Newton Kambala, the first Malawian to make a cellphone call

Feb 21, 2017 Politics 87
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Newton Kambala

Malawians make numerous calls everyday but entrepreneur Newton Kambala was the first to make a mobile phone call.

Kambala who hails from the Malawi’s central region district of Mchinji district and was born in 1962 made the first call via Malawi’s owned mobile network provider TNM.

Malawi24 quoted Kambala in a special interview with one of the local media houses saying he is proud to be the first Malawian to make a cellphone call seconded by the former state president of Malawi Bakili Muluzi.

Newton Kambala
Newton Kambala says he is the first Malawian to make a phone call.

The 55 year-old Kambala who is a holder of Bachelor of Science in civil engineering obtained from the University of Malawi made the first cellphone call to his cousin in Chiradzulu district via the MTL channel before former President Bakili Muluzi officially launched Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) in 1995.

Established in 1995 as a joint venture between Telekom Malaysia and Malawi telecommunications limited (MTL), TNM is the pioneer mobile network in Malawi, made wholly Malawian in April 2007 after it bought 60 percent of stake from Telekom Malaysia.

Kambala who is a Robert Blake secondary school alumni, had the chance to make the call as he was tasting the network when he was the centre engineer for a company from Malaysia who were the ones who built TNM network towers.

The businessman says he has got great vision and intends to venture into active politics with the aim to fight corruption.
“There is a lot of corruption in Malawi, let us grow our economy by working hard as the bible says, then do business with a loving of our economy and help the needy to grow, not giving alms,” Kambala said.

Kambala is one of the patriotic citizens of the nation as he has been having more contracts to work outside the boundaries and overseas but he always wishes to work in and for his country.

“People must understand and love their country work hard always, it pains me to see Malawi at this stage at 52, this nation has great people who can lead to a change if they have been given a chance,” he said.

Kambala is the managing director of Mkaka Construction Company established in 1993 and he has also worked in different capacities as an engineer with World Vision International, ESCOM as a counterpart engineer and he was also a lecturer at Polytechnic.

The 55 year-old gentleman has also previously served as president of the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI).

He is a member of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) and has a wife and three children

 

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87 Comments

  10. I thnk ds is a profile bulding story, Ximwati bwanawa akufuna kuzaimira upresident. Never the the less, Ts a 9c history fact, worthy knowing!! Tisamango khalira oba chimangayu

  21. He was the first customer to buy a phone that would have been better , and I was customer no 24 ….. But the first student in college to have a phone

  29. Nde bwanj simudam’mange …like wna akachta radio yake mukumam’manga nde uyu adabisala pati ….malo moti muzwachta promote mukumawamangaso ..SHT!

  33. ndaitulikila,pamene #tnm izangotsegula network ndikupanga ma 4n awoaja iye adalidi woyamba kukagula nthawi yomweyo nkuziyimbila yekha,palibe vuto apa.

  34. Akunama chaka chanji? Zaboza basi pali company yomwe ingapange foni nde osapanga taste. Ndinayamba kufona pa cell4n ndine that was 1990 iyeyo ndichaka chanji yankhani amene mmalemba zopusazi

  49. Malawi 24 yangofuna kuwapopa bwanawa, you mean a TNM omwe anali oyambilira sanayimbe phone kuyesa ngati makina awo akugwira bwino ntchito? Kapena nthawi imeneyo ku TNM kunalibe M’malawi? Ayi chabwino tamva.

  61. Ndiyesa foniyo ndi mayunisi ake anachokera naye ku mangalande kudzayimbira azinzake kumangalandeko. Kuno kunalibe pa nthawiyo amene anali ndi foni ya m’manja. “Not that he invented a cellphone call”. Pajatu zimabwera mochedwa.

    4. Ankayimbira m’bale wake ku CZ and it was a launch ceremony & they were testing the project.Foni inayo inali ya ground (MTL)# Fact!

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