Listed FDH Bank has created a revolving K0.5 billion fund dubbed ‘FDH Amayi Atakate Fund’ to support women owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country to realize their full growth potential.
FDH Bank plc Head of Marketing and Communications Levie Nkunika said the Bank has created the special fund with a purpose to empower and promote women to fulfill their full business potential by providing access to working capital.
“With an estimated female population of 51.5% (NSO,2020), Malawi has over 558,090 women owned micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) (Finscope Survey, 2019) and mostly facing difficulties to access formal credit due to collateral demands and working capital challenges to enable business expansion. This presents a huge unserved market,” said Nkunika.
“To access the fund, the Bank will be giving out ‘FDH Amayi Atakate’ loans. An FDH Amayi Atakate loan is a special loan facility under the fund designed to address access to affordable credit and lack of working capital women owned MSMEs face in their day to day running of their businesses. The loan will be unsecured and will be up to a maximum of K5 million per applicant with a flexible repayment period of 2 years with affordable interest rates,” explained Nkunika.
He said the FDH Amayi Atakate loan will be accessible by women across the country using Malawi’s widest branch network of 51 FDH Bank service centres from Monday 8th march, which coincidentally is the World Women’s Day.
“Together we can create a prosperous and sustainable society by supporting our women in accessing funds for their businesses,” said Nkunika.
He said international and local development instruments highlight the strategic importance of women in any society and their critical role in fostering economic growth and sustainable national development.
“Informed by the aspirations of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the Africa’s Agenda 2063 and Malawi’s Vision 2063, FDH Bank plc believes that women owned MSMEs in Malawi should be empowered and promoted to nurture and grow their businesses and in turn they will significantly contribute towards the creation of a prosperous and sustainable society.”
“The private sector must complement Government efforts to contribute to job creation and sustainable economic growth in the country,” said Nkunika.
Chakaniza (left) presents hand sanitizer to Mawindo
Ethanol distiller Ethanol Company (EthCo) Friday donated various items worth K13 million to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic to NKhota-Kota and Salima District Hospitals.
EthCo Chief Executive Officer Lusubilo Chakaniza said as part of the Company’s shared value programme, EthCo supports the needs of the society in the areas of rural development, health and safety, education and the environment.
“Our Corporate Social Investment towards the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic since it started in early 2020 is currently valued at K40 million. As long as we exist, we will continue to support the needs of the society we live in including the district hospital,” said Chakaniza.
Chakaniza, a Covid-19 survivor herself, said while EthCo has faced its own challenges since the emergence of the pandemic, an opportunity arose from its value improvement and innovation program and hand sanitizers and surface disinfectants were added to their line of products.
“We made sure that the pandemic did not cripple our operations by decongesting our factory and keeping it running thereby producing our ethanol products including the hand sanitizers and surface disinfectants some of which we are donating today,” added Chakaniza.
Chakaniza (left) presents the items to Maliko-Chipeta
Among the items that were donated included two Oxygen Concentrators one each for Nkhota-Kota and Salima district hospitals, 1, 580 litres of hand sanitizers, 400 litres of surface disinfectant, suction tubes and Oxygen cylinders. EthCo also donated K1.5 million together with other companies in Dwangwa for the rehabilitation of the Nkhota-Kota hospital pharmacy.
Speaking on behalf of the District Commissioner, Getrude Maliko-Chipeta thanked EthCo for the donation saying it will go a long way in the fight against Covid-19 in the district.
“We express our gratitude towards this great support. This is not the first time that EthCo is supporting us and we are very grateful. We all know that government has limited resources and it is good when our partners like EthCo step in to support,” said Maliko-Chipeta.
Salima District Health Office Senior Nursing Officer Yanjanani Mawindo also hailed EthCo for including Salima hospital although it is not within the jurisdiction where EthCo operates its business.
