![Information Minister Patricia Kaliati appreciating pictures transmitted by Kiliye kiliye decoder during the launching ceremony in Mzuzu-Pix By Joel Chirwa (Mana).]()
Minister of Information, Communications, Technology and Civic Education, Patricia Kaliati, has asked officials from Department of Civic Education to intensify awareness on digital migration ahead of the switch off from analogue to digital broadcasting in Mzuzu and its surrounding areas.
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![Minister of Information Patricia Kaliati emphasizing a point during the launch of Malawi Kiliye Kiliye Digital TV in Mzuzu.Pix By Joel Chirwa Mana]()
Minister of Information Patricia Kaliati emphasizing a point during the launch of Malawi Kiliye Kiliye Digital TV in Mzuzu.Pix By Joel Chirwa Mana[/caption]
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![Information Minister Patricia Kaliati appreciating pictures transmitted by Kiliye kiliye decoder during the launching ceremony in Mzuzu-Pix By Joel Chirwa (Mana).]()
Information Minister Patricia Kaliati appreciating pictures transmitted by Kiliye kiliye decoder during the launching ceremony in Mzuzu-Pix By Joel Chirwa (Mana).[/caption]
Malawi has migrated from analogue to digital broadcasting and Mzuzu will be the first to switch over from analogue to digital broadcasting on 30th June this year (2016).
Speaking Saturday at Mzuzu Upper Stadium during the launch of the Malawi Digital Television and digital decoders branded ‘Kiliye Kiliye’ Decoders, Kaliati said people need to be aware that come 1st July, 2016, they will not be able to watch television without the digital decoder as all analogue transmission equipment will be switched off.
“Let me ask officials to intensify awareness messages to the public so that they understand, embrace and adopt the change because come 1st July, we are going digital,” she said.
During the launch, which was spiced by live performance of the Kiliye Kiliye Digital theme song by Lucius Banda, Malawi National Dance Troupe and Young Africans, Kaliati announced the reduced price of the digital decoder from K15, 000 to K13, 500 to enable more Malawians purchase the decoder.
“We need to be an ICT and digital driven nation and everyone else must migrate. This is the reason government has subsidized the price to enable all Malawians afford the decoder,” she said.
She said from July 1 this year, government will work with the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) to make sure that all decoders that are not digital should not be found on the market or be imported into the country.
She, therefore, asked broadcasters who are on digital broadcasting to incorporate a cultural perspective as the president is championing the Buy- Malawian Campaign,
In her remarks, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Board Chairperson, Mervis Mangulenje, said Malawi viewers will benefit a lot from digital broadcasting as it promotes local development content.
Mangulenje said it is MACRA’s expectation that the broadcasters will make a deliberate attempt to adhere to their licenses provision where they will have to air 60 percent local content and 40 per cent foreign.
She therefore assured that MACRA shall continue to regulate the broadcasting services in accordance with the digital legal and regulatory framework.
Malawi is among the five countries that have been recognized by International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to have migrated in the SADC countries joining Mauritius, Tanzania, Namibia and Mozambique.
The development is as a result of the resolution of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for SADC member countries to migrate to digital television broadcasting by 17th June 2015.
Malawi will be switching off in phases and Mzuzu will be the first to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting.
Digital Migration Coordinator in the Ministry of Information, Communications, Technology and Civic Education, Gedion Munthali, said Mzuzu was found appropriate to be the first to migrate following a random survey which revealed that Mzuzu had fulfilled the three main variables that must be considered before the switch off.
The three variables are that there is a reliable digital signal, has a good uptake of decoders and that there was a fairly good level of awareness about digital migration.
The Malawi Digital Bouquet has 18 television channels that include Times, ABC, Luso, Luntha, Angaliba, Ufulu, Beta and tax-payers run Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) among others.
