TIG Post

Tag: Malawi

  • Malawi swears in comedian-turned as vice-president after death of the old

    Malawi swears in comedian-turned as vice-president after death of the old

    Renowned comedian-turned-politician, Michael Usi, has been sworn in as Malawi’s vice-president during a ceremony in Lilongwe’s parliament.

    The 55-year-old takes over from Saulos Chilima, who tragically died in a plane crash earlier this month, along with eight others.

    After his inauguration, Dr. Usi received a standing ovation as he expressed his mixed feelings of sadness and gratitude.

    He pledged to honor his predecessor’s legacy and thanked President Lazarus Chakwera for his trust in him to serve as vice-president in the coalition government.

    Dr. Usi’s appointment has sparked mixed reactions among Malawians. Some have shared clips of his acting career on social media, questioning his seriousness for such a high office.

    Conversely, others have commended President Chakwera for respecting the alliance with Chilima’s party by appointing its deputy leader.

    Known popularly as “Manganya,” the character he plays in the popular TV sitcom Tikuferanji, Dr. Usi has often been a controversial figure.

    Despite his current political role, he was filming an episode just last week, according to his aide.

    With over two decades of presence on national radio and television, Dr. Usi is a well-known celebrity in Malawi.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYrlFT0TH0Q

    He has also been an advocate for the development of Malawi’s film industry, often struggling financially to make a living in this sector.

    Initially funding his acting career through his work as a hospital clinician, he holds a qualification in clinical medicine and a PhD in youth development from the University of Bedfordshire, UK.

    Dr. Usi has also worked extensively with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra), where he held various roles, including country director.

    Through Adra, he supported educational radio and TV soaps addressing social issues such as HIV.

    Despite his commitments at Adra, Dr. Usi continued his acting career and participated in various productions, primarily in the local Chichewa language.

    His popularity as a comedian led some to initially perceive his political movement, founded around seven years ago, as a joke.

    However, his political ambitions proved genuine, as his movement “Odya zake alibe Mulandu” (he who does not take what belongs to others but only eats what’s his is a free man) eventually merged with Dr. Chilima’s UTM party.

    Dr. Usi’s political career gained momentum ahead of the 2019 elections, where he and Dr. Chilima held large rallies together. Dr. Chilima named Dr. Usi as his running mate, highlighting their shared eloquence and ability to draw large crowds.

  • Whereabouts of Malawi vice-president unknown following missing aircraft

    Whereabouts of Malawi vice-president unknown following missing aircraft

    A statement from the president’s office has revealed that an aircraft carrying Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima and nine other individuals has disappeared.

    The Malawi Defence Force aircraft lost contact after departing from the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday morning.

    It was scheduled to arrive at Mzuzu International Airport in the country’s north around 10:00 local time (09:00 BST).

    In a speech late on Monday, President Lazarus Chakwera said a search and rescue operation was continuing.

    “Soldiers are still on the ground carrying out the search and I have given strict orders that the operation should continue until the plane is found,” he said, adding that it was a “heart-breaking situation”.

    “I know that we are all frightened and concerned; I too am concerned. But I want to assure you that I am sparing no available resource to find that plane and I am holding onto every fibre of hope that we will find survivors.”

    Earlier, Mr. Chakwera cancelled his scheduled flight to the Bahamas, which was set for Monday evening. General Valentino Phiri informed Mr. Chakwera that the reason for the aircraft’s disappearance is still unknown.

    Moses Kunkuyu, Malawi’s information minister, informed the BBC that efforts to locate the aircraft are underway and described them as “intensive.”

    Mr. Chilima was en route to represent the government at the funeral of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara, who passed away three days ago.

    Mr Kunkuyu said: “The airport he was to land, which is in the northern part of Mzuzu, was the closest to where the funeral was taking place.”

    Dr. Chilima faced arrest and charges in 2022 over allegations of accepting bribes in exchange for government contracts. However, the court recently dismissed these charges without providing any explanation.

    Saulos Chilima is a prominent figure in both the political and corporate spheres.

    Before entering politics, he held significant leadership positions at multinational corporations such as Unilever and Coca-Cola.

    At 51 years old, he is married and has two children.

    Described as a “performer,” “workaholic,” and “achiever” on the government’s website, Dr. Chilima is highly regarded for his dedication and accomplishments. He holds a PhD in Knowledge Management.

  • 4 ex-Malawi officials banned from entering US due to corruption allegations

    4 ex-Malawi officials banned from entering US due to corruption allegations

    The United States has imposed an entry ban on four former senior Malawian officials due to corruption allegations.

    Among those barred from entering the US are former police chief George Kainja, former solicitor general and secretary of justice Reyneck Matemba, former director of public procurement and disposal of assets John Suzi-Banda, and former police service attorney Mwabi Kaluba.

    The State Department designated these individuals “as generally ineligible for entry into the United States, due to their involvement in significant corruption.”

    Notably, Mr. Matemba also served as the immediate former head of the Malawi Anti-Corruption Bureau.

    The ban extends to the spouses of the ex-officials as well. According to a statement released on Wednesday, these banned officials were implicated in abusing their public positions by accepting bribes and other incentives from a private businessperson.

    This was allegedly in exchange for awarding a government procurement contract for the Malawi Police Service.

    In addition to the US ban, the former officials are also facing charges in Malawi.

    They were named on a list of more than 80 prominent Malawians accused by the anti-graft body of engaging in corrupt dealings with a British businessman, Zuneth Sattar. Despite the allegations, all four former officials and Mr. Sattar deny any wrongdoing.

  • 5 men die in Malawi over homemade alcohol

    5 men die in Malawi over homemade alcohol

    Five individuals have perished in Blantyre, Malawi‘s southern city, while two others are currently under medical care for suspected alcohol poisoning.

    Nine men were swiftly transported to the city’s primary referral hospital on Friday evening after consuming homemade alcohol.

    A statement issued by the Director of Health and Social Services for the Blantyre District Council, Gift Kawalazira, verified the demise of five men and indicated that two others were receiving medical attention at the hospital.

    Malawi has grappled with the proliferation of illicitly produced and inexpensive alcohol, predominantly consumed by unemployed young men and some minors.

    Despite past efforts to prohibit various forms of cheap alcohol, authorities have struggled to completely eradicate them from the market.

    In response to the weekend fatalities, law enforcement announced an initiative to track down producers and vendors of the local brew, which goes by different names including “take me, Lord”, “stagger”, and “monkey killer”.

    As of Sunday evening, no arrests had been made.

  • Malawi’s immigration office hit by cyberattack

    Malawi’s immigration office hit by cyberattack

    Malawi stopped giving out passports because their computer system for immigration was attacked by hackers.

    President Chakwera told Members of Parliament that the government department’s targeting was a big threat to national security.

    He said that the hackers wanted money.

    The president said that the government won’t give in to what they want and is trying to fix the problem.

    “We don’t use public money to satisfy criminals, and we don’t negotiate with those who attack our country,” he said on Wednesday.

    Many young people in Malawi want passports because they want to move to other countries for work.

    Mr Chakwera said he told the immigration department to come up with a temporary plan and start giving out passports again within three weeks. This is until they can take charge of the system again.

    He said they would make a more secure plan that lasts a long time.

    For the last two weeks, Malawi has not been giving out passports because of a technical problem.

    Mr Chakwera said for the first time on Wednesday that the immigration system was “hacked,” but he didn’t say who he thought the hackers were.

    There is no other information about the cyber-attack, including how it could affect keeping personal data safe.

    Malawians want to know why it’s taking so long to get their travel document.

    This has happened before in the past few years.

    Last year, the government stopped giving out new documents because they ran out of passport booklets. An official said that the problem was getting worse because there wasn’t enough foreign money.

    There have been problems since 2021 when the attorney-general’s office ended a contract for passports with a company that had been providing the service, saying there were problems.

    Some angry people in Malawi have blamed the government for not processing applications on time and have accused them of being corrupt.

    Right now, if you don’t have a passport or your passport is expired, you can’t get a new one and you can’t travel.

  • Malawi removes need for visas for 79 nations

    Malawi removes need for visas for 79 nations

    Malawi has made it easier for people from 79 countries to visit without needing a visa. This is meant to help bring more tourists and businesses to the country.

    The Minister of Homeland Security, Ken Zikhałe, changed the immigration rules to make it easier for people from the UK, China, Russia, Germany, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, France, and other countries to get visas.

    People from Sadc and Comesa countries don’t need a visa to travel.

    This does not include countries that require Malawian citizens to have a visa.

    The changes mean that certain groups like diplomats and government officials, as well mutual exchange countries with agreements for multiple-entry visas with Malawi, are exempt from the new rules.

    The new visa rules in Malawi now allow multiple entry visas to be valid for up to 12 months.

    “The decision is not just about visas. It’s about showing the world the great things in Malawi and inviting people to come and see them for themselves,” said Tourism Minister Vera Kamtukule in an interview with local media.

    The British embassy in Malawi told its citizens they can easily get a visa to go see the cool stuff in the southern African country.

    Malawi, Kenya, and Rwanda are letting people from other African countries visit them.

  • Malawi lifts visa restrictions 79 countries to enhance tourism, trade opportunities

    Malawi lifts visa restrictions 79 countries to enhance tourism, trade opportunities

    Malawi lifts visa restrictions for citizens of 79 countries, aiming to boost tourism and trade.

