MANAonline
VP meets Malawi community in Rwanda
By Roy Nkosi in Kigali, Rwanda
Kigali, August 11, Mana: Vice President Dr. Michael Bizwick Usi has encouraged Malawians in the diaspora to prioritize investing in Malawi and not the countries they are currently based.
Usi told the Malawian community in Kigali, Rwanda that it is the responsibility of Malawians to develop their own country instead of just criticizing on what they deem is not right.
“You should be ambassadors for your country, speak positive of your country, make positive contribution and capitalize on the opportunities to develop the country.
“We need to utilize the expertise in the diaspora community that is back home to make improvement of different sectors in the economy. Your experiences here can help us formulate a blueprint to add value to Malawi’s development agenda,” he said.
The Vice President highlighted as an example the cleanliness of the city of Kigali as one thing Malawi can emulate.
He said Mayor of Lilongwe, Ester Sagawa is part of the delegation so that the Malawi capital learn a thing or two on how things are done in Kigali.
The Vice President also encouraged the Malawian community to form communication channels through which to advise the government on expertise as well as investment opportunities in Malawi.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Chairperson of the Malawian community, Atupele Zamba described the meeting as a success especially on how the diaspora community can work positively with the government.
Deputy Chief Secretary, Dr. Janet Banda, and Malawi’s Deputy High Commissioner to Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi Deborah Mitawa and Mayor of Lilongwe Ester Sagawa were some of the officials that joined the Vice President during the meeting.
Thyolo District Council launches construction of health post and bridge
By Yamikani Yapuwa
Thyolo, August 10, Mana: Local leaders in Thyolo have called on their subjects to maintain dignity and integrity throughout construction of Chilengo Health Post and Limbe Bridge in Traditional Authorities Mphuka and Bvumbwe respectively observing that women and girls are mostly subjected to sexual exploitation by construction workers for labour opportunity and other favours.
Councilor Somanje Sayenda of Dzimbiri Ward made the call this week at the launch of construction of Chilengo Health Center at Traditional Authority Mphuka’s area where he expressed worry over tendencies by construction workers that engage in sex with women in the course of construction work.
He therefore cautioned women against being turned into sex objects and further urged them to stand their ground, never to give in to transactional sex in exchange of favours at the expense of their integrity and status in the society.
“Women should guard their dignity at all costs," Sayenda urged women emphasizing the need for self-respect and caution during project implantation period.
Thyolo District Council launched construction of Limbe Bridge at Traditional Authority Bvumbwe where Councilor, Idrissa Gausi of Makungwa Ward, echoed the call for responsible behavior, calling on his people to avoid stealing construction materials.
The ward councilor said success of the bridge project will depend on the integrity of the community in embracing ownership spirit of the project.
“For the contractor to do a quality job, we must resist the temptation to steal construction materials," he said and appealed to the contractor to priorities hiring people from surrounding villages to ensure community members benefit directly from the project to sustain their livelihood.
Group Village Head Kadzuwa under Traditional Authority Bvumbwe said anyone caught stealing building materials or vandalizing the bridge after completion will be brought before his tribunal and will face serious consequences.
He reminded community members that for 45 years the area did not have a bridge, saying the construction of the bridge finally came and it was the responsibility of the communities to ensure successful completion of the project for their own good.
“We will deal with anyone trying to steal project materials or vandalize the bridge materials once it is completed in October this year,” said Group Village head Kadzuwa.
Group Village Head Mkwata under Senior Chief Mphuka also appealed to the people to report to the local leaders and other relevant authorities if they see any suspicious activities relating to theft as well as selling of building materials meant for the health facility project.
Thyolo District Council is constructing the health post and bridge courtesy of the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) Project with funding from the World Bank.
GESD projects are being implemented by all qualifying local authorities through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC)
Machinga District Council on clean-up exercise
By Charlie Ligomreka
Machinga, August 10, Mana: Machinga District Council, Environmental Officer, Andrew Kaitano Hamza has called on fellow council members of staff to keep council premises and all market places clean to ensure that plastic and other forms of garbage are properly disposed of for better work and trade environment.
