Misa Malawi Chairperson, Golden Matonga has urged media professionals in the country to be in forefront popularizing use of podcasts in information dissemination.
Matonga was speaking on Friday at the end of a-five-day media training on podcasting at Mtolankhani House in Lilongwe.
The media body chair said the training was the first of its kind in the country and pledged that Misa Malawi would continue providing more hands-on training to help grow journalists’ passion and profession.
”We are sending you out there as ambassadors; go and represent us. In other countries, podcasting is very well-known nowadays and we believe that with the skills you have acquired, you will be able to develop your own podcasts and advance this new industry,” said Matonga.
One of the participants, Anthony Manda from Transworld Radio, hailed Misa Malawi for training; saying it would help him understand more about podcasts.
”I believe that I will now be able to develop a high quality podcast which will be appreciated internationally,” he said.
MISA Malawi organized the training in partnership with DW Akademie, Deutsche Welle’s centre for education, knowledge transfer and media development.
A total of 12 journalists, drawn from Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Yoneco FM, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Umunthu FM and The Radar Digital News,received certificates after completing the training.
Simply put, a podcast is a digital medium consisting of audio or video episodes that relate to a specific theme.
On Sunday, 12th August, 1984, a miracle occured. That miracle was predestined birth of a baby boy who grew and developed as a mighty human rights defender and an examplary preacher of sane politics. A cultural idol! A traditional symbol! A political allegory!
It is evident that, Chabipilabatambo, his father and Nachizimu Nanyondo, his mother did not know that their boy would break traditional boundaries, national limits and fly globally with his unstoppable and unquenchable burning spirit and passion for a better society.
As a promised son, Mtambo really defied all odds and shone like an East Star.
What is special about Timothy Mtambo is that, as a young kid, he spent most of his early days with his grandfather. It is clear that Timothy, as he was christened, had such a rare advantage of becoming a great leader due to an early exposure to the roles of a leader.
Mtambo did his primary education in Zambia and Malawi. His father used to work as a copper mine supervisor in Luansha. He graduated with a degree in Arts and Humanities from the University of Malawi, Chancellor College (Chanco) in 2010.
Mtambo proved himself as a human rights advocate while at Chanco when he became a students unionist. This is self-told through the lens of his university actions. He was fighting for the academic rights of his fellows. He was seen as a Tennyson statue that symbolised human rights fireworks.
Mtambo’s real element was physically seen under electron microscope when he joined Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) as Programmes Manager. He formed part of the Great Triangle that was composed of Gift Trapence, Undule Mwakasungula and Timothy Mtambo. These were the men behind the 2011 advocacy and protests against bad governance and autocracy.
On April 1, 2012, Timothy wedded his long time lovebird, Sally Ngwira. A young beautiful flower of Rumphian flavor. They had been together in college. As Mtambo celebrates attainment of 39 years, the family is blessed with four children.
Mtambo on his journey, was just 28 when he rose to the helm of the CHRR and made all necessary voices. He was the only remaining microphone of Malawians at a time it was not fashionable to do so.
Mtambo attained the global limelight, when he fearlessly led Malawians to demand electoral justice and accountability in the post May 21, 2019 Presidential Elections havoc. He writes, “That was a revolutionary struggle.” The epic Malawian struggle saw the nullification of a fraudulent elections and the birth of the 3rd Republic.
At 36, Mtambo formed part of the Malawi Government as a cabinet minister.
A son of royalty in his area. The child of destiny born in between two worlds of chiefdoms, the Great Mwenichitipas and Great Mwaulambyas, Mtambo has nowhere to escape leadership.
A man of a Bangle and Royal Stick ! A man of positive influence. Here is your day!
Today as Mtambo celebrates his 39th anniversary, he writes in his diary “Adding a year to my life is Grace of God, the Almighty. I have a great role to perform before I fly with angels. We need to create a better society. This is only attainable if we grow.”
Happy Birthday Senior Comrade Timothy Pagonachi Simbega Mtambo, the President and Commander in Chief of the Citizens for Transformation (CFT)!