Minister of Information and Civic Education Patricia Kaliati (left) addressing MPTC members of staff during her visit to the institution.Pic-Francis Mphweya-MANA[/caption]
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Minister of Information and Civic Education Patricia Kaliati looking impressed with TNM's operations during her visit to Blantyre head office.Pic-Francis Mphweya-MANA.[/caption]
Kaliati made the commendation on Wednesday in Blantyre during a tour to MPC headquarters in Blantyre saying the company’s plan to establish One Stop Service Centres is evidence enough that the company wants to serve Malawians better.
“Let me commend MPC staff for working hard and efficiently delivering in the face of all the challenges. This just shows that they are indeed working together with government to achieve the core vision of the corporation.
“The establishment of One Stop Service Centre is another milestone as it will make sure that people find all important services in MPCs offices,” said Kaliati.
The Minister indicated they will incorporate a lot of service from various ministries at the One Stop Centre Service so that people should be able to access them in their respective post offices.
“MPC has 182 post offices but only 50 are making profits but if the one stop centres are put across in all of these, we will be able to make them functional again.
“We would want various ministries and stakeholders to come forward and use the centres in reaching out to people. We want to incorporate programmes like cash transfer, MASAF 4 where beneficiaries will be able to receive payments at the post offices,” said Kaliati.
In his remarks, Board Chair for MPC, Reverend Masauko Mbolembole appreciated the minister’s visit to see for herself the progress and status of the corporation which has been there for a long time.
He said the company will continue doing all it can to be competitive and profitable.
The minister also visited the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) to develop a partnership with the Ministry of Information’s MPC and MBC to educate people about tax since most of them are not conversant with taxation issues.
She said it is high time Malawians had wider knowledge on tax issues so that they make informed decisions.
“We would like MRA to use us to help them in putting across tax education because people think that once they have paid tax it’s done only to realize later that they missed something.
“Thus,the same MRA can also use MPC whenever they have things to deliver somewhere thereby helping to boost their business,” said Kaliati.
MRA Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs, Steven Kapoloma commended the minister for the partnership and cooperation approach saying it will help in educating people about taxes and how they can develop Malawi.
Apart from MPC and MRA, the minister also toured NACIT and TNM to appreciate what they are doing and brainstorm on ideas about good service delivery.
Thom Mpinganjira: Fired workers protest at his office[/caption]
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MSB sale was another form of cashgate[/caption]
Spokesperson for the retrenched employees Chifundo Soko said the vigil, staged in Blantyre, will only be called off after the banks honour payments of their dues.
“It is now close to a month since we were retrenched yet management is reluctant to give us our dues.
“We have been asking them to pay us but the answer has always been give us time, the vigil is the last resort,” said Soko.
Financial tycoon Mpinganjira controversially bought MSB which was 100 per cent state owned and merged it with his FDH Bank last year, raising fears of imminent retrenchment but both the government and FDH Bank officials assured the nation on one would lose a job at the banks.
However after the retrenchment, minister of Labour Henry Mussa said the government approved the retrenchments saying there were duplicating positions in the two banks following the merger and as a private entity, they had to maximize on profits.
However chairman of community and social welfare committee of parliament Richard Chimwendo Banda said the committee has summoned Labour ministry officials to explain why it allowed the retrenchment to take place after assurances by Finance minister Goodall Gondwe that o one would lose a job.
Officials from FDH Holdings including Mpinganjira could not be reached for comment.
Sheikh Walid El Saadi distributing maize[/caption]
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Sheikh Walid El Saadi distributing relief food items to the drought victims at Lunzu - pic by Brian Wasili[/caption]
The donation comes after President Peter Mutharika made a call for relief food items towards people affected by the drought which hit most parts of the country resulting to poor harvest in the 2015/2016 growing season.
In an interview with the Malawi News Agency (Mana) after the distribution of the items at Lunzu in Senior Chief Kapeni’s area in Blanytre on Thursday, Southern Africa Regional Officer for the organisation, Sheikh Walid El Saadi said his organisation decided to come up with the donation to Malawi in response to the government’s call for food assistance to the people affected by the drought.
