![Chimombo: Malawi has losyt a finest writer]()
It is nearly impossible to talk about the genesis of Nigerian writing without mentioning the liberal University of Ibadan where literary greats, Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka, unsheathed their pens. Similarly, Ghana’s celebrated scribes Ayi Kwei Amar and Albert Kayper-Mensah owe their inspiration to Achimota Secondary School.
[caption id="attachment_99525" align="alignright" width="408"]
![Chimombo: Malawi has losyt a finest writer]()
Chimombo: Malawi has losyt a finest writer[/caption]
For Malawi, the golden generation—Jack Mapanje, Felix Mnthali, Frank Chipasula, Anthony Nazombe and Steve Chimombo—owe their humble beginnings to Chancellor College (Chanco) in Zomba.
Back in the 1970s, a vigorous writers group emerged at the University of Malawi’s liberal arts college to inspire students to try their hand at literary expression.
True to the cause, the brood transcended the torrid political times to relieve themselves in poetry, prose and drama.
Chimombo—a retired professor of literature and education and multi-faceted writer who died on Friday at Mwaiwathu Private Hospital and was buried on Tuesday in Zomba—was a mover and shaker in much of the literary ferment that left an incredible mark in the country’s history.
Born in Zomba on September 4 1945, Chimombo is one of the most accomplished academics on the land.He received his education through the University in Malawi, graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Chanco before proceeding to the University of Wales to do a post-graduate diploma in literature and teaching English as a second language.
He also held a masters degree in Literature from Leeds University and another masters in education from Columbia University, New York where he also obtained his doctorate. But it is his writing prowess that earned the widely published writer rare acclaim both locally and internationally—even an honorary fellowship in writing from Iowa.
On August 8 1975, a youthful Chimombo told Voice of America’s
Conversation with African Writers that his illustrious literary exploits stemmed from Mtendere Primary School, but he got published while at Zomba Secondary School where an English teacher, a Mrs Poole, used to encourage students to write either verse or short stories. Ironically, the renowned poet was known for the latter.
“My secondary school material didn’t come to anything apart from winning inter-school competition,” the revered writer, who continued writing and switched to poetry when he went to college, told
Chill in a June 2011 interview.
Among his early writings, which were published in a Rhodesian magazine called
African Parade is a tale of a village terrorised by a school of monkeys that used to descend the mountain to eat the crops.
To solve the problem, an old man brewed beer and called his friends to imbibe right in the field to show the monkeys what to do with the calabashes.
After the party, the people left but the apes came and drunk themselves senseless upon which the villagers returned and butchered them all.
The monkey trap is just a tip of how much the cerebrated writer values traditional material as the face and heart of African writing.
“From what foundation or basis are you going to write if you don’t write about the experiences that formed you and the experiences that are part of your psyche, we may say?” he told VOA.
Chimombo’s Afro-centric inclinations are also evident in
The Rainmaker, a historical play in which the python priest Kamundi fails to make rain fall after two performances and a little known young man, Mbona, comes to succeed where he has failed.
The traditional rain caller gets angry and conspires to kill the little one. The village-based play is filled with traditional myths, songs, ululation, drumming and incantations.
Chimombo believed even world celebrated authors such as T.S Eliot had to go back to, not only the Western, but Eastern tradition to tell their story.
“And in West Africa, Soyinka and Achebe have also seen that it is very valuable piece of experience to work within the cultural milieu so that at least one can have a sense of belonging to a certain tradition and living with it,” Chimombo reasoned.
But was he writing for the whole public? Fellow intellectuals? Or Sunday school pupils? Perhaps, none of the above or all of them.
“At a certain time or another, a writer must sit down and do the writing business without having to worry about who is going to understand his work,” he argued in 1975.Then he claimed he had no specific audience in mind when he sat down to craft his literary works.
“I can’t say whom I am writing for and why I am writing but just the feeling gets me to write something and I put it down,” said Chimombo, adding he did not think he wanted to change the world.
And he added: “I am just trying to get my mind across in the most effective way that I can,” he explained.
