Malawian Boy Sent To Reformatory Centre For Raping 73 Year Old Granny

A young boy has been sent to stay two years at a reformatory centre after being convicted of raping a granny aged more than four times his age.

A First Grade Magistrate court in Dowa district ordered Danniel Kwenda aged 17 to stay at Chirwa reformatory centre for two years.

The court heard from Police prosecutor Sergeant Agnes Mphinga that the young man, had raped the granny aged 73 years.

Sergeant Mphinga narrates in the court that at the time of rape, the old woman was returning from her garden with vegetables in her hands. Then Mphinga said the woman was abruptly approached by the young man demanding that she surrender her vegetables.

At that moment, the two had wrestled before the boy forcibly sent down the old woman and raped her said the prosecutor. 

The court was further informed that the young man (Danniel Kwenda) works as a cowboy and was herding his cattle when he appallingly launched the attack.  

The boy admitted the charge during court hearing on Friday 10th July, 2015.

Surprisingly the accused boy said the granny was “sweet.” 

The First Grade Magistrate Amulani Phiri after hearing from state who asked for stiffer punishment,  ordered Daniel Kwenda to be sent for 2 years at Chirwa reformatory centre because he is a child and was a first offender. 

The complainant was not present at the court.  According to Police Public Relations Officer for Dowa Police,  Sergeant Richard Kaponda,  the old woman comes from Thambwe village of T/A Mkukula in Dowa while the 17 year old boy,  comes from of Mose village T/A Mazengela in Lilongwe.  

The offence of rape is Contrary to section 133 of the penal code and attracts a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment with had labour.

In an interview the police prosecutor Sergeant Agnes Mphinda said she was satisfied with the order by the court. 

"He is a child and is a first offender. He grew up without his parents and proper supervision" she said,  "Sending him to Chirwa is part of protecting this child. Though two years seem to be less punishment, but I hope that his stay at the reformatory centre he will learn learn a lot in terms of behaviour and skills. So he will get reformed"

However, the court also clarified that when two year period is reached, the commission at Chirwa reformatory centre will assess the boy if has really been reformed to be sent back home  or extend years of his stay at the centre.

The boy raped the granny on 5th July 2015 near Dowa turn-off near to the victims village. According to Dowa Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Kaponda, the members of community managed to apprehend the boy and took him to police. He also said Dowa District Hospital examination confirmed the woman was indeed raped. 

Malawi Govt Revamps Secondary School Bursary for Girls

• Govt to target only Utra-poor girls from all constituencies and names of beneficiaries to be verified
• Global fund is ready to revamp the project

Hon Kaliati

Secondary School Bursary for girls to revamp says Malawi Government. 

The Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) bursary will be one way of promoting girl child secondary school education and ending early marriages.

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Honorable Patricia Kaliati confirmed that plans are underway and probably in September this year, the programme will rollout.

She said government wants to invigorate efforts to keep girls at school and estimates that roughly 80 girls from utra-poor families per constituency will benefit from project.

Currently Malawi girls from poor families face number of challenges in their education, as such; most school dropout statistics shows more girls leave school at each level of education and right away from primary school.

But one of the common hindrances to their secondary school studies is school fees, if they can’t afford then end up in marriage.

In an effort to keep more girls at school and finish their studies, Malawi Government is taking further step in girl child education by revamping school bursary to all girls from utra-poor families.

According to Kaliati, Malawi Government has partnered with Global Fund to revamp a Gender Equality and Women Empowerment GEWE Bursary. However, she did not indicate the amount of money and period to which the programme will last once it kicks off.

She said plan to restore the project is underway after Global Fund Chief Executive pledged the commitment at the recent meeting with Malawi Government in South Africa.

“We met with Global Fund Chief Executive and he has promised that they are going to revamp the programme and will start paying bursaries for school fees for utra-poor and this is what we are looking forward to be doing” said Kaliati

Kaliati said GEWE Bursary which stopped some years ago, helped a lot of secondary school girls to finish their studies.

The Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Minister observed that such assistance to girls is the right direction to supplement number of government efforts in ending early marriages and school dropouts among girls.

She said the GEWE bursary will greatly support Malawian girls from utra-poor families who struggle in their daily life to access to secondary education.

Hon Kaliati has assured that the existing structures will be used identify the deserving girls from each constituency across the country 

“It is the same as we used to do in the past where we asked members of parliament to submit to social welfare names of those who are struggling to get school fees.” She said

Social Welfare, child protection, will verify the identified beneficiaries she said; “What we are looking for is utra-poor” she emphasized “We will therefore empower social welfare to go back to constituencies to assess whether the names are indeed for the utra-poor” said Kaliati

UNICEF Constructs US$7 Million Worth TTC for Malawi Govt

UNICEF Malawi has completed construction of Chiradzulu Teacher Training College (TTC), ready to handover to Ministry of Education, Science and Technology this Tuesday in Chiradzulu district.

