Nthanda Times

Nthanda Times Reporter

  • Prophet Kambale does it again! Heals man from a chronic disease

    In what is popularly described as revival amongst Pentecostal circles, jaw dropping miracles continue to happen at Prophet Amos Kambale’s Life International Church in Lilongwe.

    On December 23, 2024, which the prophet dubbed Mega Miracle Service, there were countless testimonies from believers who packed to full capacity the gigantic Mbinzi Day Secondary School Hall.

    Richard Chavula, from Njewa in Lilongwe, came first in December last year when he had difficulties in walking due to prolonged terminal disease.

    The doctors said they could not diagnose the disease. Chavula could only crawl to get out of his house.

    He would ask his 25-year-old son to turn him on the bed.

    Prophet Kambale

    When he came to testify on 11th February 2024, he was able to run around the church to the shock of the congregants.

    He is perfectly healed. Chavula said that when he first came to the church, all his problems ended that day.

    He went to hospitals and witch-doctors who used to charge him live goats and money to get assistance.

    “I will never go to witchdoctors again. They are all liars. God is here and I encourage everyone who has life problems to come here because there is a living God here,” thus he concluded his testimony.

    A week ago, another man, by the name Justin Chidziwisano from Area 23 in Lilongwe, testified that ever since he finished college, he never got a job.

    Chidziwisano had made so many applications, attended 15 interviews in 2023 alone, but still could not secure any job.

    This prompted him to seek a solution to his predicament from Life International Church.

    He first congregated with the church on 3rd December 2023.

    “Actually, I came just to try, having failed to secure any job after being prayed for by other preachers. I was frustrated with life. That day, in the hearing of the entire church, Prophet Amos Kambale prophesied and challenged me that before April 2024, I will secure a good job.

    “Today, 4 February, 2024, I stand to testify that just as Prophet Kambale prophesied, from that day of prophecy, I have attended three interviews and I got two job offers from different companies. I have selected one with the best offer, which I am reporting for duties on 1st March, 2024,” he narrated.

    “Again, I have come to ask for more grace because the job offer is very big for me. I need God’s help for me to execute my duties very well. The Prophet does not know me, we have never talked. It’s purely God! Believe in God, everything is possible,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Malawians from all walks of life travel from far and near districts just to be in the service every Sunday morning at Mbinzi Day Secondary school hall which is opposite Lilongwe Water Board along Likuni road in Lilongwe just to hear the word of God and to be prayed for over their challenges.

    The prophet disclosed that he will deliver a fresh anointing service tomorrow [Sunday, February 18, 2024].

    He said  everyone will be anointed so that they receive their hearts desires according to (Psalm 92:10-11).

    Prophet Kambale claims to have performed many miracles in his ministry including raising cripples from wheelchairs, making the blind to see, deaf ears to hear, and also predicting local and international events. He even claims to have powers to make one secure a job without interviews.

    Well known as a prophet with integrity, Prophet Kambale founded Life International Church with the motto “the Solution Centre” in May, 2016.

  • Mchinji man earns 14 years in jail for having sex with a minor

    The First Grade Magistrate (FGM) Court in Mchinji has convicted and sentenced a 46-year-old man, Andrew Peter, to 14 years in prison for having a carnal knowledge of a nine year-old girl.

    This was after the State prosecutor, Sub Inspector Gerald Ngoma of Kamwendo Police Post, had told the court that the convict sought an opportunity to defile the victim by locking her up in his house when her parents had left her home for farm activities.

    According to a report from Mchinji Police Station public relations officer, Constable Limbani Mpinganjira, upon returning from the field, a brother to the victim who saw the convict taking his sister into the house, narrated everything how the young sister got locked up with the suspect inside his house, prompting the mother to check her private parts and she noticed some things that looked like semen.

    The matter was instantly taken to Guilleme Police Unit where they were issued a medical report. Results from the hospital proved positive.

    Mpinganjira Police Public Relations Officer Constable Limbani Mpinganjira

    Appearing before the court, Peter denied the charge until the state paraded four witnesses, including the medical evidence, vindicating the convict’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

    Andrew Peter prayed for special consideration as he is  a bread winner, on the other hand, the state pleaded for a stiffer punishment since the suspect was supposed to protect the victim considering the age gap between the two.

    In passing the sentence, FGM Yohane Nkhata concurred with the state and went ahead sentencing Andrew Peter to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour.

    Andrew Peter hails from Kapanila Village, under Traditional Authority Zulu  in Mchinji.

