By Mark Phiri

Mangochi, September 1, Mana: Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has suspended Mwasa ward by-election in Mangochi which was slated for September 26 this year, citing several irregularities during voter registration.

MEC Chairperson Dr. Chifundo Kachale announced the suspension on Thursday in Mangochi at a District Election Supervisory Team and Multiparty Liaison Committee meeting.

He said the suspension comes after the commission received complaints from political parties and from what MEC commissioners saw in the Ward.

“We received reports that some political party members were barring other people from partaking in voter registration, saying that they were minors, and also that there were some prospective voter's coming from outside the Ward."

"Under the electoral laws, a person is supposed to register at a centre, in this case a ward where one was born, lives or works. As was alleged, there were some people allegedly wooed by some candidate with a view to register and vote for them" said MEC Chairperson.

He added that the incidents in Mwasa Ward were so disturbing such that registration staff and the commissioners could not discharge their tasks freely.

“From our assessment on how the voter registration was conducted, we are not confident that the process was done in a fair and open manner. The law provides that we can suspend the election 30 days before the polling day and we had no window to rearrange fresh voter registration. Due to this, we had no option but to suspend the election”, he said, adding the by-election will be rearranged later on date to be communicated once things have been sorted out clearly.

In his remarks, Principal Secretary for National Rregistration Bureau, Mphatso Sambo, refuted the reports that the bureau was issuing IDs to the underage for them to vote in the Mwasa ward by-election.

“We are a government entity and we strive to discharge our duty diligently and in compliance to the law If the people saw that the minors were registering, they could follow proper process and lodge the complaint to the relevant officials.

Mwasa ward became vacant due to the death of Councillor Edna Yusuf Jose last year.

By Vincent Khonje

Mchinji, September 1, Mana: Member of Parliament (MP) for Mchinji South West Constituency who is also Minister of Lands, Deus Gumba, is spearheading an initiative that is expected to improve the lives of people with disabilities in his constituency as a way of demonstrating a heart-warming act of compassion and inclusivity.

Gumba's efforts in conjunction with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Action for Progress (AfP), have enabled the distribution of crucial mobility aids such as push wheelchairs and clutches to 50 needy constituents.

During the handover event of the items on Thursday at Tembwe, Gumba said witnessing the challenges faced by people with disabilities in his constituency, he recognised the immediate need to address their struggles with mobility and approached AfP.

"In the constituency, there are a lot of people with disabilities which making it impossible for them to do some social activities.

“The push wheelchairs and clutches are durable and light, enabling those with disabilities to gather with fellow community members and take part in social and development activities," said Gumba.

The parliamentarian added that the gesture aligns with the broader vision of Malawi 2063 which seeks to ensure that every citizen can actively contribute to the nation's development agenda.

AfP's Executive Director, Wilson Tembo, emphasised the group's prompt response to Gumba's request for aid.

"We have been doing this across the country and have assisted a lot of people, so we thought we would also do the same for the people of Mchinji.

“This organisation has been a beacon of hope for individuals with disabilities as it has consistently been striving to alleviate mobility challenges and enhance their quality of life,” said Tembo.

One of the beneficiaries, Sefulana Sandifolo, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the MP for his initiative.

"I can now move around with ease and join community activities," said Sandifolo, echoing sentiments of several beneficiaries.

Apart from push wheelchairs and clutches which are to the tune of K11 million, people with disabilities also received Bibles.

AfP, established in 2018, is dedicated to enhancing living standards through various programmes, including those focused on health, agriculture and food security, education and humanitarian assistance.

This initiative's push wheelchairs and clutches have not only made mobility easier but also opened up new opportunities for social engagement and community involvement for those with disabilities.

Mana/vk/thz

By Ireen Mseteka

Likoma, August 24, Mana: Likoma District Council on Thursday elected its new council Chair, Ernest Gulu who has taken the leadership from Barnabas Sambamo.

