Malawi needs leaders who are in touch with realities on the ground and who understand what needs to be done to get the country out of the current situation. We need leaders who can inspire Malawians to start believing in themselves, inspire them to action—rallying behind a common vision and purpose.

It has to be noted that no institution is above its leadership. Malawi’s situation is to a larger extent a reflection of the type of leadership we have been having. Since the dawn of multiparty democracy through a 1993 National referendum, most Malawians have lost the sense of patriotism.

To a greater extent, that has been fuelled by institutionalised corruption and the collapse of institutional frameworks in sectors such as education, security and industry, among others. Malawians saw and are seeing what their leaders are doing and are emulating them.

Today, Malawi is suffering from a tragedy of commons with a free-for-all plunder of national resources. The environment which made Malawi a beauty is on a downward spiral. Chikangawa and Dzalanyama forest reserves are no longer the marvel they used to be. We need leaders with a high moral ground to stop such madness.

Malawi needs leaders who can bring a sense of discipline on the nationals, who can inspire the youth to understand what allegiance to the national anthem and the flag of the nation means.

In the past we used to stand still when the national anthem is being played, we used to work during youth week. All these instilled in the youth a sense of nationalism. However, some came and said this is human rights abuse.

As we revise the Vision 2020 and with agricultural transformation at the back of our mind, we should consider, in the first five years, increasing electricity generation and distribution by a minimum of 300 percent the current capacity. This will solve challenges in agricultural processing and industrial development.

In preparation for agricultural industrialisation, we should also consider overhauling our financial, industrial and trade policies, privatisation, foreign bank borrowing and direct foreign investments, domestic financial regulation, exchange rates and monetary policies and Government expenditure as they relate to agriculture. These have been among those that have choked agricultural development in Malawi.

Corruption has been the cancer that has eroded the inner fabric of development in Malawi in the past 20 years; as such going forward, corruption crimes must increase in profile to be at par with murder, treason and rape.

We need to seriously invest in education at all levels, especially in the area of higher education. Currently, combined enrolment of the current four public universities is lower than 15 000. We need to build capacity for the universities and increase intake to 40 000 in the next five years with a progressive increased enrolment to around 500 000 in the next 30 years.

This will help in creating a middle class that will stimulate demand for agricultural products but also labour force for the agricultural industry.

In the first five years, we must also consider coming up with a good population policy to check the current worrisome trends in population growth. In the next five to 10 years, we should spend our energies on reconstituting the industry, creating Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in agricultural processing and State-owned enterprises if possible.

Agricultural clusters and rural growth centres must be reinforced with large processing plants that can help spur rural development and check rural-urban migration.

I believe that in the first 10 years of the national vision, a strong foundation for development has to be set by ensuring the well-being of the agriculture sector. No country has developed without firstly sorting out challenges facing agriculture and access to food. n

Jack ‘Africa’ Chamangwana, who has reverted to technical director (TD), has said he is not bitter about being relieved of his coaching role at Be Forward Wanderers.

The club’s executive committee made the decision at an emergency meeting held on Monday, following the team’s poor start to the season that culminated in a 2-3 loss to Mafco in the TNM Super League at Kamuzu Stadium the previous day.

Asked if he viewed the change as a vote of no confidence in him, Chamangwana, sounding ice-cool, in an interview yesterday, said: “ Not at all and I am not bitter. I have only reverted to the position which I was hired for.

“If management has seen it wise and proper that I revert to my initial position, so be it. The club comes first.”

The reshuffle at Lali Lubani Road has led to Elia Kananji reverting to his initial role as head coach to be assisted by technical development manager Eddingtone Ng’onamo.

Kananji was temporarily demoted to the position of assistant coach because he did not have the required minimum CAF B licence for Super League coaches, but the Nomads general secretary Mike Butao on Tuesday said Kananji is still eligible because “minimum qualification will only be enforced after the first round of the league.

“And we believe Kananji will have obtained the necessary qualifications by then. Otherwise, we will cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Meanwhile, the Nomads players and technical staff on Tuesday took it on the chin and apologised to the team’s followers for the poor run.

During a press briefing held on Tuesday, team manager Stevie Madeira and senior players Jabulani Linje and Peter Wadabwa appealed to the fans not to abandon them.

Said Madeira: “We are sorry for the poor performance and results, six points in five games is not acceptable, but we will turn the corner starting with the [Presidential Cup] Red Lions match tomorrow [today].”

When asked on the cause for the poor run, Madeira—appearing clueless—said:  “We have the best squad in the land and our players get huge sums, but then I cannot point a finger at anyone and it is not an administrative problem. All I can say is that we will get to the bottom of it and we will bounce back.”

Responding to the same question, his voice straining with emotion, Wadabwa said: “I think it is down to us players, we need to give out something extra, but we apologise to the fans and urge them not to forsake us.”

The Nomads are on 10th position in the league.

The Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has urged the soccer fraternity to join the fight against the abductions and killings of people with albinism.