“We are grateful that we have been included as beneficiaries although we know that EthCo does not operate from Salima. We hope other companies will emulate the example set by EthCo,” she said.
Mawindo also urged people not to relax Covid-19 preventive measures just because the numbers have been going down.
UNYOLO: The seminars will give women entrepreneurs a realistic chance to drink from the gourd of in-depth knowledge and experience of world-class business mentors and thought leaders
Lilongwe, March 8, 2021 – Standard Bank Plc is today proud to announce launch a month-long series of interactive online seminars for Women Entrepreneurs and Thought Leaders in commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD).
The series—to run from March 8, March 17, March 24 and March 31, 2021—will see the best pitch winning a package of K10 million in business recapitalization.
Announcing the initiative, Head Marketing and Communications Thoko Unyolo said the series dubbed ‘Women on the Rise – Business Master Class Series’, will attract 30 small and medium business owners in all sectors and aims to discuss performance-enhancing practices, personal development and unique insights surrounding women in business.
She said participants will gain insight on how to build and store business resilience and immunity in times of economic downturns due to pandemics such as Covid-19.
“The seminars will help accelerate development of women entrepreneurs in the country especially now when business performance has been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While we bring to light numerous experiences women in business encounter, it is also a great opportunity to inspire business resilience during times of uncertainty and underline our commitment of driving the growth of our home Malawi,” said Unyolo.
She said the seminars have attracted high-profile speakers from Malawi and Kenya. These include Dr. Patricia Murugami, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Breakthrough Leadership Transformation; Harrison Kalua, Managing Partner and Lead Consultant at Rose Harris Investments & Consulting & Former Chief Executive of Mzuzu Coffee Planters Cooperative Union, and Estelle Nuka the Founder and Managing Consultant of EWN Consulting & Training. There will also be representation from mHub, Malawi’s first technology and innovation hub.
The Standard Bank Marketing Head said the seminars will give women entrepreneurs a realistic chance to drink from the gourd of in-depth knowledge and experience of world-class business mentors and thought leaders.
“Through this initiative, Standard Bank plc hopes to empower Malawian women to reassert their role in business and society,” she said.
The IWD which falls on March 8, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, while also echoing a call to action for accelerating gender balance.
This year the day will be observed under the theme #ChooseToChallenge. A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. The webinar series, however, will be held under the theme, ‘#ChooseToChallenge Women on the Rise – Empowering women and leading them on the path to greatness.’
During the seminar, a panel of judges will pick the winner of the K10 million capital to be invested in the chosen business sector.
Standard Bank is a champion of #HeForShe, a solidarity movement for the advancement of gender equality.
Standard Bank PLC is part of the Standard Bank Group, Africa’s largest bank by assets.
Standard Bank Group reported total assets R2.3 trillion (about USD163 billion) at 31 December 2019, while its market capitalisation was R277 billion (USD20 billion).
The group has direct, on-the-ground representation in 20 African countries and in 5 global financial centers. Standard Bank Group has more than 1 100 branches and 9 000 ATMs in Africa, making it one of the largest banking networks on the continent. It provides global connections backed by deep insights into the countries where it operates.
Standard Bank Plc provides the full spectrum of financial services. Its Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) division serves a wide range of requirements for banking, finance, trading, investment, risk management and advisory services. Corporate & Investment Banking delivers this comprehensive range of products and services relating to: investment banking; global markets; and global transactional products and services.
Standard Bank’s corporate and investment banking expertise is focused on industry sectors that are most relevant to emerging markets. It has strong offerings in mining and metals; oil, gas and renewables; power and infrastructure; agribusiness; telecommunications and media; and financial institutions.
Standard Bank PLC Personal and Business Banking unit (PBB) offers banking and other financial services to individuals and small-to-medium enterprises. PBB serves the increasing need among Africa’s small business and individual customers for banking products that can meet their shifting expectations and growing wealth.
