MANAonline
President Chakwera leaves for Namibia
By Rosalia Kapiri
President Lazarus Chakwera has left the country for the Republic of Namibia where he is expected to attend the state funeral for the late President of Namibia, Hage Heingob scheduled to take place on Sunday. 24 February, 2024.
The Malawi leader departed for Namibia, Saturday morning through Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe and was seen off by the country's vice president, Saulos Klaus Chilima, Ministers, government officials and traditional leaders.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Chakwera expressed sorrow over the death of a fellow African president describing it a huge loss for the SADC region.
“As Africans we have lost an African giant. We are one and when one of us departs from this earth it is a loss to all of us and we are there for each other in these times,” he said.
Late President Geingob who succumbed to cancer on 4 February, 2024 was first sworn-in as president in 2015, but had served in top political positions since Namibia`s independence in 1990.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Chakwera will return to Malawi on Sunday, February 24, 2024 through KIA.
ATM Strategy to boost Malawi's Economy in 2024/2025 Budget
By Priscilla Phiri
Lilongwe, February 23, Mana: Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Simplex Chithyola Banda, says government has committed itself to recover the country’s economy through Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM) strategy.
He said this in Parliament on Friday during presentation of 2024/2025 budget under the theme “From economic recovery to resilience through accelerating production and enhancing the legal and regulatory environment to protect the economy.”
In his presentation Banda highlighted that the 2024/2025 budget has been framed to recover the economy from forex challenges that negatively affected the progress of development as well as domestic revenue of the country through the ATM strategy.
“Government has identified Agriculture, Tourism and Mining as a strategy that will further help to boost domestic revenue in this budget.
“This strategy will have significant allocations and government will focus on developing national legal and institutional frameworks for protecting natural resources,” he said.
According to Chithyola Banda government will continue to invest in various agricultural projects such as mega farms for increased production in the agricultural sector.
He also mentioned various developments in the tourism sector such as visa waivers to 79 countries to facilitate and ease the inflow of tourists in the country, among others.
“In mining sector, government registered the Malawi Mining Company under the Malawi Development Corporations Holdings Limited that will catalyse development of the mining sector,” he explained.
In an interview, Leader of Opposition, Mary Navicha, commended government for removing visa requirements for 79 countries in an effort to boost tourism in the country.
She, therefore, advised government to rehabilitate airports and roads that lead to tourism areas in the country for meaningful development.
In a separate interview, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Malawi, Rune Skinnebach, commended government for allocating 30 percent of the budget to production for the first time saying it is a move in the right direction as the country needs more production and exports.
“I hope government puts in measures that render the lives of the producers much easier by making business and investment climate more conducive,” said Skinnebach.
The 2024/2025 budget has allocated a total of K497.75 billion to agriculture and irrigation development and a total of K4.8 billion to tourism.
Zimbabwe VP satisfied with sports facilities
By Elia Chibwe
Lilongwe, February 23, Mana: Second Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Kembo Mohadi, who is in this country on a three-day visit, has expressed satisfaction over the Griffin Saenda Sports Complex and Bingu National Stadium sports facilities in Lilongwe.
Speaking Friday after touring the facilities, Mohadi was satisfied with modernity of the facilities saying they meet standards of athletes.
“Athletics is something that needs proper and well standard facilities; so these are good,” Mohadi said.
He said, his country has many sports facilities but none of them qualify in the Federation International Football Association’s (FIFA) expectations.
“The purpose of my trip is to benchmark what should be done in Zimbabwe as Malawi hosted the Regional Tournament and is one of the countries approved with a stadium that meets FIFA expectations,” he said.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire, said Mohadi’s visit is important as it will boost the country to do more in as far as sports facilities are concerned.
He reiterated the importance of building Griffin Saenda sports facility in a modern standard that can include various sports disciplines.
“Griffin Saenda was started as a netball indoor facility but it was important and paramount to include other sports discipline like basketball, volleyball and all other small sports disciplines.
“That is why we had to change the scope of work at the facility and that necessitated additional financing,” he said.
Griffin Saenda sports facility is being constructed to the tune of K15 billion.
According to Mkandawire, the project will be completed this year.
OIM project to improve livelihoods in rural areas
By Rennie Tembo
Lilongwe, February 23, Mana: Opportunity International Malawi (OIM) is set to introduce a project targeting the ultra-poor in Lilongwe with an aim of improving household livelihood in rural areas in the district.
