Marriage age at 15, Commission to consult

Malawi's Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Professor Peter Mutharika. Tabled the Bill in the National Assembly. Pic by Malawi Digest.

By Bright Sonani/The Nation

Malawian youths are free to marry at the age of 15 after Parliament on Monday resolved to delete a clause in the constitutional amendment bill which seek to raise the age to 16.

This will be so until the Malawi Law Commission comes up with new proposals on the marriage age.

Before the House voted to pass Bill Number 13 which, among others, contained the marriage age, Minister of Justice and Constitution Affairs Peter Mutharika told the House that government decided to delete the marriage age clause following the debate which ensued after the Bill was passed.

“This bill had 27 amendments and we have deleted that clause on marriage age, meaning the marriage age remains at 15. The proposal has been sent back to the Law Commission for further consultation,” said Mutharika.

Currently, Section 22 (7) of the Constitution says for the people between the age of 15 and 18 years, a marriage shall only be entered into with the consent of their parents or guardians.

Section 22 (8) says the State shall discourage marriages between persons where either of them is under 15.

Parliament passed the bill to raise the age to 16 during the last sitting of the House but President Bingu wa Mutharika did not assent to the bill following protests from various quarters that the age of 16 could be raised further.

After the vote on Monday on the other 26 amendments, the bill was passed without a ‘no’ vote with 149 ‘yes’ while two MPs abstained and 39 were absent.

MCP leader John Tembo was one of those who were absent in the House after he walked out just before the voting started while Nkhotakota Central’s Edwin Banda and Lilongwe Mpenu’s Makala Ngozo (both MCP) abstained-The Nation.

Fuel problem to ease, situation under control

Malawi's Energy Minister Grain Malunga says his officers are working around the clock to normalise the fuel situation. Pic exclusively by Malawi Digest.

By Chikondi Chiyembekeza/The Nation

The Petroleum Importers Limited (PIL), a consortium of five private companies that import fuel, on Wednesday said the shortage of the commodity being experienced in the country is expected to ease by Friday after millions of litres loaded in Mozambique and Tanzania arrive in the country, Thursday.

Giving a breakdown of Malawi-bound fuel, PIL general manager Robert Mdeza said 1.1 million litres diesel were loaded in Beira and 600,000 litres at Nacala port both in Mozambique while 473 000 litres were loaded at Dar es Salaam in Tanzania on Wednesday.

A consignment of 276 000 litres of petrol and 200,000 litres of paraffin was also loaded at Beira port Wednesday.

“The 17 (rail) wagons loaded at Nacala departed on Tuesday morning and are expected in Blantyre on Thursday evening. Mbeya (on the border between Tanzania and Malawi) received 21 wagons, about 1.178 million litres of diesel via Tazara and was also loaded on Tuesday destined for Malawi,” said Mdeza.

He said with the expected consignment on Thursday, next week fuel companies will just be restocking the commodity because by then the situation will have normalised.

Mdeza said the fuel coming into the country could be enough but that there is “panic buying” by some customers and unscrupulous traders who are making a kill out of the situation.

“There is a secondary market of fuel that is re-emerging due to the shortage. But those who are stock-pilling the fuel are just wasting their time because the situation will normalize,” he said.

According to PIL schedule seen by this reporter, as at November 30, one truck each with a capacity of over 600,000 litres of diesel delivered the commodity at BP and Total filling stations and three trucks at Petroda in the Southern Region.

In the Central Region, three trucks dispatched diesel at a Total filling station, one at a Chevron and two at Petroda. The Northern Region did not receive any consignment of fuel, according to the schedule.

In terms of petro, the PIL schedule indicates that only one truck offloaded petrol at a Total filling station in Blantyre.

This means that six trucks entered the through Muloza, two in Mwanza and seven at Dedza, with 14 trucks for diesel and one for petrol.

The PIL schedule also shows that 700,000 litres of that arrived in 18 wagons on Saturday November 28, was all consumed on Sunday in Blantyre alone.

Malawi buys most of its fuel from BP Singapore which supplies about 70 percent of the commodity. The rest is supplied by Petromoc.

Meanwhile, the PIL says it will address a news conference any day this week to give an update on the fuel situation.

In a related development, Malawi’s Information and Civic Education Minister Leckford Thotho has assured the public that government is doing everything possible to normalize the fuel shortage situation.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the official government spokesperson said that stakeholders in the fuel industry including government are working around the clock to make sure that the country is supplied with fuel.

“We appeal to the public to avoid creating panicking situations as millions of litres of fuel are on their way into Malawi,” said the Minister.

Thotho said that he has been in touch with his Natural Resources, Energy and Environment couterpart Grain Malunga who did assure the government spokesperson that everything was being done to normalize the situation-The Nation/Malawi Digest.

Nsanje inland port still a reality, in 12 months

A bill board at the Nsanje Inland Port where work is reported progressing so rapidly. Pic by Malawi Digest.

