#rumphi

Atsikana Ambiri Atenga Mimba M’boma La Rumphi

CHIWELENGELO CHA ATSIKANA OTENGA MIMBA CHAKWERA KWAMBILI M’BOMA LA RUMPHI Chiwelengelo chatsikana otenga mimba M’boma la Rumphi Chakwela Kufika pa 2234. M’neneli wa Chipatala Cha Rumphi aBanalori Mwamulima ati chiwelengelo ndichoyambila Mmwezi wa January kufika May M’chaka chino. A Mwamulima ati nambayi ikusonyeza kuti chiwelengelo Chakwela ndi 4% maka pakati pa achitsana omwe ndi…

By: Matthews Mfune

Rumphi magistrate court has sentenced Clever Mtengerenji, a police officer to 6 years imprisonment with hard labour, for defiling a 12-year old standard six girl at Livingstonia in the district.

Set to Spend 72 months in Prison

In his verdict, Magistrate Brian Msiska observed that the offence committed by the police officer was very serious and carried a penalty of life imprisonment. Msiska explained the country’s legislators came up with this stiff penalty to protect minors from sexual offenders.

He said the court treats every primary-school-going girl as a minor as it is rare these days to find elderly girls (from the age of 18 and above) still in primary school. He made this observation following a claim that the convict made in his defence that he was in a love relationship with the school girl and that the girl had told him that she was 18 years old before their liaison began.

The Magistrate said as a police officer, Mtengerenji was not exemplary by going against the core values of his job-to protect life and property.

“The court has taken note that the convict is a police officer whose sole duty is to protect life and property, but in this case, he was actively at the forefront committing the offence,” said Msiska.

However, the presiding magistrate said the court had taken note of mitigating factors that Mtengerenji was a first-time offender and that his job career was on the line after the conviction.

Nonetheless, Magistrate Msiska ordered that the cop, who was among the recently recruited officers, should spend a custodial jail term of 6 years in prison begging from the day he was picked by the police for the offence. He added that the offender had the right to appeal against the conviction and sentence to the High Court.

Mtengerenji committed the offense on the night of 7-8th February, 2016 at his house where he, along with his colleagues, had organised a drinking spree which the girl had also attended. Mtengerenji  reportedly lured the girl into his house with a promise that he would give her notebooks, but instead ended up drinking beer with her and later defiled her three times that night.

Constable Mtengerenji, 25 hails from Beni Village, Traditional Authority Somba in Blantyre but committed the offence while working at Livingstonia Police Unit in Rumphi.

By: Thula Chisamba

Local authorities in Rumphi have expressed fury at the Malawi government, over its delays in commencing Teachers Training College construction project in the district.

Phwitiko ; no comment from gvt side

Speaking in an exclusive interview with this publication, on Friday, paramount chief, Themba La Mathemba Chikulamayembe expressed dismay owing to government lack of commitment in commencing the project.

“It’s been a long time waiting to hear from them on the project-Infract i am not even sure if the government will construct the college,” said Chikulamayembe.

The Malawi government laid a foundation stone at the construction site about four years ago but since then, nothing has been done.

In a visit on Friday, The Malawi Star team established that the proposed construction site desolate with no any sign of the project commencement possibility.

Some community members told our reporter that since government laid a foundation stone at the site in 2012, nothing has been done.

“They have failed even to send officials to conduct some feasibility studies.

This shows that they only announced the project to blind us,” said Joseph Gondwe.

But the big question that puzzled the locals is how the government has used funds allocated to the project since there is no any progress.

Authorities at Rumphi district council declined to comment on the raised concerns, citing that they were not responsible for the project.

They referred the publication to the ministry of education science and technology for accurate response.

However, a publicist in the ministry, Rabecca Mphwitiko, was not available for comment, despite several attempts.

Precarious by Matt Floreen on Flickr.