By George Mponda

Karonga, May 24, Mana: Karonga District Council Chairperson, Misheck Mwaijengo has warned farmers to stop drying their rice on the sidewalks of M1 Road to avoid accidents.

This is coming as most farmers have started harvesting their rice and it is common practice to be drying the yield on the road.

In an interview on Friday, Mwaijengo said although the practice is very common during harvest time, it poses a grave risk to road users since accidents can happen.

"Our colleagues from the department of Agriculture should go around with awareness messeges to stop farmers from drying their rice and other products on the road. We should not wait for an accident to happen before action is taken," said Mwaijengo.

"The stretch of road from Karonga town to Songwe border is where this practice is very common and some parts of Chilumba as well. People need to know that doing this is putting the lives of so many road users in danger," he said.

In a seperate interview, one of the rice farmers, Rehema Chipeta from Zindi Village in the area of Paramount Chief Kyungu said lack of space to dry their harvest in their homes is what pushes them to the M1 Road.

"As we speak, the soil around our homes is still too moist and the only place where we can dry our rice is on the tarmac. We have no choice," Chipeta said.

By Tawonga Moyo

Mzuzu, May 24, Mana: Lack of information and fear associated with undergoing Voluntary Male Medical Circumcision (VMMC) has been said to be the main cause of increased cases of perianal cancer amongst men and a low turnout when it comes to the procedure.

The revelation came to light on Friday in Mzuzu during a media science café which was held under the theme ‘Saving men's lives; counting the impact of voluntary male medical circumcision in Malawi.’

The program, which was organized by Centre for Investigative Journalism (CijM) in association with Journalists Association against Aids (journaids), was aimed at equipping journalists with knowledge on VMMC in order to strengthen media coverage on the issue.

VMMC Coordinator at Mzuzu Central Hospital, Alex Khombedza said most men fear losing their erection and becoming infertile after getting the procedure, which he noted comes due to lack of information on what the procedure entails.

"Male Circumcision does not result into infertility but that in the first few months after the procedure, a man might lose the feeling of erection which doesn't happen to every person.

"Perianal cancer is becoming a serious condition bearing that at Mzuzu Central Hospital, we have a lot of male patients who have come from different district hospitals within the northern region and many of them are awaiting to undergo an operation," said Khombedza.

Khombedza said VMMC helps to reduce the risk of perianal cancer in men and cervical cancer in women in that the foreskin of the male organ which harbours the human papillomavirus responsible for the diseases is removed.

He said Mzuzu Central Hospital receives approximately 30 men on a monthly basis who come to seek VMMC services.

In his remarks, Bryan Mkandawire who represented One Community, an organization focused on reducing the vulnerability of people impacted by HIV, said it's crucial for civil society organizations (CSOs) and the media to dwell more on educating people concerning VMMC.

"As CSOs and the media, we need to look at the misconceptions that are there regarding VMMC so that people understand and are able to make good medical choices. Circumcision on its own doesn't mean 100 percent prevention against HIV but that chances of it are reduced," said Mkandawire.

In her remarks, Sarah Saulos from Voice of Livingstonia Radio said through health programs, it has been discovered that most men in the north hesitate to undergo the procedure as they believe it is linked to a certain tribe or religion.

"Most men hesitate to undergo the procedure as they think they will be going out of their culture or belief. It's important for the media to be more equipped so that such awareness messages on the importance of VMMC are uplifted," she said.

By Andrew Mkonda

Lilongwe, May 24, Mana: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has reaffirmed its stand to collaborate with the government of Ireland and Malawi to support all initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls in the country.

UNFPA Regional Director, Lydia Zigomo made the assurance on Thursday during a tour to appreciate what the adolescent girls at Chitseka in Lilongwe district are doing in Technology and Empowerment Enhancing Networks in Safe Spaces (TEEN) project.

Zigomo said it is interesting that Malawi as a country is working towards getting out of poverty by 2063, and one of the strategies that can achieve this is by making sure that girls stay in school and be educated so that they become economically self-reliant.

“I am so impressed to see that Malawian girls have a lot of talent and capacity and I have encouraged them to understand that the sky is the limit for them.

“Many of these girls have come out from difficult situations such as early marriages, but they have found ways of starting again with their lives by venturing into various entrepreneurial development skills such as tailoring, baking and some have even gone into agriculture which is encouraging,” she said.

Zigomo asked different stakeholders to make sure that the rights of a girl child are being respected, saying no matter where she lives, she must enjoy all the rights in her life.

Deputy Director of Gender Mainstreaming in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Ronald Phiri thanked UNFPA for the support it renders to the country in ending gender based violence (GBV) that women and girls face.

Phiri said before the introduction of TEENS project many girls were getting early pregnancies as early as 12 years of age which was heavily contributing to cases of fistula in the country.

Phiri said the TEENS project is targeting 7,000 adolescent girls in Lilongwe, Dedza and Mchinji.

One of the beneficiaries, Doreen Kabowa also thanked different stakeholders for the initiative saying it is transforming lives of many girls in the country.

By Manasse Nyirenda

Rumphi, May 24, Mana: Rumphi District Council, has revised upwards business licence fees to increase its purse for improved services delivery amidst economic shock which the country is currently going through.

Among others, daily market fee has been raised from K300.00 to K500.00 depending on the size of business, annual license fees for lodges has been increased from K100, 000 to K150, 000. While private clinics will be paying K75, 000 from K50, 000.

Night clubs will be expected to pay K150, 000 from K100, 000 as hardware shops will pay K150, 000 from K100, 000.

Speaking during a full council meeting, Chairperson for Rumphi District Council, Harry Munyenyembe said the revision of the fees will translate to provision of good public business premises.

