Sunday, August 24, 2025
No menu items!
spot_img
Home Blog Page 1312

Security journalist says African countries need a stand despite economic hardships

0

By Vincent Gunde

A Malawian Security journalist Ephraim Mkali Banda has told a South African Television and Radio station in Johannesburg that African countries do not have a stand on their own and as a result they are abiding to western rulers who take advantage over their economic hardships.

Mkali Banda has observed that economic hardships of countries have made the western rulers to do whatever they can do on countries in Africa giving an example of Malawi where a worse situation has happened, Government sending 221 youths to work in farms in Israel.

He said President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is under fire not for sending youth to work in farms in Israel but keeping secret of a labour export deal which will benefit both the individuals and the nation as this will boost foreign exchange.

Ephraim Mkali Banda-the issue should not be treated as a secret



Speaking in an interview with Salaamedia which has a larger outer coverage in South Africabroadcasting to its listeners on one nation FM, Mkali Banda said the issue of Malawian youths going to Israel came to light in the National Assembly by the Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa.

Mkali said Nankhumwa informed the House that an aircraft was on its way from Tel Aviv coming to Malawi to pick 221 youth saying both Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda and Speaker Catherine Gotani-Hara refused that it was not true.

He said a few hours later, the plane landed at the Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe forcing Government to release a statement that it has embarked on labour export to countries including Israel a development which the same government vehemently denied.

The Security Officer said it is not something new that the Government of Malawi has been sending youth to Israel claiming that others, are in Oman, India and Nigeria but this time around, Government thought of not publicizing that an aircraft is coming and the recruitment processes.

He said the Government of Malawi was fully aware that there is war in Israel claiming that even parents and guardians cannot send their children to countries where there is war describing this as reckless, arguing that Government could have thought it wise not to send the youth to Israel.

Mkali Banda noted with a great concern that while countries are evacuating their citizens working in farms in Israel, timing to send the youth to Israel has not come at the right time saying Government could have waited until the war is over.

“There working in Israel can in no way boost foreign exchange because the country is just importing and importing without exporting,” he said.

He said Malawians should know that their brothers and sisters have gone to a place where security is not good suspecting greedy leadership for individuals in government as the ones benefiting through a done secret deal of labour exportation to Israel.

Unearthing untold story of PAC meeting with President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe

By Linda Kwanjana

On 28 November, 2023, Public Affairs Committee (PAC) met Malawi Leader President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera at Kamuzu Palace.

PAC does have periodic meetings with the Malawi leader to reflect with him on topical issues touching on leadership and governance.

During the meeting , PAC hailed Chakwera for not protecting anyone from facing the long arm of the Law.

Thawale (who is Thawale? He is missing in the 1st paragraph) added that he has let them go people who were very close to him saying that was commendable.



“Your Excellency’s administration started well by not protecting anybody from arrests in the high offices. This was commendable.” He said.

On state economy, Dr Thawale commended Malawi President decision to devalue the Malawi currency saying that was commendable move as well.

“Many economic commentators have made observations on the current economic situation.

Your Excellency, this remains an elephant in the room in Malawi. We will not go round and round but make observations on the

recent devaluation of 44%. Let us be clear at the outset that PAC is not against any devaluation.

Previous governments in Malawi have devalued the Malawi Kwacha. So for us we do not condemn devaluation as such.

We are aware that the popular view is that by devaluing Malawi’s currency, this country makes its money cheaper and boosts exports, rendering them more competitive in the global market,” he said.

Thawale said the devaluation will make
foreign products become more expensive and this will lower the demand for imports.

“As such, Your Excellency, Governments use devaluation to combat a trade imbalance and have exports exceed imports.

We congratulate Your Excellency for making such a bold decision following negotiations with International Monetary Fund (IMF),” he said.

PAC also commended the president Chakwera for the hard decision he has been making for the good of Malawians.

“In either case we do not have doubt that you mean well and would like to see this country move forward,” he said.

PAC also hailed the president for the road infrastructure development projects currently taking place in the country.

“We have seen road infrastructure being constructed – demonstrating your commitment to the completion of the unfinished roads.
Your political posture and eloquence qualify you for leadership in the highest office. Your level of tolerance is magnificent
since you took office, ” he said.

Blue Eagles cruise to Castel Challenge Cup quarterfinals following a 3-1 victory over KB

0


By Staff Reporter


Blue Eagles FC have booked themselves a place in the Castel Challenge Cup quarter-finals after a convincing 3-1 victory against Kamuzu Barracks(KB) in a game that was played at Civo Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Richard Rapson opened the scoring for Eagles in the 26th minute after connecting well a free-kick by McDonald Lameck



Laurent Banda scored the second goal for Eagles, connecting with a header a corner-kick taken by Rapson in the 63rd minute before Christopher Gototo scored the third goal for the Area 30 side in the 83rd minute.

KB got their consolation through Zikani Yona who scored from the penalty spot after a handball incident in the added time.

