By Zenak Matekenya

Dedza, February 8, Mana: Deputy Minister for Local Government, Unity and Culture Joyce Chitsulo says completion of Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) projects should meet the stipulated three-month time frame noting that the funder, World Bank, disburse funds in time.

She made this statement on Friday in Dedza following her visit to new classroom blocks at Mwenje and Kabango Primary Schools as part of her familiarization tour to GESD projects in different districts.

While expressing satisfaction with the project’s quality of work, the minister expressed worry over councils' delay in paying contractors at certain levels of the work emphasizing that the donor's timely funding paves the way for swift implementation.

“Despite the outstanding quality of work, several councils are facing delays in project completion due to late disbursement of funds to contractors. Some projects have gone up to eight months without completion,” she said.

Chitsulo acknowledged that sometimes contractor capacity issues are to blame and urged councils to conduct thorough assessments of contractors’ capabilities to ensure timely project delivery.

The deputy minister also expressed concern over certain communities' reluctance to mobilize materials such as sand as their contribution yet they are the ones owning the projects.

Dedza District Council Chairperson Stanley Manase said in recent years, the council has made significant progress in overcoming challenges related to the GESD project and is optimistic that it will achieve 100 per cent efficiency.

He urged stakeholders to remain committed to the GESD project implementation, highlighting the transformative impact of newly constructed health facilities, classroom blocks, bridges, public servants' houses and other vital infrastructure on local livelihoods.

“For instance, the new classroom blocks visited today have responded to the challenge of school dropout by reducing distance barrier and providing good shelter as opposed to learning under a tree,” he said.

District Commissioner for Dedza District Council Thomas Chigwenembe commended the minister for the visit and assured that the council is leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of effective implementation of GESD and other projects.

He said the council conducts a verification process before disbursing funds to contractors.

He added that certain contractors’ actions were in direct contravention of their contract terms, as they demanded advance payments before commencing work.

“We have intensified our scrutiny of contractors’ capabilities and the progress is good. There is enough money for the implementation of GESD and DDF [District Development Fund] projects. Once the contractor has met the conditions of the contract, they are being paid,” he added.

Dedza District Council councilors praised the council's secretariat during a full council meeting last year for its strict measures and great progress in overseeing the implementation of infrastructure development projects.

The 2024/25 allocation for GESD projects in Dedza District totals about K1.5 billion with Kabango Primary School’s classroom blocks construction receiving over K98 million.

By Patience Harawa

Karonga, February 8, Mana: National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust has urged political party leaders in Karonga District to support aspiring women candidates in readiness for the general elections slated for 16 September 2025.

NICE Trust District Programs Officer (DPO) for Karonga, Nathan Sakala said this on Friday during a multiparty liaison committee (MPLC) meeting held at NICE Trust offices in the district.

Sakala urged the MPLC members to utilize their positions in garnering support for aspiring women candidates from the political parties’ primaries up to the general elections.

“We want to see more women taking an interest in leadership positions and decision-making roles and we are working with party governors to break down the mental barriers that prevent women from taking on leadership roles,” said Sakala.

He said it is against this background that his organization, with financial support from the UNDP, is implementing a women empowerment project dubbed Nthawi Yawo Project that aims to encourage and support women to vie for political leadership positions.

"Mindset change is crucial in empowering women to vie for decision making positions but some of the things that hold women down are to do with self-belief.

“We are not just focusing on numbers; we are focusing on creating a mindset shift that will lead to sustainable change. Women need to believe in themselves that they can equally compete for leadership roles just like their male counterparts,” he added.

In her remarks, District Chairperson for the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) Edda Mkwala said the meeting was an eye opener on how best they could enhance women’s participation in leadership and decision-making positions.

“This meeting has come at an opportune time especially now that we are gearing towards the primaries and general elections. As women in political leadership, we really have a role to play in empowering and supporting our fellow women aspiring candidates,” she said.

By Joel Phiri

Mzimba, February 8, Mana: Senior Forestry officer for Mzimba District, Masozi Shaba says her office has earmarked to plant five million trees in the 2025/2026 tree planting season.

In an interview on Friday ahead of the tree planting exercise set for Tuesday, Shaba has called upon all stakeholders to get involved in planting trees to bring back lost vegetative cover in the district.

