By Robert Nayeja

Nsanje, February 15, Mana: Electoral stakeholders in Nsanje hailed Women’s Legal Resources Center (WORLEC) and Oxfam for their commitment towards violent free 2025 general election.

Traditional Authority Nyachikadza noted on Friday that the two organisations have been on the ground in the district to ensure Nsanje attain violence-free elections.

“Traditional leaders sometimes stop candidates from holding political meetings. This also fuels violence,

“From WORLEC and Oxfam, we learnt that traditional leaders need to give equal opportunity to all candidates wishing to hold political meetings," said Nyachikadza.

Nyachikadza said was happy to see all political party representatives in the district interacting and sharing ideas during the stakeholder's meeting.

Malawi Congress Party, District Chairperson, Steven Kamanga said the meeting with WOLREC and Oxfam came up with better ideas for conducting primary elections to avoid political violence.

“We are going to use a secret ballot so that people should choose freely the candidate of their choice. This will help to reduce political violence during primary elections,” he added.

WORLEC Project Officer, Ireen Ntonga said the organization is advocating for free and fair elections by encouraging women youth and persons with disabilities to participate in politics.

“Political parties will soon hold primary elections and we want to encourage them to open for the youth, women and people with disability to compete,” she added.

She therefore appealed all political parties to mobilise their followers to embrace multi-party multiparty democracy and think of a violent free electoral process.

Apart from traditional leaders, UTM, Alliance for Democracy (Aford), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), United Democratic Front (UDF) representatives, and civil society organisations attended the meeting.

WORLEC and Oxfarm are currently implementing; the Promoting Gender Transformative and Youth Inclusive Democracy project in Malawi with support from the European Union.

The project seeks to increase the participation of women, youth and marginalised groups in decision-making positions and political processes ahead of the 2025 general election.

By Pempho Nkhoma

Blantyre, February 15, Mana: Malawi Kickboxing Association (MAKBA) has organised a training programme for kickboxing trainers on May 24, 2025, at Blantyre Sports Arena to equip trainers with knowledge and skills in the sport and mixed martial arts.

MAKBA General Secretary, Bright Limani told Malawi News Agency (Mana) that the programme will promote Kickboxing across Malawi.

“It will not take part in another district due to budgetary constraints but people from other districts who can manage can come to Blantyre for training,” he said.

Limani added that Malawi can benefit from the sport, saying that kickboxers have the potential to bring glory to Malawi on the international stage.

“We have participated in five international tournaments, so far and we got over 22 medals and two trophies from these outings,” he added.

One of the Kickboxer trainers, Arthur Bello, commended MAKBA for arranging the training session, saying the training has come at the right time as the country is in the process of developing the game.

“We are excited about the training programme for coaches because we will do a refresher in Kickboxing techniques and rules. The training will have a direct impact on the performance of our players,” he said.

He therefore encouraged practising and inspiring coaches to attend the training, citing that it would be beneficial to their careers.

MAKBA will conduct a coaches training programme concurrently with the training of female kickboxers.

By Alex Chitwere

Mulanje, February 15, Mana:  Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) on Friday partnered Mulanje District Council in a tree planting exercise at Muloza Primary School, Traditional Authority Njema in the district.

MRA Station Manager for Muloza Border, Adjison Maziwire said the revenue authority felt compelled to take part in a tree planting season by supporting the exercise with 1,000 tree seedlings as MRA operates within the community.

He said MRA is committed to ensure that the environment is protected to stop the reoccurrence of natural disasters such as Cyclone Freddy.

“Just to plant a tree is not the end of it all, we have to take care of it. We are thinking of going further than this to cover the whole area and the whole district planting more trees,” he said.

Maziwire further called on the community to assist them in their efforts and pointed out that they need help in curbing the smuggling of goods.

“Smuggling is the greatest factor that is affecting revenue collection, we are in a community where the border is so wide such that there are a lot of uncharted routes and to manage all this is not easy," he added.

Mulanje District Forestry Officer, Newton Sodala said despite several efforts on the ground to protect the forest like planting trees, there are a lot of illegal activities happening.

He then said a partnership with MRA will get them closer to their target of planting 2500 trees in the 2024/2025 forestry season.

The Forestry Officer also said his office will focus on block management which gives communities a chance to manage part of the forest as a way of instilling ownership.

