Chief Machinjiri beaten up over coupons

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Traditional Authority (T/A) Machinjiri of Blantyre was on Thursday severely beaten up and undressed by his own people from Chiswe Village following disagreements over the ‘new’ procedure for distributing of subsidy coupons, The Sunday Times has learnt.

Southern Police publicist Dave Chingwalu said he is yet to receive the report, but District Commissioner (DC) Charles Makanga yesterday confirmed the incident happened.

Makanga explained that the villagers were protesting the ‘name verification exercise’ [of beneficiaries of subsidized farm inputs], which the DC had commissioned following complaints that some names were omitted from the list of genuine beneficiaries.

“My office received complaints that some deserving people were removed. In trying to address the problem, I instructed officials from my office and the chief to run a door-to-door verification process to confirm if the complaints were genuine,” Makanga said.

“But some villagers were against this arrangement. They blocked the team from doing the verification exercise and when the chief was trying to reason with them they surrounded him and started beating him up. Actually, they even stripped him naked. It’s a very unfortunate incident,” he added.

The chief was rushed to South Lunzu Health Centre where medical personnel treated him for broken tissues, the DC disclosed.

Since introduction, farm input subsidy programme has registered a litany of complaints and grievances from the supposed beneficiaries over registration process and distribution of coupons, among others. Chiefs are mostly blamed for their alleged favoritism when identifying beneficiaries of the programme, which aims at improving poor farmers’ food security.

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M’mbelwa not ready to pay MRA

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa IV of Mzimba has indicated he is not prepared to pay duty for a consignment of school materials Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) seized from him about six years ago.

Between 2003 and 2004, MRA seized the school materials, which M’mbelwa bought from outside the country after winning a tender to supply school materials to the Ministry of Education, which the ministry later refused to buy.

MRA public relations and tax education manager, Steve Kapoloma, confirmed that they seized the chief’s property for non-payment of duy and that the materials have been in their warehouse since then.

Apart from paying duty for the notebooks, M’mbelwa will be required to pay the tax collecting body a substantial amount of money for the storage costs.

Kapoloma could not disclose how much M’mbelwa has accumulated in storage charges, so far, because MRA has not done the assessment.

He explained that assessments are normally done when the owner has indicated he or she is going redeem the consignment.

And in an interview with The Sunday Times early this week, the Ngoni chief said he will need to identify a customer first before settling the bill with MRA.

“I can’t pay duty for those items. I can’t sell them anywhere! What am I going to do with them?” M’mbelwa asked.

“I can only do so when I win a tender,” he indicated. The Paramount Chief refused to entertain further questions, arguing the media should find other things to write, but not about him.

In his reaction, Kapoloma said they MRA would not push the chief let alone anybody else into paying duty as that would imply MRA was becoming violent in its approach in tax collection process.

M’mbelwa became the centre of controversy following government refusal to buy the materials. Among them, Ngoni chief found himself in deep trouble with Finance Bank where he borrowed K2.2 million hoping he would repay after selling the notebooks.

 Sheriffs accompanied by heavily armed police officers invaded the chief’s headquarters at Edingeni where they pounced on his household property after the High Court had ruled that his property be seized for failure to pay the loan.

M’mbelwa was only saved by his subjects who contributed little by little to secure their chief’s redemption because they felt that the stories about the debts and grabbing of Inkosi ya Makosi's  property were not only a disgrace to the chief but the entire Ngoni tribe and Mzimba.

END

Tobacco guidelines to cause economic devastation

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR 

Over 3.6 million tobacco-growing families in five of the “poverty-stricken African countries” may suffer the worst economic crisis if parties to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) approve the proposal by the organization to ban the use of ingredients in the manufacture of tobacco products, International Tobacco Growers' Association (ITGA) has warned.

About 171 parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) have gathered in Uruguay for November 15—20 conference where delegates are expected to discuss and adopt guidelines aimed at putting a restriction on the use of ingredients and flavourings in the production of cigarettes. The convention further aims at removing additives that make tobacco products attractive to smokers, especially the youth.

But the tobacco-growing countries are wary of the guidelines, fearing the ban would eliminate blended cigarettes that account for half of global consumption and drastically reduce the demand for burley and oriental tobacco used to make these products as a result.

In the Economic Impact Assessment (EIA) report released Friday, ITGA Chief Executive Officer, Antonio Abrunhosa,  warns that a population of more than 3.6 million people in Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe should expect the historic economic devastation should delegates to the Uruguay CFTC  conference agree to the proposal.

The adoption of the ban will also affect 12 million people who are directly and indirectly in the tobacco production sector, Abrunhosa says.

