Salima District Council in partnership with World Vision Malawi plans to terminate child marriages in the district to send the children back to school.
In an interview, Salima district social welfare officer Fedda Mbwana said they want to protect children from abuse, including early marriages.
She said: “It is government’s wish to have all children in school.
“So, we will not relent on our efforts until we withdraw all children from marriages.”
World Vision Malawi Salima district manager Thokozani Chibwana said they were complementing government’s efforts to ensure children get education.
“We want to protect the future of children in the district,” he said.
Students back in school
In a separate interview, Senior Chief Kalonga said he was concerned with the situation.
He said: “Traditional leaders have said the children went into marriages after schools were closed.
“However, I am pleased that the council and World Vision Malawi plan to end the marriages.”
The chief warned parents and guardians who allow their children to get married that they will face the law.
Ellina Asamu from Traditional Authority Kalonga said some girls married because they thought schools would never open soon.
“However, I urge traditional leaders to formulate by-laws to protect girls from early marriages,” she said.
A report from Salima District Hospital indicates that the facility registered about 6 000 teenage pregnancies between January and August this year.
Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati ordered traditional leaders in the country to terminate child marriages and send them back to schools.
Schools reopened last week for examination classes for primary and secondary schools learners and for final year students in colleges and universities after they closed in March this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chitipa Magistrate’s Court has sentenced Yotamu Nyondo, 55, to three years imprisonment for stealing two motorcycles from his workplace at Tubepoka Development Initiative.
The court heard on Wednesday that on April 22 this year, the initiative’s offices were broken into and two Yamaha motorcycles registration CP 4042 and CP 4043 valued at K7 million were stolen.
In his ruling, first grade magistrate Billy Ngosi said police investigations showed that there was no forced entry, leading them to conclude that the culprit used keys to unlock the doors.
He said: “When quizzed, Nyondo said he lost his keys and had visited his daughter at the hospital on the said night.
An artist’s impression of court proceedings
“However, police established that he had not reported to his bosses about the lost keys. Police also found from his family that he had not gone to the hospital as he claimed.”
The police arrested Nyondo and charged him with breaking into a building and committing a felony contrary to Section 311 (1) of the Penal Code.
He pleaded not guilty, but the State paraded four witnesses to prove its case.
State prosecutor James Kanyumbu asked the court for a stiffer punishment, arguing that motorcycle thefts are becoming rampant in the district.
Nyondo comes from Ngoya Village, Traditional authority Mwaulambya in the district.
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is reviewing the June 23 Fresh Presidential election in six districts in the Southern Region to appreciate the challenges faced during the electoral processes.
Speaking yesterday at the opening of a review meeting in Liwonde, Machinga MEC commissioner Arthur Nanthulu said although the 2020 Fresh Presidential elections were fair and credible, elections stakeholders should find ways of improving future elections.
“No matter how well the elections were managed, there is always room for improvement because each election has its own challenges,” he said.
People vote in the Fresh Presidential Election in this file photo
Nanthulu said the commission appreciated the role political parties, civil society organisations, chiefs and council officials played through the election process.
“So, I ask participants to come up with ways on how the challenges they faced in their respective districts can be avoided in future elections,” he said.
In his remarks, Machinga District National Initiative for Civic Education officer Bowlander Muonjeza said the review meeting will help the districts strategise on future elections.
“As we are reflecting back on what happened in the Fresh Presidential Election, we are also helping ourselves prepare for the next elections,” he said.
Muonjeza said every district is unique; hence, experiences its own challenges.
The review will include registration of voters, determination of winners, declaration and announcement of results at district and national level.
Participants to meeting were desk officers, chiefs and party officials from Machinga, Balaka, Zomba, Mangochi, Chiradzulu and Phalombe districts.
The country held Fresh Presidential Election on June 23 this year after the High Court sitting as the Constitutional Court nullified the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections in February due to massive irregularities.
President Lazarus Chakwera’s election as the Sadc incoming chairperson has hyped expectations from international relations experts to put the country’s lake ownership wrangle with Tanzania as a top priority on his international affairs agenda.
The expectations come at the back of continued indecisiveness hanging around the issue with international organisations—expected key stakeholders—remaining mute on their positions despite government lodging the complaint with them.
Again, almost three years have elapsed since the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) High-Level Mediation Team, led by former Mozambican President Joacquim Chissano, met to discuss the issue whose resolutions remain classified.
The mediation team—whose other members include former South Africa and Botswana presidents Thabo Mbeki and Festus Mogae respectively—was expected to brief former president Peter Mutharika on their resolutions in 2018 but failed to do so and did not provide reasons for that.
Chakwera (L) and his Tanzanian counterpart Magufuli
All five international relations experts and political scientists we talked to agreed that as chairperson of the regional grouping, Chakwera should have an interest to bring an end to the wrangle after a disappointing stance by his predecessor.
International relations expert Ron Nkomba said he expected Chakwera to place the lake ownership wrangle as top priority on his regional and international affairs agenda.
The retired ambassador said Chakwera must not wait until he formally assumes the Sadc chairmanship but deal with the issue urgently.
“Chakwera should take off from where former president Joyce Banda left. In her short two-year reign, Banda conducted undoubtedly the widest consultative campaign on this subject.
“Specifically, I would implore appropriate authorities to advise Chakwera to utilise the diplomatic skills of Banda. She could be appointed as ambassador-at-large or special envoy to prepare, initially, for bilateral talks between Chakwera and Tanzanian President John Magufuli,” said ambassador Nkomba.
He observed Banda could as well effectively touch base with former presidents Chissano and Mbeki and appeal to them to swiftly move their unfinished mission in resolving the long-standing and frustrating bilateral quarrel.
Peace and security studies expert Master Dicks Mfune from Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima), said he also expected Chakwera to provide consultative leadership and take advantage of his position for a contact and dialogue policy.
“The matter has taken long and it requires more time. But it is an issue he has to prioritise to sustain peace and security as it is a threat to human security not only in Malawi and Tanzania but the whole region,” he said.
Fresh dialogue with Magufuli
Mfune suggested Chakwera should enter into fresh dialogue with Magufuli on settling the matter once and for all.
However, he said Chakwera needed to practice a ‘do-no-harm policy’ by not taking a hard stand on the dispute while at the same time maintaining the country’s ideal situation.
“Chakwera should find a fallback position where Malawi and Tanzania share common interests in order to discuss more about their ideal situations.
“Tanzania easily accesses the resource on Lake Malawi and uses it for a number of developmental activities such as fishing, trade and access to water. It has vessels plying on the lake and do go as far as Monkey Bay in Malawi for their maintenances.
“So if he takes the hard stand the standoff shall be prolonged. We need to finish off this issue because leaving it in suspense is detrimental,” said Mfune, who is a global peace ambassador and also heads the Centre for Peace Building and Conflict Management at Chancellor College.
Livingstonia University political scientist George Phiri also said he anticipated the President to end the dispute by establishing whether the dispute really exists or it is just political talk.
“Then he needs to utilise diplomatic relations after constituting a team of skilled negotiators comprising lawyers, historians and social scientists for negotiations. The negotiating team must objectively investigate Tanzania’s interests and intentions,” he said.
On his part, social and governance commentator Desire Zimba said the Sadc chairmanship will give Chakwera the opportunity and leverage to engage in substantial dialogue with his Tanzanian counterpart.
“Although the position cannot give him influence to resolve the issue in favour of Malawi just because he is the chairperson … but with political will, he can successfully engage and negotiate with Tanzania to end the dispute without necessarily using his influence or violating the rules as Sadc chairperson.”
No change in stance
But Minister of Information Gospel Kazako said government was currently in mediation with Tanzania to amicably resolve the issue while waiting for further direction from the Chissano-led mediation team.
