Thyolo District Council has elected Khonjeni-Ward Councilor, Sandram Maulana as its chairperson effective June 29, 2020 replacing George Jailosi, Councilor for Mangunda Ward whose tenure expired last week.
The council has also elected new vice chairperson by the name Owen Makonde who is Councilor for Masenjere Ward in Thyolo West replacing Councilor Maggie Kambewa of Mapanga Ward in Thekerani whose tenure also expired.
The two were elected during an emergency Full Council meeting the district conducted on Monday.
In his acceptance speech, Maulana expressed gratitude to council members for having trust in him, saying he would work according to the laws of Malawi and ensure that the council is complementing government agenda.
“I know this is a huge task I am taking today but I cannot work in isolation; let us all work jointly to fulfill the vision of Thyolo district and that of government so that we can put our district on the map,” said Maulana.
Earlier, the outgoing chairperson, Jailosi, commended his fellow councilors and Thyolo as a district, for entrusting him with chairperson-related work for the past one year, saying he has done his part and wished the new office bearers good work.
Jailosi said he is leaving the chairmanship position a happy person because he believes he has fulfilled what he could have done.
He said: “I have decided not to seek second term but instead pave way for others to show their capabilities too. Sometimes we need to learn from others in different capacities.”
District Commissioner for Thyolo, Justin Kathumba urged the new leaders to support the government of the day saying the old has gone and the district needs to put its focus on the affairs of the new administration.
Kathumba said he will not tolerate anyone who would still want to live in the past as doing so would lead to sabotage of government business.
“You have been elected today to serve the new administration. As civil servants we support the government of the day and no discussion on this.
“Your colleaques whose tenure has just expired did their work and it is now your turn and our vision can only be fulfilled if we support the government of the day,” said Kathumba.
Malawi’s prominent lawyer Mordecai Msiska, Senior Counsel (SC) has turned down a ministerial post in President Lazarus Chakwera’s Cabinet as he claimed it would appear as a reward having successfully represented Chakwera in the case that Constitutional Court threw out the results of the May 2019 election which electoral commission initially declared former president Peter Mutharika winner.
Msiska— was Chakwera’s lead lawyer in the presidential election nullification case that gifted him the presidency— and the President appointed him on Monday to be Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, succeeding Mutharika appointee Bright Msaka.
But Msiska has said he communicated the decision to the appointing authority appreciation for being considered for the post, though he would not be taking the offer.
The respect lawyer said he does not consider it appropriate to take the post.
“It would appear as if I am being rewarded in my role in the elections case,” said Msiska.
Modercai Msiska and Titus Mvalo with Dr Chakwera
Msiska said he has other commitments to do with his law firm and is convinced that there are many other lawyers who could take up the post.
“I advised that I could not take up the appointment for personal reasons; just a matter of certain preferences and obligations that I have,” he said on Tuesday.
Msiska said he has obligations with members of his staff at the legal firm he owns.
“I could not walk away from these obligations,” he said.
“Having been lead counsel in the elections case and my getting on to the administration particularly Minister of Justice will unduly affect the process that the governmental systems have to address,” said Msiska.
However, private practice lawyer Dr Chikosa Silungwe, a Vice-President Saulos Chilima’s ally and lead lawyer in the same case, is the new Attorney General, replacing Kalekeni Kaphale who the courts chided for being partisan, especially in his handling of the presidential election nullification case.
Commentators say Msiska’s reasons for turning down the Cabinet appointment make sense.
They argue that appearances in law are very important and it’s very noble for Msiska to behave in this way, saying it speaks volume of his character and integrity.
President Chakwera said he made the appointments in consultation with Vice-President Chilima, who is also he line Minister for the National Planning Commission—a powerful new government agency that overseas not just implementation of long-term vision and strategy, but is also responsible for formulation of the country’s flagship projects and programmes for implementation.
Chakwera said his Cabinet will have not more than 30 people, of which 40 percent will be women
Tonse alliance adminstration under the leadership of his Excellency president Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has finally presented the first ever budget since coming into power on June 28, 2020.
Presenting a 4 months provisional budget in the August house which is pegging at over K700 billion that is seeking the house to authorise the spending by government from July 1 to October 31 before the main budget is presented, the just appointed finance minister Honorable Felix Mlusu said there is need for the MPs to pass this partial budget as the fiscal year for 2019/2020 comes to an end on June 30,2020. His presentation had a lot meaningful issues to do with both poor and rich Malawians of all levels such as the universal subsidized fertilizer which he said will be at K4,495 per 50kg bag replacing the subsidized K5,000 per 50kg bag to selected 1,000,000 households as it was in the previous budget of the previous government. He further said that the development expenditure in the current budget has a total of K169.8 billion of which K119.8 billion is foreign financed and the K50 billion is domestically financed for the ongoing projects only. The finance minister in his presentation told the August house that the net domestic borrowing is at K209.5 billion.
