Kauma Rainstorm Death Toll Reaches 2

Kauma Rainstorm Dath Tll Reaches 2

The rainstorm that destroyed houses in Lilongwe has claimed another life at Kauma. Samson Chirwa a father of three children has died after falling from a roof top of friend’s house trying to repair it from damage caused by the storm.

In Lilongwe the recorded death due to the thunderstorm that happened in the night of Friday 2^nd January 2015 was of a 10 year old Sakira Banda who was electrocuted after stepping on a fallen ESCOM live-wire as she escaped when the roof to her house was being blown-off.

But as of Sunday morning people in the area were also mourning a man whose deaths was the result of the damage brought by the storm.

According to the deceased’s cousin Dickson Tchongwe, on Saturday morning Samson Chirwa left work unfinished of fixing damaged roof of one of his houses to help fix three damaged roof sheets of a friend’s house.

“He climbed to the roof of the house and had a hammer in his hand.” explained Chirwa’s cousin, “As he tried to repair on one roof sheets the hammer slipped from his hand and fell on the floor. He was trying to look down when he suddenly lost his foothold on some timbers and down he went, sliding, falling on a cement floor and smashed back of his head.”

Tchongwe said the back of deceased head started to swell rapidly and was rushed to Kamuzu Central Hospital where he died upon arrival. He said his remains were taken on Monday afternoon to his home village of T/A Maulawo in Mzimba district where the burial is expected to take place on Tuesday.

But Tchongwe said police were informed of the accident when the officials at Kamuzu Hospital insisted that family members should get police clearance first before taking remains of Chirwa from the hospital mortuary because the accident that lead to this death require police report.

The raging thunderstorm on Friday night damage and demolish more than 200 houses at Kauma leaving many people homeless. High winds knocked down the trees, cutting power in the process leaving electric wires and poles lying on the ground and some roofing sheets landed on electric poles and some in the trees.

Some victims said starting around 02:00 hours of Saturday when the storm blew off their home roofs they remained outside soaking in the rains till around morning hours when the rains stopped.

Same night the thunderstorm also hit some parts of the country. It also left 3 children from one family dead after being hit by lightning in Kasungu District and also in Karonga 6 people were injured.

APM Condole With Families Affected By Thunderstorm

APM Condole With Families Affected By Thunderstorm

President of the Republic of Malawi Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has send condolences to the families that have lost their relatives killed in heavy thunderstorm that began in the night of Friday till the morning hours of Saturday.

In a press statement signed by Deputy Presidential Press Secretary Timpunza  Mwansambo says president Mutharika deeply regrets the fatal accident caused by the thunderstorm that has hit parts of the country in the night of 2nd of January 2015.

The damage has left 3 children from one family dead after being hit by lightning in Kasungu District and in Lilongwe at Kauma, where Sakira Banda was electrocuted after stepping on a fallen ESCOM live-wire as she escaped when the roof to her house was being blown-off and also in Karonga where 6 people were injured.

“The President and Government extend their deepest condolences to the families of the victims of these fatal accidents, the Chiefs and the entire nation. Government pledges its support in these trying times to the affected families. May the souls of all the victims rest in eternal peace” reads the statement dated 3^rd January 2015

“The president is also very saddened to hear of injuries sustained and loss of property to our brothers and sisters In Lilongwe’s Area 49, 51, Kauma and surrounding areas. In Karonga, T/A Wasambo where 3 villages have been affected with more than 200 houses having their roofs blown-off and in T/A Kyungu’s area 1 village and dozens houses affected, leaving many people homeless.”

“The president expresses his sympathy and his thoughts are with all the affected. The Government will do all it can to assist those affected. May peace and comfort find you during this difficult time”

Having recognized the magnitude of this problem statement also said President Mutharika is pleading with all those residing in flood prone areas like in the lower shire districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa and other similar parts of the country to immediately relocate to upper areas to avoid flood- generated accidents as we are in the on-set of the rainy season.

The statement is also informing people that Salima-Nkhotakota road is impassable from a wash-away at Khombedza about 17 Kms from Salima Boma.

10 Year Old Girl Killed In Electrocution As Heavy Storm Damage Hundreds Of Homes at Kauma

10 Year Old Girl Killed In Electrocution As Heavy Storm Damage Hundreds Of Homes at Kauma

A 10 year old girl at Kauma in the capital city Lilongwe was electrocuted while trying to escape together with her family from their house ripped off the roof by strong winds during heavy rains on early Saturday morning.

The rainstorm also damaged and demolishes more than 200 houses in the area leaving many homeless.

The girl Sakira Banda a standard 4 pupil at Kauma primary school was pronounced dead by Lilongwe Police officer’s who rushed to the scene when some residents reported the matter to police.

She was severely shocked when curled by ESCOM live wire hanging on its pole just outside her home at Kauma. The energized wire was cut when a blown off iron sheet roof of one of the nearby house landed on the electric wires forcing the wire to cut and lie on the round.  

