Last modified: 2012-10-05 by bruce berry
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image by Martin Grieve, 12 Aug 2010
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The Protected Flags, Emblems and Names Amendment Bill was signed by President
Bingu wa Mutharika on 29 July 2010 which resulted in a new national flag being
adopted to replace the flag which had been used since
independence in July 1964.
Ralph Kelly, 31 July 2010
According to the Under Secretary in the Ministry of Information in Lilongwe, the symbolism of the colours of the stripes remains the same as for the previous flag. The pantone shades and proportions also remain unchanged. The modified sun is said to represent the economic development and progress which the country has achieved since independence.
Bruce Berry, 02 August 2010
According to various newspaper articles in the Nyasa Times, Africa News and The Nation, there has been widespread opposition to the change in the national flag of Malawi.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 31 July 2010
Africanews.com (29 July 2010) reports that Malawi president Bingu wa Mutharika has given permission to change the national flag of the Southern African country, according to the Speaker for the National Assembly, Henry Chimunthu-Banda. The news follows wa Mutharika's assent to the Flag Change Bill after a 21-day grace period. "We wish to inform the general public that His Excellency, the State President Bingu wa Mutharika assented to the Flag Change Bill. This is one of the many Bills that Mutharika has signed," Chumunth-Banda said
"We are not changing the flag. We are simply modifying it. Government consultations show that most people would like the flag to change to the proposed one", said Minister Reckford Thotho.
Civil Society Organizations argue resources put to the change would better be
utilized to cover health, education, and agricultural needs of the majority of
the people. They added the change, argued by government to reflect the
development that Malawi has gone through since independence, was a mockery as
Malawi was still far from a developed nation. "We are a pathetic lot
thinking we have reached a stage where we should change the flag to reflect
political, development and social development in the country. We are very far
behind and this only shows as Malawians we have no ambition,"
expressed Mavuto Bamusi, of a Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC).
Opposition parties led by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) which is the second largest in the House, walked out in protest when majority ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) representatives voted yes to change the flag on 2nd July 2010.
The new flag features a full white sun in the centre of horizontal stripes of
red, black and green. The original flag has the black,
red and green stripes with a rising red sun in the top black stripe.
Pro-flag change pundits say this is a welcome development and government is
expected to launch the new controversial flag soonest - affecting all documents
and murals that feature the national symbol.
Submitted by Bruce
Berry, 30 July 2010
The
Nyasa Times reports that the proposed flag change has been taken to
court by the UDF-oppositon.
J. Patrick Fischer, 11 July 2010
The
Nyasa Times (02 July 2010) reports that the parliament of Malawi approved
earlier this month a Bill to change the national flag. The red sun in the
top stripe will be replaced by a white sun in the middle of the flag, over all
three stripes, which will now be red, black and green.
Jos Poels, 08 July 2010
Proposed changes to the flag of Malawi were reported in the
Nyasa Times of 11 February 2010.
Government spokesman, Reckford Thotho said authorities proposed to change the
national flag replacing the rising sun with a full sun and change some colours "symbolising
the development that has taken place."
Said the Information Minister: "The essence of changing the national flag is
that times have changed since 1964 when Malawi adopted the flag on attaining its
independence. "The symbol of the rising sun that time made a lot of sense
because it was dawn for freedom and hope. But there has been a lot of
development that has taken place since and we cannot still be at dawn."
However, a Blantyre based lawyer, who is also executive director of Justice Link
Justin Dzonzi, has appealed to government of President Bingu wa Mutharika to
"simply resists the temptation" to change the features of the national flag.
"I think it's a national issue and basically as a national issue it must have a
national support for the change. The changes must be that the nation needs the
change," said Dzonzi.
"It's not just a matter of preference for one individual. I don't think the
colours of our national flag have been subject of debate," he pointed out. The
legal expert said any changes of features on the national flag should be based
on solid and acceptable reasons.
"The rationale behind any change must be such change that is significant to
Malawi," he said.
Bruce Berry, 12 Feb 2010
The proposal seems to be to replace a unique, attractive, and extremely
distinctive flag (the current one) with one which looks more like other flags,
and in doing so clutter up the design with a fourth colour. I note that
very few of those leaving their comments on the web page seem to support the
proposal.
James Dignan, 12 Feb 2010
According to the Panafrican News Agency (PANA) (30 Dec 1998) the Malawi
government has plans for a change of national the flag. These were, however, put
on hold in late January 1999, according to the Africa News Network. The
flag change was planned because the current flag is derived from the former flag
of the main opposition (and former ruling) party, the
Malawi Congress Party, except for the rising sun. The article further
mentions that MCP "three years ago" changed its flag to one which is all-green
with a black cock in the middle of a white circle.
Mark Sensen, 04 Jan 1999
It was reported in the Nyasa Times (18 May 2012) that President Joyce Banda (who became President following the recent death of Bingu wa Mutharika) will bring to Parliament a bill for debate and decision on whether the independence national flag could be reinstated to replace the current one.
Officially opening 2012/2013 parliamentary session, President Banda told a jam-packed New Parliament Building in the Capital City that this decision has been arrived at upon observing that the process to change to the in 2010 flag did not involve adequate national consultation and participation by Malawians. "In the opinion of the Cabinet, there was no compelling reason for changing the independence flag. The Minister of Justice will present the bill to this august House during the meeting of Parliament" said President Banda amid deafening handclapping and applause".
Ivan Sache, 23 May 2012
Malawi's parliament has approved a bill to revert to the old flag adopted at the
time of independence in 1964, two years after the late president Bingu wa
Mutharika altered it, it was reported today. The Malawi Minister of Justice and
Attorney General, Mr Ralph Kasambara, presented the Protected Flags, Emblems and
Names Amendment Bill to parliament. During the official opening of Parliament,
President Joyce Banda said the decision to revert to the old flag was arrived at
upon observing that the process to change the flag did not involve adequate
national consultation and participation by Malawians. "In the opinion of
Cabinet, there was no compelling reason for changing the independence flag" she
said. Parliament Speaker Henry Phoya said the independence flag of black, red
and green stripes with a red rising sun were a "sacred symbol" of Malawi's
nationhood. The move had been widely expected as the new flag had not been
popular.
Since the introduction of the new flag in 2010, a new vehicle licence plate
system has also been adopted which has an image of the flag. No doubt these will
now also have to change.
Bruce Berry, 29 May 2012
The independence flag was re-adopted as the national flag of Malawi on 28 May
2012 following the signing into law of the Protected Flags, Emblems and Names
Amendment Act.
Confirmed by "Arrorro" and Jonathan Dixon, 5-7 Aug 2012
image by Martin Grieve, 12 August 2010
The Malawi Government sent Flagcraft (a South African flag manufacturer) the
official specifications for the new flag which have been used to prepare a
specification and construction sheet. The only dimensions the authorities gave
are the overall ratio (2:3).
The colours are given as:
Green Pantone P355U
Red Pantone P485C
Black
Hoist width : 600 units
Length: 900 units
Outer Diameter of circle encompassing rays: 330 units
Inner Diameter of circle encompassing rays: 196 units
Diameter of Sun's photosphere: 160 units
The charge is centrally positioned on the flag.
Martin Grieve, 11 August 2010
The sun on the new Malawi flag has 45 rays. I do not believe that there is any
symbolism in the number, however I note that 45 rays results in the rays being
an exact 8 degrees of rotation apart. Other numbers of rays result in odd
fractions of the angles of rotation.
Ralph Kelly, 11 August 2010