MANAonline
WHH’s education support, a big catch- Ministry
By: Steve Chirombo
Dedza, December 7, Mana: Ministry of Education on Friday said the handing over of a classroom block by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) at Chilanga Community Day Secondary School (CDSS), in Senior Chief Chauma’s area in Dedza district was a big catch.
Principal Planning Officer for the Central West Education Division, Andrews Yobe, stated that the development was welcome considering the diversity of the division and the high demand for education services in the area.
“Central West Division is a big division with 205 schools and the coming in of this school is a big thing to us. We have so many learners who are struggling to access education. And this additional school means more access to our learners in the division,” said Yobe.
He further added that it was impressive to receive such a blessing from WHH who were doing other things in the area but after being approached to address the challenges affecting the education sector, they came in to assist.
“They willingly accepted and assisted us with this beautiful structure which is a big relief to us as a ministry and also as a division,” he said.
On his part, Senior Chief Chauma, said seeing WHH providing primary school infrastructures, impressed him a lot as the future of children in his area was secured.
“The development here is because of the vision I have together with my communities. We believe in education and having seen that we only had a primary school here, we thought a CDSS was also ideal so that our children can easily move from one level to another,” said Senior Chief Chauma while calling for concerted efforts to care for the infrastructure.
WHH Project Coordinator, Khumbo Munthali, said their entry points into the area were primary schools bailing out almost ten under Chilanga Teachers Development Centre (TDC) and one under Kaphuka making it a total of eleven.
“For the Senior Chief, having seen our interventions in primary levels, he approached us if we could scale up. And as WHH, we sourced funds for the cause. We did this as we value the relationship that exists between us and the communities here,” said Munthali.
Dedza District Council Vice Chairperson, Councilor Joseph Kwenda, expressed gratitude at the development saying it has changed the face of the district.
“We hope our collaboration will continue as we look for more development initiatives such as these in other areas,” said Kwenda.
Apart from handing over a classroom block, teacher’s house and also provision of a solar system and desks at Chilanga CDSS, the organization also handed over the same to Kadzomba primary school apart from constructing Menstrual Hygiene Management facilities at Linga, Mkundi, and Msapuka primary schools, all to the tune of K250 million.
The works were made possible with assistance from Water for All, Selbs. Los, Kulturstiftung Annelie and Wilfred Stascheit in Germany.
Self Help Africa’s FNSP exit hailed
By: Timothy Peter
Dedza, December 7, Mana: Communities in Dedza have expressed gratitude with the positive impact of the Food and Nutrition Security Programme (FNSP) that was being implemented by Self Help Africa (SHA) for ten years in the district.
On Friday, officials from Dedza district council, SHA, GIZ as well as the communities witnessed the grand closure of the programme at an event held at Group Village Head Mgawi of Senior Chief Tambala in the district.
Speaking at the event, one of the beneficiaries, Elida Lyford who has a backyard garden, commended the programme saying it has assisted her family grow healthier and afford different food groups including vegetables.
Concurring with Lyford, Senior Chief Tambala said the programme has improved lives of people in his area as it has helped them grow diversified food crops for their well-being.
The Senior Chief has since promised to encourage his subjects to continue putting into practice what they have learnt throughout the programme implementation period mainly in areas of food diversification for their nutritional growth.
Livelihood Programs Manager from SHA, Blessings Kambombo, expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the programme in all the project implementation areas in the district.
"We have done significant work jointly with all our partners including the communities in improving nutrition in the district.
"We have seen that communities were committed as they have been practicing conservation agriculture as well as adopting food sanitation facilities to improve hygiene and has assisted a lot in achieving our objectives," he said.
Kambombo also said the programme has helped reduce cases of stunted growth in the district from 52 percent before it started in the last ten years to 42.3 percent at its closeout on Friday.
Apart from commending SHA for their efforts in improving people's lives in the district, Director of Planning and Development (DPD) for Dedza District Council, McPherson Mwakhwawa, said people in the district have acquired necessary knowledge and skills in as far as nutrition and hygiene are concerned.
"We are glad as government that the beneficiaries have used the knowledge gained from the programme to grow different vegetables at their backyard gardens that can boost their nutritional needs at household level," he said.
In her remarks, FNSP’s Team Leader, at GIZ, Dr Martina Kress, said she was impressed with the programme and has since asked the beneficiaries to continue using the knowledge and skills they have gained in changing their lives.
The programme was being implemented with funding from the German Cooperation through GIZ and it was aimed at improving nutrition, agriculture and targeted resilience interventions in areas of Traditional Authority Kasumbu, Chauma, Chilikumwendo and Tambala in Dedza.
Nice urges young people to take part in 2025 general elections
By Happy Milanzie
Lilongwe, December 6, Mana: Dowa District Programs Officer for the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE), Alinafe Chikakuda, has urged young people across the country to engage in politics.
