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MRCS distributes K190m to flood affected households in Mangochi
By Bishop Witmos
Mangochi, June 26, Mana: Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) with financial support from the Danish Red Cross has embarked on distribution of cash to households in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Nankumba in Mangochi who were affected by floods following the rising levels of water bodies in the district as well as dry spells that occurred later.
The initiative is under the El Nino response programme and 718 households are expected to receive K50, 000 per month up to September this year.
Speaking during the launch of the distribution exercise at Nankhwali Primary School on Tuesday, Director of Programmes at MRCS, Prisca Chisala said the initiative aims at improving livelihood of households as most of them were rendered food insecure following the flooding and dry spells.
“The rising levels of water bodies rendered households in T/A Nankumba destitute. We want to provide them with a start-up, so that their lives should return to normalcy.
“We are implementing this programme from this month up to September where 718 households will receive a K50, 000 on a monthly basis and today they have each received K100, 000 for the first two months,” said Chisala.
He said the initiative will complement other interventions already being implemented on the ground such as distribution of food, hygiene and sanitary facilities to the affected households in the area.
Over 3, 000 households were affected by flooding due to rising levels of water bodies in Mangochi this year.
Acting Country Manager for Danish Red Cross, Nuria Beneitez said that their organization values collaboration in assisting the marginalized.
He assured MRCS of continued support in the work of creating resilience of communities against climate shocks.
One of the beneficiaries, Atupele Jali hailed MRCS for the support, saying the money will help her family recover from the hunger situation.
“The money is enough for my family to alleviate the situation which we were in and as such I am thankful to the Red Cross,” Jali said.
NPC, NSO releases 2023 multi-dimensional child poverty report
By Mayamiko Mwikhoma
Zomba, June 26, Mana: National Planning Commission (NPC) in collaboration with the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Tuesday launched the 2023 Multi-dimensional Child Poverty Report with a call for the prioritization of children welfare.
Speaking in Zomba during the dissemination of the report, Head of Research at NPC, Dr. Andrew Jamali, pointed out the critical need to prioritize children in development of the country to achieve the Malawi 2063 Vision.
Jamali said findings of the report, for instance, revealed significant challenges faced by children, emphasizing the need to urgently address such shortfalls.
“According to the survey children are faced with various socio-economic deprivations, lacking essential needs due to factors such as inadequate sanitation, housing and education,” Jamali said.
He added that the Malawi 2063 Vision is youth-centric with a primary focus on the children who will shape the future over the next 40 years.
“We must implement direct interventions to address these deprivations such as enhancing access to education and tackling multi-dimensional challenges to improve human capital in the coming years,” he said.
According to the report, poverty in Malawi has increased from 60.5% in 2017 to 69.6% in 2020, a decline that has both multiple and overlapping deprivations. Across all age groups (0-17 years), the single deprivation analysis reveals that deprivations were highest in sanitation (64.7%), followed by housing (47.9%) and education (46.7%). The lowest deprivation rate was in protection (11.5%).
Notably, the spike in the deprivation rate of sanitation between 2017 (21.9%) and 2020 (64.7%) was mainly on account of a definitional change that has been adopted in the report.
The multi-dimensional headcount was highest in children aged 15-17 years (72.9%) and lowest in children aged 0-23 months (52.9%).
Children residing in rural areas were more deprived in all dimensions than their urban counterparts. For instance, 76.6% of children living in rural areas were multi-dimensionally poor, compared to 26.4% in urban areas. This is true for dimensions, as about 70% of the children residing in rural areas were deprived of sanitation compared to 35.1% of those in urban areas.
Jamali, therefore, appealed to district councils including Zomba to take the necessary steps and address the findings of the report.
A statistician from NSO’s Industry Section responsible for household surveys, Isaac Mwale said the report provides a comprehensive overview of areas requiring attention.
“The report offers guidance for developing an integrated approach, addressing all dimensions simultaneously and creating policies that focus on specific areas of need,” Mwale said.
