Sunday, March 16, 2025
الرئيسية بلوق الصفحة 118

EXCLUSIVE: What exact interest does NCA have on Sattars?

Reports show that British National Crime Agency (NCA) keeps on torturing businessman Zeneth Sattar by unlawful arrests on suspected corruption act with Malawi government.

Sattar who is a successful Malawian businessman is being denied access to his assets, businesses as if he has been already sentenced.

The British NCA act on Sattar is unacceptable in the court of law.

The agency actions are not based on proper legal procedures but rather jealousy over the Sattars successes.

For starters, NCA has been investigating Sattar without proper involvement of Malawi government particular office of Attorney General (AG), Police, immigration and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The agency only uses embattled Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Martha Chizuma who works with social media friends.

To this far, Malawi government has never complained anything to Britain on Sattar business dealings with the state.

The British NCA in the said investigations has never probe on any Malawi government official on the alleged corruption but only focusing on supplier. What are the Britons interests?

This is why both AG and DPP have always told Chizuma to seriously look into the matter with sober minds than being emotional and personal vendetta.

One of Malawi government’s ministry of justice officials revealed that NCA has failed to establish real public officers who were involved in the alleged corruption while targeting the suppliers only, who is Sattar.

He added that NCA frequent arrests on Sattar is aimed at torturing him due to envy and jealousy on his successes.

“The British NCA are in a fix on how to proceed with their illegal investigation on alleged corruption probe; firstly, AG, DPP, NIB and Immigration were by-passed this means by law their (NCA) work is invalid. Secondly, there is only one side the British NCA and Chizuma are interested on supplier only not public officers who requested the services.

“If Sattar as supplier is being questioned for contract. Where is the buyer’s statements or explanation? Nothing is done or questioned. No witness statements either. Sattar is a target of Harassment. According to law. Supplier is the last to be asked. Buying entity is first to be questioned. But buying entity is free and only the supplier is harassed,” said the source.

The source added further that AG, DPP do not have enough grounds to prosecute someone which later will cost government heavily.

“With also the leaked audio case in court puts the British NCA on spotlight disarray which was also mentioned in the audio. The audio exposed all NCA and Chizuma (not ACB office) personal vendetta on businessman Sattar. Chizuma’s public trust is gone,” says the source.

ACB acted illegally by communicating and accepting a team from NCA to operate and run affairs in Malawi without permission.

However, AG Nyirenda told the news conference early this year that; “My office is ready to cooperate with the United Kingdom on exchange of evidence through normal diplomatic channels on prescribed legal framework while at the same time respecting the sovereignty of the two countries.”

Nyirenda added that the Immunities and Privileges Act plus the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations as well as the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations to recover any money that might have been illicitly transferred from Malawi to United Kingdom shall be used.

“The office shall also ensure that all legal formalities including the prescriptions under the mutual assistance in criminal matters act are followed to the letter when collecting evidence from the UK or sending evidence to the UK to avoid needless and undeserving acquittals or needless and undeserving loss of lawsuits and a matter of compliance with the rule of law,” he said.

Both the AG and DPP argue that ACB contravened the Laws of Malawi: Chapter 8.04 and Chapter 16.01 which deals with mutual assistance in criminal matters and immunities and privileges respectively.

The NCA has so far not made any request to have the information shared with Malawi government either.

What is always being communicated is that Sattar has been arrested, properties freezed without Malawi government involvement.

Prosecuting Sattar without Malawi government involvement is against international statutes while violating someone rights to business.

The British NCA must respect Malawi as sovereign state, period.

CHIZUMA ISNT ABOVE THE LAW: LET LEGALITY AND CONSTUTIONALISM PREVAIL

Opinion by James Kayuni, student of law at University of Nairobi in Kenya.

There is, of course, something questionable about Redson Munlo and the team holding vigils at Parliament to force President Lazarus Chakwera to fire ACB head Martha Chizuma for allegedly breaking the oath of office she swore to protect.

In fact, even those questioning where Munlo and team are getting funds have a point and they deserve to be given an ear.

However, there is a larger issue at play here, something more critical than dwelling on who is funding Munlo and team.

Whatever we may wish to condemn these guys, let’s not be deluded to entirely trash off the message these guys carry, the message of the need for the country not to look away when our public leaders stifle the spirit of legality and constitutionalism–which are cornerstones of our liberal democracy.

