Former Moroka Swallows, Silver Striker and Flames international Hellings Mwakasungula has denied involvement in match fixing during the 2010 African Cup of Nations which was staged in Angola.
Hellings Mwakasungula
Mwakasungula and other senior players are on record to has fixed games at the tournament in exchange for money. The illegal move attracted a lifetime ban for Mwakasungula in all football activities, by the world soccer administrative body FIFA.
As quoted in the weekend nation newspaper of 14th September 2019, the former Flames expressed his innocence on the matter. He also vowed to continue pursuing the appeal since football is his life.
“I never betrayed my country in Angola. I would love if this nation watched the videos of all our games. I just don’t know how one can sell a game,” He said
The former midfield maestro and company are accused of selling games against Angola and Mali at the tournament. The Flames lost the two games which led to their premature exit from the continental soccer contest, after a bright start which saw them shock Algeria by 3 goals to nil.
Contrary to Mwakasungula’s claims that he is innocent, former Flames coach Kinnah Phiri who was in charge that time suspected his charges of match fixing. In previous interviews with the media, Kinnah cited the Mali game in which the team conceded two quick goals as an example of assignments which raise questions.
The nation is eager to know the other players who were Hellings’ accomplices in match fixing. However, this will have to wait until investigations are concluded
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu has said his newly-established football academy will follow the setup of Spanish giants FC Barcelona.
During launch of the Walter Nyamilandu Football Academy at Mpira Stadium in Blantyre yesterday, the FAM boss said he believes the Barcelona philosophy is the way to go for the academy to realise its dream of moulding export-quality stars.
Nyamilandu said: “We will develop the academy the Barcelona way. We would like to inculcate the Barcelona culture into this academy. That is why we have roped in legends such as Joseph Kamwendo [one of the academy’s coach].”
According to Barça Academy website, Barcelona academy’s objective is to provide boys and girls aged between six and 18 comprehensive training environment.
It states that “this method of schooling, exported to the rest of the world, attempts to extend their own particular model, based on the Barça methodology which includes a creative and attacking brand of football and the promotion of positive values such as respect, effort, ambition, teamwork and modesty”.
On the sustainability of his academy, whose slogan is ‘Arise and Shine’, Nyamilandu said he is running it with personal resources, but he is working on getting serious international partners.
He said, the academy run on non-residential basis at Country Club Limbe, will as well offer academic and vocational training to the youth.
“This is a project very close to my heart. It mirrors the success of my life. All football powerhouse in the world have strong football foundations and I believe this would be my personal contribution to the country,” said Nyamilandu, who was accompanied by his parents.
The academy’s trustee and Nyamilandu’s sister Dr Lucinda Taylor said they believe the initiative will help Malawian children learn, develop and grow the game of football.
Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture director of football Kinnah Phiri and Blantyre City mayor Wild Ndipo applauded Nyamilandu for the initiative and they urged others to emulate the gesture.
A total of 25 players have been identified and enrolled at the academy after a rigorous process, which involved a tournament played in Blantyre last month.
The launch activities of the academy included an exhibition match between the Walter Nyamilandu Academy and Play Football Academy from Lilongwe.
As Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) braces to resume nationwide demonstrations this week, the Attorney General (AG)’s office has insisted that the protests are premature. However, but legal experts have said the rights body is free to protest.
In a telephone interview yesterday one of the lawyers for the AG’s office Neverson Chisiza faulted HRDC for planning to hold fresh demonstrations before the two sides submitted their resolutions to the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal.
HRDC has been holding demonstrations to force Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson Jane Ansah to resign for allegedly presiding over flawed May 21 presidential elections, but a 14-day moratorium issued on August 27 by Justice Lovemore Chikopa of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal suspended the protests pending discussions on ensuring violence-free protests.
Chisiza said yesterday the 14 days expired while Chikopa was outside the country; hence, HRDC should have waited until they reported back to the court for a consent order.
He said: “Our understanding is that the 14 days expired while the judge presiding over the case was outside the country. As such, we expected that we should first submit the points that we agreed to the court and probably get a consent order.
“We understood that the spirit of the order was that we should have proper safeguards before holding any demonstrations. But our colleagues rushed to announce the dates for demonstrations even before we reported back to the court. There was miscommunication, the judge only arrives today and this was communicated even to HRDC lawyers [yesterday].”
However, last week AG Kalekeni Kaphale was quoted as having said the judge had returned to office on Tuesday last week.
