Youth Net and Counselling (Yoneco) says it has ended 24 marriages involving young girls below the age of 18 in Traditional Authority Zulu (T/A) in Mchinji in the past six months.
Speaking in an interview last week, Mchinji Yoneco district manager Hughes Munthali said the exercise was done in consultation with policymakers, through community mobilisation.
Munthali: Mchinji has one of the highest child marriage prevalence rates
He said Mchinji remains one of the districts in Malawi with high cases of child marriages due to high poverty levels.
“Ending child marriages needs concerted efforts from all stakeholders. Yoneco has noted that child marriages are not in T/A Zulu alone but the entire district,” he said.
Mchinji district social welfare officer Rodwell Chunga said it is worrisome that child marriages and early pregnancies are rampant in the district despite efforts by several organisations to eradicate them.
He said there was need to enforce by-laws aimed at protecting children from gender-based violence.
Yoneco is implementing a project called Marriage Not Child’s Play in T/A Zulu and it seeks to eradicate early marriages in the district.
Blantyre urban district education manager (DEM) Evelyn Mjima has underscored the need to involve primary school pupils in environmental conservation programmes to counter climate change.
The DEM made the remarks on Friday at a children’s tree-planting awareness programme for primary schools in Blantyre Urban at Robin’s Park hall in Blantyre.
Marching for the good of the environment: School pupils
As part of the programme, pupils from selected schools in Blantyre Urban took part in a big- walk from Kamuzu Stadium upper ground to Robin’s Park where they performed various activities.
In an interview on the sidelines of the event, Mjima said it is important to involve pupils as they easily practise what they are taught and they internalise it as they grow.
“Involving pupils is the way to go because they will be ambassadors of climate justice. Children are always eager to practise whatever they learn,” she said.
In a separate interview, Blantyre City Council assistant director in the Department of Leisure, Culture and Environmental Services Ackley Kananji also stressed the need to involve pupils in various initiatives that will benefit future generations.
On his part, Blantyre district forestry officer Geoffrey Kanyerere said it is important for other sectors in climate change initiatives to involve children.
Parliament’s Defence and Security Committee is seeking K42 million from civil society organisations (CSOs) to enable it conduct investigations into the K2.7 billion Malawi Police Service (MPS) food rations scandal.
Committee chairperson Alex Major said the requested funds will enable them carry out the probe in two weeks. Initially, the committee planned to start the inquiry yesterday, but failed due to lack of funds.
In a letter to the CSOs under the banner of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) dated July 20 2018, the committee said it was deeply saddened with the food rations scam.
Major: We are deeply concerned
The probe follows a leaked dossier from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) which documented that PI Ltd made an abortive interest claim of K466 million and deposited K145 million into the DPP account at Standard Bank whose sole signatory is President Peter Mutharika.
Reads the letter: “As a cluster committee, we are deeply concerned with the issue that has happened at Malawi Police Service about the food rations scam. The committee feels that the budget and funds which were approved have not been put to a better use; hence, the need to probe the matter.”
In an interview yesterday, Major justified the request to CSOs, saying the committee has no resources for the exercise as its scheduled meetings are planned for the end of August.
He said: “We are talking about public resources and there is need for a probe. The committee is supposed to meet later in August and it would be too late to start probing the issue then. That is the reason we asked the CSOs to help us with funding.
“I don’t think our probe would be compromised because of the stand taken by the CSOs.”
HRDC vice-chairperson Gift Trapence said in an interview they have contacted their donors on the possibility of funding the committee.
The cluster committee is responsible for scrutinising budgets of various government ministries, departments and agencies, including Malawi Defence Force, Malawi Police Service, Malawi Prison Service, Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security and National Intelligence Bureau.
But the planned probe comes at a time the ACB is said to have concluded its investigation into the matter.
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says it is positive that phase three of voter registration will proceed smoothly devoid of the challenges encountered in the first and second phases.
In an interview yesterday when the registration exercise moved to Lilongwe District, where about one million voters are expected to register, MEC chairperson Jane Ansah said the electoral body expects more people to register because Lilongwe is the only district covered in phase three.
She said: “The challenges that have been there generally are technical in nature. They are to do with generator sets and solar panels because of weather. Where solar panels are not charging, we have generators; and, where generators break down, we have technicians who are immediately deployed to attend to the challenge.
Eligible voters queue to register in Lilongwe
“At the moment, people have been deployed to all centres. There is no centre that is not operational. People should appreciate the fact that it takes only half a minute to register a voter. So, even if Lilongwe is big, we will not have any problem.”
