Striker Esau Kanyenda grabbed his fourth goal in the South Africa Absa Premier Soccer League (PSL) when he scored in Polokwane City’s 2-1 win over Moroka Swallows on Saturday. City are now on fifth position.

South Africa press reported that Kanyenda headed Tshepo Molala’s cross from the right into the net on the 11th minute at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Limpopo Province.

Scored for City on Saturday: Kanyenda

However, Felix Obada replied for the relegation-threatened Swallows, before City equalised through Rendani Ndou.

In other South Africa games, injured Robert Ng’ambi missed Platinum Stars’ game, which they lost 2-0 to Orlando Pirates at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg.

Ng’ambi was reportedly close to full fitness, but failed to make the squad as Lennox Bacela and Majoro struck to leave Stars in relegation zone.

Elsewhere, Free State Stars registered a back-to-back draw when held 1-1 by University of Pretoria. A goal by Pretoria’s Denver Mukamba was cancelled out by Danny Venter. AtusayeNyondo played a full game for Pretoria.

Still in South Africa, Lawrence Majawa featured for his Botswana Township Rollers, which lost 1-2 to Kaizer Chiefs in the 2015 CAF Champions League fixture at FNB Stadium.

Rollers hope for a better showing in the return leg in two weeks in Gaborone. They look forward to erase Matthews Rusike and TefuMashamaite’s goals that sandwiched Rollers’ Segolame Boy goal.

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Ecobank Malawi has finally spread its tentacles into the Northern Region with the opening of a new branch in Mzuzu on Friday.

The newest addition becomes the ninth branch since the Pan-African bank, which traces its beginnings to Togo, arrived in Malawi in 2008.
Ecobank Malawi general manager Charles Asiedu said Mzuzu presents numerous business opportunities being the country’s fastest-growing city and a centre of cross-border trade with Tanzania.

He said the bank is determined to continue expanding its footprint in the country—with Karonga, Kasungu, Nkhata Bay, Zomba and Mangochi marked as the next destinations.

“The opening of the first branch in the Northern Region is an indication of our determination to bring our services to the doorsteps of our valued customers,” he said.

Ecobank, which announced its coming to Malawi with the acquisition of Loita Investment Bank seven years ago, has eight branches in Lilongwe and Blantyre.

It becomes the 10th bank on Mzuzu’s streets.

Random interviews at the launch showed people are looking forward to queue-less banking, faster services, accessible loans and reliable automated teller machine (ATM) transactions.

Others said it is time to switch back to the bank they ditched when they relocated to the North.

In another interview, Mzuzu Mayor William Mkandawire hopes the arrival of Ecobank will benefit customers and the city.

“The arrival of a new player in any industry increases competition and competition is good for consumers because it improves the quality of service delivery,” he said. Hire

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Some tobacco associations are alleged to be fraudulently swapping farmers’ membership to meet a 1 500 minimum membership requirement by Tobacco Control Commission (TCC), it has been established.

The dubious act has hit hard farmers under Tobacco Association of Malawi (Tama), who fail to register or transact under the country’s largest tobacco farmers’ grouping when they get to TCC since their names already appear under other associations.

Some farmers are being registered fraudulently

The associations list the farmers without their consent.

TCC chief executive officer Bruce Munthali on Thursday confirmed that Tama lodged a complaint to TCC on fraudulent swapping of membership.

He said if investigations establish fraudulent swapping, the associations risk being deregistered.

“It is a challenge and we are investigating the matter to curb the malpractice. If an association is fraudulent, it is an act of indiscipline and TCC has powers to suspend the association,” said Munthali.

Tama head of marketing and business development Felix Thole said farmers under the association have been heavily affected by the tendency of some associations that access farmers’ numbers and illegally list them under their associations to meet a requirement of 1 500 member.

He said over 3 000 farmers have been victims of the dubious acts but he refused to disclose the names of the associations involved in such acts, citing ethical issues.

Thole said because the farmers appear under other associations, it becomes hard for them to be assisted when faced with problems, a development he said is a threat to their businesses.

“A number of associations are accessing farmers’ numbers and list them under their associations. This becomes a problem when farmers go to register and they are told that they already registered under other associations.

“To the surprise of some farmers, when they go to pay at TCC, receipts at TCC indicate strange associations, which the farmers never upheld as their associations,” said Thole.

He called on farmers who fall into the trap of the association to report the matter to TCC or Tama, saying the association is ready to offer farmers legal support if they want to sue the associations.

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World Fish programme manager Sloans Chimatiro has said the fish trade programme will help to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by enhancing the capacities of regional and pan-African organisations.