He said in an interview: “However, there have been several factors such as elections, Covid-19… that might have hindered the progress of the negotiations.”
Kazako said although the boundary dispute mediation was a diplomatic process involving contact and dialogue between the two countries, government’s position remains that “the entire Lake Malawi is ours.”
The minister said in view of the current circumstances it was an opportunity for the mediation team to brief Chakwera because his government and all Malawians were eager to hear the logical conclusion of the matter which was already settled by the Anglo Heligoland Treaty.
Tanzania is claiming half of the eastern part of Lake Malawi, Africa’s third largest freshwater lake and has insisted it wants a share of the oil resources in the lake they call Lake Nyasa.
The lake border wrangle between the two countries was revived in 2012 after the Malawi Government gave Surestream and Hamra Oil Company licences to explore the possibility of drilling oil and gas on the lake, a development that infuriated Tanzania.
The then president Joyce Banda put the matter high on her political agenda but Mutharika adopted a ‘let sleeping dogs lie’ stance on the issue during his six years in power. Just like Banda in 2013, Mutharika also held the position of Sadc chairperson in 2014 but failed to use the position to influence solid talks and indeed an end to the dispute.
Almost four years after it commenced operations, Electricity Generation Company (Egenco) does not own assets, a development legal experts say is risky.
The status quo follows the inconclusive unbundling of the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom), which government embarked on in 2015 to separate the power generation function and leave the organisation with transmission and distribution functions.
In essence, the development means on paper Escom still owns the property which Egenco—a limited liability company incorporated under the country’s Companies Act on September 7 2016—is using because it still holds the title of assets.
Currently, Egenco which started operations as an independent company on January 1, 2017, runs the country’s four hydro power stations namely Nkula, Tedzani, Kapichira and Wovwe in addition to managing thermal power plants in Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Blantyre. It has a total installed generation capacity of 372.64 megawatts (MW) with 350.94MW from hydro power plants and 21.7MW from hired standby diesel power plants.
On paper Escom still owns national hydro plants including Nkula
A legal expert Maziko Sauti Phiri said lack of political will has for a long time also been one of, if not the major, constraint to transforming the country’s electricity sector.
He said: “An affordable and efficient electricity sector is a critical enabler for the country to achieve its development goals of job creation, poverty reduction and improved productivity.”
Sauti Phiri said a legal title to an asset confers a person a right to use that asset, include it in his or her balance sheet, or use it as collateral.
Agreeing with Sauti Phiri, an energy and mining law expert Ahmed Mussa observed that in the absence of a legal title of assets, Egenco cannot legally use the assets in management of its business.
“In the current situation, Egenco is operating without a legal ownership and control over the assets … [and in its current status] does not have the financial and institutional capacity to meet the demands of Escom,” said Mussa.
“There is need to conclude the unbundling process so that Egenco can assume ownership of the transferred assets.”
University of Malawi Dean of the Faculty of Law Sunduzwayo Madise observed Egenco’s current status is risky although in practice the dangers might not be felt immediately.
“This may become a serious issue should something ensue like a case to do with insurance.”
Agreeing with Sauti Phiri, he said the development shows lack of genuine willpower by those who initiated the unbundling process to establish Egenco and ensure there is proper transfer of property.
Three weeks ago, Vice-President Saulos Chilima revealed when he met Egenco and Escom management that the two public firms were facing serious financial and asset challenges, among others due to delays to conclude the unbundling process. It was revealed that Escom owes Egenco about K50 billion. The organisation has agreed to start paying Egenco with the first payment of K11.7 billion concluded by December this year.
But Sauti Phiri noted the incomplete unbundling may also have been as a result of the delay the country has experienced in implementing the National Energy Policy which was first adopted in 2003.
“This policy sought to answer several critical elements for establishing a reliable and liberalised electricity market. This strategy included an ownership structure that reflects or defines the separation of the roles between those that generate, transmit and distribute electricity,” he said.
Sauti Phiri suspected the dispute between Escom and Egenco over money the former owes the latter was about incompleteness of the separation of assets that should be held by Egenco.
“As a stakeholder I welcome the reforms and, particularly, the political will to implement the long overdue changes in the entire electricity sector, not just Escom,” he concluded.
Egenco public relations officer Moses Gwaza attributed the incomplete unbundling to the complexity of the process which involves determining assets boundaries between the two public institutions.
“Indeed the process has delayed. This is mainly due to the fact that the original Escom was a very complex organisation and there was need to carefully unbundle the entity so that electricity generation and supply is not interrupted because of the processes.
“There were also a number of stakeholders that needed to be constantly engaged throughout the processes some of whom were not always available.”
Inconclusive unbundling
Gwaza also said the other cause of the delay was the need to benchmark with other utilities that had undergone similar processes across Africa.
The story of two civil servants who were dismissed after working for 16 years shows how government sometimes leads the way in fuelling injustice among its citizens.
Isaac Nyirenda and Wezi Kadewere Mwale were employed by the Ministry of Information in June 1999 as sales representatives (Grade K), but got dismissed in 2015 on grounds they were temporary workers.
From 1999 until 2010 they enjoyed privileges like any other civil servant such that through promotional interviews, Nyirenda rose to Grade 7 while Mwale rose to Grade I/PO.
Capital Hill has kept some temporary employees for over 16 years
However, in 2010, after 11 years of continuous service, the ministry changed their terms of employment from permanent to temporary and subsequently put them on annual contract terms without giving reasons, according to documents we have seen.
The ministry did not respond when they queried the change in their terms of employment.
But it kept renewing the contracts until December 2015 when it stopped and eventually removed them from the payroll without communicating anything on the status of their employment—whether their services had been terminated or not.
In addition, the ministry did not abolish the establishment of their posts and the two continued reporting for duties as civil servants for a year and a half before they decided to stop as they were not being paid.
The two then complained to the Ministry of Justice through the Attorney General’s (AG) office demanding redress and relief for unfair treatment but they did not get any assistance.
In their letter dated July 18 2017, the two wanted, among others, compensation for unfair labour practices that caused “untold suffering to us and our families”.
But in an interview, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs spokesperson Pirirani Masanjala referred the issue to the Department of Human Resources Management and Development (DHRMD).
He explained that the AG office was not well placed to handle employment procedural issues unless it was a civil suit.
Principal Secretary for DHRMD referred the matter to the department’s spokesperson Kennie Ntonga who did not respond to Weekend Nation’s questionnaire for nearly two weeks despite several reminders.
The two further complained at the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) in Lilongwe and in March 2018, following a pre-hearing conference, the court agreed with the applicants that they were unfairly treated.
In an interview, Nyirenda said since the court gave direction, the ministry had not done anything.
Lamented Nyirenda: “We are concerned that the period of 90 days elapsed and it is more than two years now the ministry has not implemented any of the resolutions despite several follow ups with the ministry’s human resources section.”
However, in an interview deputy director of administration in the Ministry of Information Sam Nankhuni justified there was nothing wrong in keeping the two for such a period on temporary employment because there was no time limit on how long one can be engaged by government on a temporary basis.
“But this depends on what the employer and employee agreed at engagement (rules of engagement)… an employee may be engaged on temporary terms for all that long period. It could be for one month or five months and so on, but it all depends on the terms and conditions agreed upon on engagement,” explained Nankhuni.
Labour unionist and former secretary general of the Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) Eliya Kamphinda Banda wondered how the ministry could keep people for 16 years as temporary workers while benefiting from all the privileges of civil servants.
He said: “Normally, temporary employment cannot exceed 36 months. You can’t keep an employee for 16 years on temporary basis. Again, it is very difficult to promote a temporary employee in the civil service and not even in the private sector unless you formalise their appointments.”