The tax body took a similar exercise to Nanchidwa Primary School, an area that was heavily affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

In Mulanje, MRA is operating at Muloza Border as well as at the Boma for domestic taxes.

By Petro Mkandawire

Blantyre, February 15, Mana: Mother care groups in Blantyre are lobbying for more support from the Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) to enable the groups adequately sensitise mothers to vaccinate under five children for effective child immunisation.

The appeal came on Friday during monitoring and mentorship training to members of Mtondoko and   Chimembe Mother Care Group (MCG) at Makata and Chimembe health centres in Blantyre where Malawi Equity Health Network (MEHN) met the mother groups to discuss challenges in advocacy and community mobilisation on child immunisation.

Chairperson for Mtondoko MCG, Sarah James said there was a need for frequent MCG trainings to discuss more on under-five vaccinations, citing limited equipment for vaccination, lack of infrastructure for under-five clinics, lack of transport to reach out to communities especially in had to reach areas. 

“Community mobilisation by mother care groups has helped a lot mothers to understand the importance of child vaccination. MEHN continue to provide mother care groups with refresher training,” added James.

Chimembe MCG, Chairperson, Joyce Harry said limited community engagement and difficulties in tracking vaccine schedules and follow-ups are some of the setbacks in child immunisation.

“MEHN support to mother care groups is bearing fruits if we compare the time mother care groups were not introduced," said Harry.

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for MHEN, Florence Khonyongwa encouraged MCGs to put effort mobilising communities on child immunization.

She acknowledged the challenges MCGs are facing in the course of advocacy and community mobilisation on child immunisation, saying MHEN will discuss with them to seek solutions for the challenges.

"There is a need for improvement in vaccine coverage. The groups need to find other alternative means to ensure effective advocacy and community mobilization for better results," added Khonyongwa.

MHEN support MCG on advocacy and community mobilisation on child immunisation and other health-related issues in nine districts, namely; Blantyre, Mchinji, Ntchisi, Kasungu, Dowa, Mzimba South, Mzimba North, Chitipa and Lilongwe with financial support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).

By Patience Harawa

Karonga, February 15, Mana: Community Energy Malawi (CEM) has planted 5,000 trees in Group Village Head (GVH) Walamba in Karonga district, a development which aims at promoting sustainable energy practices and reducing deforestation,

Speaking during the tree planting exercise on Friday at Gumi in the area of Senior Chief Mwirang'ombe, CEM Country Director Edgar Kabiza Bayani said the organization is committed to promote clean energy and sustainable development in Malawi.

Bayani said; "The tree-planting exercise is part of the initiatives to support Nkhongono Kuwanthu Cooperative which works with Community Energy Malawi to reduce its over-reliance on firewood and adopt sustainable energy practices as the cooperative runs its bakery business.

“We believe that by working together with local communities and organization, we can make a significant impact and create a better future for ourselves and future generations."

The country director said besides the tree planting exercise, his organization will also provide a solar-powered oven to Nkhongono Kuwanthu Cooperative which would help reduce cases of deforestation in search of firewood.

“This initiative will not only promote sustainable energy practices but also help reduce deforestation and careless cutting down of trees,” he explained.

In his remarks, Chairperson for Karonga District Council Councillor Belliam Msukwa commended Community Energy Malawi for their tree planting initiative in Malawi, citing its importance in addressing deforestation and climate change.

“I am so pleased with the efforts the organization is making in restoring our environment. The 5000 trees we are planting today will go a long way in restoring our environment and promoting sustainable development in the district,” Msukwa said.

Echoing the Chairperson's sentiments, Secretary for Nkhongono Kuwanthu Harriet Mwenendeka expressed her heartfelt gratitude to CEM for providing the trees to the cooperative; a gesture she said will have a profound impact on the community’s environment and livelihood.

“We are extremely thankful to Community Energy Malawi for the 5,000 trees they have provided to us. The trees will greatly benefit our cooperative, providing us with a sustainable source of energy and reducing our reliance on firewood," Mwenendekha said.

By Andrew Mlonda

Lilongwe, February 15, Mana: People of Traditional Authority Chimutu in Lilongwe district have hailed government for the construction of a police unit in the area which has reduced crime rate.