Speaking recently ahead of the fish trade programme in Kenya next month, Chimatiro said this will help in supporting member States to better integrate intra-regional fish trade into their development and food security policy agendas as research has shown that intra-regional trade in fish is encouraging.

“It is clear that despite major interventions and initiatives to promote fisheries development and intra-regional trade, sub-Saharan Africa still faces challenges in boosting fish trade, especially intra-regional trade to serve as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth and poverty alleviation.

“Complexity of rules and regulations governing intra-regional trade, lack of business and marketing skills, exporting of raw, low value fish and inadequate infrastructure; all these hamper Africa from optimising the benefits from fish trade,” he said.

He said the fish trade programme will enhance the capacities for trade among private sector associations, particularly of women fish processors and traders and aquaculture producers to expand trade opportunities through competitive small and medium scale enterprises and facilitate the adoption and implementation of appropriate policies, certification procedures, standards and regulations by key stakeholders participating in intra-regional trade.

The fish trade programme, which is being run jointly with World Fish, New Partnership for Africa Development (Nepad) and African Union–InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), will attract policy makers, stakeholders and researchers from the continent.

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United States Agency for International Development (USaid) has pumped K47 million in a seed processing unit at Bunda, a constituent college of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) in Lilongwe.

The unit is part of the agricultural innovation partnership programme.

Kanyama Phiri:We are witnessing the fruits of this partnership

USaid mission director in Malawi Doug Aburckle said the investment is in support of the Feed the Future Agriculture Innovations Partnership (Ffaip), which was launched by last year.

“This partnership strengthens seed science and technology education and extension. It does this through the development of relevant seed science and technology courses.

“The seed processing unit is a continuation of these important strategic interventions. Less than a quarter of Malawian farmers have access to quality seed and, as Usaid, we are proud to be part of the solution,” he said at the ceremony last Thursday.

The plant has three cleaning, gravity separation, grading equipment and destoner and packer equipment.

Lunar vice-chancellor Professor Kanyama Phiri said the innovation partnership comprise Luanar, Cornell University in the USA and Sathguru consultants from India but supported by USaid.

“In less than a year, we are witnessing the fruit of this partnership, which is assisting the production of pre-basic and basic legume seed production at Luanar.

“Seed processing is another area that needs urgent attention in the country and this seed processing unit will go a long way in assisting students and faculty members and other seed companies,” he said.

Seed Trade Association (Stam) chairperson John Lungu expressed happiness with the plant.

“The seed industry is delighted with what the agriculture partnership has delivered. This plant will help in the growth and development of the seed industry.

“The graduates will now have practical knowledge of seed processing and, therefore, reduce the cost of on the job training,” he said.

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The Blantyre City Council (BCC) has warned musicians to desist from engaging in rowdy promotions along the streets of the commercial city.

The warning comes in the wake of a chain of promotions some artists are engaged in where they use a vehicle with loud speakers to draw the attention of prospective customers.

Mr Jokes

BCC public relations manager, Anthony Kasunda, said last week it is against the council’s by-laws to be going around town with a megaphone or speakers.

“The trend is bad as it disrupts business. The artists go around town making noise while some people are on phone calls and others in meetings. The noise disturbs others in the course of their duty,” he said.

Kasunda stressed that it is against the law to be going around promoting and/or selling art; be it with noise or not as art has its designated places where it can be displayed and sold.

As the council is re-allocating the vendors, Kasunda said, artists have to conform to the order by desisting from selling in undesignated places.

“Artists have to be selling in designated places only, failing which we will confiscate their items,” he warned.

But one of the musicians, Thoko Katimba, described the directive as unfortunate for artists.

“It is very unfortunate. I wish our council would come up with a solution to stop piracy than keep on punishing artists. Currently, we are forced to pay the sum of K20 000 per day to promote and sell our DVDs in cities, which is too expensive. We need to sit down as artists and map a way forward,” he said.

Meanwhile, Musician Union of Malawi (MUM) says most musicians are aware of the directive and that the body will keep on sensitising musicians to comply with the laws.

MUM president Reverend Chimwemwe Mhango told The Nation that the union will not defend any musician working against this directive as they have done enough to warn artists on the same.

Artists who are promoting on their own through this mode include Great Angels Choir, Ethel Kamwendo-Banda, King James Phiri, Lloyd Phiri, Neligo Women’s Choir, Thoko Katimba, Joe Gwaladi and Mr Jokes.

The post Blantyre City Council cautions musicians on street vending appeared first on The Nation Online.

