MANAonline
Bridge construction excites constituents in Chitipa
By Aliko Munde
Chitipa, October 23, Mana: Chitipa East constituents have applauded the district council, their Member of Parliament and councilors for constructing Ndendo Bridge using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) amounting to K 19 million.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency, Memory Mlenga from Kasitu Village, Senior Chief Mwenemisuku said before the bridge, it was difficult to cross the river during the rainy season.
“We used to have challenges when crossing the bridge during rainy seasons and learners from areas like Kumwenga village had difficulties crossing the bridge to access primary education at Kasitu Primary School,” Mlenga explained.
She further said farmers also had difficulties when going to their farms and transporting their farm produce.
"With the construction of the bridge, we are happy and this has eased the challenges we used to encounter during the rainy season,” Mlenga added.
A learner at Kasitu Primary School, Petros Msukwa thanked the district council for considering the people of the area by constructing a concrete bridge, which he said will ease challenges during the rainy season.
“When the river is flooded we could stay for a week or two without going to school, which was a challenge. But we are now excited with this concrete bridge,” Petros said.
Kapoka Ward Councillor, Alice Chanza said heavy rains have always been washing away wooden bridge at the place, which she said has been a great challenge to the elected leaders in the area and the district council.
“This bridge has been a nightmare to us. The bridge had been swept away several times because it was made of wooden poles which resulted in communities from other villages failing to cross the bridge to access health care services to nearby health centres and worse still, children had difficulties going to school,” Chanza said.
She commended communities for contributing sand and stones towards the bridge construction project.
CSOs impressed with GESD and DDF projects in Chikwawa
By Willy Kadewere and Priscilla Mwakifuna
Chikwawa, October 23, Mana: Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Network in Chikwawa District says is satisfied with the ongoing District Development Fund (DDF) and Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) projects in the district for involving community members in project planning and implementation.
Speaking on Tuesday after a monitoring tour organised by the council, Chairperson for Chikwawa CSOs network, Anderson Billiat, said community involvement is a good approach to ensure accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.
He further praised the council for adhering to project timelines at Nkudzi Community Day Secondary School (CDSS), a GESD-funded project which was built at a tune of K142,000,000 acknowledging that construction was completed earlier than the scheduled period of 90 days.
“Strengthening collaboration between CSOs, the council, and contractors is also crucial in preventing substandard construction,” he advised.
In her remarks, Public Relations Officer for Chikwawa District Council, Leah Malimbasa thanked the CSOs for working closely with the council.
“As a council, we aim to include all stakeholders in the district as we implement various development projects. CSOs are one of the stakeholders crucial for effective and efficient implementation of projects,” she said.
Malimbasa added that going forward, the council will incorporate advice and recommendations from the CSOs and various stakeholders.
“They have physically inspected the works and have provided good suggestions on how we can improve.
“We are also encouraged by the praises we have received in areas that we are doing well, the goal is to utilise funds we get through GESD, DDF and others for infrastructure development and improve service delivery across the district,” she said.
Nsangwe Umoyo Houses Project Management Committee, Chairperson, Felix Messa thanked Malawi Government for constructing a health centre and staff houses in the area, saying this will reduce the long distances people previously took to access healthcare services.
He said the construction of two health worker houses at Nsangwe Health Centre is nearing completion and further acknowledged that the contractor maintained higher standards throughout the construction.
Messa also highlighted the role of the community monitoring committee, saying it keeps holding the contractor accountable.
Similarly, the Chairperson of the Nkudzi CDSS Project Management Committee, Stephano Gomiwa said the new school is a game-changer for local students, who previously had to walk long distances to access education at Mfera CDSS which is over 12 kilometres from Nkudzi.
“Our children used to walk long distances to reach Mfera CDSS. With Nkudzi CDSS in place, children have started learning closer to home.
“45 students were selected to this school and the school has currently started its operations,” Gomiwa said.
Likoma Police arrest woman for allegedly murdering a six-year-old girl
By Ireen Mseteka
Likoma, October 23, Mana: Likoma Police, Tuesday arrested a Mozambican national Agness Msadala 23 for allegedly taking part in the brutal killing of a six-year-old girl at Madimba area in Likoma.
According to Public Relations Officer for Likoma Police Station, Enalla Kalua, the arrest was made following investigations into the mysterious death of the girl.
“It is alleged that Msadala took part in the murder. The mother of the deceased, Modester Chisamanga said that she had sent her daughter to borrow a knife from Msadala who is her neighbour and after coming back, the child just left the house unnoticed.
