The High Court in Lilongwe has on Saturday announced that it has revoked a bail for former budget director Paul Mphwiyo and recommended his arrest wherever and whenever he will be found.
This follows an application by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for bail revokation owing to Mphwiyo’s abscondment and flouting of bail conditions.
According to a press statement signed by ACB principal public relations officer, Egrita Ndala, Mphwiyo who is answering Cashgate related corruption charges has been absconding bail for at least four months since June.
Mphwiyo
The statement further says the court has also ordered forfeit to the government of Mphwiyo’s K10 million bail bond as well as that of his four surities pegged at two million kwacha each.
Mphwiyo is believed to have sneaked out of the country in June ahead of the court’s much anticipated ruling of his case..
The Malawi government lost billions of kwachas to unscrupulous public servants and their accomplices in the infamous cashgate scandal around 2012 and 2013.
South African popular amapiano singer and producer Themba Sekowe famously known as DJ Maphorisa has arrived in the country to perform at the launch of the Illusionz Club Lilongwe this evening.
Maphorisa landed in the country through Kamuzu International Airport (KIA).
At the show, the music star is expected to share the stage with Malawi’s popular amapiano musician Zeze Kingston and top local DJs, DJ Reubie, Vj Ice, DJ Mr X and more.
DJ Maphorisa
Speaking in an interview with journalists, Maphorisa declared that fun lovers should brace for a top-notch performance.
DJ Maphorisa, is popularly known with songs like Izolo, Bopha, Banyana, Soweto baby, Hello and Particular.
Castel Malawi partnered with Illusionz to bring him into the country.
The Illusionz Club is located at Golden Peacock on a segment that used to house Cockpit Club.
NBS Bank Plc in collaboration with Shaping our Future Foundation joined the world in commemorating International Day of a Girl Child with a motivational talk at Stella Maris Secondary Girls School in Blantyre.
The day was set aside by the United Nations to recognize and promote the rights and well-being of girls worldwide.
Speaking during the motivational talk, NBS Bank Head of Marketing and Customer Experience Tamanda Ng’ombe said in 2021 the Bank decided to partner with the foundation to promote education by cushioning the girl child school dropout rate.
Tamanda Ng’ombe giving the Motivational Talk
“We do know that the dropout rate for the girl child in terms of education is very high in both primary and secondary school. We focused on those in secondary school and we are sponsoring and also mentoring twenty girl children across the nation using Shaping Our Future Foundation.”
“So, the organization does not only give bursaries in terms of school fees but we have attached two children to a senior executive in the Bank at the moment, going forward we intend to partner further with them to mentor more girls because they need encouragement, it’s not easy to fulfill full education as a girl child in Malawi and we do recognize that and we want to support it,” said Ng’ombe.
Shaping Our Future Foundation Education Programs Coordinator Lawrence Kayesa said the foundation believes that girls have a future if given the necessities needed.
“Together with our partner NBS Bank, we thought it wise to come here at Stella Maris Girls Secondary School to give our girls because the foundation believes that young girls have a future and we can only support them by giving them the necessities they need. So, what we have provided today to the girls is to help them stay calm in school and maintain high levels of hygiene,” said Kayesa.
The girls were gifted with a pack of reusable sanitary pads, soap, and undies, besides being taught how to use and take care of sanitary materials.
Stella Maris Secondary School Head girl Chisomo Senzani, thanked the Bank and the Foundation for the help rendered.
“Some girls cannot manage to buy sanitary pads so this donation is timely, aside from being motivated to always aim high and dream big,” said Senzani.
The day falls on October 11, and this year was commemorated under the theme ‘Invest in Girls’ Rights; Our Leadership, Our Well-Being.’
The Ntcheu Senior Resident Magistrate Court has convicted and sentenced a young couple, Shavison Chibayo and Karishma Machewere to serve custodial sentences or pay fines amounting to K3.7 million for being found guilty for producing ‘fake Malawi Gin’ whose original patent is owned by Castel Malawi.
The two were arrested in October last year at Tsangano turn off trading in Ntcheu. They were charged with three counts of Sale of goods in bottles marked with owner’s name contrary to section 18 of the Merchandise Act, counterfeiting a trademark contrary to section 388 (1) (b) of the penal code, and false application of a trademark contrary to section (51) (1) (a) of the Trademarks Act.
They pleaded guilty to all the three charges after being found with 23 bottles of 750ml Malawi Gin, food colours, and four drums of Ethanol.
