In a meeting that took place at the office of Mr Chaima Banda, the former Chief Advisor to President Dr Lazarus Chakwera, which Miss Helen Buluma recorded illegally has been played this afternoon in the Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe. In the recording , Chris Chaima Banda is heard emphasizing that the President does not want fuel suppliers to be handing money to individuals, but instead they should focus on supporting rural communities through social corporate responsibilty projects.
In the recording Chaima Banda is heard making a reference to a courtesy meeting that President Lazarus Chakwera had with Finergy, one of the suppliers of fuel to Nocma.
In the 52 minutes recording, Chakwera is being referred to as the “Principal” , “HE” and “His Excellency”.
NOCMA Acting Director Helen Buluma
According to the clip , a voice purportedly of Chaima Banda claims that the Principal had vested interests in the fuel contracts as far as he wanted Malawians to benefit from all contracts that would be awarded through a merit based competitive bidding by ensuring that these companies supported his vision through community investments in social corporate responsibility projects.
Chaima Banda is heard telling Buluma that the President wanted Finergy and all other suppliers upon winning awards to commit that they would undertake some corporate social responsibilities such as rehabilitating health centres, as part of the deal. No where in the conversation is Chaima making reference to bribes. In principle Chaima Banda makes it categorically clear that the,suppliers,should not indulge in habits of bribing officials at the expense of Malawians. Miss Buluma is heard in the recording asking trapping questions to Mr Chaima Banda without much success. From the recording it is now becoming clear that she was working for and,with some people who sent her to get all the three suspects on the wrong footing.
It is alleged that Miss Buluma,has recorded a lot top officials in the Tonse government and,she is using such recording to blackmail them to keep her in the job at NOCMA, despite evidence that she is giving information to DPP top brass on exchanges of money currently going through the currently awarded NOCMA deals of which Finergy and Orexy are not part of. The Cross Examination of Miss Buluma starts tomorrow when her story can be tested. to stretching limits.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) woke up on Sunday with a new leader without following the resignation of its President Atupele Muluzi.
Atupele’s sudden exit from active politics has surprised many Malawians considering the that Atupele was destined to continue the Muluzi political dynasty as the once powerful ‘’people’s movement” was reduced into a family property.
But this should not surprise much, the truth is that the young Muluzi was pursuing an impossible dream. Atu, as is popularly known, inherited a party on decline and out of touch with most Malawians. Malawians refused to be the enablers of the Muluzi’s dynasty. They could not fathom of the idea of seeing another Muluzi in the state considering Bakili Muluzi’s corrupt legacy.
When Bingu Wa Mutharika ditched the UDF and formed his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005 some people speculated that Bingu left the (UDF) because he did not want to honour the agreement he had with his predecessor that handpicked him to be the UDF torch bearer against the top establishments. It was rumoured that Bingu was only chosen only to warm the seat for Muluzi’s son who had not attained the age of 35 to contest for the presidency as required by Malawian law.
Atupele Muluzi
Like the death of Adolf Hitler, this has remained one of those many rumours regarding their acrimonious end. But looking back, this speculation is growing credible enough to down play. In 20014 Bingu would have finished his ten-year tenure in office and Atupele would have not only been of age for the presidency but wound have also accumulated some experience as his entry unto politics coincided with the ascendency of Bingu to the presidency in 2004. The Young Muluzi went on to become a three-time legislature of Machinga South East constituency the same year (2004). But Bingu had other ideas, he did not want to become Muluzi’s puppet.
Was it surprising that pursuant to that grand scheme, the senior Muluzi staged another come back on the ballot in 2009 elections in the name of trying to deflate the tyre he inflated, meaning he wanted to oust Bingu Wa Mutharika he helped to become the state President. I hope memories are still fresh of Atcheya when the High Court ruled that he cannot feature again on the ballot having served two conservative terms from 1994 to 2004. When the court was making the determination, the UDF had no plan for eventualities in case his candidature was denied, as a result he forced the UDF to partner with MCP a mission that failed miserably. Mukuzi in his to push Mutharika out of power, he forced his long-term rival John Tembo to partner Brown Minganjira as his running mate.
For years, the old Muluzi fought anyone standing in the way of his son’s presidency in the UDF. When Bakili Muluzi retired from politics he handed over the leadership to Friday Jumbe who was his Finance Minister but before long the faction emerged in the party, the other faction was vouching for Atupele, with the party’s Secretary General drumming support for the young Muluzi. Addressing the press conference in Blantyre on Tuesday 10 January 2012, Jumbe, the embattled acting President intimated that the division in the party at that time was precipitated by the former president with the aiming of imposing his son. ‘’Bakili Muluzi’s hand is now no longer invisible in all mechanization to bring disorder in the party. Muluzi had wanted to stay in power that’s why he brought an outsider Bingu Wa Mutharika when the third term failed and when his come back failed too he is bringing his son Atupele. This is an indication of a greedy leader who do not want to see others take over power,” Jumbe was quoted in Nyasatimes edition of 10 January 2012 With the help of his father the young Muluzi prevailed and he was made the party president at the 2013 party convention. In 2018 he was again endorsed as the 2019 presidential candidate.
However, Atupele had a difficult job ahead because as of 2013 this party which enjoyed national appeal and had the strongest base in the Southern and Eastern Regions was reduced into a two districts entity. The DPP took control of the entire Southern region and made the once mighty UDF strong hold its hunting ground. When Atupele was made the president in 2013 he found the party with 24 members of parliament. He has exited the political stage with only 10 legislatures having lost the presidential elections in 2014 and 2019 elections with well over 700 000 votes and 235 000 votes respectively and losing his seat in the process.
