MANAonline
New Tobacco Industry Act a game changer - TC
By Paul Madise
Lilongwe, January 09, Mana: The Tobacco Commission (TC) has described the implementation of the new tobacco law – the Tobacco Industry Act No.5 of 2024 as instrumental in the transformation of the tobacco industry in the country.
Speaking with the Malawi News Agency (Mana), Public Relation Officer (PRO), for the TC, Telephorus Chigwenembe, says implementation of the new law will make the Malawi tobacco industry more attractive further creating a competitive atmosphere on both local and international markets as well as rising expectation to the local producers.
“The new tobacco law will, among others, ensure that as a country we comply with international standards on tobacco production. This will make our tobacco more attractive, which we expect to motivate good competition for our crop.”
“When competition is very good, you expect good prices for the crop,” said Chigwenembe.
Tobacco Commission also acknowledged tobacco farmers’ satisfaction with the new regulations governing tobacco industry in the country highlighting that the initiative has proved to be more beneficial than before.
Among other things, the new regulations allow farmers to use own vehicles to transport their tobacco to the market which previously was prohibited.
The Tobacco Industry Act No.5 of 2024 provisions also states that if a company in contract with a farmer refuses to purchase their tobacco twice, the farmer has the right to sell to another company or at auction.
Furthermore, farmers now have the right to appeal to a court of law if they are dissatisfied with a ruling made in their case. This has been implemented to ensure that justice is always upheld. The panel overseeing such cases will include a retired judge, an expert in tobacco farming, and an agricultural specialist.
Reacting to the development, Alfred Kapichira, one of the mega tobacco growers from Madisi in Dowa district, has appealed to Tobacco Commission to maximize civic educating farmers in all parts the country to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of the newly implemented tobacco laws in the country.
Recently, Tobacco Commission has been civic educating tobacco farmers in areas where tobacco farming is prevalent in the country.
Tobacco remains the premier cash crop for forex generation in the country.
DRTSS warns against unregistered vehicles
By Agatha Kadzinje
Blantyre, January 8, Mana: Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) has warned against usage of unregistered number plates and vehicles saying it is a violation of the Road Traffic Act.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, the Directorate highlighted that the illegal operation of unregistered vehicles is a punishable offense.
“Section 11(2) of the Road Traffic Act (1997) states: No person shall operate on a public road any motor vehicle which is not registered and licensed. Additionally, Regulation 19(11) of the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing) Regulations (2000) requires the immediate affixing of registration plates on the vehicle upon registration,” the statement reads.
The Directorate says vehicles without authorized registration plates or with unauthorized plates will be imposed with appropriate fines for owners and operators.
It has emphasized that unregistered vehicles pose a serious safety and security hazard, necessitating effective traffic safety management.
The Directorate has, therefore, urged all vehicle owners to ensure their vehicles are properly registered and that valid number plates are securely affixed to the front and rear of their vehicles at all times.
Chairperson for Blantyre Minibus Association, Cosmas Kamoto, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Wednesday that many vehicles remain unregistered due to challenges at the Directorate.
“Indeed, many minibuses are not registered because we are often told of netwwork challenges at the Directorate which prevents us from being assisted. This has been a persistent issue and a significant barrier for vehicle owners attempting to register their vehicles,” Kamoto said.
He said minibus owners are looking forward to more efficient and broader communication from the Directorate regarding licenses and registration.
He, therefore, urged minibus owners to proceed with registering their vehicles, emphasizing that it is against the laws of Malawi to operate an unregistered vehicle.
Man drowns on Lake Malawi
By Ireen Mseteka
Likoma, January 8, Mana: A 36-year-old man, Mayamiko Chirwa, has drowned on Lake Malawi in Likoma District.
Deputy Public Relations Officer for Likoma Police Station, Chisomo Thomson, said Chirwa who hailed from Kande Village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Fukamapiri in Nkhata Bay District lost balance and fell into the lake.
“According to a report, the deceased left his house in Tuesday morning while drunk to take a bath in the shallow waters of the lake and as he was bathing; he lost balance and fell into the lake.
“He was spotted by children who were playing and shouted for help from passersby who rushed him to St Peter’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival,” said Thomson.
Thomson said postmortem results indicated that the deceased died due to suffocation.
Meanwhile, police in the district have advised people to avoid being closer to the lake while drunk to prevent similar incidents.
LCPWP key to clean water in Chikwawa
By Petro Mkandawire
Blantyre, January 8, Mana: Communities at Paramount Chief Lundu’s area in Chikwawa have hailed GardaWorld Security Malawi, in collaboration with Illovo Sugar Malawi Plc, for constructing over six water kiosks in their area through Lengwe Community Portable Watershed Project (LCPWP) to ensure community’s access to clean water for improved livelihood.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Wednesday, one of the beneficiaries of the intervention, Thokozani James, said introduction of the project was ideal as it addressed water challenges people faced for a long time.
