Bisnowaty To Write Speaker Over Racist Remarks As PP Brands The Incident Unlawful

Lilongwe City Centre legislature, David Bisnowaty says will write the speaker as soon as possible over the racism remarks uttered by some Malawi Congress Party legislatures from the opposition benches on Thursday evening. 

“First of all it is not the first time. Of course I condemn and I am not going to accept any racist remarks” said Bisnowaty while mentioning that the remarks just show that some people still believe they live in the old days where they can give racism remarks. 

"Of course am not going to keep quiet about it am going to write the speaker and demand that these remarks be retracted and you just can’t accept to live in the society when people are still racist and it was really the racist remarks that we should to stop.” He said 

Bisnowaty was silent when some members were outburst into racism remarks, he said he was silent because “I just don’t believe that you have to go into wars of words and we just have to go and follow procedures” 

Uladi

Meanwhile the Leader of People’s Party (PP) in the National Assembly, Uladi Mussa said “It was not good “Anyone who can contest as a member of parliament is a Malawian” 

He said what was said is against constitution which disallows discrimination 

“I think it is a matter of our leadership of parties to discourage our members that let us support each other, let us respect each other, we are all members of parliament so we have to behave honorably not discriminating each other because of race or origin. This is not proper.” Said Mussa 

He emphasized that countries are developing due to migration an there is no need to discriminate those who made decision to become Malawians. 

The National Assembly debate on national issues was put on hold for a while when some angry opposition members of Parliament failed to hold their temper and began to call the Lilongwe City Central legislature David Bisnowaty ‘ignorant’ of Malawi issues and ‘foreigner’ over remarks relating to late Ngwazi Hastings Kamuzu Banda rule. 

Bisnowaty who stood on point of order told the house that during the 31 year reign of Hastings Kamuzu Banda, Malawians were suppressed and therefore if there was any food shortages people wouldn’t have known about it and any person would have been in trouble once heard talking about existence of hunger. 

But even before Bisnowaty took his seat, some Malawi Congress Party (MCP), legislatures including Dedza North West Alekeni Wodala Menyani were heard shouting point of order while some legislatures especially Mchinji South West Deus Gumba Banda shouted racism remarks. “Khala pansi Iwee! … Ukudziwa chiyani zakuno ku Malawi munthu olowera pa passport ngati iwe!.. Foreigner”

FDH Bank Donates K2 Million To Spouses Of Policemen

Kachama (left) Majamanda (right)

A local bank, FDH Bank has donated K2 million to the wife's of Policemen in the Malawi Police Service.

Through the donation, FDH wants to support the policemen spouses engage in some small scale businesses that can support them and their families.

Majamanda

Head of Corporate Business Banking for FDH Bank, Sitabene Majamanda when making the donation at the Police Head Quarters in Lilongwe, said this year, FDH decided to empower police officers wives so that they can support their families through small scale businesses while as their spouses are providing noble safety and security service to the country.

"When we came in to Malawi Police Service on a business trip, we actually come across this idea that what if we come up with the sustainability what we call Ethics and Sustainability within our corporate social responsibility to create a fund for the spouses of the police men.

We know the great job that the police men do. They are so many of them but we thought about their wives that are sitting at home supporting the men that are out to do the job. So our management was pleased to support this initialize because it is part of women empowerment." Explains Majamanda

"When our police officers are sure that their spouses are generating extra money, they can have peace of mind while carrying out their duties" added Majamanda who thanked the dedicated men in Uniform who are playing a critical role in the development of the country day and night of providing safety and security services that is important for many of Malawian business to be able to do their business in peace.

Kachama

After receiving the money, the wife of Inspector General of Police, Ruth Kachama, chairperson for the Police Officers Wives, said the donation will boost their Welfare Fund established a year ago when State President Peter Mutharika made a donation worth K5 million.

"This is good gesture and will assist us very much and empower the wives of police officers." Said Mrs Kachama

Kachama said some of the businesses that Police wives do include poultry, groceries and other small scale businesses.

