Police raid youth man’s home over revolutionary publication

Mutharika’s campaign against dissent is certainly at its crescendo with the latest midnight raid on the house of one Black Moses, president of the fast rising Youth for Freedom and Democracy (YFD) publishers of the whistle-blowing- one-A4-paged publication called “The Weekly Political Update.”

Vice President of YDF, a University of Malawi student alerted Nyasa Times of the arrest which comes a day after a scathing 6^th edition of the publication which among other issues  alleged that Mutharika has set aside K40 million to counter the September 21 slated mass acts against his administration.

The Monday paper also alleged that Mutharika has used the US$100 million he borrowed from PTA bank to buy fuel, that Kayerekera Uranium mine is depositing about  K14 million to Mutharika’s account, that RBM’s Perks Ligoya and business tycoon Mulli jointly own a fat account in Dubai, that the presidential jet was briefly impounded in the US and that two army pilot trainees were sent back from America and that the secretary to the treasury has so far extorted K16 million from investors on DPP’s behalf.

“The YFD are in touch with the DPP plan of action as how police will use torture people  to extract and coax some to give false evidence  to cover up the petrol bombings of Sembereka’s house and IPI offices,” reads part of the document continuing to allege that Mulli brothers are funding police to cover up the crimes.

Asked how the group gets its info, the unmoved vice president said that his group has links  going all the way to the inner sanctum of the DPP that smuggle information through another source [name withheld]

“We are the guys that revealed the names of the guys that burnt IPI offices, we are also the guys that broke the news that government had imported panga knifes for DPP youth ‘cadets,’ we are well connected,” said the source.

The publication which employs all approaches one would expect from Kamplepo Kaluwa does not hide the authors, with the owners openly listing their numbers on it. This is what is raising fears that police have started smoking out the youths by tracking the phone numbers.

Black Moses, 21, was arrested at his home at Chikapa in Chirimba at around midnight and is being kept at Blantyre police; it is not known what charges he has been slapped with.

“We want the nation to know this, Moses is a political prisoner, all we do is write what we investigate and we write what we know is true.”

Blantyre Good to Go! We Got Us Clearance!

Ronald Maloya, one of the Blantyre organizers has just brought me a copy of the letter from Blantyre City Assembly which has authorized the demos in Blantyre! Its signed by the CEO, Ted Nandolo himself.

I also have it on good authority that Mutharika has issued a decree stopping the pro-DPP marches, we thus have a clear path, people…we starting at Blantyre DC’s Office but if you arrive at Clock Tower, you will be directed.

At Poly preps are advanced, I passed two red fliers under each room and students are upbeat…

The demos have been given a nod on several conditions:

 That two names be put as sureties

 That the demo organizers address the masses before setting off

 That police inspect the contents of the placards

 That marshals be chosen to work with police on security

 No weapons

Demos will start from Old Police Ground (near Old Town Hall) to Civic Offices via Victoria Avenue, Mahatma Gandhi Road and Kenyatta Drive…the DC will receive the petition at Civic Offices…we will then go via Soche to Upper Stadium where speeches and dispersing will follow.

They say we cannot go to Sanjika because it violates Section 103 of the Police Act

Tell one and all that all the rumors of war and strife and clashes are a fluke and a hoax…the police commissioner himself has been assuring the organizers that all is going to be well; after all they have gotten the letter from the City assembly that we are marching tomorrow.

Remember there will be nurses, doctors and lawyers standing by…come out Blantyre, let’s shame the devil.

20 July Demos Just Got Bigger, Zomba & All Districts Now In - Blantyre Route Changed Agian

On The 20^th July, 2011 National Peaceful Demonstrations 

This is to inform all Malawians and various stakeholders that we members of the Civil Society and concerned citizens have organised peaceful demonstrations to take place on 20^th July 2011 in all the four regions namely: Southern, Eastern, Central and Northern Regions and all Districts from Nsanje to Chitipa.

The peaceful demonstrations have been organized as part of our constitutional right to express alarm regarding the current economic and democratic crises facing Malawi, with the aim of calling for an end to the current poor economic and democratic governance being advanced by the current administration.

