Admarc CEO Margret Roka Mauwa has been moved as Chief executive for Admarc. It has been announced that Felix Jumbe is now the new CEO.
This is a sharp response to Admarc employees’ demands. Last week Admarc employees threatened to down tools if government didn’t remove Mauwa & two others for alleged abuse of office.
Felix Jumbe, new Admarc CEO
A letter signed by Chief Sec. to govt Lloyd Muhara and made available to 247Malawi News, says that Mauwa has been seconded to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development.
In another development , Government has also appointed Stain Singo as the new board chairperson for Admarc
Malawian President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika on Monday appealed to the developed world to bankroll the Least Developed Countries (LCDs) to fight climate change, saying the LCDs suffer most from the effects of climate change.
“The Least Developing Countries are doing their part. Our major challenge is resources. The Least Developing Countries are the least contributors to climate change. And yet, we suffer most from the effects of climate change,” Mutharika, speaking as Chair of the 41 LDCs, told the world summit of Climate Change being hosted by Spain.
Mutharika, one of the six African presidents invited to the summit, urged “our developed partners to move one step forward in providing financial and technological support.”
He said the world had enough resources to fight climate change, “if only we can share…the world has enough power to fight climate change, if only we can unite.”
The summit, which runs up to December 13, is running under the theme ‘National Plans to Increase Ambition by 2020.’
Mutharika returns home Tuesay from the summit, which is being attended by 200 countries
The four were found to have connived and killed Enelesi Nkhata for rituals. Enelesi was a nephew to one of the concicts Gerald Phiri.
Justice Chifundo Kachale said in his ruling that the court “hereby condems you Gerald Phiri to suffer death in the manner prescribed by the law, subject to the criminal procedure and evidence code.
Albinos facing threats
Others convicted on the same charge were Medson Madzialenga, Steven Chingomb’e and Jemson Baluwa. They were also sentenced to life imprisonment for the offence of trafficking in person.
Sentenced to life imprisonment for trafficking in persons were: Damdson Manyani, Damiano Phiri, Isaac Msambalume and Macdonald Kanyerere.
People living with albinism are targeted for their body parts and bones for rituals that include becoming rich.
Malawi has an estimated 134,000 PWAs, but since 2014, up to 150 cases, 26 murders and scores of abductions have been recorded by the Association of People Living with Albinism in Malawi (Apam).
A United Nations expert on Albinism warned in 2016 that witchcraft threatens the PWAs with extinction and the situation “constitutes an emergency and a crisis disturbing in its proportions.”
President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika this year announced some of the following key directives and interventions against albino murders and abductions:
.Government will set up a commission of inquiry and procure 3,000 personal security alarms to be distributed to PWAs to alert police when faced with abduction threats.
.A K5 million reward awaits anyone who can provide police with information leading to the arrest and prosecution of people who abduct or kill PWAs.
.Malawi will engage foreign investigators to probe the whereabouts of the body markets for PWAs.
Mutharika often condemns attacks on PWAs, saying: “It’s an evil act and inhumane, it reduces the dignity of our fellow citizens with albinism. I repeat…stop politicising albino killings and let us join hands to protect them.”
“It is a tragedy that has befallen us that needs collective solutions. We will not be able to solve the current problems by finger pointing.”
Ikponwosa Ero, the United Nations independent expert on the enjoyment of human rights by PWAs, warned in 2016 that PWAs in Malawi are “an endangered group facing a risk of systematic extinction over time if nothing is done to stem the tide.”
Ero, a Nigerian national and herself a PWA, said the “frequent involvement of close relatives in cases of attacks is highly disturbing and persons with albinism are unable to trust even those who are supposed to care and protect them.”
She added: “Even in death, they do not rest in peace as their remains are robbed from graveyards. Attacks against a few of them constitutes a danger to all of them.”
President Peter Mutharika has travelled to Spain to attend the United Nations Climate Change summit. Not sure which side of the argument you sit on, but , its either you believe climate change is real or like USA president Donald Trump, you believe Climate change is a myth. It is recommendable that Malawi is involved in these discussions as the threat of climate change is evident to all with alot of natural disasters currently hitting the world.