Speaking in Lilongwe on Thursday during an interface meeting with stakeholders, OIM Country Director, Richard Chongo, said the project will benefit 120 households to the tune of K402 million in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Masula in the district.
Chongo said, despite government and other non governmental organisations assisting the ultra-poor with different interventions, there is still need for other players to come in and assist government in its quest to improve the status of the people especially in rural areas.
“As OIM, we will be working with female headed households with exceptions in some cases where the household is headed by a male child under the age of 18.
“The targeted households will be given K30,000 cash per month for six months with additional assets such as goats or pigs worth K350,000 per household to help them improve their livelihoods,” he said.
Chongo said they intend to achieve the project goals through the use of case workers employed by OIM who will help to provide adequate support to the beneficiaries. Each worker will support at least 30 households.
Lilongwe District Council Chief Economist, Dumisani Chiwala, thanked OIM for the initiative saying there are still many vulnerable people who need such assistance for their day to day living.
Chiwala urged OIM to follow government social support policies in identifying beneficiaries saying that is the only way of making sure that the project contributes to the Malawi 2063 blueprint through medium term implementation plan.
“I also call upon all those who will benefit from this project to make sure they use the support for the intended purpose so that poverty levels should be reduced,” he said.
According to OIM, 63 percent of people living in Lilongwe rural live below the poverty line.
Usiwa Watha Ultra Poor Project was also implemented in Blantyre rural in TA Machinjiri and TA Makata in Ndirande where many households have now graduated from poverty.
Ethanol to venture into fertilizer production in Nkhotakota
By Innocent Chunga & Wongani Mkandawire
Nkhotakota, February 23, Mana: Ethanol Company Limited (ETHCO) says its project of constructing a fertilizer company to process the company's effluent into organic fertilizer at Dwangwa Illovo Sugar Estate in Nkhotakota is at an advanced stage.
ETHCO Chief Executive Officer, Lusubiro Chakaniza, made the remarks at Mlala Primary School in the area of senior Chief Kanyenda in Nkhotakota on Thursday during a tree planting exercise, in collaboration with Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM).
She said caring for the environment is one of the company's pillars citing that the factory will have an impact on the sugar industry as it will improve some challenges like cost of fertilizer for communities in the area.
Chakaniza said the plant will have the capacity to produce approximately 10,000 metric tons of potassium fertilizer per year.
"We will be manufacturing fertilizer from wastes that our company is producing to promote zero emissions to industrial activities,” she said.
Chakaniza said, currently, they are facing supply chain challenges because of the Red Sea war but by mid-this year the plant will be fully operational.
She highlighted that Ethanol is committed to continue believing in and supporting activities initiated by communities apart from taking part in environmental protection in the area.
WESM Chairperson, Victor Mangochi, said they will continue working with relevant stakeholders in implementing appropriate measures in as far as environmental conservation is concerned.
"This exercise shows that WESM and Ethanol are moving on the same path by supporting government in conserving environment," said Mangochi.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera launched the 2023/2024 National Forestry Season in Phalombe under the theme: Forest Innovation in Action: Reforestation for a Sustainable Tomorrow.
Communities anticipate dual benefits from public works programme
By Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, February 23, Mana: Beneficiaries in the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CSEPWP) in Mchinji are anticipating dual benefits from the programme.
CSEPWP is a component under the Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Programme (SSRLP) which aims at, among others, rehabilitating the degraded environment, strengthening households’ resilience to shocks and increasing household income.
Rhoda Mwerwa, a beneficiary from Luzare Catchment in Traditional Authority (TA) Nyoka, said in an interview that the programme gives hope to communities in two dimensions.
“We have worked on sub-projects that will help recover the environment and help the degraded soil to be like before. This will help us have more crop yield, at the same time we will earn money in form of wages for working in the sub-projects,” said Mwerwa.
She said, from the first phase of the programme, they are seeing significant results in that runoff water from the hills is being controlled and cannot destroy crops anymore.
Another beneficiary from Kamphoro Catchment in TA Kapunula said with the interventions under CSEPWP most farming fields have been saved.
“We have not seen runoff water from the hills destroying the fields because the stone bands and semi-secular bands we have constructed have helped slow down the water. We hope to have enough food for our families,” said Phiri who is part of a savings and loans group formed by CSEPWP beneficiaries.
Desk Officer for Luzare Catchment, Michael Mwenefumbo, said communities have now understood the importance of soil and water conservation.
