Cannabis Sativa Smuggler Sentenced to Five Years Imprisonment

The First Magistrate Court in Nkhotakota has sentenced a man who smuggled 29 bags of Indian Hemp using his Carina vehicle to five years imprisonment or pay K900 thousand fine in default.

Nkhotakota First Grade Magistrate found guilty  Matambo Gizito Chikwa age 32 who was arrested on 11th March this year.

Chikwa dumped his Carina vehicle registration number NU 5592 when he saw police roadblock at a short distance.

When police inspected the abandoned vehicle found a driver's license and 29 bags of Cannabis Sativa well packed in the vehicle.

Few days later Chikwa was arrested in Blantyre and pleaded guilty in court. 

On mitigation, Chikwa's lawyer asked the court to be lenient saying he is married with three children who needs his care. He added that he is young and energetic who can contribute to the economic activities in the country and therefore sending him to jail would not be a good solution. 

However, First Grade Magistrate Fred Juma Chilowetsa said Chikwa committed a very serious offense and deserve a corresponding sentence.

TNM Supports Golf National Team With New Uniform

As Malawi's National Golf Team participates in the Zone VI Golf Tournament in Kampala Uganda,  one of Malawi's leading mobile company, Telecom Networks Malawi (TNM) has supported the team with new Uniform.

TNM's Chief Commercial Officer Daniel Makata said this at the end of the 2015 TNM Malawi Open Stroke-play held over the weekend at Lilongwe Golf Club where a field of 116 golfers from Lilongwe and other golf clubs across the country took part in the three day stroke-play, which teed-off Friday closing on Sunday afternoon.

“Our golf players are carrying the country’s flag when they are playing there and we can’t just leave them because in Malawi you cannot just talk about golf without mentioning TNM and we cannot talk about national team going out and TNM is not part of that. So in order to ensure that we are always with them, we have partnered with them to ensure that they are playing and represent the country well and we used this tournament as a preparation for the national team as they are going for the Zone VI Tournament”

“So as we are wishing them well and promise to be with them, we have supported them with new uniforms.” said Makata

Makata also expressed hope of outstanding performance in Zone VI by the national team and win because of how some players in the national team who took part in the 2015 TNM Open stroke have performed.

“So we are hopeful as Malawians that they are going to win there, and make us all proud”

During the tournament, the TNM Chief Commercial also hailed management of Lilongwe Golf Club for a wonderful hospitality as the company hosts its tournament and presented a cheque donation of K500,000 to the club for maintenance of the greens.

420 Malawians Affected in Xenophobic Attacks, MW Govt Budget K30 Million In Repatriation Of Victims

The Government of Malawi has set aside K30 million for the repatriation of Malawians who want to return home voluntarily escaping anti-immigrant (xenophobic) attacks in Durban, South Africa.

This is according to a statement signed by Hon Kondwani Nankhumwa Minister of Information and Culture who indicates that official reports from the offices of the Malawian Consulate and High Commission to South Africa as of 14th April 2015, about 420 Malawians were reported to be affected and are in temporary camps in South Africa.

The statement further says so far only three (3) Malawians have been reported to be seriously injured, one person  heavily injured. And the minister has however said the figure of Malawians who have been affected is expected to rise.

The victims are said to have lost almost all their property, including travel documents in the attacks.

According to Nankhumwa, the Government of Malawi has decided to  to hire six (6) buses from South Africa to be used to ferry people who voluntarily want to be repatriated to Malawi.

The statement says, Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has directed the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs to coordinate the repatriation process with immediate effect.

Nankhumwa further says the Malawian Consulate and the High Commissioner’s office in South Africa are working hand in hand with the South African government on monitoring and assessing the situation on the ground on the production of temporally travel documents for the victims.

The government spokes person further adds that the buses are expected to arrive in Malawi from South Africa with the returnees on Sunday and the Government of Malawi has identified two centres in Lilongwe at Social Welfare in Malangalanga and Blantyre at Kwacha Social Welfare near Njamba as places where the buses will drop off the returnees from South Africa.

