By Max Medison

Salima, March 27, Mana: The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) on Wednesday burnt approximately seven tonnes of various products deemed unfit for consumption.

The items which were impounded from several supermarkets in Blantyre following routine market surveillance and tip-offs from the public, were set ablaze in Salima District.

Speaking during the exercise, in Salima, MBS's Public Relations Officer, Monica Khombe reminded the public of MBS's role in ensuring that goods are safe for consumption.

The seized items included banned spirituous Drinks such by the name 'Ambuye Tengeni' from Mkando Area, maize flour from Rab Processors, as well as expired rice and soft drinks from Sana.

"Besides facilitating business activities, the bureau is also obligated to ensure that all goods brought before Malawians are safe and fit for consumption," she said.

Khombe also pleaded for compliance among all traders and shop owners of which a few are still reluctant to do so.

"To all traders and shop owners, it is always our plea that they comply with the standards and requirements which the bureau does not compromise in as far as inspection in concerned," she said.

The bureau urges the public to take part in ensuring that all goods available in marketplaces are fit for consumption.

By Sylvester Kumwenda

Dowa, March 27, Mana: Member of Parliament for Dowa East constituency, Richard Chimwendo Banda, has assured people that government remains committed in ensuring that Malawians have access to good quality health services.

He made the remarks on Wednesday at Kalinda in Senior Chief Chiwere, where he commissioned construction of Kalinda health post to be financed by Malawi government.

Banda said people should not travel long distances to access a health facility.

“This is a problem as it puts at risks lives of patients in need of health care. It also becomes expensive to travel. And instead of focusing on developmental issues, people spend time travelling to hospitals which is detrimental to development.

“As such, many have been deprived of health services. That is why government has committed to make sure there is a health facility at least every five kilometers, and we are excited that now people at Kalinda will have their own health facility,” said Banda.

Banda, who is also Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture said the health post, to be constructed by Castel Construction and Steel Engineering company comes with full requirements of a health post including staff houses.

This, he said, will also motivate health workers, as well as ensure that people always have access to a medical practitioner including during the night.

He however urged the contractor to ensure the project runs in its designated time.

“I do not want to see you delaying the work, that will be unacceptable because this is a lifesaving development and people have waited for this project for a long time,” said Banda.

Banda then assured people in the area for continued development.

Kalinda health post is expected to serve around 13,000 people from its catchment.

In total, government is constructing three heath posts in the district, with the other two at Chibvala and Kalulu in Traditional Autority Nkukula, at a combined cost of around K2.829 billion.

Speaking at the event, Chief Quantity Surveyor in the Ministry of Health, Francis Chigalu, stated that each health post will include three consultation rooms, storage facilities, an office, a waiting area, an immunization room, an antenatal room, and a drug store. Additionally, each facility will have an incinerator and a waste management system.

The two modern houses at each facility will have three bedrooms, tiles, ceilings water connections, electricity wiring and septic tanks.

Both the hospital and staff houses will also have their own complementary boreholes and pit latrines.

Senior Group Kalinda in her remarks thanked government for choosing Kalinda to benefit from the three health posts.

“We faced a lot of challenges like getting medical attention in time because we depended on health facilities at Chezi, Nalunga and Dowa boma which are very far.

“But now we are happy since we assured that we will be treated right here when we are sick. This is good for development,” she said.

By Gift Chiponde

Lilongwe, March 27, Mana: The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has issued a strong warning to Malawians, clarifying that receiving an honorary degree does not automatically qualify an individual for the title of "Professor" or "Doctor."

In a statement released yesterday, NCHE emphasised that honorary degrees are purely symbolic recognitions and do not hold the same academic weight as a PhD or a Professorship.

The council noted an increasing trend where individuals who have been conferred honorary degrees begin to use academic titles without completing the rigorous scholarly processes required for those qualifications.

“An honorary degree is a recognition of one’s contributions to society, but it does not equate to an earned academic qualification,” the statement read.