But decades later, the celebrated author seems to have departed from that unorthodox path.
“I write to express what I feel and sometimes there is an audience constituted by people going through or experiencing what I have written about,” he indicated in the interview.
But the overriding desire to pour out his heart was manifested in highly cryptic poems based on the metaphor of Napolo—a mythical creature thought to live under the mountain or lake. It is believed that things fell apart if the creature turned underground.
But Chimombo said it was aimed at any system that creates martyrs and heroes. It is, therefore, amazing how he survived Banda’s iron fist.
In his introductory remarks to his more recent poetry collection—
Napolo and
Other Poems—he admitted there were times he came close to incarceration, death and exile. For instance, he wrote, his vehicle was one night trailed by a top official of the special branch. Another secret service emissary even put it point blank that “his promotion depends on arresting people like me”.
But it is said that when hunters learn to shoot without missing, the birds learn to fly without landing.
Apparently, Chimombo and contemporaries learnt and perfected the skill of burying his self-expression in condensed images that have seen his critics labelling his writing “privatist”, “personal” and “difficult to understand”.
“My survival was not particularly due to Napolo, but the metaphor helped to some extent,” he conceded.
Writing under the watchful eyes of the Censorship Board (established in 1966), a wrathful regime and a vengeful secret police was difficult for assertive poetry, he reminisces.
“Even love poetry was scrutinized and likely to get the poet incarcerated,” he wrote.
Surprisingly, it is the said restrictive environment that bred the crème de la crème of Malawian writing—for escaping in mythical symbolism or historical imagery was safer than exploding into perilous articulacy.
- The article first appeared in The Nation newspaper
Matola: FAM Commercial director[/caption]
Matola, who took up the position on 1 December, said if the Flames’ poor performance could affect the effective marketing of the brand.
“I would like to stress here that marketing works better with a positive and good image of the product. If the product is not attractive it’s difficult to sell. Likewise if the results on the pitch would not be good it would make it difficult to convince sponsors,” Matola said.
“Therefore I would like to appeal to players to work hard on the pitch and produce good results.”
FAM General Secretary Suzgo Nyirenda called upon the former Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Chief Commercial Officer to market the association through a number of commercialization drive for it be financial stable.
Nyirenda said football was a big brand that could not be too difficult to sell.
Matola’s remarks can be backed by previous experience as when the team do well more individuals and companies do come forward with sponsorship.
The team has just come from another of a disappointing outing at East and Central Africa Senior Challenge Cup held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in which they were booted out in the quarterfinals.
Flames participated as a guest team in which they started on a high note in group games beating Sudan 2-1 and Djibouti 3-0 but lost to South Sudan 2-0 in group matches.
The team lost 2-0 to eventual champions Uganda in the quarterfinals in which coach Ernest Mtawali was left seething for rage.
Leave on a high: Bullets legend James Chilapondwa[/caption]
Chilapondwa made a lap of honour of Bullets’ 2-0 victory over FISD Wizzards on Wednesday to acknowledge the fans that thronged the stadium, saying “now is the right time” to hang up the boots as a champions having helped his side to Malawi TNM Super League title.
“I have decided to retire from football because it is better to leave the stage at this point rather than being chased,” Chilapondwa said.
“I decided to bid my farewell because this is the my last game here in Blantyre and I will do the same at Civo Stadium in our last game should I be selected to play.”
He did not elaborate his next move after hanging up his boots but said Bullets’ final game against Civo United at Civo Stadium would draw the curtain on his career.
The decision for Chilapondwa to retire has come after Bullets Vice-General Secretary Kelvin Moyo posted his Facebook page asking who will replace the “terminator” as he was fondly called.
Moyo gave a hint that he would go for FISD Wizzards’ Levison Maganizo among others to take up the position.
The no-nonsense and hard tackling midfielder had a professional stint in Tanzania playing for the top league giants Young Africans. His return to Bullets was plagued by injuries but still played a critical role in the team’s defence of the title.
Chilapondwa made his impact while playing for Gola United sponsored by former Football Association of Malawi president late John Zingale. He was poached by Bullets to serve for the team that Zingale once served as its Treasurer.
