President Dr Lazarus Chakwera visited Huawei Headquarters in Shenzhen during his trip to China for this year’s China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE).
The visit comes amid growing concern of low consumption of modern technologies.
Chakwera expressed his gratitude for the honor of being in Shenzhen for this visit to the headquarters of Huawei, which is a leader, a champion, and a creator of technological wonders.
“When I speak of technological wonders, I do not exaggerate, for what I have seen on display in the exhibition hall here has truly blown my mind. It showcases Huawei’s pioneering strength in ICT, which is evidently driven by a culture of marrying the endless possibilities of the human imagination to the groundbreaking innovations that come from heavy investment in research and development,” he said.
The Malawi leader said he takes special delight in the fact that he came not as a stranger, nor even as a guest, but as a friend and partner of Huawei representing the Malawian people.
“With Huawei, Malawi has already been working on a number of game-changing projects for a number of years and has accomplished a number of milestones. As a case in point, I want to thank you Huawei for your support towards the implementation of the Malawi National,” he said.
The UK based Economist Intelligence Unit (EiU) has just released a country report apparently on Malawi, which has made claims that are as murky as much they are bland.
Among other things, the report says the current governing alliance ‘could’ lose the next election if the prevailing economic variables will sustain.
The report has even predicted riots in 2024. Yes, you heard me. Riots!
As would be predicted, some small minded and overzealous politicos have taken it upon themselves to curate a narrative based on this report.
They are making the story look like a cut and dried affair that will come to pass no matter what. The opposition’s social media army has particularly gone abuzz on social media. It is embellishing and speaking as though God has silently whispered to them that what the EIU has said is cast in stone. This is so wrong.
I want to give a friendly warning to these particularly over-excited high school boys that their excitement is coming a little too soon, and will be short lived. They will be disappointed in 2025, and there are comprehensive reasons for that.
It is worthy to note that the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is a consultancy organisation just like many others around the world. It provides forecasting and advisory services to assist entrepreneurs, financiers, and governments make decisions.
It uses data modeling and scenario analysis to help clients predict business performance, as well as doing country and city forecasting.
However, in as much as the EIU is an internationally-reputed policy think-tank, which has been noted over the years for political and economic forecasting, its predictions are not sacrosanct or proven facts.
Like many other consultancies in its industry, the EIU has also been known to goof and make some spectacular prediction failures.
Even though some of its predictions have come to pass, it has gotten it wrong on many occasions.
For example, the EIU predicted that Nana Akufo-Addo will win the 2008 general election in Ghana, but it was Professor Evans Mills of the NDC who won that election.
In the recent Nigerian general election held on February 25, 2023, the EIU predicted a win for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but it was Bola Tinubu, the former Governor of Lagos State and nominee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who won that election.
The same think tank predicted that Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 US election, but it was Donald Trump who carried the day in that election. And this was the US turf where data for analysis, triangulations and attendant statistics are readily available unlike in Malawi where it is difficult to obtain such accurate data. Still, the EIU goofed.
Having done an objective and dispassionate analysis of the latest EIU report on Malawi, it is difficult to understand why the organisation came to such an inconsistent conclusion.
President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) have been frantically working to stabilize the economy. The fuel queues that have been a constant feature in filling stations across the country and a flash point for ‘riots’ are now a thing of the past.
President has also just returned from Ghana where he held high level meetings with Afreximbank officials. Among other things, the bank has pledged to help Malawi with debt restructuring as well as funding to balance its books and to stabilize the economy.
Currently, the President is in China where he is attending the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) slated for June 28 to July 2 in Changsha City. While in China, the President is also expected to strike trade and investment deals with representatives of the Chinese private sector, among other things.
The sum total of these efforts is more investment as well as foreign exchange for Malawi in the short, medium to long term and not ‘riots’ as the EIU report is trying to make Malawians believe whilst fanning the flames of an opposition rhetoric.
In fact, the same EIU agrees that there will be economic growth in the next 12 months as quoted in its report: “Despite social instability, GDP growth will accelerate from 2024 if funding lines open up through the ECF and as output in the mining and agricultural sectors picks up”. It is well documented that Malawi and IMF are at an advanced stage towards striking an ECF facility.
Malawians are, therefore, inclined to conclude that the EIU report on Malawi will go down as one of those spectacular prediction failures based on the solid fact that President Lazarus Chakwera and the MCP government have put in place measures to ensure economic stability, and have two years to round that up before the next elections.
The ‘riots and election loss’ predictions for the current government are, therefore ,just a figment of EIU imagination, plus those that are running with that false narrative.
Former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) might proceed with its planned National Governing Council (NGC) meeting following the lifting of an injunction one of its members, Fredrick Billy Malata obtained.
The Supreme Court Judge Dingiswayo Madise on Friday lifted the injunction while ordering the party to allow Malata attend the NGC meeting.
Malata had obtained the injunction; claiming some members who were set to attend the meeting were not NGC members.
It is further alleged that the party had excluded him from the list of those attending.
But DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba confirmed that the injunction has been lifted and that the party will now set fresh dates for the meeting.
Said Namalomba:”What it means is that the party can now proceed with its NGC meeting but since we have just received the court order the leadership will be meeting to discuss the next course of action.”
This is the meeting where the party is expected to set dates for an elective conference.
At first, the meeting was slated for last Saturday at Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi.
DPP has witnessed internal cracks and divisions since 2020.
Malawian seasoned author Hope Jabes on Friday launched a new book titled ‘Unleashing Greatness’ at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe.
Speaking to journalists, the Blantyre-based author said ‘Unleashing Greatness’ is a book that seeks to encourage people to live their best, true life and uncover greatness that God placed inside-out to a new level of glory.
He said the book aims at transforming families, communities, businesses and organizations and the World at large.
Author Hope Jabes
“It is a nice book that aims at transforming many things and change lives into better. I hope everyone will love it,” he said.
Jabes said, the book will be available in all bookshops for sales.
On his part, one of the speakers, Lawyer Christopher Chiphwanya commended Jabes for publishing the book saying it will change what people think about greatness as many think greatness is fame when it is not.
“This is a nice book for us to know what greatness is. It has put everything in detail on what it means when we say greatness,” said Chiphwanya.
Silver Strikers Football Club has announced that midfielder Chimwemwe Idana will remain at the club and is expected to sign a new contract very soon.
The club made the announcement on Friday through its official Facebook page.
“Chimwemwe Idana is staying at Silver Strikers FC, Ma-Banker. Thank you all our Board of Directors, Staff, supporters and stakeholders for the support,” reads the Facebook post.
Idana
The 2021/22 TNM Super League player of the season signed a 1 and half-year contract with Tanzania’s Mbeya FC but couldn’t be registered at the club as the transfer window had already closed.
Instead, the former FCB Nyasa Big Bullets player, signed a six-month loan deal with the central bankers and has been instrumental for the team’s current form in the TNM Super league.
Idana left Bullets in January this year after the two sides failed to reach an agreement over a new deal.
