By Lommah Jelome

Mzimba, September 28, Mana: Traditional Authority (TA) Jalavikuba says migration of parents to South Africa (SA) is affecting education in Mzimba district by increasing school dropout rate in the district.

TA Jalavikuba said this Friday during commemoration of Day of the African Child at Eswazini in TA Kampingo Sibande in the district.

He said migration of parents to South Africa is also leading to a decline in moral values due to lack of parental care.

“Parents play a significant role in the academic journey of their children. They also play a key role in encouraging positive attitude towards education of their children and this has become a challenge since many parents are far away”, Jalavikuba said.

District Social Welfare Officer for Mzimba South, Benard Nangwale, said migration is a big issue in Mzimba and has lead into poor parenting that has resulted in other social problems in the district.

“It has resulted into juvenile delinquency, child marriages, school dropout and teenage pregnancies because children lack care,” Nangwale said.

Director of Education and Sports for Mzimba South, Bridget Nungu, expressed concerned with the increase in school dropout rate.

The day was commemorated under the theme ‘Promoting Quality and Inclusive Education’.

By Mary Sichali

Karonga, September 28, Mana:  Karonga District Health Office (DHO) has registered three new Cholera cases a week after reporting a single case from Mlare in the area of Paramount Chief Kyungu in Karonga.

In an interview Friday, Karonga DHO Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Officer, Raymond Jereni, said the three confirmed cases have been registered in Mwamunyira and Mwamasapa villages in the district.

"Through our case tracing mechanisms we have established that one of the patients started exhibiting Cholera signs after travelling to one of Cholera prone areas in Tanzania," said Jereni.

He added that another risky factor for the outbreak is consumption of contaminated water from Rukuru River along which the two villages are.

"The patients are currently receiving treatment at the Cholera Treatment Unit at Karonga District Hospital.

“We have intensified case investigation and patients’ contact tracing, house to house water chlorination and community engagement and sensitization on how to curb the outbreak,” said Jereni.

He said the office has partnered with Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) and Momentum Tikweze Umoyo Project in implementing the district’s Cholera Intervention Plan.

MRCS Project Officer for Karonga, Ruth Jere, said the organization is supporting the DHO in tracing cholera suspects and providing cholera supplies in all health facilities around the affected areas.

"We have also deployed volunteers who are supporting health surveillance assistants in a mass Cholera vaccination and raising community awareness on the outbreak,” Jere said.

Currently Karonga District has eight cumulative confirmed cases of cholera.

By George Mponda

Karonga, September 28, Mana: Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has warned politicians to stop allocating beneficiaries of mobilised resources for the implementation of recovery and resilience after a disaster or any related emergency along political party lines.

DoDMA Chief Disaster Resilience Officer, Sam Gama, issued the warning Friday in Karonga during an orientation of council members on the Disaster Risk Management Act which was organised by the Catholic Development Commission in Malawi.

Gama said: "Councillors and Members of Parliament have a mandate so that people in their wards and constituencies receive adequate and quality national services such as security, electricity and relief in major disasters.

"According to section 50 of the Disaster Risk Management Act, anyone found guilty of deploying equipment being used in search and rescue operations or provision of relief assistance to other tasks shall, upon conviction, be liable to a fine of K10,000,000 and imprisonment for three years."

Karonga District Council Chairperson, Bellium Msukwa, said there is need for proper coordination between politicians and the council secretariat when responding to disasters.

"Politicians should not interfere in the distribution of relief items but instead, we should act as watchdogs to ensure those who are affected by disasters are benefitting from the resources mobilised despite their political affiliation," Msukwa said.

Paramount Chief Kyungu said eversince Malawi became a democratic nation in 1994, alot of politicians became very corrupt and are derailing development.

"We have tolerated corruption for too long and in the process government has lost alot of money. We need to stop being selfish and change our mindset inorder to develop our districts," Kyungu said.

By Ivy Yohane

Blantyre, September 28 Mana: Blantyre Institute for Community Outreach (BICO) is making strides in promoting eye health among learners in Blantyre through a campaign under the theme; Children, Love Your Eyes.

BICO Optometrist, Hendrine Nyondo, said on Friday during the campaign at Catholic Institute (CI) Primary School that children need to be taught ways of caring eyes and sign and symptoms of eye infection.

“Itching of eyes, white or yellow sticky discharges, difficulties to see at a distance, difficulties with near vision and headaches during the day are some of the signs that your eyes have been affected.

“Washing your eyes will help to reduce itching in the eyes. You should be more hygienic so that you can avoid eye diseases. For those who have difficulties to see at a distance and difficulties with near vision l advise you to visit a doctor so that you can be given glasses,” she advised the learners.

In line with the theme, BICO is selling glasses to children at a reduced price of 50 percent discount.