“This is a response to the government’s call to help people who did not harvest enough due to drought which affected most parts of the country this year.
“As Moslems, we believe in sharing with the poor affected by the global change in Africa including Malawi regardless of religion, tribe, race, skin colour or political background,” explained Saadi.
He said last year his organisation came up with similar assistance to the people whose crops were swept away by floods.
Speaking on behalf of the District Commissioner, Charles Mphepo who is also the Disaster Desk Officer for the district commended the organisation for including Blantyre among the districts to benefit from the donation. He said more food assistance is still needed for the drought victims in the district.
He therefore called upon other well wishers to come forward with relief items in form of food.
Mphepo also advised the beneficiaries to put the relief items to proper use.
One of the beneficiaries Fatima Iddi hailed the organisation for the assistance saying it will help her household as she didn’t harvest enough this year due to the drought.
1,000 households received 20 kilograms of maize flour and 5 kilograms of beans each.
The cooking oil confiscated by police[/caption]
Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) Chief Executive Officer Davlin Chokazinga has since issued a stern warning to people who are involved in smuggling and selling of unrefined and uncertified cooking oil in local markets across the country.
He said MBS will comprehensively engage its inspectors to go to different markets in all districts in the country and confiscate all the uncertified cooking oil.
Chokazinga said cooking oil of such nature is dangerous to human health and they create health pressure not only on the people using them but the country’s health system.
“That is why we insist that people, whatever the case, need to buy oil that is approved by MBS as oil that is well refined and certified as suitable for human consumption,” he said.
In a related development, MBS has with immediate effect suspended operations of Krazy Foods situated at Ginnery Corner and People's Blantyre Metro Shop catering and bakery services due to continuous non compliance to hygienic conditions.
The two institutions have been failing to abide by the Malawi Standard Number 21; Food and Food Processing Units –Code of Hygienic Conditions.
Meanwhile the bureau MBS has advised the general public against patronizing these two places until the hygienic conditions have been improved and the suspension lifted.
Minister of Information Patricia Kaliati emphasizing a point during the launch of Malawi Kiliye Kiliye Digital TV in Mzuzu.Pix By Joel Chirwa Mana[/caption]
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Information Minister Patricia Kaliati appreciating pictures transmitted by Kiliye kiliye decoder during the launching ceremony in Mzuzu-Pix By Joel Chirwa (Mana).[/caption]
Malawi has migrated from analogue to digital broadcasting and Mzuzu will be the first to switch over from analogue to digital broadcasting on 30th June this year (2016).
Speaking Saturday at Mzuzu Upper Stadium during the launch of the Malawi Digital Television and digital decoders branded ‘Kiliye Kiliye’ Decoders, Kaliati said people need to be aware that come 1st July, 2016, they will not be able to watch television without the digital decoder as all analogue transmission equipment will be switched off.
“Let me ask officials to intensify awareness messages to the public so that they understand, embrace and adopt the change because come 1st July, we are going digital,” she said.
During the launch, which was spiced by live performance of the Kiliye Kiliye Digital theme song by Lucius Banda, Malawi National Dance Troupe and Young Africans, Kaliati announced the reduced price of the digital decoder from K15, 000 to K13, 500 to enable more Malawians purchase the decoder.
“We need to be an ICT and digital driven nation and everyone else must migrate. This is the reason government has subsidized the price to enable all Malawians afford the decoder,” she said.
She said from July 1 this year, government will work with the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) to make sure that all decoders that are not digital should not be found on the market or be imported into the country.
She, therefore, asked broadcasters who are on digital broadcasting to incorporate a cultural perspective as the president is championing the Buy- Malawian Campaign,
In her remarks, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Board Chairperson, Mervis Mangulenje, said Malawi viewers will benefit a lot from digital broadcasting as it promotes local development content.
Mangulenje said it is MACRA’s expectation that the broadcasters will make a deliberate attempt to adhere to their licenses provision where they will have to air 60 percent local content and 40 per cent foreign.
