MAREP Phase 8 Meets Requests From Legislatures

• The project began in 1980s to promote economic activities for rural trading centres 

• MAREP 8 Target to electrify 81 Trading Centre’s and dditional 60 Centre’s For Step Down Transformers

Hon Msaka

The Malawi Rural Electrification Project (MAREP) phase 8 begins later this year, Government says areas prioritized for electrification includes those that were requested by members of parliament and local contractors will implement the project.

Phase 8 ending in December, 2016 targets a total of 81 trading centre’s, three rural trading centre’s per each district (Know target areas here and full statement)

Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, Hon Bright Msaka told news conference in Lilongwe on Thursday that approximately 60 to 70 trading centre’s passed through by the power lines will also get Step Down Transformers.

The total project cost is estimated to K12.1billion against K8.3 billion for MAREP 7.

“In my responses to requests from Members of Parliament, I have been telling them that their requested sites were either already planned to be implemented in this Phase 8 or are in the MAREP Master Plan, ready for implementation in later phases.” said hon Msaka

“I would like to assure that this phase, will answer most requests from members of parliament. But many others will have their requests answered in upcoming phase” he assured

The Natural Resources, Energy, and Mining Minister explained that criteria used to identify the beneficiary trading centre’s was robust and from Rural Electrification Master Plan.

He also said the criteria further took cognizant of district’s; size and population, rate of electrification and number of trading centre’s demanding for electricity.

“Every centre that is within the 81 centre’s under MAREP phase 8, there is no dispute whatsoever that the merit and deserve to be electrified. And therefore the selection process is both robust and sacrosanct.” He said

Additionally, Hon Bright Msaka indicated, 60 to 70 trading centre’s will benefit from Step Down Transformer programme. He said this shall mean, each district will have two more trading centre’s electrified.

He said consultations are being done to identify those step down trading centre’s and assured that similar robust identification process will be done.

Among other considerations, he clarified “These 60 to 70 drop down centre’s, will not be on the basis of the equality per district but, will be on the demand and equity depending upon the size of the population per district”

Hon Msaka further mentioned that local contractors will be engaged to implement the project because they have achieved efficiency in previous phases. He added that materials will also be procured locally.

MAREP began in 1980s with an aim of promoting economic activities in rural areas. However, demographic, geographic and economic disparities pose a huge challenge to the successful implementation of the programme.

Malawi is failing to meet its growing demand for electricity because currently it has installed capacity of 351.75 Mega Watts against the demand of 800 Mega Watts. The country’s electricity rural penetration is at 2 percent while the national average is 9 percent.

But Msaka said Malawi is determined to meet SADC region average of 39 percent in 5 years time and that Government is committed to increase electricity capacity through involvement of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) who will generate electricity and inject it into the national grid through Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with ESCOM.

Know target areas here and full statement)

109 CSOs Demand Justice On Al-Bashir Arrest Foil In South Africa

Over one hundred Civil Society groups asks Courts of South Africa to establish accountability and the government to investigate circumstances that allowed Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir leave the country in defiance of Pretoria Court order of his arrest.

President al-Bashir wanted by International Criminal Court (ICC) was in South Africa from 13-15 June for an African Union Summit. 

The 71 year old Sudanese President flown home from South Africa in defiance of Court order that he stay to face arrest.

South African Government, party to the Rome Statute of the (ICC) was required to facilitate the arrest and surrender President al-Bashir to The Hague for charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the conflict in Darfur.

Failure to arrest al-Bashir worries 109 civil society groups, from across the globe, working on international criminal justice and human rights.

They have expressed “deep disappointment” with the actions of South African officials in allowing Sudanese President, to depart the country in defiance of a court order and South Africa’s international legal obligations.

“We noted with deep concern reports that rather than arresting President al-Bashir, South African officials apparently allowed him to leave the country in direct defiance of the order by the Pretoria High Court.” Reads the Declaration dated 11th July 2015 signed by 109 CSO groups Read full Declaration

“The actions pose serious consequences for the independence of the judiciary in South Africa and demonstrate a flagrant lack of respect for the rule of law and the rights of Darfur’s victims to have access to justice.

Adds the letter; “South Africa’s domestication of the Rome Statute of the ICC makes the government’s failure to arrest President Omar al-Bashir a contravention of domestic law as well.” 

From Malawi, five CSOs have signed the Declaration including Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP)

Gift Trapence

“We are all saying that South Africa Government should comply to the international human rights standards. If they are party to international agreements they have to respect those agreements” said Gift Trapence Executive Director for CEDEP

“These international instruments that countries are party to, have no borders and human rights issues these are universal, there is no border in terms of application.” He said “This is why as civil society we are raising this issue at both local and global level.”

