MANAonline
Country’s groundnut to thrive on international markets
By Paul Madise
Kasungu, April 18, Mana: Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale commends international collaborations for ensuring the country’s groundnut market thrives on regional, national and international market citing that this would help to generate more revenue.
He was speaking on the second day of Groundnut Tour in the country at Lisandwa Farm in Kasungu one of the Mega farms where groundnut was being cultivated on a 250 hectares’ piece of land.
Kawale has emphasized huge expectation on Malawian farmer’s productivity levels on specific targeted species on the market to rise due to the coming of the hybrid varieties and mechanized agriculture.
He commended Pyxus Agriculture and other collaborative stakeholders for working tirelessly towards sustainable and mechanized Agriculture by 2063.
"Pyxus understands the importance of increased production to generate income at household level as well national," the Minister said.
Managing Director of Pyxus Agriculture in Malawi, Ronald Ngwira said the initiative would enable farmers in the country to access high quality groundnut seed as one way of maximizing agriculture sector.
CEO of Sums Food Industries Limited, Dennis Ngabirano said the tour would enable his company to engage the Ministry officials on how best his company could benefit from country's groundnut industry.
Sums Food Industries Limited is renowned food manufacturing company from Uganda and East Africa.
LWB commissions Area 23 service Centre
By Moses Nyirenda
Lilongwe, April 17, Mana: Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) has commissioned its Area 23 Service Centre in Lilongwe where customers from Area 23 and other areas in Traditional Authority (TA) Tsabango will be able to pay their water bills and access other services.
Speaking after the commissioning of the service Centre on Wednesday, Minister of Water and Sanitation, Abida Mia, was pleased with the work LWB is doing.
“We are very happy that LWB is doing an outstanding job in promoting potable water access in Lilongwe,” Mia said.
She said commissioning of the service Centre complements her ministry’s efforts to ensure that people in the country access services related to potable water.
Senior Chief Chiuzira, who represented TA Tsabango, expressed excitement over the commissioning of the service Centre in his area.
“People from Area 23 and other nearby areas were walking long distances to pay water bills and access other services. We are happy with the commissioning of the service Centre within our area,” he said.
LWB Board Chairperson, Inkosi M’mbelwa IV, said they are eager to make their customers happy.
“What we want is to have customer satisfaction. We want our customers to be happy by making our services closer to the people. That is the only way we will manage to fulfill our mandate of providing safe water to all in the city of Lilongwe,” he said.
LWB also handed over one million litre water tank to Bwaila Hospital and e-madzi kiosk at Biwi Triangle Industrial Site in Lilongwe.
Families hail World Vision for lean response support in Zomba
By Emily M’mangisa
Zomba, April 17, Mana: Communities in Zomba have commended World Vision for providing financial support to hunger stricken families in the district.
As part of complimenting government's efforts to ensuring that no person dies of hunger, World Vision is giving out K50,000 to households facing food shortage in Zomba and other districts.
Speaking Wednesday after receiving the cash, Joana Kasawala of Traditional Authority (TA) Nkagula said, as a single mother, the support would enable her buy food for her family.
Kasawala described the assistance as timely in the wake of floods and dry spells.
“I have not harvested much due to dry spells and lack of fertilizer. The assistance will allow me have food. I wI’ll use part of the money to start up small business that would sustain myself,” she said.
Samuel Hawuya of Ntambula Village concurred with Kasawala saying the support will have a great impact on their lives.
Hawuya urged his fellow beneficiaries to use the funds for the intended purpose as a way of appreciating World Vision’s generosity.
Group Village Head Mauluka stressed on the importance of using the assistance with prudence.
Disaster Management Officer for Zomba, Violet Jimu, hailed World Vision for the support which she said would help many families facing food challenges.
Zomba is one of the districts affected by hunger with many families in need food support.
Mana/em/tv/pk
In the 2023/2024 lean season food and cash distribution, World Vision is targeting 39,778 households in Zomba.
Smart Africa proposes for adoption of satellite technology
By Levison Lester
Lilongwe, April 17, Mana: Director General for Smart Africa, Lucina Kone, has called for collective efforts in adopting satellite technologies to address internet connectivity challenges affecting most African countries.