“With these adjustments, we expect increased local revenue generation, thereby providing improved services to the expectation of the public, besides improving the council’s operations,” said Munyenyembe.

Munyenyembe added that the council is struggling to provide sanitation facilities in some markets due to resource constraints and was optimistic that situation will improve with increased revenue generation.

A representative of Rumphi Business Community, Wisdom Chibankhuni Nyirenda described the revised fees as reasonable.

“We all know that the cost of goods and services have gone up. This was expected, but we also hope that the council will be able to provide services that they can’t manage at the moment. We need to see improved waste management and construction of sanitation facilities in some markets,” said Nyirenda.

Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe said different fees which the council charges are necessary for the authority to develop and urged fellow traditional leaders to lead in sensitising their subjects about the revised fees.

By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, May 23, Mana:  Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism, Chauncy Simwaka says embracing and implementing guidelines for Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME) is key in achieving efficiency in the conservation of wildlife.

He said this on Thursday when Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) jointly launched the PAME guidelines in Kasungu.  

With funding from Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) programme, MUST and DNPW have developed the first ever guidelines for assessing the effectiveness of the management of protected areas to help improve biodiversity conservation through information sharing.

Said Simwaka: “These guidelines are the hope for the future of protected areas and a testament to our commitment to safeguarding wildlife.

“I urge everyone to internalise and integrate them in the management practices so that they have a lasting impact on the management of wildlife.”

He said it is pleasing that Malawi has become the first nation to come up with such guidelines in the sub-Saharan Africa, pointing out that some countries will be coming to learn from it.

In his remarks, MUST Head of Biological Sciences Department, Petros Chigwechokha, said the institution is proud to have taken the lead in the development of the guidelines.

“As an institution of higher learning, we promote excellence. We promote research that is geared towards the conservation of biodiversity.

“In this case we partnered with DNPW to develop the guidelines which are the first in this part of Africa and we are proud of that,” Chigwechokha said.

He said MUST is a key partner in the conservation of wildlife and will support the implementation of the guidelines through various means including training of DNPW staff to ensure there is effective management of protected areas.

The guidelines are also expected to help improve protected area management by harmonizing procedures for conducting PAME assessments and guide on the allocation of resources to protected areas in need, based on priorities identified systematically.

The BIOPAMA programme is an initiative that helps African, Caribbean and pacific countries to address their priorities for improved management and governance of biodiversity and natural resources through provision of tools, services and funding to conservation actors.

Malawi is a signatory to various regional and international agreements including the SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation, which strengthens the country’s commitment to protected area management and conservation.

By Mtsano Chasweka          

Mulanje, May 24, Mana: The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) says it will construct an ICT laboratory at Chinyama Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Traditional Authority (TA) Tombondiya in Mulanje district through Connect a School Project.

Speaking on Wednesday during a ground breaking ceremony at Chinyama CDSS, MACRA`s Deputy Director of Consumer Affairs, Kelious Mlenga said the Connect A School Project implemented by Malawi Government under Universal Service Fund will construct computer laboratories in schools to increase ICT access.

“This digital inclusion will bridge the gap as 6 million children from government schools have no access to internet services,” said Mlenga.

In his remarks, Member of Parliament for Mulanje Bale, Victor Musowa applauded MACRA for the initiative saying access to computer literacy and utilization of ICT will motivate students, thereby improving education standards in the rural areas.

“It is an achievement to have access to technology in this digital era. We will own it and embrace it and l am sure that the community will be transformed,” said Musowa.

Chinyama CDSS, Head teacher, Bernard Nkombezi assured MACRA, local leaders and the community that the school authority will properly manage the computer laboratory to ensure it serves its intended purpose for the benefit of students and the community.

Apart from Chinyama CDSS, Chimwala and Salabango CDSS will also benefit from the project.

75 schools in Malawi will benefit from Connect a School Project in the first phase.

By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, May 23, Mana: Centenary Bank has urged its customers to stay vigilant against fraudsters who are impersonating as Centenary Bank staff to defraud customers.

In a press statement released on Thursday by the bank, the bank's Head of Risk, Sylvester Chalira, said as a bank they have noted fraudulent activities that are being made by the impostors.

 “Centenary Bank has recently become aware of fraudulent activities involving individuals impersonating Centenary Bank employees; these fraudsters are creating WhatsApp groups requesting cash as processing fees for loans.

“They also contact unsuspecting individuals through phone calls, emails, or messages, claiming to be bank representatives, and attempt to deceive them into revealing sensitive information or transferring funds to the fraudsters,” Chalira said in a press statement.

He urged the customers and the general public to be cautious when dealing with any requests for personal or financial information, especially over the phone or through electronic communication channels.

Chalira also advised customers to safeguard their money by keeping their Mobile Banking, Internet Banking, Agency Banking, and ATM PINs, as well as passwords, safe and take care when doing transactions.

 “Customers should also check their surroundings when transacting at ATMs to ensure no one is observing them entering their PIN.

“Customers must not share these private details with anyone under any circumstances. Our staff will never ask a customer for their password,” Chalira stated.

He also said customers should call the Centenary Bank toll-free number, 358, if they suspect their account has been compromised and to report the incident to the police.

One of the Centenary Bank customers, Danyeka Francis, advised Centenary Bank to tighten its security system to safeguard its customers from the fraudsters.

Centenary Bank currently has 14 branches across the country, including Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Zomba, Mangochi, Dzaleka, Madisi and Kasungu.

The bank has over 300 agents, 30 ATMs, three forex bureaus and a microfinance division. The bank offers a full range of banking products and services, as well as Bancassurance and Microfinance products.