![Marching protestors heading to coal mine- Photo by Tiwonge Kumwenda, Nyasa Times]()
On December 3rd, 2015, I woke up to this feature article headline " Malawi in Coal Fired Power Plant MOU with China Group: To Boost Economy". The article quoted Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Goodall Gondwe, stating that the objective of the current government is to ensure that Malawi would no longer be called poor by the time they leave office. I must confess I like the enthusiasm demonstrated in this statement.
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![Marching protestors heading to coal mine- Photo by Tiwonge Kumwenda, Nyasa Times]()
Marching protestors heading to coal mine- Photo by Tiwonge Kumwenda, Nyasa Times[/caption]
However, despite all the bells and whistles that accompanied the signing of the agreement, it still looked to me like a host of complexities covered up in a few niceties. Stay with me, I will explain why.
At first glance one would immediately think, of course, why did we not think of this earlier. These people are geniuses. This is it, a panacea to our endless energy woes. Imagine, no more blackout nightmares, no more inadequate energy generation that negatively impacts on direct foreign investment, on top of that, Malawi's dream of predominantly becoming a production based economy would no longer be a far fetched reality. Exciting news indeed, isn't it?
Hold on a second, we are talking about burning coal right? Have we considered all the long-term effects of burning coal on the people living in the area earmarked for the plant? What about the surrounding environment? Have we considered the air, rivers and ground water? Where would villagers collect portable water from, if these sources get contaminated? Is this really worth it?
In medicine, a patient is recommended to take prescribed medication if its therapeutic effect outweighs the adverse effects. My point is, does the benefit of burning coal in Kam'mwamba outweighs its negative effects on the inhabitants and their surrounding environment?
Mwatisitikuwombela Mfit iMmanja pamanepa?Are we not celebrating an investment in a future public health disaster?
This comes on the heels of renewed calls for countries notorious for greenhouse gas emissions, such as China and the United States of America to systematically reduce their emissions.
United States is working at investing into alternative renewable energy initiatives and shutting down most of its coal power plants. China has committed to follow suit. In fact, just recently, China signed a climate-change agreement with the United States.
According to the agreement, the two countries, who are also the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters promised to cap carbon pollution in 15 to 20 years. What this means is that China agreed to halt the growth of its carbon emissions by around 2030. If it meets that commitment, the country’s CO2 pollution will probably plateau at around
11 billion metric tons.
Conversely, United States agreed to emit between 26 percent and 28 percent less CO2 by 2025 than it did in 2005, when it produced
7.1 billion metric tons of carbon. This is major development and great news to the environment.
It is estimated that in 2010 alone china contributed over 22% of global green house emissions seconded by the U.S. at 15% whilst Malawi contributed zero percent. This is a great development for our country. It probably means Malawi has not done damage or polluted its environment yet.
The aforementioned percentages did not come without a cost to U.S. and China. These countries have paid and continue to pay dearly for using energy generated from coal over the years. With all financial resources at their disposal they are still struggling to contain the adverse effects resulting from coal burning.
Coal has negative impacts on public health. Clean
air.org demystifies it this way. "Burning coal is a major source of fine particulate, acid rain, air toxics and greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Links have been made between exposure to pollution from coal-burning power plants and serious health impacts such as heart disease, respiratory diseases and different types of cancers. Not only that, burning coal also contaminates drinking water with mercury and other metals".
Does Malawi have a plan for how it’s going to dispose of hazardous coal combustion waste? If yes, can this administration articulate what it is to array our fears? The simple reasoning behind this argument is, if hazardous coal combustion waste is disposed of in unlined pits, dangerous chemicals like arsenic can leach into drinking water supplies causing catastrophic public health problems.
Malawi has enough issues right now. Creating more issues is not in the interest of any upright thinking and patriotic Malawian. The country is in dire straits; nothing seems to be going right. People are looking for answers. Its apparent, pressure to demonstrate that the leadership is not on autopilot is palpable.