She therefore assured that MACRA shall continue to regulate the broadcasting services in accordance with the digital legal and regulatory framework.
Malawi is among the five countries that have been recognized by International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to have migrated in the SADC countries joining Mauritius, Tanzania, Namibia and Mozambique.
The development is as a result of the resolution of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for SADC member countries to migrate to digital television broadcasting by 17th June 2015.
Malawi will be switching off in phases and Mzuzu will be the first to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting.
Digital Migration Coordinator in the Ministry of Information, Communications, Technology and Civic Education, Gedion Munthali, said Mzuzu was found appropriate to be the first to migrate following a random survey which revealed that Mzuzu had fulfilled the three main variables that must be considered before the switch off.
The three variables are that there is a reliable digital signal, has a good uptake of decoders and that there was a fairly good level of awareness about digital migration.
The Malawi Digital Bouquet has 18 television channels that include Times, ABC, Luso, Luntha, Angaliba, Ufulu, Beta and tax-payers run Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) among others.
Tobacco auctioning in progress at Kaneno Auction Floors[/caption]
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Tobacco Auction Floor - Kanengo[/caption]
Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) chief executive officer Albert Changaya said prices ranged from 80 cents to 140 cents, saying this was much better than last week.
He also said the rejection rate was hovering around 73 per cent down from 80 per cent last week.
“There is improvement this week, we hope this will hold,” he said, adding the contract leaf was fetching as high as US$2.
“This is encouraging. Buyers have also increased volumes of tobacco tey are buying. There is hope of improvement,” he said.
Last week the tobacco market at Kanengo was suspended twice after farmers run amok, chasing buyers out of the market, threatening to beat them up for the low tobacco prices
However, contract tobacco farmers blamed their auction tobacco counterparts for deliberately causing the violence to disturb the market out of sheer jealousy because the contract tobacco was fetching higher prices because it s of high quality.
Tobacco Control Commission officials brokered peace between the buyers and farmers that has led to the opening of the market o Monday.
Offering better forex: Kazima (Centre), flanked by Head of Global Markets Lesego Osman and Marketing Officer Brian Mungomo—Picture courtesy of FD Communications Ltd[/caption]
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Standard Bank[/caption]
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Mwanamvekha: Need to change mindset[/caption]
MCCI president Karl Chokotho said this in Blantyre when Trade minister Joseph Mwanamveka met some business people and officials from the chamber.
“It is sad that companies continue to down size their operations, whilst others are closing down completely,” he said.
He said the government needs to come up with sound economic policies to save the situation saying inflation and interest rates remain extremely high posing a great threat to industrialization and manufacturing.
MCCI hailed the ‘Best Buy Malawian’ Initiative as a welcome development urged the government to come up with policies on this.
Chokotho said the initiative can be senseless if Malawians continue to produce low quality products.
Industry and Trade minister Mwanamveka said there was need to change mindset, saying he was of the view Malawians have potential to produce quality products that can compete favourably on the international market.
Usi giving cash to a woman with disability. Pic by Pius Nyondo, Nyasa Times[/caption]
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Rachel Sibande the Malawian super techwoman[/caption]
Sibande is the founder of Malawi’s first technology hub, the mHub, which she launched in November 2013.
The mHub hub nurtures, mentors and incubates young technology entrepreneurs.
It also exists in a new space of developing commercially viable technology solutions.
In 2015, Rachel received a prestigious award from GOOGLE as one of the most outstanding Computer Science Students in the world.
In March 2016; Rachel received yet another prestigious award from the Next Einstein Fellows Initiative as one of Africa's Next Einstein.
Rachel is an alumni of President Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative of 2012.
She is reading for a PhD in computer science at Rhodes University in South Africa. Rachel believes that the future of Malawi and Africa is in its youth.
