MANAonline
Malawi receives farm machinery from South Africa to boost Agricultural Mechanization
By Yankho Kandio
Salima, March 13, Mana: Government of Malawi has received six tractors with their implements and a mobile grain dryer from the Republic of South Korea as part of efforts to enhance agricultural mechanization in the country.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Salima on Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture, Sam Dalitso Kawale, said the equipment, valued at USD 300,000 will help to improve farming efficiency and productivity.
“This donation marks a crucial step towards mechanising our agriculture sector. The equipment will ease the burden on farmers, enabling them to increase production and contribute to national food security,” said Kawale.
He further disclosed that an additional consignment of 10 farm machines is expected to arrive later this year as part of continued efforts to modernize the sector.
In his remarks, the Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea to Malawi, His Excellency Jae-Kyung Park, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Malawi in achieving food security.
“South Korea remains a strong development partner to Malawi. We will continue to support initiatives that uplift the livelihoods of Malawians through agriculture as the backbone of the country’s economy and other key sectors,” he said.
Ambassador Park also announced plans for an agricultural project set to commence next year, with Salima District identified as the first beneficiary.
The donation is the first phase of a larger initiative aimed at promoting mechanised farming and improving productivity in Malawi.
MACRA urges CSOs to collaborate on digital laws and Data protection
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, March 12, Mana: Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to raise awareness on digital laws and data protection that negatively impact on people’s rights.
Speaking on Wednesday in Lilongwe during a digital rights workshop, MACRA Director General Daud Suleman said lack of adequate laws that explain crimes that one commits when using various digital platforms is one key area affecting efforts to deal with illegal behaviors in the digital space.
He said, MACRA has put focus on law reforms to ensure that legislation has been strengthened as current laws have some gaps, hence using laws which were implemented in 2016.
“Digital literacy and awareness remains a big gap in the country, there is a need to engage with stakeholders and CSOs so that we work together in the digital laws and data protection.
“The level of internet penetration in Malawi is very high and we need to observe safety measures as many digital threats are happening out there,” he said.
Suleman emphasised the need of continued efforts in raising awareness on digital regulations and having such engagements with stakeholders.
"We have the Cybersecurity Act, which has been there since 2016, which most people are not aware of, and they end up committing these cybercrimes on digital platforms,” said Suleman
In her remarks, Presidential advisor on non-state actors, Martha Kwataine commended MACRA for such meetings, saying CSOs have a role to play in raising public awareness on pieces of legislation.
” As CSOs we advocate for human rights and there is a need for us to also understand issues of digital laws in a digital age of which we have several digital platforms,” she said.
The workshop focused on key topics, including an overview of the Data Protection Act 2024, the legal framework for digital rights, and the role of CSOs in digital policy advocacy
Stakeholders in Chitipa ask Lotus Africa Limited to hire local experts
By Aliko Munde
Chitipa, March 12, Mana: Some stakeholders in Chitipa District have asked a mining firm, Lotus Africa Limited (LAL) to consider hiring local experts for mining operations rather than prioritizing expatriates.
Speaking Tuesday during a full council meeting, Councillor for Zambwe Ward, Saidi Lwanja said that he was concerned that most mining companies hire foreign experts sidelining some local people who have similar qualifications and experience.
During the meeting, C12 Consultancy Company provided an update of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) on behalf of LAL, which is to embark on operations at Kayelekera Uranium Mine in Karonga.
“Why do you hire a lot of foreign experts in mining operations? We have experts in this country,” said Lwanja.
In his response, Geologist for LAL, John Mwenelupembe said that mining in Malawi is just developing and that it is a technical subject that requires technical skills not only acquired from school but also from practical experience.
“That is why you find that a lot of mining companies hire a lot of expatriates in their operations. These expatriates are hired in the countries where mining takes place,” said Mwenelupembe.
He added that mining is at an infant stage in Malawi and that mine companies such as Lotus Africa Limited will rely on experts from Australia, South Africa, where mining is a tradition.
“We believe that these geologists who are just coming out of universities will be able to pick up jobs and acquire experience from these experts.
“Within a few years, Malawi will also have experts in mining who can run their mining businesses and work as mining expatriate experts around the world,” he added.
Chief Education Officer for Chitipa District Council, Clement Nyirenda asked LAL to consider working with technical colleges in Karonga and Chitipa for mining skills development.
Kayelekera Uranium mine is expected to create approximately 400 full-time jobs for Malawians as 34 expatriate workers have already been employed.
