Malawi Writers Union AGM on July 8: Sambalikagwa Mvona bids for 4th term

After a whooping six years – since 2010 – Malawi Writers Union (Mawu) returns to town for its ‘Annual General Meeting’ (AGM) to elect new leadership in the lakeshore township of Liwonde July 8.

Mvona: Fourth term bid
Mvona: Fourth term bid

The AGM was supposed to take place in 2013 but for disturbing financial reasons it could not possible, according to Mvona.

Positions including president and vice, secretary, treasurer, publicity secretary will be up for grabs. Others include Budding, Women and Religious Writers’ Desks’ chairpersons will also be contested for. The new executive is expected to serve for four years.

So far, Mvona and Pius Nyondo – who served as Budding Writers Desk chairperson – have expressed interest to contest for the positions of president and publicity secretary.

Mvona said he is contesting again because he had been “asked to do so” by many writers who are satisfied with the way he has “driven” the writers’ body.

On the other hand, Nyondo is a writer, journalist and current senior sub-editor of Nyasa Times. He is published author of the novella, Lions from the South and winner of the 2012 First Merchant Bank/ Malawi Writers Union – the youngest ever to win it at the age of 16.

Also an upcoming media-prenuer.

Those interested to contest for the position of president need to be paid-up members for the past two years and that they should at least have published a book.

The closing date for the application is July 4 and asked why little time has been given for the applications; Mvona said members have known about the AGM for a long time.

All those seeking to contest for the other positions have since been asked to express their interest by entailing their qualifications both academic and artistic as a writer and sent it to Mawu2016elections@ gmail.com.

Mawu has been led by four presidents – late Edison Mpina, Steve Sharra (on acting capacity), Stanley Onjezani Kenani and Mvona.

Formed in 19 95 , following the collapse of the one-party rule and at the request of the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) Council of Writers, Mawu graduated from being a basket organisation in 1999 when it opened its secretariat in then Limbe.

It then moved to Blantyre before moving to the Arts House at Claim Mabuku Building.

According to Mvona, among the notable achievements, are the 1996 International Literary Festival, almost 30 training workshops, literary competitions, book publications, school visitations and collaboration with international authors and societies through conferences, workshops and writers’ residences.

During the period 2014 to 2016, Mvona was elected Vice Chairman of the International Authors Forum (IAF), a global literary body whose head office is in London.

Mawu currently has 870 members, up by 854 from 16 members in 1995.

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tinde
tinde
7 years ago

ndi chifukwa ninji ma president amakanirira maudindo–a ndale, a mpira, olemba? simungamakhalepo civilised ngati azungu. Nthawi ikatha yatha basi palibe zoti anthu akundifunabe. a nzeru ndinu nokha? tizipangapo manyazi abale. anthu a mtundu ngati uwu amakanika kupititsa zinthu mtsogolo. kusintha maudindo kumafunika kwina kuli konse. anthu atsopano amabweretsa maganizo atsopano..wokumnva wamva.

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