Rumphi district hospital officials on Tuesday morning barred Malawi Congress Party (MCP) supporters from donating blood at the hospital, Maravi Post has learnt.
MCP regional governor for the north Kezzie Msukwa confirmed the development to Maravi Post in an interview on Wednesday.
According to Msukwa, his party organized hundreds of youths to bail out patients who are in need to of blood at the hospital.
RUMPHI-(MaraviPost)- Former cabinet minister in the Joyce Banda administration, Enoch Chihana, who is also Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) President, this week challenged Government that he was ready to be arrested alongside Banda.
Chihana, who was a Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture under the former Malawi President, claims Banda was not alone when she made some of the decisions that resulted in the warrant of arrest.
The AFORD President said this in reacting to last week’s Malawi Police Service (MPS) announcement of the warrant of arrest for Banda over Cashgate charges, issued by the police.
In the statement, Police said they have “credible evidence” against the former President on matters of abuse of office and money laundering.
“Running Government is a collective responsibility, because the President, the Vice and all the Cabinet ministers are involved in making the decisions. If Dr. Joyce Banda did something wrong, then all the ministers, including me, did wrong, and we should be arrested,” Chihana challenged.
Chihana’s sentiment on the matter has attracted mix reactions from various scholars wherein, some have differed with him.
Fahad Assani, who was Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the Banda administration, differed with Chihana and argues that the Police work, is evidence.
Assani observed that Banda’s warrant of arrest, was not a question of collective responsibility, since the
“Police base it [warrant of arrest] on evidence they gather on a particular individual, unless there are leads linking to others involved. Ordinarily, when you apply for a warrant of arrest, it is a particular person’s involvement in whatever suspicions you have in terms of the investigation,” Assani observed.
In his, remarks legal expert, Justin Dzonzi, said collective responsibility is a general statement and if Chihana proved there was a cabinet decision made involving all the ministers, then his claim would hold.
Dzonzi asked Chihana to prove that the cabinet agreed to plunder public resources.
“Chihana must show that cashgate was a Government policy under Joyce Banda, and that it was itself a subject of a cabinet discussion and adoption.
“If however, if the connection between the President and cashgate does not necessarily revolve around a cabinet policy approval, then only individuals who participated in that scheme, would be called to answer. All in all, the question is: is there evidence to show who participated and to what extent?” Dzonzi said.
People’s Party Administrative Secretary, Joseph Chikwemba, said it remains incumbent on former cabinet ministers who feel they were involved to surrender themselves to the authorities.
“We are yet to see the evidence the Police have (but) if any former minister feels they were involved, they can surrender themselves to the authorities,” Chikwemba said.
Former ministers in the Joyce Banda administration have also differed over the calls to put all former cabinet ministers behind bars on the basis that the former Malawi leader was not making unilateral decision that resulted in the infamous plunder of public funds.
Malawi President Peter Mutharika this Wednesday, emphasized the importance of small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs), because they contribute significantly in the country’s economic growth and development.
The President was speaking at Mzuzu State Lodge during an audience with representatives of Mzuzu City vendors.
He said Government values the contribution small and medium businesses make to the national economy, hence his decision to interact with the vendors in Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe, Kasungu and Mzuzu.
The President assured the vendors that they are extremely important people, and that no country can survive without small and medium entrepreneurs.
He then assured them that Government will improve market structures so that they are resilient to fires, which have been rampant in the recent years.
“I am talking to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to improve the markets and build modern ones so that they are free from fire,” he said.
He also disclosed that Government is working with organizations in the United States and Europe, to provide loans to small and medium scale businesses to boost them.
The President also said Government has embarked on a project to develop 70 trading centers in Chitipa, Karonga, Nkhata Bay, Rumphi and Mzimba.
On national development, the Malawi leader reiterated his resolve to construct Mombera University in Mzimba, a New Airport in Mzuzu and continue rehabilitating various roads in the region among other developments.
He also disclosed that Government will expand Mzuzu University to add more programs.
In his remarks, secretary for vendors in Mzuzu City, Scrivina Dzonzi, asked the President to intervene in illegal vending, which is rampant in the city.
He said a lot of vendors ply their trade in undesignated places outside the market, where they do not pay market fees and also make the city untidy.
Dzonzi appreciated the role Mzuzu City Council plays in trying to curb the situation, but lamented that the Council faces challenges due to limited resources.
