Take advantage of favourable prices, Chanje advises tobacco farmers
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Tue 30 Apr. 2013, 14:00 CAT
CHIEF Chanje of the Chewa people in Chipata has advised tobacco farmers to take advantage of this year's favourable prices clear their loans with out grower companies.
Last year's tobacco marketing season saw a significant decline in prices when a kilogramme of high grade tobacco sold for less than KR10.
In an interview yesterday, chief Chanje said he does not expect tobacco farmers in his area to default.
He said in the past seasons, he had been receiving complaints from out grower companies about the defaulting farmers.
"I would like to make a passionate appeal to the farmers to ensure that they pay back loans to the out-grower companies. Once we pay back loans then next time they are also going to give us loans. And to out-grower companies, please let's buy tobacco according to the grade of the commodity. It will be bad if farmers will start complaining about the way their tobacco will be bought and end up failing to pay loans," chief Chanje said.
He reminded out-grower companies to start paying farmers who had already sold their tobacco. Chief Chanje said some farmers who sold their tobacco about two weeks ago had not yet been paid.
"People who sold their tobacco should get their monies because there are a lot of things that need money. I would also like to appeal to farmers to take extra care of the food they have grown because this year's rainfall pattern was not very good so they should not sell everything," he said.
Chief Chanje said some companies were buying the crop at as high as KR15.7 per kilogramme, adding that he had not received any complaint from his people over this season's tobacco prices.
Labels: CHIEF CHANJE, CHIEFS, EASTERN PROVINCE, TOBACCO
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Malawi sets ablaze 40 houses for Zambians
By Nyasa Times
Published: November 17, 2010
Officials from Kasungu National Park in Malawi have set ablaze 40 houses for Zambians over a border dispute, top government officials in Blantyre have confirmed. The misunderstanding between the two neighbouring countries has remained unresolved for over 30 years.
Kasungu National Park borders the eastern side of Zambia.
Zambia President Rupiah Banda and his Malawians counterpart Bingu wa Mutharika
Malawi’s Director of Parks in the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture Leonard Sefu said the park officials warned the Zambians, who encroached the park several times since February, to no avail.
“But the Zambians ignored the warnings. They even started preparing more land to grow crops, so the national park officials forcibly removed all their belongings from the houses, removed everybody out of the houses, and set them ablaze,” said Mr Sefu.
Kidnapped
He said during the operation, the Zambians kidnapped five members of staff and confiscated two Malawi Government vehicles. The five and the vehicles have since been surrendered.
Asked if the operation would not cause a diplomatic row between Malawi and Zambia, Mr Sefu said the officials were forced to act after the boundary between Malawi and Zambia was clearly marked.
“But the discussions are still going on between Malawi and Zambia through the Foreign Affairs ministries,” said Mr Sefu, adding before the exercise, the district commissioners and police chiefs from Kasungu and Mchinji were involved in the discussions.
— (Reporting by Rex Chikoko, Africa Review)
Labels: BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, BORDERS, CHIEF CHANJE, KASUNGU NATIONAL PARK, LEONARD SEFU, POLICE CORRUPTION
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COMMENT - This smells of police corruption. Border demarcation is one thing, but burning people's houses down is something else.
Malawian cops torch 20 houses in Chief Chanje
By Times Reporter
UNIFORMED Malawian police officers have set ablaze 20 houses belonging to Zambians living on the Zambia-Malawi boundary in Chief Chanje’s area in Chipata District. The armed officers from Kasungu National Park set the houses on fire last week and accused the Zambians of encroaching on Malawian land.
Chief Chanje of the Chewa speaking people confirmed the development in an interview in Chipata yesterday. He said the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit team under the office of the vice-president had sent some foodstuff and erected tents for the victims.
The traditional leader said a combined team of officers from the Zambia Army, Zambia National Service and Zambia Police Service that rushed to the scene impounded two Malawian Government vehicles that were used in raiding the Zambian villagers.
Some of the areas that were torched included Kaleza farm bloc and parts of Kamukomole forest in Chief Chanje’s area.
Zambia and Malawi share an 800-kilometre common border in Eastern Province but only 200 kilometres have been marked by way of putting beacons.
The two countries’ governments early this year started putting beacons on the remaining 600-kilometre stretch.
