AFRICA/MALAWI - “Women are the first to suffer violence unleashed by famine” says missionary

Lilongwe (Fides Service)- “The main concern at the moment is that the rain has suddenly stopped and crops are in danger of scorching before harvest time” says a missionary in Malawi a country suffering from famine in east Africa and a serious political institutional crisis.
“Unless it rains it will mean drought again but this time in the present situation of hunger. With corn ever scarcer and prices four times higher than established by the government, the situation could degenerate into violence as was seen in atrocious crimes in recent months committed by husbands against wives, or men on women. Unprecedented violence which is causing horror and has forced high level reflection, meetings, debates in government and among the country’s Churches. One husband cut off both his wife’s arms, another wife was killed for not submitting to the requests of her HIV+ husband... these crimes are daily events and lately there have been cases of wives killing their husbands”.
With regard to political situation the missionary says: “One thing is certain, politics in Malawi is never boring. At the moment for example president Bingu wa Mutharika is doing his best to give the impression that he dominates the nation”
“After telling parliament not to meet until he says so, in the name of his tolerance ‘zero’ approach he started attacking corruption. In the coming days we expect to have a sentence with regard to Yusuf Mwawa, former minister of education, MP for Balaka area and in the past UDF leader in parliament for a series of crimes ranging from theft to presentation of false identity papers. He risks 12 years in prison and his condemnation postponed for health reasons (never seen in trials of ordinary people) aims to demonstrate that any one who opposes the government will be punished”.
In prison several other MPs and opposition members. Those who have joined the party in power so far are not under investigation. In this atmosphere of manhunt for opposition members who have not yet learned to be quiet, there is the latest move by the presidency: the destitution of vice president Cassim Chilumpa. The President up for impeachment until yesterday now sacks the vice president, something not allowed by Malawi’s constitution. With five charges reduced to failing to fulfil his duties as vice president and working against the government, the president has practically sacked him, taking away his guards and automobile ... the High Court of Malawi blocked the president's injunction and the outcome of the president’s move will be decided in court.
Bakili Muluzi is still in Britain for health reasons not specified and the members of his party are fighting for the job as leader in Muluzi’s absence.
“An anonymous letter circulated in the capital Lilongwe, speaks of the President who is terminally ill and about to resign and who does not want the vice president to succeed him. Although the government has denied these rumours, the President’s many political moves are confusing political analysts who refuse to follow this dance out of time” the missionary concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/2/2006 righe 46 parole 603)