talk of the birth of multiparty democracy without mentioning the church. We don’t have to forget the Roman Catholic’s Pastoral letter which revolutionize the country.
Due to the history and work the church has done in the past, Malawians have lived to trust that in times of any conflict, the church is the only institution to consult. It is in this vain that even in the madness in parliament over section 65 and the budget, politicians remembered that the best way forward to the issue was to involve the church leaders. Politicians realized that they not capable of bringing peace amongst each other because they don’t have that peace in the first place hence they called the clerics to mediate the political impasse. Many unfortunate things took place in the August house such that some wanted the house adjourned and give the chance to the peace talks.
While church leaders’ responsibility in our society is unique and appreciated, there are some few things that we want to bring to the attention of everybody so that you should know the exact position of the church in Malawi.
The first thing is that in Malawi, the church is badly positioned and can not be effective in mediation. The Malawi church need divine medication healing. There are issues in within the church body that need to be solved. Such issues include tribalism, favouritism, corruption and others. We have interchurch conflict between Livingstonia and Nkhoma Synod where this time around Livingstonia has penetrated part of the Central region. There are church internal leadership conflicts where leaders have taken each other to court and particularly in the Anglican, PIM and SDA. Church leaders have resolved to use the court to solve their issues since they fail to agree on one thing or the other. Also there are allegations of church leaders in the Blantyre Synod who pocketed some money from Bakili Muluzi, who is also a Muslim, with an aim of promoting him in within the Synod. This has shocked the entire Christian fraternity that church leaders can go this far and they ask that if the leaders are doing this then what about an ordinary member of the church? Unfortunately leaders have become instruments that politicians have targeted to manipulate and used in propagating their agendas.
The second thing is that the church in Malawi need to put its house in order first before it begins to get involved in mediating peace at the national level. This is because the church is not qualified to handle national issues this time around because its house is not in order. How can the church leadership be instrument of peace and unity when they themselves do not have the peace and can live in unity? How will they prescribe peace and unity to politicians when they don’t know the definition of peace and unity? Peace making is for those who stay and live in peace. You only give that which you have and you cant give something which you don’t have.
To our view, this team of religious leaders involved in the so called peace talks, should have convened to help solve all religious issues in the country. They should convene to help solve issues in the Anglican Church, the PIM, the SDA, the Nkhoma/Livingstonia Synod, Blantyre Synod corruption saga and others. Church leaders should help each other in unifying the broken churches so that they can be effective in peace making at a national level. Church leaders should be there for each other when the things are bad. Its not proper for leaders to convene with an aim of solving issues at a national level when hot and burning issues are destroying the church. Such meetings should be made to help solve church problems first before national issues are sorted out.
Thirdly is that the Church in Malawi should realize that mediating unity and peace talks is not just about sitting down and telling people what the bible say about unity and peace. They should know that this process to a large extend is about demonstrating what you have to those in conflict. This is about revealing the peace strategies that have sustained the church in years and ask politicians to emulate from the church. This is about giving out that which they live daily. Now it becomes a problem when church leaders’ lives are in a mess because many times ordinary people are too observant and they know the kind of life church leaders live and if they can be trusted. As earlier said here, you only give that which you have. If the church leaders have too much conflicts in within themselves, they can not be effective in any mediation talk.
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