Former Big Brother Africa Malawi representative Sipe Chitambo spent part of her Valentine’s Day cheering the sick at the paediatric ward of Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe.

Her love for children motivated her to source funds to buy assorted items and share them on lovers’ day.

“As you know today is Valentine’s Day, a time to share love and most people are spending time with their loved ones. I love children so much and I had to find a way of, not only spending time with them, but also sharing the little I have. I found a sponsor and that’s why I am here to donate to the children’s ward, especially those with cancer and TB. They need love so much,” said Sipe.

She said this is the beginning of her charity drive aimed at touching the lives of people, especially children.

“It’s not about the hospital, but the children. We are here today, next time we will be at some other hospital as this is what I want to be doing,” she stated.

The items comprised maize meal, Vaseline, Likuni Phala, biscuits and soap.

China-based businessperson Armund Dondase supported her with money to purchase the items worth slightly over K1 million.

“Knowing that she is someone who loves children, I did not hesitate to give her monetary support in aid of sick children when she approached me. I believe this is just the beginning,” he said in a separate interview.

Back in the ward, mothers could not hide their excitement due to the donation.

“We feel honoured to have someone leave whatever she does on a weekend and come to us and give us these kinds of gifts. She has put a smile on us and our children amidst the pain and suffering. May God richly bless her,” said Salome Banda, a mother of a five-year-old girl suffering from a cancerous tumour in the head.

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Malawi is a country that is not short of surprises. We can as well celebrate embracing street vending for the same period we have been independent. But years down the line, the same street vending we celebrated has come back to haunt us. As long as street vending is tolerated, the efforts to keep our cities and towns clean will be fruitless. My take is that people who are calling for the removal of street vendors are justified.

Whether it is a pit latrine or it is so advanced that it flushes on its own, a toilet is a toilet. So, for some to hold on to street vending is no good, because by classification streets are streets, road reserves are road reserves, so respectively are footpaths and service leeways, which we should all allow that they serve their respective purposes.

Thus, street vendors should not be entertained because a seller and buyer have designated places for doing business such as in markets. Just as the case is with any aspect of life, the gist of doing business also calls for law and order, one of which is where to do it.

Imagine what could have happened if our forefathers had disrespected by-laws that stipulate that markets establishment only lie in the hands of a district commissioner or chief executive of that particular local authority.

Sad, though, that just as it is difficult to enforce many existing laws and policies, it is also not easy to act on those who violate the stipulated city by-laws that govern markets, giving an impression that any person can just wake up and trade anywhere.

It is a pity that because we continue to smile at nuisance that ought to have been uprooted some 50 years back, we now talk of minibus touts turned into pick pocketers and beggars that terrorise people on the streets.

Look at the self-made and tolerated congestion that comes with the street vending. It not only disturbs traffic flow but window shopping (the economy rarely affords real shopping nowadays) and freedom of movement as well.

I try to avoid discussing security issues in public but for purposes of this subject, I can challenge that during the time our streets are infested by vendors, the crime rate surges.

The money spent in the various operations to do with vendors could have been used for other developments. The vendors should go back to where they belong, the markets.

Shamefully we cannot even look at the large sums of money spent in the construction and running of the underutilised markets. We fail to even take stock of the huge sums of money that we lose out to those trading in the streets and other illegal places.

It is human to complain, but some justification of street vending is questionable. Some say there is lack of space in markets, but how come most of the markets stock what they are not supposed to? Why do other vendors occupy multiple spaces and why do some people without merchandise own spaces in the markets?

Yet, others argue that they would want to get closer to customers. But to be honest, customers would find buying more comfortable in the markets than on the street. People from residential areas around the Blantyre City Centre even travel as far as Lunzu to get what they want. What would stop a customer from going to a market within the city centre?

I hope you, dear readers, appreciate that street vending impedes on efforts to maintain cleanliness, is a menace to our economy, breeds criminal behaviour and hampers development.

So, let us all support the removal of vendors off the streets. It is justifiable. Streets are streets. It is markets that are places for vending!

The author is an assistant security officer for Blantyre City Council writing in his personal capacity.

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Geoffina Gilisoni, 90, of Kutulo 1 Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Lundu in Chikwawa, curses the night raging waters hounded her family, forcing her and her grandchildren to seek refuge at Sammy’s Camp for flood victims.

The refuge Gilisoni and her grandchildren got was not what they expected when they eagerly accepted to be ferried to the camp by aid workers.

She reveals that in the camp, they are rarely supplied with adequate basic necessities, especially foodstuffs and toiletries to enable them to live healthy lives.