The election was conducted during an extraordinary council meeting held at the district's community hall.

In his acceptance speech, Gulu said he was delighted to attain the chairmanship saying that people should expect continuity of development projects in the district.

"Iam glad to assume the seat. The district needs to continue developing. We need to construct tarmac roads and complete unfinished structures in the district,” he said.

The outgoing chairperson, Sambamo said he was very grateful for the support which was rendered to him by the secretariat and council members during his tenure of office.

"I have been the council chairperson for the past two years. Iam grateful for the support they rendered to me. We have worked diligently together. Let’s support the new chairperson in order to continue developing our district," Sambamo said.

Likoma District has got one elected Member of Parliament (MP) and two councilors, one from Likoma and the other one fr

By Lydia Maganga

Chiradzulu,22, August, Mana: Election for Chiradzulu District Council chairperson has been postponed on Tuesday until further notice after two of the three candidates got a tie twice after council members cast their votes.

The elections which were conducted by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), saw Councillor Phyllis Mazinga of Mitumbira ward and Charles Chigwenembe of Mombezi ward getting 5 votes each which prompted the District Commissioner, Francis Matewere to follow Local Government Elections Standing Orders which call for a re-run after a recess of 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes the house reconvened where members of parliament and ward councillors voted for the second time and when the votes were counted the results came back a tie again with both Councillor Mazinga and Chigwenembe getting 6 votes each.

After the announcement of the second results, the District Commissioner informed the house that according to the Standing Orders of the Local Government Elections, the elections will be shifted to another date to allow the voters to recast their votes.

The District Commissioner said the council could not say the exact date the elections will be held, but promised that the elections will take place in this quarter to allow members of parliament to come and vote before they leave for parliament.

“This means that the office of the Council chairperson is vacant and I will be the interim overseer of the council until another chairperson is elected. As a council we will sit down and see which month we can hold the elections to also accommodate our Members of Parliament,” he said

In an Interview with Malawi News Agency, Councillor for Mitumbira ward Phyllis Mazinga said she is looking forward to the next date of the elections and expressed hope that the results will not tie as had been the case.

Mazinga who is the only female councillor in the district said when elected into office she plans to revamp revolving fund, enhance communication between members of parliament and councillors and promote equitable distribution of projects across all wards and constituencies.

Councillor Chigwenembe who was the vice council chairperson said once elected into office he plans to promote local revenue collection and build a good relationship with non-governmental organisations which he believed can see Chiradzulu developing.

Three councillors were competing for the position of council chairperson, Charles Chigwenembe of Mombezi ward, Patrick Chimtengo of Chikowa ward and Phyllis Mazinga of Mitumbira ward.

Chiradzulu District has 10 councillors and five members of parliament and all of them were present during the council chairperson election

By Bishop Witmos

Mangochi, August 21, Mana: Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has unveiled Stewart Mwase as its candidate for Mwasa Ward in Mangochi Municipality for the local government by-elections to be held on September 26 this year.

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) launched the by-election campaign after Mwasa Ward in Mangochi Municipal fell vacant following the death of Councilor Edna Jose. 

Speaking to people who gathered at St Augustine 2 Primary School Ground on Sunday afternoon, MCP Secretary General, Eisenhower Mkaka said the party unveiled Mwase because communities chose him to represent Mwasa Ward

“Any development begins with a choice that people make. Stewart Mwase has been chosen by people to represent them and as a party what we are doing is to give the support to this candidate who has already been chosen by people from the ward,” added Mkaka

MCP Secretary General said councilors are pillars of development in any society because they are a link between the community and the council.

“There cannot be any meaningful development without a counselor, because a councilor connects government directly with the people. As such, this is an opportunity for communities in Mwasa Ward in Mangochi to have a councilor from a ruling party who can ably bring development to the area,” he added.

Mkaka, therefore, asked the electorates to register and to verify their names in the voters’ register, prior to the local government by-election date.

