Malawi Artists To Reap From Their Work As Copyright Bill Passed By Parliament

Artists in the country expect concerned parties to take up their responsibility in ensuring that the newly passed Copyright bill start to bear fruitful results that will benefit the owners of talent and artistic works.

The Copyright bill has been passed on Thursday repealing a Malawi Copyright Act of 1989 to respond to new developments regarding copyright.

Anatomy Act Amendment Passing Excites Kalindo; This Is Beginning For Death Penalty

Kalindo

The Mulanje South Legislator, Bon Kalindo has described passing of the Anatomy Amendment Act which is calling for life sentences to convicts guilty of possession of albino tissues and body parts as "battle well fought" and "victory" for him and all Malawians.

"This is a total victory not to me alone, but to all Malawians because this is what we have been waiting for, all along." Said Kalindo

He said the total support given to the bill by all members of Parliament is a clear indication that Malawians are tired and want to end the heinous crimes of abductions and killings of persons with albinism in the country.

House Adjourned With Drama

Kalindo started it 

Having passed the Anatomy Act Amendment bill on Thursday, the Malawi National Assembly adjourned to this Friday morning in a very dramatic way.

Immediately after Anatomy Amendment was passed, Hon. Bon Kalindo, rising on point order requested the Speaker to ask Minister of Transport and Public Works on issues happening at Road Traffic Department. 

But before he could finish informing the Speaker of what exactly is happening at the department, Speaker, Richard Msowoya interrupted the legislator to correct him that what he was bringing in the House was not Point of Order. This made the members to laugh 

Parliament Pass Anatomy Act Amendment: Impose Life Sentences, No Fines

Malawians took to the streets demanding death
Penalty 

Anatomy Act Amendment bill seeking Life Imprisonment has been passed by the National Assembly almost 5 hours after Mulanje South legislator, Bon Kalindo led hundreds to present petition to the National Assembly demanding activation of Death Penalty to convicts on offences related to albino killings.

There was cheers and clapping of hands in the House, showing excitement that finally Malawi will stop ritual killings of persons with albinism through life sentences.

Dowa East legislator, Richard Chimwendo Banda presented the Bill under Private Members Bill to amend Anatomy Act (Cap 34:03) so as to make the commission of offences therein punitive and deterrent.

Kalindo, Demonstrators Warn Parliament 'Malawians Will Act' If Death Penalty On Albino Killings Is Not Accepted

 

Legislator Bon Kalindo has warned Parliament that it will see the wrath of Malawians it if it fails to accept people’s demands of enforcing death penalty to convicted criminals in the on ritual killings and abductions of persons with albinism.

Mulanje South lawmaker, Kalindo who led Malawians on Thursday morning to the National Assembly to present petition demanding death penalty activation, said any action taken by the National Assembly on the death penalty demands will show if legislators listen to Malawians or the country's foreign donors. 

Malawi Death Penalty Protest: Kalindo Pulls Crowd Singing Kill Who Kill Albino

Legislator Bon Kalindo has pulled largest crowd ever, chanting songs demanding death penalty for convicts found guilty in cases of albino killings and attacks.

Kalindo has stunned the onlookers for his courage to go on with naked protests putting on red boxer, vest and headgear. Others have joined him including renowned activist Billy Mayaya who also has put on red shorts and T-shirt.

House Wants Death Penalty To Curb Albino Killings

As ugly waves of attacks and killings of persons with albinism continues in Malawi, it now seem the option left to curb the problem is tit-for tat as a lot of Legislators in the ongoing Meeting of National Assembly wants Malawi to use death penalty as protection of albinos.

Death penalty is currently not used as punishment in the country due to human rights campaigns to end death penalty.

Contrary to growing campaigns against death penalty, a good number of legislators who took the floor on the debate on State of National Address today have expressed their support that death penalty must fall upon the convicted persons involved in attacks and killings of persons with albinism.

Legislators who commented on this have suggested 'the eye- for- an eye' approach for the fact tthat regardless of number of efforts to end the situation seem not to work.

For example, a 38 year old man with albinism was horribly murdered on Tuesday while alone in his garden in Ntcheu district. The mmurderers chopped off his legs, hands and private parts.

One of the Parliamentarian, a Mulanje South legislator, Bon Kalindo joined members who spoke earlier to express support for death penalty and warned that if the debate on albino attacks will fail to come on Friday he will walk out of the House in protest adding that there will be chaos.

"We need to come up with the debate on death penalty." He said "If death penalty does not come tomorrow in this House I will walk out of this House"

He continued "To morrow be the day to make change! To make our persons with albinism walk freely in this country!" He said warning that "If that issue will not come to morrow, and If i will walk out you know what will happen, people will follow me and there will be chaos"

Kalindo agreed with fellow parliamentarians by emphasizing that people killing albinos are being inhuman and persons with albinism must walk free in this country.  

The House which is continuing debate on State of National Address by President Peter Mutharika was on Thursday informed that due to urgency of the albino killings, the Business Committee had agreed that this Friday the House should debate on albino killings which is being described as "National crisis"

Among other things, Hon Kalindo also commended the recent move by Government to deploy Malawi Defense Force to give protection to Mulanje Mountain. He said this will help to protect valuable natural resources found in that mountain but have been neglected for a long time.

"This will make that place a non-go zone" he said "anthu atibulidwako kumeneko"

But he observed that for the deployment of the Army to be effective therefore the group which is currently working to protect the mountain 'Mulanje Conservation Trust' should be forced to pack up and go.

