By Maria Tembo

Ntchisi, 20 November, 2024, Mana: Participants under the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works (CS-EPW) program in Ntchisi have expressed satisfaction over timely payment of wages in the past two phases.

Jennifer Sofasi of Mikwala catchment area, in Senior Chief Chikho, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday, that timely payment of wages in the past two phases has served as a motivation to the participants to work hard.

Untimely payment of wages has been among the major concerns among participants under the World Bank-funded project, making respective authorities work tirelessly to rectify it.

"We rely on these wages to survive, in these difficult economic times. We sometimes get demotivated when the payments are delayed,” said Sofasi adding that in the past, participants could stay for over a month without receiving their wages.

“Our families will be helped through the wages we have received today, and some of us will be able to pay school fees for our school-going children", she added.

Another participant, Tilimbe Samalani, said the wages will among many things reduce the challenges they are facing.

"The wages will help us in buying our daily necessities including food, and some of us will invest the money in Village Savings and Loans (VSLs)" said Samalani.

Foreman for Mikwala catchment area Labsoni Chichitike thanked government for the timely wages and hopes for more impactful activities to be done across the district through the project.

By Namon Chitukuta and Eliam Thera.

Mzuzu, November 19, Mana: Mzuzu City Council says it is prepared to prevent cholera and other hygiene and sanitation-related diseases in the coming rainy season.

Public Relations Officer for the council, Macdonald Gondwe told Malawi News Agency (MANA), on Tuesday that the council is arranging different committees on disaster and waste management to work in various wards and markets for waste management sensitization.

Gondwe said that the council is making efforts to ensure that residents are practicing good hygiene and sanitation habits to avoid cholera and other waterborne infections.

“People should be watchful mostly in this rainy season and avoid littering in places anyhow as risk of a cholera outbreak is high,” Gondwe said.

He appealed to residents to be responsible in their localities by clearing drainage systems as well as properly disposing of wastes, and he stressed that poor waste management poses a high risk of cholera outbreaks mainly during rainy seasons.

Chairperson for vendors in Zigwagwa market, Gerald Maulana has since asked the council to allocate more resources like bins and wheelbarrows as well as working personnel for cleaning and garbage collection.

“We are having uncollected garbage in various parts of the market, and this may cause cholera and other waterborne diseases,” Maulana said.

Meanwhile, Mzimba North District Health Office (MNDHO) is currently implementing a cholera preparedness plan and carrying out various cholera sensitization activities.

MNDHO Public Relations Officer, Lovemore Kawayi said since no cholera case has been registered, the DHO is alerting health facilities to get prepared so that if any case is there they should be able to handle it and prevent further transmission.

By Zenak Matekenya

Dedza, November 19, Mana: Dedza District Council Director of Administration, Chris Salaniponi says the district is prepared to host the first ever out-of-chambe parliament session on Thursday, November 21, 2024.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Salaniponi said the council has met all the requirements set by Parliament secretariat including availability of running water and clean toilets at the event venue, Dedza Stadium.

He said the parliamentary session presents a unique opportunity for citizens to gain insight into parliamentary procedures and engage with lawmakers.

He said the event fosters a collaborative environment that promotes economic growth and development.

“To come up with this event we have put great effort which has come from business enterprises themselves. For the council we hope to get an opportunity to identify different investors because Dedza district is a food basket but markets haven’t been fully developed,” he added.

Salaniponi who is also the event’s task force chairperson expressed gratitude that Dedza triumphed over Mchinjii, Dowa, and Balaka districts to host Malawi’s inaugural parliament meeting outside the chamber.

Dedza District Civil Society Network chairperson, Osborne Nyirongo said the civil society in the district were engaged in the preparations for the event.

He said a cross-section of people including chiefs, the clergy, primary and secondary school learners, the business community and farmers will stand a chance to appreciate what parliament means to them.

“I hope that as these members of parliament will be coming, they will also see that our ring road is not completely up to date and that they will also have a chance to ask the relevant authorities to look into it,” he said.

A resident at Dedza Boma Elton Zitha hailed the initiative, saying by attending the session physically people will have a different understanding of parliamentary procedures.

He said during the event he intends to understand why some decisions made by parliament take longer to be implemented.

The activity which falls under the Bringing Parliament Closer to People concept started Monday in Lilongwe. All 193 members of parliamentarians are expected to attend the function.

By Nandie Magomelo

Dedza, November 19, Mana: Female officers from Malawi Police, Prison and Immigration in Dedza district on Monday, launched a three-day Basad campaign operation with the aim to help combat crimes.   