Speaking Friday during the media tour of some of the projects, Chairperson for Community Policing in the area Jimmy Ngalawa said before the construction of the infrastructure the crime rate was high, as every week they used to report about four cases in connection with theft.

Ngalawa further said the police unit has also reduced cases of mob justice in the area since people used to walk long distances to report and hand over the suspect to the Deayoung Police unit in Kanengo which is far from the area.

“In the past people just resorted taking the law in their hands once they caught a thief, but these days, all suspects are reported to the nearby police, and this has reduced the number of crimes in the area,” he said.

However, Ngalawa asked government and other well-wishers to construct police houses near the police unit so that the men and women in uniform could stay near the police unit.

Deputy Officer-In-Charge for Mkoma-Mchezi Police Unit Byson Ndawa said the police unit has assisted in bridging the information gap that was there on several crimes, and how people can work hand in hand with the police.

“In the past, we were struggling, once we caught a suspect, we had to call for the vehicle to pick up the suspect, which was time-consuming and also expensive in terms of fuel consumption, but this time around we keep all the suspects here before they are taken to court,” he said.

Lilongwe District Commissioner Dr. Lawaford Palani has since assured the people of Lilongwe of continued implementation of different projects through its different financial windows that the council has such as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), District Development Fund (DDF), Governance for Enabled Service Delivery (GESD) among others.

The K30 million Mkoma-Mchezi Police Unit was constructed through the Governance for Enabled Service Delivery (GESD) project implemented through the National Local Government Finance Committee, with funding from the World Bank.

By Majona Jabesi

Mchinji, February 15, Mana: The National Planning Commission (NPC) has raised an alarm over the country's slow progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), citing a lack of prioritisation and investment in key productive sectors.

Speaking during the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) meeting in Mchinji Friday, NPC Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Thokozani Lunda, said these issues have led to significant delays in achieving the SDGs, particularly those aimed at poverty reduction, quality education and others.

"We all know that resources are scarce and they are always scarce, so if we prioritise that is when we can use resources efficiently. So according to SDGs, we have several areas that we have to invest and after investing we have to realize something in the end. Which means if we are not prioritising it will take a long time to achieve these goals."

"Similarly, the productive sector is the one that can take us into the middle-income economy because if we focus solely on social projects, that means will be just consumption and this cannot bring any development. So we need to balance," Lunda explained.

Executive Director for Girls Activist Youth Organisation (GAYO), Richard Batchi, said SDGs are not just targets on paper but rather a roadmap for a more equitable, inclusive, and prosperous future.

"Yet, as we all know, the road to achieving these goals, particularly at the district and community levels, is filled with challenges.

"From limited resources and weak coordination to deeply entrenched cultural barriers, the work ahead of us requires more than just commitment; it demands action and collaboration across all sectors of society to have a successful implementation," Batchi said.

In her remarks, Mchinji District Commissioner's representative, Joyce Mtukuso who is also the principal community development officer, attributed the slow progress in SDGs implementation at the district level as a result of lack of awareness campaigns and enough funds.

"There is a huge gap in terms of information dissemination about SDGs, especially to local communities. But currently, we are trying to localise these SDGs in our vernacular language just to ensure that no one is left behind by 2030," Mtukuso said. 

The CSO meeting was organised by GAYO under the theme of 'Assessing SDGs Progress: A Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue in Mchinji'.

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, February 15, Mana: President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera says he plans to see Chitipa become a major corridor for trade between Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia and home to a major city that facilitates that tri-nation trade.

Dr Chakwera made remarks on Friday during the State of National Address titled: Taking our Development Forward to Continue the progress we have delivered.

Dr Chakwera said that his government wants to stay focused on completing the developments implemented in the district.

“Because of these developments that we have either delivered or are making progress in Chitipa, we want to stay focused on completing them going forward, especially I plan to see Chitipa become a major corridor for trade between Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, and to see Chitipa become home to a major city that facilitates that tri-nation trade,” Dr. Chakwera explained.

“We have made great strides in advancing Chitipa’s Human Capital Development in the past four years. Specifically, we have collaborated with five communities in Chitipa to build each a community day secondary school, which can now be found at Chuba, Namapasa, Namasasa, Karopa, and Ngoya, which are in addition to the seven primary school blocks and 26 secondary school blocks we have built to improve enrolment figures in the district.

