We the people of Malawi;
Concerned with:
The statement by the Tanzanian Minister for Transport
Harrison Mwakyembe to Tanzania’s Parliament on May 20 that Tanzania will
acquire six passenger ships, which will be deployed on Lakes Malawi, Tanganyika
and Victoria with each lake getting two of the vessels;
The echoing of similar statements by none other than the
secretary general of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Adulrahman Kinana, at a
political rally that the Tanzanian government has started making arrangements
for the purchase of ships, which will be launched on Lake Malawi before the
next general elections;
The inadequacy of the Malawi Government’s reaction and
response; which as per the press statement released on Saturday by the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation merely and weakly describes
the plan as unfortunate, especially that it comes at a time when the mediation
process is going on smoothly and merely “urges the Government of the United
Republic of Tanzania to desist from launching vessels or indeed undertaking any
acts on the disputed territory, as this will jeopardise the current mediation
process"; (i.e. urging and demanding are different things.
And disturbed further by rumours from high level sources
that:
Our own Minister of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation, Honourable Ephraim Mganda Chiume is biting more than he can chew
from quarters not so friendly to the cause and stance of Malawi on Lake Malawi;
and that
The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania is now
blackmailing the State President with threats that it will go public with
commitments she made to Tanzania which border on treason vis-a-vis the lake
during the time of her troubled vice presidency;
Are becoming increasingly worried whether our interests,
namely: the territorial sovereignty and national wealth of the Republic of
Malawi are being sufficiently safeguarded as per the oath taken by the
President upon ascending to the high office.
Going over our concerns one by one, while the first two have
been widely reported in Malawi media following the press release from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the third and fourth
concerns, to us, make sense given the haphazard manner this serious territorial
infringement is being handled.
Whatever the reasons why the media in Malawi has not yet
reported on concerns four and five; it is our view that these two are key to
Malawi’s back and forth, policy and directional inconsistency and lackadaisical
approach to the whole issue; all of which are making Tanzania more determined
and confident that our territory is now theirs to the extent of taking actions
that in court would deemed “prejudicial”.
NOW THEREFORE we hereby petition the National Assembly of
the Republic Malawi to subpoena President Joyce Banda as per Section 60 (3) and
the minister responsible, Mr Ephraim Mganda Chiume, also as per Section 60 (3)
of the Constitution so that the National Assembly may inquire on behalf of the
people of the Malawi nation as to why and how:
After the president had stated that Malawi would pull out
from the mediation after it had transpired that Malawi's case to the panel had
been leaked, Malawi nevertheless insists on this questionable mediation; and
After it has now become clear that as far as Tanzania is
concerned the whole mediation is just a facade; and that they seem to already
know the outcome; why the press release of June 1st, 2013 from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs still insists that the mediation is the only way out.
Verbatim, according to the Nation of Monday June 2nd, 2013:
“This development notwithstanding, the Malawi Government
reaffirms its commitment that the issue be resolved amicably through the
ongoing mediation.
However, for this to be achieved, the Malawi Government
stressed that the two parties need to desist from acts or statements that will
erode trust from the mediation process,” Chiume is quoted to have said.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, we petition parliament to prevail upon
the Malawi Government that the government should refer the case forthwith to
the International Court of Justice as promised to Malawians by the president in
a press conference after the Tanzanian leaking of Malawi's case had been
revealed; and that a person other than Ephraim Mganda Chiume who we believe has
a conflict of interest that has compromised his integrity, be given charge over
this slippery issue.
It is now a fact that Tanzania is not partaking the ongoing
negotiations in good faith, and this is why, while the so-called negotiations
have yet to be concluded, Tanzania has unilaterally seized the lake. This means
that they have no respect for the mediation charade. In fact their actions
border on invasion - which is an act of war.
There is no need to beat about the bush here; Malawi needs
to respond in kind. The President needs to walk her commitment to defend the
territory of the republic of Malawi by mobilizing and deploying the Malawi
Defense Force to patrol and defend the lake forthwith.
We can go further and ask for a vote of no confidence from
all parliamentarians, but in the interest of natural justice and because we do
not want to act as the complainants, judges and jurors; we want first to accord
the State President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation to explain themselves, their roles and the wisdom of continuing
discussions of deliberating on what is already ours.
On the way forward, while we want to desist from promising
mass action if this issue continues to be handled with the apparent lack of
seriousness and should the responses from the President and Minister of Foreign
Affairs be anything short of convincing; we will be unfair if we do not mention
that this (mass action) is our right and more so now when our territorial
sovereignty is being sold for a song.
To conclude, from the word go, the Malawi leadership has
been jumping from one position to the other. In the course of this dispute, at
one point, we witnessed – within the space of one week - the Malawi Government
changing and communicating three different positions.
As parliament considers this petition, note should be taken
that:
Tanzania stopped continuing with explorations till the
matter is resolved. And yet, here is Tanzania purchasing boats to deploy them
on the same lake.
We foolishly accepted a mediation team headed by a former
president whose country share similar bolder concerns, and was aided by a
Tanzanian national and then we started crying foul that the Tanzanians had seen
our arguments, withdrew from the team, went to ICJ and came back within a week.
We therefore demand as per our rights that parliament
summons the two, and deliberates the issue in open session so that Malawians
should know who is for them and who is not for them.
In our National Assembly and in our honourable
parliamentarians, we trust.
Together, let us save Lake Malawi and protect what is ours!
Signed: Concerned Citizens
Name Signature Date
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