By Lucy Liponda

The Malawi government, has dismisses reports that their Mozambican counterparts had pulled out of the Shire-Zambezi Waterway project.

This was disclosed by Deputy Transport Minister Francis Kasaira in the Shire Valley district of Nsanje.

Speaking to reporters after touring the project being undertaken by the Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika administration, Kasaira said that he was impressed with the kind of progress that he had seen at the site.

The Minister said that the Nsanje Inland Port project remains one of the biggest projects that the Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika takes so serious.

Eye of the Child hails Prof. Peter Mutharika

Malawi's Justice and Constitution Affairs Minister Professor Peter Mutharika. Pic by Malawi Digest.

By Emmanuel Sobilika

Malawi’s leading child rights non-governmental organisation, the Eye of the Child has hailed Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Professor Peter Mutharika on the passing of the long-awaited National Registration Bill.

This has been said by the Executive Director for the Eye of the Child, Maxwell Matewere following the National Assembly’s approval of the legislation two weeks ago.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi Digest on Sunday, Matewere said that his organisation congratulates the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs for tabling the Bill this time around and having it passed in the August House.

“This is good news to all Malawians of goodwill and the Minister of Justice Professor Peter Mutharika must be applauded for the good job well done,” he said.

On the Bill itself, Matewere said that it’s a welcome development for the country as it will help in the identification of Malawians as true citizens of the country.

“The new Law will help the Malawi government in its efforts to provide material assistance and support to economically disadvantaged families in many areas including housing, education, health and nutrition,” he said.

Matewere, whose organisation champions the rights of children in Malawi, said that the new legislation is also particularly important in that it will help in the safe guarding of the rights of children in the country.

He said that the new law will ensure that priority attention is given to the rights and needs of children in the country.

“In the past we have been having cases of child labour, forced marriages and many other violations on children but it was very difficult to prove them because identification on who was a child was very difficult,” he said.

Matewere said that following the passing of the new law, children can be easily identified and the law will be easily enforced thereby preventing child labour and forced marriages on children.

Following the passing of the Bill on the Registration Bill, the State President is expected to assent it into Law anytime soon after Parliament rises later this week. The new law became a Bill in 2006.

Among many other things on children, the new law is expected to allow the registration of every child born in Malawi and registration of any adopted child in the country-Malawi Digest.

Dr Bingu unveils the World Cup in Malawi

Malawi President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika smiles with the World Cup trophy in his hands at the Saturday function in Lilongwe. Pic by Malawi Digest.

By Lucy Liponda

Malawi President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika on Saturday unveiled the World Cup trophy in the administrative capital, Lilongwe.

The hour long ceremony took place at the presidential New State House where the State President spoke highly about football unifying people.

The State President also applauded the Malawi Flames for qualifying for Angola 2010 Nations Cup finals.

The event then changed venues to the Capital City Hotel where thousands upon thousands of people took turns to take a look at the famous trophy and had their pictures taken courtesy of beverage company, Coca Cola.

There were also lots of goodies given out by the same company of course including drinks.

The trophy arrived in Malawi on Friday night and left the country on a charted plane through Kamuzu International Airport for its next destination, Mozambique.

The World Cup trophy is on a world tour as it heads for South Africa where the next tournament is scheduled to take place in June 2010-Malawi Digest.

'Manganya' demanded sex says ex-workmate

Michael 'Manganya' Usi is seen in this picture in acting attire. He is now involved in some sexual controversy at his work place which is contrary to what he educates the Malawian public against getting involved in extra love relationships due to the HIV/Aids pandemic.

By Limbani Moya/The Weekend Times

Celebrated Malawian comedian Michael Usi aka ‘Manganya’ has since last year been at the centre of sexual harassment allegations from one of his production assistants at the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) Malawi, the Weekend Times has confirmed.

Documents from the alleged victim, Gladys Phiri, who worked with Usi as assistant communications officer, raise nine forms of sexual harassment among them demanding sex, forcing her to suck Usi’s private parts to stimulate him, and physically checking whether her private parts are shaved.

“He would ask me to undress in his office to take a look at my body”

“He would force me to look at his private parts in his office. On several occasions he has used force to make put his penis in my mouth just to excite him,” Gladys was quoted in a 5th September 2008 letter from her lawyers MC and Company addressed to Usi.

“On several occasions he has been asking me to if my pubic hair is shaved. Sometimes he would force his hand into my underwear just to check.”

Asked how she could put up with such harassment for so long, Gladys said in her lawyer’s report that the matter was reported to the human resources and finance manager who unfortunately reported to Usi who was Adra’s deputy country director.

Usi confirmed he was aware of the allegations, but said he believed Gladys was being used by some individuals who did not wish him well.

“This is the work of the devil. I never harassed her. God is my witness,” said Usi in an interview.

