Malawi bishops deplore famine chaos

Food shortages are killing Malawians

By Raphael Tenthani in Blantyre

Malawi's seven Roman Catholic bishops have attacked the government of President Bakili Muluzi on issues including its handling of the hunger crisis and corruption.

The strong criticism came in a pastoral letter read out in churches throughout the country - the same method used by bishops to condemn former dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

Three-quarters of Malawians are hit by the famine

That church move in 1992 is credited with bringing about dramatic social and political change in Malawi after three decades of tyranny.

The latest pastoral letter - intended to coincide with Easter Sunday celebrations - was applauded by thousands of worshippers when it was read out in every Catholic church in the country.

The bishops said thousands of Malawians were suffering in the famine.

They deplored the scarcity and high cost of maize - the people's staple - which now sells at $13 for a 50kg bag, up from $3 at government-run markets last year.

"We will be very pleased to see government tackle the hunger crisis," the bishops said.

The famine is the worst in living memory, affecting more than 75% of Malawi's 11 million people.

President Muluzi has declared a national disaster and asked for $21m in international assistance for food relief.

Social evils

The bishops implored the government to look into the price of the maize which is crippling for ordinary Malawians, 85% of whom live on less than $1 a day.

"At this time when we are celebrating the rise of Jesus Christ, let us remember social evils confronting our country such as scarcity of maize, corruption, political violence, and the Aids menace," read the pastoral letter.

Ordinary people are severely punished in small cases - God does not want this type of segregation

Pastoral letter

The bishops also attacked the government's handling of corruption issues.

"We have been surprised that over the years cases of corruption have been on the rise and yet only cases involving ordinary people go to court while those involving senior officials are never taken to court," they said.

"Ordinary people are severely punished in small cases. God does not want this type of segregation."

The bishops also issued a veiled attack on the ruling United Democratic Front's attempts to change the constitution to allow the president to stand for election again when his second term expires in 2004.

The clerics said there had been a rush to change the term limits to benefit a few people.

"The constitution must be changed only after the electorate have been consulted through a referendum on important issues," they said.

Church's power

The Roman Catholic Church, with more than three million followers, is the largest church in Malawi.

Former dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda lost power after bishops intervened

It is credited with initiating political change after its historic pastoral letter of 8 March, 1992, led to democratic and human rights reforms. These ended three decades of oppressive rule by Dr Banda and the Malawi Congress Party.

When that letter was issued, the then-ruling MCP rounded up the eight bishops and a special convention of the party resolved to kill them.

They were spared after international condemnation and intervention by Pope John Paul II.