He observed that the Malawi 2063 Vision’s emphasizes on improving children’s welfare that aligns with the report’s objectives.
Director of Planning and Development for Zomba District Council, Precious Kamtsitsi acknowledged the report’s insights and supported the NPC’s recommendation for an integrated approach to solving the socio-economic challenges faced by children.
“Various development partners in health and education must collaborate and pool resources. Our council is designed to work in a multi-sectoral manner and with our partners in Zomba, we will address the challenges highlighted in the report,” Kamtsitsi said.
Ntchisi elderly persons hail social cash transfer
By Maria Tembo
Ntchisi, June 25, Mana: Some elderly beneficiaries of government’s Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) in Senior Chief Kasakula and Chikho in Ntchisi have applauded the programme, saying it is improving their everyday livelihood.
Speaking in an interview during a media tour Sunday, Mary Goma, 72, from Chiwoza village, Senior Chief Kasakula, said through the programme she has managed to buy goats and has built a house.
She said she could barely afford a basic need before she got signed up for the programme.
“I would like to advice those that are on the programme to use the money received wisely. I also want to thank the government for the programme as it is helping many poor Malawians like myself,” she said.
Another beneficiary 78-year-old Jenipher Sanjeni of Chanje village in Senior Chief Kasakula, said through the programme she can now take care of her six children as it was very hard for her in the past years.
"The money I received in the first month was MK40, 000 and I used part to buy a goat which has multiplied to eight. I also deposited some money in my village loans and savings account.
"I used the remainder to venture into three small scale businesses; selling bananas, sugarcanes and local flitters. I am able to feed my family through the money I get from my businesses,” said Sanjeni.
Kazipatile Chilowosi 75, from Ndendele Village in Senior Chief Chikho said he has also benefited a lot from the programme, as he is able to pay school fees for his grandchildren, bought goats and chicken through the same.
“I have MK37, 000 in my village and savings account and I believe that this money will help me and my family once I receive my shares,” Chilowozi explained.
The programme is funded by Social Protection Multi-Donor Trust Fund and the World Bank, and is being implemented by the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) with the objective of cushioning poverty shocks among the elderly and the ultra-poor.
According to Principle Social Welfare Officer for the district Chimwemwe Manyozo, 7, 625 households are benefitting from the programme in the 51 clusters across the district.
Media to be proactive in SATCP implementation process
By Tione Andsen
Dowa, June 25, Mana: Government has admonished Media to be proactive in developing close working partnerships and networking platforms with Implementation Agencies for Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP) in order to provide accurate information.
Chief Civil Engineer in the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Edwin Matanga said this Tuesday during the closing ceremony of a two-day Media Orientation and Tour for SATCP at Vintage Hotel in Mponela, Dowa.
He said various Implementation Agencies have specific roles to play for the success delivery of the project saying the Media need to be proactive in following up each stage of the implementation process of SATCP.
“We have 14 Implementation Agencies within the project and the Media is free to access them for more information through their Public Relations Officers (PROs). We are challenging the Media to involve the PROs to get right information and used it to create more awareness for the benefit of Nacala Corridor stakeholders,” Matanga dared.
He called o Implementation Agencies to work with the Media as partners saying free flow of information would help to reduce issues of speculations and misinformation.
The Chief Civil Engineer hoped that the interaction that has been created would continue throughout in order to attain the desired goals of the project.
“I am hoping this is not the last time we are interacting and we should create more occasions like these ones where questions and answers should be provided amicably,” Matanga said.
He thanked the Media for their active participation during the sessions saying this has demonstrated their commitment to working with the project.
Project Coordinator for SATCP- Infrastructure, Sharmey Banda said the project has an obligation with the Media in order to enhance issues of transparency and accountability.
He said the Media should always provide checks and balances for the smooth implementation of the project.
The Project being funded by World Bank to the tune of K150 million running from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024.
