BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)–Armed thugs have on Saturday evening attacked and injured former police Inspector General Rodney Jose near Mapanga on the Zomba-Limbe road around 7pm.
According to Zodiak online, Jose sustained a cut on the head and has been treated at Mwaiwathu hospital in Blantyre.
Reports indicate that the former IG was coming from a tombstone unveiling ceremony in Zomba when this happened.
He had stopped near Mapanga police post to relieve himself when three men approached him and started demanding for money.
Jose served as Malawi Police Service Inspector General from 2018 to 2019 during the reign of Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, the current president of the former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
He was succeeded by Duncan Mwapasa in 2019. Mwapasa handed over the top position to Dr. George Kainja in 2020 following a defeat of the DPP in the court sanctioned fresh presidential election which saw opposition Malawi Congress Party taking over the leadership.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Ken Msonda, who is also the erstwhile ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) senior member, has told his party counterparts to forget about fresh presidential elections.
In an audio circulating on social media, Msonda says the constitutional Court judges made a decision in last year’s election case which cannot be reversed under any circumstances.
“The five constitutional judges made a historical judgement which earned them international recognition. It is therefore a waste of time to expect the same judges to reserve their own decision,” said Msonda.
Msonda also says DPP are in “chigwa mtola” life; meaning they are waiting for rains in August.
He further says there are some DPP gurus who simply want to drain Muntharika’s accounts through fruitless court battles so that he later surrenders the party to them when his pockets dry up.
“I Know some DPP officials are cheating aged Muntharika that we can regain the mantle through the courts. Those people just want to milk Muntharikas coffers.
“The truth is that we better think about 2025, if not, we remain in opposition forever,” said the outspoken politician.
Ken Msonda has become the second DPP official after Goodall Gondwe who is also DPP vice president in the North to openly tell the public that rerun is impossible.
Former Malawi President Peter Mutharika: Am I being punished simply because I was President of this country?
The Anti-Corruption Bureau – ACB has yet again brought forward the interview with the form head of state, Arthur Peter Mutharika over alleged misuse of his Taxpayer Identification Number (TPIN).
Initially, the graft busting body planned to interview the former leader on 20 July, 2021, but the date was brought forward to July, 27 following Mutharika’s letter to ACB demanding an explanation on why the institution wanted to interview him.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, ACB Director General, Martha Chizuma, said a meeting between the institution and Mutharika’s lawyers settled on giving the former Malawi leader time to seek medical attention as he is currently under the weather and so he should be left alone to medicated.
However, two days ago, Mutharika wrote ACB, expressing his reluctance to grant interview to the institution, saying he would only do so only if ACB told him the offence he committed. Otherwise, what ACB is doing is but ‘sustained political witch hunt’.
“It is extremely strange that an institution like the ACB with accusatorial and investigative powers would seek to interview me without disclosing the nature of offences I am accused of. In view of the previous conduct of the ACB towards me, I am reluctant to grant this interview,” read the letter in part.
ACB alleges that the former president abused his TPIN by allowing his personal bodyguard, Norman Chisale and former Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service, Peter Mukhito, to import bag of cement worth K5 billion into the country tax free.
MCP led Government full scale war against people of Southern Malawi ethnicities in general and Lhomwes in particular continues to move at a swift pace with President Chakwera’s dismissal of Dr Dan Namarika, Principal Secretary for Ministry of Health.
Dr Namarika, a Lhomwe by tribe, becomes the first senior casualty of MCP’s anti-South crusade. Reports reaching us indicate that Dr Lazarus Chakwera made it clear that he is not comfortable with a hardcore Lhomwe heading such a crucial Ministry as Health because he had zero trust in any person from the tribe regardless of his or her qualifications or experience before instructing OPC to relieve him of his duties with immediate effect.
In one of his speeches in Parliament when he was leader of opposition, President Chakwera is on record as saying *When I become President, I will move from Ministry to Ministry, Department to Department uprooting all elements of nepotism.