“Every day, we hear reports of organisations donating relief items to the disaster response. But how come we are being starved here?” says the seemingly hungry and frail Gilisoni.

She adds: “We’ll surely die of hunger if government does not intervene”

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) says over 640 000 people have been affected in Malawi’s 15 districts since early January, with 176 dead and hundreds more injured or missing.

As a result, President Peter Mutharika declared the 15 districts a disaster zone, thereby attracting both local and international organisations to contribute financial and material resources to government and humanitarian actors in response to what has been termed ‘the worst flooding in the country’s history’.

Since then, a day hardly passes by without an organisation donating to flood victims.

National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust regional civic education officer, EnockChinkhuntha, says although no camper has come out to report witnessing theft of aid [for flood victims], it is imperative for government to ensure the donations reach the rightful beneficiaries.

Says Chinkhuntha: “We don’t want a situation where victims would be suffering because someone is abusing the resources.”

He says his organisation has also received reports of chiefs tampering with lists of beneficiaries to include their ‘undeserving’ relatives and cronies.

While commending government for ensuring proper coordination of the relief aid, Chinkhuntha says there is need to investigate these reports and bring to book the culprits because their ‘actions have potential to demotivate the donor community’.

But district commissioner for (DC) Chikwawa, Alex Mdooko, dismissed the claims of mismanagement of relief items as baseless.

“What you need to know is that these people rarely appreciate efforts other people are undertaking to serve and save them,” he says.

But Gilisoni maintains her stand, and insists government needs to investigate to get to the bottom of the issue.

“If government does not want us to starve to death, then it must protect us from those taking advantage of the distaster to enrich themselves,” she implores.

The Asian Muslim Relief Aid (Amra) is one of the organisations that have been providing assistance to flood victims in Phalombe, Mangochi, Chikwawa and Nsanje districts in partnership with the United Kingdom (UK)-based Drop of Compassion and Polokwane Muslim Welfare Trust (South Africa).

Amra provided each household with a hamper containing a 2kg pack of maize seed, 25 water purification sachets (Waterguard), one blanket, crockery and utensil set consisting of 14 seven plates, seven mugs, seven spoons, a book, two packets of soya pieces, one mosquito net, one plastic bucket, one plastic basin and  K2 000 cash.

Each hamper is worth K20 000, according to Amra volunteer AmiirJakhura.

Jakhura says unlike other organisations, Amra and its partners do not involve aid workers or government authorities in the distribution of relief items. He says this method has helped them reach out to the deserving beneficiaries with their support.

Jakhura explains: “Our previous experience taught us that some people take advantage of disasters such as these to reap where they didn’t sow. We, therefore, decided to distribute the items on our own to ensure it is only the deserving persons getting the assistance.”

The post Flood victims’ cry appeared first on The Nation Online.

Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) Mzuzu chapter does not appreciate the recent salary increment by government, arguing the raise favours employees in higher grades.

The chapter has since called on CSTU leaders to justify acceptance of the increment, saying failure to do so will lead to a vote of no confidence and calls for resignation of the CSTU leaders.

Civil servants during a strike over salaries

Speaking during an interview, Mzuzu CSTU chapter chairperson Steve Munyenyembe said CSTU leaders accepted a raw deal which has left civil servants in lower grades suffering.

He said employees in higher grades got increments ranging from 70 percent to 110 percent while those in lower grades got 35 percent increment. He said given the rise in cost of living the 35 percent increment is a non starter.

Munyenyembe said CSTU leaders owe lower grade employees an explanation on why they accepted such an increment when civil servants agreed that the lowest paid among them should be getting K70 000.

Said Munyenyembe: “It is surprising that those who earn less are the ones who got the lowest increment.”

Reacting to the calls, CSTU general secretary Madalitso Njolomole said civil servants in lower grades got higher increments in the past and giving them huge increments this time would see their salaries overlapping with those in higher grades. He said it would not make sense to have those in lower grades receiving more money than their seniors when they have not been promoted.

He said the money allocated to the increments could not meet the demands by those in lower grades considering they form a bigger part of the civil service. He said the civil service has about 150 000 people of which 43 000 are in grade K, 23 000 in grade L and 22 000 in grade M.

However, he said those in grade K, L and M will be considered in July and called on the chapter to channel their grievances through CSTU regional committee (North), arguing CSTU gets communications through the regional committee.

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Blantyre City Council (BCC) has said phase III of the dual-carriage MasaukoChipembere Highway project will resume by March 1 as a contractor who was identified for the project is already on site.

