By Rose Cross Mahorya

Mzuzu, August 10, Mana: People in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Mpherembe in Mzimba North have expressed concern over increased cases of school dropout amongst children whose parents own or work in estates.

The concern was raised by Chairperson for Mpherembe Area Development Committee, Edison Mwira during commemoration of Day of African Child at Mpherembe Community Day Secondary School.

Mwira said most children whose parents work in estates abscond from school and completely dropout especially during farming seasons.

"It is sad that I stand here to request government and stakeholders to help us resolve this challenge. We cannot achieve education for all in such a situation.

“As a committee, we have embarked on sensitization campaigns on importance of children to remain in school however there is still a lot that needs to be done because parents who work in estates are migrant in nature, hence affecting their children’s education," said Mwira.

Director for Education and Sports Services for Mzimba North, Mercy Mayuni said that her office has also noted that most learners in estates do not sit for examinations especially when examination coincide with harvesting period.

"We have since started working with structures such as school management committees, mother groups, area and village development committees in sensitizing communities against perpetrating the vice," said Mayuni.

District Social Welfare Officer for Mzimba North, Hellen Simwaka warned that hindering children from going to school is a violation of the children’s rights and is an offense.

"Let me remind everyone that making children to work in the farms is against the law and we are not going to sit down and allow the malpractice continue, every child has a right to education regardless of their social status and wherever they live," Simwaka said.

The day was commemorated under the theme ’Education for all children in Africa: The time is now".

By Robert Nayeja

Nsanje, August 10, Mana: Senior Chief Chimombo of Nsanje district has challenged women and persons with disabilities to take a leading role in development as one way of enhancing socio-economic development in the country.

Chimombo was speaking during a training for Area Development Committee (ADC) members in Nsanje, aimed at mobilizing communities to give support to women and people with disabilities to assume key positions in development.

The senior chief said most women and persons with disabilities don’t take part in development due to lack of opportunities.

“Most women and people with disabilities are capable of contributing to socio-economic development of the country, but communities do not give them a chance to showcase their capabilities,” said the chief.

He therefore, called upon people in the country to trust women and people with disabilities to take positions in politics as the country is fast approaching to the September 2025 general elections.

“I am glad that Women Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) has come to encourage communities to put their trust in minority groups. This training is an eye opener to the chiefs and the communities especially on the importance of ushering minority groups in key political positions.

“As a traditional leader, I would like to encourage the communities to give a chance to women and people with disabilities in the coming elections,” he added.

Chairperson for Nsanje District Council, Mike Kafalachi said for a long time, women and people with disabilities have been victimised in developmental initiatives.

“We are very delighted with this initiative as it will help communities to change their mindset towards women and people with disabilities on their contribution in development,” Kafalachi added.

One of the participants, Juliet Mzava from Makoko ADC, said the training has been an eye opener as women and people with disabilities are treated as incapable in communities.

“Some people have interest to take lead in development but they end up looking down upon themselves because of their gender or disability. We will go and enlighten the communities to trust women and people with disabilities with key positions in development structures,” she added.

Mzava, therefore, hailed WORLEC for drumming up support for women and people with disabilities.

Nsanje District Community Development Officer, Hope Mazuma said the meeting will help the ADC members to work professionally without infringing on minority groups.

Mazuma, therefore, hailed WOLREC for the support.

WOLREC with support from the European Union is working in seven districts in Malawi, addressing critical gaps in leadership exposure and preparation for political participation through provision of access to decision-making structures, such as ADCs by ensuring that women, the youth and persons with disabilities can actively participate in politics and governance.

By Yamikani Yapuwa

Thyolo, August 10, Mana: Local leaders in Thyolo have called on their subjects to maintain dignity and integrity throughout construction of Chilengo Health Post and Limbe Bridge in Traditional Authorities Mphuka and Bvumbwe respectively observing that women and girls are mostly subjected to sexual exploitation by construction workers for labour opportunity and other favours.

