By Francis Mkanya.

Lilongwe August 7, MAna: Director of Stewardship at Malawi Union Conference (MUC) of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church Dr. Moffat Botolo has urged Seventh - day Adventist Church members in the country to embrace faithfulness in returning tithes and giving offerings as a barometer for their salvation.

Botolo made the sentiments on Saturday at Machenga Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in Traditional Authority Njewa in Lilongwe during one day stewardship emphasis aimed encouraging church members to be faithful in returning tithes and giving offerings to God all the time as a symbol of God’s ownership over everything.

He further advised all church members to learn from God’s love who had given them the whole heaven through Jesus Christ as an indicator of their relationship with him.

“I urge all church members to step up their efforts in being faithful in returning tithes and giving offerings despite the difficult times they are going through in order to enhance God’s work and appreciate his blessings,” he explained.

In his remarks Likuni District Church Pastor Chikondi Love more Matekenya said church members must have a desire to draw near to God by giving their hearts to him through returning tithes and giving offerings for the support and growth of his church.

 Matekenya said “ Am encouraging you to count all God’s blessings and praise him for what he has done which reminds us that he is the source of every blessing as such they need to have a desire to emulate him as the best giver.

In an interview on the sidelines of the event of one of the elders of  Machenga SDA Church Catherine Chalira said stewardship emphasis is crucial in increasing church members’ knowledge on how best they could differentiate tithes and offerings and learn that tithe is not bargained as God is waiting to see us being  faithful and not to give up.

“As a church we shall be determined and dedicated in returning tithes and giving offerings to God in rain and sunshine to demonstrate our faithfulness to him in order to book a place in heaven,” she said

By Aubrey Kashoni

Thyolo, August 4, Mana: Thyolo Police Station has engaged faith-based leaders as one way of reinforcing unity and peace among communities, a development they said can help to reverse the 48 percent high crime rate in the district.

Speaking on Friday during an interface meeting with religious leaders in the district, Officer In-charge for Thyolo Police Isaac Norman said church leaders have a crucial role in disseminating reconciliation messages to its members and the community at large.

"Some of the criminals that are committing series of offences stay close to us and attend our churches as our members. As leaders let us not forget our role of offering counseling messages to our people on the dangers of committing crimes. Together we can reduce cases of suicide, defilement, murder, and mob justice that are very high in Thyolo,” he said.

Norman said some cases of defilement and suicide happen because of spiritual forces hence prayer is the only key to reduce such incidents.

On his part, Thyolo District Section Interfaith Chairperson Reverend Lloyd Somela said the meeting with the law enforcers will help to enhance coordination which can help to combat crime in the district.

Thyolo Police Station started sensitization campaign last week aimed at creating awareness among communities in the district on the negative impacts of committing crimes amid high crime rate.

By Rose Cross Mahorya

Mzuzu, August 5, Mana: President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has called for government and the church to work together in instilling the spirit of hard work amongst Malawians for the development of the country.

Speaking Saturday in Mzuzu during consecration of Catholic Diocese of Mzuzu Auxiliary Bishop Yohane Nyirenda, Chakwera said the country cannot develop if citizens are not hard working.

Chakwera said the church too has the responsibility to encourage citizens not to always depend on help from others but from the outcomes of their own hard work.

“As citizens we must know that this nation will only develop if each one of us play our part in building it.

“If we want to have good roads, we must work hard. If we want jobs for youths, we must provide good education to them and create industries which can employ them. As such, each one of us must work hard because it is not going to come easily,” said Chakwera.

Chakwera added that the church has a responsibility to remind the people that God blesses people that are hard workers.

“A lazy nation cannot prosper because God did not create us lazy,” he said adding that leaders in different capacity should serve people for the betterment of the country.

Delivering his homily, Bishop Martin Mtumbuka of the Catholic Diocese of Karonga encouraged believers to love both the newly ordained Auxiliary Bishop and the Diocesan Bishop.