The project, which was expected to start end November 2014 as indicated last year during the council’s first ordinary meeting, will be a dual carriage road from Yiannakis Roundabout to Standard Bank in Limbe and from there up to Illovo Roundabout through Livingstone Avenue, an existing one-way dual carriage road.

Phase 1 of Masauko Chipembere Highway

BCC chief executive officer Ted Nandolo, presenting a report from his office to the office of Blantyre City mayor Noel Chalamanda during the council’s second ordinary meeting held at the council chamber yesterday, said the works on the road have delayed because of the rains the country has been experiencing in the past weeks.

Nandolo also reported to the mayor that the council’s proposal to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the improvement of sanitation in the City of Blantyre has been approved and out of the 11 African cities which applied for the fund this time around, only Blantyre and Durban qualified.

Making a statement at the meeting, Chalamanda said the council has registered a positive in the area of street vending and although some vendors can still be seen sporadically, Blantyre is one of the cities that has done well on eviction of vendors from the streets.

Among other things, the meeting also adopted minutes of meetings that various council committees on education, finance, works, town planning, human resources, health and environment, had last year before going into discussions to map the way forward for the year 2015.

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A group of people calling themselves ‘concerned employees’ have petitioned members of Parliament (MPs) currently meeting in Lilongwe to make amendments to Section 57(2) of the Employment Act.

They argue that the section in question is lacking in provisions for a company or organisation to accord its employees the right to be heard before termination of employment on the basis of operational requirements.

In their petition the concerned employees say the move is in violation of Articles 13 and 14 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 158 which Malawi ratified.

Reads part of Article 13 of the ILO Convention: “When the employer contemplates termination for reasons of an economic, technological, structural or similar nature, the employer shall provide the workers’ representatives concerned in good time with relevant information, including reasons for the terminations contemplated, number and categories of workers likely to be affected and the period over which the terminations are intended to be carried out.”

However, a panel of three Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal judges invalidated the provisions in the ILO Convention Article 14 during the case of First Merchant Bank vs Eisenhower Mkaka and 13 others (2013) by stating that the country’s labour laws do not provide for consultations whenever an employer wishes to retrench employees.

The said article states that when the employer contemplates termination of contract for reasons of an economic, technological, structural or similar nature, he shall notify, in accordance with national law and practice

The petition has also questioned the Supreme Court’s ruling invalidating the legality of Article 14 of the ILO Convention 158 despite being ratified by the Malawi Government on October 1 1986 as part of the country’s labour laws.

Lilongwe Rural South Constituency MP Peter Dimba received the petition on behalf of Parliament and promised to deliver it to the National Assembly.

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Opposition members of Parliament (MPs) yesterday took to task Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe to explain vote by vote how government intends to spend the K32 billion supplementary budget allocation.

Despite the opposition voting unanimously to it, most of their ranks demanded Gondwe to explain.

Goodall Gondwe

Standing on a point of order, Salima Central MP Felix Jumbe (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) maintained that Gondwe needed to explain vote by vote as per the Standing Orders.

He said: “The honourable minister needs to break it down how he intends to spend such money. We have passed it [the budget], but he needs to explain.”

His remarks prompted Minister of Labour and Manpower Development Henry Musa to clarify why Gondwe did not go into details, something which did not go well with the opposition.

People’s Party (PP) chief whip Ralph Jooma, who is also Mangochi Monkey Bay MP, said Gondwe needed to explain himself.

“Even the minister himself knows that any supplementary budget allocations need to be broken down. Now we have already made the mistake of passing this, let us not make another by condoning this,’’ he said.

Leader of the House Francis Kasaila cooled the tempers in the House by saying the minister would present the break down on Thursday.

In the thick of the tension, Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya’s calls for order fell on deaf ears. And when the Speaker asked the opposition if they had lost trust in him, they shouted a deafening: “ Yeeees!”

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Striker Jimmy Zakazaka, who was deemed surplus to Big Bullets’ requirements, is set to cross the floor and sign for his sixth career club — Mighty Be Forward Wanderers.

Zakazaka, who was Bullets’ top league scorer with six goals last season, yesterday said the TNM Super League champions did not show enough interest in him at the expiry of his year-long contract.

Jimmy Zakazaka

“I waited for two months and they did not show me respect as they started negotiating with new players.

“I started training at Wanderers last week and we are speaking the same language on contract. What remains is the actual paper work,” said Zakazaka, who Zambia commentator, the late Dennis Liwewe, nicknamed Weapon of Mass Destruction in 2004.