“This clearly shows what a devastating effect this could have in Africa and how important it is for the WHO to fully understand what proposals like these can lead to. Decisions taken behind closed doors like the ones about to be taken in Uruguay should not be tolerated; not when millions of livelihoods are on the line. It cannot be up to health ministers and anti-tobacco groups to decide on what and where farmers can grow. We call on governments that will attend the Uruguay meeting to put a stop to this before it’s too late,” he implores.

“If these WHO guidelines are adopted, some of Africa’s poorest countries that rely on tobacco growing are going to face huge social and economic crises with unprecedented job loss. Seventy percent of workers in Malawi alone are directly or indirectly employed by the tobacco-growing sector. They have no alternative and the WHO isn’t offering one either,” Abrunhosa argues.

ITGA alleges WHO rejected its request to attend the Uruguay conference where Abrunhosa would have presented the likely to be affected farmers’ grievances.

“More and more countries are questioning the approach taken by the WHO, starting with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which called on its 19 member states at a recent summit, to reject the WHO proposals and urged the WHO to provide for proper consultation mechanisms for the affected stakeholders. In September, the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) 15 member states endorsed a similar decision to oppose the WHO proposals, and in recent weeks, the African Union’s (AU) Ministers of Agriculture and Trade, including Malawi, have also expressed concern about the guidelines asking for decisions to be put back,” he explains.

But WHO through Framework Convention Alliance (FCA), a civil society helping WHO in the development and implementation of FCTC, says the fears are baseless, arguing that, contrary to industry claims, its guidelines do not recommend a ban on burley tobacco, but rather cigarettes containing burley continue to be sold in countries with strong restrictions on flavourings.

The health body explains that the guidelines under contention only recommend that countries should “restrict or prohibit” flavourings that increase palatability, have colouring properties, create the impression of health benefits or are associated with energy and vitality.

Ministers of Agriculture and Finance could not be reached for a comment, but in an earlier interview, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Shadreck Jonasi told this reporter that Malawi supports ITGA in condemning the proposal.

Jonasi explained that government has already taken up the matter through Sadc and Comesa to use the bodies’ membership into the FCTC to lobby against the matter.

END

Meet Stevie ‘Paudala’ Ligomeka

For those who like radio plays, the name Stevie ‘Paudala’ Ligomeka could not be strange. He has been in drama industry for many years. Our reporter Watipaso Mzungu Jnr had a chat with Ligomeka to get a stint of what constitutes acting profession. Excerpts:

Can you tell me who Stevie Ligomeka is?

I am a teacher by profession. I teach at Njamba CDSS in Blantyre. In the acting world, my name is Paudala.

When and what made you go into acting?

At a very tender age, I used to crack jokes with people. It was when I was in Sunday school, though, that I discovered that I had a talent in drama.I used crack jokes that sent people into laughter and that inspired me into becoming a full-time artist one day.

When I graduated into Limbe Primary School in 1978, my desire for acting grew even more. In 1989, I went to Lilongwe Teachers’ Training College (TTC) where I was elected chairperson for the college’s entertainment club. This is where I developed my career.

But how did you find yourself at Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Pamajiga radio play?

After finishing my studies at Lilongwe TTC, I taught in different schools before being posted to Njamba CDSS. It was here that one of the teachers, Mrs. Makwemba, spotted my talent. Mrs Makwemba’s late husband, Charles, was producer of Pamajiga and it seemed there was need for actors to fill the gap that had been created by the death of some actors.

Mrs. Makwemba advised me to see the late Charles for auditions. I was picked the same day of the auditions. I have been at MBC for 11 years now although I am not a full-time employee there.

In most of the radio plays, you assume the role of a confusionist and mischievous child. Are you happy with this role?

Yes, I am very happy with it. You may wish to know that through drama, just like journalism, we aim at entertaining, educating and informing. In most of the plays, I’m a nephew to Anyoni who is living in town with his family.

It is inevitable to find one mischievous child or two in every family, but the way each family handles such children is what matters. In our plays, we want to teach people how they can help such children grow into responsible children. But apart from being a confusionist, I play the role of a teacher and advisor to Anyoni who sometimes acts mischievously.

Is drama a profession worth pursuing?

Drama is a profession that, if well nurtured, has potential to create job opportunities for many people in the country. Unlike in the past when people used to look at actors as insane members of the society, people are now appreciating the important role actors play in the dissemination of information.

Today, even business organizations are employing services of actors if they want to advertise their goods and services. This shows how crucial this industry is in all sectors of life.