“So, to the 86,000 registered voters in Chitipa, I say this: Be ready to hear other parties this year offering to take Chitipa backward, but remember that the reason I am here is to continue taking your development forward,” he added.

Chairperson for Chitipa District Council, Councillor Ronald Kayira, thanked the Chakwera-led administration for initiating developmental projects in Chitipa, saying what he has stated in the SONA during the opening of the 2025-2026 budget session of Parliament is a true reflection of what is in the district.

Kayira said Mafinga and Marko irrigation schemes are in operation after K6.1 billion was invested adding that this is the right direction as a country to ensure that people have food and money.

“Like other districts, Chitipa has also benefited from these CDSSs. We have Chuba, Namapasa, Namasasa, Karopa but also Ngoya. I confirm that what is in the SONA gives a true reflection of the development delivered in Chitipa,” Kayira said.

Among other developments, the government has installed a communication tower at Mughese in Misuku.
Government has also brought electricity to 171 centers and connected 2,054 houses to electricity through the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP 9) and the Malawi Electricity Access Project (MEAP) projects respectively.

Government has also installed home-solar facilities in 4,333 homes including extending free water connection to 89 houses and providing loans amounting to K2.6 billion disbursed to 4,477 beneficiaries who have started their business ventures.

By Blackson Mkupatira

Chiradzulu, February 11, Mana: As the tree planting season progresses, participants of the climate Smart Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) in Chiradzulu District have planned to plant about 200,000 trees to combat land degradation.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday, CS-EPWP District Project Facilitator for Chiradzulu, Emmanuel Daka expressed optimism that the district will surpass the target, saying trees are being planted on a large scale.

"Currently, we are in phase four of continuous implementation of the programme and our focus is agroforestry. So, we are planting trees on mountains, conserved areas and river banks.  

"We are also planting soil replenishing species like gelsedia and vetiva in farming fields. Looking at how we have started, I am satisfied with the quality of work being done in the catchments," he said.

According to Daka, participants have raised 200,000 tree seedlings across all 15 catchment areas in the district, while partners like One Acre Fund are also supporting the initiative by providing additional seedlings.

He, however, urged the participants to actively monitor and care for the planted trees to ensure a high survival rate and long-term benefits for local communities.

Chiradzulu District Council Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dennis Emmanuel Zingeni hailed the tree-planting initiative, saying it will mitigate the impact of natural disasters in the district, especially among farming communities.

"Chiradzulu experiences challenges like floods, soil erosion, and drought. So, these land conservation measures they are doing under CS-EPWP are very crucial as they are not only protecting the environment but also contributing to the reduction of hunger in the district," Zingeni said.

Meanwhile, Extension Worker for Nankhumwa Catchment Area in Traditional Authority Nkalo, Kenneth Mpando, has disclosed plans to plant over 25,000 trees along the Namitembe river and in surrounding farming fields to stabilize the riverbanks.

"During the rainy season, this river overflows, causing floods that wash away crops and fertile soil from fields. So, last year we prepared a nursery of 25,000 tree seedlings which we are planting now to minimize such damage," he said.

By Thula Chisamba

Rumphi, February 11, Mana: Rumphi District Council has called on locals in the district to monitor Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) projects to ensure that they are of high quality standards.

Speaking on Monday during the launch of a MK112 million Rumphi Boma Market project, the district's council chairperson, councillor Happy Chirambo noted that lack of project monitoring has made the district to have numerous projects of substandard quality.

"We need citizens to take ownership of these projects and monitor them closely to ensure that they are implemented according to plan," he said.

Rumphi Boma Market Chairperson, Kalumbambo Mbale welcomed the call with an assurance that the market committee will monitor the project at all levels.

He described the project as a panacea to security concerns that traders are having at the market.

"We commend the council for this project, which will address security concerns that traders are having at the market and we promise that we are going to monitor the project at all levels," he said.

On his part, chairperson of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the district, Jaih Kanyondo disclosed that CSOs in the district have been allocated around MK1.7 million under the GESD project for monitoring projects.

He said the money will augment their capacity to monitor all projects in the district to ensure they meet required standards.

The Rumphi boma market project will be done by Duduzire building contractors in a period of 120 days. It comprises of 10 kiosks to be set up at the main boma market and a market shed at Bumba-Msikawanjala market.

Meanwhile, the council has warned that it will terminate contracts of contractors that contravene their contractual obligations.