    The amendment, announced by Homeland Security Minister Ken Zikhałe, includes exemptions for nationals of the UK, China, Russia, Germany, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, France, and others.

    Additionally, citizens from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) are now visa-exempt.

    Certain groups like diplomats and government officials, as well as countries with mutual exchange agreements, are also exempt. Multiple-entry visas now have a validity of up to 12 months.

    Tourism Minister Vera Kamtukule emphasized the significance of this decision in unlocking Malawi’s potential. The British embassy encouraged its nationals to explore Malawi’s tourist attractions.

    Malawi joins Kenya and Rwanda in easing travel restrictions for African visitors.

  • President of Malawi forbids himself from travelling abroad over bad economy

    President of Malawi forbids himself from travelling abroad over bad economy

    Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has stopped all government officials and himself from traveling outside the country to save money.

    Malawi’s money lost a lot of value, so they borrowed money from the IMF to help their economy.

    Mr Chakwera has told all ministers who are in other countries to come back home.

    Senior government officials will now receive half the amount of money for fuel that they used to get.

    Malawi’s economy has been going through tough times, with not enough petrol and diesel, and prices for things going up a lot.

    On TV, Mr. Chakwera said the rules will stay until March 2024.

    Some steps to save money were introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, but they didn’t have much impact because they weren’t strictly enforced.

    To help with the high cost of living, the president wants the finance minister to plan for a fair pay raise for all government workers in the next budget review.

    He has decided to reduce the amount of income tax that people have to pay in the next budget. This will help workers who are earning less money.

    Experts believe that lowering the value of the country’s money may have been necessary to get a loan from the IMF.

    Some people are worried that if the currency loses value, prices will go up and make the financial situation in Malawi even worse than it was ten years ago.

    Officials say that the bad economy is because of things outside of the country, like a really bad storm and the war in Ukraine.

  • Malawian musician Thomas Chibade passes away at age 37

    Malawian musician Thomas Chibade passes away at age 37

    People are giving compliments and showing love for Thomas Chibade, a famous musician from Malawi who passed away at 37 years old.

    Chibade’s emotional songs in reggae and Afro-pop styles were well-liked by young people in Malawi.

    His fans said he was a good singer with a beautiful voice.

    He passed away in a hospital in the main city, Lilongwe. The reason why he died is not known yet, but some news sources say he died from malaria.

    Chibade, also known as Chenkhumba, became popular in the early 2000s when he released his album Zatukusira, which means “It has come out” in Chichewa.

    The album has one of Chibade’s most famous songs called Mawu anga, which means My words.

    “Everyone, young and old, loved his music. ” “One of his fans on Facebook said that he was a very talented artist who could make people feel emotions and remember things with his music. ”

    Famous Malawian writer Wonderful Mkhutche was very surprised and sad about the young singer’s death. He said the singer had a lot of talent and it is a shame that he died so young.

    Musician Xkesh, also known as Njaliwe Chalera, expressed his sadness about the current state of the music industry.

    “Thomas Chibade’s influence on Malawi’s music industry and his positive effect on many musicians will never be forgotten,” Chalera wrote on Facebook.

    Chibade recently passed away, just a few weeks after another well-known musician named Atoht Manje also died soon after performing on stage.

  • Alert: Malawi faces an impending heatwave with soaring temperatures

    Alert: Malawi faces an impending heatwave with soaring temperatures

    Malawians are on high alert as they face the looming threat of an extreme heatwave, set to push temperatures to a scorching 44°C.

    Authorities urge citizens to exercise caution, avoiding alcohol and caffeine as these beverages can lead to dehydration in such extreme conditions.

    The country’s meteorological service has issued a warning, indicating that, while high temperatures are not uncommon for October, they are expected to become both more frequent and severe due to climate change impacts.

    This situation mirrors intense heatwaves witnessed in North Africa, Europe, the United States, and Mexico in July. Climate experts predict that 2023 will be a record-setting year for warmth due to ongoing emissions of warming gases and El Niño weather events.

    Malawi’s Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has released an advisory, cautioning citizens to prepare for an extended period of sweltering and uncomfortable weather, forecasted to persist until Saturday.

    The projected maximum temperatures are a scorching 44°C in the southern Shire Valley and 40°C in northern areas along Lake Malawi.

    Yobu Kachiwanda, Malawi’s chief meteorologist, explained that a continual daily temperature rise is responsible for this exceptional heatwave, attributing it to direct heat energy from the sun positioned directly above Malawi.

    Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions, are at significant risk of heat-related illnesses when exposed to such extreme conditions over an extended period. The weather bureau has highlighted concerns about conditions like heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

  • Former Malawian politician John Tembo passes away at age 91

    John Tembo, a very influential person in Malawian politics for over forty years, has passed away in a hospital in the capital city, Lilongwe, at the age of 91, according to his family.

    He became a Member of Parliament when he was 27 years old in 1960, just before the country gained independence from the United Kingdom.

    He became known as former President Hastings Banda’s closest companion, while Mr Tembo’s niece, Cecelia Kadzamira, was chosen as the government’s official hostess instead of a first lady.

    John Zenus Ungapake Tembo was the first person in charge of the money in Malawi after they became independent in 1964. He also worked in different government positions during his career.

    He also worked as the head of the central bank and was considered the most important member of the government when Dr. Banda was in power for 30 years.

    He is well known by his initials JZU. His biggest role was being part of a group that ruled Malawi for a short time while the president was sick.

    After a vote in June 1993, Malawi stopped having only one ruling party. The next year, in a very important election with many parties, Dr Banda and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) were not chosen to be in charge anymore.

    This helped Mr. Tembo become a well-known leader of the opposition party, the MCP. He ran for president in 2004 and 2009, but he didn’t win. Bingu wa Mutharika was the winner both times.

    He resigned as the leader of MCP in 2013, and Lazarus Chakwera took his place. Chakwera later became the president in 2020.

  • Malawi politician John Tembo dead

    A dominant figure in Malawian politics for more than four decades, John Tembo, has died in hospital in the capital, Lilongwe, at the age of 91, his family says.

    He became an MP aged 27 in 1960 in the run-up to the country’s independence from the UK.

    He went on to be regarded as former President Hastings Banda’s right-hand man and Mr. Tembo’s niece, Cecelia Kadzamira, was hired as the government’s official hostess in lieu of a first lady.

    John Zenus Ungapake Tembo was Malawi’s first finance minister after independence in 1964 and went on to serve in various other cabinet roles during his career.

    He also had a stint as head of the central bank and was regarded the most influential member of government during Dr. Banda’s 30-year rule.

    Popularly known by his initials JZU, his most prominent role was being part of a three-member presidential council that ruled Malawi between 15 October and 8 December 1993, when the then-ageing Dr. Banda underwent brain surgery and was deemed incapacitated.

    Following a referendum in June 1993, Malawi abandoned single party rule and in historic multiparty elections the following year, Dr. Banda and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) lost power.

    This paved the way for Mr. Tembo to emerge as a prominent opposition figure, heading the MCP. He contested and lost presidential elections in 2004 and 2009 – both times to Bingu wa Mutharika.

    He stepped down as MCP leader in 2013, replaced by Lazarus Chakwera who went on to become president in 2020.

  • VP of Malawi granted more time to review corruption charges against him

    VP of Malawi granted more time to review corruption charges against him

    Malawi Financial Crimes Court has granted Vice-President Saulos Chilima additional time to review his charge sheet before entering a plea in his ongoing corruption case.

    The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) accuses Dr. Chilima of accepting $280,000 and other undisclosed items from a British businessman. Dr. Chilima, who was arrested in November and subsequently released on bail, maintains that the charges against him are politically motivated.

    In response to the court’s ruling, Judge Redson Kapindu has ordered the ACB to provide all case details to Dr. Chilima within seven days.

    The ACB requested additional time, and the court has set 1 August as the deadline for the disclosures and plea submission.

    A hearing on bail conditions will be held on 19 July, as requested by the defense to waive the current conditions, which include reporting to the ACB every three months and surrendering Dr. Chilima’s passport to the court.

  • Malawi: 22 dead in road crash after football match

    Malawi: 22 dead in road crash after football match

    In Malawi’s northern Karonga area, a van carrying at least 22 amateur football players and team supporters overturned as it was being driven home from a game.

    A police statement said the vehicle carrying around 80 people flipped over on Saturday night after the driver failed to negotiate a bend and hit an embankment on the left side of the road.

    Several other passengers were taken to hospital – at least 12 of them had injuries described as “serious”.

    Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera sent a condolence message to families of the deceased and ordered the disaster management SP welcomes US Assistant Secretary for Int’l Affairs department to offer quick support to all the affected families.

  • Mozambicans apprehended in Malawi while attempting to sell pangolin

    Mozambicans apprehended in Malawi while attempting to sell pangolin

    Two Mozambican residents were apprehended in neighboring Malawi after being found in possession of a protected pangolin.

    The suspects, aged 40 and 46, were arrested by the Malawian police in the central Mchinji district, where they were allegedly looking for a potential buyer for the pangolin.

    Mchinji police public relations officer said that on questioning, the suspects revealed the animal had been captured in Chifunde in Mozambique’s western Tete province where they come from.

    They are due to appear in court to face charges of trafficking a protected species.

