The High Court in Lilongwe has found four suspects -Ekari Daniella Chaweza, Gilbert Kalamiza, Timothy Mtilosanje and Diana Bhagwanji -who were being accused of murdering Kottana Chidyaonga, that they have no case to answer and the murder trial has collapsed.
Chidyaonga died in January this year and it was suspected that she died due to a snake bite’, while another school of thought alleged that she might have been murdered.
Boyfriend Timothy Mtilosanje and the late Kotana
Judge Thomson Ligowe says the court has found no substantial evidence from state to prove the case hence it has acquitted the suspects.
Initial statements from suspects showed that the 23 year-old girl from Lilongwe was bitten by a snake but an autopsy report by Pathologist Charles Dzamalala found that she died from poisoning.
Mtilonsanje was boyfriend to the late Chidyaonga, while Baghwanji was one of the close friends she was last seen with on that fateful day.
Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Gospel Kazako has said government would engage Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to investigate suspected abuse of funds in its projects to ensure transparency.
Speaking in Mzuzu Tuesday when he visited Northern Region Information Office, he said the ACB was not just meant to investigate private institutions alone.
The Minister said this after it was discovered that substandard work was done on establishment of Northern Regional Information Office Studio which he said was unfortunate.
Minister Gospel Kazako
“There’s what they call a studio and I am reliably informed that millions of money were involved but what I have seen is something that possibly didn’t cost above K2 million; we will follow up on how that money was used.
“As Government, we will make sure that the transparency talk starts with government institutions themselves,” Kazako pointed out.
He said government would ensure better working conditions which would include promotions and provision of equipment.
The Minister expressed the need for the Ministry to take the central role in formalization of information dissemination in the wake of fake news.
“Currently, information is being passed to the public, but there was still a lot that the public is yet to be enlightened on.
“As a Ministry, we are working on seeing that the public does not have any information gap on all spheres,” he promised.
Deputy Regional Information Officer (DRIO) for the North, George Bulombola appreciated the Minister’s visit to appreciate the work being done at the Regional Office.
After touring the Regional Information Office, Kazako proceeded to Malawi Broadcasting Corporation’s Kaning’ina Studios in the city where he assured staff of independence from political interference over the institution’s operations.
Member of Parliament for Chikwawa West, Susan Dossi, has dumped the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and defected to UTM Party which is in the governing Tonse Alliance.
Dossi, who won as an independent legislator but joined DPP, announced her defection to UTM on Tuesday afternoon at Chapananga Community Day Secondary School.
“I am now a member of UTM Party,” said Dossi.
Hon Susan Dossie being welcomed in the UTM fold
Dossi, a daughter of veteran politician and former minister Moses Dossi, said she has been lured to join UTM because of its sound leadership and transformation agenda led by State Vice President Saulos Chilima.
She said the decision to defect is in line with the wishes of her constituents.
“My constituents have aksed me to join UTM because the party is gaining ground in the Lower Shire,” she said.
Dossi has been welcomed by the party’s Publicity Secretary Dr. Joseph Chidanti Malunga and Director of Political Affairs Anitta Kalinde.
As the Tonse government is geared to make education at the centre of its policies, there has been bad news for Malawians Universities yet again. The recent ranking of top universities in the world has seen Malawi Universities failing to make it even in the top ten of top African Universities.
Each year, universities across the world eagerly await the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
The ARWU assesses more than 1800 universities annually. The criteria include: The number of papers published in journals, Category Normalized Citation Impact from In Cites to measure average impact of papers authored by an institution in an Academic Subject, The percentage of internationally co-authored papers authored by an institution in an Academic subject and The total number of the staff of an institution winning a significant award in an Academic Subject
At the top of the 2020 list is Harvard University, followed by Stanford University. The University of Cambridge rounds out the top three. Wits University has been ranked first in Africa in the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). The university has been placed in the 200–300 band. There are about 25,000 universities in the world.
The top 10 Universities in Africa sees South Africa making it with 9 universities that include Rhodes, University of South Africa , Kwazulu Natal, Stellenbosch, Capetown , Pretoria, North west University and University of Johannesburg. Universite de Tunis El Manar of Tunisia and University of Addis Ababa also made it on the list .
The Outgoing Vice chancellor of Wits Adam Habib was quoted as saying Adam Habib, Outgoing
“In this very difficult moment, what this ranking says is that our universities have the capabilities to come together and to offer world-class solutions for the challenges of our time.
The subject rankings maintain the use of transparent methodology and third-party data. Ranking indicators include those measures of research quality, extent of international collaboration, research with top quality, and the highest academic recognitions.
Malawi’s State President Dr Lazarus Chakwera says Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) faces a daunting challenge to live the dream of economic freedom, an aspiration championed by the grouping’s founding leaders.
The President was speaking at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe during the 40th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) hosted by Mozambique virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Chakwera taking part in Virtual Sadc conference
The Malawi leader said the country is in solidarity with all member states in pursuing the SADC agenda.
“I believe that the combination of strengths and shared values between us in this present moment represents a unique opportunity to achieve this within the next few years, an opportunity worth seizing. I also believe that it is a divine opportunity, for it is by the Providence of God that we are bound to one another by history, culture, and a shared journey of liberation.
“For us as Malawians, we feel this undeniable bond whenever we travel beyond our border, which is why I have never accepted that Malawi is land-locked, but rather land-linked, for we are inextricably linked to our SADC brothers on all sides, and I can assure you that we would not have it any other way.
Chakwera added: “From this perspective, I humbly request you, the In-coming Chairman, my brother and neighbor, Your Excellency Felipe Nyusi, to give us all no rest during your tenure until we join hands in honoring the legacy of Late Benjamin Mkapa by fully liberalizing trade across the SADC region and unlock the economic possibilities that our peoples dream of.”
The outgoing SADC Chair John Pombe Magufuli, who is also president of Tanzania, applauded efforts by member states for maintaining peace and focusing on development agenda.
He singled out Malawi and the Kingdom of Lesotho among others for following peaceful processes in conducting elections. He further called on development partners to lift economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Newly elected SADC Chair, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, said he will work closely with the member states to fulfill the mission of SADC for economic liberation of the region.
“I accept the mandate to take the mantle of Chairmanship of SADC which has just been entrusted on me in this memorable ordinary session of our virtual summit with humility and high sense of responsibility for the mission.
Nyusi added: “The people of Mozambique are by nature resilient and hardworking therefore we commit to fulfill the mission and obligation with support of each member state.”
He paid tribute to the founders of SADC “whose contributions and vision led to the political and economic liberation of the region. We are certain that we will drive our organisation to new heights of a shared future, prosperity and well being for which we have always strived.”
SADC was established in Lusaka Zambia in 1980 with overarching objective of achieving development, peace, security, economic growth, to alleviate poverty and enhance the standard and quality of life of Southern Africa citizens.