In a related development former Mighty Be Forward Wanderers James Sangala also announced to retire from football.
Sangala, who is currently working as Youth Development Officer at FAM, has decided to while playing for Azam Tigers.
He joined Tigers in 2014 after coming out of retirement. He has played professional in South Africa at Benoni United, Thanda Zulu Royal before switching to Angola’s Premiera do Agosto and then Benfica Luanda.
Minister of Energy and Mining Bright Msaka is accompanied by the Principal Secretary during the press conference on climate change in Lilongwe on Thursday (C) Stanley Makuti[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_99888" align="alignright" width="600"]
Minister of Energy and mining Bright Msaka speaks during the press conference on climate change in Lilongwe on Thursday (C) Stanley Makuti[/caption]
The minister said this in Lilongwe on Thursday, during a media briefing on the outcomes of the 21st session of the conference of parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change which took place in Paris, France recently.
According to Msaka a tune of US$12.3 million (about K7.4 billion) has been set aside to help Malawi enhance early warning systems.
Said Msaka; “As some of you may be aware, recently the Green Climate Fund Board approved a six-year project for Malawi worth US$12.3 million to enhance early warning systems as part of disaster risk reduction.”
The Energy Minister further highlighted on the commitments that the Malawi Government made to the conference as a way of reducing the effects of climate change.
“I delivered a national statement on behalf of government, in which I highlighted that key economic sectors in Malawi are not spared from the adverse effects of climate change, such as prolonged dry spell, droughts and floods.
“To this effects Malawi committed itself to plant more trees to create a carbon suite to preserve the environment from the effects of climate change as well as reducing emissions of green gases to the environment over time,” he said.
Malawi emits 0.06 per cent of the total emissions which according to the minister is minimal.
The minister further said the Paris agreement also called for enhancing the implementation of the Climate Change Convention that was adopted in Rio de Janeiro Brazil in June 1992.
“The agreement will contribute to holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius,” he said.
According to Msaka, the conference was attended by government officials, civil society, academia and the private sector.--Mana
The German Ambassador to Malawi Dr Peter Woeste: Gay rights are human rights[/caption]
Woeste said in a statement made available to Nyasa Times that Germany is passionately committed to human rights, saying "LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons) rights are human rights".
His comments follows the hate-comments on those commenting against the arrest by police at Kanengo in Lilongwe last week of 19-year-old Cuthbert Kulemela and Kelvin Gonani, 39, on allegations that they engaged in homosexuality acts at the home of one of the suspects.
The United States of America (USA) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have Malawi to drop charges of sodomy levelled against two men.
On social media some Malawians have been posting hate-filled messages targeted at US Ambassador Virginia Palmer, British diplomats, human rights activists who have called for the non-discrimination of LGBTI as a matter of human rights, public health and public order.
“I am deeply disturbed by ill-mannered reactions on the social media, especially people who defend LGBTI rights,” said the German envoy.
“Are those the same fellow brothers and sisters who are normally very vociferous about the idea of a ‘Christian Nation’? Are those [demonising LGBTI] the same people who ask for a prayer at the beginning of every meeting?” wondered Woetse.
He hopes the socially-conservative nation will return to gay rights “discussion of mutual respect.”
In London, Chairman of All Party Parliamentary Group of Zambia and Malawi, Oliver Colvie MP said he is “deeply disturbed” with the arrests of the Malawi men on anti-homosexuality law.
He states the there is a moratorium instituted in 2012 not to enforce the law that criminalises homosexuality and believes there are “some elements” in the President Peter Mutharika government who do not respect such moratorium.
“Whilst President Mutharika took the very welcome step of apply for the Global Fund for aid for LBGBTI health services, I am concerned that there are elements within the government that are no longer following this moratorium,” he wrote in a letter seen by Nyasa Times on Twitter to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State.
In the letter, Colvie wants Malawi Police to drop the charges against the two men and ensure the moratorium on Malawi's anti-gay laws, which see people engaging in consensual same-sex activity punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment, would remain in place.