“Some armed Malawian police officers from Kasungu National Park set ablaze 20 houses belonging to my subjects who were accused of encroaching on their land. The Malawian police officers have been doing this operation for the past two weeks now,” he said.
He explained that after some new beacons were installed, some of his subjects were found on the Malawian soil while some Malawians were found on Zambia land.
He said the villagers were told not to panic because the relocation would be done gradually with the involvement of leaders from the two countries.
He called for the immediate arrest of the officers involved in what he described as an illegal operation in which his subjects lost a number of assets.
“These Malawian police officers should be arrested and charged with arson for their illegal operation on a foreign land,” he said.
Zambia and Malawi in 2003 signed a joint communiqué at Katuta Lodge in Chipata where they reaffirmed their commitment to completing the demarcation of the common border between the two countries.
The officials from the two countries also agreed that the people living along the border should continue living in harmony as the two countries looked for funds to put new markers in areas where some beacons had been uprooted.
Labels: BORDERS, CHIEF CHANJE, MALAWI, POLICE CORRUPTION
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Chief Chanje bemoans delayed payment to farmers
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Thu 06 May 2010, 03:20 CAT
CHIEF Chanje in Chipata has said people in his area are bitter with delays by tobacco out-grower companies to pay them.
And Chipata District Farmers Association chairperson James Mwale has said the farmers have mounted pressure on the association due to the delay by the companies to pay them.
In an interview yesterday, chief Chanje said most tobacco farmers who sold their produce have not been paid.
“We are fed up with these delays by mostly Alliance One and Eastern Fodya Association of Zambia (EFAZ) to pay the farmers. You know people in my area depend on farming. Now if payments delay like this, then things cannot go well,” he said.
Chief Chanje said the only out-grower company that was not delaying was Africa Leaf.
“Africa Leaf is paying but I don’t know the problem with these others. So I am planning to summon the leaders of these companies at my palace so that they could explain what has prompted this delay,” he said.
Chief Chanje said the delay in paying the farmers would have a negative impact on loan recoveries.
“If they delay to pay the people, how are the people going to pay off the loans? Let them pay the farmers because the season opened a long time ago,” he said.
And chief Chinunda has expressed concern over the late payment.
Chief Chinunda has said most out-grower companies had not yet started buying tobacco in his area. And Mwale said the tobacco companies had not been paying since April 22 this year.
“They have not been paying since the 22nd of last month, they have no money. They are saying they are waiting for budget transfer. I don’t know whether it’s from Malawi or from Lusaka, I don’t know. As it is now, we have a problem because farmers are just trying to find out the correct position,” said Mwale.
Labels: CHIEF CHANJE, CHIPATA, CHIPATA DISTRICT FARMRAS ASSOCIATION, EFAZ, JAMES MWALE, TOBACCO
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Chief Chanje suspends opening of tobacco marketing season
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Wed 17 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT
CHIEF Chanje of the Chewa people in Chipata has suspended the opening of the tobacco marketing season in Mugubudu area. In interview from his palace, chief Chanje said the marketing season could not be opened before his meeting with various stakeholders in the tobacco industry.
"I have ordered the buying companies and all those involved in the tobacco business not to open the market because my meeting with various stakeholders in the tobacco sector has not been done," he said.
Chief Chanje said farmers should be aware about how the marketing season was going to be before opening.
"People should know about prices. They should know as to how much will go to Eastern Fodya Association of Zambia and other issues. I am consulting Tobacco Board of Zambia on this meeting and they will as well be invited," he said.
Chief Chanje said he has instructed his Induna's and headmen to ensure that no one was buying tobacco in the area.
"You know the tobacco market was supposed to be opened here in Mugubudu, Zozwe and Kapara but here I said no, let's have a meeting first. I don't know these others areas," chief Chanje said.
He said he would invite various stakeholders in the tobacco industry to the consultative meeting that would be held soon at his palace.
Eastern Fodya Association of Zambia vice- chairperson Chishala Chilufya said the tobacco market was last Monday opened in many areas apart from chief Chanje's area.
Last week Eastern Fodya Association of Zambia announced that the tobacco market was to be opened on Monday to protect farmers from vendors.
EFAZ chairperson Blessing Banda said early opening of the tobacco market was more like a technical knockout to the vendors who start vending early.
Last year, the tobacco business in Eastern Province faced some difficulties following the decision by the Malawian government to ban Zambian tobacco from entering that country.
