Brash burglar nabbed after prison break-in: Malawi police

A notorious criminal was nabbed in Malawi after he broke into a prison office and stole guns and handcuffs days after completing a six-year jail term for burglary, police said Monday.

Franklin Gausi, police spokesman for Dedza district, told AFP that Witala Soko, 37, broke into the district's prison office over the weekend, stealing two rifles, three pairs of handcuffs and a police communications radio.

"This is very rare incident in Malawi for an ex-convict or anyone else to break into a prison office and steal guns," Gausi said.

He said Soko was arrested while trying to sell the communications radio and led police to a graveyard where he had buried the guns and other items.

Soko was expected to appear in a court Monday where he would be charged with burglary, he added.

Malawi leader impressed by Zimbabwe

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has praised the world for leaving everything in the hands of Zimbabwe people themselves to chose what is good for them.

He extended that he has no doubt the people will love what they would get out of the elections, end the quarrels and get down to work.

Mutharika was speaking on situation in Zimbabwe elections saying, people of Zimbabwe themselves have all it takes to unmake or make their country.

He said he shares the idea that, external forces could not work in situations like that of Zimbabwe.

He said he was impressed that the region succeeded in giving Zimbabwe citizens freedom to chose what they want.

He made the statement answering questions from journalists in Lilongwe, when he held a jolly interaction with members of the media.

Mutharika made the statement days after his return from China, saying he is impressed with the spirit of Zimbabweans by holding on to peaceful means during the emotional electoral process.

He said such conduct is enviable because it provides model to the rest of Africa that violence will never build the beautiful continent of Africa, rather would only ravage its rich potentials.

"The region will work with new government appointed by Zimbabwe people themselves, I once told Dar as Salaam conference that no external influence can end problems in Zimbabwe, at the end of the day, it is the people of Zimbabwe themselves who must choose, what they want," he said.

"Interfering in Zimbabwe scenario could have just made things worse that they were but I am impressed that no external force was applied and citizens have been given full opportunity to do what they want," he said.

Mutharika said he was impressed with the peace that characterized the electoral process when some international observers were fearing for crises similar to that of Kenya.

Zimbabwe is one of the Southern Africa’s powerful economy and President Robert Mugabe who is backed by powerful groups of war veterans in the country consistently accuses the west of sabotaging his country by imposing unfair sanctions to rout the economy.

Meanwhile reports indicate that Mugabe experienced the end of to his 28 year old rule when opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) swept majority seats in Parliament.
Currently inflation rate hangs at 100,000.

And Mutharika who is believed to be enjoying popularity since he took over office from his former colleague turned rival Bakili Muluzi in Malawi, is expected to run for the second term in next year’s elections.
Some projection have already tipped Mutharika with a landslide victory if all conditions remain stable.

Locally he is hoisted for his economic recovery, good governance, innovative trade programmes, Agriculture reforms, food security, job creation and visionary international relations.

During his fours years Malawi has opened direct ambassadorial ties with Japan, India, Pakistan, China, Bulgaria. And strengthened cultural relations with France.

Mutharika has also intensified infrastructural development by raising railway systems, constructing additional roads across the country and improving tourism as well as hospitality industry to boost economy of the tiny land locked country.

ACT Development in Malawi

The ACT Development meeting took place on a small conference centre in Lilongwe, Malawi. It was a historical moment for the ecumenical family.

Around the table, a variety of organisations were present: CHAM, who provides half of all health services in Malawi and helps thousands of sick and poor people every day; There were organisations like CARD, CCAP and ELDS who provide assistance to hundreds of villages - helping poor farmers to food security. There were organisations, who provide relief and assistance, when the more and more frequent floods and droughts hits in various places of the country with negative impacts on millions of people. And then there were church-based agencies from Europe and Canada.

Together they decided to form ACT Development in Malawi - the first forum in Africa with local and international church-based organisations working with long-term development. ACT Malawi shall ensure larger efficiency, greater visibility, stronger fundraising capacity, and last but most importantly an improved effort to combat poverty and insecurity.

There were ups and downs on the way

The local organisations questioned the 'project dance'. Do we force local organisations to dance to the music of the international organisations? There were disagreements between the international organisations: Who should take the lead, whose turn is it? And many questions were discussed: Should we make a joint office or just inform each other? What do we gain from working together?

