In a show of governance collaboration, President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera on Tuesday 5th December 2023 hosted heads of the two branches of government at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.
The two are Chief Justice Rezine Mzikamanda, SC who is head of Judiciary and Right Honourable Catherine Gotani Hara, MP, Speaker of the National Assembly.
The three heads of the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government met to follow up on the progress of implementing the commitments made during the separation of powers conference they co – hosted in June.
Gotani Hara, President Chakwera and Mzikamanda
In his remarks, President Chakwera assured the speaker and the chief justice of his commitment to support both legislative and administrative measures that are in the pipeline for strengthening the independence and efficiency of the judiciary and legislature in fulfillment of both his pledge to promote the rule of law and his oath to uphold and defend the constitution.
All roads will this Saturday lead to Springs Park in Mzuzu City where one of the biggest festivals dubbed ‘Drinkcember festival’, is going to take place.
One of the organisers of the event Sean Kamphulusa popularly known in the Entertainment Industry as Dj Wayne, told 247 Malawi on Wednesday that all was set for the event.
All is set-Dj Wayne
He said, ” After a 9-year break, Drinkcember festival is back and I would like to promise you it’s going to be nothing but fireworks.This year’s event has been organised as a warm-up towards the festive season.”
Among others, the event will feature performances by Ace Jizzy and Bee Jay, Sean Morgan, Charisma, Sean Morgan, Twinda,Warner Chandie, Mzuzu Mafia,Jamieset, Dj Magic, Dj Wayne, Dj Happy and Dj Thando.
The last time the event was conducted in the city was in December, 2014.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera says his administration will soon announce a Civil Servants Appreciation Day that is aimed at giving Malawians a chance to appreciate civil servants around them who work tirelessly to make their lives better.
Breaking the news at the official launch of the first of it’s kind civil servants medical scheme at Capital Hill in Lilongwe on Tuesday 5th December 2023, Chakwera if the civil servants are appreciated, they will find it a joy to serve.
President Chakwera and SPC Collen Zamba
“I know that there is no government in the world in which public servants are given everything they want or everything they deserve. I know that to be a public servant is a sacrifice and a service to one’s country which often entails accepting that yours is a thankless job. And I know that in our context especially, we are observing austerity measures that restricts our ability to spend money willy – nilly across the service,” said the president.
“However, that does not mean that we should not make an effort to make things better for our civil servants where it is in our power to do so, nor does it mean that we cannot show our civil servants appreciation in other ways that do not have expenditure implications.”
On the newly introduced medical scheme, the Malawi leader explained that one of the challenges that must be addressed to attract top tier talent into the reconstructed civil service that will be rolled out in the future is the conditions of service and medical insurance cover is a critical aspect of that.
Through the insurance cover, says Chakwera, we have created a sense that the wellbeing of our civil servants matters and not just their work.
“Through this scheme, we have ensured that there is equity in access to healthcare in the public sector not favouritism,” he added.
“Through this scheme, we are investing public resources in something that yields long term dividends in productivity not wasting them on consumption.”
Speaking earlier, Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Collen Zamba hailed Chakwera government for introducing the medical cover which she said is aimed at ensuring that all civil servants work under improved working conditions.
“So far, 26,000 civil servants have already joined the medical scheme and continue to join everyday,” she said.
A beneficiary of the program, Mrs Ruth Nkhambule Eliya who works as a Secondary School Teacher at Kabwabwa CDSS asked government to consider extending the program to also cover civil servants spouses and dependants.
“Let me take this opportunity to urge fellow civil servants to take advantage of the medical scheme for their good health. From now, we will be discharging our duties without worrying about health care expenses,” she said.
In an effort to strengthen cyber security in the country, Malawi Defence Force with financial support from Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) is conducting a series of Cybersecurity and National security courses.
Speaking when presiding over the opening ceremony, secretary for defence Erica Maganga, said that as a country we must combine our experience and expertise as well as our unique insights and capabilities to detect and respond to this broad and evolving threat landscape of Cybersecurity.
