Police in Nkhatabay district have arrested a 51-year-old Chinese national identified as Chen Shiliang for allegedly sexually assaulting two Malawian girls who work at China Civil Engineering Construction Cooperation (CCECC), a construction company which is carrying out a water project in the district.
According to Kondwani James, Nkhatabay Police Station Public Relations Officer, the victims are Nellie Rashid, aged 24, and Benezia Kadango, aged 26. The two work with the company in cafeteria department. Police say the two reported that the suspect has been harassing them sexually by touching their buttocks and breasts when they are working since May this year.
Despite being reported to the company Human Resource Manager, Shiliang did not change his behaviour before the two reported to police. Police then instituted investigations into the matter which led to the arrest of the suspect on June 28, 2021.Shiliang has been charged with indecent assault on females which is contrary to section 137 (1) of the Penal Code. He will appear before the court of law soon.
The role the diaspora can play in the development of Malawi remains diverse. As football continues to be a popular sport that still needs support if Malawi The Flames are to win any major trophies in future, here is one man who has stopped talking but gone into action by establishing a football club.
Dr Thomas Nyirenda is the owner of the Super League outfit TN Stars of Kasungu, one of the fastest growing football clubs in the country.. “Out of my passion to give young boys a chance to kick a ball, enjoy life, build healthy bodies, keep out trouble and try their lack of chasing a dream of being a superstar was born this TN Stars FC Academy. This is my commitment: to play my part in giving the youth a chance at soccer” he said
TN Stars
TN Stars is not just any other simple football club. While it might be regarded as a small club, the team boosts of success stories that includes;
-Qualifying into Super League in 2018
-Producing National team Coach Meke Mwase, who was managing the club prior to his move .
-Social responsibility by signing charter with wildlife conservation society to protect animals in Kasungu National Park
-Employment of at least 30 young players and support to 40 juniors
-Super League has boosted income at Kasungu businesses and municipal via Stadium gate revenues.
-Cementing an alliance with a retired coach of Stuttgart in Germany who comes 30 days annually to work with the team. He is funded by German government’s senior expert program to low middle income countries.
-Two young players called and played in Malawi Under 20 in 2018
– Top striker Stein Davie moving to Silver Strikers and Young Laurent who has been in Capetown program moving to Civo in 2020 respectively
TN Stars owner Dr Thomas Nyirenda
Dr Nyirenda describes football as his passion outside Medical and Public Health Service .The club owner has an encouraging words to fellow Malawians in the diaspora to get involved in football development back home “ Firstly , Sports is a science which evolves everyday. To be competitive we have to help in elevating how sports is done scientifically from youth development, diet, psychology , physical and socially “said Nyirenda.
He went on to say the diaspora need to come together to raise funds required to elevate the sports. In Super league , currently 7 out of the 16 teams don’t get government funding , and this creates uneven playing field . In order to build a strong national team , we need all the 16 teams to be strong argued Nyirenda.
Two big UK tobacco companies have failed to persuade the high court to strike out a case against them that alleges they are responsible for the exploitation of Malawian farming families and child labour in their drive for profits.
British American Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco deny the allegations. They argued that the Malawian families could not prove that the tobacco they grew had ended up in their cigarettes.
The farmers’ lawyers said they had repeatedly asked the companies for proof that they had not bought tobacco from their clients, but no documents had been disclosed to them.
In the high court, Mr Justice Martin Spencer said the companies’ application to strike out the case had been “misconceived”. The judge said lawyers for the farmers were not required to offer proof at the beginning of a legal action, only when it came to full trial.
The case follows the publication of a Guardian investigation in June 2018 that revealed the plight of children forced to work in the fields.
Families are trafficked from southern Malawi to tobacco-growing regions in the north, their lawyers at Leigh Day allege. Once there, it is said, they have to build their own homes from branches and work seven days a week in the fields. They receive a small portion of maize each day and get by largely by borrowing money until harvest time at the end of the season, when they are paid for the crop.
Loans and the costs of farming supplies are deducted and some end up in debt, the lawyers say. The families have no money to hire labour, so the entire family, including children as young as three, work the fields.
The lawyers argue the conditions of work breach the definition of forced labour, unlawful compulsory labour and exploitation under Malawian law. They also say they breach the UK Modern Slavery Act, article 14 of the European convention on human rights, and the International Labour Organization definition of forced labour. They say the companies have been unjustly enriched.
