By Solister Mogha

Zomba, January 15, Mana: Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, has advised farmers in the country to take farming seriously and grow crops throughout the year to ensure sufficient food production for the country to achieve food security.

Kawale made the appeal on Tuesday at Chinamwali in Zomba during the fertilizer distribution by National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF).

He said the goal of the current government is to transform the agriculture sector by making sure that farmers move from subsistence to commercial farming to end hunger completely.

However, Kawale, said this goal can be achieved only when farmers engage in farming all year round.

“As government, we will make sure that we support farmers by providing them with agriculture inputs. Our appeal is that farmers should cultivate the culture of growing crops all year round,” said Kawale.

He said government will continue exploring various interventions and implement reforms that would enhance agriculture in the country.

“Many of the things we tried didn't work and we expect that through fertilizer loans by NEEF, the country should be able to produce sufficient food,” he said.

NEEF Chief Executive Officer, Humphrey Mdyetseni, said it is his organization's intention to support almost all farmers in the country.

NEEF has already reached out to over 400,000 farmers with fertilizer loan programme.

Senior Chief Malemia said through the programme, the country stands a chance to achieve food security.

One of the beneficiaries, Francis Misomali, described the programme as a game changer and viable solution to ending hunger in Malawi.

NEEF has embarked on countrywide fertilizer loan programme to enable farmer’s access fertilizer through loan for food crop production.

By Mwai Kumanda

Lilongwe, January 15, Mana: A education commentator, Limbani Nsapato, has asked government to consider abolishing examination fees saying it is one of the contributing factors to high dropout rate among learners, especially girls, in the country.

Nsapato made the call recently during 2025/2026 pre-budget consultative meeting in Lilongwe.

Minister of Finance, Simplex Chithyola Banda, is conducting the meeting in the country ahead of the budget meeting of parliament.

Nsapato cited failure by over 5,000 students to pay for the examination fee by the due date set by the Malawi Examination Board (MANEB) last year as a clear indication that examination fees is a big burden to students from poor families.

“Student are asked to pay examination fees in order to seat for MANEB examinations. We have noted that many are not able to do that; as a result they are restricted from writing examinations.

“Government should either cater for the fees or abolish it completely,” he said.

He asked government to consider abolishing Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) and Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) examinations completely because these certificates don’t have value anymore.

“As a country, we spend a lot of money for these examinations just to provide certificates with less value thereby straining our budget. I think we should just remain with Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) and use the continuous assessment to monitor performance of primary learners.

“The system could use decentralization allowing authorities at district level to do aptitude tests to select students to secondary school,” he said.

Alex Mandaliza, a parent with three children in school, welcomed the proposal to have examination fees abolished.

“The cost of examination can be stressful especially to those from low income background. Eliminating the fees would be a significant step towards promoting quality and accessibility in education as it will enable all students regardless of their financial background to pursue their academic goals,” he said.

In 2015, Malawi government abolished JCE and stopped printing of PSLCE to save cost as part of Public Service Reforms.

By Martin Banda

Kasungu, January 15, Mana: Kasungu based Non-Governmental Organization, Hoho Action Plus, on Tuesday handed over three hand water pumps to Nkanalumbo, Mdyaudzu and Nkhalapadzuwa villages in the area of Senior Chief Kaomba in the district.

Group Village Head Mdyaudzu expressed gratitude to the organization for bailing out the communities with clean water, which he said, has been a long-standing challenge.

"Access to clean water has been a big challenge for us as there are no boreholes in this area.

"For a long time, we have been using water from the nearby stream sharing it with livestock. Obviously this water is unsafe for human use especially during rainy season like now; as such we are excited and thankful at the same time,” said the chief.

He, therefore, asked the community to take care of the facilities so that they last long.

Programmes Manager for the organization, Maurine Mshani, said the response follows a survey Hoho Action Plus conducted which revealed serious challenges in access to clean water for communities in the area.

"Access to clean water is a human right and by not having clean water, there was a breach of rights for this community.

"So, we quickly came in to provide three hand water pumps which we believe will go a long way to lessen the burden of lack of access to clean water," Mshani said.

Mshani emphasized on the need to join forces and confront water challenges in the district to prevent waterborne diseases such as Cholera, which spreads fast in unhygienic conditions.

Kasungu District Council Water Monitoring Assistant, John Bob, thanked Hoho Action Plus for the water facilities pointing out that government also relies on partners to provide social services to its citizens.

