One of the country’s commercial banks FDH Bank has handed over a well constructed and fully stocked grocery store to legendary musician Giddes Chalamanda.
The plight of the 90 year- -old veteran musician of the “Buffalo Soldier” fame came to light some months ago after he did a mashap collaboration with the prolific singer Patience Namadingo who is the brand ambassador of FDH Bank.In the quest to alleviate the hardships that Chalamanda is facing, Namadingo engaged FDH Bank which built the grocery store for Chalamanda and it has stocked it too.
Speaking after handing over the facility to Chalamanda at Chalamanda’s base in Njuli ,Chiradzulu, the marketing manager for FDH Bank Ronald Chimchere said as a home grown bank they prioritize uplifting lives of locals. Also speaking at the function, Namadingo oozed excitement seeing that now the legendary singer has a reliable source of income.Namadingo said initially it was hard for the octogenarian to make ends meet but now the help is at the door step.
Expressing his joy the visibly happy grey haired musician commended FDH Bank for bailing him out. The store will also be offering FDH’s Banki Pakhomo services to the community around Njuli. –
One of the contenders to represent UTM in the Karonga Central by election Mary Florence Nthakomwa has announced that she will not take part in the primaries that are scheduled for Saturday . She was a high profile contender against former MP Frank Tumpale Mwenifumbo, who recently joined the party and is vying to represent it as its candidate.
Nthakomwa who stood for UTM in the 2019 elections has released a statement where among other things she accuses the party hierarchy of accepting Mwenefumbo as the default Candidate
According to her statement Nthakomwa says Being a supporter of UTM and a believer of SKC’s ideologies, it is against her conscious to take part in the proposed primaries for the following reasons:
Mary Florence Nthakomwa
From the moment it was known there will be primaries in Karonga Central, the party leadership saw it necessary to shun me in so many possible ways disregarding the fact that I was the sower of Utm in that constituency and the only candidate in 2019.
I have believed that Utm is a very Democratic Party that has a listening ear no matter the level of the voice. However, it pains me to see that the democracy that our leader would like to sow amongst its followers is being destroyed by a few who are in leadership positions and believe they “own” the party. Being in a position is but just a name: it’s the grassroots that matters. Every being is equally important regardless of status in the community.
Having been part of the system that worked hard to plant structures in Karonga Central for UTM, it pains to see that these very same structures that put the party on the map have been disregarded and labeled as “Florence’s structures “. What you are forgetting is you aren’t destroying Florence but the party and it’s leadership.
I gave you my reasons for not partaking in the primaries: if I’m to win, let me win honorably and it should be likewise if I’m to lose. You are aware of the dents you and your team put by promoting one candidate before campaign started. The least you could have done is see sense in what I’m saying on the “fake” created areas for the primaries and go for a voting manner that would rule out any bias ness and that is voters queuing behind the candidate of their choice. Instead you have told me to accept the proposed method with fake areas and names and accept defeat. I’m not afraid of defeat but I’m for a free and fair method.
Just to seal that you are satisfied with my opponent, you never bothered to respond to my queries that I sent you before the deadline if 4PM on Wednesday. I had to ask you today if you were responding.
I have many a times requested you not to accept Mwenilondo as the venue for primaries with stated reasons. That hit a deaf ear. Being a woman and mother that I am, I wouldn’t want to be part of a legacy that involves violence.
Having not signed for the given areas is an indication that I never accepted them meaning I never accepted holding primaries using 3 from each presented area.
With due respect, RG, I choose to humbly bow out of the Utm primaries that were scheduled for tomorrow, 12th September 2020.
UTM officials have not yet commented on Nthakomwas decision.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Wildlife says it will train owners of 500 micro small medium enterprises (MSMEs) operating in the tourism industry to build their capacity for them to be competent on the sector’s market.
Acting Director of Tourism, Sosten Lingwalanya, disclosed this on Friday during the closing ceremony of 10-day training of trainers (ToT) for 26 tourism MSMEs held at Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi.
Lingwalanya said the 26 trained trainers would facilitate the training of 500 MSMEs operating in the tourism industry across the country.
“We’ll be calling upon over 1,600 licensed operators that we have in our database for them to express interest for training and out of these we will select 500 operators with women and the youth as our special target,” explained Lingwalanya.
He said when trained, the 500 MSMEs will likely transform the industry with their learned skills and competencies.
The ministry is implementing the trainings with funding from the African Development Bank under the project, Promoting Investment and Competitiveness in the Tourism Sector (PICTS).