The Theme of the Demonstrations is:  Uniting For Peaceful Resistance Against Bad Economic and Democratic Governance – “A Better Malawi Is Possible”

Outline of the Demonstrations is as Follows:-

Southern Region

Starting point: - Start from the Clock Tower in Blantyre thence to the Blantyre District Commissioner's Office to deliver a petition to the DC and ending at the gates of Sanjika Palace where another petition would be delivered for the attention of the State President.

We are calling all Malawians from Ndirande, Chilomoni, Chilobwe, Bangwe, Zingwangwa, Machinjiri, Mbayani, Chileka, Ludzu, all areas and locations to join the demonstration on 20^th July.

Eastern Region: - Demonstrations will be conducted in Zomba City and we are calling Malawians from all Matawale, Chinamwali, Nsazi, Itiya, Ndola, St Marys, Chikanda, Mpondabwino and other areas and location to come and join this peaceful demonstration.

Central Region

Starting Point: - From Community Centre Ground through Old Town then Kasungu Highway then to City Centre where speeches will be made.

We are calling all Malawians from Area 25, Kawale, Biwi, Mchesi, Chinsapo, Area 23, 33, 49, 39, Bunda, Likuni,Mugona ,all  Areas and Locations to join the demonstration on 20^th July.

  

Northern Region

Starting Point: - From Katoto Ground through Town to City Assembly Office where a Petition will be presented.

We are also calling on all Malawians from Zolo Zolo, Katawa, Chiwanja, Mzilawayingwe, Chasefu , all Areas and Locations  to join the demonstration on 20^th July.

District Demonstrations: - Malawians demonstrating in districts we appeal to you to convene at one place and March to the Office of the District Commisioner to present a Petition.

Colour: - We are appealing to all Malawians to put on anything RED on 20^th July wherever they are for this peaceful demonstration. 

If you cannot join and you are a Chief Executive,  Managing Director,  or any other Officer , or working in the Police, Army, and if you are a Civil Servant please release your house servant/gardener on this day of 20^th July.

If you are not going to join the March can you whistle, hoot you CAR  and beat drums wherever you are while dressed in RED.

And as a silent protest STOP watching Malawi Television and listening to MBC as it is a source of misinformation, hatred and division against peaceful Malawians.

Note:  This is a peaceful demonstration and we would appeal to all Malawians to be DISCIPLINED during these national wide demonstrations.   Lets us show the authorities that much as they are oppressing and victimizing us we are peaceful and responsible Citizens.

This is your chance to make the difference by being heard and be counted on 20^th July.  Starting time is 8 :00 in the morning

Lastly we sincerely thank the Business Community, Government Officials, Democratic Peoples Party Officials, the Police, Army, City, Local and District Assemblies for the support and understanding   and we look forward to successful and peaceful demonstrations.

COME ONE!  COME ALL! 

“A BETTER MALAWI IS POSSIBLE”

VIVA DEMOCRACY! 

VIVA STRUGGLE AGAINST OPPRESSION AND DICTATORSHIP!

Change Of Demo Route For BT, Plus Demos Now To Cover Whole Malawi

"Dear Readers, Note That Blantyre Route Has Changed"

On The 20^th July, 2011 National Peaceful Demonstrations 

This is to inform all Malawians and various stakeholders that we members of the  Civil Society and concerned citizens have organised peaceful demonstrations to take place on 20^th July 2011 in all the four regions namely: Southern, Eastern, Central and Northern Regions and all Districts from Nsanje to Chitipa.

The peaceful demonstrations have been organized as part of our constitutional right to express alarm regarding the current economic and democratic crises facing Malawi, with the aim of calling for an end to the current poor economic and democratic governance being advanced by the current administration.

The Theme of the Demonstrations is:  Uniting For Peaceful Resistance Against Bad Economic and Democratic Governance – “A Better Malawi Is Possible”

Outline of the Demonstrations is as Follows:-

Southern Region

Starting point: - Start from the Clock Tower in Blantyre thence to the Blantyre District Commissioner's Office to deliver a petition to the DC and ending at the gates of Sanjika Palace where another petition would be delivered for the attention of the State President.