Sulom general secretary Williams Banda made the call on Tuesday, saying the football fraternity has an obligation to help in the campaign to fight against such barbaric acts.

And in a press release issued yesterday, Sulom said it is taking “a bold step to denounce and condemn these barbaric acts and we are standing strong with our colleagues of the Association of Person’s with Albinism in Malawi (Apam) in the fight against the abductions, killings and exhumation of remains of persons with albinism.”

Banda said to demonstrate their commitment towards the cause, there will be a solidarity stand during this weekend’s TNM Super League matches in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

“There will be activities on the same in the games involving NMC Big Bullets vs Mzuni at Kamuzu Stadium, Epac vs Civo at Civo Stadium and Karonga United vs Be Forward Wanderers at Mzuzu Stadium.

“Before the commencement of all the Super League games played in this weekend of  May 21-23 2016, a one minute silence will be observed in honour of our beloved brothers and sisters with albinism who have been victimised or killed of late,” reads part of the communiqué.

Sulom says it has taken that stand because as an institutional citizen in the country, it is deeply concerned with the rampant rise of the victimisation of our brothers and sisters with albinism.

President Peter Mutharika has been in the forefront in the campaign to fight killings and abductions of people with albinism. So far, 17 people with albinism have been killed.

Silver Strikers and Blue Eagles will clash twice within a space of four days, starting today when they meet in a Presidential Cup regional play-offs.

On Sunday they will meet again in a TNM Super League match. Silver will play host to the cops in both matches at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe.

In this afternoon’s highly-billed encounter, Silver will be hoping to bring Eagles’ unbeaten run to a halt.

Eagles are unbeaten in their last eight matches in all competitions and Silver have vowed to a stop their winning streak.

“We struggled a lot in the first games but now the players are gelling and we are aiming to stop Eagles. They have a very experienced and disciplined side but we have a skilful and hungry squad,” said Silver coach Lovemore Fazili after Tuesday’s training session.

Silver have played eight games in all competitions—winning against Civo United, Wizards  and Karonga United in the league  while in Presidential Cup they beat  Chulu United and Dedza Young Soccer Reserves.

The Bankers have two league losses to Be Forward Wanderers and  Azam Tigers. They also drew with Mzuzu University (Mzuni) FC.

On the other hand, Eagles beat Azam Tigers, Epac FC, Max Bullets, Red Lions, Dwangwa United and Moyale Barracks in league games, whereas in Presidential Cup, they beat Madisi Madrid and Dwangwa Town Hammers. They have scored 25 goals and have conceded five in all competitions.

Eagles coach Deklerk Msakakuwona is not getting complacent inspite of the good run,  saying the match against Silver will be a different affair.

“Apart from it being a cup game there is also pride at stake. We are rivals and our encounters are always fierce. It will be tough,” he said.

In the league, Eagles top the table with 18 points from six matches while Silver are fourth with 10 points from similar number of games played.

Preparations for the inaugural Ulaya Classic Body-building Competition have gained momentum following the identification of 40 provisional participants.

Charles Ulaya, who is the organiser of the event scheduled to be staged in September this year, said the body builders have been identified in Zomba, Blantyre and Lilongwe and more are expected to be chosen in Mzuzu later this week.

“We expect to have 30 body-builders who will compete in different categories and between end June and early July, we will conduct a prejudging session to identify those that will be fully fit to take part in the competition,” he said.

Ulaya, himself a former body-builders association president, said the competition will be unique in that it will attract record prizes.

“Talks with potential sponsors are already at an advanced stage and although I cannot divulge the exact figures, I can confidently give my word that the prizes will be worth it.

“We have also given the body builders about five months for intensive preparations which include providing them with training videos from Chris Gethin, who is one of the revered trainers in the world. So, we expect an exciting event,” he said.

One of the Blantyre-based body-builders Emmanuel ‘MuscleManze’ Mihuwa said he cannot wait for the event.

“I am preparing myself both psychologically and physically. On the psychological aspect, it is about visualising my success  because a potential champion  needs to understand the importance of positive mental imagery like how I want my body to look,” he said.

Northern Region netball authorities have called on companies to sponsor competitions in the region as inactivity has led to a rise in pregnant cases among players.

Mzuzu and Districts Netball Committee (MDNC) chairperson Limbani Chisambi made the revelation on Tuesday as the league clocks two years without  sponsorship.

He said inactivity among the players has forced some into early marriages while others have become pregnant out of wedlock.

“We have never had such  numbers of pregnant players. In the past we could have one case per year. This just tells us that netball dormancy is having a huge impact here,” he said.

Chisambi said one of the players—a 16-year-old—recently got married but he advised her  to optt out of the marriage.

“I told her to leave the marriage because it is too early for her. Most of the girls I talk to say they survive through netball so the lack of competitions means they are not earning anything and have nothing to keep them busy,” he said.

To address the situation, Chisambi said there was need for the corporate sector to bail them out.