The 30-year-old has joined Wanderers as a free agent.

“I proved my worth by scoring nine goals in all competitions last season. Football is my job, so there is no problem switching camps. Of course, I talked to Gift [Zakazaka] for advice after Wanderers made advances on me,” said the striker who had a first Bullets stint in 2004.

Zakazaka, whose first professional club was at Admarc Tigers before he signed for Silver Strikers following a similar path taken by elder brother Gift, played in South Africa for Free State Stars, Bay United and FC Cape Town before returning home last season after a dip in form.

Wanderers general secretary Mike Butao was not readily available for comment yesterday, but his deputy Chris Kananji confirmed Zakazaka’s imminent deal.

“It is not like we would like to sign him, but we are signing him. Last season, we had a predominantly young squad and you need to blend it with players who require guidance from seniors such as Zakazaka,” Kananji said, adding that four more star players would be signed.

Bullets head of marketing Dan Mbebuwa yesterday said the matter was too technical for him to comment. But sources said Bullets were done with Zakazaka at the end of his one-year contract.

Over the weekend, Gift Zakazaka posted on his Facebook wall his and Jimmy’s picture captured when they posed before a Wanderers and Bullets clash at Kamuzu Stadium years back, and he wrote: ‘Welcome back home.”

The post Zakazaka ‘crosses floor’ to Nomads appeared first on The Nation Online.

Fifa referee Grace Msiska has an air ticket for this Wednesday’s trip to Madagascar on international duty, but now she is not guaranteed of travelling after failing a fitness test on Sunday.

Msiska went into the test at Kamuzu Stadium as the sole competitor for Fifa rated women referees, but with two laps to the finish, she dropped out due to exhaustion.

Msiska was two laps from finishing

“With an air ticket in the bag, this might have piled the pressure on me. I rarely fail, but when I got into the 10th lap, I could not just carry on. Whether I travel, depends on how soon the results of the test will be sent,” said a relaxed Msiska at the stadium.

Now, the prospect of the otherwise hard working woman travelling to officiate the islanders’ All Africa Games qualifying match against Botswana this Sunday depends on the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) which sent Msiska the air ticket.

National physical fitness instructor MoffatChampiti, who conducted the test alongside Bester Kalombo, Charles Kafatiya and the Southern Region Referees Committee chairperson Alfred Chasowa, confirmed that Msiska’s trip hangs in the balance.

“I sent the results to CAF immediately after the tests. When there is limited time before a referees’ assignment as is her case, CAF sometimes allows you to officiate and drop you afterwards. However, rules are clear that you cannot officiate local and international games after failing a test,” Champiti said.

Other referees collapsed in heaps on the sun-baked afternoon during the Southern Region test which registered an estimated 85 percent pass rate. Women assistant referees contestants Happiness Mbandambanda and Bernadetter Kwimbira Mzika both passed.

Each referee was supposed to complete the mandatory 12 laps each stretching 150 metres, in a prescribed time of 35 seconds. This was preceded by six laps each stretching 40 metres to be covered in six seconds and 6.2 seconds as prescribed times for males and females respectively.

There were 20 competitors in men’s category which had Andy Kuseli failing the test alongside Harry Bitrinyo, Hendrix Makumbi and Mark Dzimbasweka. The men’s 37-member male assistant referees’ category had casualties such as Henry Belo, Lesley Kuchilunda and Peter Banda.

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South Africa Premiership side Mpumalanga Black Aces are mum on reports suggesting that they have signed a pre-contract with Flames defender Limbikani Mzava from Bloemfontein Celtic.

Aces public relations officer Gorgon Masondo yesterday could neither confirm nor deny a KickOff.com story published yesterday that Mzava has turned down an offer from Celtic to renew his contract in favour of a move to Aces next season.

Has started in eight games: Mzava

“I cannot say anything and there are many players that are being linked to us. What I can tell you is that whatever you see on websites, take it as it is,” Masondo said yesterday.

Kick-Off quoted Celtic coach Clinton Larsen confirming that Mzava, who was earlier linked with a move to Ajax Cape Town, is heading to AmaZayoni next season.

“Mzava has signed a pre-contract with Aces, but we will still continue playing him until the end of the season,” Larsen told KickOff.com.

Mzava has started eight games for Celtic this season, who have now moved up to seventh in the PSL rankings following their 3-0 victory over AmaZulu on Sunday.

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Big Bullets may start projecting costs of travelling to Sudan as that country’s giants Al Hilal are favourites to meet the TNM Super League champions in the 2015 CAF Champions League first round.

