Kunkuyu ‘staged’ abduction

The abduction of one the then Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) aspirants Moses Kunkuyu, which surprised the nation in December during the party’s primary elections, was staged. The police have concluded.

A source at police southern regional office in Blantyre said investigations on the issue indicated that the abduction was pretentious and that the report was sent to Lilongwe for direction on the matter, however Kunkuyu rubbishes off the police findings.

The nation wake up on Friday December 12, 2008, with stories of disappearance of one of the then DPP aspirants for Blantyre South Constituency, Kunkuyu, causing panic in Blantyre city and subsequently leading to the postponement of the primary elections.
The 29 year old Kunkuyu was found tied up, ‘in good health but traumatised’, at a bush near Bvumbwe produce market in Thyolo district 24 hours after he was reported missing.

However the source told Malawi News that the investigations which police carried revealed that Kunkuyu was in Limbe at Kadjedza Lodge, in room 120, ostensibly with a woman at the time he was reported missing.

“He made a telephone call around the time when he was supposed to be in captive, making a reservation at a Lodge in Limbe, the receptionist confirmed. We also get hold of the lady in question and she also confirmed that she was with him,” said the source.

The source said it is believed that Kunkuyu had an accomplice, the person who took him around from Mandala—the place he feigned the abduction to Kanjedza Lodge and then from Kanjedza to Bvumbwe where he was found tied up.

“We believe that it was the same person who reported to have seen a man tied up along the road who was the accomplice, the place where the drop was made was so systematic that he should not stay long before police found him.

“Another thing which raised a lot of eyebrows was the fact that at the place where he claimed was dropped, there was a lot of mud due to rains that fell that day but his clothes were not as dirty. If he had been dropped, say from a speeding car, he could have been muddy all over, but that was not the case,” said the source.

The police officer also said it seems like the person who came, claimed to be a relative, to pick him up after the discovery only took a short time to arrive at Bvumbwe police station considering that, his relatives were in Blantyre it could have taken a lot of time to come to Bvumbwe.

“The so called relative gave police force identification particulars and cannot be traced and the number the presented to the police could not be reached,” he said.
He said the investigations were concluded sometime back and the file was sent to Police Headquarters in Lilongwe to recommend the action the police could take on the matter.

“We are waiting for direction. We are ready to arrest Kunkuyu for giving police false information,” he said.

Kanjedza Longe Manager Wyson Phiri confirmed police questioning the receptionist on duty on that particular day about the possibility of Kunkuyu conniving with him to effect his disappearance.

In the interview with the receptionist, Elton Nkhata said he told the police that on that day, December 12, 2008, three men come at around 1 pm inquiring if they could have a room at night.

He said the said people then insisted of taking his mobile number which they were calling throughout the night up until 3 am when a person arrived at the lodge and occupy room 120 at the lodge.

“I booked him in as Shawa only he told me that he wanted to rest a little bit he was on his way to Zomba, he whoever asked me if he could stay up to the evening of that day. My bosses started asking when they noticed that at 4pm keys for room 120 were missing when the room itself was looking like was not occupied.

“I went in and knock at the door just to check and I found that the man was still there despite the fact that curtains were drawned,” he said.

Nkhata said after a week police summoned him to answer why his number of found on call print out shit of Kunkuyu’s number, 09897773.

“That was when I told them the whole story, at first they thought I was an accomplice but later they understood my position,” he said.

Southern region spokesperson Davie Chingwalu said confirmed the conclusion of the investigation but refused to disclose that contains in the report.
“We have concluded investigations on the matter,” he said.

Kunkuyu described the police findings as mere fabrications aiming at destroying him politically and challenged the police to come out in the open with the findings if they have evidence pertaining to that.

“The police have got all the machinery to cook up the story. It is all political. I have suffered and I am still suffering because of that issue. There is not truth in what the police are saying,” he said.

Kumkuyu’s disappearance caused a steer in Blantyre as some people started pointing accusing figures on his political rivals of carrying out the abduction.

Kunkuyu is said to have received a phone call, on that fateful night, to pick up a sick person in his ambulance which was made available to the people free of charge.
It was said that instead of Kunkuyu going to the hospital with his driver, as has been the case, he travelled alone with the purported sick people, who turned up to be his assailants.

Kunkuyu will be contesting as an independent MP.

Journalist assaulted

Malawi Police, on October 22, 2008 assaulted a Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) journalist Emmanuel Chibwana. Chibwana, in the company of a colleague, met his fate after Police overheard him saying why they were busy arresting and assaulting people found wearing camouflage gear and doing nothing on shop owners who publicly sell the outfits.

The comment irked the police who accused his of obstructive police officer on duty and detained a Chilomoni resident. However the matter was changed and Chibwana was later charged of putting on military apparel.