Many people interpreted this to imply he meant targeting Southerners in general and Lhomwes in particular as they share same ethnicity with the then President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika. Others then also argued that there is just no any other scientific way of proving one as a beneficiary of nepotism apart from ethnic profiling of civil servants, i.e., identifying them solely by their tribe, region or district of origin instead of their qualifications and expertise.
At present Government has issued a circular demanding that all senior civil servants should re-submit their particulars indicating *their district of origin* and it is believed that this is one of the ploy for MCP Government to take census of all Southerners and Lhomwes in Government to target them easily.
An ad hoc committee being co- chaired by MCP’s Sam Kawale and Collins Kajawo tasked with hunting down and systematically eliminating Lhomwes and Southerners in Ministries, Department
On Monday, 20 January 2020, the UK Government will host the
inaugural UK-Africa Investment Summit in London. This Summit will create new
lasting partnerships to deliver more investment, jobs and growth to benefit
people and businesses across Africa and the UK.
Malawi President Mutharika will attend
Mutharika to attend UK-Africa Investment Summit in London.
Malawi’s President, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika is
expected to depart for London today, Friday 17 January 2020. He will be
accompanied by cabinet ministers, heads of some government agencies and
parastatals, as well as officials from Malawi investment promotion centre.
Hosted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the Summit will
bring together UK and African business representatives, African leaders and
delegations from across Africa, international institutions and young
entrepreneurs.
International Development Secretary Alok Sharma who earlier
visited some countries on the African continent ahead of the Summit said:
“Africa has eight of the 15 fastest growing economies in the
world but currently receives less than 4% of foreign direct investment. There
are fantastic opportunities for UK businesses to work alongside, invest in and
partner with African nations.
“At the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London on January 20,
we will bring together UK and African businesses, African leaders,
international institutions and young entrepreneurs to drive the investment
Africa needs to flourish. I look forward to seeing many of you there.”
With this Summit, the UK will demonstrate that it is the
investment partner of choice for African nations, offering world-leading
expertise on tech and innovation and positioning the City of London as the
number one global exchange for African businesses.
In relation to UK-Malawi Trade, British High Commissioner to
Malawi, Ms Holly Tett, said:
“As we get Brexit done, we want a closer trading partnership
with Malawi, and we are helping UK businesses to seize new and exciting
opportunities for investment. For instance, with support from UKaid and CDC
group, among others, we are supporting businesses in various sectors like
agriculture to compete at an international level and contribute to local
economy through taxes and job creation in a sustainable way.
“By 2038 Malawi’s population will have doubled to 36 million
people. The summit will bring together British and African businesses to
harness the potential of fast-growing countries like Malawi and make the most
of trade and investment opportunities.”
The UK-Africa Investment Summit will offer businesses and
entrepreneurs access to several events with a focus on themes such as clean
energy, sustainable infrastructure and agribusiness.
HON. MARK BOTOMANI, MP MINISTER OF INFORMATION, CIVIC EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
Government wishes to dismiss efforts by enemies of the truth who are trying hard to misrepresent remarks and directives that His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, the President of the Republic of Malawi, made on 21st August 2019 in Mangochi on plans by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) and their cohorts to disrupt airports and borders through demonstrations.
The President is a true democrat and a tolerant gentleman. His record speaks for itself. Since he came to power in May 2014, he has never stopped any demonstration in Malawi. Therefore no one has a basis for accusing him of being against peaceful demonstrations or contravening any written or unwritten law in this country.
So far, the HRDC, supported by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the United Transformation Movement (UTM), have held several demonstrations in Malawi without resistance from the President and his Government despite them being violent and destructive.
Government wishes to reiterate the position of the President that the Constitution of this Republic allows peaceful demonstrations only and that the same should not violate other existing rights. Therefore, any human rights defender worthy the name has a duty of ensuring that all rights provided in the Constitution are defended and safeguarded.
Plans to disrupt borders and airports are not in the spirit of peaceful demonstrations. Clearly, they are an act of aggression with the aim of undermining the State and threatening national security.
