the processing plant at Paladin Energy's Kayelekera mine in Malawisource: Paladin Energy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_99774" align="alignright" width="600"]
Kayelekera Uranium Mine, Karonga, Malawi (Credit -Paladin Energy Ltd)[/caption]
The newspaper reported that Paladin has divested of an interest in its Kayelekera mineto the China National Nuclear Corporation.
But the company in a statement made available to Nyasa Times said there has been no change in its ownership of the Kayelekera mine.
“The article incorrectly asserts Paladin has sold all or part of its 85 per cent interest in Kayelekera mine to China National Nuclear Corporation,” the company said in a statement.
“Paladin wishes to point out that there has been no change in its ownership of the Kayelekera mine in Malawi.”
Kayelekera Mine was placed into care and maintenance in May last year because of the weak uranium price
“A restart of the Kayelekera mine under favourable uranium market conditions would have the potential to quickly expand Paladin’s overall production by in excess of 40 per cent,” Paladin said.
The ambulance at Karonga district hospital[/caption][caption id="attachment_100246" align="alignright" width="600"]
DC giving the ambulance keys to the DHO[/caption]
Karonga district hospital, the referral hospital to tens of thousands of people in the lakeshore district, has been surviving on one ambulance, and according to the district health officer, Charles Sungani, the donation was a “big boost.”
Michael Muhagama, representative of Christian Aid, said the donation of the state-of-art was chiefly aimed at supporting expectant mothers and newly born babies.
Muhagama revealed that the rise in deaths of expectant mothers and newly born babies in the district had triggered them to donate.
“We decided to donate the ambulance so that the deaths can be controlled to some extent,” said Muhagama.
Karonga District Commissioner Rosemary Moyo commended Christian Aid for the donation, urging other well-wishing NGOs to support the hospital.
She asked hospital management to “take good care of the ambulance” so they could woe more donors.
Among the myriad problems the hospital is facing, include lack of a back-up generator – a shoddy situation that puts a lot of patients’ lives at risk during the frequent blackouts the country is facing.
Members present at the workshop in a group photo[/caption]
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Mwenefumbo: I heard about the meeting as a rumouri[/caption]
Nyasa Times understands that the MPs most of the times send their representative to the meetings, a phenomenon that members of the Karonga district council have described as “insubordination.”
The failure of the MPs to attend the meetings - Nyasa Times also understands - is because most of them are not resident in the district. Of the five MPs, we learnt, only Karonga North West JB Kamwambi is permanently based in Karonga.
Last Thursday representatives of the MPs were chased out of a three-day capacity building workshop organized by the Ministry held at Sumuka Inn.
Lawrence Makonokaya, the ministry’s Director of Chiefs, expressed disappointment on the MPs’ behavior for sending their subjects to the important meeting arguing “the act is an insult to the organizers” since they were taking the ministry as “foolish for organizing the workshops.”
According to Makonokaya, there are many gaps that need to be addressed on the roles that MPs, councilors and the council secretariat are supposed to play at the council to avoid conflicts.
He said there were many conflicts that ensue at district councils due to misunderstandings on who is supposed to do what especially on monetary issues such as Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and Local Development Fund (LDF).
“It is very sad that this workshop was organized to solve some of the issues that have been causing havoc at this council and yet the MPs have considered it useless by deliberately choosing not to come,” said Makonokaya.
He added: “That is why we don’t need their subjects here because an MP cannot delegate his or her subject to an important meeting like this one. It is like them delegating people for parliamentary deliberations.”
Makonokaya said the law “does not allow delegations in cases of where a full council meeting is being held.”
Chairperson of Karonga District Council Patrick Kishombe said the MPs’ behaviour was a habit.
“It is a very big problem. MPs send their representatives to these important meeting when normally they are supposed to do so themselves,” said Kishombe.
He said they had hoped that the Thursday meeting would be a pacesetter on improving matters.
“But their failure to come to the meeting proved that our MPs don’t need to cooperate, a development which is worrisome,” he said.