Lingwalanya
The trainings follow a baseline survey that government’s partner in the project, Howarth HTL Consultants conducted which revealed “enormous demand” for training of MSMEs operating in the sector.
Lead trainer and representative of the consulting company, Dr. Peter Jere, said after the survey material was developed to “equip the trainers with the necessary skills to communicate and engage the trainees to produce best results in the industry”.
Key topics during the 10-day training included tourism business motivation, tourism products for Malawi, understanding tourism business centric models and patterns, tourism operations management, managing tourism business finance and financial management.
One of the trained trainers, Kamoza Kumwenda, described the ToT as timely and that the trainers would likely make a difference when they impart the acquired skills to the other 500 MSMEs operating in the tourism sector.
The Citizens for Transformation Movement (CFT) which is led by Timothy Mtambo, the minister of Civic education and national unity has come in defense of its leader after a DPP legislator called for his dismissal from the cabinet.
Speaking in Parliament, Martha Lunji, DPP Deputy Whip and Parliamentarian for Nkhotakota North East called for Mtambo to be sacked from the cabinet claiming he is of questionable character as he was involved in mass demonstrations that saw peoples houses, businesses and others structures destroyed during the time when he was leading the Human rights Defenders coalition (HRDC).
Speaking to 247Malawi News, CFT’s Communications and Public Relations Strategist, Negracious Justin expressed his shock at the legislator’s remarks when she called upon President Lazarus Chakwera to fire Timothy Mtambo as Minister of Civic Education and National Unity. He described the call as without substance and signifies unmerited vent of anger and frustrations.
Hon Timothy Mtambo
“The remarks made by the Hon Martha Lunji, are both nonsensical for their lack of substance and are coming across as unmerited exhaust of frustrations and anger” Justin expressed.
The CFT communication strategists argued that the argument that the Minister of Civic Education and National Unity should be fired because he was involved in mass demonstrations claiming that such demonstrations resulted into people’s houses and other structures being destroyed reflects the utmost nonsense that any reasonable mind cannot be expected to display.
He went further to say that the demonstrations, which were calling for electoral justice were vindicated by both the Court by nullifying the disputed election, the Parliament by determining that the Malawi Electoral Commission leadership conducted the disputed election without competence, and by Malawians in general by voting out the regime that benefited from the disputed election.
“I have noted that her opinion is not suggesting that the Minister was not supposed to be appointed as Minister in the first place. She goes straight into suggesting that he should be fired for being involved in the said demonstrations and not for failing to execute his assigned job. Right there, her calls come across very weak. Firstly, such an opinion is ignoring or sidelining the fact that all opposition figures then, who are now leaders of the new administration were not only endorsing, but also getting involved in the said demonstration knowing that it was one of the necessary means to assert the electoral justice which finally came to fruition,” he said.
The CFT spokesperson further explained that Lunji’s remarks are a process of her gradual healing from the electoral defeat bruises that the DPP suffered.
CFT Believes such a call is exuding vendetta against Hon Mtambo for being instrumental in fighting DPP out.
Mtambo heads the newly introduced ministry of Civic education and National Unity. In the state of the Nation address at the opening of 49th session of parliament, President Chakwera spoke highly of the ministry highlighting that a Truth and Reconciliation commission will be introduced to help the country heal from its past. He also announced the National Civic education National policy has been finalized and will be unveiled soon.
Transport remains a problem for people of Likoma and Chizumulu Islands as MV Ilala is reportedly suspended following resumption of a sit-in by Malawi Shipping Company (MSC) staff over unmet salary hike demands.
The sit-in, which started on June 18 this year, has resumed after the workers vacated an injunction MSC management obtained from court.
Secretary for MSC Workers Union, Emmanuel Wisiki said that the injunction was vacated on August 31, and that the sit-in resumed three days later.
“Yes, we are on sit-in since September 3, 2020. Management obtained an injunction restraining us to continue with the earlier strike in June.
“However, on August 31st, the injunction was vacated and we are continuing with the sit-in as we wait for government to respond to our grievances we presented,” said Wisiki.
People jumping on small boats after Mv Ilala sit in.
Spokesperson for the MSC, Thomas Chafunya, said so far, management and staff are trying to find amicable ways to address the situation so that people are not inconvenienced.
Sub Traditional Authority Mwase of Likoma said people of the island district hope government will move in swiftly to help them. He said transport has been a challenge for a long time.
The suspension of MV Ilala means a huge inconvenience to the islanders as government officers as well as business people cannot travel to the mainland where vital goods and services are tapped from.