For further information, go to www.standardbank.co.mw
MWANAMVEKHA: He is fast emerging as a clear-cut presidential material and a serious contender to replace Peter Mutharika
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) finds itself at a critical juncture where it must make crucial decisions to acquire ‘rites of passage’ necessary to survive the next phase of multiparty democracy in Malawi. Whether anyone likes it or not, DPP will have to part ways with the bittersweet legacy of the Mutharikas, and the sooner that happens the better.
President Peter Mutharika is serving his second and last term as DPP president until the next convention. What will define the party in the next weeks, months or even years is how it manages this transition; replacing Peter Mutharika with a successor who would also most likely be the party’s torchbearer in 2025. Does the party look like it is ready for this transition? The answer is a quick no. What could possibly be the problem? Intra-party democracy.
We are now clocking almost 30 years since Malawi attained multiparty democracy. So far the only thing we have to show for it is the fact that we hold elections every five years. Intra-party democracy still seems to be an elusive animal even within political parties that call themselves big and established. For them, practical transition frameworks are merely on paper and implementing them takes a miracle to happen. What rules supreme is the founder, or call it big-man syndrome, where if it is not the founder himself/herself on the leadership joystick, it is his brother, son, wife, uncle or a very serious protégé.
MWANAMVEKHA ON DUTY: Addressing DPP supporters
It is now DPP’s turn to dance to this inevitable leadership transition tango and so far the party is doing it badly. Is it not too long ago that DPP supporters would use every opportunity to brag about being the biggest political party in Malawi replete with comprehensive structures all over the country from branch, area, constituency, district and regional levels? Did they also not say the party has a powerful intra-party democratic framework to ensure smooth transfer of power?
Well, this panel is now muted, and those types of statements have largely gone underground just like those who made them. DPP may have structures across the country, yes; it may also be big (big in this case is a subjective term depending on who is making it), yes, but one lesson that other political parties have learned before is that succession politics within political parties is a bitch. UDF was a once mighty and big political party waltzing majestically across the political space until Atcheya pulled a fast one. After being overcome by the ownership feeling, he installed his son to be at the helm of the party, and now what remains are just pieces of where the UDF used to be. Reason: Succession politics.
Since losing power to the Tonse Alliance government on June 23 last year, DPP seems to be on a steady slide into a cesspool of confusion and anarchy particularly at the apex of its leadership. Peter Mutharika is obviously old and tired, and clearly not in control of affairs in the party. Because of this, other people with a warped agenda want to take control behind him. They are buying time in order to create space for their preferred candidate to take root, which is why there is a lot of double-speak (or should we say non-speak) about the real date the party will hold its convention.
THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
NANKHUMWA: also faces accusations of being behind a recent press conference
Meanwhile factions have sprouted in the party each one supporting its own presidential candidate. Among the candidates that have so far thrown their hats in the ring: the party’s Southern Region Vice President who is also Leader of Opposition, Kondwani Nankhumwa, was the early bird in terms of showing interest and scheming for the DPP presidency. He has been running around particularly in the southern region, meeting party grassroots and canvasing for the presidency. For a moment, he appeared to have gathered momentum across the rank and file in the southern region but his support appears to be waning recently beyond the southern region. He is clearly struggling to convince supporters in the eastern, central and northern region that he the right candidate for the top job.
Nankhumwa also faces questions over his academic background, and appear to have lost the support of President Peter Mutharika both as a presidential candidate and as Leader of Opposition. He is currently relying on the court to hang on to the position of Leader of Opposition. Mutharika (at least that is how it looks) appears to be rooting for the new kid on the block, Dalitso Kabambe to take over from him as President of the party. Although he has so far not uttered any public word about the former Reserve Bank Governor, there are all indications he is a product of machinations in Mangochi minted by Mutharika’s team comprised of octogenarians cousins, Francis Mphepo and Brown Mpinganjira.