    Pangolins are the most-trafficked mammals in the world with high demand for their scales and claws used in traditional medicine – with fears they could become extinct.

  • Student in Malawian school banned for 3years over dreadlocks

    Student in Malawian school banned for 3years over dreadlocks

    Alli Nansolo debated whether or not to clip his son’s dreadlocks for years. Although it is not a legal requirement in Malawi, an informal policy that was implemented across government schools meant that his son was denied entrance due to his hair.

    Nansolo’s could not pay for private education for his son Ishmael from his modest dressmaking income and cutting his hair, an important symbol of their Rastafari religion, was inconceivable to him.

    “Rastafari is a spiritual way of life. Keeping dreadlocks is like we are committing ourselves to a vow before the most high creator that we will serve him in our life without denying his laws or commandments,” Nansolo told CNN.

    The 48-year-old makes between 200,000 to 300,000 Malawian Kwacha (around $194 to $291) monthly, while his wife Empress supplements the family’s income by selling secondhand clothes.

    Jamaica’s high court ruled a school was legally right in banning a child with dreadlocks

    “I felt oppressed,” Nansolo said as he recalled the staff of a state-run secondary school in Zomba, southern Malawi. refusing to register Ishmael because of his hair.

    Nansolo said he contacted an officer at the Ministry of Education who advised him to cut his son’s hair so that he could go to school.

    Nansolo found himself caught up in the discriminatory policies of Malawian public schools and decided to take legal action against the Ministry of Education, along with a group of parents.

    “I went to the Women Lawyers Association of Malawi to ask for help. The association accepted and we went to court in November 2017,” he said.

    A temporary relief
    For three years, Ishmael, then 15, would remain out of school as the court case dragged on.

    Then, in 2020, the Malawi High Court placed an interim order compelling public schools to enroll Ishmael and other Rastafari children until a final ruling was reached.

    It was a legal victory that marked a significant milestone for the estimated 15,000 Rastafarian community in Malawi, according to Nansolo, who is also a community elder.

    However, the temporary relief did not address the broader issue of discrimination that around 1,200 affected students face, their lawyer Chikondi Chijozi told CNN.

    “We saw a number of Rastafari children being admitted into government schools but there were still reported cases of children of [the] Rastafari community being denied admission into government schools, and their parents were forced to take the court injunction to the school to compel them to admit them,” Chijozi said.

    ‘Free’ at last, but challenges remain
    After a six-year legal challenge, the Malawian High Court delivered a landmark ruling on May 8.

    The court ruled that it was unlawful to require learners, including Rastafarian kids, to cut their hair before they are enrolled into public schools.

    The ruling came into immediate effect but the government has until June 30 to issue a nationwide statement mandating acceptance of all dreadlocked children into school.

    Chijoki told CNN: “We got a judgment from the court which essentially upheld the rights of the Rastafari children and abolished the policy that requires all learners, including Rastafari children, to cut off their dreadlocks for them to be admitted into government schools.”

    Nansolo expressed his community’s jubilation that their children could now finally continue their education.

    “The judgment means that we are now free because most of us in [the] Rastafarian community don’t earn much, so we couldn’t manage to send our children to private schools,” Nansolo said.

    “We are happy seeing that our children will now be going to public schools without being sent back or denied their right to education.”

    CNN has contacted the education ministry for comment on the ruling.

    Despite this victory, Malawi’s Rastafarian community still faces numerous challenges. Unemployment, poverty, and corporate discrimination persistently plague the community. Data on the community is hard to come by but the US State Department says around 5.6 percent of Malawi’s nearly 21 million population is formed of other religions including Hindus, Baha’is, Rastafarians, Jews, and Sikhs.

    “Most of us rely on business to survive. Lack of jobs is a big challenge for the Rastafarian community because those in offices are reluctant to employ Rastas,” Nansolo said.

    “The corporate world feels that being Rastafari is associated with criminality, but we are not like that.”

  • Rastafarian’s son banned from school for 3 years over dreadlocks in Malawi

    Rastafarian’s son banned from school for 3 years over dreadlocks in Malawi

    Alli Nansolo debated whether or not to trim his son’s dreadlocks for years. Although it is not required by law in Malawi, a widespread unwritten policy meant that his son was being turned away from government schools because of the colour of his hair.

    With his meagre earnings from manufacturing dresses, Nansolo’s was unable to provide his son Ishmael with a private education, and cutting his hair—a significant Rastafari religious symbol—was out of the question.

    “The rastafari way of life is spiritual. Maintaining dreadlocks is comparable to making a pledge before the Most High Creator that we shall live our lives in service to Him without disobeying His Laws or Commandments, according to Nansolo, who spoke to CNN.

    The 48-year-old makes between 200,000 to 300,000 Malawian Kwacha (around $194 to $291) monthly, while his wifeEmpress supplements the family’s income by selling secondhand clothes.

    “I felt oppressed,” Nansolo said as he recalled the staff of a state-run secondary school in Zomba, southern Malawi. refusing to register Ishmael because of his hair.

    Nansolo said he contacted an officer at the Ministry of Education who advised him to cut his son’s hair so that he could go to school.

    Nansolo found himself caught up in the discriminatory policies of Malawian public schools and decided to take legal action against the Ministry of Education, along with a group of parents.

    “I went to the Women Lawyers Association of Malawi to ask for help. The association accepted and we went to court in November 2017,” he said.

    For three years, Ishmael, then 15, would remain out of school as the court case dragged on.

    Then, in 2020, the Malawi High Court placed an interim order compelling public schools to enroll Ishmael and other Rastafari children until a final ruling was reached.

    It was a legal victory that marked a significant milestone for the estimated 15,000 Rastafarian community in Malawi, according to Nansolo, who is also a community elder.

    However, the temporary relief did not address the broader issue of discrimination that around 1,200 affected students face, their lawyer Chikondi Chijozi told CNN.

    “We saw a number of Rastafari children being admitted into government schools but there were still reported cases of children of [the]Rastafari community being denied admission into government schools, and their parents were forced to take the court injunction to the school to compel them to admit them,” Chijozi said.

    After a six-year legal challenge, the Malawian High Court delivered a landmark ruling on May 8.

    The court ruled that it was unlawful to require learners, including Rastafarian kids, to cut their hair before they are enrolled into public schools.

    The ruling came into immediate effect but the government has until June 30 to issue a nationwide statement mandating acceptance of all dreadlocked children into school.

    Chijoki told CNN: “We got a judgment from the court which essentially upheld the rights of the Rastafari children and abolished the policy that requires all learners, including Rastafari children, to cut off their dreadlocks for them to be admitted into government schools.”

    Nansolo expressed his community’s jubilation that their children could now finally continue their education.

    “The judgment means that we are now free because most of us in [the]Rastafarian community don’t earn much, so we couldn’t manage to send our children to private schools,” Nansolo said.

    “We are happy seeing that our children will now be going to public schools without being sent back or denied their right to education.”

    CNN has contacted the education ministry for comment on the ruling.

    Despite this victory, Malawi’s Rastafarian community still faces numerous challenges. Unemployment, poverty, and corporate discrimination persistently plague the community. Data on the community is hard to come by but the US State Department says around 5.6 percent of Malawi’s nearly 21 million population is formed of other religions includingHindus, Baha’is, Rastafarians, Jews, and Sikhs.

    “Most of us rely on business to survive. Lack of jobs is a big challenge for the Rastafarian community because those in offices are reluctant to employ Rastas,” Nansolo said.

    “The corporate world feels that being Rastafari is associated with criminality, but we are not like that.”

  • Malawi begins investigation into state offices gutted by fire

    Malawi begins investigation into state offices gutted by fire

    The Malawi government says it is investigating a mysterious fire in the capital Lilongwe that destroyed offices of key government departments holding sensitive information.

    The fire gutted the last top two floors of a seven-storey government building destroying the government contracting unit, a department in the president and cabinet’s office.

    It also destroyed two departments in the lands ministry – the lands registry and deeds registry. An official described the offices as “holding very sensitive information”.

    The community services department in the country’s judiciary was also gutted in the fire reported to have started at 23:00 local time on Saturday.

    Information and Digitalisation Minister Moses Kunkuyu said a probe led by the police, supported by other security agencies, was under way to establish the cause of the fire.

    Soon after news of the fire broke, social media was awash with insinuations the fire may have been the work of saboteurs and that critical information may have been lost.

    But the information minister said the information had been backed up digitally, assuring people not to “worry about any alleged loss of information for nefarious reasons”.

    He said the investigations would be conducted quickly and the outcome made available to the public.

  • Malawi boat tragedy: More dead bodies retrieved

    Malawi boat tragedy: More dead bodies retrieved

    Six more remains have been found by Malawian rescuers after their boat was hit by a hippo and crashed on the Shire River in the southern Nsanje district on Monday.

    A police spokesperson in Nsanje area, Agnes Zalakoma, said the bodies were recovered on Wednesday from different sites along the river, state-owned MBC TV reported

    “The search is still in progress,” Ms Zalakoma said.

    Following the accident, 14 people were rescued and about 20 others were reported missing.

    A body of an infant, who was among the passengers, was recovered earlier.

    The boat was packed with 37 villagers who were crossing the river to work in their fields on the Mozambican side.