UNDP withholds MEC’s K10m

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is yet to release about K10 million to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) which the commission borrowed from government to purchase registration materials, Malawi News has established.

The UN agency is said to be asking for receipts for purchases made during the procurement of the registration materials and also mode of selecting the suppliers, a thing--according to sources within MEC and UNDP, has said the Commission is failing to provide the needed information.

UNDP set aside about K5 billion (US$ 28.9 million) under Democratic Governance Support for Electoral Reforms and Elections in Malawi which among other things included the provision of funding to the MEC for the procurement of electoral materials and implementation of activities.

A source at UNDP said MEC went ahead to source money from government to purchase the registration when the Commission thought UNDP was taking time to effect the identification of the suppliers.

“There was an understanding that UNDP will pay back the money which MEC got from government. We are committed to pay back the money to Malawi government through MEC and what we are asking them are receipts and procedures followed for us to effect payment,” said the source.

In October 2007 UNDP advertised for interested companies to supply materials for the registration exercise but the advert did not attract the intended response and due to the time limit MEC went ahead to identify suppliers and procure materials using government money.

In April 2008 Malawi Electoral Commission, through Malawi government, made a payment of about K10 million to an Australian company which won the supply tender on understanding that UNDP would reimburse the money to Malawi Government.

But Malawi News source at MEC said UNDP has expressed reluctance to pay the money to MEC in the absence of receipts and also is asking the Commission to outline the procedures followed to identify the contractors if they are in line with UNDP procurement procedures.

MEC Chairperson Anastasia Msosa admitted there were some delays of payment because of things to do with procurement but said discussions were underway and she was optimistic that the UN agency will pay the money.

“There are issues regarding procurement but I am sure they are going to be resolved and money will be paid. UNDP has already given us part of the money for other activities and this issue will be resolved,” she said.

The UNDP provides financial support to MEC for planning and implementing a focused programme across the country which among them includes implementing the civic and voter education activities with the support from accredited civil society organizations.

UNDP is also expected to provide support for actual conduct of elections.
When contacted for comment Sam Alfandika Project Coordinator for the UNDP Support to electoral reforms and elections in Malawi programme said he was at Mec in Blantyre and offered provide Malawi News with necessary information a thing he never did. Alfandika could not pick his phone as we went to press.

Msosa fate known in 2 weeks time

The future of Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson Anastasia Msosa would be known in two weeks time as the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has finally made its recommendations to the president.
Secretary of the Commission George Mandiwa said there was no rush to announce the JSC recommendations since the current MEC chairperson still has days in her contract.

“We will announce in two weeks time the recommendations made to the president.
We should appreciate that the current chairperson contract is still in place,” he said.
Mandiwa was tightlipped on the recommendations saying it would affect the outcome from the appointing authority.

JSC was expected to make a recommendation as to who would replace or renew Msosa’s contract at the MEC.

Responding to the question of her future at Mec Msosa said issues of contract were personal and that she still has days in her contract refusing to speculate about her future.

“Lets discuss the issues at hand about registration,” she said.

However former president Bakili Muluzi recently said he would preferred Msosa’s contract to be renewed citing time limit as the reason for his preference to maintain Msosa at the helm of the Commission.

But one political analyst Rafik Hajat was recently quoted in the media as saying it was important that a new person should be appointed to the position saying there were other judges who can ably handle elections like Msosa.

“Msosa is a capable woman and has handled elections well, but it would be imperative if a new person is appointed to the position,” he said.

Msosa was the chairperson who oversaw the first multiparty general election in 1994 she was however reappointed 10 years later to lead the commission for the second time.

Divorcing the orphanage centre syndrome

At every corner, at every junction in most districts in the country there is an orphanage centre. It is said that the country has over 1 million children orphaned at different ages mostly of them due to the HIV and Aids pandemic which has ravaged the country’s citizens the past 23 years.

As a quick response to the emerging problem of orphans orphanage centres sprouted almost everywhere in the country. It is fashionable for every church, every Jim and Jack opening an orphanage centre with a sounding number of its occupants as a sign of good will.

Good will it is, however the intervention has its own shortfalls surpassing the strength. Apart from some unscrupulous benefactors cashing on the less fortunate children’s misery, there are other disadvantages surrounding the orphanage centre system.

However, a Blantyre based Safe Hope has come up with a greenhorn way of addressing or looking at the problem of orphans and orphanages. The Safe House is a family of nine people with a mother and eight children.

The children of ages between nine and 15 are not of the same mother neither they are of the same father but nevertheless they are brothers since they now share the mother.

Located in the suburb area of CI in Blantyre eight children, the first entrant to the home, reside with a woman they call a mother and of course the motherly love they get from the woman they call mother.

The woman claims the children, all of them graduating from the streets of Blantyre mastering begging, she loves them like her own children. The woman, Lefa Mahonga said it was not easy to keep children under one roof who have spent their life living in the street.

