The Department of Arts and Culture has described the death of musician Victor Mwangobola popularly known as Tremour as a huge blow to the music industry.
Director of Arts in the Ministry of Culture Humphrey Mpondaminga was speaking in Lilongwe during a funeral ceremony of the artist which was also attended by urban music stars.
He died on Sunday afternoon after sustaining head injuries in a road accident last week.
Musicians Association Malawi (MAM) President Vita Chirwa said the Association has lined up several performances to honour Tremour.
The body of Tremour has been taken from Daeyang Hospital Mortuary to his house in Area 25, Sector 6 near Dzenza Mission in Lilongwe.
The body of Tremour will be laid to rest on Tuesday, 1st August 2023 at Area 18 Cemetery in Lilongwe.
As the first person to openly challenge Peter Mutharika’s leadership, Kondwani Nankhumwa has always been a thorn in Peter Mutharika’s fresh and the Mutharika camp has always been looking for an opportunity to pounce on him.
So, Nankhumwa has been walking around with the hangman’s noose around his neck.The more his star has been shining the more the Mutharika’s apologists became determined to get rid of him. Now it seems the opportunity has availed itself, Nankhumwa is about to face the music when he appears before the party’s discipine committee.
Chaponda
The story is that the DPP has summomed Nankhumwa to appear before its disciplinary committee for some alleged insubordination to party president Peter Mutharika.
According to the letter signed by the Disciplinary Committee secretary Jean Mathanga, Nankhumwa has been summoned because he did not seek permission from the party leadership for his recent rallies in Blantyre.
Nankhumwa, who is considered to be the clear favourite to win the DPP leadership race at the convention has been up and down in the southern region conducting rallies.
Looking at the composition of the disciplinary committee, one would not fancy Nankhumwa to survive the expulsion but, the DPP vice president for southern region and the current leader of opposion in Parliament has proven to be too hot to handle for anyone including Mutharika.
Chaired by the out of salt George Chaponda, the disciplinary committee is more or less like the latter day senhedrin and Chaponda being its Caiaphas.
Chaponda himself still nurses presidential ambitions-ironically this is a man (Nankhumwa) who is suspected to have had a hand in his diminishing political ambitions and he will do anything possible to finish off his competition in order to give his political ambitions a lifeline.
It remain to be seen if Chaponda will appear before the committee, but it will not be surprising if he will decide not to appear before a committee now that the resolution of the recent NGC meeting including the decision to assemble the current disciplinary committee was nullified by the Supreme Court.
Girls who are in secondary school should be considered as a rare commodity because the majority of them drop out at primary level.
First Lady Madame Chakwera made the remarks on Monday 31st July 2023 when she officially launched 2023 Girls’ Empowerment Retreat at Mzuzu University (MZUNI) Open Distance Learning Ground.
The five – day retreat, which has drawn 500 girls from various secondary schools across the country, has been co – organised by Shaping Our Future Foundation (SOFF) and Girls’ Empowerment Trust.
Madame Chakwera
In her remarks, the first lady emphasized that secondary school going girls must be supported at all cost.
“Parents should take a leading role in ensuring that girl children are educated,” added the first lady.
“Women should support girls to get educated by providing them with resources and encouragement until they attain tertiary education.”
She then advised girls to concentrate on their studies.
She explained that opportunities can only be unlocked through education.
“International and local development partners should consider supporting girls especially those in community day secondary schools by constructing hostels because a lot of girls cover long distances to and from school fueling school dropout among girls,” said Madame Chakwera.
Speaking earlier, Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima said the retreat will teach girls how to surmount stumbling blocks in their education.
Infighting has now become the song of the day in the former ruling party Democratic Progressive (DPP).
The party has now fully graduated into a battle field.
DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba has since vowed to take all the necessary measures to ensure Mulanje Central Constituency lawmaker, Kondwani Nankhumwa, and his sympathizers leave the party, DPP has summoned the Leader of Opposition to a disciplinary hearing, which may culminate into expulsion.