  • More than 20 displaced as hippo hits boat in Southern Malawi

    More than 20 displaced as hippo hits boat in Southern Malawi

    In Malawi, at least 20 individuals are still unaccounted for after their canoe capsized on the Shire River in the southern Nsanje district after being struck by a hippo.

    Robert Nayeja, a senior official in Nsanje District, said the canoe was carrying about 37 people going to their fields on the Mozambican side, state-owned MBC TV reported.

    A body of an infant, who was among the passengers, has been retrieved.

    Agnes Zalakoma, a senior police officer, has told the VOA that the death toll is expected to rise as detectives and rescue teams search for the missing people. So far, 13 people have been rescued.

    A lawmaker for the area said the river was infested with crocodiles and hippos and the boats operating there were not motorboats.

    The boat mishap is the third deadly accident on the river in three years.

    Malawi is recovering from a devastating tropical storm in March that killed 511 people and left 533 others missing.

  • More than 20 missing in Malawi after hippo attack

    More than 20 missing in Malawi after hippo attack

    More than 20 individuals are unaccounted for in Malawi following a canoe accident on the Shire River in the southern Nsanje region.

    The canoe, carrying approximately 37 people en route to their fields on the Mozambican side, was struck by a hippopotamus and overturned.

    One infant’s body has been recovered so far. Efforts by detectives and rescue teams to locate the missing individuals are ongoing, with expectations of a rising death toll. Thirteen people have been rescued thus far.

    The area’s lawmaker highlighted the presence of crocodiles and hippos in the river, emphasizing that the boats used were not motorized.

    This incident marks the third fatal accident on the river in three years.

    Malawi is still in the process of recovering from a destructive tropical storm in March, which claimed the lives of 511 people and left 533 others missing.

  • Schools in Malawi ordered to allow use of dreadlocks

    Schools in Malawi ordered to allow use of dreadlocks

    A Malawian high court has ruled that students with dreadlocks be admitted to public schools across the country.

    The court, which was sitting in the eastern city of Zomba, was hearing a plea filed by two Rastafarian youngsters who were denied entry to public schools in 2016 and 2010.

    The two students, on the other hand, have been attending school since they won a court injunction.

    Negotiations between Malawi’s Rastafarian community and the country’s attorney general to settle the dispute failed, leading in a lengthy judicial battle, the outcome of which was announced on Monday.

    Judge Zione Ntaba ruled that barring children with dreadlocks from attending school was a breach of their right to education.

    “The Ministry of Education should issue a statement to allow all children of the Rastafarian community with dreadlocks to be allowed in class. The circular should be done by 30th June,” Justice Ntaba ordered.

    The case was filed by three human rights organisations on behalf of the Rastafarian community in the country.

  • Malawi: 17, including 3 children missing in boat tragedy

    Malawi: 17, including 3 children missing in boat tragedy

    Three children are among the seventeen persons still unaccounted for after the boat they were traveling in crashed in a river in central Malawi on Wednesday.

    According to the police, the 22 people were traveling to a burial service in the Mchinji district when they crossed the Rusa River.

    Five people were able to swim to land.

    According to John Nkhoma, the local police chief, the boat was too tiny to accommodate that many passengers.

    On Thursday, additional rescuers are anticipated to begin a search expedition for the missing people.

    Authorities in the area are currently encouraging locals to stay away from sailing in flooded rivers.

    Following a terrible tropical cyclone last month that claimed 511 lives and left 533 more unaccounted for, Malawi is now on the mend.

  • Uladi Mussa pardoned by President Chakwera after 3 years in prison

    Uladi Mussa pardoned by President Chakwera after 3 years in prison

    A former cabinet minister who was serving a five-year sentence after being found guilty of abusing his position has been pardoned by Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera.

    In 2020, Uladi Mussa received a six-year prison term for corruption related to the unauthorized issuance of passports.

    According to Ken Zikhale Ng’oma, minister of homeland security, his release was a kindness gesture over the Easter season.

    Between 1994 and 2019, Mr. Mussa served as a minister under four different presidents, and he is still a powerful politician in the nation.

    He was involved in the passport scam when former President Joyce Banda was in office.

    In 2019, the US government imposed a travel ban against him and his spouse over his role in the scandal.

    Mr Mussa was released together with 199 other convicts, who “committed minor offenses and have demonstrated good behaviour during their stay in prison”.

    They include a driver who was arrested and charged last year after refusing to give way to President Chakwera’s convoy.

  • Over 500 dead due to Cyclone Freddy attack

    Over 500 dead due to Cyclone Freddy attack

    According to authorities in Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar, the number of fatalities caused by the unusually long-lasting Tropical Storm Freddy in southeast Africa has increased to 522.

    The number of fatalities increased to 438 on Saturday, according to the disaster management officials in Malawi, the country that was most severely affected by the cyclone. Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi, announced a 14-day period of national mourning on Thursday.

    There are hundreds of evacuation centers set up across the nation for survivors, with 345,000 people impacted by the severe rains, floods, and landslides, and tens of thousands of people left homeless in Malawi.

    The cyclone left a trail of devastation in southeast Africa. Neighbouring Mozambique and the island nation of Madagascar have also been affected.

    In Mozambique, at least 67 people died, according to President Filipe Nyusi, with 50,000 more displaced.

    It is expected that the death toll in both nations will continue to climb. At least 17 people were killed in the island nation of Madagascar.

    Cyclone Freddy dissipated over land late Wednesday after it made a second landfall in Mozambique and then Malawi over the weekend and caused mass devastation in several regions, including Malawi’s financial capital, Blantyre.

    Some of the Cyclone Freddy survivors at a camp in Blantyre, Malawi [Rabson Kondowe/Al Jazeera]
    Some of the Cyclone Freddy survivors at a camp in Blantyre, Malawi [Rabson Kondowe/Al Jazeera]

    Reporting from Makanga, an island in Malawi, Al Jazeera’s Fahmida Miller said that while rescue services were continuing, they have been slow to transport people from flooded islands to the mainland.

    “So far, they [the police services] have reached about 1,300 people, but hundreds more are waiting. They have had to seek refuge in trees. Their homes have been washed away and they also don’t have any food,” said Miller.

    “It will certainly be at least a few more days before a bigger dent is made in terms of rescuing people in places like this, which have been very difficult to reach up until now,” she added.

    Freddy first made landfall on February 21 in Madagascar. From there, the storm moved on to Mozambique and then back across the Indian Ocean. On March 11, it reached Mozambique for the second time and then moved on to Malawi.

    “A lot of areas are inaccessible, restricting movement of assessment and humanitarian teams and life-saving supplies,” said Paul Turnbull, the World Food Program’s director in Malawi. “The true extent of the damage will only be revealed once assessments have been concluded.”

    Before the hurricane hit, there was a cholera outbreak in both countries, and there are worries that the floods would worsen the spread of water-borne illnesses. Early in the year, floods and Freddy’s initial battering both affected Mozambique.

    According to scientists, cyclone activity has gotten worse due to human-caused climate change, becoming wetter, more intense, and more frequent.

    Since it devastated Mozambique, Madagascar, and Réunion in late February, Cyclone Freddy has wreaked havoc throughout southern Africa. Then, after regaining strength across the Mozambique Channel, it looped back onto shore.

    The World Meteorological Organization has convened an expert panel to determine whether Cyclone Freddy has broken the record for the longest-ever cyclone in recorded history.

    Southern Africa is currently in cyclone season, which can bring rain and severe storms until March or April.

  • Rescuers comb rubble for Malawi cyclone victims

    Rescuers comb rubble for Malawi cyclone victims

    Rescuers raced to find survivors in Malawi’s damaged city of Blantyre on Wednesday after Cyclone Freddy blasted southern Africa for a second time, causing floods and landslides that claimed more than 200 lives.

    Weather conditions were expected to improve as the storm dissipated over land after days of torrential rains, but flood levels remained high in some areas hampering emergency efforts.”We found people in the trees, on rooftops or on higher grounds,” Red Cross Malawi spokesman Felix Washoni told AFP.

    “It’s a challenge to reach them, water is high and bridges are broken.”

    Freddy returned to southeastern Africa at the weekend for a second time in less than three weeks, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction.

    Malawi’s government said at least 190 people were killed with 584 injured and 37 missing, while authorities in neighbouring Mozambique reported 21 deaths and 24 injured.

    Rescue workers warned more victims were to be expected  as they scoured destroyed neighbourhoods for survivors even as hopes dwindled.

    “Four people from my family are still missing as they are buried in the mud,” Alabu Wiseman, 24, said speaking from a school turned temporary shelter in Malawi.

    The government said the army and police were leading search and rescue operations, which the Red Cross said would continue for at least another two days, said the Red Cross.

    Many people perished in mudslides that washed away homes in southern city of Blantyre, the country’s commercial capital.

    Across Malawi, nearly 59,000 people have been affected and more than 19,000 displaced, with many now sheltering in schools and churches.

    On Wednesday, markets and shops were starting to open again in Blantyre.

    “I have two young daughters to feed,” Daud Chitumba, 27, a minibus conductor told AFP as he headed to work at a local bus depot.

    His house was among dozens that were swept away by a mudslide in the township of Chilobwe.Related News

    “We have to rebuild our lives and it starts with picking up the small pieces. So, I have to come to work and try to do whatever I can to move forward,” Chitumba said.

    President Lazarus Chakwera, who returned to Malawi on Tuesday after attending a UN conference in Qatar, was due to visit affected areas on Wednesday.