The Government of Malawi will also organize transport for the returnees to return to their respective homes says Nankhumwa.

"The Malawian Mission in South Africa is conducting the screening process which includes identification of individuals in order to fast track border crossing as well as identification of an individual’s home of origin. The Malawi Government is committed to ensuring the safe return of all Malawians who have been affected by the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa." Added the Minister

KCH Fake Doctor Gets 7 Years Imprisonment

The man who was arrested at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) for impersonating a doctor has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate Court on Monday.

Rasford Gogoda aged 26 from Simon village of T/ASimon in Neno district was nabbed by police at KCH when people who knows him had alerted Area 33 police unit (located at the hospital) of suspicious doctor wandering about in patients wards.

The man was charged and convicted of two counts of Impersonating a public officer (medical doctor) and theft. The second count was put against him because of complaints from doctors who reported theft of personal items including phones and laptops during the time when the fake doctor was accessing doctors offices.

On mitigation factors, the convict pleaded that he has a family which depend on him and that he has a child with a special condition which requires weekly routine and is responsible of taking the child to hospital. 

State prosecutor Damian Kaputa prayed for stiffer sentence because Rasford Gogoda is not first time offender and further said the convict had endangered lives of people who got medical treatment from him.

Magistrate Senior Resident Paul Chiotcha agreed with the prosecutor saying he deserves a stiffer punishment to deter the would he offenders. Then slapped him with the sentence.

Snr. Resident Paul Chiotcha then sentenced the fake doctor to 6 years imprisonment for impersonation and 1 year jail sentence for theft. The two jail sentences will run consecutively.

In 2014, two men were separately arrested at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre on similar charges and both of them were  handed a 6-year jail term with hard labour. 

On 27th October 2014, Wongani Akuzike Kandulu  (whose name later changed to be Wongani Kumbukani Kandulu) was arrested after working for Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital for a while and lied to authorities that he was a college of Medicine student. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment by Blantyre Magistrate Court barely two weeks after another, illegally using the name Dr Zizwani Mwafulirwa’s but his real name is John Ben Kamanga, was also given similar custodial sentence by the same court.

28 Ethiopians Sentenced To 1 Month Imprisonment: To Face Deportation At the End Of Jail Term

28 Ethiopians have been sentenced to a month imprisonment and later face deportation for illegal entry. 

The Ethiopian nationals whose their ages ranges 19 and 29 were arrested last week according to Dowa Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Richard Kaponda.

The Dowa First Grade Magistrate Court heard from Police Prosecutor Sergeant Gerald Kizombe that the 28 Ethiopian nationals entered Malawi illegally with aid from unknown persons currently at large. Sgt Kizombe further told the court that the immigrants were found at Dzaleka Refugee Camp when members of the general public had tipped-off the police of the suspicious arrival of the immigrants at the camp.

Kizombe then prayed for stiffer penalty to deter the would be offenders since cases of illegal entry by foreigners is on the increase. 

First Grade Magistrate Imrani Phiri then sentenced the illegal immigrants to one month in jail and that at the end of their jail term government should deport them.

Meanwhile, Dowa Police Public Relations Officer Sergeant Richard Kaponda said police are looking for the individuals who aided these 28 Ethiopians to enter the country. Sgt Kaponda said once the culprits are found, they will answer charges of aiding illegal entry.

Cases of illegal entry by Ethiopians are on the increase in Malawi. In police in the district of Dowa alone, have arrested over 71 Ethiopian nationals on similar offence. 

In January, Dowa First Grade magistrate Court sentenced 71 Ethiopian nationals to serve 3 months imprisonment with hard labour and that after their jail term government should deport them all. The court also fined them K5, 000 each.

