Chisomo Ngulube Writes

Many Malawians may have not heard about Mayamiko's ethically designed clothing lines woven in Malawi, but Meghan Markle, wife to Prince Harry of Britain has. The couple, referred to in their country as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in South Africa for their tour of Africa on Monday, with Meghan, decked in a printed black and white wrap dress named Dalitso (meaning blessing) which according to the brand's website, was ethically made "by lovely humans" from locally sourced materials in Malawi. The dress which has already sold out is by British royal standards quite affordable at about US$86 but at around MK67,000 is out of reach for most Malawians. The brand says on its website that their textiles are hand picked from the local fabrics market in Malawi. "We work with a local cooperative of women traders to source the most exclusive prints and they are only enough to produce a very limited number of pieces," says the site. The garment...

Journalists the world over inform and educate the public about events and issues and how they affect people's lives; journalists help set the agenda and shape public discourse; journalists are not supposed to make news. But on Wednesday two journalists Gladys Nthenda a senior reporter for Kulinji.com and Golden Matonga of Nation Publications Limited made headlines when they were attacked and assaulted while covering demonstrations meant to force Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson justice Jane Ansah to step down. The harrowing tale of how Gladys' phone was snatched away, her pair of trousers torn all the while showing her official identification card leaves us wondering about the level of moral decay of our social fabric in which the decency of a woman is no longer as respected. I fear that such misogynistic attacks serve to compound the pressure that women journal...