No editorial checks on this article yet

This article is not approvedThe content of this article is not verified by the editorial team of Africanews.com. Read our editorial requirements to see the criteria we use to decide if we publish an article on the homepage of Africanews.

Equal education rights for Rastas

  1. Posted on Thursday 28 January 2010 - 14:08
    Mtheto Lungu
    Image of Mtheto Lungu
    LILONGWE.

    There are exciting developments just a day after President Bingu wa Mutharika opened the first Parliament sitting this year. The Rastafari for unity in Malawi, an organisation for the dreadlocked men and women in the country, are demanding for their right to education.

    National Assembly Speaker Chimunthu Banda has yet to respond to the group's letter delivered to his chambers Tuesday, arguing there have been instances where rastafari followers have been sent back from school for wearing dreadlocks - which he says is a violation of their education right.

    "This is killing out future. We are citizens of Malawi who also deserve the rights enjoyed by everyone else," said leader Ras Juda.

    He asked Parliamentarians to consider giving rasta followers an equal opportunity to education to enable them access government schools without any discrimination.

    Ras Juda added there is need to amend the law that bans use of marijuana as it is a religious right.

    "Marijuana has economic potential due to its many uses totalling 402," the letter added, further condemning homosexuality, national flag change, the proposed sex workers bill to legalise prostitution. The group fears the promotion of immorality.

    The Unity has also called on the August House to consider the marriage age law suggesting it be pushed to 21 from the current proposed 16 which was arrived at from the gazetted age of 15.

    The group is the second to come out after the Malawi Gays Rights Group threatened it would demonstrate before the legislators for the discriminatory treatment of the first gay couple to come out in the open. The couple, who publicly engaged, have been arrested and are under the courts determination.

    As we went to press it was revealed that test on Tiwonge Chimbalanga, who believes he is a woman, is a man biological and in all its sense of physical gender. Their case continues.

Latest News

  1. AFCON: 46 hurt in Zambia victory celebrations09/02Over 40 casualty cases were recorded Wednesday night at Zambia's University Teaching Hospital (UTH) after post-match celebrations turned violent …
  2. African Peer Review Mechanism making progress08/02In 2003 the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the continental development plan, initiated the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM…
  3. Combating HIV infections among African women08/02With a lack of knowledge and power, African women continue to bear the brunt of HIV infections.
  4. Legume cultivation booms in Western Kenya07/02Small Holder Farmers (SHFs) who traditionally relied on seed companies for all their seeds are now bulking their own legume seeds for their farms.
  5. Malawi vendors chase out Chinese07/02Vendors in Kalonga, the Northern district of Malawi, on Wednesday petitioned the District Commissioner to flash out all Chinese nationals who are doin…
  6. Zim: Informal sector urged to join HIV battle05/02While the Harare City council is busy engaging in running battles with city vendors, Health Minister has called for authorities to devise ways to form…
  7. Elections: Wole Soyinka warns Mugabe, Wade03/02The Nigerian Nobel Prize winner for literature said heads of states who are trying to cling to power suffer the same fate as the dictators who were sw…
  8. AU elections rescheduled for June in Malawi01/02Following a deadlock during Monday's African Union elections, with a tie between former wife to South African president Jacob Zuma, Home Affairs …
  9. Senegal in turmoil as protest intensifies01/02Hundreds of anti-government protesters Tuesday gathered in the central Dakar, Senegal to show their dissatisfaction over the incumbent president Abdou…
  10. Zimbabwe’s inflation still favourable -…01/02Zimbabwe's annual headline inflation still compared favourably with economies in the region, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono said o…
  11. AFCON 2012: Sudan qualifies after four decades31/01The Sudanese national team has sealed a historic win over the Stallions of Burkina Faso.
  12. Senegalese opposition to intensify protests31/01Opposition and civil society groups in Senegal have vowed to increase their fight against incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade's presidential bid.
  13. Malawi: Rights coalition condemn stripping of…30/01The 39 members of the Solidarity for African Women's Rights Coalition based in 18 African countries have vehemently condemned the stripping of wo…
  14. Kenya to deworm five million children annually30/01Kenya launched the second phase of its national deworming programme at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012, aiming to treat 5 million childre…
  15. Benin’s Yayi Boni is AU’s new…30/01President Yayi Boni of Benin Republic has been elected chairperson of the African Union in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa
News archive