"Those guys have destroyed the natural resources in Mulanje mountain" he added

Kalindo Brings Lighter Moments In The House; Voluntarily Explains His Absence And Denounce President, Speaker Resignation Calls

There were some lighter moments at the very beginning of the Monday sitting in the National Assembly when Mulanje South legislature dramatised his two week absence and condemnation of resignation calls for Malawi President and the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Malawi Should Consider Job Creation To Protect Its Youth From Future Xenophobic Violence- Kalindo

Hon Bon Kalindo

Mulanje South legislature, Honorable Bon Elias Kalindo says xenophobic attacks against African immigrants in South Africa should serve as a wake up call to Malawi government on the need to addres unemployment amongthe youth.

Kalindo remarks comes as he joins in solidarity with the rest of concerned Malawians in condemning bloody attacks against foreign African nationals by South African citizens on the root that the immigrants have taken up their jobs.

Kalindo in font of protests carrying Malawi flag

Kalindo on Tuesday joined the march from Parliament building to Kang'ombe house in city centre to South African embassy to present petition calling the rainbow nation to immediately halt the ongoing violence against fellow Africans and was dressed in black a symbol of mourning and carried national flag in the front of the protesters.

In an interview, the Parliamentarian has urged government to consider job creation as the remedy to protect its citizens from being victims of Xenophobia in South Africa or any other country in future. He said as Malawi condemns South Africa there is need also to address the unemployment problem in the country so that youth do not flock to South Africa.

“The word to government is that it should look beyond xenophobia, because if we are not creating job opportunities to our people surely we are going to continue experience more problems and see more victims from Malawi whenever such forms of violence errupts."

The Mulanje South parliamentarian says will speak in National Assembly on this issue and matters relating to the ongoing violence in South Africa.

Hon. Kalindo has also condemned the South Africa violence “As a Malawian I needed to join this demonstration to show our solidarity and anger to the rest of African countries that what is happening in South Africa is very bad and we cannot support it” he said, “We condemn what is happening in South Africa”

“We are all Africans we don’t have to kill each other” appealed Hon Kalindo

South Africa Xenophobia: Malawians Issue 48 Hours for South African Govt to End Xenophobic Violence Or Face Boycott of Products and Businesses

March Begins at the National Assembly Premisses

The largest crowd has marched in Malawi on Tuesday morning from outside National Assembly building to Kang'ombe House in the city centre of the Capital, Lilongwe where the South African embassy is based to give petition which is calling South African Government to immediately halt the ongoing Xenophobic attacks against foreign African nationals.

 The demonstration organized by a group of human rights activists was joined by legislatures Honorable Bon Kalindo,  and other dignitaries including Mr Dalitso Kubalasa of MEJN, Martha Kwataine (MHEN), Hon. Rev. Malani Mtonga (PP), and The Presidential Advisor on NGOs Mavuto Bamusi, and others. 

Hon Bon Kalindo carrying Malawi Flag

Hundreds of Malawians took to the streets while dressed in black attires, some demonstrators were in T-shirts having face of President Jacob Zuma and others for Mandela while another man was seen putting on Ngoni costume.

Songs of expressing anger with South African government and calling President Jacob Zuma to end these attacks were chanted throughout the way to South African High Commission office.

Man put on Jacob Zuma T-Shirt

The protesters have presented the petition to South African High Commissioner to Malawi, Ambassador Cassandra Mbuyane Mokone who has since told those who gathered outside the embassy office that she was sending the petition immediately to Pretoria and thanked the demonstrators.

Cassandra Mbuyane Mokone receiving petition

The petition signed by Malawi Human Rights activists, Billy Mayaya, Gift Trapence, Robert Mkwezalamba, Lucky Mbewe and Timothy Mtambo on behalf of concerned citizens of Malawi is asking South African Government to address the worsening violence within 48 hours, else face boycott to all South African products, businesses including ban of South African airlines from operating or landing in Malawi airports.

Ambassador Cassandra Mbuyane Mokone listening attentively

The South African Government is urged to take a proactive action in protecting rights of all people living in South Africa, in line with provisions in their constitution and international legal obligations and address the cause of xenophobia.

Part of the crowd

The letter is further calling for thorough investigation of these ongoing violence and hold those responsible accountable so that they face justice. Similarly, the petition while accusing Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, Edward Zuma and Small Businesses Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu for their alleged remarks which are fueling the attacks against foreign African nationals it asks south African Human Rights Commission to investigate such xenophobia comments and take appropriate action.

However, the petition noted with disappointment that perpetrators of 2008 xenophobic violence were not held accountable for the killings of more than 60 people.

Though not addressed in the petition, human rights activist Timothy Mtambo says they want compensation to Malawi victims.

The ongoing violence in South Africa against foreign African nationals is premised on alleged  crowding of South African jobs by immigrants and lender the citizens jobless.

But the petition says "We call upon the Government of South Africa to urgently remove the structural inequalities that are rooted in apartheid and white privilege. We believe these are main causes of worsening economic inequality and marginalization. 

Timothy Mtambo

These inequalities were not instituted by migrants and will not automatically disappear if the migrant population decreases."

The petition adds "The most sustainable way to address the economic frustrations felt by many South Africans is to adopt policies that reduce the inequalities and create programmes that empower ordinary South Africans."

The petition also reminds South African Government of how other African countries including Zimbabwe, sacrificed their socio-economic and political resources in solidarity with South African liberation movements to bring to an end to evil apartheid. 

"In solidarity of these extreme sacrifices by African people, we expect the South African authorities and its citizens to reciprocate the solidarity through Ubuntu and shunning of Xenophobia."

Billy Mayaya posing with one of the demonstrators

Billy Mayaya one of the organizers for the demonstration said it is possible to boycott South African businesses and products if Malawians agrees to.

South African businesses including Game shop, Shoprite and Standard Bank have large customers in Malawi.