Private practice lawyers David Kanyenda and John Gift-Mwakhwawa have accused Football Association of Malawi (FAM) of flouting Fifa rules by involving members of the Judiciary in the electoral committee.

The two lawyers said the involvement of officials of the judiciary, which is an arm of the government, chairing FAM electoral committee (Justice Dingiswayo Madise) and the appeals committee (Justice Lovemore Chikopa) could be deemed as government interference.

The world football governing body Fifa, does not accept government interference and FAM’s own electoral code condemns the same.

Kanyenda, who is former Be Forward Wanderers general secretary, believes the entire electoral process was unlawful right from the beginning where government officials were appointed in FAM’s electoral and appeals committee.

“Article 3.4(c) of FAM’s electoral code bars government officials of any kind from membership of the electoral bodies. The Judiciary is an arm of the government and FAM erred to appoint a judicial officer to handle the elections,” he said.

Justice Madise refused to comment on the matter, but in a Facebook posting few days ago, he claimed he was involved in the elections in his personal capacity and not as a High Court Judge.

“Judges participate in football matters in their personal capacity as football lovers and citizens of the Republic not as Judges of Court,” reads Justice Madise’s posting.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, at appointment, judges lose their ordinary title of Mr. or Mrs. or indeed Ms… They maintain their title of Justice for life unless they are impeached by Parliament.”

In spite of that, Kanyenda, a critic of Nyamilandu, insisted the judicial officers should not have accepted the appointments.

“The appointment of persons into the electoral body excluded by law renders the entire process unlawful. Fifa abhors government interference. The exclusion of government servants or agents is designed to eliminate any government interference,” he explained.

“These persons ought to resign from the electoral body and a fresh committee comprising competent people ought to be appointed and fresh elections must be conducted.”

On his part, Mwakhwawa, who showed interest in vying for the presidency post but was not nominated, said it was possible to challenge the outcome of the results on grounds that there was government interference in the electoral process.

“Rules are very clear. A government official is anybody who works in the Executive arm, judiciary and even Parliament. So the inclusion of the judges automatically renders the whole process unconstitutional,” he said.

FAM legal committee chairperson Jabbar Alide said he had commented enough on the elections and he was not to issue any further comment.

“Besides that, holding divergent views is in the DNA of lawyers. I have seen the contrary views my brother David (Kanyenda) holds. I wish he raised those views at an appropriate forum, (and) at an appropriate time. For now, to me, the issue is water under the bridge,” Alide wrote in an e-mail response. n

President Peter Mutharika has challenged Malawians to begin thinking creatively to find solutions to challenges the country is experiencing.

Mutharika made the remarks Friday night during the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) 2015 Innovations Awards held at the College of Medicine in Blantyre where he was guest of honour.

The President said as the country’s population continues to grow at a fast rate, Malawians must realise that solutions to the problems cannot only come from government but individuals too.

While acknowledging that the country was facing several problems, Mutharika challenged that many of them were “not problems to defeat us but challenges to be resolved.”

Said Mutharika: “We are being challenged to be innovative, not militant. Take time to think. Thinking needs patience, which is not a virtue of many Malawians. We all have the duty to innovate solutions for this country.

“The challenges we have are real; the pain is real; the suffering is real. And we need real solutions. But tonight, we are also challenged to realise that there are men and women who pursue innovations to provide solutions.”

The President also commended MBC for recognising individual innovative Malawians who have demonstrated virtues of patriotism, integrity and hard work.

The public broadcaster honoured 10 innovative Malawians which include agriculture, science and technology, arts, entrepreneurship (large and small scale), disability, education, health, environment and sports.

Among the winners were Thom Mpinganjira, owner of FDH (entrepreneur-large), Malawi’s only netball export Mwai Kumwenda (sports) and visual artist Elson Kambalu.

Physically challenged Sautso Ndalama also proved that disability is not inability after he scooped two prizes including the prestigious innovator of innovators award.

The 27-year-old Nsanje-based disc jockey (DJ), music producer and video editor also got the disability award. n

The inaugural Fifa Under-15 Regional League is set to break for three weeks after this weekend’s matches.

FAM youth development Officer James Sangala said the break is due to the festival season and the games will resume on January 16 2016.

Sangala said the league has made progress and it has been exciting.

“We started on a low note with few games at the beginning as we were forced to re-work the fixtures but now we are back on track and in full swing,” he said.

Sangala also said the South Eastern Region will have three rounds of matches unlike the Central which will have two rounds because it has few teams.

The South has seven teams while the Centre has 11.

This means each team in the South Eastern region will play 18 games over three rounds while in the Central Region, each team will play 20 games over two rounds.

Mangochi lead the log table in the South Eastern with nine points from three games while Lilongwe Rural East lead in the Centre on goal difference as they have nine points from three matches just like second placed Salima. n

Biggie,

I am married, with three kids. The thing is, I have been seeing this spare wheel for some time, until my wife found some messages in my phone. I have always told her she is just a friend. It has been a while, and I have not been in touch with the girl until two weeks ago when I called the girl after she beeped me. Now the wife is on my neck, night and day, saying if I am saying the truth I should make an effort that the two meet before the year ends. Otherwise, she has threatened she will take the issue to ankhoswe. What do I do?

James, Machinjiri

Dear James,

What is astounding is how you gathered enough courage to write me to seek advice. Because, honestly, I do not see how I can help you.

Your problem is self-inflicted and I do not see the morality of helping you ahead of deserving people who have some really serious marital problems.

Yours is not a problem, it is a stupidity that I cannot and will not condone.

BMW is a serious advisory space, not a sanctuary for cheating husbands who are too stupid that they even get caught by their wives. Not once, but twice!

My dear James, there is no cure for stupidity. Trust me.

The only advice I can give you is: next time you decide to cheat on your wife, put a freaking password on your phone!

Right now, you’re on your own mate. Good luck.

Biggie

Biggie,

I have been married to my lovely wife for two years, but these have been some of the most miserable two years in my life.

My wife is a tolerant being, sweet to the bone and I love her with my everything.

But her mother will not stop giving me flack for every little mistake I make, reminding me at every juncture how I am unfit for her daughter.

I am not saying I am flawless, but I believe most of the criticism directed towards me by my mother-in-law is not in good faith.

I think she is out to destroy me and to kill my self-esteem, which she has succeeded in doing.

Biggie, how do I get this evil woman out of my life?

Frank, Mzuzu

Sibweni,

I can tell that you were not raised properly, because if you were, they would have told you that you do not call your mother in-law evil or a jerk, no matter her flaws.

Culturally, your mother-in-law becomes your mother as soon as you put a ring on your wife’s finger.