“During the first weeks, they have been fighting among themselves, these children had harsh life in the street and two of them were practising witchcraft, but with patience and motherly love they have changed to become good children,” she said.
Mahonga said she is partially blind following the spell the two witches casted on her in their earlier days at the Safe Home when they were still practising witchcraft.

“I have forgiven them,” she said.

She said she managed to transform the children from delinquency, which they were to school going God fearing children.

One of the children, now attaining secondary education at one of the private schools in Blantyre Boniface Chitsulo, 17, described life in the street as harsh and abusive.
Chitsulo said street life is a dangerous world as children, male and female, are sexually molested, forced to participate in dangerous activities like stealing by either the watchmen guarding shops or gangs that terrorise people, all these in the name of protection.

“Young boys are being molested homosexually. I am glad that I left the street. I look at my new home as a real home with my mother and brothers,” he said.

The Safe Home system would be described as a perfect intervention on rehabilitating children who have been in the street as it gives them the needed family love, sense of belonging and values, according to the Social Welfare Officer Judith Zulu.

Zulu said most of the orphanage centres spouted, purportedly, trying to assist orphans or less fortunate children have missing vital components in their quest to rehabilitate the children.

“Orphanage Centres are more like boarding schools where children are just bundled together in one place; there are specific attentions to particular children’s needs, no family love and values. This does not help much in terms of making the children good citizens,” she said.

Most of the time, Zulu said many orphanage centres concentrate on the physical needs of the children than their spiritual, moral and emotional needs.

“The safe home is best model because children are given a home not a house for shelter.

The Safe Home was founded four years ago with the aim of giving street children and orphans a normal home and proper education.

The Founder Audrey Mwala said the Home is run by a board which source money from the well wishers and money which she realise leasing her house for wedding photo sessions.

She said she decided to establish a home not an orphanage with the aim of giving children a real family values and encourage them to be able to create relationships with other people.

“We face two challenges feeding the children as well as modelling them to become good citizens. These children, while looking innocent when begging in the street, are very angry and in dire need of behaviour change,” she said.

Mwala said so far she is satisfied with what the children are turning to be, now that all of them are at school with two doing their secondary education.

“We look forward to open a village with each home having not more than eight children, the idea is to encourage them to realise and understand brotherhood,” she said.

Shire valley getting out of flooding problem

There have been philosophies, as solutions to the perennial lower Shire flooding problems; some people have said there was a need for deity intervention, some have consulted ancestors —the mbona thing—others thought the noble intervention was build dams along the problematic rivers. These are all efforts to stop rivers from overflowing and causing floods. Lower Shire has been a high risk area for floods since time in memorial.
Government has its own official position to the solution of the flooding problems: Those in high risk area ought to move to places which are of low risks or upland. To every philosophy or argument there are pros and the cons, so too are these proposed solutions.
For the affected they have their own arguments why they can not move upland, they claim, they have got their fertile gardens on those risk area, the culturists would extend the arguments to the fact that their fore parents were buried there so they can not leave the dead alone, a plausible argument to the believers, so it may sound.
However, the most obvious truth, of late, is that there has been a growing donor fatigue to the lower shire perennial flooding and its subsequent assistance requirement. Some donors entertain the feeling that people, in the lower shire valley, deliberately put themselves on the risk line or vulnerability to ensure that they get freebies in the event of ‘disaster’.
In Holland the Dutch managed to build villages, town and cities below the sea levels, those who cares would remember the dykes, and in Israel and in so many places of the world, they claimed land. This signifies that there is a solution to every problem.
It has been proved that the phenomenon lower shire floods would be reduced to a thing of the past. For the past two years at least there have no flooding at the Nsanje boma and some other places within the risk area.
It is not by cheer luck that there was no flooding at Nsanje boma, which has been a customary in the past; it was actually some people’s efforts that have made a difference. Rivers of life a developmental organisation within the Evalengical church took the initiative to arrest the problem through its disaster risk programme.
Through the programme and working hand in hand with the affected people, the church have mitigated the flooding problem by diverting, digging and building walls in the problematic rivers. And the results have been excellent.
Over 67 families that left for the high areas have come back to reclaim their land as the issue of flood is no longer a problem. The organisation redirected Mwanalundu River, dug out and plant elephant grass along Nyafisi river in TA Malemia and Tengani areas in Nsanje districts, saving at least 8000 families in 27 villages from floods.
The organisation is now in Pangeti and Kachere villages in TA Tengani’s area where the villages has undertaken an exercise of building a wall (a dyke) along Chibwibwi river which mostly affects the two villages when it busts its banks.
“We have been facing flooding problem a thing which reduced people from my village to perennial beggars because we could harvest anything. It was really dangerous because in some instances water would come while people are fast asleep,” said Pangeti.
Pangeti said when the officials from River of Life approached his village with several initiatives that would assist the villagers to avert the perennial flooding, he lobbied his villagers to take an interest in the initiatives.
“There are several intervention taking place, we will plant trees behind the ‘dykes’ that are going to be built trying to solidify the wall. We are also making sure that we should avoid wanton deforestation,” he said.
River of Life Supervisor in Nsanje district, Dyson Mtayamanja said his organisation introduced three initative in the areas as part of sustainable programme.
“We introduced the manufacturing of Mbaula that would use only 20 percent of the needed firewood in a normal circumstance, this initiative is designed to reduce the deforestation, the second intiative is the building of walls along the problematic rivers as well as introducing the irrigation farming as one way of ensuring that people in the areas are food secured,” he said.
About 20 people are trained the manufacturing of mbaula and 29 farmers are in irrigation farming.
River of Life Programme Manager Dingiswayo Jere said the new concept has helped to reduce flooding problem in the lower shire at the same time making sure that people are food secured.
Jere said his organisation efforts does not contradict government’s official stand that people in high risk areas should move to upland but said there were some areas which would be rehabilitated without necessarily moving people other areas.
“Moving people to upland would be seen, in some cases, as mere shifting of the problem. At their new place people will start cutting down trees creating a problem similar to the one they are running away from.
“In some areas, like in area of T.A. Nyachikadza, there isn’t much that can be done apart from asking people to move upland, but in other areas the story would be different,” he said.
Jere said his organisation strives at bringing to normal life of the people that are affected hence the introduction of irrigation farming,” he said.
Group village headman Kachere said the introduction of irrigation scheme has brought some dignity to the villagers because the past year the villagers did not beg for food despite that the village was hit by floods.
“We have enough food,” he s aid.
Kachere assured the organisation that his subject are prepared to take part in the building of the wall along Chibwibwi river and they have already started looking for ‘appropriate’ stones that would be used to build the wall.
“We are told it is not every stone that would be used to build the wall, we need rough stones and we have the right type of stones about 30 kilometres away, we are going to get the stones from there,” he said.
If the building of walls, digging out the problematic rivers would be a solution to the perennial flooding in the lower shire, the areas would become the country’s bread basket due to its good soil and its prospect to irrigation.

