The Business Committee of Parliament has agreed that non-vaccinated persons will not be allowed to enter Parliament premises.
Speaker of the House, Catherine Gotani Hara, announced this at the start of deliberations today Thursday morning.
Her announcement follows one confirmed COVID-19 positive case of a legislator which was announced on Wednesday.
The announcement from the Speaker was confirmed by representatives of the parties in the committee namely Government Chief Whip, Kezzie Msukwa and DPP’s Symon Vuwa Kaunda.
“All persons entering Parliament premises be it MPs, journalists or contractors will be required to show their COVID-19 certificate or go to get a jab,” Said Hara to the applause of the House.
Malawi has adjusted some Covid-19 preventive measures following a recent discovery of new variant known as Omicron. The variant was first discovered in South Africa before spreading to other countries in the Southern African region.
Meanwhile, countries including UK, US, China have banned flights from Southern Africa in order to contain the new variant.
But South Africa has branded the ban as “punishment to excellent science.”
Sangwani Mwafulirwa
Director, Media and Public Relations
Malawi Electoral Commission
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has acknowledged receipt of a letter from parliamentarian Symon Vuwa Kaunda in which he is demanding K600 million for the pollster’s alleged failure to diligently discharge its duties.
On Tuesday, the Nkhatabay Central Member of Parliament wrote MEC through Mbulo Attorneys At Law demanding compensation amounting to K600million for the “trauma” following the Supreme Court’s nullification of his 2019 victory.
MEC Director of Communications Sangwani Mwafulirwa told MBC Online on Thursday that the commission has indeed received Kaunda’s demand letter and that a response will be drafted directly to him.
“I can confirm that the commission has received the demand letter from Honourable Vuwa Kaunda. The Commission is going to look into the issue and possibly draft response to him within the time he has requested.
“As per official communication, the Commission is going to send the communication direct to him. We will not do the style which they did of leaking documents to the media before they reach the intended addressee. We will respect the official communication protocols. It will be up to him to disclose what has been the response of the Commission or not. We respect the privacy of our clients and stakeholders,” said Mwafulirwa.
In the letter, the politician argued that in the initial trial- between him and archrival Ralph Mhone-the High Court dismissed petition for nullification of results on the grounds of insufficient evidence, but ruled that MEC did not comply with Sections 89, 93, and 94 of the Parliamentary, Presidential Election Act of the Laws of Malawi, a basis which Mhone used to take the matter to the Supreme Court.
“After hearing the appeal, the Supreme Court of Appeal on 21st April, 2021 nullified our client’s victory on the basis that your institution failed to comply not only Sections 89, 93, and 95 of the PPEA but also Section 94 of the PPEA.
“Further the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal faulted your institution for failure to bring original documents that were in your custody before the court in order to support your position that our client emerged victorious in the 2019 Tripartite Elections,” said the letter, which is signed by Lawyer Leonard Mbulo.
Malawi Electoral Commission – MEC has announced that it will conduct by election in Nkhata Bay Central Constituency, Lalanje Ward in Nsanje and Chikwembere Ward in Blantyre on 29 June, 2021.
Announcing the development through its calendar of events, MEC said it will launch the by elections on May 22 this year and then officially open a campaign period that will run from 24 May to 27 June.
Speaking on the same, MEC’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa, said the inspection of voters register will be done from 26 May to 8 June, 2021 adding that no new voters will be allowed to vote but only those who registered during the 2019 tripartite elections.
“The candidates that contested in 2019 will be the same as to contest this time around and they cannot change affiliation. If the candidate opts to withdraw from the process, it means the party will go into the election without a candidate because the laws do not allow for nomination by substitution,” expressed Mwafulirwa.
The by elections in Nkhata Bay Central Constituency follows the nullification of the results of the same by the Supreme Court of Appeal after the People’s Party (PP) candidate, Ralph Mhone, challenged, through the High Court, the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) candidate, Simon Vuwa Kaunda’s victory during the 2019 polls.
Recently, the two Tonse administration allies; Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM revealed that they will not field any candidate during the polls in the constituency, but rather rally behind Mhone whose political party is also a partner in the Malawi’s power sharing government.
While painting a picture on his readiness for the polls, Mhone said he is geared to battle it out in the polls; banking his hope on the support from the currently ruling major political parties. On his part, DPP’s Simon Vuwa Kaunda has said he is only waiting for the day of the polls to prove his substance again.
During the 2019 polls, Kaunda led by 6,515 votes while Mhone trailed narrowly with 6,507 votes.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Supreme Court of Appeal in Blantye on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 nullified results of Nkhata Bay Central Constituency elections.
Raphael Mhone of People’s Party challenged the victory of Symon Vuwa Kaunda as declared by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
This comes as lower court favoured Vuwa Kaunda, the former lands minister .
This means Nkhatabay Central Constituency will have By-Elections.
