By Pempho Nkhoma

Blantyre, September 23, Mana: Limbe Cathedral Parish in the Blantyre Archdiocese of the Catholic Church on Sunday September 22^nd bid farewell to Reverend Father, Mark Gova and Deacon, Yohane Lameck Kholowa who are going to pursue further studies.

Fr Mark Gova is going to do his PhD in Dogmatic Theology while deacon Kholowa is going into his 9^th year which is the final year at St Peter’s Major Seminar and is expected to be ordained as a priest next year.

Speaking at the end of the Eucharistic Mass at Limbe Cathedral church, Chairperson for Limbe Parish Council, Mathews Mwadzangati, commended both Fr Gova and deacon Kholowa for their dedication and good relationship with christians.

“We can only be thankful as Limbe Parish for the time that we have had deacon Kholowa; what he has done for these two months was double because he was always present among the youths and in so many ways.

“Father Gova you were always among us. We express our deepest gratitude for your spiritual guidance and you showed us passion and dedication that touched lives of many, especially us parishioners and we are truly blessed to have had you here,” he added.

Mwadzangati therefore wished them well in their studies, saying he is optimistic that the new knowledge that they are going to acquire will help the church.

“We look forward for the day that you will come back to us, we know that the whole Archdiocese of Blantyre will benefit from the new knowledge that you are going to acquire and that will be good service to the whole country,” he added.

In his farewell remarks, Fr Gova expressed gratitude to the Parish Priest and parishioners for being supportive throughout his time at the parish.

“I would like to thank the Parish Priest; he has been very friendly and welcoming, and you all for being good disciples, good friends and family. My time here has been great and i have enjoyed my stay. I will always cherish this time,” he said.

Fr Mark Gova, a lecturer at St Peter’s Major Seminar who stays in Zomba has served Limbe Parish as a visiting priest for four years while deacon Kholowa has been at the parish for two months.

By Arkangel Tembo, New York, USA

New York, September 23, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has hailed the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for taking a leading role in facilitating the creation of free lead poisoning among children globally for a sustainable future generation.

He made the remarks Monday during a partnership for a lead-free future meeting with the USAID delegation in New York, USA.

President Chakwera stated that since assuming office he discovered high levels of lead in paint being sold on the Malawian market, resulting in the exposure of over 3 million Malawian children to lead poisoning.

He said that while millions of dollars are being poured into education, the outcomes of that education are being compromised by the impairment of children’s cognitive development caused by lead poisoning

” Not to say anything of the cost of treating lead-related illnesses to the tune of close to 1 billion dollars every year, which is over 5 per cent of GDP” said President Chakwera

He indicated that in the first year of his office, the government committed resources of the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) to collaborate with the Lead Exposure Elimination Project in providing stronger enforcement of lead paint regulations, including better testing facilities to detect lead in products.

“This measure alone resulted in the reduction of the market share of brands with lead paint by 50% within two years and secured the commitment of two-thirds of all manufacturers to go lead-free” said President Chakwera

He revealed that Malawi is committed to joining the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future to have access to the necessary international support to achieve such important benchmarks as identifying all key sources of lead exposure in Malawi

By Arkangel Tembo

New York, September 23, Mana: Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Simplex Chithyola Banda has disclosed that the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved more than 50 million US Dollars towards agriculture productivity and commercialization including procurement of relief maize.

The minister disclosed this in New York, where President Chakwera held the 2024 Malawi Partners Conference on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Among other high-level dignitaries at the conference, the Malawi leader, met the AfDB Group, President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi and a Tanzanian delegation.

"The support includes 30 million US dollars, 23 million Dollars, and 1 million US Dollars. All these are coming separately with different purposes from the African Development Bank. Further, more support is coming from the same bank.

"On food production, the AfDB is more than ready to support the Malawi Government to embark on a programme of pumping water from Lake Malawi for irrigation," he said.

Chithyola Banda said AfDB interventions will improve Malawi's economy on top of empowering the young people to venture into the agricultural value chain.

He added that the AfDB assistance to Malawi is a clear demonstration of confidence and trust in the current administration.

"institutions like African Development Bank have demonstrated degree of confident and trust in the leadership of Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and the reform programme that Malawi is undertaking in various sectors.

"I have liked some aspects in President Chakwera's speech in which he said Malawi needs to rework in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to re-estimate the GDP based on green economy of how much is the country worth in terms of carbon financing," he said, adding that analysing the GDP will give a true picture of Malawi's economic growth,” he said.

He said going back to the drawing board, Malawi will also work on how natural resources could stimulate the economy.

In 2023, President Chakwera also held another partner conference in New York under the theme; Building Resilience and Sustainable Development in the Face of Shocks.

