By Yamikani Yapuwa

Thyolo, February 11, Mana: Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity, and Culture, Joyce Chitsulo has expressed concern over delays in the construction of a school block in Thyolo, describing the situation as disappointing and unacceptable.

During a site visit to Thyolo Boma Primary School on Tuesday, the Deputy Minister lamented that the project, which was expected to be completed by January 2025 to benefit learners, remains far from completion due to the contractor’s failure to meet contractual obligations.

“It is really sad. This project was supposed to be completed by January so that learners could start using the structure. Unfortunately, the Malawian contractor who was given this opportunity has not fulfilled what was agreed in the contract,” she said.

She further questioned the significant payments already made to Pyramid Contractors, the firm responsible for the project, saying the work done so far does not reflect the funds disbursed.

“The council paid the contractor a lot of money compared to the work done. This is very unfortunate, especially when the State President is encouraging Malawians to take up business opportunities, yet some are not performing,” she added.

The Deputy Minister therefore suggested that contractors that fail to deliver on their contracts should be blacklisted to prevent them from securing future projects.

“I strongly believe that we need to start blacklisting such contractors to ensure they do not get future contracts. Doing so might push them to improve their performance,” she stated.

She, however, expressed gratitude to the World Bank for funding the project, emphasizing the need to put donor funds to good use.

Thyolo District Commissioner, Hudson Kuphanga disclosed that the council had already paid the contractor MK400 million out of the total contract sum of MK561 million.

“We are very worried about the pace at which the contractor is working. We have repeatedly advised them to increase manpower and extend working hours, but they have been reluctant to do so,” Kuphanga said.

He added that the contract, which started on August 14, 2024 and was initially scheduled to end on January 31, 2025, has now been extended to April.

“If the contractor fails to meet this new deadline, the contract will be terminated. We have clauses in the contract that allow us to terminate if the contractor fails to meet key terms.

“If there is no significant progress by April, we will be left with no choice but to take action,” he added.

Thyolo Boma Primary School construction project is being funded by the World Bank through Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) project

By Steve Chirombo

Dedza, February 8, Mana: Beneficiaries of the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) have applauded government through the World Bank-supported initiative saying it is helping to restore devastated forests in the district.

The remarks were made during random interviews with some programme participants on Friday when authorities from Dedza district council were wrapping up a pay parade for phase 3 at the Mtakataka area under Senior Chief Kachindamoto in the district.

80-Year-Old Galizio Lifeyo who hails from Kabota Village in the area expressed satisfaction with the initiative saying the involvement of the elderly in making tree nurseries while receiving wages motivates them to help others on how to take care of the environment.

Lifeyo said: "I have received K48, 000 and this money will help my family. My husband died some years back and I live with my grandchildren. The money will therefore help my family buy food in this lean season."

Lifeyo further encouraged young people to cultivate the spirit of taking part in various development initiatives for the benefit of themselves and their communities.

She added: "Dedza is well known for its cold weather but it should be noted that this part of Dedza is always hot and requires proper management of trees that assist in lessening the heat wave."

Elenita Ausesiyo from Maliki village in the same area agreed with Lifeyo saying the money she received would help her support her family as well.

"Making of the swales has helped in controlling running water that has, previously destroyed our ridges. These strategies are protecting the soils from being washed away hence conserving the environment,” she said.

Dedza District Council, project facilitator for the programme, Jocaster Mnemba Khoriyo said the programme aims at transforming people's lives by empowering them to embrace ways of environmental sustainability and at the same time empowering them economically.

CS-EPWP is funded by the World Bank and the Multi-Donor Trust Fund through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) to mitigate the effects of climate change while enhancing local livelihoods.

By Zenak Matekenya

Dedza, February 8, Mana: Deputy Minister for Local Government, Unity and Culture Joyce Chitsulo says completion of Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) projects should meet the stipulated three-month time frame noting that the funder, World Bank, disburse funds in time.

She made this statement on Friday in Dedza following her visit to new classroom blocks at Mwenje and Kabango Primary Schools as part of her familiarization tour to GESD projects in different districts.

While expressing satisfaction with the project’s quality of work, the minister expressed worry over councils' delay in paying contractors at certain levels of the work emphasizing that the donor's timely funding paves the way for swift implementation.

“Despite the outstanding quality of work, several councils are facing delays in project completion due to late disbursement of funds to contractors. Some projects have gone up to eight months without completion,” she said.

Chitsulo acknowledged that sometimes contractor capacity issues are to blame and urged councils to conduct thorough assessments of contractors’ capabilities to ensure timely project delivery.

The deputy minister also expressed concern over certain communities' reluctance to mobilize materials such as sand as their contribution yet they are the ones owning the projects.

Dedza District Council Chairperson Stanley Manase said in recent years, the council has made significant progress in overcoming challenges related to the GESD project and is optimistic that it will achieve 100 per cent efficiency.

He urged stakeholders to remain committed to the GESD project implementation, highlighting the transformative impact of newly constructed health facilities, classroom blocks, bridges, public servants' houses and other vital infrastructure on local livelihoods.

“For instance, the new classroom blocks visited today have responded to the challenge of school dropout by reducing distance barrier and providing good shelter as opposed to learning under a tree,” he said.

District Commissioner for Dedza District Council Thomas Chigwenembe commended the minister for the visit and assured that the council is leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of effective implementation of GESD and other projects.

He said the council conducts a verification process before disbursing funds to contractors.