Kamphinda Banda suggested that the two needed to further engage the new Tonse Alliance administration on their issue for remedy.
Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa yesterday refused to attend a disciplinary hearing for his alleged breach of party protocols before a disciplinary committee.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) disciplinary committee summoned Nankhumwa who is also Mulanje Central parliamentarian and party’s vice president (South) to the meeting that was scheduled to take place at Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe.
But Nankhumwa who availed himself to the meeting described the panel as unfit to preside over the matter as some of the panellists had vested interests in the party’s presidency to be contested at the next party convention and the position of Leader of Opposition.
Nankhumwa flanked by his supporters speaks to the media after declining to meet the committee
The panel comprised former ministers George Chaponda as chairperson, Bright Msaka, Samuel Tembenu and former Attorney General (AG) Charles Mhango who is the committee’s secretary.
Speaking to DPP followers who thronged the venue and included some members of Parliament (MPs) and youths clad in party regalia and branded T-shirts with messages of solidarity, Nankhumwa likened the scheduled hearing to a kangaroo court.
Said Nankhumwa: “We did not even start the discussions because I raised the issue of the composition of the panel. It seemed like a case of a mouse being disciplined by cats.”
According to him, the allegations against him are only a distraction and that the real issue is about the party’s convention which is set to elect a replacement for Peter Mutharika as party president.
After the postponement, Chaponda refused to comment but referred Weekend Nation to the party spokesperson Brown Mpinganjira who was also not available.
Nankhumwa is being accused of four charges including: lUndermining authority of former president Peter Mutharika by allegedly imposing himself as Leader of Opposition instead of Chaponda who was said to have been chosen by Mutharika;
lConspiracy to mislead Mutharika;
lHolding meetings with members of Malawi Congress Party (MCP without the blessings of the DPP; and his alleged failure to explain controversies about his educational qualifications.
Although Bingu National Stadium (BNS) was touted to be self-sustainable and capable of repaying a loan used to build it, audit and performance reports have exposed weaknesses in financial and internal controls in the management of the facility.
The weaknesses pose serious questions on how the K50 billion loan—used to construct the facility— will be repaid.
However, the stadium’s owners—Ministry of Youth and Sports—say they have taken measures, including change of management to ensure efficiency at the facility built between 2015 and 2016 using a Chinese government’s $70 million (about K50 billion) loan, payable in 20 years.
The management has struggled to pay for the stadium’s operations and the facility is suffocating from a K97 million debt which it owes some service providers.
BNS countinues to reel under a pile of debts
According to a report from stadium management to the sports ministry which Weekend Nation has seen, the stadium owes Omega Security Services K34 361 000 which dates back from the time the security company started to provide services at the stadium.
The stadium also owes Escom K28 029 513.41 in electricity bills accumulated during its three years of operation.
Mchepa Landscapers, who provide services for the stadium’s pitches are owed K16 345 294 while Kaunda Landscapers are owed K13 000 000.
Oasis Furniture, who furnished the stadium’s dressing rooms, are owed K3 600 000 while Commercial World, who produced official opening documentary and videos that shows how to use some of the stadium’s facilities, are owed K2 535 000.
The stadium generates revenue from advertisements, rentals, sporting events, tours, photography, weddings which hits around K5 million per month when fully operational and also gets K4 million monthly funding from the ministry.
However, according to audit reports of 2018/2019, the stadium’s management failed to efficiently manage the revenue.
Part of the report reads: “Treasury Instructions 5.7.1[2004] state that controlling officers of MDAs shall manage revenue efficiently and effectively by implementing appropriate processes that provide for identification, collection, recording, safeguarding and reconciliation of information in respect of revenue.
“An examination of financial records disclosed that BNS collected K12 917 788.07 which was supposed to be banked intact, but actual amount banked was K8 500 000.00, leaving a balance of K4 417 788.07 unaccounted for.”
A 2017/2018 audit report also revealed how the management of the stadium failed to pay for water bills which accumulated to K157 908 081.00, which government eventually settled this year.
The report reads: “Treasury Instructions 2004, Section 4.13.2.2 states that unless otherwise indicated in the notes in the approved estimates, every controlling officer shall ensure that expenditure is in accordance with approved budgetary provisions, and that there is no overexpenditure. An inspection of financial and other related records revealed that water bills amounting to K157 808 081 was outstanding as at the date of audit.”
The stadium has office space for companies to rent at K175 000 per month and a recent management report to the ministry said tenants were defaulting on payment.
The report reads in part: “There are about 15 tenants in corporate boxes. Some tenants defaulted and left their office furniture and efforts to contact them have proved futile.”
Yet speaking during the opening of BNS in 2017, former president Peter Mutharika dismissed critics that the stadium would be a white elephant, arguing it would be capable of generating revenue to pay for its loan.
The mess at the stadium has resulted in stadium owners changing management, but with little results.
Eric Ning’ang’a was the first stadium manager. He was replaced by McMillan Mwale in an acting capacity in 2018. Mwale has now been replaced by Ambilike Mwawungulu who was transferred from Kamuzu Stadium.
Commenting on the mess at the stadium, Mwawungulu promised to improve the situation.
He said: “As a manager, I will try as much as possible to follow government protocols. I know what I am supposed to do. If I collect revenue, I am supposed to bank it in Account Number One. I get funding [from Ministry of Finance after the budget is passed] through Ministry of Sports, then we account for what we have done with the money. It’s just like a circle. I know the terms of reference. I understand what is supposed happen.”
Mwawungulu said the stadium has numerous challenges contributing to the situation.
He said: “The challenges are too numerous. Of course, one the major challenges has been funding and probably most of the challenges follow from that. If the stadium has to run at full capacity, then we need not less than K10 million. I will just give you an example, for electricity alone, we get a bill of not less than K3.5 million every month. That alone almost equals the monthly funding [of K4 million that we get]. So what about water?
“That’s why I am saying the funding that we get is negligible. That’s why you hear of Bingu Stadium going dry; there is no running water, no electricity. So, that is not a conducive environment for business. Clients wouldn’t feel at home to rent a facility that has no water or power perpetually. There are things you must provide as a government institution so that the people that pay for services must have value for their money.”
“So, it all goes back to the central government to provide adequate funding. We expect things to be different from now onwards so that we should be operational and make more money as more people will come and use the stadium.
“Actually there have been advertisers like Airtel, TNM, Itel, and some other agents that have come to advertise. The stadium has really been raising money from such adverts and, of course, for sometime the stadium has not been active and with the Covid-19 it has been worse.
“Most of our clients are still thinking of whether to advertise with us or not because there have been less activities. So, probably the advertisers aren’t getting exposed and are rethinking. If we get the stadium to operate to some capacity let’s say 60 or 70 percent of what it should be, I am sure a lot moré advertisers will come on board.”
Ministry of Youth and Sports spokesperson Simon Mbvundula said the ministry moved in quickly to address the challenges at the stadium.
On the accumulated water bill, he said the stadium was losing the water due to leakage which was later sealed.
Said Mbvundula: “We have installed prepaid metres to control excess usage. Government paid the K157 million bill. We have engaged Fisd [Foundation for Irrigation and Sustainable Development] to sink boreholes with solar pumps to water the turfs and service the toilets.”
BNS has hosted four Flames matches against Morocco, Comoros Island, Madagascar and Lesotho since it was opened four years ago when Kamuzu Stadium was closed for renovations.
Minister of Youth and Sports Ulemu Msungama says he will push for the speedy establishment of the welfare fund for sports persons to cushion the challenges they face after retiring.