Trapence emphasized that this Declaration also sends message to all countries to comply to international human rights instruments.

“Whenever countries are party to international human rights instruments they need to comply” He said 

“The instruments of the laws that we have, should not be applied selectively. We have to make sure that even African governments are able to comply with those international human rights mechanisms and in this case it is Rome Statutes.” He added “And we are also urging even Malawi to be exemplary to comply and ratify human rights instruments that it hasn’t ratified.” 

Trapence also urged African governments to stop giving immunity to the sitting presidents who commits atrocities against its citizens and that African Union should also look at this problem.

Among others, the Declaration signed by 109 CSOs, call on the Assembly of States Parties of the ICC to take appropriate action to address non-compliance by South Africa and other States who breach their obligations of cooperation and assistance under the ICC Statute. 

It further demands all responsible to be brought to prompt justice, including for contempt of court. Read full Declaration

Malawian Boy Sent To Reformatory Centre For Raping 73 Year Old Granny

A young boy has been sent to stay two years at a reformatory centre after being convicted of raping a granny aged more than four times his age.

A First Grade Magistrate court in Dowa district ordered Danniel Kwenda aged 17 to stay at Chirwa reformatory centre for two years.

The court heard from Police prosecutor Sergeant Agnes Mphinga that the young man, had raped the granny aged 73 years.

Sergeant Mphinga narrates in the court that at the time of rape, the old woman was returning from her garden with vegetables in her hands. Then Mphinga said the woman was abruptly approached by the young man demanding that she surrender her vegetables.

At that moment, the two had wrestled before the boy forcibly sent down the old woman and raped her said the prosecutor. 

The court was further informed that the young man (Danniel Kwenda) works as a cowboy and was herding his cattle when he appallingly launched the attack.  

The boy admitted the charge during court hearing on Friday 10th July, 2015.

Surprisingly the accused boy said the granny was “sweet.” 

The First Grade Magistrate Amulani Phiri after hearing from state who asked for stiffer punishment,  ordered Daniel Kwenda to be sent for 2 years at Chirwa reformatory centre because he is a child and was a first offender. 

The complainant was not present at the court.  According to Police Public Relations Officer for Dowa Police,  Sergeant Richard Kaponda,  the old woman comes from Thambwe village of T/A Mkukula in Dowa while the 17 year old boy,  comes from of Mose village T/A Mazengela in Lilongwe.  

The offence of rape is Contrary to section 133 of the penal code and attracts a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment with had labour.

In an interview the police prosecutor Sergeant Agnes Mphinda said she was satisfied with the order by the court. 

"He is a child and is a first offender. He grew up without his parents and proper supervision" she said,  "Sending him to Chirwa is part of protecting this child. Though two years seem to be less punishment, but I hope that his stay at the reformatory centre he will learn learn a lot in terms of behaviour and skills. So he will get reformed"

However, the court also clarified that when two year period is reached, the commission at Chirwa reformatory centre will assess the boy if has really been reformed to be sent back home  or extend years of his stay at the centre.

The boy raped the granny on 5th July 2015 near Dowa turn-off near to the victims village. According to Dowa Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Kaponda, the members of community managed to apprehend the boy and took him to police. He also said Dowa District Hospital examination confirmed the woman was indeed raped. 

Malawi Govt Revamps Secondary School Bursary for Girls

• Govt to target only Utra-poor girls from all constituencies and names of beneficiaries to be verified
• Global fund is ready to revamp the project

Hon Kaliati

Secondary School Bursary for girls to revamp says Malawi Government. 

The Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) bursary will be one way of promoting girl child secondary school education and ending early marriages.

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Honorable Patricia Kaliati confirmed that plans are underway and probably in September this year, the programme will rollout.

She said government wants to invigorate efforts to keep girls at school and estimates that roughly 80 girls from utra-poor families per constituency will benefit from project.

Currently Malawi girls from poor families face number of challenges in their education, as such; most school dropout statistics shows more girls leave school at each level of education and right away from primary school.

But one of the common hindrances to their secondary school studies is school fees, if they can’t afford then end up in marriage.

In an effort to keep more girls at school and finish their studies, Malawi Government is taking further step in girl child education by revamping school bursary to all girls from utra-poor families.

According to Kaliati, Malawi Government has partnered with Global Fund to revamp a Gender Equality and Women Empowerment GEWE Bursary. However, she did not indicate the amount of money and period to which the programme will last once it kicks off.