However, some lawyers have said HRDC is free to hold public demonstrations even before the resolutions are submitted to the court.
Lawyers Alfred Majamanda and John Gift Mwakhwawa said HRDC was at liberty to organise what it calls Jane Ansah Must Fall demonstrations after the expiry of the 14-day moratorium.
Majamanda said if the court did not order that the report should be submitted before the resumption of demonstrations, HRDC was not treading on a wrong path.
He said: “It all depends on what the order said. If it specifically set the submission of the resolutions of the meeting between the AG and HRDC as a condition precedent, then demonstrations cannot be held. But if it did not put the resolutions as a pre-condition for the resumption of demonstrations, then there is nothing wrong in what HRDC is doing.”
The order in part reads: “During the said time [14 days], the parties hereto shall hold negotiations to determine a manner in which the ‘Respondents’ [HRDC] exercise of their rights in Section 38 of the Constitution can be had without undue incidents of violence and crime…”
Majamanda’s view was echoed by Mwakhwawa, who said the order was for the two parties to discuss means of holding peaceful demonstrations.
“As I understand it, there are no more leagl impediments for HRDC to organise demonstrations. After the moratorium expired, there should no longer be any impediment to stop them from going ahead. Even the argument that some issues were not agreed upon should hold no water because the court do not have powers to force people to agree on any matter.”
When contacted yesterday, HRDC lawyer Khwima Mchizi said he could not comment on the dates of arrival of the presiding judge.
He said: “In my view, the order was very clear that after 14 days HRDC was free to organise demonstrations.”
Meanwhile, HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo said in a separate interview his organisation will go ahead with the planned demonstrations from Wednesday to Friday this week.
“What we know is that the 14 days expired and after that we are free to organise demonstrations by making use of the points that we agreed with the AG’s office.
According to Mtambo, HRDC has submitted letters informing all city councils of the demonstrations and that some district councils will receive the letters this week.
The AG’s office and HRDC lawyers held a meeting last week in Lilongwe where they discussed modalities of how to avoid violence during demonstrations. Before last week, the meeting had to be postponed several times due to security concerns.
The Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal made the order following an application by the AG’s office which cited violence and looting during some of the HRDC’s protests aimed at forcing Ansah to stand down.
HRDC and opposition political parties accuse Ansah, who is also a Justice of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, of presiding over an allegedly flawed electoral process
President Peter Mutharika has described the late Robert Mugabe as a man who stood for independence of Africa; politically and economically.
Mutharika said this on Saturday in Lilongwe when he was arriving from Harare where he paid his last respect to the former Zimbabwe’s president who died last week Friday.
“I think he stood for Africa to be economic sufficient and self-sustaining and not to depend on assistance from outside. I think that’s what he tried to do; he faced all difficulties but I think he stood for the right thing to do for Africa. Mutharika said the continent should strive for Mugabe’s ethos he wanted for Africa to be together.
Mutharika , paying last respects to Mugabe
“We are doing that; in trade, education and sustainable development. That’s what he left,” he said.
President Mutharika said the funeral ceremony was evidence that Mugabe was the great son of Africa who stood for the continent.
“The ceremony was so touching. I was so glad to see Kenneth Kaunda [former Zambia’s President] was there.He is the only one left standing of the great African leaders emancipating the African continent; he is about 95. It was very satisfying,” said Mutharika.
The complex remembrance process for the longtime Zimbabwean president continued Saturday with a state funeral.
Mugabe, who was ousted in a 2017 military coup, led Zimbabwe for 37 years and died at a Singapore hospital.
Senior Chief Kachindamoto of Dedza District has fired 16 chiefs under her jurisdiction for treating early marriages with kid’s gloves.
In an interview on Wednesday, Kachindamoto said some chiefs in the area are allowing young girls to enter early marriages instead of remaining in school; a development which is against bylaws the area put in place.
Kachindamoto has further called upon lawmakers to consider reviewing marriage age for girls from 18 to 21.
According to the chief, through Go Back to School Initiative which was established in the community, a number of girls have returned to school. She also said she managed to put to sleep other cultural practices which are dangerous to girls.
Meanwhile, District Coordinator for Malawi Girl Guide Association in Dedza, Mr. James Chisale, has said the association has trained some girls in the community to work as role models in a bid to impress upon young girls to remain in school.
In recent years, Senior Chief Kachindamoto has gained international recognisation for being a champion of anti early marriages for girls.