The environmental district officer made the call as he led council staff in a clean-up exercise of the council headquarters premises and said the clean-up exercise should be an obligation for a better environment.
The exercise was part of a campaign which State President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera introduced for local councils and other entities plus the general public to keep doing as a norm to keep work places, market places and other public places cleaner of liter and other garbage.
“This is our council and everywhere we live is our place. There is need to take clean up exercises as a norm to keep our work place cleaner,” Hamza added as he and fellow council members of staff took blooms to clean Machinga Council Headquarters premises clean.
He also called on the council staff to exercise cleanliness in their respective homes to ensure they live in a better clean environment at home and at work.
One of the council staff Aisha Lupanga described the clean-up exercise as ideal and relevant for conducive work environment saying, “Time is now for us to make our environment clean and to make Liwonde township liter and garbage free,”
She therefore, expressed hope that the council management will keep on championing the clean-up campaign at district level to instill a spirit of cleanliness among council staff, Liwonde town residents and among people that trade in various market places for sustainable cleaner environment.
In one of the clean-up exercises, Machinga District Council staff mobilized Liwonde central market vendors to clean up the market place and vendors welcomed the exercise and pledged to keep it going for a cleaner business environment.
Mzuzu City Council invests CDF into road infrastructure
By George Bulombola
Mzuzu, August 10, Mana: Mzuzu City Council (MCC) utilizing Constituency Development Fund launched four road infrastructure road projects to the tune of about MK41 million.
The projects include construction of three slab culverts and one timber decked bridge in Mzilawaingwe, Chimaliro and Katawa locations.
Speaking when the council handed over the projects’ sites to contractors alongside launching the projects, Director of Planning and Development for the MCC, Philemon Maseko, said the projects are meant to ease communication in the targeted areas and the city as a whole.
“Let me commend community members in these locations for their patience in awaiting the implementation of these projects which were supposed to be done some time back. I also applaud collaboration amongst various development structures which prioritized these project as crucial ones,” said Maseko.
He then warned community members against theft of construction material or conniving with contractors to divert the material for personal use saying such a vice could lead to compromised standard of the structures.
“The council has put in place proper mechanism to ensure that supervision of construction works is strict and that scope of the works should be closely followed by the council and community members themselves so that we have durable structures,” he said.
Director of Mphamba Construction Ltd which has been awarded a contract to build Chiputula slab culvert, Haswell Mphamba pledged that the company will deliver to the expectation of the community and the council.
Councilor for Chiputula Ward, Hilwett Mkandawire, said once the project is completed, the road which is a short-cut for people of Mzilawaingwe, Chimaliro and Katawa locations to Lubinga Industrial Area and Mzuzu Central Hospital will become usable.
IOM commits to enhance safe migration pathways
By Moses Nyirenda
Lilongwe, August 10, Mana: International Organization for Migration (IOM) Malawi says it is committed to enhancing safe migration pathways for local as well as international migrants.
Speaking on the sidelines of a consultative Workshop, which IOM Malawi organized in Lilongwe recently together with its partners IOM Malawi Head of Programme Support, Alina Zalewski said with their move among other things they want to make sure that the migrants are protected.
“We want to ensure that Malawians and all migrants that are coming into Malawi as well as Malawians going abroad have safe access and safe pathways so that they remain protected and not exploited.
“The exploitation that I am talking about includes; smuggling of migrants or trafficking in persons and we want to ensure that these things should not happen in Malawi,” Zalewski said.
She added that as an organization they want also to help government in disaster risk management by building sustainable resilience interventions so that people should not be forced to move due to impacts of natural disasters.
She also said that as IOM they want also to work with the Ministry of Homeland Security in framing migration policy and national labor migration policy in order for the policies to effectively control migration to directly link with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Zalewski further said that IOM also wants to facilitate the implementation of Global Compact for Migration (GCM) in the country in order to strengthen the country’s migration governance, which includes the enhancement of access to safe migration pathways.