Yesterday, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) urged MEC to engage the public throughout phase three of the voter registration exercise currently underway in Lilongwe urban and rural.
During spot-checks at various registration centres, including Lilongwe Town Hall, district council offices, Chinsapo Primary School and Likuni Girls Primary School, The Nation observed that people were registering for national identity (ID) cards through the National Registration Bureau (NRB) first before registering with MEC.
However, some political party monitors said the process was delaying registration.
But Ansah, who is a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, said the commission does not see the arrangement of registering for national IDs first posing challenges because during the previous phases, many voters followed the same route.
She said: “Where we are coming from we had some places where there were more people registering for the first time with NRB first and it did not take too long. NRB did mass registration. So, the numbers that were left out are not large and we did not have any challenges with NRB registration.”
By noon yesterday, The Nation established that over 100 people had already registered at the Lilongwe Town Hall centre while the district council office centre had registered over 300 people and Chinsapo and Likuni over 100 each.
In the second phase, MEC covered Ntchisi, Dowa, Nkhotakota and Mchinji districts while the first phase had Kasungu District, Kasungu Municipality, Dedza and Salima. The first phase was marred by faulty equipment that frustrated some potential registrants and MEC reported a 73 percent turnout.
For the second phase, unofficial data shows that Dowa registered 325 062 voters against the projected figure of 395 000 while Nkhotakota had 178 606 and Ntchisi about 140 000 against the projected figure of 163 000.
Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn) chairperson Steve Duwa and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) publicity secretary the Reverend Maurice Munthali are on record as having said that there was an improvement in the turnout of registrants during the second phase.
CCJP, on the other hand, has urged MEC to engage people to establish why they are reluctant to register despite the marked improvement during the second phase.
In an interview yesterday, CCJP national coordinator Boniface Chibwana observed that there are still some people who are reluctant to register because they have lost confidence in elected leaders after the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections.
He said: “MEC has tried hard and some other stakeholders have intensified civic education. I think people are now making informed decisions unlike during the first phase which was like an ad hoc exercise because civic education was carried out in the same week or the week prior to the registration.
“But we still expect that MEC should continue engaging the general populace if this [third] phase is to be successful. When we are talking of engagement we are talking about meetings with people instead of having the public address system only because some people still think the national ID qualifies them to vote. ”MEC is yet to release registration figures for the second phase.
Politician-cum-social commentator Humphrey Mvula says it is not true that he wrote the Indian Government in 2008 to stop decorating President Peter Mutharika with a jurist award.
Mvula was reacting to Mutharika’s accusation on Sunday on arrival from South Africa where he attended the Brics Summit that Mvula once tried to stop him from getting an award.
The President made the remarks as he rebuked leaders of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Timothy Mtambo and Gift Trapence for writing the Global Fund to rescind his appointment as Champion of the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Campaign.
President Mutharika is greeted by new Chinese Ambassador to Malawi Liu Hongyang at KIA when he returned home from Brics Summit in South Africa
Mvula denied the accusation, saying, Mutharika did not tell the nation the truth about the said Jurist award and the alleged letter which he is said to have authored.
He said: “It is very unfortunate that a President is able to say what is not true. I have never written a letter against him. After all, during that time, he was not President and all issues were being directed at his brother, the late Bingu wa Mutharika who was President of the country.
“I want to challenge the President to pull out that letter and show the country. I am thinking he is saying this out of pressure or that he has issues against individuals such as me. But I don’t have issues with him, except for those issues that Malawians are complaining about that life is not as good.”
Presidential spokesperson Mgeme Kalilani could not be reached for comment as he was reportedly in Pretoria, South Africa.
In a letter dated July 27 2018 to the fund’s executive director Peter Sands, the civil society organisations (CSOs) argue that Mutharika lacks the requisite moral standing to assume that role, more so a position that requires him to lead efforts in soliciting funding pledges.
In response, Mutharika rebuked the two leaders, saying they have done nothing for the country, apart from asking money from donors to attack government.
The President went further to provide an example that in 2008, Mvula and the late George Nga Mtafu did the same. He charged: “In 2008, I was selected the first African in the history of the world to receive the international Jurist Award, I was the first African! That group is based in London, but the Award was given in India by the Prime Minister and two Malawians, Mr. Humphrey Mvula and Mr, George Mtafu wrote to the Government of India that I should not receive the Award.
“They said I had been involved in oppressing human rights in this country. I think it is very, very sad for Malawians that we have reached this kind of level of hatefulness on no basis, trying to destroy each other for absolutely no reason whatsoever.”