However, you do not create a potentially hazardous and probably uncontainable problem to be seen as resolving the prevailing ones. This is pure madness. When one has a chronic condition and is desperate for cure, the temptation to fall for anything that promises relief, even if it means for a short period overlooking its long-term effects is really high. Malawi is at that point. The economy is profusely bleeding. Constituents are running out of patience.
However, we still need you folks in public offices to keep your sanity and exercise extreme caution when coming up with solutions to pull the country out of this quagmire for the sake of our children and their children's children.
As a country we need to understand why China has eventually become party to the climate-change agreement. In addition to being responsive to Global warming, China has been suffocating its own people. Today Beijing is nicknamed the masked city because if its citizens do not wear masks with filters it is almost impossible to breath.
We are currently struggling to supply drugs to hospitals. We are grounding hospital emergency services and rationing food for patients. Can we afford to purchase masks for the entire Kam'mwamba or Neno population? I am not implying that Kam'mwamba will become Beijing immediately. We may not be able to live to see it but our children and their children likely will.
Our Chinese counterparts are playing a double standard. Initiating and promoting green house gas emissions in Malawi, while reducing the same in their country? According to Scientific American, China's National Development and Reform Commission has laid out a plan to cope with climate change through the end of the decade. They are building
more nuclear power plants, wind farms, hydroelectric dams and even to start employing more solar power, of which, the country installed 12 gigawatts worth in 2013.
In fact, in 2013, more new clean energy sources were added to the grid in China than fossil fuel-fired power for the first time ever. China has added several hundred gigawatts worth of such clean energy, the Three Gorges Dam alone pumps out 22 gigawatts and also hopes to add as much as 1,000 gigawatts of these low-carbon emitting sources by 2030. I find this deceptive. They are not investing in coal burning power plants anymore. What is their explanation for not doing so?
If China is serious about assisting struggling countries such as Malawi in boosting their energy production for economic growth and development, wouldn't it be intelligent to invest in energy infrastructure that would not be hazardous to the people and environment? Alternative
energy such as wind and solar will do just exactly that. I seriously think President Peter Muthalika administration should take another look at this. Let us tread carefully.
Minister of Agriculture Dr Allan Chiyembekeza: Blame vendors[/caption]
Ntcheu police spokesperson Gift Matewere confirmed Kamuyambeni was summoned at the police station at 8 am on Saturday but refused to give details.
Kamuyambeni said he was called at the police station but was vague on why the police called him.
However district governor for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Ntcheu Weston Kaphodza Ngozo said the police are investigating the legislator after two Admarc clerks at Ncheu Admarc depot mentioned him in a 50 bag maize deal.
The police had earlier arrested the clerks when they failed to account for the bags of maize, which, Ngozo, alleged, they had sold to the member of parliament whom he said was pressing for 100 bags to distribute to hunger stricken victims in his constituency.
Kamuyambeni was immediately released after the questioning.
Nyasa Times has learnt that some women have resorted to sleeping at Admarc depots in anticipation that scarce staple maize would come and buy at the cheap price of K110 per kg as opposed to vendors who are selling the commodity at K900 per kg.
People at Admarc are allowed to buy not more than 20 kg of maize per person per day.
Minister of Agriculture Allan Chiyembekeza has blamed Admarc officials and vendors for the scarcity of maize in Admarc depots.
Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture Felix Jumbe said the situation is dire and government needed to move swiftly to deal with lack of maize in Admarc depots.
Judge Dingiswayo Madise: Accused of having an interest in Kachali taking over PP[/caption]
The PP hierarchy say Justice Madise should have recused himself in the matter when some party members obtained a court injunction to stop recent appointments of Uladi Mussa and Kamplepo Kalua because he reportedly persuaded PP founder Joyce Banda to step aside and give the leadership to Kachali.