He said this when he paid tribute to fallen former Flames, Silver Strikers and Be Forward Wanderers goalkeeper Donnex Gondwe at his graveyard in Kaporo, Karonga.
Said the minister: “Most of our athletes struggle when they retire. Some of them live miserable lives. That is why I am pushing officials in my ministry, Malawi National Council of Sports and even associations to do something about it.
“We needed this fund yesterday and I will do everything I can to ensure that it is established,” he said.
Msungama: I will ensure that it is established
Msungama said he has discussed the issue with Sports Council acting executive secretary Henry Mereka and Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu, among others.
The minister said he felt obliged to visit Gondwe’s resting place “because he was one of the best goalkeepers that this country produced. We should not forget our heroes”.
He said: “It was sad to hear how another former national team goalkeeper Trust Lunda struggled before he died of cancer last month. I hear another celebrated goalkeeper Clement Mkwalula is also unwell and this fund can play a crucial part in such situations.”
Mereka said they have made steady progress on the issue.
“The policy is there and we are finalising a few things, including implementation,” he said.
Mereka said the fund will cover both players and officials and will be contributory.
On his part, FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said: “Indeed we discussed the issue of the players’ welfare and the need to revive the Football Players Association [PFA], which was specifically set up for this purpose.
“It is unfortunate that the PFA has not taken off smoothly largely due to a cold reception from [TNM] Super League clubs.”
FAM wanted a percentage from gate takings to be channelled towards the cause.
“The association was set up for the benefit of the clubs who are employers of the players, yet we faced strong resistance from the clubs who were reluctant to contribute towards the fund,” said Nyamilandu.
Two weeks ago, the Department of Public Sector Reforms also said the draft on development of incentive and welfare programme for sports persons is now ready.
The initiative is among the reforms being championed by the Office of the Vice-President.
Department of Public Sector Reforms spokesperson McCarthy Mwalwimba said from the meetings they have had with officials from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, there is progress on the ground.
He said the background to this reform area is that the country has no comprehensive national incentive and welfare programme for sports persons.
“This has resulted in lack of motivation on the part of sports persons, increased suffering of sports persons after their careers and increased expectation on government support; hence, the introduction of this programme to make sports more attractive to all and improve the lifestyle of sports persons.
“We have been told that what remains are consultational meetings with service providers and also validation meetings with relevant stakeholders before the fund is established,” he said.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says it will organise two friendly matches for the Flames in case the 2020 Cosafa Cup fails to take place in Durban, South Africa.
Though Council for Southern Africa Football Association (Cosafa) has set October 2-17 as the dates for the regional tournament, it is yet to confirm the competition since the host country is still on lockdown with its borders closed.
FAM general secretary Alfred Gunda said the association has a plan B in case the Cosafa Cup flops.
Malawi’s Gabadihno Mhango (R) in action against South Sudan in an Afcon qualifier
He said: “What we are saying is that the Flames should at least play two international friendly matches on Fifa international friendly matches’ dates between October 7 and 15.
“If the Cosafa Cup goes ahead as planned, fine.But in the event that it fails to take place, that will be our plan B.”
FAM wants to use either the Cosafa Cup or the two friendly matches to prepare for the back-to-back 2022 Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifiers against Burkina Faso away on November 9 and at home on November 17.
The Flames are expected to go into camp next week in preparation for the Cosafa Cup after government partially lifted a ban on football activities.
Cosafa deputy chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda said they are still waiting for South Africa government on reopening of borders.
“We are still keeping our fingers crossed,” he said.
Interestingly, other Cosafa members, including the hosts South Africa have arranged international friendly matches within the Fifa international matches dates.
South Africa will play against Namibia and Zambia while Mozambique are set to play against The Gambia in Portugal.
Woona za kafukufuku wa za nthaka ku nthambi ya zakafukufuku wa zaulimi ya Bvumbwe m’boma la Thyolo Peter Mfune akuti kuthira manyowa mwachangu m’munda n’kopindulitsa.
Iye adati kuthira manyowa mwachangu kumathandiza kuti alowerere bwino m’nthaka choncho mlimi akabzala mbewu pomera imapezana ndi chakudya chokwanira ndipo imakula mwa mphamvu ndi kubereka bwino.
“Zotsatira zake mbewuzo zimapirira kung’amba ndipo sizipserera,” adafotokoza motero.
Alimi ayenera kukonza manyowa msanga, mvula isanadze
Malingana ndi katswiri wa zaulimi wa mbewu ku Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) Vernon Kabambe, mbewu za m’munda mmene mwathiridwa manyowa zimakhala kwa sabata ziwiri osaonongeka kukachita ng’amba.
“Manyowa amasunga chinyontho komanso mbewu zimene zalimidwa pa dothi la manyowa zimakhala za mphamvu ndipo zimakula mwachangu,” adatero iye.
Kuonjezera pa izi, mlangizi wa mbewu wa m’chigawo cha zaulimikwaLobim’boma la Dedza adaonjeza kuti kuthira manyowa nthawi yabwino kumathandiza kupewa kuchulukitsa ntchito pamene mvula yagwa.
Iye adati kuthira manyowa ndi ntchito yaikulu chifukwa amafunika ochuluka kuti akwanire munda wonse choncho mlimi akachedwa zotsatira zake amangothira chigawo chochepa kwinako n’kusiya.
“Mvula ikagwa zochitika kumunda zimachuluka zotsatira zake kuthira manyowa kumasiyidwa kaye m’mbuyo choncho popewa izi ndi bwino kuthiriratu.
Chifukwa choti Eneles Timothy wa ku Ntonda m’boma la Blantyre amadaliramanyowa pa ulimi wake, amayesetsa kukonza ndi kuthira manyowa m’munda mwake mwachangu.
Iye adati amatsatira bwino ulangizi wa manyowa kutengera ndi mmene adaphunzitsiridwa choncho amapindula nawo.
Mmalo mopeza K20 000 ku mbuzi yaikulu bwino yachikuda imene imatenga miyezi yosachepera 6 kuti ikule bwino, Allan Kalimasiya wa ku Chipoka m’boma la Salima amapeza K50 000 kuchokera ku mwana wa mbuzi ya chi ‘boer’ mmodzi wa miyezi itatu yokha powagulitsa alimi anzake kuti azikaweta. Iye adafotokoza mmene amachulukitsira mbuzi za mtunduwu kuti zikhale zosasakanikirana ndi ntundu wina, mmene akupindulira ndi ulimiwu komanso mmene amawetera. ESMIE KOMWA adacheza naye motere:
Kodi kuyamba kuchulukitsa mbuzi za chi ‘boer’ mudayamba liti?
Ndidayamba kuchulukitsa mbuzi za mtunduwu mu 1996.
Nanga chiyambi chake chidali chotani?
Kalimasiya pakati pa mbuzi za chi ‘boer’ zimene akuchulukitsa
Kalero ndimaweta mbuzi za mtunduwu koma zokwatitsa ndi zachikuda.
Nditaweta kwa nthawi yaitali ndidachita mwayi pamene a boma adandisankha kuti ndikhale mmodzi mwa alimi ochulukitsa mbewu ya ntunduwu.
Ndidapereka ndalama yochepa chabe ndipo adandipatsa mbuzi za mtunduwu zosasakaniza zokwana 5 zochokera m’dziko la South Africa.
Ndidayamba kuchulukitsa malingana ndi luso limene adandiphunzitsa kuti zisachepe mphamvu komanso zisasakanikirane ndi za mtundu wina.
Kodi mumachulukitsa mbuzizi motani?
Basi chachikulu ndikuonetsetsa kuti zisamakwerane paubale monga mwana ndi bambo kapena ndi mayi kapena gogo komanso zisasakanikirane ndi za mtundu wina.