“We are asking you, our President, to help the City Council with resources, like vehicles to contain illegal vending, which is rampant in the e,” he said.
Dzonzi also asked Government to consider providing vendors with soft loans, saying it is very difficult for them to access loans from banks, who ask for collateral.
He pleaded with Government to reduce customs and excise tariffs that small and medium business persons pay at the border. He said the tariffs are too high, such that they do not make much profit after selling their commodities.
Break News: Government pledges to offer funeral and hospital expenses to Lake Malawi boat accident’s victims
We continue coverage of the breaking news of the tragedy on Lake Malawi that so far has claimed five lives.
The Malawi Government, through the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DoMA), said it will provide assistance towards the cost of the funeral arrangements of the victims of the Lake Malawi boat accident, and hospital bills to the survivors who are receiving medical attention.
According to the press statement from DoMA, anyone or organisations wishes to offer humanitarian assistance should contact government through the following persons:
++Mr. Paul Kalilombe, Director of Response and Recovery, Department of Disaster Management Affairs, on phone number ?0999 865 568.
++Mr. Lusizi Nhlane, District Commissioner of Rumphi, on phone number ?0999 387 602.?
The boat capsized at Mlowe on Lake Malawi in Rumphi district around 3 pm on Sunday, 16 April, 2017, with most of the passengers coming from an Easter service. Reports state that preliminary figures indicate the boat was carrying 79 passengers.
It is also reported that the boat was on its way to New Salawe in Nkhata Bay via Tchalo, Zunga and Old Salawe in Rumphi.
According to information sourced by Maravi Post, the boat capsized at a distance of about 100 metres into the Lake soon after sail-off.
Current information on the ground indicates five people have died, 20 are still missing, while 54 people survived during the accident. They were rescued by people from the surrounding communities while some swam back to the shore.
The government is assuring Malawians that the Malawi Defence Force officers from Chilumba Barracks, are on site of the accident to continue searching for those passengers that are still missing. This is a collaborative mission with the Malawi Police Service until they complete the rescue exercise.
Government extends condolences to the bereaved families for having lost their loved ones during this tragic accident.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost):—Amidst numerous social and economic challenges facing the country, Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango has said Malawi is likely to become a better place to live under the leadership of Arthur Peter Mutharika.
Mhango, while addressing people of Rumphi on some of the plans DPP has stored for Malawians, assured the citizenry that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is planning to turn the country into a paradise.
A prostitute stands along a street in Fortaleza, Ceara State, northeastern Brazil, on April 16, 2013. AFP PHOTO/Yasuyoshi CHIBA (Photo credit should read YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)
Scores of young girls across the country are flocking to Karonga district to have sex with men in order survive from hunger and economic turmoil, Maravi Post has established.
The deadly disease of cholera has claimed 13 lives with 266 registered cases within a period of two months in Malawi’s northern districts of Karonga and Rumphi, officials have revealed.
The Health officials in both districts confided to Maravi Post in an interview that using unsafe water for consumption is believed to be the main cause of the rapid spread of the disease
While Rumphi has registered no death but 41 cases in a period of five days, officials in Karonga a district which has suffered most with the disease since April this year have 13 deaths with 225 cases registered.
Spokesperson for Rumphi district hospital Wanalori Mwamulima says “health officials are doing their best to curb the disease.”
“The disease started on Friday last week with 9 cases registered but as I am talking to you the figure has drastically shoot to 41.”
“The most affected parts are the lake shore areas such as Mulowe, Luwuchi, Chitimba as well as Chiwata` but the health personnel are doing their best,” said Mwamurima.
Karonga Environmental Health Officer Luis Tukula said nothing has changed despite the sensitization campaign on the disease.
“It’s very unfortunate that the disease continue devastating people’s lives despite our efforts as a hospital. Imagine 13 deaths and 225 registered cases, this is not a joke,” worried Tukula.
He said “as of now, about 15 people are battling for their lives at the main hospital.”
They both confirmed to Maravi Post that the case may vastly spread especially if the residents continue to use untreated water.
Most of the affected areas are those that are close to Lake Malawi such as the area of Traditional Authority Kilipula and Mwirang’ombe in Karonga and Luwuchi, Chitimba and Mulowe in Rumphi district.
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