They tout Kabambe as a vastly experienced civil servant and economist equipped with a PhD. His presidential campaign has been christened DK 2025 by those that are selling him, and he has already hit the road running. He is not wasting time. However, Kabambe has a serious disadvantage of having Thyolo as his home district (yes it is a disadvantage if you look at the history and origins of DPP); he has also been accused of being Peter Mutharika’s long distant nephew, and that his choice is only an alias to perpetuate the Mutharika legacy.
His choice has also raised eyebrows among some section of DPP supporters who are wondering how a person who has never held any position in the party can suddenly become a favourite presidential candidate without going through the due process of rising through the ranks of the party. They accuse Mutharika of planning to do the Bakili Muluzi style, to circumvent a democratic process and to install his relative from Thyolo as president of DPP.
But in the famous phrase by Anne Rice, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt,” Kabambe’s speech at his official welcoming ceremony at the party’s southern region headquarters in Blantyre revealed how average he is as a politician. The speech lacked the wow element and is so far his lowed moment on his journey so far to become president of this country. It was a missed opportunity.
There was absolutely no gravitas needed for a maiden speech of someone with a larger agenda for the highest office in the land. He spoke more as a church elder than a politician; mysteriously he actually said he was a church elder. This could be the reason others accuse him of stumbling into politics based on circumstances without his own defined agenda for DPP and for Malawi. They wonder if he has not just been shoved into the fray by a DPP clique currently telling Peter Mutharika what to do for its own ulterior motives.
KABAMBE:Has been accused of being Peter Mutharika’s long distant nephew
Although the party’s spokesperson on finance and economy and former Finance Minister in the Peter Mutharika government, Joseph Mwanamvekha, had not come in the open to declare his presidential ambitions, he is fast emerging as a clear-cut presidential material and a serious contender to replace Peter Mutharika. Mwanamvekha is a complete and experienced economist with an impeachable record of accomplishment having managed some prominent banks in the country, including being Treasury Secretary. He is the one credited for bringing back budgetary support from the International community after Joyce Banda administration messed up through the famous cash gate.
As Treasury Secretary, he is also credited for the introduction of electronic payment system in government, which saw civil servants in the country receiving their salaries through the bank unlike the cash based system which was thought to be less secure and prone to theft. Mwanamvekha was also part of the team, together with the current Reserve Bank Governor, Dr Wilson T Banda, which introduced Discount House Business in Malawi, and it was through those efforts that First Discount House (FDH) and Continental Discount House were born in Malawi. He is also credited with the introduction of stockbroking business in the country and the expansion of Malawi stockbrokers.
Mwanamvekha has been going around the country on a self-sponsored campaign to sensitize people about the economy, and also to meet and familiarise himself with DPP party structures. So far, he has been saying all the right things particularly about pointing out economic management flaws of the Tonse Alliance government and suggesting what can be done to put the economy on track. The difference between Mwanamvekha and the other candidates is that he is becoming popular and acceptable across the country than relying on regional pockets.
Unlike Nankhumwa who comes from Mulanje and Kabambe from Thyolo, Mwanamvekha comes from Chiradzulu, a district somehow considered middle-of-the-road and not deeply Lhomwe belt ( there is a feeling the Lhomwe belt is dominating the DPP presidency and needs to change) than Mulanje, Phalombe or Thyolo. Mwanamvekha is also largely a clean politician and indications are that he intends to maintain a ‘Mr clean’ record just when his main adversary for the DPP presidency, Kondwani Nankhumwa is being accused dipping his hand in a cookies jar of receiving Covid 19 allowances without records as the country is erupting over the culture of demanding unnecessary allowances in government. Nankhumwa also faces accusations of being behind a recent press conference fracas where party thugs disrupted a press conference convened by Brown Mpinganjira together with Francis Mphepo, Charles Mhango and Chimwemwe Chipungu. Mpinganjira received a public slap to his left ear and had to run for dear life.