Speaking during the opening meeting of the 13th Smart Africa Council of African Regulators in Lilongwe on Wednesday, Kone said single market connectivity is a big milestone in addressing internet connectivity challenges that have hovered African countries for a numbers of years.
Kone said distribution of cables has made internet connectivity a challenge in most parts of Africa, and as such satellite technology is a great milestone in addressing such anomalies.
"Most African countries are surrounded by internet cables but making these cables move across the continent has been a challenge. We, as Africans, should strive to making sure that these cables should move across the continent so that internet connectivity challenges can be addressed,” Kone said.
Kone has, therefore, urged Council members to be pragmatic in addressing internet connectivity challenges in Africa by enhancing digital collaboration.
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Director of Legal Services, Thokozani Chimbe, said resolution projects which Council of African Regulators is undertaking is a great milestone in enhancing digitization.
She said One Africa Network (OAN), which the Council has currently adopted, will help in free data roaming.
Chimbe said exorbitant data charges that Malawians face when accessing internet services can be addressed by utilizing bulky capacity marketplace which Smart Africa is yet to implement.
"Today's meeting is about Council of African Regulators, who are part of Smart Africa, started by the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, some years back to promote harmonization of ICT in Africa. Thus, seeing Africa joining as one in ITC projects.
"The Council would like to see single digital market across Africa. They don't want to see Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda or Nigeria sitting on its own but as one network for Africa bargaining for other things outside Africa which can be bought un bulk,” she said.
Smart Africa Council of African Regulators is expected to hold elections on Thursday where MACRA Director General, Daud Suleman, is vying the post of president.
CISONECC donates motorcycle to Council
By Martha Simchimba
Lilongwe, April 17, Mana; Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC) has donated a motorcycle to Lilongwe District Council in order to ease mobility in monitoring projects that are implemented in the district.
Speaking on Wednesday in Lilongwe during the handover ceremony, CISONECC’s National Coordinator, Julius Ng’oma noted that since they started implementing their projects in the district, they have never seen officers monitoring their projects, hence the donation.
“During our project implementation, we noted that transport was a big challenge at the Council for the Environmental officers to be monitoring environmental projects that are being implemented in the district. But this motorcycle will not only be used to monitor our projects, but all the activities that are implemented in the district,” he said.
Speaking after receiving the motorcycle, District Commissioner (DC) for Lilongwe Dr. Lawford Palani thanked CISONNECC for the donation saying it would enable the officers to carry their duties effectively and efficiently.
“Transportation has been a challenge at the council as a number of officers do not have adequate vehicles and this motorbike will help us in filling the gap. Therefore, this gesture is true reflection of a good relationship between us and CISONECC,” he noted.
Palani appealed to other organizations to involve the Council at all levels and emulate the gesture CISONECC has done.
He has since urged the officers to put the motorcycle in good use and have sense of ownership so that it serves the intended purpose.
CISONECC is implementing a project known as Promoting Equitable Access to Clean Energy (PEACE) which is aimed at ensuring that citizens and civil society organizations are better informed and empowered to advocate and strengthening environment for equitable access to clean energy in the country.
Salima Sugar opens market for distributors
By Lekereni Chinkhota
Salima, April 17, Mana: As one way of dealing with scarcity and exorbitant prices of sugar in the country, Salima Sugar Company Limited has opened its 2024 sugar production season to provide Malawians with sugar through their depots that will be opened across the country.
Speaking during the opening of the season at Salima Sugar factory in Salima on Tuesday, Minister of Trade and Industry, Sosten Gwengwe, said the commencement of sugar production at the factory will help fix shortage of sugar in markets and stabilize prices.
“Malawi is a sugar exporter but last year production was seriously affected by cyclone Freddy that led to scarcity of sugar in the country since December. Salima sugar has started its cycle today and we are flooding the market with sugar at normal prices and people will not scramble for the commodity anymore,” he said.
Gwengwe said for Malawi to be economically mature it needs to focus on production than trading.