“Ï think we need sponsorship to keep the girls busy. If this doesn’t happen then careers of most talented players will be lost through early pregnancies and marriages,” he said.

The sponsorship appeal comes after Minister of Sports and Culture Grace Chiumia also drummed up support for the Northern Region netball.

“The Southern and Central regions have sponsors while the North is lagging behind. It is my appeal to the corporate world to support netball there,” she said at the launch of K8 million Gateway Mall in Lilongwe two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) has said it is courting potential sponsors for the North.

“Sponsorship priority should be the league because it keeps players active for a long time. We are optimistic that soon we are going to secure sponsorship for teams there,” she said.

Britain has rejected an explanation by Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) regarding expenditure of K15 422 756 (about $22 500) between July 2012 and December 2014 and plainly told the electoral body it suspects the money was stolen.

Minutes of a Malawi Electoral Cycle Support (Mecs) Project Steering Committee meeting held on January 19 2016 in Lilongwe attended by donors, directors in government departments who included the Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale, Solicitor General Janet Banda, civil society organisations (CSOs) representatives and Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe show that MEC chairperson Maxon Mbendera told the meeting that the money was used in legitimate expenditures.

However, according to the minutes seen by The Nation, British High Commissioner Michael Nevin rejected the explanation and reaffirmed its position that it had lost confidence in some MEC officials and now demanded action.

Reads the minutes: “The UK [United Kingdom] thanked the MEC chairperson for the explanation. He [representative of Britain at the meeting] noted, however, that the UK does not hold a similar level of confidence that nothing has been stolen and that issues remain unresolved as reflected in the MEC response.

“The UK highlighted that there are numerous concerns over process and judgement, illustrating concerns over recruitment and nepotism.

“The UK reflected on the MEC concern that their responses had not been fully considered by auditors, but asserted that the ST [Secretary to the Treasury] correspondence reflected that they had been taken on board.

“The UK emphasised that they found the exchange of issues to reflect a critical lack of confidence in the integrity of key individuals and that actions are required.”

During the meeting, the minutes show, United States of America Deputy Ambassador Michael Gonzales is quoted as having said: “The US highlighted that the standard is not simply one of theft. The US asserted that the audit reflected a wanton disregard for good practice, which, if not addressed in the MEC’s subsequent managerial actions, will fail to recognise the serious failures of senior administration.”

In response, according to the minutes, Mbendera, who is also a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, acknowledged that there was flouting of the rules, but maintained there was no theft.

United Nations (UN) resident coordinator Mia Seppo, who co-chaired the meeting, said the meeting was interested to see action to be undertaken by MEC.

“The SC [steering committee] is not interested in the specific details of the audit, but would rather be informed on the actions to be taken by the MEC,”  the minutes quote Seppo as having said.

She encouraged the MEC chairperson to engage with the ST to find a mutually acceptable way forward for concrete actions to be considered and taken, and to be reported on in the next SC.

Responding to Seppo’s observation, Mbendera maintained there was no theft.

Revelations in the minutes come against a background of reports of financial mismanagement at MEC which in January this year prompted President Peter Mutharika to caution the electoral body to guard against denting its image.

Last year, the media quoted an audit report by the Central Internal Audit Unit in the Ministry of Finance which exposed fraud at MEC involving secretariat staff and some commissioners through, among others, dubious claims for field allowances for trips not undertaken.

However, Mbendera, at the time, blamed the media for having spread what he described as unsubstantiated reports, referred to by the President, of massive looting at MEC.

He said apparently MEC had defended itself over the audit queries and that the auditors and the government could not challenge the query responses provided by MEC.

An all-stakeholder’s conference on the spate of abductions and killings of people with albinism ended on Tuesday in Lilongwe with delegates proposing near State of Emergency measures to protect people with  albinism.

However, government officials, including from line ministries such as Home Affairs and Internal Security, Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Gender and Disability were conspicuously missing from the event despite being invited as claimed by the organisers.

The delegates, who also included lawmakers, called for stiffer penalties, immediate registration of all people with albinism in the country to be provided with special treatment, review of all court cases which government has lost in court or ended up with lenient sentences, among others.

Controversially, the meeting also resorted to a call for the inclusion of death sentence for all those convicted of killing people with albinism.

The meeting also agreed that there will be nationwide protests on 25 May which will culminate into the handing over of a petition to Parliament to institute several measures, including the amendment of the law to ensure better protection of people with albinism and stiffer punishments to abductors.

The delegates lamented that government has not done enough to stop albino attacks which the United Nations (UN) recently said threaten to wipe out the country’s 10 000 population of people with albinism.

Speaking on behalf of people with albinism, Alex Machila, a member of the Association of People with Albinism (Apam), said it is disheartening that government had moved with haste to protect endangered forests reserves and elephants under threat of poachers but failed to do the same with the community.

“We hear they are sending the army to Mulanje to protect the mountain from having trees cut down. We are being killed every day and no special protection is coming for us,” said Machila.

