All set for Pemphero Mphande’s K1.5 million short story writing competition winner unveiling ceremony tomorrow
All is set for Pemphero Mphande’s K1.5 million short story writing competition winner unveiling ceremony tomorrow Thursday December 22,2022 at Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre.
According to Mphande, the ceremony themed ‘ celebrating Malawian literature’ will start at 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and will see Gides Chalamanda of ‘Line hoo’ fame playing his songs.
By Sylvester Chibwana
An activist turned politician, Timothy Mtambo has challenged the nation saying there is no development agenda that will succeed unless Malawians change their mindset on various issues of national importance such as civic engagement, civic participation, anti-corruption fight, public sector reforms, electoral reforms, governance, climate change, human rights, freedoms, transparency and accountability, and many more.
Speaking as Minister of National Unity to the press in Mzimba where he was guest of honour at a workshop organized by NICE Trust aimed at ending violence and witchcraft accusations against the elderly, Mtambo pleaded with the CSOs to take the matter of mindset change more seriously since government alone cannot fulfill this mandate. He further said the main problem Malawi faces is not that lack of powerful strategic development plans or documents but mostly the lack of civic engagement, implementation, follow through, and accountability. “Democracy without transparency and accountability is a prerequisite for poverty, inequalities, and underdevelopment. Citizens must always demand accountability from both their elected leaders and public servants – that’s democracy,” said Mtambo.
“When the citizenry doesn’t fully follow what Government, CSOs and Development partners are implementing, it is difficult for them to know their role, or to participate fully,” said Mtambo. He also said this is the reason his Ministry has introduced a citizen engagement platform called Pabwalo and Malawi Wanga for the purpose of bringing Government closer to the people and vice versa.
“Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), CSOs, and development partners must be held to account for whatever commitments they have made towards the Mw2063 development blue print, especially on Mindset Change interventions. Without changing the way we have perceived many issues such as corruption, human rights, economic development, democracy and accountability, Malawi will remain poor and underdeveloped. Change can only happen if there is adequate civic engagement,” said Mtambo.
Mtambo has therefore called for serious Mindset Change interventions across the country in order to ascertain success of the various development plans, especially the Mw2063.
By Chisomo Phiri
Police at Jenda in Mzimba are keeping in their custody a 35-year-old woman identified as Esther Gumbo for allegedly stealing an eight-month old baby at Emfeni market in the district.
According to police records, Gumbo is allegedly stole the baby on April, 11, 2019 after she pretended to help the baby’s mother, Linly Chibwe at a second-hand clothes market.
Alfred Lucio spokesperson for Jenda Police said Gumbo volunteered herself to carry the baby so that Chibwe could freely search for clothes.
However, upon purchase of the clothes Chibwe had a rude awakening to notice the women had gone away with her baby.
Meanwhile, the baby stolen at 8 months is her mother’s custody aged 4 years old.
Gumbo hails from Kamchiza Village under Traditional Authority ( TA) Mabilabo in Mzimba district.
By Chisomo Phiri
Barely a day after returning from a week-long tour of duty in Washington DC where he attended the second United States-Africa Leaders’ Summit that was convened by President Joe Biden, President Lazarus Chakwera will tomorrow Wednesday December 21,2022 lead Malawians in the national day of prayers.
The event themed’ calling God to heal our nation’ will start at 8:00 am at Bingu International Convention Centre ( BICC) in Lilongwe.
In 2021, Chakwera also had time to call for 7 days of national prayer which was aimed at bringing together all believers and faith communities across the country to pray the end of dry spell which had hit the country.
The seven-day period had among other activities include fasting.
By Chisomo Phiri
Police in Mangochi are keeping in custody a 42-year-old man Maganizo Chitseko, a cashier for Admarc based at Kawinga Depot on suspicion that he stole a sum of K9.8 million after selling 32,900kgs of maize.
According to Mangochi police station spokesperson, Amina Tepani Daudi, Chitseko, in the afternoon of December 15, 2022, was brought to police by some people while unconscious.
She said they claimed that he was robbed of the money by unknown criminals while he was passing ‘Tsanya Forest’ on a motorcycle on his way to Mangochi main Admarc office to deliver the cash, which is also said to be against his office policy to carry huge sums of money.
Tepani Daudi said, Chitseko, who had minor bruises on the stomach, thighs and arms believed to be of a razor blade cuts was referred to Mangochi District Hospital for treatment.
“Surprisingly, he was awoken by an injection when the nurse was placing a drip on his hand and was later treated as an outpatient after it was discovered that he faked the fainting,” explained Daudi.
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