During the day, MEC also started the voter registration and inspection exercise of the voter’s register in the area, an activity that will run for a period of seven days up until August 26.

In a Press Release, MEC Chief Elections Officer, Andrew Mpesi said that during the entire registration and inspection period, the only registration Centre, St. Augustine 2 will be open from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm, and that voters who registered for the 2019 election do not need to register again but they should go and verify if their names appear in the voter’s register.

In his remarks, Mwase said that he started supporting communities in his area even during the time he did not have an ambition of standing as a counselor, adding that he accepted to represent people in Mwasa ward following their request.   

“As a man of development conscious, I have already drilled three boreholes, constructed a mosque and I recently distributed over 2,500 bags of maize to communities in my area using my own money. As such, I accepted to represent people as a counselor,” said Mwase.

MCP Campaign Director, who is also Minister of Information and Digitalization, Moses Kunkuyu, and the party’s Director of Youths, who is also Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture Richard Chimwendo Banda also asked people in Mwasa Ward to vote for Mwase come September 26.    

By Susan Hara

Lilongwe, August 16, Mana: President Dr Lazarus Chakwera says Malawi stands to benefit a lot from the Southern Africa Development Corporation (SADC) Summit describing it as a good platform for countries in the region to discuss important issues affecting them.

He was speaking Wednesday morning at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) upon his departure to Luanda, Angola for the 43^rd session of the SADC Summit which will be held from 17^th to 18^th August, 2023.

“This annual summit is crucial for us because we discuss issues to consolidate our integration and make sure democracy, peace and security is thriving in the region. 

“It is also important that I attend the BRICS Summit in South Africa courtesy of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s invitation so that, on the sidelines, I can talk with the Indian counterparts on economic issues and huge debts that have locked the country,” said Chakwera.

Among other issues, the SADC Summit will elect Angola to become the next SADC Chair succeeding the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC).

After attending the SADC Summit, President Chakwera will proceed to Johannesburg, South Africa to attend the 15^th session of the Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa (BRICS) Plus Outreach Summit from 22^nd to 24^th August, 2023.

The 43^rd SADC Summit is being held under the theme: “Human and Financial Capital: The key drivers for sustainable industrialisation of the SADC region”.

By Patricia Kapulula

Lilongwe, August 15, Mana: Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC), Colleen Zamba has appealed to public servants to ensure that there is zero tolerance to fraud and corruption on land issues in order to ensure that there is order in land acquisition.

She was speaking in Lilongwe on Tuesday during a Sensitisation and Awareness Meeting of Directors in Government on amended land laws.

Government, through Ministry Lands is presenting updates to different stakeholders on the amended land laws following an outcry from different stakeholders and the general public on the passing of the bills into law by members of Parliament in 2016.

Zamba said land is a cross cutting issue hence the need for everybody in government to understand the amended land laws and its key provisions.

“One of the key provisions in the amended act is that you do not grant land to foreigners without investment. There is need to assess land owned by foreigners to ensure that it is indeed being used for investment,” she said.

Foreigners can only own land for investment purposes and certified by Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC).

Zamba, therefore, said the provision is not a fight against foreigners but to make sure that land is being used for its intended purpose.

She said in any place there are protocols that need to be followed hence the need to enforce law in order to have sanity.

“There is need to assess land owned by foreigners to ensure that it is indeed being used for investment. So, at some point you have to monitor and make sure that the right things are done.

“An industrial area should be an industrial area and not otherwise. If someone has built houses on an industrial area then they should be demolished because it is not in accordance with the law and to what the country has planned,” said Zamba.

Ministry of Lands Principal Secretary, Davie Chilonga said the ministry has targeted directors, particularly those who deal with land matters, so that they understand the current provisions in the land laws as enacted in 2016 and amended in 2022.

The targeted directors were drawn from ministries of Agriculture; Mines; Local Government, Unity and Culture, Trade and Tourism.

