MANAonline
Thyolo DC laments delays in drafting by-laws
By Yamikani Yapuwa
Thyolo, November 14, Mana: District Commissioner for Thyolo, Hudson Kuphanga, has expressed frustration over delays by the office of the Attorney General in drafting by-laws submitted by the council, saying the situation is crippling the district’s revenue collection efforts.
Speaking during a visit by the Local Authority and Rural Development Committee of Parliament Thursday, Kuphanga, disclosed that the council is unable to collect over K200 million in tariffs from tea estates because there are no legally binding by-laws to guide the process.
“The tea estates are willing to pay, but they demand a proper legal framework. Unfortunately, the Attorney General’s Office has not yet approved the by-laws we submitted, citing a shortage of legal drafters,” said Kuphanga.
He said the delay has dire consequences, stating that the council owes its direct staff over K100 million in unpaid wages, causing unrest among employees.
“Our staff have resorted to reporting the council to the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions, accusing us of withholding their wages intentionally. Meanwhile, the money we need to address this is sitting in the estates, uncollected,” lamented Kuphanga.
In response, Local Authority and Rural Development Committee Chairperson, Horace Chipuwa, recommended that the council use interim measures to proceed with tariff collection.
“While awaiting for the Attorney General’s Office to draft the by-laws, the council should use the minutes from the Full Council meeting where the by-laws were formulated and passed. This could serve as a temporary measure for collecting the tariffs,” said Chipuwa.
Chipuwa acknowledged that the delay in drafting by-laws is a common issue affecting many councils across the country, calling for urgent intervention to address the bottleneck.
“This is not an isolated problem; it’s a national challenge. We will engage relevant authorities to ensure that the Attorney General’s Office expedites the drafting process so councils can collect revenue and improve service delivery,” he said.
During the tour, the committee visited the newly constructed office complex as well as Mtambanyama Market, a Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) funded project where Chipuwa expressed satisfaction with the quality infrastructure.
Flames Line Up: Coach Pasuwa trusts Gaba and old guards to face Burundi
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, November 14, Mana: The Malawi National Football Team, the Flames, interim coach Calisto Pasuwa has restored Gabadinho Mhango in the starting loine that will face Burundi today in 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers at Stade Félix Houphouët -Boigny in vory Coast.
This comes after Burundi defeated Flames at Bingu National Stadium 3-2 on September 5 2024.
In a line released by the Football Association of Malawi (Fam) Pasuwa has trusted the formerly maligned Mhango to lead the attack together with anothr long absentee Mozambique based Richard Mbulu.
John Banda will captain the team with William Thole manning the goals who will be defended by Charles Petro, Macdonald Lameck, Alick Lungu and Chembezi Dennis among the new look line up.
Gaddie Chirwa and Lanjesi Nkhoma have been entrusted to attack from the wings with support from Yankho Singo,
The Previous meetings between the two sides have favoured the Burundi after registering two victories and two draws.
Malawi will be looking for their first win against Burundi in all competitions since 1987.
Parliamentary Committee on Local Authority commends Balaka Council for outstanding projects
By John Witness
Balaka, November 14, Mana: Local Authority Committee of Parliament on Wednesday, toured the Balaka District Council to appreciate various projects implemented under District Development Fund (DDF) and Governance for Enabled Service Delivery (GESD) support in the district.
Speaking after touring Balaka District Hospital guardian shelter and Rivirivi Extension Planning Area (EPA), the committee’s chairperson, Horace Chipuwa, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the projects saying they reflected development aspirations of people in the area.
“In the absence of the guardian shelter, l know that people were sleeping outside. New EPA offices have bailed extension staff from using old offices which were in very bad state. We will write a report and present to Parliament so that the house should appreciate.
“Construction of Rivirivi Extension Planning Area (EPA) office has shown a significant transition from old and dilapidated offices to new office,” he added.
Balaka District Director of Health and Social Services, Dr. Chimwemwe Thambo, said construction of the guardian shelter was ideal and timely but stressed the need for the speedy construction of additional toilets and a kitchen to provide conducive environment for the shelter users.