While defending the right for holding peaceful demonstrations, Government will not allow that national security should be breached and the rights of those not taking part in the demonstrations subverted. The point must be emphasized that the right to demonstrate is not a supreme right.
As such, Government wishes to assure the general public and the international community that measures have been put in place to ensure that our airports and borders continue to operate normally during the period of the planned demonstrations.
To the organizers, the warning still stands that the demonstrations should be called off unconditionally. Any attempt to proceed with them will be met with force and never say you were not warned.
His Excellency Professor Peter Arthur Mutharika The President of the Republic of Malawi
In continued pursuit to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of the Civil Service, His Excellency the State President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, has directed that the Office of the President and Cabinet be restructured by relocating some of its current functions to their relevant sectoral ministries in the first phase as follows :
1. The Department of HIV/AIDS and Nutrition and the Safe Motherhood Initiative to be relocated to the Ministry of Health.
2. The Presidential Initiative on Poverty and Hunger Reduction to be relocated to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development.
3. The National Registration Bureau, which is responsible for the National I.D. Project, to be relocated to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
4. The Government Contracting Unit to be relocated to the Office of the Director of Public Procurement.
Following this restructuring, the Office of the President and Cabinet shall revert to its core business of management of the public service and cabinet affairs.
Government has also decided to introduce the following measures with immediate effect :
1. Chief Executive Officers of Public institutions, Principal Secretaries and other senior public officers need to spend more time attending to their core functions. As a result of this, Chief Executive officers, Principal Secretaries and public officers will not be allowed to attend public or presidential functions except where the functions or events pertain to their organisations.
Government wishes to stress that Chief Executive Officers, Principal Secretaries and senior public officials will be recognised through their performance and NOT by the number of public events which they will attend.
2. Women civil servants will only be allowed to perform at public functions which directly relate to their profession or organisation or at an event to commemorate an anniversary or celebration of national or international significance. In such cases, Controlling Officers will be required to exercise strict discretion on the number of female civil servants to participate in such events.
There is little doubt that never has democracy been so alive and vibrant in Malawi like presently. The country’s president, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, widely considered a Pan-Africanist, has a captivating political journey and a wealth of knowledge and experience in this regard.
Malawi, often described as a donor-dependent nation, poor and plagued by corruption, found itself at a crossroads when, in 2014, it had to choose between going backwards to an era where the entire economy was bankrupted by previous regimes for the benefit of a few, or stick to an economic recovery plan, that could allow the country to ‘stand on its own feet’ once and for all.
Good old days: Oswald Lutepo with former President Joyce Banda
It is no secret that Mutharika inherited a completely bankrupt state, owning to the infamous Cash-Gate scandal where graft, corruption and cronyism were the order of the day.
Widespread corruption had indeed put Malawi on the brink of collapse, and the nation was on its way to become another typical failed state, as a result of the avalanche of limitless political and financial greed.
Re-establishing the moral-fibre of the Malawian governance structures has been central to Mutharika’s four-year presidency, as he was faced with the laborious task of shifting negative perceptions amongst the population and ensuring that the government regains its credibility, legitimacy and -more importantly- the trust of the Malawian people.
But what was even more assiduously demanding for Mutharika was to reclaim a government that was entrenched in moral paucity. Admittedly, the tentacles of corruption had tainted various organs of the state, the media, civil society and even the judiciary.
Before Mutharika came into power, civil society organisations were unable to account for 90% of donor aid that they had received in order to alleviate poverty, which resulted in the politicisation of corruption in the country.
The Mutharika administration worked tirelessly to turn things around in that respect. Mutharika put stringent measures in place, in order to ensure that the legal apparatus works properly and those responsible for any kind of malfeasance would be held accountable.
‘Integrity units’ were subsequently established and new laws and stipulations were enacted, so as to make it extremely difficult to steal money from the government.
Within this operational framework, new law enforcement agencies were created, as well as an anti-corruption unit, which works independently -along with the financial intelligence unit and the Director of public prosecutions. The results speak for themselves.