What could you highlight as main challenges of this career?

Lack of support among actors themselves could be the major challenge retarding the growth of this industry. For example, if an organization offers me a contract to write and produce plays on specific topics, I would engage my friends to help.

However, the problem comes when issues of money comes into play. Actors who clinched a deal with companies would usually want to rip off his or her friends, saying: “This was my contract and you’re just beneficiaries”. This is not good.

The other challenge is lack of contract offers from the corporate world. Things are improving, though and I can comfortably say drama has a future in Malawi.

What have achieved you achieved from acting?

I’ve a house in Nkolokoti. I have sent my children to good schools with money from acting.

Who do you admire in the acting world?

The late Du Chisiza Jnr and Frank Mwase are some of the people I respect very much in drama.

Your last word!

I thank Mrs. Makwemba who introduced me to her late husband. She opened my door to what I am today. I also thank Elson Soko, Anyoni, for his advisory role in my career.

END

Court blocks sale of M'mbelwa's property

BY COLLINS MTIKA

December 14, 2004
THE HIGH Court in Blantyre has ordered sheriffs not to sell household property belonging to Inkosi ya Makosi M'mbelwa IV of Mzimba after the expiry of two weeks following an application for stay of execution by the chief.

Last week sheriffs accompanied by armed police seized household property belonging to the paramount chief at his Edingeni headquarters in Mzimba after he failed to repay a K 2.2 million loan to Finance Bank.

Some of the goods seized include two sets of sofa, fridge, display cabinet, giant TV screen, dining chairs, carpets and doormats.

Lawyer for the embattled chief, Chifundo Ngwira, applied for stay of execution on December 9, 2004 pending a further application within two weeks to allow the chief to settle the debt by monthly instalments of K100,000.

The court further ordered the sheriffs to return the property to the chief upon payment of sheriffs' fees and the first instalment of K100,000.

According to court officials the chief is obliged to pay K 2.7 including sheriffs' fees and other costs. But a senior court official who refused to be named wondered how many "stays" the chief would stop saying they were many warrants of execution waiting to be enforced.

He said the chief's property kept at the Mzuzu High Court would still face the hammer if the chief failed to pay the sheriffs' fees and the first instalment by the end of 14 days.

"We swept the house clean. We only left his royal chair and a lion hide. The goods we got are not enough and considering the amount, we are likely pounce on more," he said.

END

Mzimba subjects to pay for M'mbelwa's debts

by Edwin Nyirongo, The Nation
Chiefs from Mzimba have asked village headmen, group village headmen and sub-chiefs under their authority to contribute money to pay for the debts Inkosi ya Makosi M'mbelwa IV owes banks.

Inkosi ya Makosi M'mbelwa IV owes Finance Bank about K2.2 million which he claimed he borrowed after winning a tender to supply school materials to the ministry of education which the ministry refused to buy after customs clearing.

Sheriffs accompanied by heavily armed police seized household property from the chief's Edingeni Headquarters after he failed to pay the debt.

Lawyer for the beleaguered chief, Chifundo Ngwira, applied for a stay of execution on December 9, 2004 pending a further application within two weeks to allow the chief to settle the debt by instalment of K100,000 per month. But the High Court ordered sheriffs to seize more goods from the chief after lawyers for Finance Bank, applied on January 13, 2005 for a certificate of noncompliance.

A source that was at the chiefs' meeting said the chiefs gave an order to pay for the top chief's debts because they were an embarrassment to the respected tribe.

"They felt that the stories about the debts and grabbing of Inkosi ya Makosi's  property were not only a disgrace to the chief but the entire Ngoni tribe and Mzimba as a whole hence their resolution to settle the debt," he said.

Inkosi M'mbelwa could not be reached on the phone but another influential Ngoni chief, lnkosi Mpherembe confirmed the meeting and the resolution. He said he sees nothing wrong with that because this is not the first time the subordinates have come forward to help their chief.

 "During the reign of M'mbelwa II, people contributed money when he went to oppose the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The people of Mzimba also bought a vehicle for their chief, in addition to another one, which was to be used by other chiefs," he said.

Inkosi Mpherembe said each village has been asked to contribute K200 towards the cause. "We resolved that each village should pay K200 to the chief so that we could help him with some of the problems he might have," he said.

Asked how much they expect to collect, the Ngoni chief said he could not say because he does not have the exact number of people in the district but said it would be a handsome amount.
END

MSB takes Champini to Ntaja

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) says it has simplified identification requirements people have to present to the bank before opening an account.