Kabambe also faces public criticism for presiding over a decision to give himself a hefty package as a Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (He raised his salary from 12 million to 27 million per month), which is against the law and contra to best corporate governance practices. He may be the chosen one but getting the DPP presidency may not be on a silver platter, assuming he would get it at all. One famous Ghanaian proverb says, “He who is destined for power does not have to fight for it”. For Mwanamvekha, the DPP presidency could be his for the taking if he maintains current momentum. He is the only one showing purpose and a defined vision not only for DPP but also for Malawi. His only disadvantage is his own intelligence, which has oftentimes come between good candidates and their supporters.
Beatrix Mosiwa Ndovi (left) Chief Finance Officer for CDH Investment Bank handing over the medical equipment to Society of Medical Doctors representative Dr Winnie Mhone
Continental Holdings Limited (CHL) and its subsidiaries namely CDH Investment Bank, Continental Asset Management Ltd Continental Capital Limited, Continental Properties Limited and Continental Pension Services Company have contributed items worth K27.3 million towards the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The items include Oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders with flowmeters and regulators, and pulse oximeters.
Speaking in Blantyre at a symbolic presentation function of the items, the Group Financial Controller for Continental Holdings Limited Kingsley Zulu said during tough times created by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important to work together with government and other stakeholders to fight against the pandemic.
“As a Group we believe that we all need to rally together in times like these to ensure that Malawi’s response against COVID-19 is effective,” said Zulu.
He further said the pandemic has affected business operations and the communities within which the CHL operate hence the donation as part of the group’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) towards the health and well-being of their stakeholders.
Zulu said this is not the first time that the group was contributing towards the COVID-19 fight saying during the first wave of the pandemic, they donated personal protective equipment through the Society of Medical Doctors in Malawi valued at K7million.
“Our subsidiary, CDH Investment Bank supported the Kamuzu College of Nursing with on-line learning equipment. The Continental Holdings Group has so far contributed K41million towards the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and remains committed to continue doing so until Malawi is COVID-19 free,” said Zulu.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the Medical Doctors Society in Malawi Dr. Winnie Mhone, hailed Continental Holdings Limited and all its subsidiaries for their commitment in supporting Government’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“This donation will go a long way in in bridging some of the gaps in our national health care system. The donated items will be distributed to hospitals with the most need across the country upon consultations with the COVID-19 response team,” she said.
Dr Ngalande (right) presents a dummy cheque to Dr Chitera
Listed FDH Bank plc has donated K3 million towards the ‘buy a gadget’ campaign at the Polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima) to enable needy students access quality education under Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) platforms.
FDH Bank plc Managing Director Dr Ellias Ngalande said FDH Bank plc under its Corporate Social Responsibility flagship “FDH Cares” is dedicated to creating a sustainable society by supporting various causes in education and health and other important areas.
“Due to COVID 19, we would like to contribute the sum of K3 million to the Buy A Gadget Campaign for the Polytechnic Students to enable them access quality education under Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) platforms. These students are our future leaders and therefore as a Bank we are proud to support them grow,” said Dr Ngalande.
He also said FDH Bank has been supporting and continues to support underprivileged students enrolled in various universities including 10 students at the Polytechnic on scholarships valued at K45 million for 4 years, 6 students at Chancellor College on scholarships valued at K27 million for 4 years and 10 students at Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) on scholarships valued at K62.5 million.
“We look forward to seeing this partnership grow and are committed to supporting The Polytechnic where possible,” said Ngalande.
Receiving the donation, Acting Principal for the Polytechnic Dr Nancy Chitera thanked FDH Bank plc for the donation saying it will help needy students in accessing quality education.
“We have received this donation with a very big excitement. The excitement is based on the background that we have about 6500 generic students and from our research close to 300 students do not own a phone, another category has 300 students with phones that cannot accommodate the google platforms and the last category has 700 or so students that have phones that are too small to access the study materials.”