New voters' roll on card

.Registration
starts in April

The Malawi Electoral Commission will compile a new voters roll for the 2009 elections, an exercise that will start in April and be completed in December, Mec has said.
MEC spokesperson Fegus Lipenga said the exercise would start early and expected to finish in December to give the Commission enough time to correct the mistakes which would be incurred during the registration exercise.
Lipenga said Mec has decided to discard the old voters roll the country has used for over a decade because it has a lot of anomalies.
"The MEC is not cleaning up the voters roll. The voters roll used during the 2004 elections will be discarded because it had so many problems," he said.
Lipenga said among other things that in the old voters' roll a lot of names were either missing or mispelt and that there was just a lot of incorrect information which would be difficult to rectify.
"We have started early to give ourselves enough time to rid the voter’s roll of the mistakes made during registration and we expect the voters' roll to be ready by the end of the year," he said.
United Democratic Front (UDF) and Alliance for Democracy (Aford) welcomed the development while Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said they would consult Mec to appreciate the need for the exercise. Aford
UDF newly-appointed spokesperson Mary Kaphwereza Banda said the issue of voters' roll has nothing to do with political parties.
"UDF is aware of the impending new voters roll but this issue is about the country as a whole, and not political parties," she said. She hoped the exercise will be done smoothly.
DPP Publicity Secretary Nicholas Dausi said although the party has not been approached on the issue, his party expects Mec to come up with convincing reasons for discarding the old voters' roll.
"We have not been consulted and we will tell them our opinion once they consult us," said Dausi.
Deputy Publicity Secretary of Aford Kingsley Jere said said the idea is good but warned MEC to expedite the exercise so that the commission is not caught up in a mix of so many other activities that MEC has line up.
But Executive Director of Malawi Watch Billy Banda expressed surprise at the development saying what MEC wants to do contradicts what the organization has proposed in the election law amendment bill.
"In the amendment bill they are asking government to reduce the number of days for registration from 14 days to seven days. If that bill is passed are they going to finish the new registration within seven days?" Banda queried.
He said MEC should be mindful that the country does not have a register for national identity adding that discarding the voters' roll would give an opportunity to some unscrupulous illegal foreigners to legitimize their stay in the country by registering as Malawians.
"At least with an old voters roll, they have a starting point but starting a new one will be brewing trouble. Do they have resources and capacity to check who is an eligible Malawian voter? At least with the old roll they would be able to check older people who are not registered and determine whether one is a Malawian. There is room for rigging here," he said.