So tell me this, would you call your own mother a jerk, however she wrongs you?

Every night you sleep in the same bed with your wife and you have the audacity to call the woman who birthed her evil? C’mon man.

The English say the fruit does not fall far from the tree. And if your wife is her mother’s daughter, then she might as well be evil.

And you say your wife is sweet and all that. But who raised her? Be thankful for the kind of woman your mother in-law raised.

If you have issues, be a man and sit down with your mother-in-law as you would with your mother.

She is probably just focused on protecting her daughter from being hurt that she does not see that she is hurting you.

Enough said.

BMW

With end of 2015 nigh, I have decided to share a couple of thoughts which you can add to your own as you close out 2015 and prepare for 2016. Here are some nuggets.

Some recommendations

1. Focus on the wins, the things you did right and celebrate them.
2. Leave regrets behind, replace them with new goals.
3. Identify habits were you developed that served you well.
4. Thank personally all those who made the most impact on your professional life.
5. Be honest about challenges you faced, particularly those you overcame.

Key questions to reflect on

6. What are you grateful for in 2015?
7. In what way are you better than you were 12 months ago?
8. In what ways did you intentionally go out of your comfort zone?
9. What did you enjoy most in your professional life?
10. How many books did you read?
11. Who benefited from your generosity?
12. What did you find most challenging?
13. What were the best pieces of advice you got and used?

Some principles to take into 2016

14. Look for insight always, not simply knowledge
15. Don’t allow yourself to be reduced by any challenging times.
16. Always start with the ideal outcome and make adjustments along the way.
17. Aim high, lead yourself well, eliminate the non-essentials and contribute your best
18. Stick with people who will stir up your aspirations.

Wishing you fulfilling reflections! n

Last week, Malawi mourned one of its celebrated writers Professor Steve Chimombo. I rubbed shoulders with Chimombo in the 1990s when I worked for Blantyre Print and the professor would come to get his Wasi magazine printed. Talking to him, you could notice that he was a true linguist from the rich English and Chichewa expressions he was using.

I have no clue how he met his English wife, Moira, but I know that she, too, is a distinguished linguist. When I was a student at Chancellor College, I remember once visiting the senior common room, which at that time was on the ground floor of the library, and noticing a white lady quickly walk in and go straight to the tuck-shop.

“Kodi zitumbuwa zilipo?” (Do you have banana fritters?) she asked, in a perfect Chichewa accent. My jaw dropped in total astonishment. I had heard white people speak Chichewa before, but they spoke it with a ‘missionary’ accent. Moira Chimombo was a totally different phenomenon to me.

Since then I have had the conviction that not only did Professor Steve Chimombo spend time teaching students the intricacies of language, but he also successfully accomplished this feat on his wife.

Many lecturers have little impact outside the academia. Steve was not one of them. I am told Moira is as fluent in Yao as she is in Chichewa. Some Zomba Catholic students of the early 1980s, including the editor of this column, would also have touching stories about how Steve and Moira raised their children the Malawian way.

There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that Steve Chimombo has left a legacy as one of the greatest writers this country has ever produced. According to an article in the Weekend Nation of Saturday, December 12 2015, Stanley Onjezani puts Steve Chimombo in the same league with John W. Gwengwe, D. D. Phiri, Jack Mapanje and Francis Chipasula, wondering if apart from these, there is anybody else who has contributed as much to Malawian literature.

I know of one giant of a writer who can be regarded as the father of Malawian literature, and quite fittingly so. He is little-known Samuel Josiah Nthara.

Nthara wrote several books, including my favourite one, which is a biography of another forgotten, yet extraordinary, character called Msyamboza, a man who, ahead of his time, introduced irrigation in his village in Dowa and grew a variety of crops, including wheat and castor oil nuts. He used to sell most of his wheat within Nyasaland and would export some to Mozambique. With what was left, he would make bread for himself. This way he weaned himself from nsima.

From the castor oil nuts, Msyamboza used to encourage his people to make oil with which to anoint themselves after taking a bath. Some of the oil was used to make soap. By 1900, Chibanzi, Msyamboza’s village, was the only village in all of Central Africa where people had the habit of taking a bath daily, and would wear clothes made from cotton, not animal skins. Msyamboza encouraged each villager to have a pit latrine and to use it. I have discussed the rest of Msyamboza’s great exploits in my earlier articles and have presented a talk on him to the Society of Malawi, thanks to Nthara’s book.

Nthara, who had become a great writer in the 1920s was asked by the Superintendent of Nkhoma Mission, Rev J J Stegman, to research into the life of Msyamboza and write a book on his accomplishments. The book was published in 1945 in Chinyanja. This was 19 years after Msyamboza’s death. When the former Scottish missionary to Nyasaland, Rev Cullen Young, read Msyamboza’s story he was so intrigued with it that he decided to translate the book into English for a wider readership. The title of the English translation was Headman’s Enterprise: Unexpected Page in Central African History. It was published in London in 1949.

Prior to the publication of Msyamboza’s biography, Nthara had published other titles, including a novel titled Nthondo, which won him an international literary award called the Margaret Wong award in 1933, becoming the first Malawian (or the first Nyasa) to be internationally recognised for his brilliance in literature.

As we remember our hero, Steve Chimombo, today, let us also remember those that have gone before him and have achieved so much for Malawi in literary circles. May the souls of Samuel Nthara, John Gwengwe, Legson Kayira and Steve Chimombo continue to rest in eternal peace. n No safe water for Rumphi’s

Anatchereza

Ndikumanyozedwa

Anatchereza,

Zikomo chifukwa cha malangizo amene mukumapereka. Ine ndili pabanja ndipo pano tikutha miyezi 7 ndipo timakondana kwambiri. Koma panopa ndikunyozedwa ndi mkazi yemwe mwamuna wangayu adamukwatira poyamba ineyo kulibe. Kodi pamenepa nditani?

Edna,

Blantyre

Zikomo mayi Edna,

Choyamba ndikumbutseni kuti chikondi ndi anthu awiri, wachitatu ndi kapasule. Ndikhulupirira mudayamba mwamvapo mawu amenewa. Ndiye apa mwanena nokha kuti inu ndi amuna anu mumakondana kwambiri, ine ndingoti umo ndiye ziyenera kukhalira chifukwa maziko a banja langwiro ndi chikondi, chikondi chake chozama. Pamene pali chikondi palibe mantha, koma dziwani kuti nthawi zonse padzakhala ena ena ansanje omwe sakondwera anthu akamakhala mwachikondi m’banja. N’kutheka kuti mkazi wakale wa mwamuna wanu akuchita nsanje ndi inu malinga ndi mmene mukukhalira m’banja mwanu n’chifukwa chake akuyesayesa kuti akusokonezeni. Ndi kavuwevuwe ameneyo, musamamulabadire. Sindidziwa kuti mkazi mukunenayo banja ndi mwamuma wanu lidatha bwanji, ndiye nkhani yoti mukumanyozedwa ndi mkaziyo muwauze amuna anu. Ngati sakuchitapo china chilichose chokuthandizani, muli ndi ufulu kuitengera nkhaniyi kubwalo la milandu kuti chilungamo chioneke chifukwa pokunyozani akukuphwanyirani ufulu wanu.

