Malawi Govt Ban Production, Marketing, Distribution of Liquor in Satchets

Malawi Govt Ban Production, Marketing, Distribution of Liquor in Satchets

Malawi National Assembly

Cabinet meeting held on 16th February, 2015 has decided to ban production, marketing and distribution of liquor in sachets.

Statement signed by Minister of Information Tourism and Culture Kondwani Nankhumwa says  the meeting decided to promulgate regulations under section 96 of the Liquor Act to govern the production, marketing and distribution of liquor.

"Following the decision, Government will not allow the packaging of liquor in sachets and in quantities lower than the prescribed minimum. This regulation will be published under section 96 of the Liquor Act as means of enforcing the cabinet decision."

Dr. Koholiwe Mkandawire shwoing one of the
packet of Alcohl in sachet: Picture taken at
Malawi National Assembly at the time
youth petitioned National Assembly to
alcohol in sachet

The statement is clear that Ministry of Industry and Trade shall work in consultation with Ministries of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development, Health, Labour and Manpower Development, Youth and Sports, Gender, Children and Social Welfare, Home Affairs and Internal Security, Malawi Bureau of Standards and Malawi Revenue Authority in order to enforce compliance.

Youth Campaigning against Alcohol in Sachet
during the time of petitioning the National Assembly

Judge Forced to Adjourn Attempted Murder Case of Mphwiyo to Wednesday when Kasambara Cross Examined State Witness in Furious Manner

Dr. Ntaba, Ndovi, Rashid Paraded as State Witnesses

The Judge presiding over the case of Conspiracy to Murder and Attempted to Murder Malawi's former Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo was forced to adjourn the matter when the accused and self represented lawyer in the case Raphael Kasambara cross examined fifth state witness in short tempered manner.

Justice Michael Mtambo has adjourned the case from Tuesday evening to this Wednesday morning.

Kasambara appeared in court together with four other accused persons; Pika Manondo and his brother Dauka Manondo, MacDonald Kumwembe and Robert Kadzuwa while Oswald Lutepo failed to appear due to heath grounds.

Raphael Kasambara in the day was cross examining a state witness Gabriel Rashid (Mphwiyo wife's brother-in-law) after recounting his encounter on September 13th, 2013 the night Mphwiyo was shot. 

Lilongwe High Court heard the witness saying at around 00:00 hours and 01:00 (midnight) left the house of Paul Mphwiyo to Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) taking with him clothes to be used in changing Mphwiyo and his wife's blood stained clothes worn at that time. He said few meters away from Mphwiyo's house while driving his Toyota Linux, saw a black double cabin vehicle likened by the witness to a Toyota D4D Hilux approaching him to his right hand side as if it was trying to overtake.

But the witness said as soon as the suspicious vehicle neared him to the right side, heard from the vehicle a voice instructing the driver to hit his vehicle. At that moment the witness said "was terrified" and like in a fast and furious movie, the race between the two vehicles began from Area 43 passing Ufulu Gardens road then went on to M1 road at Area 30 up until he made a swift turn to Lingadzi Police Station at Area 18 for help, the black colored vehicle left him. 

He said at the police station met with a female and a male police officers whom he cant remember. Rashid said police recorded his statement and later was driven to KCH by George Mwale a close friend of Mphwiyo who came to the station when learned that the witness was being followed by a suspicious vehicle. 

From the witness evidence that he was driven to KCH by George Mwale, Kasambara was in a very incensed comportment while demanding the witness to be exact on who drove him to KCH in the night of September 13th, 2013 from Lingadzi Police Station in area 18. Kasambara argued that the evidence was different from recorded statement the witness gave to state wherein is on record saying it was police vehicle which drove him to KCH. 

"Who exactly drove you from Area 18 Police station to Kamuzu Central Hospital?" inquired Kasambara in a very loud angry toned voice.

Immediately, the Director of Public Prosecution Mary Kachale stood up to interrupt Kasambara by asking the Judge to stop the lawyer from further asking the witness in such intimidating manner.

But in response, Justice Michael Mtambo said "In this case I am adjourning the case to tomorrow morning at 09:30"

That was not the only time Kasambara clashed with this witness. At the very beginning of cross examination Kasambara also asked the witness if he will be responding questions as "a human being or God". This was because the witness for several times said he out smarted the speed of the "black vehicle" by the grace of God and that God was driving his vehicle through him at time of the racing.

Highlights of what transpired in the court.

Earlier in the day, the state paraded other two witnesses Rhoda Ndovi a close family friends to Dauka Manondo and Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba a doctor who was called to give first treatment to Paul Mphwiyo who was bleeding heavily from the gunfire wounds as he gasped for life. 

The witness Rhoda Ndovi told the High Court that a panicked Dauka Manondo came to her house in the dawn of 14th September 2013 (just few hours after Mphwiyo's shooting) driving a Surf black in color. The witness said she asked Manondo reasons for coming to her house at dawn. She said Manondo answered her that he was running away from a gang which has just shot his friend (Mphwiyo) and he was afraid of being the next target as the gang may think that he also huge sums of money. She added that Manondo also asked the witness to take a bath at the house.

