Maravi

Western style democracy has brought instability - Bingu

Western style democracy has brought instability - Bingu
By Brighton Phiri and Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sunday August 26, 2007 [04:00]

MALAWIAN President Bingu Wa Mutharika has said the Western style of democracy has brought instability in Africa. And President Mwanawasa has expressed concern at the loss of Africa's culture, heritage and identity to the Western and global sub-culture. President Mwanawasa has further said that international organisations such as the United Nations (UN) should not only be strengthened but also reformed in order to address the challenges affecting the world.

Speaking during a banquet hosted for him by President Mwanawasa in Chipata on Friday night, President Wa Mutharika said there was nothing new that Africa could learn from the West as far as democracy was concerned because it existed since time immemorial.

"Actually, democracy as taken from the West brings in a lot of instability in Africa. As such it is frustrating development," President Wa Mutharika said.

"Chiefs such as Undi have been democratically running our governments long before the colonialists came. I am saying this because sometimes we think that we are learning democracy from the West. There is nothing new which Africans can learn from the West because we had it (democracy)."

President Wa Mutharika said under the African style of democracy, the traditional leaders ensured that everyone was consulted and pulled in the same direction over matters of development.

He said the African style of democracy was not where members of the opposition that had lost elections always claimed that elections had been rigged.

"It is not democracy where the loser always feels that he or she has been cheated and it is not the democracy where all those that have won fell that the elections were free and fair. It was also not democracy of impeaching presidents for the purpose of getting into the office faster than the necessary period required, but it was democracy that recognised the power of the majority and also the concerns of the minority," he said.

He said it was very important that Africans realised that they would lose a lot if they left behind their traditions and culture in preference to the Western culture.

"It is our responsibility as leaders in government and the Church to unite our people and teach each other that it is important for us to move together in one direction regardless of our beliefs because we all want development," President Wa Mutharika said.

"Let us unite behind our leaders and chiefs because it is in unity that we shall develop." He said Africa's social and economic development lied in the hands of traditional leaders.

"I have always admired the Chewa people for preserving their culture and traditions because it unites not only the Chewa people but other people. These traditions and customs make us be Africans and be proud of being Africans," he said.

President Wa Mutharika commended Gawa Undi, the paramount chief of the Chewa people of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique for attending his late wife's funeral.

"This was evidence of the care which Kalonga Gawa Undi has not only for the Chewa but also other people," he said.

And President Mwanawasa said Zambia had joined other like-minded nations in calling for a reform of the UN structures, including the Security Council.

"The world today is faced with many challenges such as conflicts, terrorism, natural disasters and HIV/AIDS, to mention but a few. These challenges underline the need to intensify international co-operation in order to combat these menaces to society," President Mwanawasa said.

He urged leaders in economic groupings such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to speak with one voice because they were fora that would help them realise the political, economic and social expectations of their people.

"These organisations are also very important forums in our mutual search for peace and security on our continent," he said.

Earlier in the afternoon, both President Mwanawasa and President Wa Mutharika commissioned the construction of the Chipata/Muchinji rail line on the borders of Malawi and Zambia.

President Wa Mutharika said the completion of the rail line would reduce the cost of transportation by 55 per cent for the Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
He said the three countries had been cheated for too long that the rail line was not viable.

"It takes a lot of courage to move from decisions to actions," he said. "The Unites States of America, Europe and other developed countries have rail links...why are they advising us against having this rail line? It is wrong advice."

President Wa Mutharika said he looked forward to a time when the people of the SADC region would move without being asked to produce visas.

President Mwanawasa said the commencement of the construction of the Chipata/Muchinji rail line was a practical step in furthering the objectives of SADC well beyond mere talk.

He said the railline which was conceived in 1982 as a bilateral project between Zambia and Malawi, was intended to connect the country, via Malawi to the port of Nacala in Mozambique.

President Mwanawasa explained that Zambia could not complete the project as scheduled due to lack of resources.