He also criticised the response from the civil society and ordinary Malawians as lukewarm and “not good enough.”

“To be frank, if I claim here that Malawians living with albinism have received adequate support, my friends who have lost relatives in the villages will ask whether I am in my right senses; they will ask, why are the killings continuing? Forgive me, but it has not been good enough,” added Machira.

Chairperson of the organising committee, Edward Chileka confirmed the invitations were sent to all relevant departments.

“They were not represented today but we are optimistic they will be able to implement what we have discussed. We will continue engaging all stakeholders on the matter, as we indicated, we will need to push and follow up on several recommendations we have agreed on and we also note that government is making several initiatives to address the situation,” said Chileka.

Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) chairperson Robert Mkwezelamba called on the courts to use current legislative frameworks which would ensure stiffer penalties such the human trafficking laws instead of ordinary laws that have loopholes for lenient sentences.

He further defended the call for the inclusion of capital punishment as “necessary for the conference but which experts can examine later” but stated could not be ignored.

Machinga East MP Estele Jolobala said the nation has let down the albino community and instead of finger-pointing should now work on finding solutions to the crisis.

Several MPs, too, pledged to move a motion once Parliament reconvenes.

Dinala Chabulika, an Islamic cleric, said there was need to ensure government moves with haste to ensure albinos are all placed under special protection.

“We should not wait for resolutions and discussions, government need to step up now and ensure every albino person is placed under protective care,” added Chabulika.

Delegates also noted that while police were under-resourced and need more funding into its counter measures.

President Peter Mutharika on Tuesday said Malawi is undergoing a silent economic paradigm shift, moving from aid to trade while addressing factors that suppressed economic growth in the last 50 years.

In his address at the official opening of the 28th Malawi International Trade Fair (Mitf) at the Chichiri Trade Fair Grounds in Blantyre, the President said the country is currently diversifying the base of the economy from reliance on agricultural production to direct investment in multiple sectors, including foreign direct investment in agriculture itself and agro-processing, energy, mining, information and communications technology (ICT), tourism, infrastructure and manufacturing.

He said this is being demonstrated through the establishment of National Planning Commission, Ministerial Committee on Doing Business and the soon to be launched Trade and Industrial Policies which seek to level the playing field for the private sector in doing business.

Recently released annual Malawi Development Cooperation Atlas Report, a mechanism for increased transparency and effectiveness of development, indicated that development cooperation has dropped in the financial years between 2012 and 2015 by about $350 million (about K248 billion) representing a cumulative 30 percent fall over the years.

Mutharika, while describing Malawi as an investment destination, said his government has since set the ground for direct investment in various sectors.

He said: “Malawi is a land of investment opportunities. And we are a turning point! The Malawi you see today is not the Malawi you will see in a few years to come. If you look at Malawi as you have known us, you will miss the business train. But look at the wheels we have set in motion, and listen to what we are doing, and you will see where we are going.

“Some of you say: we cannot see much of what is happening. Yes, we are changing a lot of laws and policies to create a befitting legislative environment. This legislative reframing is time consuming but we are pleased with the progress. We could not do in two years what we could not do in fifty years. But we are making historical progress.”

Mutharika said his government would want to address the fundamentals of economic growth which were overlooked for the last fifty years   citing the energy sector for example.

Commenting on the Mitf which is being held under the theme Achieving Competitiveness through Innovation, Mutharika said that Innovation is the insurance for survival in a competitive business world.

“Africa needs innovation for us to walk in step with the world. We need to be innovative to move with the rising Africa. Innovation will enable us to take a lead in the regional and international integration. We need to be innovative for our businesses to remain competitive and survive. So, your challenge is: think innovation,” he said.

In his remarks, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism Joseph Mwanamvekha urged Malawian businesses to embrace a culture of research and experimentation and explore new ways of doing business if they are to grow.

He asked companies to produce better products for both local and international markets while utilising the Buy Malawi campaign.

Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) president Karl Chokotho emphasised on the need for a vibrant manufacturing industry if Malawi is to depart from the state of a consuming economy.

“Our manufacturing sector has principally been decimated by the liberalisation policy regime which the country adopted following, I would say, improper advice of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and later on the World Trade Organisation [WTO].

“The liberalisation and privatisation policies which these international bodies forced upon third world countries including Malawi, as solutions to our problems, devastated our economies, leading to massive de-industrialisatrion and turning our country into a consuming country hence the need to resuscitate our manufacturing industry,” he said.

This year, the fair has attracted 170 companies, including 14 foreign exhibitors, occupying 248 pavilions.

State produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) was awarded best overall exhibitor, best foreign exhibitor was awarded to Zambia, best service provider award went to Malawi Telecommunications Limited, Proto Feeds won the best manufacturer while Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Limited won the best exporter award.

University of Malawi (Unima) has hiked fees for mature entry programmes in its four constituent colleges effective 2016/2017 academic year, The Nation has established.