According to her, with their commitment they want to assist government to use migration as an opportunity that would harness potential for boosting the country’s economic growth.
In his comment Ministry of Homeland Security, Principal Secretary Steve Kayuni hailed IOM for its commitment in helping government in migration management especially on regular migration.
“Regular migration is the most crucial thing that is of concern, but IOM is helping to make things move forward,” he said.
Malawi Posts Corporation and MUST sign lease agreement on new campus in Blantyre
By Evance Chisiano
Blantyre, August 10, Mana: The Malawi Posts Corporation (MPC) and Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) have signed a lease agreement for MUST to operate in Blantyre campus at MPC premises at Chichiri as the university is driving towards expansion outside Ndata campus in Thyolo district.
Postmaster General, Angel Banda and MUST Vice Chancellor, Professor Address Malata signed the lease agreement with each seeing the agreement as an opportunity to socio economic development in terms of revenue mobilization and courier services on the part of MPC and tertiary education expansion for MUST.
Banda said the agreement was in line with Malawi Posts Cooperation’s turnaround strategy, which is meant to improve operational efficiency and turning the corporation’s underutilized assets into profitable assets of economic value.
The Postmaster General described the signing agreement as a positive step in the right direction and regarded MUST as an important partner.
“We are happy to have MUST as partner. Having MUST here in Blantyre is a right decision because we will also benefit from this agreement especially on our courier services,” she added.
MUST will run the Chichiri campus for Open Distance Learning and other under and post graduate programmes thereby taking tertiary education closer to people.
“MUST is clocking ten years of existence and this shows we are growing. We need to expand and opening a campus here in Blantyre is in line with our aspirations to expand to other areas outside Ndata,” Professor Malata added.
The MPC facility, which will now become MUST Blantyre campus is situated next to what used to be Multicounty Training Center behind Blantyre Museum.
MUST Vice Chancellor disclosed that the new campus will start operating by January next year upon National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) assessment.
She observed that the MPC facility which will soon turn into MUST Blantyre campus has what it takes to be a campus saying the facility has offices, classrooms and space for accommodation.
“We are looking forward to operate here because we want to expand, a good university need to be everywhere,” she added and disclosed that MUST has secured land near Kamphata in Lilongwe for Kamphata campus.
Maxwell Phiri sworn in as councilor of Chilaweni ward in Blantyre.
By Memory Kutengule Chatonda
Blantyre, August 10, Mana: Maxwell Phiri who worn in the recent Local Government Elections at Chilaweni in Blantyre Rural East Constituency has been sworn in as ward council to take up the responsibility of representing people in his area.
Phiri amassed 1,882 votes from a total of 3,864 votes cast during the by-elections held on July 22, 2024 emerging a winner over eight candidates who contested for the position of councilor for the Chilaweni ward.
Speaking at the swearing in ceremony at Blantyre District Council, District Commissioner, Alex Mdooko advised the newly sworn-in councilor to collaborate with fellow councilors, traditional leaders, and Members of Parliament to facilitate development activities in the in the district.
“We want you to build a good relationship with traditional leaders, MPs, and your fellow councilors so that together you can fulfill the wishes of the communities you are serving in areas of health, agriculture and education among others,” he said.
Mdooko also advised Councilor Phiri to live by the promises he made to the electorates during the campaign period.
Blantyre District Council Chairperson, Councilor Elson Dumuka advised Phiri to always embrace the spirit of hard work, patriotism, and servant leadership in serving the communities well.
After being sworn in, Phiri said was excited to be sworn in as a councilor for Chilaweni ward, pledging to serve people in the ward well irrespective of religion, culture, and political affiliations.
“I am geared to support the government in the implementation of various development activities such as construction of roads and health facilities to benefit the local citizenry,” he added.
Phiri who won the Chilaweni by-election on an independent ticket replaced late councilor, Carol Mdala of Democratic Progressive Party who died in March this year.
