Hero or Zero? “…Now we are engaged in a great war, testing whether this nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can endure.…But, in a large sense, we can not dedicate – we can not consecrate – we cannot hallow – this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have […]
Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika has disclosed that he will establish a commission of inquiry into the ‘murder’ of university student Robert Chasowa, a critic of the government and the riots that took place on July 20 national demonstrations killing 19 people. Mutharika speaking exclusively to the BBC’s Africa Have Your Say programme on Thursday […]
Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika is expected to be elected the new chairperson of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) at the end of regional body’s summit on October 15 in Lilongwe. A two-day Heads of State and Government summit to be held under the theme, “Harnessing Science and Technology for Development”, […]
New information has emerged that the death of university student activist Robert Chasowa may have been sanctioned by someone in the hierarchy of the ruling party’s southern region committee. A top tier member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) instructed some party cadres to deal with Chasowa for his writing in a newsletter that he […]
A twelve member jury and two alternatives have been selected in the case in which Malawi government is prosecuting former vice-president Dr Cassim Chilumpha and businessman Yusuf Matumula MP on charges of treason and conspiracy to murder. The process of selecting the jury took place in the High Court in Blantyre before trial judge Ken […]
Editor of Malawi’s leading online news, the Nyasa Times, Thom Chiumia was invited to be a panellist at the debate organised by St Andrews University of Scotland which was held at the Royal Commonwealth Society in London on Monday. The debate was held under the theme: ‘Will the Arab Spring be followed by an African […]
When Robert Chasowa, a student at the University of Malawi’s Polytechnic campus, was found dead at the premises of the college, the police moved quickly to stem any mayhem the death might have resulted in. Students, after all, had already begun to run riot. The Police quickly announced that the death was suicide. The deceased […]
Malawi’s president Bingu wa Mutharika has hired a new 32-member cabinet, including himself and wife First Lady Calista Mutharika. State vice president Joyce Banda’s name is conspicuously missing from the new list. According to a list of the new ministers read out on state-owned Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), there are several prominent members of the […]
AMBUJE’S DIARY 2011 PART 2 Where have all the pangaboys gone? Long time passing! Where have all the pangaboys gone? Long time ago! Where have all the pangaboys gone? Gone disappearing everyone! When will they ever learn? 2x – (Paraphrased from the lyrics of Pete Seeger (1955)) A few days into my vacation, I decided […]
Bosses at the beleaguered Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) will be standing in court docks to explain malice in their actions when restructuring the entity and on the other side explain to Anti- Corruption Bureau and President Bingu wa Mutharika why they didn’t engage independent consultants to handle the process. They were four in number and […]
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and the Centre for Development of People (CEDEP) have added their voice to call on President Bingu wa Mutharika to expeditiously appoint a “meritorious” cabinet, having dissolved one on August 19, 2011. The two civil society organizations express their “fears and concerns” in a joint statement made available […]
Public Affairs Committee (PAC), the prominent civil society, interfaith organisation made up of the main Protestant, Catholic and Muslim faith groups in Malawi has condemned the arson attack at Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) offices in the commercial capital, Blantyre. Arsonists suspected to be operatives of ruling DPP on Friday broke window panes at IPI offices at […]
President Bingu wa Mutharika on Saturday held hurried meetings during a whistle stop tour in Rumphi Central Constituency, there to drum up support for his government Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Norman Nyirenda. At Mphompha Primary School Ground, where he made his first stop-over, Mutharika claimed he is the only one amongst all the presidents […]
C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 000224 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/S – E. PELLETREAU, INR – RITA BYRNES USEUCOM PLEASE PASS TO USAFRICOM E.O. 12958: SUBJECT: MALAWI TO OPEN EMBASSY IN IRAN REF: 07 LILONGWE 856 Classified By: DCM Kevin Sullivan for Reasons 1.4(b),(d) (C) Summary: During […]
AMBUJE’S DIARY 2011 PART I: Adalanda ufumu kalero, naupereka kwaoledzera! (The kingdom was long confiscated and awarded to a drunkard!) – Blantyre street urchin’s rendition of a Lucius Banda tune; July 24th, 2011. Exhausted from a long series of flights through Burlington (Vermont, US), Washington (D.C., US), Addis Ababa, Lubumbashi and Lilongwe, I did not […]
Rafiq Hajat, one of Malawi’s leading rights activist and a fierce critic of President Bingu wa Mutharika, has been dealt a heavy blow as thugs stormed his offices in Blantyre to set ablaze the building. This is the second time Hajat, the director of the Institute for Policy Interaction advocacy group, has experienced a similar […]
Experience has shown that forming committees to handle various issues is not necessarily a solution to national problems. Malawians may be aware that the Bingu wa Mutharika government is so fond of coming up with various presidential appointed committees for this and that. This is in addition to personal advisors to the President. Just imagine, […]
Catholic clergy in Malawi have lend their support to head of their influential church in the country, His Grace Bishop Jopeh Zuza for his straight-talking sermon during the National Day of Prayers delivered on August 16 at Comesa Hall which riled Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika. Priests and the faithful from three Catholic bodies the Association of […]