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Mzuzu Youth Centre contractor urged to fast track project
By Tawonga Moyo
Mzuzu, April 23, Mana: District Youth Officer for Mzimba North, Misheck Msokwa, has urged DEC Construction Limited, which is the contractor responsible for the construction of Mzuzu Youth Centre, to fast-track the project, saying the current progress is slow and raises a lot of questions.
Making the call in an interview on Friday, Msokwa said the project is much anticipated by youths in the city, hence a need for the contractor to take it seriously.
“We were first assured by the contractor that the project will be completed in October 2023 but that changed due to a number of challenges and the project time was extended to July 2024.
“However, with the current progress of the project, it’s impossible for it to be finalized within two months. Youths in Mzuzu are now afraid that this project won’t be completed soon,” said Msokwa.
Msokwa then called upon government not to change the contractor but rather engage the same one and offer the support needed, saying the project has already delayed for long and any change will worsen the delay.
“If by any chance government is contemplating on changing the contractor, I may not encourage that as it will mean starting again the whole process. My plea to government is that the project doesn’t go beyond 2024,” he said.
In his remarks, one of the youths from Masasa Area, Timothy Gama, said he was eagerly waiting for the completion of the project as it will help to keep young people busy with things that can uplift their lives.
“When young people are idle, chances are high that they can get influenced negatively and indulge in inappropriate behaviours. However, the youth centre will provide a platform for young people to meet and teach each other skills which they can use to uplift their lives and families,” said Gama.
Gama also noted that the youth centre will help to unearth talents in young people who are yet to discover it for themselves, thereby contributing to manpower development.
Another youth, Chifundo Nkhoma, expressed optimism that once completed, the centre will help in the reduction of early marriages and unwanted pregnancies as it will provide a platform for young people to pour out their issues freely and gain various expertise.
Government handed over the K19.7 billion Mzuzu Youth Centre construction project to DEC Construction Limited in August 2022.
Project Manager for DEC Construction, Elad Malaonda, did not comment on the matter despite sending him questionnaire and reminding him through phone calls.
NICE Trust urges CSOs to create awareness on new electoral laws
By George Mponda
Karonga, April 23, Mana: National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust has urged Karonga based civil society organizations (CSOs) to raise awareness of new electoral laws as the country prepares for 2025 General Elections.
Speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with representatives of the CSOs, NICE Trust Programmes Officer for Karonga, Mabvuto Mkandawire, said most stakeholders are not aware of the new laws, especially the change of polling hours.
"A lot of voters were during the recent Local Government by-elections in the district turned back as they did not observe polling time. They did not know that polling time was rescheduled to 6am to 4pm not 6am to 6pm, as was in the case in the past.
“Hence, the need for CSOs which have been oriented on the newly gazzetted ward and constituency boundaries, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Calendar for the 2025 General Election and Political Parties Act of 2018 to help in creating mass awareness on the development," said Mkandawire.
In his remarks, District Elections Officer for Karonga, Elias Nyirenda, bemoaned a tendency by some attendees of such meetings who do not pass on information to the citizenry.
"The 2025 General Election will follow the new laws; therefore, it is essential that voters are made aware of the laws," Nyirenda said.
Chairperson of Karonga CSOs Network, Edgar Phiri, said that the organizations should be proactive in awareness creation for the elections to be credible and peaceful.
"We also appeal to MEC to present the laws in vernacular languages so that people in Karonga and the country as a whole understand them,” said Phiri.
Community members describe new health facilities as game changer
By Mary Makhiringa
Balaka, April 23, Mana: People in the area of Traditional Authority Nkaya in Balaka have applauded Balaka District Council for constructing the K93 million health post and described this as game changer.
Since time immemorial, people from Nkaya, used to walk over 42 kilometres for medical help at Balaka District Hospital, or chose to go on 20-kilometre journey to Phimbi Health Centre.
The situation compelled Balaka Council to collaborate with other relevant authorities to construct a health post in the area using the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) funds.
Speaking in an interview to Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday, Alinafe Salibu from Nkaya Village bemoaned the long distance from Nkaya to Utale, Phimbi Health Centre or Balaka District Hospital as too challenging, adding that a lot of people lost lives in the process of seeking medical attention from distant facilities.
Said Salibu: “I was born in Nkaya, and grew up here as well, I saw people losing lives because of being denied access to medical help.
“The health facility that has been constructed is a game changer that will help us here and as a way of appreciating for this, we will guard over it by not allowing vandalism of any of the things in this facility,” she added and asked government to provide essential drugs at the new health facility to prove a game changer.
“I ask government to provide all essential drugs at the facility so that each time people go for medical help, they should be assisted so that going to Balaka DHO should only be in scenarios where one has been referred to meet specialists,” he added.
