Former Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) governor Dr. Dalitso Kabambe has asked all Muslims in the country and around the world to spread love and kindness to all human kind.
Dr. Kabambe, made the call today in his best wishes message to the Muslim community on the auspicious occasion of Eid Ul Fitr.
“Let’s remember to be grateful for the blessings in our lives and spread love and kindness to all in the spirit of Eid,” said Dr Kabambe in a brief statement.
Eid ul-Fitr is a significant festival celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
It holds great importance as it marks the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting and spiritual reflection, and signifies the beginning of a new Islamic year.
And Dr. Kabambe is fondly remembered by all Malawians for bringing stability to the Malawian economy, which resulted in low prices of basic needs and services.
During his time at Reserve Bank of Malawi, Dr Kabambe managed to reduce inflation rate to a single digit within the first year from 24% to 7.1% in 2017 and effectively managed to keep the exchange rate stable at the rate of K 732 to the US$, and turned around a projected loss of K 4 billion to a profit in the excess of K60 billion.
Dr Kabambe’s vast knowledge and experience has pitied him as one of the presidential hopefuls who is ready to stir the country towards social and economic prosperity from 2025 and beyond with a promise of nothing but the best economy.
MultiChoice has announced that it’s giving DStv and GOtv customers access to all children’s content from 12th April to 11th May 2024 ensuring that children are fully entertained during this period.
This means customers on all DStv & GOtv packages except DStv Kufewa & GOtv Lite will have access to the greatest and the best of children’s content ensuring your little ones are thoroughly entertained for an exclusive open view period on DStv and GOtv. The Open Window will run from 12th April to 11th May 2024.
“As the number one children’s content platform, MultiChoice has decided to open up all children’s channels with up to 7 more channels on DStv Access and up to 7 more channels on GOtv Value, giving customers a whole month of more on us.
“This is aimed at bringing the best in fun and entertainment for the little ones. We hope they will enjoy all of the paws, huffs and colourful entertainment on offer on both DStv and GOtv”, said MultiChoice Malawi Managing Director Averess Ndhlovu-Chella.
Look out for the new show Iwaju on Disney Channel and King Julien’s adventures in All Hail King Julien on DreamWorks open for 30 days for all DStv packages except Kufewa. But that’s not all, because our little ones on GOtv can also join in on the excitement with Disney Channel Moonbug, Nick Jr, Cartoonito, Nicktoons and Cartoon Network all being made available from GOtv Value and up, for their enjoyment.
In a dramatic twist of events, Chisoni Jere (not real name) has rebuffed claims made by a private practice lawyer Innocent Tepeka that he was his client and that the matter was settled.
Soon after the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) through a press briefing exposed the sickening sexual abuse scandal at Shayona Cement Corporation Kanengo office where assistant manager Jayesh Kumar Dalwad was sexually harassing juniors both males and females, Tepeka stormed a private radio station claiming that he was representing Jere in the matter and that he received compensation.
This has irked Jere who is challenging Tepeka to tell the nation the truth on the matter. According Jere, he only met Tepeka once during the night in the presence of a lady and another man and was made to sign a document without any explanation and ever since he has never seen him up until now that he is coming out claiming that the matter was settled.
“After being coerced to sign this document we agreed that I should go to their office the following day to sign an agreement but the way the other two people (the lady and the other man) behaved, gave me the impression that they were setting me up. I therefore, did not go to the office as suggested”
“He kept on calling me but I wasn’t interested in talking to him anymore, at some point he texted me wondering if at all I have found another lawyer.
To which I responded no, ever since I never heard from him until now that CDEDI has picked up the matter, ”said Jere.
He expressed shock over the baseless claims of the closure of the case adding “May the good lawyer tell the nation the truth on the matter?”
When contacted Tepeka asked told us to call him for his side of a story after one hour. However, subsequent calls went unanswered.
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) describes as unacceptable the conduct of foreign nationals who are corruptly taking up Malawian job opportunities and enslave local employees including abusing them sexually.
The remarks by CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa come after an indisputable evidence from worker from Shayona company decided to spill the beans as a result of being fed up with the conduct of his superiors who tried their best to conceal the odeal after a series of complaints.
