Football fans in Malawi who support Liverpool football club in the English Premiership have woken up to the news that Manager Jurgen Klopp has announced he is leaving the club at the end of the season.
Klopp has explained he is “running out of energy”.
“I will leave the club at the end of the season,” Klopp said in an emotional video posted by Liverpool. “I understand that it’s a shock.”
Klopp confirmed he had told the club’s bosses about his intention to stand down back in November last year.
“When we sat there together talking about potential signings, the next summer camp and can we go wherever, the thought came up, ‘I am not sure I am here then anymore’ and I was surprised myself by that. I obviously start thinking about it.”
Klopp has won six trophies with Liverpool, including the Premier League title in 2020 and the Champions League trophy the year before.
Liverpool currently lead the Premier League and reached the Carabao Cup final in midweek, while they are still in the Europa League and the FA Cup.
Klopp had signed a two-year extension to his contract at Anfield in April 2022, which was scheduled to keep him at the club until 2026.
Experts at the 10th Eminent Speaker series event, held on Thursday in Lilongwe, searched for answers on why there is little to show on the country’s agricultural diversification drive when a lot of research has shown that this is a catalyst for growing the economy.
Speaking in an interview at the end of the event at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC), Director General for National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr Thomas Munthali, said focus is what is needed now to act on what is already known about the importance of diversification.
“In Malawi 2063, we’ve got a pillar of how we inclusively create wealth. And that one of the key pillars is agricultural productivity and commercialisation,” said Munthali, relating to agricultural diversification which, in part, involves transforming traditional agriculture into a dynamic and commercial sector.
He said there are initiatives in place to transform the agricultural sector towards diversification, observing the initiatives just need to be scaled up and accelerated.
“But we have big hope because if you look at the mega farms, it is showing that we are moving towards diversification.
“If we can hold hands and continue what is already showing, we can advance a lot,” added Munthali.
Mwapata Institute Executive Director, William Chadza, concurred with Munthali adding that despite other gray areas, there is always big hope of learning about what is working in agricultural sector and what is not, the challenges being faced and their solutions.
“There are a number of reasons why we are in such a situation. One of them being how we prioritise the resources which we have. We are not looking at it from a holistic point, so we need to look at how we spread and allocate those resources,” Chadza said.
On priorities, key speaker at the event, Professor Sosten Chiotha, who is Regional Director at the Leadership for Environment and Development in Southern and Eastern Africa (Lead), said in an interview that other natural resources also need to be considered when talking of agricultural development.
“Agriculture is directly linked to natural resources; therefore, we need to take the two together in our developments. The natural resource base will provide the water, the soil fertility,” said Chiotha.
He emphasized on the need to diversify the country’s economy so that pressure on the agriculture sector is reduced.
Apart from the keynote speech by Professor Chiotha, the event, whose theme was ‘Enhancing agricultural growth and diversification’, also featured a panel discussion, among others.
NPC, alongside Mwapata Institute and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, organised the event that brought together key players from government, development partners, the academia and other institutions.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera on Friday morning visited several development projects in Mwanza district to appreciate challenges the places are facing.
Among others, the President visited Mwanza Secondary School and Mwanza District Hospital before inspecting new police houses and leading scores of people to the ground breaking ceremony for a 5,000 seater state of the art stadium.
Head teacher for Mwanza Secondary School, Henry Saka said the school has a lot of challenges such as absence of resource room for special needs education students, dilapidated multipurpose hall and hostels, broken sewer system and use of firewood at the kitchen, among others.
“Mwanza is the only boarding secondary school in the district with 336 students and there is need to have most things available,” said Saka.
At Mwanza District Hospital, the President toured pediatrics ward where he donated assorted items in the ward.
In his remarks, District Director of Health and Social Services, Dr Misha Sitande told the President that the hospital has an outstanding electricity bill of K60 million, high vacancy rate at 58 percent, lack of power back up and frequent breakdown of X-ray machine, among others.
“The district has only two health centres, namely Thambani and Kunenekude and this affects operations of the hospital as the district also serves people from Mozambique,” said Sitande.
Later the president toured Mwanza Police staff houses which are expected to reduce accommodation challenge of the law enforcers. The 10 houses are now at 73 percent completion rate.
In a momentous turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape of Malawi, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has unleashed a political earthquake, stripping Kondwani Nankhumwa of his esteemed position as the leader of the opposition. This unexpected move has left tongues wagging, with citizens eagerly awaiting the fallout from this seismic shift in power dynamics.
The thundering drums of change began to reverberate across the nation when George Chaponda, the newly ordained DPP Vice President for the South, ascended the political ladder and seized the opportunity to claim the mantle of opposition leadership. This audacious move, a strategic maneuver by the DPP, has sparked both intrigue and controversy, leaving the public with bated breath as they brace themselves for the inevitable fallout.