Kuti izi zitheke ndimayenera kumabweretsa atonde ochokera m’mabanja ena koma a mtunduwu mukhola ndikumakweretsa zazikazizo.
Nanga atonde atsopanowa mumawapeza motani?
Amandipezera a boma ndipo ndimagula pa mtengo wa K80 000 tonde mmodzi.
Anthu m’zigawo zonse za m’dziko muno ngakhale maiko ozungulira monga Tanzania amadzagula. Ndimatumiza m’maboma onse a m’dziko muno pamene ena amachita kubwera pakhomo pompano kudzagula ndipo dzana lomweli ena amakanganirana kuti agule ndipo ena atenga ana osaleka kuyamwa.
Kodi chiyambireni ulimiwu mwapindula motani?
Ndagwira ntchito kwa zaka zochuluka mmbuyomu koma nditasiya ndi kuyamba kulimbikira ulimiwu ndidabwa kuona kuti ndayamba kugwira ndalama zochuluka zimene pamene ndidali pa ntchito sindidazigwirepo.
Ndagula famu ya mahekitala okwana 10 pamene ndaikapo zipangizo za mthirira monga zitsime zakuya, mathanki ndi makina oyendera mphamvu ya dzuwa ndipo ndikuchitirapo ulimi wa zipatso monga mango a chizungu.
Kuonjezera apo, nyumba imene ndikukhalayi ndamanga kuchokera mu mbuzi zomwezi.
Nanga chinsinsi chanu chagona pati?
Chinsinsi ndi kulondoloza ndondomeko kuti ndizitulutsa mbewu yabwino alimi akatenga asakhumudwe nayo.
Ndidazimangira makola abwino a m’mwamba ndi ofolera bwino kuti zizitetezeka ku matenda, ndimazipatsa chakudya chakasakaniza, nthawi iliyonse ndimaziyang’anitsitsa kuti ndione ngati zonse zili bwino ndipo ndikapeza kuti ina siyikupeza bwino ndimaithandiza mwachangu.
Pali mankhwala monga opha nyongolotsi ndi ena amene mlimi wa ziwetozi amayenera kukhala nawo ndi kumamwetsa mbuzi zake motsatira ndondomeko chifukwa kupanda kutero umadzangozindikira ina yafa.
Ngakhale alimi anga ndimawalangiza zonse zofunika ku ulimiwu asadatenge mwachitsanzo mmene angadziwire kuti mbuzi ikudwala ndi zimene akuyenera kuchita akaona izi.
Nanga ndi zakudya zanji zimene mumadyetsera mbuzi za mtunduwu?
Timadyetsera zakudya zopezeka kwathu konkuno mosavuta bola zikhale zosiyanasiyana chifukwa mbuzi zimasankha chimene zikufuna kudya pa nthawi imeneyo.
Zakudyazi ndi monga kholowa, makoko kapena masamba a mtedza, makoko a soya,udzu, madeya, lukina ndi michere ina yoonjezera.
embers of Parliament have been meeting in Lilongwe since September 4. During this session, we have seen various highlights, including President Lazarus Chakwera’s maiden State of the Nation Address (Sona), his taking questions from lawmakers and Minister of Finance Felix Mlusu’s presentation of the K2.19 trillion 2020/21 National Budget.
There have been lessons drawn from the session. For instance, by going to take the members of Parliament (MPs) questions, Chakwera showed not only that he wants to be seen to be following the Constitution to the letter but also transparency and accountability in how the government is running its affairs.
It is evident that the MPs were not prepared to ask Chakwera tangible questions. At times, the President caught the MPs, including Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa off guard. When Nankhumwa felt the President was too serious, asking him to ‘stand at ease’ Chakwera put it that discussions in Parliament are a serious matter. In his words, he respected Nankhumwa as LoP, and that whatever they discussed was only supposed to border on seriousness.
The repercussions of that Chakwera-Nankhumwa stand-off are apparently far-reaching as some DPP brass has started questioning his proficiency in the office. It is a wonder that that should come now, when Nankhumwa has for so long been in the DPP Cabinet and the party’s politburo. For that matter, before he became LoP, he was Leader of the House. The in-fighting in DPP is going to another level.
Among some things that topped the agenda in Parliament, the media and social media platforms was the issue of construction of MPs’ official houses in their constituencies. This is an issue that was in Chakwera’s Sona, but it was really surprising since it was never in the Tonse Alliance campaign agenda.
Apparently, the paragraph was inserted in the Sona to divert people’s attention, including the MPs, from the nitty-gritties of the budget that was coming. Which is why some of the MPs missed the opportunity to ask Chakwera difficult questions and focused on trivia like where were some Tonse Alliance leaders and why Chakwera seems to be carrying on his shoulders his Hi 5 Agenda at the expense of the alliance.
From that, it is clear some of the MPs had little or no time at all to study the Sona and probe more deeply. For instance, during the May 21 2019 elections, Chakwera’s MCP was promising a universal fertiliser subsidy, while Saulos Chilima and the UTM Party were promising fertiliser at K4 595 per 50 kilogramme bag. When the two entered into an alliance for the fresh polls, the issue became misty as ever, only to be told that, in fact, only about 4.5 million farming households stand to benefit.
It is a shift from the 900 000 to 1.5 million that used to benefit under the targeted inputs programme. But, the question is, how are we going to cushion the burden this will cause, given that allocation to subsidised fertiliser and seed has tripled? For that matter, what modalities are in place that it is, indeed, the ‘substistence’ that will benefit from the programme, and not unscrupulous traders, transporters and other corrupt minds?
By the way, did government say anything about teaching the farmers proper fertiliser application? It is one thing to have four bags of fertiliser and a totally new thing to know how to properly apply it. Has consideration been made on the rain patterns? It is painful that the same people who bought fertilizer at a heavily subsidised price will be looking at the same government for relief when their yield lowers due to drought or floods.
The debate on federalism has been simmering for a long time but it was not until June 2018 that a motion was presented in Parliament. Rumphi East legislator Kamlepo Kaluwa (then People’s Party) took a bold stand and tabled a motion proposing a federal system to ensure equity in allocation of resources across the country. Although Malawi Congress Party (MCP) members, then in opposition, supported the motion, the bill fell short of garnering majority support in the House and fell flat on its belly.
Fast forward. In September 2019, Mzimba North member of Parliament Yeremiah Chihana brought the bill back in Parliament proposing a constitutional change from unitary to a federal system of government. Like was the case during its maiden tabling, debate on the bill was polarized along regional lines. Most members from Northern and Central regions supported the bill while those from the Southern Region opposed it.
Proponents of federalism argue that the government, which has been led by presidents from the Southern region since Malawi’s return to democracy in 1994, has neglected the other two regions, especially the North, in terms of infrastructure development and social services. They have also been accusing the government of nepotism in appointments to State institutions and of adopting discriminatory policies such as a quota system for selecting students into public colleges and universities.
Those on the opposing side argue that federalism is a recipe for further tribal cleavages. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)—which was then in power—accused the opposition of being bad losers and resorting to divisive politics to gain political power.
This time round, the bill was referred to the Legal Affairs Committee of the House for further scrutiny and was expected to be back on the floor for deliberation once the committee prepares its report. But it is now a year since the bill was referred to the committee. The question on the lips of many enthusiasts and followers is: What is the progress?
In the intervening period, there has been change of guard at Capitol Hill. DPP is out and in came the Tonse Alliance administration. What has this change in government done to the support for federalism? Does MCP, now at the helm of government, still support federalism? Conversely, will DPP, now in the opposition, support the bill when it comes back in Parliament? There will be no crossing the bridge until we come to it. Anything else will just be speculation or wishful thinking. They say in politics a day is a century.
