Monday, July 26, 2010

Fruits ripening chemicals are a health hazard

There is a tendency of using unknown chemicals in ripening fruits in Mulanje and other surrounding area that puts people's lives at risk. Almost all fruits, especially bananas, are soaked into these colourless chemical to reduce the normal time it takes to ripe. Bananas take two days to ripe.

I have talked to several people who use and some who sell these chemicals and have confessed that they are making money out of this because they time of waiting for the fruits to ripe is reduced. They all agreed that they are not sure of the side effects the chemicals have on people.

An effort to establish the real name of the chemicals proved futile as most people don't know. But it was established that they are smuggled out of tea estates where they are used to control pests. They are then diluted and locally packed in plastic tubes for sale in roadsides.

Some consumers have complained that thes chemicals might affect them because fruits are consumed in large numbers. I have talked to Agriculture and Health Officials which admited knowledge of this problem but were not able to tell me what is being done to deal with this.

Apart from bananas, pineapples are another fruit that this chemical is used to ripen. Keep this in mind when you buy fruits at Minimini or Limbuli market.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Give Jumani a chance !! Go for the DNA test

He might not have used a good way to trace his roots but the man has a right to know who his real father is. Jim Jumani Johansson is right in every way to know the truth about his background.

From what we have been reading in the press throughout the week, there is something sinister surrounding the partenity of this man who claims to be Kamuzu's son. To make matters worse, the responses we are getting from the Kamuzu family are not assuring at all. Instead of giving answers they are bringing more questions that needs to be answered.

What Malawians need to know is the truth behind the family of the first President of independent Malawi not what we are being told at present. For a long time some people have controlled what we are to know about Kamuzu. There has been conflicting accounts about his life. Many who were close to him choose to be silent about his life. We expected that men like John Tembo will write books about him. Even Cecelia Kazamira who we are told was his long time confidant is yet to tell the nation what she knows about his life.

It is because of these and many other reasons that will make Malawians to believe what Johansson is claiming that some people were paid to keep qiute on issues regarding Kamuzu's life.

As much as we all know that Kamuzu was very strict in doing things and would not have tolerated what is being said now, people should realise that times have changed. We now have freedom of speech. These people should now speak the truth and let the world hear it.

This is our history. It belongs to all Malawians. We know that some people had been controlling our history for a long time. Remember there was government which changed things bearing the name Kamuzu.They forgot that governments change!

I ask the family of Kamuzu to go for the DNA test and establish the truth surrounding the life of the Kamuzu. These things should be settled once for
all. I find it hard to believe that a man who is was trained as a Psychologist by Stockholm University can just lose his senses and come to a poor African nation and claim to be a son of its former president. Its time people accepted that Kamuzu was only human and could have fathered a child at one time in his life.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Kamuzu Banda had a son?

All this time we have lived to believe that Malawi's first president, Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda was not married and had no children. But 13 years after his death a 37 year old man is claiming to be the son of the former ruler.

Jim Jumani Johansson advertised in Sunday Times that he want to change his name to Emmanuel Masauko Kamuzu Banda because he is the son of the late Kamuzu.

Every patriotic Malawian is keenly following the events as they unfold to solve the mystrey that surrounds the history of the Father and founder of the Malawi nation.

As expected the family is challenging the claims and some have even called Johansson as an impostor but its too early to conclude. a sane person cannot just come and claim to be someone's son.

Malawians have been calling for people who were close to the former President to write books on what they know about Kamuzu's life. For now we keep our fingers crossed and waiting to see how things will progress.

There are fears that Johansson is just here to find a way of taking over Kamuzu's wealth but he has refused this. He says he is ready to go for DNA test to prove his claims.

Johansson was staying and working in Sweden and he claims to have discovered that he is Kamuzu's son a few years ago.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

How independence day was celebrated in Muloza, Mulanje

There were people everywhere. Clad in their Sunday best clothes, they walked around the streets of the not-so-busy trading centre of Limbuli. With bottles of minerals and beer, they celebrated in a christmas style the 46 years of independence.

Thats how people celebrated Republic day in Muloza a border town in Mulanje. People always look for a reason to celebrate and 6th July gives that reason. As am writing this post there are still parties going on in various houses and people have thronged drinking joints finishing off the celebration.

I had a chat with several people who told me that people here take an example of how republic day and every holiday in neighbouring Mozambique is celebrating. There is alot of merrymaking in days like these and alot of Malawians cross the border to join their neighbours.

Am told families bought rice, chicken and many favourite foods to spice up the day in their homes. It was my first time to see 6th July celebrated in this way.

The main celebrations were held at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe where there was a display of various traditional dances, poetry, speeches, awarding outstanding Malawians in various fields and a football match between Malawi Reserve and Lesotho. Malawi won by a goal scored by Panganani Ndovie.

Happy independence day!!

Malawi: 46 years of independence

All roads lead to Civo Stadium in Lilongwe where the President will lead the nation in commerating 46 years of Malawi's independence.

On this day in 1964, a new nation was born under the leadership of the late Hastings Kamuzu Banda. History records that Malawians celebrated the independence from our colonial masters, the British.

Since then, Malawi has seen alot of changes under the three different administrations. There are alot of positives to write about but the most important is the peace we are enjoying up to this day.

The theme for this year's celebration is 'growing a stronger nation together'. A good thing to do at this time as we are passing through challenging times as a united nation. We seem to be divided on petty issues.

Much as we celebrate that we have made strides in various areas over the 46 years, there are some areas we need to work on. The time we have been independent from the British does not reflect the development we have.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Zain Malawi SMService down

For the past two weeks it has not been possible to send texts on the Zain Malawi network. Just some lucky few are able to send sms.

I called the customer care who admitted that they are aware that sms service is done. The agent assured me that the problem will be rectified the next day. I still can't send texts after a week.

At first i thought it is only Mulanje that is having the problem as it is the case with other network problems. But i found out that it is the same in other areas.

Zain Malawi subscribers have been experiencing alot of problems in recent times. Hope thing will change with the coming in of Bharti Airtel Group.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Malawi Parliament passes a bill to change flag

What most Malawians feared came to pass a few hours ago when the National Assembly passed a bill to allow government change the national flag. This happened disregarding calls from the opposition who claimed that the consultations were not enough.