By Yamikani Sabola

Mzuzu, December 17, Mana: Executive Director for Women Legal Resource Center (WOLREC), Maggie Kathewera Banda has asked political parties to support women aspiring to contest for various positions in the 2025 elections.

Banda was speaking on Tuesday during a meeting in Mzuzu where representatives for women groups in the northern region were convened to review a women manifesto document that was developed in 2019.

She said WOLREC, together with its partners, is working with women in a number of districts encouraging them to run as candidates for various positions in the forthcoming polls.

“In the districts that we have gone to there are women that have expressed interest to contest and more women are still expressing interest.

“At the end of it all, we will have more women that are contesting but what we need is the support of the political parties. Most of these women will be contesting under various political parties so we appeal to them to field the women as their candidates,” Banda said.

She said the organization is also interfacing with political parties so that they understand why it is important to field women as candidates and also analyzing what kind of support to give them.

She said apart from that, they are working with women that have expressed interest; discussing with them particular challenges they are facing and brainstorming on what to do together with them to sort out such challenges.

“We have received funding from European Union to support women that want to contest in the 2025 elections and not just women but even the youth and people with disabilities.

“Through that support, we are working with the women, youths and people with disabilities; encouraging them to contest in the 2025 elections. We are also planning to be interfacing with the voters to encourage them to vote for the women, youths and people with disabilities,” she said.

Chairperson for Mbawemi Women Organization, Dorothy Chiumia said women find it challenging to contest for positions due to economic challenges, which prevents them from mounting formidable political campaigns.

Chiumia urged political parties to value women and entrust them with political leadership roles.

BY Paul Madise

Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has disclosed that so far 7,721 households (approximately 34,741 people) have been affected, with a death toil rising from two (as reported in its previous update dated 16^th December 2024) to seven; with Salima registering three deaths whereas Kasungu, Machinga, Blantyre and Lilongwe Districts have each recorded one death and 16 injuries in total.

In a statement signed by Charles Kalemba, Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, DoDMA has highlighted that the development follows fresh preliminary reports the department has received from councils on the damages caused by the moderate Tropical Storm Chido from 15^th to 16^th December 2024.

According to DoDMA, Balaka, Blantyre District, Blantyre City, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Kasungu, Lilongwe City, Lilongwe District, Machinga, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Ntcheu, Phalombe, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba City and Zomba District are among other councils that have experienced mild to severe damages.

“Meanwhile, the department, in collaboration with various humanitarian partners and councils, is facilitating the provision of relief assistance to affected households,” the statement noted.

Additionally, following the declaration by the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services that Moderate Tropical Storm Chido exited the country and posed no further threat, DoDMA has with immediate effect decommissioned all search and rescue (SAR) operations; having earlier deployed SAR teams in areas at risk.

Furthermore, DoDMA has also expressed appreciation to various humanitarian partners, non-governmental organizations, councils, government departments, ministries and agencies; the media and the general public for their vigilance and support towards preparatory and anticipatory actions when the cyclone loomed.

Through the statement, the department has further expressed its commitment to keep the general public well informed on any developments regarding the effects of Chido and any related developments.

By Patience Longwe

Lilongwe, December 17, Mana: The Secretary General of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Richard Chimwendo Banda has called for the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Churches and leaders in the country to join hands  to criticize together violence and refrain from retaliating against the actions of the Democratic Progressive party (DPP).

Speaking during a press briefing On Tuesday at the MCP Headquarters, Chimwendo emphasized the party's commitment to peace over violence.

"The message is condemning violence but also pointing out the lapses we are seeing with the leadership of DDP in  failing to control their members, because this is now more or less like a policy in DPP to perpetuate violence and clearly targeting the Malawi Congress party," he said.

He emphasized that the DPP, as a party, must go back to the drawing board, as violence will neither help them nor bring them back to power.

By Patricia Kapulula

Lilongwe, December 16, Mana: Solidaridad, an international civil society organization that works on developing solutions to make communities more resilient, has emphasized on the need for cotton farmers to use certified seeds in order for them to harvest more thereby improving their livelihoods through sales.

Recently, a Solidaridad supervisory board visited Malawi to learn some of the works the country is doing.

Solidaridad Global Executive Director, Andre de Freitas, hailed Malawi for its efforts in in innovation despite challenges farmers face.

He said the board discussed a global strategy for the next five years that would see farmers benefit in production and value chain.

“We talked to different actors in value chain to change supply chain to the benefit of farmers,” he said.

As one way of addressing availability of certified seed for farmers, de Freitas said they are assisting farmers by multiplying seed so that they have access and improve on production.

“What we have done is to have 160 tonnes of seed that is enough to support 50,000 farmers. With good seed they will be able to get better production and good income,” he said.

Solidaridad Malawi Projects Officer, Given Phiri, expressed concern that in Malawi cotton history is going down.

He said in recent years cotton production in Malawi has declined from 100, 000 to 10, 000 metric tonnes.

“This shows that we are not progressing in as far as cotton production is concerned. For us to realize profits in cotton, we are into collaborations with different stakeholders who can assist us to improve production,” he said.

Phiri cited the stakeholders as the Cotton Council of Malawi, Makoka Research Station.

Solidaridad Malawi has entered  into an agreement with the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) to help in research for the country to have good variety that can make farmers harvest more.

“We want to reach out to about 20,000 farmers in cotton farming and for tea we want to reach out to not less that 20,000 farmers. We have reached out to soy bean farmers who are not less that 15,000. We want to see farmers harvesting more by assisting them have certified seed as most of them use recycled seed which lead them to harvesting less,” Phiri said.

Solidaridad operates across continents to support small-scale farmers, workers and miners while addressing global supply chain challenges. In Africa, it implements on the ground projects to foster sustainability.

By Innocent Chamtulo

Mulanje, December 17, Mana: Team Leader for Digital Financial Services awareness raising campaign for Mulanje District, Rita Phiri has expressed satisfaction with the overwhelming response they are receiving from the areas they have reached out to so far, saying people are eager to know more about the use of digital financing and platforms.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Monday, Phiri said since the beginning of the awareness campaign, they have reached out to almost all market centres in Mulanje including hard-to-reach areas.

Phiri added that people are appreciating the initiative by the government, noting that this will enhance their businesses.

“We are certain that we have reached the objectives and project goals because we have reached to the targeted population which the project designed. For example, we have interacted with the elderly, business persons, the youth, women and village group savings and loan groups.

“Therefore, from all the mentioned categories the response and interaction was so good to us which is a success,” she said.

On the other hand. Community Development Assistant for Traditional Authority Chikumbu, Chancy Masubi, commended the initiative, as it will promote accountability and transparency to people who are involved in village bank groups, as they will be keeping their money in mobile phones or banks.

“With what we have learned through digital finance awareness campaign, it will add more advantages to those people who are involved in village savings and loan groups because there will be transparency and accountability on how the money is being managed since all members will be connected to that account.

“Any transactions made will be known to the members than the old system,” he added.

The campaign is being championed by the Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of Malawi to promote digital finance platforms to reduce the cost of replacing damaged bank notes.