President Mutharika Wants Results From Ministers

Mutharika 

President Peter Mutharika has set record straight that he is not going to tolerate laziness among his cabinet ministers under his watch.

The Malawi leader issued the warning at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe during the occasion where four cabinet ministers were signing organization performance contracts on Commitment to Public Sector Reforms that are aligned to their respective ministries. 

“Signing commitment is not enough. But I want results from you just like other piloting Ministries have done. Underperformance will never be tolerated” he warned

President Mutharika has encouraged his four ministers to spearhead the implementation of the reforms and assured them of total support from his Government.

Signing organization performance contracts a Commitment to Public Sector Reforms were Four cabinet Ministers; Atupele Muluzi Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, Grace Chiumia Minister of Sports and Culture, Samuel Tembenu Minister of Justice and Constitution Affairs and Joseph Mwanamvekha Minister of Industry and Trade.

President Mutharika also urged each one of them to work tirelessly to promote development issues that are aligned to their respective Ministries.

President Mutharika also shared sentiments made earlier by the Vice President Saulos Chilima that it is no more a secret that significant progress are being registered since implementation of Public Sector Reforms as now the reforms are attracting more attention among Malawians hence there is need to seek commitment from Ministers to promote the implementation of these reforms. 

According to Chilima, Chairperson for the Reform Commission,  there are a number of achievements through the reforms that are worthy celebrations.

“I would like to assure the nation just like we said on 11th June 2015 that reforms are here to stay” Said Chilima

He mentioned that there are three notable achievements in the last fifteen months which are products of reforms.

He said the Ministry of Education whereby prior to November 2014, was drenched in the big problem of delays in the payment of teachers salaries. But he said after the President Mutharika's approval on reform to decentralise the payment of teachers salaries, things have changed.

"I would like to challenge those who are investigators to investigate this that there is no single months we have delayed salaries for the teachers. This is a progress” said Chilima

He also highlighted that reforms in the Ministry of Home Affairs on printing and issuance of Passports was decentralized as this is now being done in all the regions of Lilongwe and Mzuzu adding "now it is a thing of the past to see people camping in Immigration offices waiting for Passports."

Honorable Chilima said similar progress has been made in Road Traffic Registration System which is now fast and efficient as well as enabling the department to collect more revenue than before.

He also hinted that the process of issuing National Identification Cards to citizens which was expected to begin this year and this months will be lauched later in May and that the change is due to delays in the procurement of some resources. He assured that come 2018 more people will have National ID’s.

Chilima remarks also excited President Mutharika who upon hearing this, congratulated Chilima for highlighting such developments to inform critics that the reforms are indeed happening.

“Our permanent critics looks at the reforms as an event but it is a process. Things are happening” he said while advising critics to be “patient and don’t be over critical”

Eight cabinet Ministers already signed the commitment some two months ago and it is expected that in the next 30 days the remaining Ministers will join the other ministers.

T/A Kuulumda Faces Revolt As Subjects Wants Her Dethroned

Kingsley Juma presenting petition
to  Salima District Commissioner 
(DC) Rodney Simwaka

Govt Procures More Maize Expected To Last April

Malawi Government says ADMARC has procured additional stocks of maize bringing the total stocks of maize to 50, 500 (Fifty Thousand and Five Hundred) Metric Tons which is enough to feed the country up to April this year.

Allan Chiyembekeza

Minister of Agriculture, Allan Chiyembekeza disclosed this in Lilongwe on Monday evening at a joint press conference held with minister of Information Jappie Mhango to update the nation on the food situation.

Chiyembekeza said the new stocks of maize were procured after 59, 428 (Fifty Nine Thousand Four Hundred and Twenty Eight) Metric Tons of maize which Government procured through ADMARC and another bought from Zambia had only remained to 9000 Metric tons.

“This country has enough maize. It can last up to April this year if unscrupulous traders do not interfere with this maize” Assured Chiyembekeza who called Malawians to be watchful of irresponsible traders who may intend to buy that maize with intent to sell later at high prices.

Chiyembekeza explained that 59,428 Metric tons of maize set aside for ADMARC was near completion as ADMARC had remained with 9000 Metric tons by last week. He therefore said Government in collaboration with ADMARC has quickly procured additional maize which has now accumulated to 50,500 Metric tons.

He said the distribution matrix of the new stocks of maize is that, Southern Region has been allocated with 25, 833 Metric tons, while Central Region will have 16, 833 and Northern Region will get allocation of 8, 417 metric tons.

Chiyembekeza indicated that when the stocks were at 9 thousand metric tons, government procured at first 4 thousand metric tons then procured additional 12 thousand metric tons and 8 thousand metric tons. He said later ADMARC also procured 30 thousand metric tons.


He also indicated that buying rations remain unchanged to 20 Kg fearing that if it opens up too much, unscrupulous traders will take advantage.

Unlike the previous stocks which its distribution faced logistical issues, Chiyembekeza has assuringly said this time around there will be no such problems. 

“We tried to make sure that maize is available across the country but we faced logistical challenges. Most transporters were involved in distribution of farm input subsidy and food from World Food Programme so it was difficult for ADMARC to find transporters to distribute maize.”  He said adding that transporters were also denying to accept their big trucks to ferry maize into rural areas because of poor road networks and therefore few transporters with small trucks were ones involved in transporting small amounts of maize into rural markets

Poor roads like this broken bridge prevented
Transportation of maize to ADMARC selling depots

“Am pleased to note that now things are normalizing as most of the trucks that were involved ferrying farm input materials have now finished and are starting to transport ADMARC maize into all depots.” He said

The Agriculture Minister mentioned that Malawians should now be assured that there is adequate quantities of maize in ADMARC which is going to ease issues of buying maize at exorbitant prices from vendors.

He further expressed concern over reluctance among vendors to establish markets where they can sell out maize which they bought from farmers. He said Government believes that there is still 100 thousand metric tons of maize that traders are withholding hoping to sell in future at high prices. Chiyembekeza equally blamed maize traders for being responsible depriving poor Malawians from accessing maize in ADMARC depots because are the ones that are dominating buying of maize from ADMARC.

Following adverse weather conditions early 2015, Malawi's maize production and other food crops across the country declined by 30.2%  putting a total of 2.8 million people representing 17% of the country’s total population at risk of hunger during the 2015/2016. Following adverse weather conditions early 2015, Malawi's maize production and other food crops across the country declined by 30%  putting a total of 2.8 million people representing 17% of the country’s total population at risk of hunger during the 2015/2016.

An assessment by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC), carried out in June and July, 2015, the situation required humanitarian food to support the affected people was  of maize equivalence.

To stabilize the price of the commodity on the market through ADMARC the Malawi government also, using its own resources, bought 30,000MT of maize from Zambia for ADMARC at a cost of K2.8 billion, and 22,193MT of maize locally at a cost of K2.6 billion.

An assessment by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC), carried out in June and July, 2015, the situation required humanitarian food to support the affected people was  of maize equivalence.

To stabilize the price of the commodity on the market through ADMARC the Malawi government also, using its own resources, bought 30,000MT of maize from Zambia for ADMARC at a cost of K2.8 billion, and 22,193MT of maize locally at a cost of K2.6 billion.

Malawi Hosts 1st Bridge Africa Conference

Malawi Government has announced hosting of 1st Bridge Africa Conference beginning 17th February to 19th February in the capital, Lilongwe.

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati announced this at a joint media briefing in Lilongwe held with Dong-Seok MIN, Secretary-General of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU)

Kaliati said the conference will offer Malawi an opportunity of sharing experiences with other six African countries where Korean National Commission for UNESCO is working on similar projects being done in Malawi.

“We are going to share experiences with different countries; So we are going to share experience how to improve adult literacy in the country, how to eradicate extreme poverty that most of our people are experiencing now and also how to increase economic empowerment of our women in communicates where we are working with the Korean National Commission for the UNESCO.” Said Kaliati

Areas that KNCU is assisting Malawi includes: Mmera Mpoyamba (early childhood development); literacy education to women, adults and youth; help overcome absolute poverty through income generating training especially vocational training and skills youth, women and people with disability; and developing community ownership.

She also mentioned that the platform will also help the country to inform KNCU other needs that Malawi Government has in the Bridge Africa Programme including requesting KNCU to establish more Community Learning Centres across the country.

While thanking KNCU for number of projects it is doing in Malawi which the minister said are helping in poverty alleviation Kaliati further express gratitude to KNCU for the 19000 text books donated to Malawi which are assisting learners in various ways. 

In his remarks, Dong-Seok MIN said the upcoming conference organized by KCNU and the Malawi National Commission for UNESCO will bring meaningful contribution to the Bridge Africa Programme as partner countries will come together and share their experiences.

He said this 1st Bridge Africa Conference comes against the backdrop that through Bridge Africa Programme, the KNCU strives to serve as a reliable partner in the promotion of education in sub-Saharan Africa by sharing Korea’s experience and enhancing mutual understanding among nations.

“Education is a vital component in determining the future of a country. As such, in order to implement the Bridge Africa Programme successfully in reach of the countries in which it operates, it is equally vital that there is strong cooperation and solidarity among the government of each partner country, the National Commission for UNESCO in each partner country, and KCNU.

By enabling participants to share best practices applicable to their various local circumstances, the conference will facilitate South-South cooperation in the production of practical and incremental learning effects for all stakeholders in the Bridge Africa Programme.” said Dong-Seok MIN

Dong-Seok also highlighted that Bridge Africa Project, plays a role in promoting education and local development programmes including vocational and technical skills to enable people to earn income and become self reliant. 

He also assured that with funds donated by the Korean Ministry of Education and ordinary Korean citizens, the KNCU will continue its efforts to operate and improve the Bridge Africa Programme, which promotes field-level efforts to increase access to quality education in Africa.

Dong-Seok also indicated that after the conference, KCNU is expected to release Lilongwe Commitment.

Countries expected to participate are, South Africa, Lesotho, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe and Botswana as new comer in the programme.

CYECE Calls Govt, Regulatory Bodies To Rescue Youth In Drug, Substance Abuse

Sativa: another type of canabis being smoked
among youth 

Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education (CYECE), has called on Government and its enforcement agencies to strengthen regulations of drugs and substance in order to protect youth from accessing drugs and substance easily and cheaply like it is the case now.

Executive Directors CYECE, Lucky Mbewe said in an interview following concerns that drug abuse are common among the youth in the country and the legal enforcers still have no capacity to contain the problem. 

Mbewe observe that as the result of the weakening enforcement of regulations on alcohol, substance and drug use, it is common to see young people easily access and afford drugs including Marijuana and that sometimes they openly use these in the public and entertainment places.

He expressed concern over Government silence on excessive use of alcohol and smoking of tobacco and Marijuana among young people and therefore underlined that these are some of the challenges that must be carefully and urgently to looked at.

“We want to call upon the Government especially also minister responsible and those in control in terms of regulation of smoking alcohol and drug abuse that we need to put in place strong measures that will help us to contain the problem. 

If it is the issue of smoking itself, to date a lot of young people are engaged in smoking and it is a big problem. And most of them are getting mad every day because of excessive use of those drugs. These are some of the issues we need to talk about.” He said 

“So we are appealing to the Government and Minister responsible for Youth to come out and rescue a lot of young people that are getting lost each and every day due to smoking of Indian hemp and substance abuse so much so that we have a better Malawian in future”

Mphwiyo Shooting Case: Pika Denies Presence At Crime Scene

Pika Manondo, second accused in answering conspiracy and attempted murder of shooting Paul Mpwhiyo has denied presence in area 43, residential area of the victim and where the shooting happened in the night of September 13th 2013 as call logs trace him using a network tower of area 43 same night.

The second accused now in his defense was being cross-examined by prosecution on Friday morning especially to clarify his movements and calls he was making prior and after supposed hours Paul Mphwiyo was shot at the gate of his house in area 43.

It is suspected that Paul Mphwiyo who survived the shooting was shot between 23:00 hours and 24:00hours just outside the gate of his house in area 43.

With support of call logs and network tower location, Pika is traced to have used a network tower of Area 43 at 23:12 hours and other call logs indicates that he constantly exchanged calls with third accused Raphael Kasambara.

The State told court that it believes that Pika was in area 43 between 23:12 hours and 00:00 hours. 

However, the accused denies being in area 43 that night saying he was all night drinking in several bars with friends. 

When the question was put before him of his whereabouts between those hours of that night, Pika said was drinking on September 13th , and that level of his awareness was just “fairly high” but “not drunk.”

While admitting being tipsy with number of bottles he had drank Pika indicated that he could not remember exact times of when some events happened but recall making movements earlier that evening particularly from Chameleon bar to Chez-Temba night club via Pacific Mall in area 10 (neighboring area to area 43) where he stopped by at Vision Gaming club.   

Pika explained that he moved from Chameleon bar that night to Chez night club because he wanted to drink closer to home in area 47.

He has told court that he will bring Gostern Chinseu, one of the persons he met while clubbing at Chez-Temba that night. The issue of this witness however, brought some misunderstanding when State had asked Pika if that person is coming as an alibi witness.

