Innocent Abroad in Southern Africa

Part One: July 30 to August 1


Five weeks ago I was offered the opportunity to take an “exposure trip” to Africa; “exposure trip” being Trócaire’s term for a first-time visit by a member of staff to see our projects and meet our partners in the developing world. I arrive in Lilongwe, Malawi on a Sunday afternoon. Over the next two weeks I will be “exposed” to Malawi’s colourfully corrupt and feckless politicians and Trócaire’s partners who are working to make them more accountable; I will have my first encounter with the conditions of a typical African township and the work of the Irish missionaries there; my first eye-opening view of rural Africa in Dedza and Trócaire’s efforts to rehabilitate the livelihoods of those affected by the food crisis of 2002; and some up close and personal dealings with Zimbabwe’s rotten to the core police state and the courageous human rights defenders who are fighting against it.

After 26 hours of planes and airports we arrive: Dublin-Amsterdam-Nairobi-Lusaka-Lilongwe; it’s not the most straightforward of routes. Accompanying me is the hardy, well-travelled, unflappable Corkman Niall O’Keeffe, Trócaire’s Southern Africa Programme Officer for the last four years; on his umpteenth visit to the region; he knows the place like the back of his hand and is pumping our Taxi driver for information as soon as we get in the Taxi. The taxi man tells us that Malawi’s MP’s are looking for a rise from 300,000 Kwachas to 1 Million Kwachas and refuse to pass the country’s budget unless their demands are met. The former President has been arrested on corruption charges and promptly released again, and the man who arrested him, the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Gustav Kaliwo has been fired in mysterious circumstances. So, a slow news week for Malawi then.

Malawi’s current head of state, His Most Excellency President Bingu’s portrait hangs on the wall at the reception in our guesthouse. We also see his beaming visage at the hotel where Trócaire’s civil society workshop takes place a few days later; a sign of Malawi’s old authoritarian political culture still hanging around perhaps. We’re in the middle of the Malawian winter here which is warm and sunny, about 25 degrees Celsius but it turns pitch dark and cold within an hour from five to six.

In my first days here I’m noticing, I guess, probably the same things all innocent abroads’ in Malawi notice such as the bright brown almost orange coloured sand that covers the many dirt tracks or temporary roads and roadsides. On Lilongwe’s roadsides, Malawi’s informal economy is ubiquitous; people trying to sell tomatoes, peanuts, eggs, maize, their services as a painter or plumber. Malawian women have a superb line in headgear, the colours and the patterns are striking but more impressive is the way they gracefully carry all sorts of cargo balanced on their heads. Men are also to be found practicing ingenious feats of transportation unusual to the western eye; transporting goats with their bicycles being my personal favourite. Another spectacle for the African newbie is Malawian men’s chief mode of transportation; the back of a truck; trucks go by with sometimes as many as ten to fifteen men in the back. I keep thinking one of them leaning over the side of a truck is going to fall out but Malawians assure me this is not a problem.

On Monday morning I meet with Chris Chisoni from Trócaire’s partner, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace. Chris is working on their Parliamentary Liaison Programme monitoring and documenting the degenerate behaviour of Malawi’s politicians; their widespread absenteeism from parliament and their constituencies; their keenness to vote for generous allowances and expenses for themselves; their endless bickering over trivial non-issues in parliament and failure to pass effective legislation: all can see this last offence; the proceedings of Malawi’s parliament are broadcast extensively on public TV here. Their antics would be amusing if they weren’t so costly for the Malawian people. MP’s in Malawi earn about 2,000 U.S. dollars a month while the average Malawian earns 160 dollars per year. Like many people I spoke to here, Chris feels that Malawians civil and political rights have strengthened greatly since multi party democracy emerged in the 1990s, but their social and economic rights have declined. And these politicians are at the heart of the problem as far as I can see.

Later in the week on the drive to Dedza, I read President Bingu has refused to give in to MP’s demands for huge salary increases and they have finally caved in and passed the budget but not without, the Nation reports, something in the region of K180 million ($1.3 million) in extra allowances to MPs. The finance minister Gondwe thanks the MP’s by taking them all out for a slap up meal in the Capital Hotel. An excellent use of the Malawi people’s taxes don’t you think?