1.
Why is MANEPO’s core mandate?
MANEPO’s
mandate is to help older men and women claim their
rights, challenge discrimination, and overcome poverty, so that they
can lead dignified, secure, active and healthy lives in Malawi. Therefore,
MANEPO’s core existence is essentially for the well-being of older men and
women.
2. An older man aged 79 from T/A Mkukula in Dowa district just got killed in the week on witchcraft related accusations. Why are these cases on the increase despite the existence of the Witchcraft Act of 1911?
The Constitution of Malawi protects the fundamental
right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought and belief. The Witchcraft
Act of 1911 was promulgated to prevent arrest and trials of people accused of practicing
witchcraft. Such arrests are also a
violation of the Constitutional right to freedom of belief.
One of the reasons
MANEPO and other key stakeholders have been advocating for the amendment of the
1911 Witchcraft, specifically for the repeal of Section 6 is that law enforcement officers, often with their own
beliefs in the existence of witchcraft, fail to implement section 4 of the
Witchcraft Act which allows them to
arrest and sentence anyone who accuses another person of being a witch.
Instead, Section 6 of the Witchcraft Act is often erroneously used by the justice
administration structures, to arrest and convict victims of witchcraft-based
accusations, which states that arrests can be made based on a confession
to an accusation of witchcraft. It has been found that, in most cases, older men
and women are often made to confess under duress when they do not understand
the seriousness of the charges against them and often unable to defend
themselves in a court of law. The burden of proof therefore lies on the
accused.
We are glad that the Malawi Law Commission, an
independent constitutional body charged with reviewing existing laws and making
recommendations on amending them to conform to the Malawi Constitution and
international law, is currently undertaking the amendment process.
Belief in witchcraft in Malawi is deep-rooted and widespread, permeating
all levels of society regardless of age, educational background, social
position, economic status or ethnic origin. Witchcraft is used to explain virtually
anything that is suspicious or difficult to rationalise such as sudden illness, death, failure
to conceive, etc. Those accused and violently discriminated against on the
grounds that they practice witchcraft are typically the most vulnerable and
marginalized community members. They have little or no access to income,
finance or property, and as such, largely dependent of the support and goodwill
of their immediate or extended family to meet their basic needs – most notably
older men and women. Therefore, the elderly are disproportionately accused of witchcraft due to the
weaker status in society.
3. What strategies has Manepo put in place to ensure older people are not living in fear?
As an institution working
on ageing issues in Malawi, MANEPO engages with key stakeholders, namely: the
media, police, community leaders to ensure there is an improved understanding and awareness of the
challenges faced by older people in accessing justice to combat the abuse,
violence, and discrimination the elderly face in Malawi.
MANEPO also supports community action at both local and
national levels to promote older person’s rights in partnership with relevant
government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as other civil society
actors. We are also lobbying with Parliament to adopt and pass the Old Age
pension Bill. Evidence from across the region shows that, with money in their
pockets, older men and women have their dignity and status restored at
community level, thereby reducing the escalation of such rights violations.
4. MANEPO has been advocating for Old Age Pension scheme. Once implemented, will this scheme not a drain on our meagre resources?
Minimum social protection floors are increasingly
recognized as a necessary and effective approach to ensure the benefits of
development are shared fairly, and no one is left behind. This issue is no more
relevant than for older men and women who, despite the contribution they have
made throughout their lives, often struggle to secure an income. Old age pension
schemes have proven to be a successful approach to ensure income security for
older people and their families, particularly in low-income agricultural
economies, like Malawi, where the role of contributory pensions is more
limited.
It is a misconception to
insinuate that such a scheme is a drain on our meagre resources. Once
implemented, a universal pension scheme would contribute to a range of Malawi’s
wider national development objectives (articulated in the MGDS III), and
progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. A microsimulation shows
that such a scheme could halve the poverty rate of households with older people
and reduce the poverty gap by two thirds. A universal pension would also create
multipliers within the households and the wider community. There is strong
international evidence of how pensions can reduce child poverty and rates of
child-labour, and boost school enrolment. The extra cash being pumped into
rural communities would also catalyse efforts towards agricultural development.
Such a scheme would also provide a long-term tool to systematically share the
proceeds of growth amongst society, and thus contain levels of inequality.
5. With regards to the elderly, is MANEPO satisfied with the COVID-19 response?
It is not a hidden secret that the deadly COVID-19
pandemic continues to cause untold fear, misery and suffering among older men
and women. This grim reality highlights
the specific challenges and needs faced by older persons in this health crisis
and the need to plan and implement a response that is informed, inclusive and
targeted.
Public discourses around Covid-19 continue to portray
it as a disease of older people and this has led to social stigma and
exacerbate negative stereotypes regarding older men and women. Social stigma in
the context of a health outbreak can result in people being labelled,
stereotyped, discriminated against, treated differently, and/or experience loss
of status because of a perceived link with a disease, which can negatively
affect those with the disease, as well as their caregivers, family, and
communities.
Unfortunately, all this is happening
when social security systems in our country, are entirely inadequate, with vast
majority of people, including the elderly, people with disabilities and
children, are unable to access any form of income support from government to
address their economic needs and challenges.
6. Anything you may wish to add?
I would
like to remind all Malawians that ageing is a process of life which, all
factors constant, will catch up with everyone. As a nation, we need a fundamental policy and attitudinal shift on ageing
and old age to reflect and promote the contributions of older persons to the
Malawian society. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of ageing, public
debates and policies must promote older persons as a solution to many
development challenges Malawi is facing.
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