Former Member of Parliament for Neno West Constituency Reen Bessie Kachere has died.
In a statement from the son of the deceased, Edgar Kachere her says his mother has succumbed to diabetes.
Kachere was a human rights activists before joining politics.
She served as the former Minister of Gender, Child and Community Development and prior to the September 2011 cabinet reshuffle, she was the former Minister for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly.
Nyasa Big Bullets came from behind to beat Rumphi United 3-1 in a match that was played at Rumphi Stadium on Sunday.
Zikani Kasambala put the home side ahead just a minute form kick-off but the People’s team responded through Hassan Kajoke who scored in the 17th and 22nd minutes in the first half.
Bullets’ Nigerian striker Babatunde Adepoju scored his 11th goal this season at 24 minutes to ensure maximum points for the league leaders who have now accumulated 45 points from 17 games.
The match between the two sides has grossed nine million, three hundred thousand kwacha(9.3 million Kwacha).
Each team has received K1,943,963,50 while 25% was for ground levy, 5% went to sports Council, 10% to SULOM and another 10% to FAM.
According to Mary Mhoni who is Vice secretary for Njakwa Cash Film company, which was responsible for Gate collections in today’s match, this is the largest amount grossed at the stadium this season.
In Blantyre, Chiukepo Msowoya missed a penalty as his side Mighty Mukuru Wanderers were held to a goal-less draw by Mighty Tigers.
On Wednesday, Red Lions will play TN Stars at Balaka Stadium as Ekwendeni Hammers hosts Nyasa Big Bullets at Mzuzu Stadium.
After clashing in the FDH Cup, Kamuzu Barrack and Civil Service United will meet each other again at Civo Stadium while Mighty Tigers will be hosting Sable Farming at Mpira Stadium.
Premier Division side Nyasa Big Bullets Reserves on Sunday beat super league side Red Lions 1-0 at Balaka Stadium to book themselves a place in the quarterfinals of the Pachema FDH Bank Cup.
Chikumbutso Salima scored the only goal of the match in the 66th minute from the penalty spot.
In another FDH Cup round of 16 encounter Kamuzu Barracks beat Civil Service United 1-0 at Nankhaka Stadium. Martias Nyirenda scored the only goal of the match 33 minutes in the first half to enable the Lilongwe-based soldiers to go into the quarterfinals.
Bullets reserves
On Saturday, Premier Division sides Extreme FC and Changalume Barracks also qualified for the quarterfinals after beating Kadona FC and Karonga United respectively
In the next FDH Cup fixture, Nyasa Big Bullets will take on Moyale Barracks at Kamuzu Stadium as Ekwendeni Hammers host Blue Eagles at Mzuzu Stadium on Saturday.
On Sunday, Dedza Dynamos will host Mighty Mukuru Wanderers at Dedza Stadium.
Silver Strikers are the FDH Cup defending champions having won the inaugural edition last year but failed to make it past the first round of the national phase this season after losing to Dedza Dynamos.
Other notable super league sides that have already been knocked out include TN Stars, Mafco FC, Karonga United and Civil Service United.
The Minister of National Unity Timothy Mtambo has applauded stakeholders that are embracing the Malawi 2063 Agenda of Mindset Change. He was speaking In Lilongwe on Friday at an education dissemination event organised by Developed Information Systems for Communications (DISCOM) DISKOM Communications. Mtambo thanked DISCOM for being one of the stakeholders that are acknowledging the importance of mindset change at the individual, community, and national levels in order to instil a culture of self-reliance towards our inclusive wealth creation agenda.
DISKOM, a Malawian-based agency offering support services in International Education Consultancy in collaboration with international education institutions organised the event. The theme for this year is “New Thinking New Malawi: Education is Key” The minister said his ministry has been Mandated to champion the Mindset Change concept that aims Malawians to aspire to be a united, patriotic and proud people that believes in their own abilities and are active participants in building their nation towards its development goals
Mtambo took time to thank DISKOM for the role that DISCOM is playing by linking Malawians to international institutions for higher or tertiary education “The government of Malawi recognises the importance of higher education if the country is to attain sustainable socioeconomic development. It is for the same reason that besides Mindset Change Enabler, Mw2063 also identifies Human Capital Development as another important enabler for making the country be an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation by 2063”
Hon Timothy Mtambo Speaking to reporters at the DISCOM event
This enabler is principally founded on the premise that developing human capital through education, skills and health of the population plays a pivotal role in the transformation of the economy
Mtambo acknowledged that most of the youth do not have the requisite skills or financial capabilities to support the development agenda of the country. He highlighted that this may be the case because Access to Tertiary Education in Malawi is still limited and a challenge despite government’s effort to ensure that most youths get opportunities to upgrade themselves and contribute positively to national development. The therefore thanked DISCOM for striving to bridge the gap by providing services that will ensure parents and learners are informed of existing career opportunities thereby complimenting government efforts and social responsibility
Mtambo promised that his Ministry will work with DISCOM in support of their programs as government realises the need to disseminate messages to the Malawian Community, in general, and youths about career opportunities available here and beyond. Other programs provided by DISCOM include vocation/career guidance and psychosocial counselling. “DISCOM through Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Counselling and motivation are bringing practical solutions and must be appreciated for coming up with home grown psychosocial counselling,” said the Minister.
