A 28-year-old Ethiopian national Temesgen Butamo,who resides at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa has won a whopping K639, 386,189.26 million with Premier Bet football betting.
Butamo becomes the instant millionaire and the biggest winner in Premier Bet history in the country.
Speaking when receiving the cheque on Monday, the Ethiopian national, who won 54 million kwacha in 2018, vowed to continue gambling and expressed hope that he will win one billion kwacha before the premier league season ends.
The soft spoken new millionaire in town said he staked 300 hundred kwacha from 22 games of which 11 were premier league games.
He added that he will invest the money into agri-business while warning fellow players against irresponsible gambling.
“Im very happy, I thank God. Im doing my business in agriculture products with the money i won and i will expand the same,” he said.
On his part, Blantyre, Premier Bet Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Trevor Whitaker said he is excited for producing the biggest winner in football betting but also advised Malawians to gamble responsibly.
Premier Bet is the leader of Sports Betting and Lotto games in Malawi.
World Art Day, a celebration to promote the development, diffusion and enjoyment of art, was proclaimed at the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 2019.
Art nurtures creativity, innovation and cultural diversity for all peoples across the globe and plays an important role in sharing knowledge and encouraging curiosity and dialogue. These are qualities that art has always had, and will always have if we continue to support environments where artists and artistic freedom are promoted and protected. In this way, furthering the development of art also furthers our means to achieve a free and peaceful world
Each year, on 15 April, World Art Day celebrations help reinforce the links between artistic creations and society, encourage greater awareness of the diversity of artistic expressions and highlight the contribution of artists to sustainable development. It is also an occasion to shine a light on arts education in schools, as culture can pave the way for inclusive and equitable education.
There is much to learn, share and celebrate on World Art Day, and UNESCO encourages everyone to join in through various activities such as debates, conferences, workshops, cultural events and presentations or exhibitions.
This World Art Day is a timely reminder that art can unite and connect us even in the most difficult of circumstances. Indeed, the power of art to bring people together, to inspire, heal and share, has become increasingly clear during recent conflicts and crises, including COVID-19.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera says Tobacco farmers are key stakeholders to Malawi economy because they help in generating the much – needed forex into the country.
Speaking at the opening of 2024 Tobacco marketing season at Chinkhoma Selling Floor in Kasungu on Monday, President Chakwera called on Malawians to be thankful to Tobacco farmers for the vital role that they play in supporting the economic growth of the country.
The Malawi leader said the country should look at ways and means of empowering the Tobacco farmers in order to realize Vision Malawi 2063 Agenda.
“To have more forex, we need to give more support to our Tobacco farmers because they are the ones that bring in more forex,” he added.
“Let us avoid unnecessary talk, let us get to work to ensure availability of forex in the country.”
He said his administration is working tiressly to ensure that farmers have access to modern farming equipment.
On this note, President Chakwera revealed that government has finilised negotiations with a foreign company to start leasing out modern tractors to Tobacco farmers starting from next month.
The president also hailed the good working relationship that exist between government and the Tobacco buyers.
“The good working relationship will ensure that our Tobacco farmers go back home smiling at the end of a market day,” he said.
President Chakwera has since directed law enforcers to deal with anyone found smuggling the Malawi leaf to the neighboring countries.
“I will not tolerate this trend. I urge the Police to arrest all perpetrators of this practice,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka called on government to continue engaging the Tobacco farmers to offer improved prices for the leaf as a remedy to illegal cross boarder trading of Tobacco.
Minister of Agriculture Sam Dalitso Kawale thanked President Chakwera for changing laws that impinged on both buyers and sellers in the country.
He also thanked the president for facilitating that government and buyers work together in harmony and that if there are challenges, they should sit down and discuss amicably.
Chairperson of Tobacco Commission Dr. Godfrey Chapola thanked Chakwera administration for showing a lot of commitment to improve the Tobacco industry.
Chapola also called on government to find ways of dealing with illegal cross borders Tobacco trading.
He then donated K10 million to Presidential Charity Initiative to help restore the lives of Malawians that are suffering from the effects of natural disasters.
In his speech, Auction Holdings Limited (AHL) Chairperson Dan Makata said his institution is geared to ensure that farmers sell their Tobacco this year without glitches.
“We are urging all farmers to bring quality graded leaf to the auction because we are more than ready to ensure that they sell their Tobacco without any problems,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of Member of Parliament for the area, Ken Kandodo thanked President Chakwera for the various development projects taking place in Kasungu.
He also praised Chakwera for staying strong despite facing a myriad of challenges since he assumed the seat of power.
“We also thank you for the timely distribution of Affordable Input Programme (AIP) however, we would like to ask you to increase the number of beneficiaries,” he said.
Senior Chief Njombwa hailed President Chakwera for living up to his word to ensure that Kasungu has modern road network.
He also thanked the president for timely distribution of relief maize and flour to hunger-stricken families in the area.
Layisoni Kasangazi a farmer thanked Chakwera for removing taxes that were a thorn to Tobacco farmers.
He also thanked the president for advocating for improved prices as experienced at the start of this year’s Tobacco selling season.
He then presented a Cow to the president in appreciation of the good work he is doing in fighting for the welfare of Tobacco farmers.
Ministry of Mining says all is set for the country to host the first ever Mining Investment Forum which will give the country an opportunity to showcase and promote Malawi’s mining sector.
In a press statement released by the Ministry of Mining and signed by the Principal Secretary for the Ministry, Dr. Joseph Mkandawire states the event will take place from 23rd to 24th of April, 2024 at Bingu International Convention Conference Center (BICC) in Lilongwe.
Mkandawire further said the event which is expected to be presided over by President Lazarus Chakwera will serve as a platform for multi-stakeholder engagement and bringing together government representatives, development partners, mining companies, Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) operators, financial institutions, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Academia, and various service providers.
“Malawi hosts a diverse array of mineral resources such as Rare Earth Elements (REEs), graphite, uranium, gold, and gemstones, amongst others. These mineral resources are instrumental to industrialization as described in the Malawi 2063 Vision.
“Our minerals are a significant source of government revenues through taxes, royalties, and fees, which are essential for funding development initiatives across various sectors.
Furthermore, the mining sector provides employment opportunities, fosters skills development, and sustains livelihoods through Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM),” reads part of the press release.
Iin a separate interview, Chairperson for National Resources Justice Network Paul Mvula described the initiative as a welcome development saying as a country we need to invest more in mining sector in order to improve the economy of the country.
“We have repeatedly been saying we do not only focus on foreign investors, but we also need to involve the indigenous investors. So if this Mining Investment Forum will focus on that, then it is a welcome development,” he said.
Government under the leadership of Dr. Lazarus Chakwera aims at growing the mining sector to contribute at least 20 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a goal that the ministry says will require robust legal, policy, and institutional frameworks; public-private partnerships in mineral exploration and mining among others.
The Mining Investment Forum which will be held under the theme “Transforming the Nation through Sustainable Mineral Extraction” is expected to attract over 300 participants from African countries and beyond.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera visited the Engineers Battalion in Kasungu District on Monday morning to inspect the ongoing construction of Malawi Defence Force staff houses.
The houses being constructed at the Engineers Battalion consist of 110 houses, with 20 for senior officers and 90 for junior officers.
These are part of the 10,000 houses that government is constructing for security agencies nationwide through Ministry of Lands.
Currently, the government has already handed over some of the houses, as part of its effort to provide decent housing for security agencies in the country.
The President was accompanied by the First Lady Madame Monica Chakwera, Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and other senior government officials.