“Apart from building productive and enduring partnerships to defend against and respond to cyber threats, we also need to encourage good cyber hygiene and drive improved cyber practices across our nation. In today’s world we need security experts who are able to connect the dots and identity primed and calibrated measures to deter possible threats to national security.
Law enforcers who are patronizing the training
“We are living in a cyber world where at time when insurgents and terrorists who have amorphous structures threaten government and innocent civilians, at a time we have experienced various forms of dispute ranging family chaos, power struggles in religious institution, land disputes, chieftaincy wranglels, pre and post- electoral conflicts and so fourth. This is a new reality for many Malawians out there that need to be embraced,” she said.
She also commended Malawi Defence Force through National Defence College (NDC) for facilitating the course as it will contribute to transformation that the government is committed to achieve in this country.
On his part head of computer emergency response team at MACRA Christopher Banda, said cyber security is a very big issue which will require much more effort as well as great collaboration in order to make Malawi safer, hence MACRA is coming in to support every initiative surrounding the issue.
“Cybersecurity issue is a very serious issue not only in Malawi, but also at a global level and you know challenges in cybersecurity is boarderless you don’t need to say an attack can only come in Malawi but it can came from anywhere that is why there is need for collaborations locally with all stakeholders and also international stakeholders. Now in terms of what happens on the ground more especially in Malawi, I think you might have held issues of mobile money which is a very big issue and also comes the issue of fake news just to mention a few, so as other countries are facing different attacks we can not fold arms and say we are safe but we need to collaborate and work together for the betterment of this nation,” he highlighted.
National Defence College will be offering courses bordering on technics on how to handle national defence and participants will be drawn from different security agencies like immigration, Malawi police, ministry of defence as well as national intelligence services as well academicians from outside the country.
The courses have been classified into categories ranging from executive programmes on national security which comprises a comprehensive disaster management, Cybersecurity and national security which has been sponsored by MACRA which will run for one week.
Law enforcers as well as secretary for defence and other officials from Malawi defence force posing for a group photo
A human rights activist based in South Africa Charles Ben Longwe, says demonstrations and protests have been held in Malawi from 2020 but of no impact saying the only measure left is to report Malawi to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
Ben Longwe has observed that all activists in Malawi have court bails in their pockets, so too, opposition members and the only people with clean hands are those that are MCP affiliated saying these are untouchables and cannot be arrested or prosecuted In any court of law.
He said Malawians are tired of President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera as there leader and have nothing to write about, saying there is no way Malawians can hold demonstrations and protests peacefully but violently for government to listen to their cries and sufferings.
Demonstrations in Malawi . File photo
Speaking through an audio clip circulating in various social media platforms, Ben Longwe said demonstrations in Malawi are not yielding positive results claiming that so many petitions have been delivered to reach President Chakwera but of no response.
Longwe said demonstrators and protesters are being allowed to exercise their constitutional rights in other districts while Lilongwe, has been declared to be a-no go zone district observing that this is speaking for itself that MCP is violating the rights of its citizens.
He has claimed that Malawi courts are not independent observing with a great concern that judges named in Chizuma’s leaked audio clip with an unknown person to be part of the corruption syndicate with Zunneth Sattar, their identities are still being kept secret as they are MCP connected.
The activist said corruption is still the order of the day in the Judiciary because the one who was supposed to follow-up on these cases Chief Justice His Lordship Rezine Mzikamanda is on voicemail and has no starting point on the matter at hand.
He said because President Chakwera has captured all public institutions including the ACB, Malawi Defense Force, Malawi Police Service, Malawians have no where to go, no one in Malawi will listen to their cries only the ICC will rescue the country by bringing to book all those who are violating the rights of innocent people.
“Time is out for President Chakwera to fix the country and there is no need to wait for him to continue messing up the country, Malawi needs liberation now,” said Ben Longwe. He said the late Professor Bingu wa Mutharika refused to bow down to IMF and World Bank to devaluate the Malawi Kwacha for loans to the country but Chakwera is a darling to the international money lending institutions and this is not surprising that public debt has reached to K12.56 trillion.