Minister of Justice Samuel Tembenu confirmed that there was a moratorium in place, but the ministry was investigating circumstances that led to the arrest of the two.
And President Mutharika has since expressed ignorance on the arrest of the two men at a time when there is a moratorium in place and summoned Minister of Home Affairs on the status of the charges against the two.
Mutharika, a law professor, has assured that Malawi will remain committed to its international human rights obligations.
But the move to suspend the criminalisation of homosexuality was condemned as "unconstitutional and illegal" by the powerful Malawi Law Society which say the government should use appropriate channels through parliament or the courts to issue such a suspension.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Kelekeni Kaphale said government will make its position known soon on the LGBTI situation.
He has not specified how soon this will be.
Malawi gay rights advocacy body, Centre for the Development of People (Cedep) and Human Rights Watch claim that the two men underwent forced medical examinations which, they said, was degrading and an insult to their dignity.
However, religious leaders are up in arms against homosexuality, describing it as a sin before God.
Malawi made world headlines in 2010 when two gay men were arrested for getting married. Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were arrested and locked up for five months during their trial and after their conviction, until President Bingu wa Mutharika pardoned them on May 29 amid international outrage and protests.
Ndanga: UDF membership cards will be voluntary[/caption]
Party publicist Ken Ndanga also said the party is reviewing the way it conducts primary elections in a bid to improve it.
"We want to find out how many members we have, we want to have sustainable ways of raising money for the party instead of relying on a few individuals," said Ndanga.
It is believed that the Muluzi family bankrolls activities of the party.
UDF campaigned against forced party membership in the run up to the 1994 general election, the first multiparty election since 1965 but Ndanga said the forced party cards during the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) one party system is different from the one the UDF want to embark on as it will be voluntary.
Chancellor College political analyst Joseph Chunga described the move as a welcome development, saying party members will feel ownership of the party.
“Ordinary members should have means of contributing to their party," he said.
The UDF was the ruling party in Malawi from 1994 to 2004 under President Bakili Muluzi. In 1995, former president Bingu wa Mutharika dumped the UDF, a party that sponsored him into power accusing the party of high level corruption. Later, Mutharika formed the Democratic Progressive Party and arrested his handpicked predecessor Bakili Muluzi.
UDF is now in a political working relationship with DPP with the party president Atupele Muluzi serving in the cabinet of President Peter Mutharika.
Msaka: Regional governor for DPP in the East[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_42882" align="alignright" width="293"]
Yunus Mussa: Replaced[/caption]
National governing council member Jappie Mhango backed the appointment of Msaka, saying he is a loyal party member.
He said Mussa has been assigned other duties which he did not specify.
Msaka and other DPP members who were arrested along with President Peter Mutharika by Joyce Banda, the former head of state for their reluctance to hand over power to her after the death of Bingu wa Mutharika, are now the president's inner circle.
These include Henry Mussa, Kondwani Nankhumwa, and Patricia Kaliati who are all cabinet ministers and Nicholas Dausi, a trusted intelligence chief.
Chancellor College political scientist expressed surprise at the appointment of Msaka for the senior political appointment in the party, saying the lawyer cum politician is more of a technocrat than a political activist.
"I am not sure how effective he will be in political mobilisation," said Chunga.
He described his appointment as political appeasement, a system that has killed parties in the past.
"You don’t expect these positions to be filled with accomplices," said Chunga.
Msaka, who comes from Machinga, will have to drum support for the party from Zomba, Machinga, Balaka and Mangochi competing with the party bedfellow, the United Democratic Front which has a political base in the region.
DPP insiders say Msaka, Henry Mussa and Foreign Affairs Minister George Chaponda are all aspiring to succeed President Peter Mutharika when he retires.
Mark Katsonga: Malawi must stop freebies culture[/caption]
Mark Katsonga, president of People's Progressive Party (PPM) said Malawi is probably the only country in the region with subsidies.
"It is only in Malawi where a child is born in free hospital, attends free primary school and drives in free roads," said Katsonga in a recent radio interview.
