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Fierce human rights Activist Undule Mwakasungula hails Operation Tigwirane Manja conference

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By Sylvester Chibwana

Firebrand human rights activist Undule Mwakasungula has commended President Lazarus Chakwera for his wise and dynamic vision of initiating the former Heads of State conference.

Mwakasungula said this will help to improve the progress of the campaign.

“Good move …important for national unity and development,” he said.

Mwakasungula said its rare move and hopes it will create some progress in the local politics too where there is much politics without focusing on national unity and development.

Ironically, former head of State Professor Peter Mutharika did not attend Operation Tigwirane Manja Campaign conference which took place at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.

Malawi leader President Dr Lazarus Chakwera in his quest to widen scope of Operation Tigwirane Manja Campaign invited all former heads of states who ruled this country since the dawn of multi party democracy to Sanjika Palace in the Commercial City of Blantyre.

Undule Mwakasungula



Despite assurance by his personal spokesperson Shadric Namalomba of Mutharika availability he never turned up last minute.

During the conference, the President stressed on the need for national unity in order for the country to forge ahead during this trying times.

Malawi is home to three former heads of states and these include; Dr Bakili Muluzi who ruled this country since 1994 to 2004.

Muluzi’s reign was taken over by Bingu wa Mutharika who ruled under Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from 2004 and but died in 2012, while serving his last term of 2009 to 2014.

His vice Joyce Banda was then sworn in as Malawi President in 2012 , served only two years and lost in 2014 to Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.

Currently two Former Heads of States Muluzi and Banda have honoured the invitation and attended the conference.

As he continues with the “Tigwirane Manja” campaign which he launched last week, gave them an update regarding the effects of Cyclone Freddy.

President Chakwera invited all former Heads of State, including Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, after witnessing the devastation caused by the cyclone and how it has affected people, goods and even crops, during his visit to the affected areas, in the southern region, last week.

The President appealed to all Malawians to set aside politics and instead hold hands during this calamity.

His Excellency Dr. Muluzi commended President Chakwera for coordinating government’s efforts in providing assistance to the affected areas.

Govt urged to abolish contributory pension scheme

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By Chisomo Phiri

A call has gone to government to abolish a Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) which came into effect in 2017.

Speaking at a press briefing at Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre on Friday,Chairperson of ‘Young Concerned Civil Servants on Contributory Scheme’ Samuel Chaoloka described the scheme as discriminatory in nature as it does not allow employees above 35 years to benefit.

“As concerned civil servants, we are against this contributory pension scheme. It is not good. Why is it that it does not include everyone to benefit. We want government to remove this pension scheme,” said Chaoloka.



He blamed the government for implementing the contributory pension scheme without consulting civil servants and hear their views.

“The government missed a very important step. It could consult the civil servants and hear their views before start implementing this scheme. We were not consulted but rather forced into the scheme, ” he said.

The grouping chairperson indicated that they consulted the government officials, Malawi Congress of Trade Union (MCTU), and old Mutual to review the scheme but nothing worked out.

He urged government to only use one Defined Benefit( DB) type of pension scheme which he said is not discriminatory in nature.

” We want government to only use Defined Benefit type of pension. It is good and every civil servant enjoys it,” he said.

Under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), an employee contributes a minimum of 5% of the pensionable emoluments while the employer contributes at least 10% of the employee’s pensionable emoluments.

Contributions by the employer are tax deductible up to a maximum of 15% of the employee’s pensionable emoluments while those made by the employee are not.

Upon withdrawal, through retirement, all the benefits are exempt from income tax.

This is applicable whether they are received as a lump sum or as an annuity.

Flames suffer 2-0 defeat in Egypt

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By Staff Reporter

The Malawi National Football team suffered a 2-nil defeat at the Air Defense Stadium in Cairo in the third round of the qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.

Mohamed Salah scored the first goal for the Pharaohs In the 20th minute after receiving a cross from Mohamed Hamdy.

The other goal for Egypt came from Omar Marmoush who fired a shot from outside in the 45 + 1 minute, which hit the Malawi defense before hitting the net.



This is the second defeat for the Flames in the Afcon Qualifiers and they are expected to hosts the Pharaohs on Tuesday next week at Bingu National Stadium.

In the same group, Guinea beat Ethiopia 2-0 at Mohamed V Stade in Casablanca.

Flames are now bottom in Group D with 3 points from three games while Egypt are now on top with 6 points with the same number of games.

Government assured of World Bank continued support

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By Mike Van Kamande

The World Bank Group says the international financial institution will continue playing a solitary role in supporting projects, capacity building to provide leadership and consideration on budgetary support.

Speaking on Friday when a team from the financial institution met with Minister of Trade and Industry in Lilongwe, World Bank country manager, Hugh Riddell, said the economy was already in a precarious situation even before Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit the country and hence the need for continued collaboration and support.

“Fuel shortages, forex scarcity, structure decline, trade imbalance are some of the challenges Malawi is facing and these affect production and the capacity to do trade. The bank partnered with Trade and Industry Ministry on a number of strategic projects and programmes of which sustainability depends on the economic turnaround.

“Effects of Cyclone Freddy have really been tragic and with low tobacco earnings a post-tobacco economy should be looked at seriously. Malawi is a small country with a smaller economy hence it needs to prioritise trade as a heartbeat of the economy,” he said.

In his remarks Trade and Industry minister Simplex Chithyola Banda said one of the challenges Malawi is facing is the unsustainable debt which should be structured or staggered.

“Having acknowledged existence of all these challenges we now need to strategize on how best to reboot the economic activities to enhance regional and international trade as well as agriculture productivity. The ministry is implementing interventions under reducing trade costs such as negotiation of a Simplified Trade regime between Malawi and Mozambique, expansion of the National Single Window and Training of its users,” he said.

Some of the World Bank supported flagship projects includes Agriculture Commercialisation (AGCOM $95m), Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity ($380m), Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Scaling Project (FINES $86m) and the Agri-Policy Project ($800000)

Bangwe All Stars ropes in former Bullets goalkeeper Ernest Kakhobwe

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By Staff Reporter

In an effort to build a strong squad ahead of the forthcoming TNM Super League season, rookies Bangwe All Stars have signed former FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Civil Service United goalkeeper Enerst Kakhobwe.

The 29-year-old former shot stopper has joined the Bangwe based side on a two-year deal that will see him at the club until 2024.

Khakhobwe will be playing alongside other other new signings like former Bullets midfielder Chimango Kaira, former Wanderers defender Bongani Kaipa, Michael Tetteh formerly of Silver Strikers as well as Sunganani Geoffrey and Innocent Msowoya both from Sable Farming FC.