Phiri is expected to serve his term of office until July 23, 2025.
Vice President arrives in Kigali
By Roy Nkosi in Kigali, Rwanda
Kigali, August 11, Mana: Malawi’s Vice President, Dr. Michael Usi has arrived in Kigali Rwanda where he is expected to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Paul Kagame slated for Sunday at Amahoro Stadium in the capital.
Usi is representing President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera was met on arrival at Kigali International Airport by Rwanda’s Minister of Education, Claudette Irere and Malawi's Deputy High Commissioner to Tanzania and Rwanda, Deborah Mitawa.
“This visit is an opportunity to deepen and strengthen the cordial bilateral relations that exist between Malawi and Rwanda.
"On behalf of the President and the people of Malawi, we appreciate the invitation of President Paul Kagame to Dr. Lazarus Chakwera who has since delegated me," the Vice President said.
President Kagame was re-elected for a new term following a landslide victory in July's Presidential elections.
Inject more funds for Queens
By Tione Andsen
Lilongwe, August 11, Mana: Malawi Netball Teams, “the Queens” can claim its lost glory if funds are injected for early preparation and camping for the team.
Leeds Lionesses professional netballer, Joyce Mvula made the suggested Saturday at Gateway Mall Netball Court in Area 47 in Lilongwe in an internment with Malawi News Agency (Mana).
She admitted that the team’s performance has gone down in the recent past but this was due to lack of adequate preparation and camping.
Mvula said early camping was helping a lot and players were able to jerry well and formulate good combinations.
The Queens Goal Shooter observed that nowadays that the Queens, they only have one week of camping for big tournaments and the results are usually disastrous.
“When I was first called into camp in 2010, we used to be in camp for two months when preparing for big tournaments.” Mvula recalled.
She noted that teams like England, New Zealand, Jamaica and Australia have already started camping for 2025 Commonwealth games and 2026 World Netball cup.
“Look at the seriousness of the teams that we play with. If we are to progress, we need to emulate what our friends are doing too and then we will be at par with them. Netball Association of Malawi through National Sports Council need to support the Queens technical and financially,” Mvula explained.
She believes that, “In camp make the players happy and happy players win games always.”
Former Queens captain, Emmie Chongwe attributed to delays in injecting new blood into the team.
“We are taking long to replace our aging players and as result we are being caught up. We need to have a fine succession plan and more days of camping in order to develop our play. We have talent and the only way we can nature it is to scout it,” she said.
Mvula delivers sporting shoes
By Tione Andsen
Lilongwe, August 11, Mana: Provision of better sports equipment remains fundamental prerequisite to the development of any sport code in the country.
Leeds Lionessess in England and National Netball Goal Shooter, Joyce Mvula made the sentiments Saturday in at Gateway Mall Court in Area 47 when she presented assorted sporting shoes to Immigration Netball team which is playing in the Gateway Mall Central Region League sponsored by Mpico to the tune of K 40 million.
She said development of any sporting code starts with the essential basic equipment such as such balls, uniforms, whistles and playing surface.
“A well-wisher who opted to be named has collected and provided the fairly used shoes which has been donated to Immigration netball team,” Mvula disclosed.
The Leeds netballer added that, “Sometimes people would ask for assistance and I had just to ask some other few friends to help. I have collected the parcel and I have presented to Immigration netball team.”
She said her role was only to facilitate the delivery of the items to the intended beneficiaries which are Immigration netball team.
Mvula said playing on hard surface was prone to lots of injuries and wearing of sporting shoes help to curb some of them particularly in our country where most playing courts are made of hard surface.
Immigration Netball Coach, Aaron Gopani expressed gratitude to the well-wishers saying the donation would go a long way in improving the standards of play for her players.
He said playing shoes are one of the critical equipment most teams in the league are lacking and the coming of the shoes has narrow the gap his was facing in terms of equipment.
“I am hopeful that the donation will help to boost morale in my camp and the team will start doing betters in our league games,” Gopani added.
