Malawi’s new President Mrs Joyce Banda has been reminded to bring back the old national flag as she promised during the launch of her People’s Party in Lilongwe. The old flag was controversially changed by Mutharika DPP government in 2009 but met so much public anger. A full sun over reds, black and green replaced […]
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lilongwe City Council, Kelvin M’mangisa, is refusing to testify as state witness in the trial of five Malawian human rights defenders, Ms Habiba Osman and Messrs Billy Mayaya, Brian Nyasulu, Ben Chiza Mkandawire and Comfort Chitseko, at the Lilongwe Magistrate Court. They are charged with holding an illegal demonstration under […]
A pro-democracy activist, Ben Chiza Mkandawire, has lashed at President Bingu wa Mutharika’s increased autocracy, branding him as a smug. Chiza Mkandawire has been driving his democracy activism through the social media and condemned the deteriorating human rights situation in Malawi with the current spate of arbitrary arrests on Mutharika’s growing band of critics. “Bingu has […]
Malawi police on Tuesday detained for questioning a student of political science at Huddersfield University and activist, Ben Chiza Mkandawire and Hebrews Misomali, lawyer Wapona Kita told Nyasa Times. Kita said Police picked Chiza Mkandawire because they “thought he was organising a protest with the vendors.” Police fear Mkandawire was inciting vendors “to overthrow” the […]
Human rights lawyer Habiba Osman and activist Ben Chiza Mkandawire on Thursday gave women inmates at Maula prison in Lilongwe Christmas gifts by donating food stuffs, toiletries and baby food for a new born whose mother is on remand and the prison. During the year, Osman and Mkandawire had been remanded at Maula Prison when […]
The trial of five Malawian human rights defenders, Ms Habiba Osman and Messrs Billy Mayaya, Brian Nyasulu, Ben Chiza Mkandawire and Comfort Chitseko, has been adjourned to Janury 13 2012 at the Lilongwe Magistrate Court after state prosecutors did not obtain consent from Director of Public Prosecution to proceed witht the case. The activists were […]
The Forum for the Defense of Democracy (FDD) has clarified that contrary to reports circulated by government agents, the aborted ‘Occupy Parliament Agenda’ was not intended to topple the current regime or invade the National Assembly but simply to voice out against the conduct of business in the August House. FDD had planned for a […]
The organiser of the planned vigil against Members of Parliament, planned for Monday, 5th December, 2011 to Friday 9th December, 2010, expressing dissatisfaction against the increase of salaries for the Members of Palriament , did not follow procedures laid down in the laws of Malawi, Nyasa Times understands. Speaker of the National Assembly, Henry Chimunthu […]
Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika ordered authorities not to allow human rights activists to proceed with their six-day ‘Occupy Parliament’ vigil to raise their voices against legislators proposal to have salaries rise from K390 000 (about $2 335) to K1 000 000 ($5 988). The ‘Occupy Parliament’ vigil was scheduled to start on Monday but […]
Authorities have granted permission to the Forum for Defence of Democracy (FDD) pressure group to conduct their mass peaceful vigil in the capital Lilongwe for at least five days starting from Monday 5th December to Friday December 9 . Social and political activist Ben Chiza Mkandawire informed last week he had organised an “occupy” movement […]
Social and political activist Ben Chiza Mkandawire has organised a movement to move into the National Assembly to protests against government and MPs “to work with the people and not against them.” Chiza Mkandawire a student of political science at Huddersfield University in UK and a member of Malawi Diaspora Forum told Nyasa Times that […]
Two pro-democracy activists, Ben Chiza Mkandawire and Brian Nyasulu have reported to Lingadzi Police station in Lilongwe about death threatening anonymous phone calls they have been receiving. Since September this year, there have been death threats on three journalists through mobile phone text messages for doing stories that mention top government officials or issues critical […]
Malawi’s outspoken political and human rights activist Ben Chiza Mkandawire said he was appalled at prison conditions in the country’s capital Lilongwe, after he spent days in detention. Mkandawire alongside other four activists were arrested on Friday 14 October for engaging in a peaceful protest outside parliament in Lilongwe. During remand at Maula Prison he […]
Five citizens, who were arrested last Friday when they demonstrated in the capital Lilongwe carrying a banner calling President Bingu wa Mutharika dictator, were granted bail on Wednesday afternoon by Lilongwe Magistrate Court. Billy Mayaya, Comfort Chitseko, Ben Chiza Mkandawire, Brian Nyasulu and Habiba Oman were charged with offences of conducting a demonstration without written […]
A Magistrate, who was supposed to determine bail application for five activists being held in connection with a peaceful protest in the capital Lilongwe , did not show up for the ruling and police took them back in their custody. The five – Billy Mayaya, Habiba Osman a lawyer with the development NGO Norwegian Church […]
Amnesty International o Monday called on Malawian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release five activists being held in connection with a peaceful protest in the capital Lilongwe on Friday. The five – Billy Mayaya, Habiba Osman a lawyer with the development NGO Norwegian Church Aid, as well as Brian Nyasulu, Ben Chiza Mkandawire and Comfort […]
Security forces on Saturday searched homes of members of Forum for the Defence of Democracy (FDD) who was arrested on Friday. Police arrested FDD’s Billy Mayaya, Ben Chiza Mkandawire, Brian Nyasulu and lawyer Habiba Osman who carried placards and read out a statement calling on President Bingu wa Mutharika to call for a referendum on holding […]
Members of the Forum for the Defence of Democracy (FDD) on Friday held a protest demonstration in the capital Lilongwe against what they called dictatorship of Bingu wa Mutharika and were detained. FDD’s Billy Mayaya, Ben Chiza Mkandawire, Brian Nyasulu were in city centre at parliament building carrying placards and read out a statement calling […]