By: Brighton Thengoliweta Chimsinde   

Mchinji, September 26, Mana: Police in Mchinji have cautioned motorcycle and bicycle taxi operators in the district to desist from aiding and abetting human trafficking.

Crime Prevention Officer for Mchinji Police Station, Samuel Banda, made the remarks Thursday at public rallies held at Mchinji Boma and Kamwendo Trading Centre, where Malawi Coalition for Kabaza Stakeholder and Association (MACOKASA) was sensitising the operators on how to prevent avoidable accidents and other crimes.

Banda said their office has established that some kabaza operators were been enticed by human traffickers to transport innocent Malawians to Zambia and Mozambique using unchartered routes.

“Once trafficked to other countries they face serious problems, including, for instance, young girls have been forced into sex-work while others work in estates with little or no pay.

"Recently we had a case where a Malawian family of six was poisoned in Zambia and another 31 people from Lilongwe were trafficked to a certain Mozambique farm without payments and food for some months,” he said. 

He said as police they cannot tolerate that people should continue being abused in such a way.

In his remarks an official from Mchinji District Council Ferguson Kasonga, advised Kabaza operators to get registered with the council for them to be easily identified and recognised in their respective business sites.

“The registration will also help us to isolate you operators from crooks who disguise themselves as kabaza operators,” Kasonga advised. 

National Chairperson for MACOKASA Moses Mwalabu informed their members that the association is discussing with government and other relevant authorities to change other policies for their betterment.

“Our discussions are at an advanced stage, any time there will be changes in terms of registration and license fee among others,” Mwalabu said.

The chairperson also called on the operators to have crash helmets, reflectors, lights, and mirrors which he said are some of essential accessories that motorcycle operators need to have at all times.

In May 2024, MACOKASA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mchinji District Council in a bid to improve safety among Kabaza operators in the district.

By Yamikani Sabola

Chitipa, September 27, Mana: Deputy Minister of Health, Halima Daudi has commended Chitipa District Health Office (DHO) for measures it has put in place to contain the spread of cholera in the district.

Daudi was speaking Thursday in Chitipa when she visited the district to appreciate the situation on the ground following cholera outbreak which has since affected 40 people and claimed one life.

Daudi noted that no case was reported on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday which she said was testament that the battle against cholera was being won.

"When we heard that there is a cholera outbreak, we decided, together with the Presidential Task Force on Emergencies, to come and assess the situation. We hear that there are 40 cases which have been treated and one death but the good thing is that, as of today, there is no any other case reported in our health facilities.

"Let me commend health workers in the district because they are doing a lot in fighting the outbreak. As government, we are committed to achieving World Health Organisation's goal of eliminating cholera by 2030," Daudi said.

She said as the country heads to the rainfall season, there was need for health workers to intensify sensitisation to the communities on cholera preventive measures including treatment of water with chlorine, proper use of toilets and washing hands with soap after visiting the toilet and before handling food.

District Medical Officer for Chitipa, Dr. Victor Matumbo, said the cholera cases were registered at five health facilities including Kameme, Kapenda, Ifumbo, Kaseghe Health Centers and Chitipa District Hospital.

Matumbo said the disease could have broken out because boreholes in some areas of Chitipa yield salty water, which forces some community members to use water from Songwe River for domestic purposes,

"The cholera outbreak was first registered at Kapenda Health Center on 9 September and it started spreading to communities that are along Songwe River. So as DHO, we believe that the source of cholera could be water from Songwe River," he said.

He said the DHO had rolled out various measures against the outbreak including conducting community awareness and sensitisation campaigns on prevention and control of cholera.

Matumbo said other measures included distribution of chlorine, contact tracing of cholera cases and establishment of cholera treatment camps in the communities so that patients do not travel long distances to get treatment.

Senior Chief Mwabulambya commended government and other partners including Malawi Red Cross Society, Partners in Hope and Partners in Health, for responding promptly to the emergency.

By Prisca Mashushu

Lilongwe, 26th September, Mana – Botswana's High Commissioner to Malawi, Sarah Molosiwa has hailed existing bilateral ties between the two countries.

Speaking at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe Thursday evening, during Botswana’s 58th Independence Day celebrations, Molosiwa highlighted the shared success and prosperity between the two nations.

“We are grateful to Malawi for its role in our development as we celebrate 58 years of independence. The friendship and mutual benefits between our countries have fostered significant growth,” she said.

The envoy also called for continued collaboration between Malawi and Botswana, particularly in areas of business and economic development, stating that Botswana is eager to welcome Malawian investors.

Molosiwa who is resident in Zimbabwe has meanwhile extended an invitation to Malawian individuals and companies to invest in Botswana.

 “Botswana will warmly welcome the Malawian business community to invest in various sectors, which will further strengthen our economic relationship. Malawi has played a pivotal role in Botswana’s economy, and we deeply appreciate the hospitality and kindness extended by the Malawian government during this visit,” Molosiwa added.