Sibande is passionate about building a generation of critical thinkers and entrepreneurs. She has since established two initiatives within the hub; "Girls for Code" and "Children's Coding club". Through these initiatives; girls and children are taught how to develop technology applications in a quest to enhance participation in science and technology.
Through the hub; over 2,000 young people have been trained in technology and entrepreneurship and still counting. The hub incubates 8 startup companies and has a membership of 104 technology enthusiasts, innovators and entrepreneurs.
Recently, 10 year old Panashe Jere a product of mHub's Children's coding club was recognised by Mark Zuckerberg in California for an app he developed. Pananshe attended Facebook's grand F8 conference alongside three other young Malawians that developed a mobile application that provides information to pregnant mothers; also products of mHub.
Rachel is 30 years old, married with three Children.
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Mike Chilewe Junior: young Malawian entrepreneur[/caption]
Chilewe Jnr also listed
And 26 year-old Mike Chilewe Jnr is also mentioned in the list.
He is the son of one of Malawi’s most prominent and successful businessmen, Mike Chilewe. But the younger Mike is charting his own path and cutting his teeth as a media entrepreneur.
In 2015, Chilewe Jr, now 26, acquired Star Radio Malawi, a floundering private radio station based in Lilongwe. With the help of media consultants and experts, he has been restructuring the station and is gradually building Star to become one of Malawi’s most successful radio stations.
Chaponda: Improved prices[/caption]
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Good start at Mzuzu tobacco auction floors[/caption]
Opening the market, Agriculture minister George Chaponda hailed the tobacco buyers for heeding to his call for improved tobacco prices.
“This is good, and this is what we have been telling them to do. Our farmers have to enjoy their sweat,” he said after opening the market.
Most farmers said they were happy with the tobacco prices and hoped the buyers would continue offering the good prices.
Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) chief executive officer Albert Changaya said the leaf on the auction was of high quality.
“The rejection rate was low because the leaf was of high quality. This is good news for us and for the farmers,” he said.
Protests and violence have marred the tobacco market at Kanengo in Lilongwe as farmers protested low tobacco prices and high rejection rate.
The Panelists at the Malawi World Development Report`s Launch at BICC in Lilongwe-(c) Abel Ikiloni, Mana[/caption]
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World Bank Country Manager for Malawi, Laura Kullenberge gives her opening remarks at World Development Report at BICC in Lilongwe-(c) Abel Ikiloni, Mana[/caption]
The launch which attracted developers of technology, users, policy makers, regulators, and the academia took place on Thursday at Bingu International Conventional Center in Lilongwe.
Speaking at the event, Malawi’s World Bank Country Manager Laura Kullenberg said over the years the reports have become highly influential publications that are used by many multilateral and bilateral international organisations, national governments, scholars, civil society networks among others to support their decision making processes.
Kullenberg then disclosed that the 2016 report is focusing on Digital Dividends, saying the world is in the middle of the greatest information and communications revolution in human history.
“More than 40 percent of the world’s population now has access to the internet. This rapid technological change has brought many benefits to the poor and disadvantaged,” she noted.
She added that the World Bank’s World Development Report 2016 Digital Dividends documents examples where the internet, mobile phones and related technologies have promoted inclusion, efficiency and innovation.
“In many instances, this has allowed businesses to get more productive, people find new opportunities and government improve their operations. The payoff; faster growth, more jobs and better services, that’s why the report is referred to as Digital Dividends,” Kullenberg explained.
The country Manager further stressed that The World Bank Group has a strong portfolio in supporting the digital development agenda which includes ICT infrastructure investments in fragile or remote countries where the private sector is unable to do the job.
She said: “Here in Malawi, we have been working for a number of years with Government to use digital technologies as a way to raise productivity, to promote competitiveness and diversify the economy. High quality, low cost broadband is a foundation stone for competitiveness in other sectors, especially financial services.”
However, speaking in a separate interview after the WDR launch, Mzimba North MP Hon. Agnes Makonda NyaLonje who is also Deputy Chairperson for Parliament’s Education, Science and Technology Committee said there is a need to address connectivity problems in rural areas if Malawi is to yield maximum benefits from ICT.
