Parliament delays over MACE

The sword- a state a symbol of Parliament- yesterday went missing delaying deliberations for almost three quarter of an hour.

Second Deputy Speaker Juliana Mphande puzzling the Honourables who already were bewildered with the unexplained 30 minute delay as none of Clerks or Speakers appeared only for her to come and announce the delay as due to "technical hitch"

The drama ended when the Mace was located after 45 minutes but it turned into another theatre as the Head Usher Jones Tsabola led the procession with the House giving him two standing ovations as he managed to lift his legs in a military parade style.

Deputy Minister in OPC Nicholas Dausi kept shouting "zosiyilana za ekelezia" while opposition benches shouted "mwamuphnzitsa liti?" or "munkweze basi."

Kasambara to be freed this afternoon.

Government yesterday failed to explain why it is failing to obey a court order to release Human Rights Lawyer Ralph Kasambara but instead announced that is freeing him this afternoon.
Uladi Mussa and Cassim Chilupmhwa challenged Justice Minister Ephraim Chiume in Parliament and he has since announce that he will be out

A very interesting week

Well nobody can predict how the week will end. Of course we have a left over of Ralph Kasambara in town, he is a prisoner at a Hospital. But the end of the story is yet to come.

We still have Civil Society pulling out of negotiations due to poor environment and some are just becoming outright jokes with some even forgetting the mandates of their organisations.

The we have local issues, I am not sure where cholera is, how flood victims are coping up and also those that have no food in their houses during their lean period.

Then we have Parliament which is another interesting development and we are still not sure how far it will go. But there is Hope Alliance, whose owners are not yet out. I am sure by next week this blog will tell you who is behind it in the ruling DPP and has presidential ambitions.

More than once I have stated that the internal politics of DPP is more dangerous than its outside machinery and very soon, stories will come out of who and who.

What about the chances of various presidential hopefuls? This is another area that will be examined this week as we start brining more analysis and issues that will change this blog to a primary and real time news sources.

Lets all keep in touch for week beginning now!

Ralph Kasambara admitted at Mwaiwathu Hospital, brothers House attacked

Breaking news coming in: Human Rights Lawyer Ralph Kasambara still under detention as Malawi Police Service refuses to accept a court order of his release as suffered a heart condition and been moved from Zomba Maximum Prison to Mwaiwathu Hospital.

Kasambara was still in prison despite a second court order after his bail was revoked by Police and subsquent release order denied by the same.

Prison authorities have said they are no longer keeping in custody while Police claim they are waiting for orders from above

Over 30 Police officers escorted him from Zomba but now at least 10 remain. Interestingly Police complain of shortage of manpower.

In a related development, a House belonging to Kasambaras brother Charles has been attacked this evening in Lilongwe. Details are yet to emerge full but initial reports indicate Police appeared quickly and saved the situation.

Charles runs a paralegal service group CELA which helps young people and the poor to access justice.

Civil Society pulls out of dialogue

A return to July 20? Malawi Civil Society has pulled out of negotiations over 20 point petition which formed the core of issues that culminated into July 20 anti-Government protests. Leader of the CSOs dialogue team Voice Mhone, accompanied by Steve Duwa, Dorothy Ngoma and a Mr. Mtonga announced the development this morning citing the arrest of Human Rights lawyer Ralph Kasambara as a major reason.

Mhone said the environment which they had agreed after the September vigil collapsed had changed with Government machinery attacking them on podiums and threats being issued by even the Head of State himself.

"We are protesting the environment. This time we will not go back until Ralph Kasambara is unconditionally released. We cannot continue to engage a Government that is not interested at all," said Mhone.

Ngoma said they had walked out of the dialogue in the morning at they presented their issues to the Government team and the facilitating team from the United Nations.

Steve Duwa said it was time Government walked the talk.

The group says they expect all the issues covered in the petition to be solved by March 28, 2012 saying after which Malawians will decide the future of the country.

Anti-Corruption Bureau hunting for Kasambara's lawyers

In a very interesting turn of the Ralph Kasambara's saga this morning, Police have refused the release order, asking his lawyers to bring another bail application that can be respected. Interesting the Courts closed due to a strike but the Police are disobeying a valid order.

Now the Anti-Corruption Bureau with its record delay in chasing high profile cases has already issued notices asking two lawyers for Kasambara, Wapona Kita and Jonathan Kara to appear before it on Friday and Monday.

This could raise questions on independence of the graft fighting body as Kasambaras saga has all the hall marks of political interference.

How independent are our security and law enforcement agencies, the case between the Lawyer and other Law Enforcement agencies will reveal more! Stay tune for real live update.

Fire season

Ralph Kasambaras arrest should mark the start of a new season. Police are contesting the bail granted to him where the Courts opened temporarly to allow him out. Reports indicate that they are now outside his office.
But for a Government that has been working hard to restore its image, this is unwelcome incident and something that could have been avoided. The more some people work to restore normality, there others in the DPP who work hard to destroy any credibility of the same.
Why would you jail Kasambara, refuse him Police bail when some rich Asians stealing the much needed Forex were granted immediate bail. The same applied to Atupele Muluzi.
Kasambara might be on the wrong side of the law, but now social media is reporting of plots to assassinate him, creating all sorts of stories which I would say Government does not need at the moment.
Of course there is a shock expulsion of MBC media personnel by Civil Society in Lilongwe which is ver unpalatable.
Everyone calm down, do not create necessary tensions.
Ralph cannot hide anywhere outside Malawi if he has a case to answer, why not grant him bail, stop the invasion comedy's and allow people to concentrate on Parliament. It is high time we doused these unnecessarly fires across this country.
May be we have started the campaign season!

Atupele Muluzi's vehicle detained

Breaking now: Police in Lilongwe have detained a Mercedes Benz vehicle used by UDF Presidential hopeful Atupele Muluzi and detained the driver on charges yet to be known. Personnel close to Atupele have confirmed the devevelopment. Muluzi's vehicle is said to have hit a Police officer assigned to his father Former President Bakili Muluzi when fracas broke at Bvumbwe. The officer was identified as Barnet Mponda whose number is A5020 at Sub Inspector Grade. Police had earlier confirmed that they were investigating a road traffic offence under the charge of failure to report a traffic accident. Atupele enjoys parliamentary immunity as the house is currently sitting. The Young Muluzi addressed mammoth crowds from the vehicle in Mchinji and delivered his Agenda for Change speech in Parliament on Monday

No Injuries or arrests so far, Town clear

Police have just managed to clear the depot area for people to operate normally. After whipping a few people including a woman, they have generally managed to clear the Old Town and calm has returned. It is advisable however to stay alert as some of the rogue elements might regroup and cause mayhem.

Burning of tyres and Police cordoning off Town area

The bus depot area has become a no gone zone area with Police now beating off people to clear the bus terminals and otehrs areas of the vendors. Do not go into Malagalanga as people have been inflitration those doing own programmes. Businesses remain close in old town area.