He said it is important for Malawi to escalate production using commercial agriculture which will align to pillar two of Malawi 2063 in order to spur economic growth.
Executive Chairman for Salima Sugar Company Limited, Counsel Wester Kosamu, said the company has already embarked on a number of activities to ensure that Salima sugar is available on the market.
“We have already earmarked 1,000 hectares of land which we plan to plant cane. We are also planning to expand the milling to be producing more sugar as our sugar has been scarce on the market.
"We advertised for distributorship and we have signed contracts with distributors that will be selling our sugar across the country," he said.
Kosamu said the company plans to collaborate with over 250 small scale farmers that are managing cane around the factory and give the idle land the company has to other small scale farmers willing to work with the company with each farmer expected to get two hectares of the land.
Senior Chief Mwanza expressed gratitude saying the company’s plans will allow citizens to benefit from all works of the company such as job creation.
Salima Sugar Company has opened its first ever depot at Siyasiya Trading in Salima, where it plans to sell its sugar to people around the factory before spreading across the country.
NEEF to disburse K4 billion loans in Mangochi
By Lyte Ali
Mangochi, April 17, Mana: National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) has said it was happy with percentage of loan repayment by communities in Mangochi, saying the district was currently surpassing the national loan repayment.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting which was organized in Mangochi on Tuesday, Head of Finance at NEEF, Benedicto Kananza said out of over K4 billion that the institution disbursed to communities in Mangochi for the past three years, it has managed to collect 85 percentage of the loans.
He said following the development, in this current financial year, NEEF would disburse K4 billion to communities, with an aim to expand businesses and farming activities in the lake shore district.
‘‘We are impressed with how communities in Mangochi are responding on loans repayment, which is at 85 percent, surpassing the national loan repayment, currently at 70 percent.
‘‘As such, in this financial year alone, we are set to disburse K4 billion in the district, and our focus this year will include providing substantial loans for both businesses and farming activities, with a special emphasis on supporting winter irrigation farming to utilize the district's plentiful water resources," Kananza said.
He said their institution was facing difficulties in loan repayment by some people across the country, a development which was delaying them to empower other Malawians.
The Head of Finance urged stakeholders in Mangochi to continue paying back their outstanding loans' balances, in order to enable other people in the district to access loans.
Kananza added that, “The aim of us is to empower all Malawians economically, however, we are facing challenges when collecting loans repayment from others to extent that some of our staffs get beaten in the process.’’
‘This makes it difficult for us to operate, and at the same time prevents us from accessing back the loans balances.
Chairperson for Mangochi District Council, Councilor, Hassan Chikuta hailed NEEF for providing an opportunity to communities in the district, saying it has helped to uplift livelihoods of many households in Mangochi.
One of the stakeholders to the meeting, Golden Tebulo, expressed gratitude with the meeting saying it has been an eye opener on how loans are accessed at NEEF, and how to effectively utilize the resources.
Chakwera orders mandatory training for Civil Servants
By Leonard Masauli
Lilongwe, April 17, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has issued a directive for the compulsory training of all civil servants to enhance efficiency and ensure effective quality service delivery for Malawian citizens.
The President made this announcement during the official launch of the Malawi School of Government at Kanengo campus in Lilongwe on Wednesday morning.
Chakwera noted the prevalent disorganisation, poor coordination among departments, and inefficiencies within the civil service system upon assuming office.
"When I entered government, I found disorganisation, poor coordination, and a lack of dedication. However, recognising the importance of addressing these challenges, we deemed it necessary to establish the Malawi School of Government to provide essential training for civil servants," said Chakwera.
He directed the Secretary to the President and Cabinet, along with District Commissioners, to ensure the mandatory participation of untrained civil servants in the institution's training programmes.
Highlighting the significance of Public Sector Reforms, Chakwera emphasised the pivotal role of civil servants and stressed the importance of training, which will be facilitated by the Malawi School of Government.
Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC), Collen Zamba, underscored the essential nature of training for civil servants, describing the civil service as the nerve centre of Malawi's economic growth.