The minister continued his presentation by touching on policy and measures, saying the Chakwera government has considered in the provisional budget: Affordable Inputs Program where by all smallholder farmers estimated at 3.5 million will access fertilizer at K4,495 per bag with each farmer being able to buy 2 bags of fertilizer, maize seeds and legumes. He also said that the National IDs will be linked to electronic system and border security be tightened to avoid cross border smuggling. Enjoying full support from the government MPs, the finance minister said the provisional budget also has Tax free band increased from the current K45,000 to K100,000 and MEDEF increased from K15 billion to K40 billion and be gradually increased to K75 billion with an expectation of 200,000 enterprises and inturn over 600,000 jobs being created for improved livelihood of Malawians with the youths and women being priority without any political interference. Hon. Mlusu also hinted that the Admarc has been allocated resources to purchase maize and other farm produce and that Admarc will be allowed to borrow from other commercial banks for farmers to have reliable markets to sell their produce.
On wages the provisional budget seeks the engagement of the MCTU and ECAM by the government for an increase from K35,000 per month to K50,000 per month as minimum wage.
Lazarus Chakwera has been sworn in as president of Malawi after winning an election rerun. He was sworn today in Lilongwe at a ceremony that saw many of the Malawi political figures present . Former Malawi Congress Party president John Tembo was also present
Justice Andrew Nyirenda conducted the swearing in ceremony “Time has come for us to wake up and to make our dreams come true,” Mr Chakwera said in his victory speech.
He defeated incumbent Peter Mutharika with 58.57% of the vote in Tuesday’s poll.
In February, Malawi’s constitutional court annulled Mr Mutharika’s victory in the May 2019 election, citing vote tampering.The country was bitterly divided in the run-up to this week’s election.Other countries in Africa have had elections annulled – it happened in Kenya in 2017 – but for the opposition candidate to then go on and win a rerun is unprecedented.
Chakwera being sworn in
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s results, Mr Mutharika said that while he found the election “unacceptable”, it was his “sincere hope that we should take this country forward instead of backwards.”
Saulos Chilima, Mr Chakwera’s running mate, was also sworn in as vice-president at a ceremony in the capital, Lilongwe.
Mr Chakwera, a Pentecostal preacher and former theology lecturer, will first have to heal a nation that has been through many months of political turmoil. In his speech Chakwera said “Fellow Malawians to stand before you as your president today is an honour,” Mr Chakwera said in a speech after being sworn in.
Former MCP leader John Tembo arriving
He vowed to unite the country and fight poverty. “Of what use is freedom from oppression if you and I are slaves to starvation? Or freedom from colonialism if you are a slave to tribalism?,” he said.
“Time has come for us to go beyond dreaming, time has come for us to wake up, to arise from slumber, and to make our dreams come true,” Mr Chakwera said.
“With your help we will restore faith in having a government that serves; not a government that rules, a government that inspires, not a government that infuriates, a government that listens, not a government that shouts but a government that fights for you and not against you,” he added.
Malawi Congress Party President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has been sworn in as Malawi President . The joy that he demonstrated from yesterday when MEC chairperson Justice Chifundo Kachali announced him the winner was not just the joy that he had finally made it, but it was also a reflection of the long, winding and often rough journey that he has been through to get to where he is. Twice defeated in 2014 and 2019 in elections that were fraudulent and where he was expected to win, Chakwera stood on his faith in God to keep him going knowing one day he will make it. Through the years however, Chakwera has been learning the art of Malawi politics.
Joining politics after leaving the church, Chakwera was a novice among the experienced politicians. After the loss in 2014, Chakwera had to ponder on what will be his next move. Something had to change. Through his Secretary General, he engaged the most feared strategist of all times to help him win elections, a political strategist in Dr Ken Zikhale Reeves Ng’oma. Political strategy has been the unseen hand that pushes candidates towards their victories, get the strategies wrong, then all efforts are fruitless.
Strategist Dr Ken Zikhale Ngo’ma pictured at President Chakwera inauguartion
When internal wrangles rocked MCP, at the time when the then secretary general Gustav Kaliwo, and former Speaker of Parliament, Right Hon. Richard Msowoya an others , vowed to bring Dr Chakwera down and took him to court, Chakwera did seek help from the man that knows Malawi politics from inside out Dr Ken Zikhale Ng’oma.
Zikhale Ng’oma, a rejected stone in the party of his own formation DPP, humbly accepted to work with MCP and it didn’t take long before he started shaping the party towards a path to victory.
His first task was getting involved in the planning of a rerun in Lilongwe city south east where Ulemu Msungama brought a new phenomenon in the courts of Malawi, being the first individual to win an electoral case in challenging the incumbent member of parliament. Zikhale took a leading role in drafting strategic plans that saw people like Richard Chimwendo gain ground in mobilising the youths and regional chairperson like Soko, Chidzanja and others benefit from restructuring guidance he delivered. He organised a vibrant team which came up with a strategic plan that was adopted by the party through a management meeting where Directors agreed to take advice that the strategic plan gave.
