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Malawian Manchester City Player Killed himself after being dropped from the club- inquest into his death confirms

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By Durrell Namasani and Manchester Evening News

A ‘talented, mature and hard-working’ teenager originally from Malawi but living in Manchester had found it ‘difficult’ after being dropped by a top football club and took his own life just weeks after his 18th birthday.

Jeremy Wisten, who had been with the Manchester City academy since he was 13, was found dead by his mother in his sister’s bedroom last year.

Paramedics raced to the family home in Baguley but despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene

The late Jeremy Wisten

The inquest heard that in 2018, Jeremy saw his hopes of a scholarship with the club crumble after they decided to let him go following a serious knee injury.

He had previously spent five months away from the pitch and was dealing with a ligament injury that left him in ‘excruciating pain’, which meant he did not progress at the same speed as his peers and he was subsequently let go from the club in December 2018.

Despite many attempts and trials with other clubs to take him on, the 18-year-old had been unsuccessful.

The inquest heard he had found it ‘difficult’ to see his other sporting friends succeeding ahead of him, and had found the Covid-19 restrictions hard as it meant the ‘popular’ teen could not see friends, who he ‘cherished’ his time with.

But his family told the hearing there was ‘no evidence’ to suggest he had been struggling in the days leading up to his death.

Tragedy as Jeremy found dead at home
The hearing heard that on the evening of October 24, 2020, the teen had locked the door to his sister’s room, the only door in the house that had a lock on it, where he then took his own life.

His mum Grace found him at around 9pm after she became concerned he had not come down to eat his dinner that evening.

A toxicology report found traces of benzodiazepine that would have only suggested recreational use.

Coroner Zak Golombek concluded that Jeremy had intended to take his own life

But Jeremy’s dad, Manila, told the inquest there was ‘absolutely no evidence to suggest he had been struggling’ and that he ‘did not believe he meant to take his own life’

He added football was Jeremy’s passion and that he ‘had looked up to Manchester City player Vincent Kompany since he was a child

He said: “He was always happy as a child and had been for his whole life.

“He was a born athlete who was always very sporty and competitive. He always wanted to come first in everything he did.

” Football became everything to him. He would kick the ball around the house and would never give anything less than his best. He would succeed in everything he did.

“After the injury nothing was the same. It didn’t stop him fully in his tracks but he was in so much pain.

“I had to remind him that some things in life cannot be controlled. I kept encouraging him to be strong.

“It was hard for him but he always retained his love for football.”

The funeral for Jeremy at St George’s Church last November(Image: Vincent Cole Manchester Evening News)

Manila also added that his son had been set for distinctions in his college studies and was applying for forensic science courses at universities in Manchester in the days leading up to his death.

The family had decided it was important for Jeremy to turn his focus to his studies after an impressive set of GCSE results.

There had been ‘no change in his behaviour’ in the weeks before his death, the inquest heard, and his father said that the teenager had merely suffered ‘ups and downs like everyone else his age during the pandemic’.

Chakwera Presides over Opening of 17th National Agriculture Fair, MCP agenda on Course

By Chikumbutso Mtumodzi

President Lazarus Chakwera has always emphasized that agriculture remains a key driver of the country’s economy. Indeed, agriculture employs about 85 percent of the workforce and contributes over 80 percent to the total export earnings.

Before President Chakwera and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) administration came to power, Malawi’s agriculture’s potential was yet to be fully exploited for it to contribute to fundamental structural transformation and sustainable development. The development of the country’s agricultural sector was hampered by farmers’ challenges in accessing inputs and markets, land especially for women, new and appropriate technologies, extension services and poor agricultural infrastructure.

Under the leadership of President Chakwera and his administration, a comprehensive programme of agricultural transformation is being implemented to set the stage for fundamental structural transformation and sustainable development.

According to President Chakwera, agricultural transformation is key to boosting labour productivity, increasing agricultural surplus to accumulate capital and increasing foreign exchange via exports. In fact, in order to end hunger and under-nutrition while accelerating economic growth, agricultural transformation must become a reality.

The vision of the MCP has been to create an agricultural sector that emphasizes the importance of increased agricultural productivity and linkages to domestic markets, self-sufficiency in food production, tackling massive unemployment of youth and women, poverty reduction and strong private sector participation.

President Chakwera and the MCP understand agricultural transformation as involving restructuring the sector, a focus on activities and interventions that raise productivity, and the modernization of agriculture.

The key preconditions for agricultural transformation include the stability of the political economy, the long-term consistency of policies and an acknowledgement of the importance of public investment.

The ultimate goal of President Chakwera and his government is to increase agriculture’s contribution to economic growth by not only increasing production for food security, but also for agro-processing and manufacturing for both domestic and export markets.

To achieve this agenda, the Chakwera administration is working towards prioritizing land access and tenure; agribusiness development with particular focus on youth and women; agricultural productivity and development; agriculture extension and appropriate technology; market access and development, climate change and agricultural development; and management for agricultural transformation.

17TH AGRICULTURAL FAIR

The National Agriculture Fair is an annual public event organized by the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.