“We used to drink unsafe water from the wells throughout. The project has helped us to have easy access to safe water which protects us from water borne diseases,” he said, adding that the project also spared communities from travelling long distances to fetch clean water.
Madalitso Finala from Sekeni Village commended the project saying the kiosks have come at a right time to improve water hygiene among communities that had no access to safe water.
“Good life depends on clean water. We have been experiencing an increase in water borne disease due to contaminated water,” Finala said.
Illovo Sugar Malawi Plc, with financial support from Garda World Security Malawi, amounting to US$75,000 (over K122 million) is implementing LCPWP in Chikwawa to benefit over 2,000 people through construction of water kiosks and distribution of water buckets, among others.
GardaWorld Security Malawi Country Director, Ganizani Kanchiputu, said introduction of water kiosks is part of the company’s corporate social responsibility under sanitation programme.
He said the project was born after observing that some of their employees had no access to safe drinking water and were vulnerable to water borne diseases.
“It is not safe to drink salty water. Therefore, we thought it wise to come in and assist some of these communities to get clean and safe water for their daily livelihoods.
“There are a lot of water challenges which hinders a lot of development in the area but Garda World will try to minimize the challenges,” said Kanchiputu.
Acting General Manager for Illovo Sugar Malawi Plc Nchalo Estate, Lengster Mlenga, noted that community members have been suffering from water borne diseases due to unsafe underground salty water.
“As Illovo, we believe that a better economy depends on clean water and this is why we are scaling up this project. I urge communities to take responsibility of the facility by making sure that it is not vandalized,” he said.
Ministry issues warning on Fall Army worm infestation
By Patience Longwe
Lilongwe, December 8, Mana: Ministry of Agriculture has cautioned farmers, and the public, on the presence on Fall Army worms in certain regions of the country stating that the spread of the pests to other areas is contingent upon the prevailing weather conditions.
A press statement signed by Engineer Geofrey Mamba on behalf of Secretary for Agriculture states that the worms are known for their rapid infestations, particularly during periods of rainfall and when crops such as maize, sorghum and rice are in the early stages of growth.
The statement says the severity of the infestation escalates with consistent rainfall, resulting in rapid destruction of crops hence it is imperative to promptly address the issue upon detection.
The Ministry has, therefore, urged farmers and the public to remain vigilant by regularly inspecting their fields for any signs of infestation.
“During these inspections, particular attention should be given to the leaves of crops, especially maize. If infestation is detected, appropriate measures such as the application of recommended pesticides should be taken, as failure to do so may lead to visible damage to leaves and stems, ultimately resulting in significant crop loss,” reads the statement in part.
Farmers are strongly encouraged to report any sightings of the worms or unusual pest infestations to agricultural extension officers in their respective regions or to the nearest government office.
MISA Malawi engages Mchinji Council on disinformation
By Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, January 8, Mana: As Malawi approaches 2025 General Elections, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi on Tuesday engaged Mchinji District Council executive committee on the dangers of misinformation and disinformation.
Under its i-Verify Malawi Project, MISA wants to build capacity of people, and even councils, to debunk false information they encounter.
MISA Vice Chairperson, Chisomo Ngulube, said the institute believes that everyone has to be equipped with fact-checking skills and must have the desire to fight false information at all levels of society.
“MISA Malawi is building the capacity of Malawians on how they can detect and expose information that is false or misleading. This interface is one of such activities.
“We have also developed an online platform called i-Verify that we will use to publish verified information before, during and after the 2025 elections,” said Ngulube.
Mchinji District Commissioner, Lucia Chidalengwa, commended MISA Malawi for the engagement saying it has come at an appropriate time, as there is a lot of fake news flying around these days.
"The community that the Council serves usually gets information from secondary sources and it is usually distorted. It is, therefore, necessary to prepare them so that they should not always believe anything they are fed,” said Chidalengwa.
She added that as general elections are approaching, it is important for the Council and its stakeholders to be able to debunk unnecessary information.
i- Verify Malawi is a system, which will be implemented by the Institute and is based on an online fact-checking tool.
The i-Verify Malawi project is funded by the United Nations Development program (UNDP) with support from the European Union (EU), Royal Norwegian Embassy, Ireland and UK International.
Councilor Salutes Government on Maize Distribution
By Wongani Mkandawire
Nkhotakota, January 8, Mana: Councilor for Mpama Ward in Nkhotakota, Gaziel Chimzele, has commended government’s efforts in the lean season maize distribution exercise stating it is a life saver in the current food crisis that communities are facing.
Speaking to Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday at Mkaika Primary School in the district, Chimzele said the food assistance will help affected households get through as they focus on farming activities in their various fields.
He called upon government to increase the number of beneficiaries in communities noting that more vulnerable families have been left out and yet they are in need of assistance.