Karonga District Commissioner Rosemary Moyo, however, told the participants that she would “make sure that the MPs also follow the guidebook to avoid the conflicts.”
But speaking in an interview on Saturday, Karonga Central MP Frank Mwenifumbo, said he had only heard of the meeting as a rumour.
He blamed communication challenges on part of the Karonga District Assembly for not letting them know of the meeting in good time.
“I only heard of the meeting three days prior, and in form of hearsay that there would be such a meeting,” said Mwenifumbo.
The independent MP also expressed discomfort with the Ministry timing of the meetings.
“How can you organize such an important meeting at a time when people are planning for the festive season? It is time when people sit back and spend time with their families,” he said.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is carrying out phase two capacity building exercises in eight districts in the country with the aim of bridging the gap in operation procedures in district councils with funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
A woman enjoying a meal she got -- Photo by Pius Nyondo, Nyasa Times[/caption]
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Chikwanda (L) and Lusekelo (R) engaged in talk.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_100487" align="alignright" width="277"]
Lusekelo talking to expectant mothers in the maternity ward[/caption]
The cousins, Lusekelo Mwenifumbo, 23, and Chikwanda Mwenifumbo, 24, have since challenged Malawians that it is “actually possible to feed patients in the country’s public hospitals without necessarily relying on government’s subversions.”
They told Nyasa Times after the exercise that with the little money from their savings, and contributions from seven other friends they were able to raise over K200 000 within a week.
“Initially we’d thought of organizing some gifts for children in the pediatric ward but when we assessed the condition of the rest of the other patients we thought of reaching out to them too,” said Lusekelo who has just graduated from the Madiba School of Flight of Port Elizabeth in South Africa.
She added: “We never thought our little savings would eventually impact so significantly. Instead of the fifty children we’d planned to reach out to we ended reaching out to over two hundred fifty patients plus several members of the staff.”
According to Lusekelo, the meal they prepared comprised rice, minced beef, soya pieces and cabbage. They also gave out a number of presents to children.
“It was so exciting to see how happy the patients were after they received the food. I felt bad when I was leaving knowing they would face a similar problem the following day,” she said.
Apparently, Nyasa Times has learnt, the hospital stopped giving out meals to patients – an argument the hospital’s management premise on “drastic cuts of government funding.”
Lusekelo’s cousin, Chikwanda – a quantity surveyor – challenged people in the country to consider doing similar exercises for the country’s public hospitals.
“What happened with our little savings is a manifestation that it is possible for us to feed people in our district hospitals. Imagine if people came up and started contributing towards hospitals in their areas. We think a lot more would be raised for support,” said Chikwanda.
She said the exercise had kindled a desire in them to consider doing more of similar projects in the country.
“We’re not promising anything as of yet. But my cousin and I have that feeling that we need to do more of these activities,” she said.
Karonga District Medical Officer Dr Timothy Bandawe hailed the girls for their initiative saying they had been able to raise the spirits of patients high.
He admitted the stoppage of provision of meals at the hospital due “to poor funding.”
Kyungu inspecting Karonga main market -Photo by Tiwonge Kumwenda[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_100692" align="alignright" width="600"]
Filthy Karonga -Photo by Tiwonge Kumwenda.[/caption]
Cholera, which claimed three lives, hit neighbouring Kyera district of Tanzania a few weeks ago. Over 14 people were hospitalized.
But, it seems, officials at the Council are casting a blind eye on hygienic issues as those responsible for sweeping and collection of rubbish at the market have gone unpaid for two months now.
“There is no good explanation that has been given for the failure,” Godwin Ng’ambi, Karonga main market chairperson told Nyasa Times in interview.
He said it was “a worrisome situation” and more so considering the fact that “a cholera outbreak hit our Tanzanian counterparts not long ago.”
He blamed the council’s officials for “failure to provide sanitary services at the market.”
