Staff at parliament have taken management by surprise when they slapped it with a High Court injunction effectively stopping the National Assembly from recruiting 56 new members of staff. Parliament’s Workers Union argues that the management would have first made internal advertisements so that incumbent staff filled the existing vacancies by way of promotion before […]
Cracks have emerged in a special parliamentary committee set up to probe seven cabinet ministers allegedly involved in K236 billion cashgate and 27 companies involved in farm input subsidy program as two committee leaders disagree which work should be prioritised. Deputy chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament Kamlepo Kalua says the priority […]
President Peter Mutharika would be forced to answer questions in parliament should members of parliament pass a new standing order that compels presidents to do so on pertinent issues affecting the country. This follows the proposal by the Legal Affairs Committe to suggest a day and duration of the Head of State’s appearance to enable […]
A parliamentary usher is demanding compensation from his employers for being stuck in a lift for 30 minutes, forcing him to collapse and faint. Gilbert Mwanyongwa was trapped in a lift following a power surge. “I was really frightened, there was no air, there was darkness,” said Mwonyonga. He said he would die in the […]
Leader of opposition in parliament Lazarus Chakwera has asked for a law that would compel the president to appear before the House to answer questions from back-benchers. Chakwera, who is also president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) said this on Thursday in parliament when he made his speech when the House rose. “It is also […]
Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa, has noted that Malawi Parliament lacks the institutional capacity to perform its roles effectively and that Parliamentary committees do not meet regularly to perform their various functions fundamentally because of insufficient funding. He was addressing Parliament on Thursday, March 2, 2017, at the close of the 2016/17 […]
Malawi Parlaiment was on Thursday adjourned sine die ( with no appointed date for continuation of business) after members approved the Mid-Year Budget review but failed to conclude the debate on the ‘Maizegate’ inquiry report. The House did not conclude debate on a report presented by its join parliamentary committee on matters surrounding the procurement […]
Newly-appointed Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa, has pledged to ensure that outstanding Parliament projects, including television and radio stations, are implemented during his tenure in office. In his maiden ‘Discontinuous Motion’ speech at the end of the 2016/17 Mid-year Budget Review Session on Thursday March 2, 2017, the youthful Mulanje Central Member […]
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Member of Parliament for Lilongwe Msozi South, Vitus Dzoole Mwale has said ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) backbenchers in parliament should undergo training to tame their tongues from uttering hate remarks. Dzoole Mwale observed that DPP backbenchers are fond of making foul mouthed comment in parliament. “Mr Speaker, Sir, I do […]
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) parliamentarians on Tuesday took to task Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe over the increased K112million allocation of funding to the Greenbelt Authority (GBA) which is not yet legally instituted. Government announced GBA as a stand-alone public agency which will be the official agent for the construction […]
Malawi Parliament on Monday ignored a petition from Mzuzu City constituency to impeach President Peter Mutharika. Except for one MP from Mzimba who said Mutharika would stay put in office until the next elections, back benchers from both sides of the House did not make any comment on the issue but concetrated on the business […]
Malawi Parliament has ruled out extending its seating after this coming Friday to tackle unfinished business, including the contentious electoral reforms bill. Leader of the House, Kondwani Nankhumwa, said all unfinished business will be tackled either in May or June when the House meets for budget session. “There is no need for extension, we are […]
National Assembly Speaker Richard Msowoya has said Members of Parliament should inform his office when they travel outside the country even on private visits. “Honourable Members, just a reminder. It has been observed that many Honourable Members travel outside the country without informing the Office of the Speaker. It is very important that the Speaker’s […]
Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya on Friday took the government by storm when he said Malawians treat their Presidents and other leaders with too much respect and fear that impedes on transparency and accountability. Msowoya said this in parliament when he made a ruling on a contentious issue when government chief whip Henry […]
Rumphi West member of Parliament (MP) Jacqueline Kouwenhoven (independent) has brought the attention of Minister lof Local Government Kondwani Nankhumwa that in Rumphi District Council, there is an “extremely high vacancy level.” The Rumphi West MP said in parliament, stating that she noted the vacancy rate in the report of the Local Authorities and Rural development Committee. “Mr […]
Members of Parliament on Friday were petitioned by chiefs and concerned citizens from Rumphi to repeal the Customary Land Act which was passed in 2016 which they argue is bringing friction between traditional leaders and their subjects. Last year Parliament passed four land-related bills which the President assented to in September. They include the Customary Land […]
Malawi Parliament on Friday passed the bill to allow government to borrow MK16.4bn from the European Investment Bank to help the Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) improve its efficiency and to rehabilitate the Lunyangwa Dam. Presenting the Bill to the House, Finance Minister, Goodall Gondwe, said the loan had a 20-year repayment period with a […]
An opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) legislator has moved a motion that if passed, the government would be mandated to invite Scotland Yard, the UK state spies to investigate the brutal murder of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director of corporate affairs Issa Njauju and mysterious fires. Nkhotakota South East member of Parliament (MP) Everson Makowa Mwale (MCP) wants the […]