The province has no tobacco processing plant and largely depends on Malawi which has a plant in Lilongwe among other districts.
Labels: CHIEF CHANJE, TOBACCO
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Predecessor’s son sues chief Chanje
By Maluba Jere
Sun 22 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
CHIEF Chanje has been sued by his late predecessor’s son for damages and trespassing on Mwaona farm.
In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, Julius William Banda sued Moses Zulu seeking the court’s declaration that he is the rightful beneficiary of the house which was left for him and his siblings by his late father.
Banda claimed that on or before August 16, 1994, his father (late William Sandy Banda) made a dying declaration which was recorded by his indunas where he willed that Zulu should succeed him.
He stated that his late father also declared that his personal properties which included a house which was the place at the time, a motor bike, hammer mill and farm were not family property and should therefore go to his wife and children.
Banda explained that upon the chief’s death the same year, Zulu was made chief in accordance with the late chief’s declaration.
He stated that Zulu now has a house built for him which is the palace.
Banda also stated that sometime this year, Zulu started making demands on the house and farm left by the late chief on the premise that he ought to have inherited all in his capacity as chief Chanje.
Banda now wants the court’s declaration that he is the rightful beneficiary of the house left behind by his late father.
He also wants a declaration that he (Banda) and his siblings are the beneficiaries of the owners of Mwaona farm and further wants an injunction restraining chief Chanje from trespassing on the said farm and other reliefs as the court may deem just and expedient.
Banda is also claiming damages for trespass, interest and costs.
Labels: CHIEF CHANJE, COURTS
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Chief Chanje bans tobacco trade with briefcase buyers
By Christopher Miti
Thursday March 13, 2008 [03:00]
CHIEF Chanje of the Chewa people in Chipata has banned his subjects from selling tobacco to briefcase buyers that have already flooded the area. And chief Chanje has commended the Malawian government for getting rid of buffaloes that had run away from the national park. In an interview from Chipata yesterday, chief Chanje said briefcase buyers should not sway people.
“I have taken my indunas as security men to guard against the unscrupulous people who are buying tobacco before the opening of the tobacco market. I want the people to sell their tobacco to the companies that gave them loans once the market opens later this month,” he said.
He appealed to tobacco companies to open the market as soon as possible to prevent farmers from selling their commodity to briefcase buyers. Chief Chanje said people in his area were expected to have average yields this year because of the floods.
He expressed gratitude to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for abiding by President Mwanawasa’s instruction to start selling maize in the province. Chief Chanje appealed to FRA not to have a limitation on the number of bags to be sold in the area.
And chief Chanje commended the Malawian government for getting rid of the buffaloes that had escaped from Kasungu National Park late last year.
“The Malawian government sent some game rangers here to get rid of the buffaloes whose presence caused fear among my subjects,” said chief Chanje.
Labels: CHIEF CHANJE, EASTERN PROVINCE, TOBACCO
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Chief Chanje warns teachers against excessive drinking
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Saturday September 08, 2007 [04:00]
CHIEF Chanje of the Chewa people in Chipata has warned teachers in his area against excessive drinking of alcohol. And chief Chanje has appealed to the Ministry of Health to send qualified health personnel to his area. Chief Chanje expressed concern that some teachers were found drunk during working hours in the area.
"I will not tolerate teachers who are always drinking beer during working hours, I know a number of teachers who are doing this, but its normal for them to drink after 17:00 hours," chief Chanje said.
He appealed to the Ministry of Education to look into ways through which it could deal with teachers who are always drunk during working hours.
"I want the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) to visit my area so that I can explain better and the DEBS should respond early when there are such matters,"chief Chanje said.
He wondered why some schools in the area were not holding Parent Teacher Association and Annual General meetings for more than two years.
And chief Chanje appealed to the Ministry of Health to send qualified personnel to Tamanda clinic.
"Tamanda Rural Health Centre has no qualified health personnel, there is a worker who normally helps in doing some duties that are supposed to be done by a qualified health worker but my worry is that this person is not qualified and as such he is bound to make mistakes," chief Chanje said.
He said it was unfortunate that the district health office had not done anything despite being informed about the problem.
"I informed the health office early this year and they assured me that they were going to look into that during postings but up to now they haven't acted," said chief Chanje.
Labels: CHIEF CHANJE, CHIEFS, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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