‘What results’ some spiteful individuals may vociferate. Well, contrary to certain demagogically, malicious comments, Malawi’s economic outlook is actually quite favorable. Economic growth is projected to reach about 5 percent in 2019 supported by a rebound in agriculture and some improvement in electricity generation.
Over the medium-term, growth could rise further to 6-7 percent, driven by infrastructure projects—including electricity generation—crop diversification, greater access to finance, and an improved business climate. Inflation is expected to ease to around 8 percent at end-2019 and gradually converge to 5 percent over the medium term.
the IMF Mission Chief for Malawi, Pritha Mitra
Additionally, performance under the IMF program has been very satisfactory. Monetary policy continues to focus on maintaining single-digit inflation. The banking system’s resilience is improving as reflected in reduced non-performing loans and increased provisioning. Credit to the private sector has also increased.
The newly adopted RBM Act has enhanced the RBM’s autonomy. Moreover, the authorities have an ambitious plan for infrastructure projects that aims to support sustainable growth and poverty reduction.
Strengthening public investment management—including through rigorous prioritization of projects and an improved project management framework—as well as oversight and monitoring of state-owned enterprises and other parastatals is the government’s next goal. Don’t take my word for it; take the IMF’s.
More importantly, Malawi proved that it is a genuine democracy and perhaps way more advanced in this aspect than some of its neighbors.
Mutharika in Blantyre
Mutharika’s governing philosophy has been guided by his experiential background, transparency and sheer hard work. Indeed, since becoming President, Mutharika has tirelessly sought to tackle corruption, improve governance and ensure regulatory and fiscal compliance.
This presidential ambition and the new ‘can do’ approach that has accompanied it, has had a perceptible impact on how the state functions – including in its interface with domestic and foreign businesses.
His passion and zeal to end wasteful government spending, curb corruption and improve public service delivery, has endeared him not just with the low-income Malawians but also many others in the region.
Mutharika’s concept framework for constructive engagement, his decisiveness and inclusive mindset have managed to facilitate the emergence of a governing style that leverages diverse strengths, cultivates innovation, and ultimately becomes part of the cultural change that is needed, in order (for a country) to overcome its biggest challenges.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are not necessarily the views of the Publisher or the Editor of Maravi Post
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Monday endorsed Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika as a sole presidential candidate for the party come May 2019 tripartite elections.
This was revealed during the ongoing party’s convention in Blantyre where 89 members are to contest for different positions from Vice presidents to committee members.
In his remarks during the opening remarks, President Mutharika encouraged peace and unity amongst party members and also urged them to desist from gossiping on issues that are likely to destroy the party.
“I will not tolerate gossip in the the party. People come everyday asking me to remove others from the party but I don’t pay attention because if I were to listen to those gossips the party wouldn’t have been strong as it is today.
“I know some of you contesting in different positions have been sent, I promise that I will crash you once you have been discovered,” Mutharika said.
Mutharika also urged members and Malawians in general to go register in the Voter’s registration to enable them cast their vote on May 2019 elections.
The Malawi leader therefore vowed to continue with various developmental Projects and improve the country’ s economy if voted into power in the forthcoming general elections.
“DPP was established in April 2005, since then, a number of achievements have been done. Our country’s economy has improved since 2013 with the inflation rate dropping from 34 percent to 7.8 percent as of now and commercial rate is at 26 percent and for the first time our country has forex reserve for more than 6 months,” Mutharika said.
DPP Vice Presidents for Northern and Eastern regions Goodall Gondwe and Bright Msaka went unopposed and were announced as such.
The convention will see members voting for Vice presidents for Central and Southern regions only.
DPP cadets block Kaliati at Parliament accusing her of backing …
The Maravi Post joins Malawi Vice President, Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, in condemning the unfortunate and uncalled for scenes of violence and intimidation developing in this country.
These attacks culminated in the bizarre incidences where people took it upon themselves to try to bar the entry into the Parliament House of two Members Mrs Patricia Kaliati and Mr Noel Masangwi on Friday.