We are calling all Malawians from Ndirande, Chilomoni, Chilobwe, Bangwe, Zingwangwa,Machinjiri, Mbayani, Chileka, Ludzu, all areas and locations to join the demonstration on 20^th July.

Central Region

Starting Point: - From Community Centre Ground through Old Town then Kasungu Highway then to City Centre where speeches will be made.

We are calling all Malawians from Area 25, Kawale, Biwi, Mchesi, Chinsapo, Area 23, 33, 49, 39, Bunda, Likuni,Mugona ,all  Areas and Locations to join the demonstration on 20^th July.

Northern Region

Starting Point: - From Katoto Ground through Town to City Assembly Office where a Petition will be presented.

We are also calling on all Malawians from Zolo Zolo, Katawa, Chiwanja, Mzilawayingwe, Chasefu , all Areas and Locations  to join the demonstration on 20^th July.

District Demonstrations: - Malawians demonstrating in districts we appeal to you to convene at one place and March to the Office of the District Commisioner to present a Petition.

Colour: - We are appealing to all Malawians to put on anything RED on 20^th July wherever they are for this peaceful demonstration. 

If you cannot join and you are a Chief Executive,  Managing Director,  or any other Officer , or working in the Police, Army, and if you are a Civil Servant please release your house servant/gardener on this day of 20^th July.

Note:  This is a peaceful demonstration and we would appeal to all Malawians to be DISCIPLINED during these national wide demonstrations.   Lets us show the authorities that much as they are oppressing and victimizing us we are peaceful and responsible Citizens.

This is your chance to make the difference by being heard and be counted on 20^th July. 

Lastly we sincerely thank the Business Community, Government Officials, Democratic Peoples Party Officials, the Police, Army, City, Local and District Assemblies for the support and understanding   and we look forward to successful and peaceful demonstrations.

COME ONE!  COME ALL! 

“A BETTER MALAWI IS POSSIBLE:”

VIVA DEMOCRACY! 

VIVA STRUGGLE AGAINST OPPRESSION AND DICTATORSHIP  !

Update On Why Tahrir Should Come To Malawi

1. So rumour has it that Mutharika has assented to the Injunctions Bill and that the bill is now law...with that said, injunctions will be a mountain to the usually wronged average Malawian: http://www.nyasatimes.com/politics/mutharika-approves-injunctions-law.html

2. Britain has suspended the much needed aid to Malawi: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/media-room/news-stories/2011/government-to-suspend-general-budget-support-to-malawi/

3. Britain says it will not accept any Diplomat from Malawi nor will it send another after the one that was there was chased by Mutharika: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=PressS&id=631051082

If you are still not feeling like jumping into the streets then you are a serious problem...I hope you realise that we have lost a long standing partner in the name of United Kingdom, our right to seek court redress and our aid!....

Planning The Demos Has Been A Thorough Job Here Is A Peek

Theme: Uniting for Peaceful Resistance Against Bad Economic and Democratic Governance

“A Better Malawi is Possible! “

Task to be done:-

·         Establishment of a core organising team, comprising of leaders from stakeholder organisations

·         Letters to City Assemblies (North, Centre and South)  for notification on  the demonstration

·         Write the police to  provide security and guard against thugs, unruly elements seeking to disrupt the  March;

·         Mobilise urban and rural stakeholders to generate a massive response;

·         Coordination ensuring that we all move together, handling internal communications, establishing chain of command;

·         Drafting of themes for flyers/ posters/banners, use of red cards. Flyers should be distributed 2/3 days before the demo date. 20,000 flyers to be printed. 500-1000 whistles. Flyers will include issues in relation to economic hardships and bad governance. (key fuel ,forex shortage and undemocratic laws)

·         Use of an open truck and one or two musicians on it during match or pre-match into key townships.

·         Publicity – to organise & handle media coverage to achieve maximum effect through i.e. Zodiak, Joy, Mij, nation and daily times. We need use of public address a day before for publicity and on the actual day.

·         Radio announcements to emphases DISCIPLINE during demonstrations.

·         Creating publicity through social networking i.e. FB/twitter/SMs etc.

·         Liaise with Vendors Association, Minibus Association and Taxis Association.

