By Austine Patrice Kachilika

Mzimba, August 26, Mana: Afikepo programme with support from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has  rewarded Traditional Authority (T/A) Kampingo Sibande, one group village head, two mother care groups and one adolescent group for their efforts in the fight against malnutrition at Eswazini in Mzimba District.

Speaking  on Friday, during presentation of the rewards and the launch of Afikepo’s performance based incentives (PBI) programme, Nutritional Officer for M’mbelwa District Council, Gift Simkonda said the incentives were a timely intervention as the district is lagging in nutrition.

 “These incentives will encourage various groups to step up consumption of all six food groups hence reducing malnutrition which affects 38.9 per cent of children in the district,” he said:

In his remarks, TA Kampingo Sibande stressed the importance of consuming exotic vegetables such as chisoso, sweet potatoes and pumpkin leaves.

“Exotic foods contain a lot of nutrients and natural salts that help our bodies grow and they do not cost any penny,” he said.

Kampingo Sibande also condemned the tendency of selling all the farm produce after harvest, saying it is contributing to high levels of malnutrition in the district.

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By Margret Praise Kalua

Nkhata Bay, August 24, Mana: Dowa District Council has described peer to peer learning visits as a significant tool in ironing out problems councils encounter in executing their duties.

Dowa District Council Revenue Collection Supervisor, Alexander Andersen Chigalu said this on Wednesday when a delegation from Dowa District Council paid a peer to peer learning visit to Nkhata Bay District Council aimed at sharing knowledge and experiences on revenue collection and management.

Chigalu said Nkhata Bay is among the councils performing well in a number of developments hence the team decided to learn from them.

“Much as we are also doing well in other developmental areas, we thought it wise to learn new ideas from our counterpart. We believe we will improve our performance with the knowledge learned from the council,” he said.

Market Supervisor for Nkhata Bay District Council, Malumbo Mkandawire said the council also benefited from Dowa council’s visit.

“It is inspiring to see how our friends are managing and interacting with the vending community in a big business center like Dzaleka and managing revenue collection,” he said.

Nkhata Bay District Commissioner (DC), Rodgers Newa said the visit by Dowa District Council which came barely weeks after the district also hosted a delegation from Chitipa council is a sign that Nkhatabay is striving well in development.

By Margret Praise Kalua

Nkhata Bay, August 24, Mana: Dowa District Council has described peer to peer learning visits as a significant tool in ironing out problems councils encounter in executing their duties.

Dowa District Council Revenue Collection Supervisor, Alexander Andersen Chigalu said this on Wednesday when a delegation from Dowa District Council paid a peer to peer learning visit to Nkhata Bay District Council aimed at sharing knowledge and experiences on revenue collection and management.

Chigalu said Nkhata Bay is among the councils performing well in a number of developments hence the team decided to learn from them.

“Much as we are also doing well in other developmental areas, we thought it wise to learn new ideas from our counterpart. We believe we will improve our performance with the knowledge learned from the council,” he said.

Market Supervisor for Nkhata Bay District Council, Malumbo Mkandawire said the council also benefited from Dowa council’s visit.

“It is inspiring to see how our friends are managing and interacting with the vending community in a big business center like Dzaleka and managing revenue collection,” he said.

Nkhata Bay District Commissioner (DC), Rodgers Newa said the visit by Dowa District Council which came barely weeks after the district also hosted a delegation from Chitipa council is a sign that Nkhatabay is striving well in development.

By Shaffie Bakali

Mangochi, August 24, Mana: Mangochi Police Station has expressed satisfaction with increased number of men reporting various forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV) to the station’s Victim Support Unit among them denial of conjugal rights.

Mangochi Police Station, Public Relations Officer Amina Daudi disclosed this on Wednesday at the end of two-days media training organized by the Media Council of Malawi at Mangochi Boma saying the there is an increase on case reporting compared to past years.

“We are happy that there is an increase in number of men reporting cases of GBV to our Victim Support Unit. Almost four men report their cases every week and most cases being denial of conjugal rights as well as increased expenditure demanded by their wives “

“To us this is an achievement. Previously a month would go without registering any GBV case from men,” said Mangochi Police Station publicist and attributed the new trend to the efforts made by the station through public awareness on GBV and urged other partners to continue with public awareness on the GBV and its effects.

Daudi said Mangochi Police was compelled to carry out series of public awareness after the station did a research that revealed a link between GBV and suicide among men.

MCM organized the media training with funding from Malawi Irish Consortium for Gender Based Violence.

District information officers and other eastern region-based journalists, gender officers and police officers attended the two days training.