“The child together with her parents and other children rushed out from the house when the roof was being ripped off by the winds.” Said a man who stays few feet away from the victims house and saw the incident happening, “That time the cable was sparking and arcing on the ground from that electric pole (pointing at the pole outside the house lived by the girl) but she girl run towards the wire as she escaped from the house. Unfortunately, the wire as it moved by the wind touched her and froze there immediately”

He said the girl was in her blanket soaked by the rains when the storm blew off roof of their house.

Around 02:00 hours on Saturday heavy winds damaged and destroyed some houses and a CCAP church in the area, with many roofing sheets of schools and churches ripped off. Kauma Primary School roof portions and teachers houses, Adziwa Orphanage Centre School block roofs have been blown off.

When I visited the area around 07:00hours victims were seen collecting roofs sheets lying along the streets, some organizing their soaked furniture’s and clothes, and others were on top of their houses trying to reconstruct the roofs.

High winds knocked down the trees, cutting power in the process leaving electric wires and poles lying on the ground and some roofing sheets landed on electric poles and in the trees.

Some victims said starting around 02:00 hours of Saturday when the storm blew off their home roofs they remained outside soaking in the rains up around morning when the rains stopped.

Though the storm has caused damages particularly on property however, Police said they have recorded very few serious injuries from the incident.

Four Arrested by LL Police On New Year

Four Arrested by LL Police On New Year

Police in Lilongwe arrests four criminals armed with panga knives and other metals capable of aiding house breaking.

Sub Inspector Kingsley Dandaula Lilongwe Police Public Relation Officer confirmed that Lilongwe police arrests four men last night following tip off by some member’s f the general public.

He said said these suspects are connected to the two suspects arrested over the weekend whom one of them was shot dead by police in area 36.

Dandaula says the suspects have been terrorizing area 3 and area 9 and were staying in one house located in area 36 where the arrest took place.

He said when police arrested the four they recovered stolen goods including laptop and Plasma screen worth K750 thousand and that some property has already been identified by the victims.

Sub Inspector Dandaula named the suspects as Frank Alick aged 21 from Kambalame of T/A Ndindi in Salima, Brown Fast aged 35 from Chiphyanya village T/A Liwonde in Machinga, Feston Maondo aged 25 from Thonyiwa village of T/A Nsabwe and Elias Makala aged 30 from Mitabali of T/A Chimaliro in Thyolo district

He said the suspects are likely to answer charges of breaking offences and robbery with violence but currently are custody pending further investigations of other crimes they committed previously in areas 3 and 9.

He said robbers from area 36 are attacking neighboring areas of 3 and 9 through crossing Lilongwe River which is closer to all these areas.

Some Govt Institutions On Illegal Industrial Strikes – MHRC

But Pushes for Amicable Solution

The Malawi Human Rights Commission, (MHRC), takes a neutral position in the ongoing industrial actions and strikes by employees of public sector organisations.

In a statement signed by its chairperson Ambassador Sophie Asimenye Kalinde has however noted that some strikes are outside of the context of any negotiations, and their legality is questionable.

The Commission notes with concern the grave consequences the continued industrial actions and strikes have on the delivery of public services, which in turn pose serious negative implications on the enjoyment of human rights.

“While noting that taking part in an industrial action or a strike is a human right and that under section 33(4) of the Constitution, the state is under an obligation to take measures to ensure the right to withdraw labour, and whilst appreciating the validity of some of the issues leading to the strikes, the Commission is emphasising that this right like all human rights must be exercised with due regard to attendant responsibilities, as well as, through actions that are within the parameters of the applicable laws and in compliance with set legal procedures.” Reads the statement

Kalinde: Government should 
at all times be forthcoming
 and proactive in addressing 

reasonable concerns of 
employees

“The Commission would like to remind all stakeholders that the right to fair labour practices including the right to withdraw labour, like most rights, can only be exercised within the set legal parameters and with due compliance with set procedures. This includes the need to exhaust all other means of negotiation and compliance with the 7 days’ notice period prior to the industrial action.”

The Commission therefore urged all public sector employees to exercise the right to fair labour practices, including ensuring that essential services are not disrupted.  It particularly said employees engaged in essential services provision such as the hospital sector "should at all costs" avoid industrial actions which may be tantamount to endangering life and the health of people.

“Equally, Government should at all times be forthcoming and proactive in addressing reasonable concerns of employees engaged in provision of essential services so as to pre-empt the need for strikes in this sector” urged the Commission

In its recommendations MHRC has among others called upon Government and employees on strike to address the differences that have led to the ongoing industrial actions or anticipated strikes as a matter of urgency and in good faith while making lawful and reasonable demands as conditions precedent for settlement of labour-related disputes.

The commission has asked Government to take prompt and deliberate measures to address the reasonable concerns of employees working in public essential service delivery, so as to ensure that the limitation of their right to withdraw labour does not result into negating the essence of the right to fair labour practices.  

The statement also, calls upon all concerned employees proceeding on industrial actions that are outside of the provisions of the law, to call off their strike and urged Employees to carefully consider other options for resolving labour disputes.

Public institutions that received little salary adjustment effective October 2014 compared to other public institutions among them workers from Judiciary, anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and University of Malawi workers are continuing with strikes against decision which government says it is salary harmonization process.