He said the government is spending billions of money in the subsidies thereby harming the already ailing economy.
Currently the country has a K60 billion a year farm input subsidies to which treasury bankrolls farm input for subsistence poor farmers and a K7 billion Cement and Malata subsidy for decent housing for poor people.
Katsonga urged the government to abolish the subsidy programmes and instead create policies that would enable Malawians have money that they would use to construct their own houses.
Government is struggling to fund public hospitals as most of them have completely stopped provision of food for patients whilst ambulances have been grounded due to lack of money for fuel or maintenance.
At a high level meeting this week, stakeholders in the public health sector, that included donors, recommended to government to raise taxes on alcohol and cigarettes to raise money for the collapsing public health sector.
There were also calls for the introduction of fuel levy for the public health sector.
Chief Executive Officer for COMSIP Tenneson Gondwe delivers the key note address at the Annual General Meeting in Lilongwe-pic by Lisa Vintulla[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_99983" align="alignright" width="600"]
Cross section of COMSIP members across the country attends the Annual General Meeting in Lilongwe-pic by Lisa Vintulla[/caption]
Speaking to the press, COMSIP Board Chair, Kenani Gondwe described this year’s meeting as the best as a number of resolutions were passed.
Gondwe said, the meeting agreed that from now onwards, COMSIP members should start adding value to their agricultural produce with the aim of meeting the international market standards.
He further said the meeting also encouraged members to take agriculture as a serious business that could improve their quality of life.
“We are holding this annual general conference to reflect on how we have performed in the year just ended and chart the way forward. Our emphasis this time around is to have as many cooperatives as possible while at the same time encouraging our members to develop the culture of saving and investment.
“Furthermore, we want to venture into capacity building where we want our members to have the Morden knowledge in almost every field for them to be able to survive in times of hardships,” Gondwe explained.
He then described the year 2014 /2015 the best as a K27.3 Million profit was realised up from K16.1 in the 2013/2014 financial year.
“We are into many agro-businesses and this is what keeps on increasing the capital for our union,” the board chair said.
Apart from the increased profit, Gondwe said the only challenge their organisation faced in the year was high demand for COMSIP services.
He said, “We don’t just encourage people to be in groups but we rather teach them how to start businesses, how to manage those businesses and make them grow into bigger enterprises.”
Rodgins Mkanda Member of COMSIP from Mzuzu city Cooperatives commended the current leadership for guiding and leading the union to a position they all dreamt about.
“We have always wanted this union to grow big and this is really what is happening. The leadership should be commended for fulfilling our goals and sticking to the vision,” Mkanda explained encouraging more Malawians to join cooperatives.
On this day, apart from adopting various reports and passing new resolutions members also elected new officer bearers.
Vice President Saulos Chilima (left) officially welcoming former MCP councilor for Ngala Ward, Misheck Khomba to the DPP. Picture by Pauline Kaude, MANA[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_99989" align="alignright" width="446"]
DPP Regional Director of Women Marriam Chimbalanga speaking during a whistle stop tour conducted by Vice President Saulos Chilima on Saturday. Picture by Pauline Kaude, MANA[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_99988" align="alignright" width="600"]
Chilima introducing Tsele to the people pic Sarah Munthali[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_99987" align="alignright" width="600"]
Women line up along the road at Chioko, Mchinji pic Sarah Munthali.[/caption]
Speaking when he conducted a whistle stop tour ahead of the December 22 by-election for Ngala Ward in Lilongwe district at Kachitsa, Chadza and Chilanga Schools in TA Chadza’s area, Chilima said it was only the DPP which is popular and can develop the area.
“Gone are the days when the central region was regarded as a Malawi Congress Party stronghold, it is only the ruling DPP which can transform this area by bringing various development projects,” he said.
He urged the people to vote for Regina Sululu, a DPP aspiring councillor for the area if they were to see change as all the previous people from the opposition have not done anything in as far as development is concerned.
He further appealed to the people to vote for Sululu, a woman, as one way of increasing the number of women in decision making positions in the country.
