No Holds Barred Posts

No holds barred: Love letter to my country Malawi

Aug 14, 2016 José Safarao 50 &

Dear Country, I am sick and tired of everything that is going on. I am sick and tired of politicians who shake our hands during the general elections and our confidence after. I’m sick and… ...

No Holds Barred! All that jazz for K50,000 only?

Aug 07, 2016 José Safarao 16 &

So all that stoning of cars, blocking of the Zomba road to prevent Dr Jill Biden from passing, burning of a policeman’s hat, running battles with the Malawi police, arrests, slapping of two hapless girls… ...

Arresting Aniva is not a good idea, Mr President

Jul 31, 2016 José Safarao 73 &

I know there is that pressure when the whole world is laughing at you. I have received calls and Facebook messages from as far afield as the United States and Japan, from acquaintances I last… ...

No holds barred! Do something about university fees, please

Jul 24, 2016 José Safarao 51 &

What is happening is a paradox. Those of us who benefited from university education that was almost free are at the forefront arguing that the fees in the university are too little, that students must… ...

No Holds Barred! Issa Njauju: No justice, one year on

Jul 17, 2016 José Safarao 19 &

On 2 July last year, Issa Njauju left his office at the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to head home. He never reached his destination. His body was discovered two days later behind Presidential Villas in Lilongwe.… ...

No Holds Barred! Taking stock of our 52 years of independence

Jul 10, 2016 José Safarao 9 &

This week, we commemorated our 52nd year of independence. It’s just as well that there was no celebration of any sort. Yes, there were a couple of really weird billboards painted in the colours of… ...

Of the Lilongwe water crisis, hotels and stadiums – impact of mbofyo-mbofyo priorities

Jul 03, 2016 José Safarao 24 &

A few days ago, President Peter Mutharika promised residents of the city of Blantyre that his administration plans to build a stadium, a five-star hotel and a conference centre in Blantyre. In Zomba he also promised to build… ...

Our ‘Me-First Nation-Later’ MPs

Jun 26, 2016 José Safarao 12 &

Business was crippled in parliament this week because the majority of MPs chose to pocket allowances with no intention of attending deliberations. And even after pocketing those allowances, they decided that national business should cease… ...

No Holds Barred! Corruption in police recruitment must be investigated, punished

Jun 12, 2016 José Safarao 44 &

Malawi Police Service (MPS) officials this week seemed proud of their efforts in identifying and dismissing from police training schools a total of 442 bogus recruits. “We have managed to send back 361 people from… ...

No Holds Barred! Message clear: donors are not your grandmothers

Jun 05, 2016 José Safarao 26 &

In the business world and in general, Germans are known as straight shooters and not the most diplomatic lot. This tendency can sometimes come off as downright rude, especially in a culture like ours, where… ...

No holds barred! A reflection on Gondwe’s K1.1 trillion budget

May 29, 2016 José Safarao 24 &

In his remarks at the beginning of his 77-page budget statement, Malawi's Finance Minister, Goodall Gondwe, decried what he described as “Western-style bonuses to top executives in the private sector,” and called them a major… ...

No Holds Barred! What is the truth on China money?

May 22, 2016 José Safarao 19 &

Malawi President Peter Mutharika said in his State of the Nation Address on Friday that the much-touted $600 million Kam’mwamba Coal Fired Power Project will be funded by a loan from a Chinese Bank called… ...

No holds barred: Mutharika must be impeached for meddling with the Muluzi case

May 15, 2016 José Safarao 102 &

One day in December last year, President Peter Mutharika arrived at Chisitu Community Ground in Mulanje District wearing a grey suit and dark glasses. He was here to preside over the commemoration of the International… ...