MANAonline
Chakwera hails late Geingob as a great freedom fighter
By Linda Moyo in Windhoek, Namibia
Windhoek, February 25, Mana: President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has hailed the late President of the Republic of Namibia, Hage Geingob, as an icon and hero of the African continent who played a pivotal role as a freedom fighter.
He made the remarks at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia on Saturday where he attended a state memorial service for the late Namibian President.
"Africa has lost one of its finest sons who believed in change and economic empowerment for his people. Late President Geingob was no ordinary man; he travelled the world sowing seeds of freedom, peace and prosperity for Namibia and Africa," said Chakwera.
Reflecting on his personal interactions with Geingob, President Chakwera described him as a wise counsellor, a brave warrior, a true statesman and a dear friend during the three and a half years of their association.
Former Namibian President, Hifikepunye Pohamba, described Geingob as a Pan-Africanist who made significant contributions to Namibia's liberation struggle.
"Geingob was one of the people who fought tirelessly for the liberation of the country. His role in crafting the Namibian constitution will be remembered by many," explained Pohamba.
Pohamba highlighted Geingob's hard work and determination which enabled him to serve his country as prime minister for two consecutive terms and later as President.
Geingob’s memorial service was attended by dignitaries from around the world, including the President of Germany, Namibia’s colonial masters from late 1880s.
Late Geingob, who passed away at the age of 82, will be laid to rest on Sunday at Heroes Acre in Windhoek.
The Namibian government has declared Monday, February 26, as a public holiday in honour of the departed hero.
Government embarks on distribution of maize flour to hunger-stricken families
By Memory Kutengule Chatonda
Blantyre, February 24, Mana: Government has started distributing maize flour targeting 1.8 million food-insecure people in the districts of Blantyre Chiradzulu, Lilongwe, Machinga, Mangochi, Mulanje, Mzimba, Thyolo, Dowa, Karonga, Ntchisi and Chitipa.
Presiding over the launch of maize flour distribution exercise under the 2023/24 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme at Chilangoma and Andiseni in Blantyre on Saturday, Minister of Information and Digitalisation Moses Kunkuyu said government is committed to ensuring that no one dies of hunger.
“We are expecting to receive 23,000 metric tonnes of maize flour from Tanzania and South Africa and so far, the first consignment of 1400 metric tonnes have arrived in the country which we are now distributing to the targeted 397,778 households.
“It is the wish of President Lazarus Chakwera who is the Minister responsible for Disaster and Management Affairs to see that no one dies of hunger,” he said.
The minister then warned people who would want to enrich themselves at the expense of intended beneficiaries that they will face the law once caught.
He advised the beneficiaries not to sell the maize flour but use it for the intended purpose.
“Any beneficiary who sells this flour will be struck off from the list of beneficiaries forthwith; and reported to security personnel for further action,’ he warned.
Kunkuyu, therefore, commended various governments and humanitarian partners, specifically the World Bank, for providing financial support for procuring maize flour, and World Food Programme (WFP) for assisting government in providing logistical arrangements for the importation of the maize flour.
In his remarks, WFP country representative Paul Turnbull described the food distribution exercise as a significant milestone in the organization’s efforts to alleviate the plight of vulnerable people who urgently require food assistance.
“Access to food is a fundamental human right, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that no one is deprived of this necessity. Let us remain steadfast in our commitment to build more resilient Malawi as we strive to achieve Zero Hunger goal by 2030,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Fanny Luka from Kuntaja area commended government for assisting them with the maize flour saying this initiative will help them to have food at home to sustain their daily life.
Chakwera arrives in Namibia for funeral ceremony Namibian President
By Linda Moyo,
Windhoek, February 24, MANA: President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has arrived in Windhoek, Namibia, to attend the funeral of the former Namibian President Hage Geingob, who died on February 4, 2024.
The President and Malawian delegation will attend the state memorial service at Independence Stadium, paying tribute to the legacy of President Geingob, scheduled for Saturday.
Accompanied by the first Lady, Madam Monica Chakwera, and other government dignitaries, President Chakwera was welcomed upon arrival by Namibian officials, including Deputy Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Janet Sande, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Anna Shiweda and Malawi's High Commissioner to Namibia Stella Ndau,
Eighteen world leaders are expected to attend the Funeral Ceremony.
Late President Geingob will be buried at Heroes acre in Windhoek, on Sunday, February 25, 2024.
President Geingob, 82, served as Namibia's president from 2015 until his passing on February 4.
President Chakwera's presence underscores the unity and solidarity among African leaders as they honour the life and achievements of late Hage Geingob
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.
