Despite political parties indicating they are prepared for parliamentary by-elections, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is yet to make a decision on whether to hold the polls in the wake of Covid-19.
MEC chief elections officer Sam Alfandika in an interview yesterday said MEC is consulting stakeholders on the by-elections in constituencies that fell vacant, adding the electoral body will soon communicate to the public its final decision.
A woman votes in a previous elections
He said: “We are discussing with stakeholders involved on this and a position will be made soon on the way forward. We will announce to the public once a decision is made, probably by end of this week or next week.”
Alfandika stressed that everyone is aware of the risks of Covid-19. He said the matter is a serious issue that needs to be properly handled.
Political parties told The Nation a couple of weeks ago that they are ready to hold the by-elections and that they will follow MEC’s decision.
University of Malawi’s Chancellor College political science lecturer Mustafa Hussein said the fact that the country held the June 23 presidential election amid Covid-19 shows the parliamentary by-election can also be conducted.
His University of Livingstonia counterpart George Phiri said the best time to hold the election is now, adding no one knows when Covid-19 will end.
MEC is expected to hold by-elections in Mangochi West, Mangochi North East, Phalombe North, Lilongwe North West and Karonga Central which currently have no parliamentary representation.
President Lazarus Chakwera yesterday committed to build more roads nationwide to ease transportation of goods and services as well as reduce traffic congestion, especially in cities.
The President made the commitment after touring the K7.6 billion Area 18 Traffic Interchange in Lilongwe which he said will require matching improved road network to ease traffic congestion in the capital city.
Chakwera is briefed on the project
His statement comes days after he bemoaned the low status of the country’s cities and dilapidated road infrastructure connecting districts and regions.
During the tour, Chakwera—who was accompanied by Minster of Transport and Public Works Mohammed Sidik Mia and Japanese and Chinese envoys, among other dignitaries—walked from the underpass road to the upper road to appreciate the completion level of the locally funded interchange project.
Said the President: “I am happy that the road is
coming to an end. I am also happy that we have commitments to build more roads so that the decongestion is not only about the interchange. It is also connected to other developments. I am very happy that all these things are happening at this time.”
The Area 18 Cloverleaf Traffic Interchange is located at the site of the then Area 18 Roundabout. It boasts an upper road from Parliament Roundabout to Bingu National Stadium which was upgraded to dual carriageway. The underpass also has a dual carriage on the M1 and is expected to be later connected to the planned Kanengo to Mchinji Roundabout dual carriageway.
On his part, Mia said the Tonse Alliance administration led by Chakwera plans to construct a number of modern roads in cities and other areas to ease transport challenges.
Besides the Kanengo to Mchinji Roundabout dual carriageway, the minister also mentioned the Bunda Roadblock-Crossroads and Parliament Roundabout to Shoprite dual carriageway projects as other planned roads. He said construction is scheduled to start in December.
Said Mia: “The interchange is partly opened to the public. Vehicles will now be passing. But the most important part is that where the President has reiterated that this alone cannot serve the purpose.
“The joint projects will do a great deal to this city for it to be completely decongested.”
He said the road from Parliament Roundabout through Kamuzu Central Roundabout to Shoprite/Nico Centre will be upgraded to a six-lane carriage at an estimated cost of K13 billion.
Other projects to be financed by development partners are the road from Lilongwe CCAP through Lilongwe Bridge via Crossroads carriageway and the Mchinji Road Roundabout passing through Area 18 to Area 25.
Mia said: “You lose a lot of time and money when vehicles queue and when people stay on the road for long hours.”
The minister also said the M1 from Kamuzu International Airport junction to Mzimba Turn-off and the dilapidated Chiweta Road will also be upgraded. The Lilongwe-Kasungu-Mzimba Turn-off Road is one of the driving nightmares in the country as it is riddled with potholes, narrow and has a worn-out shoulder.
In an interview at the site, Roads Authority chief executive officer Emmanuel Matapa said his office was given the mandate to construct and rehabilitate a number of roads nationwide.
He said: “Government has given us a clear instruction to build or maintain roads in Malawi. We have been given instructions to construct modern free way and we are now finalising the design with an intention to award another contract before December.”
Poorly-drafted contracts, unlawful dismissals and redeployment of heads of government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have cost taxpayers K29 billion between 2018 and 2020, communication from the Attorney General shows.
In an internal communication dated August 20 2020 addressed to Vice-President Saulos Chilima, Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Zangazanga Chikhosi and all heads of public institutions, Attorney General (AG) Chikosa Silungwe tackled a wide range of issues, including cautioning the new administration against falling into the same trap.
Silungwe: Illegal deployment costly
But while the AG did not cite specific cases, the communication comes amid a litany of transfers in government following the change of power through the court-ordered June 23 Fresh Presidential Election which ousted Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and ushered in the Tonse Alliance led by Malawi Congress Party president Lazarus Chakwera.
In the communication, Silungwe asked to be involved in the drafting of all government contracts in a bid to save public funds.
Quantifying the cost, he said in the letter: “As at 17 August 2020 and for the financial years 2018/19 and 2019/20, the total judgement debt against the State stands at approximately K29 billion.”
The stated amount is several attempts yesterday while Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Titus Mvalo said Silungwe was better-placed to comment on the matter.
In the communication, Silungwe also tackled the subject of secondment and observed that it was provided for in the Malawi Public Service Regugulations; hence, any purported secondment outside this legal framework was illegal.
He said: “Secondment is a temporary movement of an employee with consent from one ministry, department or agency to another ministry, department or agency to perform the function of a position that already exists or to take up a special project.
“The employee maintains his or her substantive position in the ‘sending’ ministry, department or agency. More critically, the secondment must be at the request of the ‘receiving’ ministry, department or agency.”
Besides, the AG also clarified on the role of the SPC in secondment of employees, saying the SPC should only be involved in the secondment of Principal Secretaries or heads of public institutions.