The participating Media Houses included Malawi News Agency (MANA), Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Zodiak Broadcasting Services (ZBC), Nation, Times Group, Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ), Mibawa Television, Chanco Radio, Capital Radio and Nyasatimes.
Smuggling remains a challenge for MRA
By Tione Andsen
Dowa, June 25, Mana: Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has admitted that smuggling of goods remains a key challenge in the drive to increase revenue collection in the country.
Head of Corporate Affairs at MRA, Steve Kapoloma made the admission Monday during his presentation as an implementation Agencies for Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP) during a two-day Media Orientation and Tour at Vintage Hotel in Mponela, Dowa.
He said most imported goods are coming into the country by using uncharted routes as there are many porous routes for use.
“We are facing a lot of challenges in dealing with the situation especially this time of the years where there are no rains and many small parts are passable and these are proofing to be conducive areas for smuggling,” Kapoloma explained.
He added MRA has anti-smuggling teams called FAST which patrols the uncharted routes where smuggling is prone.
Kapololma disclosed that the work was very tough on the ground and believe the challenges would be lessened with the coming of Drones that would be procured by SATCP with funding from World Bank which supporting Nacala Corridor.
“We kick started the process of procuring the Drones but we faced some challenges somehow and it was halted. Now, the World Banks has come full throttle at this stage and we hopefully that by the next three months, we should have them in operational,” he narrated.
The Head of Corporate Affairs said MRA was keen to making sure that the staff members were capacitate with proper knowledge to enable them fly the Drones
Kapoloma revealed that 21 MRA staff members are now able to fly the drones after being certified by Civil Aviation Department.
“We want to deal with the issue of smuggling in a smarter way. There is huge impact on smuggling because is being played in blank side. The magnitude of the malpractice will be difficult to assess. Through our patrols we have noticed that we have lost or recover about K 3 billion and this could just be tip of the ice bag,” he pointed out.
Kapoloma said the most important thing was that MRA was doing everything possible to deal with issues of smuggling by involving communities because the Authority could not be everywhere.
“We need to make sure that wherever smuggling is taking place where whistle blowers should inform us. We are partnering with chiefs and local leaders to support MRA initiatives to curb smuggling and we believe the coming in of Drones will deal with it completely,” he noted.
National Public Relation Officer (PRO) for Department of Immigration and Citizen Services, Wellington Chiponde said there are 36 border posts with neighbouring countries.
He said out of the 36 border posts only four are automated namely Kamuzu and Chileka international Airports, Mwanza and Mchinji borders.
“We are intended to automate 16 border posts in the country so that we can do away with manual recording of data. We largely depend on the entry and exit cards to update our data base manually,” Chiponde added.
He said the automated border would help us to check the issue of illegal immigrants and human trafficking.
MRA and Immigration are part of the Implementation Agencies for SATCP which is being funded by World Bank to the tune of K150 million.
Chiyamwaka praises E-Government in advancing digital services
Twimepoki Mangani
Lilongwe, Mana, June 25: Ministry of Information and Digitalization Principal Secretary, Baldwin Chiyamwaka, has commended the Department of E-Government for its pivotal role as a key technical component within the ministry.
Chiyamwaka made the remarks Tuesday during a familiarization tour to the Department of E-Government, emphasizing the ministry's commitment to delivering transparent and accessible government services.
He highlighted the importance of surpassing global benchmarks in digital governance and urged for innovative approaches.
Chiyamwaka stressed that, as the world increasingly digitalizes, government services must adopt trends in infrastructure development and digital inclusivity.
"We are, currently, reviewing various ministry projects, including the Last Mile Project, which involves installing towers in underserved areas lacking digital and electrical services. Presently, 32 towers are operational, with more underway. Additionally, progress continues on the Fiber Network Project implemented by ESCOM," he stated.
Chiyamwaka also hailed the National ICT College, a training institution for government personnel that equips Malawian youth with essential skills.
He expressed satisfaction with the progress toward digitalizing government services, emphasizing its impact across multiple sectors.