    “We have arrived to a devastated nation,” he said in a statement, hailing the relief efforts by volunteers.

    Some lamented that government assistance has been slow in coming.

    “We feel abandoned here. Just yesterday, we lost two more people who went with the mudslide as they helped to dig up the bodies. People are hungry and tired,” said Fadila Njolomole, 19.

    “My best friend, her brother, sister and mother went with the mudslide and their bodies have not been found. It’s devastating. You can’t even mourn.”

    Cyclone Freddy smashed into landlocked Malawi early Monday after sweeping through Mozambique at the weekend.

    The storm has unofficially broken the World Meteorological Organization’s benchmark as the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, set in 1994 for a 31-day storm named John.

    Freddy became a named storm on February 6, making landfall in Madagascar on February 21 and sweeping over the island before reaching Mozambique on February 24, claiming nearly two dozen lives in both countries and affecting nearly 400,000 people.

    It then returned to the Indian Ocean and gathered new force over the warm waters, then reversed course to come back much more powerful, packing wind gusts of up to 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph).

    Meteorologists say that cyclones tracking across the entire Indian Ocean are very infrequent — the last occurred in 2000 — and that Freddy’s loopback was even more exceptional.

  • Protesting Lawmakers from Malawi dress in gunny sacks

    Protesting Lawmakers from Malawi dress in gunny sacks

    A group of MPs in Malawi have dressed in clothes made out of gunny sacks, mostly used to carry vegetables, to protest against President Lazarus Chakwera as he gives his state nations address, The Nation news site reports. 

    The opposition members said they were disaffected by president’s leadership amidst a growing economic crisis and a public health emergency sparked by an outbreak of cholera.

    Mr Chawera, who is currently reading his speech, admitted that he was expecting hostility from some MPs.

    He pleaded for unity in the country, blaming the economic challenges the country was facing on “external shock”.

    Source: BBC

  • Thugs attack Malawian student who created WiFi device

    Thugs attack Malawian student who created WiFi device

    Stuward Nankhumwa, a 17-year-old Malawian student who developed a WiFi device, was on February 6, attacked by armed men at his home.

    Recounting the incident, Stuward Nankhumwa noted that the men attacked him just to find out how he developed his WiFi devise.

    According to the minor, he was unable to since he was traumatised. They then attacked him and left bruises on his face.

    Stuward Nankhumwa says he now fears for his life after the assailants threatened to kill him if he did not disclose how he developed the gadget.

    Meanwhile, the Police in Zomba are hunting for assailants who hacked a 17-year-old student who came into limelight last week for developing a WiFi device.

  • Cholera kills over 1,200 in Malawi, WHO urges strong interventions

    Cholera kills over 1,200 in Malawi, WHO urges strong interventions

    Malawi’s deadliest cholera outbreak has killed at least 1,210 people, the World Health Organization announced Thursday (Feb. 09), urging for strong interventions to prevent the situation from worsening.

    The Southern African nation saw a 143-percent increase in the number of cases last month compared to December.

    Nearly 37,000 cases were reported since March 2022.

    Malawi has carried out two large vaccination campaigns, since the outbreak began. However, due to limited supplies, the authorities offered just one of the usually recommended two oral cholera vaccine doses.

     A health ministry spokesman said last month that all the doses had been used.

    The global stockpile of cholera vaccines co-managed by the WHO was “empty or extremely low” late last year, against a backdrop of surging cholera outbreaks worldwide.

    Confirmed cases have been reported in neighbouring Mozambique, while poor water, sanitation and hygiene pose risk to other bordering nations- the WHO assessed.

    The WHO said efforts were under way to improve sanitation and access to clean water, with house-to-house chlorination ongoing in affected communities and districts, among other interventions.

    WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters Wednesday that there were currently 23 countries in the world experiencing cholera outbreaks.

    The institution’s chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Wednesday (Feb. 08) that 23 countries across the world were experiencing cholera outbreaks, with a further 20 countries that share land borders with them at risk.

    “In total, more than one billion people around the world are directly at risk of cholera,” he warned.

    Cholera, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting, is contracted from a bacterium that is generally transmitted through contaminated food or water.

    Source: African News

  • Malawi State fails in attempt to fire anti-corruption chief

    Malawi State fails in attempt to fire anti-corruption chief

    The government’s attempt to have Martha Chizuma, the director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), reinstated was rejected by a high court in Malawi.

    Ms. Chizuma was detained due to the fact that she was charged with a crime for allegedly defaming several high-ranking government officials.

    The allegedly defamatory statements are found in a covertly recorded private conversation she had with a non-officer. She was purportedly heard on tape accusing some of the highest-ranking members of the judiciary and government of undermining the fight against corruption.

    Last year, the recording was produced and widely shared online. Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera claimed at the time that he had censured Ms. Chizuma for the remarks.

    The president, however, said he would not sack her because he considered the secret recording and its circulation to be “corruption fighting back.”

    The secretary to the president and cabinet, Colleen Zamba, nonetheless interdicted Ms Chizuma late last week.

    The interdiction was set aside by court on Monday following an application by the Malawi Law Society.

    On Tuesday, the government filed an urgent application to suspend the order that stopped Ms Chizuma’s interdiction, which the court has now rejected.

    Early on Wednesday, the US and the UK – two of Malawi’s main donors – expressed “deep concern” with government actions which they said undermined the credibility of the country’s fight against corruption.

    Ms Chizuma is seen as a committed anti-corruption crusader.

    She has so far indicted the country’s Vice President, Saulos Chilima, and several other high-profile individuals over corruption and has hinted there will be even more arrests. The vice president has denied any wrongdoing, and his case is now awaiting the commencement of trial.

  • Anti-graft chief in Malawi suspended over leaked audio

    Anti-graft chief in Malawi suspended over leaked audio

    Martha Chizuma, the director of Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), has been placed on administrative leave as a result of a leaked audio clip in which she is purportedly heard discussing business with a person who does not work for her agency.

    Her claimed remarks may have affected the outcome of those accused of corruption.

    When the audio was leaked a year ago, President Lazarus Chakwera said that it was done so in an effort to get him to fire her.

    With the president’s support, Ms. Chizuma continued in her position and proceeded to indict a number of prominent figures, including Vice-President Saulos Chilima and a cabinet minister, on various corruption-related offenses. They’ve refuted any misconduct.

    Colen Zamba, the secretary to cabinet, confirmed her suspension on Wednesday, although some legal professionals have questioned the procedure followed.

    The office of President Chakwera is silent on the suspension.

  • Malawi’ Lazarus Chakwera cut down cabinet size in ministerial reshuffle

    Malawi’ Lazarus Chakwera cut down cabinet size in ministerial reshuffle

    Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has reduced the size of his cabinet in a reshuffle that also saw the appointment of seven new faces, including an opposition lawmaker.

    The list of ministers and deputy ministers has been reduced from 33 to 27, but critics say it is still too large.

    The reshuffle was expected following reports that a number of ministers were implicated in a corruption investigation being carried out by Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the UK’s National Crime Agency.

    In his New Year message, President Chakwera had promised to name a new and leaner cabinet.

    The list of the new cabinet minister was released on Tuesday at around midnight local time.

    Mr Chakwera has not allocated himself a ministerial portfolio as was the case previously. He also did not allocate ministerial responsibilities to his Vice-President Saulos Chilima – who is facing corruption charges that he denies.

    The vice-president remains in office because under Malawi law he cannot be sacked.

    Senior party members from the ruling coalition were also left out of the new cabinet.

  • Climate crisis and cholera link must be studied – Malawi

    Climate crisis and cholera link must be studied – Malawi

    The president of Malawi has called for more studies into the link between cholera and climate change after the country was hit by record deaths.

    President Lazarus Chakwera told the BBC he did not doubt the link but wanted to be led by more research.

    About 1,000 people are reported to have died in the current outbreak.

    Mr Chakwera said there had been an unprecedented level of water-borne diseases since devastating floods last year which affected much of southern Malawi:

    Quote Message: We’ve never really had this type of outbreak in over 20 years, and even then, it wasn’t at this scale.

    We’ve never really had this type of outbreak in over 20 years, and even then, it wasn’t at this scale.

    Quote Message: But with all the flooding that took place last year, with water levels rising and with sanitation issues across the country that are dependent on pit latrines for example…

    But with all the flooding that took place last year, with water levels rising and with sanitation issues across the country that are dependent on pit latrines for example…

    Quote Message: And all of that being washed into streams and even where you have water pumps – because of those [water] levels, all of a sudden you saw outbreaks of water-borne diseases like cholera in a way that you’ve never seen before.

    And all of that being washed into streams and even where you have water pumps – because of those [water] levels, all of a sudden you saw outbreaks of water-borne diseases like cholera in a way that you’ve never seen before.

    Quote Message: So I would not doubt that all of this could be backed by more research.”

    So I would not doubt that all of this could be backed by more research.”

  • Climate crisis and cholera link must be studied – Malawi

    Climate crisis and cholera link must be studied – Malawi

    The president of Malawi has called for more studies into the link between cholera and climate change after the country was hit by record deaths.

    President Lazarus Chakwera told the BBC he did not doubt the link but wanted to be led by more research.

    About 1,000 people are reported to have died in the current outbreak.