·         Linking up with Nurses Ass. Congoma, MCTU, CCJP, Nkhoma Synod and Students.

·         Linking up with Cosatu and other SADC regional NGOs for solidarity.

·         Press conferences; 2 days before the march and immediately after the march

·         Invite international media to cover

·         Assign a communication officer from one participating organisation to coordinate recording of the events in all regions (through videocam and still camera’s)

·         Assign someone to manage demo facebook page and update the demo page constantly, especially with pictures

·          

Tentative date: - 20^th July 2011/ Regional demonstration/down tools.

Message: 'If you can't join and you're an all CEO, MD, Police, Army, and Civil Servant' please release your house servant/garden boy etc on that day.

Aftermath: - Continued voice and maintaining the pressure on the Government until they address the issues and improve their   performance/ use creative media to mobilise involvement e.g. facebook, blogs, twitter;

Colours to be used: - Red Colour (dress/wear anything RED (T/Shirts/Red Card/ placards/ banners, Red whistles)

Route to Use:-

Southern Region: - Blantyre District Office through Kamuzu Highway to Kamuzu Stadium to Civic Offices

Central region: from Community Ground through old town/ Kasungu Highway to City Centre

Northern Region: From Katoto Ground to City Assembly.

RSA bishop warns media on bad publicity as Bushiri insists chaos await BT

Bishop Magola has warned Malawian media to desist from dissing men of God to avoid “forced early retirement, death and curses” and other unspecified action, Nyasa Times has the details.

Magola, a South African who is dubbed terminator by his followers, fired the warning shots at Chichiri Stadium on Sunday where he was a guest preacher at Shepherd Bushiri’s “Three Days of Prophecy Conference.”

“Don’t play with major prophets, they can kill or curse you without involving God or the devil, “ said Magola, “if you don’t understand us just shut your mouth because  we can send you on early retirement, we can close your company and we send you to heaven or hell early.”

He went on to defend Bushiri saying that despite the bad publicity he was enjoying, he [Magola] had had a vision in which Bushiri was first swimming in Lake Malawi, then the Mediterranean Sea then the Atlantic, adding that by next year, Bushiri will not be as he is.

“I am not defending Prophet [Bushiri], you don’t need to defend a lion, I am just saying that what you have here is not a small thing,” said Magola.

Several other international pastors also took turns to warn Malawians not to play with Bushiri because they [the visitors] would whisk him away instead, drawing cheers of no! No! from the animated crowd.

Bushiri himself compared some Malawians to crows, which he said liked to scavenge bad things only despite having white necks.  He wondered why Malawians only like bad news.

Bushiri then made similar remarks to those Mutharika made on the same venue on 6 March, saying that when the press lands on men of God’s necks, it was also on the church’s and that it was the responsibility of the church to protect the leaders.

 During the sermon, Bushiri repeated his prophecy that Blantyre would degenerate into chaos from what would start as a simple demonstration, he thus called on faithfulls to pray so that the dark cloud would spare Blantyre.

“Pray that it may not happen, if you don’t it will and don’t say I never told you, and then you may need me but I might be away on honeymoon,” said Bushiri to a dead silent crowd, “I know most people call names what they cannot understand, it’s good that they just call us names than to understand us and destroy us.”

Ha challenged that if his prophecy does not come alive, he should be called a false prophet and said that a prophet never visits a place without a message, going ahead to quote Amos 3 verse 7 which says that God never does anything without speaking through his prophets first.

The crowds braved the weather to witness Bushiri who arrived in a motorcade of about 15 vehicles alighting from a Nissan Teana with the personalised license plates “Tyna 74,” flanked by body guards with the crowds in frenzy singing the tune: “Give me power every hour.”

The Conference ran for three days and focused on giving hope to the masses, strengthening their spiritual stand in the eschatological times and prophesying on the future. It was spiced by music from Geoffrey Zigoma, Martha Kasambala, Habakkuk and Bushiri’s own Praise Team.

Now this calls for a big WTF!

As if petroleum fuel shortages are not enough, the country’s sole electricity provider, Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (Escom), has just announced that it is embarking on a massive load-shedding program that will see the whole of Malawi in darkness everyday from four to 10 PM for the rest of this year.

The announcement was then defended and sugar-coated on the state broadcaster MBC TV in its News Hour programme on Wednesday by one of the parastatal’s officials.

The move has already become one of the most discussed topic on the social media and cyber sphere with some backing Escom, and some trashing it as part of DPP’s continued failure to run the country.

“We heard that Escom got funding to improve power generation where is that? And not only that, Escom is a monopoly that enjoys abnormal profits and economies of scale, where is that again?” wondered one Malawian on Facebook.

“This will mean more trees going down, they can’t bring this move when winter is at its peak, what will we cook with?” said a DJ on Radio 2 of the MBC.

“I hope this will not affect Poly, because we never live in darkness without raising hell,” said a Poly student.

Escom has been under constant criticism over its incapacity and misuse of revenue with the recent K80 million kwacha party scandals still vivid in Malawians memories.

Some quarters of Malawi have since planned to march against the country woes with posters in Blantyre’s Ndirande calling for a 6 July march, in Mzuzu Msenga Mulungu, one of the protest organisers said they [Fond] are planning something on the 20^th of next month.

In the world over such issues as tax raises, fuel shortages and energy woes result in nationwide demonstrations but Malawians never seem to agree on one course of action.

“Why are only 6 Malawians RSVPing this event?” Wondered Fungai Chiposi, a Zimbabwean who is a critic of Robert Mugabe’s rule, he was referring to the event “Malawi Revolt Update” which is being hosted by a Malawian living is Seychelles.

Signs of division are eminent in the drive to protest Malawi’s woes with tribalism raising its dirty head in some occasions.

“Atumbuka you just want to revenge Bingu on Quota, we will not join you,” said one user on the Malawi Revolt Update wall, referring to the ‘Mhango’ surname of the host.

Tribal issues also played out in one of Poly lecturers’ meeting in March where lecturers from the Central and Northern Region voted against teaching while those from the south and especially from the Mhlakho belt voted to teach because they said the others were only being personal against Bingu because he was a Southerner.

Undule Mwakasungula (Ngonde) and Gift Trapence (Lower Shire), the two top most human rights activists in Malawi have also seen their share of the tribal labelling on the social media; it seems that Malawians are yet to agree that the country’s woes are for everybody.

Meanwhile to stage a demonstration police are demanding that the Intelligence unit be involved in the planning, that the planners give the exact number of people that will be present; this is reportedly according to the new Police Act. The go ahead for demonstrations has also been shifted from City CEO’s to District Commissioners.

Reports also indicate that an extra band of intelligence spies have been deployed to eke out intel on demos in the country’s night clubs.

We won’t go to class before our demands are met - Poly lecturers

Lecturers from the University of Malawi, The Polytechnic on Tuesday snapped their fingers in the face of their employers, listing down resolutions which ‘have to be honoured’ before the dons can return to pushing chalk.

In a meeting that went well into Tuesday evening, the lecturers formulated their resolutions which they have since forwarded to the University of Malawi Council.

“We have asked Council to put their words in writing on the issue of the closure of the college, on the issue of the freezing of salaries and on the issues of the signing of the forms. The fourth resolution is for council to go by the chancellor’s speech that there should be no casualties in the quest for academic freedom,” said Griffin Salima, Chairman of the Pascow, the college’s academic staff association. 

Council printed out forms for the academic staff to fill if they wanted to keep their jobs, very few filled them and Salima said the issue should be clarified by the council. Salima also said that the council should clearly state that it has withdrawn the cases in court against lecturers before classes can resume.

“We also took time to analyse the presidents’ speech on academic freedom and we are in total agreement with what he said that there should be a win win situation at the end of this, it’s why we have asked council to withdraw the cases it is pursuing against us.

“imagine Council sued government for paying us salaries, it’s why we joined the case to defend ourselves, unless such cases are withdrawn and council clearly puts it in writing to us, it’s hopeless,” said Salima.

Asked what the lecturers would do if council doesn’t honour the resolutions, Salima said it would then be hopeless and that only force would see them back in class.

This comes at a time when students soared their hopes of returning to school this July; the ball now remains in the court of the University Council.

