The Minister of National Unity Hon Timothy Pagonachi Mtambo, on Wed 25th May, 2022 had the pleasure of hosting the United Nations Resident Coordinator ad interim, Ms. Maria Do Valle Ribeiro, at the Ministry of National Unity Offices.
Their meeting focused on areas of cooperation between the United Nations and the Malawi, Government while paying greater attention to the support by the UN to the Ministry on Peace and Unity.
Hon Mtambo with Maria do Valle Ribeiro
The Hon Minister thanked the UN Resident Coordinator for the support towards the enactment of the Peace and Unity law, to which the UN pledged continued support on the collective roll out of the National Peace Architecture through the newly passed Peace and Unity law.
During the curtsey, the Minister shared with the delegation some programs the Ministry is running and achievements which have be made towards unity, civic engagement and peaceful co-existence.
The UN family has been a key decades long partner of the Malawi Government on various programs being implemented by MDAs and the Civil Society organisations.
Malawi’s suspected Corruption Kingpin Zuneth Sattar appears to have opened a can of worms with his attempt to apply for bail on his case from the British Authorities. In a bail hearing that took place on Wednesday at Oxbridge Magistrates in London, Sattar wanted the courts to let him travel to Dubai to seek medical attention. While the court refused to grant him permission, his case gave room for documents around his case which have been kept under wraps to be exposed, all thanks to the works of journalist Kondwani Munthali.
The court heard on Wednesday that Sattar, who was born in Malawi and came to Britain in 2014, is a British citizen. He is being investigated by the UK’s National Crime Agency for alleged corruption relating to three public contracts with the Malawi government, but he robustly denies wrongdoing, his lawyer Simon Farrell QC told the court
Among the revelations that came out of the case is that businessman Zuneth Sattar travelled to Malawi recently to influence the ongoing investigation into alleged state capture level corruption by Malawi and UK authorities. According to UK’s National Crimes Agency-NCA, which is cooperating with Malawi’s ACB to investigate Sattar, the businessman travelled to Malawi to influence the judicial review case into the arrest of his associate Ashok Nair.
The High Court in Lilongwe controversially released Ashok Nair, who was arrested by the ACB alongside former Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa, following a judicial review into his arrest.
The Uxbridge Magistrates Court in London–through Deputy District Judge Stein, eventually rejected Sattar’s application to the court that sought an amendment of current bail conditions so that he can be able to travel to Malawi and Dubai.
The judge cited the seriousness of the alleged crimes as reason for rejecting the plea. The NCA opposed the application, arguing that the trip was aimed at further interfering in the investigation which in October 2021 led to his arrest by the NCA in Leicester UK, alongside his wife. The NCA opposed the application to vary Sattar’s bail conditions, imposed in March 2022, on the grounds that he was believed “to be linked” to street protests in Malawi against Martha Chizuma, the director of the Malawian anti-corruption bureau. Malawi has been dogged by repeated procurement scandals over the past decade. Chizuma’s office has said it is investigating the supply of tens of millions of dollars of equipment such as water cannon to Malawi’s police and army.
In exposing some of Sattar’s dealings It has been revealed that One Cabinet minister and some senior government officials in various departments and agencies have been named in the on-going court case involving businessman Zuneth Sattar in the United Kingdom (UK)
Others that Sattar is alleged to have been in touch with include one official from the Office of the Vice President, one official from State House, two officials from the Malawi Police Service, two officials from the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority, one official from Ministry of Justice and one from Malawi Revenue Authority.
Sattar was first arrested in the UK towards the end of last year and raids were reportedly conducted in that country and Malawi on several properties allegedly belonging to him and his associates.
It is reported that the arrest followed a three-year-long investigation that the NCA had been conducting into the businessperson’s suspected corrupt dealings with some Malawi Government officials.
As he wrapped up his engagements in Davos, Switzerland where he was attending the 2022 World Economic Forum, Chakwera on Wednesday May 25, 2022 patronized the official launch of An Accord for Healthier World, a trendsetting health initiative by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc of which Malawi is one of the pioneering beneficiaries out of 45 targeted lower- income countries.
Other four beneficiaries are Rwanda, Senegal, Ghana, and Uganda.
Sharing the highlights on his facebook wall, President Chakwera said he was delighted to be part of the delegates attending the launch of the initiative and also his country being one of the few initiative’s beneficiaries.