Councilor Somanje Sayenda of Dzimbiri Ward made the call this week at the launch of construction of Chilengo Health Center at Traditional Authority Mphuka’s area where he expressed worry over tendencies by construction workers that engage in sex with women in the course of construction work.

He therefore cautioned women against being turned into sex objects and further urged them to stand their ground, never to give in to transactional sex in exchange of favours at the expense of their integrity and status in the society.

“Women should guard their dignity at all costs," Sayenda urged women emphasizing the need for self-respect and caution during project implantation period.

Thyolo District Council launched construction of Limbe Bridge at Traditional Authority Bvumbwe where Councilor, Idrissa Gausi of Makungwa Ward, echoed the call for responsible behavior, calling on his people to avoid stealing construction materials.

The ward councilor said success of the bridge project will depend on the integrity of the community in embracing ownership spirit of the project.

“For the contractor to do a quality job, we must resist the temptation to steal construction materials," he said and appealed to the contractor to priorities hiring people from surrounding villages to ensure community members benefit directly from the project to sustain their livelihood.

Group Village Head Kadzuwa under Traditional Authority Bvumbwe said anyone caught stealing building materials or vandalizing the bridge after completion will be brought before his tribunal and will face serious consequences.

He reminded community members that for 45 years the area did not have a bridge, saying the construction of the bridge finally came and it was the responsibility of the communities to ensure successful completion of the project for their own good.

“We will deal with anyone trying to steal project materials or vandalize the bridge materials once it is completed in October this year,” said Group Village head Kadzuwa.

Group Village Head Mkwata under Senior Chief Mphuka also appealed to the people to report to the local leaders and other relevant authorities if they see any suspicious activities relating to theft as well as selling of building materials meant for the health facility project.

Thyolo District Council is constructing the health post and bridge courtesy of the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) Project with funding from the World Bank.

GESD projects are being implemented by all qualifying local authorities through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC)

By Charlie Ligomreka

Machinga, August 10, Mana:  Machinga District Council, Environmental Officer, Andrew Kaitano Hamza has called on fellow council members of staff to keep council premises and all market places clean to ensure that plastic and other forms of garbage are properly disposed of for better work and trade environment.

The environmental district officer made the call as he led council staff in a clean-up exercise of the council headquarters premises and said the clean-up exercise should be an obligation for a better environment. 

The exercise was part of a campaign which State President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera introduced for local councils and other entities plus the general public to keep doing as a norm to keep  work places, market places and other public places cleaner of liter and other garbage.

“This is our council and everywhere we live is our place. There is need to take clean up exercises as a norm to keep our work place cleaner,” Hamza added as he and fellow council members of staff took blooms to clean Machinga Council Headquarters premises clean.

He also called on the council staff to exercise cleanliness in their respective homes to ensure they live in a better clean environment at home and at work.

One of the council staff Aisha Lupanga described the clean-up exercise as ideal and relevant for conducive work environment saying, “Time is now for us to make our environment clean and to make Liwonde township liter and garbage free,”

She therefore, expressed hope that the council management will keep on championing the clean-up campaign at district level to instill a spirit of cleanliness among council staff, Liwonde town residents and among people that trade in various market places for sustainable cleaner environment.

In one of the clean-up exercises, Machinga District Council staff mobilized Liwonde central market vendors to clean up the market place and vendors welcomed the exercise and pledged to keep it going for a cleaner business environment.

By George Bulombola

Mzuzu, August 10, Mana: Mzuzu City Council (MCC) utilizing Constituency Development Fund launched four road infrastructure road projects to the tune of about MK41 million.

The projects include construction of three slab culverts and one timber decked bridge in Mzilawaingwe, Chimaliro and Katawa locations.

Speaking when the council handed over the projects’ sites to contractors alongside launching the projects, Director of Planning and Development for the MCC, Philemon Maseko, said the projects are meant to ease communication in the targeted areas and the city as a whole.