Following the allegations, Adra Malawi sent Usi on an administrative leave to pave way for a commission of inquiry to investigate the matter, country director Emmanuel Dacosta confirmed to The Weekend Times.

“Because of the nature of the allegations, Adra Malawi set up a commission of inquiry after the board met. Both parties were heard. Usi was cleared of the allegations because the allegations could not be proved,” Dacosta said in an interview.

However the commission did not release the findings to neither Gladys nor Usi. “I was verbally communicated that I had been cleared.”

“I have not seen the findings of the commission of inquiry. Both Gladys and I went back to work,” said Usi.

Dacosta said he could not tell whether the commission wrote to Usi about the findings saying: “The commission of inquiry was an internal matter and the findings can only be released with the approval of the board.”

While a commission of inquiry was underway, Usi entered into negotiations with Gladys’ family to resolve the matter outside the court, “Since they were family and Christian friends.”

The negotiations involved Gladys’s uncle the late Douglas Chimombo and staunch Adventist politician Gwanda Chakuamba.

“While we were discussing reconciliation with Chakuamba and Chimombo, I was surprised that I was dragged to Blantyre Police station where after a lengthy of discussion, Gladys and her mother said they had no grudges against me and that I had been very nice to their family.” said Usi.

Chakuamba confirmed having mediated the talks as an Adventist approached by the families.

Usi said he was further surprised that Gladys decided to consult her lawyer who demanded that I settle the matter out of court within seven days.

His lawyer Ralph Kasambara in response advised Gladys’s lawyer to go ahead with the court process. “Our client denies the allegations. You can proceed with the court process and serve us accordingly,” Kasambara was quoted in a 23rd December 2008 response.

Not satisfied with verdict, Gladys resigned from Adra Malawi citing personal grounds.

Coincidentally Adra Malawi has refined and reviewed its workplace sexual harassment policy which Dacosta said was in line with Adra’s global policy- Limbani Moya/The Weekend Times.

Bakili Muluzi planning to escape justice

By Frank Malemia

Former president of the Republic of Malawi and national chairman for the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) Bakili Muluzi is hatching plans on how to escape his high profiled theft and corruption case, Malawi Digest understands.

Muluzi, currently in the United Kingdom on a fully funded government medical trip is reported to be working tirelessly around the clock trying to devise a plan that would see him off the hook.

Our sources closer Muluzi have disclosed to Malawi Digest that the as the days approach December, the month the opposition leader promised to return to Malawi, he is now panicking, afraid of facing a full trial.

Our informer who is currently in the United Kingdom and meets Muluzi regularly has disclosed that the UDF leader is now restless and has been meeting some UK based lawyers to help him escape the course of justice.

Our source disclosed that Muluzi, recently, had a shock of his life when three countries where he applied for asylum turned him down.

The countries are the Libya, United Arab Emirates and Taiwan.

The three countries without necessary disclosing reasons turned down Muluzi possibly looking at the high profiled case that the former leader was facing back home in Malawi.

“He was first rejected by Taiwan, then Libya and most recently, UAE,” said the source.

He further disclosed that following the rebuff by the three countries, Muluzi is busy planning to extend his stay in the UK in order to have enough time to devise another plot of escaping justice.

“All the planning to have him stay here further than December has been arranged and that exercise has been entrusted in his son, Machinga Parliamentarian Austin Atupele Muluzi. So just watch what that young man is going to do,” said our source.

When he landed in Malawi from the United Kingdom where his father invited him, the young Muluzi told the local press last week that although his father went through a successful operation, he has suddenly developed another illness.

Atupele Muluzi said that his father has recently developed pain in his spine that has all along bothered his leg only.

The young Muluzi said that as a result, the former Malawi leader would be required to go for continuous physiotherapy.

The young Muluzi could not explain whether he is back in Malawi to instruct Muluzi’s legal counsel to have his stay in the UK extended.

A senior Malawi High Court official speaking on condition of anonymity told Malawi Digest that the court is keenly watching Muluzi to see if he is to respect the court order expecting him to return by 13th December this year.

Former president Bakili Muluzi left the country in July after reports were rife that he was planning to flee the country following overwhelming evidence by the independent Anti-Corruption Bureau linking him to corruption, theft and misappropriation of over MK1.7 billion meant for the people of Malawi.

The money was traced to have gone into Muluzi’s bank accounts in Blantyre and Zomba and Muluzi has accepted this.

Muluzi’s defence team says that although the money was traced to have gone into Muluzi’s accounts, they will prove that the money belongs to him.

Muluzi was arrested and charged over the matter and granted bail.

Following reports of Muluzi’s plans to flee the country, the Anti-Corruption Bureau obtained a seize order on Muluzi’s property including his mansion at BCA Hill in the commercial city Blantyre as part of the bail bond.

Several of Bakili Muluzi’s vehicles were also seized in the exercise and his bank accounts were also frozen-Malawi Digest.