The Former leader of United Democratic Front Atupele Muluzi has announced the death of his mother in law. Writing on his Facebook page Atupele paid tribute to Mrs Lizzie Vachhani, mother to his wife Angela.
Mrs Lizzie Vachaan, aged 55 died on Saturday at a hospital in India after a long battle with cancer. According to the statement released by the family, funeral arrangements will be announced later.
In his message , Atupele wrote “You were our pillar, our strength. We loved you but God loved you more. Thank you very much for everything and for loving me as a son. My condolences to Uncle Sunnil, Junior, Bashir, my wife Angela and the entire family for losing such a beautiful soul. Let us keep our faith in our almighty God and believe that she is in a better place. Our mother is gone but will not be forgotten. May Her Beautiful Soul Rest In Peace “
Other tributes have come from a cross section of Malawians who knew Lizzie including the UDF party
Reporting by Mana Minister of Homeland Security, Jean Sendeza and Minister of Labour, Vera Kamtukule have rebuked illegal recruitment agencies that are leading to human trafficking and labour migration which have gone rampant in the country.
Minister of Homeland Security, Jean Sendeza and Minister of Labour, Vera Kamtukule have rebuked illegal recruitment agencies that are leading to human trafficking and labour migration which have gone rampant in the country.
Speaking in Lilongwe on Friday at a press briefing held under the theme “Trapped in Oman,” Sendeza said many Malawians seeking employment in foreign nations are working under unfavourable and unfair working conditions forcing them to cry out for help from the government.
Minister of Homeland Security, Jean Sendeza and Minister of Labour, Vera Kamtukule
“Issues to do with Trafficking in Persons are increasing due to unregistered agencies in the country from which a lot of cases are already in the courts. Most people working outside the country are facing a lot of challenges after being cheated that they will find job opportunities and yet it is modern slavery,” she said.
She, therefore, encouraged all Malawians to report any acts of trafficking in persons to the nearest police in their localities.
Sendeza also highlighted that investigations are underway to avail all those involved in the business that is rendering many to dire situations.
“My office has been informed that one of the police officers at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) who was involved in the clearing processes has been arrested together with a police officer from Area 30 and a health officer from Kamuzu Central Hospital,” Sendeza said.
Meanwhile, seven cases have been concluded by the courts and 71 other cases are still under scrutiny.
On her part, Minister of Labour, Vera Kamtukule highlighted that most of the current job agencies sending people abroad are illegal and the ministry is not aware of them.
“Our recent problem is with those that went to Oman. We are unable to assist them because we are being denied entry into the country and we do not have any bilateral or international agreements with them. However, we are using our embassy in Kuwait to find out more.
“The current situation is very sad and heart breaking. Our people are being trafficked as this is done outside the confines of the law and most of them are either underpaid or not paid at all,” she said.
Kamtukule further added that her Ministry is under discussion with Job Centre that has expressed interest in leading as a legitimate institution regarding labour migration issues.
“We are ensuring that we are working with our partners, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), to help us assist Job Centre to formalise their institution.
“We are going to amend our guidelines to reflect that if you are not a member of the institution then you are illegal,” Kamtukule said.
She further added that the Southern Africa Development Corporation (SADC) is working hand in hand with member countries to ensure a reduction in the porousness of boarders to end illegal migration and trafficking in persons.
She, therefore, pleaded with all Malawians to be patriotic and inform them whenever they suspect such a behaviour in their communities.
The Mangochi Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court has sentenced 32-year-old Edward Samkera, a pastor for the Living Waters Church based at Chilipa in Mangochi to 7 years Imprisonment with Hard Labour (IHL) for raping an 18-year-old girl who was under his custody.
Police Public Relations officer for Mangochi, Amina Tepani Daudi, told reporters that in February 2021, the convict and his wife asked the victim’s parents to allow her to be staying with them at their house a thing which the parents agreed.
Police Public Relations officer for Mangochi, Amina Tepani Daudi,
Daudi said reports indicate that the pastor took advantage and started visiting the victim’s bedroom where he raped her several times during the day and night hours.
“On November 8, 2021, after being abused for so long, the girl gathered courage and narrated the ordeal to the prophet of the same church who reported the matter at Chilipa Police Unit where she was issued with a referral letter to the hospital. The results from Chilipa Health Centre confirmed that the victim was being raped.” Said Daudi.
Senior Resident Magistrate, Rodrick Michongwe passed the sentence to serve as a lesson to would-be offenders.
Samkera hails from Manyowe Village, Traditional Authority Kuntaja in Blantyre.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera will this Thursday attend the launch of the Theological Society of Malawi,. This has been announced in a communique signed by the secretary to the president Dr Collen Zamba.
The statement says the president will grace the occasion that will will take place at BICC in Lilongwe
This society discusses theological issues that are emerging and are of great concern, shares experiences and encourages exchange visits in member institutions. Also provides a platform for publishing books and articles.
The first conference of the Society took place at Nkhoma University in 2020. Proceedings of the conference are published in a book titled “Theology in Malawi: Prospects for the 2020s”
The second one was held at University of Livingstonia, Ekwendeni Campus under the theme “Decolonisation of theological curriculum in an online age”.
Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda MP says government is committed to the fight against Cholera and Polio as cholera outbreak hits lake shore districts of Nkhatabay and Nkhotakota. Chiponda said this during a press briefing which she held alongside Minister of Information Gospel Kazako at the Central Office of Information in Lilongwe.
Chiponda said so far, her ministry has managed to come up with isolation centres in the affected areas as well as necessary drugs for treating cholera patients. She added that her ministry has also distributed chlorine for water treatment and intensified surveillance for detection of the disease and containment of further spreading.
Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda
The Minister then commended the Ministry of Water and Sanitation for supplying the people in the affected areas with clean water. She also thanked other development partners such as UNICEF, WHO and Red Cross for their assistance.
On the fight against polio, the minister said so far 3.5 million children have been vaccinated during the previous three rounds and she pleaded with the remaining parents to vaccinate their children in the last round even if they were previously vaccinated, to boost immunity.
The minister also touched on Covid 19 by reminding Malawians that it is still existing and they still need to follow all precautionary measures for prevention. She said Malawi has enough stocks of Covid 19 vaccine and called on Malawians who got vaccinated already to go and get a different type of vaccine in what she termed ‘mix and match’. She said this is a way of boosting the immunity against covid 19.
