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| Opinion |
| Sunday Comment |
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by
Editor, 30 April 2006
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07:12:18
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Move cautiously on Violence Prevention Bill
The people of Malawi, through their legislators in Parliament, have spoken in favour of the proposed Prevention of Violence Bill. The Bill was tabled in Parliament last Friday and it generated a heated debate.
Reports from the House indicate that Members of Parliament were divided on whether to allow the Bill passage or refer it back to the Legal Affairs Committee for refinement. However, when the matter was put to the vote, the majority said it was time for the country to proceed and enact a law that would protect helpless victims of domestic violence.
We note that 93 people voted in favour, 53 opposed it while 40 abstained. It could be mere wishful thinking to suggest that had the 40 participated, the results would have been different.
What is important to register is that those who abstained were probably protesting against the apparent ‘haste’ to get done with this Bill. Civil society and other commentators have advised caution on some aspects of the proposed Bill they see as being unrealistic and too presumptuous.
Views of the dissenting voices that make sense should be taken into account before the process is finalised. Minister responsible for gender and social welfare Joyce Banda who carried the day assured her fellow legislators that suggestions for amendment had been noted and would be incorporated.
We hope and trust that she would live up to her honourable promise. The country is largely rural based and it is vital that laws enacted in the House reflect, affect and benefit the masses. They should not be elitist in nature.
Stylish kick-off
On Saturday Blantyre witnessed the kick-off of a new soccer season in style. There was a ceremonial, but highly competitive game between arch-rivals Big Bullets and MTL Wanderers, in which the winners—Nomads carted away Fam’s new Honours Cup.
Fresh and untried sponsors of the Super League Telekom Networks Malawi flexed their muscles and showed the stuff they are made of by staging parades through the streets of the city; leaving no one in doubt that the season has indeed started.
Almost everywhere on the globe, soccer develops and advances due to the participation of the private sector. This is directly by owning—through financial sponsorship — specific clubs or footing major competitions such as is the case with TNM.
Clubs that have sponsors should be grateful and reciprocate the sacrifices of the funders through raised standards of play and discipline both on and off the pitch. It is pitiful that right now one of the country’s premier sides, BB, is struggling to find a sponsor and its future seems to be uncertain. We hope potential sponsors are not scared of the violence previously associated with the game, which is now considered to be an issue of the past. May some company surface and bail out BB.
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