He added that certain contractors’ actions were in direct contravention of their contract terms, as they demanded advance payments before commencing work.

“We have intensified our scrutiny of contractors’ capabilities and the progress is good. There is enough money for the implementation of GESD and DDF [District Development Fund] projects. Once the contractor has met the conditions of the contract, they are being paid,” he added.

Dedza District Council councilors praised the council's secretariat during a full council meeting last year for its strict measures and great progress in overseeing the implementation of infrastructure development projects.

The 2024/25 allocation for GESD projects in Dedza District totals about K1.5 billion with Kabango Primary School’s classroom blocks construction receiving over K98 million.

By Patience Harawa

Karonga, February 8, Mana: National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust has urged political party leaders in Karonga District to support aspiring women candidates in readiness for the general elections slated for 16 September 2025.

NICE Trust District Programs Officer (DPO) for Karonga, Nathan Sakala said this on Friday during a multiparty liaison committee (MPLC) meeting held at NICE Trust offices in the district.

Sakala urged the MPLC members to utilize their positions in garnering support for aspiring women candidates from the political parties’ primaries up to the general elections.

“We want to see more women taking an interest in leadership positions and decision-making roles and we are working with party governors to break down the mental barriers that prevent women from taking on leadership roles,” said Sakala.

He said it is against this background that his organization, with financial support from the UNDP, is implementing a women empowerment project dubbed Nthawi Yawo Project that aims to encourage and support women to vie for political leadership positions.

"Mindset change is crucial in empowering women to vie for decision making positions but some of the things that hold women down are to do with self-belief.

“We are not just focusing on numbers; we are focusing on creating a mindset shift that will lead to sustainable change. Women need to believe in themselves that they can equally compete for leadership roles just like their male counterparts,” he added.

In her remarks, District Chairperson for the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) Edda Mkwala said the meeting was an eye opener on how best they could enhance women’s participation in leadership and decision-making positions.

“This meeting has come at an opportune time especially now that we are gearing towards the primaries and general elections. As women in political leadership, we really have a role to play in empowering and supporting our fellow women aspiring candidates,” she said.

By Joel Phiri

Mzimba, February 8, Mana: Senior Forestry officer for Mzimba District, Masozi Shaba says her office has earmarked to plant five million trees in the 2025/2026 tree planting season.

In an interview on Friday ahead of the tree planting exercise set for Tuesday, Shaba has called upon all stakeholders to get involved in planting trees to bring back lost vegetative cover in the district.

‘‘As Mzimba district forestry office, we are committed to ensuring the preservation of our forests through offering protection to our forests and planting of trees. For the 2025/2026 tree planting season we are expected to plant 5,076, 577 trees in the various areas of the district’’, said Shaba.

She disclosed that her office has so far partnered with various organisations such as Ripple Africa, Plan Malawi International, Restore Africa, Adra Malawi, Find Your Feet and Malawi-Zambia Trans frontier Conservation Area Project in the tree planting exercise.

According to Shaba, the district’s official launch of tree planting season will take place at Magomelo Primary School in Traditional Authority Mpherembe and Paramount Chief M’mbelwa V will grace the occasion as guest of honour.

Wanton cutting down of trees has become one of the major concerns among forestry stakeholders in Mzimba and currently, effort to plant more tress has been heightened by various players to restore the lost vegetative cover.

Shaba said in 2024/2025 season, the district planted over 4,291,000 trees of which 67 percent survived.

She appealed to communities to take care of the trees to ensure control of runoff water.

Senior land resources officer for Mzimba, Olive Nyalira said there is need for effort aimed at bringing back lost vegetative cover.

He said the district has intensified tree planting programs to ensure that bare land is covered.

‘‘Programmes such as Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CSEPWP) where one component is tree planting are also complementing efforts by the Forestry department in ensuring we plant more trees.

“We urge communities to join these tree planting exercises and look after the planted trees to ensure they survive’’, said Nyalira.

An environmental advocate Mathews Malata has commended M’mbelwa District Council through its Forestry office for planning to plant five million trees to restore vegetative cover in the district.

‘‘But planting trees is one thing and looking after them to ensure they grow up to a level where they survive on their own is another. I therefore appeal to authorities to provide measures to ensure that the trees they plant survive particularly within the first five years. They should ensure trees are safe from goats and even fire’’, said Malata.

By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, February 6, Mana: District Commissioner (DC) for Nkhotakota, Ben Matengeni Tonho, says his office will intensity technical support towards the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP), to ensure the smooth implementation and fruitful outcomes of the programme in the district.

Speaking on Wednesday during a supervision tour of Dema and Bua catchment areas in Senior Chief Kanyenda and Mphonde respectively, Tohno said the programme requires expert and intensive technical support in order for it to bear fruitful and benefit the communities.

He encouraged Beneficiaries to continue the good practice of saving and reinvesting their earnings reminding them that time will come when the programme will end and families will be expected to be self-reliant with good agricultural practices to sustain their food as well as trees and forests to sustain their environment.

Romia Tembo, a beneficiary from Dema Catchment was grateful to the District Commissioner visiting their areas saying she hoped that the DC would help address the issue of possible wage increment from the K48, 000 per month stating issues of devaluation of the Malawian Kwacha, which has significantly increased the cost of living in the country.

She assured the DC that many communities have now adopted the climate-smart agriculture methods and they are hopeful of bumper harvests should the rains continue to fall in their favour.

The programme is in its third cycle in the district and is funded through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC).