Standard Bank Introduces Visa Platinum Card

Margaret Kubwalo

One of Malawi's leading bank,  Standard Bank has launched a new-look Visa Platinum Debit Card which offers exclusive lifestyle benefits and increased personalized security.

Margaret Kubwalo-Chaika, Standard Bank Head of Personal and Business Banking said the new card offers prestige services to its customers and that they intend to deliver progressive and convenient banking services to its high-end customers.

"This card is more than debt card, it is a card that works both locally and internationally, it is about prestige” said Kubwalo on Thursday night in Lilongwe when launching the new card

Visa Platinum Debit Card is a new product with exclusive features like the highly secure new chip and pin that will see private bankers transact across the world with minimal risk. 

She mentioned that platinum card among others  offers exclusive benefits which include a guaranteed 24/7 world-wide concierge service, travel accident insurance, travel perks, lifestyle privileges and shopping rewards, zero liability and an end to queues.

“It is just ensuring that Standard Bank is close to the customers, it is answering to the needs of customer in just one card.” she said 

“Soon we will also be able to make e-commerce payments using this very same card” added Kubwalo further pledging that the bank will continue bringing innovative products and services to achieve excellence in the delivery of its services to customers.

According to Chaika, for customers to access Platinum Visa Card they will have to bring in their old cards and apply for the Visa Platinum cards. 

“With the release of the new card which will be offered for free for those whose cards would not have expired in this year, the old cards will have to be returned to the bank and be destroyed to avoid inconveniences" said Chaika

She explained that whole process will be done at the Private Banking suites and the bankers have been duly trained on how to handle the process.

She said Standard Bank always goes an extra mile to demonstrate capability in offering tailor-made products and services to its customers and that customers can contact their private bankers who will guide them on the whole process.

Experience "Rokaz" On April 30- Morgan Heritage

The Royal Family of reggae, Morgan Heritage is finally in the country for the much anticipated Reggae Unite Festival by Bon Afrikan Productions scheduled for Saturday, April 30th, 2016 at Civo Stadium in the capital city of Lilongwe.

Mphwiyo Shooting Case: Court Ban Communication Btwn Accused and Chiumbuzo Family

Manondo

High Court justice Michael Mtambo has granted state an order restraining three accused persons answering attempted murder trial of Paul Mpwiyo to temporally stop communicating with Chiumbuzo family, the close relations to first accused, McDonald Kumwembe.

“Accused persons and all agents should not contact Luciano Chiumbuzo and all his nuclear family” ordered Mtambo on Tuesday evening at Lilongwe High Court  

The order come following ‘rebuttal evidence’ application made by State relating to alibi of suspected gunman, Kumwembe who stand by his claim that he was in Mozambique when Mphwiyo was shot in the night of September 13, 2013.

Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mary Kachale said state would like to rebut his excuse by bringing four witnesses among them are members from Chiumbuzo family who are related him. 

State evidence through Airtel mobile company call logs indicates that during the period in question, Kumwembe cell phone was actively used in communicating with second accused Pika Manondo here in Malawi up until the morning of September 14. Call logs, shows the morning of September 14, the two met in Dedza, the neighboring district of Lilongwe, where they communicated to each other using network tower for Dedza market.

But his earlier testimony, Kumwembe said he left his mobile phone in Malawi with his cousin, Luciano Chiumbuzo so he can communicate with Pika and any other person on number of business issues while he was away. Kumwembe who claim to have left the country though Dedza boarder agrees with witness of Pika that it was Luciano Chiumbuzo who had met with Pika in Deza in the morning of September 14.

Mphwiyo who until the time of attempted murder was serving as Budget Director at Ministry of Finance was shot while entering the gate of his home at area 43 in Lilongwe.

Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mary Kachale made the rebuttal application immediately after defense had closed its case

“What the law allow is that when the defense have given their case and there are what we consider as new matters that we could not have reasonably foreseen then in that case the State is allowed to bring in the rebuttal evidence so that is what we want to do” said Kachale in an interview

The matter has been adjourned to May 9, 10 and 11, 2016 but before adjournment Judge Michael Mtambo advised parties that court must finish dealing with the new business within the specified dates. It is now expected that after concluding with new business, parties will submit whether the suspects are guilty or not guilty.

In the day, Second accused Pika Manondo paraded Airtel expert to speak about network and how it precisely locate position of the phone making or receiving a call. Before the expert was introduced in the court, parties had met to define scope of evidence the defense were looking from Airtel since the company is also prosecution witness.

Pika brought Airtel expert to clarify because it is believed that he was present at the shooting scene in Area 43 since call logs had traced him being in Area 43 around the hours of the shooting.

Through his testimony, Pika said he was drinking that night staring from City Centre and had stopover at Area 10 Pacific Mall a neighboring area to area 43 around 23:00 hours. He then proceeded through Malawi College of Accountancy road heading to Area 10 crossroads where traffic lights are he took M1 road and drove to Area 47 at Bwandilo where he continued drinking at Chez-Mtemba till early hours of September 14.

Kuyere

Explanation from Kelvin Kuyere, Radio Network Planning Manager at Airtel Malawi throughout cross-examination in chief and during cross examination with first and second accused maintained that a person driving from City Centre passing through Capital Hotel to area 10 then proceed to Area 47, one’s cell phone is likely going to register network towers for Capital Hill, area 10, area 18 and area 43 tower which is at Petroda filling station near area 30 and very close to Area 10 Pacific Mall.

He said it most likely because very often signal from separate network towers in very close areas do overlap just to make sure that a subscriber is fully covered.

However, Kuyere contradicted himself during cross examination with State when more than once said was “certain” that Pika was outside range of coverage area of Area 43 tower. He also told court that it was not likely that Pika phone could be picked by far and weaker signal from Area 43 when stronger signals from Area 10 and other nearby towers were at off-peak hours which normally begin after 19:00 hours to the next day 09: 00 hours.

In his explanation, Kuyere said only when a closest tower is experiencing loading, the tower at far distance offering weak signal is allowed to take users. He emphasized that normally, when making a phone call network automatically decides cell tower offering best signal but in cases where there is loading, the network pushes subscriber to the next cell even if that cell is offering weak signal.

But he emphasized that during the off-pick hours closer tower always offer strong signal and it is therefore not likely in such circumstances that cell phone can pick far and weaker signal.

He also told court during cross examination of both first and second accused persons that call logs cannot be used to locate actual position but to locate general locality of subscriber within the radius of the tower. He emphasized that call logs must be used along with GIS application.

Pope Appoints New Bishop Of Mzuzu Diocese

Rev. Fr. John Alphonsus Ryan 

His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Reverend Father John Alphonsus Ryan of the Missionary Society of St. Patrick as Bishop of Mzuzu-the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) has announced.

A statement signed by Rev. Fr. Henry Saindi Secretary General of  ECM dated April 26, 2016 has indicated that His Excellency Archbishop Julio Murat, Apostolic Nuncio to Malawi and Zambia relayed the news to Malawi this Tuesday after the news of the appointment was published in the Vatican on same day at Noon time in the Vatican City.

"The Reverend Mons. Michael A. Muwowo, Diocesan Administrator of Mzuzu, remains in charge of the Diocese until the new Bishop will take possession of the Episcopal See of Mzuzu" reads part of the statement

The office of the bishop for Mzuzu Diocese fell vacant on January 15, 2015 following the sudden passing of His Lordship Bishop Joseph Mukasa Zuza who was involved in an accident.

His tragic death was great loss to Church and faithful in Malawi as apart from being bishop of Mzuzu Diocese, late Zuza was also the Chairman for the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM).

Evangelist Andrew Palau, Don Moen Coming For Love Malawi Festival in August

Andrew Palau

Love Malawi Festival is set to unite hundreds of Churches and Christians in the Capital Lilongwe in the month of August as renowned world evangelist Andrew Palau is coming to preach the Gospel of Hope in Malawi and with him will be a celebrated Christian Worship music singer, Don Moen.

Evangelist Palau is coming to Malawi at the invitation of Churches and leaders in partnership with Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), an umbrella body for more than one hundred Churches and Christians Organisations and over fifty Evangelical Churches.

This festival is considered as very significant evangelistic effort to foster unity, hope, and love in Malawi’s capital of Lilongwe.

Mkandawire

Reverend Francis Mkandawire, General Secretary for the EAM said at a media briefing jointly held with Palau in Lilongwe on Monday that this festival is a great opportunity that God has given to Malawi of taking the Gospel to people. 

“We are looking forward to this wonderful time to provide opportunity for our nation to hear the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ” he said and urged Malawians not to miss it

This historical Love Malawi Festival will reach its pinnacle on August 20-21, where Evangelist Palau will deliver the message and main stage music by Don Moen and other artists. There will also be Action Sports BMX and FMX stunt demonstrations by professional athletes including family fun Zone for Children.

 

Professional stunts and athletes will come 

However, the festival is s expected to be launched within each church between May and June followed by Pastor’s Enrichment Conference towards the end of May as well as friendship evangelism trainings in June and July.

Rev. Mkandawire said this will be exciting event because the local church will be empowered in many ways particularly that thousands are expected to be trained in personal evangelism and be helped to understand their role in prayer and leading people to Jesus.