At the heart of the matter here, which is more superior than anything else, is the need to protect and upheld the law that governs the operation of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

If we allow any occupier of the ACB high office to be operating as they wish, choosing to break the laws and get away with it unchecked and unpunished, I shudder to think of the chaos we are creating, something which will haunt us one day.

Chizuma took oath of her office to operate within the set legal and Constitutional limits as spelled. If that oath is broken, as it has been the case with the case of that leaked audio, we need to protect the office of ACB, not Chizuma.

Just as every person, she must face the processes that governs the disciplinary and censure structures that comes with what she has broken.

As a country, we should strongly embrace the spirit of protecting and strengthening  our government agencies not temporal people who occupy the offices.

If we haven’t forgotten, we may end up watering down activities of ACB just as we watered down Section 65, during the Bingu Wa Mutharika.

John Tembo, then leader of opposition, constantly reminded us that, yes, we need the budget, but we should not demand it at the expense of protecting people who are defying Section 65. Well, we though Tembo was being bitter with Bingu. Today, here we are: a strong law aimed at curbing political prostitution in Parliament is just a another bluff, weak and powerless.

This is why, people such as Munlo, no matter what we think of them, we need to listen to them and support their cause of defending the spirit of legality and constitutionalism.

Rumphi man recovers from mental illness upon father’s burial after 27 years of insane

SIMON: Has regained his sanity after the burial of his father

A man identified as Simon Kayira, 49 from Chiberekete village in the area of senior chief Mwankhunikira in Rumphi district has regained his sanity after  the burial of his father after suffering from mental illness for over 27 years.

In an interview with his uncle who is also village head Wasambo, said Simon’s condition turned worse in 1994.

“He started isolating himself, stopped taking his bath and stopped wearing clothes.  He has suffered for a long time. This is like seeing the biblical Lazarus rising from the dead and we are all pleased,” he said.

Wasambo further said that his brother (Simon’s father) died on Friday last week and was buried on Saturday, May 14, 2022.

During the burial a naked Simon was also asked to lay a wreath on his father’s grave which he did with his sister.

Good Samaritans presenting the donation

Soon after the burial his nephew asked him if he could put on some clothes and this time he accepted after running around naked for over 27 years.

He was later clothed and had his overgrown hair which he had been keeping for 27 years cut for the first time.

He said he later took his bath and has been taking his bath since Saturday.

On his part, Simon said he does not remember much from his past.

But he is able able to remember the names of his cousins, aunties, and friends he used to play with in his youth.

Reunion with family and friends

Group village headman Chiberekete said he was in awe to see Simon recover from his psychological disorder after wasting 27 years of his life suffering from the condition.

Simon is optimistic to support his aged mother and sister after fully reintegrating into the community.

Another villager, Tyson Mayuni while collaborating the story said the entire village was happy to see Simon putting on clothes again.

Thandiwe Mkandawire who is executive director for Mental Health Users and Carers Association said his reintegration into society will depend on the kind of support he gets from his community.

“There are so many things to be considered for one to reintegrate into a community such as peer support, psychosocial support.

“It also depends on what is in the community to allow such a person to reintegrate. For example, people’s attitudes and what community leaders are doing to have that person reintegrate into the community,” she said.

Meanwhile, a well-wisher and businesses man of Malawian-Asian origin based in the  United Kingdom (UK) has engaged Simon’s family on how best he can support him.

Eventually, Simon and his guardian were invited to Lilongwe for further support arrangements.

Upon arrival in Lilongwe, Simon was attended to Saint John of God clinic at area 43 for medical treatment; physical and mental support.

Not only that, the well-wisher also dressed up Simon coupled with food items, mobile phone and bicycles donation for a quick recovery.

“Firstly, when he sent someone to visit us at the home village to find out about Simon, we doubtful him. But after understanding fully his main intention, the family agreed to accept the invitation to Lilongwe.

“We can’t believe on what this well-wisher has done to us. Unfortunately, we just spoke with him on phone while being lodged in the city. May almight Lord, add more blessings to this well-wisher,” amazed Dalitso Kayira, Simon’s guardian.

