By Zenak Matekenya

Dedza, February 25, Mana: Dedza District Council Finance Committee Chairperson, Themuka Mkhwewu, has urged people in the district to track the implementation of the 2025/2026 budget.

The K45.5 billion budget was passed during the full council meeting on Monday through access to information law.

The budget’s 15 percent is allocated to infrastructure development with K10 billion earmarked for Social Cash Transfer and Climate Smart Public Works programs.

In an interview Mkhwewu said people should realize that the budget is meant to improve their livelihood through better service delivery.

“Therefore, every citizen must follow up on this budget using access to information law whereby a citizen is free to go to the District Commissioner’s office and ask for any information regarding this budget,” he said.

Senior Chief Kachere said the budget is critical in giving direction in implementation of development activities.

He, therefore, encouraged support from well-wishers.

He said it is the duty of local leaders, government officials and political leaders to promote utilization of the allocation for the benefit of people in the district.

“We must ensure that these figures in the budget go to the people,” he said.

By Gift Chiponde

Lilongwe, February 25, Mana: Ministry is  currently implementing various initiatives  aimed at improving efficiency and performance of the ministry.

Minister of labour, Vitumbiko Mumba, made the remarks at a pres briefing in Lilongwe on Monday emphasising government’s commitment to education and technical skills development.

He disclosed the ministry’s plans to establish agriculture technical colleges to support President Chakwera’s vision of making Malawi a self-reliant nation.

He said such institutions will enhance vocational training opportunities and equip young people with essential skills.

"My ministry is establishing four centres of vocational excellence focusing on agriculture mechanisation at Lilongwe Technical College, renewable energy at Mzuzu Technical College, marine transport and operations at Salima Technical College and tourism at Malawi Institute of Tourism.

“With the help of the EU-Zantchito Project, my ministry has also started offering artisanal small scale mining course at Ngara Community Technical College to support the growing mining sector in the country,” he said.

He underscored the need to promote girls' education, revealing that over 6,000 female students in technical colleges are currently benefiting from full bursaries covering tuition, examination fees, transport, and accommodation, an initiative with support from the World Bank.

According to Mumba, the ministry is expanding programs in technical colleges by introducing courses in renewable energy, mining, and boat assembling, particularly at Salima Technical College.

To further boost agricultural mechanization, Mumba said the ministry plans to acquire over 500 hectares of land to establish an agricultural technical college which will train technicians to support large scale farming and modern agricultural practices.

"Considering that Malawi is an agro based economy, and government is implementing mega farms and commercialization, the coming in of these initiatives, has introduced demand in qualified agricultural technicians. Therefore, the agriculture technical college will foster agriculture mechanization, food processing and value addition,” Mumba said.

In order to increase access to skills attainment, Ministry of Labour has introduced double streams in the enrolment of apprentices in technical colleges and has extended national selection of apprentices to 14 community technical colleges from the initial 2,575 to 7,256 per year

The ministry is also investing in infrastructure development to increase the intake further.

Currently, with support from the World Bank all the seven national technical colleges have been given a grant of K2.8 billion each while the 30 community technical colleges and community skills development centres have each been given a grant of K500,000,000.

By Beatrice Bangula

Blantyre, February 25, Mana: Gospel artist, Chifundo Meleka is set to launch her second album titled "Nthawi ya Yehova" in June this year.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana), on Tuesday, Meleka explained that the new album has ten tracks; among them are "Nthawi ya Yehova," "Bwenzi langa," "Sangamake," "Wabwino," and "Chimwemwe."

According to the gospel artist, the album project will be completed in March this year, followed by its launch on June 1.

"People should expect to be encouraged and blessed through this album," she said.

Production of the new album involved one producer, Steve Meleka, who also happens to be the artist's husband.

Musicians Union of Malawi (MUM), President, Vita Chirwa, said Meleka’s album symbolises that the music industry in Malawi is growing stronger and stronger.

"Artists in Malawi are doing great. They have improved in many areas, and the music coming out of Malawi is now very sweet, well-cooked, well-presented, well-arranged, and well-marketed. It's a step in the right direction.

I haven't yet listened to Chifundo Meleka's new album, but I am confident it's going to be a wonderful work of art.”

“Chifundo needs all our support for her music career to reach greater heights," he said.