Ndidalirebe?

Agogo,

Ndine mnyamata wa zaka 23 ndipo ndimagwira ntchito ku Mangochi. Asananditumize kuno ndidakumana ndi mtsikana wina wake dzina lake Zione B, wa zaka 20 ndipo panthawi imene ndinkamufunsira iyeyu adali ndi chiphaso choyendera kunja (passport). Mu June mnzake wina adamuuza kuti wamupezera ntchito ku Joni koma panthawiyo adamuyankha kuti sangapite n’kundisiya ine pandekha. Mu August achimwene ake adandiitana kunyumba kwawo ku Lilongwe kukakambirana zokhudza ukwati wathu choncho tidagwirizana za mwezi wa December kuti tidzapange chinkhoswe. Chokhumudwitsa nchakuti mkaziyu adapita ku Joni pa 7 November ndipo adandiimbira foni kamodzi kokha mmene adangofika kumeneko ndipo mpaka pano sakuimbanso. Ndikamuimbira panambalayo sikupezekanso. Mmene zililimu kumbali ya chikondi chathu zikuta- nthauzanji?Ndidalirebe kapena ayi?

1. M’min,

Mangochi

Zikomo F. M’min,

Mosafuna kuchulutsa gaga m’diwa, wachikondi wakoyo alibe chikondi ndi iwe ndipo ndakaika ngatidi adapita ku Joniko kukagwira ntchito ndipo ndikuganiza kuti kudali kuphiphiritsa chabe mmene amati mnzake wamupezera ntchito. Mmene ndikuonera ine ali kubanja ameneyo! N’chifukwa chake adangoimba foni kamodzi kukuuza kuti wafika ku Jonjiko ndipo kenaka adasintha nambala kuti olo uimbe musamalankhulanenso. Ndiye langizo langa ndi loti usataye naye nthawi ameneyo, wapita basi. Yang’ana wina amene angakupatse chikondi chenicheni, osati wachiphamaso. Atsikana ambiri makono ano chilungamo chikumachepa, kaya n’chifukwa chiyani? N’chifukwa chake maukwati a masiku sakulimba chifukwa chosowa chilungamo. Ambiri akumakhala ndi zibwenzi zoposa ziwiri zamseri, aliyense n’kumamulonjeza kuti akwatirana naye. Zokhumudwitsa kwabasi.

Akundikaniza

Ndine mayi wa zaka 30, ndili pabanja ndipo ndili ndi ana 5. Ndimalakalaka nditabwerera kusukulu koma abambo akunyumba amakana. Ndipange bwanji?

Nzomvetsa chisoni kuti abambo akukukanizani kubwerera kusukulu. Ndi amayi ochepa kwambiri omwe amaganiza ngati inu, kuika maphunziro patsogolo. Ndikhulupirira bamboo aliyense akhoza kukhala ndi chidwi ndiponso wonyadira kuti mkazi wake akulimbikira sukulu chifukwa maphunziro ndiye chitukukocho. Ndakunyadirani kwambiri. Koma mwina pali zifukwa zake zimene amuna anu akukukanizirani kuti mubwerere kusukulu, mwina n’kutheka kuti ana ena ndi aang’onoang’ono moti adzasowa chisamaliro chanu mukapita kusukulu. Poti simunalongosole bwinobwino kuti sukulu yake ndi yotani mpovuta kuti ndikuthanzizeni kwenikweni, koma ngati zonse zili bwinobwino m’banja lanu, pitirizani kukambirana za ubwino wa sukulu pofuna kutukula banja lanu. Ndaonapo ine amayi akuluakulu apantchito, monga aphunzitsi, akupita kusukulu pofuna kuonjera maphunziro. Akakhoza amatha kukwezedwa pantchito ndipo potero amathandiza amuna awo pankhani ya chuma m’banja. Sukulu sinamatu paja. Mwina chilipo chimene akukukayikirani amuna anuwo kuti mukabwerera kusukulu sizikhala bwino. Ndikhulupirira si choncho.  

OFUNA MABANJA

Ndikufuna mkazi woti ndimange naye banja, wa zaka 18-25, akhale wapantchito. Amene angasangalatsidwe aimbe pa 0882 234 843. Zachibwana ayi, ndili siliyasi.

Ndine wa zaka 32.Ndikufuna mwamuna wa zaka 35-45. Wofuna aimbe pa 0881 042 774.

Ndine mnyamata wa zaka 25 ndikufuna mkazi wa zaka 18 mpaka 26 wofuna banja. Aimbe pa 0995 154 501

Sindili pantchito koma ndikufuna mkazi wa zaka 25-35. Wosangalatsidwa aimbe pa 0992 395 279.

Ine ndi wa zaka 32 ndikufuna mwamuna wabanja koma akhale wa siliyasi. Akhale wa zaka za pakati pa 35 ndi 40, woopa Mulungu. Tandiimbirani pa 0888 437 123.

The story of a scheduled Anti-Corruption Day event being cancelled because President Peter Mutharika had a busy schedule is pathetic. It’s sad for two reasons; firstly delegates pocketed allowances, travelled to an event that was later cancelled last minute. Money and time wasted.

Secondly, no one should be allowed to move around with the office. It doesn’t matter how good one is at the job even if you are an expert, always delegate.

I remember during my week of induction at Nation Publications Limited (NPL) I was told in clear terms to never take my job with me but always delegate whenever I am going away.

It’s a shame that an office like that of the president could not check the president’s diary well in advance. The last minute cancellation shows lack of proper planning by the office of the president and the president himself.

Our president has lately been attending even events that do not need such high office’s presence, events that need to simply delegate a PS or a junior officer.

An event of such importance should have been postponed just because the president was not around. It is not possible for our president to attend each and every event in the land. We know there is a temptation to appease his political and party zealots and to be seen to be doing something.

If my memory doesn’t betray me, Mutharika did promise us that he will stay in his office and avoid gallivanting. But that’s not what we have seen lately. Mr. President it’s possible to run this country while seated in your office at Capital Hill. Yes, once in a while you may want to be with the people but don’t make it a habit because such habits drain government coffers.