Kayira adds, “With the support been given, we have hope that our relative, Simon, will recover fully and able to contribute to our family needs.

“We also grateful to our Constituency lawmaker Chidumpha Mkandawire for visiting us when we were in Lilongwe. Mkandawire gave Simon upkeep and encouraged him to be strong”.

Simon is expected to undergo two months rehabilitation at Saint John of God in Mzuzu with financial support from a well-wisher.

CDEDI TELLS RBM GOVERNOR TO RESIGN FOR INDECISIVENESS, BRINGING RBM INTO DISREPUTE

By Iommie Chiwalo

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has expressed worry over indecisiveness of the country’s central bank under the leadership of Governor Wilson Banda.

In a letter to Banda CDEDI observes that RBM has run out of ideas, under his leadership and that in the interest of transparency and accountability, the noble thing the Central Bank Chief can do, is to resign on grounds that he has dragged the RBM into disrepute.

Alternatively, RBM Chief has been given a chance to exonerate himself, by publicly explaining to the Malawian taxpayers on why they should continue paying him as the RMB governor, when the writing is on the wall that he has failed to perform, and miserably so.

“By virtue of being a public entity, the RBM should have been forthcoming with information and policies employed to solve or at least manage the crisis. Elsewhere, central banks that are serving public interests, have already started rationing forex according to priorities. Back home, and if sentiments from the RBM publicist, Ralph Tseka, that the bank was doing something about the forex situation, without making it public, is anything to go by, then it simply means the RBM has run out of ideas,” reads the letter signed by CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa.

All the pointers are indicating that things are not well enough and this has been expressed in the press with sources from the ministry of finance and economic affairs confirming negativity.

For instance, and even quoted by CDEDI in the letter, the RBM boss has been reminded by the remarks of the Principal Secretary in the department of Economic Planning and Development, Winford Masanja, who openly told the Budget and Finance Committee of Parliament that there is no solution in sight for the scarcity of forex as the country is not doing well in terms of exports.

As if that is not enough, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs,  Sosten Gwenge, is on record as having called on Malawians to tighten their belts, which simply means Malawians should forgo extravagance and needless spending.

“Going by the aforementioned, it does not need one to become an economist to notice that all macro-economic indicators are heading south. It was therefore a foregone conclusion that the RBM would devise a mechanism to ring-fence forex for extremely essential services and basic needs such as essential drugs and medicines, fuel, cooking oil, wheat flour, etc,” reads the letter.

Further pointing the red flag is the recent confirmation by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, responsible for Administration, Bestone Chisamile, who told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament that treasury had released US$1 million for the purchase of essential drugs, which were just enough to last 20 days. 

Surprisingly, according to Namiwa, at a time when the citizens were about to take Minister Gwengwe’s call seriously, CDEDI and well-meaning Malawians were shocked to learn that the bank had made available a whopping US$3 million for President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s luxurious trip to Davos in Switzerland and thereafter to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on a chartered private jet.

Namiwa is convinced that the RBM does not have forex for essential drugs and medicine, raw materials for industry, fuel, cooking oil and wheat flour, but it has stacked forex somewhere ready for President Chakwera’s and his Cabinet Ministers’ unjustifiable and unwarranted globetrotting.

He cautioned that such kind of approach, which unfortunately coming from the people who are perceived to be highly learned, will never bring any immediate solution for the forex shortage in the county, since it is simply a drain on the scarce forex and hard-earned tax.

“It is against this background that CDEDI believes that besides presiding over the steady depletion of forex for the past two years you have served the RBM as governor, you have also failed to provide timely and sound counsel to the executive arm of government, including your current boss, President Chakwera on the implications of the current economic outlook and its immediate, medium-, and long-term effects to the 18 million plus Malawians,” Namiwa narrates.

Adding that CDEDI and indeed well-meaning Malawians are forced to believe that RBM Governor is serving narrow partisan interests of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which is infamously known for its insensitivity to the plight of the people.

Namiwa feels Banda should have reasoned with President Chakwera not to travel, on grounds that the very same RBM which had failed to provide forex exceeding US$1 million to pharmaceutical companies to import drugs and medicines, could not afford to release US$3 million for the presidential trip.

“Simply put, the trip has been made extremely important than the lives of innocent and productive citizens, which have now been condemned to early graves due to preventable diseases. If this is not criminal negligence, then you are in a better position to tell us what this means. If you didn’t have somewhere to start from in terms of advising the president, you should have at least reminded him that just across the Songwe border, the late Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli managed to transform the face of his country within six years of his tenure, without attending any of such international conferences,” Namiwa hints.

He has even quoted Rwandan Paul Kagame who puts it that “where is the morality of sweeping the much-needed forex clean to finance a photo opportunity with founder and chief executive officer of the World Economic Forum when millions of the voters are at the verge of starving to death due to economic hardships?

RBM has confirmed receipt of the letter from CDEDI.

Some commentators have since faulted Chakwera’s trip to attend WEF since it is not beneficial to Malawians.

Chilima Dates North on Council Reforms Progress

Chilima: In previous Reforms engagements in Central Region

Vice President Salous Chilima – who also over sees public sector reforms – will next week be in the Northern region for a week to track progress of various reforms taking place in councils as well as visit various projects.

The firebrand and workaholic Chilima has an overstretched schedule from Monday to Friday as he embarks on inspecting some major projects and holding public reforms meetings in the Northern region.

The Veep held a similar reform progress tour in the North in April 2021 to track the government’s reforms agenda.

A packed programme for the Veep for the week that we have seen shows Chilima will kick start his week long tour in the Northern region on Monday in Chitipa .

According to the loaded programme, Chilima will start with Chitipa to inspect the Emergency Treatment Unit – Chitipa Isolation Centre, Rehabilitation of Chitipa Council Chamber & Office Premises and hold full council meetings at the boma

Later in the afternoon and on Tuesday morning the Veep will be in Karonga where, among other projects, he will tour Karonga North Rukuru Dyke and Hara Women Briquettes Production and thereafter hold council meetings.

On Tuesday Chilima will be in Rumphi where he will inspect the Community Based Floods Early Warning System and hold reform meetings at Rumphi boma.

On Thursday, the Veep is expected to engage Nkhatabay and Likoma councils where he is expected to visit NkhataBay District Hospital (Paying Ward, Restaurant, Printing Services) and Standardized Exams in Primary Schools at St Maria Goretti before holding council meetings at Chikale beach.

The same day in the afternoon he will tour Mzuzu Civic Centre Construction and hold a reform meeting with Mzuzu City Council officials.

Chilima is expected to wind up the week-long tour in the North with a visit to Mzimba on Friday where he will appreciate progress of the Kasangazi Irrigation Scheme and Innovation Project: Hydro Power Generation.

The public sector reforms are being implemented in various government departments and councils to modernise the country, moving the country to a middle income nation and anchoring the implementation framework of the key priority areas in the Malawi 2063 development agenda.

NIGERIAN IDOL 7 FINALE: Watch Who Walks Away with $240,000 Worth of Prizes This Sunday

Show’s host IK Osakioduwa: Set to announce a winner who will walk away with $240,000 worth of prizes

The finale episode of Nigerian Idol Season 7 will air at 20:00 CAT on Sunday, 22 May 2022, live on DStv and GOtv. Show’s host, IK Osakioduwa, will announce a winner who will walk away with $240,000 worth of prizes.

Don’t miss a moment of the action, make sure you’re connected. Easily use the MyGOtv or MyDStv apps to manage your subscription and watch the finale on Africa Magic (DStv channel 151), Africa Magic Urban (DStv channel 153; GOtv Supa channel 6), and Africa Magic Family (DStv channel 154; GOtv channel 2).

After weeks of watching the top 12 contestants sing their hearts out on the live shows to earn fan votes, the competition is down to two finalists –Progress and Zadok – vying for the title of ‘Nigerian Idol’. Whoever wins will go home with a cash prize of $240,000, a brand new SUV, a Bigi branded refrigerator and a year’s supply of Bigi drinks. They will also get to record an EP and a music video, a weekend getaway from TravelBeta, and a DStv Explora fully installed with a 12 months premium subscription.

As a platform created to help exceptional musicians, the first runner-up will also walk away with an EP produced by a leading music producer in Nigeria and a top-notch music video shoot.

The fate of the finalists will depend on the results from the final voting round which ends on Friday, 20 May at 22:00 CAT. Voting on Nigerian Idol is via the website, mobile site, MyDStv, and MyGOtv apps.