Al Hilal beat KMKM of Zanzibar 2-0 on Sunday, thereby increasing prospects of dating Bullets who are favourites to sail past the preliminary round at the expense of their Comoros opponents Fomboni Club de Moheil.

Bullets players celebrating a league win last season

CAF website reported: “It was, however, a joyful scene at [the] other side of Sudan’s largest city, Omdurman, where rivals Al Hilal thumped KMKM of Zanzibar 2-0. Goals from Nizar Hamid and Burkinabe-import AbubakarKipe gave the ‘Saeed al Balad’ a first leg cushioning.”

The scales are tipped in Bullets’ favour as they netted a pivotal away goal through substitute Tizgobere Kumwenda at Stade De Moroni against Fomboni who travel to Malawi for the return leg on the weekend of February 28 2015.

The overall winner between Bullets and Fomboni will take on the winner between Al Hilal and KMKM.

From Bullets coach Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan’s comments, he fancies a comfortable home win.

Ramadhan told Matindi FM Radio that he envisages a 4-0 win over Fomboni, saying he has now analysed their weaknesses, adding: “We dominated the match, but in wrong areas. We sat too deep in the first-half.”

Across the borders, it was an unhappy Champions League preliminary round, first-leg outings for teams that have Malawian players. Lawrence Majawa’s Township Rollers of Botswana lost 2-1 to Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa on Saturday.

On Sunday, Zicco Mkanda came off the bench for Zimbabwean international Washington Phakamisa as Liga Desportivo de Maputo drew 0-0 at home in Mozambique against Rwanda giants APR.

Mkanda yesterday admitted that the draw was costly and credited APR for defending in numbers and also employing some delaying tactics in the preliminary round, first leg.

APR interim coach Vincent Mashami told SuperSport.com that “we noted their weaknesses and we plan to expose them in the return leg. We did not win today but we shall work hard and make sure we win the match in Rwanda.”

Full CAF results

Friday: Al-Ahly Tripoli (Libya) 1 Smouha (Egypt) 0; Raja Casablanca (Morocco) 4 Diables Noirs (Congo) 0; CO Bamako (Mali) 2 MoghrebTetouan (Morocco) 0.

Saturday:Séwé Sport (Cote d’Ivoire) 1 AS Kaloum (Guinea) 2; AS Pikine (Senegal) 1 Etoile Filante (Burkina Faso) 0; RecreativoLibolo (Angola) 3 Sanga Balende (DR Congo) 1; KCCA (Uganda) 1 Cosmos Bafia (Cameroon) 0; Lydia Academic (Burundi) 0 Kabuscorp (Angola) 0; Mouloudia El-Eulma (Algeria) 1 St George (Ethiopia) 0; GorMahia (Kenya) 1 CNaPS Sport (Madagascar) 0; Al-Malakia (South Sudan) 0 Kano Pillars (Nigeria) 2; Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) 2 Township Rollers (Botswana) 1; St Michel Utd (Seychelles) 1 MamelodiSundowns (South Africa) 1; Mangasport (Gabon) 1 Bantu (Lesotho) 0; StadeMalien (Mali) 0 AS Gendarmerie Nationale (Niger) 0.

Sunday: Al-Hilal (Sudan) 2 KMKM (Zanzibar) 0; Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland) 1 ZescoUtd (Zambia) 1; USM Alger (Algeria) 3 Foullah Edifice (Chad) 0; FomboniMoheil (Comoros) 0 Big Bullets (Malawi) 1; Azam (Tanzania) 2 El-Merreikh (Sudan) 0; Enyimba (Nigeria) 3 Buffles  (Benin) 0; LigaMuçulmana (Mozambique) 0 APR FC (Rwanda) 0.

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Ethanol Company (EthCo) Limited, a subsidiary of conglomerate Press Corporation Limited (PCL) has obtained certification of its integrated safety, health environment and quality management system following a successful audit on its processes by a reputable internationally accreditation firm, NQA (Africa).

Chakaniza: The certification is enough testimony that EthCo demonstrates excellence

EthCo has implemented an integrated management system based on the requirements of ISO 9001:2008(Quality Management), ISO 14001:2004(Environment Management), OHSAS 18001:2007(Occupational Health and Safety management) and local applicable requirements.

EthCo, a manufacturer of Fuel Alcohol, Extra Neutral Alcohol and Rectified Alcohol becomes one of the very few companies that are certified on all the three International Standards at once.

EthCo General Manager Lusubilo Chakaniza said in an interview that as a responsible corporate citizen, the company recognizes the need to ensure that its operations are efficiently and effectively managed using best practices in line with these standards, hence the certification.