Angela Travis, Chief of Communication, at UNICEF Malawi says the new TTC is worth US$7 million and will be training Primary School Teachers.

The new college will help to meet Malawi's growing demand for primary school teachers and promote quality education.

Travis said UNICEF through the Swiss National Committee constructed Chiradzulu TTC at the request of the Ministry of Education to fulfill the need for additional primary school teachers in the country.

"Given the growth in the primary school population the additional trained teachers will assist in keeping class size at a manageable level." said Travis in an interview

She indicated that the new college will take around 540 students per year.

The construction has taken 3 years, and the building will be handed over to the Government of Malawi, in order for preparations to begin for opening in September 2015.

In terms of sustainability and ensure that the College is up to standards, the UNICEF Malawi's Chief of Communication, said "The handover symbolically gives responsibility to the government for the launch and running of the college.

"Staff have been recruited and students are being selected. However UNICEF will continue to support the Ministry as needed and will oversee the final stages of completion. The opening is planned for September." She said

The funds for construction have been around US $ 7 million, and have been provided by UNICEF through the Swiss National Committee.

Manfred Ndovi, Public Relations Officer for Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, says  Chiradzulu Teacher Training College will be welcomed as eighth Teacher Training College run by Malawi Government.

Expect More Job Cuts at MSB says MCP Shadow Finance Minister

Privatization has left bad memories in Malawians mind. Results in job cuts and sometimes closure of the company or if it manages to survive, it becomes less important to Malawians. So, Malawians anticipate the same from Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) sale. 

The Finance spokesperson for the Malawi’s main opposition party, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) says more harmful cost for selling Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) are imminent although FDH Holdings has promised hope having acquired the MSB two weeks ago.

Government signed the sale of its 75% shares to FDH Finance Holdings Limited to a tune of K5.4 billion and has set aside Capital subscription for Basil II of K3.20 billion and Investment in ICT to a tune of K0.90 billion which total the investment of K9.5 billion.

CEO for FDH Thomson Mpinganjira in an interview casted out fears of job cuts at MSB saying they want to do serious business of expanding the bank, a work that require more workers and more branches.

However, Finance spokesperson for MCP, Hon Alexander Kusamba Dzonzi says FDH holdings CEO promise is oratory and likened his remarks to promises made in previous privatized public institutions.

Hon Dzonzi stressed that MSB workers are at risk of being sacked and closure of many branches across the country is more likely.

“The Capitalists who have bought this bank have no remorse and don’t care about Malawians. They don’t care about 630 employees that are going to lose their jobs.” said Dzonzi as he name similar job cuts that happened at David White Head, Malawi Railways among.

“A lot of public institutions in this country have been privatized believing that that’s the way forward but what we see is nothing.” He claimed

“So the people who have bought this bank can make whatever promises but nobody is going to hold them responsible. And when they will start firing our sisters and brothers, nobody is going to ask why, when they start to close branches around this country, nobody including the Government will ask why.” Challenged Hon. Dzonzi

Hon Kusamba Dzonzi is a legislature who brought the private member’s motion on 26th February this year in parliament, asking the House to stop government from selling MSB pending Malawians views. Then the evening before the day the bank was sold a Report from Budget and Finance Committee of Parliament was presented and noted by the whole House. It made numerous recommendations emphasizing the recapitalization to meet some of the regulatory requirements including restriction of the sale of the bank. 

But the Legislature, expressed betrayal by Malawi Government for failing to obey all recommendations made by National Assembly. 

“I feel betrayed and I feel Malawians have been betrayed.” He said “I believe and respect all the people involved and I believe also that this country is governed by laws. If we start disobeying our own laws then how are you going to govern this country? Because when the house speaks that’s the people of Malawi speaking.”

“Now if the owners of the bank said don’t sale the bank, who so ever has sold this bank, then on whose behalf is he working? On whose interest is he trying to service? Who is he trying to please? He inquired then said “That definitely it is not Malawians.” 

Hon Alexander Dzonzi, who represents people from Dowa West added that government should have used other economic modules to recapitalize the bank.

He was even doubtful if the leaders who have been ruling the country since 1994 have patriotism.