Nankhumwa, facing disciplinary committee
Apparently, Nankhumwa, Secretary General Greselder Jeffrey and Yusuf Nthenda challenged resolutions the party made at its recent National Governing Council (NGC) meeting at Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi where the cadres endorsed party president Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika to be the torchbearer in the 2025 presidential elections.
Nankhumwa and his legion of followers have openly accused the party leadership of being undemocratic and intolerant.
This did not please Namalomba who vowed that the APM camp would do everything possible to get rid of the anti-Mutharika.
“We will facilitate their leaving. And I wish to underline this: we will facilitate their exit from DPP because they are working in opposition to what the NGC members had agreed,” he told Zodiak Broadcasting Station on Friday.
And true to his word, the party has now summoned Nankhumwa to a disciplinary hearing for alleged insubordination and disrespect to the party leadership.
Secretary to the Disciplinary Committee in DPP, Jean Mathanga, has written the party’s vice president (South) notifying him about the hearing to take place on Wednesday this week.
“The Disciplinary Committee has received a complaint from the Deputy Secretary General regarding your conduct in contravention of the Constitution of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). You are hereby given notice of a disciplinary hearing against you to be conducted by the Disciplinary Committee ofthe Democratic Progressive Party at the Dream Village in Area 43 in Lilongwe, on Wednesday, the 2nd day of August, 2023 at 09:00 hours in the forenoon to answer the following charge against you,” reads the letter in our possession.
According to the particulars of the charges, Nankhumwa, between 15th and 25th July, 2023, conducted whistle stop tours in the Southern Region without seeking approval from the president to conduct such whistle stops.
The party says this indicates that Nankhumwa is undermining the authority of the President of the Party and displayed disrespect to the leadership of the party.
“For the above reasons the Disciplinary Committee would like to hear your side of the story on the above issues under Article 15 (3) of the DPP Constitution before the Committee can make recommendations on the above issues to the Central Committee under Article 15 (4) of the DPP Constitution. Take notice that if you fail to attend the Disciplinary Hearing without any justifiable reasons, the Committee has the power to make recommendations to the Central Committee for necessary sanctions including expulsion, suspension or censure. Take further notice that if you mobilise your supporters to accompany you to the Disciplinary Hearing, the Committee has the power to make recommendations to the Central Committee for necessary sanctions including expulsion, suspension or censure,” she stresses.
She warns that Nankhumwa also risks expulsion, suspension or censure if he or his supporters do anything to disrupt the Disciplinary Hearing.
While Nankhumwa has confirmed receipt of the letter through the interviews he conducted with the daily papers, DPP leadership did not commit itself to own the missive.
The ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) says it will hold its Elective Convention(EC) in August, 2024.
Speaking during media briefing on Monday in Lilongwe, the party’s Secretary General(SG) Eisenhower Mkaka said this was agreed during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on November 21, 2022.
He indicated that this still maintains the MCP’s tradition and history and align with the new electoral calendar as legislated by the members of Parliament.
Party secretary general Mkaka
“Today the 31st July, 2023, I have called for this press briefing to inform the Nation in general, and Party members in particular, about the Party’s elective Convention.
“As you may be aware the Constitution of the Party gives a 5 year mandate to the National Executive Committee (and all Party’s elected Officers) to manage the affairs of the Party on behalf of the members who are the owners of the Party.
The National Executive Committee as a Committee of the National Party Convention is charged with the responsibility of the party’s management on a 5 year mandate.,” said Mkaka.
He added :”You may also recall that traditionally and historically, The Malawi Congress Party holds its elective Convention a year before General Elections.
“As you may also recall, the electoral calendar in Malawi was changed as a result of the Fresh Presidential Elections that were held in June, 2020.”
The SG said he will announce the actual dates of the Convention at an appropriate time as resolved by the National Executive Committee of the Party.
Recently,the Malawi Parliament legislated relevant laws to the effect that General Elections in Malawi will be held in September and every 5 years from the year 2025 to keep the constitutional five year mandate for State President, members of Parliament and Ward Councilors.