Mutharika in Spain
What me , like most Malawians are worried about though is that; just like many of Mutharika’s foreign trips, this climate change summit will bring nothing to malawi apart from a good press conference when he lands back home telling the nation the high profile leaders he shared the podium with. Usual rhetoric from the Malawi leader that Malawians have got used to , except that this time , it will do him no favour but contribute to the anger and frustration the country has on him and the growing belief that Mutharika is beyond redemption but a certified leader who is not capable of delivering any meaningful change.
Throughout his political career, Mutharika is known for his failures to showcase any real leadership skills. Others would argue that it is his style and he prefers to adopt the laissez fare style whereby he is better off just sitting down with the hope that things will sort themselves out. That is fine for those who want to buy that mediocrity , but for Malawians who are angry with what is going on right now , a lazy leader is the last thing we want.
It is well documented of Mutharika failures as the then Minister of Education. He miserably failed to sort out the stand off between University students and the then Bingu government. He has no bone for meaningful negotiations and his presence only escalated the situation. The argument stands that he chose to sit down and watch hoping that with the passage of time all will be well.
Let me pick out a few issues for when he was President . Let us take the albino killing issue for instance. Mutharika has failed to be at the forefront of this fight to end the killing of albinos. Instead he chose to attack the opposition claiming they are politicizing the issue. Probably he thought he had succeeded as Malawians shifted their attention to the election and the ongoing election case. However, just this week , a police officer Chikondi Chileka who conducted investigations into abductions and killing of has named Mutharika and his advisor Hertherwick Ntaba of being part of the albino Killing syndicate. As is the case with the president , he has chosen not to address the issue and people with albinism continue to live in fear .
Then came the wave of demos after the outcome of the election case . Malawi has seen the demise of the rule of law never seen before since the country gained independence. The police have been left toothless and people take matters in their own hands now . The issue of Muslims and Christians fighting in Mangochi over whether Muslim kids can wear Jihabs to school has not been addressed . Police officers raping the innocent women in Msundwe and yet the president has not risen up to be counted as a leader.
Over 5 months now that Malawians have been calling for the resignation of Jane Ansah as head of Electoral Commission, Mutharika has never risen up to set tangible solution to this . He is acting like he doesnt care and never wishes to address issues that Malawians are asking him to show leadership on.Not sure what his motive was, but , one would applaud the former President Bakili Muluzi for showing Mutharika what a President ought to do . He attempted to bring leaders of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition together for a discusss to help find the solution. Mutharika never followed up on this and he has given the civil rights leaders and malawians a cold shoulder over Jane ansah issue.
It is one thing to be a calm leader as DPP cadets claim he is , but it is no secret that Mutharika is clueless and is highly challenged in his leadership skills. Yes he is in Spain discussing climate change , but looking at his record , nothing will change and the only change that will happen is their bank balances when they receive the allowances for travelling to Spain
Malawian President Arthur Peter Mutharika who left the country through Kamuzu International Airport on Friday morning to attend the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 25), has arrived in Madrid, Spain.
President Mutharika is amongst the few five African leaders invited to attend the meeting based on their splendid performance towards climate change in their countries.
Mutharika arriving in Spain
This year’s talks will focus on putting the 2015 Paris agreement into practice with the aim of cutting on greenhouse gas emissions which are a major culprit of climate change. The conference will also be a preparatory meeting for the 2020 climate conference which will take place in the UK where it is expected that long term responses to climate change emergency will be decided.
Addressing the media before departure at the Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, President Mutharika said he would speak on the adverse effects of climate change such as global warming on least developed countries like Malawi.
“There are several challenges that have resulted from climate change such as dwindling water levels in the Shire River and Lake Malawi and floods among others which have adversely affected the country,” he said.
Malawi has also experienced changing rainfall patterns and dry spells which specialists have attributed to climate change.
The UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 will take place under the Presidency of the Government of Chile and will be held with logistical support from the Government of Spain.
The conference is designed to take the next crucial steps in the UN climate change process. Following agreement on the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement at COP 24 in Poland last year, a key objective is to complete several matters with respect to the full operationalization of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
Upon arrival, Malawi President Mutharika was welcomed by Minister of Natural resources, energy and mining Hon. Binton Kumtsaila , Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Francis Kasaila , Principal Secretary of foreign affairs Ben Botolo, Principal Secretary for Natural Resources Oliver Kumbambe and Malawi High Commisioner to United Kingdom His Excellency Kena Mphonda.