In a letter dated May 12 2016 addressed to principals, registrars and finance officers for the Polytechnic, Chancellor College (Chanco), Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) and College of Medicine (CoM), the university said the decision was made during a recent university council extraordinary meeting.  The letter was signed by the university registrar Benedicto Wokomaatani Malunga.

“Council of Unima resolved to adjust upwards fees that are normally paid by mature entry students. It was the view of the council that while it was understandable that the generic students paid highly subsidised fees for their education, it did not make sense that the same should be true with mature entry students,” reads in part the letter.

The letter puts the new tuition fees for the Polytechnic at K950 000 (about $1 500) whereas those upgrading at Chancellor College will be paying K900 000 (about $1 350) per year. Those in health and upgrading at KCN and CoM will be coughing K1million (about $1 451) and K1.4 million (about $2,200) per year respectively. This is an increase from around K275 000 for several courses except health. Those upgrading in health courses have been paying between K500 000 and K950 000.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Unima spokesperson Peter Mitunda justified the hike saying most of the mature entry students are working or doing business and the council had to consider some factors to ensure they arrive at a fair cost.

But educationists Steve Sharra said this is the characteristics of the dilemmas the country is facing.

“The figures are closer to the full market cost of attending Unima per year as revealed by Malunga in 2014. There may be Malawians who can afford the full fees, but from what we have recently learned that up to 50 percent of students in public universities are dropping out due to financial problems, this fee hike is clearly a very tough choice for Unima,” said Sharra.

Civil Society Education Coalition (Csec) executive director Benedicto Kondowe said the adjustments are e poorly timed.

“I agree the adjustments were overdue, but they are way above the threshold… This will affect many students and we should expect more dropouts than could have been,” said Kondowe.

In an interview in September 2014, Malunga revealed that for many years students both generic and mature entry have been paying very little compared to what is needed to train a Unima student. He said the minimum costs for most programmes is K2 million (about $2 950) while engineering and medicine is K3 million (about $4 500) and K5 million (about $7 300) per year respectively. n

Minister of Information, Communications Technology and Civic Education Patricia Kaliati has launched the Malawi virtual landing point to improve Internet access at Bingu International Conference Centre (Bicc) in Lilongwe.

Speaking during the launch last Wednesday, Kaliati said the virtual landing point was a timely communication infrastructure which will make cross-border trade and investment easier.

“Effective and affordable communication infrastructure plays a pivotal role in facilitating international trade and global investment flow. Government embarked on this invaluable project upon recognising that expensive broadband and Internet connectivity constituted a serious barrier to Malawi’s doing business indicators,” she said.

Kaliati said prior to the project, Malawi depended largely on expensive satellite connectivity for Internet needs.

“The high cost of connectivity meant that access to Internet services was a privilege of the rich. This is unacceptable. That is why government decided to pursue the option of establishing a fibre optic connectivity through Tanzania and Zambia,” the minister said.

Government, together with the World Bank, established the Regional Infrastructure Communication Programme Malawi Project (RCIPMW) to support the necessary legal and regulatory reforms in the communication sector aimed at lowering the cost of broadband connectivity.

“Through an international competitive tender process and a carefully designed public private partnership arrangement, an experienced investor SimbaNet of East Africa was contracted to deliver Internet capacity at the virtual landing point at Capital Hill in Lilongwe at the cost of less than $200 (about K140 000) per megabyte per second a massive reduction from $3000 (about K2.1million) prior to the project,” said Kaliati.

She further said affordable capacity will promote access to Internet by government institutions, the private sector and Malawians in general.

In his remarks, Wananchi Group chief executive officer of Santiago Benedit said it has been a long journey that they embarked on in 2014.

“This is the outcome of a very successful Public Private Partnership and I appreciate the Government of Malawi progressive approach towards national development,” said Benedit.

The coming in of Malawi virtual landing point will see the price of internet down by 75 percent.

Malawi Law Society (MLS) and the Judiciary have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to revive and sustain the Malawi Legal Information Institute, a website where people can access court judgements and other legal information.

Speaking after signing the MoU at Ryalls Hotel in Blantyre on Thursday, MLS president John Suzi-Banda said the agreement has come at the right time when the public is taking an interest in court judgements.

“Currently, many people are able to access court judgements through online media and they quickly react to what has been reported. There is no room for them to verify and read a complete judgement and usually, their reactions are unfair and unbalanced. We are addressing this problem to ensure that everyone has access to court judgements and this will help the public to make fair reactions and decisions,” said Suzi-Banda.

He added that apart from the court judgements, the website will have the laws of Malawi, various legal publications, newsletters and activities in the Judiciary, Parliament and Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. He said this will help Malawians understand the country’s legal framework and how some laws work.

Speaking on behalf of the Judiciary, assistant registrar responsible for law reporting Chikondi Mandala hailed MLS for coming up with the project, saying the relationship between the two is crucial.

She, however, asked the two parties to ensure the success of the project by keeping the website up and running.