There are those who feel uncomfortable when they delegate because they feel if the person they delegated might do a better job than them. Well, that’s actually good because we are not in those positions for a lifetime.

The ACB function just like many of the events that the president graces—be it opening of a school block etc, should have been delegated to a PS from the responsible ministry.

As for ACB, it was not necessary to cancel the event. Yes you needed to show the people of Malawi and the world that there is political will in the fight against corruption, but it’s just that political will, it doesn’t do much. We have had political will since time immemorial and it has done nothing really. Cashgate is proof that political will without proper systems in place and actions yields nothing.

Next time there is an event, please do Mr. President, delegate. We do not want to be a caught in situation where we cannot do anything simply because the president is not around. n

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said policy slippages at Capital Hill are preventing Malawi to achieve sustained economic growth and low inflation rates.

IMF country representative for Malawi Geoffrey Oestreicher said this in an interview with Business News when asked to clarify a statement by IMF executive board at the end of its mission last week which expressed concern over Malawi’s policy slippages.

“Executive directors were referring mainly to the difficulties experienced in the past in containing fiscal expenditure and domestic borrowing within the limits specified by government’s fiscal programme,” said Oestreicher in an e-mail interview.

Malawi’s economy is currently wobbling, with economic outlook painted gloomy amidst negative impact of January, devastating floods and the ongoing suspension of budget support.

The domestic economy is also reeling under probably one of the worst economic atmosphere with persistently high inflation rate, weak demand for most of Malawi’s exports, forcing authorities to revise real gross domestic product (GDP) for 2015 to a paltry 2.8 percent from 5.7 percent.

“They [executive directors] were also referring to difficulties in bringing Public Finance Management [PFM] reforms to a conclusion. As you know, excess domestic borrowing injects liquidity into the system and fuels inflationary pressures,” said Oestreicher.

At the same time, Oestreicher observed that delays in PFM reform could potentially slow the return of private sector confidence in the efficacy of government’s demand management policies.

“This keeps the expectation of future inflation at an elevated level and limits the speed at which disinflationary momentum can take hold,” he added.

But reacting to IMF concerns, Treasury spokesperson Nations Msowoya yesterday said government is aware of the enormous tasks of reforming the public finance management systems.

He said currently, government has put in place an action plan on the same to address short and long-term challenges in public finance management at Capital Hill.

“Just like any reform programme, it will take time for people to appreciate the results. There is also a strong political will underpinning these reforms which will enhance their success rate,” said Msowoya.

While in a separate interview Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) president Henry Kachaje faulted Capital Hill for putting Malawi in a serious economic situation which he said requires “radical approach if we are to get out of it”.

Kachaje, for example, wondered why government in most instances keeps on delaying payments to the private sector when the sector is regarded as the engine for economic growth in Malawi.

“Seriously, government must be honest enough and tell Malawians how it can do things differently now that donors are not with us.”

“There is need now for Malawi to hold a national debate on how best to do things differently to cushion the tough economic situation,” said Kachaje.

The economic situation has worsened this year with cost of living at its highest. As at October 2015, Malawi’s headline inflation rate stood at 24.7 percent and is expected to rise to 25.4 percent at the end of 2015, according to IMF estimates.

Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC) has said Malawians should expect the price of wholesale Internet in the country to go down by 75 percent following Malawi’s connection to international optic fibre network this month.

The connection to the fibre network is part of the Regional Communications Infrastructure Project (RCIP), which has been facilitated by government and provider Simbanet.

Announcing the news last week in Blantyre, PPPC chief executive officer Jimmy Lipunga said a virtual landing point (VLP) has been connected at Capital Hill.

Lipunga said government will benefit from the transaction as a beneficiary, adding that apart from saving public resources, the new connection also enables an improvement of the operating environment in government offices at Capital Hill and along the cable route by making available the much-needed Internet services in sufficient capacity.

Malawi, just like many other African countries, has historically had an underdeveloped communications infrastructure characterised by high charges, low penetration rates and other challenges in service promotion which in turn contribute to high cost of doing business, limited innovation and poor information flow.

Recently, Malawi was ranked 163 out of 167 economies, a drop from 2010’s 53 on information and communication technology (ICT) in the recently released United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) flagship annual Measuring the Information Society Report 2015.

The new development means Internet will soon be cheaper and affordable to users and the price of data may dramatically go down to as low as $200 (about (K124 000) per mega byte per second (Mbps) per month.

“Current ruling prices at the market are at least $600 [about K372 000] per Mbps per month for commodity Internet in the open market.

“Under the [new RCIP], the contracted price is likely to be pitched at a level that will realise savings of at least 75 percent against the existing pricing levels,” Lipunga said.

He said the initiative will benefit ICT service providers, ICT customers and the general public.

Simbanet, an Internet service provider (ISP) in Tanzania with business links to Kenya and the UK has so far injected $12 million (about K7 billion) in the completion of the western route (Lilongwe to Chipata through Mchinji) and the northern route (Lilongwe to Songwe via the Lakeshore) with cables connected with Zambia and Tanzania to the Indian Ocean.

RCIP is a $20 million (about K12 billion) World Bank-funded project, which started in 2008 aimed at removing cost bottlenecks to international connectivity and other bottlenecks at the national and local levels. n

Jamaican reggae band Morgan Heritage jets in the country on Friday for a show billed to close 2015 in grand style.

Morgan Heritage will be at Silver Stadium on Sunday where they will be curtain-raised by Soul Raiderz, Black Missionaries as well as the show’s promoter Born Afrikan.

“They’re landing on Friday the 25th at 2pm through KIA. Don’t you ever listen to haters spreading rumors the show has been cancelled. Never, it won’t be cancelled,” said Afrikan, really name Nelson Shaba.

Last month, Morgan Heritage who are renowned for hits such as Don’t Haffi Dread, Tell Me How Come, Nothing To Smile About, U’ve got me, also confirmed their Malawi tour.

“Malawi it’s official see you December alongside @iamjemere #strictlyrootsworldtour @grampsfarms #CTBCMusicGroup,” read a post on the band’s official Twitter page.

A supporting video showed Peetah, Mojo and Gramps Morgan confirming their Malawi show during Christmas week.

Morgan Heritage prides itself with over 15 albums to its name, and their music career has been on since 1994 and they have been nominated for this year’s Grammy Awards in the best Reggae Album category for their new album Strictly Roots.

Meanwhile, tickets of the shows are currently on sell.

“People buy the tickets at all your nearest points. You can get them at Kips in Blantyre and Mbowe Filling Station among other places,” he explained.

At the age of five, Chifuniro lives in pain and can hardly walk. She is physically challenged, but her disability can be reversed. Our Correspondent TEMWA MHONE tells her story.