The High court judge, Howard Pemba, has on Friday afternoon granted an injunction stoping former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from summoning its Vice President for the Southern region, Kondwani Nankhumwa, to a disciplinary hearing.
Nankhumwa was summoned to a hearing by the party’s disciplinary committee following a whistle stop tour he conducted in Blantyre a fortnight ago without seeking approval from the party leader Peter Mutharika.
APM and Nankhumwa
Nankhumwa earlier avoided appearing before the disciplinary hearing in Lilongwe after his lawyers wrote the committee that their client was unable to appear before it as he was attending to Parliament business.
But his lawyers later applied for the injunction.
Meanwhile, in court, Judge Howard Pemba said Nankhumwa will not appear before the disciplinary hearing until the matter is concluded in court.
According to Nankhumwa’s lawyers, the disciplinary committee itself is being challenged for being constituted contrary to the DPP constitution.
The constitution allows for five members to be in the committee, but Nankhumwa, who is also Leader of Opposition in Parliament, is arguing that the recently held DPP national governing council (NGC) appointed seven members instead.
The court, according to lawyer Daniel Sato representing Nankhumwa, is expected to give directions and the date for hearing.
Cracks and divisions have refused to leave DPP since it got booted out of government in the June 2020 presidential elections.
And according to several political analysts, the party leadership should forget returning into government after the 2025 general elections if the differences persist.
Senior Resident Magistrate Madalitso Chimwaza says she will make her ruling on Bushiris’ application requesting the dismissal of the extradition case on 11 September 2023.
Speaking in court on Friday, Chimwaza said she will need at least 30 days to prepare her ruling on the matter.
On his part,Bushiris’ lawyer Wapona Kita, asked the court to permanently dismiss the extradition application by authorities in South Africa because the evidence they used cannot be admissible in Malawi courts as it has not been duly authenticated as required by the law.
Bushiri and Wife Mary
Kita also prayed to the court not to allow the State to amend the substantial flaws in their request because extradition proceedings are special, they come to court after an order from the Minister of Homeland Security.
Kita supported his arguments with Sections 9(4) and 13 of the Extradition Act.
Kita argued that the extradition request tendered by authorities in South Africa has not passed the test of presenting evidence as required in terms of Section 9(4) to bring or to extradite a person of interest.
State lawyer Dzikondianthu Malunda, said the state does not agree with the application of dismissal but rather asked the court to provide fresh directions.
Malunda contended that the defence’s application is premature, and misplaced and that it should be dismissed.
In the previous court proceedings, South African witness, Sibongire Mnzinyathi, who is the Director of Public Prosecutions for Gauteng Province, was scheduled to take to the witness box but didn’t.
The Bushiris, who fled South Africa in November 2020 while on bail, are answering criminal charges and authorities in the rainbow nation are seeking their extradition to face trial there.
Earlier, Prophet Bushiri repeatedly said they left South Africa on security concerns and feared they would not get fair trial there.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has advised authorities at Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) to consider establishing a climate change research centre at the institution.
Chakwera was speaking at MUST Campus in Thyolo on Friday 11th August, 2023 when he presided over the graduation of more than 400 students.
“I urge the leadership to consider initiating a climate change research centre here that brings together experts from various disciplines to develop innovative solutions that promote sustainability and resilience in the context of Malawi’s unique vulnerabilities to climate disasters,” he said.
The president said the centre can then collaborate with government agencies and non – governmental organizations to implement practical interventions that safeguard our environment and protect the most vulnerable communities.
“This climate change research centre would actually go well with the establishment of a community impact program, encouraging students, faculty, and staff to actively participate in projects that address pressing societal challenges emanating from such disasters. These are the kinds of innovation that will keep MUST on the frontlines of national development and sustain its supremacy as a bastion of prestigious learning,” he said.
President Chakwera expressed his pride in the institution’s achievements, referring to it as a game-changing and pacesetter university. He emphasized the importance of higher education for the country’s development and the achievement of Malawi’s Agenda 2063.
The graduation ceremony was so unique having diverse group of graduates, with 260 males and 150 females successfully completing their studies.
The graduates represent various fields, including Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Metallurgy, Information Technology, Earth Science, Meteorology, Medical Microbiology, and many others.
