MANAonline
New office complex to face lift Mzuzu City
By George Bulombola
Mzuzu, February 11, Mana: All departments under Mzuzu City Council (MCC) are expected be in a one stop-centre in a magnificent Mzuzu City Civic office once is completed.
The functionality state of the art structure which is currently at an advanced level will contribute towards improved coordination and service delivery.
Besides boasting such attributions to the K18 Billion office complex, Chief Executive Officer for Mzuzu City Council, Gomezgani Nyasulu, says the structure is a pacesetter for investors in the city.
According to Nyasulu, the twin multi story building which has an underground car pack, situated next to construction site of Mzuzu Youth Center in the city, will be dubbed as one stop centre as clients will be accessing all services without struggles within a single building.
“This office is one of the landmark projects which MCC is implementing and commenced in 2022 with an expectation that it will be through by February, 2025 but due to some challenges we have pushed it to August, 2025,” says Nyasulu.
He adds that the project will also enhance coordination of services saying that that currently various departments are scattered all over, hence becoming a challenge to effectively coordinate services.
“Once its completed, all departments under the MCC and devolved sectors will also be housed in this office complex.
As we bring all departments and sectors together, we will be creating a one stop centre as such people will not struggle in accessing services from various departs because we all housed in one unit,” says Nyasulu.
Nyasulu also says that currently developers wanting to process their construction plans, have to firstly make payment at the current civic offices and thereafter travel to planning office which is located some kilometers from the civic offices.
“These movements are costly for developers and service consumers,” he said.
The chief executive narrates that the MCC as a government agency, the structure demonstrates in setting construction pace of standards for developers and investors.
“The office is a magnificent project that we want to see other developers emulate from and the nation is talking of having world class urban centres according to Malawi 2063 and within the same we are challenged to put up structures that can attest the taste of times,” he added.
He says the structure will besides other elements, serve the cooperate image of the council as the current offices where we are operating from do not befit city status.
The project is being funded Ministry of Finance through Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development after being re-launched several times by previous regimes.
According to Nyasulu, implementation of the project has taken government’s commitment and interest in the development of the city.
The MCC is also working on road infrusture including a K7 billion by- pass road from Dunduzu off M1-Road to Sonda connecting to M1 Road at Admarc Headquarters for the north which will be taking traffic direct to Lilongwe without passing through the city.
Beside this road, there is another by pass road running from Dunduzu Road Block connecting M5 Road just close to Mzuzu Government Secondary School.
Commenting of the road infrusture development, one of the residents of Sonda area, Osward Zimba said the Dunduzu off M1 Road to Admarc Headquarters for the north, will be a catalyst for development in the area once completed.
The road will attract business people to invest in the area, communication will be simplified as taxis and minibuses will result to plying their trade using the road.
“I, therefore thank government for this imitative which will go a long way in lifting the face of our area,” said Zimba.
Gwengwe applauds Dodma for relief maize
By Rennie Tembo
Lilongwe, February 14, Mana: Member of Parliament for Lilongwe Msozi North Sosten Gwengwe, has commended the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) for its tireless efforts in distributing food aid to vulnerable communities affected by food insecurity.
Gwengwe who is also Minister of Trade and Industry made the remarks Wednesday during the distribution exercise in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Chadza in the district.
He said the distribution of the relief maize to supporting food-insecure families, is assisting many households to have food in their homes.
"DoDMA has demonstrated exceptional dedication to alleviating food insecurity among many households. Their selfless efforts have not gone unnoticed, and we appreciate the critical role they play, “he said.
However, Gwengwe issued a stern warning to Chairpersons of Village Development Committee (VDC) who collect money from beneficiaries, emphasizing that such practices are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
"We have received reports of some VDC chairpersons taking advantage of vulnerable beneficiaries by collecting money from them, this practice is unacceptable and will be dealt with accordingly. The government will not allow anyone to exploit its people,” he said
Jusabu Musa, 83-year-old beneficiary, thanked government through DoDMA for their timely initiative saying his family had been struggling to make ends meet.
Lilongwe District Disaster Officer, Anganile Kalonga, said that DoDMA has so far distributed over 103,869 bags of maize to food-insecure families since December 2024.