“In all other cases, he cannot and must not be involved. Any involvement is tantamount to procedural impropriety and illegal. In all other cases, the Principal Secretaries are in charge of the process outlined in para 10,” he said.
The AG also scoffed at a practice “that has emerged in recent years where a public officer is informed that he or she been posted to the Office of the President and Cabinet where they shall be assigned new responsibilities,” saying such officers report for work and do nothing.
He said: “Illegal deployment is costly. Lately, the State has been ordered to pay over K700 million and K500 million because of illegal deployment of officers. Fair labour practice is paramount principle under Malawi’s labour law. The courts in Malawi have relentlessly upheld this principle.”
Reacting to the development, private practice lawyer John-Gift Mwakhwawa applauded Silungwe for the move, but called for more concrete follow-ups, including beefing up of legal teams at Attorney General Chambers and ensuring that those in breach of the steps are taken to task.
Benedicto Kondowe, chairperson of the National Advocacy Platform (NAP)—an umbrella body of some 60 civil society organisations, described the memorandum as timely.
He said the communication was an indication that the AG had observed worrying trends in the government systems which prompted his action to clean up the system.
Two weeks ago, the AG also stopped the OPC from seconding to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs an official whose position, chief legislative officer, was already occupied by another officer and the ministry did not request the secondment.
The decision also comes as Chakwera, who stormed to office with a pledge for more respect for rule of law and good governance, faced criticism in the early days of his tenure for breaking the law in the appointment of some boards of State enterprises and officers, including at Malawi Revenue Authority, Malawi Police Service and Reserve Bank of Malawi.
Vice-President Saulos Chilima has given Blantyre Water Board (BWB) a 30-day ultimatum to resolve water supply challenges in the commercial capital, saying erratic water supply is unacceptable.
The Veep, who is also Minister of Economic Planning and Development and Public Sector Reforms, gave the deadline yesterday when he re-engaged BWB as part of public sector reforms meetings.
Chilima: We have agreed that failure is not an option for this task
He said BWB management had positively accepted the challenge and committed to improve service delivery from October 2 2020.
Writing on his Facebook page after the meeting in Blantyre yesterday, Chilima said: “It is completely unacceptable that people should stay two days or even one week without water. To this effect, we have resolved and agreed that erratic water supply in Blantyre should be a thing of the past effective 2nd October 2020.
“This means that we have given management 30 days to fix the problem. The board has committed to implement this. We have agreed that failure is not an option for this task.”
In his post, the Vice-President, fondly known by his initials SKC, said the meeting tasked BWB to issue a press statement committing to Blantyre residents that water supply will stabilise in 30 days from yesterday.
Chilima also said prior to October 2, BWB should be filing weekly updates to Minister of Forestry and Natural Resources Nancy Tembo on the strides being taken to ensure that water supply stabilises before or by the given deadline.
On Monday, BWB management issued a statement attributing the worsening water supply to power outages at its Chileka Pumping Station.
But Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) executive director problem was persisting when power supply in the country had improved.
During the engagement yesterday, Chilima also sought clarity on what led BWB to regress to the point of incurring K8.9 billion loss in the 2019/20 financial year as presented when he met management last Thursday.
He also sought clarity on BWB’s roadmap for the installation of pre-paid meters and water situation in Blantyre.
In recent weeks, residents of some areas in Blantyre, including Ndirande, Namiyango, part of Kanjedza, Zingwangwa, Machinjiri, Chilobwe and Green Corner have been going days without water supply.
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati has directed the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Board to resolve issues straining the working relationship between local and international NGOs.
The minister observed that conflicts between the two parties derail implementation of projects, thereby reducing the impact of the same.
Kaliati: These programmes should
be harmonised for impact
The minister’s intervention followed a complaint from local NGOs that international NGOs were working in isolation and created power struggle, duplication of activities and negatively affected project sustainability.
In an interview yesterday, Kaliati confirmed issuing the directive to NGO Board, saying the country needed the guidelines longtime ago to facilitate the working relationship between local and international NGOs.
The minister has given the NGO Board 30 days to develop the guidelines.
Kaliati said it was
The High Court of Malawi will tomorrow sentence convicted Misozi Chanthunya for the 2010 murder of 25-year-old Zimbabwean Linda Gasa who was believed to be his girlfriend.
Lead State lawyer in critical to harmonise programmes for local and international NGOs for better results and impact.
“We have so many NGOs both international and local, but if you go on the ground you will find that there are no tangible results which we can see. These programmes should be harmonised and all resources put in one basket and prioritise what is that they want to do and achieve.”
In a separate interview, Local NGOs Forum chairperson Kossam Munthali commended the minister for the intervention, saying there was need to level the ground on which NGOs operate.
NGO Board chief executive officer Voice Mhone refused to comment on the matter, saying the meeting was presided over by the minister; hence, she was in a better position to comment.
Fiscal Police in Blantyre yesterday continued to interrogate former Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) director general Godfrey Itaye for alleged abuse of office and fraud.
National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera said in an interview last evening that Itaye, who was summoned by Fiscal Police in Blantyre on Tuesday before his arrest, was being held at Blantyre Police Station.
Spent second night in custody: Itaye
He said: “Mr. Itaye is expected to answer charges of abuse of office and fraud. These crimes he committed while he was at Macra.”
But Kadadzera could not give more details on the charges against Itaye who was in June moved to Lilongwe Water Board where he is serving as chief executive officer.
Earlier yesterday, the police spokesperson said Itaye was taken to Fiscal Police for further questioning and was expected to be taken to court thereafter. But by 6pm, police were yet to take him to court.
Itaye’s arrest followed earlier arrests on Friday of Macra director of finance Ben Chitsonga and procurement specialist Joseph Ngalawa. The two were released on police bail on Saturday.
Police sources said Itaye was being interrogated about procurement of K135 million Macra calendars contract, alleged deployment of an official vehicle Macra bought for its officer but was allocated to former president Peter Mutharika’s personal bodyguard Norman Chisale and procurement of then governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cloth by the authority.