  • Mob justice kills one in Ntchisi

    An angry mob in Ntchisi has killed a 17-year-old boy, Synoden Gomani, who was caught trying to steal from a certain house. 

    Ntchisi Police Station publicist Salomy Zgambo said the incident occurred on Wednesday at around 10am at Chiwembe Village.

    Zgambo said Synoden (now deceased) was believed to be a habitual criminal.

    “Today at around 1000 hours, he broke into the house of Mr Divason Chimangeni where he attempted to steal a plasma screen. He was caught red-handed by the owner of the house. When the owner of the house tried to apprehend him, Synoden produced a knife and threatened to stab him. This prompted the owner to shout for help and members of the public came and apprehended the suspect whom they heavily assaulted,” she said.

    Zgambo added that when the police received a tip, they rushed to the scene to rescue him.

    However, he was pronounced dead upon arriving at Ntchisi District Hospital where he was rushed after the rescue.

  • DPP confesses soliciting advantage from Pioneer Foods Limited, apologizes to Malawians

    Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has confessed to have solicited an advantage (bribe) from Pioneer Investments Limited, a company at the centre of controversy in the MK2.7 billion food rations deal.

    The erstwhile ruling party has since apologized to Malawians for the action it took. Pioneer Investments Limited managing director, Zameer Karim, is currently answering court case on allegations that he inflated the amount of a contract with the Malawi Police Service to supply food rations within days of signing the contract.

    Karima increased the amount by K466 million from K2.327 billion to K2.793 billion, allegedly due to exchange rate losses.

    Interestingly, Karim deposited K145 million into a governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) account at Standard Bank whose sole signatory is former president Peter Mutharika.

    In a statement released on Wednesday, DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba said the party regrets accepting the donation from the company and its subsequent error of judgment in swiftly refunding the money to Pioneer Investments Limited.

    “Immediately after being aware of the above allegations, the DPP refunded the said sum of MK145 million to Pioneer Foods. Its willingness to refund the said money to Pioneer Foods, was out of regret for receiving money which was tainted with these serious allegations. On its part, YAS insisted that the DPP should pay the said sum of money to the Government Treasury,” reads part of the statement from Namalomba.

    During its reign, DPP used to direct chief executive officers of both government entities and private sector players to fund the party.

  • Bad omens, ghosts still pursuing DPP as Nankhumwa challenges his expulsion in High Court this afternoon

    Bad omens and ghosts will continue hounding former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) until the party leadership confesses and apologizes for the crimes it committed against innocent Malawians during its reign.

    For when it expelled Kondwani Nankhumwa as its vice president for the South, the party thought that was the end of its peril.

    NANKHUMWA – Challenging his expulsion from the DPP

    But nay! The DPP will yet again find itself in the confines of the High Court in Lilongwe this afternoon where Nankhumwa is challenging his expulsion.

    Nthanda Times understand that Judge Yakuwawa Msiska will start hearing the case at 2pm.

    DPP expelled Nankhumwa alongside other officials for organising a National Governing Council (NGC) meeting without following party procedures.

    But the Mulanje central legislator argues his expulsion did not follow party constitution.

  • APM, Ntaba albino murder case drags

    Malawians will have to endure the pain of waiting before they know the truth behind allegations that former president Professor Peter Mutharika and his ex-aide Hetherwick Ntaba were involved in the murder of a man with albinism in Machinga, MacDonald Masambuka.

    On July 1, 2022, former DPP Dr. Steven William Kayuni directed the Inspector General of Police to begin criminal proceedings following some testimonies during Masambuka’s case.

    But two years down the line, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has not yet received a report on police investigations to facilitate prosecution of the case.

    During the trial, former police officer Chikondi Chileka, who was handed a 30-year custodial sentence and Alfred Yohane, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, on several occasions alleged that Mutharika and Ntaba were behind the plot to kill Masambuka.

    Chileka and Yohane’s testimonies compelled then presiding High Court Judge Zione Ntaba to recuse herself from the case in May 2019, citing the inclusion of her uncle’s name Heatherwick Ntaba in the case as the reason.

    This prompted Kayuni to director the office of the Inspector General of Police to launch investigations to substantiate the allegations.

    He said: “during the testimony and actual judgment, names of Messrs. His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika [former President of the Republic of Malawi] and Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba, then presidential adviser and chairperson of the National Task Force on Persons with Albinism, were now and again mentioned as having a part in the allegations.”