The council’s Director of Planning and Development (DPD), Chris Nawata, said the local authority was happy with the committee's sentiments on the DDF and GESD supported projects.
"We are impressed with their sentiments as regards to progress of the projects. The committee’s remarks are very encouraging,” he said.
Nawata said there was need to increase GESD funding to enable the council to implement more projects to satisfy people’s development needs.
“We adopted a package approach to ensure that each project has elements such as water, electricity and staff houses, and in our Annual Investment Plan we have a lot more projects that need to be done as soon as possible,” he added.
Agricultural Extension Development Coordinator (AEDC) for the Rivirivi EPA, Bexstor Soko explained to the committee negative impacts of working in an old and dilapidated office, saying the old office provided unconducive work environment for the staff.
“The structure was almost a death trap especially when it is raining and wind blowing. The new office is a game changer to us as well as the famers we serve,
“We can comfortably converge here with farmers because we also have a conference room within the building,” he added.
New Rivirizi EPA office was constructed using GESD funds while Balaka District Hospital guardian shelter was constructed with DDF
PMRA for stiffer punishment for illegal drug transaction offenders.
By Namon Chitukuta
Mzuzu, November 14, Mana: Director General for Pharmacy and Medicines Regulatory Authority (PMRA) Mphatso Kawaye has expressed dissatisfaction with some of the sentences that courts of law imposed on convicts of drug cases.
Kawayi was speaking on Thursday in Mzuzu when he opened a two-day sensitization workshop on drug related crimes for magistrates which was organized by PMRA in conjunction with the Association of Magistrates (AMA).
He said that most offenders are slapped with lenient sentences which can not deter those that are involved in drug related crimes from indulging in the vice.
“We therefore ask both the Malawi Police Services (MPS) prosecutors and magistrates mett deterrent penalties on such convicts so that drug related crimes are reduced,” Kawaye said.
He added that any illegal drug related act poses a threat to people’s health, hence the workshop involving the main players in addressing the malpractices.
Chairperson for Judicial Training Committee, Justice Violet Chipao said that there is need for collective understanding and enforcement of laws and regulations that govern pharmaceutical sector in the country.
“If sentences are not deterrent enough, the law loses its value as individuals who weigh the potential costs of the crime against the benefits of the crime before deciding to engage in criminal activity, hence they opt committing the crime as they see it beneficial,” Chipao said.,
It is expected that stakeholders will discuss various issues including risks associated with handling illegal drugs by the public, the difficulties the magistrates and courts encounter while handling drug related matters.
The workshop also provides a platform for promoting coordination among prosecutors, investigators and magistrates in handling drug related crimes.
PMRA has conducted a series of such workshops and the recent one was held in Lilongwe.
Mighty Wanderers Fires Head Coach
By Alinafe Kapatamoyo
Lilongwe, November 14, Mana: Mighty Mukuru Wanderers football club has terminated the contract of their head coach Meck Mwase, following an absence from duties for some days without notifying the team management.
Meck Mwase In a press release dated 15th November 2024, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers revealed that Mwase has been absent from his duties since November 4, 2024, and has been missing from Team trainings since the team lost to Silver Strikers in Airtel Top 8 semi-finals. Furthermore, the club says there has been no response from him despite multiple efforts to contact him.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers has assured fans that it is implementing arrangements to have an interim coach in order to ensure the Clubs continuity and maintain its competitive edge.
“We extend our gratitude to Mr Meck Mwase for his contributions during his tenure and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” states the press release.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers is on position 2 in the TNM Super league with 50 points after playing 25 games.
MTI marks 25 years of empowering youths
By George Mponda & Ephraim Ngwira
Karonga, November 14, Mana: MIRACLE Technical Institute (MTI) in Karonga on Monday celebrated its 25th anniversary of empowering youths with vocational skills.