Namiwa has since called for an immediate action from law enforcement agencies including the police saying failure to do so his organisation and well meaning Malawians will be forced to hold peaceful demonstrations against Mr. Patel and his management.
He has also appealed to Malawians who are forced to working in derogatory environments or are abused in any way by their foreign masters to report the same to relevant authorities, with copies to CDEDI, saying Malawi is the only country we have as our home and foreigners to come to live with us must treat us with the respect we deserve.
The Shayona Cement Managing Director (MD) confirmed to have suspended Dalwad after learning about the shocking video and that Dalwad later fled the country for India through Kamuzu International Airport on Tuesday March 21, 2024.
The conduct of Patel took CDEDI by surprise forcing its leadership to quiz him as to why opting for suspending Jayesh instead of reporting him to police.
Namiwa has since wrote the Inspector General (IG) of Malawi Police Service Merlyn Yolamu to engage Patel for information that can lead to Jayesh Dalwad’s arrest so that he can be tried in Malawi for the crimes he committed.
Meanwhile, CDEDI is demanding that Patel should cooperate with the Malawi Police Service to ensure that Jayesh Dalwad faces the law on both allegations and on behalf of Jayesh Dalwad, whom he brought in the country and employed, publicly apologise to the affected individuals, their families and Malawians in general.
“We are also calling him to liaise with relevant line ministries, notably ministries of Gender and Labour to devise a mechanism to ensure that the people that Jayesh Dalwad sexually abused are assisted to fully recover from the trauma inflicted on them. This includes compensating the concerned employees,” he said.
Patel has also been requested to demonstrate that the law was followed to the letter in the recruitment of Mr. Jayesh Dalwad and all other foreign nationals employed by Shayona Cement Corporation.
The step by CDEDI was after analyzing two complaints linked to one Jayesh Kumar Dalwad, who was working as an assistant manager at Shayona Cement Corporation at Kanengo in Lilongwe.
Namiwa disclosed that barely hours after his organisation appealed to Malawians to report suspected cases of tax injustices that are rampant in companies that have foreign connections, CDEDI received a dossier containing letters and a 17:26 minutes video showing disgusting abuse of power by an employer of foreign nationality.
“In the video, a male house-keeper (name withheld) is being forced to caress his male boss’s private parts. It should be put on record that this disheartening video was recorded as proof of the dehumanising acts the housekeeper was subjected to every morning, Monday through Saturday, as a condition to keep his job” he disclosed.
CDEDI also received from a female employee at the same company claims of rape linked to the same manager. According to a letter reference number SLHR/2024/04/28 dated March 28, 2024 under the headline ‘Closure of an issue reported verbally to Human Resources Department’ signed by one Luke Dzimbiri, Human Resource (HR) Supervisor at Shayona Cement Corporation Kanengo.
“Regrettably, the innocent female worker’s complaint was simply wished-away in the pretext that the suspect had bolted, and that the matter was not reported to management soon enough,”
The Bank’s official Ibrahim Chapeyama interacting with the young instant prizes winner
National Bank of Malawi Plc says the number of customers utilizing their digital platforms has grown beyond expectation since the launch of the ‘Popanda Chifukwa’ Mo626Pay/POS Promotion in December last year.
The Bank’s Cards Acquiring and Merchants Services Manager, David Tamula said this during the third monthly draw of the promotion which took place in Zomba at the weekend.
Tamula observed that the storming sessions that the Bank has been conducting in various outlets for instant prizes have also brought excitement amongst the customers.
Customers queue to pay using NBM POS machine at Zomba PEP shop
“The promotion was designed just to appreciate our customers’ loyalty as we also complement government efforts in ensuring we have a cashless society. Customers have always embraced our digital platforms but this time it has gone beyond our expectation.”
“Mind you, we had set our targets the time we were launching the promotion, but surprisingly we have already passed the target of people using our digital platforms, yet the promotion is still running,” said Tamula.
Before conducting the draw, NBM Plc officials held storming sessions at Zomba PEP stores where people who paid for the items bought using the Bank’s POS machine and other digital platforms won various instant prizes like umbrellas, caps, T-shirts, drinking bottles, key holders, pens and others.