Banda, currently outside Malawi, is said to have not taken the advice and appointed party’s vice president and parliamentary leader Uladi Mussa as an acting president and Rumphi East MP, Kamlepo Kalua as vice-president.
This forced PP National organising secretary Salim Bagus to obtain an injunction through Judge Madise stopping Banda’s appointments.
PP accuse Kachale that after he realised that the party has denied him the opportunity to stage “a coup “ to take over a party that he abandoned and disowned, he mobilized those that had been isolated by the mainstream party because they had been working with him.
The faction hired lawyer Davie Lameck to represent them.
PP links lawyer Lameck to Judge Madise that he married a sister to Madise’s wife and that on the day they obtained an injunction , the wife of Lameck was seriously sick in Mzuzu hospital and Kachali to told the hospital he would pay all the bills. She died the following day.
The publicity secretary of Ken Msonda has accused officials who obtained the injunction to be spoilers.
But Bagus said “enough is enough” as the culture of appointing members to party positions seems to be defeating the spirit of elections through convention.
Bagus echoed calls by other members calling for a convention to resolve all the differences .
PP parliamentarian Ralph Jooma, who is vice-president (finance and administration) said there is nothing illegal about the recent appointments of Mussa and Kalua.
On calls to have the convention, PP secretary general Ibrahim Matola said the party will hold convention next year 2017 as scheduled in the constitution.
He said all positions will be up for grabs from president to all executive members.
Chakwera and his MCP deputy Richard Msowoya who is also Speaker of Parliament, reveive wreaths to lay at Chibambo grave[/caption]
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Speaker Msowoya and Malewezi at the funeral[/caption]
Chakwera said this during the funeral ceremony of Rose Chibambo, the country's heroine and historic figure who aggressively and fiercely fought the white rule and later Kamuzu Banda's dictatorial rule that forced her into exile for over 30 years as the MCP one party rule officials were baying for her blood.
Chakwera was not on the official programme to speak at the burial ceremony but was slotted in to make the apology that those who went into exile waited for over 30 years although some of them received compensation from the government from 1994 at the dawn of multiparty democracy when the MCP was kicked out of power by the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Vice president Saulos Chilima described Chibambo as a Malawi's rare breed.
Other senior politicians who attended the burial ceremony include former vice presidents Khumbo Kachale and Justin Malewezi.
Chibambo was buried in Mzuzu at Heroes Acre as recognition for her fierce and aggressive freedom fighting against the white rule and later Kamuzu Banda's autocratic rule.
Vice president Chilima led the nation in paying last respects to the gallant freedom fighter, the first female cabinet minister in Kamuzu Banda's first cabinet meeting.
State House has not explained why President Peter Mutharika has not attended the burial ceremony despite family members rescheduling the ceremony from Friday to Saturday to meet the head of state's busy schedule.
The President also missed another historic event, the John Chilembwe Day commemorations at Providence Industrial Mission in Chiradzulu. No reasons were given.
He also missed a funeral of his relation in Ntcheu last week.
Chibambo died aged 86 on Tuesday due to heart complications.
She is known to everyone in Malawi as her beautiful young face is on K200 bank note.
The ministry of information says the government accorded her military honours funeral ceremony, not the state funeral. The ministry says this is an honour which Chibambo deserves.
Rose Chibambo's grandchildren praying after laying wreaths during the burial of their grand mother-Pix By Joel Chirwa( Mana)[/caption]
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Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima paying his last respects to the late Rose Chibambo-Pix By Joel Chirwa (Mana)[/caption]
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Vice President Dr Chilima addressing mourners during the funeral of late Rose Chibambo at St Andrews CCAP church in Mzuzu-Pix By Joel Chirwa (Mana)[/caption]
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Vice President Dr Chilima and his spouse Mary laying wreaths on the grave of Rose Chibambo-Pix By Joel Chirwa (Mana)[/caption]
Chilima, who was representing President Peter Mutharika, first spoke in English and later switched to Tumbuka to the amazement of many but for those who attended the burial of Bishop Zuza in 2015 this, was not a surprise for the VP also spoke in Tumbuka at that funeral.