The K2 million revolving fund will be fully administered by the Malawi Police Service without the FDH Bank involvement.  However, the bank will continue supporting the women by providing some training through business clinics to help them gain basic skills for running small businesses. The first lot of women have already undergone this training.

The police women will be able to borrow small amounts that they need to do some small scale business. When they borrow the money, it will have a 6 months grace period after which they are expected to repay it without interest. The repaid amounts will allow the other women to also borrow from the revolving fund and also repay interest free after the six months period.

According to the Bank, there is free interest because the donation is coming as cooperate social responsibility and women empowerment. The Bank further maintains that the help was necessary to empower women spouses who in most cases take care of the children so that they contribute to the economic well-being of their husbands by engaging in some activities that can generate some extra revenue for the family while as their husbands are providing safety and security to the nation.

FDH Bank is a Malawian Bank which started operations in 2009 and is part of the FDH Financial Holding Group which has subsidiaries in stockbroking, discount house operations, Money Bureau and recently acquired 80 percent stake in Malawi Savings Bank

Bisnowaty Is A Foreigner! Rants Some Legislatures In National Assembly

The National Assembly debate on national issues was put on hold for a while when some angry opposition members of Parliament failed to hold their temper and began to call the Lilongwe City Central legislature David Bisnowaty ‘ignorant’ of Malawi issues and ‘foreigner’ over remarks relating to late Ngwazi Hastings Kamuzu Banda rule.

Hon Bisnowaty was responding to Lilongwe Rural South legislature Peter Dimba holding the floor. Dimba dispelled allegations that Malawi experienced food shortage and imported maize during Kamuzu era.

Bisnowaty who stood on point of order after Rumphi East Legislature, Kamulepo Kalua had branded the current Government as ‘jokers’, told the house that during the 31 year reign of Hastings Kamuzu Banda, Malawians were suppressed and therefore if there was any food shortages people wouldn’t have known about it and any person would have been in trouble once heard talking about existence of hunger. 

But even before Bisnowaty took his seat, some legislatures allegedly from Malawi Congress Party (MCP), shouted at him to sit down while making racism remarks “Khala pansi Iwee! … Ukudziwa chiyani zakuno ku Malawi munthu olowera pa passport ngati iwe!.. Foreigner”

The Racism tirade in the house went out of hand and the Second Deputy Speaker, Clement Chiwaya’s shouts to restore order seemed to have no value at all as another member was heard shouting “Muyuda azipita kwawoooo uyu!

Another angry outburst from the noise was heard; “Akutiyamba dala uyu, Mzimene anakamuuza a DPP zimenezo? Ala!” one legislature shouted.

Rumphi East legislature Kamulepo Kaua stood without being recognized by the Speaker and said “Let us not discriminate against anybody, let us be Malawian, let us show leadership and I don’t prescribe to this no, no, no, no!”

However, Kalua was interrupted both by the speaker who was trying to calm the legislatures and another member who was continuing making racism remarks “Alibe mudzi uyu, alibe munda, akuchitachani kuno, mbava izipita kwawo iyi, Myuda!”

“Honorable members can we avoid discriminatory words that are not parliamentary…” pleaded Chiwaya but was interrupted by another rant, “Ndizoona Dala, Ndizoona Dala alibe mudzi ku Malawi uyu. Amayi ako anapita kuti iweyo, 

The continued waves of discriminatory words made the Second Deputy Speaker, Clement Chiwaya to be left with no other option but to ask the leadership of both sides in the National Assembly to help restore order.

“We cannot proceed this way, may I ask leadership on both sides to help us to restore order!” pleaded Chiwaya 

 “Much as we want to express whatever we want to express let us do it in an orderly manner and at the same time avoid discriminatory words that are not parliamentary” advised Chiwaya

Immediately after the speaker made the directive, another legislature stood up on point of order making another racism remarks “Ndimafuna kuti timuuze kuti alibe manda a aMbuyake asamachite mwano ameneyu!”

However, after some few minutes, the house was back to normal and the Lilongwe Rural South legislature Peter Dimba, was asked to continue holding the floor commenting on number of issues relating to agriculture, food availability in ADMARC markets and current situation of hunger as well as on distribution of Farm Input Subsidy materials.