Meanwhile MBC TV has been parading Chancellor College lecturers who have been condemning the CCASU and Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula’s leadership with one Philosophy Lecturer, Pascal Mwale, calling the union combative and disrespectful.

.

Mwale took time to condemn Blessings Chinsinga saying that what he underwent under Mukitho was a personal thing and that his statement that he underwent trauma are contradictory because he [Chinsinga] also told the nation that he was never intimidated by his being summoned by the police inspectors.

 However, one lecturer from Chanco wondered why MBC is using people who have admitted not being part of CCASU.

“I don’t know if that is even journalism, why would they parade Pascal Mwale when we all know that he has been to a mental hospital?” wondered the source

Unima Council Declares 4 Chanco Lecturers Pariahs

"this story was compiled anf filed for Nyasa Times"

Kabwila-Kapasula and company are on record to have said that they don’t want to see any victims in the academic freedom struggle, but it seems the University Council of Malawi has other ideas,  on Wednesday evening the University Council issued marching orders to the four ‘ring leaders’ it earlier attempted to fire.

The four are Associate Professor Blessings Chinsinga, Professor Garton Kamchedzera, Franz Amin and Dr. Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula.

“I was working late (around 7.pm) and when I was passing the administration block the head of security [at Chanco] came to me and told me that I was wanted by the assistant registrar,” narrated Kamchedzera in a phone Interview with Nyasa Times, ‘on my way to the registrar’s office I met the college principal who didn’t greet me, a thing I found very unusual.

“The assistant registrar then handed me a letter from Council which said that it was a follow up from the letters they served us earlier when they terminated our contract. The letter said that the council was aware of the injunction [against the fours’ firing] but said that our services were not desired anymore and that we are therefore not compelled to report for work,” said Kamchedzera.

Kamchedzera then revealed that the council had also sent a 10-paged document to the rest of the academic staff telling them among others not to try to engage it in any talks advising instead that all queries should be directed to the principal.

Kamchedzera bemoaned the confrontational approach the council has taken saying it comes at a time when lecturers were trying to engage in dialogue to quickly resume teaching.

Meanwhile Nyasa Times gathered that the few academic staff that were on campus briefly met and a bigger meeting is scheduled for today to chart the way forward on the firing and the continued targeting of the four by the University Council.

The University Council actions also did not go well with Lawyer-cum-Politician, Ralph Kasambara who described the action as retrogressive.

“That is contempt of court. Most likely the council's conduct will result in a deadlock. Lecturers might not go back to teach. It means that nothing has changed. Academic freedom is still under threat,” said Kasambara who was speaking from Stockholm.

  Despite President Mutharika suggesting that the closed universities of Polytechnic and Chancellor College be opened by 4 July, the University Council has been steadily making strides in preventing that happening by maintaining the court appeals aimed at freezing the lecturers’ salaries and completely shutting down the universities.

Some quarters in Malawi allege that Mutharika was just playing games when he ‘assured’ academic freedom on national television, because, the people say, as the chancellor of the university he is also head of the University Council hence part of the court actions fuelling the confrontation.

Lecturers to help defend suspended Bunda students

"Written for Nyasa Times"

University of Malawi’s Chancellor College lecturers who were fired by the University Council have pledged support for the seven students who were fired from the defunct Bunda College of Agriculture for their conduct during the Academic Freedom Demos.

Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula who is the Acting President for Chancellor College Academic Staff Union told Nyasa  Times that they will support the suspended students because they [CCASU] hate to see any casualties in the ight for Academic Freedom.

Bright Theu, Lawyer representing the lecturers in the court cases against the University Council also said that there are ‘plans to work with the students and to find possible ways to assist them,’ further revealing that he would soon be meeting the lawyers of the students to discuss how they can work together.

Kapasula and Theu all confirmed that one of the students has already secured an Injunction stopping Bunda from implementing the decision to suspend him.

“An injunction has indeed been granted in Lilongwe and it is due service. As you remember we said that we would provide whatever help we can,” Theu said.

Nyasa Times separately learned that Peter Mkandawire, one of the seven students obtained the
injunction through lawyer Chimwemwe Sikwese on Friday.

Vice-Principal and chairman of the disciplinary committee at Bunda, Charles Masangano, said the injunction is within the student’s rights but said that Bunda would face them in court.

