By Maria Tembo

Ntchisi, January 30, Mana: Ntchisi District Council, through the office of Disaster Risk Management, plans to distribute relief maize to 6,418 hunger stricken households across all the district’s Traditional Authorities (TA) in the 2023/2024 lean period.

Acting Disaster Risk Management Officer, Jeremiah Chirwa, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday that the council has so far reached out to 1,709 households with the relief maize.

The Council is conducting the distribution exercise from January to February 2024.

Chirwa advised beneficiaries against abuse of the relief maize cautioning imprudent use and selling of the donated items.

“I would like to advice beneficiaries not sell the maize as this would lead them to being scrapped off the beneficiaries list and their names will be replaced by those who deserve to benefit.

“Even though the exercise is not reaching out to all the affected households, the initiative is good and timely cushion against hunger shocks because people in the district are suffering,” said Chirwa.

In a separate interview, one of the beneficiaries, Laitoni Chatonga concurred with Chirwa saying the initiative was for their own good and selling the relief items would frustrate government’s efforts.

He said: “It will be sad and unfortunate if some of us will be involved in selling these items because our families’ survival depends on the same.”

The exercise follows a Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report released in July 2023 which projected that at least 4.4 million Malawians are to face hunger during the 2023/2024 lean period.

By Thandie Dyvacy Chinthambi

Mzuzu, January 30, Mana:  Mzuzu City Council (MCC) says rehabilitation works of Target Road in Mchengautuba Township awaits funding amidst people grievances about the current condition of the road.

Speaking Tuesday in an interview, Spokesperson for MCC, McDonald Gondwe, said the council understands the grievances raised by road users, but was quick to say that the council was doing its best to address the problem.

“The road is indeed important as it connects residents of Mchengautuba to various locations within the city, so we understand their concerns as genuine. But we currently do not have resources to fix the road.

“As a council, we are already in the process of rehabilitating some roads within the city and once we acquire the funds, we will extend the road rehabilitation works to the road in question,” said Gondwe.

In his remarks, one of Mchengautuba residents, who is a bicycle taxi operator, John Moyo, said operators find it hard to ply their business on the road due to its poor condition.

“It becomes difficult to conduct our business, especially when it is raining as the road is muddy and full of potholes. May the council please consider doing something on this road,” Moyo said.

Another resident, Regina Sitima, said the road’s conditions worsen especially during rainy seasons.

“The road becomes slippery and we risk being involved in bicycle taxi related accidents. We will be grateful once this road is rehabilitated,” said Sitima.

By Memory Kutengule Chatonda

Blantyre, January 30, Mana: Department of Forestry says there is need for more stakeholders in nurturing the newly planted trees as the department cannot handle the task alone.

Speaking when the Malawi Tourism Council, along with students from the Malawi Institute of Tourism, planted 1,000 trees in Michiru Forest Reserve, the department's forestry officer Lonjezo Kalema said although there are partners with the Council in tree planting, there is need for more stakeholders to jointly take care of the trees.

“During forest season which runs from December 15 to April 15, many companies and institutions help us to plant trees. However, there are fewer institutions that team with us to see that trees are growing, protecting them from bushfires and humans.

“Institutions should take the responsibility to see that trees planted have grown to maturity,” Kalema who represented the Southern Zone Forestry Manager said.

She expressed concern that people from areas around Michiru Forest Reserve are refusing to take ownership and are still cutting down trees in the reserve without care.

National Tourism Council Taskforce Chairperson, Matthews Mfune, said they were moved by saddening stories of how Michiru Forest Reserve is fast losing forest cover.

He said the Council plans to reach out to communities around the reserves on tree care and nurturing.

By Steve Chirombo

Dedza, January 29, Mana: Member of Parliament (MP) for Dedza North, Savel Kafwafwa, has emphasized the need for more cassava farming interventions to ensure a household has food throughout the year.

Kafwafwa made the remarks when he led distribution of cassava cuttings to over 500 households at Senior Chief Tambala court in Dedza district on Monday.

He said hunger has been the story of each passing day in the area hence his intervention to ensure a more sustainable means of ensuring that households have something to eat every day.

“If you listen attentively, you will notice that the hunger stories are almost the same year in year out. And I thought it is now time to consider some more sustainable means because maize is more demanding. One needs new inputs every season,” he said.

The MP added that maize farming is weather sensitive such that if anything changes in terms of weather, people suffer while cassava farming survives any weather and keeps multiplying itself thereby benefitting others in the process.

“So, that is why for our areas, specifically Dedza North, we feel that growing cassava on a large scale will help us defeat hunger. For others who may grow maize, let them do that aside of having cassava which is something that is sustainable and dependable,” stated Kafwafwa.

The Dedza North legislator, who pumped in K1.5 million for the intervention, further said both weather and soil in the area favour cassava growing and that it is his vision to make the constituency famous for cassava growing.

“Our vision is that each family here should have 120 plants of cassava because that formula is equal to four months cover of one plant a day per household. And we are appealing to other well-wishers to come and help us because we feel we have found a formula of completely eliminating hunger in this area,” he said.

Senior Group Village Headman Chibwana Mlozi, who is also Senior Counselor for Senior Chief Tambala, said hunger situation in the area is dire, adding, unlike in the past when people relied on mangoes and other fruits, communities are currently hands tied.

He hailed the MP for the strategy, saying it diversifies farming methods in the area and that any family that does not heed the call risks being disciplined.

Some of the beneficiaries, Manuella Thomas and Mussa Kausa, expressed gratitude at the initiative, saying cassava farming does not need much and is a great relief when it comes to hunger. They both promised to multiply the stems so that others also benefit from the same.

Dedza District Principal Agriculture Officer Lana Chikonkheni said currently, 15 percent of the households in the district are facing hunger. She, however, said the families have coping mechanisms; for example, doing some casual labour or being assisted by their neighbor’s which she said are not sustainable ways.

“One of the sustainable ways is what we have witnessed today where hundreds of families have received the cassava cuttings. Naturally, these do not need much labour which will be simple for families that are run by females or child headed.

“This initiative will go a long way in improving welfare of the households in the area and Dedza as a whole because the tuber itself can be sold, so too are the stems and the leaves. On top of that, these are hybrid; something that gives us an assurance that within six months, communities here will start harvesting,” said Chikonkheni.

By Wongani mkandawire

Nkhotakota, January 29, Mana: The Ministry of health, has received medical equipment worth about 800 million kwachas from the United States of America through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

A press statement released on Monday says, the equipment which has been donated under the Momentum Tikweze umoyo project would assist frontline health workers in the districts of Karonga, Nkhotakota, chitipa, salima and Kasungu in offering better maternal health services.

USAID Acting Mission Director Michael Rossman said the American people through USAID, are committed to investing in Malawi’s primary health care services in order to help build a healthy population at the Centre of Malawi’s 2063 goals.

He said the US government is a proud partner of the government of Malawi and they will help equip healthcare workers with the skills and tools to save lives.

The equipment which has been donated through the project which is being implemented by AMREF health Africa, includes oxygen concentrators and cylinders, examination couches, delivery and patient beds, blood pressure machines, newborn resuscitation stations and machines for vacuum assisted delivery.

Speaking on behalf of health facilities that received the support, Director of health services at the Nkhotakota district hospital, Dr Jacob Kafulafula expressed hope that indicators on health services delivery will improve in the five districts with the coming in of the essential medical equipment.

Momentum Tikweze Umoyo is implementing a multi-billion-kwacha project in five targeted districts of Karonga, Nkhotakota, Chitipa, Salima and Kasungu.

By Tracy Kafansiyanji

Dedza, January 29, Mana: Government, through the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DoDMA) on Friday distributed maize to some households struggling with hunger under Traditional Authorities Kamenyagwaza and Kachindamoto in Dedza district.

Dedza District Commissioner, Thomas Chigwenembe, said the exercise was the beginning of two months relief food distribution programme to support the needy and marginalised households.

"This is a two-month exercise whereby each household will get one 50 kilogramme bag of maize from January to February. We intend to reach out to 44,333 deserving households across the district.

“We are expecting more tons of maize which will be ready soon for distribution to the rest of the families from the remaining traditional authorities by next week,” said Chigwenembe.

Dedza Council Chairperson, Blessings Mkweu, said hunger situation in most parts of the district is worrisome and more people are starving as they cannot afford a kilogram of maize let alone 50 kilogrammes which is selling at K50,000.

“It will be appreciated if Non-Governmental Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, partners and other stakeholders collaborate with government to end hunger,” stated Mkweu.

Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza has since hailed government for delivering on its promise saying they have been struggling since October, 2023 saying people relied on mangoes and other fruits for their survival while others went around in search for pieces of work instead of working in their farms.

One of the beneficiaries, Logelio Mgumbi, expressed gratitude for the donation calling upon other well-wishers to come in and reach out to others people.

By Maston Kaiya

Ntcheu, January 29, Mana: National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) says district council budgets are crucial for the achievement of the Malawi 2063 (MW2063) hence the need for review before final submission of the budgets. 

NLGFC Internal Audit Manager, Thomson Longwe, made the remarks Friday at Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre during Ntcheu District Council budget review session.

Longwe advised councils to take budget sessions seriously saying if the budgets are not properly prepared councils would have lost the whole year before the year even starts. 

"For Malawi to develop, we need councils to drive the MW2063 agenda and be able to reach the extreme end of the communities with development," said Longwe.

NLGFC organized the meeting to review council budgets in line with guidelines before final submission.

Ntcheu District Commissioner, George Ngaiyaye, said the council has three major sources of revenue namely; locally generated revenue, central government transfers and donor funds/development partners which enables the council to fulfill its mandates to the local populace.

"Every year, council annual budgets are in line with the District Development Plans, Malawi 2063 pillars and enablers among other regulatory documents," said Ngaiyaye.

He said during the 2023/2024 financial year, the council channeled its resources towards the implementation of development projects, improvement of health care services, primary education, environment, natural resources and agriculture among others.

Ntcheu District Council budget for 2024/2025 financial year is pegged at MK4,626,953,477.