The High Court in Blantyre has ordered National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc to freeze Pioneer Investments (PI) Limited bank account over its alleged link to the K2.7 billion Malawi Police Service (MPS) food rations scandal.
The court also issued a fresh freeze order for governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) bank account at Standard Bank whose sole signatory is President Peter Mutharika. PI transferred to the DPP account K145 million from the MPS payment which State House has defended as a donation from a well-wisher to a DPP headquarters building project.
Sought the orders: Theu
Court documents The Nation has seen show that High Court Judge Jack N’riva, following an application made by Mzuzu-based Youth and Society (YAS) through Ritz Attorneys-at-Law, has also set aside an inter partes hearing of the freezing orders on August 3 2018.
Reads the judgement: “Until further order of the court, the second defendant by himself or his officers or agents or anyone acting on his behalf must not remove, or in any way dispose of, deal with or diminish the funds standing to the credit of Pioneer Investment in account number 0001 0006 87029 held with the second party cited to the extent of K1 500 000 000.00.
“Until, further order of the court, the second party cited should not
transact any disposal, transfer, dissipation or howsoever termed the first defendants’ funds held in the count stated above.”
In the civil case No.215 of 2018, DPP secretary general Grezeldar Jeffrey and legal affairs director Charles Mhango are first defendants
on their own behalf and that of members of the DPP, Zameer Karim of PI is second defendant while Innocent Bottoman of MPS is the third defendant.
Standard Bank plc, NBM plc, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general and former Secretary to the Treasury Ronald Mangani are first, second, third and fourth parties cited, respectively.
The case follows a leaked ACB investigation report which documented that PI made an abortive interest claim of K466 million and deposited K145 million into the DPP bank account number 0140031992200 at Standard Bank.
The court issued a fresh order for the freezing of the DPP account at Standard Bank after it transpired that the first order made on Friday had an error on the account number for the party.
YAS took DPP and PI to court after they failed to pay back the money, having demanded such through demand letters on July 17 2018.
In its demand letter to DPP, YAS argued that the governing party is in no doubt aware that the said money represents proceeds of a fraudulent sham procurement by officers at MPS in conjunction with Karim of PI.
In the letter to PI, YAS asked the company to refund the principal sum of K466 million plus compound interest at the prevailing commercial bank lending rates from the date of receipt to the date of repay of the money.
DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi, after the first order on Friday, wondered why “other people would want to take duties and responsibilities of other constitutionally instituted bodies to act on their behalf”.
Lawyer representing YAS, Bright Theu, on the other hand, said he was happy that their prayers have been granted by the court.
Members of Muhlako wa Alhomwe yesterday started holding a vigil at the residence of Mulanje West legislator Patricia Kaliati to force her to apologise for allegedly disrespecting Lhomwe Paramount Chief Ngolongoliwa.
Mulhako wa Alhomwe chief executive officer Muchanakhwaye Mpuluka last week demanded an apology from Kaliati for not using the title ‘paramount chief’ in addressing Ngolongoliwa during the United Transformation Movement (UTM) launch rally at Masintha ground in Lilongwe on July 21.
Some Mulhako wa Alhomwe members during the invasion of Kaliati’s residence
But Kaliati, who ditched the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for UTM where she is interim secretary general, yesterday maintained that she owes no one an apology. She said she will not apologise even if the Mulhako wa Alhomwe members continue holding the vigil at her Nkando residence.
She said: “In a democratic nation, there is no way that people should be threatening one another or even interfering with someone’s private life. That is trespassing if they do not know. If they have issues, they are supposed to know how to address them. Whatever I said is true and I maintain it.”
The group invaded her residence while the legislator was away.
In a separate interview, Mpuluka said the grouping will continue holding the vigils at a private place where rituals are expected to be performed as one way to force Kaliati apologise.
He said the vigil at Kaliati’s residence was public, which involved putting flowers on the ground and offering sacrifices to appease their ‘gods’.
Mpuluka was, however, reluctant to say what type of sacrifices they made and will be making.
He said the essence of holding the private vigils and offering sacrifices to appease the ‘gods’ is one way of portraying that the Lhomwes are just practising their culture.
At a press briefing held at Mulli Brothers Limited (MBL) offices in Chigumula last week, the grouping warned Kaliati of serious consequences if she does not humble herself and make the apology.
Australia-based Malawian netball icon Mwawi Kumwenda is set to undergo surgery within the week after suffering a serious knee injury.
