Top news from Malawi

*Down but not out:Masasa land slide victims still trapped in the disaster zone- awaiting govt's rescue*

BY MONALISA NYIRENDA

Hundreds of landslides victims trapped in Masasa disaster zone in Mzuzu are still waiting for the government's promise to be relocated to a new and safer palce, almost six years since Peter Mutharika, the then President declared the area a disaster zone.

Atleast seven people died, several others injured, and hundreds of houses collapsed as a result of the mudslide following persistent heavy rainfall that hit the city, and other places in the northern in 2016.

Saulos Chilima, the Vice President toured the affected area in April same year, and ordered the city council authorities to evacuate the victims to the new and safer place .

He also ordered that the utility service providers such as Escom and Waterboard should stop forthwith provision of services to the area.

But six years down the line, the victims are still trapped in the disaster zone.

A visit by _the Citizen Eye_ to Masasa observed that many houses are failing to stand the persistent hevy rains that continues falling in Mzuzu.

"We are still trapped in the disaster zone and are in danger," says the area's block leader Menius Banda .

"Most houses here are at risk of collapsing due to the excessive rainfall, and people are living in fear of loosing their lives," she told _the Citizen Eye._

Grace Banda , a poverty stricken widow of six children is one of the most at risk victims. Her house may collapse anytime but she still insists to remain in the area.

"I know that I'm on the death trap but I have no option," she says, "I can't manage to find money and buy a piece of land and building materials hence I'm hoping on the government promise," Banda.

Other victims we talked to collaborated with Banda that they are failing to get out of the area on their own due to financial problems.

But MacDonald Gondwe, the Spokesperson for Mzuzu City Council said the Council has not effected the presidential order due to a number of factors including lack of resources.

"The plan is still intact as per the directive but the relocation exercise demands resources to enable the Council compasate the affected households as well as securing a new space for them.

"This exercise awaits resources because the resources were supposed to come from Department of Disaster management Affairs(DODMA) since the council doesn't have really available resources to help necessitate the exercise," Gondwe said.

He adds that the plan will also work on compensation of the victims for the loss of their property.

"Most of these people were born and raised in Masasa , they have set up businesses, built houses, and the relocation may mean reshaping their lives to something they didn't expect."

Gondwe , however, bemoans lack of conviction by some victims to be relocated as they continue to erect structures within the area despite the directive to stop.

Dr Chilima visited the site

*Chakwera's 20 member cabinet may save over MWK1 billion tax payers money*

BY HENRY KIMWANA MHANGO

President Lazarus Chakwera would save more than one billion kwacha (US$ 1.3million) tax payers Money spent on salaries and other benefits for eleven Ministers per month if he could adopt a 20 member cabinet set by his predecessor Peter Mutharika in 2014 _, the Citizen Eye estimates._

On Thursday, Chakwera postponed reshuffling his 31 member first cabinet which has been rated by most quarters as resource consuming and poorly performed.

And the public has been calling the president to cut his cabinet to 20 members to match the country's state of economy and ensure competitive performance.

According to our estimates each Minister is entitled to K3.5 million ($4,458) Monthly Salary, K800 000 ($1,019) housing allowance for those living in private houses, 2000 litres of fuel estimated at K1.8 million ($2,293), 250 000 airtime ($318), K50 000 ($63,6) MASM (medical scheme) membership monthly contribution, and K50 million ($63,694) loan of which half of it is refunded by tax payers.

They are also entitled to atleast 8 domestic trips per month with a minimum estimated allowance of K60 000 ($76,4) each and atleast one foreign trip costing an estimated K5 million ($6,369) .

This means government has spent an estimated K880, 440,000 ($1,121, 579) for salaries and benefits of eleven cabinet Ministers .

The figure excludes costs for foreign trips , salaries and benefits for their personal assistants, drivers, body guards and running costs for their perspective ministries.

Government could not yet confirm the costs but a former cabinet Minister who spoke on condition of annonymity claims that the current cabinet members costs might even be higher since the above estimated costs applied to the previous cabinet members.