Director of Health Services at Balaka District Council, Dr Chimwemwe Thambo, said Ministry of Health has the intention to construct health facilities closer to communities.
“Construction of these health facilities will ensure that many people receive treatment without walking long distances,” Thambo said.
Director for Planning and Development for Balaka Council, Chris Nawata, said the local authority was excited with the new facility, saying it will accommodate the actual needs of the communities.
“We will soon construct staff houses so that health personnel should stay closer. As of now, services like Under Five Clinics can commence,” he said.
With funding from the World Bank, the National Local Government Finance Committee is assisting best performing councils with programme based funds.
Chikwawa embraces Community Development Month
By Willy Kadewere
Chikwawa, April 23, Mana: District Community Development Office in Chikwawa is in the Community Development Month (CDM) and is mobilising communities to work in self-initiated development activities as part of its reform agenda.
District Community Development Officer Maxmoss Governor described the CDM as innovative approach to foster community engagement in self-initiated development activities, devoid of external support, adding that April was designated as the official month for the community led activities.
“This is meant to promote citizen participation in several community development activities. Community Development Office in Chikwawa is facilitating the activities in all traditional authorities,” said Governor.
He added that the CDM was important to the community as it addresses problems people face in their communities.
“CDM takes a bottom-up approach. In this way, communities have been empowered to prioritize development activities they think would help them and transform their lives,” the Community Development Officer .
Governor said CDM is part of the reform and expressed hope that the community-initiated activities will remain that way to community members.
“Through the community development reform, we established a community development month in which several community initiated development activities are done. With these activities, there has been positive development and transformation in the communities," he added.
Environmental District Officer for Chikwawa, Levison Mafuta, hailed the community development office, saying CDM complements the environmental sector’s clean-up exercises in all public places in Chikwawa district to maintain hygiene.
"As the Environmental District Office, we are really satisfied with what our colleagues are doing. We have a similar role in making sure that people are practicing hygiene," said Mafuta.
He however urged all people in Chikwawa to embrace the initiative, as it will help their families.
Bush clearing, a clean-up exercise in market places, and creating firebreaks in forests are some of the activities done in the CDM.
Amref bails out Phalombe Hospital with K32 million medical supplies
By Tikondane Vega
Blantyre, April 23, Mana: Amref Health Africa has donated medical equipment valued at K32 million to John Chilembwe Hospital in Phalombe District as one way of complementing government in her efforts to improve health service delivery.
The equipment includes weighing height boards, wheelchairs, examination lamps, oxygen concentrators, drug trolleys, electric autoclaves and BP machines.
Speaking on Tuesday, Amref Project Manager Young Samanyika said the donation is meant to support health facilities impacted by 2023 Tropical Cyclone Freddy in the district.
“Nearly six health Centre’s in Phalombe were hit hard by floods and mudslides. Despite the passage of time since the devastating floods, communities in Phalombe still grapple with its aftermath. In response, Amref has procured medical equipment to support affected families.
“The current donation is projected to be K45 million since more equipment like beds and mattresses were yet to be supplied, but for today it is K32 million. We are doing a lot in Phalombe; for example, we are currently rehabilitating Phalombe Health Centre and this alone will cost us approximately K50 million,” said Samanyika.
He said that Amref expects the donation to improve the running of services at the hospital, adding that the materials should be put into good use so that it benefits the majority in communities.
On his part, Human Resources Officer for the hospital, Fred Kaipa, commended the organization for the support, describing it as timely.
Kaipa assured Amref and other partners in the health sector of prudent use of any support rendered to the hospital, adding that the materials will complement the facility's efforts towards strengthening delivery of good quality health services.
He said: “We commend the organization for the donation. This will help in addressing some of the challenges that our hospitals face in health service delivery. The donation will help in reducing some of the problems that we experience and we are very grateful.
“I must say Cyclone Freddy really affected our health Centre’s across the district and many things are yet to be replaced. Others should emulate the good gesture by Amref Health Africa in strengthening health systems.”
Amref is the largest Africa-based international health development organization delivering health services and training to over 30 million people annually in 35 countries in Africa.
The Malawi office is part of the bigger Amref Health Africa that was established in 1957 with its headquarters in Kenya. Amref Health Africa in Malawi was established in 2012 and is committed to catalyze and drive community-led and people-centred health systems while addressing social determinants of health.
Agro dealers warned against contravening farm gate prices
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, April 23, Mana: Police in Lumbadzi have warned agricultural produce traders against contravening the minimum farm gate prices for strategic crops for 2023/2024 Agricultural Season.