A press release issued by her club Melbourne Vixens yesterday, states that the 28-year-old Malawian suffered a hyperextension of her left knee when she landed awkwardly during the third quarter of the Round 13 game of the Suncorp Super Netball League match against West Coast Fever on Saturday night.
Mwawi: I am praying for healing mercies
“Scans revealed [that] she has ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament,” reads part of the statement.
The statement also quotes the team’s head coach Simone McKinnis as having said: “We are really disappointed for Mwawi, who is obviously an integral part of our team, but also such a loved member of the Vixens family.
“The support she has received so far from the players and Vixens support staff is a reflection of the person she is and we will continue that support to ensure a successful rehabilitation programme for as long as it takes.”
Mwawi yesterday said she will only know how long she will be out of action after the surgery.
“But I am positive about it and I am praying for healing mercies. Hopefully, I will be back in the court soon,” said the 2014 Netball World Cup Player of the Tournament
Vixens lost the match 68-55 and, conversely, the loss means they may now face a do-or-die showdown with the Sunshine Coast Lightning in the final round of the season without Mwawi.
Vixens are fifth in the eight-team league and only the top four qualify for the eventual finals.
Initially, the Malawian international landed awkwardly and crashed to the floor in pain, but was able to press on.
But she hit the floor again shortly after, this time in severe pain, and her night was over.
Memories are still fresh of Emma Mzagada’s last-minute penalty shot against South Africa 19 years ago which was enough to qualify Malawi Queens for the 2000 Commonwealth Games.
For 14 years, between 1995 and 2009, the former netball player diligently served the Malawi Queens as a top-notch shooter who won numerous individual awards, including the ‘Netball Player of the Year’ accolade on the MBC Entertainers of the Year Programme.
No more: Mzagada
It is for such an inspiring background, therefore, that the country’s netball fraternity has been immersed in deep shock following news that the netball legend died yesterday at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (Qech) in Blantyre after a long illness.
Mzagada had been bedridden at her house in Chilomoni Township for close to two years with a deep wound in her right-leg, which made her immobile, being her main problem and the deterioration of her ill-health a few weeks ago prompted the social media to be awash with reports that she had passed on only for her family to refute the allegations.
But yesterday, her elder sister Jessica said the multi-award winning former MTL (now Thunder Queens) shooter was no more after being admitted to Qech for almost a week.
“My sister is gone!” she cried when The Nation called her yesterday.
Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) president Khungekile Matiya yesterday described Mzagada’s death as a big blow to the country’s netball family.
“We are saddened by the demise of Mzagada. She served her country well. We pray that the Lord should comfort and strengthen the family during this very difficult time,” she said.
Malawi Queens’ coach Griffin ‘Zagalo’ Saenda, who once coached Mzagada, described the fallen legend as one of the top players that played a big role in the national netball team’s success stories over the years.
Another Queens legend Ruth Kaipa-Chimombo, who played alongside Mzagada, said: “It is a big loss not only to netball, but sports in general. Emma served her country with passion and dedication and achieved a lot in her career. It’s sad.”
By close of business yesterday, the funeral arrangements for Mzagada was yet to be known.
Civil Sporting Club has rebuffed Nyasa Big Bullets and Silver Strikers’ advances on their captain Raphael Phiri.
The Civil Servants’ general secretary (GS) Ronald Chiwaula yesterday said the two teams have approached them seeking the services of their talisman.
“When the two teams approached us, we spoke to the player and he told us that for now he would like to stay put with us unless otherwise.
“We also have no plans to sell the player for now and that is what we will be communicating to both clubs,” he said.
Reports indicate that Phiri was in Blantyre yesterday in the company of his manager for talks with Bullets, but Bullets chief executive officer Fleetwood Haiya dismissed the reports saying: “It is not true.”
Phiri, who is currently the second leading scorer in the TNM Super League with nine goals, could not be reached for comment.
Matthews Kaulanga and Roza Mbilizi on Sunday emerged champions in a joint New Finance Bank (NFB) and United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Golf Tournament at Lilongwe Golf Club (LGC).
In the men’s championship, Kaulanga had an 80/68 score, followed by Sunil Godambe with 82/68 while Abdul Panjwani was third with 90/65.
Mbilizi (C) Shaba receives her prize from Shaba (R) as Msaka applauds
In the women’s category, Blantyre-based Mbilizi pipped Golf Union of Malawi (GUoM) ladies captain Regina Mwanza to the honours.
The two-day event which teed off on Saturday, was graced by Minister of Education, Science and Technology Bright Msaka.
The tournament was aimed at promoting the girl child in education and NFB collaborated with Unicef and the Ministry of Education.