District Gender Officer for Mangochi, Pilirani Malonda expressed gratitude on efforts by various partners to raise awareness that make people to come in the open to report GBV, saying the awareness also contributes to a decrease in GBV cases this year's first half comparing to the same period 2022.

“Our office is pleased that men are coming in the open to report GBV and we would like to report that GBV cases from January to June this year have declined by 14 percent compared to the same period last year,

“There is a decrease in physical and sexual violence as 21 and 45 cases were recorded respectively in 2023's first half while last year (the same period) 36 cases for physical violence and 66 for sexual violence were recorded” Malonda said.

She also called on development partners to train more media practitioners to ensure increased awareness on GBV and its physical and psychological effects.   

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, August 23, Mana: Principal Resident Magistrate court in Nkhata Bay on Tuesday sentenced a 24-year-old man, Issa Banda to seven years’ imprisonment with hard labour for raping a 32-year-old mentally ill woman.

Nkhata Bay Police Spokesperson, Kondwani James said the court heard through state prosecutor Imed Isaac, the mentally challenged woman encountered the fate in the evening hours of August 14, 2023 at Nyoloni Village in the district.

"Isaac submitted that the accused person took advantage of the woman who was left at home with a woman from a neighboring house when her mother went out for other errands.

"Banda, who hails from the same village, repeatedly persuaded the victim into a kitchen when the guardian had entered into the main house. He was eventually caught pants down doing the evil on the psychiatric woman," he said.

Isaac prayed for a stiffer punishment against the convict, saying he would have taken responsibility of protecting the woman rather than taking advantage of her illness.

In mitigation, the convict said he didn’t know what he was doing hence prayed for leniency.

Passing the sentence, Principal Resident Magistrate Clemence Chamwenda, however, concurred with the state that mentally challenged people especially women need protection from people surrounding them and not taking advantage of their problems hence slapped the accused person to seven years IHL.

By Austine Kachilika

Mzimba, August 22, Mana: Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Livingstonia Development Department (SOLDEV) has expressed concern over low male participation in its Conservation of Natural Resources for Sustainable Economic Returns that Empower the Vulnerable to Find Pathways out of Poverty (CONSERVE) project in Mzimba.

Speaking during a progress report presentation on Monday to the district’s executive committee (DEC), Benjamin Baloyi from SOLDEV said it is worrisome to see that men do not take development projects seriously.

He said: “Male participation is meagre in development projects like CONSERVE as they prefer engaging themselves in other personal habits like beer drinking than participating in the project’s activities.

“Some beneficiaries, especially men expect handouts from the project hence reducing the expected participation rate,” he said.

Principal Environmental Officer for M’mbelwa District Council, James Pelani concurred with Baloyi that low male participation in projects is a challenge in the district, especially when there are no incentives like handouts.

The aim of CONSERVE project is to, among others, enhance the well-being and resilience of vulnerable people living on the boundaries of Vwaza Wildlife Game Reserve through improved biodiversity, conservation of ecosystems and promotion of sustainable livelihoods.

The project is being implemented by SOLDEV and Assemblies of God Care (AG Care) with funding from Jersey Overseas Aid Commission through Tearfund.

By Abubakar Kanjoka

Kasungu, August 21, Mana: Central East Region Police Commissioner, Rhoda Manjolo, has encouraged female officers to report gender-based violence (GBV) acts which they encounter in their families.

Manjolo said this in Kasungu on Saturday during an orientation of Central East Police Women Welfare members from Kasungu on issues of GBV and women empowerment.

She said despite that spouses of police officers experience different acts of violence in their homes, just like any other women in the society, but mostly choose not to report because of fear.

“We must emphasise that police officers must be exemplary in ensuring that their homes are violence free. If our husbands happen to be the perpetrators of such malpractices, we should not hesitate to report them so that they face the law.

“Equally, as women, we must support and encourage our husbands. As much as there is no justification for violence, we must not be those confusionists that bring misunderstandings that trigger violence in families,” she said.

She said with the nature of their job, police officers need to have a sober and stable psychological state which can be made possible if there is love, peace and harmony in their families.

Manjolo also encouraged the women to venture into small businesses so that they are self-reliant and able to provide basic necessities without depending on their husbands.

“Small-scale businesses will enable us to be independent and very supportive to our families, and men fear to abuse such kind of spouses,” she said.

Chairperson for the group’s Kasungu chapter, Esther Mpakiza, thanked the region’s management for arranging the orientation saying it will help change their homes for the better.

She said: “This training has been an eye opener for us as we were reminded of our roles on how to best manage our homes, specifically in taking care of our spouses and children.

