A new set of laws that are set to be introduced by the government of Malawi will be the first of their kind on the globe
There are things we do in life which are just natural responses to biology and we take them for granted. In Malawi, those days are over.
The Bingu wa Mutharika led administration is to introduce a push of legislation that will criminalize the “passing gas” or flatus in public. And the intention?, to “mould responsible and disciple citizens”
The bill will also punish “any person disturbing religious assemblies, trespassing on burial places,” or “insulting the modesty of a woman”.
The Local Courts Bill of 2010, according to Malawi media reports, is to be presented in the forthcoming Parliament sitting by Minister of Justice, George Chaponda. The bill, reports say, also deals with citizens who hinder the burial of dead bodies as well as people who pretend to be fortune tellers.
Commenting on the bill, a Malawian is quoted as saying: “How can this government criminalize the release of intestinal gases …. Everyone does that, even if it’s in public or it has an accompanying sound which is boring, making it criminal is a joke of democracy”
Another said he “support(s) the bill and is welcome. Sometimes breaking wind in public or during meetings is a disturbance of the peace”.
One assembly man who says he supports the bill gave the following reason: “A couple of years ago, before I entered public service, one day I was late for a meeting with my boss and we decided to use the elevator. In the elevator we met this gentleman who did not even open his eyes to say hi but just gave out this ‘bomb’. It’s so pungent that it left us gasping for air. I believe such a law will reduce this public flatus”.
Do you think making ‘passing gas’ in public a criminal offense is right in Malawi?
Update: Feb 4, 2011
Update:
Two of Malawi’s judicial officials are at variance over whether a new bill includes a provision that outlaws breaking wind or passing gas in public.
Justice Minister George Chaponda says the new bill would criminalize public flatus to promote “public decency”.
“Just go to the toilet when you feel like farting,” he told local radio.
However, he was directly contradicted by Solicitor General Anthony Kamanga, who says the reference to “fouling the air” means pollution.
“How any reasonable or sensible person can construe the provision to criminalizing farting in public is beyond me,” he said, adding that the prohibition contained in the new law has been in place since 1929.
The Local Courts Bill, to be introduced next week reads: “Any person who vitiates the atmosphere in any place so as to make it noxious to the public to the health of persons in general dwelling or carrying on business in the neighborhood or passing along a public way shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”
Mr Chaponda, a trained lawyer, insists that this includes farting.
“Would you be happy to see people farting anyhow?” he asked on the popular “Straight Talk” program on Malawi’s Capital Radio.
He said that local chiefs would deal with any offenders.
When asked whether it could be enforced, he said it would be similar to laws banning urinating in public.[ad#Adsense-200by200sq]
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