Chisomo Ngulube Writes

  Malawi’s Ombusdman Martha Chizuma had just released a damning report into unprocedural, nepotistic, tribalistic and irregular recruitments at the Malawi Communications Regulatory (MACRA), ahead of her confirmation appearance before the Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of Parliament for the job of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) director. This report was not a first, she had previously made hard-hitting revelations into abuse of office at the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority and the abuse of COVID-19 funds, to sample a few. In the reports, she recommended strong action that in some instances included firing of the officers involved. To sum it all, she stole the hearts of most Malawians who have been dying to see government take a strong aim at nepotism or any sort of favouritism in offering employment, promotions in government departments and institutions that draw from the public purse. Malawians were clearly placated by her nonsense approach to dealing with m...

Grace Kaudzu and I were in the same year at St. Mary's Secondary School back in our day. I must say she was really quite but loud with her exam marks! Our school had the 'bad habit' of posting everybody's end of term marks in a secured notice board! So we pretty much new who was what. Anyhow, Grace went on to study agriculture all the way to PhD level. In this article that first appeared on a USAID website, she talks about why women should have a prominent role in Malawi's agriculture. Some very impressive stuff really. According to Dr. Grace Kaudzu, Team Leader for the Seed Certification and Quality Control for the Ministry of Agriculture’s Seed Services Unit (SSU), the answer is simple.  “Women are the ones who put food on the table every day.  They also represent 40 percent of Malawi’s farming community and are willing to grow neglected crops that men ignore.  When it comes to agriculture, women should not just be sitting at the family table, but be a heard voice...

President Lazarous Chakwera's first 31-member cabinet has 12 women and Malawi's gender rights activists who had been pushing for the inclusion of more females in decision making positions have commended the decision. This is despite the numbers falling short of the 40 percent minimum for either gender as prescribed by law. But, they are not amused by the decision not to have a clearly stipulated Ministry of Gender and Disability and the fact that most of the women appointees (eight) are deputies.  

  When Malawians vote for a President in a fresh poll set for Tuesday June 23, 55.6 percent of the 6,859,570 registered voters will be women. On the ballot paper is the incumbent, seeking re-election Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party, Malawi Congress Party President Lazarous Chakwera and Mbakuwaku Movement for Development president Peter Kuwani and their running mates, all men.

The campaign period is over. Malawians vote in Tripartite Elections on Tuesday, May 21 2019. Fifty six percent of the 6,859,570 registered voters are women. There is no woman contesting for the presidency as was the case in the previous 2014 elections. But in the battle for Parliamentary seats, of the 1,333 contestants 304 are women representing 23%. If previous trends are anything to go by women’s success rate will hover at around 20-30%. This despite the 50-50 Campaign mounted to increase women’s participation in politics. I [Chisomo Ngulube (CN)] engaged Viwemi Chavula (VC) of the 50-50 Campaign Management Agency on the 2019 campaign.