Non-working Malawians have long been complaining of restrictive identification requirements banks demand from would-be savers such as passports, identity cards and driving licenses.

In his remarks when launching “Champini Account” at at Ntaja Trading Centre in Machinga on Monday, MSB Credit Manager Chiyamiko Littah said the newly-launched account was specifically designed to remove the barriers and offer every Malawian a chance to save their earnings with the bank.

“We, at MSB, noted that challenge and we decided to simplify the requirements to help everyone to open an account. And with this product [champini] now our customers can open their accounts just by presenting a letter from the chief or the District Commissioner or the farmers’ association that customer belongs,” said Littah.

He said Champini is targeting farmers of different cash crops as a way of empowering them to play an active role in the economy.

Jane Mkanda, 35, and a grocer at the trading centre, hailed the bank for choosing to go closer to people at the grassroots through the new product.

“It’s good that they are coming to the rural areas. Now we can save our money without travelling long distances to access bank services,” Mkanda said add that it was her first time to open a bank account.

“It’s not that we don’t want to save; banks are demanding more than what we can manage to provide. For example, how do they expect me to produce a passport when I’ve never been outside Malawi? Or can I produce a driving license when I can only dream about driving or indeed owning one?” she asked.

The account balance remains K500 and the bank says there is no charge for switching from the Savings account.

END

Student drowns in Shire River

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Police and members of the public are searching for a 19 year-old student who drowned in Shire River on Friday as he was swimming with his friends near Zalewa Roadblock.

Southern Region police publicist Davie Chingwalu confirmed the development yesterday. Chingwalu identified the victim as Victor Mkwinda Chilongo, a Form Four student at Number One Private Secondary School in Ndirande, Blantyre.

“It seems Chilongo and his friends went to Zalewa to play a football match against another Number One Private School, which is located near the roadblock. But before the match started, the students went for a swim in Shire River the incident happened,” Chingwalu said.

As of yesterday, police had not yet found the student’s body and the police spokesperson indicated they [police] with assistance from members of the public were still searching.

“As of now, that is what I can say because we are still searching,” Chingwalu explained.

END

Constituents request MP address on development

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

People in Chiwembe Village, which is in Blantyre City South-East constituency, have asked their legislator, Jeffrey Ntelemuka, to address them on development issues.

At a Village Development Committee (VDC) meeting that took place last week, people complained that they are lacking information on how Constituency and Local Development Funds, are being used and that they would like the parliamentarian to address them on the same.

“People are becoming more and more aware of their right to development. It’s in this vein that many people want to know how two funds are being utilized to benefit them,” Village Headman Chiwembe told CommuNews after the meeting.

“Lately, they [people] have been asking me to ask our MP to address us on these issues. For example, people don’t understand why there are no development activities taking place in our area when government allocates each constituency funds for development projects,” he added.

The VDC chairperson Rex Nderezina claimed his committee had been trying to communicate with Ntelemuka, but failed because his phone could not be reached.

“Currently, we’re mobilizing resources for the construction of two bridges connecting Chiwembe to Limbe Market. Another bridge connects Chiwembe to Misesa Primary School. But we are failing to finalize the projects because the money people have contributed so far is not enough,” said Nderezina whose committee was collecting a K100 contribution from each household for the cause.

“If we had LDF available, we couldn’t have been going around people’s houses asking for contributions. That’s why we need our honourable MP to help us,” he added.

This CommuNews reporter equally failed to hear the legislator’s side of the story as his mobile phone was out of reach.

Meanwhile, people are planning to meet their MP once he is back from Lilongwe where he will be attending parliamentary meetings for four weeks.
END

WESM boosts Thyolo climate change fight

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Bonongwe presenting the materials to one of CBOs representative

Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (Wesm) has assured communities in Thyolo of its support towards tree planting initiatives and the fight against negative effects of climate change.

Blantyre branch Wesm coordinator Ausward Bonongwe made the commitment mid last week when he donated tree seeds, watering cans, shovels and rakes to community-based organizations (CBOs) operating in the district with assistance from Pan African Civic Educators Network (Pacenet).

Bonongwe said it is imperative that people actively participate in this year’s national tree planting season by planting trees along river banks and any other plain areas as one of the mechanisms for averting effects climate change.

“Planting trees is one of the best ways to fight climate change, fight poverty, desertification and deforestation. Our organization is ready to offer support to any community, which intends to participate in these initiatives. We exist to help in building capacity for CBOs dealing in environmental issues,” he said.

But Bonongwe lamented that although people are suffering the effects of global warming, many regard the issue as an abstract.

