NATIONAL NEWS | Zodiak Malawi OnlineZodiak Broadcasting Station. Zikachitika Mumvera kwa Ife. We are here to provide you with Breaking news, sport, TV and radio. To Educate, Inform and to Entertain you wherever you are.https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw-22024-03-29T11:13:16+00:00Joomla! - Open Source Content ManagementHigh Court Orders Seizure of APM & Muhara’s Property2021-05-04T07:22:37+00:002021-05-04T07:22:37+00:00https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw/national-news/65-news-in-central-region/3394-high-court-orders-seizure-of-apm-muhara-s-propertyAndrew Vianonyavatar10@gmail.com<div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/54a4c4891173f445cf92599aaa0cd8f6_XL.jpg" alt="High Court Orders Seizure of APM & Muhara’s Property" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>The court order which has been issued by Justice Kenyatta Nyirenda dated May 4, 2021, through Lilongwe High Court Registry shows that the two only managed to pay K47 million, and now face sheriffs for the remaining 22 million kwacha.</strong></p>
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<p>Former President Peter Mutharika and former Chief Secretary to President Lloyd Muhara were on March 12, 2021, ordered to pay K69.5 million in legal fees to lawyers representing Malawi Law Society, Human Rights Defenders Coalition, and Association of Magistrates in Malawi.</p>
<p>The three appellants sought a judicial review on the decision by Mutharika through Muhara to send Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda and Justice of Appeal Edward Twea on leave pending retirement ahead of the court-sanctioned fresh presidential election on June 23, 2020.<br /> <br />Lawyer for HRDC, Khumbo Soko says the order has since come into effect from Tuesday.</p>
<p>“We have reached this far because the two failed to meet the costs ordered by the court. The order is with immediate effect,” said Soko.</p>
<p>On June 12, 2020, Muhara issued a public notice that Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda and Twea should proceed on leave to clear their days pending retirement, a development that angered HRDC, Association of Magistrates in Malawi, and lawyers who later held demonstrations protesting the decision as an infringement of the doctrine of separation of powers.</p></div><div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/54a4c4891173f445cf92599aaa0cd8f6_XL.jpg" alt="High Court Orders Seizure of APM & Muhara’s Property" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>The court order which has been issued by Justice Kenyatta Nyirenda dated May 4, 2021, through Lilongwe High Court Registry shows that the two only managed to pay K47 million, and now face sheriffs for the remaining 22 million kwacha.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p>Former President Peter Mutharika and former Chief Secretary to President Lloyd Muhara were on March 12, 2021, ordered to pay K69.5 million in legal fees to lawyers representing Malawi Law Society, Human Rights Defenders Coalition, and Association of Magistrates in Malawi.</p>
<p>The three appellants sought a judicial review on the decision by Mutharika through Muhara to send Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda and Justice of Appeal Edward Twea on leave pending retirement ahead of the court-sanctioned fresh presidential election on June 23, 2020.<br /> <br />Lawyer for HRDC, Khumbo Soko says the order has since come into effect from Tuesday.</p>
<p>“We have reached this far because the two failed to meet the costs ordered by the court. The order is with immediate effect,” said Soko.</p>
<p>On June 12, 2020, Muhara issued a public notice that Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda and Twea should proceed on leave to clear their days pending retirement, a development that angered HRDC, Association of Magistrates in Malawi, and lawyers who later held demonstrations protesting the decision as an infringement of the doctrine of separation of powers.</p></div>Agricultural Authorities Warns Public On Tomatoes With Whitish Residues On The Skin2021-05-04T05:02:32+00:002021-05-04T05:02:32+00:00https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw/national-news/64-news-in-northern-region/3389-agricultural-authorities-warns-public-on-tomatoes-with-whitish-residues-on-the-skinVanani Nyirendanyavatar10@gmail.com<div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/adf5b970a3b6026811f0220b557cfbc6_XL.jpg" alt="Tomatoes sprayed with pesticides" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>The Mzimba Agriculture office together with Mzuzu ADD communications department and the pesticides control board have embarked on an awareness campaign to sensitize farmers ,sellers and consumers on the use of tomatoes applied with chemicals alleged to be harmful.</strong></p>
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<div dir="auto">Mzimba South Agriculture Office crops officer Baird Nyondo said they have also asked their extension workers to sensitize farmers on the use of the chemicals which vendors are using to prolong the shelf life of tomatoes.</div>
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<div dir="auto">This follows concerns some people have been raising to the office and on social media feeds on whitish residues found on the surfaces of tomatoes being sold in most trading centers.</div>
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<div dir="auto">Nyondo said as an office they are aware that some vendors selling tomatoes are applying chemicals on the tomatoes to prolong the shelf life while selling.</div>
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<div dir="auto">"As an office together with the Mzuzu ADD communication office and the Pesticide control board we have now embarked on an awareness campaign to sensitize the growers ,sellers and consumers on the health hazards associated with the act", Said Nyondo </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">He said all chemicals applied to crops require to be handled with care because some are extremely hazardous and can lead to poisoning of the body thereby leading to death especially in situations where the users are not aware of how toxic the chemicals are.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">" We have also asked our extension workers to go flat out on the ground in sensitizing the farmers on the use of the chemicals in the areas they are working",Said Nyondo </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">The office has been receiving complaints on tomatoes being sold by vendors in most trading centers as having whitish residues on the surface which have been raising fears of contamination with harmful substances </div>
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<div dir="auto">Zodiak Online understands that the chemical being used in prolonging the shelf life of the tomatoes is identified as dithane a pesticide used to control diseases in field crops.</div>
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<div dir="auto">Some consumers have also called on the Malaŵi bureau of standards to investigate the issue over worries of harmful effects on the citizenly</div>
</div></div><div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/adf5b970a3b6026811f0220b557cfbc6_XL.jpg" alt="Tomatoes sprayed with pesticides" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>The Mzimba Agriculture office together with Mzuzu ADD communications department and the pesticides control board have embarked on an awareness campaign to sensitize farmers ,sellers and consumers on the use of tomatoes applied with chemicals alleged to be harmful.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<div dir="auto">Mzimba South Agriculture Office crops officer Baird Nyondo said they have also asked their extension workers to sensitize farmers on the use of the chemicals which vendors are using to prolong the shelf life of tomatoes.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">This follows concerns some people have been raising to the office and on social media feeds on whitish residues found on the surfaces of tomatoes being sold in most trading centers.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Nyondo said as an office they are aware that some vendors selling tomatoes are applying chemicals on the tomatoes to prolong the shelf life while selling.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto">"As an office together with the Mzuzu ADD communication office and the Pesticide control board we have now embarked on an awareness campaign to sensitize the growers ,sellers and consumers on the health hazards associated with the act", Said Nyondo </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">He said all chemicals applied to crops require to be handled with care because some are extremely hazardous and can lead to poisoning of the body thereby leading to death especially in situations where the users are not aware of how toxic the chemicals are.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">" We have also asked our extension workers to go flat out on the ground in sensitizing the farmers on the use of the chemicals in the areas they are working",Said Nyondo </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">The office has been receiving complaints on tomatoes being sold by vendors in most trading centers as having whitish residues on the surface which have been raising fears of contamination with harmful substances </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Zodiak Online understands that the chemical being used in prolonging the shelf life of the tomatoes is identified as dithane a pesticide used to control diseases in field crops.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Some consumers have also called on the Malaŵi bureau of standards to investigate the issue over worries of harmful effects on the citizenly</div>