He disclosed that government would advertise a tender for the construction and operation of a dry port at Chipata Railway station as a trans-shipment port between road and rail.

He said the government was currently examining the possibility of extending the rail line from Chipata to other areas of economic interest such as Petauke and Mpika.

President Mwanawasa said government was planning to construct another rail link from Nseluka to Mpulungu which he said could economically service the Great
Lakes' region for its imports and exports through the Nacala corridor.

He urged the people of Eastern Province to produce their agricultural produce such as cotton, groundnuts and maize in large quantities to enable the rail line to be economically viable.

And during the Kulamba ceremony of the Chewa people of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique at Kalonga Gawa Undi's palace at Mkaika in Katete yesterday, President Mwanawasa said marginalisation of traditional ceremonies and other cultural practices by colonialists had impacted negatively on the people's identity, especially children and the youth who were vulnerable to Western cultural influences.

"In today's age, traditional values like respect for elders, extended family system, hard work and moral uprightness are being eroded and lost to a set of values which promoted moral decadence, the nuclear family and other foreign standards. This evolution has eroded our values and created disunity and in some cases conflict among our people," President Mwanawasa said.

"It is this concern about the loss of our culture, heritage and identity to Western and global sub culture that has brought together the three leaders from the three countries - Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to join the Chewa people in celebrating the Kulamba ceremony in the spirit of unity as one people."

He said the Kulamba traditional ceremony was a significant cultural event for the Chewa people because it brought together subordinate chiefs and their subjects to pay homage to Gawa Undi, the paramount chief, and to celebrate culture and tradition of the Chewa people.

President Mwanawasa said the Kulamba traditional ceremony was being commemorated at a time when the 'Gule Wamukulu' had been declared by UNESCO a masterpiece of oral and intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

He assured Gawa Undi that he was going to pursue the project in which government had offered to fund the writing of the biography of the late Gawa Undi.

President Mwanawasa said it was the MMD government's intention to establish a stock market centre and dairy produce industry to encourage improved herds and productivity.

Speaking through one of the indunas, Justice Malewezi who is former Malawian Vice President, Gawa Undi called for a people driven constitution.

He asked the government to address the chaos in the grain marketing system and the constitution review process.

Gawa Undi asked government to reduce the producer's price of maize because the current price did not make the local or peasant farmer self-sustainable.
He also asked for the government of Malawi's Chewa hierarchy during installation of Chewa chiefs.

Gawa Undi expressed concern at the delay in the production of the biography of his predecessor.

He also appealed to Mozambican President Armando Guebuza to help improve communication between Chewa chiefs in Zambia and those in Mozambique.
He said he was experiencing difficulties communicating with Chewa chiefs in Mozambique.

And President Guebuza said paramount chiefs had an important role to play in Africa because they were custodians of value.

He said his government appreciated the chiefs' role in assisting government reach out to the local community and he pledged to continue working with local leaders to enhance development in the region.

And President Wa Mutharika expressed happiness to be present at the ceremony for the first time because it made African people more African.
He said there could not be any meaningful development without unity between chiefs and government.

President Wa Mutharika said chiefs were pillars of development among people.
He said the three Presidents depended on chiefs to bring about change in the lives of the people in the region.

President Wa Mutharika asked the people in the region to promote a culture of forgiveness. He said it was important for the three countries to begin to be forgiving and listening to each other.

Among those who attended the ceremony included opposition leaders - UNIP's Tilwenji Kaunda, UPND's Hakainde Hichilema and APC's Ken Ngondo.

Others were Chitimukula, the paramount chief of the Bemba people, Mpenzeni the paramount chief of the Ngoni people, Nsenga chiefs, chieftainess Nkomeshya, chief Mumena, senior chief Nshindi, chief Mukuni and government ministers and senior government officers from Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.

Labels: BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, CHIEF UNDI, DEMOCRACY

posted by MrK @ 4:33 AM