Kondwani Munthali -Malawi

Happy Christmas and have a blessed Holiday. There many praying today, actually more people in the World believe than non believers. A Gallop Poll years back found that almost 90 percent of Americans believe in existence of God. We have come from a tribulent past, we are now working towards a new beginning. Let all of us reflect our personal contribution towards changing the society we live in and improve more. From this blog, starting January 1, 2011, there will be more added and as one Freelancer Journalist told me, offer free news more as it happens in Malawi. I expect to publish at least a book in 2012 and we can read and share more as we debate to shaoe our own destiny. You are all part of my history by visiting this page, and I wish you happy and blessed Holidays. For those in pain, let the healing hand of the Almighty touch you. I love you all

Kim Jong IL, the reclusive Dear Leader of Democratic Republic of Korea is dead. The World is watching with full amusement on the process this nation is undergoing. They call themselves democratic, the ban free media but loves their own media. Thats the irony of a dictator. The public media often biased towards the ruling clique will play the game until the last end or the fall of a dictator. I still recall the defiance of the Libyan State TV even when Gadaffi had run out of Tripoli. Syrias Assad is busy showing "the other side of the war" but in truth he has been sending hundreds of troops to kill innocent people demanding that they be governed on equal footing. Unfortunately for dictators, their immediate families and cronies, the assume they have God given right to determine every persons fate. General Noriega that awful dictator of Panama is in jail, I have forgoten what has happened to General Pinochet. But Saddam Hussein, Muammar Ghadafi and many others have left the wor

The Head of Malawi Police service appeared at the Commission of Inquiry today for over one hour. However the media was barred from the hearing as it was deemed necessary under the National Security. Mukhito arrived at 10.21 and went straight into the chamber and left at 11.32am. Commission Secretary Allison Mbang'ombe said it was normal for anybody to request for private hearing. We are working to get the recorded testimony by end of next week and we will update this page accordingly.

This morning the circus on July 20 demonstrations had opened after two senior Police officers testified on Monday afternoon. Evarson Saliwa, Lilongwe Police Officer in Charge was very candid and honest and refused to blame media or ascertain to a popular question from Apostle Timothy Khoviwa and James Namphambo. He said the injunction was mostly to blame as it inflamed Malawians. Namphambo this morning pulled a shocker "How many bonafide humans did you have?" Undule who looked very calm and composed had dismissed the notion of money being paid to demonstators and say he believes dialogue should not be open ended and not prolonging the suffering. Undule has told the Commission that there was no intention for regime change that is why they presented the petition. He said the people who obtained the last minute injunction wanted initially to hold counter demonstrations. He says the motive was clear. He has blamed MBC for inflaming Malawians. More coming...

17 year old Mphatso Victor of Lumbadzi and his father Petro Victor have given a moving evidence this morning. Mphatso has a live bullet on his knee and he was shot as he came from his father's gardern. When he approached the Police for assistance after being shot and he was bleeding, the Police arrested him took him to Hospital and later kept him bleeding for 29 hours. The Kamuzu Central Hospital says he need surgical operation in South Africa. The witness is Isaac Kambwiri who told the Commission that Police beat up people. Now its the turn of Police officers starting with Sargent Moses Chipeta who does not say what caused the looting and the role of the Police in the whole fiasco

Kelvin Mmangisa: The President okeyed the demontrations. But personally he would never have allowed the demonstrations because he feared the worse. Commissioner Thyolamwendo is doing a good job of trying to cleanse the Police of the killings while the Vice Chairman Timothy Khoviwa is trying to hit at the media. The second witness Isaac Kambwiri from Capital Radio has told Levi Mihowa that should Government have listened July 20 could not have happened. Right here I will be updating you in real time and live the proceedings which look like a circus of old men trying to convince a child that babies come from heaven.

The struggle continues From slavery to Independence The path of democracy remain elusive The rising sun gone Hope shattered A flag bringing heat A nation mourns where is our democracy We sacrificed many of our great talents Towards democratic path Jehova,s witnesses, Chisiza, Chipemberes, Orton Chirwa But the boulevad remains hazy' Why did the July 20-21 citzens had die? In a professed democracy Why should we live in fear 18 years after democratising The path is full of bumps The slave traders were Arabs The Colonialists were white The dictator was short Niether a democrat nor dictator was full of humour' The definition now eludes How to define 'democracy boulevad' I fear for my future I queue for my basics My income dwindles everyday Yet I see, happy and fat rulers This painful boulevad Perhaps tommorrow reason will come' Perhaps Parliament sanity will return Perhaps the Courts will live up to their justice titles Perhaps a revolution will come But the struggle con

The Anti-Corruption Bureau Elijah Kachikuwo, Head of Finance at the Malawi Police Service. The ACB is taking him now to the Lilongwe Magistrates Court to read him charges and probably bail hearing. This is in connection to the recent reported K400 million fraud in Government.

Speaker of Parliament Henry Chimunthu Banda has said the Attorney General Maxon Mbendera has told him to comply with a High Court order allowing member of Thyolo North Anita Kalinde to enter the house. The Speaker in the morning asked Kalinde to leave the house as he consulted despite his signature being on the Court order. Mzimba Hora MP Reverend Christopher Ngwira had asked Chimunthu Banda to explain the presence of Kalinde in the House. The Government side was quite as Kalinde walked in at 11.28am. Breaking news soon on the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrest of a senior Police officer in connection with the K400 million fraud. Details as soon as we confirm the identity and charges brought by the ACB.

The Speaker has thrown out Thyolo North MP Anita Kalinde sayign he needs to consult more on her comeback. The High Court has granted her an injunction. The Speaker looks certain that he is playing politcs. Update by lunch hour>

Just in Lawyer for Thyolo North MP Anita Kalinde, WAPONA KITA has confirmed that High Court Judge Ivy Kamanga has granted an injunction to her stopping her suspension from the National Assembly. The DPP dominated Parliament yesterday voted to suspend her for man handling Home Affairs and National Defence Minister Aaron Sangala. Sangala had accused Lilongwe Businessman late Marshall the Dukes of being behind private parts trading and alleged that Kalinde was married to him. The order means Parliament wasted tax payers money for nothing. In a related development President Bingu wa Mutharika has ordered the review of the laws that have been unpopular with the general public. The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Ephraim Mganda Chiume told the Press in Lilongwe this afternoon that the laws to be reviewed include: 1. Section 46 of the Penal Code which gives sweeping powers to Minister of Information to ban any publication that is deemed not to be in public interest. Media group

I have never witnessed a miserable perfomance from a political party than what came out today in Parliament. First whoever decided that the matter on Anita Kalinde should come for debate in the whole house should be fired from the party. That one is an agent of confusion and really does not wish this administration well. After bringing the matter in the House, Government benches were not at all prepared for the onslaught they had set themselves for, from the Robert Chasowa saga to the actual process. For a Government that has spent a huge sum on Professor Peter Mutharika, Minister of Foreign Affairs to convince foreign capitals that we mean well, the questions raised by Clement Chiwaya and Dr. Cassim Chilumpha and the subsquent reaction from Leader of the House Dr. George Chaponda and Goodall Gondwe made Government image look very bad. They might have suspended Kalinde, but they lost the moral and procedural battle. They only reminded Malawians of the time John Tembo and George Ntafu w

Mangochi West MP Aipira, Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Mutharika sent back for coming late during the vote. Now the results allowing Government to bring a supplementary order paper to bring the matter into the house are as follows: YES VOTES (GOVERNMENT BENCHES) 107 NO VOTE: OPPOSITION BENCHES 45 ABSTAIN: 1 ABSENT- Heavy absence of many Government youthful MP's. 39 Note Zomba Nsondole MP Jane Chilunga, Minister Sangala and Rumphi Central MP Enock Chakufwa Chihana got loud cheers for their votes. Kalinde voted too.

Mzimba South MP Paul Shaba asked the whole house to recuse themselves as per standing order 88 as they have direct and indirect material interest. The Speaker has decided that they proceed. The opposition demanded a division after Government won a voice vote. They are now voting. Interestingly all women on Government benches are voting for the the motion to bring the order paper that will allow the house to debate the matter. Stay tuned.