“We highly recommend the evangelist Palau and his team” said Mkandawire who mentioned that EAM and various Church leaders have been attending Palau festivals in several African cities and were encouraged to see how Palau festivals are done

“Palau team is comprised of very seasoned evangelists who teach sound Biblical teachings, their emphasis is on Christ and what Christ can do in our lives” He explains, adding, “and their coming to Malawi will bring good message of Jesus Christ and it will be a refreshing to the nation and we look forward to that.” 

Evangelist Palau said was excited to partner with local churches to lift high the name of Jesus and serve together in reaching out to every member of the community in Malawi.

“We are believing God for historic work in Malawi” said Palau, “He has directly called us to be his ambassadors and we are so excited to join with believers in this great nation to lift up the wonderful name of Jesus Christ”

Among others, Palau said the goals for the festival are to further unity, give motivation and hope for the hearts of the next generation.

“We want to encourage and activate in all of us a heart of sacrificial service, a love for others around us, and a life marked by right living, holiness, which leads to Gods many promised blessings and benefits.” He said 

“What we would really love to see at the end of the event is that all of God’s people would be further unified, loving each other, growing in the heart of compassion and expressing heart of love and service for the community, we want to see the young people encouraged with the vision for the future and we really would love people to hear this message that God loves you as an individual and the nation of Malawi.” He added

A son of world evangelist and author, Luis Palau, Andrew has shared the Gospel with millions of people around the world. Through Luis Palau Association Worldwide ministry the festivals brings a powerful evangelistic opportunity to cities around the globe through family-friendly events bringing together hundreds of churches in a strong expression of unity while equipping thousands of believers to share their faith.

Andrew has led festivals across United States of America as well as Europe and Love Malawi Festival marks his eighth campaign in Africa. His recent festivals in Africa include: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (2014); Adis Ababa, Ethiopia (2013); Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (2012); Bujumbura, Burundi (2011); Kampala Uganda (2010); Kigali, Rwanda (2009); and Cairo, Egypt (2008). 

According to Rev. Grey Mwalabu, Love Malawi Festival Coordinator, the very first weeks of August there will be satellite festivals in Zomba, Blantyre, Ntcheu, Mzuzu and Dzaleka Refugee Camp followed by affinity outreach events for business and civic leaders, prisons outreaches, evangelistic sports clinics, eyeglass and medical clinics.

Andrew Palau partner evangelists will also be presenting the Good News throughout the weeks of the festival at public festival events and that local civic and business leaders, media and sports celebrities and others in the faith community will share their testimonies in the various festival venues.

Machinga Boarding Secondary School Project Underway-Ministry Of Education

Lonely Magreta: Ministry is constructing
Boarding secondary 

The Ministry of Education Science and Technology has assured people of Machinga district that they will soon have a boarding Secondary School.

People in Machinga district especially young people are demanding construction of a boarding secondary school as the district is currently the only district without boarding secondary school since Balaka which was part of Machinga was declared a district, making Balaka boarding Secondary School inaccessible to pupils from Machinga.

At the moment, pupils from Machinga who access to boarding schools are only top students selected to competitive National Government Secondary Schools like students from all other districts, however, mid-level students from the district are selected to Community District Secondary Schools and Community Day Secondary Schools unlike in other districts where mid-level students go to boarding District Secondary Schools and only third tier students go to Community Secondary Schools.

Speaking to the Parliamentary Committee of Education over the week, Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Lonely Magreta assured that the project for the construction of district boarding Secondary School is underway in Machinga.

However, she admitted that financial challenges in terms of allocation of funds for the project are not adequate and therefore this is causing delays to complete the project in good time.

“The delays are not necessarily for Machinga district only” she added, “Projects in other districts are facing similar problem in terms of allocation, resources are not adequate to complete the projects but we hope that more resources will be provided in the coming budgets.”

Magreta explained in an interview that construction for Boarding Secondary School in Machinga is being done in phases. She said at the moment they are constructing teaching area, staff houses and multipurpose hall.

“And then as we continue the next financial year and possibly the other financial year, we will go to the next phase where we will start constructing the boarding facilities.” assured Magreta

“The policy of the Ministry of Education is that each and every district is provided for in terms of various categories of secondary schools to reduce the distance being covered by the students to where they have to commute but also to ensure that there is increased equitable access to secondary education by the students in each and every district” said Magreta

The project for the construction of Machinga District Secondary School began in 2014 At Chabwera village in T/A Sitola in Liwonde.

People in Machinga have been complaining of the progress of the project and lack of information if indeed the project is a boarding secondary school or just a Community day secondary school.

One of the youth groups leading the campaign for the construction of the Secondary School in the district is a group of students from the University of Malawi called ‘University Students Association of Machinga’ (USAM) which has described the situation as "Injustice" to people of Machinga.

Jonas

Jonas Matope, President for the USAM said absence of district secondary school is causing numerous problems among students in the district.