</div></div>Farmers Need To Be Aggressive To Find Markets - Inna View Farms2021-05-04T04:43:03+00:002021-05-04T04:43:03+00:00https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw/national-news/64-news-in-northern-region/3388-farmers-need-to-be-aggressive-to-find-markets-inna-view-farmsVanani Nyirendanyavatar10@gmail.com<div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/e0fb5ec07d7847cd287eb03b12387f0a_XL.jpg" alt="Chifundo Mhura "Farmers need to be aggressive when seeking for markets"" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>While some farmers across the country are grappling with the problem of markets for there produce, Inna's View Farms in Mzimba is singing a different song.</strong></p>
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<div dir="auto">Inna's View Farms located at Luviri just a few kilometers from the M1 road has secured markets both internally and outside the country for its soya bean multiplication venture.</div>
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<div dir="auto">Its director, Chifundo Mhura says, there is always a market for agricultural produce like Soya, but all it needs is aggressiveness in scouting for prevailing markets while offering a steady supply of produce.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">"We at Inna's View farms, appreciate the struggles in finding markets but we have been aggressive enough to find markets for our soya bean in the country and outside the country", says Mhura </div>
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<div dir="auto">The farms have negotiated a contract to supply soya beans to an industrial cooking oil company - Soyola who will require 1000 metric tons of Soya per month with potential to increase supply to 5000 metric tons </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">" So as you can see there are markets for agriculture produce out there. All that is needed is aggressiveness by farmers who want to sell their produce ",Said Mhura.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Inna's View Farms have created employment for a lot of people around Luviri where their farms are located and also offer some interventions aimed at improving the livelihoods of their immediate communities </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">They believe in ploughing back to the people to appreciate their support.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">" We have offered bursaries to over ten students in secondary school, we also promote nutrition interventions, we have also constructed some bridges to ease mobility challenges people were facing in the area", said Mhura </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">The farms are also offering medical aid program that funds the medical needs of employees and their children </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Currently, the farm has over 117.5 hectares of land and expects to expand this to one thousand hectares come the next growing season</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">The investments in seed multiplication by Inna's View farms has also caught the interest of the Mmbelwa district council with officials saying they are complimenting governments efforts in creating employment for the people</div>
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<div dir="auto">Mmbelwa district council human resource and development officer Vistone Mulungu however says there is need to invest more in value addition a thing which can create more job opportunities</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">"We appreciate the investment, we appreciate the jobs they have created for our people around this area but what I have told them is that they must ensure that they add value to their produce right in this area, this will not only improve their earnings but it will also create more job opportunities", Said Mulungu.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Mulungu noted that a lot of big farmers do not venture into value addition a thing which is a minus to job creation.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Traditional Authority Mzilakoma of Nkhata bay who also appreciated what Inna's View Farms is doing would like the investment to be replicated in his area.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">" After seeing what Inna views farms has done here and what it means to the people I have also given them land in my area where I want my subjects to have similar opportunities </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">What they are doing here is quiet commendable as it is improving the livelihoods of the people",Said Traditional Authority Mzilakoma.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Inna's Views Farms are a Malawian owned farming business currently owning 117.5 hectares in Mzimba and has 155 permanent employees </div></div><div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/e0fb5ec07d7847cd287eb03b12387f0a_XL.jpg" alt="Chifundo Mhura "Farmers need to be aggressive when seeking for markets"" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>While some farmers across the country are grappling with the problem of markets for there produce, Inna's View Farms in Mzimba is singing a different song.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Inna's View Farms located at Luviri just a few kilometers from the M1 road has secured markets both internally and outside the country for its soya bean multiplication venture.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Its director, Chifundo Mhura says, there is always a market for agricultural produce like Soya, but all it needs is aggressiveness in scouting for prevailing markets while offering a steady supply of produce.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">"We at Inna's View farms, appreciate the struggles in finding markets but we have been aggressive enough to find markets for our soya bean in the country and outside the country", says Mhura </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">The farms have negotiated a contract to supply soya beans to an industrial cooking oil company - Soyola who will require 1000 metric tons of Soya per month with potential to increase supply to 5000 metric tons </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">" So as you can see there are markets for agriculture produce out there. All that is needed is aggressiveness by farmers who want to sell their produce ",Said Mhura.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Inna's View Farms have created employment for a lot of people around Luviri where their farms are located and also offer some interventions aimed at improving the livelihoods of their immediate communities </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">They believe in ploughing back to the people to appreciate their support.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">" We have offered bursaries to over ten students in secondary school, we also promote nutrition interventions, we have also constructed some bridges to ease mobility challenges people were facing in the area", said Mhura </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">The farms are also offering medical aid program that funds the medical needs of employees and their children </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Currently, the farm has over 117.5 hectares of land and expects to expand this to one thousand hectares come the next growing season</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">The investments in seed multiplication by Inna's View farms has also caught the interest of the Mmbelwa district council with officials saying they are complimenting governments efforts in creating employment for the people</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Mmbelwa district council human resource and development officer Vistone Mulungu however says there is need to invest more in value addition a thing which can create more job opportunities</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">"We appreciate the investment, we appreciate the jobs they have created for our people around this area but what I have told them is that they must ensure that they add value to their produce right in this area, this will not only improve their earnings but it will also create more job opportunities", Said Mulungu.