By Manasse Nyirenda

Rumphi, January 31, Mana: Minister of Labour, Agnes NyaLonje, says there is need to include boarding facilities and tutors’ houses at Lura Community Technical College in Rumphi for it to be conducive for vocational skills acquisition.

She was speaking Tuesday after inspecting the college to appreciate its readiness for operation.

In an interview after the inspection, NyaLonje said the location of the college necessitates construction of houses for tutors as well as boarding facilities for students.

"There are structures that need to be done which were not in the original plan. Apparently, the initial plan did not include other essential things such as electricity, accommodation for tutors and students.

“These are key things that require a significant budget, but were not included because they were overlooked at planning stage," said Nyalonje.

She added that government is considering options of funding the extra works including utilizing part of Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) allocated to Rumphi District Council in consultation with the Council.

She said her ministry is doing everything possible to source K50 million, which is an outstanding balance for the previous phases of the project, so that construction works resumes on the site.

Chairperson for Rumphi District Council, Harry Munyenyembe said boarding facilities at the institution would ensure that people from areas across the district are provided with an opportunity to acquire vocational skills training, adding that the current design only favors the college’s surrounding communities.

Construction of Lura Community Technical College started in 2018 and is expected to enroll up to 200 students into various vocational skills.

At least K1 billion has been spent on the project since construction started.

By Vincent Khonje

Mchinji, January 31, Mana: The community in Mikundi Extension Planning Area (EPA) in Mchinji is experiencing a life-changing transformation as modern toilets replace outdated facilities, thanks to the efforts of Assemblies of God Care (AG CARE) an implementing partner of Sustainable Food System for Rural Agriculture Transformation and Resilience (TRANSFORM) programme.

One of the key aspects of the project involves providing sanitation entrepreneur training and deployment, resulting in skilled artisans constructing modern toilets across the EPA, including schools.

Benson Friday, Deputy Head Teacher at Chitunda Primary School, shared the impact of this intervention on their institution.

Friday said: "We faced challenges with pit latrines covered with trees and later concrete slabs, both proving to be neither durable nor protective as they could usually collapse, but the introduction of modern toilets called Corbelled or 'Mwamuna apumule' in 2022 by an AG CARE-trained artisan brought a positive change. These toilets do not only fill up quickly but are also cost-effective and environmentally friendly, eliminating the use of trees."

Binton Katengeza, a trained artisan from Mtenje Village, highlighted the life-changing impact of the project on individual lives.

"After receiving training, I approached the Village Development Committee (VDC) to share information about modern toilets, now, I construct these toilets for schools and individuals, and earn a sustainable income that is transforming my life,” he said.

Ganizani Chirindanji, WASH coordinator in Mchinji, emphasised the importance of the project in addressing challenges affecting hygiene and sanitation.

“In Mchinji there is one problem of water logging that is a challenge to hygiene and sanitation, so most toilets collapse, but Corbelled toilets are recommended and improved latrines that take time to fill and do not collapse easily,” said Chirindanji.

The benefits of the project extend beyond schools, reaching communities and individual households.

Takondwa Phanga, AG CARE Programmes Manager, outlined the comprehensive approach of the TRANSFORM programme, reaching 5,160 farmers in Mchinji.

“The micro-investment component we are implementing also includes providing safe water, promoting hygiene and ensuring good nutrition. This involves constructing shallow wells equipped with hand pumps, rehabilitating boreholes, and training artisans to build modern toilets,” said Phanga.

TRANSFORM project, is funded by Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Dan Church Aid (DCA.

By Gift Chiponde

Lilongwe, January 30, Mana: Minister of Lands, Deus Gumba, has urged the newly recruited District Land Registrars and Land Clerks to execute their jobs professionally.

Gumba made the remarks in Blantyre on Tuesday during the official opening of the orientation for land clerks and land registrars.

The training is being offered by the Malawi School of Government.

Government, through Ministry of Lands, facilitated recruitment of 34 District Land Registrars and 319 Land Clerks to help in dealing with lands issues in district councils across the country.

Gumba said the recruitment of new staff in the ministry will help government improve service delivery at local level and embrace decentralization.

He urged the newly recruited officers to take the training seriously and execute their duties with competence.

"I want to have well trained officers who are conversant with Malawi land laws and regulations. It is my expectation that once these officers are inducted, I will have well trained officers who will assist to champion the country’s development," said Gumba.

Secretary for Lands, Devie Chilonga, said land in Malawi is a very big issue in all the 35 councils hence recruiting the officers is a big achievement which will make a difference in all the councils on how to settle land matters.

Chilonga has advised the trainees to embrace discipline during their training and has instructed officials from Malawi School of Government to report any case of indiscipline.

"For all those who will not be serious with their training please inform management of Ministry of Lands so that we can discipline such officers accordingly," said Chilonga.

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.