Mutharika Travels With Lean Entourage To Malta, UK, Juberg

Mutharika: traveling with few delegation 

Government says a lean delegation will accompany the President on his trip to Malta, United Kingdom and South Africa as the country continue to criticize the president for making outside travels while the country’s economy continues to slip.

Malawians Tired Of Excuses On ATI Enactment-CHRR, Cedep

Gift Trapence

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Centre for Development of People (Cedep) says Malawians are tired of Government excuses on taking Access to Information Bill (ATI) to Parliament for enactment.

The two institutions have issued a statement signed by its executive directors Timothy Mtambo (CHRR) and Gift Trapence (Cedep) who says such unwarranted delays are insult to Malawians and are failure on the part of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Government to bringing the bill for enactment.

CHRR and Cedep statement comes a day after Government issued a statement that Cabinet meeting of 17th November 2015 considered the Bill, and directed its Committee on Legal Affairs and Constitutional Affairs to quickly resolve inconsistencies therein.

In the statement, Minister of Information Jappie Mhango said it is the intention of Government to have a good and balanced law that is representative of all sectors of society. 

However, CHRR and Cedpep says Malawians “can no longer entertain further excuses” on sending to Parliament the Access to Information Bill for enactment.

The statement titled ‘A call on government to live the talk’ says when the President indicated in his opening address of 46th Session of Parliament that the bill would be tabled during the current Meeting of National Assembly, Malawians heaved a sigh of relief, given the importance of the piece of legislation in enhancing transparency and accountability in the affairs of the country.

“It is, thus, shocking, to note that the much-awaited bill does not appear anywhere near the Order Paper or on the notices of the new bills for the current sitting. This is unfortunate, to say the least. By promising Malawians what he cannot deliver, as is the case with ATI and other numerous instances—the incumbent is simply taking the citizens’ trust for granted. To this end, we call upon the President and the DPP government to ensure that the ATI bill is passed into law in the current sitting of Parliament. Malawians can no longer entertain further excuses on the Bill” reads the statement 

Said Gift Trapence in an interview; “This bill is very important for the development of the country. The bill will make sure that Malawians are able to access information of different sectors; information of health, on economy, agriculture 

So if government passes that bill it will help a lot in terms of accountability and transparency but as well development issues”

He said Civil Society Organizations are worried that Government is not committed to make sure that that bill is passed considering changes that government has been making in many times as to when they are going to pass the bill.

“So as civil Society Organizations we are worried in terms of behavior of the Government by not showing that commitment that they would want to pass the bill.

We are worried with the behavior of the current regime in terms of not respecting the pillars of the democracy and in those pillars one of them is the Access to Information Bill.” He said

Then the Cedep Executive Director warned that CSO’s are set to use all avenues to make sure that they pressure the Government to pass the ATI bill.

“We will use different strategies as CSO’s that we are going to mobilize, we will use international partners to make sure that this government passes the bill.” He said 

Among others the CHRR and Cedep statement also condemns the tendency where number of Cabinet Ministers are attending to Presidential political rallies yet they have nothing to do at the event.

CHRR and Cedep says such a practice is only wasting public money. 

“We at CHRR and Cedep are deeply disappointed at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s continued wastage of the country’s limited resources on political rallies disguised as development rallies. Our position is informed by the recent ‘development rally’ in Mangochi where a horde of Cabinet ministers and other government officials accompanied the President at the painful cost of tax-payers. This is outrageous! While we appreciate the need for the President to address the nation on the government’s development plans, we find the expenses that accompany such functions too excessive for the current state of the economy”

In the statement CHRR and Cedep, vows not to tire to remind the DPP government that it should consider spending the limited resources on critical areas such as the health, education, water and energy sectors in dire need to urgent attention.

“If at all President Prof. Peter Mutharika feels like updating the nation on his government’s plans, let him be conducting periodic press conferences which, in our considered view, are a cost-effective alternative” says the statement

Girls Work Hard In School To Achieve Your Dreams- National Assembly

Chambo girls pose with Speaker and Legislatures

The National Assembly asks girls to remain in school and work hard in their education to achieve their dreams.

