South Africa’s SPAR Proteas have announced they will be playing a three-Test series against the Malawi Queens at the end of November in Rustenburg.
The two sides last played each other at the 2019 Africa Netball Cup in October with hosts South Africa winning that match on the way to being crowned continental champions.
SPAR Proteas head coach Dorette Badenhorst has worked with her selectors to name a provisional squad of 30 players. This group will partake in a three-day training camp from November 22 in Sun City, before a final group of 15 players is confirmed to take on the Malawi Queens.
“2020 has been a very challenging year for Netball South Africa as we have had to reshuffle and revise our events calendar for the year,” Cecilia Molokwane, Netball South Africa president said.
According to the International Netball Federation South Africa and Malawi are ranked fifth and sixth in the world respectively and are currently the top two on the continent.
The current battle in Karonga central constituency is meant to awaken the giants in us of the impending infighting within the Tonse Alliance as the next election in 2025 draws closer.
It seems MCP and UTM have forgotten that they are the big parties in the alliance which somehow I can be tempted to refer to as the only parties in the alliance. But look at the manner with which the two parties are cultivating the political hate that is fast catching them than they can prove to be astute enough to defeat it?
What is this telling us about the fighting and bad-mouthing ahead of us in a few years to come? Isn’t it forcing us to skew towards foreseeing the in-house battle in the Tonse Alliance?
Now, as I try to connect the dots I feel the battle isn’t easy to calm and the rumbling within the alliance isn’t easy to pacify. For instance, Chilima said (perhaps just to buy public sympathy in the next elections) that the presidency will rotate within the parties which was implicitly responded to with unofficial news announcing his illegibility to contest as the president of Malawi come 2025.
As its normal that politicians best play hypocrisy act mindset change isn’t as easy as the vice president put it. It’s a battle that we need to work hard to fight and defeat if at all, as a nation, we need to see progress in different aspects of our lives.
Check this! If MCP and UTM are in a true romance I guess they would have talked of featuring one candidate in every constituency where the by-elections are being held. But alas! They chose otherwise.
They chose to allow birthing of hate amongst themselves. They allowed hate to sprout without taking steps to avoid them before they came up on the actual ground. What type of mindset change is this? Isn’t this passing a different message to us?
This, in itself, tells us that both parties are working on building popularity on the ground and getting themselves poised for the 2025 battle
With the demise of the DPP it fits to conclude that come 2025 the big parties will still be MCP And UTM. It seems that both camps love the presidency and no one is comfortable with playing second fiddle to another and staying content with it. In MCP, the growing pressure is to retain the presidency whilst in UTM the salivation to taste the presidency is growing at a rocket speed. Doesn’t this draw us to comprehend how bad things are in the Tonse Alliance?
UTM on the other hand still has that feeling Chilima had when announced a sever of the bond with the DDP. He was quoted as “Simukanawina inuyo chipanda ineyo”. UTM has the same feeling now and though it is true with supporting evidence on the ground for all to savour does it mean the two parties should get lost in pulling each other down? No!
Before the two parties are ordinary Malawians who expect a lot from them and not to witness the unnecessary bickering of giants. Malawians are raring to see the promises of the alliance delivered and enjoyed by the citizenry. Malawians are ready to witness rebranded politics of truthfulness and not decorated by unnecessary lies. Malawians want to wave bye to hunger and poverty (a tough call). Malawians want to keep a government managed by unselfish people and people who have the welfare of Malawians at heart. This is something that can be achieved by putting our efforts together as a nation.
Back to Karonga central constituency, the battle between Frank Tumpale Mwenefumbo of UTM and Leonard Mwalwanda of MCP has registered many ugly scenes as if there isn’t an ounce of romance between the two parties. Even if we put aside the working relationship between the two parties it doesn’t call for any justification for the reported violence. As the situation on the ground is worsening it seems the leaders of the two parties are playing blind to it all merely because of the said numbers they are working hard to bring home. Is this the way to go? Who do you put first, Malawians or your parties?
Come 2025 and with the 50+1 effect and the “I’m big feeling” of both MCP and UTM; the Tonse alliance will disband, more violence will be registered and new alliances will eventually come into effect.
We won’t be surprised to see either MCP or UTM in the opposition come September 2025.
Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC) has expressed concern over continued misunderstandings between Members of Parliament (MPs) and Ward Councillors in some areas across the country over the management of Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Speaking Wednesday in Chitipa during the training of Area Development Committee (ADC) members for Ulambya-Kaseghe and Ulambya-Songwe on their roles in the management of CDF, Director for MHRRC, Emma Kaliya said the development is affecting projects due to lack of coordination between the two duty bearers.
