MANAonline
Fans criticize high ticket prices for Silver Strikers vs. FCB Nyasa Big Bullets clash
By Charles Nkhoma
Lilongwe, November 21, Mana: Football enthusiasts have voiced their dissatisfaction with the ticket prices set by the Super League of Malawi (SULOM) for the much anticipated TNM Super League clash between Silver Strikers FC and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets. The match is scheduled to take place on November 23, at Silver Stadium.
According to SULOM, tickets for the open stand have been priced at K7, 000, while VIP stand tickets are set at K15, 000.
The pricing has sparked debate on social media, with many fans expressing their concerns.
Some have suggested that SULOM might be using these prices to regulate attendance, given the match's significant implications for the league standings.
In response to these concerns, SULOM General Secretary Donnex Chilonga clarified that ticket pricing is not solely determined by SULOM but also involves the stadium owners.
He speculated that the decision might be influenced by the limited capacity of Silver Stadium, aimed at managing crowd numbers.
“I will provide more detailed information after consulting Silver Strikers to see if any adjustments can be made,” Chilonga stated.
Silver Strikers are currently leading the TNM Super League table with 57 points, while Mighty Wanderers FC follow closely in second place with 53 points.
This fixture is expected to play a significant role in shaping the league’s outcome.
Karonga female security officers parade against GBV
By Mary Sichali
Karonga, November 20, Mana: Female officers from the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Prison Service, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, held a parade on Wednesday in Karonga District to raise awareness and reduce cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against women and children.
The parade called operation "Basadi" which literally means 'women' in Sotho and Tswana languages is an operation by female police officers across countries in the SADC region and it focuses on combating priority crimes particularly against women and children, such as defilement, rape, assault, human trafficking, domestic violence and child labour among others.
Public Relations Officer for Karonga Police, Constable Magret Msiska said they conducted the operation to create awareness to the public and ensure that female police officers are integral in dealing with GBV against women and children.
"Through the victim support unit office, we are sensitizing the public about GBV and its dangers, the penalties involved and case reporting procedure," Msiska said.
She added that the common forms of GBV in karonga are; rape, assault, sexual intercourse with a minor and sending children to sell items during school hours.
"Sometimes women and children may not know that they are experiencing violence. That is why we are putting effort towards building awareness even in schools to keep children informed about their rights to minimize the cases," she explained.
District Gender Officer for Karonga District Council, Ireen Mwenelupembe said GBV cases are rampant in the district and that the initiative by the police will play a vital role in dealing with the status quo.
"As a council, this year from January up to now we have registered 757 cases of GBV while last year it was 500 cases. This informs an escalation and I believe the exercise may aid the lowering of GBV numbers," Mwenelupembe said.
TDI donates medical supplies to Chitipa District Hospital
By Andrew Gondwe
Chitipa, November 21, Mana: Chitipa based Tubepoka Development Initiative (TDI) has donated different medical supplies to Chitipa District Hospital to promote healthy service delivery in Chitipa District.
The medical supplies and equipment includes; 93 cartons of different medical supplies, crutches, hospital beds, mattresses and electric beds to be used in the High Dependency Unit (HDU); all amounting to MK12 million.
Speaking on Tuesday during the handover ceremony at Chitipa District Hospital, Executive Director for TDI, Apostle Paul Ng'ambi appealed to the district hospital management team to put the donated supplies to the intended purpose.
Director of Health and Social Services for Chitipa District, George Kasondo applauded TDI for the donation, saying it has come at a right time whereby Chitipa District is in high need of medical supplies and equipment.
Likoma District Council launches MK114m Yofu-Makulawe Health Post construction Project
By Ireen Mseteka
Likoma, November 21, Mana: Likoma District Council on Thursday launched MK114 Million Yofu-Makulawe Health Post construction Project which has been financed by the Constituency Development Fund.
Speaking on Thursday during the launching ceremony of the project alongside handing over construction site to a contractor, Cheyeka Contractors Limited’s Director of Administration for Likoma District Council, Moses Jere said that the project is expected to be completed in three months.
“The council is committed towards bringing healthy services closer to people so that people do not travel more than eight Kilometers to access health services as stipulated by government policy, hence the project,” said Jere.
Member of Parliament for Likoma, Ashems Songwe said community members from the surrounding areas of the facility will access primary health care services within their reach once the health post is completed.
“People will no longer be going to St Peters Hospital for minor ailments. Women will have easy access to maternal health services hence promoting safe motherhood,” said Songwe.
He then advised the contractor to complete the project within the agreed timeframe since resources for the project are readily available.
One of the community members, Patricia Dilisha said the Post will be a relief especially to expectant women who had to travel to St Peters Hospital for delivery.
“Some women were delivering on their way to the hospital. This will be history once the project is completed,” said Dilisha.