Chifuniro of Wisiki Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Machinjiri in Blantyre, could have been walking by today. She was born with both her feet facing backwards and without a right knee, a condition known as gait.

She lives a difficult life. She is always bare-footed and in deep pain. She hardly walks.

While her peers are on their feet to and from nursery school, Chifuniro is on her mother’s back. Her 29-year-old mother Patricia Timothy says it is now three years since Chifuniro got some treatment at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), where doctors managed to bring her feet forward.

“The doctors did a good job, but they told me it is a process for her to be fully healed. After the initial treatment, doctors advised me to take her to the hospital everyday for checkup and physiotherapy. It was hard for me to walk to and from QECH every day because I cannot afford transport.

“However, I tried until we reached a stage whereby doctors understood my situation and said I should bring her every Thursday. But still, this was not easy for me to make. I failed to make it for a number of weeks and eventually stopped,” says Timothy.

She explains that doctors at QECH managed to bring the feet to normal position and plant an artificial knee on her leg.

However, Timothy says although the feet are now in normal position, there is still need for more treatment and physiotherapy for the girl to walk effectively. She says the treatment she got failed to make her use the lower part of the feet for walking, but instead, the upper part rests on the ground when she tries to walk.

Timothy says she was referred to Beit Cure for more treatment and says: “At Beit Cure, doctors assured me that they can help Chifuniro to walk successfully. They even gave her shoes to help her walk while getting the treatment, but I stopped taking her to the hospital because of the distance and lack of transport. I live in pain that the girl is growing older and it will be hard to treat her when her bones mature as said by one of the doctors.”

Timothy asks well-wishers to support her take the girl to and from the hospital for treatment. She sells roasted maize along Robert Mugabe Highway at Bangwe Secondary School, and says the returns are peanuts to help her meet the travel costs to the hospital.

Timothy Nyula, Chifuniro’s father says he used to sell roasted sweet potatoes at Bangwe Market but spent all the income to save his daughter such that he now lives on piece work which only gives him little to keep the family going.

“There was time, when a well-wisher came to our rescue by taking her to an organisation in Blantyre City to seek help. He took the girl, but did not allow us to go with him. When he returned, he said he will update us, but up to now we have heard nothing. The girl claims the man was given money for her, but he did not give her,” he says.

Nyula believes the man used Chifuniro to get the money for his personal gains as he alleges that the man opened a big grocery later. Apart from the man, the family says it has approached many others to help them with transport to take their daughter to hospital, but no one has lived to it.

As Chifuniro turns six years next year, Timothy fears for her future saying the closest primary school, Bangwe Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP), is five kilometres away from her home.

“She deserves better, at her age she needs to do most of the things alone. She is growing old and there is still time to save her future. If there are people willing to support her, please come forward. The future of the country is in girls,” says Chifuniro’s mother.

Currently, Chifuniro attends free nursery school at Bahasi about 300 metres from her home and dreams to become a nurse. In an interview, Chifuniro who looked thwarted wondered why she lives in that condition. She says some of her friends attack her disability when there is a misunderstanding and says she wants to be like any other girl.

“What I am going through has taught me that there is need for more nurses. I want to be one of them in the future to help many people,” said Chifuniro amidst tears.n

Last Thursday as I hung loose at my dirty pad, I heard my neighbour’s naughty four year-old kid Ashraf and a band of his peers chant: “Chamunyerera chipako Molinyo ! [Mourinho].” I ignored it as one of those usual pranks from naughty kids.
But I realised that this was not a prank afterall, it was real stuff—the ‘Special One had been fired as Chelsea manager and soon the social media was awash with comments and jokes about his exit.
Such is Mourinho’s charisma that even kids such as Ashraf know him. Someone even posted on his Facebook page that Kinnah Phiri had missed 10 calls from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, insinuating that he was being targetted to take over the mantle at Stamford Bridge.
The massive world-wide reaction to Mourinho’s sacking was perhaps a confirmation of how ‘special’ the ‘Special One’ is in world football and the flavour he adds to the game. He is not like most coaches who give routine dry comments such as: “We failed to make use of our chances; we played well but it was not our day and our midfield did not tick.”
I am a Chelsea fan inside out and while I felt Mourinho was losing the plot, I felt the players contributed to his failure. Reports have it that Chelsea players were not giving out their best shot as a result of their favourite team doctor Eva Carneiro’s ouster. Apart from her stunning good looks, Eva was such an inspiration that Chelsea players could even feign injuries just to get the feel of her tender touch and that when she took them through massage exercise, they even forgot their spouses existed. But its not all doom and gloom for the Special One, I hear relegated Fisd Wizards and Dedza United have contacted his agent. Well, It’s Christmas this Friday and maybe he needed such an ocassion to cheer his spirits after a frustrating spell. Hark the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King. Glory be to God n

Chelsea sacked Jose Mourinho just seven months after he brought the Premier League title to Stamford Bridge.

The 52-year-old Portuguese has had a career of almost unbroken success, including two titles in his first spell at Chelsea, Champions League wins at Porto and Inter Milan as well as La Liga glory at Real Madrid.

‘The Special One’ is on his way out after a remarkable decline that saw reigning champions Chelsea plummet to just one point off the relegation places—so where will he go next?

Manchester United: A Mourinho-led Porto eliminated United from the Champions League on their way to victory in 2004

Mourinho was linked with Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and has rarely spoken in anything other than glowing terms about the Old Trafford club – leading to speculation he would relish the job at some stage.

United manager Louis van Gaal is struggling to win over a sceptical public unhappy with his playing style and his team’s recent exit from the Champions League.

If Van Gaal fails to improve matters and Mourinho is available at the end of the season, could he be the perfect replacement?

Mourinho’s style is equally pragmatic but he is a guarantee of success, charismatic and would not be afraid of United’s worldwide stature. Rating: 7/10.

Real Madrid: Mourinho managed Real from 2010 until 2013, winning the league title and the domestic cup.

Rafael Benitez, an old adversary of Mourinho, is in charge at the Bernabeu but he too has faced criticism of his tactical approach.

His cause was not helped by the 4-0 El Clasico thrashing by Barcelona and the loss to Villarreal that has put Real off the pace in La Liga and the former Liverpool and Chelsea boss under pressure.

Could Mourinho return to Real? He left amid squad acrimony in 2013 but president Florentino Perez remains an admirer and it may be a case of Mourinho feeling he has unfinished business if he ever had the chance to go back.

Managerial positions are always fluid at the Bernabeu – so it is a case of “never say never”. Rating: 6/10.

Bayern Munich: Mourinho has won titles in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A but Bundesliga success is missing from his CV – and only one club could meet that need.