In their literature, the companies claim they can trace where their tobacco comes from “down to farm level” and they monitor conditions on those farms.
However, in his judgment, the judge referred to correspondence in which BAT admitted that “traceability down to the farm level” did not actually mean it could trace tobacco to individual farmers working their separate fields.
Martyn Day, a senior partner at Leigh Day, said: “BAT and Imperial make millions of pounds in profit each year and our clients believe much of this profit is down to the awful conditions that are present in their supply chains, which use impoverished families to farm the tobacco and pay them a pittance to do so.
“It is not surprising that BAT and Imperial tried to get these very serious claims against them thrown out by the court. We are pleased that the court agreed with out clients that they have an arguable case which should be heard by the court.”
Oliver Holland, a partner at Leigh Day, said: “Once again we see the information the multinational companies provide in their corporate materials in relation to human rights and environmental issues is misleading and untrue. This is the information that shareholders look at when deciding to invest in these companies. It takes cases like these to expose these untruths.
“We are now keen for these claims to proceed on to trial so that our clients can get some justice and put an end to the slave-like conditions in which our clients are forced to grow tobacco.”
A spokesperson for Imperial said they could not comment further because the litigation was ongoing, “other than to reiterate that we will continue to defend the claim”.
BAT said it had “a longstanding commitment to respect the human rights of our employees, the people we work with and the communities in which we operate. We will continue to vigorously defend the claims and we are unable to provide further comment while this case continues.”
Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Dr. Dalitso Kabambe is reportedly in hiding following revelations that he authorised the transfer of K4.3 billion to FDH Bank account number 1024883104001 the night before the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) announced results of the court-sanctioned Fresh Presidential Election.
The FDH bank account is held in the name of Chief Elections Officer which corporate governance experts and commentators faulted.
Police have arrested former Deputy Governor Henry Mathanga, who is involved in a legal challenge for constructive dismissal.
Arrested as well are retired Director Rodrick Wiyo and a serving manager, Leya Ndonga who is also named in the forensic audit of the bank as having a hand in the abuse of Covid-19 funds.
Kabambe, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential hopeful is said to have given an excuse to for not reporting to the National Police Headquarters in Lilongwe today.
Previously MEC defended its position when this obscure account existence was revealed saying: ““the nation should be informed that this amount was duly authorized by the Accountant General. These amounts were meant to facilitate payment of printing of ballot papers and other bills for electoral activities, and allowances for security officers, polling staff and other service providers during the polling exercise.”
More arrests are underway at the Treasury, Malawi Electoral Commission and DPP officials.
Super League side Civil Service United suffered a shock defeat to premier division side Sable Farming as they were edged 3-4 on post-match penalties with regulation time ending in a 1-1 draw.
The visitors were the first to score through Sherrif Maida and Civil equalised through Innocent Tanganyika.
Former Nyasa Big Bullets and Ntopwa United defender George Nyirenda scored Sable’s winning penalty while Innocent Tanganyika and Tione Tembo for Civil missed their penalties.
Civil out of the Cup
In another round of 32 match, Civil’s rivals Silver Strikers cruised through to the round of 16 following their 2-1 win against Immigration FC.
Chinsinsi Maonga and Maxwell Phodo scored for the central bankers while Immigration got their consolation through Patrick Mponda.
The action will continue on 3rd July with Rumphi United hosting Neno Giants at Rumphi Stadium and Baka City playing against Dedza Young Soccer at Karonga Stadium
On July 4, Wanderers Reserve will entertain Luwinga United at Mpira Stadium and Ekwendeni Hammers will play Airborne Rangers at Mzuzu Stadium on the same day
Mighty Tigers will play Kasungu Police on a public holiday 6th July and the final round of 32 match will be between Mzuzu Warriors and Ntopwa FC at Mzuzu Stadium on 10th July, 2021.
Below are the full-time results of the FDH Cup round of 32 games played on Sunday, June 27,2021.
Civil Service FC 1(3)-1(4) Sable Farming FC Innocent Tanganyika-Sheriff Maida(P)
Immigration FC 1-2 Silver Strikers Patrick Mponda-Chinsisi Maonga Maxwell Gastin Phodo
Polytechnic FC 2-3 Chitipa United Isaac Fischer(brace)-Mathews Sibale Alex Benson Rajab Nyirenda
Kamuzu Barracks 3-0 Ngolowindo FC Francis Kadzeka Zingani Yona Sammy Chiponda