Added Ng’ambi: “Our market is literally stinking. Our plea is that the council should intervene with immediate effect.”
According to him, the misunderstanding between the council officials and their direct employees should not affect them as vendors.
“Never have we ever failed to pay our daily market fees,” he said. “But if the problem persists we will have no option but to stop paying.”
Speaking after touring the market in company of fellow chiefs, Paramount Chief Kyungu blamed council officials for not taking the lives of market users seriously.
Kyungu said he would not let his subjects suffer because of someone’s “negligence.”
“What we want now is for the council officials to look into the matter seriously. We want them to explain where the market revenue goes since they are unable to pay their employees,” said Kyungu.
The district’s chairperson on Health and Environmental Services councillor Harry Mwanyembe said the council was doing everything possible to make sure that the “market is clean.”
Meanwhile, Karonga District Health Officer Charles Sungani has appealed to the community to be hygienic in order to prevent cholera which has a life lost and twenty six cases being registered in the eastern region.
Karonga district council collects about K125 000 per day from the main market. It also has nine flea markets across the district with about fifty direct employees who include revenue collectors, watchmen, messengers and cleaners.
Work in progress for Karonga stadium[/caption]
During an ad hoc presser last week, the groupings told journalists that there was a mismatch as regards the work that had been done on the project against the time allocated for the whole project to complete.
Chairperson of the groupings plying under the banner of Karonga Stadium Development Committee on construction of the stadium Kossam Munthali said “only ten per cent of the work has been done.”
And yet, Nyasa Times understands, the contractor has been on the site for about four months.
The time allocated for the project is fifty-two weeks – about a year – Nyasa Times also learnt.
Munthali warned that if the lack of seriousness “persisted” they would be “forced” to resort to “some other action.”
While we could not reach the contractor, Nangaunozge Building Contractors, we learnt from experts on the site that what the groupings were talking about “really did not matter” as they did not understand the practicality of the whole project.
The expert, who said would have been of more significance if he were invited to the meeting, argued the groupings “needed to be schooled on the subject.”
He refused to comment further saying it would make “no difference” since they were “not invited” to the press briefing.
“But they should give us time – maybe two or three months,” he said.
The Malawi government announced the construction of the K504 million at Baka in the district – a project under the Local Development Fund.
Since independence from the Britons in 1964, north Malawi has known no state-of-the-art stadium. The two main stadiums in the country – CIVO and Kamuzu – are located in the central and southern regions respectively.
According to government sources, the stadium, which will have a capacity of up to 20 000 is the first project in the package government has for the northern region.
Bishop Mtumbuka: Citizens deserve dignity[/caption]
Bishop Mtumbuka, one of vocal voices of the church for the poor, made the comment following a stampede at Karonga Admarc market.
"It is demeaning to human beings that they queue for maize for days," said Mtumbuka.
He said the government has an obligation to ensure it brings to human beings by not subjecting them to such degrading treatment.
His comments came just a day after minister of Information Jappie Mhango addressed a political rally at the boma where he said there was adequate maize at the Admarc depot.
A day later on Monday, police struggled to quell a stampede and the market was prematurely closed in the morning following fracas that erupted as people fought to buy maize.
Vendors are blamed for conniving with Admarc clerks to buy maize in bulks other than the prescribed 20kg.
Mtumbuka said it was sad people are to wait for days just to buy a 20kg maize.
Admarc maize is selling at K110 per kg while vendors sell the same weight at K900.
Starving people looking for maize[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_102947" align="alignright" width="600"]
In search for food[/caption]
The raise has come amid assurances from the government that the country has in its reserves enough food in stock to last until the next harvesting season – around April.
On the contrary, people in Karonga have literally no food; and, according to those that spoke to Nyasa Times they have “resorted to natural vegetables” instead of staple nsima or rice.
Senior Chief of Wasambo of Karonga disclosed that most of his subjects “especially those whose pockets cannot afford to buy maize to from vendors are surviving on Bonongwe (Amaranthus/Bonongwe) and mushrooms.”