Fans can vote via the Africa Magic website, www.africamagic.tv/nigerianidol, and the Africa Magic mobile site by selecting your winner, entering the number of votes and clicking VOTE. Voting via these platforms is limited to 100 votes per user. Voting is also free on the MyDStv and MyGOtv Apps. The number of votes each subscriber gets is allocated based on their subscription packages.

Follow Nigerian Idol across all social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest details. Visit www.dstv.com/africamagic/en-ng/show/nigerian-idol for more information.

Fish farmers hail Maldeco support

BVC members harvesting fish from the cages on Lake Malawi

Some fish farmers in Mangochi and Zomba have hailed The Foods Company Limited (TFCL), a subsidiary of conglomerate Press Corporation plc (PCL) trading as Maldeco, for supporting them through their fish farming and providing them with a ready market for their fish.

Speaking to journalists in Mangochi and Zomba at the weekend, the farmers said Maldeco has been giving them assistance in terms of the technical know-how in aquaculture farming as well as assisting them to access the much needed fingerlings so that they are economically independent.

Maldeco is running a community transformation initiative dubbed ‘One Village, One Cage’ (OVOC) Initiative where in each of its surrounding five villages, Beach Village Committees (BVCs) have been allocated a cage on Lake Malawi where they grow the fish. The company is also supporting other farmers who practice fish farming in fishing ponds in Zomba.

Kanyerere Jnr.- We are grateful

Under the initiative, Maldeco, with the support from the Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund (MICF) matching grant facilitated by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) supplies the high quality scarce fingerlings and coordinates feed supplies to the BVCs and when the fish is harvested, Maldeco procures the fish and the cost of the inputs is deducted from the sale proceeds and the profit is what the BVCs take away as their income.

Michesi Beach Village Committee Chairperson Jordan Kanyerere Junior said they made a total of K1.7 million during their sales from the first phase of the project.

“This is a lot of money to us. Apart from sharing the money as committee members, we also managed to buy school uniforms for needy children from 23 families in our village so that they too should benefit from our relationship with Maldeco,” said Kanyerere.

Miteche-Beneficial relationship

Siwema Daniel from Makokola BVC also thanked Maldeco for the support that it is giving to the community saying her BVC has been economically empowered by the initiative.

“We are now thinking of increasing our fish stock so that we make more money during the second harvest,” she said.

A fish farmer who practices fish farming at her five fish ponds at Domasi in Zomba, Rennie Kawaga hailed Maldeco for supporting her with the aquaculture know-how and providing her with a ready market for her fish harvests.

Miteche-Beneficial relationship

“I am happy that Maldeco, apart from supplying us with the fingerlings and the fish feed, is also giving us a ready market for our fish,” said Kawaga.

Another fish farmer Norah Miteche from Songani in Zomba who also practices fish farming in her 6 fish ponds, also hailed Maldeco and Aquaculture Enterprise Malawi (AEM) for the support which includes fish growth monitoring (sampling), extension services, aquaculture technologies and business management courses.

“As a new fish farmer, I can say that this has been a beneficial relationship because apart from supplying us with fingerlings, feed and a ready market, Maldeco has also been conducting business management courses for us farmers which have been an eye opener and essential for enterprise sustainability,” said Miteche.

Kawaga- Ready market available

Maldeco General Manager Andrew Santhe said the initiative has helped to improve relationships with villagers especially in Mangochi where the company engages in cage fish farming on Lake Malawi.

“We have seen that issues of security of the cage fish have greatly improved because the communities around the company have their own cages on the lake and hence the company and the community are collaborating in securing the fish. We are also happy that we are contributing to the economic development and independence of these communities around Maldeco and elsewhere where we are supporting the fish farmers,” said Santhe.

The initiative is within a bigger project where Maldeco is constructing a modern fish processing facility with funding from PCL and additional funding from UNDP which Maldeco won as a matching grant.

CDEDI moves in to wake up Chakwera from his deep slumber

By Iommie Chiwalo

Cdedi senior officials addressing the media

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has moved in to wake up President Lazarus Chakwera and his administration to from deep slumber by devising mechanisms that will resuscitate the country’s economy from its death bed.

