Govt to build over 1,000 teachers houses

Teachers across the country may temporarily
forget about the K700 million salary arrears government owes them
following news that government plans to build houses for them from the
US$50 million (about K7 billion) World Bank loan that was signed
Tuesday.
After signing the agreement, Finance Minister Goodall
Gondwe said: “We expect to build about 1,000 houses but the number
could be more if the communities have the initiative and we build the
houses with the assistance from Masaf”.
The US$50 million is from
the International Development Association (IDA) to support the second
phase of Masaf 3 which is expected to run from end 2008 to 2013.
Gondwe
said if communities have plans and need support in terms of cement or
other building materials, “then we will be able to help and more houses
will be built if we did this”.
The Teachers Union of Malawi (Tum)
yesterday commended government for the move as it will help attract
more teachers to work in rural areas.
“This is a very, very good
news because teachers in rural areas are suffering so much in terms of
housing ....This is one of the reasons apart from other working
conditions that discourage many teachers from staying in rural
communities,” said Tum secretary-general Dennis Kalekeni.
World Bank country manager Timothy Gilbo said the implementation of the project will differ from previous Masaf programmes.
“Whereas
the previous Masaf programmes were implemented partly by local
authorities and partly by the Masaf secretariat, this time Local
Assemblies will take full control over the execution of the Masaf 3
funded activities,” said Gilbo.
A statement from the World Bank said
Masaf 3 will use experiences from the first phase of Masaf 3 which
ended on June 30, 2008. The second phase will aim to reach the poor
with public works earnings, infrastructure improvements, savings
mobilisation, public and social accountability tools, in the context of
increased local governance and public sector management.

Give Hazel grand welcome—Bingu

President Bingu wa Mutharika Monday urged the
country’s citizens to give Hazel Warren, Malawi’s representative at the
just-ended Big Brother Africa (BBA) 3 reality show, a grand welcome as
she has done the nation proud.
Hazel, 25, finished second in the
show on Sunday which saw 21-year-old Ricardo Venancio, aka Ricco, of
Angola win the US$100,000 (about K14 million) grand prize.
Mutharika,
through State House press officer Chikumbutso Mtumodzi, said he is very
happy for Hazel’s gallant and superb performance. He said Hazel has put
the country on the international map of achievers.
“The State
President is sending his heart-felt congratulations to Hazel Warren for
a wonderful performance in this year’s BBA show. The President says the
fact that Hazel lost by a small margin clearly indicates that Malawians
have the capability and stamina to participate in international
contests,” said Mtumodzi.
He said Mutharika views Hazel’s
outstanding performance as an indication that Malawians are
intelligent, hard-working, determined and focused when it comes to
competitive participation.
“The President is, therefore, joining all
the people of this country in celebrating Hazel’s victory. The
President is also congratulating Hazel’s family for their daughter’s
performance and all Malawians who participated in many ways for a job
well done,” said Mtumodzi.
In a telephone interview from South
Africa Monday, Hazel said the congratulatory gesture from the President
is “a big honour” and that she feels “humbled by it”.
“I am very
thankful to the nation and the President, in particular. I thought some
people had pre-conceived ideas that their representative would mess up
in the house. But when the nation, led by the President, congratulates
you, it makes you glad,” said Hazel.
According to Multichoice
marketing manager Chimwemwe Nyirenda, Hazel is expected back in the
country tomorrow at about 3 pm and not today as earlier indicated.

Muluzi advocate Gwanda Chakuamba hits at Tembo

New Republican Party (NRP) president Gwanda
Chakuamba has accused his old-time rival John Tembo of refusing to
support Bakili Muluzi’s presidential bid after the MCP leader
reportedly agreed in 2006 to back the UDF chairman in his quest to
dislodge President Bingu wa Mutharika.
But MCP has said it cannot support Muluzi for another presidency because he already ruled the country for 10 years.
Chakuamba,
a full-time ally of the former president, told a rally in Lilongwe’s
Area 23 Township near Namachimba Market on Saturday that “MCP’s
selfishness will make it lose the elections next year”.
“MCP will
not win the 2009 general elections because of selfishness… Tembo cannot
win the elections by banking on votes from the Central Region. The
Central Region is for all Malawians with different political
affiliations,” said Chakuamba.
Flanked by his deputy Ken Zikhale
Ng’oma and Malawi Democratic Party (MDP) president Kamlepo Kalua,
Chakuamba claimed in 2006 Tembo pledged at a rally at Njamba Freedom
Park in Blantyre to dislodge  Mutharika “by supporting the one who put
him on the throne” (Muluzi).
Said Chakuamba: “This is what he promised but today he says he does not want to work with UDF.”
Chakuamba—who
resigned from MCP over a power struggle with Tembo five years ago,
announced his comeback in the parliamentary race—saying he will contest
against First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Esther Chilenje-Nkhoma whom
he anointed to run Nsanje North constituency in the 2004 elections.
Tembo
could not be reached on Sunday to comment on Chakuamba’s statements but
MCP’s administrative secretary Potipher Chidaya snubbed Chakuamba’a
call for Tembo to support Muluzi in an alliance.
“Muluzi has been a
president for this country for two terms, why should he lead the
alliance? Why can’t he allow us to field a presidential candidate? We
have so many MPs in Parliament. If he wants to join us, he can do so,”
said Chidaya.

Katopola back in office

Clerk of Parliament (COP) Matilda Katopola has
finally taken back her office keys on recommendation from Speaker Louis
Chimango, a decision that has divided the Parliamentary Service
Commission (PSC).



Over the weekend, Chimango also wrote Deputy COP Stanislas Chisanu,
advising him to stop acting as COP and hand over all keys to Katopola.



Both Chimango and Chisanu flew out of the country on Sunday but First Deputy Speaker Esther NKhoma confirmed the development.



“I was out but I have seen the letter to Mr Chisanu, that I can confirm,” she said.



She also confirmed that Chisanu handed over all keys to Katopola before he left for China.



Despite collecting the keys on Sunday, Katopola was not in office Monday but she is technically back in her office.



But the development has led to the emergence of two distinct camps in
PSC with one distancing itself from the decision by the Speaker and the
other backing Chimango.



There are six members in PSC including Chimango as chair.



Others are Kizito Ngwembe from Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Ettinor
Koloviko from United Democratic Front (UDF), Loveness Gondwe of
Alliance for Democracy (Aford), and two from Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP) Pisho Nkhwazi and Folger Nyirongo.



In separate interviews, Ngwembe and Koloviko said the decision by the
Speaker was personal while Nyirongo said it was the right position.



Ngwembe said a PSC meeting on Friday resolved not to allow Katopola to come back.



Chimango called the meeting following a court order stopping his office
from implementing a resolution by Parliament to move Katopola.



Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (OPC) Bright Msaka also
wrote withdrawing his earlier letter sending Katopola on leave pending
redeployment.



Ngwembe said he is not party to Chimango’s communication allowing Katopola to resume work.



“As a commissioner, I do not agree with what the Speaker has done. The
first letter from Mr Msaka was read in the National Assembly, the
second letter should also be read in Parliament,” he demanded.



The MCP legislator for Kasungu South said “if Katopola went to court, then let’s fight in court”.



He claimed Katopola was not wanted by the National Assembly, Business Committee and PSC.



Koloviko of Blantyre North constituency said the commission refused to allow Katopola back.



“We can’t accept corruption at Parliament,” she said.



The fight between Katopola and PSC follows an audit report that
revealed that the COP used her company, Monick Trends, to supply
stationery services to Parliament.



“We have said the COP violated rules of the game. I am not part and
parcel of that letter from the Speaker. We can no longer have trust in
Katopola to handle our documents,” said Koloviko.



She added: “We have done the same to so many other people, why not her?”



But Nyirongo of Mzimba Luwerezi constituency said PSC has no choice because President Bingu wa Mutharika concluded the matter.



“As commissioner Nyirongo, I feel we have no choice, let her come. We
recommended to the head of state and he says no, what do we do?” he
reasoned.



He said PSC powers were limited to recommendations.



“We are not a forum to defy the head of state’s decision.”



Gondwe and Nkhwazi could not be reached on their phones yesterday.



However, it is reported that Gondwe is not party to the decision to bring Katopola back while Nkhwazi is on the other side.



The Business Committee of Parliament was also divided over the issue of
Katopola recently at a meeting, which the government side failed to
attend.



The committee comprises leaders of parties represented in the National Assembly.



At some point, PSC recommended to Mutharika to have Katopola fired but the appointing authority pardoned her.



On August 7 this year, Parliament resolved that Katopola be reassigned.



But she obtained a court order restraining authorities from effecting
the resolution, a development PSC seems not ready to accept.

Malawi moves to install Lilongwe fibre network

By: Marcel Chimwala

Published: 21 Nov 08 - 0:00

The government of Malawi has put out a tender for the supply,
installation, configuration, integration and testing of two fibre-optic
cables linking government establishments in the capital, Lilongwe.

The initiative is part of the World Bank-funded Financial Management, Transparency and Accountability Project (FIMTAP)

The
Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), which is the implementing
agency for FIMTAP, says bidding is open to entities from eligible
source countries as defined in the World Bank's guidelines.

"The
minimum qualification criteria for the bidders include previous
experience in fibre-optic installation and financial capacity," says
the chief secretary to the OPC, Bright Msaka, who adds that completed
bid documents must be submitted by December 4.

In a related
development, the OPC is inviting bids for the supply, installation and
commissioning of standby generators at government offices.

The
project, which is also part of the FIMTAP, comprises two lots, with the
first entailing the supply, installation and commissioning of 180-KVA
standby generators and 30-KV A uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units.

The second involves the supply, installation and commissioning of 65-KVA standby generators and 30-KV A UPS units.

Msaka
says bidders must provide documentary evidence that they have executed
at least three similar contracts in the last three years, and evidence
that they have the experience and technical capacity to carry out the
contract.

"The bidders are also expected to produce technical
catalogues outlining specifications demonstrating that the goods to be
supplied comply with minimum specifications, and a manufacturer's
authorisation form, if the bidder is not the manufacturer of the items
proposed to be supplied," says Msaka.

The deadline for the submission of bids is December 5.

Msaka
says the Malawi government is also inviting bids for the supply and
delivery of five diesel-engine vehicles, comprising three twincabs with
detachable metal canopies, one station wagon and one 30-seater minibus.

He says the deadline for the submission of bids is December 4, 2008