The State Vice President described Chibambo as the very essence of compassion, of duty, of breaking political barriers and a symbol of selfless humanity by remaining true to her country despite the hardships she went through during the MCP rule.
"On behalf of the President, I pay tribute to her level headedness and strength that despite the most bizarre life imaginable while in prison she remained to herself and to her country," said Chilima as people nodded in agreement.
Turning to family members who were visibly heartbroken, Chilima said this was the time to be strong and remain calm and never ask or doubt the power of God.
As a prayerful Vice President, Chilima told a story that when people question where God was when deaths occur, God's answer is:
"I am at the same place I sat when John the Baptist my servant was beheaded. I am at the same where I sat when Stephen my servant was stoned to death. I am at the same place I sat when Paul my servant was murdered in Rome. I am at the same place I sat when my son Jesus Christ was humiliated, crucified and killed," he said.
Chilima said this shows that God does not change and people need to accept that His ways are not our ways.
Speaking earlier, MCP President Lazarus Chakwera, who was invited to speak but was not on the programme, had nothing to say but apologise for the atrocities of MCP and forcing many into exile including the late Chibambo.
Uladi Mussa, who the synod recognised as PP President, said there was need to pass a law that would help to financially support those who politically served Malawi.
Secretary General of Livingstonia Synod Reverend Levy Nyondo thanked government for according due respects to Chibambo and told VP Chilima to convey a message of appreciation to President Mutharika.
"It is important to give credit where it is due. Please convey our appreciation to the President. You have done a lot and by delegating you here, the government has really dignified this funeral," said Nyondo.
Conspicuously missing were cabinet ministers from the north apart from Goodall Gondwe.
Jappie Mhango, Minister of Information, chose to travel to nearby Nkhatabay to address a political rally.
Sports Minster Grace Chiumia was reportedly among the Mvano women at the funeral service.
Duwa and Tapiwa Mutharika: Mentioned in the probe[/caption]
In published report on Sunday, 17 January 2016, the bureau said may proceed with the investigations limited to Bingu’s children and spare President Peter Mutharika, allegedly being linked to the fraud probe, because he enjoys presidential immunity from any investigation and prosecution.
Bingu’s children, son Madalitso, daughters Duwa and Tapiwa were fingured in the investigations.
“The bureau is still waiting for the information so that it can proceed as appropriate. The bureau was looking for information on the bank [account] and property,” Nation on Sunday newspaper quoted bureau’s spokesperson Egrita Ndala.
The ACB, through Interpol, had asked Her Majesty of Jersey to help it investigate the suspected fraud relating to bank account number 58099848, Optimum account, held in the name of Bingu wa Mutharika and Duwa Kafoteka.
Bingu had been under probe after his death and his wealth was also a subject of discussion in parliament.
Opposition MPs wanted answers on K61 billion wealth said to have been accumulated by late Mutharika with government claiming that the money was stolen from the public pulse.
The accusations has since led to 
Arcbishop Msusa opens the Holy Door of Limbe Cathederal for the Jubilee of Mercy[/caption]
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Thousands of Catholics came to grace the opening the door cereony...Photo Jeromy Kadewere.[/caption]
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The cathedral was fully packed...Photo Jeromy Kadewere[/caption]
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Mass servant led the congregation .-photo Jeromy Kadewere[/caption]
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President Peter Mutharika with foreign minister George Chaponda[/caption]
Imagine, the government assures people that it has enough maize in Admarc markets and yet people have to go through a lot of difficulties to access it. The best way to describe this maize is that it is available in the unavailable form. Malawians have to endure and be whipped into line for as long as four days before buying 10 kilogrammes of the maize.