The move by CDEDI follows country’s economic status which is heading south as
evidenced by the rationing of essential goods and services, scaling down of local
production due to scarcity of foreign currency, the ever-weakening Malawi
kwacha and increasing electricity load shading hours.

In a press statement signed by its Executive Director, Sylvester Namiwa and made available to this publication, CDEDI has challenged the President and his administration to ring-fence forex for essential services and products such as drugs and medicines, fuel, wheat and cooking oil, before the situation gets out of hand.

Namiwa observes that the dire economic outlook is dampening the spirits and aspirations of Malawians each and every passing day with headlines clearly pointing to a clueless and helpless leadership.

“Just to cite a few examples, CDEDI has learnt with shock revelations that this
month the country has only managed to secure forex just enough to procure essential drugs and medicines for 20 days, production in most of local industries is at zero, essential commodities such as cooking oil and sugar are being rationed in shops, reputable airlines have scaled down their services in the country due to unavailability of forex, businesses have grounded to a halt due to the unavailability of forex,” says Namiwa.

With the prevailing trends, Namiwa has on a sad note observed that Malawi will soon begin to needlessly lose productive lives to preventable diseases due to lack of drugs and medicines in both the public and private health facilities.

CDEDI is of the view that the current government erred big time by cancelling the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility (ECF).

“As they say bad politics makes bad economics, apparently, we have established that such a costly decision was made to accommodate their litany of campaign promises such as the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP), the duty-free week, not forgetting the global trotting by President Chakwera and his Cabinet. Such extravagance would have certainly have put the IMF programme off track, hence the cancellation,” he narrates.

CDEDI has also been vindicated on indecisiveness of current government through its recent letter to Finance Minister Sosten Gwengwe who did not bother to either respond or only acknowledge receipt of the said letter.

In the letter, CDEDI was demanding an explanation on the status of forex in the country, and policies that have been put in place to reverse current trends.

“With inflation rate as high as 15.7 percent, Malawians have now lost the pride that goes with being a citizen of this great nation, as they are trying in vain day and night to save their families from starvation.

It is worth pointing out that for the past two years of current regime, the business community has survived on the parallel market to access forex to run economy. It is, therefore, a mockery for the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), to peg the US dollar at MWK825 when, in fact, the authorities are aware that the green buck is not available in the first place and wherever it is found, the rate is pegged at more than MWK1,150. It is sad that government is exerting negative energy by blaming everyone and everything from the Covid-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine and not its poor leadership for the skyrocketing cost of living, thereby conveniently forgetting that Malawi is a predominantly importing and consuming nation, hence any rate of fall of the kwacha means more misery for the people,” he observes.

And CDEDI is further demanding Chakwera to swallow his pride and accept that the involvement of his government’s high ranking officials in forex externalisation, non-trickling of proceeds from the sales of agricultural commodities on the international market such as South Sudan and India and his own cluelessness in running State affairs, saying are some of the reasons that have pushed the country’s economy into the ditch.

“With President Chakwera’s tendency of shielding corruption, it is not automatic that Malawi will get the IMF nod. He should not put all the eggs in one basket by banking all his hopes on the IMF, which by the way is not a charitable organisation. This therefore, calls for plan ‘B’,” says Namiwa.

He has further urged government to plan and act for a future that must be defined saying as it stands now, Malawi is on autopilot and, unfortunately, the captain is in deep slumber,”

Apart from CDEDI, more CSOs have expressed displeasure with Chakwera’s style of leadership which they say is benchmarking to dictatorship.

Companies are now scaling down as they cannot spend more on expenditures than the revenue.

Basic commodities are not only expensive but are also not available.

Malawi on right track to end child labour, says Vice President Chilima

Chilima with Ramaphosa at the summit

Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima has addressed the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, stressing that Malawi has intensified her efforts to decisively end child labour.

Addressing the conference in Durban, South Africa on Sunday, Chilima said Malawi is implementing many interventions and has ratified several conventions to end child labour

He said the Malawi government is concerned that an estimated two million children – aged between 5 and 15 – are still involved in child labour in the country.

“We cannot, therefore, afford to watch and contemplate to postpone ending child labour to a later date. Immediate action is required to reverse these trends,” Chilima emphasized.