The mother assumed that her daughter left the house with the neighbour at around 7 p.m., but the suspect denied having been with the girl when she was asked about the deceased,” said Kalua.
Kalua added that the matter was then reported to Likoma Police Station where the investigation was launched.
“In the course of the searching exercise, a wet mattress stained with blood was discovered on the roof of the suspect’s house and the body of the girl was recovered at St Peter's Graveyard,” she said.
Msadala who hails from Chiwamila Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mtaya in Cobue District- Mozambique has since been charged with murder contrary to Section 209 of the Penal Code and will soon appear before court.
She said Police have intensified investigations to arrest everyone who took part in the malpractice.
In a related development, angry community members who wanted to take the law into their own hands by demanding the release of the suspect for mob justice ended up burning a police vehicle into ashes.
Council for an informed citizenry on decentralization
By Sylvester Kumwenda
Dowa, October 23, Mana: Director of Planning and Development at Dowa District Council Mercy Mpakule, said the council need to strengthen awareness of the new National Decentralization Policy (NDP) to make sure people are aware of it, and fully demand services from the council in accordance with decentralization and the policy.
She made the remarks Tuesday, when the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture conducted an orientation meeting with the management of Dowa district council, on the new NDP second edition of 2024, which provides a guiding framework for the local government system.
Mpakule said the orientation was important, but asked council officials and stakeholders to trickle it down to the people at the district level whom she said were the real beneficiaries of the policy.
"You should make sure that you raise awareness of the policy with all your staff so that they know how to implement it. But most importantly, amongst the community members.
"When community members are empowered and aware of decentralization and the NDP, they will know what, which services to demand from the council and how to demand these, which is their right. So, I urge you to ensure all our citizens know of this policy," she said.
The Malawi government through cabinet, approved the NDP revised edition of 2024 on February 6 2024, and it was subsequently launched by the minister of Local government, unity and culture Richard Chimwendo Banda.
Public Relations Officer for the ministry Anjoya Mwanza said some of the key priority areas for the NDP include Local governance, political decentralization, Fiscal Decentralization, Local Development Planning and Infrastructure Development for municipal services.
“We want to popularize the policy. So, we are currently meeting a few selected councils, but the plan is to meet all councils and different groups of people so that they know in detail what is contained in the new document and what their responsibilities are going forward,” she said.
Balaka rolls out voter registration on a high note
By Mary Makhiringa
Balaka, October 23, Mana: A random survey conducted by Malawi News Agency (MANA) Tuesday revealed that despite the communication gap that most communities have expressed on the voter registration currently underway in Balaka district, more people are flooding registration centres to register.
Interacting with possible voters at Mseche Primary School revealed that people are mistaking the voter registration for relief food items registration, which was also underway in the district a few days ago.
“I came upon hearing from a colleague that it is a voter registration and not the other.”
“ I have then notified more people since we still have many days before the end of the registration period,” said Alefa M’bawa.
As of Tuesday afternoon, in most centres that MANA visited, data showed that they had passed over 100 accumulative figures from Monday, which was the start of the registration.
Balaka District Elections Officer, Harry Yohane said despite everything, the district has received massive support and people are coming out in numbers to register.
“We have 202 registration centres in Balaka District and all of them rolled out on Monday.
“Our civic education team is currently on the ground, day and night sensitizing the public on this very important exercise,” he said, adding that special interest will be given to areas mistaking registration on relief food with voter registration.
Balaka is among the districts in the first phase of the registration prior to the 2025 General Elections.
Umodzi Wathu Women Cooperative impresses Minister of Agriculture
By Evance Chisiano
Blantyre, October 23, Mana: A group of women with various professional backgrounds under the name; Umodzi Wathu Cooperative Society Limited said they are well set to do more than dairy cattle farming on their farm at Chigumula where they started after a K111 million grant from Agricultural Commercialization (AGCOM) project in 2023.
Umodzi Wathu Cooperative Society disclosed this when Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale visited the group at Chigumula on Monday in Blantyre where they are rearing cattle with support from the AGCOM project which seeks to transform smallholder agriculture from subsistence to commercial.
Kawale said is impressed with the women’s determination and unity in the dairy enterprises, adding that this was in line with Malawi’s commercialization drive and women’s participation in agricultural development.
“Just know that the ministry is impressed with what you are doing. Be in touch with the Ministry of Agriculture and are ready to guide you.