He also called upon the newly consecrated Auxiliary Bishop Nyirenda to work with all groups of people without taking sides as he works on behalf of God who is the father all people.

“My advice is that you be a servant of all people and do only one job which is bringing people to Christ and care for those in need. Do not be a servant of politicians, but be a servant of God,” said Mtumbuka.

In his speech, Auxiliary Bishop Nyirenda called for continued unity in the church and the country as a whole for smooth sharing of the word of God.

“My plea is that let us continue working together for the betterment and growth of the Church of God for that is what we are all here for,” said Nyirenda.

 Nyirenda was born on 20 June, 1976 and was ordained priest on July 19, 2008.

He has been serving as the Rector of Kasina Spiritual Formation Center and assistant to Bishop John Ryan of Mzuzu Diocese before being appointed Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese by Pope Francis on May 5, 2023.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mzuzu was originally part of Apostolic Prefecture of Northern Nyasa and was erected as a Diocese on 17 January, 1961.

The Diocese comprises the northern districts of Rumphi, Mzimba, Nkhata Bay and part of the central district region of Kasungu.

Some of the dignitaries who attended the ceremony included Vice President Saulos Chilima, former Vice President Khumbo Kachali, Speaker of National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara, President of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi Archbishop George Desmond Tambala.

Also in attendance were Bishop George Zumaire Lungu and Auxiliary Bishop Gabriel Msipu Phiri of Catholic Diocese of Chipata-Zambia and Anglican Diocese of Northern Malawi Bishop Fanuel Magangani.

By Joel Chirwa

Mzuzu, July 21, Mana: The Church and Society of Livingstonia Synod has appealed to government to convene an indaba with families of demonstrators who were killed by police on 20 July 2012 during anti- government demonstrations.

Speaking on Thursday at Zolozolo Cemetery during commemoration prayers for 11 people who were killed during anti-government protests in Mzuzu, Reverend Chipasi Chirwa said the dialogue could facilitate attainment of national reconciliation and healing.

He said the church has spearheaded the initiative of holding annual gatherings to remember the victims and remind the country on the importance of national unity and ensuring that such tragic event should not occur again.

“For the nation to move on there will be need for government to initiate measures that will pave a way towards national reconciliation and healing through dialogue with the bereaved families. There will be need for those in wrong to acknowledge that things went wrong.

“The acknowledgement should also be in form of assisting the families of the victims especially widows and children who are financially struggling following the loss of their breadwinners. Government should ensure that all school going children of the deceased should be put on bursary scheme,” he explained.

In interview with reporters, representative of the bereaved families, Mercy Mbesuma said the compensation they got when they took legal action against the state did not assist much as most of the funds went towards settling legal costs.

“Currently, most of the widows and children of the deceased are struggling to make ends meet. We would like the government to assist the widows with soft loans to start various business ventures and put their children on bursary scheme,” she said.

During the event it was learnt that most of the promises made by government authorities in previous commemorative events like fencing the deceased’s burial places and putting their children on bursary scheme have not been fulfilled.

In response to the concerns raised, Director of National Unity and Peace in the Ministry of Local Government Unity and Culture, Gerald Chigona who represented the Minister, Richard Chimwendo Banda promised to follow up on the said promises.

“On our side we will follow up on those promises. We will write a report and present it to relevant officials who will give us necessary guidance on how we can tackle the concerns raised,” he said. 

By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, July 22, 2023: St Patrick's Catholic Parish says it has raised over K10 million in the fundraising golf tournament which was organised on Saturday to raise funds for construction of its church in Lilongwe.

Speaking after the fundraising golf tournament, Dr. Mathews Mtumbuka who was the guest of honor and representative of St Patrick's Catholic Parish at the tournament expressed his gratitude towards the success of the tournament.

"As a parish we are very grateful and happy, we had a target to raise between 10 and 13 million kwacha and as we speak we have realized over K10 million" he said.

He thanked the golfers who participated in the fundraising tournament as well as the sponsors including individuals and companies such as Centenary Bank as well as NBS Bank for assisting in making the fundraising tournament a success.