"DoDMA remain committed to providing timely support to those affected by disasters. We work tirelessly to ensure that relief items reach those who need them most," she said.
She further urged the beneficiaries to use the donation for its intended purpose and not sell the maize, saying the behaviour is unacceptable.
The food distribution exercise is part of government's efforts to mitigate the effects of food insecurity, which has affected many households across the country.
Mzimba political aspirants warned against castigations during campaign
By Sarah Phiri
Mzimba, February 13, mana: Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC)’s District Elections officer for Mzimba District Chrispin Chakhumbira has cautioned female political party aspirants in the district to refrain from politics of castigating other aspirants ahead of the 2025 September 16th Tripartite elections as this is against the law.
Speaking during an interface meeting with Women female aspirants organized by Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) in partnership with Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (OXFAM) Malawi and its stakeholders on Wednesday in Mzimba, Chakhumbila stressed the need to be responsible in expressing their freedom of speech as politicians.
“Some of you are about to compete in primary elections for ward councilors and member of parliament seats in your political parties, please respect your competitors to avoid tarnishing your image and breaking the law” he said.
Chakhumbila also advised each participant on the need to know their geographical boundaries to avoid reaching out to the wrong audience.
“Due to the recent constituency and ward demarcations, I urge each one of you to come to our offices to know which centers are within your ward/constituency so that you do not waste your time and resource approaching people who are outside your boundary” he also said.
He further stressed the need for each aspirant to desist from the culture of handouts “people should love you because of your commitment to the development of your area and your manifesto not because of bribing them with money, food and other things “he added.
Coordinator for the community policing branch in the Department of Victim Support Unit for Mzimba Police Station Sub Inspector Peter Chima called upon all the aspirants to report any threats, and verbal and physical attacks to their nearest police stations.
“It is our duty as police to protect people and property therefore, I urge all of you to report and seek protection from us whenever you feel your rights are being violated. Some of the ignored but recurring abuses include; insults, removal of flags and podiums, and interrupting political rallies among others.
One of the Aspirants, Kettie Nthengwa who is preparing to compete for primary elections as a councilor for Mzimba Boma ward under Perekezi constituency has expressed gratitude to WOLREC AND OXFAM for the support.
“As a first-timer contesting in politics, I am deeply thankful to these organisations for the mental and financial support they are giving us. Money is a big challenge to us women so for them to assist us with nomination fees and training to prepare us before elections is relieving and a great win to us" she said.
Country Director for OXFAM Malawi Lingalireni Mihowa, has revealed that they are working with several stakeholders to politically empower women aspirants.
“We are working with the media to produce programs and stories that will mobilize the masses to vote for women and the youth. This will help change people’s perceptions of women” she said.
Mihowa also stated one of the strategies they have used is to work with political parties to create a conducive environment in their politics for female aspirants to achieve a 50/50 campaign.
“From research we conducted, most women complained that they are isolated on important matters and face abuses that prompted us to engage the political leaders and negotiate with them to accept the women compete fairly” she said.
The project, Promoting Gender Transformative and Youth Inclusive Democracy in Malawi, targets to support 64 female aspirants from Mzimba District with funding from the European Union and OXFAM.
Government challenge councils to give standard projects
By Mary Makhiringa
BALAKA, February 14, Mana: Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture Joyce Chitsulo on Thursday challenged all councils in the country to always strive to give outstanding projects.
Chitsulo said, that giving to the community substandard projects is the same as denying the beneficiaries their right to development.
She said this in Balaka, when she toured Kwitanda and Chiyendausiku Maternity Wings which were constructed through District Development Fund and Hospital Rehabilitation Fund respectively and Rivirivi Extension Planning Area constructed through Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) funds.
Said Chitsulo: “I am very impressed and commend the council for putting up such magnificent structures. For example, the Chiyendausiku Maternity Wing that we saw, was my first time seeing that kind of maternity wing in Malawi, and you would think that it is not in Balaka. It is very beautiful, durable and standing.
“We are in the modern times, and we expect our structures that we come up with to be modern ones so that our people also access modern services.”