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Mulungu noted that a lot of big farmers do not venture into value addition a thing which is a minus to job creation.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Traditional Authority Mzilakoma of Nkhata bay who also appreciated what Inna's View Farms is doing would like the investment to be replicated in his area.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">" After seeing what Inna views farms has done here and what it means to the people I have also given them land in my area where I want my subjects to have similar opportunities </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">What they are doing here is quiet commendable as it is improving the livelihoods of the people",Said Traditional Authority Mzilakoma.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Inna's Views Farms are a Malawian owned farming business currently owning 117.5 hectares in Mzimba and has 155 permanent employees </div></div>Journalists Marching For Free Press In Blantyre2021-05-03T08:06:46+00:002021-05-03T08:06:46+00:00https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw/national-news/64-news-in-northern-region/3387-journalists-marching-for-free-press-in-blantyreSteve Zimbanyavatar10@gmail.com<div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>As Malawi joins the international community marking the 30th Anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration and 2021 World Press Freedom Day, today, twenty journalists have been physically assaulted, threatened, subjectively arrested and questioned in the line of duty since January, 2020 in the country.</strong></p>
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<p>A media consultant, Horace Nyaka has asked President Lazarus Chakwera to talk to the Inspector General of Malawi Police Service whose organization has negative perception towards the media in the country.</p>
<p>``There have been unexplained arrests and detentions of journalists in the country which. These are being labeled “questioning”. We are wondering about these acts. The President should immediately intervene, before Area 30 starts sending reporters to their cells”, cautions Nyaka.</p>
<p>He adds, although the Tonse alliance led Administration has been promising to protect rights of journalists but things are contrary on the ground.</p>
<p>National Police Spokesperson, James Kadadzera has acknowledged the problem with some officers but promises of cordial relationship with the media.</p>
<p>Says Kadadzera, `` there are selected few law enforcers who do not understand the role of the media, and that Area 30 is doing everything possible to clear this”.</p>
<p>This morning, media practitioners in Malawi are this morning holding a freedom match in Blantyre and later in the evening will dine and wine while deserving Journalists for the year 2021 will be awarded for their excellence.</p>
<p>MISA Malawi, Chairperson Tereza Ndanga has told Zodiak online that this year’s World Press Freedom Day year’s celebrations are unique, as it has coincided with 30th Anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration.</p>
<p>``Some 30 years ago, it was agreed that 3 May, every year, it should be set aside for "free press" in the world”, explained Ndanga.</p>
<p>This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme “Information as a Public Good” serves as a call to affirm the importance of cherishing information as a public good, and exploring what can be done in the production, distribution and reception of content to strengthen journalism, and to advance transparency and empowerment while leaving no one behind.</p></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>As Malawi joins the international community marking the 30th Anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration and 2021 World Press Freedom Day, today, twenty journalists have been physically assaulted, threatened, subjectively arrested and questioned in the line of duty since January, 2020 in the country.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p>A media consultant, Horace Nyaka has asked President Lazarus Chakwera to talk to the Inspector General of Malawi Police Service whose organization has negative perception towards the media in the country.</p>
<p>``There have been unexplained arrests and detentions of journalists in the country which. These are being labeled “questioning”. We are wondering about these acts. The President should immediately intervene, before Area 30 starts sending reporters to their cells”, cautions Nyaka.</p>
<p>He adds, although the Tonse alliance led Administration has been promising to protect rights of journalists but things are contrary on the ground.</p>
<p>National Police Spokesperson, James Kadadzera has acknowledged the problem with some officers but promises of cordial relationship with the media.</p>
<p>Says Kadadzera, `` there are selected few law enforcers who do not understand the role of the media, and that Area 30 is doing everything possible to clear this”.</p>
<p>This morning, media practitioners in Malawi are this morning holding a freedom match in Blantyre and later in the evening will dine and wine while deserving Journalists for the year 2021 will be awarded for their excellence.</p>
<p>MISA Malawi, Chairperson Tereza Ndanga has told Zodiak online that this year’s World Press Freedom Day year’s celebrations are unique, as it has coincided with 30th Anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration.</p>
<p>``Some 30 years ago, it was agreed that 3 May, every year, it should be set aside for "free press" in the world”, explained Ndanga.</p>
<p>This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme “Information as a Public Good” serves as a call to affirm the importance of cherishing information as a public good, and exploring what can be done in the production, distribution and reception of content to strengthen journalism, and to advance transparency and empowerment while leaving no one behind.</p></div>Chizuma’s Confirmation as ACB Boss on May 112021-05-02T08:13:48+00:002021-05-02T08:13:48+00:00https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw/national-news/65-news-in-central-region/3390-chizuma-s-confirmation-as-acb-boss-on-may-11Andrew Vianonyavatar10@gmail.com<div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/f1a52b1b3474330a463b5b3e09ccac84_XL.jpg" alt="Chizuma, to be confirmed as ACB's Director General" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>Early this week, Secretary for Justice and Solicitor General Reyneck Matemba told the nation about Martha Chizuma’s appointment as Anti-Corruption Bureau ACB’s Director-General.</strong></p>
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<p>Her appointment is now subject to confirmation by Parliament through Public Appointments Committee.</p>
<p>Chairperson of the Committee Joyce Chitsulo has told us that the exercise will take place on May 11.</p>
<p>Chitsulo says the committee will among others use the performance of Chizuma as Ombudsman as one of the benchmarks in assessment before her confirmation.</p>
<p>“We will look at how she performed her duties as Ombudsman and relate if that shows her capability to take up the topmost job at ACB. The outcome will be made on the very same day but we will write the appointing authority” said Chitsulo.</p>
<p>Chizuma, 42, while serving as Ombudsman conducted investigations into abuses of public offices.</p>
<p>She ordered senior technocrats at the Office of President and Cabinet, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Agriculture to issue a public apology for their handling of a $50 million loan from an Indian bank to procure tractors for rural farmers.</p>
<p>Chizuma also investigated how State machinery abused Covid-19 funds and unprocedural recruitments of top executives in various State agencies, including the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority MERA</p>
<p>If confirmed by PAC, she will be the first woman to head the graft busting body.</p></div><div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/f1a52b1b3474330a463b5b3e09ccac84_XL.jpg" alt="Chizuma, to be confirmed as ACB's Director General" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>Early this week, Secretary for Justice and Solicitor General Reyneck Matemba told the nation about Martha Chizuma’s appointment as Anti-Corruption Bureau ACB’s Director-General.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p>Her appointment is now subject to confirmation by Parliament through Public Appointments Committee.</p>