The UDF has been dying, the old Muluzi being the architect of its demise. In what others could describe as the tragic fall, the parity’s downward spiral started with the third term. When the third term was foiled Bakili Muluzi became bitter with the party’s establishments’ such that he opted for an outsider, Bingu to be his successor overlooking the party stewards like Justin Malewezi, Aleke Banda, Cassim Chilumpha, Sam Mpasu, George Nga Mtafu whom he demeaned publicly by calling them madeya (political midgets). Subsequently these people broke ranks with Muluzi. Malewezi his partner for ten year went on to stand as an independent presidential candidate in the 2009 elections and Aleke Banda became the president of People’s Progressive Movement (PPM).
Perhaps the young Muluzi understand that he has overstayed his welcome on the political scene so he has to stay away from it. Sadly he left a fractured party in the hands of a woman. Lilian Patel’s ascendancy to the leadership of the yellow party is understandable being the most senior member of the party. Mrs Patel has been with the party through thick and thin. But as impeccable as her personality may seem, her choice as an interim leader is an expression of something unsaid from the Muluzi’s. Mrs Patel is very close to the Muluzi’s and it is no brainer that the Muluzi’s are sticking around. Like the ghost, their picture will continue to loom large in her time as the party leader.
If not for Muluzi’s manipulative politics, one would be tempted to believe that finally the new dawn has arrived in the UDF, but knowing Muluzi’s politics surely, he is up for no good and he is scheming for something. She may just be there to keep the position safe for the second return of the crowned Prince. End-
In its quest to improve the delivery of education services in the country, the Ministry of Education ( ME) says it is setting up a special teacher’s council to help the move.
Deputy Minister of Education Monica Ching’anamuno said this during the official opening of Teachers Union of Malawi ( TUM) congress held on Saturday May 28,2022 at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe.
Ching’anamuno said the main function of the council is to register, deregister and license teachers, promote professional and ethical standards in the teaching profession, and to advise the Minister of any matter related to education.
She said” As I stand here, all preliminary process have been finalized.
Deputy Minister of Education Monica Ching’anamuno
” I will be failing in my duty if I do not mention the aspect of teacher morals and ethical standards.
” When they say the quality of an education system equals the quality of its teachers, does not only speak to academic competences but also to moral values, ethics and attitudes,” she said.
She said the discipline of teachers in any education system goes a long way in calculating a culture conducive for the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes.
The Deputy Minister said she is aware that TUM will join her Ministry to help in developing the said Teachers’ Code of conduct which is due to the destination.
” I am reliably informed that TUM is ready to accompany my ministry on this journey of ensuring that teachers in the system abide by the highest code of conduct as stipulated in the tool which was consultatively developed,” said Ching’anamuno.
On teachers promotion, the Deputy Minister said the Ministry is aware that promotion of teachers has been another challenging area in the education system as there is still a large number of teachers that have served on one grade for a long time without a promotion.
She assured that her Ministry has commissioned a functional review to open up spaces at the entry level as well as opening up spaces in the ranks above the entry grade in order to allow for upward movement of teachers through promotional interviews at local councils.
She disclosed that some district councils have already started the interviews and teachers await results.
” My Ministry will ensure that teachers who are successful in their interviews are issued their letters of promotion and that they begin to get their new salaries on their new grades timely,” assured Ching’anamuno.
This year’s TUM congress was being held the theme ‘ TUM makes us strong, Resilient and Purposeful Driven’.
Mental Health activists say it is unfortunate that the country did not utilize the month of May as Mental Health Awareness month to sensitize people on mental health issues.
Mental Health Activist Mwiza Mphande said lack of interest on the month shows the country has a long way to go on issues of mental health.
Mwiza Mphande
“To be honest we haven’t done impressively it is a month where we were supposed to have serious events maybe because Malawi as a country is going through a lot and people are focused on other things but it would have been an opportunity for the country and people in rural areas to know more about mental health”, said Mphande.
Without saying the magnitude or the exact figure to determine how serious the problem of mental health is in Malawi, Mphande said the problem is big and needs collaborative efforts from government and non-governmental organizations to deal with it.
“The problem we have in this country is that people do not work together. There are a lot and of organisations in this country that advocate for mental health but do not work together”, concluded Mphande.
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says all the complaints and suggestions they have received regarding constituency re-demarcation exercise from all district councils, will form part of their final meeting as a commission.
Speaking on Wednesday in Dedza district after consultative meeting, MEC Chairperson Justice Dr Chifundo Kachale said on the issue of names of constituencies and wards, they follow a procedure where they allow stakeholders to agree on a given name.
‘‘In the event that stakeholders of a particular ward or constituency are not able to agree on a common name, then the commission has a duty to suggest a name that is in line with the geographical location of the area that voters can be able to know where they are going to vote,’’ said Kachale.
On boundaries, Dr Kachale said stakeholder consultations do not suggest that the commission has given over their duty to determine the boundaries to the stakeholders.
MEC Chair Kachale
‘‘The stakeholders have the right to express their opinions on the boundaries that we are proposing, these Include MP’s since this is a political process, it will affect the political outcome,’’ said Kachale.
In his remarks, Dedza Central East Constituency parliamentarian Joshua Malango said they welcome the re-demarcation exercise since it will assist in developing the district as a whole.
‘‘The re-demarcation exercise is welcome but we are only asking MEC to re-look into some of the issues we have raised for example there have been names which were proposed but these are not names which have been received by people on the grass root,’’ said Malango.
He said the commission has asked them to submit new names and proposals which he said they will comply saying they have trust the commission will help them as they are re-doing the map.
In Dedza, about 520 thousand people are expected to vote in 2025 general elections from ten constituencies following the constituency re-demarcation process.
People in Dedza district have been given up to 4th June to present their issues through the DC’s office.
