Friday, September 12, 2025
No menu items!
spot_img
Home Blog Page 1502

Mithenga dumps UTM, joins MCP

0

By Chisomo Phiri

United Transformation Movement (UTM) Party central region governor Samson Mithenga has resigned from the party and has joined the Tonse Alliance main partner Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

Mithenga was unveiled at the party’s rally on Sunday, July 30, 2023, in the capital Lilongwe, where he was welcomed by the party’s secretary general, Eisenhower Mkaka.

Mithenga joined the MCP alongside other UTM party senior members Dilax Chawinga, regional secretary Godfrey Chifomboti, regional treasurer Helbert Thondoya, deputy regional treasurer Sifati Mwanyawa, and other members.

In his speech, Mkaka said that Malawians now need a message of encouragement and hope that whatever tribulations the country is facing, “Will come to an end and they are building a team that will assist to address the social-economic challenges.”

UTM party whose leader is Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima has suffered heavy defection from senior members joining other parties and leaving the party for other personal matters.

Key figures left the party since the formation of Tonse Alliance government including Frank Mwenefumbo, Jessie Kabwila, Chidanti Malunga, Bon Kalindo, and other members.

CDEDI pushes for deliberate solutions to the current maize situation

0

By Staff Reporter

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has asked Parliament to suspend relevant standing orders and deliberate solutions to the current maize situation in the country.

In a statement, CDEDI Executive Director (ED) Sylvester Namiwa says the situation is a fatal disaster-in-waiting that will mostly affect vulnerable and marginalised citizens both in urban and rural areas.

Namiwa

According to Namiwa, instead of pressing the panic button or softening regulations on maize imports, Parliament should come up with an emergency Maize Bill.

“CDEDI wishes to give Parliament seven days to deliberate and pass the Maize Bill or failure to do so will prompt us to camp at the Parliament Building in Lilongwe from Monday, August 7, 2023 until the Bill is passed, maize is made available and its price is reduced,” says Namiwa.

He says through the Maize Bill, the government should engage the Illovo and Salima sugar company and other large-scale commercial farmers to grow maize through irrigation.

“There should also be an initiative to tap the underground water to enable prison facilities to engage in irrigation farming. Likewise, those in the lakeshore districts should be provided solar pumps or canals to grow maize. Given that most Malawians are yet to adopt alternatives to maize, it is imperative to increase production of the staple food,” adds Namiwa.

Through CDEDI, Namiwa has also asked the government to immediately release the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) maize to all Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) selling points.

Currently, the staple food is selling at about K30 000 per 50kg bag in the central region while in the southern region the same bag is fetching over K36 000.

“Malawians may wish to know that despite Parliament approving K12 billion for buying maize, coupled with the changing of the government financial year to allow for timely procurement of the staple food, the country has maize that will only last two months, if it were to be supplied nationwide,” says Namiwa.

Dominant Australia trounces Malawi Queens

0

By Hastings Wadza Kasonga Jr

Malawi Netball team, the Queens, failed to finish a great job in the second half of their World Cup encounter against Worlds number One, Australia after conceding 42 baskets to 18 baskets netted in the third and fourth Quarter to suffer a 70-46 defeat on Tuesday.

The Queens were in high spirits mostly in the Second Quarter to force a 28-28 draw at half but their third and fourth Quarters were full of losing balls hence punished by the Origin Diamonds.

Queens and Australia in Action



The last edition’s runners up faced a tough battle from the start as Malawi’s defence won balls but failed to use them all as Australia led 16-13 after the Quarter. The Queens then turned into beasts as they pinned and punished Australia in the second to score 15 baskets against 12 for the opponents to seal a 28-28 draw at half time.

The Queens lost touch in the third Quarter as the Diamonds came very strong then scored 21 baskets while Malawi got just 9 to lead 49-37 and it was the same thing in the fourth quarter, Australia netting 21 baskets to Malawi’s 9 to win the match 70-46.

The chances of reaching the Semi finals are now impossible for the Queens but they just have to beat World’s 7th placed, Tonga, who are playing their first ever World Cup, so that they fight for a fifth place at the tournament.

Music Association of Malawi mourns Tremour

By Emmanuel Chikoso

The Department of Arts and Culture has described the death of musician Victor Mwangobola popularly known as Tremour as a huge blow to the music industry.

Director of Arts in the Ministry of Culture Humphrey Mpondaminga was speaking in Lilongwe during a funeral ceremony of the artist which was also attended by urban music stars.

He died on Sunday afternoon after sustaining head injuries in a road accident last week.

Musicians Association Malawi (MAM) President Vita Chirwa said the Association has lined up several performances to honour Tremour.

The body of Tremour has been taken from Daeyang Hospital Mortuary to his house in Area 25, Sector 6 near Dzenza Mission in Lilongwe.

The body of Tremour will be laid to rest on Tuesday, 1st August 2023 at Area 18 Cemetery in Lilongwe.

Nankhumwa stand no chance in Chaponda’s chaired disciplinary committee

By Linda Kwanjana

As the first person to openly challenge Peter Mutharika’s leadership, Kondwani Nankhumwa has always been a thorn in Peter Mutharika’s fresh and the Mutharika camp has always been looking for an opportunity to pounce on him.

So, Nankhumwa has been walking around with the hangman’s noose around his neck.The more his star has been shining the more the Mutharika’s apologists became determined to get rid of him. Now it seems the opportunity has availed itself, Nankhumwa is about to face the music when he appears before the party’s discipine committee.

Chaponda



The story is that the DPP has summomed Nankhumwa to appear before its disciplinary committee for some alleged insubordination to party president Peter Mutharika.

According to the letter signed by the Disciplinary Committee secretary Jean Mathanga, Nankhumwa has been summoned because he did not seek permission from the party leadership for his recent rallies in Blantyre.

Nankhumwa, who is considered to be the clear favourite to win the DPP leadership race at the convention has been up and down in the southern region conducting rallies.

Looking at the composition of the disciplinary committee, one would not fancy Nankhumwa to survive the expulsion but, the DPP vice president for southern region and the current leader of opposion in Parliament has proven to be too hot to handle for anyone including Mutharika.

Chaired by the out of salt George Chaponda, the disciplinary committee is more or less like the latter day senhedrin and Chaponda being its Caiaphas.

Chaponda himself still nurses presidential ambitions-ironically this is a man (Nankhumwa) who is suspected to have had a hand in his diminishing political ambitions and he will do anything possible to finish off his competition in order to give his political ambitions a lifeline.

It remain to be seen if Chaponda will appear before the committee, but it will not be surprising if he will decide not to appear before a committee now that the resolution of the recent NGC meeting including the decision to assemble the current disciplinary committee was nullified by the Supreme Court.