NCHE further cautioned institutions against misleading the public by allowing honorary degree recipients to assume academic titles. The council stressed that only accredited institutions and duly qualified individuals can rightfully hold and use such titles.

This warning comes amid growing concerns that some individuals in Malawi are falsely portraying themselves as professors or doctors after receiving honorary degrees from unaccredited institutions.

The NCHE has urged all stakeholders to hold hands in upholding the integrity and dignity of higher education in the country.

By Andrew Phiri

Balaka, March 27, Mana: Natural Resources Justice Network (NRJN) has called upon authorities in the mining sector to be transparent when issuing licenses and awarding contracts to miners saying transparency and accountability will help government to perform better in the Agriculture, Trade and Tourism (ATM) strategy.

NRJN National Coordinator, Kennedy Rashid, made the call Wednesday during an engagement meeting with Balaka District Executive Committee (DEC) members on a new project called, Malawi Anti-corruption Civil Society Support.

The project is meant to advocate for transparency and accountability on mining activities in Balaka.

He observed that through Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which promotes open and transparent management of mineral resources, Malawi has potential to transform its economy through mining activities happening in Mangochi, Balaka, Kasungu, Karonga and other districts.

“Through EITI and ATM strategy, government has realised that apart from tobacco sales, mining is also another way of boosting revenue hence the need to strengthen collaboration starting from central government, district councils, mining companies and the communities where the actual work is being done.

“We have seen political interference on mining activities and this has become a major cause for various stakeholders to have misunderstandings on issues of financial compensation, social and environmental impacts. We hope this project will advocate for open discussion to address such challenges,” Rashid said.

He, therefore, called on the Mining Regulatory Authority to enforce terms and conditions on mining license holders, observing that in 2024, Balaka District had about 131 medium and small scale miners but only 17 were active.

The ATM strategy focuses on three key sectors in Malawi namely; Agriculture for food security, Tourism for job creation and Mining for wealth generation.

Balaka District Council Director of Planning and Development, Chris Nawata, applauded NRJN for implementing the project saying accountability and transparency on mining activities are a requirement that should help to address social and environmental issues among communities in Balaka.

He, therefore, urged all authorities in the district to collaborate to promote mining activities in Balaka, saying the activities were seen to take the right direction.

Established in 2004 to promote good governance in mining sector, NRJN is implementing a five-year Malawi Anti-corruption Civil Society Support project in Balaka and Kasungu districts with financial support of K112 million from Adam Smith International.

By Andrew Phiri

Balaka, March 26, Mana: Police in Balaka have arrested a 42-year-old man, Precious Peter, for burglary and theft.

Balaka Police Station Public Relations Officer, Gladson M'bumpha, said the incident happened during the night of November 25, 2024.

M’bumpha said unknown criminals broke into the house of a business person, Maxwell Malefula, and went away with assorted electronic gadgets including three smart phones, a Dell laptop and a television screen.

"Detectives from Phalula Police Unit have been on the ground conducting investigations.  A call log  led to the arrest of the suspect on Tuesday, March 25, 2025,” he said.

M'bumpha said during the arrest, Police managed to recover two smart phones, Central Processing Unit (CPU) for a computer, an amplifier and a 52 inch television screen, all  belonging to Malefula. 

Peter, who hails from Chikumbu Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Kunthembwe in Blantyre District, will appear in court soon to answer charges of burglary and theft.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, March 26, Mana: Foundation for Children’s Rights (FCR) has withdrawn five girl children from early marriages in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Zilakoma in Nkhata Bay.

FCR Project Manager, Chimwemwe Singini, made remarks Tuesday during the project’s progress presentation to Nkhata Bay District Council Technical Working group.

Singini said the achievement has been registered within a span of six months through the ‘Addressing Sex and Gender Based Violence (GBV) through social analysis and action Project’ which the organization is implementing in the district.

Singini attributed the achievement to well coordinated efforts among community structures such as mother groups, parents, community gender technical working groups, teachers and traditional leaders in attaining the project’s goal.