He said much focus should be interventions to the Agriculture sector which accounts for 70% of child labour, saying sector needs multi-faceted approaches that promote inclusive rural transformation and rural development.

The Malawi Veep informed the conference delegates Malawi has ratified the relevant ILO Conventions including, all fundamental conventions, such as, Conventions 138 on the Minimum Age of entry into employment, as part of efforts to elimate child labour.

“Corresponding legislation has been enacted in my country. We have the Employment Act aimed at regulating minimum standards of employment and prohibit child labour and forced labour. We also have the National Action Plan on Child Labour, the Malawi Decent Work Country Programme and the country’s current development blueprint, the Malawi 2063,” he told the delegates.

The Malawi VP also said Malawi has abolished the Tenancy Labour system due to its resemblance with forced labour or bonded labour, which is a crucial step towards the sustenance of the country’s efforts in the fight against child labour.

He called for quick interventions and policies to extend social protection coverage for children and their families; scale-up investment in free and good-quality education; promote rights of children from birth to adulthood; and promote decent work for young people.

Earlier, Chilima conveyed Malawi’s condolences to South Africa following the loss of over 400 people in Durban during the catastrophic floods last month.

The Durban conference is being attended by high profile delegates including Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, and Guy Ryder who is ILO Director General.

It follows a similar conference on the Elimination of Child Labour that took place in Argentina five years ago where Buenos Aires Declaration, which outlines the principals and actions to be taken. was adopted.

The Buenos Aires Declaration called for action to accelerate efforts by the Sustainable Development Goals’ deadline of 2025 to end child labour and 2030, for forced labour and for the generation of more decent employment opportunities for young people around the world.

Chilima is expected to return home on Tuesday, May 17.

DPP SHOULD FORGET IT WITH POLITICAL SPENT FORCE APM ON BALLOT IN 2025

By Rebecca Mtalimanja Mkandawire

MUTHARIKA: Peter Mutharika is considered arguably the worst President that Malawi ever had

Some officials are demanding that former President, Arthur Peter Mutharika or ‘APM’, be the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate in the 2025 presidential election. DPP Regional Governor for the South, Charles Mchacha is championing the campaign for APM’s candidature against intense calls from other sections of the party for APM to step aside and give the party some breath of fresh air after his defeat at the 23 June, 2020 fresh presidential election.

The fresh presidential election followed a Constitutional Court’s annulment of the May 2019 presidential election. Peter Mutharika was the first respondent in the election case at the Constitutional Court, which he lost together with co-respondent, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

The five Constitutional Court judges had punched a stinging blow to Peter Mutharika’s political reputation and that of the DPP. No question, the DPP took a serious image beating from the court case ruling and the subsequent fresh presidential election in 2020, which Dr. Lazarus Chakwera of the Tonse Alliance comfortably won against Peter Mutharika.

According to various expert analyses, the former President was booted out of power because many Malawians were tired of DPP regime’s worsening governance record. Under his presidency and the DPP regime, corruption, theft, tax-evasion, money laundering and murders of perceived enemies of the regime were the order of the day.

Peter Mutharika is considered arguably the worst President that Malawi ever had. He is famous for being aloof and disconnected from the common Malawian. His oratory skills leave a lot to be desired, which many Malawians make fun of, particularly on social media platforms. With such negative attributes, it is surprising that Mchacha and a few youngsters masquerading as politicians on various social media platforms, are agitating for the return of the 83-year-old Peter Mutharika.

SERIOUS IMAGE FALLOUT

Peter Mutharika’s defeat in 2020 posed a serious image fallout to the DPP and the party required a serious image cleansing exercise to stand any chance of winning future elections. Most DPP members have been agitating for the retirement of Peter Mutharika to effectively deal with the image battering and rebrand the party in preparation for the next election in 2025.

But since he was shown the government exit door, Peter Mutharika himself has refused to step aside, claiming he never lost and that he was a victim of some “judicial coup” because the fresh election was sanctioned by the courts in connivance with now President of the Republic Chakwera and partners.