“They understand that they are not only benefitting the wages but also protecting the environment which in turn has a bearing on their crop production. They have reclaimed gullies, planted trees, made contour ridges and are taking care of natural regenerants and all these have protected their fields,” said Mwenefumbo.
Chief Planning Officer for Mchinji, Martin Pindamkono, said the programme has progressed well in the district.
“Progress on the sub-projects has been good. We intensified supervision just to see that everything was in order,” said Pindamkono.
CSEPWP is funded by the World Bank and the Social Protection Multi-Donor Trust Fund.
Connecting youths through job, opportunity fairs
By Christer Kalukusha
Lilongwe, February 23, Mana: In a bid of to connect youths in Malawi to different opportunities, mHub conducted a job and opportunity fair in Lilongwe which seeks to capacitate youths with different skills in entrepreneurship as well as job seeking.
Speaking at mHub offices in Area 15 in Lilongwe, mHub Communications Officer, Peter Chiwaula, said due to high unemployment rate among youths in the country, many are venturing into business hence the training to equip youths with skills for them succeed on the market.
"We are here to add value to what youths in the country are already doing; helping them in marketing skills, writing winning proposals and business plans, elevator pitching and accessing grants. So, we come in as a link to connect them to different stakeholders through these trainings," said Chiwaula.
Harvey Mmangisa, a participant who runs an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) business, Octet Systems, described the training as important saying it is a platform to meet potential clients.
He finds such conferences helpful as he has been equipped with skills that will scale up his business.
Managing Director for Thathwe Farms, Ngaaghila Chatata, who was one of the guest speakers, encouraged the youths to pursue their dreams and take such trainings seriously.
"There are opportunities out there but how you present them matters. As such, you need to be a self-starter and improve your curriculum vitae (CV) writing, proposals, pitching skills and, of course, continue to seek mentorship so that you stand out in the competition out there," she said.
The job and opportunity fair was organised by mHub in collaboration with GIZ through its Empowering Youth on Agribusiness (EYA) project which seeks to create jobs and improve skills for rural youth and women in Malawi.
The two-day training is also being held in Nsundwe, Traditional Authority Chimutu, Nkhoma nd Mitundu areas in Lilongwe district.
Ntchisi council moves in on DHO fracas
By James Mwale
Ntchisi, February 23, Mana: Ntchisi District Full Council has resolved that authorities should consider transferring some members of the District’s Health Management Team (DHMT) following complaints made by their junior staff who expressed dissatisfaction in the execution of their duties.
In a letter dated 19th January, 2024, addressed to the District Commissioner, junior members of staff at Ntchisi District Health Office (DHO) demanded immediate transfers of the Director of Health Services (DHSS), Dr Alinafe Kalanga; District Medical Officer, Dr Yakobe Machira; District Environmental Health Officer, James Mtonga and Administrator, Lydia Sibale, among others.
The letter alleged that the stated members of the DHMT were, among other incompetencies, involved in inexplicable absenteeism during critical duty call hours, misappropriation of fuel logistics for ambulances and disregard of staff and patients’ welfare.
The letter, which gave a five-day ultimatum, was followed by protests from the junior workers including closure of hospital offices, marches to the DC’s offices and demonstrations by community members to hospital premises to prove dissatisfaction with the district council’s intervention to their grievances.
“Following this ‘tense atmosphere’ in the district, Ministers of Health and Local Government, along with their deputies and Principal Secretaries, visited the council’s secretariat and advised that the matter be presented before the district’s Full Council before a final decision can be made at ministerial level,” explained the Director of Planning and Development, Violet Kamasumbi who was representing the DC.
In an interview after the Full Council meeting on Thursday, Chairperson for the Council, Arnold Kapolo, said: “Having thoroughly gone through the grievances of the junior workers, and the defense from the members of the DHMT being complained of, we members of the full council have resolved that the five DHMT be transferred and replaced.”
The five had appeared before the district council’s secretariat where, in her defense, the DHSS had said she is mostly not in office because she is mostly engaged in managerial meetings and occupied with tending to other health service related issues as per dictated by her official duties.
The council, however, argued that her predecessors had executed the same duties but still remained in office hence her explanation was not convincing enough.
They resolved that since the members in question had proved to prefer to operate from Lilongwe for reasons not convincing enough to the council, it was in the best interest of everyone involved that they be relocated to areas of their professional comfort and be replaced with other willing peers.