However, the Deputy Minister cautioned Balaka District Council to always strive to be the best and avoid losing out on GESD funds like how it happened during the 2023 financial year.
“The council lost almost K600 million which is a huge sum of money that could have helped in building more developmental structures for the people of Balaka,” she said.
District Commissioner for Balaka Tamanya Harawa assured the people of Balaka that measures were already taken to ensure that no funds are lost due to any form of failure.
“No leader would want to fail, and failing to access GESD funds was not deliberate, but it was because of desperation as you know in the very same year our district hospital was gutted down by fire. So, the council utilized some funds not meant for it to purchase hospital pots so that patients at the facility are provided with food during their stay.
“Let me assure the people of Balaka that we are so keen and following the rules of the game especially the requirements and doing all due diligence so that we do well in all aspects, so we are forward moving on,” he said.
The DC therefore revealed that even though the council missed out on GESD funds, they managed to construct tangible infrastructure such as Community Day Secondary School at Nkasi where learners used to walk over 15 Kilometers to school, and through the funds that they will secure in the 2025-2026 financial year, they will construct more classroom blocks and teachers houses at the same school so that it is a complete package.
Member of Parliament for Balaka West Bether Ndebere hailed Government for what she described as true love to the people of Balaka through the various development activities that the district has seen over the years.
Kwitanda Maternity Wing was constructed during the 2022/2023 financial year to the tune of K49 Million, Chiyendausiku Maternity Wing was constructed during 2024/ 2025 financial year to the tune of K797 Million and Rivirivi was constructed in the 2021/ 2022 financial year to the tune of K338Million.
Heston Munthali to lead FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Reserve
By Petro Mkandawire
Blantyre, February 14, Mana: Nyasa FCB management has appointed former Assistant Coach, Heston Munthali to the position of Head Coach for FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Reserve team.
The appointment comes following the departure of Enos Chatama, who joined the newly promoted TNM Super League, Ekhaya FC.
Munthali told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Thursday that he will deliver all he learnt from the main team and pledged to transfer the knowledge and coaching skills to the reserve side and expressed hope, he will produce more talented players for the main team.
“It's an honour to be appointed head coach of the reserve side, Chatama did a good job since the day he was with the reserve side, as such the foundation that was laid will help me to continue with the boys” he added.
The newly promoted Munthali enjoyed huge success as an assistant coach for Eliya Kananji and Kalisto Pasuwa.
The 42-year-old former Bullets and Malawi Flames player served as interim head coach after the departure of Eliya Kananji and Rodgers Yasin in 2028.
Chief Executive Officer for Nyasa Big Bullets, Albert Chigoga said being in the first team backroom staff; Munthali amassed a lot of experience, adding that FCB Nyasa Big Bullets believes that the reserve team is in safe hands.
“We pledge to give him full support to achieve what we want. We want him to develop good players and feed them into our first team. We are happy that he is staying with us,” said Chigoga.
Munthali joined FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in 2017 after obtaining a CAF B coaching license.
Neno District Council set to plant 700,000 trees
By Salome Gangire
Neno, February 14, Mana: Neno District Council on Thursday launched district forestry season and will plant 700,000 trees across the district, District Forestry Officer, Erick Mbingwani disclosed on Thursday.
During the launch at Chipindu Primary School in Senior Chief Mlauli’s area, Mbingwani said tree planting was an important initiative in restoring degraded landscapes on top of mitigating effects of climate change.
“The 700,000 trees will be planted by the council and its partners across the district,” the District Forestry Officer added and reminded participants that planting trees was not enough.
Mbingwani therefore called all participating partners to take good care of the tree seedlings to ensure trees survive at a good rate.
He said the forestry office will provide all necessary technical guidance on proper tree planting and care to promote sustainable forest management.
“These practices include good nursery management, preventing wildfires from destroying trees and encouraging community-led environmental conservation,” he added.
Mbingwani also expressed gratitude to ESCOM for donating 16,000 tree seedlings to support the 2014/2025 district-level planting.
In the 2023/2024 Forestry Season, Neno District planned to plant 700,000 trees but only planted 521,732 tree seedlings.