Director for Cheyeka Contractors Limited, Blessings Ng’oma said that the health post will be constructed according to the clients required standards.
“We will deliver according to the required standards for the structure to last long,” said Ng’oma.
Parliament week exposes students to parliament duties
By Prisca Promise Mashushu
Lilongwe, November 20, Mana: The parliament week that was officially launched on Monday has exposed students from both tertiary, secondary and primary schools from different parts of the country to parliament duties.
Students have been able to gain knowledge and understand the duties of the members of parliament and its works when it comes to making laws.
One of the students from Roslyn Secondary school in area 25 said that during the pavilion he was able to know and understand the functions of the members of the parliament when it comes to making and implementing laws of the country.
“Our coming to parliament has helped us to open our eyes and gain knowledge on how the parliament works, and this is going to help us easily understand things we have been learning at school practically," she said.
One of the teachers, Clement Samudeni, who is also head of humanities at Roslyn secondary school said the launch of parliament week has brought a positive impact to many students and other people since many policies that are developed in parliament plays a crucial role in their lives.
“Malawi is a country where many people do not have knowledge on what happens here at parliament and the coming of the programme will surely help students to obtain knowledge which will boost their performance when it comes to their studies since they have learnt about parliament practically,” he explained.
Concurring with Samudeni, Hanna Muhango who is a student from Nanjati primary school said what the parliament has done is very imperative as students will now be able to easily understand what they are learning in their respective schools concerning parliament.
“The coming of our school at Parliament has helped us to know and understand duties of the members of parliament and know the books that constitute laws of the nation.
“I would like to encourage my fellow students to come and attend the pavilions in order to learn and know more about parliament which can help them to perform well during examinations when issues of the parliament arise,” she explained.
Lightning kills 34 cows in Mchinji
By Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, November 21, Mana: At least 34 cows were killed by lightning on Wednesday afternoon in Matimba Village, under Traditional Authority Chioshya in Mchinji District.
Mchinji District Animal Health and Livestock Officer, Mwiza Msiska, confirmed the incident and said veterinary officers are conducting routine checks to verify the cause of death.
“If it is confirmed that lightning was the cause, the animals may not pose a threat if consumed. However, we are conducting standard checks, similar to those done at slaughterhouses, to rule out any other potential causes,” Msiska said.
Eyewitness Bisayi Makowa reported that the cows were resting under a tree to seek shelter from the rain when the lightning struck.
“The lightning only struck the cows, but there was no sign of any burnt tree from the impact,” Makowa said.
Police, livestock officers, and other authorities rushed to the scene after receiving reports of the incident.
Mchinji Police Public Relations Officer, Limbani Mpinganjira, confirmed that no human fatalities were reported.
“We have not received any report of a person being killed during the incident,” Mpinganjira said.
The financial loss is estimated at over K17 million, with the average value of each cow pegged at K500,000.
Authorities are still working to establish whether the animals belonged to different owners.
PAC urges electoral partners to intensify voter registration mobilization
By Benedicto Maguda
Blantyre, November 20, Mana: Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has appealed to electoral stakeholders in Malawi to take active role in encouraging eligible voters to get registered in the current voter registration in readiness for the 2025 General Election.
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) currently is in phase 2 of the voter registration in preparation for 2025 polls when registered voters will elect president, members of parliament and ward councilors.
Spokesperson for Public Affairs Committee, Bishop Gifford Matonga told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday that many stakeholders are not doing enough to mobilize people on voter registration.
“There are a number of factors that are causing such low turnout in most registration centers; this is so because stakeholders are not doing well in voter civic education and mobilization. People are supposed to be well educated on issues to do with voter registration,” he said.
Matonga therefore asked church leaders, chiefs, non-governmental organizations, and all stakeholders to take part in encouraging people to go and register for 2025 elections.
In a separate interview, Councilor for Chisenjere Ward in Zomba, Gift Chilipa said it is true that people are not coming out for registration as compared to the last general elections.
“Despite MEC and NICE doing awareness, people are not coming in large numbers. This is worrisome but we are trying our best to deliver the messages about the importance of voter registration in places such as churches and mosques,” added Chilipa.
Second round of voters’ registration is underway in Nkhata Bay, Rumphi, Likoma, Kasungu, Kasungu Municipality, Dowa, Mchinji, Ntcheu, Zomba, Zomba City, Blantyre, Blantyre City and Thyolo.
MOAM addresses passenger’s concerns
By Pempho Nkhoma
Blantyre, November 20, Mana: Minibus Owners Association of Malawi (MOAM) has clarified that the current transport fare hike is not permanent and has assured the public that the fares will get back to normal once the fuel situation normalizes.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Wednesday, General Secretary for MOAM, Coaxley Kamange said for now people need to understand the situation, saying the raise in fares is due to the current fuel crisis.
