Malawian President Arthur Peter Mutharika who left the country through Kamuzu International Airport on Friday morning to attend the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 25), has arrived in Madrid, Spain.President Mutharika is amongst the few five African leaders invited to attend the meeting based on their splendid performance towards climate change in their countries.This year’s talks will focus on putting the 2015 Paris agreement into practice with the aim of cutting on greenhouse gas emissions which are a major culprit of climate change. The conference will also be a preparatory meeting for the 2020 climate conference which will take place in the UK where it is expected that long term responses to climate change emergency will be decided.Addressing the media before departure at the Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, President Mutharika said he would speak on the adverse effects of climate change such as global warming on least developed countries like Malawi.“There are several challenges that have resulted from climate change such as dwindling water levels in the Shire River and Lake Malawi and floods among others which have adversely affected the country,” he said.Malawi has also experienced changing rainfall patterns and dry spells which specialists have attributed to climate change.The UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 will take place under the Presidency of the Government of Chile and will be held with logistical support from the Government of Spain.The conference is designed to take the next crucial steps in the UN climate change process. Following agreement on the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement at COP 24 in Poland last year, a key objective is to complete several matters with respect to the full operationalization of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.Upon arrival, Malawi President Mutharika was welcomed by Minister of Natural resources, energy and mining Hon. Binton Kumtsaila , Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Francis Kasaila , Principal Secretary of foreign affairs Ben Botolo, Principal Secretary for Natural Resources Oliver Kumbambe and Malawi High Commisioner to United Kingdom His Excellency Kena Mphonda.
Ben Phiri admits Tippex use
The Constitutional Court resumed hearing the presidential election result case in Lilongwe yesterday after a one-week long break with President Peter Mutharika’s first witness, Ben Phiri, telling the court that Tipp-Ex was used in the May 21 Tripartite Elections in order to do reconciliation of figures.
The court is expected to sit for two weeks from yesterday to December 6 when hearing of the electoral case is expected to end.
The case resumed with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Senior Counsel, Modecai Msisha, asking Phiri why Tipp-Ex was used in the elections and if they had ascertained its use.
Phiri is Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Director of Elections.
In his response, Phiri said Tipp- Ex was used to do reconciliation.
“Had you ascertained whether in fact Tipp-Ex was being used to correct errors?” Msisha asked.
“My lady and my lords, yes I had and I did indicate earlier that it was used on the reconciliation part. Looking at some of the result sheets, the new number that appears there on the part of A to F one can tell whether the number is wrong or is right that was corrected,” Phiri said.
“Did you see what number was below the Tipp-Ex on the sheets that it was used,” Msisha asked.
“The number below that I could not see,” Phiri replied.
Mshisha also asked what Phiri discussed with Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec).
In his response, Phiri said he discussed with Mec about the use of correction fluid during the management of the results and reserved tally sheets.
Mutharika’s lawyer, Charles Mhango, objected to a cross reference by Msisha in which he wanted the witness to answer questions in reference to a sworn statement made by a Mec position.
Mutharika has two witnesses in the case while Mec is expected to parade three witnesses before the court concludes hearing the case on December 6 2019.
Poly Students accuse Police of setting fire to their hostel
By Durell Namasani
A huge fiire has destroyed a hostel at The Malawi Polytechnic main campus in Blantyre. The fire which has gut Nyika Hostel at the campus is not known how it started with students claiming that teargas canisters thrown by the Police has caused the fire.
First year students at the college staged protests demanding management to introduce security measures at Poly Alley Hostels after a wave of robberies .It is alleged that the protests were ignited by an incident last night at the Poly Alley Hostels where armed robbers broke into rooms and stole various items . Laptops, phones and clothes are among the things that were stolen.
In the morning, the students started demonstrating and were joined by other students from the main campus. Police later fired teargas at the students. It didn’t take long before Nyika Hostel was burning. This has led the students to accuse the police of setting fire to the hostel through their irresponsible shooting of teargas cannisters
So far the college has been closed with the registrar Yamikani Dalitso Chilinde confirming the closure , saying its only temporary. Students were told to leave the campus by 6pm.The Polytechnic management has not revealed what caused the fire nor have the Police commented on the accusations that are being levelled against them.
Samuel Eto’o coming to Malawi for Mpira Stadium Inauguration match
Four-time African footballer of the year Samuel Eto’o and Malawi’s top football export Ernest Mtawali will headline the Mpira Stadium Inauguration match to be played on Wednesday on the sidelines of the FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s visit to Malawi.
Eto’o a two-time AFCON, three-time UEFA Champions League and one-time Olympic champion will lead a team of FIFA and FAM Officials that will also comprise of former French national football team attacking midfielder Youri Raffi Djorkaeff, a 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 200 winner with France.
The FIFA/ FAM team will also feature FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FAM President Walter Nyamilandu and other high-profile FIFA and FAM officials including Flames Coach Meck Mwase and his assistants Lovemore Fazili and Bob Mpinganjira as well as Malawi Under 20 coach and former Flames captain Peter Mponda.
On the other hand, Mtawali who played club football in South Africa, Argentina, France, Italy and Saudi Arabia will lead a team of former Flames greats that includes big names like Patrick Mabedi, Chancy Gondwe, Swadick Sanudi, Joseph Kamwendo and Fischer Kondowe among others.
Legendary coaches Kinnah Phiri and Yasin Osman will be in charge of the FIFA/ FAM and the Flames Legends respectively.
The match is one of the activities lined up ahead of Infantino’s first visit to Malawi whose main objective is to inaugurate the Mpira Stadium and the FAM Football Academy which were funded under his FIFA Forward initiative.
FAM General Secretary Alfred Gunda said the country is excited to host the FIFA delegation.
“It is very exciting to see Etoo and Djorkaeff come to Malawi and play a match. Malawians have for a long time been looking forward to see Eto’o in Malawi. Flames did not play Cameroun during the time he was playing. We have had big stars from Ivory Coast, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and Ghana coming to Malawi but not Eto’o.
“As FAM we thought of also honoring our own sons to come and be part of this great event
“Having the FIFA president in our country to appreciate our football development projects is exciting. It gives us a chance to showcase what we are doing with their money and enable as lobby for more,” said Gunda.
Mtawali said he was excited to be called for such a match and thanked FAM for the gesture.
“This is a great initiative to have former players come together and mingle with top officials we hope this should continue beyond this meeting,” he said.
According to Gunda, the FIFA delegation will arrive at the Chileka Airport on Wednesday 27th November 2019 at 2pm and will proceed to Mpira Village in Chiwembe where led by Infantino and Minister of Sports Francis Phiso, there will be a tour of the stadium and its official inauguration.
The delegation which also comprise of CAF President Ahmad, FIFA GS Fatma Samoura, FIFA Deputy General Secretary Football Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA Acting Head of Member Association Veron Mosengo- Omba, FIFA Head of Communication Onofre Costa, FIFA Presidents Office Manager Federico Raviglione and FIFA Regional Development Officer David Fani, will leave the country at 8 pm in the evening the of same day.
Egypt Awards 14 Scholarships to Malawian Youth
By Moses Nyirenda , Mana
The Egyptian Embassy has awarded 14 undergraduate scholarships to youth in the country to pursue different university programmes in Egypt.
The scholarship awardees are expected to study programmes such as engineering, medicine, agriculture and commence.
Speaking on Friday in Lilongwe during the presentation of the scholarships Egyptian Ambassador to Malawi Hassan Shawky said the Egyptian Government is committed to support youth in Malawi.
Kagwam’minga (L) greets Egyptian Ambassador(C) before receiving her scholarship from Phiso (R)
“The Egyptian Government has introduced scholarship for the youth to study for five years in the field of engineering and medicine for them to enrich medical services and engineering future of Malawi,” Shawky said.
He further said the Egyptian Government, through its embassy in the country, is also striving to build capacity among local youth for them to be innovative and become financially independent.
One of the awardees Cynthia Kagwam’minga expressed gratitude for the scholarship to pursue engineering at Cairo University.
“The scholarship is an opportunity for me to study outside the country. It is my honour to be the first female to study engineering course in Cairo through the Egyptian Scholarship.
“Therefore, I will work hard to complete the course and come back here to serve my country,” she said.
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Francis Phiso commended the Egyptian Government through its embassy in the country for its gesture in supporting the youth.
He said the support is in line with the initiatives which Malawi Government is currently doing to empower the youth.
Phiso, therefore, advised the awardees to work hard and focus on studies for them to excel their courses.