It was a meeting conducted in openness and frankness. Just as it should be amongst partners who are different but feel they belong together.

It will make a difference

It has not been easy. But it ended in agreement, and it was the first step towards a much closer alliance in Malawi between the church-based development organisations. It will make a difference. And ACT Malawi will inspire and help to develop the church-based cooperation in all of Africa.

SA’s Malaika rocks Malawi

It was a chilly night on Friday but Malawians defied this and stormed Chez Ntemba International Club in Blantyre to watch celebrated South African pop group Malaika who gave out their best.

The night was worth spending what more with an impressive line up of musicians – Malaika, Zimbabwe’s The Orchestra Dendera Kings and Suluman Chimbetu, and the country’s reggae kings – Black Missionaries and Saul Chembezi.

Malawians came in large numbers despite having another great comeback show of its veteran musician Paul Banda who quit live music 14 years ago at Comesa hall in the same city.

The show started late with Malawi’s Chembezi warming the stage before leaving the stage for the Zimbabwe band which was formed by late Simon Tchopa Chimbetu. Together with his son Suluman they took the audience to another level with their new style known as Dendera which means bird.

They gave the audience their best playing songs like Dzandipedza mafuta, Comma, Chauta, Conwel, Africa Inaliya, Newspaper and Mukoma Sam among others before they bade farewell to the stage.

Suluman said in an interview he was happy to perform in the country with the group for the first time.

“Malawians are very friendly people and they like music. I didn’t know they could dance to our Dendera touch this much,” he said.

The moment of them all was when Malaika dressed in jean attire with two leading members and four dancing queens stepped on stage at around to 12 pm and it was all non-stop music as they played for about four hours.

However it was tracks like ‘Mhlauphel’amandla’ and ‘Hamba’ which lifted the audience as the two tracks kept on being requested before they bowed out to leave the stage for Black Missionaries at around past 3am.

The only disappointing thing of the night was that the group did not play live music as their songs were being played through CD’s and poor speakers to some extent kept on producing horrible sound.


One of the Malawians who watched the show Mike Msindira said despite playing their CDs the group did not disappoint adding their stage performance and dancing was impressive which Malawian musicians needed to learn.
Malaika is an Afro- pop group made up of Jabulani Herald Ndaba (Jabulani), Matshediso Florence Mholo (Tshedi), and Bongani Kevin Nchang (Bongani). They consider their producer, Guffy Pilane, a fourth member. Their style can be grouped under kwaito, rock or Afro-pop. Their music is a perfect blend of post-kwaito, post-mbaqanga and neo-soul.
The group was formed out of the ashes of the kwaito outfit Stouters (The Mischiefs) and Godfrey “Guffy” Pilane was instrumental in its formation as well. Bongani Nchanga and Jabu Ndaba were original members of the Stouters, while Tshedi joined them.
Their debut album, Malaika, was multiple platinum, selling over 350,000 copies. They won the Best Newcomer Group statuette in 2004 and then the Best Afro-Pop Group in 2005 Channel O Music Video Awards and the Best Southern African Group at the 2005 Kora awards.
Some of their songs include Melodi (Hoona Joale), Dichabeng, Gauteng, Hamba, Amacilongo, Chaba naledi, Sebaka Nyana, Hamba, Ting ting, Indoda Yempandla (Beware Verwoerd), Sajika and Baba wami. Their other albums are Sekunjalo and Vuthelani.

The group who jetted in the country on Thursday courtesy of Augustine Kayembe owner of Chez Ntemba perform in the country’s capital Lilongwe on Saturday.

Senior CPC official meets Malawian guests

BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with a delegation of Malawian Democratic Progress Party (DPP) here Monday.

Speaking highly of the efforts the DPP made for the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malawi in December 2007, Wang said the CPC is ready to promote exchanges with the DPP at all levels and in all areas and to push forward the lasting, healthy and stable development of bilateral ties.

Dr. H. Ntaba, general secretary of the DPP, said the establishment of diplomatic ties created a favorable environment for stepping up exchanges between the two parties and deepening the trade and economic cooperation of the two sides.

Malawi is willing to learn China's successful experiences and make greater efforts in consolidating the friendship between the two countries and the two peoples, said Ntaba.

The two sides also exchanged views on further deepening the relations between the two parties.