“Always ask us whenever you are stuck somewhere. Don’t limit yourself. Opportunities are there,” Kawale said and encouraged them to get themselves familiar with various technologies of making animal feed other than depending on maize stalks only.
“Get to know many agricultural technologies in making animal feed. Keep learning, keep asking questions and keep engaging,” added Kawale after appreciating the dairy cows farming at Chigumula farm which the group said is set to develop the place by growing other crops to complement the dairy cattle farming.
The cooperative operates under the motto; Cultivating Dreams, Nourishing Hope and is comprised of 54 women including pensionaries, bankers, lawyers, accountants, university students and young women.
Mid 2021, four women came together to start a group and decided to mobilize fellow women into what is called Umodzi wathu Cooperative Society, today, a legally registered entity.
The minister said it was pleased that the women who are from different professional backgrounds grouped themselves into a society with one purpose of moving forward to become a cooperative which looks forward to embarking on various value-adding agricultural activities.
He added that Ministry of Agriculture was looking forward to support such cooperatives and encouraged Umodzi wathu to routinely seek technical expertise from livestock veterinarians for successful daily farming.
“Let us shift from subsistence farming to commercialization. This is where Malawi is driving to,” he added and expressed optimism that Umodzi Wathu Cooperative Society will rise to become a successful agricultural commercial entity.
Umodzi Wathu Cooperative Society, Chairperson Sylvia Mataka hailed Kawale for visiting the group saying this is motivation enough to keep the women going with a vision of becoming one of the successful cooperatives in Malawi,
The cooperative received a grant of K111 million in 2023 from the AGCOM project after meeting many requirements that included submission of a concept note, business plan and registration with the authorities.
Mataka commended AGCOM project management for being accommodative and supportive to Umodzi wathu Cooperative Society, saying the cooperative has a mission to become a force to reckon with in dairy cattle farming with intentions to make dairy products such as cheese and butter.
Blantyre District Commissioner, Alex Mdooko also hailed the women for teaming up to become a cooperative which is geared to provide jobs for people at Chigumula and surrounding areas in the course of dairy cattle farming.
He disclosed that Blantyre District has 17 cooperatives with some of them in dairy, poultry, piggery, soya beans and ordinary beans farming.
“Most of these groups are supported by the AGCOM project. Agricultural commercialization is the way to go and we should think of value chain, value addition,” Mdooko added.
With the K111 million AGCOM grant, Umodzi wathu Cooperative Society procured dairy cattle, water storage tanks, constructed feeding sheds, manure sheds, ponds and an office among others.
The group said, if funds permit, it will buy additional cattle, lorry for feed transportation, tractor and cooling to effectively manage the farm for better results.
AGCOM is a Malawi Government project funded by the World Bank to transform the country’s agriculture sector.
First Capital Bank donates computers worth K6 Million to Mchinji Council
By Gloria Asante Mvula
Mchinji, October 23, Mana: First Capital Bank (FCB) has donated two sets of state-of-the-art computers worth K6 million to Mchinji District Council, in a move aimed at enhancing the council’s operations through improved technology.
Speaking during the handover ceremony on Tuesday, FCB team leader Martin Kadewere highlighted the bank's commitment to address technological gaps that are hindering efficient communication and operations in councils.
“We have identified the need to provide additional computers to assist the council in running its daily operations more smoothly, especially in this digital age. Many councils face financial constraints, which makes it difficult for them to procure necessary devices,” Kadewere said.
Mchinji District Commissioner, Lucia Chidalengwa, expressed gratitude for the timely donation, saying the gesture will go a long way in improving service delivery.
“We are overwhelmed with appreciation as this donation comes shortly after we requested support. Many of our departments face challenges due to lack of computers. In this technological era, everything is connected electronically, and having additional computers will significantly reduce those challenges,” Chidalengwa said.
The donation is part of FCB’s broader commitment to community support and corporate social responsibility, as the bank continues to give back to the communities it serves.
Mchinji Council has been one of the best-performing councils.
Few months ago it came second among all local councils in the Local Authorities Performance Assessment (LAPA), and was also awarded by the Malawi Association of Local Government (MALGA) as the most improved council recently.
Voter registration starts on good note in Mulanje
By Innocent Chamtulo
Mulanje, October 23, Mana: Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Commissioner Rev. Philip Kambulire has commended the great momentum that Mulanje District has started with in the current voter registration exercise.