Bayern Munich may soon find themselves having to fill a Pep Guardiola-sized hole at the Allianz Arena, and few managers in football have the pedigree and personality to match the demands and expectations of a club known as ‘FC Hollywood’.

Mourinho is one, and his sudden availability may spark interest from Bayern, though this job looks like it has got Carlo Ancelotti’s name on it. Rating: 5/10

England: Mourinho has also said he would like to coach Portugal at some stage in his career

Mourinho has always stated his intention to sample international coaching later in his career—with all the signs pointing to him eventually taking charge of his home country, Portugal.

But what about England?

Mourinho was right in the frame to succeed Steve McClaren in 2007 but eventually pulled out of contention.

Would the Football Association be tempted to make an approach if Euro 2016 does not go to plan and Roy Hodgson’s time is up?

It is an unlikely scenario but if England were seeking a new manager and Mourinho was available, surely the call has to be made?

Unlikely—but an interesting thought. Rating: 4/10

The ‘nowhere man’

Could it be that Mourinho’s abrasive, confrontational style means he is shunned by the big clubs who simply feel his style brings a level of trouble that outweighs the trophies?

No chance. Managers who win trophies—and win them with the regularity Mourinho does—will always be in huge demand. He will probably be fielding calls within days. Rating:

•  From gospel hip- hop to Nyambo

About two decades ago, Stix was a household name in urban hip hop circles as the youngest member of pioneering hip hop group Real Elements.

Initially called Linguistix, Jerome Kalirani shortened his stage name to Stix, but this did not trim the dexterity in his witty lyrical delivery.

Together with Denmark born Kimba Mutanda Andersen aka Plan B, Qabaniso Malewezi alias Q and Lewis Chikuni aka Marvel, the pioneering hip hop group revolutionised the hitherto unacknowledged genre.

In 2004, at the apex of his career and when he had three lucrative deals with top record labels in the UK and USA pending, the metamorphosis of his life took a sweeping change after he embraced Jesus Christ and decided to pursue gospel hip hop which saw him eventually dropping the name Jerome and replacing it with David.

To demonstrate his resolve in his new-fangled life, the man from Mponela and a cousin to hip hop musician Tay Grin, enrolled with The African Bible College (ABC) in Lilongwe where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biblical Studies in 2012.

“For the longest time, nobody accepted that hip hop could carry gospel, but we are past that time now and after some of us started this around 2005, it is being accepted. By God’s grace and because our lives were grounded, people recognised it and even the creativity side of it grew such that we started to be heard on radios,” he told On the Arts.

According to the musician, it has a maturing process that has made him realise that there is a lot in life than he previously thought.

“The reception from my fans has been amazing even though my fans criticised me for giving up secular hip hop when I was on the brink of something big, but they didn’t realise that I had found something greater than anything anyone can offer me.

“I used to think that being famous globally and having a lot of money I would find a great fulfilment, I realised that I was chasing a dream when I should have been chasing the one who creates dreams. When I found Christ I had found in Him all I wanted before as is written in Matthew 6:33,” he testifies.

Meanwhile Kalirani has partnered with Marvel, who is also now a born again Christian and is resident in the USA, on a new project titled Lost Tapes, whose first single Imago Dei was released early this month.

Last year, Kalirani won the Rap Artists of the Year award at the African Gospel Music Award.

He, however, states that he is taking a break from gospel hip hop and has embraced a new phenomenon termed Nyambo Movement.

“Right now as the Lost Tapes project is coming out, I am distancing myself from being known as a gospel hip hop artist and I have started a new platform group called Nyambo Movement which I launched after realising that most gospel hip hop artists now are not genuine Christians or serious with Christianity.

“I want to be identified with the Nyambo Movement and will no longer be defending hip hop at all because I feel there are a lot of things going wrong in gospel hip hop now which need to be sorted out.

“Basically Imago Dei is the heart of the movement and is based on Romans 8:29,” he said.

Kalirani says he had seen that people are focusing on other things and no longer focusing on being like Jesus.

“The country has lost touch with real Christianity instead of craving or desiring to be like Him; people today come to God for what he can give them.

“This is the same with most gospel artists who are doing music for fame and money and their passion is not to be like Jesus. So, this movement is for those who want to go back to real Christianity—it’s like a bait,” stresses Kalirani.

Currently Kalirani is working as a youth pastor at Word Alive Church in Blantyre where, apart from preaching the gospel through hip hop he disciples to the youth.

Kalirani reveals that he is putting the Lost Papes Project on DVD and is planning to publish a lot of literature.

“I am putting out Lost Tapes Special Edition and Lost Tapes Season 2 and early next year I am planning a tour throughout the country and beyond. I have also written books about my new movement Nyambo and people should be on the lookout,” said Kalirani. n

There is an amazing power in young people that could turn around tables and contribute to the development of communities and a country at large.

This was a statement recently made by Chancellor College associate professor Mufunanji Magalasi when he was reacting to the students’ drive towards renovating the college’s Open Theatre, which has been in a dilapidated state for many years.

Chanco’s Open Theatre does not only present an opportunity to the current generation of students, but also a historic value to the institution having been one of the oldest platforms to host theatre greats.

Magalasi said: “If young people, including university students, dedicate themselves to innovation they can make significant contributions and bring about change in our society or colleges. I am saying this in regard to the renovation exercise of Chanco’s Open Theatre by students.”

He described young people as a hub of innovation, possibilities key to unlocking some of Malawi’s opportunities and prosperity.

According to the president of the Students Union of Chancellor College (Succ) Frank Chidampamba, the exercise of renovating the Open Theatre was embraced by Project Rejuvenation.

Chanco Project Rejuvenation is a student-driven initiative aimed at rehabilitating dilapidated college infrastructure. Its current task is to renovate the college’s Open Theatre plus a dressing room, according to its president Paul Ntulumbwa.

“The construction team has finished filling the concrete and terraces, but we are also looking at the possibility of constructing a dressing room.”

Chidampamba hailed the power of students that was translating their inspirations into actions.

He said: “As Succ, we believe that it takes our collective efforts to get things done. As such, we work with organisations on campus registered with Succ with the aim of promoting a sense of responsibility among students as they get trained for the industry out there. Chanco Project Rejuvenation is one such organisation affiliated to the sudents union which that has renovated the Open Theatre.”

He said the Open Theatre has been in bad shape for many years, but it took the determination of Project Rejuvenation to deliver change. n

This Christmas would not be as exciting without a touch of his sparkle and work of art. His voice is pure and awe-inspiring—a touch of class and a perfect gift to the ear.

The new kid on the block, contemporary Afro gospel music prodigy Patience Namadingo is surely the musical Santa this Christmas needs.