<p>Chairperson of the Committee Joyce Chitsulo has told us that the exercise will take place on May 11.</p>
<p>Chitsulo says the committee will among others use the performance of Chizuma as Ombudsman as one of the benchmarks in assessment before her confirmation.</p>
<p>“We will look at how she performed her duties as Ombudsman and relate if that shows her capability to take up the topmost job at ACB. The outcome will be made on the very same day but we will write the appointing authority” said Chitsulo.</p>
<p>Chizuma, 42, while serving as Ombudsman conducted investigations into abuses of public offices.</p>
<p>She ordered senior technocrats at the Office of President and Cabinet, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Agriculture to issue a public apology for their handling of a $50 million loan from an Indian bank to procure tractors for rural farmers.</p>
<p>Chizuma also investigated how State machinery abused Covid-19 funds and unprocedural recruitments of top executives in various State agencies, including the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority MERA</p>
<p>If confirmed by PAC, she will be the first woman to head the graft busting body.</p></div>Malawi Police Taken To Task On UN Mission Candidates2021-05-02T07:32:52+00:002021-05-02T07:32:52+00:00https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw/national-news/64-news-in-northern-region/3386-malawi-police-taken-to-task-on-un-mission-candidatesSteve Zimbanyavatar10@gmail.com<div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>A leaked Malawi Police Service wireless message for officers earmarked to go for various peace keeping missions under the United Nations- UN, is alleged to comprise names of officers who failed the first set of the interviews while one has criminal record and is on interdiction.</strong></p>
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<p>Sources within the service, who are suspecting foul play in the selection process, say they would like to see intervention of the Inspector General of Police, who should rectify all anomalies before UN officials jet in.</p>
<p>``In 2017, it was communicated that eighty police officers who were on a waiting list to go for the “Peace” keeping mission would be prioritized in the next trip. But when the list of new cohort that sat for the interviews in 2020 was released, on 27 April, 2021, it was discovered that their names are missing”, says the source.</p>
<p>It is alleged that some officers who are waiting for final vetting did not participate in the first round of the interviews, some have joined the judiciary as magistrates, and others failed the interviews. There is also a case of interdicted officers and some with criminal records.</p>
<p>National Police Spokesperson James Kadadzera was noncommittal when asked about the issue and asked the disgruntled officers to follow right channels if they have concerns.</p>
<p>Warned Kadadzera, ``anyone found to have leaked the wireless message will be disciplined once found”.</p>
<p>Sources within the service who are suspecting foul play feel the Inspector General of police is not aware of these developments since no one from his office is on the list.</p>
<p>The United Nations is expected to do final vetting of 200 Malawi Police Officers in Limbe starting from 10th to 14th May, 2021.</p></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>A leaked Malawi Police Service wireless message for officers earmarked to go for various peace keeping missions under the United Nations- UN, is alleged to comprise names of officers who failed the first set of the interviews while one has criminal record and is on interdiction.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p>Sources within the service, who are suspecting foul play in the selection process, say they would like to see intervention of the Inspector General of Police, who should rectify all anomalies before UN officials jet in.</p>
<p>``In 2017, it was communicated that eighty police officers who were on a waiting list to go for the “Peace” keeping mission would be prioritized in the next trip. But when the list of new cohort that sat for the interviews in 2020 was released, on 27 April, 2021, it was discovered that their names are missing”, says the source.</p>
<p>It is alleged that some officers who are waiting for final vetting did not participate in the first round of the interviews, some have joined the judiciary as magistrates, and others failed the interviews. There is also a case of interdicted officers and some with criminal records.</p>
<p>National Police Spokesperson James Kadadzera was noncommittal when asked about the issue and asked the disgruntled officers to follow right channels if they have concerns.</p>
<p>Warned Kadadzera, ``anyone found to have leaked the wireless message will be disciplined once found”.</p>
<p>Sources within the service who are suspecting foul play feel the Inspector General of police is not aware of these developments since no one from his office is on the list.</p>
<p>The United Nations is expected to do final vetting of 200 Malawi Police Officers in Limbe starting from 10th to 14th May, 2021.</p></div>SPECIAL REPORT: The Dilemma In Childbearing; Bwaila Hospital Interns Left To Handle Complicated Cases2021-05-01T05:00:57+00:002021-05-01T05:00:57+00:00https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw/national-news/65-news-in-central-region/3385-special-report-the-dilemma-in-childbearing-bwaila-hospital-interns-left-to-handle-complicated-casesGrace Khombenyavatar10@gmail.com<div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/81eb83d89e373bc15a1f303b66ecf6f0_XL.jpg" alt="SPECIAL REPORT: The Dilemma In Childbearing; Bwaila Hospital Interns Left To Handle Complicated Cases" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>In this special assignment, Grace Khombe is at Bwaila hospital in the capital city Lilongwe (Malawi) exposing weaknesses in the health system as inexperienced health professionals are reportedly entrusted to handle complicated cases especially in the maternity ward resulting in pregnant women dying in labour ward, some having to develop physical disabilities as a result of negligent maternal care.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p>As we hear in this investigative piece officials at Bwaila hospital have acknowledged that they are being overwhelmed with numbers of pregnant women seeking maternal health care at the facility and are responsible for some of the maternal complications and plead for forgiveness.</p>
<p>However, the health personnel who reported to have caused maternal deaths and other indelible maternal disabilities are walking scot-free and probably, continuing to cause more harm since the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi has not yet received any complaint of this nature.</p>
<p>Bwaila hospital which was meant to serve two hundred thousand people within Lilongwe City now a referral facility for other 11 health centers.</p>
<p>The facility has only one operating table for caesarian sections.</p>
<p>On November 25, last year, a woman aged 38 died in labor at Bwaila Maternity in Lilongwe.</p>
<p>She died together with her unborn baby leaving behind a shattered and devastated husband and prospective father; Joseph Chijaza.</p>
<p>Chijaza is baffled that despite communicating that Liziness could not deliver normally due to the size of the baby inside, the expectant mother could not access a caesarian section on time.</p>
<p>“All I wanted was to know what went wrong with my wife who stayed close to a month in the hospital. Why did they fail to save my wife and the baby? An apology was nothing to me and it is nothing to me. Is this what government has instructed them to do? Why did the hospital allow inexperienced nurses to handle such a complicated matter? I want answers!” screamed Chijaza.</p>
<p>Hospital authorities eyed November 29, 2020, as the day Liziness would deliver.</p>
<p>However, early afternoon on November 25th, 2020, labor contractions climaxed and Liziness forced it the natural way. Liziness and her unborn baby came out of the labor ward lifeless.</p>
<p>One of the guardians Nolia Gelesoni had this to say, “this nursing student assured us that all was well and that my sister would deliver normally. She left my sister alone although she was complaining of severe labour pains. Then a male nurse came and told us there was a complication. But he offered no solution. I was afraid. I called in my elder sister and other women as this time her breath was short”.</p>