It was also organised to raise money towards Scholarship Trust Fund for higher education.
“As Unicef we work to promote education of the girl child. We work with government and the private sector. Last year we had a breakfast meeting and NFB was one of the private sector firms who attended the meeting. They took it up and promised to fundraise through golf,” said Clara Chindime, civic education officer for Unicef.
She said over 20 000 girls lack school fees and end up dropping out of school before completing higher education.
NFB chief executive officer Zandile Shaba thanked golfers for contributing towards the noble cause.
“As a bank, we learnt the statistics on how the girl child has been marginalised in terms of education in the country.
“We heard from Unicef that when you start with 100 girls in primary school, only three complete higher education. This was worrying and we decided to do something.
“We believe if we educate the girl child they will be able to compete effectively with the boy child and Malawi will develop,” she said.
On his part Msaka also thanked golfers, NFB and Unicef for supporting the event.
“As government we can’t do everything alone. We need partners like Unicef, and NFB. This is a good cause and will go a long way in helping educate the girl child so that they can have same opportunities like men and compete fairly. We really are appreciative to all those who have contributed to this event,” said Msaka.
Mbilizi, who also won the similar competition when it was played in Blantyre, said she is passionate about the girl child education and that is why she had to come to Lilongwe to participate and support the cause.
Standard Bank plc has partnered 14 Trees Limited, a joint venture between LafargeHolcim and CDC Group plc, to enable their customers own decent houses.
Speaking during the launch of the project in Lilongwe, the bank’s head of personal and business banking Margaret Kubwalo-Chaika said the partnership signifies the bank’s commitment to complementing Malawi Government’s efforts to provide affordable houses.
Kubwalo: We are proud
“At Standard Bank, we are proud to be associated with the initiative by 14 Trees Limited to provide decent housing while conserving the environment. The current initiative in which 14 Trees provides concrete bricks as an alternative to clay bricks in the construction of houses and other commercial buildings, will contribute to sustainable growth of the real estate sector.
“This in the long-term will translate into wealth creation and usher in meaningful economic growth,” she said.
Kubwalo-Chaika said the Malawi Stock Exchange (MSE)-listed bank’s role in the partnership is aimed at providing customers the opportunity to own decent houses with access to tailor-made financial solutions.
“We want to encourage Malawians to take advantage of this building loan product that we are offering. As a bank, we are giving our customers a life-time opportunity to own a new house. Together, let us build a home that you can pay for in affordable monthly installments for up to 20 years,” she said.
On his part, 14 Trees Limited manager for durabric homes Francis Chilemba said through the partnership, they will be contributing to saving the environment as durabric homes are constructed in an environmental-friendly manner.
“These houses are constructed using what we call soil stabling blocks and we are using solar geysers which means we are saving 20 percent energy and 20 percent of water,” he said.
The project will be piloted in Lilongwe and eventually expand to other cities in th country.
14 Trees Limited aims to accelerate the production of durabric, an environmentally-friendly and alternative to traditional clay and burnt bricks.
United Kingdom (UK) Minister for Africa Harriet Baldwin has described the three-year-old Blantyre-based Roseberry Farms Project as a milestone for Malawi’s horticulture, saying it has potential to penetrate the regional market.
Speaking during a tour of the facility on Friday, Baldwin said it is impressive that Roseberry Farms has an impact on the community.
She said the facility has great potential for the horticulture industry in Malawi and complements the goal of the owner to ensure that all local supermarkets are stocked with locally- grown vegetables and fruits.
Baldwin (2ndR) being briefed by Kalima (R)
Said Baldwin: “It is not just about the farm itself, but rather the multiplier effect that comes along with the facility. The innovation itself is impressive as it is helping not only the owner of the farm, but the smallholder farmers as well.
“This idea has great capacity to grow. We have met some of the women from a village 20 kilometres away who are also being trained in this technique and are using it to invest in their local communities. This is, therefore, an industry that can see a great deal of growth in Malawi given the right conditions with soil, water and climate.”
The company has set up a pack house and a cold room to stock 1 000 tonnes of vegetables per annum with 84 percent coming from the anchor farm and 16 percent from the outgrower section funded by the Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund project (Micf).
Through the fund, a model outgrower irrigation scheme has also been set up in Bvumbwe, Thyolo, enabling smallholder farmers to grow vegetables which are also being supplied to the farm.
Baldwin has since reaffirmed the UK’s support to projects of this nature through the Micf.
“We have the Micf which has enabled this facility to be successful in bidding for the fund. The UK has a commitment to the people of Malawi with these kinds of aspects as well as investments we have seen here.”