Since its inception in 1999, the Marianist Institute of Rural Artisans for Christian Life Education (MIRACLE) has been providing training and education to young people, equipping them with the skills necessary to succeed in various trades and industries.
Besides commemorating its 25th anniversary, 167 graduates were awarded certificates after successfully completing their vocational training programs in the informal, formal and commercial sectors.
Marianist Regional Supervisor of Eastern Africa Father Steve Wanyoike Mburu who was guest of honor at the celebration said God has walked with the institution for 25 years and there is need to show gratefulness for this.
"Catholic schools are built on the conviction that God exists and they are places where young people go to attain an education while at the same time learning how to love other human beings,” said Father Mburu.
Principle for MTI Wanangwa Sichoni said the school offers formal, informal and commercial programs to give room for everyone to have a chance to participate and acquire necessary skills.
“Many students who were coming to enroll with us did not have a qualification that can allow them to access the institute. We saw it necessary to incorporate them as well and they have proved to be more productive than the formal students.
“We are celebrating 25 years of success and growth. We began very small with three courses but now we have seven courses including two commercial courses. Since 1999, we have managed to train over 2000 youths with technical skills in the country,” Sichoni said.
Sichoni also said that they are working on plans to engage education stakeholders so that they can start offering degree programs.
Northern Region Manager for TEVETA, Joseph Chikopa hailed the Catholic Church for its efforts in providing quality education to Malawian youths through its various institutions.
MTI was initially intended for poor orphans but recently it has opened its doors to all youths in Malawi.
Balaka SCTP beneficiaries commends government for empowering households financially
By Andrew Phiri
Balaka, November 14, Mana: Beneficiaries of Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) in Balaka District have commended Malawi Government for improving their livelihood through monthly cash transfers, which help them to meet their basic needs.
The SCTP beneficiaries expressed their gratitude on Wednesday when officials from Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare and Balaka District Council toured some of the beneficiary households to appreciate impact of the programme.
Melesiya Eliyasi, a mother of six from Ndoya Village, Traditional Authority Nsamala said she purchased 13 chickens, iron sheets to build a house such that her family has a decent accommodation after being enrolled in the SCTP which continue to provide monthly cash transfers.
She recalled that her family had poor accommodation and poor income base to keep them going before her enrollment into the SCTP in 2022.
“I am happy to own a decent house. My children and my husband are all living a purposeful life because of the money we receive through Mtukula Pakhomo,” Eliyasi added.
She therefore asked government to extend her period in the programme, expressing her commitment to improve her household livelihood more.
Another SCTP beneficiary, Jeany Eliyasi 45, from the same area also shared similar story saying apart from building a modern house, she provided her children with school necessities on top of purchasing a solar panel for convenient electricity.
“I joined Village Savings Loan (VSL) group. I could not join this group had it not been for Mtukula Pakhomo,
“People could not accommodate me into a group, they could not trust me because l had no reliable source of income to qualify me for a member of a VSL group," she explained.
Assistant Social Welfare Officer in Balaka, Richard Kalimwayi said the SCTP was meant to uplift lives of the poorest and labour constrained household, adding that over 10,000 households in the district were enrolled in the programme.
“The SCTP has three core objectives, to reduce poverty among poorest households, to reduce malnutrition among children and to increase their enrollment in schools. We therefore encourage households to prudently use K12,000 including bonuses they receive monthly.,” he added
Kalimwayi called for complementary interventions to the SCTP, saying that collective efforts from stakeholders will sustain beneficiaries’ livelihood.
The SCTP also known as Mtukula Pakhomo is one of the programmes under the National Social Support Programmes funded by Malawi Government, World Bank and Multi Donor Trust Fund targeting ultra-poor and labour constrained rural households in the country.
Low turnout persists in Rumphi voter registration
By Manasse Nyirenda
Rumphi, November 14, Mana: Five days into second phase of voter registration, figures we have accessed from seven of 168 centres show that turn out is still low since the exercise commenced on Saturday, November 9, 2024.
