Malawi national women’s football team ‘Scorchers’ forward Leticia Chinyamula won Women’s most promising player award at the Cosafa Awards 2023 held on Thursday night at Sandton Convention Center in South Africa.
Chinyamula was one of the four Malawian women footballers nominated for the inaugural awards including Rose Kabzere who was also nominated for the women’s most promising player.
Leticia Chinyamula In action
Other players who were nominated for the awards were Mercy Sikelo who was nominated for the Women’s goalkeeper of the year and PSG star Tabitha Chawinga who was nominated for the player of the year category.
During the awards ceremony Bafana Bafana forward Percy Tau won Men’s player of the year award while Zambian player Rachael Kundananji received an award for the Women’s player of the year.
The award for the Men’s and Women’s goalkeeper of the year went to Ronwen Williams and Andile Dilamin respectively.
Other notable award recipients included Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena who won the Men’s Coach of the year award and Victor Gomez who won the Referee Legend award.
Some Civil Society organizations in the country have accused the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Masauko Chamkakala of abusing his powers on discontinuance of criminal cases and have called for urgent reforms to protect the integrity of the prosecutorial process.
In a joint statement signed by National Advocacy Platform(NAP) Chairperson Benedicto Kondowe, released on Tuesday, the CSOs are also calling on President Lazarus Chakwera to use his powers as provided in the constitution to among others fire Chamkakala.
The statement by the CSOs comes after the office of the DPP discontinued a number of criminal cases including the corruption cases involving Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima, former President Dr Bakili Muluzi and Paramount Holdings Limited.
According to the CSOs, the recent decisions by the DPP to discontinue a number of criminal cases raises serious questions and there is need to put in place measures that would ensure there is no abuse of these powers.
When contacted, Chamkakala said he could not comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, the CSOs have given the anti-corruption bureau 14 days to update Malawians on its position regarding the discontinued cases and disclose the amount of money spent on investigating and prosecuting these matters.
Section 77 (i) states that: “In any criminal proceedings, and at any stage thereof before judgement is pronounced, the Director of Public Prosecutions may enter a discontinuance, either by stating in court or informing the court in writing, that the State intends that the proceedings shall not continue, and thereupon.”
The Constitution endows the President with an illimitable power to remove all officers in whose appointment he has participated, with the exception of federal judges.
Dr.Saulos Chilima was arrested in November 2022 on allegations that he accepted money in exchange for awarding government contracts. He denied the charges.
The latest move has provoked questions over the government’s handling of prosecutions for alleged corruption.
Abuse of power or abuse of authority, in the form of “malfeasance in office” or “official abuse of power”, is the commission of an unlawful act, done in an official capacity, which affects the performance of official duties.
*The 1994 Constitution of the Republic of Malawi*
As Malawians opted for a new Constitution in 1994 the Constitution attempted to protect the office of the Director of Public Prosecution by ensuring that there should be no interference in the performance of his or her job.
This was done by providing procedures for appointment and removal from office of the Director of Public Prosecution in the Constitution itself.
The Constitution thereby provides that appointment of the Director of Public Prosecutions shall be made by the President and confirmed by the Public Appointments Committee of Parliament.
Where the President is inclined to remove a Director from office, the same should only be based on incompetence; or where the Director is compromised in the exercise of his or her duties to the extent that his or her ability to exercise his or her functions impartially is in serious question.
These Constitutional provisions attempt to provide and ensure that the Director has general protection in the exercise of his or her duties in all matters, including corruption matters.
It was however, once more observed by the citizenry that much as the Director of Public Prosecutions had Constitutional protection there were a lot of presumed corruption cases that were not being prosecuted.
These observations resulted in the assembling as well as coming into force of the Corrupt Practices Act 1995.
The National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) has tipped farmers under its Elangeni association to embrace modern farming technologies if they are to maximize their yield especially now when the world is grappling with effects of climate change.
Edward Kalukusha Mwale, Innovation and Productivity center Manager at NASFAM Mzimba south made said this yesterday at a field day for farmers under it’s Elangeni association in Mzimba where it showcased how farmers can manage their land, the importance of using certified seeds in their farming and how to avoid post harvest losses.