Roseberry Farms founder and manager Ruth Kalima said the family-owned business will continue to make social impact, describing the visit by the UK minister as encouraging.
“We are pleased to have been acknowledged by the minister. This is encouraging and shows our project is growing and making an impact.
“We shall continue to focus on improving the livelihood of an average Malawian horticulture farmer with a mission to help grow the economy of the country by working smallholder farmers and improving their lives at a time until we get to be a net exporter of horticulture products,” she said.
Most of the chain stores are stocked with fruits and vegetables imported from South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Roseberry Farms—a private company—is set to transform the vegetable value chain in the country by setting up an inclusive business model for high value horticulture crops.
The farm occupies shelf space in all major retail chain stores such as Shoprite and People’s who were previously stocking imported vegetables.
Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Aggrey Masi has said government is committed to revamping the country’s mining sector to ensure that it contributes towards sustainable economic growth.
The minister said this on Friday when he toured Songwe Hill in Phalombe where Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)-listed Mkango Resources Limited of Canada is exploring for rare earth metals.
Masi appreciates mining works at Songwe Hill
“We are doing a lot. At the moment we have the Mines and Minerals Bill which has already gone through the Cabinet committee and is expected to go to Parliament in November for debate and passing.
“There ministry is also doing a lot to ensure that there is sanity in the mining industry and that everything is done according to the law. There is no way miners can go away with what belongs to Malawi without government knowing,” said Masi.
He dismissed assertions that most foreign miners are duping the country by exploiting and externalising valuable minerals on the pretext that they are taking samples for laboratory testing outside the country.
The miner’s president and founding director Alexander Lemon said the firm is currently implementing advanced drilling at a minimum of 5 000 metres which is expected to end by September this year.
He said the firm has identified rare earths at the site, emphasising that all the drilling is not mining yet.
Lemon said the company, which has been exploring for rare earths for about seven years, completed a pre-feasibility study in 2015 and is running a final draw programme whose results will form a bankable feasibility study to be completed by the end of 2019.
He said Mkango Resources has invested over $34 million (about K24 billion) at Songwe Hill since the project started and intends to invest a further $220 million (about K161 billion) for the construction of a mine.
With the transfer window now open, some TNM Super League clubs say they are planning to beef up their squads in the quest to either win the title or avoid relegation.
Following the conclusion of the first round, Super League of Malawi (Sulom) general secretary (GS) Williams Banda yesterday said the second round is scheduled to kick-off on August 12.
Bullets finished the first round at the top
“We are looking at having a two-week break and the transfer window has since opened [with effect from July 30] and will close at midnight on August 11,” he said.
The Sulom GS has since appealed to clubs to adhere to transfer rules and regulations.
“We also want to urge the clubs to follow the modern domestic transfer matching system [DTMS] which was shunned by many at the start of the season,” he said.
Banda also said while the competition was stiff in the first round, there was a notable lapse in discipline.
Meanwhile, champions Be Forward Wanderers, who finished third in the first round, have ruled out any possibilities of roping in new players.
The club’s GS Mike Butao said: “We are not recruiting. We already have a deep quality squad. We have some players who hardly featured in the first round, but will be available for the second round such as Harry Nyirenda, Jaffalie Chande, William Thole, Fransisco Madinga and Simeon Singa.
“So, these will be almost like ‘new signings’. Having said that, the first round has not been satisfactory. We started poorly, perhaps due to fatigue from CAF Champions League excursions.
“Fortunately, we regrouped and got our act together. Hopefully, the team will get better as the players get more and more used to [coach] Bob [Mpinganjira’s] tactics.”
However, leaders Nyasa Big Bullets, second-placed Silver Strikers and fourth-placed Civil Sporting Club have said they will invade the transfer market.
Ironically, the People’s Team and the Bankers were chasing the same players.
Bullets chief executive officer (CEO) Fleetwood Haiya said they are in the process of finalising their former midfielder Dalitso Sailesi’s deal after the winger terminated his five-year contract with Zambian Premier League side Lusaka Dynamos.
“For Dalitso, we have even agreed personal terms and what remains now is his clearance. We are also hoping to finalise Raphael Phiri’s deal with Civil Sporting whose negotiations started in January this year,” he said.
Haiya further said they will promote eight players from their reserve side.
“Three of them—Ernest Petro, Dave Banda and Chimwemwe Idana—were already elevated as semi-seniors, but we are looking at drafting in five more,” he said.
On his part, Silver GS Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda said they are hoping to sign one player, “but they could be two”.