Meanwhile, let’s talk about Kamlepo and Chihana—the two sitting MPs who tabled the bill in Parliament. Both are brave. Both are courageous politicians exuding unparalleled resilience in their political careers. To the extent that they have carried the hopes and aspirations of a lot of Malawians, the two men deserve praise, commendation and encouragement.
But they need to be tactful and strategic if they are to be successful in the campaign. Unfortunately, Kamlepo is now compromised. He lost the plot and mandate to campaign for federalism the day he jumped ship and accepted a Cabinet post in the ousted DPP-led administration. Had DPP won the June 23 elections, Kamlepo would have been very comfortable in the blue camp from where it would be brazenly naïve to think he would have advocated for federalism. In short, he is a traitor. He is in politics for personal survival. The best he can now do for the federalism campaign is to keep quiet about it.
Yeremiah. He is tactful. He moved the motion setting the poll date for the court-sanctioned June 23 elections which was seconded by Eisenhower Mkaka Lilongwe Mpenu legislator. So far, Yeremiah is the real face of the federalism agenda in the House. But he also needs to perfect his art. He is a rubble rouser. But his vacillation on critical issues takes away the shine from his otherwise impactful political maneouverings. He cannot afford to make a damning corruption allegation against anybody and not be ready to back it up with evidence. Like all legislators, as representatives of the people, he is supposed to be accountable for what he says in and outside Parliament. And when to say something is as important as what to say. It was pathetic to see the same heroic man just jumping up and down when the Speaker Catherine Gotani Hara pinned him to submit evidence on his allegation that government officials were getting bribes. Pushing for federalism is a humongous task and it needs numbers in the House for it to see light of the day. You cannot afford to be spiteful to the very people you want to support your cause.
A pacesetter—that is how one can best describe Susan Chimbayo—Malawi’s own version of the Iron Lady.
Her fierce determination and unwavering go-getter spirit saw her founding and registering Nandolo Farmers Association of Malawi (NFAM) in 2015.
The organisation has since scaled-up and now comprises over 35 cooperatives and five commercial farmers across the country.
Through this initiative, she has given new hope to nandolo farmers in Malawi.
“NFAM was born out of the need to move pigeon-pea farmers forward-a task that could only work if farmers combined forces to overcome common challenges as well as explore more available opportunities,” Susan Chimbayo said.
As if that is not enough, Chimbayo, who lost her husband, the late General Joseph Chimbayo in 2011, is the first woman to invest in an agriculture-tourism farm which is also becoming a school of excellence imparting modern intensive farming skills to underprivileged youth and women.
In an interview recently at her Lirangwe (Blantyre)-based Ultimate Agri-Tourism Farm, Chimbayo said she went into fully- fledged farming to avoid stress after the death of her husband.
“I did not bury my head in the sand when I lost my dear husband. Although I was into small-scale [subsistence] farming before I engaged an extra-gear and ventured into commercial farming.
She said that she started small with 2.5 hectares at Mizange village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chigaru and currently has grown to over six hectares.
The aim of the farm is to promote agriculture and tourism which could help empower local communities economically, enhance the local tourism industry and bring forex.
Chimbayo, who is the managing director of the farm, said they have harnessed water from Lirangwe River to irrigate banana plantation, grow Irish potato in used sacks, water different types of vegetables and beans, support poultry and fish farming and rearing cattle in a zero-grazing for milk, manure and biogas production for alternative energy production.
“We are initiating an intensive stand-alone farm where we are harnessing water from the river for mixed farming using gravity-fed irrigation after pumping the water from the river using a solar-powered water pump.
“We are launching into large scale ducks and other birds rearing which will be used to fertilise and control pests and worms around our fish ponds. Cattle rearing on zero grazing style will help in the production of biogas for powering the farm and intensify greenhouse farming,” she said.
She added that the last phase will be to construct an economic lodge where people will come to enjoy organic food whilst appreciating the agricultural initiatives taking place at the farm.
Commenting on the farming school, Chimbayo said many youths in the area are staying idle, yet there is a lot of money they could get through farming to achieve their goals.
“We have started with training seven young men who dropped out of school because of various reasons, finances being the major one. We are training them on agricultural-entrepreneurship. We are mentoring them to replicate whatever we are doing at the farm in their gardens,” she said.
Chimbayo also said she intends to pay school fees for those that need fees to go back to school, buy starter-packs tools for those that want to pursue various vocational skills and pay driving school fees for others at the end of the initiative.
One of the students, Beaton Baison, said most youths take agriculture as a last resort, but he has learnt that it is big business.
“Lirangwe River is an all season river, but the youth remain idle instead of harnessing the river through intensive irrigation agriculture and earn an income,” he said.
Subsequently, Antony Mwenda, the Ultimate Farm manager said they have planted over 1 300 green bananas which will mature after nine months.
Further, they have planted tomatoes, beans, green maize and Irish potatoes using the Israel technology of sack cultivation which gives three times more yield than the conventional Irish potato farming.
“We intend to venture into animal rearing because this land needs a lot of animal manure as it is not loam soil. We are going against the notion and theory that you need loam soils to do agriculture. Agriculture needs you, water and manure to thrive.
“We want to create a synergy whereby all agricultural activities will build on each other and be able to finance other additional projects without actually pumping in extra resources,” he said.
Antony is a professional lawyer with a passion for agriculture where he has devoted his free time to enhance the project.
He says they will do furrow, drip and sprinkler irrigation using gravity to water the crops while the biogas produced from cattle waste will be used to power the farm.
“We want to attract tourists and impart agricultural skills and knowledge to the communities simultaneously. We are hopeful of contributing towards the Tonse Alliance philosophy of creating one million jobs in the country. So far, we have done this to seven, but our intention is to create over 100 permanent jobs directly and many more indirectly from ultimate farm.
“Apart from training youths in agri-entrepreurship, we will save immensely on importation and maybe join the group of exporters since currently people are buying bananas from Mozambique and Tanzania ,” Antony said.
Susan Chimbayo is a mother of four— two boys and two girls and she has three grandchildren, but is very energetic and hardworking.
She has worked for Blantyre Printing and Publishing Company for 15 years and moved on to being media manager and later accounts executive.
She holds an advanced diploma in business management.
Chiwerengero cha anthu omwe akudzipha chikunka chikwera m’dziko muno. Kafukufuku amene Msangulutso adapanga akuonetsa kuti sipakutha sabata osamva nkhani kuti wina wadzipha ndipo ambiri mwa anthuwa akudzipha kaamba ka mavuto a za chuma makamaka ntchito ikatha kapena ngongole zikafika m’nkhosi, kumwa mowa mwauchidakwa, kugwiritsa ntchito mankhwala ozunguza bongo komanso mavuto a maubwenzi ngakhalenso a m’banja.
Izitu zimadzetsa matenda a nkhawa ndipo pamapeto pa zonse ngati salandira thandizo pa nthawi yake, amadzipha.
Mchitidwe wodzipha ukuchulukira
Mwachitsanzo, m’sabata yapitayi bambo wina wa zaka 52, Simplex Phiri adadzikhweza atamuimika kuntchito komwe amagwira ku Mwimba m’boma la Kasungu.
Malinga ndi malipoti apolisi, pofika Lachitatu, anthu 182 adzipha kale mwezi uno poyerekeza ndi anthu 119 pa nthawi yomwyi, chaka chatha.
Chiwerengeroch tikachigawa chikuonetsa kuti mwa anthuwa, 111 adzipha kuchokera m’chigawo cha pakati, pomwe chaka chatha adali 61.
