Member of Parliament (MP) for Thyolo Central, Ben Phiri Friday donated disinfection Chamber to Thyolo District Hospital as a measure to control the spread of Coronavirus which has already affected other districts in the country.
The Chamber will be placed at a major entry point of the hospital where anyone accessing the hospital premise will be required to pass through it and shall disinfected the whole body and eventually leave no room for survival of Coronavirus.
Speaking during the handover, he said he has decided to donate the machine as one way of adding another means for Covid-19 prevention apart from usual hand washing.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Thyolo Central, Ben Phiri
Phiri, who is Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said, “I have done this donation as an MP of where this hospital is located and above all as a human being who is very much concerned with the pandemic.
“As people already know that until now there is no scientific solution for the virus. This virus is real and people should not take it lightly as you can see how others are politicizing it by saying in Malawi we don’t have Coronavirus,” he said.
The MP said it was sad that others are still not believing that the country has Coronavirus for reasons best known by them, wondering that worldwide countries have this virus and why not Malawi despite all it’s neighbouring countries being affected by the pandemic.
Phiri cautioned those who are yet to believe the existence of the virus in the country to think twice as the virus is not sparing anybody once spread in a particular area.
“The machine has been donated as part of prevention measure. The machine is worth K800, 000 and is being manufactured by Master products.
Thyolo District Director of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Dr Arnold Jumbe said the donation of the disinfection chamber has added morale of COVID-19 prevention at the hospital saying more preventive measures were needed at the hospital and Thyolo at large as district.
He said what Thyolo Central MP had done was a clear indication that he cares for people from his constituency and all those who would be protected by the new machine.
“Let me commend the MP who is also the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development for this kind gesture he has shown to the health sector. This is not a mean achievement in as far as health delivery is concerned.
“On behalf of all workers here, I would like to thank him and should continue doing so where the need arises. We will take care of this machine so that it can take longer and more people should benefit from it,” Jumbe added.
The German Ambassador to Malawi, Jurgen Borsch on Friday donated medical equipment and supplies to Dedza District Health Office (DHO) to help the district in the fight COVID-19.
The items included hand sanitizers, N95 face masks for health workers and support staff, gloves, disposable aprons, pulse oximeters, liquid soap dispensers, surface disinfectant, hand washing liquid soap and tapped buckets.
Speaking in an interview after donating the items, Borsch said the donation is one way of helping strengthen the health system in Malawi.
“We have started a first quick response amounting to more than MK2 billion for the COVID-19 interventions in Malawi. We are refurbishing treatment and isolation centres in different hospitals, we are giving out information materials because it is very important to let everybody in the country know what we can do and how we can fight the disease,” he said.
District Commissioner (DC) for Dedza, Emmanuel Bulukutu said the donation will ease some of the challenges the health facilities in the district have been facing as they do not have enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).
Borsch (L)symbolically presenting the donation
In addition to the procurement of COVID-19 related equipment and supplies under the Health Services Joint Fund, together with Norway, the German government provided additional K500 million towards the Malawi-German Health Programme which GIZ it is implementing in the country.
The additional funding is intended to strengthen public awareness, training of health workers on COVID-19 screening, contact tracing, surveillance and infection prevention in Lilongwe, Dedza, Mchinji and Ntcheu.
Considering the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the global COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Embassy in Malawi arranged a special commercial flight for American citizens who voluntarily wished to repatriate home to the United States and citizens of other nations in coordination with other Diplomatic Missions accredited to Malawi.
The flight, carrying 143 passengers, including 88 Americans, departed on Friday April 24, 2020 from the Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe at 16:40. The flight flew to Dulles International Airport in Washington DC via Addis Ababa and Dublin.
All passengers on the flight were checked by Ministry of Health officials for symptoms of Covid-19 on arrival at KIA before going through formal security and immigration checks to board the flight.
USA Citizens leaving Malawi
U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Robert Scott, who was present at KIA to see the passengers off, wished them all a safe flight. He said, “The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas. We are rising to meet the historic challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, every day, all over the world. The Department has repatriated, or helped to repatriate, over 65,653 U.S. citizens from over 124 countries. This is an unprecedented effort to bring Americans home from all across the globe, including from remote locations and destinations with strict quarantine orders and travel restrictions.”
