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National |
Press Trust changes board |
by
Mc Carthy Mwalwimba, 14 July 2003
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14:10:43
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Press Trust has announced the appointment of a new board of trustees chaired by Minister of Health Yusuf Mwawa and sidelining former first initial trustee Aleke Banda barely two months after Aleke successfully challenged President Bakili Muluzi’s dissolution of the board as illegal.
Press Trust executive secretary Clement Chilingulo said in a statement that during their annual general meeting last Wednesday, the trustees also unanimously appointed three new ordinary trustees—Chris Barrow, Mzuzu University Vice Chancellor Professor. Peter Mwanza and architect Ben Chidyaonga.
The Trust has also retained from the previous board Jane Dzanjalimodzi, Bishop Joseph Bvumbwe and Professor Brown Chimphamba as ordinary trustees.
“The election of the chairman and the appointment of the new Trustees is by virtue of and in accordance with the Press Trust Reconstruction Act (PTRA) Act No. 15 of 1995,” said Chilingulo, adding Mwawa will chair the Trust until the next AGM in 2004.
On April 30, 2003, Muluzi dropped Aleke, Barrow who was second initial trustee and ordinary trustees—Bvumbwe and Chimphamba—and retained Dzanjalimodzi and international trustee Walter Kamba.
The President replaced the fired trustees with Education Minister George Mtafu as first initial trustee, lawyer Shabir Latif as second initial trustee and Admarc boss Evance Chipala, Mwawa and Chidyaonga as ordinary trustees.
Aleke challenged Muluzi’s decision, which came a month after dropping him from cabinet, as unconstitutional and the High Court nullified Muluzi’s new appointments, saying Aleke and six others who were reported to have been fired were still trustees.
According to the Press Trust Reconstruction Act of 1995 which Muluzi assented to on November 15, 1995, the President only had powers to appoint the First Initial Trustee which he did when he appointed Aleke.
The law further says that the trustees are the only people with powers to replace and appoint new trustees. |
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