"The vitality of our system hinges on continuous training. It is imperative to equip civil servants with the necessary skills to enhance efficiency and productivity," Zamba stated. "The mandatory nature of these trainings is crucial, as practical skills are essential for effective service delivery."
Professor Asiyati Lorraine Chiweza, Director General of the Malawi School of Government, highlighted the institution's role in professional development.
The merger of the Staff Development Institute and the Malawi Institute of Management into the Malawi School of Government aims to enhance the performance of public service by offering diverse programs tailored to better serve Malawians.
The launch ceremony marks a significant milestone for the Malawi School of Government, signalling a new era in the provision of professional training, consultancy, research, and advisory services for both the public and private sectors.
The development underscores the institution's commitment to contributing to Malawi's developmental agenda outlined in MW 2063.
Malawi, Israel to sign MoU on labour export
By MANA reporter
Jerusalem, April 17, Mana: Malawi and Israel are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on labour export to Israel.
The MoU will be signed in Jerusalem, Israel on Thursday with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo, representing the Malawi Government.
The Malawi delegation arrived in Jerusalem, led by Tembo, on Tuesday where they are, among others, expected to visit the Kibbutz North Oz and Kibbutz Shfaim at farms in Tel Aviv where they will meet Malawian employees working there.
The delegation will also inspect the Malawi Embassy office in Jerusalem which is expected to officially open in November, 2024.
Minister of Labour, Agnes NyaLonje and Minister of Information and Digitalisation, Moses Kunkuyu are among the Malawi delegation.
Malawi and Israel relations dates back to 1964. The two countries have signed MoU on technical cooperation on sectors such as education, agriculture and irrigation.
AG Care project making strides in improving livelihoods
By Golden Kang'oma
Salima, April 17, Mana: Assemblies of God Care has been commended for its role in community empowerment and improving livelihoods through diverse initiatives being implemented by Conservation of Natural Resources for Sustainable Economic Returns (CONCERVE).
Implemented by Assemblies of God Care, a development arm of the Malawi Assemblies of God, the project focuses on enhancing the well-being and resilience of vulnerable populations residing on the outskirts of Thuma forest and Kuti Wildlife Reserve.
Speaking after touring the project’s initiatives in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Chisamba, Salima District Council's Acting Director of Natural Resources and Environment, Adam Jason highlighted that the strides being made through the project continue to change lives.
He said the interventions that are taking place through the project which include reclamation of gullies, trainings on production of locally made fertilizer (Mbeya) and establishment of woodlots are improving the environment and restoring soil fertility.
"Establishing of community forests and Vetiver grass nurseries in order to conserve soil have changed the yields that communities harvest because they have adopted these approaches into their community practice," Jason said.
He said that, "AG Care's initiatives complement government efforts in poverty alleviation and uplifting livelihoods, and emphasized the project's alignment with the District's Development Plans (DDP) which is key in community's development and the district as a whole."
The project is being implemented in four Extension Planning Areas (EPA) namely; Makande, Katelera, Chinguluwe and Tembwe in TA’s Kalonga, Kambwiri and Chisamba.
One of the beneficiaries from TA Chisamba, Edna Kamtande hailed the project for assisting her to harvest better yields despite rainfall challenges.
She said incorporating locally made manure has helped her to have better yields because she was equipped with skills in coming up with the right formula and mixture of soil and manure.
Executive Director for AG Care, Brown Banda, expressed satisfaction with the project's outcomes, noting its sustainability and positive impact on communities.
"Project coordination is excellent, and communities are well-trained and enthusiastic about the programme's progress," he said.
Tearfund Country Director, Vincent Moyo, affirmed that they would continue providing support to AG Care as its implementing partner, in order to achieve the intended goal of enhancing the wellbeing and resilience of communities around Thuma Forest Reserve and Kuti Wildlife Reserve.
"I am impressed with the progress it has made in changing people's livelihoods and economic status," he said.
TA Chisamba affirmed the project's significance, pledging to ensure that communities acquire essential skills for sustainability as the project phases out of the area.
AG Care with funding from the Jersey Overseas Aid through Tearfund, is implementing CONSERVE Project in Salima district.