However, Kapolo was quick to say that the Full Council had disapproved the way taken by the junior workers, which included closure of offices and influencing release of gule wamkulu to hospital premises during one of their demonstrations, to have their grievances addressed.
He said the council would send a delegation to engage the workers on proper procedural way of handling such grievances for future reference.
NGO project eyes 200 learners in Ntchisi
By James Mwale
Ntchisi, February 22, Mana: Build On Malawi, a nonprofit organization, has commenced construction of a two-classroom block in Chimbiri, Senior Chief Chilooko in Ntchisi upon whose completion is expected to accommodate at least 200 primary school learners.
Appreciating the development at the construction site during the ground breaking ceremony on Wednesday, Senior Chief Chilooko, said the school blocks are a critical intervention as learners in his area travel long distances to get to school, with some experiencing life-threatening encounters along the way.
He said: “Learners in my area have had challenging experiences travelling long distances to access the luxury of education. Some have even drowned in Mpherere River during rainy seasons while some have suffered sexual exploitation while returning from school during late hours.”
He, therefore, described the project as a life saver and asked for more blocks so that the area has a full primary school of classes from standard one to eight.
The project is engaging community members in the area who have so far ferried river sand to the site and moulded sunbaked bricks for the project.
According to Chief Operations Officer for Build On Global, Rosann Jager, the project is scheduled for completion in the next 12 weeks.
She said community involvement in the US$30,000 (approximately K50.4 million) project is one way of instilling a sense of ownership in the community members.
“We have a target of 40 school blocks for districts including Ntchisi which will have 15 school blocks,” said Jager.
It is expected that 40 blocks will be built in Kasungu, Ntchisi, Dowa and Ntcheu districts.
Jager commended community members for their involvement and hopes that other members in designated communities would emulate the gesture.
Member of Parliament for Ntchisi North, Arnold Kadzanja, commended Build On for the project saying it is directly aligned to the Malawi 2063.
He said: “This development in my constituency has served more than one purpose because, on one end, the Constituency Development Fund meant for such a project will now be used to develop another area.”
Ntchisi District Council Human Resource Development Officer, Thokozani Dzekedzeke, said the Council is ready to support the initiative by, among other interventions, providing well qualified teachers and learning materials once classes are operational.
The school block project is being implemented under Build On Malawi’s “Breaking the Cycle of Poverty project.
CSEC hails government for recruiting, promoting teachers
By Martha Simchimba
Lilongwe, February 23, Mana: Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC) has hailed government for recruiting and promoting 9,753 teachers across the country saying the move will assist in improving quality of education in the country.
CSEC Executive Director, Benedicto Kondowe, expressed excitement with the move saying it will significantly contribute to positive strides towards improvement of education standards in the country.
“The infusion of 9,753 educators, alongside promotions, reflects a steadfast commitment to addressing the critical shortage of teachers nationwide which is essential for nurturing academic excellence and fostering effective teaching and learning environments,” he said.
Kondowe said, to further empower education standards in the country, CSEC advocates for sustained recruitment efforts, which is equitable distribution of teachers and strategic review of resource allocation between training and employment, in order to ensure that every student receives the much needed guidance to unlock their full potential.
Ministry of Education Public Relations Officer, Mphatso Nkuonera, said hiring and promotion of teachers will narrow down to proper teacher-student ratio in secondary schools.
“You are aware that in secondary school a teacher is supposed to handle 40 students per class but due to insufficient number of teachers, sometimes the ration goes to 50 students which is not a recommended standard.
“Government saw the need and decided to recruit a huge number of teachers to cover the gap,” he said.
Nkuonera pointed out that government promoted teachers as one way of motivating them thereby improving service delivery.
In an interview, Glory Kamwela, a teacher of Mnjiri Community Day Secondary School in Mzimba said work promotion is a motivation and recruiting new teachers minimizes workload in schools thereby increasing performance.
In a separate interview, one of the promoted teachers, Joseph Silweya, was excited for the promotion saying it will go a long way in improving teaching and learning as teachers are motivated.
Ministry of Education recruited and promoted 9,753 secondary school teachers; 2,681 have been recruited and 2,259 promoted at TI and TJ grades while 3,997 teachers have been promoted as senior teachers, grade TH and 316 teachers to the position of heads of department which is grade TG and 500 teachers as head teachers (grade TG).