Mwale said the organization was compelled to engage the association to ensure that their members are harvesting enough and are taking farming as a business where they produce enough for food and for sale.
One of the farmers under Elangeni association James Gija Chipeta said the field day has helped in cascading knowledge in manure making processes which can assist farmers in maximizing their yields while at the same conserving the fertility of the land.
NASFAM has a membership of over 8000 farmers in Mzimba south grouped into 5 associations in it’s quest to ensure that farmers are adopting technologies that enhance agriculture production.
Today’s agriculture routinely uses sophisticated technologies such as robots, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial images, and GPS technology.
These advanced devices and precision agriculture and robotic systems allow businesses to be more profitable, efficient, safer, and more environmentally friendly.
Symptoms of climate change are all around us: extreme weather, diminishing sea ice, year after year of record-breaking warmth, drought, fires, and stress to ecosystems.
Many of these consequences will create hardship for humans.
By saving and replanting seeds from successful crops, farmers can produce enough food to feed their families and communities.
This can be particularly critical in the face of climate change, which can lead to crop failures and food shortages.
Farming as a Business (FAAB) is an extension approach to working with farmer groups during agricultural interventions.
It is a form of private-sector development to sustainably increase the profits of low-income, smallholder farmers.
It involves technical and institutional capacity building.
Soil conservation measures like crop rotation, reducing tillage, and cover cropping help safeguard the soil’s nutrients and organic matter, ensuring its long-term fertility and productivity and setting the stage for sustainable agriculture.
The basic mission of farmers’ associations is to represent farmers, in order to ensure their participation in the formulation and implementation of policies and agricultural development actions.
The accomplishment of this mission is based on three principal functions: consultation, information and training of farmers.
Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba says government has put in place a conducive environment for propelling investments in agriculture.
Zamba was speaking in Dallas, Texas-USA on Wednesday 8 May 2024 during a panel discussion on Scaling Agribusiness Ventures: Opportunities and Challenges in Taking Africa Agribusiness to a New Level which is part of the ongoing US-Africa Business Summit.
Zamba said the government of President Lazarus Chakwera is promoting agri-industrialisation, as part of its ATM Strategy, which would help unlock wealth and jobs.
Zamba
Groundnuts are probably the most profitable crops since they can be processed into other products like peanut butter, cooking oil, and groundnut flour. People even like eating groundnuts unprocessed or roasted, which is also highly nutritious.
Inadequate infrastructure: Poor infrastructure, such as inadequate transportation, storage facilities, and irrigation systems, poses a significant challenge to agribusiness development in Africa. This makes it difficult for youth entrepreneurs to access markets and transport their products to consumers.
There is also an urgent need to generate skills, stimulate productivity, promote investment, provide infrastructure and transport facilities, upgrade enterprise operations, transfer technology, reduce the costs of doing business and introduce appropriate standards to enable products to compete in international markets.
Ketson Kayuni, a fourth-year student in Internal Auditing at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), has founded a social enterprise called Survivor Youthrise Network (SYRiN).
In an interview, Kayuni said this innovative venture aims to empower and support young people, tackling pressing social issues like poverty, inequality, and environmental sustainability.
Ketson Kayuni
Said Kayuni:”Our goal is to create sustainable social enterprises that provide opportunities for economic and personal growth for youths, while addressing critical social issues.
“SYRiN believes that young people have unique strengths that can drive positive change in their communities.
“However, they often face challenges in accessing resources and opportunities to build their futures.
“To address this, SYRiN focuses on providing tools, resources, and community support to help youths develop sustainable social enterprises.”
He said SYRiN’s vision is to promote entrepreneurship and leadership skills in young people, enabling them to build sustainable businesses and thrive as leaders and change-makers in their communities.
Kayuni said its mission is threefold: to provide entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and resources to develop sustainable businesses; to facilitate opportunities for youths to develop entrepreneurship and leadership skills; and to offer academic training, guidance, and materials to support their growth.
He said he will officially launch the social enterprise in September this year and that every dedicated youth is free to join and become the member of the social enterprise.
With SYRiN, Kayuni is paving the way for a brighter future for young people in Malawi, and his initiative is an inspiration to fellow students and the wider community.