The district recorded a 78 per cent survival rate out of the planted trees as a result of prolonged drought.
According to the Forestry Office, the district failed to meet the target because farmers raised the tree in the 2023/2024 season a bit late and were advised to keep remaining tree seedlings for the current 2024/2025 season.
Neno District Council, Chairperson, Councilor, Joseph Chiphaliwali raised concerns over deforestation, charcoal production and illegal logging in forest reserves, saying these malpractices continue to deplete the district’s forests, leading to land degradation.
“The district continues to experience rapid deforestation due to charcoal production. This leads to worsening climate change effects,” he said.
Chiphaliwali therefore urged communities to consider the use of alternative sources of energy and further called on authorities to enforce laws that should protect forests in the districts and other forms of environmental degradation.
The council chairperson said the success of this law enforcement will depends on active community participation.
“Planting trees and promoting sustainable land management will benefit communities in Neno. In so doing, communities will benefit from improved soil fertility, increased agricultural production, and better water conservation, said Chiphaliwali.
He further called upon local leaders, school management committees, community-level development structures and individuals to take part in the forestry season, tasking each individual in the district to plant at least one tree as a contribution to the success of the campaign.
Senior Chief Mlauli commended Neno District Council. ESCOM, Evangelical Association of Malawi, and other partners for their commitment towards environmental conservation.
He also said village-level forestry bylaws will be strictly enforced to protect newly planted trees and prevent further deforestation as the district promotes tree regeneration as cost cost-effective way of restoring degraded areas.
This year’s Forestry Season is being held under the theme: Restoring Forests and Land to Secure Food Production.
Govt urges Nsanje District Council to speed up food distribution to asylum seekers
By Previous Mwakifuna
Nsanje, February 14, Mana: Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Jean Sendeza in the week visited Nyamithuthu camp in Nsanje to appreciate welfare of Mozambican asylum seekers and urged Nsanje District Council to speed up food distribution to asylum seekers to meet their food and nutritional needs.
The minister’s tour came after reports that the camps had a short supply of food to cater for the increasing number of asylum seekers coming in from Mozambique.
“The ministry is aware of the issues affecting the asylum seekers. The council needs to make their logistics faster to cut the needs of the camps especially food” Sendeza added.
Sendeza further commended Nsanje District Council and its various partners for providing support to the asylum seekers soon after they arrived in the district, saying, “Providing support to the asylum seekers is a national and humanitarian duty,”
Nsanje District Commissioner, Dominic Mwandira said the council will engage with relevant partners to speed up food distribution.
The district Commissioner therefore hailed all partners for their various support towards the Mozambican asylum seekers.
In his remarks, Nyamithuthu camp chairperson, Jasi Daster said the asylum seekers appreciate support from Nsanje Council and partners though there was a need to speed up food supply,
“We are grateful for what government and its partners are doing so far. Food is another issue that needs to be investigated,” he added.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) Representative to Malawi, Kwame Modeste also applauded the Malawi Government for being accommodative and supportive to the Mozambican asylum seekers.
“Our priority is to support Malawi to protect these asylum seekers until they return home,” Kwame added.
Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Refugees in Malawi, Ivy Chihana, hailed the UNHCR for supporting government and others partnering in caring for refugees and asylum in campos, citing the Malawi Red Cross Society and World Food Programme’s humanitarian support.
There are more than 7,000 asylum seekers in Nsanje District.
Judges set to select 15 songs in Dolo Amavotera Chakwera challenge
By Sellah Singini
Lilongwe, 14 February, Mana: Judges for the Dolo Kwambiri Amavotera Chakwera music challenge are set to select 15 songs out of 212 songs that were submitted for the competition from various artists in the music industry.
The judges include musician Graiton GD Pasanje of the Dare Devils music group, music producer Tapps Bandawe and Sophie Mponda.
Speaking in an interview, one of the judges for the competition, Tapps Bandawe, said the judges started their camping yesterday on Thursday in Lilongwe to select 15 songs for the next round of the competition and will finish their task on Sunday.
