Turning Point

It is Tuesday, May 19th as I write this, Mary Ellen’s birthday and

election day in Malawi.  For Malawians, it is a crucial turning point

as they vote for local representatives (Ministers of Parliament) and

for a president to lead them for the next five years.  The country

emerged from one-party rule in 1994 and since that time, democracy has

gained a foothold here.

But it’s a fragile thing, and one of the two leading candidates for

president is a throwback to the worst abuses and repression of the

late Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s regime.   Banda’s rule spanned four

decades beginning with Malawi’s break from colonial rule in 1964 and

became increasingly despotic in the fashion of Zimbabwe’s Robert

Mugabe.   By 1990, he was 91 years old and though still president in

name, John Tembo had positioned himself to succeed Banda.

Tembo was a shadowy figure during the Banda years and the de facto

ruler from 1990 on.  While a member of Parliament in the early years

of independence, he used his position to build a personal fortune.  In

1992, he placed the country’s Catholic bishops under house arrest

after they wrote a pastoral letter critical of the abuses of power of

the Banda regime.  In May of that year, police shot and killed 4o

people in the capital city of Lilongwe at the height of protests

against the government.  In October of the same year, a prominent

government opponent and founder of the Malawi Congress Party died in

prison after being held since 1981.

Unfortunately for Tembo, the world was watching and by early 1993, he

conceded to his opponents and allowed a referendum on multi-party

elections to take place.  Malawians voted for change and in 1994 held

their first multi-party presidential election.  In 1995, Tembo was

tried (and acquitted) for the murder of three cabinet ministers and an

MP who died in a suspicious car accident back in 1983.  Fast forward

to 2009 and Tembo is making a run for the presidency against the

incumbent Bingu Mutharika who has presided over economic growth of

almost 9% this past year.

So Malawians face a critical choice today.  And while it seems

unlikely that they would vote to return Tembo and his thuggish ways to

power, he has been aided by the endorsement of his once chief rival

and former two-term president (1994 - 2004) Bakili Maluzi.  Maluzi’s

support makes Tembo’s challenge viable, especially in the more

populated south, and here in the north where Mutharika enjoys

overwhelming support, people are holding their collective breath.

Tembo has publicly said that Malawians had better pray that he doesn’t

seek revenge if he loses, so some expect a protracted fight after the

polls close if the votes are slow to be counted and the results look

close.  Worst possible case scenarios include violent clashes between

Mutharika and Tembo supporters in the urban areas and an eventual

power-sharing arrangement ala Kenya and Zimbabwe.  If you’re

interested in the outcome, Google the BBC who usually pay closer

attention to Malawian affairs than their U.S. counterparts.

Against this backdrop, Mary and I are finishing our tasks here and

beginning a round of goodbyes.  My last day with 102 first-graders

will be this Friday and it will be a bittersweet goodbye.  The days

have been exhausting, but the kids are so much fun.  I’ve been

scrambling to get the word out to our 50+ recipients of term 3

scholarships.  Since all are away at school, that has required some

logistical planning and long hikes down the Goroti’s twenty bends and

up and down the M1 highway.

Mary has been finishing up the craft/coffee/tea/cold drink shop

remodeling job and it is looking darn cute.  The word is out all over

the greater area and we expect it to be a stable source of income for

orphan care once we get the final okay from the Head of Station who

returns from a three-month course in South Africa in early June.

Our time here has been profound and deeply felt for both of us, and

we’re already planning our return trip.  At the same time, we’re very

excited about seeing friends and family and returning to our little

place in the woods.  We’re grateful for the opportunity we’ve had and

looking forward to sharing our experiences in person with you.   

Photos with this post include life in the standard 1 (first grade) 

classroom and long lines at the local polling place (the primary school)

in the early morning on election day. 

Our best to each of you,

Steve