The gospel artist produced her first album, titled "Mwayenera," in 2015.

By Charlie Ligomeka

Machinga, February 25, Mana: Machinga District Council officials recently toured Mchinji District to learn the district's development strategies as Mchinji fared very well on Local Authority Performance Assessment (LAPA)

Machinga District Council's Director of Planning and Development, Noel Dakamau, other council and ward councilors were part of the delegation that visited the border district.

"We wanted our councilors to appreciate development strategies and to learn from their experiences so that we should apply them on our own development projects," the director added.

Dakamau said Mchinji's performance was impressive as reflected in the LAPA, adding that this was key factor that made Machinga District Council to choose Mchinji as model district to visit.

“Mchinji ranked second in the LAPA last year, and we wanted to learn from their successes. Their good infrastructure development and financial management are areas we wanted to emulate,” he added.

The delegation visited various development projects; including the Mchinji stadium, Mchinji recreational hall, fish ponds, and Kabzala Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) Girls hostel.

The visiting ward councilors said they were impressed with projects and the projects’ positive impact on the community.

Machinga Council, Chairperson, Councilor, Simplex Diwa hailed learning tour, saying, it was necessary thing, adding; “We learnt a lot from Mchinji tour. We have seen Mchinji ’strides in infrastructural development, and we believe we can do the same in Machinga,”.

He observed that Machinga had potential to construct and maintaining fish ponds with Shire River as a reliable source of water,

“We have the resources but we need to make good use of the resources. We need to work together to identify our priorities and implement development projects that shall benefit people in Machinga,

“The visit has shown us that with determination and hard work, we can achieve great things,” the Council Chairperson, added and emphasised importance of collaboration between ward councilors and council secretariat to achieve best results.

Director of Planning and Development for Mchinji District Council, Martin Pindankono said the council coordinates very well with ward councilors and other community level development structures to achieve best results.

“Councilors and the secretariat work in collaboration to drive the district forward. It is better to invest in one or two major projects that will have a lasting impact, rather than spreading our resources too thin,” he said and stressed the need to use funds prudently.

Machinga District Council, Chairperson, Councilor, Dorothy Mussa called on Machinga Council secretariat to collaborate with councilor to achieve meaningful development and encouraged fellow ward councilors to emulate Mchinji strategies.

Mchinji Council also encouraged Machinga Council to explore other revenue-generating initiatives, such as construction of fish dams, stadiums, and border posts for economic growth

By Andrew Mkonda

Lilongwe, February 25, Mana: Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) commonly known as Mtukula Pakhomo beneficiaries in Lilongwe district have applauded government for introducing the safety net initiative that has assisted them to be empowered economically.

Lubeya Kasomkanji, a resident of Kavundula village in the area of Traditional Authority Malili said the wages he receives from the programme have assisted him to venture into tearoom business in his area.

Speaking Monday during a media tour, Kasomkanji hailed the programme describing it as a lifesaver.

“I received my wages of five months in arrears, that gave me an opportunity of starting a tearoom business which is generating a lot of profits and has completely changed my life and that of my family,” he said.

Kasomkanji further said through his tearoom business he has managed to build a house with iron sheets and bought a garden as source of his income for his family.

Another beneficiary, Dorothy Zamuka, from Mkwerera village also ventured into tearoom business after receiving her dues in arrears which she said has assisted her to build a house with iron sheets, upgrading from her previous grass thatched house.

Both Kasomkanji and Zamuka have since urged other beneficiaries to be using the money they get from SCTP for intended purpose so that they become self-reliant financially.

Lilongwe District Social Welfare Officer, Responsible for Social Cash Transfer Programme, Sarah Chimodzi said it is encouraging that many beneficiaries are able to invest in livestock, such as chicken, goats and pigs.

Chimodzi further said the programme has also assisted in reducing negative risks such as withdrawal of children from school and absenteeism among others.

The programme in Lilongwe district is being managed by Malawi Government with support from the World Bank and it targets ultra-poor and labour-constrained households by providing them support in form of cash.

The programme covers 23 Traditional Leaders and has a total number of 29, 512 beneficiaries.

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, February 24, mana: A 33-year-old primary school teacher, Station Mbale, from Namatubi Village in the area of Senior Chief Mwabulambya in Chitipa District, on Monday died after hanging himself from the roof of his house.

