Sunday, March 16, 2025
No menu items!
spot_img
Home Blog Page 1630

Nankhumwa in Germany for Agriculture Ministers Conference

0

Minister responsible for Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Kondwani Nankhumwa, MP, is in Berlin, Germany to attend the 2020 Global Forum on Food and Agriculture scheduled to take place from 16th to 18th January 2020.

Upon his arrival, the Minister said that he was looking forward to share Malawi’s agriculture experiences that DPP government under the wise and dynamic leadership of His Excellency President Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika is implementing to make Malawi a hunger-free Nation as well as learn from other countries in how they are tackling issues of food security, agricultural trade and sustenance of agriculture value chains as part of efforts to develop their countries.

Nankhumwa at Berlin Agriculture Ministers Conference

Among some of the meetings that the Minister attended include: the Berlin Ministers Conference which was held on 18th January, which among other things looked at issues of fair rules in agriculture trade, sustainable, inclusive and safe value chains and trade for global food security.

The Minister who is Vice President of DPP in the South will also attend two high level meetings organised by the World Trade Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the European Commission.

“Agriculture remains the backbone of the Malawi economy adding about 30 percent to the country GDP this is why President Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika is doing everything to make Malawi a competitive country and make sure that Malawi is a free-hunger Country”, the Minister said who was National Chairnan of DPP campaign comprising (technical and operational team) in the 21st May 2019 Polls.

The Global Forum on Food and Agriculture is an annual event organised by the German Government through the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

The forum looks at issues of food and agriculture in both developed and developing countries especially on matters of agri-food policy.

Over 2,000 international visitors from politics, trade and industry, science and technology and civil society groups are expected to attend the conference and discuss key issues on food and agriculture.

In addition, at the end of the 12th Berlin Agriculture Ministers conference, high-level representatives of international organisations and governments are expected to adopt a joint political communiqué on agriculture policy.

“The DPP government under President Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika, is known for good agricultural policies that has seen the inflation keep on going down each year,” the Leader of Government Business in Parliament who is also MP for Mulanje Central.

The Minister also said Malawi government has keen interest in this Global Forum on Food and Agriculture to try and find ways of enhancing food security and Agriculture development policies that work best, especially policies aimed at increasing food security both at household and national level.

Snakebite story fake, Kotana poisoned as autopsy reveal

0

It is no longer a secret that the cause of death of one Miss Kottana Maria Chidyaonga was poison; and not a snake as was earlier reported, thanks to forensic autopsy results. This has led to the arrest of three suspects

According to the results of the forensic autopsy conducted by Dr. Charles Dzamalala, Chidyaonga, who died mysteriously on January 4, 2020 in Lilongwe, did not die of snake bite which her family and friends were made to believe.

Boyfriend Timothy Mtilosanje and the late Kotana

“The death was from unnatural causes. It was due to generalised haemolysis following acute poisoning with a pesticide called termik, an organophosphate compound that is found in most hardware/flee market shops in the country.”

“In human beings, termik disables the central nervous systems and also leads to haemolysis. Both of these actions are fatal. Based on the circumstances surrounding this death, this incidence of acute poisoning is most probably due to a homicidal act rather than a suicidal or accidental act.”

The story of the snake bite lacks scientific evidence and is therefore, best ignored as a typical snakebite wound is visibly fresh, leads to swelling from about quarter of an hour after the bite and takes specific shapes. The alleged snakebite wound on the body of late Chidyaonga lacked all of these classical supporting features on the skin surface both grossly and microscopically,” reads the report in part.

Towards the end of last festive season, the nation was saddened and maddened with the news of the death of 23 year old Chidyaonga’s who reportedly died after being bitten by a snake at her boyfriend’s house.

The three that have been arrested are Timothy Mtilosanje aged 28 from Mkungula village , Traditional Authority Kuntumanji, Zomba the boyfriend of the deceased ;  29 year old Gilbert Kamaliza from Mbamba Village T/A Mkumpha in Likoma and 23 year old Diana Bhangwanji from Khulira Village T/A Thilamanja in Mulanje.

original post: Maravi Post

Anti-bribery protest draws thousands

0

 Tens of thousands of Malawians took part in protests on Thursday at alleged attempts to bribe judges overseeing a legal challenge to the re-election last year of President Peter Mutharika.

People took to the streets after the country’s chief justice charged that the five judges presiding over the case had been offered kickbacks.

The complaint, which was filed to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday, prompted a call for demonstrations in Malawi’s three main cities.

Around 50,000 people gathered in the capital Lilongwe, with smaller rallies in Blantyre and Mzuzu.

They braved the rain and stood vigil outside parliament. Many wore white T-shirts printed with “ACB name and arrest the bribers now”.

Thousands protesting in Malawi

Opposition leaders say the May 21 poll, which saw Mutharika narrowly beat runner-up candidate Lazarus Chakwera, was marred by fraud.

In August, they petitioned Malawi’s top court to annul the results — the first time presidential election results have been legally challenged since the country gained independence from Britain in 1964.

Gift Trapence, head of a watchdog group called the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), said his organisation was pressuring ACB head Reyneck Matemba to seek “justice”.

“We met Mr Matemba yesterday and we told him that the taxpayers want the culprits exposed and arrested,” Trapence told the rally in Lilongwe.

“We told him that if they sue the ACB, we, the taxpayers, will pay.”

The HRDC, who organised the protests, has called on the ACB to release the names of the suspects and arrest them.

“The ACB will act in a few days,” Matemba told reporters on Thursday, promising Malawians would not be “let down”.

He said the body was investigating individuals named by the chief justice rather than political parties.

“This is our chance as the ACB to demonstrate to the people of Malawi that we can do better,” Matemba added.

A court ruling on the election challenge is expected by the end of January.

The ACB, who has so far refused to release any of the suspects’ names, is meant to complete its probe before then.

Sporadic demonstrations have broken out across Malawi since the election, with protesters demanding the ouster of the electoral commission’s head over her handling of the vote.

Many rallies have been met with violence by security forces.

But Thursday’s demonstrations unfolded peacefully and no incidents were reported at any of the venues, according to police spokesman James Kadadzera.

President Mutharika has brushed off all doubts on the official results, which show he won just 159,000 votes more than Chakwera, a margin of around three percentage points.

MEC ready to conduct Lilongwe by elections

0

By Durell Namasani

The Malawi electoral commissioned is now ready to conduct the parliamentary by elections for Lilongwe South Constituency. in a press release issued on Thursday the commission said that following consultations with electoral stakeholders , it has decided to resume the by elections process for the constituency

In the statement , it has been decided that the official campaign will close on 28th January at 6am. Voting will take place on 30th January with results of the winner expected to be officially announced on 31st January

Chief Elections Officer: Sam Alufandika

According to the statement which has been signed by MEC chief elections officer Sam Alufandika, the commission will hold a stakeholders meeting at Malingunde on 20th January where it shall provide all information and release the electoral calandar

MEC postponed the elections of the area in October last year saying it needed more time to review the political environment in the area as well as to attend to complaints lodged by stakeholders.

Five people are vying for the parliamentary seat in the area namely; Peter Dimba for MCP , Frank Mazizi for DPP , Julius Chombwe of Mbakuwaku and independent candidates Patson Kachingwe and Samson Phinifolo

Mutharika off to UK this Friday for Business Summit

0

His Excellency the President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika will on Friday 17 January, 2020 leave the country for London, United Kingdom to attend the United Kingdom-Africa Summit.

According to a statement from the Office of the President and Cabinet, Professor Mutharika will depart Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe at 4pm.

The Summit will be hosted by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and will bring together businesses, governments and international institutions to showcase and promote the breadth and quality of investment opportunities across Africa.

Mutharika

The Summit will strengthen the UK’s partnership with African nations to build a secure and prosperous future for all our citizens.

It will mobilise new and substantial investment to create jobs and boost mutual prosperity. Malawi’s President, HE Professor Peter Mutharika, is expected to attend the summit, accompanied by ministers, business executives and trade officials.

The summit will be a chance to demonstrate to global business the scale of commercial opportunities in Africa. It will also be an opportunity for the UK to showcase our unique offer to investors and to our African partners. That offer comprises not just UK Export Finance and CDC, both of whom are increasing the scale and reach of their efforts in Africa, but also the wealth of expertise and capital available in the UK.