“MLS has been committed to the revival of the website and we want this commitment to continue. The website should be running and should benefit many generations to come,” said Mandala.

MLS vice-president Mwiza Nkhata, who is also associate professor of law at University of Malawi’s Chancellor College, said the website failed due to lack of a working relationship between MLS, the Judiciary and Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

“This MoU revives the commitment of the key players. The website is for Malawians and we want every Malawian to have access to legal information online.  Our consultant, African Legal Information Institute of South Africa, has been in the country and has trained Judiciary staff on how they can edit and upload the judgements on the website. Shortly, it will be up and running,” said Nkhata.

The initiative comes barely a month after the Judiciary started filing cases electronically as part of its steps to achieve automated system of case management.

Mchinji District Health Office (DHO) has suffered a setback in the fight against maternal and neonatal deaths following revelations that the district is registering three pregnancy-related deaths every month.

This comes six years after the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction in Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Action (Carmma) in August 2009 identified the district as a model in sharing knowledge with women and empowering them to “take charge of their own lives”.

But in an interview on Sunday, Mchinji District Hospital nursing officer Emmanuel Mpoola said the district has registered a 62 percent increase in pregnancy-related deaths over the past years. He described the situation as worrisome.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a blood donation initiative by the Parent and Child Health Initiative (Pachi).

Mpoola said contributing factors to the situation include failure by women to seek professional medical and healthcare services when due to deliver, saying the majority of them prefer traditional birth attendants (TBAs) instead.

He also said women’s failure to detect signs leading to labour is another factor preventing them from getting to the hospital in time to receive professional birth attention.

Said Mpoola: “Twenty children die every month. These are deaths we can avoid.”

Pachi executive director Charles Makwenda said the factors are among the reasons that motivated them to donate blood to the hospital through community blood collection initiatives to help reduce deaths of women due to pregnancy-related complications.

A 62 year-old man identified as Frank Matewere and his 51 year-old son in-law, Vincent Chisale, were on Monday evening and Tuesday morning murdered respectively in Chiradzulu over a land dispute.

Chiradzulu police spokesperson Victoria Chirwa confirmed the incident in an interview.

“Matewere won a land dispute case against his son in-law Chisale at Chisombezi Court. The following day, Chisale went to his father in-law’s house with his two friends pretending to be interested in buying the disputed land,” narrated Chirwa.

Chirwa added: “On their way to show the interested buyers the land, Chisale allegedly stabbed his father in-law on the back and escaped from the place with his two friends. Later, two women found Matewere in great pain and informed his relatives but he was already dead when they arrived at the scene.”

Acting in anger, Chirwa said Matewere’s relatives man-hunted Chisale and assaulted him to death.

According to Chirwa, postmortem conducted at Chiradzulu District Hospital revealed that Matewere died of loss of blood while Chisale, who was burnt to death, died of third degree burns from head to lower extremities.

Meanwhile, no arrests have been made yet as police are still investigating the matter.

Both Matewere and Chisale hailed from Gogomwa village in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Likoswe Chiradzulu.

The Chiradzulu First Grade Magistrate’s court on Tuesday granted bail to the district health officer (DHO) Gift Chinomba who was arrested on Monday over allegations that he had a hand in the missing of medical drugs worth about K10 million (about $15 600) at Chiradzulu District Hospital.

Chinomba is answering charges of theft by public servant contrary to Section 283 of the Penal Code.

On Tuesday, First Grade Magistrate Anne Chikhadzula released Chinomba after he paid K150 000 (about $220) bail bond and K150 000 non cash surety. He also submitted his travel documents and is expected to be reporting to the Southern Region Police Headquarters every Tuesday.

Chiradzulu Police Station spokesperson Victoria Chirwa, speaking in an interview on Wednesday, said Chinomba aged 30, from Mpowola Village in the area of Traditional Authority [T/A] Kuntumanji in Zomba will appear in court again on Thursday.

“He made a bail application and theft by public servant is a bailable offence,” explained Chirwa.

The DHO’s arrest follows that of the hospital’s pharmacy technician Isaac Bakali (27) and a driver Anderson Msuku (27) on April 29 this year.

“Following our investigations at the Regional Medical Stores (South), records indicate that it is the DHO who released money to buy drugs from there but the drugs never reached the hospital despite that they were collected and it is not known where they went,” added Chirwa

Speaking in an interview on May 3 when police arrested the first two suspects, Chirwa said they were arrested following a complaint made on April 1 that officials from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID) who released funds for the hospital to procure drugs visited the hospital to verify if drugs were indeed bought and had reached the intended beneficiaries. Unfortunately they found that the drugs never reached the hospital.

“They then went to the Regional Medical Stores [South] where records indicated that the drugs were bought and were collected by the hospital and the pharmacy technician’s signature was appearing as the one who collected the drugs on behalf of the hospital and the driver’s name was appearing as the one who was driving the vehicle that collected the drugs. This was despite the fact that at the hospital it was nowhere indicated that they had received the drugs,” she said.

