In an effort to conserve the environment in the country,a Kasungu-based non-governmental organization Nuturekit has embarked on a 10,000 tree seedlings distribution exercise targeting schools in Kasungu schools.
Speaking on Thursday when distributing the seedlings at Chathope Community Day Secondary School in the area of Sub-Traditional Authority Chisinga in Kasungu, the Organization’s Director Steve Makumba said that as an organization, they have decided to engage schools in the exercise so as to make sure that the youths are part of those who are conserving the environment in the country.
” We want the youths to be part of those who are conserving the environment. That is why we have decided to engage the schools where these youths are easily found. We want them to know the ways of how best they can deal with deforestation. This will help them to have responsibility of taking care of trees, hence promoting the environmental conservation,” said Makumba.
He said they have plans to distribute 10, 000 tree seedlings to various schools in Kasungu district and that so far, 5,000 seedlings have been distributed to schools.
” We have plans to distribute 10,000 tree seedlings to various schools within Kasungu District. So far, we have distributed 5,000 seedlings to Nkhanga Primary School, Kambala Primary School, Kavizinde, Mpapa, Kanyengelera, Ntchenda and Chathope Community Day Secondary School just to mention a few,” he said.
Makumba urged other organizations to play a tremendous role in conserving and rehabilitating the environment. He said, their dream at NatureKit is to reach out several schools in the district with the exercise.
In his remarks after receiving the tree seedlings, the head teacher for Chathope Community Day Secondary School Henry Leman expressed his gratitude to the organization for the tree seedlings at the school saying these will play significant roles such as beautifying the school premises and providing shade to students.
” We are very glad and very thankful to NatureKit for the tree seedlings. Now we will have shades which will be used as studying places for our students. The trees will also make our school look beautiful”, said Leman.
Leman urged community members around the school to emulate what the organization has done at the school by planting more trees at the school as well as in their homes so as to conserve the environment.He said the trees will be well taken care of so as they grow well.
The initiative is being supported by Umuntu Movement Switzerland and is being implemented in the time span of National Tree Planting Season which is expected to end on 15 April this year.
Our Nation is facing significant challenges at the moment. Challenges that have resulted from the ugliest of human traits; greed. Greed is a very dangerous motivation as it seems to find new ways to justify itself.
I am sure that there is wide acknowledgement by those that follow current affairs that we are again facing a political and economic crisis that has left the leaders of our country in a state of paralysis. This at a time when the President has declared a national disaster in several districts following cyclone Ana and the loss of 32 Malawian lives, the worsening economic situation and the ongoing challenges presented globally by COVID – 19.
President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera in his inauguration speech promised to “clear the rubble of corruption” in Malawi. We now find ourselves deep in the rubble. There is alleged corruption within the office of the Secretary to the Cabinet, at the State House and other organs of Government as revealed by the existing investigation and now the prosecutions related to events at NOCMA. The embezzlement of Covid-19 funds for which as yet, no one has been prosecuted.
When the President addressed the nation on 24th of January 2022 he made every effort to say the right things to try to clarify the situation, especially concerning the leaked audio recording of the Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) that brought the looming political crisis into sharp focus.
There are many commendable elements of the President’s speech, however there are still questions that remain unanswered, for instance the President presented himself as a crusader against corruption, yet soon after the speech, ministers suspected of corruption have been re-appointed into the Cabinet and the government’s chief prosecutor, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), is withholding consent for the ACB to proceed with its investigation.
In dissolving the cabinet, the nation believed that this was clear action. That he was removing from his administration individuals tainted with corruption till such time a full investigation could be completed. The question we must ask is why has he reappointed to the Cabinet persons who are under investigation?
Furthermore, he makes mention of “dangerous cartels of corruption that have milked our country dry for decades, including foreign ones that donate to us the crumbs leftover from the bread they steal from us”. Given the ambiguity of this statement I hope that this is not an attempt to find scapegoats in this crisis. The impact of the allegations goes well beyond the shame we must feel as a nation, it undermines our financial standing internationally further damaging our commerce and industry and further weakening our ability to develop as a country.
ACB DIRECTOR MARTHA CHIZUMA
Let us acknowledge the difficult conditions in which the director of the ACB Ms Martha Chizuma found herself, and recognise that the recording was essentially her first error of judgment ever since she took on such a difficult role. She was definitely indiscreet and that is unacceptable, however fighting corruption is not easy, it requires determination and resolve. Support must therefore be given to those that lead this challenging task and Ms. Chizuma needs all our support. The recording in question seems to have been made and deliberately leaked by State agents and it seems that there is very little interest in knowing who was responsible for this arguably criminal operation meant to compromise the Director of the ACB and obstruct the course of justice.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO RESTORE TRUST
Moving forward and in order to restore public trust in our Government, I propose the following concrete actions, and ask that the Government provide a direct response;
1. Government and international development partners need to immediately strengthen the capacity of the ACB with the necessary capacity and resources to conduct their role effectively.