Mtumbuka said the funds and resources raised have surpassed the total budget needed for the construction of the church.

"It is pleasing that the budget of our church is round K850 million and we have already raised close to K450 million.

"We have raised most of that money through paper Sundays but also members of the church were contributing items such as; tiles, roofing materials, windows, doors and cement all valued at close to K100 million," he said.

He also said the parish has other programmes in pipeline that would help to source the remaining funds for the church construction.

representative of the golf tournament fundraising organising committee, Brian Coombes hailed individuals and companies that took part in the fundraising, saying their generosity and commitment contributed much in achieving the objectives,

The fundraising golf tournament was participated by the country's Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima among others.

By Prince Justice Banda

Lilongwe, July 28^th, MANA: His Excellency the Vice President of Malawi, Dr. Saulos Klause Chilima has this morning paid his final respects to his Aunt Grace Kanyangala Golombe at Bwemba location around Chinsapo Township in Lilongwe.

Golombe whose birth dated back to January 5, 1945, died yesterday upon battling hypertension and expected to be laid to rest tomorrow on 29^th July, 2023 at Buwa Township Traditional Authority (T/A) Njombwa in Kasungu.

At Bwemba, the funeral ceremony has witnessed dozens of relatives, dignitaries from government and political parties as well as members from Bwemba Church of Central African Presbyterian (CCAP) whose acute shades of condolences, paid tribute to the profound memories and legacy of the late Grace Golombe.

The late Mrs. Golombe has survived with 5 children, three sons and two daughters.

By Glory Msowoya

Blantyre, August 7, Mana: Director of Media and Public Relations for Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Sangwani Mwafulirwa Monday said the commission would launch the 2023 -28 strategic plan and the 2025 general election operations on August 11,2023.

In an interview in Blantyre, he said the strategic plan would serve as a comprehensive roadmap guiding the commission’s activities over the next five years.

Mwafulirwa added that MEC has extended invitations to political parties, government ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organizations, and the media to witness the launch.

“The launch of this strategic plan reflects the MEC’s commitment to continuous improvement and the pursuit of excellence in electoral management.

“By embarking on this transformative journey, the MEC is poised to strengthen its role as a trusted institution, fostering public confidence and upholding democratic values, “he said.

Executive Director for Malawi National Elections Systems Trust (NEST), Unandi Banda urged electoral stakeholders to utilize the strategic plan once launched.

“There is a need for a cordial working relationship between Malawi Electoral Commission and concerned stakeholders, let’s work together in line with this strategic plan ahead of the general elections in 2025,” he said.

Executive Director of the Centre for Governance and Leadership (CEGOL), Chimwemwe Kaonga hailed MEC for its new strategic plan saying it was timely.

“For the general public to have confidence in the electoral management body and win its credibility there is a need to have frameworks like the one MEC is launching that responds to emerging issues about electoral management.

“With various technological advancements on the ground expectations on how do we harness technology towards creating an enabling environment that drives efficiency in the management of elections for the benefit of the masses,” he said

The launch will fall under the theme of Enhancing Cost Effectiveness in Election Management through Digitalization.

By Austine Kachilika

Mzimba, August 4, Mana: As one way of ensuring that children’s rights are upheld, M’mbelwa District Council annually holds Children’s Parliament, a platform through which they share and deliberate issues which affect their welfare.

Speaking on Thursday during the opening of the fourth session for Mzimba South Children’s Parliament under the theme ‘Children’s Voices Matters,’ Chairperson for M’mbelwa District Council, Morgan Tembo said children face a lot of challenges that limit them to enjoy their rights, welfare and realise their full potential.

 “There are a lot of issues that hinder children from exercising their rights, these include child marriages, climate change, child labour, poor and inadequate school infrastructure,” said Tembo.

He added that the children’s parliament was held at the right time where there is a need to deliberate on upholding the rights of children by all stakeholder across the country.

