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| Africa |
| Highlanders, Caps join Heston’s hunt |
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by
Oris Chimenya, 19 January 2005
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11:12:19
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Many hands are beckoning. Demand for former MDC United striker Heston Munthali has now gone international with Zimbabwe premier league champions Caps United and their runners-up Highlanders joining the chase.
Munthali confirmed he is wanted by the two clubs in an interview on Tuesday, amid reports that Silver Strikers and a Mauritius club want his services.
He said he first heard the news from player scout Felix Sapawo who was in Zimbabwe recently to process MTL Wanderers midfielder Joseph Kamwendo’s contract with Caps United and returned home at the weekend.
“When he [Sapawo] was in Zimbabwe, he told me about Hilanders, but when he called me, he connected me to Caps United owner [Twine Phiri] and I spoke to him on the issue,” said Munthali.
He said many teams are approaching him for possible contracts but he is not yet decided as to which club he should join.
“I hope to talk to Twine Phiri today [Tuesday] and the position of the whole thing will be known tomorrow [Wednesday] after I have talked to him. He also told me that he will soon be arranging that I go for discussions,” he said.
Sapawo said he knows that both Highlanders and Caps United want Heston but he [Sapawo] cannot say anything until he talks to the Munthali.
“I just want to talk to him first. All I know is that Highlanders and Caps want Heston.
Sapawo said both clubs know Munthali very well as he once went to Caps for trials two seasons ago together with now-Denmark-based defender Clement Kafwafwa.
Caps have also taken former Bakili Bullets dexterous central midfielder Peter Mponda who left for Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
Indigenous enterpreneur challenges chamber
Our Reporter
Black economic empowerment campaigners have dismissed suggestions by the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) that their move will scare away foreign investors.
Businessman Mike Mlombwa, one of the coordinators of the Indigenous Businesses Association of Malawi campaigning for the cause, said in a statement on Tuesday that the group wants the country to have deliberate policies that will see partnerships between local and foreign investors.
“Foreign investors are welcome to invest in Malawi but we [indigenous businesses] should also benefit from them through partnerships that will ensure good working conditions and training for locals, among others,” he said.
Mlombwa was reacting to MCCCI president Martin Kansichi’s warning last week that the move by local businesses to push for an indigenous businesses empowerment policy could scare away foreign investors.
Kansichi said while MCCCI acknowledged the plight of many local entrepreneurs in accessing capital, the group’s set-up must be well defined.
He said the group must work closely with the chamber of commerce.
But Mlombwa said that instead of issuing warnings, the chamber boss should be advising the group on steps to be taken to ensure that problems facing the local entrepreneurs are ironed out.
Last week, Mlombwa briefed journalists that during his tour of black economic empowerment initiatives in South Africa and Zimbabwe he learnt that there were deliberate policies to encourage foreign investors to join forces with local citizens.
He gave an example of Cell C mobile firm which, he said, is a partnership between local and foreign investors in South Africa.
Government is currently working on a policy to economically empower its citizens and the indigenous business persons resolved to support it during their first consultative meeting held in Blantyre last November.
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