“With the stress management counselling we have received today, there is hope that we will be able to improve the way we manage difficult circumstances without triggering family conflicts. This way we will prevent GBV.”

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By Golden Kang’oma

Salima, August 20, Mana: Police in Salima District have arrested two people and launched a manhunt for other three suspects on robbery allegations robbery allegations reported in different lodges in the districts.

Confirming the incident to Malawi News Agency (Mana), Salima Police Spokesperson, Inspector Jacob Khembo, said the arrest of the dual was on Friday following a series of robberies that occurred in Salima and also in connection with suspected robberies that occurred in Mzuzu recently.

The law enforcers have managed to recover some electrical appliances and 500 Namibian dollars in course of their investigation.

“A number of robberies in lodges were reported at the station a week ago, and after our investigation and operations, we have arrested these two and are yet to make more arrests as we are still hunting for the remaining three,” said Khembo.

Police have identified the arrested two suspects as Peter Mofolo, 34 who hails from Likhala Village in Traditional Authority Mwambo in Zomba and Levison Gomani, 40 of Chilipa Village in Traditional Authority Chimwala in Mangochi District.

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By Lekereni Chinkhota

Salima, August 18, Mana: Balaka and Salima District Councils Civil Protection Committees on Friday exchanged ideas on best practices to be followed on early warning systems as a way of protecting lives and property from floods.

Speaking during a learning visit in Salima, Balaka Disaster Risk Management Officer, Blessings Kantema, said the meeting would benefit both districts to mitigate effects of disasters among the communities through installation of proper gadgets to warn the vulnerable areas on time.

“The meeting has been fruitful for we have shared many interventions being implemented in the two districts regarding early warning systems.

“We have also learnt new interventions [from Salima] that we will replicate when proper assessment is made," he said.

 Kantema further said Balaka would install proper gadgets and adopt different systems that Salima is currently using to warn vulnerable areas in his district.

On his part, Salima Water Monitoring Assistant, Owen Wisikisi, stated that Salima District uses data acquisition units up-stream to send information of a possible disaster to data uploading unit located at a nearby place.

"The information is sent to a caretaker’s house to distribute the information down-stream. The down-stream attendant triggers a siren that gives people information to take precaution of possible disaster," he explained.

He added that having early warning systems functioning in districts will save lives because people will be given proper messages and this will alert them.

“The meeting will bring a great change on our knowledge on early warning system strategies to make sure that we are successful. Salima and Balaka share similar disasters, floods and heavy winds, so, sharing what is being done in one district to help another is pertinent,” he said.

According to Wisikisi, Salima has thrived different disasters because of good coordination that exists among caretakers of the gadgets used for warning systems such as river line alliance, village civil protection committees and area civil protection committees.

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) in collaboration with different stakeholders is spearheading installation of early warning system gadgets in disaster-prone areas.

By Robert Nayeja

Nsanje, August 19, Mana: Minister of Information and Digitalisation, Moses Kunkuyu has described late Senior Chief Malemia of Nsanje distrcit as a champion for development.

Kunkuyu said this in his eulogy on Saturday at Nyangodzo Headquarters during the burial of late Chief Malemia who died on the wee hours of Tuesday due to kidney failure.

Kunkuyu who represented President Dr Lazarus Chakwera said just like the family and everybody else, government is also worried with the death of the chief.

He said the death of Senior Chief Malemia is a loss to the country since he was a great person who worked hard to serve his area and country at large.

“Senior Chief Malemia was very humble and always strived to promote unity among his subjects,” he said.

Kunkuyu asked people in the area to emulate the good life style of late Senior Chief Malemia had.

The minister announced that state President Dr Lazarus Chakwera and Vice President Dr Saulosi Chilima have condoled the bereaved family with K1.5 million and K 1 million respectively.

In his eulogy, Deputy Minister of Local Government, Owen Chomanika appealed to the royal family to desist from chieftaincy wrangles for continued implementation of development in the area.

Speaking on behalf of Paramount Lundu, Paramount Kawinga described late Senior Chief Malemia as a person who was willing to work with everyone regardless of status.

“Late Chief Malemia was a bridge of unity amongst chiefs in Malawi. We will sadly miss him. I urge the royal family to exercise patience and choose the right person to avoid chieftaincy wrangles which have been slowing down developments in the country,” mourned Kawinga.

Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia and other senior government officials also attended the burial ceremony.

Malemia whose real name was Lameck Bizzeck Msamange is survived by a wife and seven Children.

Late Senior Chief Malemia was born on 24^th September 1955 and was installed as traditional leader in 2000 and later elevated to senior chief in 2009.