Mzuzu-(MaraviPost)—Lilongwe based Senior Magistrate Shyreen Yona Chirwa has committed to the High Court the land case involving former ministers Charles Mchacha, Symon Vuwa Kaunda and former Chief Secretary to the government, Lloyd Muhara.
Two of the former top government officials, Kaunda and Muhara are being accused of conniving to sell a piece of land belonging to the department of forestry in Blantyre to their coaccused, Mchacha.
In her ruling, Chirwa agreed with the state lawyers who argued that the matter be committed to the high court as it centres on corruption.
However, Chirwa said it was out of order for her to restore the bail conditions on the accused persons and advised the state lawyers to apply at the high court for the conditions of paying bail bonds and appearing at the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) every week.
Reacting to the ruling, lawyer for the accused, Chancy Gondwe, said the case has gray areas needing some clarifications.
He said: “There is a couple of issues: one of the issues is the manner in which the file has been transferred from one magistrate to another magistrate. So, we wanted the magistrate to clarify on that. So, the court made direction and decided that we proceed with the committal of proceedings.
“So, the accused persons in this case have been committed to high court for trial but there are also some others charges against the accused persons which are before another magistrate.”
On 7 January, Principal Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba suspended the bail conditions which the state lawyers applied for on the basis that the lawyers did not follow proper procedures.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Residents of Nkhata Bay District have faulted the country’s major political parties—Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)—for conducting their campaign rallies on the same day at almost same venue in the district, saying that can lead to political violence.
DPP and UDF top brass held whistle-stop and major rally at Nkhata BayPrison ground on Wednesday but it coincided with the Tonse Alliance gathering which was led by Citizens for Transformation (CFT) leader Timothy Mtambo at Admarc ground, less than 100 metres apart.
However, some residents have raised security concerns over the events on Wednesday which they say created a fertile ground for political violence
“Local Authorities should look into that because in so doing they are creating a fertile ground for violence. So I think as a local person…as a business person that’s a source of concern,” said one of the residents.
Nkhata Bay District council spokesperson Patrick Botha said they only allowed DPP and UDF to hold their rally on Wednesday while the Tonse Alliance partners were given a go ahead to conduct their campaign over the weekend.
DPP and UDF top brass told the gathering to maintain peter mutharika by casting vote for him in the upcoming fresh presidential election, citing numerous development projects in the Lakeshore district.
Ministry of Tourism who is also a Member of Parliament for Nkhata Bay Central, Symon Vuwa Kawunda, paraded some people who he said are defectors of Malawi Congress Party and UTM.
On the other side, Mtambo, who was flanked by former legislator Raphael Mhone, Richard Chimwendo Banda, stressed the need for young to vote in large numbers for their torchbearer Lazarus Chakwera, arguing the Mutharika-led administration has no clue on how to empower the youth.
As the country gears up for fresh presidential election, there is palpable excitement with campaign rallies held daily with no regards to district councils’ directives.
The election appears to be wide open, although the Tonse Alliance, which is led by Lazarus Chakwera, seems to have a slight advantage.
There are three candidates in the Malawi’s fresh presidential race: Lazarus Chakwera, Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Peter Mutharika, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Peter Kuwani of the Mbakuwaku Movement for Democracy.
Symon Vuwa Kaunda (r) welcoming Ndovie – Pic by Andrew Mkonda
Karonga, November 21, 2019: Karonga Nyungwe Member of Parliament, Kenneth Ndovie, has officially announced he has joined the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Ndovie, who won on independent ticket, made the announcement at a development rally the party’s National Director of Logistics, Symon Vuwa Kaunda organised in Karonga on Tuesday.
The Karonga Nyungwe legislator told the press his constituents advised him to join the ruling party for the area to have meaningful development.
He said even during his campaign, he already told his constituents that he would join any party that would be ushered into government. “I am happy that today I have been officially welcomed by DPP officials in the north including the Minister. “I promise to support the party and the DPP-led Government for the benefit of the people in my area,” he said.
Ndovie said time for politicking was over and called on the people to bury their differences and start working together on development projects that government is implementing in the area.
In his remarks, Symon Vuwa Kaunda, who is also Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, said the decision made by Ndovie to join DPP was a clear testimony the party has sound policies aimed at improving people’s living standards in the country.
Kaunda then called on other people willing to join DPP to do so, saying it is the only party in the country that has the welfare of the people at heart.
During the rally, ward councillors that attended the function also pledged support to the ruling DPP Government.
NKHATABAY-(MaraviPost)-Symon Vuwa Kaunda’s son, Georam Kaunda, who is also a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) monitor at one of Nkhata Bay town hall center was caught distributing money to people (two hours ago).
According to Zodiak, MDF soldiers dragged him for questioning but some DPP supporters tried to stop the soldiers.
Infuriated, the MDF soldiers beat up the DPP supporters, injuring one DPP female member.
Upon hearing this Vuwa came to shout at the soldiers and Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) officials but the military chased him from accessing the premises and the stern warning have been issued to him not to come back.
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