In his ruling on Tuesday, Senior Resident Magistrate Joshua Nkhono slapped Chibayo with a K2 million fine or in default serve 36 months in jail on the third count and K70,000 fine or in default serve four months in jail on the first count and a 12-month custodial sentence but suspended to 24 months on the second count.
The court also sentenced Chibayo’s wife, Machewere, to pay K1.5 million or in default serve 24 months in jail on the third count and another K70,000 fine or in default serve four months in jail on the first count and six months custodial sentence but suspended to 24 months on the second count.
Magistrate Nkhono ordered that the fines should be paid within seven days ‘after which the default sentence will take effect from the date of the pronouncement on October 17, 2023.’
Before sentencing, the convicts prayed for leniency as they were first time offenders and that they were young, with young children at home who depended on them.
The prosecution which comprised of Ntcheu Police Prosecutor Kambalame and two private lawyers Noel Misanjo and Davis Njobvu from DNC Chambers, argued that the conduct of the two was a health hazard to the consumers after tests by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS), and Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) concluded that the product was counterfeit.
They also told the court that Castel Malawi had lost K7 million business because of the couple’s conduct.
Castel Malawi Head of Legal, Compliance and Company Secretary Chipi Kauka warned the perpetrators that the long arm of the law will catch up with them.
“We will deal with any person producing Castel Malawi counterfeit products. We are closely working with law enforcement agencies to identify those producing, selling or distributing these fake products. Anyone caught will face legal action. We urge the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious Castel Malawi products to the authorities. This will help us maintain the trust and quality that Castel Malawi stands for,” said Kauka.
Castel Malawi Human Resource and Corporate Affairs Director, Gloria Zimba said the sentence serves as a good deterrent to others in similar businesses.
“We were able to apprehend this couple through some two well-wishers who were rewarded MK1 million each for the tip which was successfully investigated. We thank our courts and our Malawi Police who worked relentlessly to successfully close this case,” said Zimba.
The immediate past Surveyors Institute of Malawi (SIM) Vice President Precious Chisi who is also Managing Director of Perfect Property solutions Limited has hailed Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for the spearheading Secondary Cities saying the project has a capacity to enhance social economic and political status of the country.
Speaking in Mzuzu during Malawi Local Government Association (MALGA) Managers network symposium and fourth annual conference, which was attended by District Commissioners and council Chief ExecutiveOfficers, Chisi said secondary cities are so important because they serve as a hub.
Chisi speaking
Secondary cities often serve as regional hubs, offering various services and amenities. They attract businesses and industries, which reduces over reliance of primary city and spreads economic opportunities across the nation. Secondary cities promote more balanced regional development by providing opportunities and services to people living in surrounding rural areas, ” he said.
Chisi said this can reduce the rural-urban development gap adding that secondary cities can become hubs for cultural and educational activities, offering museums, universities, and cultural events that contribute to the nation’s cultural and intellectual development.
Chisi said secondary cities can also attract tourists and trade activities, while promoting economic growth and cultural exchange while offering alternative locations for economic activities.
On top of that , Chisi said secondary cities help decongest the primary city and this can reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and pressure on infrastructure in the capital city.
On urbanization, Chisi said is an important element in in achieving Malawi agenda 2023.
“The growth of population and increasing urbanisation helps to boost economic growth by increasing demand among urban businesses and individual consumers for different products, which in turn contribute to poverty reduction in rural areas,” he said.
The land expert who is also property valuer and and survey said urbanization necessitates the creation of essential infrastructure like roads, transportation systems, utilities, and public services.
He said these investments can benefit the entire nation.
“Cities attract a diverse and skilled workforce, leading to concertation of talent and expertise. This human capital can drive technological advancements and knowledge based industries, benefiting the entire nation. While urban areas can have slums and poverty, they also offer opportunities for upward mobility,” he said.
Chisi said urbanization said rural-to-urban migration can reduce poverty and improve living standards.
“Urban areas typically have better access to quality education and healthcare, which can lead to improved workforce and healthier population, both of which are essential to national development,” he said.
In 2022 Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera Government through the National Planning commission (NPC) launched the Malawi Secondary Cities Plan through which eight new cities will be developed in line with the country’s Malawi 2063 national vision.
The Secondary Cities will be developed in Karonga, Nkhata bay, Kasungu, Salima/Chipoka, Mangochi/Monkey bay, Liwonde, Lucheza and Bangula. It is expected that these will help divert rural populations from migrating to the four primary cities.