The U.S. Embassy expresses gratitude to officials at KIA, the Malawi Immigration Department, the Malawi Police Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health for support and all the work that has gone into making this flight possible.
Late Elias Kapangama is spoken in the same breath with that of the greatest moments of Malawi football together with his colleague, Pearson Chunga — who delivered football action on the pitch with so much precision that was enjoyed by all soccer loving fans of all ages across the country.
His very close colleague, Pearson Chunga — who spent over 12 years in the same commentary box — described late Elias Kapangama as a down to earth human being, who despite his seniority at MBC in other capacities, never brought his senior post to their personal relationship off the mike.
“On duty together, whether in Malawi or outside the country, we freely had fun together, very much like brothers,” Chunga said.
“I joined MBC in 1971 from Chancellor College after failing to continue with a BA Degree in the Arts after 2 years. I joined as a freelance sports presenter and producer.
“When Mr. Tony Kandiero was promoted, he drafted me into his place as English football commentator to team up with Elias Kapangama, who had been commentating for some time already.
“Neither of us joined MBC sorely as football commentators. He was in the Commercial Department of MBC which he later headed and after teaming up together — and as the years went on — we worked as hand-in-glove together. It was spontaneous.”
The Late Elias Kapangama
Chunga, who is now a preacher and a gospel teacher, said the two worked together for 12 years and he left Kapangama still commentating in 1984 when he resigned to start TransWorld Radio Malawi that rolled out in January 1985.
“As a colleague, I celebrate the excitement vibe he brought to radio commentary and the honesty with which he did his soccer coverage.
“For both of us, the highlight of our career is — without doubt — Malawi national football team winning and retaining the East and Central Africa Senior Soccer Challenge Cup in 1978 and 1979 respectively.
“We always talked about it and I shall always cherish the times I had with Elias throughout all the years in the same commentary box. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
Chunga said he left MBC in response to a call to serve the Lord by starting TransWord Radio in Malawi and later relocated to Swaziland where he had been until recently when he returned back home.
“I am back to sweet home in Blantyre after missing out on so many exciting 26 years. I am working on my retirement plans to a quiet life of preaching, teaching the gospel and striving to be relevant in modern day Malawi,” he said.
Steve Liwewe Banda, who came immediately after these two giants in football commentary, said Kapangama will be greatly missed by those of his generation.
“There was only one radio then, MBC Radio. Elias Kapangama was a great communicator, a mentor and a father to those of us who came to be in close touch with.
“Elias and Person made a wonderful partnership. Their relationship as commentators was second to none and I was really inspired by both.
“As everyone else, I used to listen to their commentary while at primary and secondary schools. You could sometimes feel their touch of reality in their commentary.
“From Pearson, it was the clear cut articulation of the English language and from Elias, it was our local language. His Chichewa had a real native accent.
“When it was not Pearson and Elias available, it was Dennis Liwewe of Zambia that I turned to. I will miss him.”
Former president of Junior Football League Mike Mavuto Missi said he had the best privilege of meeting the great Elias Kapangama in person when playing at junior level.
“He happened to have watched us play and he came over and gave us a few tips on how we could succeed in our career.
“I remember we all went home swelling with pride that Elias Kapangama had said we were very good players.
“We trusted him because we felt some honesty in the way he delivered his message — I mean, a person of his caliber then couldn’t just approach some youngsters just to lie to them.”
Missi said he had met Kapangama one day and suggested to him if he could do a commentary of an FMB final match just to inspire up-and-coming football commentators to learn a thing or two.
“Well, it never worked out. I now feel some remorse that maybe if he had that chance he would have been roped in to become a tutor of football commentators. We didn’t utilize his vast experience,” Missi said.
Award-winning journalist Mike Bango, the latter generation of commentators with Zodiak Broacasting Station, who sadly left the mike when he answered the call to represent people of his Kasungu North Constituency, said despite not meeting Kapangama in person, he feels he was a great man, full of knowledge of the game in those days and a patriot.
“I was scheduled to have an interview with him on how was football then and, of course, on him as a commentator but the meeting fell through,” he said.