Tobacco farmers hail Alliance One company and Agriculture Extension Officers
By Elia Chibwe
Lilongwe, March 12, Mana: Farmers in Kasungu have hailed Agriculture Extension Officers and Alliance One company for their support that enables them to produce quality leaf which is highly marketable at the market.
Speaking on Tuesday, one of the farmers, Maxwell Banda said the training support he has been offered by Agriculture Extension Officers in the Traditional Authority (TA) Chulu has equipped him with exceptional knowledge on how he can cure and grade tobacco from nursery till harvesting.
Banda said the trainings have significantly impacted his production as he produced 15 tobacco bales in 2024, which were sold at a very good price.
"From the time I started attending the trainings and received support from Agriculture Extension Officers, the harvests have changed from producing 3 to 15 bales of tobacco.
"I believe that this year I will produce more than 15 bales," Banda explained.
William Chenembu is another farmer from TA Kaphaizi in Kasungu district, who is thrilled with the support that Alliance One Company provides.
He applauded the Company for its commitment of providing farm inputs and trainings to contracted farmers in the area.
“I thank Alliance One Company for its unwavering support it renders to us farmers, these have improved my production.
"For instance, I have been harvesting 50 tobacco bales every year and I sale at good price," Chenembu explained.
He further said that due to the dry spells that occurred this growing season, he expects to have low harvests of about 20 tobacco bales.
Chinembu added that despite anticipating low yield, his tobacco has been well cured, and is expected to be sold at a good price.
Corporate Affairs Officer for Alliance One Company, Ben Kaonga said as part of the Company's extension services, they provide contracted farmers with group and one-on-one agronomic support to promote production of compliant, quality and high yield.
He further said the company educates contracted farmers about the importance of presenting quality leaf and well graded tobacco.
"Our company educates contracted farmers about the importance of presenting quality and well graded tobacco as it improves efficiencies at market resulting in timely sales.
"Prices are also competitive. Our contracted farmers recognized that to attain high quality tobacco, adherence to agronomic practices at all production stages is important," Kaonga said.
He added that the benefits of their services help contracted growers to understand and appreciate the importance of implementing agronomic practices that result in improved yields, food security and diversified income opportunities.
On his part, spokesperson for Tobacco Commission, Telephorus Chigwenembe said, the commission is committed to ensure that all institutions that deal with farmers on tobacco production are following recommended practices.
He said the Tobacco Industry Act empowers the commission to confiscate illicit tobacco.
"We are committed to ensure that all institutions that have the responsibility to educate farmers on tobacco grading and handling are doing the right thing and are following the law," Chigwenembe said.
According to Chigwenembe, the Commission will continue demonstrating to the world how the country is producing tobacco and how it is complying with environmental, social, and governance standards in the production of tobacco.
Youths urged to take lead in implementing MW 2063
By Josephine Chipofya
Lilongwe, March 12, Mana: National Planning Commission (NPC) has urged young people to implement Malawi 2063 agenda actively, emphasising their central role in shaping the country’s long-term development vision.
NPC Director General, Thomas Munthali, made the remarks in Mponela during an orientation meeting for the new Youth Core Advisory Panel.
"Malawi 2063 is youth-centric. We are talking of 40 years to meet the vision aspirations, and it is crucial that young people actively participate in both its formulation and implementation," said Munthali.
He also expressed gratitude to the first cohort of the Youth Core Advisory Panel for their contributions in coordinating the formulation of Malawi 2063.
Meanwhile, Williot Lumbe, Director of Programmes at the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM), acknowledged the efforts of the first cohort despite facing various challenges.
"There were challenges along the way, but as pioneers, they played a crucial role. There was a lot of learning, even though coordination was sometimes difficult, and meetings were disrupted due to COVID-19," said Lumbe.
One of the outgoing members of Youth Core Advisory Panel, Patience Khembo, emphasized the importance of youth involvement in national development.
Dowa SLGs partners urged on collaboration
By Sylvester Kumwenda
Dowa, March 11, Mana: Partners implementing Savings and Loan Groups (SLGs) interventions in Dowa have been urged to promote collaboration in order to improve both SLGs activities and lives of the poor and vulnerable people in the district.
Chief Community Development Officer in the Ministry of Gender, community development and social welfare, Aubet Mkwawira, made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with organisations implementing SLGs interventions in the district.
He said SLG activities have a potential to transform people’s lives, and are fast being adopted both in urban and rural setups. Also, more partners are integrating SLGs in their activities, hence the need to improve coordination.
"As one of way of harmonizing our work, we need to improve collaboration. So the meeting aims at strengthening district SLG network by sharing experiences, and for us to present current direction on SLGs from the central government, and explore how best we can move forward together.
