By Emily M'mangisa

Zomba, March 24, Mana: National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust has called on political parties and other stakeholders in the country to be tolerant enough in the run-up to the 2025 tripartite elections.

NICE Trust District Programmes Officer for Zomba Kondwani Neba made the call at Machilinga ground, Traditional Authority Ntholowa during a community engagement meeting over the weekend.

He reminded people at Ntholowa that multiparty democracy is about the co-existence of political parties and other political organisations, saying democracy calls for an equal political playing field.

“If one person books a venue for political meetings for a month or more, is that democracy?" he wondered and called on those who have authority over venues to devise ways of ensuring that political players have equal opportunity to conduct political meetings as opposed to favouring one political party.

Neba also advised political parties and other political commentators to avoid hate speeches, saying this has the potential to ignite political violence.

“The product of hate speech is violence, violence has no room in a democratic dispensation," he observed.

Neba therefore said NICE Trust in Zomba will continue engaging various stakeholders in the electoral circle to advocate for a violent free electoral process.

In his remarks, Group village head Machilinga said there is a need to resolve inter-and intra-party conflicts through contact and dialogue.

A member of the Machilinga Village Development Committee, Margret Ng’oma said community leaders should be on the alert as political parties set for primary elections to choose party representatives to the national assembly and local authorities.

A cocommunity member, Raphael Muyenera, applauded Zomba NICE Trust for raising community awareness on principles of multi-party democracy.

NICE Trust in Zomba has embarked on a district-wide civic education campaign on issues to do with the general election slated for September 16, 2025.

By Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, March 24, Mana: Police in Salima, on Saturday, arrested Adam Likagwa, 34, for being found in possession of cannabis sativa, locally known as Chamba.

Salima Police Public Relations Officer, Sub Inspector Rebecca Ndiwate said a team of Crime Intelligence Division and General Duties Officers were conducting their day-to-day operations at around 3:30hrs and mounted an ad-hock roadblock at Chikumba.

"In the process, they came across a Sienta vehicle, registration number BT 6391, which was coming from the direction of Nkhotakota, heading Salima," she said.

Ndiwate said 293 plastic jumbos containing the hemp were found parked in the vehicle and the suspect was immediately arrested after failing to produce relevant documents permitting him to possess the hemp.

Adam Likagwa, who hails from Kambadi village, Traditional Authority Nsamala, Balaka, will appear before the court soon after analysis including weighing of the illicit drug by the Research Station experts.

By Bazilio Chingoli

Ntcheu, March 24, Mana: Learners in Ntcheu district have been encouraged to have career models for them to achieve their goals.

Speaking during the career day event that took place at Sharpevale primary school ground in the district, Executive Director of Tivekeni Initiative, Elias Matope said it is important for the youths to have models in life for them to realize their dreams.

Matope emphasized the need to educate young people and encourage them to have dreams for their careers.

"We cannot talk of the country's vision 2063 without youths' education, hence it is important to bring models close and give them a good picture of what is needed for them to achieve their aspired career goals," he added.

Clara Nswana, a standard 7 learner at Sharpevale primary school whose aspiration is to be a nurse, commended Tivekeni Initiative for organizing the event saying it has helped her to get first-hand information for career model.

Tivekeni Initiative is a local organization that supports students with learning necessities including school bursaries in the district.

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, March 24, Mana: Police in Chitipa District are keeping in custody a 60-year-old man, Clement Kayange, for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old Standard 7 girl in the district.

Chitipa Police Spokesperson, Sub-Inspector Gladwell Simwaka said the incident occurred on Saturday, at around 9:00 hours at Chisansu in the area of Senior Chief Mwenemisuku.

Simwaka said it is alleged that on this material day, Kayange coaxed the girl into her parents’ home when she was left alone by her parents to prepare food for the family.

“The suspect asked the girl to have sex with him because his wife is now old for him, and that he would give her K100,000 for the deal.

“Despite the girl's resistance, the accused forced himself into the innocent child and was caught red-handed by the girl's father,” Simwaka narrated.

Simwaka said that the suspect will appear in court soon to answer a charge of having sexual intercourse with a minor, which is contrary to section 138 of the penal code.

Kayange hails from Kaleghania village in the area of Senior Chief Mwenemisuku in Chitipa district.

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, March 24, Mana: In an effort to combat illegal fuel vending in Chitipa District, Chitipa Police have confiscated 1,200 litres of petrol and arrested one suspect for being in possession of fuel in jerry cans without proper documents.

In an interview, Chitipa Police Spokesperson, Sub-Inspector Gladwell Simwaka, said the law enforcers have intensified operations in the district, resulting in the arrest of Watwivwa Kayola aged 41 while others are at large.

“Kayola was found with over 400 litres of Petrol in jerry cans without proper documents. We also confiscated over 600 litres of Petrol in jerry cans at the Ilomba (Mbilima) border, as the owner attempted to smuggle it out to Tanzania,” Simwaka explained.

He further said the suspects at Ilomba are at large adding they dumped their motorcycles after noticing police officers were after them.

“We are hunting for the Ilomba suspects,” he said.

Simwaka disclosed that Kayola will appear in court soon to answer charges of illegal possession of petroleum products.

He then warned individuals against engaging in illegal fuel vending, saying police will continue to intensify operations across the district.

Kayola hails from Ishalikira village in the area of Senior Chief Mwabulambya in Chitipa district.

By George Mponda

Karonga, March 24, Mana; Deputy Minister of Transport and Public Works Baba Steven Malondera says government has set aside K5 billion to rehabilitate the Karonga-Chiweta M1 road.

Malondera announced the development during a meeting with traditional leaders and businesspeople in Karonga on Sunday.

"The money has already been transferred to the Roads Fund Administration and maintenance works will resume in two weeks, with four contractors already assigned to the project. The poor condition of the Karonga-Chiweta Road is disrupting businesses and contributing to fatal accidents, making its rehabilitation a priority," said Malondera.

"The Ministry has engaged the Malawi Roads Authority to speed up the project because we do not have time to waste. I urge Members of Parliament from Karonga and Rumphi and all residents to come together and support this initiative,” he added.

He further warned against selfish leadership, emphasizing the need for inclusivity in national development efforts.

Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga and Chitipa described the development as a crucial step towards economic growth and road safety.

“This development will boost the economy and reduce accidents. I urge citizens to support government efforts instead of criticising, as no administration can fulfil all promises in a short period,” Kyungu said.

Kyungu also advised political leaders to respect voters' choices during the upcoming elections.

By Chisomo Masaiti Chiusiwa

Ntchisi, March 16, Mana:  Police in Ntchisi have arrested 15 people on three counts of being found in possession of charcoal without license, entering into a protected area without permission and conveying weapons.

Spokesperson for Ntchisi police, Sub Inspector Salome Zgambo, confirmed the incident, saying it occurred on Saturday at Fumbati Forest Reserve in the area of Senior Chief Nthondo.

"In a joint operation between police, forestry officials and African Parks, the team raided the forest and arrested the 15 suspects who are aged between 13 and 49," she said.

Zgambo said out of the 15, five are women, aged between 29 and 49.

She said the suspects were found with over 100 bags of charcoal in their temporary shelters and were immediately arrested and had their axes and panga knives seized.

All suspects were taken to Ntchisi police station and will appear before court soon to answer their respective charges.

By Jeremiah Mphande

Mzimba, March 16, Mana: The Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring fair pricing for all consumers in Malawi.

The commitment was reaffirmed on Saturday when Malawi joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) celebrations.

The celebrations, held under the theme ‘Fairness in Pricing for a Sustainable Future’, focused on the need for transparent and justifiable pricing in the market.

In an interview, CFTC Public Relations Officer Innocent Helema emphasized that the commission is working tirelessly to protect consumers from unfair trading practices.

Helema said: “We have been conducting inspections and market surveillance to identify and address unfair pricing. Investigations have been launched, and interim orders have been issued against businesses suspected of excessive pricing.”

He said the commission’s goal is to create a fair and sustainable marketplace where both consumers and businesses thrive.

According to Helema, CFTC has received a growing number of complaints regarding excessive pricing, particularly for essential goods such as food items, building materials, fertilizers, and poultry feed.

“The commission is actively engaging businesses to ensure compliance with fair trading laws while imposing penalties of up to 10% of a company’s annual turnover for those found guilty of exploitative pricing,” he said.

In his remarks, Executive Director for the Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA), John Kapito, commended the ongoing efforts by CFTC but called for more consumer participation in economic decision making.

“Our role as a watchdog is to advocate for policies that protect consumers, however, real change comes when consumers themselves speak out.

“We have seen vendors organizing themselves to demand price reductions, which ultimately benefits all consumers, unfortunately many Malawians remain reluctant to take part in such initiatives,” observed Kapito.

Kapito further noted that market regulation remains a challenge due to weak enforcement systems and corruption within regulatory bodies.

He highlighted the commendable efforts of the Minister of Trade Engineer Vitumbiko Mumba, who has been personally engaging in market inspections to expose unfair pricing practices.

Kapito noted that government through Ministry of Trade has been proactive in addressing market irregularities through policy interventions and stronger consumer protection mechanisms.

“While the government and consumer rights organizations play a critical role, consumers themselves must also take an active stance in safeguarding their rights.”

He finally urged Malawians to demand transparency in pricing and stand united against unfair business practices.

“Solidarity is key and we must challenge price manipulation, misleading advertisements, and demand transparency in the distribution of goods and services,” Kapito added.

As Malawi moves forward, the call for fairness in pricing remains crucial in fostering a sustainable and inclusive economy where all consumers can access goods and services at reasonable prices.

World Consumer Rights Day celebrations come just days after vendors in some regions in the country protested against the rising prices of certain essential goods on the market, prompting renewed calls for stronger consumer protection measures and fair pricing regulations.

By Sylvester Kumwenda

Dowa, March 16, Mana: Police in Dowa on Saturday arrested a 34-year-old man for possession of suspected stolen items worth K900,000.

Dowa police station public relations officer Alice Sitima identified the suspect as Luciano Nickson from Chamveka Village, Traditional Authority Mponela in Dowa, who was arrested during a routine search on a minibus at Chibvala Police roadblock along the Lilongwe-Kasungu road.

"During a routine search on a minibus heading to Lilongwe, officers discovered various stolen items like a 32-inch plasma TV, a Redmi cellphone, a bag containing 7 kilogrammes of beef, cooking oil, five pairs of shoes, and dried fish suspected to have been stolen.

“The minibus conductor identified Nickson as the owner of the items. When confronted, the suspect attempted to flee but was swiftly apprehended by the officers. And during interrogation, Nickson admitted to having stolen the items from a residence at Mponela trading centre," said Sitima.

Following this, she said Nickson was taken into police custody.

Sitima said the rightful owner of the items has already positively identified the items as hers and has since collected them.

Nickson is expected to appear in court to face theft-related charges.

By Steve Chirombo

Dedza, March 16, Mana: Director of Finance for Dedza district council, Idah Mphangwe, has said the ongoing smooth pay parade for the participants under the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) clearly indicates that communities now understand the project’s requirements.

Mphangwe said this on Friday during the supervision of some sites where the pay parade was being conducted in the area of Senior Chief Kachindamoto in the district.

She expressed satisfaction with the progress of the pay parade, saying, unlike the previous phases, no grievances were being reported.

“In our previous pay parades, we could have serious issues being reported which could choke the processes but that is not the case now,” said Mphangwe.

She said issues like missing names and IDs marred the previous pay parades, which could affect other participants' access to their money up until such grievances were sorted out after some days of waiting.

Mphangwe said it has always been the message from the council for the participants to ensure that the money is used for the intended purposes so that their livelihoods are transformed.

“We are glad to hear testimonies from most participants that the money is helping them in one way or the other. For example, others have told us that they used the funds for the previous phase to buy fertilizer while others bought food,” she stated.

While pleading for the continuation of the programme, she further said that there is a great impact on the communities, adding that aside the monetary aspect, the environment is being cared for and that more assets are being created.

The council’s CS-EPWP District Project Facilitator, Jocaster Mnemba Khoriyo, echoed Mphangwe’s sentiments, saying the pay parade in all the 24 catchments was progressing well.

“There is order in all sites, systems are stable and people are getting their money properly, which clearly shows that they can understand the processes,” she said.

One of the participants, Ethel Size, from Group Village Head Mkwaila in the area, who was receiving her money at Mganja Primary School, said just like in the previous phases, the money came at the right time as the beneficiaries were able to sort out some problems at household level like buying food, clothes and also providing for their school going children.

“Through the programme, most trees have survived which is a plus for us. We were greatly hit by deforestation. I call upon fellow communities to utilize this opportunity for their betterment and the future generation,” she said.

Another participant, Davite Zakaria of Kabulika Village, hailed CS-EPWP, saying apart from receiving cash, their livelihoods have improved through the construction of swales, planting of vetiver grass, among others, describing them as assets that have prevented wash aways which used to affect their crops.

“Let me thank government and other partners for this programme. I also appeal to my fellow community members to keep on with the program as it is also equipping us with certain skills,” he said.

There are 21,411 participants in all the 24 catchments with each receiving K48,000 in the fourth phase of the pay parade in Dedza district.

CS-EPWP is one of the components of the Social Support for Resilience Livelihoods Project (SSRLP) being implemented by the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) with funding from the World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund.