Malawi - The African Mirror

Dec

2020

Dignity at the end of life: a Malawian nursing study shows the impact of food

WORLD hunger has risen for the third year in a row, with Africa reported to have the highest rate of undernourishment of all regions globally. Africa also bears the greatest burden of HIV, which is linked to food insecurity, and women are disproportionately affected by HIV and food insecurity compared to men. ELIZABETH MKANDAWIRE, Network and Research Manager: ARUA – UKRI GCRF FSNet Africa, University of Pretoria ANNE DRESSEL, Assistant Professor of Global Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee LUCY MKANDAWIRE-VALHMU, Associate professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, College of Nursing PENINNAH KAKO, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, Associate Professor, College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Malawi ready to produce cannabis for industrial and medicinal use

BUSINESS

MALAWI is ready to start commercial production and processing of cannabis for medicinal and industrial use, the southern African country's new Cannabis Regulatory Authority has announced. Malawi's parliament passed a bill in February that makes it legal to cultivate and process cannabis for medicines and hemp fibre used in industry, but stops short of decriminalising recreational use. A growing number of countries around the world are either legalising or relaxing laws on cannabis as attitudes towards the drug change. They include several in southern Africa, including Zambia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. The board chair of Malawi's regulator, Boniface Kadzamira, said his…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Bushiris freed in Malawi, R5.5-million South African property forfeited to the state

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER MOMENTS after he and his wife were freed by a court in Malawi, self-styled 'prophet' Shepherd Bushiri said his freedom meant that "justice was about to prevail". Bushiri told the media and his supporters. "I am so excited but I give all the glory to God. This is not a victory of me. It is not a victory of my lawyers. It is a victory of God. All the glory and praise be to God. We believe that justice is about to prevail." A court in Malawi freed Bushiri and his wife, Mary, after declaring their arrest…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Shepherd and Mary Bushiri arrested in Malawi

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER A week after they skipped bail and fled South Africa self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary are now in custody in Malawian and are expected to appear in court soon. Malawian Police have confirmed that Bushiri and his wife handed themselves over to the law enforcement agencies. In a statement, the police said they had been looking for the Bushiris with an intention to arrest them on the strength of a warrant of arrest which was issued on Tuesday by the Pretoria Magistrates Court. This development came a day after the Pretoria High Court issued…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Diplomatic tiff develops between Malawi and South Africa over treatment of President

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER A diplomatic row has erupted between South Africa and Malawi over the treatment of President Lazarus Chakwera after a working visit to his southern African neighbour. In an unusual step, the Malawian government issued a statement, decrying how Chakwera and his delegation were ill-treated by South Africa. The statement came on the day that the Malawian government confirmed that self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife who skipped bail and fled to Malawi, arrived in that country on Wednesday, two days before Chakwera’s arrival in SA. The Malawi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Chakwera’s return to Malawi…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Bushiris are now fugitives after a South African court issues warrants of arrest

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SELF-PROCLAIMED prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary are now officially fugitives from the law after warrants of arrests were issued against them for violating their bail conditions. The couple, who fled South Africa and are now in Malawi, also had their bail of R200 000 each revoked by the Pretoria Magistrates Court. They are on trial with three other accused where they face fraud and money laundering charges in connection with a R20-million ponzi scheme. The South African government was forced to issue an assurance that the Bushiris were not smuggled out of South Africa by…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Red faced South Africa vows to bring Bushiris back to face justice

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH Africa’s government says it would consider using an extradition treaty to bring back self proclaimed prophet, Shepherd Bushiri and his wife back to face justice after they escaped to Malawi, SA Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said his government would use the southern African Development Community extradition treaty to bring him back. “Malawi is a signatory to the SADC protocol and other legal instruments on extradition. We will not hesitate to use these provisions and instruments to assist law enforcement agencies to extradite fugitives from justice,” Lamola said. Bushiri and his wife, charged with fraud and corruption…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Malawi to open Israel embassy in Jerusalem

NEWS

MALAWI will open a full embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, becoming the first African nation in decades to do so in the contested city. In a video statement during a visit to Israel, Malawi Foreign Minister Eisenhower Mkaka called the decision a "bold and significant step". He congratulated Israel on its budding relations with Arab and Muslim states under U.S.-brokered deals, including new ties with African country Sudan, that Israel has hailed as marking the start of a "new era" in the region. Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said alongside Mkaka: "I look forward to your embassy opening soon, and…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Former Malawian minister jailed for corruption

NEWS

FRANK PHIRI A former Malawian cabinet minister has been sentenced to six years in jail for corruption, the first conviction of a high-ranking official of the former administration since new President Lazarus Chakwera won office on an anti-graft campaign. Chakwera unseated former leader Peter Mutharika in a June 23 re-run election after the 2019 poll was overturned by a court due to irregularities. The re-run came after weeks of rare street protests against the ruling party over the elections and corruption accusations. The High Court in Lilongwe sentenced the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) powerful minister of home affairs…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

COVID-19 job losses: Malawi migrants return empty-handed from South Africa

COVID-19

CHARLES PENSULO SIPHAT SIMALI imagined that when she finally got back to Malawi she would return with pride and enough earnings from South Africa to support her two children and start a small business. Instead, the 28-year-old former domestic worker was bussed home empty-handed and shamefaced, one of a thousand to return last month after mass job losses in South Africa's lockdown. Nearly 10,000 Malawians have made the long journey home from South Africa since May, according to Malawi's Department of Disaster Management Affairs, with more due in coming months as the coronavirus eats deeper into the world economy. "I…