Whatever the precise intentions for clinging to the DPP leadership are, there is little doubt that Peter Mutharika is a spent political force. He is not only old but he is also too old to be the party’s presidential candidate in the next election. Now is the time that Peter Mutharika and his stooges acknowledged the reality that politics is now beyond him and that the more he clings on to the DPP leadership and fight against his perceived enemies within the party, the more he risks further reputational damage. With his evident governance failures when he was President of the country and at his old age, it would be very difficult if not impossible for Peter Mutharika to convince Malawians otherwise.

Politics may be addictive, so they say. But being an elderly and educated person, as well as being a United States of America (USA) Green Card holder, Peter Mutharika should have been the first person to realize that leaving the political stage early enough would save him the embarrassment of being ‘forced’ out of politics.

So far, the government of President Chakwera has been very lenient with the former President by not subjecting him to any serious criminal investigation despite many allegations of wrong-doing. It would, therefore, be good judgement on the part of Peter Mutharika to quietly go into retirement rather than clinging on to active politics.

Peter Mutharika should borrow a leaf from Bakili Muluzi who is happily enjoying life in retirement, without looking over his shoulders about politics. On 24 August, 2021, Hakainde Hichilema became the seventh President of the Republic of Zambia. There was a smooth handover of power in Zambia and the outgoing President Edgar Chagwa Lungu immediately announced his retirement from politics. What else is APM looking in active politics at such an advanced age?

Clinging to the party presidency and banging tables in anger against perceived enemies within the DPP is not the best choice for an aging law professor who should instead be spending quality time with his grandchildren.

Peter Mutharika has no place in the current political space. He lost an election because Malawians did not want him to continue as Head of State. Today, the DPP is heavily divided because of APM’s lack of leadership skills. Peter Mutharika is now a recluse, shackled in Mangochi, very far away from the party’s southern region stronghold.

It is a general consensus among political pundits and analysts that the DPP is suffering its lowest moment right now regarding its political image because of APM. When the DPP lost government power, it required some fresh mind to spearhead a robust marketing campaign and to re-energize its grassroots structures in readiness for future elections and not Peter Mutharika who wants to manage party affairs by remote control.

Peter Mutharika is a failed leader who has brought divisions in the DPP. The party needs someone who can purify its systems; a unifying figure who will embrace all leaders and members, not someone like Peter Mutharika who supports certain individuals aspiring for top leadership positions in the party against others.

Indeed, it is a general consensus that the DPP must put its act together now if it wants to stand any chance of reclaiming its lost political glory. However, that can only happen if and when Peter Mutharika steps aside. He is a bad apple and his presence does not help the DPP to salvage the little sympathy that was left after 23 June, 2020.

FLAWED DECISIONS

Decision making lies at the heart of every political leader’s personal and organization’s life. A decision that a leader makes has far-reaching consequences on the people they lead. The DPP finds itself in the opposition today because of some flawed decisions that Peter Mutharika made when he was in power. For example, his decision to send the Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda into early retirement when the law was not in favour of such an action seriously haunted him. That decision cost him millions of Malawi Kwacha in both legal fees and costs.

Another flawed decision was his choice of the politically little known and inadequately educated Everton Chimulirenji as his presidential running-mate in 2019, snubbing all possible and qualified candidates in the DPP.

Following the backlash that accompanied Chimulirenji’s choice, APM dumped him and ran with Atupele Muluzi of the United Democratic Front (UDF) during the fresh presidential poll in 2020, a decision that also sparked controversy and divisions within the party ranks and outside.

BAD ADVISORS

Some quarters say the former President is ‘captured’ by his wife and the former First Lady Gertrude Mutharika, who allegedly makes crucial political and other decisions on his behalf. But others have suggested that Peter Mutharika also suffers from poor selection of close advisors who have led him into making some of his most unpopular decisions.

The party’s unpopular Administrative Secretary, Francis Mphepo, is one of such advisors. In 2018, a few months before the elections, the old and tired Francis Mphepo was recorded insulting people from the northern region of the country as ungrateful and not deserving any development, seriously affecting APM’s popularity in the north.

Indeed, Peter Mutharika is disconnected from local politics despite having returned home about over a decade ago from years in exile in the United States. If he was live to the realities of Malawian politics, APM could have known that people like Francis Mphepo cannot be trusted.

If Gertrude Mutharika and Mphepo were good advisors, they should have advised Peter Mutharika to retire from active politics because that is the wisest thing to now and not in 2023 or 2025.

Shalom!