The organization drilled the water facilities at a cost of K2.1 million which was sourced from Friends of Malawi Association.

By Mwai Kumanda

Lilongwe, January 15, Mana: Shaping Our Future Foundation (SOFF), an organization founded by the First Lady Madam Monica Chakwera, has donated school supplies to Dzenza Secondary School students in Lilongwe.

Among the donated supplies are books that contains different topics to help students know about health and wellness, physical and mental health, nutrition among others.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday after presenting the donation, SOFF Education Programs Coordinator, Lawrence Kayesa, said made they donation because of their passionate to helping learners stay in school and also teach them general life skills. 

“Students face a lot of challenges on daily basis hence the donation to help them in their academic journey,” he said.

Kayesa said majority of learners at the school come from rural areas hence the donation so that they have an opportunity to know different things apart from academics.

Dzenza Secondary School Deputy Head Teacher, Mary Kachamba Phiri, expressed gratitude saying it is important to equip student with materials that will help them in their daily lives.

“We are always excited when we receive such kind of donation. I want to thank SOFF for giving our students these books that would help transform their day-to-day lives.

“There are certain things that students do not learn in class. I strongly believe that these books will help them know different things to benefit their lives,” she said.

A Form Four student at the school, Ellinat Ganizani, thanked SOFF for the timely donation, which she said, will go a long way in assisting them in their lives and academics.

SOFF is donating the supplies in three secondary schools in Lilongwe namely; Dzenza, Lilongwe Girls and Likuni Girls secondary schools.

By Gift Chiponde

Lilongwe, January 15, Mana: Communities in Salima and Nkhotakota have commended government for taking a decisive action to ensure that construction of the Lakeshore (M5) road is done.

The project, which is currently underway, is meant to elevate Nkhotakota as a key in various economic activities in Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM) Strategy.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA), a community member in Salima, Agatha Mambo, expressed gratitude for the road construction, stating it has instilled hope among residents.

She said the road will facilitate transportation of produce to and from Nkhotakota, ultimately enhancing their earnings.

Mambo highlighted challenges faced due to the poor road conditions, making it difficult to reach Nkhotakota and other districts along the lakeshore.

"The substandard road conditions hindered our business operations. The road under construction will not only boost economic activities but also contribute to various developments, including healthcare sector," she said.

She said the road's benefits extend beyond Salima and Nkhotakota, benefiting multiple districts in the northern and southern regions of the country.

James Mangani, a rice trader at Salima Boma, expressed optimism on the road's impact on rice business.

He noted exorbitant transportation costs incurred when ferrying rice from Nkhatabay or Nkhotakota, resulting in price hikes to offset losses.

"The escalating transport expenses have compelled us to raise prices. The new road is expected to alleviate transport burdens we face," Mangani said.

Joyce Matemba, a rice farmer in Nkhotakota, emphasized the road's role in reducing travel time to markets thereby enhancing efficiency and reducing financial losses.

"The improved road infrastructure will address the longstanding challenges we have encountered hence ensuring timely delivery to markets. I commend President Chakwera's administration for the timely decision to reconstruct the road," Matemba said.

A motorist operating between Nkhotakota and Lilongwe, Akuzike Nyadani, highlighted the financial strain on drivers due to vehicle maintenance costs resulting from poor road conditions.

"The deteriorated road has been a major setback to us as drivers. The new road will provide sustainable solutions to the challenges faced by the people of Nkhotakota," Nyadani said.

Senior Chief Mwansambo of Nkhotakota commended the initiative, emphasizing the transformative impact of the M5 Road on local development and connectivity within the lakeshore.

"The dilapidated state of the previous road posed safety risks to people of Nkhotakota, isolating them from key developments," Mwansambo said.

He underscored Nkhotakota's significance in agriculture, fishing and solar energy production, emphasizing the need for investments in the lakeshore.

Senior Chief Kanyenda of Nkhotakota echoed Mwansambo’s sentiments highlighting the road's role in enhancing social and economic activities.

He stressed the road's connectivity to vital institutions like Dwangwa, housing ethanol and sugar manufacturing plants, which could boost national exports.

"The road will address challenges faced by institutions like Ilovo thereby fostering economic growth. It will facilitate transportation of essential products such as groundnuts, cassava, rice and fishery products, benefiting not only Nkhotakota but the entire nation," Kanyenda said.

Kanyenda emphasized the road's strategic significance in connecting Malawi and Tanzania.

