ESCOM ATTENDANT DROWNS AT NKULA
One of Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) intake attendants at Nkula Power Station drowned in Nkula A pond in the course of duty on Saturday, Escom officials have confirmed.
However, Escom could not disclose any details of the deceased for fear that communications to distant relations may not have been done yet.
On Saturday, the country’s sole power utility provider announced an emergency load shedding to carry out a search and recovery exercise of the deceased’s body at the pond.
“The load shedding is due to lowering down of the ponds at our Nkula Power Station in order to conduct a search and recovery exercise of the body of our member of staff who has drowned in the pond at around 9 o’clock this morning. The search is still underway,” reads the Saturday post on Facebook.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview yesterday, Escom public relations manager Kitty Chingota said the body was recovered yesterday morning and the corporation was working towards funeral arrangements.
“The deceased was one of our intake attendants at Nkula Power Station. He drowned yesterday morning and the body has been recovered today morning. We know it was an accident but we sincerely regret it. We also console the bereaved family for their loss,” she said.
CHILIM A HAS BEMOANED THE BUSINESS
The Vice President, Right Honourable Dr Saulos Chilima has bemoaned the business as usual approach inhandling disasters which he observed will not help in averting disasters in the country.
Speaking at the National Disaster Risk Management Platform Conference in Lilongwe, Chilima said government will not entertain such attitude saying it was a disservice to the nation.
“It is my expectation and that of others including the President that at the end of the day these will not just become another tick on the box to show that we have achieved something,” said Chilima.
The Vice President hoped that the documents developed in the implementation of interventions will bring a difference in reducing disaster risks in the country and breaking the cycle of disasters.
Dr. Chilima acknowledged that as a nation we need to accept that we have not done a good job and need to do better. He called for a serious stock-taking and re-strategizing on the issueof disaster management
MUTHARIKA URGES CHURCHES
President Professor Peter Mutharika has urged churches in the country to be economically independent.
Professor Mutharika said this at St Mark's Anglican Church in Mzuzu during prayers on Sunday where he congregated with fellow Christians.
The President said churches should be motivated to be self-reliant and develop using own initiatives if their mandate of preaching the gospel is to be fruitful. He then donated 100 bags of cement and K1 million to help the completion of the church.
During the prayers however, President Mutharika promised to strengthen the fight against crimes against people with albinism. The President then called upon the church to take a leading role in fighting evil in society such as violence against people living with albinism.
Mutharika said his government is putting strict measures and learning from what neighboring countries are doing to curb evil citing that he had sent the Inspector General of Police on a study tour to find out how neighbouring countries such as Tanzania and Rwanda had done away with such crimes.
The President also asked the judiciary to hand down stiffer penalties which would act as a deterrent for would be offenders.
In his sermon, Bishop Fanuel Magangani of the diocese urged Christians to promote unity and love. Bishop Magangani said with unity, Christians can achieve a lot.
He therefore asked the congregation to use their belief in Jesus Christ, to be shining examples that can help Malawi end some social ills.
St Mark Anglican Church is part of the Anglican Diocese of Northern Malawi.
Professor Mutharika is the first sitting head of state to congregate at St Mark's Church, which was founded in 1948.
MEC VEHICLES BLOCKED TO SALE
Attorney General (AG) Kalekeni Kaphale has stopped sheriffs from selling six vehicles impounded from Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) over unpaid debts.The Malawi Sheriffs opened an auction market for the six vehicles impounded from MEC following the expiry of deadlines given to the electoral body to pay loans amounting to K90 million.Judiciary spokesperson Mlenga Mvula confirmed that they hired a private company to have the vehicles on the market last week.Kalekeni KaphaleKalekeni Kaphale: Stopped the sale.But Kaphale has since stopped the sheriffs from selling the vehicles arguing that they are to involve the ministry of finance to have the loan paid.
Kaphale added that the vehicles play a vital role in the voting process for this country hence government needs to protect ownership of the vehicles.In March this year, sheriffs seized the six vehicles to force the electoral body to settle its debts. MEC owes MK80 million to Universal Trading Company, MK9.9 million to Platinum Solutions and MK1 million to Transworld Radio.The seized vehicles were donations made by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to MEC to help during the 2014 tripartite elections.
CHAPONDA SAYS MCP WERE PIONEERS OF NEPOTISM
Leader of the House, George Chaponda (Democratic Progressive Party—DPP) attracted the wrath of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) members in parliament when he alleged that the former ruling party had more nepotistic and tribalistic tendencies during its 30-year-rule.
Chaponda: We escaped MCP
Chaponda was reacting to accusation from an MCP lawmaker who was making his contribution to the state of the nation address by President Peter Mutharika and accused DPP of only favouring the Lhomwe tribe.
The Leader of the House said MCP were recruiting people from Chewa dominated central region, its stronghold and that people from other regions were marginalised.
“The people in senior positions came from the Central Region during the MCP era. Everybody knows,” said Chaponda.
He added by accusing MCP of its atrocities.
“We had to run away from this country because of you. Yes, human rights abuses. Killing people, five Ministers were killed in cold blood,” said Chaponda who lived in exile during the one party dictatorship.