“With the fuel situation, some people are buying at higher prices from the black market while others are finding fuel from far places which forces them to raise the transport fares to break even with what they have spent,” he said.
However, Kamange condemned other minibus operators who still charge higher transport fare despite buying fuel at recommended pump prices.
“We appeal to those that have bought fuel at standard prices to charge normal fares so that they will not be disadvantaging passengers,” he added.
In a separate interview, President for Passengers Welfare Association of Malawi (PAWA), Don Napuwa expressed disappointment with the situation, saying fuel shortage does not imply change in prices.
“They are taking advantage of the situation to benefit more because the shortage of fuel does not mean that that the price has to change,” he said.
Napuwa urged government to intervene, saying it is government’s responsibility to look into issues of transport for its citizens.
“Public transport needs to be handled by government because leaving it to the private sector is not helping the passengers, our friends in other countries like United States of America (USA) and South Africa have robust public transport systems managed by the government and they do not experience such issues,” he said.
There has been a rise in the fares by minibus operators in the country where in some cases passengers are being asked to pay between K700 and K1000 on a distance that normally cost K500.
Beneficiaries applaud government for timely lean season response
By Salome Gangire
Neno, November 20, Mana: Beneficiaries of the 2024/25 Lean Season Response Programme in Neno District have expressed gratitude to government for the timely delivery of maize under the initiative.
Speaking on Wednesday at Chilimbondo Court in the area of Traditional Authority Dambe, one of the beneficiaries, Jenipher Zinongwa from Khomera Village commended government for the timely intervention, noting that the food aid for November has arrived just as they needed it, following a successful October distribution.
“This year’s programme is very organized as we are receiving the maize distribution in time. We have now received maize distribution for the month of November as we did in October. In the past, we used receive maize for a particular month in another month which was not good,” she said.
Zinongwa said the response has eased their struggles during the lean season.
“We are thankful to the government for the timely support. Many families in our area were on the brink of hunger, but receiving maize in October and now November has brought us the much-needed relief,” she said.
Another beneficiary from Mkoka Village in the area of Traditional Authority Symon, Chakuda Bauleni emphasized the impact of the initiative, stating that the support is very important because this is the time of the year when most families have exhausted their food stocks.
“The fact that the maize has come on time shows that government is prioritizing the needs of its people,” Bauleni said.
Bauleni also noted the smooth distribution process, lauding the collaboration between government officials and community leaders.
Neno District Disaster Risk Management Officer, Brighton Mphinga said the implementation of the 2024/25 Lean Season Response Programme is progressing very well in the district with the maize being supplied on time.
Mphinga said the programme is targeting 13 868 food insecure households in the district.
“We would like to thank government for distributing the maize under the lean response in time as we are distributing maize for the month of November, having successfully distributed supplies for October,” Mphinga said.
He said the maize distribution under the programme has resulted in maize prices stabilizing on the market forcing some vendors to lower their prices.
According to Mphinga, Neno is among the districts that will receive the response for six months starting from October 2024 to March 2025 alongside Mwanza and Blantyre districts based on the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report.
He said the response follows the MVAC report, which projected that 5.7 million people will be food insecure in the country.
President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera on May 23, this year declared a state of disaster in 23 out of the 28 districts in the country due to hunger, which was caused by El Nino weather phenomenon.
Organization hands over borehole to Chitipa communities
By Andrew Gondwe
Chitipa, November 20, Mana: A local organization in Chitipa, Tubepoka Development Initiative (TDI) has drilled a K12 Million borehole at Ngatele village in Senior Chief Mwabulambya in Chitipa to ensure that communities have access to clean and safe water in the area.
Speaking during the handover ceremony on Tuesday, TDI's board chairperson, Island Mtambo said the intervention follows increased cases of waterborne diseases in the area owing to lack of access to clean and safe water.
"We believe the borehole will help transform the community as people will have improved access to safe and clean water and will also enhance opportunities for infrastructure development," Mtambo said.
He added that the borehole will help reduce the long distance women and girls used to travel to fetch water from unprotected sources.
Mtambo urged the community to cultivate a sense of ownership for the borehole by maintaining it to ensure sustainability.
One of the beneficiaries, Lolass Nyondo of Ngatele Village applauded TDI for the borehole in her area saying it will help reduce various challenges such as water borne diseases.
"We used to fetch water from unprotected sources shared with domesticated and wild animals making it unhealthy and unreliable. We are thankful for having one," she added.
She asked TDI and other stakeholders to drill more boreholes in the surrounding areas as shortage of safe and clean water was a big challenge.
The borehole is set to address water related challenges among 374 community members.
Since 2012, TDI with funding from Willow Creek Church of America have drilled 46 boreholes within the Ilanga-Njerengwa area in Senior Chief Mwabulambya in Chitipa district.
