President Joyce Banda, 62, emerged as Africa's second female president on April 7th 2012 after her predecessor, Malawian President Bingu Wa Mutharika, died of heart attack. She promised to shake things up and improve relations with aid donor countries.
One of the steps she took recently was the decision not to extend invitation to President Omar Al Bahsir of Sudan, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for gross human rights abuses. But the more controversial of her agenda to restore the flow of foreign aid to one of the world's poorest countries is her determination to approach the parliament to quash a legislation outlawing gay marriage in Malawi.
Malawi, a country of about 15 million people, 60 per cent of whom are living below the poverty level, is one of the embarrassments of the African continent where dependence on foreign aid has for long been accepted as part of the nation's fate.
A country that earned its independence in 1964 has, through its age-old dependence on foreign aid, shown its inability to defend its independence, especially on the economic front.
The decision of President Banda to reverse the ban of same-sex marriage to please Western aid donors is a total betrayal of a country with a proud pre-colonial past which saw the Maravi ("rays of light") Empire steeped in advanced iron work.
Thus, the president has thrown the dignity of the Malawian people through the window because of filthy foreign aid. She is willing to allow unnatural and abominable practices that have helped to compromise the social and moral substance of Western societies to be foisted on her country.
The late Mutharika was guilty of so many sins, including the misuse of the foreign aid, but at least he firmly upheld the dignity of his country and let Malawians "go hungry" rather than being subjected to the indignity of imposed Western values.
We call on Malawian people as well as other Africans to rise up against the betrayal of Malawian independence. Banda should borrow a leaf from Nigeria, whose president and parliament boldly rejected same-sex marriage and the foreign aid the West used as an instrument of blackmail.
Surely, Malawians can follow the example of Lee Kwan Yew's Singapore and pull themselves out of the poverty trap. Unlike Singapore, Malawi is blest with some natural resources including land. Let the Asian countries example of rapidly exiting the indignity of foreign aid through internal re-engineering be the guidepost for struggling African countries.
Homosexuality is a taboo all over Africa. Let Africans, like the Arab/Muslim world, reject any foreign influence that can undermine our social fabric and take away our cultural identity.
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She is an amazing disgrace and should have continued the good work of being self-sufficient as the late previous president. She is a disgrace to African women and not only embarrassing herself but the country as international beggers who love to beg the west for mercy and see them as their Gods. I hope the referendum would fail and wouldn't be passed regarding Gay rights.
The author is spot on. Malawi's woman president Ngwazi Mrs Banda has no strategy for the improvished country. However, her excellence is a woman who can milk a toilet fly for money. But, Relieving an improvished Malawi of its debt would seem to almost unavoidable thing woman president can think of. Indeed, health care and education spending is now greater than debt service payments in Malawi where 99% of the population are poor of the poorest in the world. With abject poverty rocking the country, Mrs Banda's unwise leadership has opted for permitting gay and other unnatural acts. But, hold on, who can stop a woman looking for money? no one I guess? Mrs Banda who snatched her current husband from a close friend is unreliable leader, who changes her mindset basing on where the wind is blowing.
Just three months ago, Malawi thought Mrs Banda was to lead justly and to improve the economy but alas she has been busy with appointing friends in high position and putting up measures to weaken all opposing views. Malawians can't wait for the next general elections in 2014 to dislodge her donor fearing government which is full of recycled politicians.
Recycled politicians working with Mrs Banda have been tested before and proved to be useless, and now they are just making it worse for this lady president's administration. This is a paradox that must be confronted: poor Malawi need a wise president to govern the desperate people wisely. Mrs Banda should by all means not to be voted into office. She has failed Malawi and Malawi will not allow itself ever again to be ruled and lead by a woman without wisdom and nzeru.
Agree with this article. If Banda does not know how to maintain independence then she should step down rather than ruin the country with negative influences. She want to continue a path of begging rather than even attempting self-help.
Ironies upon ironies! Could you deal with the displacement of the local Nigerians in the simmering oil pipe lines that run through their living rooms in the villages. Or do you seek to ask for aid from the so called Western nations to do that or is it the corrupt officials who have used up all the funds and you can't do a thing or is it that the African values negates the plight of a villager? I would rather live peacefully with neighbours who do their things and do not affect me than live and not knowing when a muslim fanatic is going to drop a bomb on my house roof. Or is this fanatisism part of the African values. Homosexuality is in every nation and it is never imported from England neither is it "made in England or USA"
The author of this article is an idiot. Malawians do not need foreign buffoons like you and your ilk to tell them it's ok to "go hungry" have no freedom of assembly, ignore minority rights which are enshrined in the constitution, get shot dead by police for "insulting the president", die of disease due to dilapidated hospitals with no medications, schools with no books ,fuel shortages etc. All that was the creation of Bingu wa Mutharika whom this foreign fool is praising. What world are you living in you 419 Nigerian idiot? Have you just crawled from under a rock or were you in a coma? Do your research before penning nonsense from your 419 nation. Stay out of Malawi's business. Malawians like you prefer to eat and live and not become sacrificial lambs for the ideology of buffoons like you. Joyce Banda is the best thing that ever happened to Malawi and the timely death of Bingu wa Mutharika who had 60 Presidential limousines(now sold by Banda), an expensive luxury jet(now sold by Banda), and numerous palaces(all sold by Banda)wasan event celebrated by prayer throughout the country. The only people who mourned his loss were his fellow thieves and looters who suddenly face the judiciary for their crimes of embezzlement. And you go on record castigating our beloved leader! Who do you think you are. Nigeria is dependent on foreign countries despite it's oil wealth, it's citizens are among the poorest in the world hence resorting to stealing money from other countries in 419 scams. How about that Mr smart Alec? You can do Africa a great favour by explaining to the world why Nigerians are reviled in Africa and the whole world, why so many of your people are in 419 scams and live large through crime, where the royalties from oil are going. You are just as colonized as any other third world country so get down from your fictitious high horse and look your pathetic face in the mirror - there you will see a nation which talks big and is a peon of the west in reality. Joyce Banda's bad example for Africa indeed! She is the model of realpolitik and a down to earth leader who puts the needs of her country before her own and those of foreign idiots like you. Zikomo a Mayi Banda ku Malawi. Ife Takondwa nanu.
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