Itaye is expected to appear before Blantyre Magistrate’s Court this morning.
The Famine and Early Warning Systems Network (FewsNet) says Admarc’s lack of money to buy agriculture produce has put farmers at the mercy of unscrupulous traders who are ripping them off.
FewsNet, a USaid-funded provider of early warning and analysis on food security, said this in its August 2020 Malawi Food Security Outlook Update published on Tuesday.
Most of the farmers are duped by unscrupulous traders
It said because of this, some farmers in the Northern Regioni— especially in Chitipa— are selling most of their maize to unscrupulous traders, with some across the border in Tanzania.
FewsNet said this has been compounded by a drop in demand from companies that buy maize for manufacturing due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on economic activity.
Reads the update in part: “Apart from above-average production, downward pressure on prices has resulted from a slump in demand from companies that purchase maize for manufacturing due to impacts of Covid-19 on economic activity.
“Additionally, bulk maize purchases by Admarc [Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation]and National Food Reserve Agency remain low due to funding constraints.”
Retail prices for the staple crop remain lower than the government-set minimum farmgate price set at K200 per kilogramme (kg) on April 7 2020.
FewsNet figures show that in July, maize prices fell below levels recorded at the same time last year, which were five to 21 percent lower.
At the national level, retail maize prices averaged K 169 per kg in July 2020 with prices ranging from K135 to 193 per kg in most markets, with only Mangochi selling the grain at K200 per kg.
Meanwhile, FewsNet cross-border monitoring data indicates that during the month under review, informal imports of maize stood at 6 800 metric tonnes (MT) while informal exports were recorded at 8 500MT.
The main sources of informal maize imports in July were Zambia and Mozambique while the main destination of informal maize exports was Tanzania.
“This increase in exports likely reflects a combination of factors, including shifting trader strategies in response to limited Admarc purchases and relatively lower prices in Malawi relative to Tanzania compared to previous months,” reads the update.
Maize output has this year increased by 8.8 percent to 3.6 million MT from 3.3 million MT in 2018/19 growing season largely due to favourable weather conditions and an increased uptake of inputs by farmers, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Admarc acting chief executive officer Felix Jumbe said earlier that considering the country’s maize reserves are negligible, exports cannot hold despite the rising demand in the region.
He said Admarc was hoping on getting another facility to buy 50 000MT, but it still needed another 100 000 MT.
As of August 5 2020, Admarc had purchased 35 000MT of maize at 200 per kg from the K7 billion it got from Treasury and another another 20 000MT using a facility from the commercial banks.
Both Admarc and the strategic grain reserves require 180 000MT and 217 000MT, respectively.
In the 2020/21 Provisional Budget Statement, Minister of Finance Felix Mlusu said Treasury would release extra funds to enable Admarc buy produce and allow the parastatal to borrow from commercial banks.
Maize is an important crop to the country’s economy.
Ministry of Trade has warned that it will penalise wholesale poultry producers who violate their licence mandate by unfairly venturing into retail trade.
The development comes amid a protracted conflict where major poultry wholesalers have been delving into retail trade to the disadvantage of retail traders and small poultry producers.
Small poultry producers are being squeezed
In a written response on Tuesday, Minister of Trade Sosten Gwengwe admitted that when big companies start selling in retail markets at wholesale prices, small poultry farmers cannot survive.
He said poultry wholesale distribution licence only applies to specific designated places, adding that big poultry companies can do more to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by trading fairly.
Said Gwengwe: “Within two weeks, they [wholesalers] will submit distribution points. Their licence for moving vehicle depends on strict adherence to this arrangement.
“They have committed to install vehicle surveillance gadgets. If they are in contravention, moving vehicles will be stopped all together.”
The move by the Ministry of Trade comes weeks after the Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) revealed plans to carry out a study in the poultry sector following complaints of anti-competitive tendencies among players.
Among other things, the study will also seek to understand the structure of the poultry industry and assess its likely effect on competition.
In a statement, Poultry Industry Association of Malawi chairperson Alexander Stewart said they resolved to respect their trading licences following a meeting with Minister of Trade for the mutual benefit and in the interest of growing the poultry industry.
He said they will be vigilant to deal with illegal importation of poultry and poultry products that are suffocating the industry.
CFTC spokesperson Innocent Helema in an interview on Tuesday explained that there have been rising complaints from SMEs over alleged widespread unfair and anti-competitive practices in the poultry sector.
He said findings of the study will be used to determine what action the commission should take to promote competition and ensure that there is adequate protection for SMEs.
The poultry industry is also challenged by the illegal importation of poultry products that is putting the industry under financial strain and has affected about 12.5 percent of 24 000 jobs.
The bicycle is witnessing a resurgence. When it was invented over a century ago, it lacked the gears, brakes and the chain drive that we are so accustomed to now.
Then there were also the racing versions with the excessively large front wheel, which made the ride uncomfortable and the bicycle difficult to manoeuvre. Subsequently, more safe and comfortable options were invented, and ball bearings and pneumatic tyres became common, allowing for more comfortable rides.
The manufacturing process further evolved using simple techniques for shaping metal that could be repeated to keep costs low while maintaining quality. The lessons thus learned were later applied in the sphere of automobile production.
Bicycles are closely woven into the social fabric of many countries. For decades, Chinese cities were teeming with people on bicycles. And although modern transportation has reduced bike usage in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, bike-sharing companies in China have established a strong foothold in recent years.
Similarly, the bicycle has been an important part of life in rural India, where unpaved roads made it an indispensable option. In both China and India, of course, and driven by strong demand, manufacturers were able to keep prices comparatively low. But since people living in poverty in rural India still find it difficult to buy one, some provincial governments have used ownership of a bicycle to achieve other social needs, such as support for education.
Politicians have thus introduced various schemes which provide a free bicycle to households living in poverty when certain conditions are met, such as when a girl child graduates from a primary to a secondary school.
In parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Denmark, the bicycle has managed to retain its hugely popular appeal. And in other European countries, the more recent introduction of e-bikes, with a small motor that requires lesser human effort to pedal uphill, has helped increase bicycle usage in urban areas, especially for certain groups such as parents with small children and the elderly.
Some cities have also introduced user-friendly bicycle sharing programmes. With the tagline “Good for you, good for Oslo”, the municipality of Oslo, via a mobile phone app, makes it easy to locate and then use the phone to unlock a bicycle and later park it in one of its 246 stations spread across the city.
The initiative in Oslo and in other cities thus typically appeal to three major benefits of riding a bicycle – environment friendly, physical exercise and ease of access. But bicycles are also about human freedom as so eloquently expressed in a famous song by the British rock band Queen: “I want to ride my bicycle; I want to ride it where I like.”
Accessing potable water is as easy as switching on a tap for people living in developed nations – but it is fraught with danger for women and girls in Malawi’s Balaka District.
They face the ever-present possibility of sexual assault and being attacked by thugs and wild animals – like hyenas – as they trudge long distances in the early morning darkness to collect water for their families.
For women and girls in Malawi, collecting water is fraught with danger and involves walking long distances – Pics by Jenipher Changwanda
Already struggling with social challenges like food shortages, residents in the rural areas of the Balaka District are angry that theMpira-Balaka Rural Piped Water Project has not made life easier for them. Instead, it has subjected them to an intermittent and unreliable water supply for the past 22 years.
Many people in the area – some of them pregnant women, others with babies strapped to their backs – toiled hard to dig the trenches for pipes to bring water from Mpira Dam to their villages.
Martha Lameck, from Kanyole Village, says that villagers were “forced” to work digging trenches for the pipes. But they did so willingly, expecting that water shortages would be a thing of the past after the pipelines were laid in 1990.
But, Lameck says, the piped water only flowed for eight years before it was diverted to supply households in the high density, urban Balaka Town, depriving villagers and leaving them “angry and feeling cheated.”
The project to deliver water from the Mpira Dam was originally intended to address long-term water availability for both the people and economic sectors of Balaka, as well as other areas below the dam. Mpira Dam is 4.57 kilometres long and has a capacity of 3.72 million cubic litres, with a 42 km2 catchment area.
A woman points to a pool of dirty water, where they are forced to collect water when the communal taps run dryl
Mpira-Balaka Rural Piped Water project manager Onances Nyirenda says the scheme faces “technical and management challenges” that interrupt the supply of water to communities.
The project, which is managed by the Southern Region Water Board, covers an area of 1900 square kilometres. It was designed to meet the needs of 354,000 people, but the dam currently supplies water to over 515,000 people, including Balaka Town, he says.
Degradation of the catchment area through human activities, including cutting down trees and burning charcoal, has led to a build-up of silt in the reservoir and poor raw water quality, resulting in high water treatment costs, says Nyirenda.
“Vandalism and theft of water facilities such as pipes, siltation, and blockage of mainline and distribution pipes is resulting in an increased number of dry taps.”
Many of the communal taps that once supplied water to villages now run dry and many have been vandalized. They are a stark reminder that once there was a viable scheme that provided water to this semi-arid area, where most of the rivers are dry by June.
Shirah Kambuku Kambaule, the chairperson of the Area Development Committee (ADC) of Traditional Authority Sawali, agrees with Lameck.
A woman from Balaka Town sits next a communal tap that has long run dry
“The piped water project, meant for us rural people, only benefited us for a few years,” she says, adding that she and others have had to walk for three kilometres to fetch water for years.
“No one is explaining to us what went wrong for the water from Mpira Dam to stop flowing in our taps. What is more painful about the water problem in our community is that we were part of the group that helped dig the trenches where they laid the pipes. Today, the water that we toiled for is benefiting communities living in urban Balaka. This is unfair.”
This unfairness is endangering the lives of women and girls, according to Enifa Mbalu, a resident of Bulusi Village.
“There are times when the water table is so low and water shortages become a serious problem,” says Mbalu, who made an impassioned appeal for the Malawian government to intervene in their plight.
“We wake up around 2am to fetch water from the next village, where over 300 households scramble for water,” she says. Those fortunate enough to own bicycles can cycle to water points to fetch water – a luxury most women in her community cannot afford. Instead, they must resort to the traditional way of carrying water in buckets balanced on their heads.
Married women also face gender-based violence as a direct result of water shortages, she says. “Some women have been divorced by their husband, who suspect that they are having extramarital affairs since they leave them sleeping around 2 am,” she says. “And some men also sneak out and indulge in sexual activities with other women when their wives have gone to fetch water.”
COVID-19 compounds water problems
Along with the closure of schools because of COVID-19, the water shortage is also harming young girls, says Lameck.
“The water situation can be so bad that even young girls are getting married because when they go to fetch water, they end up in the hands of men soliciting sex,” she says.
“These men promise the girls that they will help them get access to water faster. In a situation where there are many scrambling for water, the girls give in. It’s even worse now that schools are closed due to COVID-19 and girls are just loitering around.”
Besides the ever-present danger of villagers contracting water-borne diseases, the lack of water is also affecting the personal hygiene of women, as well as young girls who skip classes when they are menstruating.
“They suffer a lot and have their dignity compromised as they use water economically and sparingly,” says Lameck.
Shukurani Louis, 14, who is from the same village, says she and her friends have been profoundly affected because they must spend “a lot of time fetching water” rather than concentrating on their studies.
“With the growing need for water due to the COVID-19 pandemic, water scarcity has increased our workload and we are making several round trips every day, carrying heavy drums walking under the scorching sun,” she says. “We spend hours fetching water. Apart from covering long distances, we must also wait for our turn [to draw water]. It’s time-consuming.” says Louis.
The situation has been exacerbated by thieves who have vandalized nearby boreholes and taps by stealing parts such as pipes, handles, rods, bolts and nuts.
