MANAonline
Karonga District Council to relocate rice and groundnut mills
By Felix Katemula & George Mponda
Karonga, June 19, Mana: To address people’s concerns over environmental and health hazards caused by rice mills. Karonga District Council plans to relocate the mills and groundnut shellers which are operating at the center of Karonga Town
The development follows heaps of rice chaffs and groundnut pods which have piled up in the central business district (CBD)of Karonga.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Wednesday, Acting Director of Planning and Development for Karonga District Council, Khumbo Mkandawire said the council had already previously engaged the business owners on the issue and were willing to relocate.
“Our town plan shows that where they are operating is not a commercial area and we are to relocate them to a place befitting their business as we strive to keep the town clean and avoid noise and waste pollution in residential areas,” said Mkandawire.
According to Mkandawire, the council is currently sourcing funds for buying land near Nthola-Ilola Greenbelt Initiative Rice Mill which is located about 8 kilometers away from Karonga CBD where they will relocate to.
Chairperson of Karonga Business Association of Rice Mills, Felix Mwakiyanjala blamed the council for delaying the relocation on several times, a development which he said has also affected their business plans.
“We urged the council to fulfill the plans this time, we totally agree to the relocation exercise and we have shown our commitment by paying development fees. This is a third site we have been told to relocate to,” said Mwakiyanjala.
Some of the business people who sell rice at the mills’ premises, Virgo Kachere and Salome Msowoya, while agreeing to the relocation observed that the move will jeopardize their business.
“Our homes are in town close to the rice mills and M1- Road making it a convenient rice business place both to us and our customers. The relocation will have negative consequences to us and the business because of transport and accommodation costs,” said Kachere.
Kachere and Msowoya then urged the council to do further consultations on the issue to settle on a win-win situation.
Karonga District is a major rice producer and famous for its highly flavored Kilombero and Faya Rice varieties.
NGO donates to flood survivors in Nkhata Bay
By Chisomo Kambandanga
Nkhata Bay, June 19, Mana: Small Producers Development and Transporters Association (SPRODETA) Tuesday with support from Hope for the Child donated relief food items to people who were affected by floods early this year in areas of Timbiri, Thula, Mkumbira, Malanda, Mankhambira in Nkhata Bay District
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) after the distribution of the items, Project Coordinator for SPRODETA, Daniel Nyirenda said that the humanitarian assistance was part of their emergency project in response to disasters that hit the district in April this year.
"We were equally concerned with flooding waters which rendered some households destitute in some parts of Nkhata Bay.
It is against this back ground that we decided to extend a helping hand to these survivors to alleviate their suffering," Nyirenda said.
He added that the organization had already reached out to 500 households in the first phase of the response and intend to serve a similar number of households by end of June 2024 with a total target 3000 households.
"Each household receives a pack containing 20 Kilograms of maize, 3 Kilograms of rice, 2 kilograms of beans, one kilogram of salt, two tablets of soap including a wrapper to expectant and lactating women," he said.
Nyirenda therefore said they are also reaching out to the elderly, people with disabilities, pregnant and lactating mothers besides the flood survivors.
Senior Traditional Authority Thula hailed government for creating a good operating environment for non-state actors such as SPRODETA to participate in responding to impacts of disasters.
"Government gave us maize some few months ago. Today, we are receiving other relief food items from SPRODETA. We are thankful for the support and I ask every beneficiary to make good use of whatever we have received," said Thula.
One of the beneficiaries, Martha Nkhata commended the organization for the donation, describing it as timely.
Mathews Chirwa from Msanja said SPRODETA has set a good pace by incorporating people with disabilities in their program, an intervention which he said is overlooked by most of organizations.
Ministry to consecrate Arch bishop
By Memory Khutuliwa
Blantyre, June 19, Mana: Fountain Life of God International Ministries will on July 6, consecrate Bishop Martha David Maliro to arch-bishop at function that will take at HHI multipurpose hall in Blantyre.
One of the organizers, Apostle Francis Goodnews Chakanza told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Wednesday that preparations are going well, adding that Arch bishop Mark Kambalazaza of Charismatic Redeemed Ministries International and Bishop Peter Kaweta will be among invited guests.