An NBM Plc official handing over the instant prize to the lucky customer (right)
One of the instant winners, Ernest Gidala said he was excited to have been rewarded after embracing the smart banking solutions.
“I am one of those who never liked the idea of paying for things using debit cards and other digital channels, but I realized this is the safest way than carrying money in the pockets. I thank NBM Plc for the promotion,” he said.
During the third draw, three lucky winners took home K150, 000, while 30 got a 50% cashback from their payment made through NBM digital channels. 40 customers got gift packs.
An NBM official hands over the prize to an instant prize winner (right)
In the evening, the ‘Bank of the Nation’ also graced the Zomba Beerland Festival at Domino Garden, where several customers also won various instant prizes.
The Bank is expected to conduct its final raffle draw at the end of this month, where four lucky winners will walk away with K1.5 million each.
Anthony Chimuna-FDH Money Bureau Managing Director
FDH Money Bureau says the on-going Golden Reunion Promotion has received tremendous customer support as excitement builds for the second draw.
FDH Money Bureau Managing Director Anthony Chimuna said the promotion, which was launched in February, has excited most customers who visit the Bureau to do international money transfer transactions as it offers them a chance to reunite with their loved ones if they win the grand prize.
“The Golden Reunion Promotion is giving a chance for people to win K500 000 monthly or a grand prize of a free trip to the country where one received money from abroad using Western Union or MoneyGram.”
“The grand prize is fascinating to people as it offers an opportunity of an all-expenses paid-trip to meet their family or friends abroad, and they can’t afford to miss,” said Chimuna.
FDH Money Bureau customer, Kennedy Salim, expressed his anticipation of being a winner in the promo.
“I heard of the Golden Reunion Promotion through my frequent visits and interactions with FDH Money Bureau. I am optimistic that I can win the promotion as I am one of the loyal customers of FDH Money Bureau.”
“I usually use the FDH Money Bureau to withdraw money received from my family abroad through Western Union and I enjoy the fast and reliable services I experience,” said Salim.
The promotion will run until April 30 2024 with two monthly draws of K500 000 cash prizes and 20 percent cash back bonuses to 20 winners.
The grand prize is a return air ticket to the sender’s location, with all expenses paid.
FDH Money Bureau is a subsidiary of FDH Financial Holdings and offers nationwide forex and international money transfer services.
LILONGWE-One of the country’s cigarettes manufacturing company Credible Investments Limited (CIL) has dared Centre Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) to produce concrete evidence that the company produces and sells counterfeit, illegal and expired products on Malawi market.
The company’s statement issued on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, made available to the local media has accused CDEDI of hopeless to drag the company down with malicious claims.
In the statement signed by its Executive Director, Abbas Nasser observes that CDEDI has no basis to claim that the firm produces counterfeit products, including its brand Ceasar Cigarettes.
Abbas is responding to CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa’s press conference held on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at Korea Gardens in Lilongwe which claimed that CIL sells expired, illegal and counterfeit products on the market, evades taxes and employs illegal immigrants.
“On legal status, Credible Investments Limited (CIL) is company registered under the laws of Malawi and licensed to produce Caesar Cigarettes since March 2022. Caesar Cigarettes are manufactured and packaged at the company’s factory at Njewa in Lilongwe. CIL’s parent company is registered in the Republic of South Africa and also supplies Caesar Cigarettes to countries including Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and the DRC.
“On certification, our products are certified by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS), who continuously monitor and inspect our factory and products in accordance with their regulatory mandate. Sometime in September 2023, our attention was brought to the presence of counterfeit products on the market being sold without MBS’s pre-certified labelling and expiry dates. In addition to taking appropriate steps to apprehend the culprits, we immediately alerted MBS and shared with them relevant information and our concerns,” reads CIL statement in part.
Abbas adds, “It is unfortunate that CDEDI, in pursuit of whatever agenda they have against CIL, chose to withhold this information from the public and to, instead, falsely allege that it is our company distributing counterfeit products in competition with our own genuine Caesar Cigarettes.
“As we continue to take all legal measures to flush out counterfeit products similar to ours across the country and to ensure that our customers enjoy our quality and genuine products, we appeal to our customers to report to us or to Police or MBS of any counterfeit products that they come across for appropriate action”.