Thomson Mpinganjira CEO FDH Financial Holdings who bought MSB he said they are planning to us MSB to expand their presence in the country and not shrink it. “No one will be fired” he said in the recent interview

“Out of 5.4 cash that we are going to pay the Government (this week), K300 million of that we are buying shares for the employees of the bank” assured Mpinganjira

Malawi Savings Bank sale has been attracting criticism among Malawians. 

Ombudsman Office Takes Services To the People Through NICE

Office of Ombudsman is optimistic that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) will take its services to all hard to reach areas across the country.

NICE in the MOU is expected to carry out civic education and facilitate people’s complaints to the Ombudsman office.

Ombudsman office admits financial challenges have crippled operations of the office. It fails to support officers to reach out to people across the country and finds NICE as a great help to work with for it has offices all the way down to grass root level.

NICE officers will get trained on identifying matters and on complaint handling in order to supplement Office of Ombudsman mandate of monitoring public service delivery of all public offices and increase presence across the country.

“Now as you are aware NICE has a grassroots, have their offices all the way down to grass root level and that is where this MOU is so important to us and I must admit that am really excited. Because with that then overnight we are able to cover the nation instead of us crying foul that we are underfunded” said Ombudsman Hon Justice Mrs. Tujilane Chizumila

She said Ombudsman has presence in four regional offices; Mzuzu which covers whole Northern region, Lilongwe which covers the whole Central region, Balaka which covers whole Eastern region and Blantyre which covers the whole Southern region.

“So you can imagine a vulnerable person from Nsanje to reach Blantyre and a vulnerable person from Chitipa to reach Mzuzu it’s really asking too much from these vulnerable but, with that training then the NICE officers will be bringing that information to our regional offices.” said Chizumila 

She added “I have forewarned members of staff of Ombudsman that they should be prepared for an avalanche of complaints reaching us. But that is what our mandate is all about.” 

From this year’s budget, Government has allocated Other Recurrent Transactions (ORT) to a tune of K90 million only, yet the office handles a lot of matters from across the country including conducting investigations. 

“There are so many issues involved; we need offices, staff to cover the whole nation, transport, funding for salaries if we are to ask for new officers, funding for stationary and all that. Mind you, most of the vulnerable people who come here most of them are so poor that they cannot even afford to write their complaint on a piece of paper, they can’t afford to buy paper or pen. The reason being that according to the law every compliant that has to come to this office must be in writing. So we are the ones who issue them with stationary.” She explained

Hon Chizumila further noted that the country needs to establish different Ombudsman offices to handle different complaints than having single ‘public’ Ombudsman.

National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) executive director, Ollen Mwalubunju said his organization is ready to educate the public as well as facilitate complaints to office of Ombudsman.

He said NICE finds it fit to carry out the task diligently since it has similar roles with that of Ombudsman office particularly on fostering democratic governance.

Having structures spread countrywide with 8000 volunteers and 31 district offices, Mwalubunju was optimistic that they will manage play the role of providing information on how people can access Ombudsman offices and fill all gaps that exists with office of Ombudsman.

Mwalubunju said carrying out the civic education is aright partnership which will give Ombudsman services to rural people and not only to urban people as it has been the case.

He said NICE has several approaches that are going to make the civic education of this task fruitful just like they successfully managed civic education during the last elections.

NICE will be forwarding some matters to Ombudsman in an effort to carryout Ombusdman mandate of monitoring public service delivery of all public offices across the country.

At the signing ceremony that took place at the Ombudsman office in the Capital city, Lilongwe some two weeks ago, ‘Then’ Ombudsman Hon Justice Mrs. Tujilane Chizumila on behalf of Ombudsman office signed the MOU with Ollen Mwalubunju Exectutive Director for NICE on behalf of NICE. 

NBM To Turnaround Inde Bank Into Profit Making, Offer New Services

National Bank of Malawi (NBM) has new plans for its newly acquired Inde Bank for both growth and new services.

On Thursday, NBM bought both Malawi Government and ADMARC shares in Inde Bank to a tune of KK4.7 billion representing 67% of shares would use K1.6 billion for regulatory requirement for the recapitalization and this sums to K6.3 billion. The signing agreement took place at the Capital Hill where Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe signed the deal on behalf of Malawi Government and Mr. George Partridge signed on behalf of NBM.

At the same event government also signed the sale of Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) where Minister of Finance signed on behalf of Government while Dr. Thom Mpinganjira signed on behalf of FDH Holdings

In an interview, NBM Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. George Partridge says NBM had due diligence when placing bid and that after acquiring the bank NBM would look further at how they can do with the bank.

Partridge then said among others, NMB is ready to use its new subsidiary to offer other products that are not offered by Malawi banks. He said NBM will use Inde Bank to utilize offers from Development Banks lines of credits to service Malawians as National Bank is failing to provide them due to its commercial license.

He also indicated that NBM bought the shares to take over the bank so that they can manage it in such a way that it starts to make profits again to prevent systemic risk to the finance system.

“After such long process the anxiety are now over and we can now move ahead and reorganize and restructure Inde Bank into a bank which we would like it to be” He said, “at the moment the bank is a loss making and failing to meet some of the regulatory requirement of the registrar (Reserve Bank) and one of the things is to recapitalize the bank so that it abides to RBM requirement.”

The NBM CEO assured; “We think we can turnaround the bank. We have strategies to turnaround that bank to be profit making bank once again”

He then explained; “We have seen that there are things that need to be done right in that bank and we think that we have ability to do that. We have demonstrated ourselves that we are making profits because of what we are doing. So if we apply the same methods and systems that we have to Inde bank we think we can turnaround Inde Bank, there is no reason why Inde Bank should be making losses.”

NBM has bought Malawi Government and ADMARC shares and will pay the money this week and the part of the money will be used for the recapitalization of the bank since the bank is undercapitalized.

Magna Carta Exhibition Open to Public at Malawi Parliament Building

Magna Carta exhibition 

Malawi chosen to be the only Commonwealth African country to exhibit Magna Carta, open to public at National Assembly building.

Established in England, Magna Carta, is a Latin word for the Great Charter which is both a document and set of ideas issued by King John 800 years ago.

Magna Carta established the rule of law and laid the foundation for personal liberty which acts as a set of principles and reference point for many legal compasses as it has helped to shape liberty, Justice, democracy and the rule of law across the world.

Scales, Mkandawire, Ligowe:Briefing media 

This year, the Commonwealth is celebrating 800th Anniversary of the Sealing of the Magna Carta

Magna Carta is of relevance to Malawi since British settlers in Nyasaland used the provisions of Magna Carta to ensure their freedom and protection of their property by colonial administration. When Malawi became independent in 1964 Constitution included a Bill of Rights that featured largely the civil and political rights in Magna Carta, and now, the 1994 Constitution also has a comprehensive human rights chapter including Sections 28, 41, 42 and section 43.

Martin Scales 

British Deputy High Commissioner to Malawi Martin Scales said the Magna Carta exhibition to Malawi is here for number of successes Malawi has had and continues to exhibit across the world.

He said Malawi was chosen because of the strength of Malawi Constitution and its Judicial Independence including its active role in the commonwealth lawyers and magistrates association.

Scales

The British Deputy High Commissioner added that the Magna Carta is only encouraging states not exercise their powers in arbitrary manner.

Martin Scales said Magna Carter Exhibition in Malawi is a great honor and that’s a reason to celebrate and more reason to go and see the Magna Carta at the National Assembly.

Charles Mkandawire

Regional Vice President for East, Central and Southern Africa, Justice Charles Mkandawire said the Magna Carta brings to the judicial system in Malawi important message.

He said it reminds them their obligation to interpret fundamental values of the Constitution including the chapter on human rights,

“We have to be very robust” He said “And not forgetting the history where we are coming from. Our 1964 constitution had a chapter on bill of rights and in 1966 we scraped it off. But in 1994 constitution we brought back the human rights. Now the judiciary having the mandate in the section 9 of the constitution to interpret the laws of Malawi, the Judiciary has to give the meaning of what the constitution says in terms of the rights of citizens of this country.”

Justice Mkandawire said this exhibition is educating people the importance of fundamental rights and at the same time putting Malawi on the Map for its achievements on stable judicial system, governance system as well, foster confidence to investors that Malawi has a stable legal system that will protect their investment.

Thomson  Ligowe

President for the Judges and Magistrates Association of Malawi,  Thomson Ligowe shared similar views on the importance of Malawi hosting the Magna Carter exhibition

Magna Carter has continued to strongly influence the protection of the freedoms and  fundamental rights and to shape the development of democracy and the legal system in the world.  The Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) 1948 borrows heavily from the provisions of the Magna Carta.

The Commonwealth Lawyers Association, in partnership with the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association and the Commonwealth Legal and Education Association have organized a touring exhibition entitled “Magna Carta to Commonwealth celebrating the influence of Magna Carta throughout the Commonwealth”

The Magna Carta celebrations and tour exhibition began on 12th April 2015, in Glasgow Scotland and is now in Malawi leaves for Malaysia on 19 July 2015 and finally to Wellington New Zealand where 17th Triennial Conference for Commonwealth Magistrates and Judge’s Association will be held from 13th-18th September 2015.