Said Wasambo: “Hunger is indeed biting. And this is because of shortage of maize in our ADMARC depots.”
Nyasa Times understands that for weeks now the ADMARC depot in the district has been non-operational. There is reportedly no maize.
Karonga district council vice chairperson, Ernest Mwalughali, has since asked stakeholders to take immediate action.
He said all depots had been closed “for no reason and without explanation.”
Vincent Ghambi, Member of Parliament (MP) for Karonga North and deputy education minister, much as admitting the problem was quick to say that the problem was transportation to get the maize to the depots.
“Our ADMARC depots are really empty but this doesn’t mean that the country has no maize.
"I’ve been talking to ADMARC officials at the headquarters and they have told me that the problem is transport,” said Ghambi.
Over 2.8 million Malawian are food insecure currently, according to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac) but the threat of El Nino which is hitting southern Africa has heightened fears that many more will join the long list in need of food aid.
GVH Mwenelupembe addressing the meeting[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_103044" align="alignright" width="475"]
A grocery shop closed Tuesday morning at Rukuru ... ck -- Pic by George Chunga, Nyasa Times[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_103135" align="alignright" width="600"]
Karonga hit by flooding[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_103136" align="alignright" width="600"]
Shop owners in Karonga were left to count the cost of flooding water[/caption]
MDF has been deployed in the district following announcement by the meteorological department that floods would Karonga this year. Nkhata Bay district has also been tipped.
The perennial river, that floods almost every year, is believed to show one of its worst acts this season.
Nyasa Times correspondent in Karonga, George Chunga, has said that should rains continue today [Tuesday] or tomorrow [Wednesday] there “is great likelihood of flooding.”
Our correspondent moved around Karonga Tuesday morning and took the following pictures.
Another of our correspondents, Tiwonge Kumwenda, reported Tuesday afternoon that officials had confirmed that over 600 households had been displaced.
Assistant District Disaster Risk Management Officer Walusungu Mwafulirwa said despite Karonga being a flood prone area, the tragedy that struck on Mondayhas “never happened before.”
According to Mwafulirwa, the affected houses are from over 22 villagers under group village headman Mweninguwe, Zindi and Mwanganda.
“Most of the victims are taking refuge at Chinsewu CCAP and AIC churches,” said Mwafulirwa.
Mwafulirwa sounded an SOS for maize, beans and tents for survivors.
Member of Parliament for the area affected John Kamwambi asked the communities to “move out” out of the flood-hit areas.
No life has been lost yet to the disaster.--Additional reporting by Pius Nyondo and Tiwonge Kumwenda, Nyasa Times
Maize being offloaded. Pic by Pius Nyondo -- Nyasa Times[/caption]
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Bushiri carrying maize at Karonga district hospital[/caption]
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Bushiri second day maize distribution in Karonga with influential Paramount chief Kyungu[/caption]
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Thousands in Karonga going home with a bag of maize each[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_103761" align="alignright" width="600"]
Bushiri offloading blankets at Karonga hospital[/caption]
With others chanting “Major 1!” noisily, the maize was successfully offloaded at Kasoba Primary School ground where thousands of people had already gathered upon hearing the good news that the man of God’s generosity and interest to help them with maize.
On the second day, the ‘Major 1’ joined his Prophetic TV team distributing the maize to Karonga Hospital in the company of T A Kyungu who welcomed the donation to his area.
According to Bushiri, it is his quest to help government deal with the hunger crisis that has hit Malawi so badly.
“Am so much impressed with government’s effort to deal with this problem and I feel proud to be part of the solution towards the hunger at hand,” Bushiri told local reporters who attended the ceremony at Karonga District Hospital on Wednesday, explaining further that “It is our duty as Malawi citizens to help the government and support the needy.”
On his part, T A Kyungu commended Bushiri for his kind gesture and appealed to other quarters to come and help because so many people have been affected with the problem.