“As a college we prioritized the first category but we cannot cover everything. You can therefore see that the coming in of MK3 million from FDH Bank plc will go a long way in assisting the particular students. The students will be able to access the learning platforms because we will buy the tablets,” said Chitera.
The Public Service Systems Review Taskforce is inviting the general public to submit their views, proposals and comments on the review of the three Government Systems of Allowances, Procurement and Employment Contracts as mandated by His Excellency Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi, on 14th February 2021.
Please categorise your submissions as follows: i. System of Allowances. ii. System of Procurement. iii. System of Employment Contracts. iv. Conditions of Service. v. Restructuring of the Public Service. The comments or views or proposals should be sent by 21st March, 2021 to the following: i. Email Address: reviewtaskforce@ovp.gov.mw ii. Facebook Page: Malawi Public Sector Reforms: https://www.facebook.com/MalawiPublicSectorReforms iii. WhatsApp: 0883 682 197 (Text messages only, no calls) iv. Twitter handle: – @the_reforms Scheduled meetings with different stakeholder groups depending on the specific task at hand will be organized in due course. The Taskforce values the input of every Malawian citizen hence the call for the submissions.
For further information, contact Mr. McCarthy Mwalwimba, Public Relations Officer for Public Sector Reforms on 0999 673 416 or Directors, Ms. Emmie Galafa on 0884 144 006 and Mr Sibusiso Jere on 0888 307 577.
Pilirani Phiri, Press Office of the Vice President
Chakwera travels up north for a virtual graduation
What a country! Malawi is still amazing right thinking people with its ‘out of this world decisions that have the whole world wondering whether the President in Malawi and his ministers think.
First, while Malawians are still in shock of the looting of K6.2 billion by President Lazarus Chakwera’s government, President Chakwera actually sent his Justice Minister, Titus Mvalo to Geneva, Switzerland, a well known expensive city in the world just to speak to the empty seats alone as his colleagues were attending the same meeting via zoom.
Chakwera and Mvalo have made Malawi a laughing stock on global map after careless decisions made by these two leaders.
The Minister was the only dignitary that travelled all the way from Lilongwe to Geneva to speak at the 46th Regular Session of UN Human Rights Council-in-person in the room in front of 1490 empty seats while all other countries across the global attended the meeting via zoom.
The Minister, Titus Songiso Mvalo who was one of the Chakwera’s lawyers during Presidential Election flew to Geneva to represent President Lazarus Chakwera who apparently was participating in that meeting via Zoom in the comfort of his presidential office at Kamuzu Palace. Ironic.
Major international media outlets have mocked Malawi for ‘looting’ pax payers money on something that could have helped this country like buying oxygen cylinders for COVID-19 patients.
Social media platforms is awash with this ’embarrassment’ touting Malawi as a laughing stock under President Chakwera’s leadership.
As if this embarrassment is not enough, President Chakwera has travelled to the northern region to attend the graduation ceremony for Mzuzu University students via Zoom.
One wonders, why not attending it while in Lilongwe to cut costs?
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) in collaboration with the Concerned Landless People in Thyolo and Mulanje have given the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development up to March 23, 2021, to distribute idle land to the landless people in the two districts.
CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa has written Msukwa, reminding the minister about the commitments he reportedly made during a meeting he convened at Thyolo Boma on Friday, 19th February 2021.
It is further reported that President Lazarus Chakwera sanctioned the meeting in reaction to the letter CDEDI wrote him on December 7, 2020.
In his response, Chakwera directed Msukwa to link up with CDEDI and other stakeholders on the way forward.
The President’s response, which was dated January 14, 2021, was an acknowledgement that he is aware about the land crisis and tragedy in Thyolo and Mulanje districts; hence, the need to act on this seemingly ticking bomb with speed and the urgency it deserves.
But with time passing, Namiwa and the Concerned Landless People in Thyolo and Mulanje feel the government is not doing enough to address their grievances.