Commissioner Kambulire said this on Tuesday, on the sidelines of a monitoring tour in the district to appreciate the commencement of the exercise amid interest from different sectors.
"Since the exercise started yesterday, we have had many people flocking to various registration centres. One issue we have noted is that because most people work in tea estates, they have been coming as the centres are about to close.
“So we have engaged estate managers to find a way of releasing them in good time so that their work should also not suffer," he said.
He appealed people who are eligible to go and register for them to be able to exercise their right of voting on 16th September 2025.
Commissioner of Police for South East Region, Chikondi Chingadza said security status since the onset of the registration has been tight and that they have not received any complaints from any registration centre.
"We have a large number of police officers who are committed to providing security in an eventuality situation," she said.
Malawi will hold General Elections in September 2025 and the registration sessions have been split into three phases of 14 days each.
Minister of Agriculture tours Bvumbwe Agricultural Research Station
By Evance Chisiano
Blantyre, October 22, Mana: Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, emphasized the critical role agricultural research stations, such as the Bvumbwe station, must play in developing new agricultural technologies saying these innovations should lead to improved crop and livestock varieties, contributing to Malawi's long-term food and nutrition security
Kawale made the remarks at Bvumbwe Agricultural Research Station in Thyolo on Monday after touring several sections that included; soil fertility and chemistry, pesticides control, plant pathology laboratories and other test labs.
The Minister also toured macadamia, orange-fleshed sweet potato, and Irish potato early-generation seed multiplication projects, aligning with the government's efforts to make Malawi a food-sufficient nation. The focus is on shifting from subsistence farming to commercialization, which will rely on pest-resistant, high-yield crop varieties and improved livestock breeds.
“Our famers should continue to have access to high yielding food crop,” he said after a tour of several laboratories where he learnt the need to install digital equipment as opposed to current analogue equipment which mostly fails to operate due to over usage.
Kawale therefore said government will continue to work with development partners to invest much on research in line with Malawi’s aspiration of sustainable food sufficient.
He therefore called on other research stations to also concentrate on researching alternative fertilisers so that Malawi should shift from high dependence on chemical fertilisers to organic.
“We should be moving away from chemical fertilisers to organics and we want to teach farmers to make organic fertilizers. Chemical fertilisers are expensive and eating on our resources,
“Our 10 research stations should fully be invested in research that should benefit farmers,” the Agricultural Minister added, citing high yielding maize varieties that can produce many tons per hectare other than few tons at the expense of household food security.
Bvumbwe Research Station Manager, Dr. Margaret Chiipanthenga said lack of laboratory equipment and shortfall of scientific researchers remains one of major challenges at the station.
She therefore said there was need to install high tech research equipment and deployment of adequate personnel in the research laboratories for best tests that should give excellent agricultural solutions.
Makoka Agricultural Research Station is on 287 hectares in Thyolo where a lot of research and a lot of seed multiplication is done.
Kawale was on a tour of a number of research stations such that he was expecting to tour Makoka Research Station in Zomba to appreciate research work.
Turn-up for voter registration improves in Mzuzu
By Yamikani Sabola
Mzuzu, October 22, Mana: Turn-up for fresh voter registration has improved in Mzuzu on Tuesday which marked the second day of the exercise ahead of 2025 polls.
There were queues of people waiting to register in some of the centers visited in the afternoon, unlike on Monday when elections management device (EMD) operators were found idling in most of the centers visited because they had no people to serve.
Center supervisor for Matope Junior Primary School in Mzuzu City North Constituency, Mariam Simfukwe expressed satisfaction with the numbers of people coming to the center for registration.
“There is tremendous improvement if we compare with the figures of yesterday. Today we have managed to register 123 people by now and more are coming. Yesterday we only registered 39 the whole day,” she said.
One of the registrants at Ching’ambo Primary School, John Munthali said he was happy to have registered his name and encouraged others to do the same to be able to exercise their right to vote next year.
“Elections come once every five years so I cannot afford to lose an opportunity to cast my vote. I urge everyone to come and register like myself so that they should be able to choose their desired political leaders next year,” he said.
City Elections Officer for Mzuzu, Pilirani Simkonda expressed hope that the turn-up will continue improving due to a mobilization campaign which Malawi Electoral Commission is carrying out in the city to ensure that more people register.
MEC is conducting first phase of fresh voter registration from October 21 to November 3, 2024.
The councils included in the phase are Chitipa, Karonga, Mzuzu and Nkhotakota, among others.