The Malawi Partners Conference are held on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York, US.

In another interview, Minister of Information and Digitalisation, Moses Kunkuyu said Chakwera's visit is benefiting Malawians.

"When the president travels, he travels with an agenda. The agenda is to represent Malawians and when he represents his people he carries with him the problem that affects his people," Kunkuyu added.

By Arkangel Tembo

New York, September 23, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has urged potential investors in the United States of America (USA) that Malawi is the best investment destination with resilient economic growth, stable and peaceful country.

The President said this on Sunday evening at the Martinique Hotel in New York during a second edition of the Malawi-Partners Conference, held on the margins of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Addressing the potential investors, Chakwera said Malawi has 5.3 million hectares of arable land, representing 45 percent of its total land area; adding that the country has abundant water resources, coupled with several major river systems.

In addition, President Chakwera told the would-be investors that Malawi has access to a market of over 100 million people in the SADC and COMESA regions.

"We have a visionary, stable, democratic political leadership which are all key to creating an enabling environment for public and private funding investments in an open economy," he said.

The Malawi leader said the country has also recently developed a One-Stop Service Centre for investment and trade Promotion through the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC), adding that Malawi has a large, highly educated, skilled, hardworking, trainable workforce.

The Malawi leader further said that the country is also a gold mine of agricultural experience, flooded with untapped specific projects and economic opportunities waiting to be explored.

Amid catastrophic climate and health-related shocks, Chakwera said his government continues to lay a solid foundation for Malawi’s prosperity.

 “Malawi is not only a land of opportunities, but also a nation ready to meet the global demand for high-quality products. We have a web of rivers and lakes, and arable land that is fit-for-purpose of high-value agricultural production zones,” he added.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi who also attended the conference echoed his counterpart’s sentiment by assuring potential investors that Malawi is endowed with so many natural resources which he said are conducive for investment.

"I would like to agree with my brother here that just like in Malawi, agriculture also plays a critical role in Mozambique and Africa as a whole in terms of providing primary source of livelihood, and income to the majority of the population. I encourage you to come and invest in Malawi because they have what it takes in terms of marketing among others," he said.

The first edition of the Malawi-Partners Conference was also held at the same venue and some of the fruits of the conference include the ongoing construction of the Magwero Industrial Park near Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) whose resources were committed by the Afreximbank at that time.

Other commitments from last year’s conference that have materialized include the World Bank-financed Regional Climate Resilience Program, IFAD-funded Sustainable Agriculture Productivity Program, and the Building Education Foundation Project that the Global Partnership for Education is financing.

The 2024 edition of the Malawi-Partners conference was held under the theme “Securing Our Future: Enhancing Investment in Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security.”

By Arkangel Tembo, New York, USA

New York, September 21, Mana: Minister of information and Digitalization, Moses Kunkuyu says Malawi appreciates United Nations (UN) support when the country was hit by Tropical Cyclone Freddy which affected many livelihoods.

The minister made the remarks in the US after President Chakwera met the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

He said president Chakwera met the UN Secretary General to acknowledge various UN support to Malawi in time of disaster and other social protection programmes such as the Social Cash Transfer Programme.  

Kunkuyu said the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) provides rare opportunities for President Chakwera to meet and discuss with UN Secretary General, donors and potential investors.

"The president made further appeal to the UN through the Secretary General that there is still need for assistance to go towards people of Malawi. We still have more people that are affected by drought, the dry spells and the Cyclone Freddy and are still nursing the injuries," Kunkuyu added.

He said the President also told the Secretary General that Malawi people that were affected by the drought still need assistance in form of food as Malawi is faced with numerous climate change related challenges.

Kunkuyu emphasized that Chakwera’s trips to the UNGA and other global summits are always in the best interest of the people of Malawi.

"Chakwera travels to represent his people and when he is representing his people, he carries with him problems that his people are facing in Malawi.

"He also touched on effects of climate change. He put it straight that his people need to be bailed out of situations through building climate resilient infrastructures," the minister added. 

While still in USA, President Chakwera also attended and made a presentation on Malawi's digitalization efforts at a Summit for the Future which discussed and reflected the youth and Digitalisation. 

"The president was invited to make a presentation to hear his plans as far as Digitalisation is concerned. He shared his vision to have connectivity that is affordable," Kunkuyu said, adding that Malawi has been recognized among the 20 countries doing well in digital connectivity.

In the meantime, Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) is constructing Information Communication Technology (ICT) laboratories in community day secondary schools across country as part of Universal Service Fund and Connect a School Project.

Apart from attending the 79th session of UNGA, the president will also attend high level meetings to discuss wide range of issues ranging from peace and security to sustainable development.