By Milcah Mathias

Blantyre, January 14, Mana: As one way of giving back to the community, basketball coach Wiza Msowoya is building a new basketball team by training 100 elite athletes at Zingwangwa Youth Centre in Blantyre free of charge.

Msowoya said in an interview with the Malawi News Agency on Tuesday that the initiative was aimed at sharing what he has learned from his 10 years of experience in basketball.

The coach said he envisions having elite athletes who are well trained to contribute positively to the development of Malawi through sporting activities.

He mentioned that so far he has recruited eight individuals to be trained and was still recruiting by encouraging the athletes to bring their colleagues as they come for the next sessions.

"We will also reach a point whereby we will share the idea with the local leaders so that whenever they have gatherings, they should pass on the information to the communities," said Msowoya.

Msowoya, who also works for the Malawi National Council of Sports as a Sports Development Officer, urged all coaches who have the ability to train young athletes to use a holistic approach to provide formal training and vocational skills for a sporting career.

Speaking in a separate interview, Basketball Association of Malawi (BASMAL) Secretary General Peter Gomani commended Msowoya for the initiative.

He said the association is also creating a conducive environment for all people to participate in basketball, adding that their goal is to build as many basketball courts as possible across the country to ensure that Malawians have access to watch and play basketball.

"We are partnering with individuals and organizations to support youth and women's basketball development, and we are collaborating with stakeholders who will provide technical development to our officials, as well as investing in infrastructure and equipment," said Gomani.

So far, Msowoya has trained over 1,000 elite athletes in Norway and Sweden, and also over 400 athletes in Mzuzu in the northern region and Lilongwe in the central region.

By Zenak Matekenya

Dedza, January 14, Mana: Central Region Water Board (CRWB) says population growth, deforestation and erratic rains are some of the factors that have contributed to water shortage problem in Dedza.

CRWB Chief Executive Officer John Makwenda said the problem requires a comprehensive and sustainable solution.

Makwenda was speaking on Monday when he engaged Dedza residents who planned a vigil at CRWB Dedza offices, accusing the body of failing to implement an even water supply rationing amid the crisis as per agreed in their first meeting of July 3, 2024.

He said the board’s major source of water is Dedza Mountain, whose supply has dwindled over the years due to loss of vegetation cover amid population growth.

“Dedza Mountain is our major source of water. We lost many trees around the mountain hence the problem. We brought in other measures, such as drilling boreholes and installing water pumps. However, these solutions have met other challenges like inconsistence supply of power,” he said.

Makwenda said the board had presented a comprehensive water supply project proposal to government, suggesting the problem would need over K40 billion and that other districts such as Ntcheu are also in need.

He assured Dedza residents that in the interim the board will intensify the water rationing programme, replace four water pumps at borehole sites by Friday, January 17, and examine and fix pipe lines that are not producing water probably due to blockage or low pressure to mitigate the crisis.

Ministry of Water and Sanitation Director of Water Supply Services, Prince Mleta, promised allocation of a gen-set from the ministry within the week to boost electricity supply for pumping water at Dauya, one of the sites the board had drilled its boreholes.

“On top of the solar panels which are not sufficing the demand and also that at times we experience power outages, the Ministry will provide a standby gen-set at Dauya,” he said. 

He further said government is working in collaboration with CRWB to do away with water shortage in the district, saying this needs construction of dams as a reliable source of water, among others.

“CRWB has made plans and requests which have gone through the Ministry of Water, and the Water Ministry is engaging with the Ministry of Finance to have funds released or lobby for donors to have these projects implemented as soon as possible,” he explained.

Chairperson for Concerned CRWB Water Users Group, which planned the vigil, Medson Gova, expressed satisfaction with the meeting’s resolutions.

“Failure to implement these resolutions will prompt us to take another action. In fact, our plan today was to conduct a peaceful vigil at Dedza CRWB offices,” he said.

During the meeting, residents claimed Dedza Roadblock area did not have access to water for close to two years.

They also bemoaned monthly payment of service fee to the board as injustice to households that never accessed water from the board for many months to which Makwenda said it is legally binding and hard for the board to promise a consideration.

CRWB has over 5,000 clients in Dedza and has updated its rationing programme attributed to erratic rains. The board has advised its clients that the rationing schedule may be affected by power outages, pipe breakdowns and other factors.

Dedza District Council mediated the meeting between the board and the residents.