She said plan to restore the project is underway after Global Fund Chief Executive pledged the commitment at the recent meeting with Malawi Government in South Africa.

“We met with Global Fund Chief Executive and he has promised that they are going to revamp the programme and will start paying bursaries for school fees for utra-poor and this is what we are looking forward to be doing” said Kaliati

Kaliati said GEWE Bursary which stopped some years ago, helped a lot of secondary school girls to finish their studies.

The Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Minister observed that such assistance to girls is the right direction to supplement number of government efforts in ending early marriages and school dropouts among girls.

She said the GEWE bursary will greatly support Malawian girls from utra-poor families who struggle in their daily life to access to secondary education.

Hon Kaliati has assured that the existing structures will be used identify the deserving girls from each constituency across the country 

“It is the same as we used to do in the past where we asked members of parliament to submit to social welfare names of those who are struggling to get school fees.” She said

Social Welfare, child protection, will verify the identified beneficiaries she said; “What we are looking for is utra-poor” she emphasized “We will therefore empower social welfare to go back to constituencies to assess whether the names are indeed for the utra-poor” said Kaliati

UNICEF Constructs US$7 Million Worth TTC for Malawi Govt

UNICEF Malawi has completed construction of Chiradzulu Teacher Training College (TTC), ready to handover to Ministry of Education, Science and Technology this Tuesday in Chiradzulu district.

Angela Travis, Chief of Communication, at UNICEF Malawi says the new TTC is worth US$7 million and will be training Primary School Teachers.

The new college will help to meet Malawi's growing demand for primary school teachers and promote quality education.

Travis said UNICEF through the Swiss National Committee constructed Chiradzulu TTC at the request of the Ministry of Education to fulfill the need for additional primary school teachers in the country.

"Given the growth in the primary school population the additional trained teachers will assist in keeping class size at a manageable level." said Travis in an interview

She indicated that the new college will take around 540 students per year.

The construction has taken 3 years, and the building will be handed over to the Government of Malawi, in order for preparations to begin for opening in September 2015.

In terms of sustainability and ensure that the College is up to standards, the UNICEF Malawi's Chief of Communication, said "The handover symbolically gives responsibility to the government for the launch and running of the college.

"Staff have been recruited and students are being selected. However UNICEF will continue to support the Ministry as needed and will oversee the final stages of completion. The opening is planned for September." She said

The funds for construction have been around US $ 7 million, and have been provided by UNICEF through the Swiss National Committee.

Manfred Ndovi, Public Relations Officer for Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, says  Chiradzulu Teacher Training College will be welcomed as eighth Teacher Training College run by Malawi Government.

Expect More Job Cuts at MSB says MCP Shadow Finance Minister

Privatization has left bad memories in Malawians mind. Results in job cuts and sometimes closure of the company or if it manages to survive, it becomes less important to Malawians. So, Malawians anticipate the same from Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) sale. 

The Finance spokesperson for the Malawi’s main opposition party, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) says more harmful cost for selling Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) are imminent although FDH Holdings has promised hope having acquired the MSB two weeks ago.

Government signed the sale of its 75% shares to FDH Finance Holdings Limited to a tune of K5.4 billion and has set aside Capital subscription for Basil II of K3.20 billion and Investment in ICT to a tune of K0.90 billion which total the investment of K9.5 billion.

CEO for FDH Thomson Mpinganjira in an interview casted out fears of job cuts at MSB saying they want to do serious business of expanding the bank, a work that require more workers and more branches.

However, Finance spokesperson for MCP, Hon Alexander Kusamba Dzonzi says FDH holdings CEO promise is oratory and likened his remarks to promises made in previous privatized public institutions.

Hon Dzonzi stressed that MSB workers are at risk of being sacked and closure of many branches across the country is more likely.

“The Capitalists who have bought this bank have no remorse and don’t care about Malawians. They don’t care about 630 employees that are going to lose their jobs.” said Dzonzi as he name similar job cuts that happened at David White Head, Malawi Railways among.

“A lot of public institutions in this country have been privatized believing that that’s the way forward but what we see is nothing.” He claimed

“So the people who have bought this bank can make whatever promises but nobody is going to hold them responsible. And when they will start firing our sisters and brothers, nobody is going to ask why, when they start to close branches around this country, nobody including the Government will ask why.” Challenged Hon. Dzonzi

Hon Kusamba Dzonzi is a legislature who brought the private member’s motion on 26th February this year in parliament, asking the House to stop government from selling MSB pending Malawians views. Then the evening before the day the bank was sold a Report from Budget and Finance Committee of Parliament was presented and noted by the whole House. It made numerous recommendations emphasizing the recapitalization to meet some of the regulatory requirements including restriction of the sale of the bank. 