By Arkangel Tembo, New York, USA

New York, September 22, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has expressed government’s commitment to bridging the digital divide in transforming societies, the economy, and humanity among citizens for an inclusive future for all Malawians.

He made the remarks on Saturday at the UN Summit of the Future on laying the foundation for a digital future for all in New York, USA on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly.

The President highlighted that his administration's strategic plans for digital transformation include expanding digital infrastructure, enhancing digital literacy, and fostering an inclusive digital economy to ensure that no one is left behind in our digital journey.

President Chakwera stated that Malawi has launched several initiatives as one way of accelerating digital adoption, with support from development partners. The Digital Malawi Project has been instrumental in expanding internet connectivity to public institutions.

“The Last Mile Rural Connectivity and the Inclusive Digital Transformation for Malawi (IDT4M) projects, provide equitable access to digital technologies and foster digital literacy across all segments of society,” said President Chakwera.

He highlighted that Malawi had implemented a Data Exchange Platform that leverages our national ID system as a single point of truth for identity verification, stating that the platform is critical in ensuring seamless access to services, improving efficiency across government, and reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks.

‘’Complementing this, we have also implemented an e-service platform, which now serves as a single point of entry for all government digital services,” said Chakwera.

Chakwera underscored, that Malawi recognises that digital literacy is essential for full participation in the digital economy which has led to the introduction of digital literacy in the county’s national education curricula and providing training opportunities for all age groups.

‘’Our technology hubs, which are training thousands of young people in coding, digital skills, and entrepreneurship, are playing a crucial role in fostering innovation. These hubs are not only incubating new ideas but also creating jobs and driving the growth of Malawi's digital economy,” revealed Chakwera.

The President has appealed for strong collaboration between governments and multi-lateral partners, private sectors, and civil society to invest in infrastructure, education and digital literacy as the country strives to bridge the digital divide.

‘’We call upon the global community to not only provide financial and technical support but also to share knowledge, innovations, and best practices,” said Chakwera.

The summit of the future is an opportunity for Malawi to contribute to global efforts to address challenges and build a more just sustainable future. The summit aims to address the global challenges climate change rising inequalities and the digital divide among others.

By George Bulombola

Mzimba, September 21, Mana: Secretary General for Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Richard Chimwendo Banda, Saturday said Malawians have all the reasons to vote for President Lazarus Chakwera come 2025 General Elections.

Chimwendo Banda was speaking at Ngazi Primary School at Ekwendeni in Mzimba during a political rally at which over 100 members of Alliance for Democracy announced their defection to MCP

He said the government under the leadership of Chakwera has gone through several hardships which include disasters among others, but Chakwera has managed to demonstrate that he is a trustworthy leader regardless of the challenges.

“MCP has proved to be a party with members from all corners of the country. This is not a family party. The first president for MCP was from the north, then came Hastings Kamuzu Banda, Gwannda Chakuwamba, John Tembo and the current president, Lazarus Chakwera,” said Chimwendo Banda.

Chimwendo Banda who is also Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture said the government under MCP leadership is implementing development projects across the country, citing among others, construction of 11,000 school blocks in primary schools, M’mbelwa University in Mzimba, state-of-the-art Mzuzu City Civic Offices, and library at Mzuzu University and several others in the southern and central regions.

“Government has raised upkeep allowance for university students from K150,000.00 to K550,000.00, has scrapped off quarter system which was mainly meant to suppress education in the north. The government is also rehabilitating the M1 Road from Lumbadzi in Lilongwe to Chiweta in Rumphi.

“Not every challenge has been addressed and from what MCP has demonstrated in the past few years, Malawians have all the reasons to vote for Chakwera who is president of our party to lead the country for a second term,” he said.

He then pointed out some of the pledges which the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) never fulfilled such as the construction of Mzuzu International Airport whose groundbreaking ceremony took place in 2017.

“Let me also remind you of the killing of 20 people in Mzuzu for protesting against the DPP government but they have never apologized and condoled the deceased families,” added Chimwendo Banda.

First Deputy Vice President for MCP, Catherine Gotani Hara who is also Speaker of the National Assembly commended government for promoting agri-business by ensuring that agricultural produce is sold at profitable prizes thereby uplifting people’s socio-economic status.

“Let me also applaud government for removing pay as you earn (payee) from CCAP pastors under Synod of Livingstonia. The former government was deducting payee these pastors,” said Hara as she called the gathering to continue rallying behind MCP.

Other speakers at the rally included Minister of Homeland Security, Ken Zikhale Ng’oma, and member of the MCP national executive committee, the party’s publicity Secretary, Jessie Kabwira, Musician Dan Lu and former DPP secretary general and Grezelder Jeffrey among others.