Chikakuda made the remarks on Friday during a two-day training session at Mtsiliza in Lilongwe, where NICE encouraged young people to actively participate in all the country's initiatives at the grassroots level.
According to Chikakuda, nearly 50 percent of the country's population consists of young people, making it crucial to involve them in the nation's activities, saying this ensures that young people have a greater stake in the country's future.
He emphasized that the 2025 general elections are an important opportunity for the youth to participate and exercise their right to vote in choosing their leaders.
"Young people needs to express their interest in politics following that they occupy a large percentage of the country's population and they are also the leaders of today so they need to take part in everything that the country is doing including taking part in politics," she said.
Chikakuda added that it is very sad that young people are being utilized in unnecessary things like demonstrations instead of teaching them about good governance that can help to achieve the vision that this country has for Malawi 2063.
Meanwhile, chairperson for Chimbalame zone youth network, Samuel Michel Shumba, said a lot of young people fail to take part in politics just because of financial problems.
"It is very hard for young people to come into politics such that politics needs money so the non-governmental organizations including the government need to help the young people to get into politics," he said.
Shumba further urged young people to take initiative and not wait for the government or other stakeholders to help them. He emphasized that ambition must be developed individually, with each person taking responsibility for their own growth.
Late TA Gumba Laid to Rest in Mchinji
By Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, December 7, Mana: The body of the late Traditional Authority (TA) Gumba of Mchinji has been laid to rest on Saturday at her headquarters in Nkhwazi.
TA Gumba passed away at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe on Thursday, December 5, after a short illness, following an earlier stay at Mchinji District Hospital.
In her eulogy, Principal Secretary for Unity, Dr Elizabeth Gomani, said the chief’s passing has created a void in local development, noting that she was a custodian of culture and tradition.
“The death of traditional leaders always leaves gaps in development, often negatively affecting the community,” she said.
During the funeral service, the bereaved family introduced the late chief’s successor to the gathered mourners.
Dr. Gomani commended the family for ensuring a smooth transition.
“We are pleased to see the successor identified. Succession disputes often arise when a chief dies, but your decision will hopefully prevent such wrangles. I urge you to follow proper procedures to ensure the installation of the chosen individual,” she said.
Senior Chief Dambe, speaking on behalf of other traditional leaders, thanked President Lazarus Chakwera and Mchinji District Council for their support during the chief’s illness and burial.
He urged the family to protect the chosen successor and avoid succession disputes.
“You have shown us the successor and the gathering here, including the Principal Secretary and Presidential Advisor on Chiefs, bears witness. Let us ensure this decision is upheld and we should not see another person coming,” he said.
He added that if other chieftaincies followed the example set by the Gumba family, succession conflicts could be avoided entirely.
Representing the bereaved family, Moffat Richard described TA Gumba as a pillar of support for the family.
“We always relied on her as our grandmother. We trust that God has identified the right person to take over, and we are confident in the chosen successor,” he said.
Prominent attendees included Minister of Lands Deus Gumba, Members of Parliament Rachel Zulu (Mchinji North) and Esther Majaza (Mchinji North East), District Commissioner Lucia Chidalengwa, Presidential Advisor on Chiefs Gerald Chigona, and Senior Chiefs Mavwere and Mduwa of Mchinji, as well as chiefs from other districts, including Masumbankhunda, Kaomba, and Santhe. Councilors, led by Chairperson Dorothy Musa, were also present.
Records show that TA Gumba, born Faneli Lemekani in 1973, was elevated from Sub-Chief to full Traditional Authority on November 8, 2022.
She is survived by seven children and five grandchildren.
Matola is optimistic of sustainable fuel supply
By George Bulombola
Abu Dhabi-United Arab Emirates, December 7, Mana: Malawi’s Minister of Energy, Ibrahim Matola, Saturday said he is optimistic of the resumption of uninterrupted fuel supply in Malawi.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency, Matola said that fuel supply will be normalized following President Lazarus Chakwera’s invitation to Abu Dhabi by the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The two leaders are expected to hold bilateral discussions on the supply of petroleum products in Malawi among others.
“President’s visit to UAE will go a long way in materializing a policy shift in fuel procurement; however, we are not abandoning the open tender procurement system as we embark on ‘Government to Government fuel transactions.
“We are going to engage government agents through this Government to Government fuel supply system as the open tender system has a lot of middlemen in between in the product’s supply chain,” said Matola.
He then added that the meeting between the two leaders is expected to unlock fuel supply challenges and bypass some of the middlemen who make the lives of many Malawians difficult by their involvement in the supply chain.
“We are going to bypass current challenges from petroleum refineries, vessels and ports and Malawi being a landlocked country is a victim of a long supply chain in which various players come with additional costs thereby making fuel expensive price.