"Our objective is to make government services accessible at people's fingertips, in their homes, and wherever they are, as many currently travel long distances to access these services.
"Institutions under the ministry, such as MACRA, are supporting curriculum reviews aimed at enhancing digital literacy from primary to tertiary levels by 2063," he said.
Chiyamwaka reaffirmed that Malawi's digital initiatives are progressing well, citing ongoing projects under the Digital Malawi Project.
Director for E-Government, Patrick Machika, stressed the necessity of digitalizing government systems and provided updates on completion timelines for ongoing projects.
"Not all government systems are digitalized; it is not just about having electronic versions but transforming entire workflows digitally, which demands significant resources. We have already digitalized some systems, such as the E-service portal that consolidates various services onto one platform, enhancing efficiency, including in the administrator general's section," Machika explained.
Department of E-Government unveiled progress reports on several projects, including the data Centre set to enhance data reliability across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by its completion date of August 31, 2024.
They also presented updates on the Government Wide Area network and connectivity, revealing successful links to 126 MDAs as of December 2022, including key sites like Parliament and Capital Hill.
Women Heart Foundation to hold business summit
By Memory Khutuliwa
Blantyre, June 25, Mana: Women’s Heart Foundation has organised a summit called Women in Business, with the aim of creating, connecting and conquering ladies through business,
The event will be held at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi on June 30 this year.
Founder of Women in Business Organisation, Faith Ngulume Banda told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday that the event has been organised by Women’s Heart Foundation team so that all business ladies should have an opportunity to learn about business from others and be inspired.
“Business ladies will be inspired and besides, we are also doing this to raise funds with which to support the needy, widows and also to give some business capital to women,” Banda said.
Banda said so far preparations are going on well and that they have already paid a deposit for the venue.
“This event will help business ladies to buld up their business as they will learn how to plan, manage and invest and also help those who want to start their business but are failing due to financial challenges,” she said.
She said apart from tackling business issues, their team also supports needy students with fees, noting: “Through this event our sponsors will be receiving awards and ladies will play different games.”
“So far, we have three guest speakers: Esster Ida Chabuka, Pamela Msuka and Rose Kasunda and the host of this event is Ruth Kulaisi and one artist who is Temwa,” she said.
Ida Chabuka, one of the speakers said as an entrepreneur she is so excited about the summit, noting that the platform would not just be for sharing business ideas but also an opportunity for her to explore new business ideas.
“I’m looking forward to interact and sharing what I know which has helped my business grow over the past 16 years. I’m expecting women to ask questions about business and even my personal life because learning never ends even when you are old or very good in what you do,” she said.
She encouraged all women to attend the summit, emphasising that ‘no man is an island.
Chabuka also advised women to consider venturing into entrepreneurship regardless of how small the start-up capital can be.
“You can start business with any amount of capital, don't look down upon yourself and don’t underrate what K10, 000 can do, that is enough capital for a specific business,” she said.
Zomba City elects Jana as Mayor
By Mwai Likhomo
Zomba, June 25, Mana: Zomba City Council on Tuesday elected Mpira Ward Councilor, Christopher Jana as the new mayor, replacing Davie Maunde who has been at the helm since 2021.
The council also elected Masongola Ward Councilor, Anthony Gonani as the Deputy Mayor replacing Councilor Muneera Bakali.
Both Jana and Gonani ascended to the positions unopposed as there were no contestants.
The election process, overseen by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) officials, was marked by the absence of multiple candidates for each position, resulting into automatic victories for the two individuals who had expressed interest.
Chief Executive Officer for Zomba City Council, Archangel Bakolo announced the two as winners.
In his acceptance speech, Jana committed to continue implementing various development activities aimed at improving the city.
Jana said, among others, he will work towards attracting more investors to Zomba.
“Let me appeal to council members, local NGOs, stakeholders and residents of Zomba to collaborate so that we achieve the city’s development goals,” said Jana.