On taxation, Abbas explains, “The Company is registered for all applicable taxes and files all required returns and declarations with the Malawi Revenue Authority. All our selling points operate with the required fiscal devices and issue VAT receipts for all sales. We pay all applicable taxes.
“CDEDI’s allegations of tax evasion are false and without any factual or legal basis. We challenge CDEDI to bring forward to us evidence of any sale carried out in contravention of tax laws”.
On workers, CIL stated, “Our staff compliment includes local workers and foreign nationals with work permits issued in accordance with applicable immigration and labour laws. An inspection recently carried out by the Immigration Department following CDEDI’s false allegations verified and cleared our company of any wrongdoing. We also want to dispute CDEDI claims that CIL runs two shifts for workers. It’s only one shift in a week working hours.
“We challenge CDEDI to bring forward to us evidence of any CIL employee working without a valid permit. There is no truth in any of CDEDI’s claims, which are apparently intended to cast our company in bad light with the obvious effect of disrupting our business and the markets for our products for the benefit of parties only CDEDI can identify. The deliberate misinformation is malicious and unfortunate”.
On March 5, 2024, CDEDI claimed to have engaged MRA director general John Biziwick requesting him to make available CIL’s value-added tax (VAT) machine duplicates for almost 400 cartons sold to various wholesalers in Central and Northern regions between January and February 2024 amounting to about K190 million.
However, CIL challenges on this claims, “We believe if CDEDI indeed found these boxes on the market, then it should be the smuggled products and not our original Caesar cigeratte”.
But, in response, MRA rebuffed CDEDI, arguing, among others, that taxpayers’ personal and financial information was confidential and can only be used for purposes of carrying out lawful duties.
“We cannot comply with your request to provide information but have taken note of the allegations raised and will investigate accordingly,” reads MRA’s response, dated March 28 2024 and signed by information officer Dorothy Mataya.
The news of pregnancy is mostly accompanied by joy, but this is not always the case. There exist circumstances where such news brings not celebration but concern – particularly when the health or life of the pregnant girl or woman is at stake.
In Malawi, before colonialism, termination of pregnancy was traditionally acceptable among women who would manage unwanted pregnancies using local herbs for termination.
However colonial influence introduced penal laws which intertwined with religious doctrines to prohibit abortion, and eventually overshadowed the traditional practices. Yet, the traditional practices have not been extinguished. They just went underground.
Speaking in an interview, Nyale Institute’s Executive Director, who is also a lawyer and scholar on sexual and reproductive justice, Dr. Godfrey Kangaude, stated that while termination of pregnancy is restricted by law, it is essential to understand that it is not an absolute prohibition.
Specifically, termination is permissible when the life or health of the pregnant woman or girl is endangered.
“Recognizing this aspect of the law is crucial as it may prevent women from resorting to unsafe methods of abortion, risking their lives in the process.” said Dr. Kangaude
According to Dr. Kangaude, 141,000 women induce abortion every year and out of those about 500 die from unsafe abortions.
“It is sad that among these are women and girls who had they known that they are eligible for legal abortion would have accessed safe termination of pregnancy at a public facility provided by trained and skilled professionals using the appropriate standards of care.”
This legal interpretation of the abortion law was affirmed in a recent court case where the High Court of Malawi explained that termination of pregnancy is legally permissible when performed to preserve the pregnant girl’s or woman’s life. Further, the preservation of life includes both physical and mental health.
Meanwhile, the recent communication from the government of Malawi to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights reaffirms the position that termination of pregnancy, is in some cases is legally permissible, under the laws of Malawi.
According to the communication, women who seek an abortion because the pregnancy is a threat to their health or life should consult a doctor to address the situation in terms of the Malawi Ministry of Health’s Post Abortion Care Guidelines.
Nyale Institute has applauded the government’s clarification of the abortion law, because it empowers women facing risky pregnancies, to access care at public health facilities, where they can receive appropriate care rather than use unsafe methods for terminating pregnancy. This is consistent with Malawi’s obligations under national and international law.
However, Nyale Institute as a member of the Coalition for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion (COPUA) continues to champion the full review of the abortion law, to comprehensively address the needs of girls and women who seek termination of termination of pregnancy for various reasons.
