In its effort to support the government in the fight against cholera outbreak which has hit hard the country, Malawi’s top sugar manufucturing company Illovo Sugar Malawi Plc has donated cholera kits and medical supplies worth K20 million to the Blantyre District Health Office.
In his speech after donating the supplies at an an event that took place at Illovo Sugar Malawi Corporate Office in Limbe on Thursday, Illovo Managing Director Lekani Katandula said the donation was made to ensure that facilities have enough resources to combat the outbreak.
Said Katandula “For us as Illovo, we strongly believe that in order to realise our purpose of creating a thriving Malawian Community, it is imperative that we also play a part in ensuring the health and wellbeing of the community.
“That is why we saw the need to make this support.”
Among the donated items include 51 buckets of chlorine, 135 kilograms of washing powder, 60 cartons of soap tablets and a 7×5 metre tent.
Malawi is experiencing a widespread cholera outbreak, with 36 943 cases and 1210 associated deaths reported from all 29 districts since 3 March 2022.
This is the deadliest outbreak of cholera in the country’s history.
On 31 January, 2023, Secretary to the Offfice of President and Cabinet interdicted Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to pave way for smooth court cases that she is answering.
This followed communication which her office received that Chizuma is answering case number 236 of 2023.
This interdiction to some has been interpreted as if Government which is led by President Dr Lazarus Chakwera is stiffling on the independence of the ACB which is wrong.
President Chakwera
For the starters, Martha Chizuma is answering two cases and these include; Making use of speech calculated to lower the authority of a person before whom a judicial proceeding is being had, contrary to Section 113 (d) of the Penal Code and secondly Chizuma is said to have made a speech capable of prejudicing a person against a party to judicial proceedings, contrary to Section 113 (d) of the Penal Code,” reads the letter in part.
That has nothing to do with President Chakwera.
President Chakwera has demonstrated real support towards ACB. He increased funding towards the ACB within nine months.
Chakwera has supported ACB and even Martha Chizuma once commended Chakwera for this.
“The reason the country seem to be more inundated with corruption incidences now can safely be attributed to a very awake citizenry that is demanding accountability at every turn and corner, most importantly though is an environment that the Tonse-Alliance led Government by His Excellency has created not to cover up such incidences and feed the country with convenient truth but allowing Malawians to face the ugly reality of the problem and providing an environment which allow different law agancies to deal with the problem head on.”
Charges which Chizuma is answering constitute serious misconduct of a public officer and an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) official in terms of section 49B of the Corrupt Practices (Amendment) Act 2004 Ant-Corruption Bureau Standing Order Numbers D/18 (2) and D/18 (9), Sections 4 (4.5); 6 (6.1); 6 (63) and 14 (14.1) of Code of Conduct and Ethical Behaviour of the Ant-Corruption Bureau, Maiawi Pubic Service Regulations (MPSR) 1:201 (6), 1201 (11).1201 (17) and 1:201 (19) and Contract Clause Articles I and 1 of her employment contract of 1 June 2021.
That is why in accordance with the Malawi Public Service Commission Regulation 42 (3) as read with Regulation 40, Chizuma was interdicted from exercising the powers and functions of her office as Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (Grade 1/C) effective 31 January 2023, with full pay.”
To demonstrate the full support, ACB had 12 lawyers and the current administration has so far hired 17 new lawyers, taking the number of ACB lawyers to 29.
On top of that Government has so far hired four private lawyers who work with the bureau and 19 more investigators.
Reports reaching this publication indicate that one of the most young celebrated musicians in the country Eli Njuchi has been diagnosed with Covid-19, a situation that has led him to cancel his planned show next week.
The artist has confirmed of the news through his twitter account.
The Gugugu star was scheduled to perform on Valentines Day at Ufulu Garden in Lilongwe.
Njuchi
But in a tweet post, the youthful star says,the sickness which started as a mere flue and cough with one, has since spread to his whole team.
He says,after going covid-19 tests , three people in his crew including himself have tested positive of the disease and that are now in isolation.
The artist has since disclosed that fans that already purchased tickets for the event will have their refunds refunded.
Silver Strikers Football Club has announced the appointment of a Dutch coach Hendrick Pieter de Jongh, as the team’s newhead coach.
De Jogh has joined the Bankera on a two-year contract deal.
The club’s secretary Peter Masiye has confirmed the hiring of the experienced new coach with a successful track record.
“The coach has vast experience with a proven track record and we took our time because we wanted to engage an ideal one. It is a performance-based contract that will be reviewed annually,” he said.
Hendrick Pieter de Jongh
De Jongh is expected to arrive in Malawi on Sunday, after signing his contract with approval from the Reserve Bank of Malawi.
He was most recently working with Somalia national team, as well as FC Platinum, Highlanders, AFC Leopards, and FC Cape Town in the past.
De Jongh has 31 years of experience under his belt and prefers 5-4-1 diamond formation which may be employed by the Area 47-based side during his tenure.
He takes over from McDonald Yobe and Leo Mpulula who were interim caretakers after Zambian Dan Kabwe was fired last July due to Silver Strikers’ poor performance last season when they failed to claim any silverware or even secure top 4 placement in the 16-team TNM Super League.
Police in Lilongwe are keeping in custodu a reporter for an online publication Maravi Post Dorica Mtenje over a story the publication published last month.
MISA Malawi Chairpeson Teresa Ndanga has confirmed the development saying Mtenje who was detained on Thursday is being held at the Malawi Police Service (MPS) headquarters in Lilongwe.
Ndanga says Mtenje denies authoring nor publishing the story in question.
“The police have also summoned Maravi Post Country Director Lloyd M’bwana for questioning over the same.
“MISA Malawi engaged the police over the issue during which the MPS National Spokesperson Peter Kalaya said the police ‘invited’ Mtenje and M’bwana, journalists connected to the publication, as part of their investigation on the alleged ‘fake story’ that Maravi Post published,” quoted Ndanga in a statement.
Dorica Mtenje
She adds “Kalaya said the police were only acting on a complaint by the National Intelligence Service Director. According to Kalaya, the content of the story contravenes Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act and they are just enforcing the law.
“MISA Malawi has been advocating for civil remedies in issues of defamation as opposed to criminal defamation remedies that the country is following.”
Ndanga says, MISSA is therefore, calling on both the complainant to withdraw the criminal defamation complaint and the police to release the detained journalist.
She says the media body is currently monitoring the situation and will be providing updates as events unfold.