The main problem of the DPP-led government is undecisiveness, which in turn makes governance to be unstable. It is time that government must prove that it knows what it is doing and should stand by its decisions. It is unfortunate now that government decisions cannot be taken wholesale because they are bound to change any moment and put everyone out of step.
At the moment, there is a lot of talk about government reforms which are expected to improve the economic situation of the country. Among other measures, reforms are there to tighten government expenditure.
Surprisingly, the same government which is trying to control expenditure is reported in the media to have dubiously contracted some UK-based agency to carry out a PR project to sale Malawi abroad at a cost of K295 million. If the country has to spend such an enormous amount to sell its image, then what are Malawi’s foreign missions for? Are such decisions to spend extravagantly made at Cabinet or personal level?
In fact, Malawi is not a new State that no one knows about. For it to attract tourists and investors, it must improve its facilities, which include roads and hotels in that way the country will sell itself. This is not space science that the government can fail to understand.
With all due respect, the Mutharika government seems not to know what the national priorities are. It does not make much sense in painting a picture that the country is ready for investors when the situation on the ground is far from it. Some investors might be promised land which is a scarce resource and a sensitive issue in Malawi. If government will grab land for the sake of investors, it can be rest assured of endless conflicts with the locals.
When the President came into power there was a lot of tough-talking within his government that even without donor budgetary support, the government can manage with resources within the country. Most people might have thought that the government had found a formula to prove that the 40 percent donor budgetary support was not really necessary.
Then it came as a real surprise when it was reported in the media that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Chaponda, was pleading with donor representatives in the country to release budgetary support.
Honestly, this portrays a weakness in the government of Malawi because it fails to stick to its decision. After all, the tough-talking was not necessary since before long the government has crawled back to its dishonourable position and start pleading for help. It is such unstable mindset which can force even the most trusted government supporters to say that though they like how the DPP-led government leads, but they do not know where it is leading Malawians to.
If President Mutharika and his government continue to be undecisive on important national issues, it might even lose out on important investment deals. This is not the time for striking deals first and looking at the formalities later.
Vincent Ghambi: Those who smuggle maize are evil[/caption]
Minister of Information Jappie Mhango said this at a rally after finishing donating K5 million worth of maize and beans in the north courtesy of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
"We are aware that there are unscrupulous traders who are conniving with Admarc officials to smuggle the maize out of Admarc depots. We will deal with them," said Mhango.
Deputy minister of Education Vincent Ghambi described those who smuggle the maize as evil as they are forcing Admarc depots run out of grain as soon as it arrives forcing poor ordinary Malawians go without food as they cannot afford the K9000 per 50kg bag from vendors whereas Admarc sells at K5500 per 50kg bag.
He said local leaders should ensure Admarc officials are not selling maize at night. As the two cabinet ministers were telling people this, police in Ncheu were questioning a Democratic Progressive Party member of parliament for Ntcheu West Mwayi Kamuyambeni on the very same issue.
He is said to have obtained 50 bags of maize out of the 100 he had asked for allegedly to donate to hunger stricken people in his constituency.
The MP was questioned for four hours before the police gave him bail.
Ntcheu district commissioner Harry Phiri denied he had given the legislator a go ahead to take the maize, saying he had advised him to seek permission from Admarc management.
The police have since recovered all the bags of maize.
Marching protestors heading to coal mine- Photo by Tiwonge Kumwenda, Nyasa Times[/caption]
However, despite all the bells and whistles that accompanied the signing of the agreement, it still looked to me like a host of complexities covered up in a few niceties. Stay with me, I will explain why.
At first glance one would immediately think, of course, why did we not think of this earlier. These people are geniuses. This is it, a panacea to our endless energy woes. Imagine, no more blackout nightmares, no more inadequate energy generation that negatively impacts on direct foreign investment, on top of that, Malawi's dream of predominantly becoming a production based economy would no longer be a far fetched reality. Exciting news indeed, isn't it?
