China For Malawi’s Economic Independence

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi said China will continue to support Malawi to gain full economic independence.

Honorable Wang Yi, was speaking at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Sunday during an audience with Malawi President Peter Mutharika.

Mama Ye Project Call Media To Prop Up Efforts In Maternal, Newborn Survival

Mama Ye Project has called on Media to keep alive issues of maternal and newborn survival for the country to continue registering progress.

Chatuluka

Country Project Leader of Mama Ye Campaign, Mathias Chatuluka made the call at a two day media orientation workshop on Thursday, aimed at equipping Journalists at national level to understand current situation of Maternal and Newborn and the interventions being carried out and in turn help to amplify the work of the MamaYe Campaign in Malawi.

Chatuluka said media is a key strategic partner in promoting survival of mothers and newborn.

He said media can play its role by reporting positive stories that highlights the progress in maternal and newborn survival through number of interventions by Government and various institutions including Mama Ye campaign.

He observed that at present, media is not giving much attention to issues of maternal and newborn and as such it is "rare to find such stories on front pages" in newspaper articles.

But Chatuluka encouraged the media to publicize positively the achievements being made on maternal and infant mortality and encourage safe motherhood.

Chatuluka highlighted that Maternal mortality rate in Malawi stands at 574 per 100,000 live births, a significant improvement from the situation ten years before when the mortality rate was 984.

He said improvements are partly owing to a number of factors including improved coverage for antenatal care by skilled health personnel. 

However, he said gaps still exist in terms of poorly equipped facilities, long distances to a health facility, inadequate human resources and insufficient funding.

But he said The Evidence4Action MamaYe Campaign has been working on a number of parameters to address the gaps and that most of its interventions are producing significant results which are helping in the reduction of maternal and infant deaths.

Macadamia Entertainment Releases ‘The Goon Tape’ With Bull-Dozer

Entertainment and events brand, Macadamia Entertainment, has released a Mixtape called The Goon Tape with one of the music asset in the label; Bull-Dozer.  

Lutepo Nearly Run Over By Prison Vehicle After Delivering Testimony In Mphwiyo Shooting Case

Lutepo: pushing approaching vehicle with hand as
Officer comew quickly to his rescue 

 The ‘chief Cashgate’ convict Oswald Lutepo was narrowly run over by Malawi Prison vehicle which he was about to get into just after he had finished giving his testimony in the ongoing case of attempted murder of former budget director Paul Mphwiyo.

Lutepo just coming out of court

Lutepo was told to wait for the Prison Vehicle to pick him near 

court entrance

The incident was captured Wednesday evening outside Lilongwe High Court as he was about to start off to Blantyre, Chichiri Prison where he is serving his 11 year sentence, after appearing as witness for the defense of the first accused, McDonald Kumwembe.

The vehicle is finally here

Prison officer pushing Lutepo near the reversing vehicle

The driver of the prison vehicle was reversing so as to get close position of picking Lutepo into the car. Unfortunately, he moved beyond too close as the back of the vehicle got contact of Lutepo who sat on his wheelchair waiting for the reversing car to pick him.

Now drama begins

unexpectedly, the reversing vehicle getting so close

Lutepo attempted in a vain to push himself away from the slowly approaching vehicle in a bid to protect his life and he tried to rescue himself by using his right hand which was trying to push the back of the approaching vehicle.

Lutepo: pushing approaching vehicle with hand as
Officer come quickly to his rescue 

 But as some prison officers tried to make shouts, warning the driver to stop, another officer was seen quickly rushing save Lutepo by trying to push the wheelchair away from the vehicle.

Lutepo being taken into the vehicle that nearly run over him

That was great escape: Lutepo looked so calm after the incident

Fortunately, the driver heard the shouts and stopped the vehicle. He made a forward move which gave space for the officers to carry Lutepo into the car and start off back to Blantyre, Chichiri Prison where he is serving his 11 year sentence.

Lutepo taken into the car after people had watched the horror

Mphwiyo Shooting Case: DPP Says Kasambara Threatened Her As The Accused Pray For Bail, Access To Computer While In Prison

Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mary Kachale on Wednesday had recused herself from commenting on bail application for Raphael Kasambara after she openly said she was afraid of him following a recent incident where he had threatened her and spoke in her face that she was the reason why court had revoked his bail last year.

After third accused, Kasambara who is answering the charge of conspiracy in the attempted murder trial of former budget director Paul Mphwiyo had finished submitting his request to have his bail revocation dropped, the DPP said she was not going to comment anything as she was still terrified by threats made by Kasambara during their recent closed meeting where he also made accusations that she was responsible for his bail revocation.

