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During most of Dr Kamuzu Banda’s rule, Tanzania never really pushed this crazy idea of dividing up the lake. The issue was almost forgotten during the rule of Dr Bakili Muluzi and thereafter. In fact, Dr Bingu wa Mutharika commissioned a company to start exploring oil in the lake. Tanzania said nothing at that time.
Statesmanship is a game because image is everything in international politics. A country’s image depends a lot on the demeanor of its leader. President Barak Obama likes to pat other leaders on their back after greeting them; you thought that was an unplanned coincidence? Just remember, how your father used to pat you on the back when you were a good boy!
You would think some of them are not important but they are. Here are a few of them – presidents never bow for other presidents in public; presidents never escort anybody to their car; presidents walk with their arms spread outwards apparently projecting power and being in control; presidents usually put on a solid color (one color) necktie because it portrays power; when two presidents greet each other while facing the camera, each of them jostle to be on the right side so that his palm will face the camera- another sign of power, apparently; when in company of other presidents, they try to be the last one to enter the door – a fatherly gesture; there is an interesting video clip of Chairman Yassier Arafat and PM Ehud Barak jostling to be the last one to enter a room at Camp David. The sight of President George W Bush gently pushing PM Gordon Brown into Number 10 Downing Street before himself angered some British political experts.
Ghana is said to have regained its respect in West Africa when President J.J. Rawlings arrived at the 25th Organization of African Unity meeting in Togo in July 2000 in a military uniform portraying a very youthful image.
Government must make clear that no part of Malawi is up for discussion – full stop! It is time to show strength. Tell Tanzania that Lake Malawi was, is and will always be Malawian.ns
My fellow Malawians,
I can confirm that our government invited former presidents of Mozambique and South Africa, His Excellences Mr Joaquim Chissano and Mr Thabo Mbeki over the issue of Lake Malawi border dispute with Tanzania.
The reason for this meeting was to express our gravest concerns that Tanzania is now making unsubstantiated statements shifting the border line to be in the middle of the lake and reports that Tanzania is considering to deploy boats in Lake Malawi while the outcome of the mediation process that both countries are taking part has not been determined.
We consider such position by our Tanzanian brothers and sisters as lack of sincerity on their part hence we found it necessary as a matter of urgency to brief and update Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Joaquim Chissano who are part of the mediation team.
I also invited leaders of opposition parties to be part of this process as Malawi belongs to us all and I am very thankful for their valuable contributions especially Mr Joseph Kubwalo who was our Malawi’s High Commissioner to the Republic of Tanzania in 1995 as he provided very important information regarding our lake during this meeting.
We understand that former president of Malawi Mr Bakili Muluzi and former President of Tanzania Mr Nkapa made an agreement in 1995 for the construction of a railway line between Mbamba Bay and Ntwala for Malawi to be able to transport its good directly from the sea.
Since then, it has been a procedure and protocol for Tanzania asking for permission through our Malawi High Commission's office in Tanzania to access our waters and such permission was usually granted. Now, we are wondering when was this protocol changed for Tanzania to consider deploying boats in our waters without our permission and to start making unsubstantiated border claims on our lake.
It is this provocative behaviour that necessitated my office to call for Mr Mbeki and Mr Chissano to hear our profound concerns.
As a nation committed to peace and tranquillity, we also briefed the two former presidents of South Africa and Mozambique that we are greatly concerned by reports that our citizens by the side of the lake are being illegally arrested by the Tanzanian authorities. We want this to stop immediately.
Our position on this issue is very clear; the lake is ours, has been ours and will always belong to us in its entirety. That is why we are calm about the whole issue and that is why we are willing to engage with all legal and constitutional processes to legitimise our position and that is why we are asking our brothers and sisters in Tanzania to desist from making provocative claims and statements while the processes employed to handle this matter are underway.
May God bless you all!
And may God bless the land of Malawi.
Dr Joyce Banda
President
Republic of Malawi
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