Bingu knew about Kalibu Academy sex scandals

 – Gay sex equals favours at Kalibu Academy

-Former Deputy Minister of Education Sajeni pushed for inspection

 -Headmaster Paisley Mavutula forced employee to have an abortion

A former teacher and boarding master at Kalibu academy has told me that the school’s headmaster Paisley Mavutula is the mastermind of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of almost 800 students at the elite academy .

Mavutula has been accused of forcing his former maid to get an abortion after impregnating her.

The maid, whose identity has been withheld for security purposes, was later fired after Mavutula confirmed the abortion and he further threatened to have her imprisoned if she reported it to anyone.

Our continued investigation has revealed that many students have been punished by sending them to Founder and Director Michael Thomas Howard’s house on the property of Kalibu so they can massage him in his shower.

This reporter has further established that ground workers have been sexually abused by Howard in exchange for favours.  

One of the current victims is a staff member that Howard is building a house for.  This victim frequently visits Howard’s cottage when he is in Malawi.

The former Kalibu boarding master said: “Students and employees are sexually abused at Kalibu Academy.  Kalibu claims to be a Christian school, however, what happens at this school leaves a lot to be desired. In Malawi, it is only at Kalibu that you find students who are whipped like dogs. They are beaten for no justified reason. This is the only school where the Headmaster, Deputy, Inspector and most teachers carry whipping sticks in their hands. Students are caned for sitting down, they are whipped for standing, sometimes they are hit for speaking, other times for not speaking: You simply won’t find a student who has never been caned at this school.””

A former teacher at Kalibu sided with the victims saying students are heavily abused. He singled out former inspector Mr Mhango, reporting that he had different shapes and sizes of bamboo sticks used to beat students and fellow employees.

He said even morning worship is not for the Lord, but basically for having fun.

Both teachers and students are told to dance and some even use kwaito dance moves.

On the issue of homosexual abuse, reports from several eyewitnesses indicate that many of the male students have been homosexually abused to gain favour and avoid expulsion from the school.  They are filled with shame as a result and so rarely report it.  

“The administrative staff at Kalibu creates a great separation between the students and their parents from the first day, and even students that have tried to talk to their parents about abuse are called liars by the staff.  Boarders, in particular, have the worst time because once they are at Kalibu and their parents begin to trust the staff more than their children, the abuse worsens and they are more prone to provide sexual favours in exchange for a better living environment,” says one former missionary to Malawi who was at Kalibu.

The boarding master also reported: “Students at the Academy are called fools, useless, sloppy, and good for nothing. These negative words sink into their minds and have become part of their lives.

“Paisley threatens teachers to fire them and lock them in prison if they reveal anything. The so-called pastor Mavutula is said to be practicing witchcraft to safeguard his job and also providing gay favours to Michael Howard.  Mavutula himself has an addiction to women, and sexually abuses young female teachers once they join Kalibu, under threat of losing their jobs. He is said to have a room at a certain lodge in Mangochi, which Kalibu pays for, where he takes students, young female teachers and sex workers.”

Former Deputy Minister of Education Wiktor Songazaudzu Sajeni told this correspondent that despite forming a special team to conduct an inspection at Kalibu in 2011, no findings were brought to his attention. The issue was referred to Sajeni by the late Suzeni Chitembe and was confirmed by the then Kalibu public relations officer Judith Mang’anda.

The former Deputy Minister hinted that even former first lady Madam Callista Mutharika advised the Ministry to investigate the matter after she came across Kalibu’s Newsletter that contained strong language that was demeaning and disgusting.

“When I was the Deputy Minister, I advised the relevant department and section to carry out an inspection at the school. But I didn’t get the report findings and I don’t know whether the inspection took place or not. I ordered the department of higher education to take responsibility. I even wrote a memo to Head of State Bingu wa Mutharika on the steps we have taken and that we are waiting for the outcome,” he explained.

Before forming an inspection team, Michael Howard and Paisley Mavutula were summoned to the Ministry of Education in Lilongwe where they said the treatment was aimed at “shaping students to good behaviour” and that this type of treatment was good for the school.””  Apparently this trip was successful, because as previously reported, nothing changed at the Academy.  No arrests were made, and all of the abuse continued.  Michael Howard, who feared coming to Malawi for an entire year, began coming again every few months and preying upon more male victims.

Questions are being asked about how high in the government departments and ministries Kalibu has influence.  Eyewitnesses have reported large cash payoffs to several agencies of the government, and it appears that these payoffs are working, because the school continues to operate and the abuse continues unchecked.

So far, the Academy has issued no formal statement to the press.

Parents of students are being told by the administration at Kalibu that these issues will pass and things will return to normal; of course normal for Kalibu is more abuse.

As we went to press, current Minister of Education Emmanuel Fabiano referred this reporter to his spokesperson, Rebecca Phwitiko, whose phone went unanswered.

Like Phwitiko’s phone, many questions remain unanswered…

If you are a victim of abuse, please contact us at: kalibuvictims@gmail.com. Views in this article are not of Malawi24 but represent those of the reporter and the people he interviewed.