Parliament has today, 12th April, 2021 started conducting a three-week long Parliamentary Training Programme (PTP) for second cohort of the 2019 to 2025 Members of Parliament. The training aims at sharpening Members’ knowledge with a view of enhancing their contributions in the House.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the training, Speaker of the Malawi National Assembly, Right Honourable Catherine Gotani Hara, MP, described the PTP as a very significant training for Members of Parliament. “It is therefore, imperative that we give our best, deliberate to the highest degree and come up with solutions that are in the best interests of spearheading development and ending poverty in Malawi. We can only do this, if we are willing to continuously grow and nurture our skills and our knowledge,” said the Speaker.
Speaker Gotani Hara
She further indicated that the PTP should have taken place in the very first few months of Members’ election into Parliament. However, it has been delayed by several factors, such as a lack of resources, competing schedules with various other activities and the worst of it was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Despite these delays, the lessons to be learnt remain as relevant today as they could have been last year. I therefore urge you all to take a keen interest in the training and ensure that you acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to be imparted from this training programme,” she added.
On her part, the Clerk of Parliament, Mrs. Fiona Kalemba said the PTP is the most comprehensive capacity building programme for Honourable Members of Parliament. “I am well aware, that all Members have been involved in various capacity building trainings and workshops. I wish to, however, say that while these trainings and workshops were essential, none were as long, as detailed and as comprehensive as this PTP,” the Clerk of Parliament said.
some of the parliamentarians in attendance
Among others, the training will cover various courses including the State and Governance Architecture, Parliamentary Procedures and Practice, Code of Ethics and Conduct for Members of Parliament, Research and Communication skills in Parliament, Communication Skills for Parliamentarians and National Economy and Policy Analysis with a Focus on Finance, National Budget and the Role of the National Planning Commission. The training has targeted all Members of Parliament except Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Presiding Officers (The Speaker and two Deputy Speakers) and has been divided into 4 cohorts. Since 1994, Parliament of Malawi has conducted the TPT for all cohorts. Previously, the training was being facilitated by the University of Malawi, Chancellor College in Zomba.
Exactly on 8th May, 2020, news had gone viral like a Harmattan bushfire, about the nullification of the 21, May 2019 Presidential elections results. The Supreme Court of Appeal, passed the declaration of holding immediate Fresh Presidential Elections within 150 days in’ lieu of May 2019 results.
In Africa, Malawi became second after Kenya for nullifying presidential results for being marred with irregularities. In respect to this landmark and historical ruling, which dictated that no new party or presidential candidates should be allowed taking part in these fresh polls, political parties had started mobilizing themselves and formed alliances.
The then ruling political party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was shaken, but soon accepted the judgement and re-joined the presidential race with the United Democratic Front (UDF), thus Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika and Atupele Muluzi, as president and running-mate respectively.
The Malawi Congress Party (MCP), UTM, People’s Party (PP), Umodzi Party (UP), People’s Progressive Movement (PPM), Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) and the Transformation movement and some other political parties formed one political front and branded it the ‘Tonse Alliance’ Only Sinosi Mbakuwaku Kuwani led the Mbakuwaku Movement for Development (MMD) without any political coalitions. The Tonse Alliance was a very big force to reckon with, as the major competing political parties had now became political bedfellows.
All political parties had their campaign promises, but the alliances automatically made these campaign promises a package of one solid promise. By 23 June, 2020, the fresh polls were held and the Tonse Alliance was led by Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera as torchbearer and Dr Saulosi Klaus Chilima as running mate, had been declared victorious in the polls by the Malawi Electoral Commission’s (MEC) Chairperson Chifundo Kachale announced saying, Chakwera had defeated Mutharika with 58.57 per cent by amassing 2.6 million votes, of the 4.4 million votes cast. “I declare President of the Tonse Alliance, Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera as the winner of the June 23, Fresh Presidential Elections,” said Kachale at National Tally center in Blantyre.
Malawians saw President Chakwera taking the swearing in ceremony at a momentous occasion that took place at BICC in Lilongwe the heart and capital city of the country. “It’s an honor for me to stand before you today and take oath of office as the 6th President of the Republic of Malawi. “It’s an honor for me to see Malawi bringing in a new era that we all wanted, for this to happen I owe it to you all. “I would like to assure Malawians that all the campaign promises made during the time the Tonse Alliance was canvassing for support will turn into fruition,” he said amid a visibly happy crowd that went on singing, ‘Chakwera pa Chiwongolero’ (Chakwera on the driving seat).
The president assured those people who did not support him not to fear anything as he will not be vengeful. “I do feel like Lazarus, I have come back from the dead,” he said referring to a biblical character of the same name. “There is no cause for fear because I will be your president and my policy for inclusivity means we are building a new Malawi for all of us,” he assured his critics. Since Chakwera became president he has repeatedly made publicly his stand that all promises will be fulfilled but one after the other. “It’s a matter of time, I want to assure my fellow Malawians that whatever was told as our campaign promise will be delivered, but it requires patience, as others were for a short term while others long term.
Chakwera appointed a lean cabinet of only 31-member cabinet of 23 full ministers and nine deputies as promised during campaign, in order to save resources in the national purse, and divert the same resources to other equally important developmental projects that deserve the citizens.
Renowned Social Political Commentator, Humphreys Mvula says The Tonse Alliance has started well on its political administration the country, and adds that Chakwera should not lose track with the opposition which will try to patch holes and throw spanners to cheap political mileage. “The DPP and UDF now the opposition wing will not speak good of the Tonse government as losing an election is something very bad especially where you are the immediate former ruling party. “The Chakwera administration should not be derailed with such wind, because the opposition will throw spanners everywhere in order to win back the government bench in the next polls slated for 2025,” Mvula said. “I can courageously, say that the operationalization of Access to Information Bill is a landmark accomplishment because the 12 years DPP rule it failed to take course. “Coupled with the implementation of the Agriculture Input Programme which is pro-poor planned, where a bag of fertilizer is being bought at only K4, 495 that will see Malawi becoming Africa’s food basket again like it was during the Kamuzu Banda Era,” he said.
Mvula adds that Chakwera has a respect of the constitution by making it a habit to be appearing in parliament to answer questions from members of parliament unlike previous presidents. Chancellor College Political Scientist, Mustapha Hussein, conquers with Mvula that the Tonse Alliance is in the rightful pace in its administration. “We have seen the suspension of all District Commissioners for the first time in a bid to practically fight corruption in the country, and we have seen a full funded Ant-Corruption Bureau which vindicates that the president is very committed to end corruption, as they promised during campaign,” he said.
Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Gospel Kazako, says Malawians should take their hearts down and watch the Tonse Alliance government implementing its promises. “It’s only nine months down the line, and one budget since the Tonse formed government, I am sure that you will all agree that no government can achieve all its promises with only one financial year budget. “The tenure of office is five years, lets judge after a reasonable number of years of Tonse governance in Malawi, and rest be assured that time for change has come, because one of the Super HI-5 pillars is prospering together and not leaving someone behind,” he said. Meanwhile government has upwardly adjusted tax free bracket to K100, 000 for salaried employees which has increased their disposable income to ease economic hurdles, this has seen many increasing their minimum wages as well. Despite Covid-19 pandemic that has caused a huge havoc on the socio-economic life of many Malawians, The Tonse Alliance is delivering its campaign promises concludes Mvula. Mana/mln
DPP has no moral grounds to question Dr Lazarus Chakwera over unfulfilled promises and yet DPP spent 12 years in power with nothing tangible to show on their promises.
Other people can do but not DPP, they have nothing to show. Its better for DPP to just sit on their tails because, if we debate on the same Dr Lazarus Chakwera has even done much much better in 8 months as compared to DPP.
