The High Court in Lilongwe through Judge Justice Howard Pemba has on Wednesday nullified the disciplinary committee of the former rulling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) describing it as unconstitutional.
According to Pemba the disciplinary committee was composed of seven members instead of five as prescribed by the party’s constitution.
Again Pemba has made the nullification in his default judgment in a case where the DPP vice president for the South, Kondwani Nankhumwa, was challenging his summon to appear before the committee.
Nankhumwa was being accused of flouting the party’s laws by holding political rallies in Blantyre last month.
Parliamentarians from Euroupean countries who are in this country have expressed satisfaction with youth involvement on issues of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR).
Cosmih Poteras a Romanian Member of Parliament said it is very much impressing to see that youths in this country are making strides in issues of mindset change as they are trying to find solutions to creating more initiatives but there is need for more support to help them reach far.
“The young we meet today they are really smart, motivated as well as engaged and I believe they can do the difference.
“When we retain back home I think we should create events that increases awareness in our countries and this may read to some help provided of some organization that are really doing a great job. We discussed about funding and funding is essential in what they are doing they need the funds to provide training services and awareness to people, so that’s what we are going to do when we get back home,” Poteras said.
On his part, Executive Director at Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM), Donald Makwakwa said the engagement of the visiting team with the youths was very important as the country is looking for more youths to take lead in many aspects.
“As an organization we have been working with young people and we listen to them and this engagement has given as an opportunity to exprole more on how best we can engage young people to address there particular needs, like from the discussion we had this afternoon there are quite a number of things we can take and we will take it from there as an organization on how best we can be engaging with Youth Wave as well as other youth lead organizations to advance there rights as young people,” he higlihted.
Executive Director at Youth Wave, a youth lead organization, John Nyirenda feels honored by the deligates but he was quick to react that funding system in this country is not youth friendly and this is affecting most of youth lead organizations as they only operate through self initiative.
He pleaded for a delibarate move from those organizations working with youth to have intention funding that increase young people in there programming by channeling some of there funding percentages to youth lead organizations, that can increase equitable partnership for development.
The one week study tour has been organized and funded by FPAM and it expects to reach more areas.
One of the country’s good governance commentators Rick Dzida, has commended President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s administration for achieving 2 years of examination leak-free.
But Dzida stresses that despite that improvement, still illiteracy levels remain high and that no deliberate plans to address the issue.
Dzida has however, asked government to implement compulsory primary school education for children of a certain age, to consider helping deserving students who drop out of school due to high fees in universities and secondary schools.
Chakwera
He has also asked President Chakwera to explain to Malawians the progress which have been made in constructing secondary schools in each constituency with funding from the American government and providing solutions to the jobless university graduates.
In an open letter to President Chakwera dated 3rd September, 2023 Dzida has advised President Chakwera that he has the full responsibility to uphold, defend and respect the Malawi constitution as the supreme law of the land.
Dzida says President Chakwera is the driver of the country claiming that all the people he has appointed or appointing in government are there to assist him leading the country in the interest of all saying their failure is Chakwera’s failure and their success is Chakwera’s success.
He has lamented that under President Chakwera’s leadership, government seem to have taken control over the National Assembly where it appears that the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Catherine Gotani-Hara is participating in the election of the Leader of Opposition in Parliament.
The commentator says corruption under Chakwera’s administration has reached an alarming level in virtually Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with him seen as promoting corruption as recently evidenced with the pardoning of corruption suspects Dr. Bakili Muluzi and Uladi Mussa.
“You are being seen involved personally interfering with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to shield MCP loyalists, Eisenhower Mkaka’s Mercedes Benz bribery case with businessperson Zuneth Sattar,” reads the letter in part.
On the Public Sector Reforms Report which was submitted to him by the Vice President Dr. Saulosi Klaus Chilima, Dzida has reminded President Chakwera that Malawians have the right to access the Report wondering why he has chosen to remain silent as if the Report was not made available through taxpayer’s money.
Dzida has expressed fears that corruption in the Judiciary has reached an unprecedented level saying courts are shielding corruption suspects from being interrogated by an institution constitutionally mandated to investigate and prosecute corruption suspects.
Ministry of Education has terminated the K2 billion contract between the ministry and Nangaunozge Construction Company for failing to comply with the terms of the contract.
The company was contracted to construct Machinga Secondary School.
The development follows a recent petition written by a group calling itself Friends of Machinga Trust (FOM), which asked the ministry to terminate the contract with the contractor for failure to meet most of the contract’s conditions.
Machinga Secondary school
Confirming the development to 247 Malawi News, the principal secretary in the Ministry of Education, Chikondano Mussa said the ministry is in the process of identifying another contractor to finalize the project.
Mussa said the contractor was tasked to construct eight hostels for boys and girls and a kitchen in 2018 and was expected to finish in 2019, but has failed to complete the project within the stipulated time although he pocketed the full amount.
In April 2021, Vice-president Saulosi Chilima also ordered Nangaunozge building contractor to finish construction works in two months when he toured the school, but the contractor did not comply.
Meanwhile, several people have commended the ministry for the decision.
Malawi has proved to be on the right direction in as far as attainment of Extended credit facility is concerned.
IMF has been giving Malawi recommendations and guidelines to follow in order to achieve the program.
Fortunately, Malawi has done everything that the Britten Woods body has been demanding including debt restructuring.
The president travelled all the way to Ghana just to meet he IMF high level team to discuss about this as well as meeting Afrixim Bank team on the same.
Gopinath, President Chakwera and Finance Minister Sosten Gwengwe
All this effort which Malawi has demonstrated, has earned the country a credit.
This is why this morning at Kamuzu Palace, President Chakwera hosted International Monetary Fund delegation led by First Deputy Managing Director Ms. Gita Gopinath.
The delegation is in the country to appreciate economic recovery efforts following a myriad of inconveniences due to external shocks notably natural disasters and geopolitical strife in Eastern Europe.
Writing on his Facebook page, the president says he appreciates the trust that IMF has placed in his administration based on the tough and bold decisions that have been taken to resuscitate the economy.
“The multilateral development bank has assured us of its commitment to help us find solutions to current economic challenges and attainment of satisfactory credit sustainability.
“I have told the IMF team that Malawi remains determined and focused to grow the economy and build sustainable communities in line with the Malawi Vision 2063 agenda,” he says.
Chakwera adds: “We remain hopeful that the discussions the IMF mission is undertaking with the Reserve Bank of Malawi and the Ministry of Finance will progress into clarity of a new Extended Credit Facility, ” he writes on his official Facebook page.