The National Agriculture Fair provides an ideal forum for agricultural value chain players to interact and discuss business deals that are meant to promote agricultural commercialization, industrialization and facilitate linkages among various agricultural value chain players. It is, therefore, envisaged that the value chain players will discuss the best ways of improving access to financial services, value addition and markets.

The theme 17th National Agricultural Fair National Agriculture Fair is ‘Building the Agriculture Sector Back and Better in a Covid-19 Environment’.

When he officially opened the 17th National Agricultural Fair at the Trade Fair Grounds in Blantyre on Friday, 12 November, 2021, President Chakwera indicated that he believes that without enhancing production to fully exploit the agricultural sector’s potential, Malawi will always grapple with problems of endemic food insecurity, undernutrition, malnutrition and severe poverty.

The Malawi 2063 Agenda identifies agriculture productivity and commercialization as one of the three pillars. The 17th National Agricultural Fair is one of the steps towards achieving the commercialisation of the Malawi agriculture sector as it is envisioned in the Malawi 2063 Agenda. It is also a means to creating an inclusive, self-reliant and wealthy nation.

OBJECTIVES

According to Agriculture Minister, Robin Lowe, the 17th National Agricultural Fair has been organized to expose producers to new developments in technologies, value addition, marketing and financial arrangements; promoting partnerships and linkages among various business players in the sector; sharing ideas and experiences in agricultural finance, value addition and marketing; and facilitating market access for various agricultural value chain actors.

The National Agriculture Fair is organized to reflect on the dominance of agriculture in the Malawi economy and the challenges that the sector has faced over the past two years due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. All exhibitors have been encouraged to reconsider their roles in ensuring that issues of Covid-19 are mainstreamed for the development of the agricultural sector.

CONCLUSION

Indeed, President Chakwera and his government consider agriculture as one of your priorities as is clearly reflected in the 2020/2021 Annual Budget and other strategic policy documents such as the Malawi 2063, the First Malawi Implementation Plan, the National Agriculture Policy, which is currently under review, and all other equally important strategic documents available.

The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and all exhibitors present at this year’s Fair have been instrumental in making the Fair possible.

TNM donates computers with internet to St Marys Secondary School

By Staff Reporter

One of the mobile network and ICT services provider TNM has donated 11 computers complete with internet connectivity at St Mary’s Secondary School in Zomba

According to Danny Malisita ,TNM’s Regional Distribution Manager, for the South, the donation underscores the company’s commitment towards improving education through the application of modern digital technology.

In her remarks, Sister Anne Kapenda, Head Mistress of St Mary’s Secondary , said the donation is very important because the school did not have computers.She said the computers will help the students to have knowledge on how to use digital technologies.

On her part, Ruth Masangwi, Head Girl of St Mary’s Secondary School said the computers will assist the students to do research on their own without depending on their teachers.TNM has also made other donations at Januwale CDSS in Thyolo, Chayamba in Kasungu ,Ngube CDSS and Blantyre Secondary Schools in Blantyre as well as Yamba Secondary School in Chitipa.

FND wants MERA clarify on a court order stopping Ombudsman releasing report on Kachaje recruitment

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By Chisomo Phiri


Forum for National Development ( FND) says it is concerned with actions of the board of Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority ( MERA) in taking a court order to stop the Ombudsman from releasing a report into the alleged maladministration in the recruitment of its Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) Henry Kachaje whose recruitment is said to be unprocedural.


In a statement dated November 11, 2021 and signed by its Chairperson Bright Kampaundi and National Coordinator Fryson Chodzi, FND says as a complaint to the matter, it is looking forward to the conclusion of this issue and that it has set record straight in as far as public institutions are carrying out their mandates.

Bright Kampaundi


The forum says what the Mera did is obstructing the work of the Ombudsman and that it is as a deliberate effort to stop the public from knowing the truth of what happened during the recruitment process.
” The Constitution already has a remedy for redress as the determination by the Ombudsman can be challenged at the high court. We therefore, wonder why MERA Board Prematurely stopped the Ombudsman from doing her constitutional mandate . We urge the Ombudsman to apply to the courts and vacate the injunction obtained thereafter, make the findings official and public.” We written the Public Appointments Committee ( PAC) of Malawi National Assembly, to Institute and investigation on the conduct of MERA Board and should they be found wanting and negligible to the events so far, appropriate remedial action must be taken”, reads the statement.


As Ombudsman Grace Malera was busy presenting the report, some two ladies fro. Mera side came with some papers and Chalera announced that she had been served with an injunction not to present the report to the public.

Rev Nyondo confirmed as Malawi Ambassador to Brazil

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By Durell Namasani

The retired general secretary of Livingstonia Synod, Reverend Levi Nyondo has been confirmed as Ambassador to Brazil. He will be replacing Chris Chaima Banda, former Strategic Advisor to President Lazarus Chakwera, who turned down the appointment.

Joyce Chitsulo, who is the Public Appointments Committee of Parliament Chairperson confirmed the development highlighting that Chaima Banda refusal to take up the post meant they had to find the replacement.


Nyondo who was General Secretary of CCAP Livingstonia Synod retired last year and his farewell event was held on 27th December 2020 in Mzuzu.

Nyondo was a strong critic of the then ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mainly on quota system which the Church believed was discriminatory and targeted the northern region.