However MHRC on the salary says the process has been characterised with a number of shortcomings, including, different treatment of employees in the sector and lack of clear justification for such decision to concerned workers.

The commission adds that amidst developments of the adjustment of salaries with huge percentages for the State President and Vice President, Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament, increments made to other institution ranging from 5% to 10%, are translating into negligible salary increases considering prevailing cost of living and are viewed as a mockery.

Government Commends Media For Being Professional In the Year 2014…

Promises Better Environment in 2015

Nankhumwa: Media did the nation proud in 2014

Government says in 2014 media did the nation proud through courageous and professional reporting of numerous issues a spirit which must be continued so that people benefit in their day to day lives through such noble service.

In a special New Year message to the media from Minister of Information Tourism and Culture hon. Kondwani Nankhumwa said during this period the media “did the nation proud and were the envy of the world” when it reported courageously and professionally during Malawi’s first ever Tripartite General Elections in May 2014 and also when it courageously helped to expose Cashgate (the systematic syphoning of money from Capital Hill).

Mkwezalamba Says HRCC, Anti-NAC Gate CSOs Gave Him Go Ahead To Represent CSOs When BEAM Well Wishers Refunded K5m to NAC

Mkwezalamba Says HRCC, Anti-NAC Gate CSOs Gave Him Go Ahead To Represent CSOs When BEAM Well Wishers Refunded K5m to NAC

A human rights activists and Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) executive director Robert Mkwezalamba says had a go ahead from his institution and from some of the Anti-NAC Gate CSOs to represent CSOs when concerned business person ‘well wishers of First Lady’s Beautify Malawi Trust (BAM) asked for his presence at an event of returning K5 million to NAC.

Five Anti-NAC Gate CSOs demanding refund of NAC money dubiously accessed by BEAM and Mulhakho Wa Alhomwe, recently disowned Mkwezalamba and Billy Mayaya as their preventatives at the event saying the two were present on their personal capacity as they are not part and parcel of the fight to see BEAM and Mulhakho to refund NAC money adding that even their presence at the event was not justifiable.

“We have learnt with great shock the recent acts of two activists Mr Billy Mayaya and Mr Robert Mkwezalamba who masqueraded as our representatives (ANTI-NACGATE CSOs representatives) at a BEAM/ DPP regime’s orchestrated “public display” of K5, 000,000.00 under the guise of “well-wishers”.  The two have never been, and are not part and parcel of this ANTI-NACGATE struggle being championed by CHRR, Cedep, MANERELA, MANET + and MHEN on behalf of aggrieved Malawians who are desperately waiting for the return of the money meant for HIV and AIDS activities.” Reads the communication from Makhumbo Munthali a Human Rights Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation Coordinator for Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR)

The communication added “As such, we would like to categorically dissociate ourselves from any act indulged by the two earlier this week, and that whatever they did was not representative of us.” Said Munthali adding “It was out of their own personal interest, -or perhaps under the influence of a “hidden big hand” to manipulate public’s opinion or trap us.”

But speaking in an interview Mkwezalamba says he made consultation before attending the event and is surprised that CSOs have changed the tune but said if they find fault in his presence at the event then the best way to raise the matter would have been using proper procedure than attacking personalities.

 “Basically as HRCC is a network organization of over 90 civil society organizations on various rights of individuals including some of the organizations that are demanding BEAM and Mulhakho to return NAC money, so when we were informed by Mr. Chinsinga (Barnett Chinsinga leader of concerned business persons) who contacted my office and said they want to do something for BEAM, I consulted my office and said it was in order. Then I shared the information with some of the five CSOs that are advocating for BEAM to refund the money and this is CEDEP and MHEN through their executive directors Gift Trapence and Martha Kwataine (respectively) they all accepted and said this is good news and we are going to attend the function.” He explained

“On the day, they called me in the morning they said due to security reason for fear that DPP supporters would be present, they are not ready to attend the function but they gave me a go ahead to proceed to sit to preside over the function and I did on that behalf on that basis.”

But reacting to disowning remarks Mkwezalamba said “I think as a leader and as a mature civil society activists, human rights activist, I wouldn’t want us to start fighting over this.”

“The issue should be about BEAM. Has the money been paid back? Are they satisfied or not? Are they proceeding or not? Those should be the issues, but as to why I was there or whether it was right or not wrong for me to be there, as HRCC we have our own internal structures that they can raise those issues for now we came in as HRCC to assist in the process.”

               

He added that he would want to see BEAM and Anti-NAC Gate CSOs sitting around the table and settle differences if any to the interest of Malawians and but put aside disowning issues and attacking personalities.

According to the communication from Munthali says Mkwezalamba and Mayaya presence that the event was not justifiable and claim that “there is more than what can meet the eye, and it would be naïve of us to completely rule out the possibility of the two being part of the BEAM/DPP’s regime orchestrated network of cadres who are hell-bent at thwarting the public crusade aimed at coming to the bottom of NACGATE. Their actions are suspicious.”

Currently CSOs maintains that neither Mulhakho Wa Alhomwe nor BEAM trust has refunded the money, as such demonstrations to press for their refund of money remain intact on 13^th January 2015, in all cities and in some selected number of districts across the country.