Minister of Tourism, Vera Kamtukule, echoed these sentiments, underscoring the cultural, economic, and political ties between the two countries. She pointed to the progress both nations have made in sectors like mining and trade, where Malawi has played a key role in Botswana's development.

“As we celebrate Botswana’s progress, we also acknowledge Malawi’s significant contributions in sectors like mining and trade over the past 58 years. We are committed to working closely with Botswana to develop both nations economically, through collaboration with our ministries of foreign affairs and tourism,” said Kamtukule.

Botswana’s Independence Day, celebrated annually on September 30th, marks the end of British colonial rule in 1966 and the beginning of a new era for the country.

By Arkangel Tembo

New York, September 27, Mana: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has reaffirmed its commitment to support Malawi in developing clean energy solutions, electric vehicles and transitions to a green economy, which it says can be a game-changer for sustainable development in Malawi.

The remarks were made on Thursday by Achim Steiner, the Administrator of UNDP after holding an audience with the State President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera.

"It was an honour for me on behalf of UNDP to meet with His Excellency the President of Malawi. l was pleased to hear the president commending UNDP for the work we do in support of the Malawi government," he said.

He said particularly, UNDP is helping in driving digital transformation, empowering women in government and supporting inclusive elections.

Steiner also highlighted the successful registration of over 9.2 million citizens in Malawi.

"The electronic Identity is paving the way for financial inclusion and a digital economy that empowers women, youth, and vulnerable groups.

"Together we are building a more inclusive and sustainable future," he said.

In Malawi, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports the government in using development resources effectively and accountably to achieve the objectives of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy and attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

UNDP Malawi works closely with partners to build the national capacity to combat Malawi's widespread and deep-rooted poverty.

More than two-thirds of the population lives below the national poverty line in Malawi.

By Arkangel Tembo

New York, September 26, Mana: President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has asked United Nations (UN) to embrace democracy in the Security Council by giving Africa two permanent seats with veto power saying this can make stronger representation of the interests of developing countries in the Security Council.

President Chakwera said this on Thursday during the high-level debate of the 79^th United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York, United States of America (USA).

The President said by giving two permanent seats, the UN is strengthening the voice of developing countries on the issues that matter to Africans.

“Member state of this UN relates to other nations in the world on three dimensions namely cooperation, competition, and conflict. How we manage our relationships on each of these dimensions will ultimately determine the kind of world we will create for the children of tomorrow.

“So when we sit in this chamber to deliberate on the cooperation, or competition, or conflict between member states, we are designing and deciding our future. I am therefore glad that the theme of our debate this year touches on all three dimensions because the bottom line is that in all three, we can and must do better.

“This year’s theme calls on us to act together to advance peace, sustainable development, and dignity. This is a call to stronger multilateral cooperation. But if we are serious about cooperation, then we must act with urgency in fixing and reforming the United Nations and other multilateral institutions, and one fix that we from Africa demand is for the United Nations to embrace democracy in the Security Council by giving Africa two permanent seats with veto power,” said President Chakwera.

The Malawi leader said in the four years that he has been President, he has been declaring a state of natural disaster every year because of climate change impacts that Malawi cannot solve without multilateral cooperation.

He added,” for one of those years, I was chair of two development communities, namely the Southern Africa Development Community and the Least Developed Countries, and I learnt firsthand that no nation can survive a global crisis or develop in the face of shocks without strong multilateral cooperation to sustain it.

“Even the great strides of development we have made over the past four years have been facilitated by strong international cooperation. Whether it be the four road corridors and hundreds of secondary schools we are constructing through our cooperation with the United States; or the M1 road we are rehabilitating and expanding through our cooperation with the European Union; or the railway system we have revived for the first time in 40 years through our cooperation with China, among other projects.

President Chakwera further told the gathering that developing countries efforts to move forward in fifth gear are being significantly slowed down by a global system of multilateral agencies and financial institutions that are too slow, too inefficient, too monolithic, and too undemocratic for the kind of speedy and tailor made interventions needed.

He said the refusal to practice the democracy of equal representation in the UN, calls for member states to practice democracy in their jurisdictions are beginning to fall on deaf ears adding as a result of developing countries' refusal to honour climate financing pledges or link them to debt relief, the debt-to-GDP ratios in developing countries like Malawi are growing at an alarming rate, posing a significant threat to global financial stability.

“If this is not fixed, those who keep us in a state of perpetual debt when they have the resources to cancel those debts should make no mistake: the spreading debt crisis in the developing world is cancer that will make our economies unsafe. So the time to fix this is now,” he said.

By Tione Andsen

Lilongwe, September 26, Mana: K 40 million Mpico Gateway Netball League returns into top action this weekend with mouthwatering fixtures.