Dedza Police Station, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Sergeant Beatrice Jefita, said the launched Basad operation, will make female officers focus on crimes against women and children such as defilement, rape, assault, human trafficking, child labour and domestic violence among others.

“Basad operation, normally takes place twice annually and every female officer working in the security agencies in the SADC region is expected to participate,” she said.

Jefita further said that on Monday, the three security agencies had a road show where they interacted with various communities from Dedza border, roadblock and Msikawanjala respectively.

“The communities in these areas were encouraged to report Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases to the relevant authorities,” she added.

From a Tswana word ‘Basad’ means ‘Women’ and is a bi-annual operation by female police officers across countries in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).

In Malawi, the operation is set to enhance the country’s police service commitment to eradicating GBV and fostering a safer society for all.

By Alex Mlanga

Blantyre, November 19, Mana:  Mthawira CCAP youths in Blantyre on Sunday held a mock wedding that raised K500,000 for a trip to Mulanje Mountain on December 17 for a retreat.  

The mock wedding brought together youths from Makalanga, Mkolokoti, Chitsime, Mount Camel, Mvunguti CCAP and other youths from the Assemblies of God church.

Reverend Miriam Chipeta Banda of Mthawira CCAP hailed the youth for being creative and resourceful in organising the fundraising mock wedding.

“I was inspired by this initiative. If the youth had simply asked for support for their trip to Mulanje, people might have been reluctant to give. But this idea shows wisdom and hard work.

“Money does not come easily, the Bible says; he who does not work shall not eat. The youths worked for it, and we supported the wedding,” added Manda.

The moderator encouraged the community to support youth's participation in church activities for spiritual growth.

Esther Chibaba and Luwani Msiska played bride and bridegroom respectively dressing formally as opposed to normal wedding attire.

Mthawira Youth chairperson, Adrian Sezza said was delighted with the event and was optimistic that the Mulanje Mountain trip will be on following the fundraising mock wedding.

“We are happy with the turn-up and support. The success of this event is an indication that the trip to Mulanje is on,” he said.

By Austin Kananji

Lilongwe, November 19, Mana: UNDP’s HIV policy dialogue in Lilongwe emphasized the importance of law reforms to protect key populations at high risk, fostering collaboration among stakeholders to sustain Malawi’s HIV progress.

The dialogue attracted and brought together many organizations including, UNDP, CPO, UNRC, USAID, POM, and NAC to discuss issues concerning HIV and AIDS targeting key populations such as the prostitutes on law reforms for the good and benefit of all Malawians leaving no one behind.

Speaking in an interview on Monday evening, the Director of the HIV and Health Group of United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Mandeep Dhaliwal highlighted the importance of organizing the dialogue as Malawi is making progress on HIV and AIDS to the key populations.

“It is essential to organize this event because Malawi has made such good progress on HIV, but also to make further progress Malawians need to watch more on the safety and security of key populations and improve the human rights environment in line with the constitution and the law and also make improvements in the law so that they can sustain the gains of HIV response,” she said.

Speaking on another interview, CEO of the National AIDS Commission (NAC), Beatrice Lydia Matanje underscored how candid the discussion was as it focused more on what was going on in the country, triggering future discussions because of the recommendations that were made.

“This dialogue is critical because within the general population, the risk is very little but in the key population groups it is over double or 7 times for example female sex workers have 7.7%, men who have sex with men it is about 0.4%, and people who inject drug it is about almost double, hence this shows that the key populations are still harboring the pandemic and if we ignore structural barriers that hinder them not to be identified and to access services then we are going to continue with this pandemic hence addressing the issue as these people do not live in isolation,” she said

On the other hand, the National Coordinator of the Diversity forum Dunker Kamba stressed that their organization as an umbrella body works with the Key populations hence citing the need to be involved in the dialogue.

“The dialogue is important because this is where we get to meet the key stakeholders, and the issues we relay with key populations which is at high risk of HIV therefore this space gave us time to connect but also to tell the responsible people on how our issues will affect us on day to day life, and helped us to share whatever challenges we encounter so that they are resolved,” he said.

The HIV Policy and Law Reform Dialogue held in Lilongwe marks a critical step forward in addressing the unique challenges faced by key populations at higher risk of HIV infection. Stakeholders, including UNDP, NAC, USAID, and the Diversity Forum, underscored the need for continued collaboration and reform to ensure that no one is left behind in Malawi's fight against HIV and AIDS.

By Yankho Kandio

On Monday, Salima, November 19, Mana: Minister of Transport and Public Works, Jacob Hara, underscored the need to adhere to railway safety rules and regulations to prevent accidents.