“Preparations are going well and as of now we have approached other men and women of God to attend the event. This is the first consecration in our team, as such we want this event to be colorful and to bring glory to God,” he said.
Mary Kadewele, one of the administrators at the ministry said the consecration of Bishop Maliro to Arch bishop was testimony that the church was growing.
She urged women and girls to work tirelessly so that the event should be colorful and memorable.
“So far practices for women and girls are also going well and we are ready for the event. After this event, we are expecting that the Arch- bishop will open more branches across Malawi so that the gospel should reach everyone,” she said.
Kadewele said from 8am to 12 noon will be the consecration ceremony, while from 1 to 5 PM there will be the Arch bishop’s birthday celebration, adding that people will be at liberty to attend both events and one.
In his remark, music leader, Blessings Namphazi said his team was well prepared for this event as it will be the first consecration at Fountain Life of God International Ministries.
He appealed to all members of the church and people from other denominations to come and experience the power of God through the event.
Malawi Immigration repatriates 265 illegal immigrants
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, June 19, Mana: The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has repatriated about 265 irregular immigrants from Ethiopia who were in the Northern and central Region prisons.
The Irregular Immigrants entered into the country illegally, hence contravening Section 21(1) of the Malawi Immigration Act.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday, Northern Region Immigration Public Relations Officer, Francis Chitambuli, said Most of the immigrants entered the country using unchartered routes, an act that triggered their arrests.
“We have indeed repatriated Ethiopian nationals after they have served their jail terms at Mzuzu, Mzimba and Maula prisons. The development was part of enforcement and compliance of the immigration laws in the country”, he said.
He further said any person contravening the immigration laws is subjected to the repatriation process.
The repatriation process has been funded by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a move that will help to decongest the prisons in the country.
Public Relations Officer for Malawi Prisons Services, Chimwemwe Shaba thanked the Immigration department for repatriating the detainees saying prisons lack resources so immigrant detainees aggravate the problems.
He however urged Malawians who help illegal immigrants into the country to avoid such activities because it is against the law.
The immigrants have left the country in a chartered plane through Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe.
Tikonze Apapa geared to transform lives of hearing impairment youth
By Alex Kachingwe
Blantyre, June, 18 Mana: Blantyre based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Tikonze Apapa has it would continue building capacity of youth with hearing impairment by providing them with vocational trainings, secondary school scholarships for inclusivity and sign language training for interpreters for effective communication.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) Monday, Tikonze Apapa, Executive Director, Katiana Lafrance said in the beginning, the NGO only paid school fees for the youth with hearing impairment to proceed with their education but going further the organization went further to provide vocational trainings such as tailing and designing.
Tikonze Apapa, which became a registered non-governmental organization in 2023, main mission was to empower people with hearing impairment in the country through vocational trainings. Education, arts, employment to ensure economic transformation and self-reliance.
“What I have seen so far based on 2018 Malawi Population and Housing Census, is that there were 377,790 people with hearing impairment in the country, but the population has risen up since 2018. With the rise in population, we do not have adequate sign language interpreters for inclusivity and better communication with people with hearing impairment.” he said.
Lafrance added that Tikonze Apapa worked hard to raise awareness on the need to have more interpreters to resolve the communication gap thereby compelling the organization to train more sign language interpreters who are currently deployed in various schools like Chiradzulu Secondary School.
One of the students with hearing impairment, Emmanuel Jumbe said his life transformed after undergoing a vocational training organized by Tikonze Apapa.
He recalled that the hearing impairment came in after suffering from cerebral malaria adding that life became misery thereafter until Tikonze Apapa introduced him to tailoring and fashion designing.
“Life has been very hard to me, I tried to search for jobs in various locations in Blantyre but I could not find any until Tikonze Apapa offered an opportunity to join a vocational training and this was when I learnt tailoring,” Jumbe added.
Federation of Disability Organizations of Malawi (Fedoma), Executive Director, Symon Munde hailed Tikonze Apapa for offering vocational training and other opportunities for the youth with hearing impairment which he said are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Provision of vocational skills is one way of empowering persons with disabilities like people with hearing impairment. We expect that such kind of trainings will help them to become economically self-reliant,” he said.