But the Legislature, expressed betrayal by Malawi Government for failing to obey all recommendations made by National Assembly. 

“I feel betrayed and I feel Malawians have been betrayed.” He said “I believe and respect all the people involved and I believe also that this country is governed by laws. If we start disobeying our own laws then how are you going to govern this country? Because when the house speaks that’s the people of Malawi speaking.”

“Now if the owners of the bank said don’t sale the bank, who so ever has sold this bank, then on whose behalf is he working? On whose interest is he trying to service? Who is he trying to please? He inquired then said “That definitely it is not Malawians.” 

Hon Alexander Dzonzi, who represents people from Dowa West added that government should have used other economic modules to recapitalize the bank.

He was even doubtful if the leaders who have been ruling the country since 1994 have patriotism.

Thomson Mpinganjira CEO FDH Financial Holdings who bought MSB he said they are planning to us MSB to expand their presence in the country and not shrink it. “No one will be fired” he said in the recent interview

“Out of 5.4 cash that we are going to pay the Government (this week), K300 million of that we are buying shares for the employees of the bank” assured Mpinganjira

Malawi Savings Bank sale has been attracting criticism among Malawians. 

Ombudsman Office Takes Services To the People Through NICE

Office of Ombudsman is optimistic that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) will take its services to all hard to reach areas across the country.

NICE in the MOU is expected to carry out civic education and facilitate people’s complaints to the Ombudsman office.

Ombudsman office admits financial challenges have crippled operations of the office. It fails to support officers to reach out to people across the country and finds NICE as a great help to work with for it has offices all the way down to grass root level.

NICE officers will get trained on identifying matters and on complaint handling in order to supplement Office of Ombudsman mandate of monitoring public service delivery of all public offices and increase presence across the country.

“Now as you are aware NICE has a grassroots, have their offices all the way down to grass root level and that is where this MOU is so important to us and I must admit that am really excited. Because with that then overnight we are able to cover the nation instead of us crying foul that we are underfunded” said Ombudsman Hon Justice Mrs. Tujilane Chizumila

She said Ombudsman has presence in four regional offices; Mzuzu which covers whole Northern region, Lilongwe which covers the whole Central region, Balaka which covers whole Eastern region and Blantyre which covers the whole Southern region.

“So you can imagine a vulnerable person from Nsanje to reach Blantyre and a vulnerable person from Chitipa to reach Mzuzu it’s really asking too much from these vulnerable but, with that training then the NICE officers will be bringing that information to our regional offices.” said Chizumila 

She added “I have forewarned members of staff of Ombudsman that they should be prepared for an avalanche of complaints reaching us. But that is what our mandate is all about.” 

From this year’s budget, Government has allocated Other Recurrent Transactions (ORT) to a tune of K90 million only, yet the office handles a lot of matters from across the country including conducting investigations. 

“There are so many issues involved; we need offices, staff to cover the whole nation, transport, funding for salaries if we are to ask for new officers, funding for stationary and all that. Mind you, most of the vulnerable people who come here most of them are so poor that they cannot even afford to write their complaint on a piece of paper, they can’t afford to buy paper or pen. The reason being that according to the law every compliant that has to come to this office must be in writing. So we are the ones who issue them with stationary.” She explained

Hon Chizumila further noted that the country needs to establish different Ombudsman offices to handle different complaints than having single ‘public’ Ombudsman.

National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) executive director, Ollen Mwalubunju said his organization is ready to educate the public as well as facilitate complaints to office of Ombudsman.

He said NICE finds it fit to carry out the task diligently since it has similar roles with that of Ombudsman office particularly on fostering democratic governance.

Having structures spread countrywide with 8000 volunteers and 31 district offices, Mwalubunju was optimistic that they will manage play the role of providing information on how people can access Ombudsman offices and fill all gaps that exists with office of Ombudsman.

Mwalubunju said carrying out the civic education is aright partnership which will give Ombudsman services to rural people and not only to urban people as it has been the case.

He said NICE has several approaches that are going to make the civic education of this task fruitful just like they successfully managed civic education during the last elections.

NICE will be forwarding some matters to Ombudsman in an effort to carryout Ombusdman mandate of monitoring public service delivery of all public offices across the country.

At the signing ceremony that took place at the Ombudsman office in the Capital city, Lilongwe some two weeks ago, ‘Then’ Ombudsman Hon Justice Mrs. Tujilane Chizumila on behalf of Ombudsman office signed the MOU with Ollen Mwalubunju Exectutive Director for NICE on behalf of NICE.