Hold on a second, we are talking about burning coal right? Have we considered all the long-term effects of burning coal on the people living in the area earmarked for the plant? What about the surrounding environment? Have we considered the air, rivers and ground water? Where would villagers collect portable water from, if these sources get contaminated? Is this really worth it?
In medicine, a patient is recommended to take prescribed medication if its therapeutic effect outweighs the adverse effects. My point is, does the benefit of burning coal in Kam'mwamba outweighs its negative effects on the inhabitants and their surrounding environment? Mwatisitikuwombela Mfit iMmanja pamanepa?Are we not celebrating an investment in a future public health disaster?
This comes on the heels of renewed calls for countries notorious for greenhouse gas emissions, such as China and the United States of America to systematically reduce their emissions.
United States is working at investing into alternative renewable energy initiatives and shutting down most of its coal power plants. China has committed to follow suit. In fact, just recently, China signed a climate-change agreement with the United States.
According to the agreement, the two countries, who are also the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters promised to cap carbon pollution in 15 to 20 years. What this means is that China agreed to halt the growth of its carbon emissions by around 2030. If it meets that commitment, the country’s CO2 pollution will probably plateau at around 
Bruno Banda, Diocesan Secretary for Mangochi[/caption]
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Bishop Stima[/caption]
Stima was speaking on Saturday when the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace briefed him on the activities under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) environmental management project being carried out in Mangochi.
“The timely grant was made to fill the gap created in trying to respond to a global problem of climate change which has grave implications on our environmental, social, economic, and political status,” Stima said.
Stima observed that environmental problems which manifest through sedimentation and severe erosion in Shire River Basin and its catchment area is a phenomenon which affects the performance of electricity generation.
“You'll agree with me that unsustainable agricultural practices and land management activities are some of the factors that are resulting in Malawi currently grappling with intermittent power supply.
“Economically, this is the critical time when we need energy for our economy to thrive to run the industries when there are overt signs of donor fatigue, national budget implemented with no or minimal external financial support due to the infamous cash gate among other reasons,” he added.
He noted:“Inflation rate is skyrocketing hence prices of goods and services are increasingly going up.”
The prelate pointed out that deforestation for agricultural purposes remains the biggest cause of global warming which affects the availability of essential resources such as drinking water, energy and agricultural production.
“It is disheartening that wanton cutting down of trees has left our once beautiful Malawi bare and polluted. Were in January 2016, yet some parts of the country farmers have not yet planted their crops due to the dry spell influenced by El Nino,” Stima emphasised.
Stima lamented that most Malawian farmers whose livelihoods depend on natural reserves and eco-systematic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry have no alternative financial activities and resources to adapt to climate change.
He, therefore, echoed the Holy Fathers call that human beings were being called to be instruments of God by making the Earth what the creator intended it to be and correspond with God's plan for peace.
The head of the Catholic Church in Mangochi also appealed to beneficiary communities in the area of T/As Chowe to own and sustainably utilise the environment, noting: ultimately the initiative benefits a larger community and making the earth a better place to live in.
On this note, Stima assured that the resources provided by MCA for the project would be utilised for the intended purpose following stringent principles of transparency and accountability.
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) Mangochi Diocesan Secretary, Bruno Banda said the commission received K190 million alongside other non-governmental organisations to implement an environmental and natural resources management, social and gender enhancement project.
According to Banda, CCJP which was mandated to carry out its activities in T/A Chowe's area has already trained communities in joint family budgeting, lobbied with men and local leaders to involve women in decision making processes, besides establishing village natural resource management committees.
“The next thing on the agenda is distribution of livestock and establishment of adult literacy classes to empower participating communities with information to better manage the environment,” said Banda.
The three year project spans from August 2015 to July 2018.--Mana
Chihana's abandoned grave in Mzuzu[/caption]
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Chaponda and Chinese Ambasssador having a feel of the water[/caption]
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Nankhumwa receiving the iron sheets[/caption]
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