A comprehensive inquiry on plane crash
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, June 18, Mana: Minister of Information and Digitalization Moses Kunkuyu has said government was committed to having independent investigators for the plane crash that killed the Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima and eight others.
He said as government they are discussing with international agencies to help on the investigation process.
Speaking during a press briefing at the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) on Tuesday in Lilongwe, Kunkuyu said there was need for Malawians to remain calm as they are working on the issue.
“We have consulted international agencies to come in and investigate as well as local experts because we know that many Malawians have questions about what really happened during the accident,” the Minister said.
He said the discussions with international agencies are at advanced stage so that they could start the process.
Kunkuyu appreciated for all the support which was rendered to the government during the trying times.
He expressed his gratitude to all religious groups especially the Catholic community, media, international partners and all Malawians for coming together.
Chitakale CCAP welcomes new moderator
By Angella Salijeni
Mulanje, June 18, Mana: Mulanje Presbytery of the Blantyre Synod of the CCAP on Sunday inducted Rev. Collins Maganga as new moderator of Chitakale Church following his posting from Nthemba CCAP in Limbe, Blantyre mid-March, 2024.
Vice Moderator of Mulanje Presbytery, Rev. Stella Kapanga said when a pastor moves to a new church it was procedural that the moderator should be inducted to give the moderator authority to perform all sacraments such as baptism, Holy communion and other activities that are supposed to be done by a moderator.
Welcoming the new moderator, Rev. Kapanga said God called Rev. Maganga to Chitakale to serve the congregation with dedication.
“God has a purpose for him to be at Chitakale. The congregants have the responsibility to look into the welfare of the new moderator so that he should perform his duties to meet congregants’ spiritual needs,” he said in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana).
Apart from serving Nthemba CCAP for three years, Rev. Maganga served Mlombwa CCAP in Blantyre, Domasi Mission CCAP in Zomba and Machinga CCAP among others.
Maganga said was ready to serve Chitakale CCAP with devotion and dedication to meet congregants’ spiritual needs.
Chitakale CCAP Session Clerk, Gift Phedulo advised members of the Church to give the new moderator support and create a conducive work environment for him to perform to the congregation’s expectations.
One of Chitakale CCAP congregants, Rosemary Majawa said the congregation look forward to support Rev. Maganga to fulfil his mission of evangelization.
“We are happy and hopeful that Rev. Maganga will help church to grow. We will work with him as we did with others,” she added.
Another congregant, George Chikawa said Chitakale CCAP was delighted to receive Rev. Maganga and expressed desire that the moderator would serve the congregants to his best ability to satisfy their spiritual needs.
Inkosi Gomani V acknowledges candle light
By Evance Chisiano
Ntcheu, June 17, Mana: Inkosi Yamakosi, Gomani V of the Maseko Ngoni of Ntcheu has acknowledged candle lights that were held in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Zomba in honour of late, Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima.
He expressed his appreciation on the candle light in his eulogy at Nsipe School where a Funeral Mass Service was conducted in honour of late, Chilima who died alongside other eight people in a military plane crash at Chikangawa forest in Mzimba on June 10, 2024.
The Ngoni Chief said the candle light which was held in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Zomba were another honour to late, Chilima whom he addressed as Biyeni, a Ngoni clan name.
Gomani said late, Chilima deserved all the honour because of his dedication to national duties, his humility and his ties to Catholic Church and other social groups.
“Biyeni was an Impi and was always closer to my Father Inkosi Gomani IV and was always by my side,” he added.
Lilongwe had candle at Bingu International Conventional Centre (BICC) on June 15, 2024 and was led by UTM Director of Youth, Benjani Kalua also known as Fredokiss in the urban music circle.
Blantyre had candle light along Victoria Avenue on June 16, 2024 while Zomba held similar event on the day at Zomba Gymkhana Club where candles were lit in honour of late, Chilima.
Chilima was laid to rest at Nsipe, Traditional Authority (TA), Kwataine where President, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, former Presidents were in attendance to pay their final respect to the country’s Vice President.
Youths called to take charge of environment Youths called to take charge of environment
By Fostina Mkandawire
Salima, June 17, Mana: Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC) has called upon youths to be on the forefront in taking care of the environment as one way of showing responsibility and giving back to their communities.