DPP during its campaigns for example that of 2014 promised that to create a conducive environment for wealth creation, more sustainable pro-growth jobs, especially for youths.
This was a great lie of the highest order. DPP failed to create wealth for all Malawians . What Malawians know is that DPP created wealth only for people from the Lhomwe Belt that is why 70% of MADEF loans were distributed to the Lhomwe Belt of Phalombe , Blantyre, Chiladzulu, Thyolo and Mulanje. On this area Dr Lazarus Chakwera has done well because he has stressed that NEEF loans should benefit everybody.
On Macro-economic situation DPP promised to fast track developing activities by among other things empowering Malawians with soft loans and ensure that economy was on track, again DPP failed on this promise. Dr Chakwera is doing well on financial policy since he took over power from DPP.
He has managed to resuscitate the economy and stabilise prices despite the challenges of the Corona Virus pandemic. Private sector credit has drastically improved due to low cost borrowing.
Chakwera has continued to implement sound fiscal discipline to the extent that experts have commended him for the same and have since projected that the economy is to grow tremendously in few months to come.
In eight months , Dr Chakwera has managed to increase fiscal space for investment making investment more conducive.
On education sector , DPP promised state of the art Mombera University in Mzimba using their local resources. That never happened what they only did was to construct a seven Kilometres tarmac road. Up to now no one knows if the said roads will be turned into Lecture theatres and classroom blocks.
Again let me remind DPP that on infrastructure development DPP promised a one stop boarder post at Mchinji Mwami Boarder, Songwe Kasumulu Boarder that has never taken place.
Again DPP promised introduction of electronic buses and trains Blantyre and Lilongwe to reduce traffic. That never took place. DPP failed to construct Dowa-Chezi road, Lirangwe-Namatunu Machinga road,
In Lilongwe , DPP promised to construct Likuni – Malingunde Road, while in Mangochi, DPP promised Mangochi – Makanjira all that never took place. That is why we are saying DPP should put their hands off in all the Tonse Government promises debate.
It should also be put on record that President Chakwera , Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima are having sleepless nights of ensuring social economic development of the country.
The promises the current administration made prior to election were to be covered in 60 months and not eight months. It is therefore a sign of desperation premature for DPP to give a formative assessment of the current administration’s performance after eight months in office
Let DPP work to unite their party than meddle into running of the state Administration which they miserably failed as they survived on rigged elections
Police in Mzimba are keeping in custody a 70 year- old granny, Chimtumbila Soko for allegedly defiling his 15-year-old granddaughter at Kabwafu in the district.
According to Mzimba Police Deputy Public Relations Officer (DPRO), John Nyirongo, the girl stays with her father close to Soko’s house.“In December 2020, the girl went to the house of the grandfather to give him food and Soko later defiled her,” he said. Nyirongo said that Soko has been having canal knowledge of the victim for four times.
He said the girl on March 16, 2021 revealed her ordeal to school child care committee members who called Soko in the presence of the Senior Village Headman for questioning upon which he pleaded guilty.”The girl was then taken to Mzimba District Hospital for examination where it was confirmed that she had indeed been defiled,” the DPRO said.
Soko will soon appear in court to answer a charge of defilement which is contrary to Section 381 of the Penal Code.He hails from Kamthambani Village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Chindi in Mzimba District.
Deputy Minister of Lands, Abida Mia, has ordered that a taskforce be instituted to look into issues of land management being faced by Blantyre City Council. Mia made the remarks on Tuesday when she paid a visit to the council.
According to Mia, the taskforce will facilitate and see to it that some of the challenges are addressed to benefit citizens. A representative of the Chief Executive Officer for Blantyre City Council, Costly Chanza, said there are many challenges the council due to inadequate land.
Abida Mia
He said people are encroaching protected areas like mountains for settlement because the council does not have land to allocate them. Chanza said there is need for idle land to be given to the council for easy management and development regulations.