The call was made on Monday during a monitoring exercise conducted by Lumbadzi Police Station’s community policing branch at Lumbadzi, Mchepa, M’bang’ombe and Chitukula Trading Centres.
Speaking during the exercise, Inspector Ellen Maseko Kayenda appealed to the traders that they are strictly expected to buy the commodities at no less than the recommended farm gate prices set by the government through the Ministry of Agriculture.
"Failure to adhere to these minimum prices is a criminal offense under the laws of the country and perpetrators will be dealt with accordingly," Kayenda said.
Kanyenda further highlighted that police will continuously monitor and enforce compliance to the set minimum prices in order to ensure that farmers are not exploited by unscrupulous traders.
She however urged the public to make sure that they buy and sell their products at the recommended price by the government.
On April 5 this month, Ministry of Agriculture announced the 2023/2024 recommended farm gate prices for selected crops in the country, such as maize, soya beans, cassava and sunflower, just to mention few.
CARE calls for collaborative effort to avert looming human suffering
By Stanley Nkhondoyachepa
Lilongwe, April 23, Mana: An international Non-Governmental Organization, CARE, has called for urgent collaborative effort among donors and other actors to help avert looming humanitarian suffering caused by climate change and El Nino induced weather conditions in some Southern African countries which has resulted into drought.
The call was made on Monday during a virtual media briefing with participants from Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, among others.
This comes in the wake of a record breaking dry spell lasting over 30 days, which is scorching eight countries in southern Africa namely, Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Speaking during the briefing, CARE Zambia Country Director Chikwe Mbweeda described the current drought as not just a climate shock, but a human crisis and demanded for an immediate action.
“This crisis has disproportionately affected women and girls. We know that in such situations they will eat the least and the last because this is what happens in the household.
“They would travel long distances in search of water and food which to some extent exposes them to sexual and gender based violence,” she said.
President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Agricultural Research Council of Southern Africa, Litha Magingxa, observed that if people don’t know what climate change looks like, they can start by looking at what is happening in Southern Africa.
“A very interesting phenomenon that we are experiencing in Southern Africa is the occurrence of drought in some parts of the country, while we are dealing with floods in other parts and also the frequency of these,” he said.
Alice Kachere, a rural women representative, called for urgent action by the various humanitarian agencies, observing women are suffering.
CARE Southern Africa Regional Director Matthew Pickard described the situation as dire and demanding an urgent and coordinated action to avert a catastrophe.
“We need action now, today, it can’t wait. We are living in a crisis that is very clear from what our speakers have said, and each of us has a role to play in supporting vulnerable families in this time of greatest need,” he said.
Speaking in an interview, CARE Malawi Country Director, Pamela Kuwali, said the media briefing was organized to give an update on the humanitarian situation in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, provide a regional implication of the drought as well as an overview of the humanitarian response and the impact of the drought on women.
She appealed for proper planning and collaboration among all players in dealing with climate change related shocks, observing these will continue to happen.
To address the escalating crisis, CARE is launching a comprehensive response plan focused on providing assistance which will include food and revenue generation, among others, to vulnerable groups, according to a statement released by the organization.
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera declared a state of disaster in 23 out of the 28 districts of the country affected by El Nino conditions where an expected two million people are in dire need of food aid.
Salima District Council in maize distribution exercise
By Lekereni Chinkhota
Salima, April 23, Mana: Salima District Council, through the office of Disaster Risk Management, has distributed over 9,000 bags of 50 kilograms of maize, as part of response to the Malawi Vulnerable Assessment Committee’s (MVAC) food report.
About 36,667 households were targeted to receive two bags of maize from January to February, as part of government's response to food insufficiency as projected by the MVAC's food report.
Speaking during the distribution exercise in Traditional Authority Kuluunda on Monday, Salima District Disaster Management Officer Gloria Chinangwa expressed her satisfaction on the progress made so far.
She said: “The progress is there because we started distributing the maize to different beneficiaries last week. We have managed to reach out to almost 9,000 households in eight out of the 12 T/As of the district. We are aiming to reach up to 36,667 households.”
Chinangwa has further assured all beneficiaries who are yet to receive the maize that the distribution exercise is ongoing and every targeted beneficiary will receive their portion.
“Not all the people in the Centre’s have been covered; there are others who have not received. People should stop worrying or doubting that the maize will not reach them. All of them will get the maize for this phase just as they did previously,” she said.
Group Village Head Ndembo of T/A Kuluunda expressed joy at the way the exercise is being conducted, observing that the maize will relieve most of his people who have been hit by dry spells.
“It is a relief to see people receiving maize because most families do not have adequate food. We have many challenges here as we are closer to the lake and with rising levels of water in our lake, we have no place to cultivate maize,” he said.