Mtambo also touched on the issue of opportunities for graduates. While thanking DISCOM for the facilitating the “Study Abroad” programs which has widen the horizon for opportunities for graduates to bring back knowledge and skills that are deficient in Malawi and therefore contribute to national development agenda or aspirations. Mtambo argued that it is now time for mindset change as far as graduates are concerned so that graduates are encouraged to be creative, explore other options rather than just waiting to be employed “most graduates or even parents and guardians have the old mentality that they have to be employed when they finish school instead of being creative in doing entrepreneurship activities. I am forced to conclude that this could be attributed to our old thinking that one has to get a white-collar job after living college. But things are changing as evident by the fact that majority of higher educational institutions are including entrepreneurial courses in their syllabuses and this needs to be commended and encouraged”.
Mtambo was also recognized with an award for brevity for his role in the fight for electoral justice at the same event.
Nyala Mines Limited which has been mining rubies from Chmwadzulu in Ntcheu district has been accused of evading tax payment to Malawi Government of more than US$300 billion. Malawi’s Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda has since written the United States based Columbia Gem House which owns the local mining company to settle the amount within 30 days or face legal action.
The AG’s letter to the company dated July 26, 2022 disclosed that between 25th August, 2008 and 30th July 2013, Nyala Mines Limited only paid taxes amounting to MK604,413.13 (US$600) yet according to the USA Department of Interior, the company exported 150 kg of ruby and rare Padparadscha and 300 kg of sapphire every year with projected annual revenue of $24 billion from their Malawian operation.
Columbia Gem House has been trading and doing mining activities at Chimwadzulu since 2004 but later fraudulently registered Nyala Mines Limited as its local subsidiary.
According to Chakaka Nyirenda the firm has been evading taxes including duty on sales of rubies and sapphires mined from 2008.
Reads the letter: “Going by Nyala Mines Limited’s own declared minimum price of untreated ruby of US$20,000 per carat, this yields the sum of US$9,000,000,000.00 (Nine Billion US Dollars) worth of sales revenue per year from ruby alone, and another US$15.00,000,000.00 (Fifeen Billion US Dollars) worth of sales revenue per year from sapphire.
“The total net tax revenue that had been evaded by Nyala Mines Limited amounts to US$309, 600, 000, 000.00 (Three Hundred and Nine Billion Six Hundred Million US Dollars).”
Chakaka Nyirenda says in the letter that between 25th August, 2008 and 30th July 2013, Nyala Mines Limited only paid taxes amounting to MK604,413.13 yet according to the USA Department of Interior, Nyala Mines Limited exported 150 kg of ruby and rare Padparadscha and 300 kg of sapphire every year.
The AG further noted that Columbia Gem House declared its record prices for the Malawi ruby and sapphire as having been set at US$425,000 per carat and sapphire at US$48.871 per carat. On the other hand, he says natural untreated ruby from Malawi is sold between US$20,000 and US$25,000 per carat while top grade untreated ruby from Malawi is sold at US$50,000 per carat.
Chakaka Nyirenda further notes that according to a 2014 article, titled Constructing Ethical Mineral Supply Chains in Sub Saharan Africa The Case of Malawian Fair Trade Rubies by Gavin llilson, the first collection of ruby from Chimwadzulu Mine was made available for US retailers in February, 2004.
According to the AG, llilson in the article observes that ‘these stones are of extremely high quality and therefore have considerable market potential.
The AG says even llilson bemoaned the unfair trading that was being practiced by the mine owners. The AG, acting on behalf of the Malawi Government has since demanded that the company pay $309,600,000,000 in unpaid taxes.
“Nyala Mines Limited and Columbia Gem House breached (the law) when they failed to disclose all income realised from the investment and when they engaged in trade mispricing and improper transfer pricing techniques,” the letter reads.
Nyirenda has warned that Malawi could seek to prosecute Nyala Mines Limited and Columbia Gem House and their officers, along with anyone implicated in tax evasion or export fraud schemes.
“It is Malawi’s position that you dishonestly changed the name of the mining company to Nyala Mines Limited to disguise the origin of the company, that is, so that the new name of the company sounded local to avoid suspicion and detection,” Nyirenda writes.
Adds the AG: “I, therefore, demand from you the payment of the said sum of US$309,600,000,000 plus interest at the commercial lending rate from the date the said taxes and royalties fell due to the date of payment within 30 days,” the letter says.