Hara made the remarks on Monday at Police Ground in Salima district, during the launch of Railway Safety Week, emphasizing that people need to respect rules governing railways and trains.

"Many accidents that occurred last year could have been avoided through awareness and compliance," he said.

Hara highlighted the importance of safety measures for pedestrians, drivers, and passengers who try to alter railway systems.

"We are intensifying awareness of the dangers of trains and building along railway lines. The rules and regulations should never be ignored, and anyone found constructing a long railway will be penalized," he said.

The Minister further called for collective action, urging all stakeholders to play their role in creating a safer environment around the country’s railway networks.

On this point, Hara revealed that government aims to expand and modernize the national rail network.

 "This investment will not only improve safety but also enhance efficiency, connectivity, and economic growth across the country," He said.

Central East African Railways (CEAR) Social and Community Relations Manager, Towera Ng’ambi, said they have intensified their efforts in sensitizing the communities on railway safety and regulations.

“We have also established Railway safety clubs in all primary schools along the railway line which help in sensitizing their fellow students in schools and at home about railway safety and regulations,” she added.

Ng’ambi also emphasized on collective responsibility in the communities to protect and safeguard rail materials saying replacing vandalized infrastructure is costly and impacts negatively on the country’s development.

The Ministry of Transport and Public Works through Malawi Railways 1994 Limited (MR94) is a member of Southern African Railways Association (SARA) at its first SARA Board of Directors meeting held in 2019 resolved to spare a week to commemorate railway safety.

This year's theme is "Love life, respect trains," an initiative that is part of ongoing efforts to reduce railway-related accidents and foster a culture of safety across Malawi.

By Happy Milanzie

Lilongwe, November 18, Mana: Malawi national team (Flames) beat Burkina Faso (Starriots) in the 2025 African cup qualifiers at Bingu national stadium in Lilongwe.

Despite the failure to participate in the 2025 African Cup of the Nations that will take place in Morocco, the Malawi team destroyed Burkina by three goals to zero in total energizes African Cup qualifiers.

Malawi secured a 3-0 victory with goals from Gabadinho Mhango in the 28th minute of the first half, Richard Mbulu in the 57th minute, and Loyd Banega Aaron in the 62nd minute.

Interim Head Coach for Malawi national team, Kalisto Pasuwa, said the win has come such that players responded from the advice that he told them at the dressing room as well as during the training.

"The players utilized the advice that was given at the dressing room and the coordination that players portrayed today has revealed that Malawi can have a strong team that can compete with strong national teams in Africa, and winning Burkina Faso is a great sign that the country has good materials in football," he said.

According to Pasuwa, Burkina Faso's defensive gaps allowed the Malawi national team to capitalize on those opportunities and score three goals.

Meanwhile, coach for Burkina Faso, Brama Traore, welcomed the defeat and said it has happened because of some injuries that the Starriots faced during the training.

"We did not underrate the Malawi national team but the problem is the injuries that have been happening during the training when we were making some preparations for the game," he said.

Traore further said Malawi is a good team despite being unqualified for 2025 African Cup of the nations.

The Malawi national team finished in fourth place in Group L with four points, having lost four games, secured one win, and drawn a match against Burundi in Ivory Coast.

BY: Nandie Magomelo

Dedza, November 18, Mana: Dedza Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have been urged to contribute resources towards the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence event scheduled for November 28 this year in the district.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, the district’s CSOs Chairperson, Osborne Nyirongo, who is Project Coordinator for Eagles Relief, emphasized to the Malawi News Agency (MANA) that CSOs have a duty to lend a hand towards resource mobilization in terms of financial aid as well as human resource.

“CSOs should set aside funds for such events to honor their obligation to the community, because that is where we work and events like these are an opportunity to contribute resources towards our shared goal of reducing incidents of gender based violence,” said Nyirongo.

He further called on the CSOs to take part in such events, as they are extremely important in protecting all citizens through mindset and behavior change.

“It is crucial that we spread awareness about this issue in order to sensitize the public on the damage GBV causes and prevent these incidents from happening altogether,” he stated.

According to Dedza District Council’s Gender and Development Officer, Lisnet Kathyole, there are several partners that have already pledged resources including PA systems, transport, allowances and other partners continue to pick items they will support from the budget pegged at over MK6 million.

“It is important that CSOs assist in carrying out this event. That community outreach, helps in quickly spreading awareness to a large group of people at the same time,” Kathyole asserted.

The 16 Days Against GBV is a global event commemorated annually from November 25^th to December 10^th.

In Dedza, the event will be commemorated under the theme ‘Unite to end violence against women and girls in Malawi’ and will be spiced by several activities including a football match involving Dedza Dynamo.