“Very few people have taken a step aimed at reversing the situation. It is now time that everyone should a role in mitigating the effects of climate change by planting trees,” he said.

In his remarks, Assistant District Forestry Officer Victor Chiwalo said the district was going through the worst desertification ever due to over-population, which has led people in encroaching river banks and forests in search of farmland.

“More trees are cut when landless people are clearing land in the river banks and forests to make way for farming. Thyolo used to be a cool place when we had trees; but now we are experiencing very hot temperatures because we’ve left our land bare,” Chiwalo said.

He then thanked Wesm and Pacenet for the donation, saying it will go a long way in reducing the effects of climate change in the long run.

Bonongwe warned his organization will confiscate the materials in the event of abuse and misuse of the donations
END

Fired MRA workers petition Mutharika

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR
Some of the retrenched employees of the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) have written President Bingu wa Mutharika praying that he should reverse the tax collector’s decision to lay them off.

The fired employees, who are being represented by Alick Makwenda and Good Chakaka Nyirenda, claim they were “cruelly and unfairly treated by their employer on the implementation of the flawed restructuring exercise” hence the need for Mutharika to intervene.

The Presidential Spokesperson Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba could not be reached on his mobile phone yesterday when The Sunday Times wanted to verify and confirm if Mutharika had received the petition.

In their November 4, 2010 letter entitled”concerns over the conduct of the retrenchment exercise by the MRA”, the disgruntled workers have expressed displeasure over the whole restructuring process arguing management brought it as a deliberate ploy to punish and eliminate certain individuals who had issues with their seniors.

They further claim that there was no transparency in the manner the retrenchment was carried out, arguing it was strange MRA was firing workers at a time when the body was in desperate need of additional members of staff.

“We are now made to believe that the exercise was meant to punish certain individuals for committing no sin at all. Of course we acknowledge that some individuals have taken advantage of the situation to get rid of persons they did not like,” say the workers who are themselves “Concerned MRA Retrenched Employees”.

“We are very sure that you [Mutharika] would not condone such malicious and retrogressive motives.  Our firm belief is that you would not condone steps that derail your vision to create jobs and reduce unemployment. What has happened at MRA is inescapably the perpetuation of unemployment and poverty which runs counter to your cherished policies and vision to reduce unemployment and poverty.

“MRA ought to have told us that some employees would lose their jobs. This would have made us to plan for our future. We have not planned for our future because of the lack of information. We had very legitimate expectations that we would work until we reach the mandatory retirement age. We have also been shocked that some of our colleagues who faced the retrenchment have been reinstated to their previous positions. This buttresses our argument on lack of criteria,” they say.

They also complain that some of the severance allowances were very meager [K200,000.00 for sum of us] such that it was difficult for them to plan for the future. 

In their conclusion, the employees have requested Mutharika to appoint an independent team to inquire into the “highhandedness manner in which the restructuring exercise was carried out”, challenging that it is only through this way that the president and the whole nation will come to know about the reality on the ground.

The letter has also been copied to various stakeholders including Ministers of Finance and Labour, Ken Kandodo and Yunus Mussa, respectively, Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU), Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC), Malawi Watch and Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), among others.
END

Telecommunication operators to have unified license

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) plans to harmonise the country’s telecommunication licenses, a process which will see Malawi Telecommunication Limited (MTL) and Accesss Communications Limited (ACL) joining Zain and TNM in the mobile phone operators.

The new arrangement is called Converged Licensing Framework (CLF) and aims at removing the technology service specifications (barriers) so that only technology and service neutral (unified) licenses can be issued.

CLF was first introduced in Tanzania in 2005 and features four main categories of authorizations: Network Facility Licence (NF); Network Service Licence (NS); Application Service Licence (AS); and Content Service Licence (CS). 

The four authorization categories in the CLF are further divided into four geographic market segments.  These four geographic market segments are: international, national, regional, and district market segments, according to International Communication Union (ITU) website. 

While confirming the development on Friday, Macra Communications Manager Zadziko Alex Mankhambo said Malawi was just responding to the development that is taking place in the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector worldwide.

Mankhambo stated that the new licensing system was designed to encompass technology and achieve service neutrality among players.

“CLF was crafted to match with the dynamism of the communications sector. In addition, the CLF not only ensures regulatory flexibility, addressing market and technology developments, but also ensures efficient utilization of network resources and encourages market entry of small scale operators.,” Mankhambo said.

He explained that in a unified authorization regime, all categories of authorizations have been consolidated into a single service- and technology-neutral authorization.  Thus, a single authorization authorises service providers and operators to provide all services whether at the core or access level, using any technology available. 