Zikhale strength as Political strategists comes from his vast experience in the area having worked with DPP from its inception. Zikhale pushed for the repositioning of MCP moving away from a central region concentrated party to a more accommodating national wide party so that power should be distributed across the country and bury the strong story that MCP is only a Central Region Party. He also called for the drafting in of legal team of Titus Mvalo to help the party clear all the cases it was struggling with at the time.
Zikhale poignant role as Political strategists is evident by empirical evidence that sees Chancellor College of Malawi and other universities lecturers quoting him when lecturing public administration, political science and law students.
It was luck that MCP had just chosen young and brave Secretary General, Elsenhower Mkaka, who was understudying the veteran in his approach to issues, therefore he organised and worked tirelessly with the Strategist, organising resources and coming up with modalities that would make MCP after several attempts to get back to power since the founder of Malawi nation, Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda had left.
MCP secretary General Mkaka
Mkaka is on record now to have been the first Secretary General to have led the party under the leadership of Dr Lazarus to have fought a fight that has seen MCP bouncing back into power.
Dr Lazarus Chakwera is known to be a great listener , very accommodating and an intelligent leader who got 7 points during his MSCE exams and was selected to Mtendere Secondary School and then Chancellor College. This wise leader allowed to share views with Zikhale the Strategist and accepted a very simple formula that Zikhale brought to the party of inclusiveness. He wanted the approach to focus more on presidential vote promoting MCP as a Party as one way of making party that is changed and flexible.
He introduced and encouraged the leadership that for the party to win they must make alliances with parties that will bring value and have proven record of performing hence made moves to convince Khumbo Kachale of Freedom Party, Dr Joyce Banda of People Party and UTM which could see all the parties affiliated to the mentioned targets also joining the wagon.
This initiative did not take long, it started but met challenges as it was met with mixed reactions from some quarters of the party that wanted Dr Lazarus Chakwera stand alone and continue with their tradition as a Central Region Party. There was also resiistance from PP and UTM leadership whose perception was that a party with a bad past records could not match with the current democratic dispensation.
Dr Lazarus Chakwera’s focused vision and that he new what he wanted, he stuck to the strategic plan and pushed for these strategic alliances. Previoulsy MCP had not been eager to work on alliances, as it was observed way back when MCP and UDF had wanted to go into an alliance and the split of MCP to form New Republican by late Gwanda Chakuamba.
Zikhale still maintained that in order to win, alliances should be the way forward and Dr Lazarus Chakwera did not hesitate but to keep on fighting until all the targeted parties were persuaded and started working together with MCP as Tonse Alliance . the parties also opted to adopt some of the flagship campaign promises from the individual parties and blend them together.
Power of strategic alliances
The other selling point was from the organised and unity the Tonse partners displayed during the court proceedings and demonstrations where some individual organisers like Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence, IT expert Sulemani, Chimwendo, Mkaka, displayed their inborn talents and won the hearts of many Malawians. It was not just efforts from an individual but of many players that made the journey fruitful.
Zikhale also organised among others a team from diaspora that specialised in countering propaganda from the the DPP and UDF teams. Comprising of Allan Mandindi, Chalo Mvula and Nic Thindwa the team tirelessly neutralised DPP efforts to paint MCP in bad light. They worked with the local strategists in Chikumbuso Mtumodzi and Humphreys Mvula, just to mention a few.
The parties organising team under an iron lady Khumbize Chiponda and a silent Chief Whip Sam Kawale played a crucial role in organising and coordinating strategic rallies that confused the ruling DPP to a point of finding excuses by hiding behind Covid 19 and executive powers to frustrate the elections. The courts ruled in favour of fresh elections and directed that the elections be held within 150 days. Former MEC Chairperson Jane Ansah, tried playing delaying tactics and focused more on Covid 19 effects to stop elections inorder to see APM clinging to power. Ansah managed to convince donors not to support the elections due to Covid 19. Jappie Mhango who is the Chair of the committee running the affairs of Covid 19, inflated figures of Covid 19 to scare people but people stood firm and wanted elections first and Covid 19 later.
Chakwera win has really cemented Zikhale Ngoma role as an icon of Malawi’s political strategy. The way Chakwera sailed through the internal fighting’s that were happening in party , the sudden energy and vibrance that was injected in the party , the new appeal that was added to the party broadening its scope from just the central region to roping in votes from the north and centres is all a testament of what good strategic decisions can make
DPP who thrived in calling themselves a “System” have been masters of not only political strategy, but their cunning execution of propaganda that was aided by malpractices during voting that helped them rig elections. Zikhale idea of roping in people in the diaspora to run a propaganda team not only confused DPP but also gave MCP an edge, as it had people who could see what was going on from a distance.
As Chakwera is now the president, it is a great time for Malawi Congress Party as they find themselves back in power after 25 years.