Peter Mumba, a Mzuzu based youth activist says Chakwera would still have performed better without the eleven Ministers , and channel resources to procurement of medical supplies or roads rehabilitation.

"The president needs to understand that we are in economic crisis largely contributed by the Covid-19 pandemic and local citizens remain the most vulnerable.

"I think it will please voters if he could even appoint 15 Ministers and save 50 percent of the resources spent on the current 31 member cabinet ," Mumba said.

In 2014 the former president Peter Mutharika appointed a 20 member cabinet including himself and his Vice to save public resources and ensure performance competition.

Chakwera who was then Leader of Opposition in Parliament supported the idea and demanded Mutharika to make it constitutional to be a long-term goal.

"It is in this regard that the Malawi Congress Party's position is that even the reduction of cabinet size to 20 should be included in the Constitution," Chakwera was quoted by the media in Parliament as he was reacting to President's first State of the National Address in June, 2014.

Charles Kajoloweka, a development and governance activist says even the tonse alliance government recommends and promised a lean member cabinet to save public resources.

"I think President Peter Mutharika demonstrated and showed to the country that it's possible and doable to have a 20 member cabinet.

"And if you look at the MCP manifesto, they have committed to have a lean cabinet in a bid to reduce expenditure on government," he told _the Citizen Eye._

The development and governance expert believes it is not time for the president to begin partying and rewarding each other politically but serve the country.

"We don't need all that bloated cabinet when the President has the whole village of advisors, some of them we don't even understand there roles.

"We believe that the current administration can do with 20 or even less member cabinet, it's not about the quantity but quality of people you assemble, work ethics, efficiency, capacity and commitment to the work," Kajoloweka states.

kajoloweka

Malawi targets World Cup qualifiers

BY LUSEKERO MHANGO in Karonga

Malawi’s qualification to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations has energized the flames flag carriers to target the World Cup qualifiers.

The flames reclaimed it's foot ball history after edging Uganda Cranes 1-0 at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre last week.

The country's appearance at the final will be the third after making it in 1984 and 2010.

After achieving the impossible in making it to Cameroon 2022, the Flames will look to make history again in making it to a maidden World Cup in Qatar.

Drawn in a tough group that consist of West Africa’s power house nations of Cameroon and Ivory Coast as well as neighbouring Mozambique, it’s no doubt about it that the Flames face an uphill task to achieve the ultimate dream of appearing at a world cup.

But as shown in making it to the Africa’s show peace tournament, Malawi can no longer be discounted and dismissed as the whooping boys of the world cup qualifying group that contains professional players in big European leagues.

If the flames can haul six points in their last two qualifiers against South Sudan and Uganda to seal their qualification to Cameroon who knows what they can achieve if given the resources and time.

Ironically, the man behind the Flames success is former TNM Stars coach Meck Mwase.

After trying several expatriates, Football Association of Malawi settled for Mwase, though still many doubted and are still doubting his capabilities.

But the coach has proved his mettle by succeeding where others failed.

As Rudoviko Nyrenda a Sports Pundit, observes empowering a local coach is the best way to go as proven in the qualification to afcon.

“We have a lot of talented players and the only way we can get the best out of the is through empowering our local coach and as a country I’m glad that we have one at the helm of our national team hence achieving the dream of a world cup is possible,” told _The Citizen Eye_

Echoing Nyirenda’s sentiments the flames coach Meke Mwase, said he always believed the country had enough talent and players to qualify for a major tournament.

“I always said it that we have plenty of talent in the country. What we only need to do is to have belief in our players.

“When we lost our two back to back qualifiers against Uganda and Burkina Faso, people ruled us out. But we had self-belief that we can make it and that remains for the world cup.”

Meanwhile the Malawi National team will be next in action in June when they will face two back to back world cup qualifiers, beginning with the donting trip to Yaoundé to face Cameroon before returning home to face neighbours Mozambique.

Malawi National Team

Malawi

Malawi's mob Justice cases' escalation exposes the public's law ignorance

*BY MEEKNESS BANDA in Blantyre AND STEVE TAONA MKANDAWIRE in Zomba.*

Many Malawians are resorting to mob justice against suspects of theft, witchcraft and other crimes. The victims are mostly burnt to ashes or beaten up to death in cold blood .