“The certification is enough testimony that EthCo demonstrates excellence and a socially and environmentally responsible culture which are some of the core values that the Company has committed to abide by in its day to day operations,” said Chakaniza.

“The ultimate goal for implementing this type of system is to ensure the provision and maintenance of a healthy, safe and conducive working environment to its employees and all other stakeholders in order to prevent incidents resulting in injury, ill health, environmental pollution, property damage, poor product quality, ineffective delivery of services, loss of business integrity and non-compliance with applicable legal requirements in all its operations.”

“At the heart of all this, EthCo endeavors to deliver excellent customer satisfaction,” added Chakaniza.

She said that in order to maintain the certification, NQA (Africa) will be monitoring the Company’s system on a routine basis and this will essentially result into a continual improvement of the system.

Much as management’s commitment and the provision of resources are key to the successful implementation of the integrated system, Chakaniza attributes this achievement to all the employees of the Company due to their enthusiasm, effort and the overall team work culture that they demonstrate.

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Although they remain relatively unknown in Malawi, acoustic quartet Malawi Mouse Boys continue to receive international plaudits, the latest being an invitation to this year’s WOMADelaide Festival in Adelaide, Australia from March 6 to 9.

Since they released their internationally highly acclaimed debut album He is #1 three years ago, Malawi Mouse Boys have become somewhat of an international phenomenon, performing at international festivals and touring the US.

Malawi Mouse Boys performing at Womad in the UK two years ago

According to Sophie Murray, publicity coordinator at WOMADelaide, the festival normally looks at what acts were at Womad UK as a basis.

Malawi Mouse Boys performed at Womad UK two years ago where they received rave reviews and their performance was lauded by the international press.

Last October, Malawi Mouse Boys also toured America with performances in Los Angeles, San Francisco at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and in New York.

And was with the case with Womad UK, WOMADelaide presents several opportunities for the gospel outfit.

“They will get interview opportunities with local and national media in regards to their appearance at the festival,” Murray said.

Malawi Mouse Boys were brought to greater worldwide attention by Grammy-winning American record producer, Ian Brennan, who chanced upon the band during a sojourn to Malawi.

The San Francisco-based producer set up a portable studio to record a group of gospel singers called the Malawi Mouse Boys. The group took its name from the job the members had when Brennan found them.

“In that little stretch of freeway where they live, there’s a tradition where they sell mice on a stick, as snacks, meals to the passing travellers,” Brennan says.

Brennan set up his gear near the road where they were working and asked one of them, Alfred Gavana, to play and sing.

After they recorded that first song, Brennan asked Gavana to invite other musicians to a session in his village a few days later. Brennan spent all day there, eventually zeroing in on a core group.

The Malawi Mouse Boys grew up singing in the village church, where Sunday services stretch for hours

Lead singer Zondiwe says from the get-go, the group had no real expectations. Foreigners had come through before expressing interest, but never followed through.

Getting their voices heard became a mission for Brennan. First he got the album released on a British label.

Last year, he took the Malawi Mouse Boys to England to perform at the Womad Festival. It was their first trip outside their country and they sang in Chichewa to an audience of more than 10 000. They also recorded a second album Dirt is Good.

Nekwankwe says it is a miracle they’ve come this far.

“Maybe we can say it’s a plan of God,” he says. “Because to us, to reach where we are now, using these local instruments, it’s not a joke. In our country in Malawi, we have got many people who are using electric guitars and instruments, but they didn’t reach America.” n

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The Budget and Finance Committee of Parliament has asked Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe to explain how government has dealt with the issue of refunds to The Global Fund.

Committee chairperson Rhino Chiphiko said this on Friday in response to Gondwe’s Mid-term Budget Review Statement presented on February 6 2015.

Rhino Chiphiko

He said: “The committee wishes that the Honourable Minister could comment on how government has dealt with refunds to The Global Fund for expenditures that were deemed ineligible.”

According to Chiphiko, his committee is aware that the proposed revisions include cuts to votes that failed to fully account for The Global Fund money received through the National Aids Commission (NAC).

He said it was imperative for the minister to furnish the House with the breakdown of the funds used for ineligible expenditure by responsible ministries and efforts to recover the same.

On the same issue, Chiphiko said government should utilise Section 87 of the Public Finance Management Act that empowers the appointing authority to institute punitive measures on officers responsible for the poor stewardship of public resources

He said: “In light of this and other financial scandals in government, the committee wishes to find out when government intends to evoke that provision.”

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