“Our issue is that we want to have a boarding Secondary School in Machinga as is the case with other districts in Malawi.” He said

“It is a known fact that the quality of education in community day secondary schools is very low.” said Matope “ this selection of the second tier group of students in Machinga into community Day Secondary Schools affects their ability to compete for college places."

He added that lack of boarding school is not only subjecting alot of students in the district to walk long distances every day to reach their community day secondary schools, but also increasing school dropouts among girls who in most cases get pregnant when they leave home to do 'self boarding' in communities nearby their schools.

Matope said the concerned youths in the district are suggesting to government that due to delays in the construction of Machinga Boarding Secondary School and looking at challenges students are facing, it is better that Government should consider turning Machinga Teachers Trainig College (TTC) into Boarding Secondary School for the district until such a time the project of constructing a fully functional boarding school is completed.

“We would like to have Machinga TTC be used as Secondary School while we wait for the completion of the said Secondary School that Government intends to construct.” concludes Matope who vowed that his group is set to persue with their stad if there will be no progress in the construction of the boarding school.

Self-Upgraded Teachers Wants Automatic Promotion Not Interviews

Mzura

Teachers who are seeking promotion after having ‘self upgrade’ to Diploma and Degrees levels are now demanding for automatic promotion and not undergo for interviews.

This comes when Ministry of Education, Science and Technology officials announced on Wednesday during a round table meeting between Parliamentary Committee on Education and the delegation of Self Upgraded Teachers that ‘a round’ process of promoting upgraded teachers has begun but will have to passing through interviews.

Secretary for Teaching Service Commission, Richard Kayesa informed the Committee and Teachers that the Ministry began the process of promoting teachers in March this year with invitation of applications from all upgraded teachers to fill-in the vacant posts and that the list of successful candidates has been released to the public and interviews will begin from Monday next week until May 11, 2016.

Although, Chairperson for Self Upgraded Teachers, David Mzura, made acknowledgement that teachers have applied for the advertised posts, but reacted that the interview process was not the actual promotion arrangement that self-upgraded teachers were supposed to go through.

He said “We are not satisfied with the decision that has been made because they have followed wrong procedure. At pre-graduation meeting at Domasi College, we were told to submit our copies immediately after graduation so that we could be promoted immediately.” added “We submitted 20 copies to the division soon after graduation”

One of Self Upgraded Teachers also commented saying the interview policy came later after they issued a petition in 2014 to the ministry seeking clarification. The concerned teacher further observed that the ministry is applying the policy selectively because despite them being subjected to interviews, others have recently been promoted without interviews.

When the Chairperson for the committee, Elias Chakwera, asked the ministry to clarify about the interview Policy, Director of Human Resource in the Ministry, Joyce Somanje said interview policy is not new development but only that teachers did not know that the policy exist. She said every person in Civil Service who wants promotion after upgrading goes thought the same process and “It is a normal policy and requirement that teachers cannot be exempted from”

The officials from the Ministry of Education also indicated that it is not automatic that one who upgrade can be promoted because there are a lot of people now upgrading and therefore the ministry cannot accommodate all of them at once.

“We were asked to submit the copies of certificates for us to be promoted automatically and this is not what is going to happen.” Insists Mzura later in an interview

The total number of teachers eligible for promotion are in four categories; 1,500 Secondary School teachers (Grade TI), 220 Teacher Training College (TTC) Lectures (Grade TI), 1,700 Secondary School Teachers (Grade TJ with Diploma in Education) and 300 Principal Primary School Teachers-Special Needs (Grade TJ with Diploma).

The concerned teachers also fear that the interview policy will see many of them being left out since the ministry wants to promote very few.

According to figures from the Ministry, there are only 483 vacancies for the post of Secondary School Teachers Grade TI against a total of 872 applicants invited to compete for the post while for the post of TTC Lecture Grade TI, there are only 50 vacancies yet 116 applicants will compete for the post.

And 586 applicants have been invited to compete for the post of Secondary School Teacher Grade TJ which has 516 vacant positions while 229 applicants have been invited for the post of Principal Primary School Teachers-Special Needs Grade TJ which has only 169 positions.

“If you have seen the statistics they have given us, you will find that a large number of teachers will not have a chance of being promoted to the next grade. And they have to wait for another four years to be promoted’’ Observed Mzura

‘’So, if you are a worker and you are demotivated, how are you going to work effectively?’’ wondered Mzura,  ‘’And therefore when we are saying that quality education is being affected in Malawi this is one of the issues that is causing this because teachers are being demotivated.”

He then said they will continue holding discussions with the Ministry in order to find ways how the problem can be solved.

He however encouraged fellow shortlisted teachers to continue with the interviews and urged other self-upgraded teachers to join their group so that they can speak with one voice.