Pika also indicated that after clubbing he went home but still could not recall precise time he left the club, “From Chez-Temba I did not go to any other place other than home in area 47” he insisted

He further told court that the morning of September 14th, he traveled to Dedza district then back to Lilongwe the same morning and went straight to hospital to see his friend Paul Mphwiyo. But Pika said could as well not recall exact time he wake up and left home for Dedza. 

Pika indicated to court that most of the questions from State were assumptions and at one point, he asked State to bring a witness who had seen him being in Area 43.

Apart from denying presence in residential area of the victim during the night of shooting, throughout the cross-examination with state, Pika denies possibility of some of the movements as call logs indicates.

He said it is impossible that him could at 23:12 hours be in area 43 then at 12:37 hours being in area 32 (near MCP House/Head Quarters) and two minutes later at 12:39 hours being in area 47 sector 2 as call logs indicates. Same call log later trace him making call at 12:47 hours in area 11 and therefore the accused maintains it was not possible that one can travel from one place to another within such a space.

But state told court that it suspects that such was the case because the accused was driving so fast and that since it was in the middle of the night with possibility of no traffic, he was therefore able to travel fast within those places while network towers capturing him as he was making constant calls.

It was also revealed in court that the defense are going to call Airtel experts to tell court the best and accurate technology used to precisely establish position of the subject making or receiving phone call.

Kasambara (in jacket)

According to explanation made by third accused, Raphael Kasambara when the state was continuing cross-examining Pika on the call logs, the Airtel experts who came in court last year, were only analyzing frequency of the conversations and location of network tower and therefore it implied that they were not precisely locating the distance the subject was from the tower at the time of making or receiving the phone call.

Kasambara indicated that the correct and precise technology to locate a person is cell phone GPS which defense would like the Airtel experts to explain more when they come back to court.

Kachale: questions Airtel new evidence 

“If Airtel will come to discredit themselves in this case then we will wait to hear from Airtel” reacted Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mary Kachale after listening to Kasambara’s explanation

The matter has been adjourned to March, 21st to 23rd March where the State is expected to continue with cross-examination with Pika. 

Also before adjourning, Court granted Raphael Kasambara to travel to South Africa for medication. Justice Micheal Mtambo allowed that lawyer Kasambara should travel on February 23 and return by February 29, 2016.

Ntcheu Man Gets 10 Yrs Imprisonment For Defilement Of Girl Aged 7

Ntcheu First Grade Magistrate court has sentenced to 10 years imprisonment a 29 year old man who was caught in act defiling a 7 year old girl in Ntcheu district.

The convict identified as Samson Maganga was arrested by members of community the afternoon of January 26, 2016 at Sharpevalley Trading Centre when a man passing by shouted for help when he red handedly catch the convict defiling the girl in unfinished building.

According to Sub Inspector Hastings Chigalu, a Deputy Police Public Relations Officer for Ntcheu district said a standard 2 pupil met her fate on her way to the trading centre to buy some groceries.

“Court heard that the young innocent girl suddenly was grabed by this irresponsible man and taken into a building under construction. He threatened to kill her using a knife holding in his hand if she dare to shout for help.

His pair of trouser hanging in the building caught attention of a businessman who peeped into the building and saw Samson Maganga on top of the young girl. And without hesitation, the businessman shouted for help and people came and arrested him.” Narrates Chigalu

“Court sitting at Kasinje Ntcheu, on February 11 2016, state prosecutor  Sergeant Daniel Phale asked the court to give the accused stiffer punishment considering the gravity of the offence and that the victim is a minor, but in mitigation the accused asked for leniency, saying he is the first offender and that he regrets the incident. 

But in his ruling, Ntcheu First Grade Magistrate Chrispine Sachuluka, conquered with the state adding that the death threats the young girl and Trauma suffered by the young girl will continue to haunt her for the rest of her life. To deter the other would be offenders he slapped the accused with 120 months imprisonment with hard labour.” explains Chigalu

Sub Inspector Chigalu also mentioned that Ntcheu police station is very much concerned with this​dreadful​behaviour and incidences and that police are doing everything possible to arrest the situation. 

"We have intensified our rural patrols in all T/As and we are working hand in hand with our Community Forums. 

We also want to appeal to the communities to report any suspicious activity to Police so that together we can create Ntcheu which is crime free, so we will relentlessly strive to protect life and property in the District” assured Sub Inspector Chigalu

The convict hails from Kalorila village of T/A Mthiramanja in Mulanje district while the victim comes from Magomero village of T/A Ganya in Ntcheu district.