Former Minister of Lands who is also Member of Parliament for Nkhata-Bay Central Constituency, Simon Vuwa Kaunda has come out clear refuting allegations going rounds on social media speculations that he is contemplating to join the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
In an exclusive interview, with the law maker , Hon Kaunda says has no plans on that. “I am still a Royal member of the DPP and disregard the rumours circulating on the social media. Have I announced that anywhere? Not at all have never done that, ” he said.
Vuwa Kaunda
Even during the 3 March , 2024 at the commemoration of martyrs days prayers Kaunda praised President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for being accomodative.
He said Chakwera is able to give opportunities to the opposition members of Parliament to voice out challenges which their constituencies are facing.
“Bwana ine ndimayamika. Ine ndi wa chipani china cha DPP koma inu bwana munatilola kuti tibwere ndikupereka madando akudela kwanga nthawi iliyose tikakumana nanu,” Adatero a Vuwa Kaunda.
During the prayers Vuwa appealed to people of his constituency to maintain law and order and observe decorum.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has claimed that Malawi Congress Party (MCP) led Tonse Alliance government has taken Malawians back to dictatorship saying most of the institutions such as Malawi Police Service, Malawi Defense Force including the Malawi Parliament, have been captured.
The DPP says it is difficult to explain a situation where the Leader of Opposition in Parliament is an independent Member of Parliament saying this is against Parliament’s own standing orders yet Speaker of Parliament Catherine-Gotani Hara is blaming another arm of Government for tying her hands.
It says its members know that this is a deliberate ploy by the MCP led Tonse Alliance government to weaken the opposition and entrench dictatorship and one-party rule in Malawi reminding government that Malawians rejected one-party rule in 1994.
In its response to the 2024-2025 Budget statement through its Spokesperson for Finance and Economy Joseph Mathyola Mwanamvekha dated 11th March, 2024 the DPP says Malawians have ended up in Bagamoyo coast from the promised land-Canaan.
Mwanamvekha says instead of taking Malawians to the promised land, the MCP led Tonse Alliance government has taken the citizens to the land of hopelessness, hunger, diseases, corruption and poverty saying millions of Malawians are disappointed with the way the economy is being managed by MCP and its Tonse Alliance partners punishing the very same people that voted for them into government.
He says Malawians had a hope for a better country with the MCP led Tonse Alliance in government but instead of realizing that hope, they are now contending with high prices of goods and services such as soap, sugar, cooking oil, and many others.
The DPP Finance Spokesperson says when the DPP lost office in June, 2020 the stock of public debt was K4.3 trillion observing that as at end of 2023 the public debts reached K12.56 trillion saying it is sad that in just 3 years, Malawi’s public debt has more than tripled.
“In 3 years alone, the Tonse Alliance government borrowed a whooping K10 trillion, yet there is nothing on the ground to show for it, what has this money used for because road infrastructure is crumbling across the country” questions Mwanamvekha.
He says the Malawi economy is on a deathbed, unemployment rate is 91 percent and rising, food inflation, high cost of living saying the economy will remain in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) describing the 2024-2025 as hypocritical and deceitful budget that is dead on arrival.
Mwanamvekha says the 2024-2025 Budget is over ambitious and unrealistic as most of the targets and assumptions will not be achieved observing that it contains a lot of contradictions, fiscal and monetary inconsistencies and it is a ticking bomb awaiting to explode.
He assured Malawians not to despair saying in 2025 the DPP will take them back to Canaan from Bagamoyo Coast where the Tonse Alliance government has put them and will rescue the economy from the current economic and social crisis.
President Lazarus Chakwera has reduced the e-Passport Fee by 55 percent with immediate effect for local Malawians, as the printing of the travel documents resumes after some months of its suspension following the system hacking by unknown ill-intentioned individuals.
The communication dated 12th March 2024 released by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, signed by the Director General, Brigadier General Kalumo (rtd) states that Malawians will now be required to pay only K50,000 for an ordinary passport from K90,000 that was being paid previously on the passport of the same category.
“Government has reduced the e-Passport Fee by 55% for local Malawians from K90,000 to K50,000 for ordinary passports with waiting processing time of 10 days when the system is fully calibrated and optimally” Reads the Press Release in part.
Meanwhile, the printing of the passports will start this week in Lilongwe before rolling it out in the other regions.
The Department has since thanked all Malawians for being petience during the time the system was being fixed.
The resumption has beaten the three-weeks ultimatum that President Lazarus Chakwera ordered the Immigration Department to have its system fixed for Malawians to have resumed accessing their travel documents.
A 46-year-old pastor for Bua Abraham African Church , James Solomon is in police custody in Mchinji for stealing 60 meters of ESCOM cable wire valued at K297,600
Mchinji police spokesperson Limbani Mpinganjira says during the wee hours of March 12, 2024, Community Policing members caught the suspect red-handed drawing a 60-meter wire cable belonging to Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) from a power line in Masautso location around Mchinji Boma.
According to Mpinganjira, Police have also established that the suspect retired from working at ESCOM in 2019.
James Solomon hails from Chakuma Village, Traditional Authority(T/A) Nkhumba in Phalombe District.
Meanwhile, Mchinji Police says it appreciates the commendable job by the Community Policing structures in the district that are working tirelessly in complimenting police efforts, contributing to crime reduction.
The management of Timeline Electronics Malawi has announced the closure of its operations over undisclosed reason.
In a brief statement made available to this publication, the Malawi’s top electronics shop says it will completely close its doors when all its furniture and stock is sold out,which is probably the end of March.
Reads the statement in part:”We would like to inform you that all our inventory is on sale! Visit us at our store in yannakis, next door to cashbuild. Give us an offer on anything in store.
“We are also looking at individuals who are interested in purchasing the company from us to continue operations. All Offers are welcome.
“contact us regarding anything on our whatsapp +265999555456
“We once again thank you for supporting us over the last 7 years.”
Timeline Electronics Malawi was one of the major electronics shops in Malawi.
The shop was selling phones, laptops, computers, radios, gaming consoles and many more.