He usually sings with unadulterated vocal codes and with a high range, yet his compositions are largely on the less-is-more side of the music fence, that even the hardcore critics will admit that he is a genius who invites the ears to smile, and the allure of his music is too hard to resist.

Patience Namadingo is a music prodigy par-excellence who has added a new twist to Malawi music; and listening to his recent compositions, Msati Mseke and Macheza, songs which boast a multipartite of gule wamkulu, sarcasm and pleasantry suffused with the good news.

The tantalising Macheza, which lies dangerously between a drooping slapstick and a staid word of God, draws the listener from the puddings of true life-stories to lip-decorated lyrical masterpieces, dance and music.

His music is like a milkshake-soaked pudding that fills the hearts of music lovers with the scent of warm spice and singed orange peels as evidenced in his newly launched latest Lero album.

Surely, Namadingo is set to go places, higher than his uncultivable height.

But for how long and how far, only he will decide.

Malawi’s music icon Lucius Banda thinks Patience Namadingo is a game changer on the Malawian music landscape.

The Mabala hit-maker says Namadingo is the best next thing happening to Malawi music, saying his flair, clever lyrical compositions and style of music—which is fused between two genres—will take him far.

“Namadingo is, without doubt, one of the most talented musicians in the country. His advantage though, is that he is different and does things his way beyond the traditional conventions of what many believe to be Malawian gospel,” explained Lucius.

The self-styled Soldier, who started his music in a church music group Alleluia Band, explains that the problem with most people in the country is they do not understand what gospel music is, saying many think gospel music is anything that sings about God and the Bible.

“Gospel music is not all about quoting the Bible. It is about spreading the diverse messages to the masses. Gospel music is more than telling biblical stories and parables. As artists, gospel musicians, like any musicians, need to be more creative in their endeavours,” says Lucius.

Gospel musician Grace Chinga agrees with Lucius and thinks that Namadingo has a bright future in music, noting that the “young man is creative and brings gospel music to a different new level.

“From my personal point of view, I see that the Namadingo is creative and he has a distinct style. However, I am aware that there are some people, both musicians and music lovers, who are accusing him of singing nothing close to gospel music,” says Chinga.

She adds: “But I don’t agree with those who are saying Namadingo’s music is not gospel music. Namadingo is 100 percent a gospel artist and a creative one for that matter. But people will always have something bad to say. I am one his fans. He is a talented and his artistic ability is up the notch and top-drawer. Not everyone can come up with a song like Msati Mseke,” she says.

The gospel musician says she believes Namadingo will be one of the country’s top musicians if he is to stay in his lane.

Musicians Union of Malawi (MUM) president and one of the country’s legendary contemporary Afro-gospel musicians Chimwemwe Mhango described Namadingo as a trendsetter whose new thinking in music is a game changer on the scene.

“Yes, Namadingo’s music is distinctively gospel music in every sense. He is using a technic of making all traditions realise that they can do better if they take God as their king,” affirms Mhango.

He added: “Dancing in itself is not bad despite the styles, but evil can be on what people do behind the scenes and what they focus on, but if they come with humble hearts to the Lord, God will be happy.” n

The recent emigration of refugees seeking political asylum in Europe has its origin with the invasion of the Middle East by the coalition forces led by the United States of America (USA).

Prior to 1990, the Middle East enjoyed a certain degree of peace and stability. But all these changed when the USA conspired to invade Iraq.

To this end, its envoy intimated former Iraq president Saddam Hussein that the USA would have no qualms, whatsoever, should Iraq annex Kuwait, its 36th province.

Emboldened by this assurance, Iraq invaded Kuwait. This gave USA and its allies a rare opportunity, to the utter amazement of Saddam, to jump on the bandwagon in defence of Kuwait and Iraq’s potential military threat to Saudi Arabia as perceived by the USA.

As a result, Iraq suffered an ignominious defeat with heavy casualties and massive decimation of its over 1 000 tanks and aircrafts.

Not long after this invasion, during the second Gulf War, the strong Jewish lobby in the USA Senate harbouring a bitter grudge against Saddam, for having used scud missiles against Israel, during its brief war with the Palestinians, urged George Bush to declare war on Iraq.

Without seeking a mandate from the United Nations (UN) Security Council, the allied forces, under the pretext of a regime change and destroying weapons of mass destruction, which Iraq was alleged to possess, launched over 700 “shock and awe” airstrikes with a devastating effect reducing Baghdad to rubble. This made the life of the people even more difficult.

The destruction of the countries’ infrastructure and the control of its oil wells meant more lucrative business opportunities for the USA which favoured the Shiite at the expense of marginalisation of the Sunni Sect.

As a consequence, a bloody civil war ensued, which the Shiite dominated government of Iraq has failed to control.

Even in Afghanistan, the USA in order to safeguard its hegemony, equipped the Taliban with the most sophisticated weapons to fight for them a proxy war against Russians.

When they were defeated, the goal of the USA was achieved only to leave the Taliban in the lurch. Thus, the genie created by the USA emerged to fill in the political vacuum to its own detriment.

Nevertheless, the coalition forces succeeded in a regime change by eliminating Saddam and Gaddafi, but have dismally failed to depose Assad of Syria.

In the process, thousands of civilians have been killed by the drones as a result of ‘collateral damage’ a jargon often repeated by the coalition forces.

Needless to say a number of these civilian deaths far exceeded the number of Iraqis killed by the brutality of Saddam’s three decades of dictatorial rule.

However, under the present situation the USA and its allies should take an unpalatable decision in conjunction with the governments of the conflicting regions in the Middle-East and initiate a negotiated diplomatic solution. This perhaps may instil into the terrorists some form of humanity.

Failure to this, the coalition forces will find it very difficult to defeat an elusive and irregular army of extremists as they will be driven underground to carry out sporadic attacks to kill more civilians.

If this happens, then it is very likely that this ‘tit for tat’ a mini Third World War of 21st Century will engulf the whole of the Middle East and Europe in a prolonged conflict and conflagration of a magnitude the world may never have witnessed before. n

Boys, as young as 13, have found a new hobby: buying cheap sex from elderly commercial sex workers. ALBERT SHARRA went around some dark corners of Blantyre on some nights and reports.

The clock is drifting to midnight, but the premises around Chirimba Township market in Blantyre are still busy and noisy.

There are two sections of the premise separated by a path.

To the right hand side, all the vending benches are occupied and candles and torches are on. On sale is alcohol, which has been diluted and stored in 20 litres plastic containers.

One by one, imbibers of all ages are served through a plastic tumbler that costs K100. In between is another vending bench and spread over it are different types of condoms being sold like on promotion.

“There is HIV and Aids. Protect your life with K50,” shouts one vendor selling the condoms to woo lustful ones itching to seek sex at the premise.