    Mr Chakwera said there had been an unprecedented level of water-borne diseases since devastating floods last year which affected much of southern Malawi:

    Quote Message: We’ve never really had this type of outbreak in over 20 years, and even then, it wasn’t at this scale.

    We’ve never really had this type of outbreak in over 20 years, and even then, it wasn’t at this scale.

    Quote Message: But with all the flooding that took place last year, with water levels rising and with sanitation issues across the country that are dependent on pit latrines for example…

    But with all the flooding that took place last year, with water levels rising and with sanitation issues across the country that are dependent on pit latrines for example…

    Quote Message: And all of that being washed into streams and even where you have water pumps – because of those [water] levels, all of a sudden you saw outbreaks of water-borne diseases like cholera in a way that you’ve never seen before.

    And all of that being washed into streams and even where you have water pumps – because of those [water] levels, all of a sudden you saw outbreaks of water-borne diseases like cholera in a way that you’ve never seen before.

    Quote Message: So I would not doubt that all of this could be backed by more research.”

    So I would not doubt that all of this could be backed by more research.”

    Source: BBC

  • More than 1,000 deaths in Malawi cholera outbreak

    More than 1,000 deaths in Malawi cholera outbreak

    Malawi has recorded more than 1,000 cholera deaths since the outbreak started in March last year.

    This is the highest figure the country has ever recorded for a cholera outbreak.

    There are fears health officials are struggling to contain the outbreak as they are running low on medical supplies including vaccines – most of which were used up last week.

    More than 30,000 infections have been reported in Malawi.

    Most cases and deaths have been recorded in the capital, Lilongwe and Blantyre, where the opening of schools was delayed to control the spread of cholera.

    The widespread cases are linked to the impact of climate change that caused extensive flooding last year and destroyed the country’s water and sanitation systems.

    Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda has urged people to use safe water and observe basic hygiene, but very few people have access to safe water and improved sanitation facilities.

    Two weeks ago, the country launched an international appeal asking for medical supplies to contain the outbreak.

    The health ministry has also asked the World Health Organization to assist them in getting 7.6 million doses of cholera vaccines.

    However, with only two manufacturers producing this vaccine and a global cholera outbreak, it’s unlikely that they’ll get them any time soon.

    Source: BBC

  • Malawi keeps its schools closed as cholera deaths rise

    Malawi keeps its schools closed as cholera deaths rise

    While cholera is an annual issue in Malawi from November to March, this outbreak is anticipated to be the worst yet.

    The health minister announced on Monday that Malawi has postponed the opening of public schools in its two largest cities, Blantyre and Lilongwe, in an effort to reduce an increase in cholera deaths.

    Since cases were first reported in March, the total number of cases has increased to 17,824 and the death toll to 595, with the mortality rate rising to 3.34 percent, according to the Ministry of Health.

    Cholera is an annual problem during Malawi’s rainy months from November to March, when the number of deaths is around 100 a year. But the current outbreak is expected to be the worst yet.

    “Due to the continuing increase of cholera cases and deaths in the cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe, primary and secondary schools in the two cities will not start on 3rd January as earlier advised,” Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda said in a statement.

    A new reopening date will be announced later, she said.

    The United Nations health agency says fatality rates are rising in about 30 countries around the world that reported cholera outbreaks in 2022, about a third higher than in a typical year.

    Cholera is spread by contaminated food or water and can cause acute diarrhoea. Many people have mild symptoms, but it can kill within hours if untreated.

    Victims in Malawi include medics at public health centres.

    Chiponda called on authorities to tighten control measures, including spraying chlorine to disinfect congested places such as markets and schools and stepping up inoculations.

    Source: Aljazeera.com

  • Anti-corruption Chief in Malawi bailed out after arrest

    Malawi’s Anti-corruption Chief, Martha Chizuma has been released on police bail after she was detained in connection with a leaked audio recording.

    She has complained about lack of assistance from the government while charged with “making use of speech capable of prejudicing a person against a party to judicial proceedings”, after she claimed in the leaked audio that a top state official was “corrupt and compromised”.

    Her lawyer said the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) boss was arrested on Tuesday just before 04:00 local time by heavily armed police who raided her home.

    Local outlet Nation online has tweeted

    pictures of her release.

    In parliament, Justice Minister Titus Mvalo told lawmakers that the arrest was “the work of those trying to frustrate the fight against corruption”.

    Ms Chizuma is highly regarded for her strong stance in the fight against corruption – which has led to the indictment of the vice-president, one cabinet minister and the head of police service.

    They all deny any wrongdoing.

    The leaked audio started circulating on social media in April in which she was recorded speaking to a person not employed by Anti-Corruption Bureau on the fight against corruption.

    Critics accused her of breaching the oath of secrecy and called for her sacking, but President Lazarus Chakwera said he would reprimand her both in private and public.

    Three civil society organisations have said that the “government needs to desist from frustrating those fighting against corruption”.

    Last year, Malawi was ranked 110th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

    Source: BBC

  • Malaria reduced by 50% in Malawi

    Malawi has reduced malaria deaths by half, from 23 deaths per 100,000 in 2016 to 12 deaths per 100,000 in 2021, according to ministry of health officials.

    Dr. Charles Mwansambo, Secretary of Health, announced the extension of vaccination spots at a launch in Mchinji.

    “We have reduced malaria mortality through mass and routine distribution of nets, indoor residual spraying, and case management, among other things.”

    What Nigeria Must do to Eliminate Malaria

    “For this reason, we have added another intervention (malaria vaccination exercise) we have launched today which on its own can reduce malaria disease by 33 percent.

    “However, all these measures need to be followed so that we can eliminate the disease by 2030,” Mwansambo said.

    The project is being promoted and funded by the Malawi Government in conjunction with UNICEF, WHO, PATH, and others.

    At least 330,000 under-five children in 11 districts will benefit from the exercise. WHO recommended wide vaccination against the infective disease in African countries after a successful pilot phase in Ghana, Malawi, and Kenya.

    In a related development, the federal government of Nigeria commenced the dissemination of the 2021 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey (NMIS) report.

    The documents tagged, “The 2021 Malaria Indicator Survey Report,” as well as the Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation (ACSM) Strategy and Implementation Guide,” was formally unveiled by the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja.

    Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who flagged off the programme said the 2021 NMIS report provided the country and partners the necessary baseline information with which the achievements of the current anti-malaria intervention effort would be benchmarked.

  • Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima charged with corruption

    Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima has been arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes in exchange for government contracts, according to the country’s anti-corruption agency.

    According to the statement, he is accused of receiving $280,000 (£230,000) from a British businessman “and other items.”

    On Friday, Dr. Chilima pleaded not guilty to the corruption charges.

    He had already been stripped of his authority when he was first charged by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in June.

    It had accused him and 83 other Malawian officials of having corrupt dealings with a British businessman named Zuneth Sattar.

    Dr Chilima, who is now out on bail, is facing six charges, the first time a sitting vice-president has been in this position in Malawi.

    He was questioned by anti-corruption officials on Friday morning in offices that had been cordoned off by security officials. Previous attempts to question him had been disrupted by his supporters.

    His backers appeared to clash with police as he entered the court in the capital, Lilongwe, on Friday afternoon, the Reuters news agency reports video from local media as showing.

    While some Malawians see the arrest as a serious move in the fight against corruption, Dr Chilima’s backers say that it is part of a political witch hunt.

    Mr Sattar, who was born in Malawi, was arrested in the UK in October last year and is out on bail.

    He is accused of using connections with senior Malawi government officials and politicians to fraudulently obtain contracts to supply goods and services.

    The contracts related to armoured personnel carriers, food rations and water cannons, the Financial Times reported in May.

    Mr Sattar has denied all wrong doing.

    Dr Chilima came to power in 2020 as the running mate of President Lazarus Chakwera. They are from different political parties but entered a coalition to defeat the incumbent Peter Mutharika.

    The vice-president had previously campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, promising to end decades of sleaze in government and ending poverty in one of the world’s poorest countries.

    “Corruption has the power to rupture a country and its people beyond repair. Corruption has the power to make a government lose its legitimacy over its people,” the vice-president is quoted in a 2021 Anti-Corruption Bureau newsletter as saying.

    Last year, Malawi was ranked 110th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

    Source: BBC.com 

  • Malawi: Ex-president’s step son arrested over country’s mass grave

    Malawian police arrested former President Peter Mutharika’s stepson as part of an investigation into the discovery of an unmarked mass grave in the northern Mzimba district last month.

    Malawian authorities said the 30 bodies found were most likely Ethiopian immigrants.

    According to police, their investigations led to the arrest of Tadikira Mafubza as well as the impoundment of a vehicle suspected of transporting the deceased men.

    A pathologist who is part of the team performing autopsies on the bodies said that preliminary results have been presented to Malawi police and that a full report will be submitted at the end of the month.

    Malawi is grappling with the problem of human trafficking in which organised syndicates traffic men, women and children from East African countries including Ethiopia and Somalia. From Malawi they are further trafficked to South Africa, Europe and the United States.

    Syndicates are thought to involve influential Malawians.

    In 2020, the Malawi High Court sentenced former Home Affairs Minister Uladi Mussa and an immigration officer to five years imprisonment for helping non-Malawians obtain Malawi passports.

    Mr Tadikira has not made any public comments, but the former governing Democratic Progressive Party have described the arrest as part of a political witchhunt against Mr Mutharika’s family and his supporters.