He said: “Our first target was Sailesi, but we established that he wanted to take us for a ride because he was not forthcoming. So, we dropped the pursuit. For now, we have made progress on Phiri and we have agreed personal terms with the player. We have also been in serious talks with his club and we are waiting to hear from them..”
Apparently, Civil Sporting GS Ronald Chiwaula, who on Monday told The Nation that the player is not for sale, yesterday changed his tune, saying the executive committee will meet to discuss the two clubs’ bids on Phiri.
“We wouldn’t want to be seen to be blocking the player, but it is something that the executive will have to discuss,” said the Civil Servants’ GS who added that on their part, they are planning to sign two defenders.
In an interview yesterday, the red-hot Phiri said he would make a determination after meeting Civil Sporting’s GS.
Meanwhile, table-anchors Nchalo United’s chairperson Peter Chiipanthenga said while they would want to boost their squad, financial hurdles could prove a challenge.
“We need to bring in one or two players to strengthen some key positions of the team because we have a big task of trying to survive relegation, but what we will do in the second round largely depends on availability of funds,” he said.
Second from the bottom Mafco FC’s GS Jimmy Chisenga said they will sit down with the technical panel to see if there are areas that need to be strengthened ahead of the second round.
Sempha Investments have withdrawn their K3 million Central Region Volleyball League (CRVL) sponsorship due to bad publicity.
CRVL general secretary Tarsizio Chikaonda announced the development in a statement dated July 27.
“The grounds for the withdrawal revolve around the negative publicity the league has been receiving after the incident that took place at Kumudzi Eco Learning Centre during last year’s prize presentation ceremony.
At the centre of controversy: Kamuzu Barracks (in white)
“The CRVL extends its sincere appreciation to Sempha Investments for the sponsorship and support it rendered to the league during the two seasons of its support,” reads the letter in part.
The development comes at a time some teams are boycotting fixtures against Kamuzu Barracks, in an attempt to force the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) side, to apologise for the unsporting behaviour, following the physical assault on a Mipuniro Spikers’ supporter.
Sempha Investments managing director Charles Zimba confirmed the withdrawal on Monday.
“I can confirm on the withdrawal. Our relationship with the league has been okey, and we always wanted to continue helping until the league was plagued with violence,” he said.
Volleyball Association of Malawi (VAM) general secretary Jailos Nkhoma described the development as a setback.
Kasungu District could have two teams in the TNM Super League as Kasungu Police top the Chipiku Stores Central Region Football Association (CRFA) Premier League.
Should they eventually win the second-tier championship, Kasungu Police could follow TN Stars’ footsteps who became the first team from the district to earn promotion into the top-flight league this season.
With 19 games played, Kasungu Police have finished the first round at the top with 38 points.
Ajawa: It has been tight
The Kasungu cops have won 11 games, lost five and drawn three times.
Team manager Ishmael Mdoka expressed optimism of playing in the Super League next season.
‘We have been motivated by the construction of the new stadium and TN Stars promotion. We will work hard so that come next season, we will be playing in the top league.
“We are doing all we can to motivate our players,” he said.
On financial sustainability, Mdoka said Kasungu Police is different from other police teams.
“This team was formed on the background of community policing. It has a board of trustees composed of the local community. It is a community team and most of the financiers are businesspersons from Kasungu such that we are financially sound,” he said.
Nevertheless, Mdoka admitted that they face stiff competition from five other teams—one time TNM Super League outfit Dedza Young Soccer Stars, Mlatho Mponela from Mponela, Support Battalion and Airborne Rangers—in their quest to win the league.
Only a point separates them from second-placed Airborne Rangers, which was also once a Super League team, on second position and there is a four point gap with third-placed Mlatho Mponela.
CRFA chairperson Austin Ajawa said there is stiff competition in the league.
“It has been very close first round as the gap is so thin. It is too early to make a call. It will be tight right to the end and this is good for competition and as it brings excitement,” he said.
Flames midfielder Robert Ng’ambi is undergoing trials with a Cypriot side Genclic Gucu T.S.K which plays in the Northern Cyprus Championship League.
Ng’ambi, whose South African club Platinum Stars was relegated to the National First Division (NFD) recently, said the trials are for two weeks.
Trying his luck: Ng’ambi
He said: “Following the relegation of Platinum, the prospects of me remaining at the club appear slim.
“Platinum has been part of me. It is a team that I have served loyally for seven years and it was not an easy decision to make.
“But as I said, I am only here for trials and I also have offers from some South African teams. So, all I can say for now is that we will see how it goes.”