The Macra publicist expressed hope that apart from enabling operators to work more effectively, the new system has potential of economically relieving consumers who have long complained of “over-priced telecommunications services”. 

“We are trying to encourage competition so that services become more affordable to consumers which will result in high penetration rate and growth domestic products (GDP),” he disclosed.

In other countries such as Tanzania and Argentina, regulators and policy makers already integrated neutrality, consolidation, and flexibility into authorization regimes by introducing unified authorizations and multi-service authorizations (sometimes also referred to as global licenses). 

These forms of authorizations allow licensees to provide any of a range of services using any infrastructure and technology capable of delivering the desired services, under the umbrella of a single, consolidated authorization, the ITU site explains.

In Malawi, however, the process is reviewing the licenses started this year and is expected to end early next year, according to Mankhambo. 

But the PRO was reluctant to divulge information regarding the cost of the whole project, saying the regulator was still considering various aspects of the project and, therefore, it was hard to value the cost of the project at this stage.

Malawi has a combined subscriber base of 3 million people with a tele-density penetration rate 17.5 percent for mobile phone lines. Only 1.2 percent makes up for fixed lines.

Although telecommunication sector continues to grow in the country, consumers remain unsatisfied with the operators’ services. The cost of making calls remains “prohibitive” to most low earners. This results from lack of competition among players.

Network interruption is another challenge customers are grappling with as they try to make important calls.

END

50% male STI patients are HIV-positive in Blantyre

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Secretary for Health Yussuf Hassan has disclosed that over 50 percent of male sexually transmitted infections (STIs) patients receiving treatment at Blantyre’s Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) are HIV positive.

Hassan made the revelation in Lilongwe during the week when he opened a six-day private sector STI training workshop, which was organized by Malawi Business Coalition against Aids (MBCA).

The women are not spared the scourge either as the PS revealed that a high prevalence of STIs is found in most population groups even among those considered to be at low risk for STIs such as women.

“While antenatal women are considered to be at the low-risk end of the spectrum, STI patients are at high risk for HIV infection,” Hassan said.  

“There are two reasons for this high rate of HIV in STI patients. First, HIV is also sexually transmitted disease and is, therefore, transmitted the same was as STIs. Those with multiple partners and don’t use condoms correctly and constitently are likely to contract HIV, another STI or both...,” he add.

The PS further said STI patients are more likely to be infected with HIV because “STIs are independent risk factors for HIV transmission”.

“The risk of sexual transmission of HIV is increased by five to 10 times in the presence of an STI. While this increased risk is highest in the presence of ulcerative disease such as syphilis, chancroid, herpes, non-ulcerative diseases such as gonorrhoea, Chlamydia and trichomonas infections are also known to increase the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV during sexual contact,” he explained.

Despite the horrifying revelation, Hassan commended MBCA for playing a critical role in the fight against sexually transmitted infections (STI), HIV and Aids in the country.

He noted that MBCA has done a lot in mobilizing resources for treatment and care of patients suffering from STI, HIV and Aids, saying government alone “cannot meet all the demands, and we appreciate the extra effort you take in mobilizing the resources to improve service provision.”

END

Indiscipline killing local entrepreneurship

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Local entrepreneurs have been advised to change their attitude and managerial styles if they are to survive the stiff competition from foreign investors on the market.

In an interview with Business Times on the sidelines of a farewell party Business Computer Services (BCS) organized for its retiring receiptionist in Blantyre, managing director James Chimwaza noted that lack of discipline among local businesspersons is contributing significantly to the fall of local companies.

Chimwaza observed that most of the local entrepreneurs running families companies have the tendency to treat outside workers as passengers whose services are less valuable to the firm.

“This is the biggest challenge. For example, I’m the director for BCS, which is a limited company and it would be very wrong for me to handle cheque books when accountants are there to do the job. However, this is the case in many local companies and that’s indiscipline am talking about,” he said.

“This discourages non-family workers from showing their full potential. This has led to the death of many local firms. But we all need to be there to harness all the resources for optimum effectiveness. This is the only vehicle to the growth of local firms,” Chimwaza added.

He also cited poor management, lack of planning, and under-capitalisation as some of the challenges currently rocking local entrepreneurs.

On the farewell get-together, Chimwaza said his firm had organized the party to celebrate the retirement of one of their longest-serving employees, Jean Muphuwa, who had worked with BCS for since its inception in 1986.

The company has given her a full computer set and printer as a retirement package among other items.

Muphuwa expressed gratitude for the gift and said she will open a communication at a place yet to be identified where she will be offering secretarial services as a survival mechanism for her.