The seven students who include the students’ union president, Fraction Phwitiko, Peter Mkandawire, Benard Mshali, Ian Onion and George Thandaza, were suspended for alleged indiscipline during student riots and disrespect of the school’s disciplinary procedures as they demonstrated demanding academic freedom in April this year.

Poly, Chanco July re-opening doubtful

'note one thing: I havent talked to Unima Council'

Despite President Mutharika directing that the embattled sister colleges, Polytechnic and Chancellor college open their doors to students by 4th July, there are indications that students are likely to remain home with the revelation that the University Council and lectures seem not ready to resolve their issues out of court.

Rumours started circulating on Thursday that the University Council still wants to proceed with court cases that are aimed at freezing lecturers’ salaries and completely shutting down the two colleges. On Friday the rumour was confirmed by both Pascow’s chairman Griffin Salima and Spokesperson, Simbarashe Mungoshi.

‘I will see the documents that they [University Council] have served us with on Monday but I hear they still want to completely close the college and freeze our salaries, “said Salima, “we agreed that we should go back to class but how do we do that while we are on campus through the courts and we are getting our salaries through the courts?”

Mungoshi said that they [lecturers] spent the day at the court and that the matter has been adjourned to Friday, next week.

Efforts to talk to a University Council proved futile but University of Malawi Students Union (UMSU), Secretary General, Mphatso Chirwa said that the University Council recently had a meeting where they discussed the Poly-Chanco issue.

“We [students] were not invited as per the rule [that when University Council discusses issues concerning students, the students are not supposed to be present] but we were only served with agendas which included the re-opening of the colleges, the academic calendar and students’ security,” said Chirwa.

On his part Polytechnic Students Union (PSU) president, Evance Morra, said he was in the dark on the issue and that he was just waiting for 4 July.

“If it’s true then it’s defying the president’s directive. We insisted and initiated this dialogue thing because we know how long court proceedings take and to hear that issues are still in court is disappointing, we don’t have all the time in the world,” said Morra.

University students reacted angrily to the development that the court issues were still being dragged on by University Council. A snap Survey of opinion on the social media shows allot of anger at University Council for the ‘politicking’ and president Mutharika for not being honest and clear in his recent speech on the matter.

Unima students dressed down Dausi, warned Mutharika of false advisors

i wrote this story for Nyasa Times... so read it in that context...

As Nyasa Times gathers more details of Saturday’s roundtable meeting between government and University of Malawi students, it has emerged that the students cautioned Mutharika to be wary of false advice from people looking for personal gains.

An inside source who opted for anonymity said the students were referring to Nicholas Dausi who was using the meeting to earn marks in Mutharika’s presence.

“Dausi picked on Lonjezo Sithole [Chanco Students union leader], accusing him of escorting Undule Mwakasungula to the UN to deliver ‘false’ complaints and allegations against Mutharika’s government,” said the source.

The outspoken Lonjezo Sithole protested, citing that he doesn’t even have a passport. The dressing down then begun, led by Polytechnic’s revolutionary Vice President, Victor Mandiwe who told Dausi that he was raising an issue that was irrelevant to the meeting.

The much Phlegmatic Evance Morra, then braved the numerical disadvantage the students were in to tell Mutharika that some people were ill-advising him for personal gains. Morra also suggested the colleges be opened in July to allow for non-residential students to secure accommodation and for the rest of the students to get into school mood.

“Dausi never spoke for the rest of the meeting and when we were leaving we overheard Peter Mutharika [Minister of Education] telling Dausi that he had goofed,” said our source.

The highly charged meeting saw Unima lecturers boycotting it for not being formally invited and saw tempers flaring with the student leaders being called names. The meeting resolved that Mutharika would soon issue a statement to address the issue of Academic freedom.

According to a statement monitored on the state-controlled broadcaster, MBC, Mutharika has assured the lectures of Academic freedom and has directed that the colleges of Chanco and Poly be opened on the 4^th of July.

Meanwhile unofficial reports indicate that lecturers are ready to resume teaching and the only questions being raised by students are those of stationery allowance and how the academic calendar will shape out.