“Now that schools are closed, the children who have nothing to do play in the water sources like rivers and small ponds where we draw water. “The water we depend on for domestic use for drinking, washing, and cleaning is always contaminated. We have to boil it before we use it.”
Etles Kachala, who lives in the community around Kayole, wants Malawi’s civil society to add its voice to calls for improved water supply services.
“Civil society has helped to change things in politics,” she says. “Why is it that these organisations are failing to fight for our welfare? Water is life, and we are being denied that right.”
Kachala says a few boreholes have been sunk in surrounding communities by non-governmental organisations, “but these cannot cater for everyone.
“The water shortage experienced by communities around here is real,“ she says.
Unsafe water often the only option
NICE Trust, a public trust committed to deepening democracy and good governance in Malawi, says water scarcity compromises the right to water for communities that depend on Mpira Dam and leave “no option” other than to use unsafe water.
The result is that many people end up contractingwater-borne diseases, which can eventuallyaffect their productivity and from participating in economic activities, says Henry Zekeria, NICE Trust manager for Balaka.
“The water crisis in Balaka and Ntcheu got worse in 2018, and there were some initiatives to drill some wells to supplement the already existing water source [Mpira Dam]. But until now, one can say, nothing tangible has changed,” says Zekeri.
In the words of Kambaule of the Traditional Authority Sawali in Balaka, “it remains the same old song unless these people begin to walk the talk on water supply that is reliable and accessible.”
A signatory to the 2015 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Malawi has numerous perennial rivers and freshwater lakes. But poor access to water persists in rural and urban areas.
The country has indicated that it would ensure a supply of clean water and sanitation for everyone in line withSDG number 6, which seeks to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”
By 2050, UN projections estimate that at least one in four people will suffer recurring water shortages.
But that still leaves at least four million people – out of a population of 18 million – who still lack access to safe water. And only six percent of Malawians have access to an improved sanitation facility. Poor sanitation practices and improper storage of drinking water commonly lead to waterborne illnesses such as cholera, according to USAID.
A Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2010 found that 78% of children under two years old have experienced at least one incident of diarrhea. And “poor practices” surrounding transportation and storage of drinking water make waterborne illnesses, including cholera, is still commonplace.
Former finance minister Joseph Mwanamveka told Parliament in June this year that the government was committed to ensuring sustainable management and development of water resources for the effective and efficient provision of safe water, sanitation and irrigation systems.
The government will also implement the Ground Water Extraction Project which will be implemented on a pilot basis in three districts of Dowa, Ntcheu and Chiradzulu.
“In this pilot phase, the project is expected to benefit 27,000 people,” Mwanamveka said.
But for people of Balaka and Ntcheu this sounds more like meaningless political rhetoric than a concerted effort to bail them out of their ongoing water crisis.
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Chifundo Kachale has called on government to facilitate electoral legal reform processes, saying failure to do so threatens the country’s democracy.
He was speaking in Lilongwe on Thursday during an Electoral Law Reforms review meeting organised by the National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust.
Kachale: It should reflect people’s will
The MEC chairperson said electoral reforms will improve future elections management processes and help consolidate democracy.
Said Kachale: “Our understanding of democracy is that citizens should take an active role in democracy, and one such opportunity is granted to them through voting. In order for the voting to be a credible process, it has to be governed by laws that truly reflect and safeguard the will of the people. And in order to attain such a status, the Electoral Commission continues to make strides in the electoral legal reform process.”
Among other concerns, he bemoaned the lack of the electoral body’s independence. He further questioned the logic of
parties contributing MEC commissioners, saying the move has consequences on the performance of the commission.
“Commissioners should not just be there as patronage. There is need to look at expertise. The commission needs competent people and not just being a political commission,” said Kachale.
He also touched on the independence of MEC in various areas, including financial issues, saying in the last election, government tried to frustrate operations of MEC by playing around with funding.
The MEC chair lamented that the Executive and Parliament frustrated the reforms and called on those reviewing the reforms to look at factors that forced the two arms of government to fail to support the reforms.
He further advised that when coming up with reforms there is need to thoroughly look at what they will achieve.
On his part, European Union Ambassador Ivo Hoefkens said another area to look at is independence of State-owned media to ensure they are neutral and serve every Malawian.
Nice Trust executive director Ollen Mwalubunju called on government to support and implement the electoral reforms.
He said: “Nice has hope that the Tonse Alliance government will support the reforms. Members of Parliament should also support the reforms as they will benefit the country’s democracy.”
Nice Trust board member Kent Mphepo has since called for a speedy implementation of the electoral reforms to ensure they are applied in the next elections.
Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo said government is committed to implementing the electoral reforms, adding it is important that all arms of government exercise their mandates independently to ensure that the reforms are implemented.
He said: “In the past there was lack of political will on the part of the Executive and Parliament. The Tonse government is committed to implement the reforms. For the reforms to work, every arm of government, especially the Executive and Legislature, must do its part. I also call upon Malawians to engage the Legislature to ensure that they support the reforms.”
Among the reforms that stakeholders are pushing for include the need to reserve seats for female legislators as a way of promoting women empowerment; President and his vice should be relieved of their duties once elections approach to level the ground for electoral candidates; Review of the criteria for one to be declared winner; Harmonising electoral laws (in the Act and Constitution); independence of MEC; and the appointment and tenure of commissioners.
It has emerged that Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) paid its legal team in the May 21 2019 presidential election nullification case K400 million for representation in both the High Court and Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal.
Information The Nation has seen indicates that the electoral body paid about K250 million for legal representation in the High Court of Malawi sitting as the Constitutional Court and about K150 million in the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal.
Part of contingent of lawyers in the case
But the records show that neither then Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale nor the South African lawyers the electoral body engaged for the appeal in the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal got paid.