The League had a three-week recess with League leaders, Blue Sisters ending the first round with 100 percent winning record and have 18 points from nine games.

The Saturday fixture will have second placed Civonets facing Lioness who are fourth on the log table while on Sunday Blues Sisters will battle it out with their sisters, Young Eagles while Civonets will be in the sisterly battle with Boma.

Both Blue Eagles Sisters and Civonets will be aiming at keeping up their pace with top finish at the end of the season.

However, the bottom three namely Mafco Sisters, Immigration and Sharpshooters need to come up very strongly in the second round if there are to remain relevant in the league.

Sharpshooters remains the only teams without a point from nine games, Immigration have two points to their credit while Mafco Sisters have five points to which they can push forward to fight for top four finish.

The middle table teams of Vanessa Sisters with nine points and Dyna Sister have eight points have to work extra hard to dislodge teams in the top four by the end of the first round.

The Mpico Gateway netball league is expected to end by November, 2024.       

The fixtures for the weekend is as follows:

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Vanessa vs Blue Eagles Sisters @ 9:00 am

Dyna Sisters vs Immigration @ 10: 30 am

Sharpshooters vs Boma @1:00 pm

Young Eagles vs Mafco Sisters @ 2:30 pm

Civonets vs Lioness @4:00 pm

Sunday, September 29, 2024

Immigration vs Sharpshooters @ 9:00 am

Dyna Sisters vs Vanessa @ 10:30 am

Civonets vs Boma @ 1:00 pm

Mafco vs Lioness @ 2:30 pm

Blue Eagles vs Young Eagles @ 4:00 pm

By Vida Msiyo

Blantyre, September 26, Mana: United Democratic Front (UDF) has expressed readiness for its upcoming convention scheduled for October 2, 2024, with preparations said to be at an advanced stage.

The announcement was made during a press briefing held in Blantyre on Thursday aimed at updating the public on the progress of the elective event.

Speaking at the briefing, Organising Committee Chairperson, Aisha Mambo Adams emphasized that the party is well-prepared and excited about the convention.

“We are in the final stages of everything and as a party, we are excited about how we are complying with our regulations and moving forward with the preparations,” Mambo who is also Member of Parliament for Mangochi Nkungulu said.

The press briefing also touched on the party’s decision to invite the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to the convention, a move that has sparked mixed reactions among UDF supporters.

However, Adams explained that UDF has a longstanding policy of engaging with other political parties.

“This policy has been in place since our former president’s time in power, although some of our supporters may not agree with inviting other parties, we cannot simply change this practice, once a policy is established, there are procedures to follow.

"The UDF which prides itself as the mother of democracy in Malawi, has maintained this tradition of inclusivity even amidst evolving political dynamics,” said Adams.

The UDF convention will be conducted under the theme: ‘Towards unity, renewal and socio-economic transformation’.

By Sheminah Nkhoma

Lilongwe, September 26, Mana: Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chairperson, Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, has prompted journalists to avoid misinformation as it has the ability to confuse people during the general elections.

She made the remarks on Thursday during Annual Media and Access to Information Conference at Bingu International Convention Center (BICC) in Lilongwe.

She said the conference is important as it will help to prepare for the 2025 general elections so there is need to discuss the free flow of information and to avoid misinformation which affects the process of elections.

“As MEC we faced much challenges in the pilot voter registration, whereby others were spreading information that registration was a rigging exercise. Misinformation confuses voters and undermines trust in the electoral process. It is our plea that all stakeholders should work together to create a conducive environment for free flow of information," she said.

She said the commission will continue working with the media in ensuring professional reporting saying the electoral body has so far trained 300 journalists on electoral reporting.

On her part, Commissioner of Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC), Teresa Ndanga urged the media to follow professionalism, accuracy and integrity when reporting to reflect the truth as this is a crucial period for the nation.

Ndanga said the political landscape can become volatile with misinformation, especially when money and other material things are involved during campaign period.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Digitalisation, Baldwin Chiyamwaka stated that the conference has come at a right time as the country is preparing for the 2025 general election.

Chiyamwaka added that the role of the media and the citizens right to access information in shaping the democratic process ahead cannot be understated.

“Access to information is crucial in the electoral process as it serves as the foundation for fair, transparent and credible electoral process. Each one of us has a role to play to ensure that we enhance electoral transparency and accountability, empower the citizens who are the voters, foster informed public debate and prevent the spread of misinformation,” he highlighted.

Chairperson for Media Council of Malawi (MCM) Dr. Jolly Ntaba, emphasised the need for promotion of legislation on access to information ahead of next year's elections.

Mtaba said that the media cannot effectively disseminate information, which is their critical role in democratic and electoral processes, if ATI is not well implemented and utilised.

The conference has brought together media stakeholders who are deliberating on the theme ‘Promoting free flow of information towards 2025 General Election’.