The message was said on Tuesday when 94 girls from Chambo Girls Private Secondary School in Mzimba had a rare opportunity at Parliament Building of interacting with Speaker, some cabinet Ministers and female legislatures.

Kaliati speaks to the girls

In their encounter, Chambo girls were offered some motivation talks on how to pursue and achieve their dreams and some female legislatures made recounts of how they defeated challenges in their lives to become what they are today. One legislature said her family could not provide her with school fees for the belief that it could be a waste of time educating a girl who will possibly get married to rich men in future. Others narrated how in the face of financial challenges but worked hard to pursue education.

Msowoya 

Speaker of the National Assembly, Richard Msowoya, Minister of Gender, Patricia Kaliati, Minister of Sports, Grace Chiumia, former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri, and Jessie Kabwila were among number of legislatures who inspired girls with words of encouragement on self confidence and hard work in school for them to become future leaders.

Kabwila, Msowoya, Nyalonje 

The girls were brought by Mzimba North Legislature hon Agnes Makonda Nyalonje who wanted to offer Chambo girls a platform where they can meet with role models to get some words of motivation on how they can pursue and achieve their dreams.

Agnes Nyalonje said organized the visit to expose the girls to number of role models so that they learn from them how they managed to become leaders in their society.

Mzimba North Legislature while encouraging Malawian girls to work hard in school, offered hope that National Assembly and female parliamentarians as well as education committees in particular, are working hard to ensure that education system is improved to enable girls to access to quality education.

“We are also fighting for the girls hostels, because we know that when girls have to walk 10 kilometers or even longer sometimes to go to school, there is no way we can expect them to stay focused when they get to school and there is no way we can expect them to attend school all the times” said Nyalonje

She also noted the recently passed Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations bill which safeguards welfare of girls as one way the National Assembly is protecting and ensuring that girls remain at school.

“There are programmes being undertaken by Government and NGO’s that empower girls and encourage them to stay in school including bursaries.” She added

Then she offered a word of encouragement to girls “My message to girls is focus on education, push those around you to give you opportunity. Sometimes it is not always about waiting to be given it but girls too have to take initiative and they have to believe in their selves, and they have to have confidence, to claim that which is theirs and never give up” encouraged Njalonje

Rachel Vachi

“When I came here I was so much encouraged by the speeches that we need to have self confidence and that we can do anything but we should not be flirting with boys but love school first.” Said one student Rachel Vachi

She added “Watching deliberations in the Chamber I got encouraged by the courage that female parliamentarians have. They speak boldly on issues of national importance in the face of men.”

Wendie Chimbayo

Another student Wendie Chimbayo said “As the parliamentarians have told us that the sky is the limit, I would like to encourage girls that we have to work hard in school because doing so we can achieve anything. We also need to stay focused no matter how big are challenges that we are facing, lets aim to achieve our goals.”

National Assembly Muted From Commenting On Arrests Of Late Msiska’s Children

A lot of parliamentarians from opposition benches on Wednesday evening were taken by surprise when Minister of Justice and Constitution Affairs told the House that no more debate on arrests of Children of former legislature for Rumphi North, late Tasoka Msiska as the matter is now in the hands of Court.

Minister of Justice, Samuel Tembenu said two children of Msiska were indeed in custody and appeared before court on Wednesday but one child is still at large.

Then Tembenu said since the case is in court, therefore standing order 14 of the House prevents the legislatures from debating on the matter.

On matters before a Court of Law, Parliamentary Standing Order 192 states that “Subject to the right of the Assembly to legislate on any matter, a matters awaiting or under adjudication in any court of record shall not be referred to in motion, debate or question from the time the case has been set down for trial or otherwise before the court, if there is a real danger of prejudice to the trial of the case.

This rule shall cease to have effect in any case when the verdict and sentence have been announced or judgment given or, in any case where notice or appeal is given, the appeal has been decided.”

But most of the opposition members looked to be annoyed that they do not have power to question the Minister of Information over the issue which is regarded political.