Ward Councilors’ roles are not registered on the ground- Kaliya
Kaliya, therefore, urged local governance structures at all levels to be vigilant in following up CDF funded projects that are taking place in their areas to ensure funds are used prudently.
“Since we brought in councillors in government system, MPs seem to have taken over the roles of councilors and as a result, there are always conflicts between the two parties.
“As such, it is our expectation that if the ADCs and Village Development Committees (VDCs) play a watchdog role by following up on projects that are taking shape in their areas, things can improve,” said Kaliya.
In his remarks, Director of Planning and Development (DPD) for Chitipa District Council, McMillan Magomero commended MHRRC for the training, describing it as a timely initiative as the council did not have resources for such trainings.
He, therefore, advised members of the ADCs to be apolitical when performing their duties.
Magomero added that ADCs are not political grounds but are local government structures that were formed for smooth implementation of local developments.
During the last budget sitting of Parliament, government increased allocation for CDF from K30 million to K40 million per Constituency.
MHRRC is building capacity for all ADCs in Chitipa, especially on budget tracking as well as on gender mainstreaming with funding from Local Government Accountability and Performance (LGAP).
The country’s Vice-President, Dr. Saulos Chilima says China-Africa Textile Company in Salima has potential to create job opportunities and improve forex earnings for Malawi. The Vice-President made the remarks on Thursday in Salima during his tour to the cotton factory’s mill.
He said the company was an asset as it would increase the country’s exports through its production. “This project is in line with the President’s vision of creating one million jobs. It will enhance development as well as job creation.
“It is also creating an opportunity for us to export more goods and have more forex which will help the country to reduce its spending on foreign goods,” he said.
Chilima further said government is ready to provide all the necessary support to the China –Africa Textile Company so that it boosts its capacity.
“Cotton is one strategic crop that must be promoted. As I have repeatedly said elsewhere, the cotton industry could be the country’s game changer to take over from tobacco in the wake of anti-smoking lobbies and become the country’s green gold,” said Chilima.
Chilima (left) being briefed about the factory by the company’s officiaL
In his sentiments, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, His Excellency Liu Hongyang said his country has great confidence Malawi will soon be on the right track of fast development, which will also help improve the livelihoods of Malawians.
“We are hoping that China-Malawi relations to be based on market, investment and trade. “So besides assistance, China focuses on helping Malawi to realise independent development through investment, trade and market,” said Hongyang.
The Chinese Envoy to Malawi added that China’s commitment to Malawi’s development will never change, saying they would encourage more Chinese companies to seek business opportunities and push for increase in trade between the two countries.
Once fully operational, the cotton mill company will provide 1,500 jobs for local people and generate 35 million US Dollars of foreign exchange for Malawi annually.
Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) has ordered Football Association of Malawi (Fam) to stop Central Region Football Association (CRFA) elections pending investigations on alleged corruption and bribery surrounding the nomination process.
The elections were scheduled for November 14 in Salima District.
ACB Director General, Reyneck Matemba, said they received a complaint over the process on Friday last week and had commenced investigations.
“We have written Fam and CRFA to stop the elections until further notice to give us time for the investigations. We have just commenced our investigations. We will strive to speed up the probe and will update the people of Malawi accordingly,” Matemba said.
The development means only Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) and Northern Region Football Association (NRFA) will go to the polls to elect new office bearers next week.
CRFA Chairperson Austin Ajawa was supposed to retain his seat unopposed as all the nine district committees had nominated him.
Ajawa confirmed receiving ACB’s restraint order.
Austin Ajawa
“We have stopped all processes to do with the elections after receiving the order from ACB. We will be waiting for them to complete their investigations,” Ajawa said.
CRFA Vice Chairperson, Simeone Lijenje, is expected to defend his position in a race against Goodall Chinjoka.
Bernard Chiwiruwiru Harawa and Antonio Manda are expected to sail through unopposed as general secretary and vice general secretary, respectively, as they have no competitors.
Meanwhile, Treasurer Pyson Likagwa has withdrawn from defending his post due to personal reasons with Mike Tembo, Charles Selemani and Mwela Gondwe all lining up to unseat him.
Vying to contest for the association’s six committee member positions are Joseph Kamanga, Wales Kazonde, Esther Chirwa, Kondwani Kandiado, Winston Katendeni, a Mr Kampira, Felix Kholowa and Charles Chimanjamanja.
The country’s three regional football associations of North, Centre and South are expected to elect new office bearers next week.
However, the nomination process has been marred by irregularities with some district football committees claiming that the nomination list was not a true reflection of their wishes.
In the Northern Region, incumbent Chairperson Lameck Khonje is also expected to go unopposed after securing nominations from all of the region’s six districts.
The entire SRFA executive committee is expected to go unopposed after no challengers came forth to seek office.