“The Termination of Pregnancy Bill is important because it would address challenges where the current law is falling short”, said Dr. Kangaude.
Nyale Institute is a nongovernmental organization established in 2013 to advance sexual and reproductive justice.
By IOMMIE CHIWALO The Center for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives CDEDI has expressed worry over influx of expired, uncertified, counterfeit and illegal products on the local market which is posing danger to lives.
According to CDEDI press release dated April 4, 2024, the current situation is due to the fact that unscrupulous business people with connections to foreigners are colluding with unpatriotic citizens working in government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to break the law willy-nilly.
A statement signed by CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa, says the situation is worrisome because while majority are needlessly being over taxed, those politically connected, and entities that ordinarily are supposed to pour more into the tax basket are being spared or protected by some elements at Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), the ruling elites and other state entities for personal gains.
Namiwa has cited an example of Credible Investments Limited which is proven contravening MRA exercise tax stamps regulations by producing Caesar red without stamp and expiry date.
The CDEDI Boss has also disclosed that the company in question is importing Viking red cigarettes bearing Zambia Revenue Authority exercise tax stamps implying that the product is illegal and worse still MRA is collecting nothing for the Malawian public purse from the sales of the products.
As if the tax fraud is not enough, CDEDI has also established that Credible Investments Limited uses Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) pre-certifications codes whose information traces to South Africa and that cigarettes manufactured in Lilongwe are labeled and sold as products made in South Africa.
CDEDI, has therefore, also notified the MBS to investigate the matter through demanding of an explanation and recall from the local market of all expired, uncertified, counterfeit and illegal products.
On unfair Trade and competition, Namiwa disclosed that Credible Investments Limited is using a low price bait to make its products selling as hot cakes to unsuspecting consumers but his organisation has already informed Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) to investigate the matter whereby a brick of Caesar Red cigarettes are pegged at K9, 500 but the often expired products are selling at K6, 000 per brick only to attract distributors and retailers.
“Regrettably such unscrupulous traders prey on low income earners by selling them loose cigarettes since they cannot afford the whole packet which has crucial details about the product they are consuming and it is irrefutable fact that a lot of chemicals are involved in cigarettes production thereby making it a double health risk to consumers puffing expired products.
Namiwa has since implored MRA, MBS, CfTC and Immigration Department to act according to mandates conferred upon them by their respective Acts of establishment to stop exposing Malawians to needless danger of puffing expired cigarettes and the irregular Trading practices by Credible Investments Limited.
However, MRA has refused to disclose tax records of Credible Investments Limited as demanded by CDEDI on grounds that such information is confidential.
In a statement signed by MRA information Officer Dorothy Mataya, such information is only accessible with taxpayer’s consent as provided under Section 6 of the Taxation Act.
“Confidentiality granted with respect to taxpayer information under these laws and the obligation by persons employed by the Authority to maintain confidentiality of taxpayer information as stipulated under section 24 of the MRA Act, reassures taxpayers that their personal and commercial information disclosed to the Authority for tax purposes is protected against unauthorised disclosure by the Authority to third parties. For the reasons enunciated above, we cannot comply with your request to provide information but have taken note of the allegations raised and will investigate accordingly,” reads the statement from the MRA dated March 28, 2024.
Members of Parliament for governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) are plotting to fire Sameer Suleman as Chairperson for Agriculture Committee of Parliament.
Workaholic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Suleman, who for the recent past has been exposing corrupt dealing with the Ministry of Agriculture, is being accused of misconduct.
Speaking in parliament, MCP’s lawmaker for Dedza Central East, Joshua Malango claimed that the conduct of Suleman on three occasions in the house misrepresents the image of Parliament.
“Madam Speaker let us waive all relevant standing orders and invoke standing order 210 for us to consider a motion to remove him (Sameer Suleman) from his position.
His conduct in this honorable House is lacking and puts it into disrepute,” Malango told parliament on Thursday.
However, the Speaker of Parliament Gotani Hara guided Malango to follow laid down procedures on such matters.
Suleman is on the record to have exposed a good number of MCP corruption scandals such as East Bridge from Romania fertilizer deal.