<p>And Chrissie Laniwelo, another guardian, echoes that, “I realized that my sister was dying. I called the nurses for help but they insisted she would deliver normally. I called them more than five times pleading. But all we got were insults until my sister stopped breathing. She was dead. I pleaded with them to operate and save the baby who was still kicking. They refused”.</p>
<p>The two guardians hold the view that the nurse who handled Liziness was inexperienced going by how she reacted to the situation on a fateful day.</p>
<p>Gereson and Laniwelo say after the incident, they could neither be handed a postmortem report nor handed back the health passport for Liziness which contains information on all her health.</p>
<p>Three weeks later, of course, the health passport was released to the husband; Chijaza.</p>
<p>Lilongwe District Health Office spokesperson, Richard Mvula, acknowledges there was staff negligence during monitoring which led to the loss of life of an expectant mother and her unborn baby.</p>
<p>“That was indeed our fault, our nurses on duties delayed to monitor this woman and this worsened the situation. When we investigated the issue we found that our staff lacked some skills as far as maternal issues are concerned. We are apologizing to Mr. Chijaza, we failed to monitor the woman who was in our custody”, explains Mvula</p>
<p>A year earlier in August 2019, a 21-year-old expectant mother got maimed at the same facility.</p>
<p>Ruth Chamangamsasa could not slip into labor when her time was due. It had to be induced instead.</p>
<p>A nursing student had to induce labor intravenously. She did but something went wrong.</p>
<p>Since August 19, 2019, Chamangamsasa lost the use of her right arm. Ruth tells us that within 6 hours from 10 am that day, this nurse gave her 10 injections and five drips of the medication intravenously.</p>
<p>A woman who was in labor pain anticipating the birth of her child, suddenly found herself nursing hot blisters on her right hand whose skin was now peeled off. She was in double pain.</p>
<p>“ In the labor ward, this student nurse kept on injecting different types of drugs. I was given other medication intravenously five times. She insisted it was labor pain. But my arm began swelling. I pleaded with her to stop but to no avail. Another nurse came in only to find I was being administered the wrong drugs. She removed the gadgets and applied force labor. It was too late. My right arm was already damaged. I could not hold my baby after delivery.</p>
<p>Her situation meant that Ruth required surgery two days later at Kamuzu Central Hospital.</p>
<p>But there were attempts, by some nurses, to conceal the truth about what happened. Says mother to Ruth. She narrates her experience; “some nurses as Bwaila called me in their office. They wanted to know what I knew had happened. I told them. But they said when I go to Kamuzu Central Hospital, I should tell doctors that Ruth had this problem before she came to deliver at Bwaila. Clearly, they wanted to cover up the whole thing”.</p>
<p>The mother, in her 60s, has had to raise Ruth’s baby. Ruth has a paralyzed arm.</p>
<p>Ruth and her mother now live in a shark in Chimombo village on the edge of Ntandire township in Lilongwe. That is what they can afford since Ruth was divorced for her acquired disability.</p>
<p>Elsewhere, Cathy Somola, has a bitter experience with Bwaila Maternity Clinic.</p>
<p>On the night of September 9th last year, she had premature labor. She traveled around midnight from Lilongwe’s Area 36 to the maternity clinic only to be told the two nurses on duty could not handle her complication. She needed to return the following day to meet senior nurse-midwives.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, her situation graduated from bad to worse resulting in the loss of her baby.</p>
<p>“The two nurses on duty that night only checked my BP and told me to wait for some time. Two hours went by. Then I was told there was no doctor to attend to my problem. That I had to go back home and come back the following morning for an operation. I was in severe pain. But when I returned, no one seemed to have clue as to how to assist me. I waited six hours from 7 in the morning when a male worker took me to the scanning room. Then only to be told my baby would not survive. I had lost all umbilical fluids. There was no doctor to operate on me. We had to rush to a private clinic where I was operated on. My baby died two days later”, narrates Cathy.</p>
<p>Records show that between eight to 10 maternal deaths occur at Bwaila Maternity each year.</p>
<p>Of course, others within the facility dispute this. They believe daily mortality is higher.</p>
<p>This facility was meant to service a population of about two hundred thousand people from within Lilongwe City but the reality is that it has turned into a referral for 11 other health centers of Biwi, Kawale, Area 18, Area 25, Kang’oma, Chitedze, Nathenje, Mbavi, Nguluwentowo, St Kizito, and Chimwala.</p>
<p>The clinic conducts 60 to 70 deliveries on a daily basis. The clinic has 22 beds in the labor ward, two beds in a single room. Such a facility has four medical doctors, 22 clinicians, and 200 nurses. It appears that’s why interns come in handy to help out although they are inexperienced.</p>
<p>With only a single operating table, the facility conducts no less than 15 caesarian sections daily.</p>
<p>The spokesperson for the Lilongwe District Health office, Richard Mvula, acknowledges the challenges.</p>
<p>“Yes we are experiencing a lot of complications in the labour ward, you know sometimes what they learn in school is totally different from what they find on the ground, we only have one operating table, this is a challenge, we receive a lot of emergencies but we cannon handle them”</p>
<p>But some of the nurses we have spoken to say they are too few to handle the magnitude of work at the facility. And even more, there is no motivation for the job she describes as delicate. We concealed her identity to protect her.</p>
<p>“On average we have 60 deliveries daily. Normally, we should have 12 midwives per day but we have seven. Each admission room should have a midwife. That’s not the case. One midwife monitors two to three rooms. To make matters worse, we are not motivated to work…. Normally, there should be two doctors but there is one in the labor ward. He is also responsible for other wards. This is a big challenge. Mothers and children are indeed dying every day. We are just not able to cope. The labor ward has 150 expectant mothers daily. That against two midwives. This is a big challenge”</p>
<p>President of the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi, Shouts Simeza, blames the scenario on poor health systems that are failing to create a conducive environment for intern nurses-midwives.</p>
<p>Simeza acknowledges the need for student nurses and midwives to have hands-on experience aside from their classroom exploits but says Continuous Professional Development and intensive mentorship should be a must when deploying health personnel to work in various health facilities.</p>
<p>“This is a national problem, our health system does not promote continuous professional development for our graduating nurses and midwives to gain much-needed experience. What they get from college is theory knowledge but they are required to be under supervision for a number of months to learn how to translate the theoretical knowledge into reality”.</p>
<p>The Nurses and Midwives Council, however, says it has not registered complaints from the women</p>
<p>Our findings also show that Hospital Ombudsman offices appear to have been compromised such that complainants still opt to lodge complaints with the office of the National Ombudsman.</p>
<p>Health rights activists, Maziko Matemba and George Jobe have demanded that government should come in and address existent challenges to save the lives of mothers and unborn babies.</p>
<p>“This is pathetic, Malawi got its independence some 55 years ago, you mean until now, we should be struggling with maternal deaths? What’s wrong with our systems, why entrusting nursing students in complicated matters? This is negligence and action is needed now to discipline those responsible, an apology is nothing to the victims”.</p>
<p>Ministry of Health spokesperson Joshua Malango acknowledges that Bwaila hospital is facing serious challenges but said they will be addressed soon.</p>
<p>“Yes the ministry is aware that Bwaila hospital is facing a lot of challenges, we are aware that the facility has one operating table for caesarian sections, but as a ministry, we have contacted organizations to help us and we hope things will improve especially in the maternity ward”</p>
<p>Bwaila Maternity Clinic is located in the heart of Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city.</p>