“I’m retiring a happy person. I wanted to create space for new blood to find employment,” said Muphuwa who is advanced age. She had also worked for Portland Cement for 18 years before joining the computer firm.

END

Manad accuses govt of lacking seriousness on disabilities

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Malawi National Association for the Deaf (Manad) has decried the inadequate funding government allocates to arms and departments dealing with issues of people with disabilities.

The association further expressed concern over the delay by government to enact Disability Bill into law, saying the development aggravates challenges and discrimination people with disabilities face in the country.

Manad chairperson Juliana Mwase raised the concerns at a press conference it held in Blantyre in preparation for this year’s International Deaf Week.

The main activities are taking place in Lilongwe from today (Monday) to Sunday and Minister of Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly, Reen Kachere, has been tipped to grace the closing of the occasion as guest of honour.

And in her speech at the conference, Mwase observed that it will remain a dream for Malawi to achieve an inclusive society in the absence of the bill.

Mwase said the bill was very crucial in achieving in protecting freedoms and rights of people with disabilities, especially in achieving inclusive education.

“Inclusive education demands that all barriers affecting its realization be removed and an enabling environment be created where all deaf students can learn and participate effectively within mainstream school systems. [Manad] believes that inclusive education can be achieved if there are adequate supports and services for the deaf students, professional development for all teachers involved and special educators. Sufficient funding is needed so that schools that will be able to develop programmes for students based on students’ needs,” she said.

On the delay to constitutionalize the Disability Bill into law, Mwase said people with disabilities continue to endure discrimination and stigma because there is no law that backs them up.

“We believe that the law will play an important role in the protection of the rights of people with disabilities in the society. We, therefore, plead with government to expedite the process of enacting this bill into law,” Mwase said.

Echoing Mwase’s concerns, Federation for Disability Organizations in Malawi (Fedoma) executive director Mussa Chiwaula observed that “Malawi only been good at talking on inclusive education without setting up tangible structures to support the call [for inclusive education]”.

He cited lack of specialist teachers in the country’s schools as one of the major challenges affecting the education of people with hearing and sight impairments.

Currently, Catholic-owned Montfort Teachers’ Training College remains the only college offering Special Needs Education, but at a lower rate of 90 students per year.

This figure is said to be very small comparing to the population of learning who have hearing and sight impairments in the country.

“As Fedoma, we’re worried that we do a lot of talking, but nothing really is happening on the ground. We want an incluse society; the delay in passing the bill further penalizes people with disabilities,” said Chiwaula.

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Govt. taken to task over Special Needs Institute

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Link for Education Governance (LEG) has challenged government to explain where it has put K15 million the National Assembly allocated to the Ministry of Education for the construction of the Institute of Special Needs Education (ISNE) in 2006/2007 budget.

LEG policy and advocacy director Andrew Ussi disclosed in an interview yesterday (April 2009) that the construction of the Special Needs Institute was allocated K195 million in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy for a period of 5 years from 2006 to 2011.

Ussi explained that plans to construct the institute were one of the targets of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategies (MGDS) which is being implemented from 2006 to 2011, but expressed fears that the institute will not be in place by 2011. Despite being in the MGDS the Institute was not allocated funds in 2008/2009 budget and LEG fears Government will not allocate it funds in 2009/2010 financial year.

“This is worrisome because it means that we will reach 2011 without any structure on special needs education. Our fear is that if this institute does not take off now, it will not be there. We will have beaten the MGDS deadline. Mind you, MGDS life span is from 2006-2011,” explained Ussi.

“But what is surprising is that all that was required for the construction of this structure was there; money was allocated, two sites were identified in Area 25, but nothing has taken place. What is more surprising is that government does not explain where this money [K15 million] Parliament approved in the 2006/7 financial year went,” he said.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe said he did not have knowledge about the project meant to construct an institute for special needs education and the money that Ussi claims Ministry of Education was allocated for the cause.

“I have no idea on that project. I don’t even know if there was some budgetary allocation to that effect,” said Gondwe in a telephone interview.

But in a separate interview, Deputy Director of Special Needs Education in the Ministry of Education, David Njaidi, concurred with Ussi that his department was allocated the sum of K15 million in the 2006/7 financial year to start the construction of the institute.

“Yes, I can confirm that our department was given K15 million of the K195 million five year Institute of Special Needs Education plan,” said Njaidi. He, however, could not remember the exact dates when his department got the funding.

Asked what the department did with the money, Njaidi just said “we were given very little money. We used the all the K15 million for designs only and it ended.”