"We are indebted to government for this continued initiative. I would like to appeal to them to increase the number of beneficiaries so that more vulnerable families can be assisted through the program," Chimzele said.
Justin Ndawala a beneficiary from Traditional Authority (TA) Nkhanga in the district was thankful to government for assisting his household at a time when he had no idea where he would get his food from.
"I am grateful to government for considering me in this exercise and I pray that other households are included because the harvest was bad and the community is in need of food," said Ndawala.
Nkhotakota District Council Disaster and Risk Management Officer, Romachinga Nkhata, said they are now in phase two of the program and was hopeful that all targeted beneficiaries will be reached.
Nkhotakota expects to cover a total of 19,822 households in this lean season food distribution programme.
Dowa police foils theft, arrests five
By Sylvester Kumwenda
Dowa, January 8, Mana: Police in Dowa have arrested five people for stealing 61 bags of soya meal cakes at Mount Meru Millers Factory in the district.
Dowa Police Station Public Relations Officer, Alice Sitima, said the suspects, four men and one woman, all employees of the company were arrested Monday midnight after police foiled a heist, which was in progress and recovered the items worth K5, 000,000.
"The factory's Security Officer, Francis Zingunde, received information from a well-wisher about the suspects plans to steal from the factory. He subsequently informed police officers who were assigned on guard duties at the factory.
"Acting on a tip-off, police officers remained vigilant and organized premises patrols which led to the apprehension of the suspects while in the act at midnight," she said.
Sitima said during the arrest, police recovered the 61 bags, of which 34 had already been moved outside the factory fence, awaiting collection by the suspects' counterparts.
The suspects have been identified as Alinafe Maliseni, 25, from Kwelekwele Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Kabudula, Lilongwe; Elliot Charles, 24, of Mphazi Village, TA Kalumo in Ntchisi who is a contract supervisor; Pickson Longwe, 41, from Masini Village, TA Chitukula who is a security guard at the factory.
Other suspects are Wakisa Napolo, 24, from Kawiri Village and Moses Ng'ona, 43 from Kanjala village both in TA Mkukula in Dowa.
The suspects will soon appear in court to face a charge of theft by servant.
Lightening strike a herdsman to death in Karonga
By George Mponda
Karonga, January 8, Mana: A 25-year-old herdsman, Bernard Andrew, was Monday struck and killed by lightening at Mwenemwambe Village in the area of Senior Chief Mwilang’ombe in Karonga.
According to Karonga Police Station Public Relations Officer, Margret Msiska, the incident occurred at around 14:30 hours.
"Andrew who was working as a herdsman for Fred Kita was grazing cattle within his boss's compound when he was struck.
“The incident was reported to Nyungwe Police Unit and police officers visited the scene of the accident,” said Msiska.
The remains of Msiska were taken to Chilumba Health Centre, where postmortem was conducted whose results indicated that death was due to electrocution secondary to being struck by lightning.
Meanwhile, police in Karonga have advised people in the district to follow weather forecasts and adhere to precautionary measures during thunderstorms.
Andrew hailed from Nsiwa Village, Traditional Authority Chakhaza in Dowa District.
Ex- Convict arrested for burglary, theft, two for receiving stolen property
By Patience Longwe
Lilongwe, December 07, Mana: Lilongwe police have arrested 24-year-old Manuel Mazoni for breaking into the home of an Indian national in Area 9, Lilongwe, and stealing various items valued at K14 million on December 27, 2024.
Police detectives have also taken into custody two other individuals whose names are withheld, for receiving and selling the said stolen property.
On the night in question, Mazoni broke into the home of Harpal Singh, an employee of the Indian High Commission in Lilongwe, and stole various items, including two iPhones, a laptop, an Apple iPad, a Samsung phone, a Bluetooth speaker, a wallet, and a purse containing K400,000 and K200,000 in cash, respectively.
After a careful study of the crime scene and critical analysis of the closed circuit Television (CCTV) footage, detectives identified Mazoni to be the culprit.
Mazoni is an ex-convict who was once sent to Maula prison in 2019 for breaking into the Malawi Electoral Commission office at Area 3 where he stole computers.
Upon his arrest in Area 36, Mazoni admitted to committing the crime and disclosed that he had sold the stolen items to another individual. Further investigations led to the identification of this second suspect. During a raid at the suspect's residence, police recovered a Bluetooth speaker and a wallet. However, the second suspect informed the police that he had also sold some of the stolen items to a third individual.
When detectives arrested the third suspect they found out that he had already crossed the borders into Mozambique with the items where he sold them. Arrangements by police are underway to recover the items from the neighboring country.
The three suspects will appear in court soon to answer applicable charges.
Manuel Mazoni comes from Chidothi Village, Traditional Authority Chakhaza in Dowa District.
