By Duncan Mlanjira
A post on Facebook that Malawian scientist, Dr. Kingdom Kwapata of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), is offering DNA test to Malawians wishing to do so on their children to determine true paternity, attracted fierce mixed reactions.
Most believe that the service might break some marriages of some women, who might be keeping secrets on the true paternity of their children.
LUANAR Complex
According to the post on Facebook, Kwapata — based at LUANAR Campus — is offering this services since DNA paternity test in Malawi is very expensive to an average Malawian, yet it is highly needed by a lot of men and in many families to settle disputes and doubts.
He is reported to offer the DNA test at a reasonable and affordable fee to Malawi’s general population.
According to some medical experts that Maravi Express contacted, paternal DNA tests are indeed expensive in that they are not done in the country but samples can be collected by a lab scientist then sent to South Africa for the actual testing.
Some of the medical experts owned up that no lab in Malawi does DNA paternity tests but samples can be collected at some selected labs such as at Mwaiwathu, Pathlabs at Ginnery Corner and Labcare, who facilitate to send them to SA.
While Dr. Kwapata refused to be drawn in all this, one medical doctor did mention him that indeed Kwapata, a molecular geneticist, wants to set up such a lab at LUANAR to be accessed by the Malawi Police Service.
When contacted to confirm what is trending on social media — with him at the centre of it — Kwapata said: “I am sorry, I can’t comment on any of the [questions you sent]. I am a private person and I don’t like media spotlight.
“I would appreciate if you could ignore the social media sensation about me and my work. I did not sanction it and I do not know who has written it.
“Like I said I prefer to remain private and I would appreciate if you could respect that. Thank you,” he said.
The post, done on ‘As It Is Happening (AIIH)’ — whose majority posts come to pass as credible — reports that Kwapata graduated from University of Malawi with a Bachelors Degree and earned his PhD at Michigan State University, USA where he is reported to have devised different technologies.
In 2013, it is reported he was awarded the Best African Young Scientist award at a global forum where he was the only African to be awarded the prestigious recognition.
Reports say in 2014, he tried to create an HIV vaccine using beans where it was successfully done but failed to be expressed in human beings and is still being worked on.
His services are reported to be sought for by the Malawi Police Service; Ministry of Health; developmental partners such as UNDP, USAID, National Commission for Science and Technology among others.
“All these would testify of my credentials and work but I don’t talk to journalist,” Kwapata had responded. “It’s my principle and I do wish you respected that. I am not seeking fame and popularity — I just don’t like media attention.”
It could break marriages
The post on AIIH attracted an avalanche of comments with several against this free-for-all paternal testing services as they could lead to marriage breakages — whose sufferers shall be the innocent kids themselves.
Kachiza Aaron was of the opinion that in the case that a marriage breaks because the husband has learnt that all along they were not his children, “where will the children go to get answers from when abandoned after 16 years plus”.
“[They are] innocent souls. They were not part of the mischief from either party. This is building and encouraging psychological trauma to an already traumatic youth.
“The western countries have counselling facilities in place, where will our youth go? This is systematic, strategic move to kill the future of Malawi and the youth,” he said.
Mike Andrew Moya was of the opinion that in this scenario, where a man seeks paternity tests, then he is selfish.
“So after 20 years in marriage and you know that the child is not yours, what next? And after you know that the child is yours what changes are you going to bring into the house?
“And I ask you a question — suppose you are having secret children somewhere to another married woman and you ask her to do DNA test and found that they are [indeed] yours, are you going to be a man enough and tell your wife about them and claim the children?”
He then sort of abused one kid’s rights when he posted a picture to substantiate his arguments. There was a man and a child in the picture who had a striking resemblance at being father and son.
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He said the man in the picture went for DNA test claiming the children in his home were not his and the test results vindicated his fears.
“But looking at the resembrance of the father and the son, should we believe those kind of machines or tests are correct ? Why bringing stress in a happy family,” Moya asked.
Mashanie Msyalie said the point is not adultery but knowing if one is supporting their legitimate child, arguing that even the children themselves have to be let in into the secret — to know who their real father is.
He agreed with others that people in developed countries do go for paternity tests and that compels women to be honest by telling their husbands right at the beginning that they are not carrying their baby.
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In that scenario, Msyalie opines, its up to a man to make a choice. “The choice comes in when everything is in order. So we need these DNA services here in Malawi not for men to go and test the children but to bring sanity in our marriages if any disputes arise.”
Yamikani Makwinja believes that it is indeed important to consider the implications this new culture will bring to families and the society as a whole.
“l think, it is better to optimise the use of this science only when resolving issues not only in marriages but also criminal cases like rape.”
Marie Da Silva applauded the initiative as great and looking forward to the day when it will be free for all.
“Many women were abandoned without any support for their children because of men refusing to take responsibility.”
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She said some rural areas go for traditional methods of identifying paternity just by assessing the child’s countenance and judging it with that of the alleged father, which is somewhat preposterous.
“People in villages cannot afford to pay, so hopefully we will get free paternity tests and trust that we will see men take responsibility of their actions and take care of their children,” she said,
Others brought in the scenario of ‘Fisi’ (hyena) system, which is when a wife discovers that her husband cannot get her pregnant and goes ahead searching sexual favours from someone else in the hope of conceiving.
Others hinted that some women do go for this option, which is sometimes traditionally accepted even by the woman’s parents or other peers, by agreeing to try another man when she is not bearing children despite many years into their marriage.
To prove if the man might be impotent, the woman is coerced — and sometimes does it on her own accord — to try the Fisi system and lo and behold, she conceives.
She then goes on to hide the paternity from the husband and when several other tries with her husband fails, she goes for another or the same Fisi only to conceive again.
The commentators are against the Fisi system when a wife discovers that her husband cannot get her pregnant and goes ahead searching for the Fisi without even discussing the issue with her husband or to seek some other proper remedies.
“This hyena scenario is not a welcome move in this HIV/Aids world — it will end up destroying the family insted of bulding it,” said another commentator.
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Another said according to recent circumstances, some women have provoked the DNA paternity situation when “a faithfull husband had been cheated for being faithful”.
He added that where a woman has no option but to conceive when the husband is suspected or tested of being impotent, then it is adultery if the husband was not involved for his consent.
And others say it is serious adultery when a woman conceives from another man after she already have children with her husband and when that happens, the man has the right to go for paternity test.
Mwakoma Gondwe opined that this is a double edged sword, saying it’s bad luck to impotent men because when they are failing to father children, they fail to retain the marriage bond while it is bad luck to women who use children to sustain marriage with affluent but impotent husbands.
Aaron Kazuba Gondwe said this technology should excel as there will be no need of going to traditional doctors in search for the truth.
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