Ngala Ward became vacant after the resignation on September 8 this year of the then councillor for the area Misheck Khomba who had won the seat on an MCP ticket during the May 2014 Tripartite Elections.
Khomba has since declared his allegiance to the ruling DPP and was officially welcomed to the party by Chilima during the whistle stop tour.
He told the people that DPP is the only party which practices politics of tolerance.
And on Friday , Chilima bbraced heavy rains and conducted a whistle stop tour in Mtope Ward, Mchinji West to campaign for DPP candidate Benedicto Tsele for the December 22, by-election.
Speaking at Katchuka, Chioko, Chioshya and Mphanga in Traditional Authority Simphasi, Chilima called on the people to vote for the DPP candidate to foster development in the area.
“Time for politicking is gone, this is time for development, vote for the DPP candidate who will be able to easily link with the government and address your needs,” he said.
“We had general elections in 2014 where people elected DPP as government, now it is time for you to vote for someone who will help you develop this area, not someone who is going to oppose good government programmes,” he added
Chilima said voting Tsele as ward councillor would mean implementing the DPP manifesto which has programmes to help the poor such as the Decent and Affordable Housing, improving food security and infrastructure.
The Vice President reiterated the need for people in the country to support the President in his quest to improving the welfare of people in the country.
Mtope Mard fell vacant after the councillor of the area John Msumatiza died in July this year.
Two candidates Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Aueriano Kalemba and Benedicto Tsele are contesting in the December 22 by election.
Mambulasa (C) with other lawyers Felisa Kilembe (R) and John Suzi-Banda: Parliament can repeal any law[/caption]
Legal advisor to Misa-Malawi, Mandala Mambulasa recently told a newspaper that there is no clause in the draft bill that declares that no parliament shall repeal the Access to Information Bill.
"Maybe the President was misled. If parliament can repeal the Republican Constitution, what can stop it from doing the same with this law," said Mambulasa.
State House is yet to clarify that.
Mutharika, who boasted that he has the finest lawyers in his cabinet singling out minister of Justice Samuel Tembenu, ministers of Energy Bright Msaka and Foreign Affairs minister George Chaponda said the cabinet legal affairs committee is scrutinising the bill.
The President, who is a law professor himself, said he would not work under pressure from either donors or civil society organisations to have the bill passed.
Mutharika also said the government was not comfortable that the bill would allow people to seek information on issues which happened before it came into effect.
Spokesperson for Malawi Congress Party Jessie Kabwila jokingly said Mutharika was afraid Malawians would easily find out the people he took to the UN general assembly in September.
Dr Fabiano (middle), franked by Mzuni officials, takes look at the burnt library building at Mzuzu University in the city. pic by Trouble Ziba, Mana[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_99999" align="alignright" width="600"]
Minister of Education, Dr Fabiano (first left), keenly listens while Mzuni Vice Chancellor Dr Ridley (second left) explains about the fire that gutted the library. Pic by Trouble Ziba, Mana[/caption]
The minister was speaking Saturday when he visited the burnt library to assess the situation after it was gutted by fire Friday (around 3:00 a.m.) - the closing day of the university’s first semester.
Fabiano said the fire has caused a big loss both to Mzuzu University and its surrounding community.
He said rebuilding the library structure and replacing the resources which were inside the library building were the two important aspects to which stakeholders needed to find long and short- term measures.
“Facts are clear that books have been damaged and that information has been destroyed. Some of this information can be replaced while the other cannot,” said the minister, assuring that government would see to it that the library is restored.
However, he advised the university management to make plans on how the library could be restored and students’ resources be replaced, as a short term measure, to assist students in their studies.
Fabiano held a meeting with the university’s authorities, including the Vice Chancellor Dr Robert Ridley, before touring the burnt library.
Ridley earlier informed the minister the fire started independently from within the library but quickly spread to other parts of the building.
On the cause, he was not in a position to categorically tell what caused the fire, but said the college would engage experts to find out the cause.
He conceded it was a big challenge to rebuild the library, saying it would take some years to be done.
