Gotani Hara’s Claims of Sexism Overshadowed by Leadership Controversies

By Jones Gadama

Gender Claims vs. Performance Issues

Malawi’s Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara has attributed criticism of her failure to enforce Section 65 to gender bias, but evidence suggests deeper issues of competence and partisanship are at play.

Growing Criticism of Leadership

Gotani Hara’s tenure has been marked by increasing controversy, with opposition leaders and civil society groups questioning her impartiality and effectiveness:

• Opposition Leader Dr. George Chaponda has publicly accused her of ruling party bias
• Multiple MPs have challenged her decision-making in parliamentary proceedings
• Calls for her resignation have grown louder in recent months

Systemic Challenges Beyond Gender

The controversy surrounding Section 65 enforcement – which allows the Speaker to recall MPs who switch parties – reveals institutional challenges:

• All Speakers since 2014 have struggled with implementing this provision
• Court injunctions by affected MPs have consistently blocked enforcement
• The issue appears rooted in systemic parliamentary challenges rather than individual capability

Additional Leadership Controversies

Beyond the Section 65 debate, Gotani Hara faces criticism for:

• Delaying an inquiry into the plane crash that killed former VP Saulos Chilima
• Failing to act on civil society petitions for investigations
• Perceived slow response to pressing parliamentary matters

The Path Forward

Political analysts suggest that restoring confidence in her leadership would require:

• Demonstrating greater impartiality in parliamentary proceedings
• Addressing longstanding concerns about Section 65 implementation
• Expediting delayed investigations and petitions
• Engaging more transparently with opposition parties

As the controversy continues, all eyes remain on whether Speaker Gotani Hara can address these challenges and restore faith in her leadership of Malawi’s parliament.

This article summarizes an original report from The Maravi Post. For complete details, please refer to the original source.