He said the judges are well prepared for the task as artists are putting their talents and dreams in the judges’ hands and that they will take the task very seriously because it is about pushing the talent forward.
“The criteria we are going to use is going to be based solely on an individual's talent. It is our first time meeting as a panel of judges, so when we meet later during the day, we are going to decide what categories we are going to choose. whether it's creativity 10 points, songwriting 10 points, vocal range, whatever it is. So, we will put together the right criteria,” Bandawe said.
In his remarks, one of the organizers of the challenge Yikamikani Chinguwo said the judges have been given four days to shortlist 15 songs that will be uploaded on the Dolo Amavotera Chakwera website so that the public can choose five winners out of the 15.
He said the public will start voting for the best five winners latest on Tuesday next week.
The competition, dubbed Dolo Kwambiri Amavotera Chakwera, will see winners walk away with K5 million each.
The music challenge was introduced by Minister of Labour Vitumbiko Mumba during last year’s youth concert held at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe.
Youth organization bridging education gap
By Pempho Nkhoma
Blantyre, February 13, Mana: As one way of promoting education and empowering young people to become future leaders, a Blantyre based youth-led organization, Makhetha Youth Friendly (MYF) had embarked on a mission of supporting underprivileged primary and secondary school students with school fees.
Programs Director for MYF, Yunusu Mussa told Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Thursday, that they believe that every child deserves to go to school regardless of their background and no one should be left behind in the pursuit of education.
“Our focus is on students who have the potential of doing well with their education but are struggling financially, have special needs and those with disabilities,” he said.
Mussa said as a way of ensuring that the program is effective and meeting its objectives, they are working hand in hand with school administrations and teachers to be assessing the student’s performances.
“Funding comes from our fundraising activities, well-wishers which includes donations from individuals and other corporate sponsors. We also provide mentorship and guidance to our beneficiaries to help them achieve their academic goals,” he added.
One of the beneficiaries, a form 3 student at Stance Independent Private School in Machinjiri, Eliza Lakalaka expressed gratitude saying that this is a huge encouragement.
“I was about to drop out of school due to financial challenges. Thanks for the support, now i can concentrate on my studies,” she said.
Under the program, MYF is currently helping 39 students in Makhetha Township, Traditional Authority (T/A) Kapeni in Blantyre, with a target of reaching over 100 students by the end of this year.
BEFIT Programme expands to 60 more schools in Nkhata Bay
By Chisomo Kambandanga
Nkhata Bay, February 13, Mana: Director of Education and Sports in Nkhata Bay, Votie Mboweni has disclosed that 60 more public primary schools in Nkhata Bay will be benefiting from the Building Education Foundations through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT) program in the next academic year.
In an interview Thursday during media engagement event organized by Nkhata Bay Gouncil and Organization for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development Initiative (OSSEDI), Mboweni said this is a plus to the district, as more learners will be exposed to the technology.
"I can confirm that an assessment of schools has been completed, and 60 additional schools will join the current 29 participating schools.
"This means more learners will benefit from the programme, which aims to improve foundational literacy and numeracy skills using innovative technology and teaching methods through the tablets," he said.
He therefore expressed optimism that by 2029 the program will be rolled out in all 202 schools in the district.
Project Manager for OSSEDI, Alick Makiyi noted that the programme has shown improved performance in mathematics and increased attendance of leaners in Nkhata Bay.
"Putting all programmes in Chichewa has not only helped learners understand all 4000 programmes easily but also helped them to understand the language easily," he added.
He therefore said that the involvement of the media will help publicize the programme to rural areas.
"Many people are unaware of the programme, and there are misconceptions that need to be cleared.
"We're confident that media platforms will help share correct information, contributing to the programme's sustainability," Makiyi said.
However, Makiyi expressed concerns about implementation challenges, including topography in Nkhata Bay, which makes weekly monitoring difficult and malfunctioning gadgets affecting school tasks.
BEFIT is a Malawi government's program being implemented by Ministry of Education across the country and through OSSEDI in Nkhotakota and Nkhata Bay aiming at improving the foundational literacy and numeracy skills of all primary school learners in standard 1-4 by use or tablets.