Police and human rights advocates are worried about the escalation of such incidents, and are seriously warning the perpetrators against the vice.

_MEEKNESS and STEVE_ have been exploring what fuels the malpractice and report:

Dozens of villagers , some carrying used tyres and petrol jeracanes, in Chiswe within BCA residential area in the commercial city of Blantyre descended on a popular Bottlestore in the area to set ablaze a young man , alleged to have attempted breaking a bottle store.

Our reporters witnessed the merciless killing of the man whose particulars could not yet be established.

Police could not show up at the incident, and onlookers told our team that this was the third case to occur in space of a month.

Just some distance away from the incident, a suspected robber broke into a house of 24 year old lady identified as Salifya Lisa Chikoja and stabled her to death in Zingwangwa township. The alleged robber went away with the deceased's phone and left her in a pool of blood.

"We can't even sleep peacefully for fear of losing our lives to robbers like Lisa because they mostly attack houses at night. The police need to think of our security's from these predators first before stoping us to revenge when ever we catch them," said Janet Mbisa , a concerned resident.

The mob argued that they have been resorting to mob justice due to faluire by the formal justice system to stop such crimes .

"We feel our action is justified", says one of the perpetrators of the lynching of the deceased but refused to be named for fear of reprisals.

"If we had waited for the police to pick him up we would have started seeing him around two or three days later because these people bribe the police to be released on bail."

The eye witnesses further claimed that the mob has also been targeting the police whenever they come to rescue the suspects due to the perpetrators' "bribe" perception against the police .

But James Kadadzera, the National Police Spokesperson denies the bribery allegations. He instead calls on the media to help in sensitizing communities on the country's legal system to clear their corruption perception about the police.

"I'm sure as a journalist you asses what tells you and you can be helping us to clear such perceptions since you know how criminal offences go on legally," said Kadadzera.

For instance, the Police Spokesperson says once a suspect is handed over to the law enforcers , he or she is being taken to court for prosecution or trial .

"It's for the court to determine whether the suspect is guilty or not during trail, and that the prosses will determine if he has to be convicted or acquitted, and not the police hence we request the media to help in Civic educating the masses on such misconceptions," he said.

Kadadzera observed that mob justice interferes evidence or investigations by the police against the crime suspects.

"For instance, if the suspect is linked to ten more criminals and you kill him it means you have concealed evidence of the rest hence we ask you to always report the suspects to police for legal process."

Kadadzera further warns perpetrators of mob justice and arrested and face the law.

Jackson Msiska, a northen based social commentator , however, argues that mob justice cases are fuelled by The increase ignorance of the masses and government lack of seriousness to tackle the mob justice crime.

" In the first place, let us agree that most of the population in Malawi is ignorant about the laws of the land, in this respect people feel like it's not a crime to do mob justice.

"To end such practices,it non other than civic educating the masses so that they understand doing such is against the law, not only that but also there should be an active judicial system which in turn should ensure that the citizenry are satisfied with how it is handling such cases without any delay or favor, Msiska says.

Msiska calls for political will of the government to ensure that justice law breakers are protected by the law,also that justice is observed in the judiciary.

557 new cases recorded in Malawi

Malawi on Monday registered 557 new COVID-19 cases, 44 new recoveries and seven new deaths.

Two of the new deaths are from Zomba, and one each from Balaka, Blantyre, Lilongwe, Nkhata Bay, and Mangochi districts.

All new cases are locally transmitted infections: 231 from Blantyre, 147 from Lilongwe, 70 from Neno, 24 from Ntcheu, 14 from Mwanza, 13 from Chitipa, 10 from Karonga, seven from Thyolo, six from Kasungu, four each from Balaka, Dowa, Ntchisi, and Rumphi, three each from Chiradzulu, Mulanje, and Nkhata Bay, two each from Mchinji, Nkhotakota, Phalombe, and Zomba, and one each Machinga and Salima districts.