“If you look at the Malawian setting, the majority are in rural areas where there is no or slow connectivity. Most young people are also living in rural areas and they can’t operate E-Businesses unless they have connectivity and they have the technical know-how,” she emphasized.
-It’s Great to Cheer, is one of the billboards near Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre along the main highway. The stadium is the home of the Malawi Super League which is sponsored by TNM[/caption]
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ARASA former Acting Executive Director, Bruce Tushabe (l), Pastor Mataka (c), and ARASA Director, Michaela Clayton (r) pose for a photo (Pic. Courtesy of ARASA)[/caption]
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Pastor Mataka, MANERELA+ Vice Chair, displays the ARASA trophy (Pic. Courtesy of ARASA)[/caption]
ARASA is a partnership of 106 civil society organizations working together to promote a human rights based response to HIV and TB in southern and east Africa.
A statement from ARASA says MANERELA+ was presented the award at the end of the Alliance's Annual Partnership Forum on Thursday evening for the organisation's inclusive approach in dealing with stigma and discrimination.
“The vast majority of Malawians prescribe to some religion, and lesbian, gay, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) people are often regarded as being cursed or satanic by communities,” notes the statement.
“MANERELA+ is the only faith based organization in Malawi that is advocating for the human rights of LGBTI groups, including repealing of discriminatory laws, in very challenging circumstances.”
MANERELA+, is a Malawian interfaith and voluntary membership network of religious leaders living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS.
The organization works to reduce stigma, silence, denial, discrimination, inaction, and mis-action through the promotion and involvement of the faith community.
According to ARASA's Director, Michaela Clayton, who is quoted in the statement, the award was established in 2007 to recognize and support organizations across southern and eastern Africa to highlight the ground-breaking work undertaken by the organizations to protect human rights, often in extremely challenging political climates.
The statement quotes MANELERA+ Vice Chairperson, Pastor Anderson Mataka, to have said: “This award will help religious leaders recognize their potential of being role models to advocate for all people living with HIV to be accepted in our communities, including people of all sexual orientations.”
MANERELA+ has also facilitated the establishment of church and mosque-based HIV support groups in 20 districts of Malawi, supporting them with trainings and referral linkages.
The faith-based organization has also established peer pressure groups and advocacy committees in the districts to advocate for TB and HIV services to be made accessible to all.
The ARASA annual event provides an opportunity for the ARASA's 106 partners to review the status of HIV, TB and human Rights in the region, and identify emerging human rights challenges for targeted responses in the next year.
A customer holds a Standard Bank card[/caption]
Announcing the launch in Lilongwe, Standard Bank Head of Personal and Business Banking, Margaret Kubwalo-Chaika said the new card offers prestige services to its customers.
“We at Standard Bank pledge to continue bringing innovative products and services to achieve excellence in the delivery of our services to customers “said Chaika.
Chaika said the Visa Platinum Debit Card is a new product with exclusive features like the highly secure new chip and pin that will see private bankers transact across the world with minimal risk.
“This platinum card among others exclusive benefits which include a guaranteed 24/7 world-wide concierge service, travel accident insurance, travel perks, lifestyle privileges and shopping rewards, zero liability and an end to queues,” she said.
According to Chaika, for customers to access Platinum Visa Card they will have to bring in their old cards and apply for the Visa Platinum cards.
“With the release of the new card which will be offered for free for those whose cards would not have expired in this year, the old cards will have to be returned to the bank and be destroyed to avoid inconveniences, “said Chaika.
The whole process will be done at the Private Banking suites and the bankers have been duly trained on how to handle the process.
She said Standard Bank always goes an extra mile to demonstrate capability in offering tailor-made products and services to its customers. Customers can contact their private bankers who will gladly guide them on the whole process.
Margaret Chaika Kubwalo and Francis Matseketsa[/caption]
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