MCC TO ARREST DEFAULT CASES THROUGH QGIS

By Blessings Kumwenda

Mzuzu City Council is to over come cases of non-payment of property rates by people through the adoption of a new Geographic Information System (GIS) called Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS).

The new Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) is a cross-platform free and open source desktop geographic information system application. 

It provides data viewing, editing, and analyzing capabilities.  

According to Director of Town Planning and Estates Management Services for Mzuzu City Council Alexander Chirambo the new system once applied will help in tracking people failing to pay property rates.

He said this will assist in mobilizing resources at the council.

Chirambo however said the new system is cheap unlike the former Arc GIS system. 

Apart from resource mobilization, Quantum Geographic Information System will also help Mzuzu City Council in planning detailed layouts and structured plans as well as identifying hot spots within the city.

CWED, CROWNED 2013 MASSA COPA COCA COLA CUP CHAMPIONS

By Blessings Kumwenda

Copa Coca cola logo

The battle for seven million kwacha Malawi Schools Sports Associations (MASSA) Copa Coca cola tournament 2013 came to its very last Sunday at Mzuzu Stadium.

 Central West Education Division (CWED) emerged paramount when they out weighed their counterparts South East Education Division (SEED) in penalty shoot outs.

The match was goalless at the end of the official time. In penalty round CWED managed to put at the back of the net 4 balls against their counterparts 2 balls.

Speaking after the match coach for the winning CWED team, Charles Senti Banda said he was very overwhelmed with the victory.

“The competition was tough despite us clinching on its very tip,” he said.

Banda also thanked all contesting teams for their courage. He described his team’s victory towards mature and proper preparations.

Efforts to hear from SEED side proved futile.

In his remarks Minister of Youth and Sports Honorable Enock Chakufwa Chihana thanked Carlsberg Malawi breweries for the sponsorship.

He thanked the company for reaching out to where the government’s budget fails to reach out to.

The Minister has therefore called upon other companies and stakeholders to lead by example in supporting sports activities in the country. 

In his remarks a Marketer at Coca cola Gwinith Nchiyela thanked government for support. She also thanked MASSA for proper management of the tournament.

Nchiyela described MASSA Copa Coca cola football competition as a platform where Football Associations of Malawi scouts players.

CWED walked away with k400, 000 money prize and on second position SEED pocketed K200, 000. 

CWED have become MASSA Copa Coca cola cup champions for five times since the cup inception 45 years ago.

 

FLAMES PERFOMANCE AT COSAFA CUP, AN EMBARASSMENT TO THE NATION- CHIHANA

Youth and Sports Minister: Enock Chakufwa Chihana

By Blessings Kumwenda

Minister of Youth and Sports Honorable Enock Chakufwa Chihana has described the country’s national team performance at this year’s Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup which took place in Zambia from July 6 to 20 as huge embarrassment to the nation.

Chihana said this at a presentation ceremony of 2013 Malawi Schools Sports Association (MASSA) Copa Coca cola trophy to Central West Education Division (CWED) who have emerged this year’s cup champions.

The minister argued that Malawi national team, the Flames lost games that needed to be won. Chihana said Flames had an upper hand when it played with Zimbabwe but failed to carry the three maximum points.

The Youth and Sports overseer also cited games played in the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers, games between Kenya and again Namibia as matches that could have made the flames sail through to the top of the group F.

Chihana described this as a big embarrassment to his ministry and the whole nation. He said the government is spending a lot of money in promoting football.

“The investment in football is just too much. A lot of money is pumped into football,” he said.

Chihana further expressed that huge sums of money is yet to be invested soon for Flames trip to Nigeria shortly. At least 30 million kwacha is to be budgeted for the trip.

 The Youth and Sports Minister said as a ministry they have realized a failure at the national level and they would like to invest more money at grassroots as a way of identifying talent for the prosperity of the country’s national team.

Chihana said if large sums of money can be invested at grassroots it can generate a greater impact at national level.

Former Flames coach Kinnah ‘Electric’ Phiri alongside Flames veteran player Jack ‘Africa’ Chamangwana will be deployed for talent identification at grassroots across the country, Chihana has confirmed.

“A lot of money is spent at national level unlike at grassroots. This has had a negative impact on our national team’s performance,” he said.

It was expressed that Malawi posses excellent talent that need to be scrutinized and put to use.

“Phiri and Chamangwana are very talented and experienced.

 As a ministry we have decided that the two football veterans scout for local talent at the grassroots so that it can be utilized at national level,” he said. 