Ndipo anthu 51, adzipha m’chigawo cha kumpoto, poyerekeza ndi 42 omwe adadzipha chaka chatha.
Pomwe anthu 15 adadzipha pogwiritsa ntchto njira zosiyansiyana m’chigawo cha kumwera poyerekeza ndi anthu 10 chaka chatha ndipo kuchigawo cha ku m’mawa, anthu 5 ndiwo adzipha poyerekeza ndi anthu atatu chaka chatha.
Wachiwiri kwa mneneri wapolisi m’dziko muno Peter Kalaya adati chiwerengerochi chakwera ndi 57 mwa 100 alionse.
“Mwa anthuwa, akuchulukira ndi amuna kuposa amayi,” adalongosola Kalaya.
Polankhulapo, mkulu wa bungwe la St John of God lomwe limaphunzitsa adotolo a matenda a nkhawa komanso limasamala anthu odwala matendawa, Charles Masulani adati chiwerengerochi chakhala chikukwera kwa zaka ziwiri zapitazo.
Malinga ndi Masulani, kafukufuku yemwe adachita m’chaka cha 2018 adaonetsa kuti anthu 9 amadzipha mwa anthu 100 000 alionse.
Ndipo iye adati komanso anthu ena akumwa mowa ndi kugwiritsa ntchito mankhwala ozunguza bongo moonjeza mpaka kudzipha nawo.
Kafukufuku wa bungwelo adaonetsa kuti gwero lodzipha ndi matenda a m’maganizo ndipo n’kofunika kuti anthu adziwe zambiri za matendawa.
“Munthu akabwera kuchipatala kuno ndi matenda amenewa, timamugoneka ndipo amakhala ndi namwino nthawi iliyonse. Akakhazikika ndi pomwe amalandira uphungu,” adalongosola Masulani.
Iye adatinso abambo ambiri akudzipha chifukwa sagawana nkhawa zawo ndi anthu ena ndipo pamapeto pa zonse zimawalemera pomwe amayi amapeza thandizo akakhala ndi nkhawa.
Masulani adatinso mpofunika kuunikanso malamulo a dziko lino omwe amanjata munthu akakhala ndi malingaliro ofuna kudzipha.
TNM Super League teams are paid by far the lowest annual subventions in southern Africa region.
The subventions are a package given to the top flight clubs as starter packs to manage their affairs in a season.
Super League clubs get K1 million subvention
While each Malawian club gets K1 million, in South Africa they get K1.2 billion.
In Tanzania clubs pocket around K450 million while in Zambia they receive nearly K40 million, Nation on Sunday has established.
A report on club finances in the Zambian online publication Observer confirms: “Each club in the Zambia Super League receives $20 000 (around K15 million) from sponsors of the league MTN and $30 000 (K22 million) from Supersport who broadcast the league.”
Tanzanian online publication The Citizen reports that the sponsorship deal which the top flight division has secured about $11 million has seen each of the 16 clubs pocketing $579 000 (K440 million) as annual subvention.
South Africa Premier Soccer League, (PSL) on its part, gives each club R24 million (about K1.2 billion) annually, making it one of the biggest sponsorships on the continent.
Lower division teams in the rainbow nation are far much better than Malawi’s top-flight league as they pocket around K300 million each per season.
The PSL confirmed last year, as quoted by www.kickoff.com that monthly grants to “stand to increase as of next season from the current figure of R2 million (K100 million) and R500 000 (K25 million) monthly for the premiership and the championship respectively.”
Currently, the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) is seeking a television station to acquire the broadcasting rights.
Only local companies tendered their bids offering what observers feel is not enough to transform the financial status of the top flight league.
Three media houses bid for the rights with Times Group the highest bidder at K191 million per season while Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) submitted a proposal of K64 million for 80 matches, translating into K800, 000 per game and Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) submitted an K18 million proposal.
If one is picked, teams will, on average, pocket K6 million per season from the rights deal, an amount that still falls far off what other clubs in southern Africa get.
Football expert Felix Ngamanya Sapao said the challenge facing Malawi is the televisions broadcast free to air which disables their ability to generate significant revenue from games.
“Zambia and Tanzania have pay television stations benefiting from having huge subscribers. Lusaka alone has more than 500,000 Multichoice subscribers.
“Azam has more than 1.5 million subscribers paying $10 (K7 500) a month subscription. We cannot reach those numbers. Multichoice has less than 50 000 subscribers in Malawi. Free to air TV is not ideal for football TV rights business,” he said.
Be Forward Wanderers general secretary Victor Maunde said the gap with other countries shows that the Super League is poorly sponsored.
He said this is the reason they are planning to task Sulom at next weekend’s annual general meeting, to push for sponsorship increase.
TNM bankrolls the league at K90 million per year with the winning team earning K15 million and the runners-up half of that.
Karonga United general secretary Ramzy Simwaka said it was disappointing that Super League clubs are given peanuts.
But he doubted Malawi will, any time soon, rise to the levels other countries in the region.
“I have doubt if at all Malawi will reach up to that.
“We are running our affairs poorly here. We are not serious with our football administration,” he said.
Sulom president Tiya Somba-Banda said the country’s fragile economy plays a role on the poor subvention.
“Ours [subvention] is really on the lower side but we also need to put the overall economy of the country into play,” he said.
Somba-Banda, however, said the league runners are exploring other avenues to ensure clubs get more funds.
He said: “Once the plans we have in place have materialised, we should see a substantial increase in the subventions. Not just from sponsorship, but our own income generating activities.”
Malawi national football team coach Meck Mwase has named a 32- member squad in preparation for upcoming assignments during the Fifa international dates for friendly matches set for October 5 to 13.
However, conspicuously missing from the squad is controversial South Africa-based Polokwane City striker Khuda Muyaba.
Flames’ Khuda Muyaba (C) in action at BNS against Morocco
But estranged captain Limbikani Mvaza, who has just been offloaded at his club Highlands Park, returns to the Flames after two years absence.
Mwase said the centre back was now ready to return to the squad after the lengthy break.
“I have been in contact with Mzava. We have been monitoring him. We have always been inviting him, but unfortunately, he couldn’t come because of some injuries. But now he is ready to come back. We know he is committed to playing for Malawi,” he said.
Meanwhile, Muyaba vented his anger after being dropped on Facebook.
“I scored 21 goals to win the TNM Super League Golden Boot. Now I am a professional player, but you have dropped me again. Why?” the former Silver Strikers forward said in the post.
Other foreign-based players in the squad are Gerald Phiri Jnr, Richard Mbulu (Baroka FC, Frank Gabadinho Mhango (Orlando Pirates), John Banda, Schumaker Kuwali (UD Songo), Charles Petro (FC Sheriff), Chawanangwa Kaonga (TS Sporting), Francisco Madinga (FC Dila Gori), Denis Chembezi (Polokwane) and Yamikani Chester (Las Vegas Lights).
FAM communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said they are confident that the foreign-based players will join the squad despite travel restrictions due to Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: “Luckily most of them are based in South Africa where the government has announced that they will open their borders by October 1. The other players are based in Europe [Petro and Madinga] and USA [Chester], where the borders are open
The Flames 21 local-based players will go into camp on Monday at Mpira Village in Blantyre while the foreign-based will join the team a week before the Fifa dates as per regulations.
FAM wants to use either the Cosafa Cup or the two friendly matches to prepare for back-to-back 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Burkina Faso away on November 9 and at home on November 17.
Though Cosafa has set October 2-17 as the dates for the regional tournament, it is yet to confirm since South Africa borders remain closed until October 1.
