Students and Industrial Strikes
Last week I attended a recruitment seminar in Blantyre for prospective journalism graduates from the Polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi. I may not have been a pivotal force in the education of the students, but at least I enjoyed teaching them an english literature course while they were freshmen. Of course they have since developed in mentality, outlook and pysche. I have high expectations of this class, and the one that came after them (now 3rd year). I believe fine journalists, writers and academics will emerge from these two classes! My prayer is that the graduating class will aim high..always!
Switching to another theme, I have been fascinated by the recent spate of industrial action in Malawi. The Labour Minister Yunus Mussa has been making 'surprise' visits to companies and factories and I have seen him on TV making statements on how a particular organisation is faring on conditions of service. He has also mediated in some industrial disputes of late. I appreciate that the minister has exposed alot of rot in many companies and as a result there is hope for improvement.
My worry though is that the process will be hijacked by greedy individuals who will start instigating strikes for no clear reason, while basking in the comfort that minister Yunus Mussa will likely rush to the concerned entity and intervene. I see a busy few months for Mussa!
PS: I'm glad to learn that Gabriel Kondesi, the radio pirate I alluded to in my previous post has not been jailed and that the authorities have promised to set up a proper community radio station in his area which Gabriel will head! Way to go Malawians!! I also appreciate those that have made various donations to Kondesi including a scholarship to study locally.
The Pirate, Service Delivery...
I was astounded by the story of Gabriel Kondesi a primary school drop-out who managed to come up with a 'community radio station' in Mulanje, southern Malawi. The 21-year old man contrived the 'station' from a car battery, TV aerial, cassette player and other odds and ends. Wow!! Pure genius! The only hitch was that it was a pirate radio and he ended up in trouble for his creativity.
I'm glad to learn that well-wishers and his family have managed to pay the 50-thousand Kwacha fine imposed by a court for the unlicensed radio. I appeal to the broadcasting community and business fraternity to help this young man achieve his dream of operating a radio station. Who knows what innovation Gabriel will come up with next given proper resources.
On another note I was in a government department a few weeks ago seeking to meet the head of the section for business purposes. I made two trips in vain, and when I tried to get the secretary's phone number to avoid making another fruitless journey to the office she shouted at me. 'Ayi, sindikufuna zondivutitsa ine'.
Loosely translated the woman was saying I could be a nuisance with the inquiries and she didn't want that. Really? I wondered what she was doing in that very busy and crucial office for her to say asking if the boss was around was a problem. I realised there is still a stronghold of poor service delivery in Malawi and lousy attitudes in the work place. Lord have mercy!
Rights for the Mentally Challenged and Moving On
Last week the Blantyre District Health Office moved to take off the streets of the city all mentally-challenged persons. What a sight to behold as Tv cameras captured scenes of mostly men being taken into 'custody' before being sent to Zombal Mental Hospital. Some of the 'captives' were shown lying on the floor, some making unintelligible sounds and yet others being shaved their unkempt hair.
I wondered if the rights of the patients were being respected by showing such footage on Malawi Television and in the case of Malawi Broadcasting Corporation screams and other sounds from the mentally-challenged individuals. Are we being told through such portrayals that those people do not have the right to privacy? As for me I found the scenes disturbing and disrespectful of the sick persons. Among those seized by the health authorities and policemen was a man I have known for years who calls me 'cousin' when he is feeling ok and can recognise me. Somehow I will miss his presence at Blantyre City Market.
After 10 years staying in one house in Nkolokosa township in Blantyre, I will have to move on next month end. The landlord and his sister came to give me notice to vacate the property saying their sibling was experiencing a severe financial down-turn, and has to take residence in the house. It is bitter-sweet experience! That is because it is the place I have called home for a decade and it is hard to imagine life elsewhere. But it is exciting as well to expect God's working to provide a bigger and better house which we definitely need as the family grows. Pray for me to find a house by November end preferably in the same township so that plans to host a home-cell do not get frustrated.
Cops and Jobs
The other day I was in a minibus travelling between Nkolokosa and Blantyre. The driver exclaimed in shock as he spotted a traffic police officer at the turn-off to Chilobwe township. "Shaaa...Matabwa!!". This was in apparent reference to the cop's name. The policeman stopped the minibus and duly 'arrested' it for stopping at an undesignated spot. The minibus driver tried to coax Mr Matabwa not to seize the vehicle all in vain. I understood why the driver had been gripped by fear upon the sight of the cop. Mr Matabwa is apparently a serious and dedicated police officer who doesn't do thing in half-measures. I saw him a ray of hope amidst the problematic officers who seem to be making headlines regularly these days including one who is alleged to have raped female suspect while she was in custody.
On another note, two very different people recently commented that it is very hard to get a job in Malawi especially when it's a young qualified person. These folks asserted that the old guard and those without higher qualifications are making it difficult for younger graduates to secure employment. The recurrent theme I got from those two people was 'fear of take-over'. Now if people are afraid of a take-over where do the graduates go? What will become of the call by the state president for people trained/educated abroad to come back to Malawi and help develop the country?
"Get lost...I repeat, get lost"
I was going through some old newspapers yesterday and I came across an article in the Malawi News of 14th February 2009. Of course there were alot of valentine messages and pictures of lovebirds. But what caught my eye was a letter from a reader written in chichewa, Malawi's main local language.
The reader was complaining about the conduct of a police officer around Ntaja in Machinga district. The writer alleged that after being arrested the cop started marching him towards a police station in the vicinity. Along the way the law enforcer reporterdly found money amounting to 12-thousand Kwacha or so in the man's pockets. It is claimed the policeman started threatening the man with a gun and then started saying 'Yendera yako' in other words: "Get lost". The complainant said the cop repeated the words and then ran away. He also said after reporting the matter to the 'culprit's' fellow officers, the man was promised that the money would be returned, a thing that never happened. Quite interesting!
If this indeed happened then there is still some way before the police reform programme that has been there for years (or did it wind up?) will show tangible fruit. I'm saying this because earlier this week the Daily Times wrote that police officials had harassed its reporters because they were taking pictures of a demolition exercise of illegal market stalls in Blantyre. Not long ago the Nation also said the police had forced its photo-journalist to delete pictures he took regarding a wrangle between passengers of an international bus company and operators of the vehicle.
The question remains whose interest are the law enforcers supposed to serve? Or in the case of the Machinga saga, who should be running away from who between a detained person and a policeman?
Eating and Saving a Life...
Troubling news came through on Sunday evening and it was to the effect that a distant relation in Machinjiri Township, Blantyre had hanged himself. Apparently the man, Rogers, had been going through severe financial problems and he thought the only way out was to commit suicide, leaving behind a wife and two very young children.
Those who witnessed the final moments of Rogers say he was still alive when he was taken to one of the hospitals in the city.
Unfortunately for the relatives who were trying to save the man's life, it was dinner time for nurses and other medics at the health facility! They reporterdly went on with their business of eating the evening meal as Rogers lay in poor condition. By the time the medical staff had finished enjoying dinner and started to check on Rogers, he was no more. Shocking!
Allegations of nurses being rude to patients and showing disregard to emergencies have been around for some time now. On one occasion I personally saw a mother holding a very ill young son rush into the hall of the referall hospital in Blantyre, QECH, to alert medics about the need for a trolley or a wheel-chair. Nobody seemed to care and the woman ended up handling the trolley herself...she was later assisted by a minibus conductor whose vehicle had kindly agreed to make a diversion to the hospital!
Is it that medical workers get so used to the ill that their hearts and souls get calloused:hardened to the point that a dying person, a mother in distress are trivia to them? Could it be demotivation due to financial or other reasons?
I'm baffled and I cannot find a mouth with which to narrate my astonishment!
On the shoulders...
It was my birthday two days ago and I felt quite old when some friend texted me a message citing my age. But then my sister reminded me how blessed it was to reach that age when other folks are dying younger than myself. I thank God to have eaten so many Christmases!
I heard my senior pastor make a quote of a famous scientist Isaac Newton that said 'If I see far it is because I stand on the shoulders of other people'. Profound! Many are a time we forget how family, friends and relatives have carried us to success. I can single out my mom, my sis Chitsanzo, late sis Anne, late aunt Pauline Kwacha, my uncle Don Mlenga, Rev Patrick Semphere, Mr Henry Yakobe, Victor Kaonga, Fletcher Ziwoya, late Don Chimera, the Baliles family, Bruce and Derek Zamaere as some of the people who I have stood on their shoulders on my way to some achievements in my life.
When the youth are having their values upside down it is important to have mentors to show them the way they should go. Having grown largely without a father, I know the need to have a father-figure, or a 'prophet' who will teach, correct and rebuke!
On another note I have been in Malawi for over a month now and I'm yet to find a job. It is easy to start thinking 'Maybe I should have stayed on in Europe' having met an unexpected responses from some bosses and organisations who seemed they would welcome me with three arms upon my return! Still, I feel I made the right move and everything will fall into place in good time. God is faithful, He will not let my foot slip (Psalm 121).
Stay blessed and focused on the goodness of God. May He prosper and encourage you!! Especially you who feel you are going nowhere!!