‘‘As Mzimba district forestry office, we are committed to ensuring the preservation of our forests through offering protection to our forests and planting of trees. For the 2025/2026 tree planting season we are expected to plant 5,076, 577 trees in the various areas of the district’’, said Shaba.

She disclosed that her office has so far partnered with various organisations such as Ripple Africa, Plan Malawi International, Restore Africa, Adra Malawi, Find Your Feet and Malawi-Zambia Trans frontier Conservation Area Project in the tree planting exercise.

According to Shaba, the district’s official launch of tree planting season will take place at Magomelo Primary School in Traditional Authority Mpherembe and Paramount Chief M’mbelwa V will grace the occasion as guest of honour.

Wanton cutting down of trees has become one of the major concerns among forestry stakeholders in Mzimba and currently, effort to plant more tress has been heightened by various players to restore the lost vegetative cover.

Shaba said in 2024/2025 season, the district planted over 4,291,000 trees of which 67 percent survived.

She appealed to communities to take care of the trees to ensure control of runoff water.

Senior land resources officer for Mzimba, Olive Nyalira said there is need for effort aimed at bringing back lost vegetative cover.

He said the district has intensified tree planting programs to ensure that bare land is covered.

‘‘Programmes such as Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CSEPWP) where one component is tree planting are also complementing efforts by the Forestry department in ensuring we plant more trees.

“We urge communities to join these tree planting exercises and look after the planted trees to ensure they survive’’, said Nyalira.

An environmental advocate Mathews Malata has commended M’mbelwa District Council through its Forestry office for planning to plant five million trees to restore vegetative cover in the district.

‘‘But planting trees is one thing and looking after them to ensure they grow up to a level where they survive on their own is another. I therefore appeal to authorities to provide measures to ensure that the trees they plant survive particularly within the first five years. They should ensure trees are safe from goats and even fire’’, said Malata.

By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, February 6, Mana: District Commissioner (DC) for Nkhotakota, Ben Matengeni Tonho, says his office will intensity technical support towards the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP), to ensure the smooth implementation and fruitful outcomes of the programme in the district.

Speaking on Wednesday during a supervision tour of Dema and Bua catchment areas in Senior Chief Kanyenda and Mphonde respectively, Tohno said the programme requires expert and intensive technical support in order for it to bear fruitful and benefit the communities.

He encouraged Beneficiaries to continue the good practice of saving and reinvesting their earnings reminding them that time will come when the programme will end and families will be expected to be self-reliant with good agricultural practices to sustain their food as well as trees and forests to sustain their environment.

Romia Tembo, a beneficiary from Dema Catchment was grateful to the District Commissioner visiting their areas saying she hoped that the DC would help address the issue of possible wage increment from the K48, 000 per month stating issues of devaluation of the Malawian Kwacha, which has significantly increased the cost of living in the country.

She assured the DC that many communities have now adopted the climate-smart agriculture methods and they are hopeful of bumper harvests should the rains continue to fall in their favour.

The programme is in its third cycle in the district and is funded through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC).

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, February 6, Mana: Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda says chiefs play a significant role in uniting people and has asked them to do more in ensuring justice is delivered at the community level.

Chimwendo Banda said this on Wednesday during the elevation of Traditional Authority (TA) Nthalire and Group Village Head Mwenekayilizi to Senior Chief Nthalire and Sub-TA Mwenekayilizi respectively at Nthalire Community Stadium in Chitipa District.

Chimwendo Banda said that chiefs need to do more to make sure that justice is delivered at the community level even when distributing social protection programmes like the Affordable Input Programme and lean season maize distribution programmes.

“We need chiefs to help government in promoting justice and fairness by making sure that vulnerable people are not being victimized. We want to ensure that people are receiving food aid as per the government guidelines,” Chimwendo Banda said.

He then asked chiefs to protect vulnerable people when discharging their duties, saying it is against government policies and laws to side with those who infringe on vulnerable people’s properties like land.

“We have cases of chiefs who have grabbed the land of orphans after the death of their parents. We urge all the chiefs in the country to make sure that we protect vulnerable people,” he said.

Paramount Chief Kyungu asked the chiefs to promote unity and peace for the country to flourish.

“For the country to be united it should start at the community level. Chiefs have a great role to play in fostering unity and peace,” he said.

Chitipa District Council Chairperson, Councillor Ronald Kayira, thanked State President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for elevating two traditional leaders which he said is a plus in the district.

Senior Chief Nthalire and Sub-TA Mwenekayilizi were elevated on 3^rd February 2025 by Dr Chakwera.

By Sheminah Nkhoma

Lilongwe, February 6, Mana: Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), His Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat, has departed Malawi through Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) on Thursday morning following a two-day diplomatic visit.

The Chairperson was seen off at KIA by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo and other government officials.

Speaking before the departure at KIA, Spokesperson for Mahamat, Ebba Kalondo said the visit for the Chairperson was very important as they have discussed issues pertaining to the country as well as the African continent with President Lazarus Chakwera.

She said the Chairperson was in the country to appreciate the support which President Chakwera has been giving him throughout the time he has been Chairperson of the AUC.

“The Chairperson thought it wise to visit Malawi so that he should bid farewell to the Malawi president as his eight years’ tenure has come to an end,” said Kalondo.

She further stated that the visit has also helped the two leaders to discuss continental agendas which Malawi has been standing in all the operations of the AUC.

Kalondo said Malawi has been addressing great challenges including climate change as it was affected by drought and heavy rainfall.

“Malawi is among some African countries who benefited from solidarity funds of the AUC after it was affected by El Nino,” she said.

The Spokesperson further said the two leaders have tackled issues to do with intra-African solidarity and unity, on how to address problems the continent is facing so that peace and security should prevail.

Mahamat, was first elected chairperson for a four-year term on January 30, 2017, after seven rounds of voting beating Kenya's Amina Mohamed.

He was reelected in 2021 for another four-year term which ends this month

By Petro Mkandawire

Blantyre, February 3, Mana: Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) has disclosed that from February 3 to 9 the country should expect primarily warm to hot conditions, cloudy conditions and locally heavy rain which will increase the threat of flash floods.

The Department says rain along lakeshore areas will continue extending to many parts of the country, leading to heavy episodes of thunderstorm due to combined effects of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and a low pressure system in the Mozambique channel.

Director for DCCMS, Dr Lucy Mtilatila, asked people to be prepared for occasional rough conditions on Lake Malawi and other lakes.

She appealed to lake users to be aware of occasional rough waters and avoid crossing flooded areas.

“When thunderstorms are within our vicinity, people must stay indoors, avoid staying in open fields and closer to metal objects.

“On Wednesday expect cloudy and warm conditions coupled with scattered rain and thunderstorm mainly over central and northern areas later in the afternoon. As such, people should stay alert and remain cautious to avoid loss of life and property,” she said.

According to Mtilatila, the Department will keep on monitoring potential development of a tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean and will provide updates as needed.

During the past week most areas experienced cloudy conditions with scattered rains which were heavy over some places resulting to flash flooding over Mangochi and Machinga.

The highest 24 hourly rainfall recorded was 211mm at Machinga Boma on January 30.

Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) Spokesperson, Chipiliro Khamula, said currently the Department has a standby search and rescue team in place comprising of the Malawi Defence Force, Malawi Police Service, Marine Department, Malawi Red Cross Society and other stakeholders in case of flash floods.

“In collaboration with the DCCMS, DoDMA is conducting awareness on the prospects and implications of the current rainfall season and disseminating time-scaled seasonal forecasts as part of early warning to prevent loss of life as well as property,” Khamula said.

By Namon Chitukuta

Mzuzu, February 4, Mana: Gabriel General Trading (GGT), a Mzuzu based commercial company, has pledged to support Zolozolo Police Unit in Mzuzu City as one way of fostering good working relationship between business community and the police.

Recently GGT donated a signpost to Mzuzu Police Unit.

A representative of the company, Aamire Ali, said the donation is an appreciation of the work that the Malawi Police does in maintaining peace and order in promoting secure business environment in the city.

“We believe in giving back to the community hence this donation,” Ali said.

He pledged that the company will further equip the unit with furniture for improved working conditions at the facility.

Officer in Charge for Zolozolo Police Unit, Inspector Paul Tembo, expressed gratitude towards the donation saying the signpost will help clients easily locate the unit in times of need.

“We appreciate this gesture and hope for continued partnership with GGT. The signpost will make our services more accessible and promote our visibility within our jurisdiction of duty,” Tembo said.

He said the donation is a sign of collaboration between business community and the police in fostering safety and security around the unit’s surrounding areas in particular and Mzuzu City as a whole.