Chakwera explained that the Accord aims to provide all of Pfizer’s patented, high quality medicines and vaccines available in the developed world to low-income countries on a non-profit basis.
He said the initiative seeks to close the glaring inequities that exist between lower-income countries like Malawi and the rest of the world
The Malawi leader highlighted that Pfizer will provide 23 medicines and vaccines that treat infectious diseases, certain cancers and inflammatory diseases.
He said ” There is also a provision that when they produce medicines and vaccines in the future, these too shall become part of the Accord”.
Chakwera said the selected beneficiaries Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, Ghana and Uganda are expected to create a benchmark of the effectiveness of the program as it gradually transitions to the remaining countries.
He promised that his administration will play the rightful role of oversight and logistics to ensure that medicines and vaccines through the program are timely delivered in all marked-up outlets a cross the country’s communities.
” This Accord is the embodiment of what World Economic Forum is all about.
” We are here not for handouts but to cultivate real partnerships and create synergies that will empower us to achieve with global connections what we cannot in isolation.
” I call upon all stakeholders in the health sector to ready themselves for the roll out of this phenomenal initiative that places human progress ahead of profit,” said Chakwera.
In his keynote address on ‘ Investing in Health Equity ‘ on Tuesday May 24, 2022,Chakwera stressed the need for equitable healthcare across the globe, saying it is the only way of safeguarding the global economy from health-related disruptions nations have experienced in the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Lazarus Chakwera said there is need to have effective cost sharing approach between countries to ensure easy access to the universal health coverage
President Chakwera was speaking on Wednesday at the launch of Pfizer Accord for Healthier World on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland.President Chakwera added that the Accord will help will help low income countries without violating their dignity amd agencies
“The great thing about this Accord is that it will help low -income countries without violating their diginity and agencies as people,for it is a true partnership that involves both Pfizer and countries like Malawi sharing the burden of costs and tasks in the production and delivery of supplies that will save millions of lives.Thus is how all global problems should be tackled.”Said Chakwera
President Chakwera sharing a greeting with Bill Gates
Speaking at the same function Bill Gates Co-founder of Bill and Mellinda Foundation said his Organisation is committed to ensure that everyone across the world has access to the drugs regardless of geographical location
“Everyone,no matter where they live should have access to the same innovation life-saving drugs and vaccines.”Said Gates
On his part Albert Bourla Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer said the healthier world can be attained by making medicines and vaccines to everyone
“As we learned in the global Covid-19 vaccine rollout,supply is only the first to helping patients.We will work closely with global health leaders to make improvements in diagnosis,education,infrastructure,storage and more.Only when all obstacles are overcome can we end healthcare inequalities and deliver for all patients”Said Bourla
Pfizer medicines are currently available in the U.S and Europe.The just launched Accord will benefit 1.billion people in 45 lower income countries.Malawi,Senegal,Ghana and Uganda are some of the countries to benefit from this groundbreaking initiative
A huge crowd turned out on Wednesday to say farewell to popular rapper Martse who died on Monday at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital where was admitted after suffering severe burns when a house he slept in cought fire at Cape Maclear in Monkeybay, Mangochi.
On Wednesday, his loved ones including government officials gathered at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe to say goodbye and later on at Area 18 Cemetery where Martse was laid to rest. Madam Mary Chilima, Minister of Youth Richard Chimwendo Banda, Minister of Information and Digitisation, Gospel Kazako, Minister of Tourism, Michael Usi, Leader of Opposition, Kondwani Nankhumwa and many urban artists were among the attendees.
Several mourners wore t-shirts with images of the popular MC’s face on them and some written “Too Ghetto Too Gatta” which was the artist’s trademark.
Speaking at the ceremony Minister of Youth and Sports Richard Chimwendo Banda Government said that there should be a commission of inquiry into the cause of the death of Hip Hop artist Martse. He made the call when making his eulogy .The minister also asked police to carry out independent investigations into the death. The calls come following question marks which were raised from Martse’s family at the ceremony into the circumstances which led to the music icon’s death
Born on May 18, 1994, Martse, real name Martin Nkhata, the award-winning artist held from Mzimba district.
He rose to fame in 2013 after releasing his first hit single “Go deeper” and he will also be remembered by his hit singles Mwano, Tchwe, Mkatimo, Mwapindulanji, Adidas and Woloka.
Martse’s death came at a time when he had just announced an initiative to raise funds for primary school desks in the country and he planned to start with Cape Maclear Primary School which is in the area where he spent the last days of his life.