“You may wish to recall, Honourable Minister that we agreed in our telephone conversation that you had wanted to have first-hand impression of the situation on the ground by sparing your time to inspect the vast idle land that is owned by the estate owners, and interact with the affected people in the two districts. CDEDI was shocked and disappointed, however, with your sudden change of heart when you instead opted to inspect tea plantations at the Thyolo Boma thereby ignoring the earlier plan. This is the reason why CDEDI participated in the meeting under protest,” reads the letter CDEDI has written to the minister.
Namiwa argues that since the land issue is not new, they did not expect that leaders in Thyolo and Mulanje could stand on a moral high ground and dispute it.
He says people of Thyolo and Mulanje districts are living with a wound and each passing day, the pain is becoming very hard to endure.
“They needed justice like yesterday, hence CDEDI’s insistence during the meeting that we needed a communiqué with clear timelines. To our surprise the meeting ended with literary nothing to refer to in the future. Nonetheless, we were assured of some action when in your own words said you were rushing to meet the estate owners that very same day! This means as per your own promise, you are remaining with Chiefs and Political party leaders to meet in order to round up the consultative meeting,” he says.
“Since we all agreed in that meeting that we have a very big problem in the two districts, we would like to believe that if you were able to meet two groups of stakeholders in a single day, it won’t be a challenge to meet the second and last set of stakeholders within seven days and call for an all-inclusive stakeholders meeting in another seven days and come up with solutions in the preceding fourteen days. It is against this background that CDEDI and the concerned landless people in Thyolo and Mulanje districts are giving you twenty-eight (28) days from the day this letter is delivered, to do all you can to ensure that all the idle land has been given back to the rightful owners. Once this exercise has been accomplished, the next item on the agenda will be to engage in yet another consultative process where the estate owners should make arrangements to ensure that part of the tea, coffee, tung and macadamia plantations are managed by the locals, while the estate owners should concentrate on buying and processing these cash crops,” submits Namiwa.
He ends his letter by informing the minister that there is growing insurgency on the landless people in Thyolo and Mulanje since they feel like they are foreigners in their own land and they have waited for unnecessarily longer before justice is served on the matter.
Msukwa could not be reached on his mobile phone as he was reportedly in Parliament where network connectivity is erratic.
Details have started emerging on cabinet minister Timothy Mtambo dealings in drugs after his official government vehicle was stolen in Lilongwe only to be found in Bwengu in Rumphi on Wednesday.
We can reveal that Mtambo has been dealing in drugs and the ‘theft’ of his official vehicle has opened a Pandora’s box. Our impeccable sources said the minister has been in the trade of drug trafficking together with his bodyguard who was once arrested on drug charges but fled to Tanzania before Mtambo called him to be his personal Bodyguard. “On this day, the bodyguard was supposed to deliver drugs in Karonga where some businessmen including some of Indian origin but the accident spoiled everything,” said the source.
“This is why Mtambo did not raise any alarm that his official vehicle was missing in Lilongwe until after 8 hours when the accident happened. He knew what was going on,” added the source.Our source also said Mtambo has been using his official vehicle to ferry the drugs including cocaine ‘because he knows that a ministerial vehicle cannot be searched or stopped by Police’. “If it was a real robbery, how many police stops or roadblocks did this vehicle pass from Lilongwe to Bwengu? This is what he has been doing and Mtambo knew what was going on and that is why he never raised any alarm when his vehicle was supposedly stolen,” said the source.
Insiders also question why Mtambo called his Bodyguard from Tanzania where he fled from drug charges here in Malawi. His accomplices are serving their time at Maula Prison in Lilongwe. “If police want to really investigate this issue they should do a background check of Mtambo’s bodyguard and this will be one of the simplest cases to solve,” challenged our source.
Mtambo hung up the phone when we tried to seek his comment accusing us of ‘being sent by evil people’.
