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Malawians urged to treat refugees with dignity, respect

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By Chisomo Phiri

Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has urged Malawians to treat refugees and asylum seekers in the country with dignity and respect.

Speaking during a regional stakeholder engagement meeting at Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre on Friday June 28,2024,MHRC commissioner Andrew Kavala highlighted the importance of respecting refugees saying this helps in tackling critical issues and promoting the rights of displaced individuals within the country.

Andrew Kavala



Reflecting on the past, Kavala said Malawi had experienced hiccups in 2022 relocation exercise, which exposed gaps in tracking and managing refugee populations across the country with different quotas suggesting a review of the 1989 Refugee Act by the Law Commission, with participation from the MHRC, as a crucial step towards improving refugee management in Malawi.

He said MHRC, with funding from the European Union Embassy, is implementing a two-year project titled “Promotion and Protection of Rights of Refugees and other Migrants in Malawi,” which commenced in February 2024.

The event brought together a diverse array of stakeholders, including government officials, faith leaders, local chiefs, and political figures.

Approximately, Malawi is keeping 55,000 refugees and asylum seekers at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa..

Malawi rejects same-sex marriages

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By Chisomo Phiri

The High Court in Blantyre sitting as a constitution court on Friday June 28,2024 dismissed the case in which Jan Willem Akster, from the Netherlands, and Jana Gonani wanted the legalization of  same-sex marriages in Malawi.

After hearing the matter, the three-judge panel comprising Joseph Chigona, Vikochi Chima and Chimbizgani Kacheche throw out the case based on a number of reasons.



Among the reasons given, the applicants failed to bring evidence on how the provisions in the country’s laws were discriminatory against homosexuals.

The judges further recommended that if the applicants are still not satisfied, they will have to move Parliament to do the necessary amendments to the laws but according to them, the laws of the country are not in infringement of rights of people who identify themselves as homosexuals as the applicants had submitted before the court.

State lawyers celebrated the outcome while those who wanted the provisions declared unconstitutional did not hide their disappointment.

Akster and Gonani  were answering criminal charges in magistrate courts of sleeping with fellow men, brought the matter to the Constitutional Court for interpretation of the provisions in the Penal Code, urging the Court to declare them unconstitutional.

One of the legal provisions the applicants wanted the Court to declare unconstitutional was section153 of the Penal Code which reads: “Any person who— (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature; shall be guilty of a felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for 14 year.”

The court further ordered their criminal matter in the lower court to continue.

Gonani was serving an eight-year prison term for offending the Penal Code by engaging in indecency acts, meaning the jail term would continue.

Akster is also accused of sleeping with men and boys forcebly.

Tamara Safety Services Company Limited donates trash bins worth K2.5 Million to Lilongwe City Council

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By Linda Kwanjana

Tamara Safety Services Company Limited has today donated trash bins worth K2.5 Million to Lilongwe City Council (LCC).

Receiving the trash bins at Lilongwe City Council offices on Friday,  the newly elected Lilongwe City Council Mayor , Her Worship Councillor Esther Sagawa hailed the company for the donation.

Sagawa said the city has been facing challenges because of inadequate trash bins adding that these bins will help in the implementation of one shop one trash bin campaign.

This campaign is set to encourage city residences to acquire and use bins all the time.

“This donation has just come in the right time because as you know, after being elected as the mayor of the city of Lilongwe,  one of the focus areas is to make the city clean and green and we also emphasise that every shop and every office should actually buy and being insured must have been so as the most effective products has brought us some bins,” She said.

She has since urged stakeholders to collaborate and make Lilongwe City green and clean.

“We would like to encourage each and every would like to encourage each and every office and shop owners to have these bins  so that we can keep our city clean and green,” she said.

She said the challenge currently is that people usually throw their trash anywhere. “So it becomes difficult for the City Council to go and collect those wastes and put them into proper areas. So right now what we want is to ensure people have trash bins,” she said.

She said there is need for the trash to be thrown in these trash bins where regular collection of waste from all locations should be collected.

“So it’s going to be easier for us to collect trash from their offices or shops using these trash bins. So that’s why we are encouraging them to have these bins. These are not enough and then we are not going to be giving them for free. We actually want every shop and office to buy these beans on their own. These are just some samples that we want them to have. So I’m sure that if you have an office or if you have a shop, or office,  you can also be able to manage to have a bin like these,” she said.

During the function Tamara Safety Services Sales and marketing Manager , Andrèw Banda said the company will continue giving back to the community as one way of social corporate responsibility.

Hip-hop artist ‘Spyral Mwenya’ to be laid to rest in Zambia

By Durell Namasani

The body of Hip-hop artist and renowned graphic designer ‘Spyral Mwenya’ will be laid to rest in Zambia.

The body of the late musician who passed away on Wednesday after sustaining multiple injuries following a car accident, has now arrived at Area 47 Sector 2 in Lilongwe where virgil is taking place.

According to the funeral program made available to 247 Malawi, the body of Spyral will be taken to Zambia via Air on Saturday, June 29, 2024. However, the specific date for his burial is yet to be announced.

Spyral real name, Kennedy Mwenya was involved in road accident on Sunday in Mzuzu where he went to attend a funeral ceremony of one of his relatives.

The award winning graphic designer was popularly known for his songs such Kuche Kuche, Ndimaganiza Bho, and Ngati Iwo.

The artist also did a Chorus for Phyzix’s award winning song ‘Legend’ which featured various veteran urban music artists in the country.

Born on 13 June 1995, Spyral Mwenya was coming from Chikulamayembe village in Rumphi district where his parents settled after migrating from Zambia.

Nkhoma CCAP Synod to Comfort Plane Crash Victims’ Families with Prayers

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By Burnett Munthali

The Nkhoma Synod of the CCAP (Church of Central Africa Presbyterian) has announced its intention to provide spiritual solace to the families affected by the tragic plane crash on June 10, 2024. This initiative aims to offer prayers and words of comfort during a period of national mourning.

Reverend Edward Tembo, Moderator of the Nkhoma Synod, expressed these intentions during a condolence visit to Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe. The visit was an opportunity for the church to extend its condolences to President Dr Lazarus Chakwera on the passing of Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima and eight others who lost their lives in the crash.



In his remarks, Reverend Tembo emphasized that Kamuzu Palace marked the beginning of the Synod’s efforts to console the families of the nine victims. The Synod plans to visit each bereaved family to offer prayers and words of encouragement, reflecting its commitment to providing spiritual support during times of grief.

The Nkhoma Synod’s initiative underscores the role of faith-based organizations in supporting communities through compassion and prayer. By extending its condolences directly to the President and planning visits to the affected families, the Synod exemplifies its dedication to walking alongside those who are grieving and providing comfort in times of tragedy.

This gesture not only strengthens the bond between the church and its community but also demonstrates solidarity with the nation as a whole as it mourns the loss of those who perished in the plane crash. Through these efforts, the Nkhoma Synod seeks to uphold the values of compassion and empathy that are integral to its mission of serving the people of Malawi.

Chilima, victim of the plane crash