Ng’ambi, who turns 32 next month, has played in South Africa for the past 12 years.
In 2013, he was among the three nominees for the South Africa’s PSL Player of the Year Award which was won by Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.
He joined Black Leopards in 2006 from Zimbabwean side Monomotapa FC.
Last year, he made a cut into the list of top five most valuable foreigners playing in South Africa’s Absa Premiership when he was valued at R9.5 million (about K532 million), according to Transfermarket.
Ng’ambi was then rated fourth. Topping the list was Zimbabwean Khama Billiat whose price tag was then at R24 million. He was followed by SuperSport United’s Jeremy Brockie while Ricardo Nascimento came third.
The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) says lack of industrialisation and the shrinking land available for agriculture are a stumbling block to the growth of the country’s economy.
Malawi’s economy is largely dependent on agriculture although the sector is beset with challenges which result in high commodity prices.
Faster industralisation can improve the country’s economy
Speaking during the opening of the third Lilongwe Trade Fair last week, MCCCI councillor Andrew Chinguwo said Malawi also needs to work on energy challenges if the industry is to grow.
He said: ”The persistent lack of industrialisation is a stumbling block to our economy, which is largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture and unprocessed commodities that add relatively little value.
“As land available for agriculture keeps shrinking and the optimum level of productivity is reached, it is the industrial sector which acts as an engine for growth and provides employment to millions of Malawians who are currently unemployed or underemployed.”
According to Chinguwo, industry plays a vital role in development because it increases the value created in an economy by generating activities further down the value chain, from raw materials to finished products, down to the market.
He added: “Industrialisation boosts productivity by introducing new technologies and techniques and it also generates employment, increases the skills of the workforce, supports formalisation of the economy, diffuses improvements into the wider economy and tends to underpin social stability.
“Industrialisation can also improve the balance of trade by producing processed goods for export and creating local competition for imports.”
Chinguwo also said several developing economies, particularly in East Asia and parts of Latin America, have successfully transformed their economies through industrialisation and are acknowledged as newly industrialised countries (Nics).
Commenting on the trade fair, he said Lilongwe has become a major business centre, and that the number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are the biggest source of untapped growth potential for the economy.
In his remarks, acting Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism Joseph Mkandawire said industrialisation is crucial to any economy as it gives rise to utilisation of resources and promotes production of value-added products.
He said government puts emphasis on and supports industrialisation and trade competitiveness as drivers of the economy.
“Realising the challenges relating to industrialisation, government has instituted a number of business and industrial reforms in a bid to promote industrialisation. Industrialisation is essential to enable African countries, including Malawi, to trade among themselves and to benefit from free trade agreements,” said Mkandawire.
He also commended exhibitors for displaying high-quality products fit for the export market.
“What I have seen in the stands is awesome and if we can support these companies through the Buy Malawi Strategy, they can easily grow. The products I have seen can compete very well on the international market,” he added.
The fair was held under the theme Industrialisation: Basis for Trade Competitiveness.”
At least 30 companies, including Lilongwe Dairy, Rose Farms, Monsanto and Chombe Foods exhibited various products and services at the fair.
National Association of Women in Business Eastern and Southern Africa (Femcom) has hailed Malawi for allocating 10 acres of land to the organisation for the construction of a trade centre in Lilongwe.
The centre is expected to be built along the Lilongwe-Kamuzu International Airport Road near Malawi Institute of Management.
Ichoya speaking during the meeting
Currently, the organisation, which oversees the welfare of women entrepreneurs in the region, is being housed in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism offices in Lilongwe.
Speaking in an interview, Femcom chief executive officer Katherine Ichoya said the offices will be vital to their operations as a lot of youths will be taught entrepreneurship, among other skills.
She said: ”We are highly indebted to government for allocating us land which will help us have our own offices. These structures will be very magnificent and women and children within the region will be converging there. This will be like a regional office for all the 21 Femcom members and will help women entrepreneurs.”
According to Ichoya, they also plan to link up with institutions such as Bunda College so that traders learn how they can take agriculture as a serious business.
“We have aromatic rice in Malawi which if properly handled can fetch a lot of money. Entrepreneurs must seriously think of exporting agricultural produce. This is the reason we are calling on all Southern African Development Community [Sadc] governments to have cold rooms in borders which can facilitate exports of fresh products such as fish,” she said.
Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development spokesperson Charles Vintulla confirmed the allocation of land to Femcom.
“I need to gather more information but it is true that land has indeed been allocated to the organisation,” he said.