CI Primary School teacher, Angella Kachoka, said most parents have no time to know their children’s eyes to detect problems associated with eyes.

“It is very important for organizations like BICO to teach children how to take care of their eyes, as many of them do not have information about health and eye care,” she said.

Apart from CI, BICO had already held mobile eye talks to school such as Blantyre Girls and Zingwangwa.   

By Kondwani Magombo

Lilongwe, September 28, Mana: Malawi Government has asked Chinese company, StarTimes Media to consider inclusion of local channels for viewers in the country's rural areas to have access to local programs, in addition to foreign content provided under the project.

Principal Secretary (PS) for Ministry of Information and Digitalization, Baldwin Chiyamwaka, made the call in Lilongwe on Friday when he received equipment for Phase II of the ChinaAid's Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages, and officially opened the project.

Chiyamwaka hailed StarTimes Media for the project which will see 200 villages across the country access satellite TV and have their knowledge broadened regarding what is happening around the world.

However, the PS said much as the foreign content is necessary for the viewers to appreciate the broader picture of the world, local content on the service provider’s list of programs would allow Malawians have a wider spectrum of events happening across the globe.

“So, just like we now have some channels on DSTV, we would like, also, to have local channels like Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Zodiac Broadcasting Services (ZBS), Times, and other channels on Start Times – and that's the agreement,” he said.

The PS described the Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages as an enabling tool for Access to Information, one of the legislative provision that government is advancing to ensure transparency and accountability between duty bearers and the citizenry.

“It's a very, very good source of information for people in the rural areas: We're expecting them to follow current affairs, apart from education and entertainment,” said Chiyamwaka.

He also asked the Chinese company to consider increasing the number of villages to benefit from the second phase of the project so that as many Malawians as possible should access the satellite TV services and be connected to the world.

StarTimes Media Chief Executive Officer (CEO), David Pan, said his company would consider the PS’s appeal and that the requested local TV channels will be included on the ‘free-to-air’ list.

On the need to increase the number of villages to benefit from the project, the CEO said the proposal “is under talks” and he hoped for the better.

“We’re in talks with officials from the Chinese government, through the Chinese Embassy, and for me, I believe that we might have some updates on this point,” said Pan.

The second phase is building on the first phase that saw successful installation of the satellite TV sets in 500 villages across the country in 2019.

By the end of this year, StarTimes Media is expected to have installed 4,000 digital decoders, 400 solar projection satellite TV systems, and 200 digital TVs for free in public institutions and households under the second phase of the project.

Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages project is a ChinaAid initiative that was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2015, and Malawi is among the countries benefiting from the project.

By Brian Wasili

Mwanza, September 28, Mana: Khudze Ward Councillor, Emmanuel Kapawe has been elected as Mwanza District Council Chairperson while Frazer Bandiele of Thambani Ward as his vice.

In his acceptance speech after the elections held in the Council Chamber on Friday, Kapawe pledged to work with all stakeholders to ensure that development activities in the district are distributed evenly regardless of distance and political ideologies.

“I will make follow up on projects that are underway to see to it that they are completed on time and operational,” he promised.

Kapawe called for coordination between the council secretariat and the elected members for improved service delivery for the benefit of people in the district.

Kapawe who defeated his vice (Bandiele) by four votes against two is replacing outgoing Mitseche Ward Councillor, Steve Bellon Kasambwe whose two consecutive terms of office have expired.

His vice Frazer Bandiele amassed three votes defeating Kasambwe who collected two votes while Mpandadzi Ward Councillor, Kayisi Chimbalanga had one vote.

According to Local Government Act, council chairperson is elected into the office to serve for 12 months’ subject to re-election for another term in contrast to City Mayor who serves for two and a half years’ term once elected.

Mwanza District has four wards and two constituencies stretching in three Traditional Authorities of Nthache, Kanduku and Govati.

By Joseph Mtendere Ligowe

Blantyre, September 28, Mana: Ministry of Lands on Friday engaged members of Blantyre District Council, including chiefs, to sensitize them on the new Land Act that is encouraging land owners to register their land including customary land.

Speaking during the meeting, Director of Administration in the Ministry of Lands, Dr. Victor Chinyama Sandikonda, stressed the need to register customary land.

“When one registers his or her land, it shows ownership and there is proper care because he or she becomes responsible for the land they own. This also helps in reducing land conflicts as there will be certificate of ownership. So, we are encouraging communities to take advantage of this Act,” said Sandikonda.

Senior Chief Kunthembwe welcomed the development saying he will work with government so that people should register their land.

“We have a lot of land conflicts and if this initiative comes into existence it will ease and reduce conflicts in our areas,” said Senior Chief Kunthembwe.