“Let me commend community members in these locations for their patience in awaiting the implementation of these projects which were supposed to be done some time back. I also applaud collaboration amongst various development structures which prioritized these project as crucial ones,” said Maseko.

He then warned community members against theft of construction material or conniving with contractors to divert the material for personal use saying such a vice could lead to compromised standard of the structures.

“The council has put in place proper mechanism to ensure that supervision of construction works is strict and that scope of the works should be closely followed by the council and community members themselves so that we have durable structures,” he said.

Director of Mphamba Construction Ltd which has been awarded a contract to build Chiputula slab culvert, Haswell Mphamba pledged that the company will deliver to the expectation of the community and the council.

Councilor for Chiputula Ward, Hilwett Mkandawire, said once the project is completed, the road which is a short-cut for people of Mzilawaingwe, Chimaliro and Katawa locations to Lubinga Industrial Area and Mzuzu Central Hospital will become usable.

By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, August 10, Mana: International Organization for Migration (IOM) Malawi says it is committed to enhancing safe migration pathways for local as well as international migrants.

Speaking on the sidelines of a consultative Workshop, which IOM Malawi organized in Lilongwe recently together with its partners IOM Malawi Head of Programme Support, Alina Zalewski said with their move among other things they want to make sure that the migrants are protected.

 “We want to ensure that Malawians and all migrants that are coming into Malawi as well as Malawians going abroad have safe access and safe pathways so that they remain protected and not exploited.

“The exploitation that I am talking about includes; smuggling of migrants or trafficking in persons and we want to ensure that these things should not happen in Malawi,” Zalewski said.

She added that as an organization they want also to help government in disaster risk management by building sustainable resilience interventions so that people should not be forced to move due to impacts of natural disasters.

She also said that as IOM they want also to work with the Ministry of Homeland Security in framing migration policy and national labor migration policy in order for the policies to effectively control migration to directly link with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Zalewski further said that IOM also wants to facilitate the implementation of Global Compact for Migration (GCM) in the country in order to strengthen the country’s migration governance, which includes the enhancement of access to safe migration pathways.

According to her, with their commitment they want to assist government to use migration as an opportunity that would harness potential for boosting the country’s economic growth.

In his comment Ministry of Homeland Security, Principal Secretary Steve Kayuni hailed IOM for its commitment in helping government in migration management especially on regular migration.

“Regular migration is the most crucial thing that is of concern, but IOM is helping to make things move forward,” he said.

By Memory Kutengule Chatonda

Blantyre, August 10, Mana: Maxwell Phiri who worn in the recent Local Government Elections at Chilaweni in Blantyre Rural East Constituency has been sworn in as ward council to take up the responsibility of representing people in his area.

Phiri amassed 1,882 votes from a total of 3,864 votes cast during the by-elections held on July 22, 2024 emerging a winner over eight candidates who contested for the position of councilor for the Chilaweni ward.

Speaking at the swearing in ceremony at Blantyre District Council, District Commissioner, Alex Mdooko advised the newly sworn-in councilor to collaborate with fellow councilors, traditional leaders, and Members of Parliament to facilitate development activities in the in the district.

“We want you to build a good relationship with traditional leaders, MPs, and your fellow councilors so that together you can fulfill the wishes of the communities you are serving in areas of health, agriculture and education among others,” he said.

Mdooko also advised Councilor Phiri to live by the promises he made to the electorates during the campaign period.

Blantyre District Council Chairperson, Councilor Elson Dumuka advised Phiri to always embrace the spirit of hard work, patriotism, and servant leadership in serving the communities well.

After being sworn in, Phiri said was excited to be sworn in as a councilor for Chilaweni ward, pledging to serve people in the ward well irrespective of religion, culture, and political affiliations.

“I am geared to support the government in the implementation of various development activities such as construction of roads and health facilities to benefit the local citizenry,” he added.

Phiri who won the Chilaweni by-election on an independent ticket replaced late councilor, Carol Mdala of Democratic Progressive Party who died in March this year.

Phiri is expected to serve his term of office until July 23, 2025.