In a letter dated August 26 2020 addressed to Danwood Chirwa—a Malawian professor of law at the University of Cape Town—who asked the electoral body to furnish him with details of costs, MEC director of legal services David Matumika Banda said K247.1 million was paid through two invoices for the Constitutional Court case and K155.7 million for the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal proceedings.
The letter said MEC engaged one legal firm, Churchill & Norris and that Treasury funded the payments through special requests.
Reads the letter: “The commission did not pay any deposits to the South African lawyers and has not paid any sum of money to the lawyers in respect of their engagement to present the commission in the appeal. Counsel Dumisa Ntsebenza SC was engaged to be part of the legal team as lead counsel.
“He was specifically required to come up with positions to be taken by the commission. He was required to review the entire court record, prepare written submissions for use by the legal team in court. On the date set for hearing, he was expected to argue the appeal on behalf of the commission. His application to be admitted to practise in Malawi for this specific case was not granted by the Honourable Chief Justice of Malawi.
“Eventually, due to the Covid-19 preventive measures which were in place in both the Republic of South Africa and Malawi, Counsel Ntsebenza and his legal team failed to travel to Malawi.”
Through a local legal firm Golden & Law, Chirwa sought details of payments MEC made in legal costs.
The revelation comes against the background of MEC being saddled with a whopping K7 billion in legal fees for the petitioners—President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice-president Saulos Chilima—in the historic case whose judgement overturned the outcome of the May 21 2019 presidential election over alleged irregularities and ordered a fresh election held on June 23 2020.
In the case, Chilima was the first petitioner as candidate of UTM Party and Chakwera was the second petitioner as Malawi Congress Party torch bearer. The duo prayed for the nullification and an order for a fresh election based on irregularities and illegalities in the electoral process, especially in the results management system.
Yesterday, MEC chairperson Chifundo Kachale, a judge of the High Court of Malawi, acknowledged that the commission wrote Chirwa as per his request, but referred this reporter to MEC director of media and public relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa. However, when contacted, the MEC spokesperson referred The Nation to Banda.
Said Kachale: “But you already have the information that we have provided. Send a formal request through Mr Sangwani Mwafulirwa.”
In a separate interview, Chirwa said he took the action to ensure transparency and accountability on the part of MEC in light of the debate on what the lawyers for Chilima and Chakwera were awarded in legal fees.
“There has been wide speculation about what MEC paid its lawyers compared to what Tonse [Chilima and Chakwera] lawyers are claiming. This information needed to be put out in the open so that there is full accountability by all the parties involved, whether it’s MEC or the lawyers involved.”
On the South African lawyers who had given MEC a K600 million quotation for the appeal, Chirwa observed that the letter from MEC only said they were engaged, but did not confirm they undertook any work.
Initially, lawyers for the petitioners submitted a K9 billion legal bill, but the registrar of the High Court of Malawi and Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal trimmed it to K7 billion.
With three days to go before schools re-open amid the coronavirus pandemic, government is unclear on its position on teachers’ demand for risk allowances.
The Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM), in April this year, demanded that once schools re-open, they will need Covid-19 risk allowances similar to those provided to healthcare workers.
NyaLonje: The issue is being dealth with at central level
Minister of Education Agnes NyaLonje in an interview yesterday said the issue cannot be handled in isolation, but centrally under the Department of Human Resource Management and Development which falls under the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC).
She said the ministry’s role is to present the issues as they are to the central level within the system and wait for a determination on the way forward, adding the matter was already presented.
Said the minister: “Issues of allowances are dealt with at central level by the human resource department which is under OPC. That is one of the issues the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 has, for the past two weeks, been deliberating on. The discussions are ongoing.”
Nyalonje said the decision has to be made at the central level as it may have implications across the civil service.
In a separate telephone interview, TUM secretarygeneral Charles Kumchenga confirmed that they are yet to be communicated to by the minister.
Kumchenga: We will make a decision by Saturday
He said TUM will be meeting with the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) today alongside the Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) to discuss the risk allowance issue, among others.
Said Kumchenga: “So after this meeting, TUM will meet on Saturday. So, tomorrow’s [today] meeting will shape the agenda of our meeting on Saturday.”
He said TUM will come up with a way forward after their Saturday meeting.
In a telephone interview, Civil Society Education Coalition (Csec) executive director Benedicto Kondowe said both TUM and government must resolve the issues at the soonest time possible.
“As an organisation, we feel this matter needs to be resolved amicably by both sides. The discussions must not be with emotions but rather mature and professional,” he said, adding the matter could disrupt reopening of schools.
Meanwhile, the Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) says it is set to administer this year’s Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) and Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.
In an interview yesterday, Maneb spokesperson Mayamiko Chiwaya said prior to schools closing on March 23 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, preparations were already at an advanced stage to administer the exams; hence, they will proceed from where they left from.
She said: “Right now we are processing examination administrators’ allowances which we will pay out prior to examinations administration just like we have done for the past two years.”
Chiwaya said according to examinations regulations, candidates sit 1.4 metres apart, which is already beyond the one metre spacing recommended by health authorities.
This week, Maneb released examination timetables for both PSLCE and MSCE examinations following an announcement by the Ministry of Education that schools will re-open next week.
According to the timetables, PSLCE will be administered from September 30 to October 2 2020 while MSCE will be administered from October 27 to November 20 2020.
On March 20 this year, government directed that all schools including universities be closed as a precautionary measure to avoid the further spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
President Lazarus Chakwera will attend the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly through virtual platforms between September 21 and October 5, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
In a statement issued yesterday, the ministry said in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and measures to contain its further spread, most meetings of the UN have either been postponed, rescheduled, cancelled or held virtually.
To participate in Unga: Chakwera
Reads the statement in part: “His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic Malawi, will attend the General Debate of the General Assembly and a number of High Level Meetings, including the 75th Anniversary Commemoration of the United Nations; the Biodiversity Summit; and 25th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
“Since Malawi is the chairperson of the Least Developed Countries, His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera will participate in a number of meetings in his capacity as chairperson of the Least Developed Countries.”