Former Mayor, Maunde was not available to hand over the mantle as he is reported to be outside the country.
The election follows vacation of a stay order obtained by some councilors which had restricted the council to hold elections for the position.
CSEPWP touted for boosting agricultural production
By Solister Mogha
Zomba, June 25, Mana: Participants in the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) have touted the programme for improving their agricultural produce.
According to the participants, through the support, they are able to buy fertilizer and other inputs that are used in their crop fields.
One of the participants in Linjidzi Catchment in Zomba, Chrissy Gefrey said she used the money she received from the programme to buy fertilizer which has helped in increasing her yield.
She said compared to other years in the past, this year she has harvested 20 bags of maize which would take her household through to the next growing season.
Apart from maize, Gefrey said she has cultivated tomatoes and vegetables, which, she was selling to improve her income.
“I have been able to support my five grandchildren with all their education needs. So long as this programme continues, I expect to do more and see my life improved,” she said.
A Youthful beneficiary in the programme, Dennis Kayola said unlike in the past, his yield has tremendously improved.
“By working in the programme, I have been able to buy all what is required in my crop fields and my agricultural produce has increased,” he said.
Kayola appealed to government to continue implementing social protection programmes that strive to enhance people’s livelihoods.
CS-EPWP Desk officer for Zomba, Chimwemwe Chimbadza said it was exciting to see people utilizing proceeds from the programme to improve their livelihood.
She said this affirms the whole purpose of the programme.
“The whole reason of having this programme is to improve economic livelihoods of rural poor. The success stories from beneficiaries is a big encouragement,” Chimbadza added.
The Government of Malawi is implementing the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme, a sub programme under social support for resilient livelihoods project.
The Programme focuses on integrated watershed management covering sub-projects such as land resources management, re-afforestation, natural regeneration and sustainable livelihood.
At least 18,000 households are participating in the programme in Zomba.
Amapiano Queen & King to team up at Melusi Park
By Petro Mkandawire
Blantyre, June 25, Mana: A renowned Amapiano Queen, Jetu and Amapiano King, Zeze Kingston will for the third time team up to sanctify Melusi Park at Area 49 in Lilongwe near Mount Meru Filling Station on June 29, 2024.
The Events will be under the theme: Zeze versus Jetu on the invitation of Thoms Park Events Director, Thomas Madulira.
A hot and talented lineup of artists to spice up the event includes Zembani Banda, Sam Smack, Nepman, The Six Solid Band, Zaya593, among other local up and coming artists as different dancing crews lead the stage.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday in Blantyre, Madulira said they have organized the show as part of refreshing, relaxing on different circumstances that people face of fairly basis and there has been a demand from entertainment enthusiasts for such a combination as such it was high time to witness the trends of queen and king at the same stage.
“I fully believe that music brings new ideas, encouragement as well as happiness when we have been lifted with stress, we have brought the combination of different type of artists for the attendees to be of different music aspect because we want them to get what they want and the show will give an opportunity to the fans to interact with these Amapiano stars directly,” he said.
The Event Manager urged people to patronize the show in their large numbers and support local artists as a way of uplifting their talents.
He encouraged people to expect more piping music since the show involves both urban and rural artists.
On his part, Kingston expressed gratitude over the event, saying the show has come at the right time, adding that it was a pleasure to share the stage with the Queen as they will all together retrieve bad moments which people are going through.
“I have been at Merusi Park several times but not with a show like this. So, I am encouraging my fans to expect the best of me as well as the whole team and we are going to perform with full energy with hot fireworks that will lead to massive entertainment and satisfaction,” he viewed.
A top fan, John Banda said experiencing such a combination was good move since these artists take them through with hot music the whole year and without music, life would be a mistake as per one good live show changes lifestyle.
“Music expresses things that we cannot say with words and which are impossible to be silent, I am expecting a lot of fireworks from this Amapiano show, I hope they will give the audience a brilliant performance,” he added.