Spokesperson for Chitipa Police, Sub Inspector Gladwell Simwaka, confirmed the sad news, saying that the deceased left a suicide note citing a family misunderstanding as the reason for his actions.

Simwaka said that postmortem results from Chitipa District Hospital confirmed that death was due to suffocation secondary to strangulation.

“We are urging individuals facing family wrangles and other challenges to seek help from the police victim support unit rather than taking their own life,” Simwaka appealed.

By Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, February 25, Mana: Sakina Chingomanje beat five other contestants to become torchbearer for Malawi Congress Party (MCP) for the newly demarcated Salima Central East Constituency in the September 16, 2025 General Elections.

Chingomanje, a business woman, on Tuesday, defeated five other contestants after amassing 645 votes out of 1349 total votes that were cast.

She was seconded by Ihlaf James Khalid who got 338 votes with the least out of the six candidates getting 67 votes.

Chingomanje was up against 5 other candidates namely; Maxwell Kutchemba Chisindo, Ihlaf James Khalid, Martha Tembo, Kassim Mdala Amuli and Moses Phenias Chinyama.

First Deputy Director of Elections for the MCP, Olivier Liwewe described the elections as free and fair.

"The elections were well managed and there were no anomalies recorded, therefore as a party we are contented, and duly declare Chingomanje as our shadow Member of Parliament for this constituency," she said.

Liwewe said introduction of the secret ballot by the party has brought sanity to the electoral process during the primaries.

In ward elections under the same constituency, Thomasi Boston triumphed in the Maganga ward with 538 votes beating Harjie Yasini who scooped 100 votes, while for Kuluunda ward, Charles Majidu Sereman went unopposed.

By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, February 25, Mana: Voting for MCP primary elections in Nkhotakota Nkula constituency has come to a stop after some violent acts from some members.

Reports reaching Malawi News Agency (Mana), indicates that some names of delegates were marked indicating as if they already voted when they had not and this prompted angry members to become violent.

Currently party officials in charge of the voting have closed voting doors until further notice. Party officials earlier indicated to Mana that a total of 1,953 delegates will participate in the vote.

The candidates competing in the polls are Skeffa chimoto, Ausman Saidi Mkanyira and Gerald Makokola.

 By Leah Malimbasa

Chikwawa, February 25, Mana: Flash floods have hit several areas in traditional authorities (TA) Lundu and Ngabu in Chikwawa where several households have been affected following two days rains in the district.

Chikwawa Disaster Risk Management Officer, Charity Machika, said two days of rainfall triggered the flooding, with already high water levels in the Shire River worsening the situation.

“In the area of Group Village Head Mateyu, TA Lundu, 247 households have been affected, but the number is expected to rise,” she said, adding that assessment is  underway at Group Village Head Chavilakale, TA Ngabu.

Machika said a clearer picture of the situation will come later after completing assessment.

By Priscilla Phiri

Lilongwe, February 25, Mana: Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Benedicto Kaluwa-Adwell Chambo, has expressed concern on lack of youth participation in the agriculture sector.

He said this in Parliament on Tuesday in his response to a supplementary question asked by Member of Parliament (MP) for Rumphi West,  Yona Adadawiza Mkandawire.

Mkandawire pleaded with the Ministry to consider allocation of special farm equipment for youths in all constituencies to enable them be self employed and meaningfully contribute towards the country’s food security. 

Chambo lamented lack of interest in agriculture among youths despite availability of resources.

"We have equipment available for rent in the councils and Agricultural Development Divisions, National Economic Empowerment Fund loans, and mega farms to boost their productivity. However, it is sad to see that many youths are not seriously involved in agriculture in the country. We need them to be involved,” Chambo said.

He urged MPs to encourage youths in their constituencies to participate in agriculture, emphasizing the importance of increasing youth participation in the sector.

He acknowledged that the legal framework does not mandate the ministry to establish companies for farm machinery production, instead relying on private sector to produce equipment.

MP for Dedza South, Ishmael Onani, highlighted the need for policy and law amendments to make agriculture sector more attractive to youths.

He pleaded with the Ministry to consider having government owned companies for farm machinery production to create a favourable environment for the youths in the sector