The theme for the 75th Session is The Future We Want; the United Nations We Need: Reaffirming Our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism-Confronting Covid-19 Through Effective Multilateral Action.
The ministry said it will update the nation in due course on the schedule of meetings the President will attend.
The High Court of Malawi sitting as the Constitutional Court has declared as unconstitutional the abortive lockdown former president Peter Mutharika’s administration imposed as a measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Mutharika’s administration imposed the national lockdown from midnight April 18 to midnight May 9 with a possibility of extension, but the decision was not implemented following spontaneous protests and a court order stopping the same.
People protest after the lockdown was announced
In the judgement delivered in Lilongwe yesterday, the three-judge panel of Ken Manda, Fiona Mwale and Dorothy Degabrielle said the Covid-19 rules under which the lockdown was proposed flouted the Constitution, especially sections 44, 45, 46 and 58.
Reads the judgement: “If a lockdown as a measure is to be imposed, the Executive must follow constitutional and lawful steps within the domain of government’s obligations for ensuring the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights under the Constitution and international law.”
The judges said Parliament should enact a new law on public health that will comprehensively deal with issues of pandemics because the current Health Act was old and ill-equipped to deal with pandemics of Covid-19 magnitude.
The court has since recommended that in future, where there is need to impose a lockdown as a measure to quarantine the public or a certain section, such a measure should be preceded by well-argued research on numbers of people to be affected.
The court also said there was need to adopt practical and realistic social security measures to cushion socioeconomic needs of the poor.
Reads the judgement: “The impact of the lockdown to the rights of citizens requires government to go beyond what is ordinary in imposing any conditions of this nature and wider consultations with the Malawi Law Society, the Society of Medical Doctors, the ministry responsible for vulnerable persons such as women, children, the elderly and the disabled.”
In May, Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda certified the case as a constitutional matter after some individuals and civil society organisations sought an injunction to stop government from effecting the lockdown.
The Society of Medical Doctors also told the High Court of Malawi that coronavirus prevention measures such as lockdown are not appropriate because they could impinge on people’s livelihood, especially access to food and healthcare.
Reacting to the judgement, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) national chairperson Gift Trapence, whose organisation was among parties to the case, described the decision as “a win for the rule of law”.
Besides HRDC, other petitioners were Church and Society Programme of the Livingstonia Synod of CCAP, Pastor David Mbewe and Esther Kathumba.
Police in Blantyre have released former Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) director general Godfrey Itaye on police bail.
Itaye was arrested on Tuesday by Fiscal Police Department for alleged abuse of office and fraud.
On police bail: Itaye
National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera, in an interview yesterday, confirmed Itaye’s release on Wednesday night.
He said: “Yes, he is not in police cell. He has been released on police bail.”
But Kadadzera could not give details of the bail conditions and when Itaye will appear in court.
However, police sources indicate that Itaye, who in June this year was deployed to Lilongwe Water Board as chief executive officer, was released on police bail at 8.30pm on Wednesday.
Kadadzera earlier told The Nation that Itaye is expected to answer charges related to abuse of office and fraud which he allegedly committed while he was at Macra.
Itaye was on Wednesday afternoon taken to Fiscal Police for questioning and was expected to be taken to court, but police failed to take him to court as the questioning ended late.
Police sources said Itaye was being interrogated about the procurement of K135 million Macra calendars contract and procurement of then governing Democratic Progressive Party cloth by the authority, among others.
The British Government has announced that Malawi is among eight countries that will benefit from a new £119 million (about K119 billion) aid package aimed at combating the threat of coronavirus and famine.
This was said in a statement issued on Wednesday by the British High Commission, which also announced the merger of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development with the Foreign Office to create the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The support will target efforts to reduce malnutrition
Apart from Malawi, the statement indicates that other beneficiaries of the aid package are Somalia, Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, the Sahel, South Sudan and Sudan.
In Malawi, the financial support will target efforts to reduce malnutrition and child deaths through a new partnership with Unicef to provide nutrition services to mothers and children.
Reads the statement in part: “The UK will commit a new £119 million aid package to tackle the combined threat of coronavirus and famines, which is expected to help alleviate extreme hunger for over six million people in Yemen, DRC, Somalia, Central African Republic, the Sahel, South Sudan and Sudan.”
In April this year, the World Food Programme warned that about 265 million people in developing countries are at risk of hunger this year as Covid-19 threatens lives and livelihoods along with the trading networks people rely on for survival.
Alongside the aid package, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has appointed Nick Dyer as the UK’s first Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs to work in partnership with other donors, United Nation agencies, non-governmental organisations and foundations to help prevent catastrophic famine.
Raab further urged countries to step up alongside the UK to fight back against Covid-19 and the growing risk of famine in developing countries, according to the statement.
He said: “Coronavirus and famine threaten millions in some of the world’s poorest countries, and give rise to direct problems that affect the UK, including terrorism and migration flows.
“We can only tackle these global challenges by combining our diplomatic strength with our world-leading aid expertise.”
The UK has so far pledged £774 million of aid to support the global effort to combat Covid-19. It is also the largest donor to Gavi-the Vaccine Alliance, which is helping to ensure poor countries can access any Covid-19 vaccine.
Vice-President Saulos Chilima on Wednesday gave Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) some home work in a quest to breathe a new lease of life into the country’s sports governing body.
The Veep met Sports Council’s management led by its acting executive secretary Henry Mereka in Blantyre to appreciate progress of the reforms they are undertaking and discuss other new areas of reforms.
Chilima: We need a rebirth of the council
The council is implementing two reform areas—introduction of physical education in primary schools and introduction of electronic gate management systems in stadia.
However, while commending the council on these initiatives, the Vice-President said there should be a holistic effort to rejuvenate sports in the country.
Writing on his official Facebook page after the meeting, Chilima said: “The feeling out there is that we have regressed as a country instead of progressing.
“We need to reach the level of exporting talent to Europe and other top flight leagues across the globe just like other African countries are doing, including our neighbours.”
To this effect, he suggested that the council must brainstorm on how it can court the private sector back into sponsorship of various sporting disciplines while at the same time branding the corporate image of the sports sector to instil confidence in prospective sponsors.
Chilima said: “I have also welcomed the reform area on automated gate fee collection systems to reflect modernity as well as to curb abuse of funds. But I was quick to state that this will require total commitment from the council and other stakeholders owing to resistance by those that thrive on gate collection money at the expense of players.
“Moving forward, I have advised the council to identify new reforms on financial sustainability so that in the long run the institution checks itself from Treasury dependence.”
He also advised the council to stand up and be counted, saying as a government parastatal responsible for sports in the country, MNCS must raise its relevance and not play second fiddle.
He said: “We need a rebirth of the council that breathes life and energy in sporting activities across the country. To this effect, we have requested that the council shares with us their strategic plan so that the reforms department can give proper guidance on the way forward.
“For now we expect the council to recast the reforms, add the new reforms basing on input and then resubmit with a roadmap for implementation with clear timelines.”
Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) acting chief executive officer Henry Mereka described the meeting as fruitful.
He said: “It was a fruitful meeting that appreciated the progress being made in implementing our reforms and also that gave constructive direction as to the way forward.”
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) general secretary Alfred Gunda said the association is in full support of the reforms, including the introduction of electronic gate management systems.
He said FAM already drew up plans to install the electronic gate management system at its facility, the Mpira Stadium at Chiwembe in Blantyre.
Silver Strikers, who own Silver Stadium, are one of the TNM Super League teams championing electronic gate management.
The club’s chief executive officer Thokozani Chimbali said the installation of the electronic gadgets at the stadium has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“All the framework for the electronic gate management system was already done. What is remaining is the importation of the gadgets which has been delayed by the grounding of flights due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
The South Africa Premier Soccer League (PSL) golden boot race will tomorrow go down to the wire after Flames striker Frank Gabadihno Mhango ended his seven-match goal-drought on Wednesday evening.
The Malawian striker’s 90th minute strike earned Orlando Pirates a narrow 1-0 win over Maritzburg United.
Gaba ended his dry spell on Wednesday
The goal ensured the Flames forward remains in the top goalscorer’s race as he cancelled Namibian international Peter Shalulile’s lead after the Highlands Park striker netted in his side’s 1-0 over Cape Town City.
The two strikers go into their respective last matches tomorrow tied at 15 goals apiece, hoping to make history by becoming the first to win the PSL golden boot for their respective countries.
Gaba was relegated to the bench after misfiring for the past seven matches. However, Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer decided to give the former Nyasa Big Bullets striker a chance with seven minutes remaining on the clock to replace Fortune Makaringe.
The German coach applauded Gaba for the classical finish.
“This is the stuff which the coach ordered to see,” said Zinnbauer.
Pirates will be gunning for maximum points in the last game against Stellenbosch hoping to secure a top-three finish and a CAF Confederation Cup spot.
Malawian coach John Maduka, who maintained his unbeaten run since being appointed Bloemfontein Celtic after holding Arrows to a goalless draw, will be eyeing top eight finish.
Celtic is on position nine on the table with 36 points and Maduka is hoping to finish in top eight by collecting maximum points in the last game, hoping that Limbikani Mzava’s Highlands Park drops points.
Malawian Robert Ngambi’s Black Leopard, which managed a 1-0 victory over Bidvest Wits and is 14th on the table, will be aiming to avoid outright relegation.
Flames duo Gerald Phiri Jnr and Richard Mbulu’s Baroka FC perched on position 15 with 28 points, also face relegation.
Kaizer Chiefs and defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns are tied at 56 points, though Amakhosi still top the table on goal difference going into the last day of the season.
Malawi Stock Exchange (MSE)-listed firms are poised for a challenging second half (H2) due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has already affected their profitability, an analysis of published financial statements shows.
In the first half of the year, profit after-tax for Mpico plc, a property management firm, declined by 30 percent to K2.5 billion from K3.6 billion in the corresponding period in 2019 while TNM plc saw its profit after-tax dropping by 29 percent to K4.8 billion from K7.4 billion.
While indicating that it has put in place appropriate responses to current or possible future developments, TNM plc said it expects the current economic challenges to continue in the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, Mpico plc, whose rental income and fair value gains declined by two percent and 41 percent to K3.08 billion and K1.77 billion, respectively, due to the impact of Covid-19, fears for the industry in the face of the pandemic.
Reads in part the firm’s statement: “The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic will have a major impact on the economy for some months to come.
“Consequently, the real estate industry is expected to record reduced revenues.”
National Bank of Malawi plc profitability was constant during the period with an after-tax profit of K9.1 billion.
On the other hand, FMB Capital Holdings (FMBCH) plc, which owns First Capital Bank, showed some resilience, registering a 181 percent increase in profit after-tax to $14.3 million (K10 billion) while its counterpart in the banking industry, NBS Bank plc also saw its profit after-tax growing to K3.7 billion from K2.1 billion recorded the during the same period last year.
FMBCH plc was cautions that the medium-term outlook, inclusive of the 2020 full year outlook, remains unpredictable given the uncertainties arising from the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic and macroeconomic instability in Zimbabwe, where it has 42 percent shareholding in Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe Limited.
Illovo Sugar (Malawi) plc has already painted a gloomy outlook, with profit after tax for the year ending August 31 2020 expected to be at least 65 percent lower than the previous corresponding period.
“This is mainly due to a decrease in domestic sugar sales revenues caused by an influx of illegally imported sugar and the resultant domestic price reset effected in December 2019,” said the firms’ company secretary Maureen Kachingwe.
Last week, MSE chief executive officer John Kamanga said the Covid-19 pandemic will have an impact on the local bourse although with the global economic recession, the capital market is becoming relevant in terms of recovery trajectory. n