But MCP Deputy Chief Whip, Dedza South MP Clement Mlombwa, described Chaponda’s remarks as “inflammatory”, saying members are talking of current issues.
“We are not talking about the past. We are talking of current issues to do with the current DPP-led government. So we would want to stop those kinds of atrocities that are happening now,” said Mlombwa.
He continued: “Yes, the Malawi Congress Party might have committed atrocities before, but it is not this current Malawi Congress Party. This is a new and totally different Malawi Congress Party. We are talking about the atrocities of this DPP-led government, which you are the Leader of the House now. We are talking about the late Issa Njauju (Anti Corruption Bureau official murdered last year) and Robert Chasowa (University of Malawi student murdered by regime agents). That is what we are talking about, current issues.”
MP for Lilongwe Msozi South Vitus Dzoole Mwale also stood on point of order against Chaponda’s remarks, saying they were provocation.
“What is out of order is for the Leader of the House to forget what he said in this House. Can I remind him? Last time when he was in the opposition, he said that when a fish starts rotting, it starts from the head. Can you remember that one? Now if this House degenerates into chaos it is because of you.
CHAPONDA SAYS MCP WERE PIONEERS OF NEPOTISM
Leader of the House, George Chaponda (Democratic Progressive Party—DPP) attracted the wrath of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) members in parliament when he alleged that the former ruling party had more nepotistic and tribalistic tendencies during its 30-year-rule.
Chaponda: We escaped MCP
Chaponda was reacting to accusation from an MCP lawmaker who was making his contribution to the state of the nation address by President Peter Mutharika and accused DPP of only favouring the Lhomwe tribe.
The Leader of the House said MCP were recruiting people from Chewa dominated central region, its stronghold and that people from other regions were marginalised.
“The people in senior positions came from the Central Region during the MCP era. Everybody knows,” said Chaponda.
He added by accusing MCP of its atrocities.
“We had to run away from this country because of you. Yes, human rights abuses. Killing people, five Ministers were killed in cold blood,” said Chaponda who lived in exile during the one party dictatorship.
But MCP Deputy Chief Whip, Dedza South MP Clement Mlombwa, described Chaponda’s remarks as “inflammatory”, saying members are talking of current issues.
“We are not talking about the past. We are talking of current issues to do with the current DPP-led government. So we would want to stop those kinds of atrocities that are happening now,” said Mlombwa.
He continued: “Yes, the Malawi Congress Party might have committed atrocities before, but it is not this current Malawi Congress Party. This is a new and totally different Malawi Congress Party. We are talking about the atrocities of this DPP-led government, which you are the Leader of the House now. We are talking about the late Issa Njauju (Anti Corruption Bureau official murdered last year) and Robert Chasowa (University of Malawi student murdered by regime agents). That is what we are talking about, current issues.”
MP for Lilongwe Msozi South Vitus Dzoole Mwale also stood on point of order against Chaponda’s remarks, saying they were provocation.
“What is out of order is for the Leader of the House to forget what he said in this House. Can I remind him? Last time when he was in the opposition, he said that when a fish starts rotting, it starts from the head. Can you remember that one? Now if this House degenerates into chaos it is because of you.
©DPP IS MAFIA LED GOVT ;MCP SAYS
Lilongwe North East MP Maxwell Thyolera (MCP) has accused the ruling Democratic Progress Party (DPP) government of being selective in tackling corruption, saying the regime is mafia led.
Thyolera: DPP is a mafia led government
Thyolera made the remarks in parliament that DPP government” just employ lip service” and no tangible action is being done to tackle corruption.
“We heard that we had a plunder in Ethiopia whereby funds were embezzled at the embassy. We have just learnt that one of the members of staff there, Mr Kachiza, has died mysteriously,” Thyolera said.
He said the death of Kachiza is “very unfortunate” and claimed it has happened “for a purpose.”
Said Thyolera: “This DPP-led government is mafia-led. They want to conceal evidence because they do not want to fight corruption because they are all corrupt. “
But Leader of the House, George Chaponda accused Thyolera of peddling “fictitious allegation”.
Said Chaponda: “I think it is totally out of order. It is uncalled for; it is time that you should be respecting this House.”
First Deputy Speaker Esther Mcheka Chilenje asked him lawmakers not to be “careless” when making “allegations” in the House.
“We should be ready to bring evidence. When you are asked to bring evidence, do not react because it is what our own standing order stipulates,” said Chilenje.
The First Deputy Speaker cited the Standing Order 102 which says: “A Member is responsible for the accuracy of any facts which he or she alleges to be true.”
It also stated that provided that where a member has been challenged on the accuracy of any facts, the Speaker shall order the MP making allegations to provide “supporting evidence “of the alleged facts within a specified period during the meeting of the Assembly.
An investigative audit into the plunder of resources at Malawi Embassy in Ethiopia revealed that K293 million was siphoned out of the public purse and deposited into personal accounts.
Theft of public resources at the mission was detected April 2016 after former secretary for administration and finance, Fletcher Chowe, wrote a cheque in his name.
The cheque was signed by Malawi’s deputy ambassador to Ethiopia Doreen Kapanga.
Police arrested Kapanga and Chowe last week. They are both on bail.
The fraud has all the characteristics of the infamous Cashgate, which saw government losing K24 billion