"But we also want to enhance mapping of partners. We would like to know which partner is conducting which SLG activities and where they are, this will also improve coordination as we develop our Management Information System," said Mkwawira.
Mkwawira said the evolution of SLG from Village Savings and Loan groups was crucial as VSLs faced challenges like unclear framework for guidance which resulted in both poor coordination, capacity building and linkages to financial service providers.
"Now we have one approach which is SLGs, and we expect improved standards, harmony and sanity, and as such we have SLG guidelines for all partners.
"One key component we would like to see is data generation and management, as such we also need to have a harmonized data collection tool to guide our activities," he said.
Amongst others he said these will also improve transparency and accountability.
He however said there are still other challenges facing coordination amongst partners implementing SLGs including inadequate sensitisation on SLGs, resistance from some partners in having a harmonized approach in SLGs, and lack of resources to support district network meetings.
In his remarks, Senior Technical Advisor, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning at Care International, Clement Bisayi, said collaboration will also enhance information sharing which is crucial for the success of SLGs.
"We have success stories under SLGs but we also have some sad stories happening. For example, when members are joining an SLG, they have expectations that SLGs will help them change their lives and acquire various skills in financial management.
"But we are also aware of others who have lost assets, families disrupted due to their participation in SLGs. So, we also need to look at all these and learn from each other how we can minimize these issues," said Bisayi.
Bisayi also urged the partners to strategize how they can use the data they have to influence financial institutions to come up with products which can help the groups, without the services being exploitative.
In her remarks, District Community Development Officer for Dowa, Stella Mvalo, said the district is recording success in SLGs, both under government and non-governmental affiliation.
She said the district has 14 notable partners like World Vision, World Relief, COMSIP Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works project, TAPP/TRANSFORM, Feed the Children, Invest in Early Years project and GENET amongst others, which are actively involved in SLGs.
"Currently in total we have 2,999 groups and 60,678 participants in SLGs. Of these, 44,841 are females, and 16,233 are males. In terms of revenue, these groups currently have total savings and share outs of over MK2.972 billion as of December 2024.
"So from this, we can see that SLG interventions in the district are working out well, but we need to strengthen our coordination with partners," she said.
Tripartite Nations collaborate on strengthening inter-trade and connectivity
By Thom Ali
Lilongwe, March 11, Mana: A delegation from the governments of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia has gathered in Lilongwe from March 10th to 14th, 2025, for the 9th Tripartite Meeting of the NACALA Development Corridor Management Committee to discuss ongoing activities related to the development of the NACALA Corridor.
Speaking during the official opening of the meeting , Secretary for Ministry of Transport, Eng. David Mzandu stressed that the meeting will among others review progres of the project, provide an opportunity for delegates to consolidate collective efforts and forge a shared vision for the future.
"By adressing transport costs, eliminating trade barriers, and fostering competitiveness, we can unlock new markets, and economic opportunities for our member States, both within the region and beyond, through the NACALA Corridor,” Mzandu emphasised.
He further challenged the participants to formulate actionable plans that yield tangible benefits for all member states along the NACALA Corridor.
Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Transport and Logistics for Mozambique, Ambr'osio Adolfo Sitoe, said the government of Mozambique takes the transport and logistics sector as a priority, because at national level, efficient mobility of people and goods is essential.
"Mozambique participates in the Development of the NACALA project with the responsibility and expectations of consolidating the long awaited bases of the development and expansion of trade and connectivity in the southern region. The ultimate goal is to achieve rapid and safer commercial transaction and transportation of people and goods to and from neighbouring countries,” he said.
Sitoe added that the Mozambique delegation has come to Malawi to, among other things, report on key achievements of the Corridor at this stage, including the operations and potential capabilities, address challenges, and propose improvements for the NACALA ports.
He further commended the World Bank Group for its continued efforts to support southern region governments in making the project viable, financing digital trade,developing ICT systems, strengthening transport infrastructure and improving border management systems among others.
The Word Bank funded project, commenced in the year 2021, and is expected to be completed in 2027, will among others , reduce transport costs and enhance regional trade coordination between the three Nations.
Stakeholders strengthen child protection efforts in Mchinji
By Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, March 11, Mana: In response to escalating child welfare challenges, stakeholders in Mchinji have come together to develop strategies for enhancing child protection.
The district has been grappling with issues such as child trafficking, underage children loitering on the streets and engaging in crime, a lack of safe homes, and widespread child abuse within households.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Mchinji Director of Planning and Development Martin Pindankono said the council has observed a rise in cases affecting children's welfare and protection.