But what Njaidi said is in sharp contrast with Ussi’s sentiments who indicated that there has been no development on the identified land.

“Where is this structure they [Njaidi] are talking about? I am standing by my statement that there is no development on both earmarked plots. How was the money used? Can the whole K15 million be used for designing only? And if the Finance minister says he is not aware about the project then why did he say on Television Malawi in December 2008 that funds are available only that it was just an omission in the budget documents when LEG revealed that there are no funds for the Special Needs Institute in the 2008/2009 budget?” wondered Ussi.

He also alleged that government has not shown commitment to construction of the institute despite parliament allocating funds for the project.

Asked what difference the institute would make to the education sector, Ussi said education as a catalyst for socio-economic development needs to be all inclusive.

“We are mindful of the fact that our fellow impaired pupils and students have been sidelined for a long time in the education sector yet they are contributing a lot to the country’s social economic development. Education is a catalyst for socio-economic development, industrial growth and an instrument for empowering the poor, the weak and the voiceless. We need political will for this project to materialize,” stressed Ussi.

LEG is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that was founded in January 2006 in Malawi to respond to current challenges affecting the education sector at basic, secondary, technical and vocational education and higher education levels that threaten efforts to achieve the 2015 Education for All (EFA) Goals and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

End

Venturing into business without capital

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Money-lending institutions will usually put up mouth-watering adverts in the media purporting to portray that they are the best, most affordable and accessible lenders in the society.

What is disheartening, though, is that they rarely live up to their preaching.

For Matthias Chikoko, money-lenders are becoming stingier with their money each passing day that it would sound miraculous when your application for a bank loan gets approval.

Chikoko, 35, now operations manager for Tumphale Security Guard Services in Blantyre, tried several times, but never got an approval because he did not have collateral.

Job scarcity continues to hound many people both in rural and urban areas. The problem is grinding more on young people who are just graduating from different colleges across the country. And lately, entrepreneurship has been found to be an alternative to the hopeless citizenry.

But collateral security remains one of the major setbacks to potential entrepreneurs to secure bank loans. Poor access to credit, such as bank loans, is one reason why development is slow to occur. Without start-up finance, it is difficult for people to set up businesses.

Besides entrepreneurship, agriculture, too, is another business potential and many farmers want to think of investing in inputs or equipment which could boost their farm productivity.

But banks have not made enough strides, if any at all, to provide financial services, such as loans, to poor people such as farmers. They cite a number of reasons among them lack of collateral, lack of physical infrastructure, such as banks or post offices, in remote areas as some of the reasons why they are failing to reach out to the people.

These plus many more restrictions found Chikoko short of qualifying for a loan, which would have helped him venture into business of some sort.

But this did not stop him from dreaming big. Chikoko hoped against hope and it seems his colour dream of owning a company is fast becoming a reality. 

Early last year, Chikoko teamed up with a friend to start a security service company, Tumphale Security Guard Services. They did not need financial resources to start the company.

The problem with security guarding business is that it depends on the security breakdown in a society and Chikoko does not dispute this fact.

But how did Chikoko and his partner succeed in realizing their dream of owning a company, one would be tempted to ask.

“After coming up with the idea start a security company, we went out  identifying possible clients before engaging men and women who would work as security guards. Luckily, we managed to convince five customers and immediately we engaged the guards,” he explained.

Currently, Malawi enjoys a certain degree of public security such that services of a security guard for a residential house become unnecessary, if not outright waste of resources, to many.  This is the major challenge facing the growth of security companies in the country.

However, Chikoko says it is a wrong assumption to think that security guards are unnecessary in a society where criminal acts are nonexistent.

“People should now look at services of a security guard as a priority in one’s day-to-day living. Even without criminals terrorizing your home, a security guard could be helpful in times of emergencies,” he states.

Chikoko says just like the Malawi Police Service, security companies are there to provide maximum security to the people as well as their property.

“Our aim is to contribute to the societal as well as national security. We work hand in hand with police in achieving this. I should state here that we’re helping government in reducing the number of unemployed citizens,” he said.

“We started with five, but as of today we’ve employed over 20 security guards who provide security services to companies, families and individuals in Blantyre. But we aim at growing big and establish regional offices in Lilongwe and Mzuzu as well,” Chikoko explained

Maybe money is not all that people need to venture into businesses. As Chikoko prides, his business brings enough for his family that no longer needs to be employed.

He is optimistic that, instead of him joining unemployed Malawians in scrambling for the few job vacancies existing in very few companies, his company is creating job opportunities to others thereby reducing the unemployment rates.

END