<p>The state of affairs at this facility gives a grim picture of what could be happening in public health facilities in remote parts of the country. If nearer is dearer, we fear the worst for rural public clinics</p>
<p>“All I wanted was to know what went wrong with my wife who stayed close to a month in the hospital. Why did they fail to save my wife and the baby? An apology was nothing to me and it is nothing to me. Is this what government has instructed them to do? Why did the hospital allow inexperienced nurses to handle such a complicated matter? I want answers!” Chijaza demands.</p></div><div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/81eb83d89e373bc15a1f303b66ecf6f0_XL.jpg" alt="SPECIAL REPORT: The Dilemma In Childbearing; Bwaila Hospital Interns Left To Handle Complicated Cases" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>In this special assignment, Grace Khombe is at Bwaila hospital in the capital city Lilongwe (Malawi) exposing weaknesses in the health system as inexperienced health professionals are reportedly entrusted to handle complicated cases especially in the maternity ward resulting in pregnant women dying in labour ward, some having to develop physical disabilities as a result of negligent maternal care.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p>As we hear in this investigative piece officials at Bwaila hospital have acknowledged that they are being overwhelmed with numbers of pregnant women seeking maternal health care at the facility and are responsible for some of the maternal complications and plead for forgiveness.</p>
<p>However, the health personnel who reported to have caused maternal deaths and other indelible maternal disabilities are walking scot-free and probably, continuing to cause more harm since the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi has not yet received any complaint of this nature.</p>
<p>Bwaila hospital which was meant to serve two hundred thousand people within Lilongwe City now a referral facility for other 11 health centers.</p>
<p>The facility has only one operating table for caesarian sections.</p>
<p>On November 25, last year, a woman aged 38 died in labor at Bwaila Maternity in Lilongwe.</p>
<p>She died together with her unborn baby leaving behind a shattered and devastated husband and prospective father; Joseph Chijaza.</p>
<p>Chijaza is baffled that despite communicating that Liziness could not deliver normally due to the size of the baby inside, the expectant mother could not access a caesarian section on time.</p>
<p>“All I wanted was to know what went wrong with my wife who stayed close to a month in the hospital. Why did they fail to save my wife and the baby? An apology was nothing to me and it is nothing to me. Is this what government has instructed them to do? Why did the hospital allow inexperienced nurses to handle such a complicated matter? I want answers!” screamed Chijaza.</p>
<p>Hospital authorities eyed November 29, 2020, as the day Liziness would deliver.</p>
<p>However, early afternoon on November 25th, 2020, labor contractions climaxed and Liziness forced it the natural way. Liziness and her unborn baby came out of the labor ward lifeless.</p>
<p>One of the guardians Nolia Gelesoni had this to say, “this nursing student assured us that all was well and that my sister would deliver normally. She left my sister alone although she was complaining of severe labour pains. Then a male nurse came and told us there was a complication. But he offered no solution. I was afraid. I called in my elder sister and other women as this time her breath was short”.</p>
<p>And Chrissie Laniwelo, another guardian, echoes that, “I realized that my sister was dying. I called the nurses for help but they insisted she would deliver normally. I called them more than five times pleading. But all we got were insults until my sister stopped breathing. She was dead. I pleaded with them to operate and save the baby who was still kicking. They refused”.</p>
<p>The two guardians hold the view that the nurse who handled Liziness was inexperienced going by how she reacted to the situation on a fateful day.</p>
<p>Gereson and Laniwelo say after the incident, they could neither be handed a postmortem report nor handed back the health passport for Liziness which contains information on all her health.</p>
<p>Three weeks later, of course, the health passport was released to the husband; Chijaza.</p>
<p>Lilongwe District Health Office spokesperson, Richard Mvula, acknowledges there was staff negligence during monitoring which led to the loss of life of an expectant mother and her unborn baby.</p>
<p>“That was indeed our fault, our nurses on duties delayed to monitor this woman and this worsened the situation. When we investigated the issue we found that our staff lacked some skills as far as maternal issues are concerned. We are apologizing to Mr. Chijaza, we failed to monitor the woman who was in our custody”, explains Mvula</p>
<p>A year earlier in August 2019, a 21-year-old expectant mother got maimed at the same facility.</p>
<p>Ruth Chamangamsasa could not slip into labor when her time was due. It had to be induced instead.</p>
<p>A nursing student had to induce labor intravenously. She did but something went wrong.</p>
<p>Since August 19, 2019, Chamangamsasa lost the use of her right arm. Ruth tells us that within 6 hours from 10 am that day, this nurse gave her 10 injections and five drips of the medication intravenously.</p>
<p>A woman who was in labor pain anticipating the birth of her child, suddenly found herself nursing hot blisters on her right hand whose skin was now peeled off. She was in double pain.</p>
<p>“ In the labor ward, this student nurse kept on injecting different types of drugs. I was given other medication intravenously five times. She insisted it was labor pain. But my arm began swelling. I pleaded with her to stop but to no avail. Another nurse came in only to find I was being administered the wrong drugs. She removed the gadgets and applied force labor. It was too late. My right arm was already damaged. I could not hold my baby after delivery.</p>
<p>Her situation meant that Ruth required surgery two days later at Kamuzu Central Hospital.</p>
<p>But there were attempts, by some nurses, to conceal the truth about what happened. Says mother to Ruth. She narrates her experience; “some nurses as Bwaila called me in their office. They wanted to know what I knew had happened. I told them. But they said when I go to Kamuzu Central Hospital, I should tell doctors that Ruth had this problem before she came to deliver at Bwaila. Clearly, they wanted to cover up the whole thing”.</p>
<p>The mother, in her 60s, has had to raise Ruth’s baby. Ruth has a paralyzed arm.</p>
<p>Ruth and her mother now live in a shark in Chimombo village on the edge of Ntandire township in Lilongwe. That is what they can afford since Ruth was divorced for her acquired disability.</p>
<p>Elsewhere, Cathy Somola, has a bitter experience with Bwaila Maternity Clinic.</p>
<p>On the night of September 9th last year, she had premature labor. She traveled around midnight from Lilongwe’s Area 36 to the maternity clinic only to be told the two nurses on duty could not handle her complication. She needed to return the following day to meet senior nurse-midwives.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, her situation graduated from bad to worse resulting in the loss of her baby.</p>
<p>“The two nurses on duty that night only checked my BP and told me to wait for some time. Two hours went by. Then I was told there was no doctor to attend to my problem. That I had to go back home and come back the following morning for an operation. I was in severe pain. But when I returned, no one seemed to have clue as to how to assist me. I waited six hours from 7 in the morning when a male worker took me to the scanning room. Then only to be told my baby would not survive. I had lost all umbilical fluids. There was no doctor to operate on me. We had to rush to a private clinic where I was operated on. My baby died two days later”, narrates Cathy.</p>
<p>Records show that between eight to 10 maternal deaths occur at Bwaila Maternity each year.</p>
<p>Of course, others within the facility dispute this. They believe daily mortality is higher.</p>
<p>This facility was meant to service a population of about two hundred thousand people from within Lilongwe City but the reality is that it has turned into a referral for 11 other health centers of Biwi, Kawale, Area 18, Area 25, Kang’oma, Chitedze, Nathenje, Mbavi, Nguluwentowo, St Kizito, and Chimwala.</p>
<p>The clinic conducts 60 to 70 deliveries on a daily basis. The clinic has 22 beds in the labor ward, two beds in a single room. Such a facility has four medical doctors, 22 clinicians, and 200 nurses. It appears that’s why interns come in handy to help out although they are inexperienced.</p>