2. A credible international expert or organisation with experience in investigating and combatting corruption needs to be identified and seconded to the ACB. Their role would be to embolden the existing team, strengthen capacity, and be a “fresh pair of uncompromised eyes” for the ACB leadership.
3. The World Bank Group’s International Corruption Hunters Alliance (ICHA) assists anti-corruption agency heads with mentorship and support and could be a great network for the ACB Director to establish. This would help ensure that the ACB Director does not feel alone in the corruption fight.
4. Establish a fully independent auditing body which conducts regular checks of the Register of Interests, to ensure that declaration of assets is accurate.
5. An annual publication of lifestyle audits for all elected officials and senior public servants.
6. Amend the Corrupt Practices Act (CPA) on the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions withholding consent to prosecute.
7. Amendment of sections 5 and 7 of the Corrupt Practices Act (CPA) to enhance the independence of the ACB by trimming presidential power on appointment.
Finally, I would like to assert that, if we are to decisively deal with corruption, we must change the very culture that has been established – As I am on record for saying many times, this takes leadership at every level of our society, but particularly at the top. There cannot be any hiding places. If you are in a position of leadership or supporting that leadership, then you must be exemplary. Any allegation must be properly investigated by the relevant independent authorities and to prosecute any person accused of wrongdoing.
To be clear, I do not define leadership by the trappings of office – but by the vital role of providing clear guidance, example and understanding to drive a stated direction. In sum, corruption is a symptom of weak leadership and has no place in Malawi.
Nyasa Big Bullets Football Club will not renew the contracts of 8 of its players. The players have been released.
According to the statement from the club the players are Dalitso Sailesi, Chiukepo Msowoya, Chimango Kayira, Sankhani Mkandawire, Nelson Kangunje, Bright Munthali, Zicco Mkanda and Pilirani Zonda.
The club statements said ‘’All developments regarding players extending their contracts, joining or re-joining the club will be officially communicated as soon as they are confirmed. We thank all the above players for their contributions to the club and we wish them all the best for the future.’’ .
Politician and Comedian Bon Kalindo who has been leading a wave of government protests has been granted bail a week after his arrest. Senior resident magistrate Florence Msekandiana has granted bail to politician Bon Kalindo on illegal electricity connection charges.
In her ruling, Msekandiana shot down arguments by the state on several reasons among them that the state failed to show how the accused person would interfere with investigations when released on bail.
Kalindo was arrested last week and later remanded to Maula prison.He has been told to provide a 100 thousand Kwacha cash bond and provide two sureties among the bail conditions.
Bon Kalindo
Electrician Symon Majamanda was also arrested over the issue and he has also been granted bail. Majamanda has been asked to pay a cash bond of K20, 000 and produce two non-cash sureties worth K250,000.
Kalindo was arrested on Tuesday last week and appeared before court on 27 January where he pleaded not guilty to the charge of tampering with electricity equipment as stipulated in the Electricity Act.
According to prosecutors, the charge Kalindo is facing attracts maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and five million kwacha fine.
A Malawian Man based in Midlands in England recently passed away after getting involved in multi vehicle accident in a motorway .
Reports reaching our desk indicate, 38 years old Harris Francisco Gondwe died on on 20th of January 2022 in a motor car accident involving multiple vehicles on M1 motorway in Nottingham. He died on the spot.
While the police are still going on with further investigations, the family are making arrangements to send the remains of Harris back home in Malawi so that he can be buried in the presence of many of his family members. So far , a call has been made to people of goodwill to contribute towards helping the family repatriate the body
The Late Harris Francisco Gondwe
A Go fund Page has been set up so that those that want to help the family with meeting the cost of the repatriation should do so. So far a total of over £3000 pounds has been donated , £7000 short of the targetted £10000.
According to Emily Munthali who is organising this fundraising appeal on behalf of Eliza Mtete said “Born on 15th May 1983, Harris was a loving,kind bubbly person who would do anything for people around him and even those he didn’t know. He was a brave character and a blessing to us all
We are appealing for donations to help his sister Eliza Mtete to take her brother back home back home to Malawi to his final resting place and for his parents,family and friends to say goodbye”