“The idea is that as the ministries are implementing their functions they should be able to follow what the law is providing. This would expedite the processes they undertake so that they have results as expected by the public,” he said.

Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture Director of Chiefs Administration, Charles Makanga said the amended laws are a departure to the old laws hence the need to put in place instruments and structures for smooth implementation of the laws.

“In customary land act, the law has established that we should have land tribunals and land committees at group village headman level to adjudicate or give land to indigenous Malawians. We will have tribunals at village headman, traditional authority, district and national levels,” he said.   

President Dr Lazarus Chakwera directed that all land related laws be reviewed. Following the directive, Ministry of Lands embarked on the review process which led to the passing of the Land Amendment Bills in March, 2022.

The amended land laws addresses issues of sale or grant of land to non-citizens, sale of customary estate, payment of application fees by citizens when applying for a customary estate and the role of traditional leaders in the management and administration of customary land, among others.

By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, August 15, Mana: An ordinary Kasungu District Council meeting on Monday elected Lifupa Ward Councillor Mwambilanso Mbedza as the council’s chairperson, which Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, described as a positive development in ensuring that more women take up leadership positions.

Mbedza defied odds in a male dominated chamber to win the council’s chairmanship amassing 12 votes and beating other two male contestants, Charles Binya of Mbongozi Ward and Listed Saka of Kambira Ward who got nine and one vote respectively.

Mponda Ward Councillor, Nephatali Chikwanda, was elected Vice-Chairperson in the polls that saw 22 of the 28 voting members present. Former Chairperson, Sked Kachigunda, did not seek re-election.

While congratulating the winners, Wirima who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Kasungu North North East Constituency, said it is exciting that the district has settled for a female chairperson for the first time.

“I’m excited that we have the first female chairperson of the council. We preach that girls must take their places in the spaces that are in their communities and that women must also take up roles of leadership.

“Even the President [Lazarus Chakwera] has empowered us women; there are a couple of us in his cabinet. So, to see the same happening at council level here is exciting and a sign that we are moving in the right direction,” Wirima said.

She expressed hope that the new chairperson would help unite councillors and MPs, and help the local council to source funds for development.

In her acceptance speech, Mbedza said she was aware of the funding challenges in the council, promising to help look for alternative sources to fund development initiatives.

“I have been aiming for this seat and I’m happy that it has finally come to pass. I will work with everyone and ensure that some challenges the council is facing are minimized,” she said.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Madalitso Kazombo, who is also MP for Kasungu East Constituency, appealed to the councillors and fellow MPs in the district to be exemplary by supporting the new chairperson.

“We elected a female Speaker of Parliament and we fully support her. We should do likewise at this [council] level. For the secretariat, we also expect you to support her including paying councillors in good time,” he said.

Kasungu has 18 councillors and nine MPs, all belonging to Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

By Innocent Chamtulo & Colleta Wilton

Mulanje, August 8, Mana; Mulanje District Council on Monday re-elected Thokozani Namoyo, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Councillor for Mtenjera Ward after defeating his former Vice Councillor Beatrice Mulatho of Chikuli Ward.

Councillor Namoyo won with 24 votes where as Mulatho had two votes.

In his acceptance speech, Namoyo commended the Council for entrusting him with the position.

“We will maintain the good relationship between the secretariat and political arms. Not only that but also there are 3Cs (commitment, collaboration and coordination) that need to be followed. Nothing can work without following the mentioned pillars,” he said.

Namoyo said his administration will focus on local revenue generation in order to make Mulanje District Council successful in development.

He pledged to ensure that Mulanje maintains number one position on Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) projects.

The Council meeting also elected Councillor Alex Lufaneti of Chambe Ward as the new Vice Council Chairperson.

This will be Namoyo’s second term serving as Council Chairperson for Mulanje having been elected in the same capacity in 2022.