    He further observed that former High Court judge Dorothy NyaKaunda Kamanga, now a Justice of Appeal, wondered in her judgment why no investigations were undertaken to substantiate the said allegations against Mutharika and Ntaba.

    Kayuni directed: “In accordance with the law, the directorate is of the opinion that criminal investigations be instituted against the said allegations and references made by the High Court judgement.

    “Further to this, possible charges are as follows: (a). Causing one to harm a person with a disability (killing), (b). Causing someone to harm one with a disability (extraction of tissue), (c). Transacting in human tissue. It is our hope that the acts herein will be investigated swiftly so as to address the wrongs allegedly committed.”

    Kayuni once told journalists that persons with albinism are people too, and that they deserve utmost protection.

    “We await what investigations will come up with, on this crucial matter,” he said then.

    But in our follow-up interviews with the office of the DPP, the new Director of Public Prosecutions, Masauko Chamkakala, said his office is waiting for the police to finalize its investigations before it starts prosecuting the case.

  • HRDC cautions DPP against turning parliament into its political battlefield: “Serve Malawians, not your political interests”

    Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has warned the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) against sacrificing the future of hardworking and forward-looking Malawians on its altar of political egos and selfishness.

    The coalition’s national coordinator, Kelvin Chirwa, observed that the former governing party is not interested to serve Malawians, but rather serve themselves as evidenced by their endless squabbles of leadership in parliament.

    Chirwa was reacting to the sad incidents that ensued at the National Assembly on Friday morning.

    President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera was forced to skip to mention the name of the Leader of Opposition, as he could not make out who is now the anointed Leader of Opposition among Kondwani Nankhumwa, George Chaponda and Mary Navicha.

    Chirwa warned the DPP lawmakers against taking Malawians for granted by turning the National Assembly into its battlefield of political outwitting and witch-hunting at the expense of the needs and interests of poor Malawians.

    “What is happening in parliament is laughable. Parliament should not be engaged in the politicking with DPP,” he reacted.

    Meanwhile, commentators have predicted that Malawians should brace for another legal drama as DPP itches to replace Nankhumwa with Chaponda or Navicha.

    According to Nankhumwa’s lawyer, Wapona Kita, the injunction which was obtained by 23 DPP MPs in 2022, challenging an earlier appointment of Chaponda on the basis that they were not accorded the right to vote, still stands and any action by the party against it, is tantamount to contempt of court.

    “There is a letter that I wrote to parliament on instruction from my client reminding them that there is an order of injunction which stops DPP from replacing Honourable Nankhumwa with Honourable Chaponda as leader of opposition in parliament,” said Kita.

    “So as far as we are concerned that order has not been lifted it is still valid until the court gives another order then Honourable Nankhumwa ought to be recognized as leader of opposition,” he added.

    Two weeks ago, DPP expelled the Mulanje Central Parliamentarian and several other officials from the party over issues bordering on indiscipline.

    The party further requested the office of the speaker of parliament to replace Nankhumwa with Dr Chaponda as leader of opposition.

    DPP officials were not readily available for a comment on the new developments, but some senior officials close to the party leadership told Zodiak Broadcasting Station that the DPP will not relent in the attempt to remove Nankhumwa, arguing he is no longer a member of the main opposition party.

  • Limited resources hinder women empowerment

    Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare says limited access to loans for startup capital among women is one of the factors hindering women advancement towards economic empowerment.

    In an interview, the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Pauline Kaude, said if women and girls were empowered to venture into small scale businesses, their households would be economically stable in food and nutrition with improved general welfare including childcare.

    She said limited resources in the ministry is one of the challenges that hinder implementation of programmes meant to advance women economic empowerment in order for them to become productive citizens. 

    “We have full programmmes that look at economic empowerment, reduction of gender-based violence and other programmes in gender mainstreaming.

    “We look at empowerment from a holistic angle; education and training, economic, legal frameworks that support women and girls and land ownership,” said Kaude.

    Kaude: women empowerment programmes are hindered by limited resources.
    Kaude: women empowerment programmes are hindered by limited resources. Pic, Courtesy of Pauline Kaude

    She added that, in Malawi, more than half of the population is female and leaving out more than 50 percent is developmental suicide.

    Kaude, therefore, appealed to different partners, such as government, non-governmental organisations and development partners, to collaborate to empower women saying government sees potential human development in women empowerment through human capital development as per Malawi 2063.

    Chairlady for Chikondano Gomen group, Eliza Chisale, said it is important to mobilise women and young women to venture into small scale businesses to reduce poverty at household level.

