MANAonline
MISA Malawi engages Mchinji Council on disinformation
By Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, January 8, Mana: As Malawi approaches 2025 General Elections, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi on Tuesday engaged Mchinji District Council executive committee on the dangers of misinformation and disinformation.
Under its i-Verify Malawi Project, MISA wants to build capacity of people, and even councils, to debunk false information they encounter.
MISA Vice Chairperson, Chisomo Ngulube, said the institute believes that everyone has to be equipped with fact-checking skills and must have the desire to fight false information at all levels of society.
“MISA Malawi is building the capacity of Malawians on how they can detect and expose information that is false or misleading. This interface is one of such activities.
“We have also developed an online platform called i-Verify that we will use to publish verified information before, during and after the 2025 elections,” said Ngulube.
Mchinji District Commissioner, Lucia Chidalengwa, commended MISA Malawi for the engagement saying it has come at an appropriate time, as there is a lot of fake news flying around these days.
"The community that the Council serves usually gets information from secondary sources and it is usually distorted. It is, therefore, necessary to prepare them so that they should not always believe anything they are fed,” said Chidalengwa.
She added that as general elections are approaching, it is important for the Council and its stakeholders to be able to debunk unnecessary information.
i- Verify Malawi is a system, which will be implemented by the Institute and is based on an online fact-checking tool.
The i-Verify Malawi project is funded by the United Nations Development program (UNDP) with support from the European Union (EU), Royal Norwegian Embassy, Ireland and UK International.
Councilor Salutes Government on Maize Distribution
By Wongani Mkandawire
Nkhotakota, January 8, Mana: Councilor for Mpama Ward in Nkhotakota, Gaziel Chimzele, has commended government’s efforts in the lean season maize distribution exercise stating it is a life saver in the current food crisis that communities are facing.
Speaking to Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday at Mkaika Primary School in the district, Chimzele said the food assistance will help affected households get through as they focus on farming activities in their various fields.
He called upon government to increase the number of beneficiaries in communities noting that more vulnerable families have been left out and yet they are in need of assistance.
"We are indebted to government for this continued initiative. I would like to appeal to them to increase the number of beneficiaries so that more vulnerable families can be assisted through the program," Chimzele said.
Justin Ndawala a beneficiary from Traditional Authority (TA) Nkhanga in the district was thankful to government for assisting his household at a time when he had no idea where he would get his food from.
"I am grateful to government for considering me in this exercise and I pray that other households are included because the harvest was bad and the community is in need of food," said Ndawala.
Nkhotakota District Council Disaster and Risk Management Officer, Romachinga Nkhata, said they are now in phase two of the program and was hopeful that all targeted beneficiaries will be reached.
Nkhotakota expects to cover a total of 19,822 households in this lean season food distribution programme.
Dowa police foils theft, arrests five
By Sylvester Kumwenda
Dowa, January 8, Mana: Police in Dowa have arrested five people for stealing 61 bags of soya meal cakes at Mount Meru Millers Factory in the district.
Dowa Police Station Public Relations Officer, Alice Sitima, said the suspects, four men and one woman, all employees of the company were arrested Monday midnight after police foiled a heist, which was in progress and recovered the items worth K5, 000,000.
"The factory's Security Officer, Francis Zingunde, received information from a well-wisher about the suspects plans to steal from the factory. He subsequently informed police officers who were assigned on guard duties at the factory.
"Acting on a tip-off, police officers remained vigilant and organized premises patrols which led to the apprehension of the suspects while in the act at midnight," she said.
Sitima said during the arrest, police recovered the 61 bags, of which 34 had already been moved outside the factory fence, awaiting collection by the suspects' counterparts.
The suspects have been identified as Alinafe Maliseni, 25, from Kwelekwele Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Kabudula, Lilongwe; Elliot Charles, 24, of Mphazi Village, TA Kalumo in Ntchisi who is a contract supervisor; Pickson Longwe, 41, from Masini Village, TA Chitukula who is a security guard at the factory.
Other suspects are Wakisa Napolo, 24, from Kawiri Village and Moses Ng'ona, 43 from Kanjala village both in TA Mkukula in Dowa.
The suspects will soon appear in court to face a charge of theft by servant.
Lightening strike a herdsman to death in Karonga
By George Mponda
Karonga, January 8, Mana: A 25-year-old herdsman, Bernard Andrew, was Monday struck and killed by lightening at Mwenemwambe Village in the area of Senior Chief Mwilang’ombe in Karonga.
According to Karonga Police Station Public Relations Officer, Margret Msiska, the incident occurred at around 14:30 hours.
"Andrew who was working as a herdsman for Fred Kita was grazing cattle within his boss's compound when he was struck.
“The incident was reported to Nyungwe Police Unit and police officers visited the scene of the accident,” said Msiska.
The remains of Msiska were taken to Chilumba Health Centre, where postmortem was conducted whose results indicated that death was due to electrocution secondary to being struck by lightning.
Meanwhile, police in Karonga have advised people in the district to follow weather forecasts and adhere to precautionary measures during thunderstorms.
Andrew hailed from Nsiwa Village, Traditional Authority Chakhaza in Dowa District.
Ex- Convict arrested for burglary, theft, two for receiving stolen property
By Patience Longwe
Lilongwe, December 07, Mana: Lilongwe police have arrested 24-year-old Manuel Mazoni for breaking into the home of an Indian national in Area 9, Lilongwe, and stealing various items valued at K14 million on December 27, 2024.
Police detectives have also taken into custody two other individuals whose names are withheld, for receiving and selling the said stolen property.
On the night in question, Mazoni broke into the home of Harpal Singh, an employee of the Indian High Commission in Lilongwe, and stole various items, including two iPhones, a laptop, an Apple iPad, a Samsung phone, a Bluetooth speaker, a wallet, and a purse containing K400,000 and K200,000 in cash, respectively.