<p>With only a single operating table, the facility conducts no less than 15 caesarian sections daily.</p>
<p>The spokesperson for the Lilongwe District Health office, Richard Mvula, acknowledges the challenges.</p>
<p>“Yes we are experiencing a lot of complications in the labour ward, you know sometimes what they learn in school is totally different from what they find on the ground, we only have one operating table, this is a challenge, we receive a lot of emergencies but we cannon handle them”</p>
<p>But some of the nurses we have spoken to say they are too few to handle the magnitude of work at the facility. And even more, there is no motivation for the job she describes as delicate. We concealed her identity to protect her.</p>
<p>“On average we have 60 deliveries daily. Normally, we should have 12 midwives per day but we have seven. Each admission room should have a midwife. That’s not the case. One midwife monitors two to three rooms. To make matters worse, we are not motivated to work…. Normally, there should be two doctors but there is one in the labor ward. He is also responsible for other wards. This is a big challenge. Mothers and children are indeed dying every day. We are just not able to cope. The labor ward has 150 expectant mothers daily. That against two midwives. This is a big challenge”</p>
<p>President of the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi, Shouts Simeza, blames the scenario on poor health systems that are failing to create a conducive environment for intern nurses-midwives.</p>
<p>Simeza acknowledges the need for student nurses and midwives to have hands-on experience aside from their classroom exploits but says Continuous Professional Development and intensive mentorship should be a must when deploying health personnel to work in various health facilities.</p>
<p>“This is a national problem, our health system does not promote continuous professional development for our graduating nurses and midwives to gain much-needed experience. What they get from college is theory knowledge but they are required to be under supervision for a number of months to learn how to translate the theoretical knowledge into reality”.</p>
<p>The Nurses and Midwives Council, however, says it has not registered complaints from the women</p>
<p>Our findings also show that Hospital Ombudsman offices appear to have been compromised such that complainants still opt to lodge complaints with the office of the National Ombudsman.</p>
<p>Health rights activists, Maziko Matemba and George Jobe have demanded that government should come in and address existent challenges to save the lives of mothers and unborn babies.</p>
<p>“This is pathetic, Malawi got its independence some 55 years ago, you mean until now, we should be struggling with maternal deaths? What’s wrong with our systems, why entrusting nursing students in complicated matters? This is negligence and action is needed now to discipline those responsible, an apology is nothing to the victims”.</p>
<p>Ministry of Health spokesperson Joshua Malango acknowledges that Bwaila hospital is facing serious challenges but said they will be addressed soon.</p>
<p>“Yes the ministry is aware that Bwaila hospital is facing a lot of challenges, we are aware that the facility has one operating table for caesarian sections, but as a ministry, we have contacted organizations to help us and we hope things will improve especially in the maternity ward”</p>
<p>Bwaila Maternity Clinic is located in the heart of Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city.</p>
<p>The state of affairs at this facility gives a grim picture of what could be happening in public health facilities in remote parts of the country. If nearer is dearer, we fear the worst for rural public clinics</p>
<p>“All I wanted was to know what went wrong with my wife who stayed close to a month in the hospital. Why did they fail to save my wife and the baby? An apology was nothing to me and it is nothing to me. Is this what government has instructed them to do? Why did the hospital allow inexperienced nurses to handle such a complicated matter? I want answers!” Chijaza demands.</p></div>3 Jailed For Murder in Kasungu2021-05-01T04:46:37+00:002021-05-01T04:46:37+00:00https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw/national-news/65-news-in-central-region/3384-3-jailed-for-murder-in-kasunguNoel Mkubwinyavatar10@gmail.com<div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/b58da682376f6a93f5f57b5696e340d7_XL.jpg" alt="3 Jailed For Murder in Kasungu" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>Police in Kasungu is keeping in custody a 44-year-old woman Joice Kadzeve and her 14-year-old son for allegedly murdering the head of the family over a family dispute.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p>Kasungu Police station Assistant spokesperson Miracle Mkozi has identified the deceased as Laison Zimba.<br />The incident occurred at Mateyu Village in the area of TA Chilowamatambe in Kasungu a few days ago but the two suspects were arrested on Friday.</p>
<p>Mkozi says "on the material day Zimba went out to drink beer within the village and came back around 11:00 hours totally drunk and started insulting his wife, accusing her of having an affair with her own son."</p>
<p>The wife and the husband then started fighting while the son was watching. <br />"After seeing the situation that her mother was heavily assaulted the 14-year-old son allegedly picked a piece of wood and hit his father on the head.<br />He fell down unconscious.</p>
<p>According to police, the wife sustained facial and bodily injuries due to fighting.</p>
<p>Mr. Zimba was rushed to St Andrews Anglican Hospital for treatment where he died during the same night while receiving treatment.</p>
<p>Both suspects hail from Nkanire village, Traditional Authority Chilooko in Ntchisi District.</p></div><div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/b58da682376f6a93f5f57b5696e340d7_XL.jpg" alt="3 Jailed For Murder in Kasungu" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>Police in Kasungu is keeping in custody a 44-year-old woman Joice Kadzeve and her 14-year-old son for allegedly murdering the head of the family over a family dispute.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p>Kasungu Police station Assistant spokesperson Miracle Mkozi has identified the deceased as Laison Zimba.<br />The incident occurred at Mateyu Village in the area of TA Chilowamatambe in Kasungu a few days ago but the two suspects were arrested on Friday.</p>
<p>Mkozi says "on the material day Zimba went out to drink beer within the village and came back around 11:00 hours totally drunk and started insulting his wife, accusing her of having an affair with her own son."</p>
<p>The wife and the husband then started fighting while the son was watching. <br />"After seeing the situation that her mother was heavily assaulted the 14-year-old son allegedly picked a piece of wood and hit his father on the head.<br />He fell down unconscious.</p>
<p>According to police, the wife sustained facial and bodily injuries due to fighting.</p>
<p>Mr. Zimba was rushed to St Andrews Anglican Hospital for treatment where he died during the same night while receiving treatment.</p>
<p>Both suspects hail from Nkanire village, Traditional Authority Chilooko in Ntchisi District.</p></div>Nsanje DHO Nurses Pen Management Over Myriad Challenges 2021-04-30T15:38:54+00:002021-04-30T15:38:54+00:00https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw/national-news/66-news-in-southern-region/3383-nsanje-dho-nurses-pen-management-over-myriad-challengesAlfred Gutanyavatar10@gmail.com<div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>Nurses and Midwife Technicians (NMTs) under Nsanje District Health Office have penned management highlighting various challenges which they claim are compromising service delivery.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p>In the petition in Zodiak possession, they have decried poor diet, inadequate resting days and no prioritization in trainings and workshops among other issues which need urgent action.</p>
<p>“To begin with, as a team that provides direct care to patients, we have noted a mono-diet in hospital meals since September, 2020. We preach six food groups in the diet to the poor Malawians around Nsanje yet our own employer fails to do the same. It’s Nsima and beans daily,” reads the petition.</p>
<p>According to them, the situation forces some of their workmates to use their own money to replace the usual beans as some work without meal intake.</p>
<p>“This affects our decision making on important issues related to patients care. We have four days of rest instead of five, immediately after night shift,” they said.</p>