Chaponda critices Tonse Alliance administration for cancelling ECF

0


By Dean Chisambo


Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of parliament for Mulanje South West, George Chaponda has criticised the Tonse Alliance-led Government for cancelling the
Extended Credit Facility (ECF) which was established by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government together with the International Monitory Fund (IMF).

Chaponda said the cancellation was not asked by the IMF but it was the Tonse-led government which requested it and it has taken from 2020 to 2023 to restate the same in this year’s agreement.

Chaponda



Said Chaponda:”The inflation rate was at 7.4 percent, but now it is at 30 percent, the debt was at 8 trillion , now is at 12 trillion.”

Chaponda further said the price of fuel was less, economy in Malawi was growing and the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) was going at fast rate during the DPP government.

He lamented that in this Tonse-led government , things are not working and the government is exposed to many things, corruption featured and all the bad excessive travels which made them delay the restatement.

Chaponda also said the devaluation has gone higher from 25 percent to 44 percent which has made Malawi to become a poorest country.

He described that the people in his constituency are dying of hunger since they cannot afford to buy maize and fertilizer as the bag of maize is now at k43,000 to k45,000 .

“Fertilizer was at k15,000 during DPP regime and now is at K107 ,000 , others are selling it at k110,000 and the civil servants their salaries are low compared to the taxes they are deducted , for example a primary school teacher is receiving k160,000 which is not enough compare to tax deducted. The 10 percent which has been included in this mid year’s budget review will not help for a person to survive,”said Chaponda.

He added that the Tonse-government is full of talking but implementation is zero, whatever they say is full of lies.

In his sentiments, Malawi Congress
Party (MCP) secretary general who is also a member of parliament for Lilongwe Mpenu Eisenhower Mkaka touched on the issue of expanding Malawi’s export basket which comprise of good services to the neighbouring countries for export inorder for the government to get forex.

He said the president has signed a deal with Israel to export young people up to the age of 35 to go and work in farms in Israel .

“We are talking about five thousand youth that are planned to go to Israel to work with possibility to expand this figure to around ten thousand. negotiation are still in progression,” he said.

He said that through exporting youth to Israel, the country is going to have direct dollar injection ,amounting to 90 million dollars, since the youth will open their accounts here in Malawi.

The legislators are contributing their ideas on the mid-year budget review which finance minister Simplex Chithyola Banda presented in the August house amounting to 4.3 trillion supplimentary budget.

Dube applauds Nankhumwa for raising public concerns in Parliament over labour exportation to Israel

0

By Vincent Gunde

Social media Analyst Daniel Dube has applauded Leader of Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa for standing in the house and raise concerns regarding the labour exportation of 221 Malawian youth to Israel.

It all started with the debate on Thursday when Nankhumwa brought the matter in the national assembly but Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda vehemently denied that Government was exporting labour to Israel demanding Nankhumwa to withdraw the allegation which he refused to do so.

Chimwendo Banda demanded evidence from Nankhumwa and as this was not enough, Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani-Hara hammered the last nail on to a coffin giving Nankhumwa up to Monday,November 27, 2023 to bring to the house tangible evidence on the matter he brought before Parliament.

Daniel Dube



A plane from Israel landed on Friday at the Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe putting the whole matter as raised by Nankhumwa to the open.

Several media houses reported on the story prompting Government through the Ministry of Labour proving Nankhumwa right that Government has embarked on labour export of its youth to Israel.

Writing on his face page, Daniel S Dube says the matter of exporting Malawian youths to Israel requires a national consultation as well as a sober debate with Government through the Minister of Labour.

He says the Labour Ministry should explain the labour processes it followed and also explain how Government recruited the youths and legal framework of the agreement.

Dube says reading from the Ministry of Labour’s statement, “Government stated that this deal involves the private sector and the Government” and that Malawians need to know which companies are involved and when they were involved.

He says Malawians need to know insurance to the youths in the event of death, long-term financial benefits at the end of their employment and transparency with respect to the profit of the private companies they will make out of the youths working in Israel.

“The best for Malawi is not to send its productive youth outside to a war zone but creating jobs within the country,” says Dube.

He has however, called on the Government of the Tonse Alliance to reflect deeply on the arrangements made before the country is find itself isolated and targeted as a state supporting Israel war effort and the national legal institutions such as the Law Society of Malawi, the National Chambers of Commerce, Human rights organizations and Trade Unions to weigh in the important issue.

He adds that Malawi need to be able to maintain bilateral relationships with anyone without involving itself in complex global diplomatic issues where the long-term effects may harm the country.

Hamas attacked Israel and killed 1,300 Jewish people and took some hostages of the Jews in an ambush which was atrocious and wrong and in response, Israel killed 12,000 Palestinians prompting the Israeli Government to cancel 90,000 Palestinians work permits meaning that they can no longer return to work in Israel.

India and Malawi are supplying the bulk of the labour in Israel and media reports indicate that Sri Lanka has agreed to send 10,000 farm workers to Israel.