The Call was made in Salima when CISONECC in collaboration with National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYCC) conducted training sessions on Climate Change Advocacy for Children, Youth, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
CISONECC's Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Manager, Chimwemwe Kapichi said the importance of empowering young people and CSOs in advancing climate action and to be agents of change in the community.
He said instilling values of environmental protection such as avoiding cutting down trees and avoiding littering at a young age is important because they would grow up to be responsible human beings who have great regard for the environment.
"We know that young people can be powerful advocates when there is need for change, they can mobilize one another and bring change to their society," the Manager said.
Kapichi said the youths are in majority in the country as a result bringing them on board on issues of climate change and environmental safeguarding would yield greater results.
"The project does not only educate participants about climate change but also empowers them to be proactive in their communities, fostering a bottom-up approach to environmental advocacy and action," he said.
District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) for Salima, Edgar Kasiyafumbi commended CISONECC for its initiative in raising awareness among children about their rights and responsibilities concerning climate change.
He said Salima is a disaster prone district and some of the disasters are human made through environmental degradation, therefore training youths about such issues is helpful.
"We need the youth to take responsibility of the environment, they need to spearhead issues of the environment and act as champions for other youths in their community," the DSWO said.
One of the youths at the training, Priscilla Majiga, 15 said the training was an eye opener in the sense that she has now been empowered to stand up for other youths to guard against environmental mismanagements.
She expressed optimism that she would inform other youths on climate change, hazardous practices that damage the environment and environmental advocacy.
The activity attracted 70 children and youth participants draw from Traditional Authorities (TAs) Pemba and Kambwiri in the district.
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) through Save the Children International in Malawi is implementing a Capacity Strengthening Programme in the district.
Chilima rests
By Leonard Masauli & Maston Kaiya
Ntcheu, June 17, Mana: Scores of people from Malawi and other international dignitaries on Monday converged at Nsipe Primary School ground in Ntcheu to witness the burial of late Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima who died in a plane crash on Monday, June 11, 2024 along with eight others.
In eulogy, A represented the bereaved family, Elizabeth Mkandawire Mwanga said Late Vice President, Chilima was happy loving and charitable man, who was poised to come a global leader.
She thanked the international community, Malawi government and church community for honouring him.
“Allow me to thank United Transformation Movement (UTM) and for the support rendered during the mourning period and thanks to chiefs for the love. I would like to thank the people of Malawi for the gesture during the mourning period.
“I would like appeal to government to conduct the investigation to establish the truth and that such a tragedy should not happen again. Let me appeal to the Nation to keep the Chilima dream alive and not to give up hope so that his dreams become a reality. Osaopa, osatopa, osafooka,”Mwanga said.
In his in eulogy, Dr Ben Chilima thanked government and former Presidents and Chiefs for the support.
In paying his last respect, Inkosi Ya Makosi Gomani V said Late Vice President was the pride of the Ngoni people in Ntcheu.
He said Chilima was both a friend and advisor who was always there in times of need.
Gomani thanked the support from government and everyone else who have taken their hand to remember the late Vice President during the funeral.
“Chilima was peaceful, humble, and loving who always wanted to see Malawi developed and this is why he always put the country’s future first in his priorities. Let me ask the people of Malawi to continue wishing the country well just as he had hoped,” he added.
Among others who attended the burial include Former President, Dr Bakili Muluzi, Former President, Peter Mutharika, Former Vice President, Khumbo Kachali, UTM Secretary General Patricial Kaliati,
In his sermon when he conducted a funeral mass, Archbishop, Thomas Luke Msusa of Blantyre Diocese said several Malawians are in mourning for the departed late Vice President and this was why all Roman Catholic faithfuls hold Mass in remembrance of him.
He encouraged the people to maintain peace just as how late Vice President had hoped for, and his death should not bring about confusion and disagreements among the people.
A devout Christian, the late Chilima was born on February 12, 1973, who together with his wife, Mary had two children.
The first to lay the wreaths was the wife of the late, Madame, Mary Chilima, President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera and Madame Monica Chakwera, Former President Dr Bakili Muluzi, Former President, Peter Mutharika and his wife, Gertrude Mutharika among others.
The late Chilima and eight others died in a plane crash in Chikangawa Forest in Mzimba district.