<p>They added: “Registered nurses and other non-technical receive great priority. Sometimes names of NMTs are intentionally erased on the training and workshop lists. We have evidence.”</p>
<p>The concerned nurses, have implored on the authorities to provide one hour thirty minutes dinner time during night shifts, adopt a five-day rest after a three-night shift or maintain a four-day night shift but per two-night shifts and address the other concerns including trainings and workshops or else they will they will resort to industrial action.</p>
<p>They have given the management a seven-day ultimatum including weekend, to act on the concerns.</p>
<p>Nsanje District Health Office Health Promotions Officer, George Mbotwa, confirmed receipt of the petition.</p>
<p>On diet, Mbotwa blamed the situation on inadequate resources.</p>
<p>“This is beyond ourselves because what we are giving to patients is basically what the health workers are benefiting from. It is not because we want them to be having beans every day; it is what we can afford right now,” explained Mbotwa.</p>
<p>Mbotwa dismissed the nurses’ claim on issues of trainings and workshops saying they come with guidelines.</p>
<p>“We do not just go to trainings; they come with their own guidelines. Sometimes they will specify the cadre that has to go to training, I do not think someone would wake up and delete someone’s name and replace it someone who is not relevant in the training,” said Mbotwa.</p>
<p>On the issue of resting, the Nsanje DHO Health Promotion Officer said they will engage authorities at national level for guidance.</p>
<p>“It is true that the nurses and midwife technicians are rested for four days instead of five days per two-night shifts as indicated.</p>
<p>“In other districts they are applying the 5-day resting arrangement however we are operating within the stipulated guidelines” he said.</p></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><strong>Nurses and Midwife Technicians (NMTs) under Nsanje District Health Office have penned management highlighting various challenges which they claim are compromising service delivery.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p>In the petition in Zodiak possession, they have decried poor diet, inadequate resting days and no prioritization in trainings and workshops among other issues which need urgent action.</p>
<p>“To begin with, as a team that provides direct care to patients, we have noted a mono-diet in hospital meals since September, 2020. We preach six food groups in the diet to the poor Malawians around Nsanje yet our own employer fails to do the same. It’s Nsima and beans daily,” reads the petition.</p>
<p>According to them, the situation forces some of their workmates to use their own money to replace the usual beans as some work without meal intake.</p>
<p>“This affects our decision making on important issues related to patients care. We have four days of rest instead of five, immediately after night shift,” they said.</p>
<p>They added: “Registered nurses and other non-technical receive great priority. Sometimes names of NMTs are intentionally erased on the training and workshop lists. We have evidence.”</p>
<p>The concerned nurses, have implored on the authorities to provide one hour thirty minutes dinner time during night shifts, adopt a five-day rest after a three-night shift or maintain a four-day night shift but per two-night shifts and address the other concerns including trainings and workshops or else they will they will resort to industrial action.</p>
<p>They have given the management a seven-day ultimatum including weekend, to act on the concerns.</p>
<p>Nsanje District Health Office Health Promotions Officer, George Mbotwa, confirmed receipt of the petition.</p>
<p>On diet, Mbotwa blamed the situation on inadequate resources.</p>
<p>“This is beyond ourselves because what we are giving to patients is basically what the health workers are benefiting from. It is not because we want them to be having beans every day; it is what we can afford right now,” explained Mbotwa.</p>
<p>Mbotwa dismissed the nurses’ claim on issues of trainings and workshops saying they come with guidelines.</p>
<p>“We do not just go to trainings; they come with their own guidelines. Sometimes they will specify the cadre that has to go to training, I do not think someone would wake up and delete someone’s name and replace it someone who is not relevant in the training,” said Mbotwa.</p>
<p>On the issue of resting, the Nsanje DHO Health Promotion Officer said they will engage authorities at national level for guidance.</p>
<p>“It is true that the nurses and midwife technicians are rested for four days instead of five days per two-night shifts as indicated.</p>
<p>“In other districts they are applying the 5-day resting arrangement however we are operating within the stipulated guidelines” he said.</p></div>Anika Children’s Initiative Dresses 450 Needy Learners2021-04-30T15:28:19+00:002021-04-30T15:28:19+00:00https://zodiakmalawi.com/nw/national-news/66-news-in-southern-region/3382-anika-children-s-initiative-dresses-450-needy-learnersHastings Jimaninyavatar10@gmail.com<div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/fd431274e3486190d11e6ac8394af090_XL.jpg" alt="The Initiatives aims at bringing uniformity among learners, among other objectives" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>A school motivation program-Anika Children’s Initiative has been launched in Mulanje with focus of providing basic scholastic materials to needy learners in schools.</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">The initiative is a brainchild of the school’s alumnus, Henry Mukhuna, currently based in the United States of America.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">At the launch of the initiative on Friday, 300 needy learners at Chingoli Primary School were given school uniforms including school shoes and 102 other children received shoes only in Mulanje.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Initiative’s board chairperson, Victor Mhango, said the initiative is aimed at making learners equal when they all put on school uniforms.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“We realize that poverty affects performance of some learners in class and some drop out of school because of this monster, poverty, and this is the reason we decided to embark on this initiative,” said Mhango.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati who graced the launch said it is worth commending to see individuals supporting needy learners.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“I also urge the initiative and other organizations to partner with various schools and support them in infrastructural development and teaching and learning materials,” said Kaliati.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">According to Mhango, currently they are mobilizing funds to construct a basketball court at Chingoli before rolling out to other schools in the district.</p></div><div class="K2FeedImage"><img src="https://zodiakmalawi.com/media/k2/items/cache/fd431274e3486190d11e6ac8394af090_XL.jpg" alt="The Initiatives aims at bringing uniformity among learners, among other objectives" /></div><div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>A school motivation program-Anika Children’s Initiative has been launched in Mulanje with focus of providing basic scholastic materials to needy learners in schools.</strong></p>
</div><div class="K2FeedFullText">
<p style="text-align: justify;">The initiative is a brainchild of the school’s alumnus, Henry Mukhuna, currently based in the United States of America.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">At the launch of the initiative on Friday, 300 needy learners at Chingoli Primary School were given school uniforms including school shoes and 102 other children received shoes only in Mulanje.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Initiative’s board chairperson, Victor Mhango, said the initiative is aimed at making learners equal when they all put on school uniforms.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“We realize that poverty affects performance of some learners in class and some drop out of school because of this monster, poverty, and this is the reason we decided to embark on this initiative,” said Mhango.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati who graced the launch said it is worth commending to see individuals supporting needy learners.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“I also urge the initiative and other organizations to partner with various schools and support them in infrastructural development and teaching and learning materials,” said Kaliati.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">According to Mhango, currently they are mobilizing funds to construct a basketball court at Chingoli before rolling out to other schools in the district.</p></div>