DPP keen on removing Nankhumwa as Leader of Opposition
Emblazoned with unwavering confidence, DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba unveiled their proposition with an air of dramatic flair. Namalomba declared that Nankhumwa’s expulsion from the party had created a void in leadership, justifying their audacious selection of Chaponda as his successor. With the party’s support firmly behind him, Chaponda stands on the precipice of power, ready to step into the shoes of his predecessor and lead the opposition charge.
As the political tides continue to shift, the DPP also made a bold statement by orchestrating a complete overhaul of their parliamentary team. Enter Jappie Mhango, a seasoned politician with an astute understanding of the Machiavellian nature of politics, as the new DPP chief whip. Mhango’s appointment raises eyebrows and creates a buzz amongst political insiders, as his cunning and strategic prowess are expected to invigorate and elevate the DPP’s approach in the parliamentary arena. Joining forces with Mhango, Mary Navicha, a passionate and charismatic figure, steps into the role of deputy chief whip, replacing the once-influential Julius Mwase and the enigmatic Victoria Kingston Mangochi Central Legislator.
To shed light on the legal ramifications of this power play, we sought the expertise of the eminent legal scholar, Bernadetta Malunga, from the esteemed University of Malawi. In her resolute assessment, Malunga lends her unwavering support to the DPP’s bold stance. According to Malunga, Nankhumwa’s expulsion from the party effectively nullifies his claim to opposition leadership, unless he chooses to mount a legal challenge in the courts. This legal interpretation only adds fuel to the ever-intensifying firestorm, further enflaming the already contentious debate surrounding Nankhumwa’s future.
Amidst this tense political spectacle, one figure remains eerily silent – Kondwani Nankhumwa himself. Largely elusive since the bombshell announcement, Nankhumwa’s silence only fuels the growing aura of mystery surrounding his next move. Will he gather his forces and challenge his expulsion in court, or will he choose to exit the stage gracefully, allowing Chaponda to assume his mantle as the opposition’s new torchbearer? The nation awaits with bated breath for his words to echo through the hallowed halls of power.
As the sun sets on this momentous political chapter, Malawians find themselves embroiled in a thrilling saga of power struggles and calculated moves. With Nankhumwa’s expulsion ripping through the political fabric, the rise of George Chaponda marks a pivotal moment in Malawi’s political history. The echoes of this seismic shift will undoubtedly reverberate long into the future, leaving an indelible mark on the nation’s political landscape. Without a doubt, the relentless dance of politics has once again captured our attention, revealing its unpredictable and captivating nature.
As the dust settles and the political gears continue to turn, one question lingers in the air – what lies ahead for Malawi, and how will this audacious power play shape the destiny of this remarkable nation? Only time will tell, but as keen observers of this gripping saga, we stand ready to bear witness to the next chapter in Malawi’s political tapestry.
An elderly woman of Chambu village in Lilongwe City Central constituency Mai Rosemary Kaitano, has complained bitterly that hunger-stricken people are not benefiting from the relief maize government is distributing in urban centres.
Kaitano said corruption, favoritism and nepotism have formed part of the successes of relief maize registration of names and distribution in urban centres claiming that those who have no names in the Block leader’s books, are not part and parcel of the beneficiaries.
She said most of the people that are benefiting from relief maize are people who have everything in their houses (well to do people) because their names have made their way to the Block leader’s mind as good people for their areas.
Mai Kaitano has claimed that AIP fertilizer was distributed to the people of Gulliver, Shire, Ng’oma, Dubai, Senti, Chimoka, Areas 50, 51, 18A and B because the incumbent Member of Parliament Alfred Jiya enjoys support of the people in the newly demarcated Lilongwe City Nankhaka constituency.
She said the very same people who have benefited from AIP fertilizer are benefiting from relief maize which government is distributing leaving out many poor households who are starving with hunger a development which is worrisome that these people cannot talk something good for President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.
The woman said in Area 50, landlords were identified as beneficiaries of relief maize leaving out tenants as not important saying this is contrary with what President Chakwera has been saying that he wants relief maize to be distributed to all hunger-stricken people.
She claimed that not even one Block leader in urban centres invited his subjects to a one meeting of identifying beneficiaries of AIP and relief maize, they just sit down to pick-out names of their choice in secret and on the day of receiving bags of maize, messages are sent to the beneficiaries in secret, too.
“I would have loved if President Chakwera intervene to either stop relief maize distribution in urban centres or sending his aides to establish what is on the ground in as far as relief maize distribution is concerned in urban centres,” said Kaitano.
She said many hungry-stricken people that are not benefiting from relief maize distribution are showering insults and castigations to President Chakwera for the sins committed by Block leaders through registering names of beneficiaries in secret.