  • Malawi gets $88.3M from IMF under ‘food shock’ loan window

    The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund approved on Monday (Nov 21) a disbursement of US$88.327 million to Malawi under the Food Shock Window of the Rapid Credit Facility.

    The country became the first low-income nation to receive financing under this new mechanism.

    It provides, for a year, a channel for emergency Fund financing to member countries that have urgent balance of payment needs due to acute food insecurity, a sharp increase in their food import bill, or a shock to their cereal exports.

    Malawi is one of the 48 countries the IMF identified as worst affected by the global food crisis aggravated by the war in Ukraine.

    The news comes days after the IMF Executive Board approved a Staff-Monitored Program.

    This informal agreement with the IMF should enable the Malawian authorities to build a track record of policy implementation before it possibly implements an IMF-supported program.

    The deputy managing director and acting chair of the IMF executive board strongly invited the authorities to “to swiftly implement [its] debt restructuring strategy”, with the aim “to bring Malawi back to moderate risk of debt distress in the medium term.”

     

    Source: Africa News

  • The musician with albinism who caught Madonna’s attention

    Malawian Lazarus Chigwandali has faced many hardships in life because he was born with albinism but his passion for music brought him international fame and Madonna’s attention.

    Born into a family of farmers in Dedza, central Malawi, Lazurus’s parents had five children and his younger brother was also born with albinism. The condition affects the production of the pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their colour and also means that skin burns very easily.

    “Our parents tied us on their backs when they worked in the fields. After a day in the sun, our whole bodies were full of blisters,” he told the BBC.

    “We couldn’t afford sun cream, so our parents took the decision to literally lock me and my brother in the house to protect us from the sun.”

    When Lazarus and his brother did go out, the other children threw stones at them, thinking they would catch albinism. Because of this deep-rooted discrimination, Lazarus’s brother Peter knew they would never be able to get work like other people in the village and he suggested they forge a path in music together.

    They had no instruments, so they made their own and started to get noticed performing in the local village. Sadly, Peter developed skin cancer and died when he was 12. Lazarus was devastated, but decided to play on alone.

    Many people in Malawi and other East African countries wrongly believe that the body parts of people with albinism can bring wealth or good luck. People with albinism are frequently abducted, murdered or mutilated to supply this grisly trade. It’s something that Lazarus has witnessed first-hand.

    “One time when I was performing outside a mall, a woman came past driving a nice car. She said her husband would pay me to do an album of 10 songs and he’d pay 1m kwacha ($973; £825) for each song.”

    Lazarus got in the car to meet her husband and whilst waiting in the car, a maid from the house came out and told him she had overheard the couple making plans to sell him in neighbouring Tanzania. She told him his life was in danger if he didn’t get out, so he ran.

    Lazarus’s love for music finally paid off when a passing NGO worker videoed him busking and posted it online. It was shared around the world and seen by a UK-based record producer who then recorded an album with Lazarus, bringing him international attention.

    He went on to perform for Madonna and at Malawi’s international Lake of Stars music festival.

    “Meeting Madonna and watching her perform was an eye opener in many ways, but perhaps the biggest thing for me is just sleeping in my own house that has iron sheets above my head. That has brought me such a deep joy, it’s unimaginable.”

    Source: BBc.com 

  • Malawi in total darkness caused by electricity tower vandals

    Officials from Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) say Wednesday evening’s national blackout was as a result of vandalism on one of its towers in Blantyre.

    Director of systems and market operations at the power utility company, Charles Kagona said the development has led to the loss of about 30 percent of its power supply.

    “We discovered that the fault was caused by vandalism in Blantyre on power towers that carry two power lines from Nkula to Blantyre and also from Tedzani Power Station to Blantyre,” disclosed Kagona.

    However he has assured that the situation will be resolved by saturday November 12, 2022.

    Meanwhile, emergency restoration works for Malawi’s main hydropower plant Kapichira will not meet the December 22 deadline as earlier projected.

    EGENCO’s Publicist, Moses Gwaza, disclosed this when the Natural Resources and Climate Change Committee of Parliament visited the plant on Thursday to appreciate the progress of the maintenance.

    “The rehabilitation works have now begun after being halted for some time due to issues pertaining to designs and others,” said Gwaza.

    Gwaza added he could not commit to new completion dates for the project saying EGENCO is waiting to hear from a World Bank Consultant and Contractor under the Shire Valley Irrigation Project.

    Kapichira power station which generates 129.6 megawatts stopped functioning in January this year due to damage it suffered as a result of Tropical Cyclone Ana.

    The station is under emergency rehabilitation using a $60 million World Bank credit facility.

    All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from News Central TV.

     

    Source: newscentral.africa

     

  • Refugee crisis in Malawi due to ongoing conflict in eastern DRC

    Malawi is facing an influx of refugees fleeing the recently intensified unrest in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Food Programme (WFP).

    The Dzaleka camp, the only refugee camp in the small, poor southern African country located about 40 km from the capital Lilongwe and initially designed to accommodate 10,000 people, now has nearly 56,000 refugees, the majority of whom are Congolese, according to the WFP.

    “The situation is alarming,” said Paul Turnbull, the UN food aid agency’s representative in Malawi. “Conflicts in the Great Lakes region, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, have resulted in a steady flow of refugees into Malawi for more than two decades, with a recent surge in new arrivals.

    According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 560 new arrivals were recorded in September alone. In March of last year, there were just over 49,000 refugees in the camp.

    The vast majority are Congolese (62%), but there are also Burundians (19%) and Rwandans (7%), with the rest coming from Ethiopia and Somalia.

    This overpopulation is causing tensions. This week, refugees seized a WFP car to show their displeasure after 600 families were removed from the lists of food distribution beneficiaries, out of the 11,000 in the camp.

    “Food assistance should be provided on the basis of vulnerability,” Turnbull said, noting that some refugees have opened small businesses or found alternative livelihoods.

    Romain Bijangala, a Congolese community representative in the camp, said some were “sleeping on an empty stomach” and “without food aid, they will certainly die.”

    Eastern DRC has been plagued by violence from armed groups for nearly three decades. Fighting has recently intensified between the “March 23 Movement” (M23), a former Tutsi rebellion that has taken up arms, and the Congolese Armed Forces.

    More than 232,000 civilians have been displaced since hostilities began in March, according to the U.N. Office of Humanitarian Affairs in the DRC, and at least 183,000 have been displaced since October 20th, when tensions flared.

     

    Source: Africa News

  • Over 180 die in Malawi as cholera death toll rises

    The number of deaths from cholera in Malawi rose to 183 at the end of October from 110 at the beginning of the month, the health ministry announced on Monday.

    The rate of infections has been rising, with the cumulative number of cases since the outbreak began in March now at 6,056, the ministry said in a statement.

    Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection usually caught by eating or drinking contaminated food or water and is closely linked to poor sanitation.

    Malawi’s health ministry attributed the deaths to poor food hygiene among the communities, lack of safe water and a lack of and improper use of toilets.

    Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda also noted that some patients were not seeking treatment for religious reasons, while others were visiting hospitals when it was already late.

    He appealed to religious institutions to encourage their members to seek proper health services to avoid “unnecessary” loss of lives.

  • Malawi declares Julius Malema prohibited immigrant as Zambia’s Chishimba cancels trip

    Malawi government through Minister of Home Affairs Grace Chiumia is alleged to have issued a declaration to South Africa’s politician Julius Malema  As prohibited immigrant as he was about to  come to the country to speak at conference of political movement Transformation Alliance.

    The letter purportedly written by Minister Chiumia
    Malema: TA wants him at its conference
    Saviour Chishimba: Cancels Malawi trip

    According to documents circulating on social media, Chiumia informed State chief spy Elvis Thodi that Malema is a persona non grata in Malawi and Immigration Department should refuse him entry in the country.

    “Please note that in exercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 4 (1) of the Immigration Act, I declare the following persons to be prohibited immigrants to Malawi, namely Saviour Chishimba and Julius Malema.

    “You are therefore directed to cause appropriate notices to be prepared and disseminated to them and relevant officers in order to restrict or refuse their entry in Malawi,” reads the notice signed by Chiumia.

    Malema is the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, a South African political party, which he founded in July 2013. He previously served as President of the African National Congress Youth League from 2008 to 2012.

    While Chishimba is the  leader of the United Progressive People (UPP) in Zambia.

    The authenticity of the latter has not been verified as both Thodi and Immigration Department could not immediately comment.

    Chiumia herself also said she was busy to grant an interview.

    Meanwhile,  Chishimba has cancelled his trip to Malawi where he was expected to attend and deliver a keynote speech at the Transformational Alliance (TA) inaugural conference.

    Chishimba has confirmed the cancellation of his trip citing security risks as the main reason observing that he does not trust that his life would be safe in Malawi since the Zambian and Malawian Governments are partners in corruption and dictatorship.

    “I was about to leave for the airport a while ago, but I have decided to cancel my travel due to, inter alia, security risks. Intelligence information just received indicates that I may either be refused entry into Malawi or be exposed to the dangerous cartel that connived with State House in Zambia over the Zambia-Malawi K345 million maize exportation scandal,” explained Chishimba.