"This is not an issue for one institution alone—everyone has a role to play. We need to come together and identify what each stakeholder can do, both individually and collectively, to safeguard our children's future," said Pindankono.
During a technical working group meeting that brought together government departments, civil society organizations, and law enforcement agencies such as the police and the judiciary, discussions focused on strengthening coordination and collaboration.
Mchinji Police's Child Protection Officer, Joe Kapenda, said most of the challenges stem from family structures, where children are often forced onto the streets instead of being in school.
"We are handling an increasing number of cases where children are being used in criminal activities, often due to a lack of parental guidance or abandonment. We are trying to address this issue, but we also face challenges such as mobility, as children need to be assessed in their homes," he said.
A representative from the judiciary, His Worship Fred Juma, decried the lack of 'child panels', which provide guidance on child-related offenses.
"Child panels are supposed to be available at magistrate courts and should include a traditional leader, a teacher, a medical professional, and a faith leader. Although this is stipulated in the law, they are not in place," said Juma.
The stakeholders agreed on several key issues, including ensuring that social reports on children's cases are available to the courts, mobilizing resources, establishing child panels in courts, and conducting a sweeping exercise to remove children from the streets.
Home Grown school feeding program launched in Nkhotakota
By Wongani Mkandawire
Nkhotakota, March 11, Mana: The World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education on Tuesday launched a three-year Home-Grown School Feeding Program in Nkhotakota District with support from the Government of Iceland.
Speaking during the launch at Nkhotakota LEA primary school, WFP's Acting Country Director, Simon Dehnere, said the project aims at ensuring that primary school learners have nutritious and diversified diets throughout the academic year. He said this has been done to create opportunities for farmers surrounding the schools and promote sustainable practices by using locally grown food and clean energy solutions.
Head of Mission for the Embassy of Iceland, David Bjarnason, said his government will continue supporting the education sector in the country adding that the program will motivate the learners to stay in school whilst improving their nutritional status.
Speaking at the same function, Deputy Director for School Health, Nutrition, HIV and AIDS in the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Maureen Maguza Tembo commended government of Iceland for supporting the program saying it will improve quality education in the district.
Nkhotakota District Council Chairperson, Councilor Charles Chimzukuzuku, said this is a welcome program and commended Iceland embassy’s commitment in the development of basic services in the district.
The program with a total budget of MK3 billion is targeting 10 primary schools including Nkhotakota LEA - a facility dedicated for learners with special needs in the district.
Minister impressed with ETIC construction progress at MZUNI
By Yamikani Sabola
Mzuzu, March 11, Mana: Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Jessie Kabwira has expressed satisfaction with progress of the construction works for an Entrepreneurs Training and Incubation Center (ETIC) at Mzuzu University (MZUNI) campus in Mzuzu.
Kabwira was speaking on Tuesday when she visited MZUNI campus to inspect progress of the project, which once completed, is expected to unleash the potential of youths through formal and informal skills transfer.
She said she was impressed that despite some challenges, the project, which started in November last year, has reached 10 percent completion rate.
“If in such few months we can see this kind of development, it shows that the contractors are fully committed to their work.
“Despite the rains, they have managed to reach this stage and they have made it clear that they would have been very far if it was not for the rains,” Kabwira said.
She said apart from being an investment in higher education, the project had created employment for Malawians, noting that all the people from the top management to the labourers were Malawians.
Kabwira disclosed that, once completed, the ETIC will enable MZUNI to enroll 2, 000 more students, saying government understands that the country cannot develop or achieve Malawi 2063 without higher education.
“Government understands fully that success has to be constructed along education lines, especially higher education. This project will make MZUNI very pivotal in human capital development.
“Much more important, we are going to be dealing with entrepreneurship here. In other words, we will be training people to become entrepreneurs who will not be waiting for someone to employ them. They will actually be employing others, hence creating more job opportunities,” she said.
Projects Manager for the contractor, DEC Construction Limited, Ellard Malonda said he was optimistic they will complete the project in time, saying currently they are within schedule.
“We have set up the building, we have done excavations and we have also cast concrete footings and the bases. Now we have also done the columns. We now want to have walls for the foundation and then the slab,” Malonda said.
Among others, the ETIC will include a 500 seat lecture theater, 16 laboratories dedicated to artificial machinery, data science, ICT for development, internet, hardware and networking, energy and testing center.
The project is being funded by the World Bank through the International Development Association to a tune of US$100 million.