Ndembo, however, warned beneficiaries who would try to sell or buy the maize that his office will bringing them to book.
A beneficiary, Mwawa Imedi of Kuluunda Village, said he is not expecting to receive the maize for a second time because the maize he will receive now will take him almost a month to finish.
“This bag of maize will go a long way in alleviating our food insufficiency. On one side, we are facing dry spells and on the other, the water levels have claimed most parts of our rice fields; this maize will help us to have food as we wait to harvest our rice.”
Altogether, 638 bags of maize were distributed at T/A Kuluunda alongside other Centre’s that had the same activity on Monday.
Lifani Bridge addresses community mobility challenges
By Martin Chiwanda
Machinga, April 23, Mana: In 1995, baby Patuma was born at Lifani Bridge in Machinga while her mother, Edna Saizi, was waiting for water in Lifani River to recede on her way to seek medical attention at Machinjiri Health Centre in Zomba.
Saizi says the river has a great history to her family as she delivered her first born right at the bank of the river, as the make shift bridge, she recalls, was washed away in 1994.
“Lifani Bridge has a great history to our family. I delivered my first born child right at the bridge when we failed to cross to access health services. If it was a boy, I could have named my baby ‘Lifani’ so that it remains in our family history,” says Saizi from Matache Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mposa in Machinga.
It is not only Saizi who tells about the unforgettable challenges encountered for not having a good constructed bridge across the Lifani River. The communities too, from T/As Mposa and Machinjiri in the district, were the worst affected.
The communities could hardly connect and seek different social services from each other.
“Whenever it rained, we were disconnected. On top of failure to seek medical attention, children were failing to go to school and, of course, some lives were lost in the river on attempt to cross the high speeding waters,” Saizi adds.
However, all this is now history, following the construction of a new Lifani Bridge that connects the two T/As, thanks to Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) project.
Saizi applauds government for constructing the bridge, saying it will save lives and enhance socio-economic activities in the area.
Aubrey Jaya, also from Matache Village in the same area of T/A Mposa, says people had difficulties to cross the river from either side during rainy season.
Jaya says children have been failing to attend classes during the rainy season, as they could not cross the river due to huge volumes of water.
“Apart from children failing to attend classes, we also as adults fail to do business, as we could not cross the river due to unavailability of a bridge.
“You may wish to know that the only nearby health facility in this area accessible by the community is that of Machinjiri. So, it means that when Lifani River is swollen, no one hardly accesses health services, denying us our right to good health.
“Therefore, the construction of the Lifani Bridge by GESD Project will address mobility challenges we have been facing in this area,” says Jaya.
Happiness Dinesi of Mposa concurred with Jaya, saying safe motherhood has always been compromised as most of the pregnant women have been delivering on their way to the hospital while awaiting waters in Lifani River to recede in order to cross safely.
Dinesi says women are now happy as the construction of the bridge across the Lifani River is at an advanced stage.
“We must commend government through GESD for the construction of the Lifani Bridge. As women, we have had more challenges. Most of us have delivered on our way to the hospital during rainy season as we had to wait for the river to recede and cross it.
“Even our colleagues with disabilities have been finding it hard to cross the river. To that extent, some children of that status have failed to go to school and, subsequently, dropped out.
“We are very thankful for the bridge construction. The bridge will be looked after so that it lives longer serving us,” Dinesi said.
T/A Mposa says construction of the bridge has addressed the main challenge his subjects have been encountering over the years.
Lifani Bridge lies between Lake Chilwa area at Mposa in Machinga and Songani in Zomba, connecting the two districts, following the construction of a 35-metre long bridge across the river.
GESD aims to strengthen core national and local governance institutions to improve efficiency, equity and accountability of the public resources for devolved services.
Dedza man arrested for murdering wife
By Steve Chirombo
Dedza, April 23, Mana: Police in Dedza District have arrested 28-year-old Solomon Simango of Kanduna Village in Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza in the district on suspicion that he killed his wife.
According to Dedza Police Station publicist Beatrice Jefita, it is reported that Simango and his wife were drinking beer on Sunday at a certain place where they started arguing about the wife talking to other men.
Jefita said the quarrel continued until they got home where the husband started beating his wife.
“Suspiciously, during morning hours of Monday, the wife was found lifeless in their house by the villagers.
“The angry villagers mobilized themselves to pounce on the suspect but police came in quickly and rescued him from the angry mob,” said Jefita.
She said the body was taken to Dedza District Hospital, pending postmortem examination while the suspect is expected to appear in court soon to answer a murder charge levelled against him.
The deceased hailed from Thom Village in Traditional Authority Kasumbu in Dedza District.
Meanwhile, police in the district have urged residents to report family issues to the Victim Support Unit or any police formation for counselling.