In January this year, Minister of Health Peter Kumpalume made a chilling revelation that K5 billion (about $7.6 million) worth of medical drugs and supplies are stolen from public hospitals every year.

The K5 billion value represents over a third of the ministry’s annual drug budget of K17 billion (about $24.8million).

The revelation by the minister was consistent with what the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said several years ago that 30 percent of funds in Malawi’s national budget are stolen annually.

In mid-December 2015, some of the country’s donors in the health sector said they were horrified by the extent of drug theft in public hospitals, warning that they were closely monitoring government’s accountability of drugs.

The donors, who included United States Agency for International Development (USaid) and DfID, threatened to shift support elsewhere if the country failed to rein back drug theft.

At the moment Malawi has a hotline through which people can anonymously tip off authorities about cases of theft of malaria drugs in a drive to curb pilferage. The hotlines 800 00 847 from land lines and 847 from mobile networks were jointly launched by the United States of America (USA) government through USaid and Global fund alongside Malawi Government

The 28th Malawi International Trade Fair (Mitf), which was officially opened by President Peter Mutharika on Tuesday, has started on a low note with some of the foreign exhibitors yet to arrive in the country.

Despite a large crowd witnessed during the opening, the second day of the fair proved the opposite.

At the opening of the second day, only a handful of people could be seen visiting the ordinary stands around the Trade Fair Grounds while the pavilions in the Chichiri Conference Centre Hall, convertible car park stands and open grounds were barely patronised.

Out of the six participating countries in the fair, only Tanzania, India and Kenya have set up pavilions while Zimbabwe, Poland and Mozambique are yet to show up.

Some of the exhibitors The Nation interviewed expressed dissatisfaction on the low patronage.

Chombe Foods Limited general manager Gresham Thomas, whose firm has two pavilions, one in the Chichiri Conference Centre Hall and another in the open grounds, said he hoped more people will come as the fair progresses.

“Basically, the trade fair is a positive development although the turn up has not been as expected, but we think this being the second day, the momentum will pick up,” he said.

Similarly, Teras marketing manager Ronald Amos was optimistic of patronage improving over the weekend.

“The day has started on a low note, as you can see the grounds are empty, but we are not losing hope as this is almost midweek and people are working. We expect to see an improvement towards the weekend,” he said.

However, Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) chief operating officer Chimwemwe Luhanga attributed the low turnout to the change in the opening dates from May 20 to 17.

“As MCCCI, we are satisfied with the progress that we are making. We are mindful that the fair started on a different date from the initial plan. So looking at the patrons who are coming in, we are ok and we hope that patronage will pick over the weekend,” he said.

Luhanga said the chamber has since spoken to the three participating countries and have since assured them of their participation by Friday.

He said the chamber is yet to witness the seal of some business deals. He, therefore, called on the public to make time and patronise the trade fair and appreciate some of the innovations being made in the trade sector.

The trade fair, which is being held under the theme “Achieving Competitiveness through Innovation”, has attracted 170 companies, including 14 foreign exhibitors, occupying 248 pavilions. n

n

Scores of Be Forward Wanderers supporters on Wednesday left the Kamuzu Stadium mouth agape in bewilderment after their team conceded three goals within 10 minutes in their 4-3 victory over Red Lions.

With 15 minutes left to play and the Nomads leading 4-0 from in-form striker Peter Wadabwa’s brace, Jabulani Linje and Isaac Kaliyati goals, it was normal for the supporters to start celebrating the victory.

But in a twist of events, Lions scored three quick-fire goals that spoke volumes of the homework the Nomads need to do before their next assignment.

Just a minute after injured central defender Boston Kabango was replaced by Alfred Manyozo Jnr in the 35th minute, Red Lions substitute Peter Makwale tore apart Wanderers defence before tapping in from close range beating goalkeeper Peter Munthali.

Kumbukani Mwambene made it 4-2 two minutes later with a half volley just outside the box.

The Lions’ second goal dazed the Nomads, but they still had a two-goal cushion.

However, the third goal sent the supporters into panic mode after Benisi Kaisi swiftly side-footed from a corner kick in the 42nd minute.

Silence reigned in the Nomads stands filled with a sizeable crowd that came to witness the match after the reshuffling of the technical panel which saw Eddington Ng’onamo replacing Jack Chamangwana as acting head coach.

Tension followed as the blue side of town dreaded what would happened if dominating Lions got a fourth goal.

Luckily, the Nomads held on to the slender lead and qualified for the quarter-final where they will meet Max Bullets who beat Wizards FC 2-1.

After the game, assistant coach Elia Kananji expressed shock at how the team almost gave up the victory.

“We have a big problem in defence. What today’s game has revealed is that it is Boston [Kabango] who was making things work in our defence. Otherwise, conceding three goals within those minutes is too bad for us,” said Kananji.