“I was fascinated by his commentary of 1978. I listened to a recording and Elias saying ‘Malawi yapambana — chikho chikutsala ku Malawi’ when Malawi beat Zambia 3-2 with a last gasp winner from the free kick to win the East and Central Africa.
“Well, I wasn’t there then but listening to the recording of his commentary, alongside Pearson Chunga, really shows they enjoyed their commentary of the beautiful game.
“Listening to the two together (via recorded commentaries) it just gave me some ideas on how good they were and how fans enjoyed following the game across the country.”
Bango said it were Steve Liwewe and Patrick Simango who made him love the industry more, which date back when he was very young.
“When I watched village football I could do some commentary just for the fun of it and I continued to do so when I went to secondary school where I was spotted by a certain man, who later asked me to apply for the job at Zodiak,” he revealed.
MBC’s commentator Frank Kandu said Elias Kapangama and Pearson Chunga are the football voices that he used to listen to as a very young boy.
“Listening to Kapangama’s football commentary in Chichewa, l kept wondering how he knew names of all players for different teams and even those of visiting teams.
“This was part that created my interest in radio broadcasting,” he said. “Kapangama’s selection of Chichewa words to describe football action easily created mental imagery of action in my mind. He was good at his art.
“After Kapangama and Chunga, came the likes of commentators in the form of Steve Liwewe Banda and their skills and talents ignited further my interest in the profession.”
A post of 2016 on Facebook by Ndisi Songa, shared by so many people then, said: “I still miss those days when the Malawi national team won the East and Central Africa Challenge Cup in 1978 at Kamuzu Stadium.
“The team went on to win the cup again in 1979 in Kenya. Oh! The team was just a force to reckon with.
“Those were the days when songs like ‘Sina makosa’ and ‘Shauri Yako’ by Les Wanyika and Orchestra Super Mazembe respectively were hits of the moment.
“The football commentary was as lively. Those listening to the radio were as informed in every aspect because Pearson Chunga and Elias Kapangama were gems at their trade.”
Bright Chikaonda said Pearson Chunga was impeccable in English and since he hadn’t mastered the Queen’s language then he expected Kapangama’s first narration to grasp every aspect of the game before kick off.
Some of the great radio personalities in the day of Kapangama include Davis Mussa (Ada DE ), Phillip Moya ‘Mwala’ Owen Maunde, Ndiche Mwalare, Wilson Mpakuku, Juma Mpakula, Bondera Nyirenda, Makachi Chirwa, Nyokase Madise, Joyce Ng’oma, Mercy Chipeta, Gladys Lipande, Samson Nkhono, Franklin Titani, Mercy Mjuweni, Fraser Kuchale, Kafumbi Njewa, Henry Chirwa, Lucius Chikuni, Chaipa Hiwa, among others.
The controversial businessman and DPP fixer Leston Mulli is back in the news as he demands K11 603 935 990.03 from government as compensation for destruction suffered during the July 20 2011 protests. Mulli is claiming this though damages to his businesses.
The politically-connected businessperson’s claim comes after Mulli already received coupon bonds worth K3 048 557 708.71 from government in 2019 and now matured to be in hard cash today.
Payments were made in an out-of-court settlement that at the time private practice lawyer Bright Theu described as “dubious” and “questionable”.
Now at the expense of the taxpayer, Mulli is seeking further K11 billion compensations for the damages of his two companies Sunrise Pharmaceuticals and Chombe Foods Limited —companies under Mulli Brothers Holdings Limited (MBHL).
Leston Mulli
According to court documents, Mulli through his lawyers Churchill & Norris of Tamando Chokhotho, said after calculating as at present the sum has risen to K1 billion after deducting K3 billion already paid “the balance is in the sum of K11 603 935 990.03.”
Mulli’s claim comes when government is even failing to collect K4.9 billion in loans that Mulli-owned companies obtained from the defunct State-controlled Malawi Savings Bank (MSB).
But the his lawyers state: “ We are of the view that it is in the interest of the government to settle thus matter expeditiously to avoid the sum rising to unmanageable proportions.”
MBHL is the largest beneficiary of the K6 billion toxic loans government took over from MSB, a then wholly State-owned commercial bank, sold in July 2015 to FDH Financial Holdings Limited.