Students Media Group Brings Miss Lilongwe 2015

Some of Miss Lilongwe 2015 beauty pageant

The Capital City, Lilongwe is choosing its Queen this month of April 2015. The Student Media Group has announced.

Miss Lilongwe is to be crowned on 24th April 2015 at Crossroads Hotel by her Excellency Madam Getrude Muntharika says Students Media Group Events Manager, Tamara Bongah.

Eight young beautiful girls are competitors for Miss Lilongwe where the first Prize is worth K300 thousand to be given right away and the winner shall have an office for a period of 12 months.  

The events manager said, the group is coming up with annual Miss Lilongwe Beauty Contest in order to encourage, promote skills and talents such as modeling among girls as a their life time career in addition to youth empowerment through job creation, business network and bridge the current existing gaps between the youth, the cooperate world, the community and the government.

Bongah has emphasized that this years winners office shall therefore be a youth link between the corporate world, the community and the world at large through partnerships and engagements.

Taonga Bongah

“Unlike the past trends, the new Miss Lilongwe will not only be involved in charity work but will also be the ambassador and initiator of many projects such as; youth empowerment, health and sanitation, market our tourism sector as well as being the youth ambassador for the Go Green campaign. In collaboration with the 1st and 2nd princess, the winner will have an office that will be open for all stakeholders to work with her in real projects that should change and positively impact all our communities for a term of 12 months. Explained Tamara Bongah

Added Bongah In respect to our organization, we will work hand in glove with the winner in order to make sure that all the plans, objectives and goals of the Miss Lilongwe office are accomplished. 

The student group which is geared to up-hold the livelihood of young girls in the lime light of youth empowerment and unlocking opportunities for a girl child says takes inspiration from the project set a cross by her Excellency Madam Getrude Muntharika.

Miss Lilongwe 2015 Competitors 

Unabated, we come to the rescue of young beautiful, uneducated, unemployed, and un-inspired young ladies. The Student Media Group, leans on the reality that without beauty we excel into a future that does not recognize Lilongwes beauty as championed by her Excellency said Bongah

Tickets for Miss Lilongwe Beauty Pageant being sold at K4500 single, K7500 double, and K95000 for a corporate table are available at Crossroads Hotel, City Mall Supermarket, GY Imports and Exports and the Student Media Group team. 

The event shall also be mesmerized by music performances by among others; The Great Angels Choir, Dan Lu, Gwamba and Janta.

Four Men Hijack Haven Car Hire's Toyota Fortuna... Ntcheu Police Launch Man Hunt

Police in Ntcheu District are hunting for four unknown men who hijacked a Toyota Fortuna, vehicle belonging to Haven Car Hire.

The vehicle white in color with Registration number MC 28 has been hijacked from its driver Friday night says Ntcheu Police.

According to Sergeant Hastings Chigalu a Ntcheu Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, the driver identified as Sydney Kagwira was on his way from Lilongwe to Zomba where the vehicle was to be used by another car hire company, Mame Car Hire.

Sgt Chagalu however, said the driver on his way to Zomba, offered a lift to four unknown men at Mathanki bus stage in Biwi, Lilongwe. The police officer said the Haven's car hire Chauffeur was convinced by the the four to have been on two separate journey when they told him that each pair were going to Ntcheu district and Balaka district respectively.

But, Ntcheu Police PRO said the four launched attack at a place called Mapila along M1 road almost 2 Kilometre from Lizulu going to Ntcheu.

Sgt Chigalu said the four passengers, tied and put the driver at the back of the vehicle before dumping him somewhere near Lizulu Police but was left unharmed.

Police have since arrested the driver for further questioning particularly on finding out if he connived with the robbers.

Sgt Chigalu has since urged drivers to refrain from offering lift to unknown men particularly at Biwi, Mathanki bus stage because there are many similar reported cases of drivers being attacked by passengers offered lift from that place.

The driver, Sydney Kagwira comes from Kapesi village of T/A Kachere in Dedza district.