“I would like to recuse myself from commenting on bail application for the third accused because he threatened and shouted at me in our recent meeting. He reached the point of mentioning my name that You Mary, are the reason why I am in prison.” revealed Kachale 

She indicated that it was State Counsel, Enoch Chibwana who helped to ease the tension in the room when he quickly made himself seat between the two.

“I Came out of that meeting while shaking and am still shaking now" she added

However, court did not comment on the claim made by the DPP.

Kasambara On Wednesday asked court to let him free on bail because restrictive conditions in prison are barring him from interacting with his witnesses and that he is also failing to access to medical attention.   

But, Justice Michael Mtambo ruled that the third accused should make a formal bail application which the State would be expected to respond to. 

The third accused also made a second request asking the court to make directive that prison officials must allow him to have access to supporting materials like computers where he can use to do research and write some valuable documents for the court proceedings. 

Kasambara said he is being denied to fair trial in the ongoing case because he is being restricted to access to computer.

But Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mary Kachale responded that the state was not aware that the accused were not allowed to access to computer and said if were informed, a good arrangement could have been made to provide defense with such facilities.

When making his ruling on the matter, Justice Michael Mtambo ordered that “access to computers for the research, should have a restricted access in accordance with the prison orders."

Last year, court revoked bail of both Raphael Kasambara and first accused McDonald Kumwembe for number of applications which were delaying the proceedings of the case and on security issues. 

Former Justice Minister, Raphael Kasambara is answering conspiracy while second accused, Pika Manondo and first accused, McDonald Kumwembe are answering both conspiracy and attempted murder of their friend also former budget director Paul Mphwiyo.

Paul Mpwhiyo was shot outside the gate of his house in area 43 in Lilongwe in the night of September, 13th 2013.

Mphwiyo Shooting Case: Court Failing To Trace Brown Mpinganjira Home In Mulanje

The scheduled appearance of court witness, Evangelist Brown James Mpinganjira to testify on conspiracy and attempted murder trial of former budget director Paul Mphwiyo will not be possible this week as court says, they are failing to trace the permanent residence of him in Mulanje where they can hand him court summon.

One of the Court reporters told Judge Michael Mtambo that they attempted in vain to locate home of the former Mulanje Central legislature there in Mulanje district.

Former Cabinet Minister also former Vice President of Peoples Party (PP) in the South, Mpinganjira is wanted by court following his naming as one of then cabinet ministers of Dr. Joyce Banda who warned Mphwiyo that some irate individuals who were forcing him to authorise dubious payments have numbered his days to ten if he  continues to refuse to bow down to their demands.

Brown Mpinganjira matter also brought legal argument between Prosecution and Defense which took some minutes before Judge Michael Mtambo dismissed the conversation saying he was to make a ruling on the same.

Actually, the state were of the view that it was not proper for the defense to interfere with Court witness when third accused Raphael Kasambara told the court that he got a note from Brown Mpinganjira informing him that he has never received court summons.

But Kasambara maintained that there was never flouting of any legal procedure for receiving a note from the court witness.

The matter on Mpinganjira came just after man considered as "Chief" Cashgate convict, Oswald Lutepo had finished to testify as last witness of the first accused, McDonald Kumwembe.

Lutepo pictured with Dr. Joyce Banda

Some of major highlights in Oswald Lutepo testimony were  that former Deputy Inspector General of Malawi Police, Nelson Bophani forced him to change his statement recorded by police to one which could have implicated Raphael Kasambara as one who masterminded cashgate.

However, Lutepo denied that the former police IG had forced him to implicate Kasambara on issue of Paul Mphwiyo shooting.

Lutepo told first accused McDonal Kumwembe during cross-examination in chief that after his arrest he told police everything of his knowledge pertaining to cashgate.

But he said the deputy police IG, Bophani at one point arranged the meeting at Zomba Prison between him and the second accused Pika Manondo, so that the two should come up with framed claim that cashgate was masterminded by Kasambara but they both refused to do so.

He also denied that to the best of his knowledge and his involvement in cashgste, that he had transacted with Raphael Kasambara any business which was related to cashgate.

Asked about Paul Mphwiyo shooting, Lutepo told court that he was the person who had informed former President Dr. Joyce Banda of Paul Mphwiyo shooting just like he had done to the rest of Mphwiyo's friends.

He also explained that his best friend Paul Mphwiyo had in his house a desktop which was connected to the cctv camera's which were placed out side his house.

Now, second accused, Pika Manondo has entered his defense which will be continued this morning starting at 10 am.

Malawi Election Into UNAIDS Board ‘PCB’ To Increase Global Efforts In HIV Response

Malawi’s election into the UNAIDS Board, ‘Programme Coordinating Board (PCB)’ gives hope to UNAIDS that more countries will learn best practices in HIV fight, as the country becomes a global role model for number of achievements in its HIV response programme.

Ms Jan Beagle, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, made the observation on Tuesday morning, when meeting President Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.