Figures from Kanyerere, Bumba, Saint Dennis and Mayembe Primary Schools, Rumphi Prison and Rumphi Magistrates Court in Rumphi Central Constituency and Chiwondora Primary School in Rumphi East show under 2500 had registered by Wednesday.
Rumphi District Chairperson for Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Kennie Mzembe says as a party they are working hard to get more people to register in order for them to vote in 2025.
"This coming weekend we will be joined by some senior party officials to help mobilize people to register," said Mzembe.
UTM Director of Youth for the North, Afike Mbewe says his party is also sensitizing people to register in preparation for 2025 General Elections.
Supervisor at St Dennis Primary School Centre at the Boma says he is optimistic that numbers will improve as registration progresses.
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) and others are on the ground sensitizing people to register in order to be able to vote in 2025 General Elections.
Registration in the district started on November 9 and is expected to wind up on November 22, 2024.
Government commits to ensuring access to safe water - Chakwera
By Sylvester Kumwenda
Dowa, November 14, Mana: President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has said government is committed in making sure all Malawians have access to safe water as one way of ensuring healthy lives for Malawians.
He was speaking Thursday to multitudes gathered at Chezi trading centre in Dowa southeast constituency during a whistle stop the president is conducting in the district.
Chakwera said as government is implementing various developments, one priority area is provision of clean and safe water to people.
"We want all Malawians to have safe water and that is why we are intensifying installing piped water systems like what we are doing here at Chezi. We are also constructing dams to make sure we have adequate water for all. The idea is to in the future, do away with boreholes
"We are doing all this to reduce risks of diseases like cholera because we do not want a repeat of what happened a few years ago, so it is our responsibility as government to put in place efforts to ensure a healthy population," he said.
The president also said government will continue with food distribution exercises to people around Chezi and Dowa as a whole.
"Farmers here are hardworking and produce a lot and they feed the country as well.
"But we experienced food shortages because of erratic weather trends. As government, we will continue with maize distribution and enroll other beneficiaries on the program so that all are saved from hunger," he said.
On this, he added saying government will also make sure of availability of fertiliser so that all may be able to access the commodity.
He then committed to providing more development to improve lives of people in Dowa. But the president asked people to go and register in large numbers so that they may be able to vote in the forthcoming elections.
In her remarks, parliamentarian for the area Halima Daudi who is also deputy minister of health said the president deserves to be applauded for the various developments he is implementing in the country.
"You have done a lot of which others have failed in more than 20 years. You are trying your best to give us food, schools, bridges and roads. In terms of fertiliser, people here have already started purchasing in readiness of this growing season.
"The only way we can show our appreciation is to make sure we all register and vote for you in the 2025 elections,”said Daudi.
Traditional Authority Nkukula speaking earlier said people from the area appreciated the coming of the president as this indicated the love the president has for the people in the area.
He described the area as stronghold for the president, and said people are ready for the 2025 elections.
He then thanked the president for maize distribution initiatives but asked that more young people are included on programs like NEEF.
Two little girls die as wall collapses on them in Chikwawa
By Willy Kadewere
Chikwawa, November 13, Mana: Two little girls died after the wall of a dilapidated house fell on them this week at Gola at Traditional Authority Chapananga in Chikwawa District where the bodies were discovered in a rubble after some hours.
Chikwawa Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Dickson Matemba confirmed the incident and deceased children were identified as Vanessa Madandaulo, 4 and Esnart Stonard, 5.
According to Chikwawa Police the two were left home while their parents went out to do some activities within the area and it was believed that in the course of the play, the wall of an abandoned house fell on them.
Sergeant Matemba added that in the evening, the parents discovered that the children were missing thereby prompting them to start searching within the neighbourhood.
“Later, they discovered two lifeless bodies under the rubbles in one of the houses that the children used to play,” he added.
Police and a medical team rushed to the accident scene and after conducting postmortem, it was discovered that the death was due to suffocation after the rubbles had covered them, according to the Police PRO in Chikwawa.
The police in the district therefore warned parents to closely monitor movements of their children to avoid similar incidents.