    ”I encourage fellow women and girls, that have no business, to do small scale businesses such as selling second hand clothes, doughnuts and others items so that they are able to take care of their families.

    “Lack of startup capital remains a factor hindering most women and young women in different areas. The major problem still remains; lack of money and limited opportunity to access loans to help women to realise their dreams of being economically stable,” she added.

    Chisale, therefore, appealed to government to facilitate accessibility to loans that should help women find startup capital for small scale businesses for improved livelihood.

    Chikondano Women Group a has a component of savings and loan such that 65 members were doing small scale business ranging from selling second hand clothes to running cosmetic shops and hair salons.

  • Presidential aspirant Milward Tobias describes current political arena as mafia style

    Presidential aspirant and leader of mismanagement of Coalition, Milward Tobias, has characterized the past 31 years’ time of multi-party politics as a mafia style of leadership, with high levels of corruption, nepotism and gross mismanagement of the economy.

    In a statement released on Thursday, Tobias said as the country is helding to 2025 polls, he offers the best choice to Malawians to vote for as president. 

    He highlighted that casting a vote means vesting individual powers and aspirations in a single individual believed to have integrity, competence and interest to prudently use public resources to serve Malawians but this country has been experiencing short periods of economic progress overshadowed by stagnant and retrogress. 

    “They capitalized on our destitution and enticed us with chitenge we cannot wear to a church or mosque, a T-shirt we cannot when visiting a finance. They dish out small amounts of money even as small as K2000 but such amount looks a lot because of our lack, ” reads part of the statement. 

    Tobias: Malawians deserve better leadership

    Tobias therefore pleads with citizens of this country to reflect on Malawi we have and Malawi that should be so that citizens should use the offer he is giving to lead to the ending of the 31 years of mafia politics and launch the beginning of political leadership founded on principles of integrity, competence as well as service.

    “I have public service experience having served the presidency and having the opportunity to be part of the team that interacted with the government in its totality from ministries, departments, local councils to parastatals during the first phase of public sector reforms,” The statement highlights. 

    He assured the general public that the next election is a system change election, therefore citizens should not sell their souls, future as well as dignity

  • Opposition steps up efforts to destabilize free maize distribution to hunger-stricken Malawians

    Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) have come under heavy criticism for putting spanners towards efforts to bail out starving households.

    The Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) estimated last year that over four million Malawians would face acute food shortage during this year’s lean season, owing largely to the low yield the farmers realized due to the impact of Tropical Cyclone Freddy that hit 11 districts of Southern Region in March.

    To avert starvation, President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera directed the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) and other government agencies to join hands in providing relief food to hunger-stricken families until the next harvesting season.

    Government departments have since increased efforts to provide relief maize in the Southern Region. However, their efforts are being hampered by relentless disturbances from hidden hands suspected to be those of the DPP and UDF lawmakers.

    A recent ugly incident took place at Khonjeni Trading Centre in Thyolo where distribution of the relief maize failed because violent youths, allegedly sent by senior DPP officials, disturbed the whole process.

    “Their aim is to paint a bad picture of President Chakwera so that people here should believe their claim that the Head of State has failed,” a starving mother of two, while pleading for anonymity, confided. “These DPP officials are heartless. They can do everything, just to maintain their positions. They don’t care what happens to us.”

    DoDMA officials distributing maize in October 2023

    DPP and UDF seem to take happiness in deceiving and starving Malawians as a way to maintain their grip on power. During the UDF regime, trucks of maize would be ferried from one political rally to the other, without being offloaded while Malawians died of hunger.

    It is probably against this background that they are bitter and jealous of the Chakwera administration, which has departed from politics of deception.

    The Chakwera administration has refused to join a bandwagon of leaders who victimize Malawians on the basis that they do not enjoy popularity in certain areas or regions.

    During his administration, former president Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM) did not support people from Central and Northern Region districts because they denied him votes.

    Mutharika directed abandonment of flagship projects in the Northern Region such as Mombera University, Mzuzu International Airport, Nkhata Bay-Mzuzu Road, Jenda-Edingeni Road, Nyika-Njakwa Road, M1 Road rehabilitation, among others.

    He did all this to punish northerners who had hitherto declared that they would vote for Chakwera in the 2019 tripartite elections.

    DPP Administrative Secretary Francis Mphepo publicly announced that Mutharika had directed the withdrawal of the development projects in the Northern Region because its people are ungrateful.