Later in the afternoon, the state brought Doctor Hetherwick Ntaba who gave recount of how he treated Mphwiyo at Medical Aid Society of Malawi (MASM) clinic in Lilongwe before reffered to Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH). He said the treatment was particularly on stopping excessive blood loss. 

He said Mphwiyo was in "Life and death situation" 

Dr. Ntaba also told court about his experience in treating gunshot wounds. He said in United States of America, Philadelphia state, he in many occasions treated patients with gunshot wounds and in few occasions at KCH and at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre Malawi. 

The cross examination of the fifth witness by Raphael Kasambara will continue this Wednesday 18th February 2015.

Govt to Introduce a Standalone Environmental Protection Agency- Muluzi

Govt to Introduce a Standalone Environmental Protection Agency- Muluzi

The Minister of Natural Resources and Energy and Mining Hon. Atupele Muluzi has told National Assembly that he will soon present to the house a Environmental Protection Policy Act for review, a legislation seeks to introduce Environmental Agency.

Muluzi said this when presenting his Ministerial Statement on the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme and Power Shortages affecting the country on Monday afternoon. He said main reason of bringing the policy in the National Assembly is for the house to make its consideration.

“We are bringing to the house Environmental Protection Act for Review” said the minister in an interview

He said “What we are looking at is the establishment of Environmental Protection Agency that will be a standalone agency that will be responsible for enforcement and oversight over environmental aspects.” 

Muluzi indicated that the policy among others contain “Stiffer penalties” for those that will violet the provisions in the Act and proposes establishment of the standalone agency. 

He emphasized the importance of having a standalone environmental agency as it will be in a better place to enforce and oversee environmental aspects. 

In his statement Muluzi also informed the house that his ministry has a long term solution on energy. He promised to bring to the house the strategy and the report of the recent geological survey. He added that Compendium of geological resources will soon be released saying it is of economic interests.

He further recognized efforts by the private sector in reforestation and replanting of trees during this year’s tree planting season.

Huge Energy Demand in the Capital City Fueling Dzalanyama Deforestation- Muluzi

Huge Energy Demand in the Capital City Fueling Dzalanyama Deforestation- Muluzi

Government lay blame on huge energy demand in the capital city Lilongwe as the major cause of the tree loss at Dzalanyama forest reserve.

Minister of Energy and Environment Honorable Atupele Muluzi was responding to a question put to him by Lilongwe Msodzi South Parliamentarian hon Vitus Dzoole Mwale immediately after finishing his Ministerial Statement on the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme and Power Shortages affecting the country.

Dzoole Mwale in his question expressed dissatisfaction that hon Muluzi in his Statement failed to explicitly outline strategies put in place in ending massive deforestation being perpetrated by charcoal and wood fuel businesses. The parliamentarian said Malawi is being deforesteted by greedy people who are going into protected areas and forests especially Dzalanyama, and other forests of Chikangawa and Zomba Mountain a development which he said is resulting into among others the recent floods.

“Charcoal burning is a very serious issue in our country” Said Dzoole, “go to Dzalanyama forest reserve, is now bare, similarly to other protected areas. My worry is, if we are not careful Malawi as a country will be deserted.”

But in his response Atupele Muluzi accepted that Malawi continues to experience energy crisis because statistics indicates only 9% of urban population has access to power with only 2% in rural areas have access to electricity.

Specifically answering on Dzalanyama forest reserve problem, Muluzi said “We have huge energy demand in the city of Lilongwe. That is what is fueling the massive deforestation at Dzalanyama.”

“This energy demand is more towards biomass which is wood fuel and charcoal production.” He said

Muluzi said his ministry is implementing number of interventions ensuring that it addresses the huge fuel demand for Lilongwe City and communities around Dzalanyama having realized that this problem require a holistic approach.

“We have carried out enforcements, there is Malawi Police Service, Malawi defense force and Forestry Department. But honorable member should appreciate that enforcement sometimes has its limitations. So long as you have huge demand for charcoal and wood it is very difficult to enforce over a long period of time. What the enforcements should do is to address the short term requirement, which is to contain the situation while implementing long term measures.”

“So long as you have the charcoal sellers who are dependent upon the selling of charcoal for their livelihood for jobs, we take that away, we are creating another problem. So what we are doing as a ministry is encouraging them to be licensed.” He said while adding that by having charcoal sellers properly certified will enable them do their job in a sustainable manner.

“Enforcement alone cannot work!” said Muluzi

He also mentioned that government is considering other solutions like encouraging private sectors to grow trees in some specific areas for providing wood fuel in sustainable manner. He said government has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Global Environment Fund within this intervention.

Muluzi who emphasized that enforcement will continue said government will carry on with finding other alternatives on energy demands in Lilongwe particularly rolling out “extensively” Clean Cook Stoves Projects in areas around Dzalanyama and adopt other options like introducing wild animals or turning the place into national park.