“From Dar es Salaam to Lilongwe, it is about 1700 kilometres (Km), Beira to Blantyre is almost 900 km and it is 700 km from Nacala to Malawi and such long distances are prone to be abused by middlemen and other players in the system,” he said.
Commenting on the development, Matola said any change in a system comes with challenges but change is inevitable as far as protecting Malawians is concerned, energy being an abler.
“Intermittent supply of fuel has for the past six weeks affected service delivery in various sectors which among others include, health, agriculture and education.
Therefore, we need to do the right thing to address the fuel supply system as both fuel and electric energy is a cross-cutting abler in development,” Matola said.
The ‘Government to Government’ fuel transactions are expected to lead to long-term sustainable fuel supply to Malawi, as the system will waive the intervention of agents in the petroleum business.
Chakwera on Friday urged various investors in UAE to invest in Malawi in various sectors including Agriculture Tourism and Mining (ATM).
DODMA pleased with the maize distribution progress
By Fostina Mkandawire
Salima, December 7, Mana: Director of Preparedness and Response at the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA), Reverend Moses Chimphepo, on Friday expressed satisfaction with the progress of maize distribution currently underway across the country.
Chimphepo revealed that the government has so far reached out to 4.5 million people through its maize distribution program, which aims to help 5.7 million individuals in the country.
Chimphepo made the remarks when he visited the final distribution points under the 2024-25 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme in Salima.
"We are optimistic that the hunger situation in some parts of the country including Salima will stabilize following the distribution of relief maize currently underway," he said.
He added: "Districts with worsened hunger situations like Salima will receive support from the government for 4 months to cushion food insecure households, we appeal to all the beneficiaries to use the food donation, particularly maize for its intended purpose and not selling," he said.
While praising the programme's progress, Chimphepo said, government has provided 39,000 metric tons of maize, while other stakeholders, including the World Food Program, contributed an additional 11,000 metric tons.
In her remarks, one of the beneficiaries, Patuma Eid of Juma Village, Traditional Authority Maganga said the drought left them with little or no harvests leading to hunger in their area.
"We hardly harvested anything because of the erratic rains, at the moment hunger is at its peak in this area, therefore, the coming in of government with this relief maize has given us a sigh of relief because we have witnessed even the prices of maize on the market dropping due to this maize distribution," she said.
Another beneficiary from Thom Village in the area of Traditional Authority Maganga, Maupa Anafi, expressed gratitude for the timely donation, stating that many have been going to bed hungry.
"We used to survive on mangoes unfortunately we are almost at the end of mango season here in Salima, making the situation worse, hearing that we will receive maize for the next 4 months is a relief to us and our families," he said.
On his part, Group Village Headman Chimwabvi commended Government's response to maize distribution, because 7 out of 10 people in his area are grappling with hunger and in dire need of assistance.
Chimwabvi has since made an assurance that every beneficiary would be closely monitored to ensure that the donated maize is used for its intended purpose.
The program was launched in the southern region, then expanded to the central region, and is scheduled to scale up to the Northern region next week.
Thyolo District Council Commemorates 16 Days of Gender Activism
By Beni Bamusi
Thyolo, December 7, Mana: Thyolo District Council commemorated 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence on Friday with a call to traditional and religious leaders and non-governmental organizations to join hands in the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the district.
The commemoration, which was held under the theme; Towards 30 Years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: Unite to End Violence against Women took place at Molere Primary School ground, Traditional Authority Changata.
Thyolo District Council Chairperson, Petro Bowman said it should be the task of every citizen to put an end various forms of abuse that people in the district face.
“As a council, we are working hand in hand with traditional leaders, faith-based organizations, and the police to stop gender-based violence in the district. We want everyone to know that ending GBV is a role of every citizen and that we all need to prevent and report cases of GBV to relevant authorities,” he said.
He encouraged people to amicably settle their differences and stop all forms of abuse saying GBV is a human rights violation and has detrimental effects.
“Some people resort to suicide because they have been abused either physically or psychologically,” added Bowman.
Thyolo District Council, Gender Officer, Gerald Zgambo said GBV cases are still on the rise in Thyolo attributing the trend to culture, economic situations, and limited land for farming.
He observed that in some cases GBVs occur, in tea estates where guards rape women when they find them fetching firewood.
“Thyolo follows a matrimonial type of marriage, men are not being regarded as men such that they suffer from this type of marriage. This is another form of GBV.
“Right now we are dealing with a case of an old man who is being chased away from where he was married for years. We need to look into such cultures,” he said.
He disclosed that the district registered approximately 300 cases of GBV with economic and sexual abuse on the lead followed by physiological abuse.
Traditional Authority Changata pleaded with the community to refrain from GBV and called on victims and concerned communities to report all forms of abuse to relevant authorities for action.
He also encouraged fellow chiefs to always refer cases of GBV to police or community-based victim support units as opposed to dealing with the cases on their own.