Opposite the walls of the market are a stretch of bottle stores where girls and women of all ages almost naked leaning against the walls waiting for customers.

At the sight of a man walking into the bottlestores, a sparkling 13 year-old girl quickly walks in front of a man and wriggles her back seductively before grabbing by the hand the customer, who is in his late 40s.

She speaks in a low tone. In acknowledgement, the customer pats her back before they finally take to the counter to place an order. After some minutes of drinking, the pair disappears to the restrooms situated just behind the stretch of the bottle stores. Later, the little girl walks back to her waiting place for another opportunity.

The other highlight is a group of boys aged between 11 and 16 standing along the path. Some are drunk and others sober. In the group is a 14-year-old boy, we will call Chancy because of his age. He is neither drinking nor smoking. Looking at how he spreads his eyes, it is obvious that he is up for something. His eyes follow every skirt that moves from one bottle store to another.

“I don’t want to repeat. I want the lady in blue dress. She is new here,” Chancy tells his friends, while pointing at a commercial sex worker standing few metres away.

His friends complement the choice, as one mocks a lady walking in front on them: “I slept with this one already, and I did not enjoy her service”.

Listening to their stories, it is evident they are regulars.

After minutes of decision making, courageously, Chancy walks to the woman, who is in her late 30s. They discuss for seconds and the deal is sealed. They walk to a room she rents at K1 000 per day. About 10 minutes later, Chancy walks out and his friends shower praises on him.

“Did you enjoy?” asks one, and before he gives an answer, another friend chips in “is she expensive?” With a lustrous face, Chancy responds: “She is nice. No regrets. I paid her K400.”

One by one, the rest pick their choices and disappear. At around midnight, they start off for home. In their conversation, it is clear that the boys toil throughout the day to source money for sex at the place and for that reason; they do not want to make a mistake in choices. Surprisingly, while the adult men prioritise teenage girls, the boys prefer older women.

There is a reason, says another boy: “Women are cheaper and it’s better to sleep with an adult because you appreciate new things than what I experience when I am with my girlfriend who is an age-mate. It prepares us to be stars when sleeping with girls of our age and when we go into marriages.”

One boy in the group is in Standard Six.

Angella Wiley, a lecturer at the University of Illinois in US, writes in her booklet Understanding Children’s Sexual Behaviours: What’s Natural and Health that most experts agree that children do not learn about sexuality in just a day.

“By the time children reach school age, they may touch their genitals when they are going to sleep or when they are anxious. They may talk about sexual behaviours with others and engage in show-and-tell games with others.

“As they grow older, there is more desire to see how sexual organs of different age groups look like and in most cases they like watching pornographic materials or having sexual intercourses with different age groups to appreciate,” reads in part the booklet.

Chancy and his friends might be going through this stage. Not surprising though, he does this behind his parents. His mother (namewithheld) was in shock when The Nation visited her house situated less than a kilometre from the premise. She says it is news that her son spends hours at the drinking places.

“He sleeps in the boy’s quarters. I did not know that he leaves the room at night,” says the mother.

To save himself from more slaps, Chancy explains in detail that she goes with his friends, but he will never do it again. He says there are many of them, especially on Fridays and Saturdays saying others go for video shows. He also reveals that they do piece work after school or sometimes save the money they are given by parents for school snacks.

“Please do not publish this in the papers. I will talk to him down and take him for blood tests at the hospital,” pleads the mother feeling disgraced.

Chancy and her group in Chirimba are just an example. The practice is rampant across the country. At Chemusa and Kachere in Blantyre, it is the same story. At Bwandiro in Lilongwe, Paris in Mzuzu and G-String in Zomba apart from other busy rural areas, it is young boys and girls that dominate activities at drinking places.

Malawi laws dwell much on the responsibility of bottle store operators. In Malawi, Section 74 and 75 of Laws of Malawi prohibits both employment and allowing young persons aged below 18 to buy and drink beer or do any sexual activities in premises licensed to sell beer.

In an era of HIV and Aids, what should Malawi do to protect children like Chancy from such dangerous escapades? n

Relegated Dedza Young Soccer and football pundits have accused Super League of Malawi (Sulom) of being unprofessional for failing to enforce a resolution to increase the number of teams in the top-flight league to 16.

The resolution, if effected this season, could have seen two teams only relegated into the regional leagues.

However, Sulom has maintained that the decree will be enforced next season meaning that Dedza, which finished on position 13 in a 15-member league, has been relegated.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Dedza coach Milias Pofera Jegwe has argued that it was unprofessional for Sulom to table the proposal at its recent extraordinary general meeting (EGM) if the matter was not urgent.

“The EGM is supposed to tackle emergency issues that cannot wait for the AGM. If the matter was tabled it meant that it was an urgent issue whose resolutions must have been implemented instantly,” the outspoken coach said.

The coach, whose team lost 2-1 to Epac on Saturday to confirm their relegation, has asked Sulom to implement the resolution this season.

“We haven’t given up all hope of retaining Super League status. We believe that Sulom will look at this issue critically. Otherwise we will feel cheated if these officials do not change their stand,” he said.

Meanwhile, football analyst Leonard Sharra said Sulom has shown inconsistencies in implementing the decrees which the EGM approved.

Sharra argued: “Sulom also amended its rules to increase delegates to the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) annual general meetings (AGMs) from three to eight. At the just ended FAM elections Sulom enforced that by sending eight officials,” he said. “It is therefore surprising that Sulom has chosen to implement some resolutions now and defer the others to next year.”

Sharra concurred with Pofera that Sulom was not supposed to discuss the proposal at the EGM if it was to be implemented next year.

“I believe that Sulom will hold an AGM before next season starts. That is where this issue was supposed to be discussed. Otherwise they have just raised the hopes of other teams unnecessarily,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sulom legal advisor Gilbert Mitawa said the decision to implement the resolution next year will pave the way for amendment of rules governing Super League.

“The rules regarding this season specify that three teams will be relegated. All teams knew this before the season started. To implement the resolution we need to amend these rules and that cannot be done in the middle of the season. It will be done at the start of next season,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mitawa said the matter of FAM AGM delegates was in the amended FAM statutes: “It was already approved by FAM what we needed to do was just to incorporate it in our rules. This is different from the issue of raising teams.”

Mitawa confirmed that Sulom’s next AGM will be held early next year.

Asked why they did not table the proposal of increasing the number at that meeting to avoid creating controversies, he responded: “The agenda for such meeting is set in consultation with our affiliates. So, that is what they decided.”

The legal advisor has meanwhile ruled out reinstating Dedza into the top flight league saying will be breaching rules set to govern the game. n