The list of local players is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Brighton Munthali, Rabson Chiyenda, Ernest Kakhobwe and William Thole
Defenders: Stanley Sanudi, Peter Cholopi, Gomezgani Chirwa, Precious Sambani, Nickson Nyasulu and Hadji Wali
Midfielders: Chimango Kaira, Peter Banda, Chimwemwe Idana, Chikoti Chirwa, Raffick Namwera, Isaac Kaliati, Duncan Nyoni and Micium Mhone
Strikers: Foster Biton, Vincent Nyangulu and Hassan Kajoke.
In the past weeks, the country has witnessed a series of violent incidents in some districts. Regrettably, some lives have been lost while others have been left for dead—with serious injuries.
In Nkhata Bay, two men were killed on August 30 while 52 houses were burnt following a fracas that broke between two villages—Chinganga and Hanambo— in Nkhole area.
Witchcraft vandalism
Nkhata Bay Police Station public relations officer Kondwani James confirmed the incident and identified the deceased as Seti Nkhoma. 35, of Chinganga Village and Levi Banda, 70, of Hanambo Village, both from Traditional Authority (T/A) Fukakamalaza.
In the same month, another fracas left some people dead in Dowa while many houses were demolished.
Police intervene in the fracas in Duswa Village
According to Dowa police spokesperson Gladson M’bumpha, this was as a result of unfounded witchcraft allegations.
M’bumpha said by then, the station had recorded three cases, this year alone, related to acts of violence ignited by witchcraft allegations.
“During the fracas two people were killed and their property burnt. In another incident, angry villagers destroyed property belonging to some families after accusing them of witchcraft,” he said.
Similar incidents took place in Mulanje where people of Duswa Village went on rampage following alleged mysterious death of a 20–year–old man.
The deceased’s body stayed for days before being buried as angry family members and others forced those alleged to have had a hand in the death to bring him back to life.
During the fracas, six elderly people were assaulted; thanks to police who took them to Mulanje District Hospital for treatment. Sadly, one of them died later.
Police also protected five children who fell victim to the fracas.
Apart from assaulting the elderly people, the mob also pelted stones at a police unit at Mimosa, breaking window glasses in the process.
Much as people are taking the law into their own hands over witchcraft allegations, the country’s laws do not recognise witchcraft.
The Witchcraft Act, for example, stipulates that it is an offence to allege that someone practices witchcraft.
Further, the act criminalises anyone for claiming that he practises witchcraft. In this case, one is charged for pretending (to practice) witchcraft.
Furthermore, the profession of a witchdoctor or witchfinder is an offence punishable by life imprisonment.
Reacting to mob justice, National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera condemned the tendency.
In a statement released on September 1 2020, he expressed concern at the disregard for the law by those propagating violence,
“The Malawi Police Service strongly condemns this uncivilised behaviour and warns that all individuals who have had a hand in the above cited incidents will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly,” read the statement, in part.
Kadadzera advised people to use dialogue in sorting out their differences, as opposed to fights.
In an interview, Association for Secular Humanism (ASH), executive director George Thindwa expressed sadness at the continued violence against children and the elderly in the name of witchcraft.
He urged people to stop this malpractice, warning that: “In Malawi, the rule of law is paramount”.
“It is sad that we still witness violence against children and the elderly based on witchcraft allegations. This should not happen in Malawi where the rule of law is paramount.”
He added that those perpetrating the vice must stop or face the law.
Thindwa appealed to Malawians to follow the law, saying Malawi is a democratic State that promotes the rule of law.
“To accuse someone of witchcraft is a crime punishable by five years imprisonment,” he warned.
It was against this background that during the opening of a three-day workshop for Community Victim Support Units (CVSUs) at Luchenza, Officer-in-Charge for Mulanje Police Edwin Magalasi spoke against the ills of violence.
He observed that following a spate of attacks on the elderly on suspicion that they are practising witchcraft, there was need to consider protecting such people as is the case with children.
“While protecting children, let us not forget our grandparents who are subjected to all sorts of violence on allegations that they are witches or wizards,” he said.
Violence does not solve problems. Instead, it only leads to more problems, especially for the most vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.
Many have been injured or died due to acts of violence.
Property has also been damaged due to violence emanating from witchcraft allegations.
Can’t we do better as a nation purported to be peace-loving? Many believe we can.
When the hyena wants to eat some of its children, goes some humorous African ancient wisdom, it first accuses them of smelling like goats. Reading the scroll of charges against the DPP’s vice-president Kondwani Nankhumwa on Thursday, it made you wink a bit as you grappled with the sensibility of accusations the party hierarchy has thrown towards Nankhumwa.
Apparently, the former scribe-turned-politician raffled wrong feathers by, among others, undermining the party’s president by declaring himself Leader of Opposition against party president’s choice, George Chaponda. Until this moment, this was a rumour nobody cared to confirm.
According to the summons, Nankhumwa played smart Alec, allegedly selling Adadi (father), as party loyalists prefer to call the country’s erstwhile leader, a dummy when Mutharika instructed him to submit to Parliament the name of Nankhumwa’s nemesis, George Chaponda, as Leader of Opposition, only for Nankhumwa to install his own name in the bag.
Then we are told, when the former president tried to find out what the heck was going with Nankhumwa superseding his authority, Nankhumwa, aided by another embattled DPP top wig, the chief executive officer of the party itself, Grezelder Jeffrey—soon to face her own disciplinary grilling—threatened Mutharika, or let’s just say, told Mutharika that if Nankhumwa was replaced with Chaponda, the party will revolt.
The party, in addition, accuses Nankhumwa of flirting with the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP)—pointing out in its summons to a disciplinary hearing that Nankhumwa met former Official Hostess Cecilia Kadzamira at her home in Lilongwe. Apparently, when you’re in DPP leadership, you cannot visit the home of those perceived to be members of the other camp, let alone an old woman without any official position in the new government or ruling party.
The final count, though, is the most amusing of the lot. The disciplinary committee, apparently, will review whether by Nankhumwa failing to “resolve and respond to queries” about his education background, he has broken the party constitution.
Well, well, well. That last bit is so dramatic that no playwright would have conjured that one.
It confirms, finally, that the issue that has circulated for years about Nankhumwa’s academic papers being possibly fake deserve more credence than the token attention we all have paid it all this time.
But it also raises serious questions, among them, why all this time Nankhumwa was entrusted with the most senior positions in party and government, didn’t the former ruling party care about getting to the bottom of the matter. In a party that just recently controlled all levers of power, the whole intelligence and security apparatus, why didn’t the party “resolve and respond” to these queries until now?
If it smells like a goat, looks like a goat and sounds like a goat, I think the mother hyena would be forgiven for thinking its own child should be supper. All I am saying is that this sounds, smells and feels like a witch-hunt.
This, though, is not to say that Nankhumwa is innocent. Far from it!
All this, is to say, let’s cut each other some crap, what is going on in the DPP is neither an issue of disciplinary concerns or a party trying to find a way to win back its lost glory. What’s happening is fist fight. So far, Nankhumwa’s rivals have shown him their hand, it’s up to him to respond.
But for the benefit of the citizenry, we are yet to be convinced on what’s in it for Malawians. For all we can see, this is a battle of the same old people who messed up the country and the party. For all we know, this persecution of Nankhumwa is not inspired by the desire to end the massive corruption that engulfed the DPP but rather just deciding who succeeds Mutharika as party president.
Well, even this columnist sees no reason why DPP should cling to Mutharika as president and welcomes attempts at succession but succession alone without a review of why the DPP stopped functioning for the benefit of the people will not bring about change of fortune to the party. Men like Chaponda and Nankhumwa are part of the problem that faces DPP, they cannot be the solution. Mutharika shouldn’t take sides in their fight but invite the two to retire with him and allow fresh face and talent, to lead the party. n