Lions coach Mike Kumanga wore a brave face despite the loss.

“I am sure people who came to watch the game have been entertained to the fullest. We have lost like soldiers,” he said.

In Lilongwe, Blue Eagles booked a last 16 date against Nyasa Big Bullets after beating Silver Strikers 4-2 through post-match penalties.

Eagles coach Deklerk Msakakuwona gave credit to God for the victory.

“It was a difficult game, but God gave us victory today,” he said

Silver assistant coach Lovemore Fazili said they missed a lot of chances.

“This is painful because penalties are unpredictable,” he said.

In the other last 16 match, Mafco beat Azam Tigers 4-1 and will face Dwangwa United in the quarter-final.

Kabwafu beat Mchengautuwa 4-3 through post-match penalties while Epac thrashed Dululu 3-0.

Epac will play the winner between Moyale Barracks and Masters Security while Kabwafu will wait fo the winner between big Bullets and Blue Eagles. n

As the Flames face uncertainty on their trip to Zimbabwe for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier, their counterparts, the Warriors,  host Uganda in an international friendly in Harare on May 31.

Warriors head coach Callisto Pasuwa told Cafonline.com that he is hoping the match will help him assess his players ahead of the assignment against Malawi on June 5.

“We will use the friendly match against Uganda to prepare for our remaining games, especially the match against Malawi,” said Pasuwa.

“It will also assist us to assess ourselves in terms of combinations to make sure we qualify for Afcon 2017.”

Malawi, on the other hand, failed to regroup on Sunday due to lack of funds.

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) already exhausted its K100 million funding for the 2015/16 financial year and government has put its foot down on extra funding.

Walter Nyamilandu, president of FAM, said on Monday he had sought intervention from Minister of Sports and Culture Grace Chiumia on the situation.

He also said the Flames will not play a strength testing match ahead of the Afcon qualifier due to the same.

But yesterday, FAM general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda said there is no need to panic.

“We are working behind the scenes to make sure the team goes into camp this weekend. We are also trying our best to organise a strength testing match for the team. The team will travel by road to Zimbabwe and they may play a friendly on the way to Zimbabwe,” said Nyirenda.

If the plans materialise, the Flames are likely to play Mozambique.

The Warriors are leading Group L with eight points, three ahead of second-placed Swaziland.

Guinea are third while Malawi’s Flames are at the bottom with two points from two draws. n

Mussa Ajibu, Alick Gogodo and Salimu Chazama will on June 4 contest in non title bouts in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The fights have come at a time Malawian boxers are failing to impress on the international stage.

Last weekend, Chazama earned a draw while Osgood Kayuni lost during fights in Tanzania.

The darkest hour came on Friday when Limbani Masamba lasted just three minutes into the main bout. On the other hand, the remaining  Malawian boxers  lost during their Africa Boxing Union (ABU) title bouts in Lilongwe.

Confirming the latest round of Tanzania fights, broker of the bouts, Steve Mawenzi Msiska, said he hoped that the three will impress.

Msiska said the three were earmarked because they are  active.

“Ajibu was preparing for the failed bout in Zimbabwe so he is fit. Chazama fought on Saturday so he is ready while Gogodo has been active as he has been training hard,” he said.

The bouts, organised by Mwanzoe Promotions, will see Mussa Ajibu facing Mchumi ya Tumbo, Gogodo fight Ashraf Suleiman while Chazama squares up against Jonasi Segu.

Meanwhile, Ajibu has said he is geared up after being disappoint

ed by the botched fight in Harare last month.

“I was disappointed not to fight but now I have a chance to be in the ring again. I will definitely win this one,” he said. n

President Peter Mutharika says he wants Malawi to migrate towards digital-based industries to move with the times as the age of analogue and manual industries is fast vanishing.

The President, speaking at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre on Tuesday when FDH Financial Holdings Limited donated information and communications technology (ICT) equipment worth K19.4 million (about $28 900) for use in community colleges, said it is also critical for Malawi to equip its youth with digital skills while in school.

Said Mutharika: “The best way to create a digital-based industry and indeed a digital-based society, is to begin with our education system and training processes. We need to move fast in providing digital skills to our youth so that they become digital compliant before they enter the industry.”

The President urged other players in the private sector to emulate the gesture from FDH Bank, a subsidiary of FDH Financial Holdings Limited.

In his remarks, FDH Financial Holdings Limited chief executive officer Thomson Mpinganjira said his company, as a home-grown and home-bred business venture, believes in contributing to making Malawi a great place to live in; hence, it has programmes and products that support the social development of the people.

Mpinganjira, who is the majority shareholder in FDH Financial Holdings, also said the company subscribes to Mutharika’s belief that community colleges are a good breeding ground for Malawi’s youth to develop vocational and entrepreneurial skills.

The donation included 42 desktop computers, two heavy-duty photocopiers, two lamination machines, two ring binding machines, two liquid crystal display (LCD) projectors, two heavy-duty printers and four air conditioners.