Commemorated from November 25th to December 10th annually, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign that raises awareness and advocates for action to end violence against women and girls.
Queens gears up for African Netball Championship
By Benedicto Maguda
Blantyre, December 7, Mana: Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) says it is impressed with the preparations of Malawi Queens in readiness for the African Netball Championship Cup that will take place from 9th to 14th December in Swakopmund, Namibia.
Speaking with Malawi News Agency (Mana) this week, NAM Secretary, Yamikani Khungwa Kauma said out of 26 players, 15 have been nominated for the final squad, adding that the team played two friendlies as part of testing their fitness and composure.
“We believe that the selected players will battle and deliver to the nation. We have seen more improvement through the friendlies, which we played earlier. We hope that the girls are ready to perform,” she said.
She therefore hailed government through the Malawi Sports Council for supporting them with resources for smooth preparations in the local camping, which includes accommodation and air tickets for the players.
Malawi, Uganda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Kenya, Eswatin, and Tanzania are the teams that will participate in this year’s African Cup Championship.
Sports Analyst Lester Banda said the inclusion of old players and new blood in the squad signifies a vibrant combination that will produce a good performance.
Govt for more ultra-poor in SCTP
By Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, December 6, Mana: Ministry of Gender, Community Development, and Social Welfare, has assured Malawians that efforts are being made to ensure that all eligible ultra-poor households and vulnerable households get into the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP).
During her visit to beneficiaries in the area of Senior Chief Mavwere in Mchinji district on Friday, Minister responsible Jean Sendeza acknowledged the increase in the programme's number of beneficiaries and the benefits they are receiving.
She, however, said government is aware of some challenges that need to be addressed to allow more deserving beneficiaries.
“The beneficiaries have done a lot with the cash transfers that they receive, some are sending children to school, some have constructed houses, some are buying food and some have accumulated livestock,
“We have observed recently that there are some challenges with the identification of beneficiaries. So what we have decided is that we need to make sure that we find other means of identifying those that can be on the beneficiary list. We need to have those that are deserving to be on the list, not just anyone else,” said Sendeza.
Currently, the beneficiaries are drawn from the Universal Beneficiary Registry (UBR) which is a database that consolidates information on beneficiaries of various social protection programmes.
Senior chief Mavwere said he was of the idea that there should be other means of identifying beneficiaries of the programme.
“The current scenario is that there are more deserving beneficiaries that need to be considered so that they also benefit just like their colleagues are doing. We need these people to be part of the programme so I would be happy if we can find other means of identifying the beneficiaries,” said Senior Chief Mavwere.
Mercy Wilson of Mnzingo Village in the area is one of the beneficiaries of SCTP and is taking care of five children on her own and said the programme has helped her to push through.
“I am very happy with the programme as I can feed my children and send them to school too. I have a daughter at Mchinji Secondary School but I can support her with her education needs,” said Wilson.
The Minister visited three households in Mnzingo Village where the beneficiaries told her how they are benefitting from the programme.
Mchinji has 114 clusters and 14875 beneficiaries which include the elderly, child-headed, labour-constrained and those with disabilities.
Ayuba appeals for objective surveys
By Gift Chiponde
Lilongwe, December 6, Mana: One of the Political and Social Advocates Silvester Ayuba James has criticized the newly released Afrobarometer survey, describing it as baseless and biased as it is not indicating the actual places where the survey was conducted.
In an interview with the Malawi News Agency, Ayuba emphasized the importance of conducting surveys transparently and involving individuals from all walks of life to ensure accurate representation of facts on the ground.
"It is imperative for such institutions to conduct surveys in places where voters make final decisions. If you ask tobacco farmers or any farmers across the country, you might get different responses depending on the locations where the questions are posed," Ayumba stated.
He acknowledged the right of individuals to conduct surveys but stressed the urgent need for those conducting surveys to provide concrete evidence of who was questioned to avoid confusing the public.
He pointed out that Afrobarometer had conducted a survey in 2014 projecting that former President Dr. Joyce Banda would win the presidential election, but the results turned out to be different.
"There is a need for Afrobarometer to diversify their approach to prevent confusion among Malawians," he added.
Ayuba also noted that the current administration has demonstrated achievements in various development sectors, which citizens can recognize, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive survey that represents the majority, not just the minority.
In response, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Publicity Secretary Jessie Kabwira stated that while it is the right of every institution to conduct surveys of their choice, these organizations should reflect on the perspectives of actual voters rather than just the minority.
She highlighted the importance of acknowledging how the president has addressed the challenges Malawi has faced since taking office, issues such as COVID-19, Cyclone Freddy, floods, and assisting those affected by hunger and disasters.
"It is time for people to recognize the positive outcomes government has achieved in all districts across the country. As MCP our grassroots voters are intact and can see what government has accomplished," Kabwira stated.