However, following the incident, there were already positive messages from well wishers within as well as outside the country to assist the college on the problem, according to Dr Ridley.
The fire, whose source is not yet known, destroyed about 45, 000 books and computers. Included in the destroyed books are those the college received as a donation from World Bank last month (November) valued at K100 million.
However, only the children’s library and American Corner Wing was spared by the wrath of the fire.--Mana
Jengwe: “It’s a sad day for everyone associated with Dedza Young Soccer but we will bounce back, I want that to be the main message to our fans[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_98718" align="alignright" width="600"]
Relagated: Dedza Young Soccer[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_91491" align="alignright" width="328"]
Epac coach Abasi Makawa : Happy[/caption]
The result means Dedza are relegated from the TNM Super League, having finished amongst the bottom three teams. They have closed the season on 29 points, just like Mzuzu University (Mzuni) but the students have been saved by a better goal difference.
Only needing a point to escape the chop, the rookies from Dedza took the lead just eight minutes into the game when Fletcher Bandawe connected the ball home from close range after Epac goalkeeper Tione Tembo and his defence had failed to clear a cross from Chisomo Mpachika.
Epac went level on 33 minutes in highly controversial circumstances as unmarked Ranken Mwale headed nodded home a cross from a suspected off-side position.
The Dini Josiah boys, however, had what looked like a legitimate goal by the same player ruled out for off-side close to the break.
There was pandemonium at half time as Dedza supporters fought against their Epac counter-parts, who had tried to block the visitors from going to the dressing room.
Police fired teargas to disperse the aggressive parties and the situation only calmed down after some 15 minutes.
Players from the two camps also nearly fought on the field just before the start of the game but were restrained by some officials.
Mphatso Dzongololo delivered the killer punch after 66 minutes when he connected the ball first time after an earlier effort by Dalitso Mwase was blocked by a Dedza defender.
Dedza had several chances to salvage the much needed point in the dying moments but they squandered all the opportunities.
Epac players, fans and officials burst into wild celebrations after the whistle and one fan removed his pair of trousers and went around wearing only his shirt and under pant.
Some fans followed the vocal Dedza coach Milias ‘Jegwe’ Pofera singing: Jegwe mutu sukugwira, Jegwe mutu sukugwira.
Pofera conceded defeat, congratulating the opponents for their victory.
“We took an early lead but my boys were very jittery and we ended up conceding. We failed to settle in the second half and conceded another goal. We accept the loss and congratulations to Epac,” said Jegwe.
“It’s a sad day for everyone associated with Dedza Young Soccer but we will bounce back, I want that to be the main message to our fans," he added.
His counterpart Abbas Makawa was on cloud nine.
“People were not giving us a chance but we had belief in ourselves. We knew Dedza would push for an early goal to sit back but our game plan was to fight up to the end and the boys really fought tooth and nail,” said Makawa.
Mutharika have a talk with DPP vice president eastern region Bright Msaka[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_100003" align="alignright" width="600"]
President Mutharika with District Commissioner for Zomba Bennet Nkasala[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_100004" align="alignright" width="600"]
Mutharika introducing a DPP candiate in Zomba Chisi[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_100006" align="alignright" width="600"]
DPP women at the rally[/caption]
Mutharika said there were some people who were trying to disrupt the process of selling maize intended to reach people across the country.
Speaking at St Paul’s Primary School at a rally in Zomba, Mutharika accused some political leaders of marring maize sales saying that the law shall take its course.
“I urge you to report such cases to authorities,” said Mutharika.
He further assured Malawians that his government would ensure that nobody dies of hunger.
“Government is doing everything possible to distribute maize to all ADMARC depots,” he said.
According to Mutharika, government will buy 155 metric tonnes of maize and assured people of the continuance of decent housing project.
“Let me assure you that government will continue with the program and we have already constructed 800 houses,” he added.
The President then urged people to vote for Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate, Mark Bottoman in the December 22 Zomba Chisi by-elections.
Group Village Head Chaweza of the area thanked government for fulfilling its promises it made to the people citing the decent housing project as a milestone.-Mana