By Orchestra Kamanga and Robert Kumwenda

Malawian celebrated Poetic Sylvester Kalizang’oma has said Artists in the country will start living new life after the introduction of a special fund to uplift their life by government.

Speaking in an interview, Kalizang’oma said the artists were dying like dogs and living in poverty life and assistance from government to improve their life is paramount.

“The Artits in the country living in new life and will be respected and when they die they will not go and buried like someone who never contributed anything to the country,” he said.

The poetic who is well known for poems like Ukalindanji Moyo and Nayi Nkhata ya Maluwa also said government through Copy Right Society of Malawi (COSOMA) and the Censorship Board should put tough laws to protect their talent of Artists like giving stiff penalties to the perpetrators.

“Penalties are very lenient to perpetrators who copy others people’s talent. Piracy is rampant in the country and old laws should be revised so that those who burnt local songs should fear for harsh punishment,” said.

Kalizang’oma further said penalties to perpetrators is much less like K3,000 saying they penalties should be K3 million so that they should  feel pain saying by doing so they can stop of copying others talent.

Going to courts can yield nothing because the charges is less and the best thing is just to snatch (grab) the computers so that the artist can benefit from their work.

Recently, the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture Michael usi said government will introduce a special  fund to help Artists welfare  to assist them when they  are suffering or during funeral services.

He was speaking during the burial ceremony of renowned Actor on MBC for Pamajiga play, Elson Soko in Machinjiri, Blantyre.