    He said it was clear that Zambian and Malawian Government officials colluded with Transglobe Limited of Malawi to defraud the public in the two countries and the direct involvement of State House in Zambia has frustrated the independent investigations of the ACC in the saga.

    “The corruption of the agriculture sector is responsible for low pricing of maize so that grain hoarding cartels can continue to rip off farmers. It is evident that the PF regime is pioneering the diplomacy of state capture through the corruption industry and dictatorship. Zambia was known as a force for good, but this has changed under the visionless leadership of the current government,” said Chishimba.

    He declared that the future of the UPP Government, will reform the agriculture sector and make it the mainstay of the economy.

    Chishimba added: “The UPP, in Government, will also seek to work with Zimbabwe and Malawi to build a strong Central African Economic Hub, which will eventually be extended to Mozambique and the DRC. Thus, fighting for good governance and democracy in this region will be strategic and for the good of all our peoples.”

    Chishimba is also named in the circulating letter purportedly written by Minister of Home  Affairs as another prohibited immigrant.

    TA which is led by the former cabinet minister Moses Kumkuyu, is a political pressure group and anti-corruption movement which has emerged with a view to eliminating all forms of corruption and bad governance.

    Apparently, TA booked the government owned College of Medicine conference centre in Blantyre, but three days ago the booking was cancelled.

    However, the Catholic Church in Blantyre bailed out TA by offering an alternative Catholic owned Conference venue two days ago at St Pius Catholic Church. The conference is scheduled to start Friday, August 25, 2017.

    Source: nyasatimes.com

  • Malawi: President Lazarus Chakwera fires agriculture minister

    President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi has fired Agriculture Minister Lobin Lowe and his deputy Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima for “incompetence and gross negligence.”

    President Chakwera made the announcement on Tuesday evening during a televised address.

    The agriculture ministry is accused of botching the implementation of a programme in which Malawian rural farmers are provided with subsidized fertilizer and farm inputs.

    Mr Lowe has not commented on the accusations.

    The president has since appointed Sam Kawale, formerly the lands minister, to replace Mr Lowe.

    The president said more changes in his cabinet would be coming in due course.

     

  • Women bereft of qualifications after burning degrees

    A young woman in Malawi had her educational qualifications revoked after a video of her burning her university degree in despair over her inability to find employment went viral on social media.

    Privately-run Exploits University in the capital, Lilongwe, told Bridget Thapwile Soko that it was disappointed with the video because it tarnished the image of the institution and said it had decided to invalidate her learner’s degree certificate with immediate effect.

    Ms Soko was awarded a degree in business administration upon completing a four-year course with the university but was heard in the video saying she had decided to burn it because she saw no value in it.

    Unemployment is a serious problem in Malawi and was one of the key campaign issues in the last general election. President Lazarus Chakwera, then an opposition leader, promised he would create a million jobs in his first year in office.

    The president’s team claims the majority of those jobs have been created, but the opposition says unemployment numbers have in fact increased.

    In most anti-government protests that have recently been held across Malawi, many youths are seen carrying placards demanding jobs.

    But the revocation of Bridget’s certificate has ignited a huge debate on social media about unemployment and the suitability of education offered in institutions of higher learning.

     

  • Despite widespread vaccination, cholera cases rise in Malawi

    As officials battle to control an outbreak that has claimed the lives of more than 117 people so far, the number of cholera cases in Malawi has more than tripled in the previous two months.

    According to the UN, nationwide cases have increased from 1,000 to more than 4,200 since August.

    The first case of cholera, which spreads mainly through contaminated food and water, was reported in March in southern Malawi.

    But the disease has now spread to 22 of Malawi’s 28 districts. Experts have warned that the situation could be worsened by the onset of the rainy season in November.

    The government has been conducting a mass cholera vaccination in the southern Africa nation, which is one of the poorest in the world.

    Data from the World Health Organization show that this is the worst outbreak so far this year globally.

    The country’s cholera response plan currently has a funding gap of more than $13m (£11.8m).

    Malawi is currently facing one of its worst economic periods and has witnessed street protests sparked by shortages in fuel, electricity, and forex, as well as drugs and medical supplies.

     

     

  • Malawi’s John Chilembwe gets statue in London’s Trafalgar Square

     

    Central London’s historic Trafalgar Square is set to get a new statue on Wednesday.

    But this time, it is not a monument to one of the UK’s war heroes or kings. Instead it will be a larger-than-life statue of Malawian Baptist preacher and pan-Africanist John Chilembwe, who fought against British colonial rule.

    The sculpture, named Antelope, will be the square’s newest Fourth Plinth – which is regarded as one of the world’s most famous public art commissions.

    Since 2003, the Fourth Plinth has been showcasing different pieces of artwork every two years. While it was originally intended to display a statue of King William IV, it remained empty due to insufficient funds and now exhibits temporary art, selected through public consultation and the commissioning group.

    Chilembwe’s five-metre statue will mark the first of an African in Trafalgar Square.

    Cast in bronze, Antelope restages a famous photograph taken in 1914 of Chilembwe standing next to British missionary John Chorley, outside his church in Mbombwe village in southern Malawi.

    In the picture, Chilembwe is wearing a wide-brimmed hat, breaching a colonial rule which forbade Africans to wear hats in front of white people.

    John Chilembwe and John ChorleyWikimedia Commons
    John Chilembwe, seen with John Chorley, led an uprising against colonial rule
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    While the two stand together in the photo, when it comes to the statue the sculptor has added a twist that means that the image of the Malawian catches people’s eye.

    Malawian-born artist Samson Kambalu designed the piece to make Chilembwe much larger than Chorley. His statue stands at five metres towering over that of Chorley’s.

    “By increasing his scale, the artist elevates Chilembwe and his story, revealing the hidden narratives of underrepresented peoples in the history of the British Empire in Africa, and beyond,” says the Mayor of London’s website.

    Although the monument takes centre stage in London, Chilembwe remains an unknown figure to many.

    “Many people may not know who John Chilembwe is. And that is the whole point,” says Kambalu, an associate professor of fine art at the University of Oxford in England.

    Chilembwe is widely acknowledged as one of the first Africans to fight against colonial injustices in the 20th Century, staging an uprising against the British in Malawi (formerly Nyasaland) in 1915.

    Although the uprising was short-lived, his actions reverberated across the continent and beyond.

    Chilembwe is considered to have influenced several figures of black liberation, including Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey, and John Langalibalele Dube, the founding president of what went on to become the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa.

    A view of Antelope at the National Gallery on May 24, 2021 in London, EnglandGetty Images
    The sculptor has played with the scale of the photograph and increased the size of Chilembwe
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    Chilembwe was born in the early 1870s, and grew up in southern Malawi’s Chiradzulu District.

    He was one of four children, with his father originating from the Yao people and his mother from the Mang’anja community.

    Growing up in Chiradzulu, Chilembwe was heavily influenced by Scottish missionaries who went to Malawi following in the footsteps of explorer David Livingstone.

    It was here that Chilembwe first met a radical missionary, Joseph Booth, whose famous dictum was “Africa for Africans”.

    Chilembwe became one of Booth’s early protégés, and the two eventually travelled to the US, where he studied theology in Virginia.

    During his time in the US, Chilembwe witnessed the struggles of African Americans during the reconstruction period after the abolition of slavery.

    Several years later, he left the US emboldened to tackle the colonial injustices he saw in his own country.

    Once back in Malawi, an ordained Chilembwe worked to establish a mission in Chiradzulu.

    He built a brick church, several schools, and planted crops of cotton, tea and coffee, with financial backing from the US.

    Anti-colonial resistance

     

    He returned to find fast-growing resistance against the British regime, derived from new laws which pushed Malawians off their land, while many were also forced to work on white-owned plantations under poor conditions.

    Chilembwe had further grievances with the colonialists after the outbreak of World War One, where Malawian soldiers were taken to fight against the German army in what is now Tanzania.

    Publicising his discontent, he wrote a letter to the only newspaper in circulation at the time. It is thought that shortly after his letter he began planning his rebellion, which began in January 1915.

    However, Chilembwe’s attempt to attack white settlers was quickly foiled and British forces raised the alarm early on.

    His uprising claimed only a few casualties, and the British army put out a reward for Chilembwe and his supporters.

    A few days later, he was shot dead by African soldiers while trying to cross into what is now Mozambique.

    Although his rebellion was unsuccessful, historians say that Chilembwe’s attempt created the groundwork for Africa’s independence movements. Malawi became independent in 1964.

    Today, Chilembwe’s legacy can be seen across Malawi. Several roads have been named after him, while his photo appears on the country’s currency, the kwacha, as well as stamps.

    Malawi moneyPeter Jegwa/BBC
    Chilembwe’s image appears on Malawian bank notes

    John Chilembwe Day is also celebrated every year on 15 January.

    However, historians say there is an ongoing debate about his relevance.

    “Every year on Chilembwe Day, the newspapers and online publications will write essays to debate his legacy,” says Malawian historian Muti Michael Phoya.

    “While most agree that he is very important in Malawi’s history, some say he staged his uprising too early,” continued Mr Phoya. “But Kambalu’s sculpture may rekindle this dialogue and we may see renewed interest in his story.”

    Kambalu agrees saying he hopes the statue “will start a conversation in Britain that is still coming to reckoning with their colonial past.

    “The sculpture brings to light the forgotten histories of the empire, and society is looking for that recognition.”

     

    Source: BBC