“The project was intended to address gender related issues such as child marriages, economic abuse and marital and interpersonal conflicts perpetuated by masculinity.

“Hence, in the long run, we have managed to rescue five girl children from early marriages as one of our immediate achievements within six months,” said Singini.

District Community Development Officer for Nkhata Bay, Jacob Moloko, hailed the coordination between the council and FCR in promoting human rights in the district.

“This project has helped us revamp some of the community structures that were already in existence through the Spotlight Initiative Project.

“I am happy to say that all the five girls withdrawn from early marriages are back to school,” said Moloko.

He said, for GBV survivors to sustain their lives they are supposed to be empowered economically as such the project also trains survivors in savings and loans groups.

He, therefore, urged all development partners in the district to emulate FCR’s gesture by involving relevant sectors in implementing their projects.

The K50 million project is being implemented with financial support from the United Nations Development Programme.

By George Mponda

Karonga, March 26, Mana: Minister of Transport and Public Works, Jacob Hara, has officially handed over the Chiweta-Karonga stretch of the M1 Road to SOS Construction for maintenance works, with the contractor set to commence work next week.

Speaking when he inspected the Chiweta-Karonga M1 Road on Tuesday, Hara said the stretch is in a poor state due to lack of periodic maintenance.

Hara said: "This is an important road for our country but it hasn’t been maintained for the past 25 years. The good news is that government has brought in contractors who will start working on this road to make sure it is in a good state."

"We're going to have multiple contractors to ensure that the work is done in the shortest period of time possible. So, we have SOS Construction who will be working from Chiweta to Uliwa. We are also going to have another set of contractors who will start from Uliwa to Karonga patching the potholes that are developing now before they get worse," he added.

According to the Minister, prompt and timely maintenance of roads is a cost effective approach that not only saves money but also conserves resources in the long run, rather than waiting for roads to deteriorate further.

Roads Authority Regional Manager for the North, Fletcher Mkandawire, said the Chiweta-Karonga M1 Road has developed so many potholes posing nightmares for road users.

"We have received assurance that the initial funding to start the works has been put in place, and that's the reason why we have brought SOS Construction to start working on the road.

“Government has considered the need for maintenance, and they have put aside resources which will be used to work on this road for a period of almost six months," said Mkandawire.

By Maston Kaiya

Ntcheu, March 26, Mana: Beneficiaries of the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) in Ntcheu are combating effects of climate change by harvesting rainwater for their farming activities.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday, Steven Dende, a participant from the Linengwe Catchment Area, said with various interventions, his maize field survived the dry spells the area experienced last year.

Interventions under the programme include construction of swales, marking ridges, gully reclamation and afforestation, among others.

"Some climate smart agriculture related activities have enabled many smallholder farmers in the area to adopt best agricultural practices," he said.

Dende, who hails from Malonda Village in the area of Senior Chief Makwangwala, is this farming season expecting to harvest 20 bags of maize weighing 50 kilograms each on his two-acre piece of land.

Another participant, Alfred Makhuyula from Mthinda Village under Group Village Headman Makwangwala, said farmers in the catchment area will experience bumper yields than before.

"If we compare the past years in terms of crop harvests, the adoption of best agricultural practices have completely changed the lives of farmers. This clearly shows that CS-EPWP is a game changer,” he said.

Linengwe Catchment District Designated Officer, Etikeni Masache, said the programme is improving livelihoods of many communities who have adopted the best climate smart agricultural activities in their maize fields.

"We construct swales and marker ridges to make sure that we harvest rainwater and use the same in times of disasters like dry spells," he said.

Masache said through marker ridges and swales 488 participants under the Linengwe Catchment Area have managed to harvest running water in 115 hectares of land in this year's farming season. 

He adds that participants are also paid at the end of the day to improve household income and support needs of their children’s education.

CS-EPWP is a component of the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP) in Malawi which is funded by the World Bank and the Multi-Donor Trust Fun and is aimed at improving household resilience, incomes, and food security, while also promoting climate change adaptation.