“We believe that children are future leaders, therefore, this will be a conducive platform through which the children’s voice will be heard, amplified and taken into consideration by relevant stakeholders including the council,” he said.

On her part, the Speaker of the Children’s Parliament, Rachel Ngulube, expressed concern over lack of effort by authorities in addressing issues which raise during last parliamentary session.

 “There has been little effort to address grievances where we raised in the previous session. We therefore plead with the authorities to deal with issues we raise in this August house,” said Ngulube.

According to Ngulube, the session will focus on finding remedies to early and child marriages, climate change and poor road network saying they are some of the factors which hinder children from enjoying their rights including right to education.

The session is sponsored by NORAD, Save the Children, Securing Children’s Rights through Education and Protection and CCAP Synod of Livingstonia.

By Tiyanjane Nandie Mambucha

Lilongwe, August 2, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera on Wednesday witnessed the launch of a book that uncovers the symbiotic relationship between politics and religion.

The launch of the 375-page book authored by Reverend Nick Chakwera and Co-authored by Pastor Fatsani Luther Kwenda received a massive support from people from all walks of life who graced the occasion.

Speaking during the launch in Lilongwe President Chakwera said the book is an excellent tool for self-reflection and not just for public debate.

''The subject of religion and politics is like a double edged sword that need to be handled with care because it has potential to break or make as it sparks debate.

“That kind of debate was prominent during my presidency for the simple reason that the position was being occupied by others from the background of medicine, business, economics, activism and even law. I was the first to occupy the position as a religious person,'' said Chakwera.

Chakwera further endorsed the book and applauded the authors for taking a risk to handle such a subject saying the will of God is manifested through the will of people which is driven by politics and religion.

Speaking after reviewing the book former Vice President of the Republic of Zambia, who is also a church minister, Dr Nevars Mumba said, in a nutshell, the book is a beautifully written story of a controversial subject.

''Kingdoms and governments belong to God, according to Romans 13. So, it is an absolute honour to put God on top. The book should be translated in many languages and should be taught in schools.

“Malawi is a Christian nation by action because it elected a pastor as a leader. This shows that Malawi loves God,'' said Dr Mumba.

Commenting on the book, Pastor Nick Chakwera said people should buy the book and read saying it is okay to agree or disagree with the content because all he wants is a sincere debate on the matter of religion and politics.

Among other guests who attended the launch include Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima, parliamentarians, political analysts, members of the clergy and members of the diplomatic corps.

20 copies of the book were auctioned during the launch and the rest of the books can be accessed in various bookshops in the country.

By Phyllis Nkhoma

Kasungu, July 31, Mana: Member of Parliament (MP) for Kasungu Central Constituency, Ken Kandodo, says the new road being constructed within Kasungu Central Business District will help boost economic activities in the municipality and beyond.

Kandodo, a Malawi Congress Party (MCP) legislator, said this Saturday when he inspected construction works on the K2 billion road project to appreciate its progress.

Accompanied by party supporters, Kandodo said he has engaged the Roads Fund Administration to consider erecting streets lights in the municipality after the completion of the project.

He said: “I decided to come to see for myself the work progress amidst reports that the people of Kasungu came in large numbers to witness the road construction. What is remaining now is to erect street lights.

“So far I am impressed with the good work that the contractor is doing. For several years we did not have good roads in the municipality which was affecting economic activities.” 

Kandodo expressed hope that all the roads in the constituency will be upgraded to accelerate process of turning the municipality into a city.

“We are rehabilitating the entire road network within the constituency with Constituency Development Fund (CDF) which is now pegged at K100 million per constituency per financial year,” he said.

Councilor for Chankhanga Ward, Brighton Ngalande, said the road works signify the seriousness of the country’s leadership to transform the transport infrastructure as a means of promoting economic activities in the communities.

Early last week, Mayor for Kasungu Municipality Heese Nyangu expressed satisfaction with the quality and progress of the six-month project being carried out by Master Construction.  

The project which started in April is expected to be completed by October this year.