Kondwani Munthali -Malawi

I was out of the country for a whole good eight days, though stressful trip but I managed to have ample time to watch television sample the internet and follow on issues around the World. There was the report of Chris Brown and his alleged fight with Rihanna. Interestingly, Rihanna is now the victim, according to all versions and Brown, taken as a soft boy after Usher has seen his world crumble. Endorsements have been canceled left, right and centre. While domestic violence is a crime, perhaps the crowds of judges who have lashed out at Chris needs to give a dude some time and go through the issues properly. For one there was a fight yes, but what caused it we will know when justice starts its machinery, otherwise I saw it last time when Akon danced with a girl in Trindad, some big phone company rushed to make its cancellations, but seriously nobody wanted to know what the girl was doing underage in a club of 18. Of course for Brown, hey its time to control the emotions, otherwise with...

Registered Voters: Southern Region: 2,639,783 Central Region: 2,463,703 Northern Region (Minus Rumphi): 827,777 “For the North, it has always found itself on the wrong side of political tide because they fail to unite and understand that you can only claim what you own. They don’t own the Government and I moved in to bring that balance they have rejected Aford,” Chakufwa Tom Chihana told me in an interview soon after 2004 general elections. Now its seems the battle for 2009 elections will be fought in the Northern Region, with its 700,000 votes probably delivering a verdict on who becomes a President come 19 May, and probably who forms a largest coalition in Parliament. Northern Region has 31 seats and its voting influence extends to three more constituencies in Kasungu North, North North and North East while in Nkhotakota it managed to influence Nkhotakota North constituency, bringing in a total of 35 seats to bargain with. Posterity has not favoured the region in terms of its decisio...

So in earnest the journey towards our fourth multiparty general elections starts today. Malawi has been blessed as one of the few stable democracies in Africa and the most peaceful on the contienent. Never have we experienced any typre of violence. Of course the political drama already started with real and staged party conventions, staged and real party primaries and more importantly former President Bakili Muluzi's dream to start all over again as a President. I have written my analysis of the many issues that sorroung the three potential candidates names State President Bingu wa Mutharika, Leader of Opposition John Tembo and the former President and UDF candidate Bakili Muluzi. Much of it has come to pass and I am very glad. Yes, I said DPP has no structures to manage itself through primaries, I am glad two Ministers recalled my discussions with them and called me. For UDF how they can managed the situation of Muluzi will be entirely to them. For MCP it seems they have changed i...

Excerpts from my book: African Health Systems; The local solutions that have long impact, developed as part of my field work during my Nieman Year to be published by the end on 2009: The problems of accessing World Health Organisation (WHOAFRO) are a reflection of the many systems of Government that have all been characterised with poor leadership and bogged down by very few home grown ideas. A respected Malawian Dr. Habib Somanje is part of the office, though readily accessible during his days as director of preventive health in the Ministry of Health, efforts to locate him within the WHO offices took more than 103 days and thanks to his coming to Malawi in Janaury 2009 I was able to get his email contact for the first time. Decision making is the biggest problem in African health systems that even those that can make life saviong decisions on diseases like cholera have to sometimes wait for a central authority to release some basic treatments. International decisions have failed Afri...