Chihana said as a ministry they want Malawi football team, the Flames to emerge victors in international competitions. 

“Once I reach office I will tell my officials to summon the two coaches so that we make a program together with Sports Council and Football Association of Malawi (FAM),” he said.

Approximately 16 million kwacha is to be pumped in for Malawi national team’s trip to Rwanda for a friendly match.

NO MEMORIAL CEREMONY FOR FREEDOM FIGHTERS-SHABA

By Blessings Kumwenda

It has been finally confirmed that the annual memorial ceremony to remember people who died during the 20^th July mass protests in 2011 will not take place this year.

This has been confirmed by Chairperson of the deceased families, Freedom Shaba who said no preparations are underway ahead of the day.

Shaba said no one has approached them on the issue like Church and Society who got primarily involved in the last year’s preparations. He further expressed that time has also run out for the preparation process of ceremony to be undertaken.

Shaba said as believed families they are not bitter with the failure in having the ceremony this year. He said all they are waiting for is what they presented to the president and a report from Malawi Police Service on the tragedy.

Despite the failure to have the memorial ceremony this year Shaba said he does not care as the ceremony turned out to be a political tool for politicians. 

He said he does not want anybody to politicize on the deaths of their brothers and sisters who died on 20^th July. 

It has also been learnt that money amounting to more than 200 thousand Kwacha that was raised during first memorial ceremony that took place last year at Mzuzu stadium in Mzuzu where the right president Joyce Banda was guest of honor has up to date not reached the families.

According to the investigation made, the money raised on the day was collected by Church and Society a civil society organization under Synod of Livingstonia.

Shaba told this publication that tombstones have not been built up to date on the graves of the deceased as the money that could have been used for the construction of the tombstones did not reach them.

He also disclosed with shock that other people who only lost properties during the mass demonstrations have already been compensated by government while them have not received any assistance.

As church, Livingstonia synod has also confirmed the failure in having the ceremony this year.  But it has been learnt that there were plans to make the ceremony a national event.

Livingstonia synod has since asked for an extended period to respond well on the matter since Church and Society Chairperson Moses Mkandawire is not in the country.

Anti government protests towards perceived poor economic management and poor governance by the late Professor Bingu wa Muthalika and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) saw at least 18 people killed, 98 seriously injured and 275 arrested.

NORTHERN PARTIES TO FORM ALLIANCE

By Blessings Kumwenda

Loveness Gondwe-NARC President

Political parties from the northern Malawi are expected to form an alliance that will take them to May 2014 general elections aiming at bringing unity and development in the region.

The idea of bulding an alliance was agreed upon Wednesday in Mzuzu during a workshop on “Economic and Political Development Solidarity for the north” aimed at addressing inequalities in political and economic participation. 

The alliance is said to bring back the kind of unity that was brought in the region by Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) under the late Chakufwa Chihana’s leadership.

 

The alliance which is expected to bear Alliance for democracy (AFORD) name during forth coming general elections has been attributed by Honorable Loveness Gondwe, President for National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) as being a vehicle that will help the region to be united and strong.

Gondwe said AFORD has been suggested as a name that will head the alliance since the party name is familiar with a lot of northerners.

Gondwe said with the alliance northern region is expected to be less sidelined in terms of development activities as it has always been. She therefore said people will speak with one voice for one common goal.

She expressed the region problem of not benefiting from its precious minerals. She cited examples of Uranium and Coal mines that are available in the region saying they have profited the northerners peanuts.

Gondwe said the alliance will also make sure that those parliamentarians that will represent their respective constituencies represent the people’s views and not their own in the parliament.

She refuted remarks that the alliance intention is to bring regionalism amongst Malawians.

In his remarks Honorable Khwauli Msiska also Secretary General for AFORD, said the alliance is a welcoming development. Msiska said his party has bought the idea and is ready to sail in the alliance boat in order to develop the region and protect its precious resources.

At present NARC and AFORD have reached a consensus of cementing the alliance and an amount of about 23 million Kwacha has already been raised to help in running the alliance.

Other political parties like NASAF are yet to consult their executives on the matter.

Honorable Khwauli Msiska-AFORD Secretary General

The meeting was attended by political party representatives, religious leaders, Academicians, civil society and NGO’s representatives and Journalists.

Malawi is expected to host tripartite elections in the month of May 2012 and at present the country has a population of approximately 15 million people and it has more than 40 registered political parties.