“I was happy when I heard of the prophet’s visitation to the area. This is what I have been praying for, to see help for the people who have been affected with the hunger crisis in my area. Prophet Bushiri came at the right time and this is a blessing to me,” explained T A Kyungu.
Asked whether he was comfortable to welcome Bushiri’s donations following reports that some chiefs have been threatened by government officials not to welcome the donations in their area, Kyungu laughed it off, maintaining that “Bushiri’s coming to help my area is timely.”
Bushiri has so far helped people in Ntcheu, Dowa, Mzuzu, Zomba and Lilongwe spending over MK100 million for the exercise that has reached out to thousands of beneficiaries across the country.
Of late, Bushiri has met resistance from other chiefs to accept his donations for poor people because of fear that government will blacklist them and think that they are helping Bushiri score a political point.
However, speaking to Times TV with Brian Banda on Times Exclusive, Bushiri made it clear that he has no political ambitions.
“Am happy with what I do and I don’t intend to contest for what you call ‘Hot Seat’ because that would be demotion to me,” Bushiri told Brian Banda on Times TV.
the prophet’s public relations consultant Kelvin Sulungwe also told Nyasa Times that Bushiri candidly declared that he is content with his position as church leader , entrepreneurship and does not harbour any ambitions for political office.
The chief presenting petition to the coal mining manager. - Photo by Tiwonge Kumwenda[/caption]
Group Village Headman Mweninguwe admitted to Nyasa Times in an interview on Friday that he had been given a “wristwatch and an expensive phone by Nkhayute Coal Mine.”
Nkhayute Coal Mine is owned by a Davie Nyirenda.
Nyasa Times understands that the handout was given out because communities were demanding clean water and two teachers’ houses.
After sensitization by Church and Society of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia, Our Minerals, Our Responsibilities, the communities demanded that Nkhayute Coal Mine by November 2015.
The mine, Nyasa Times has learnt, started its operations in 2007.
According to the agreement, we have confirmed, the miner was supposed to construct two teachers’ houses at one of the primary schools in the area and a borehole.
To silence the community, the miner gave out the “gifts” to the chief.
Mweninguwe said he “regretted” receiving the items from the miner.
He said he “did not know” he was being “bribed.”
One of the villagers, Regina Njerenji – chair of the Church and Society project being funded by Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) – said they were “frustrated.”
Said Njerenji: “We’re drinking water from contaminated Towo River when they were supposed to drill a borehole for us.”
She said the chiefs were “happy with CSOs” because they “bribe them.”
Paul Mvula, coordinator of the project, said he was happy their “capacity building initiative was bearing tangible results.”
The project is being implemented through Church and Society with a K70 million funding from OSISA.
The recent discoveries of mineral deposits have promoted the influx of over 100 mining companies operating in the country.
It is expecting that the mining sector whose current contribution to GDP is ten per cent will surpass the 30 per cent contribution of the agriculture sector.
Whilst the phenomenal of the sector brings in the possibility of increased export earnings and other benefit for the country, it is not without challenges.
ACB Czar Lucas Kondowe: Corruption case to pursue[/caption]
A member of the Mesiya’s inner circle, Happy Mwetumba, told Nyasa Times in an interview that the syndicate occurred last month when members of the communities surrounding the mine blocked the coal miner’s vehicles from leaving the area by digging a huge trench.
Mwetumba and others confided in Nyasa Times that after the incident, the village was shocked to see the chief’s family opening a huge business which they could not come out clear on the sources of income.
“Besides that, some of the people who denied the malpractice disclosed this to the community,” Mwetumba said.
Reacting to the development, Paul Mvula from the Church and Society Organization through its one year project funded by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) condemned the development saying “it is major thing that made only few people benefit from the mine investors leaving others suffering.”
Mvula further said that “as an organization we shall organize an interface meeting with all concerned parties this week and make sure the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) intervenes on the matter.”
Mesiya could neither confirm nor deny the allegations while Eland Company could not immediately comment.