He further informed the house that very soon a first time regional conference will convene in Lilongwe where Dzalanyama crisis will be discussed “extensively”

Finance Minister Winds Up Mid-Term Budget Review Statement;

Committee of Supply on Thursday

National Assembly Building

The National Assembly will on Thursday begin Committee of Supply authorizing vote by vote of additional resources to be allocated to various government ministries and departments, Leader of House Francis Kasaila announced in the house.

The announcement came following winding up statement of Budget Review statement on Monday by Finance and Economic Planning Minister Goodall Gondwe and curtailment of the General Debate of the statement last Friday.

Gondwe is seeking the house to authorize government use extra resources amounting to K32 billion.

In an interview Kasaila confirmed that documentation of all budget votes is ready “Government is ready for committee of supply.”

However, when winding up his statement Gondwe made an error whereby instead of ending at informing the house to take note of the developments and the way the budget is being implemented he went ahead to ask for an approval for the extra resources which means, the house should have gone into committee of supply. Interestingly the house accepted to approve the extra resources when the speaker Richard Msowoya put the question as motion moved by the Minister that the house approve the resources.

Immediately, a very long argument erupted in the house from some opposition MPs. They questioned why the minister requested the house to approve resources of which its breakdowns (budget votes) were not brought in the house. The development saw other confused MPs expressing worry that by accepting the Minister’s motion the whole house might have approved the budget without being provided with document details of how funds have been allocated to each vote.

Speaker, for several attempts explained to the house that the motion simply meant that the Leader of House shall bring at later day a government business programme for Committee of Supply but to no avail. It took the leader of house honorable Francis Kasaila to end the argument when he told the house that the Committee of Supply is on Thursday and acknowledged the mistake made by the Finance minister.

In an interview Kasaila explained that the confusion on the matter might have been also a result of failure to inform the house the agreed procedure during the Business Committee of the house. 

“Traditionally we have been doing budget review and we have been following supplementary procedures. But we did discuss this issue during our business committee level and agreed that it is irregular that as parliament we are treating budget review as supplementary budget. “

And therefore he continued “what we had agreed this time around was that we will not continue with the same tradition which is not backed up by any of our standing orders and any legislation.” 

A Primary School Protests Over Dzaleka CDSS Closure Injures Two Passengers;

5 Protesters  Arrested

Sgt Richard Kaponda 

Umodzi Katubza Primary School Students at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa district went on run riot Monday morning and in the course injured two vehicle passengers and destroyed some school property.

The Primary school students also stoned their head teacher’s office before injuring the two vehicle passengers, Dowa Police Public Relations Officer told Malawi Voice. 

The riots were related to the temporary closure of Dzaleka Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) on Friday last week. Dzaleka CDSS was closed after students on Friday held protests demanding reinstatement of their Deputy Head Teacher a Congolese national who was teaching  Mathematics at the school. The employment contract of the said teacher  has not been renewed this year and the development has angered students .

On Monday, Sergeant Richard Kaponda said a nearby primary school students also went rampage because are angered with the temporary closure of Dzaleka CDSS and and very handful students from Dzaleka CDSS also joined pupils protests.

“The protests that started on Friday also happened today morning” said Sergeant Kaponda “The primary school students started throwing stones at their head teachers office saying they are deeply concerned that their brothers and sisters at Dzaleka CDSS are not learning.”

“When we were trying to calm down the situation, the pupils tried to runaway then closed Lumbadzi Dowa road. In the course of continuing throwing stones, they smashed front door glass of a vehicle coming from Dowa heading to Lilongwe. Two passangers were injured and were taken to Dowa hospital."

"As of now we have arrested five suspects"  The Officer said the suspects are a Form 2 student, two pupils of standard 6, one pupil of standard 5 and a standard 4 pupil. He said the students ages ranges from 14 to 18 but declined to name them.

The five have been leveled with charges of Malicious Damage and Asualt (Unlawful Wounding).

"The situation as of now is quet” He said but indicated that police are continuing with patrols around the area.

He said school officials from Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), Dzaleka Day Secondary School and the primary school as well as Camp Administrator and Police were in the day discussing ways of ending the riots.

Kachama Confirmation on Wednesday- Kasaila

Kachama Confirmation on Wednesday- Kasaila

The Malawi National Assembly is expected this Wednesday afternoon debate on confirmation of the newly appointed Malawi Police Service (MPS) Inspector General (IG).

President Professor Peter Mutharika on 10th February 2015 appointed former deputy Inspector General of Police responsible for Administration Lexten Kachama as new IG with immediate effect. 

Kachama appointment followed a surprise resignation of Paul Kanyama on health grounds. Kanyama who serve IG post for three months, announced his resignation at the same time as the National Assembly was debating his confirmation.

“We expect that on Wednesday we will bring business of confirmation of the new IG.” Confirmed Leader of House hon. Francis Kasaila in an interview

“My colleague, the minister responsible (Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security) is doing everything possible to provide the details that are required to be provided into the house” he said