After a careful study of the crime scene and critical analysis of the closed circuit Television (CCTV) footage, detectives identified Mazoni to be the culprit.
Mazoni is an ex-convict who was once sent to Maula prison in 2019 for breaking into the Malawi Electoral Commission office at Area 3 where he stole computers.
Upon his arrest in Area 36, Mazoni admitted to committing the crime and disclosed that he had sold the stolen items to another individual. Further investigations led to the identification of this second suspect. During a raid at the suspect's residence, police recovered a Bluetooth speaker and a wallet. However, the second suspect informed the police that he had also sold some of the stolen items to a third individual.
When detectives arrested the third suspect they found out that he had already crossed the borders into Mozambique with the items where he sold them. Arrangements by police are underway to recover the items from the neighboring country.
The three suspects will appear in court soon to answer applicable charges.
Manuel Mazoni comes from Chidothi Village, Traditional Authority Chakhaza in Dowa District.
MPBCB demands the return of all championship belts
By Pempho Nkhoma
Blantyre, January 7, Mana: Malawi Professional Boxing Control Board (MPBCB) is requesting all professional boxing champions from all the regions in the country to return their championship belts to the regional boxing chair persons for safe keeping.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday, General Secretary for MPBCB, Mbachichi Nyirenda said it is within the rules of the game in the country that boxers should have the belts for a short period after winning them and later return the belts to the board.
“Is a normal procedure for MPBCB to recall for the belts, usually when someone has won the title we leave it with him for at least two weeks to celebrate with it then we withdraw it for safe keeping but now they have kept the belts for a long period,” he said.
Nyirenda emphasized the difference on how national belts and international sanctioned bouts are handled, noting that here the promoters do not buy the belts for their bouts they just circulate the same belts owned by the board.
“Back then we were allowing boxers to keep the belts but after one incident where one of our belts was damaged we decided to adopt this method because these items are expensive,” he added.
In a separate interview, sports analyst Anointed Kamsampha said the boxers need to understand and follow the rules set by the governing body for the game to register meaningful progress.
“Boxers need to have good managers and trainers who can guide them to do what is right because this issue has been there for a long time and there may be a misunderstanding between the board and boxers who are holding the belts,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a bid to improve professional boxing in the country, MPBCB will set a technical committee by the end of this month to be overseeing professional boxers in each region.
President Chakwera Warns New Ministers: Deliver or Face Dismissal
By Donald Zimba
Lilongwe, January 7, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has issued a stern warning to newly appointed cabinet ministers, emphasizing that their positions are not for leisure but for delivering tangible results.
The President made these remarks today during a swearing-in ceremony held at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.
President Chakwera highlighted that Malawi is undergoing a painful recovery process and urged the new ministers to work collaboratively with him in ensuring transparency and effective communication with the public.
"As we straighten these bones that have been bent due to all the things that have deformed the country, I urge you to join me in informing Malawians on what government is doing to change the nation’s economy," said Chakwera.
He further reminded the ministers that their appointments come with a responsibility to remain accountable to the people of Malawi and deliver meaningful results.
He warned that failure to meet expectations would result in their removal from office.
The swearing-in ceremony marks a significant moment in Chakwera's administration as he seeks to drive forward his agenda for national recovery and economic reform.
MBTS on Blood Collection Campaign in Mangochi
By Ralph Charles Chinomba & Nephthali Kalumbi
Mangochi, January 7, Mana: Malawi Blood Transfusion Services (MBTS) for the Eastern Region branch has embarked on a four-day blood collection campaign in Mangochi District to boost its blood banks and ensure the availability of safe and adequate blood in all district hospital facilities in the regions.
The exercise, which started last Monday, is scheduled to be conducted in different places from Mangochi Township, Monkey-bay, Chamtulo and Madelco.
Speaking during an interview, Assistant Public Relations Officer for Eastern Region MBTS, McLoyd Kudzingo, appealed to the public and all eligible blood donors to come in large numbers and participate in donating blood to reach the demand.
“We have high expectations that after four days as planned, our team will manage to reach the target and be able to collect 400 units from all four centers collectively,” said kudzingo.
He further said that the exercise will also be conducted in the schools and other trading centres to maximize the opportunities of reaching the demand for blood that hospitals have.
A 24th time blood donor, Bright Dillie described the activity as lifesaving, and he encouraged those with misconceptions about blood donation to cast away those myths as the process of blood donation is not dangerous.
“It has been my wish to save someone’s life through blood donation and every time I take part in blood donation my spirit is lifted since I get the relief that someone’s life has been saved with my blood,” said Dillie.
Speaking in a separate interview, health expert, Maziko Matemba encouraged Malawians to develop a habit of donating blood regularly since blood plays a crucial role in the human body.
Midwife arrested for allegedly stealing freezer in Karonga
By George Mponda
Karonga, January 7, Mana: Police in Karonga have arrested a Midwife Technician at Mwenelondo Health Centre, Nathaniel Msachi, 32 for allegedly having stolen a deep freezer at the health facility.
According to Karonga Police Station Public Relations Officer, Margret Msiska, on December 30, 2024, Eunice Mwaungulu who is In-charge of Mwenelondo Health Centre lodged a complaint to police that unknown criminals had broken into her office and stolen a 300- liter deep freezer valued at MK1.2 million.
"After thorough investigations, police detectives on January 5, 2025 apprehended Msachi who after questioning admitted to have stolen the freezer on December 29, 2025 at around 09:00 hours.
“The suspect is said to have opened the door using the keys under his custody and tampered with the lock to make it look like there was a breaking in by an outsider.
“Msachi later on led the law enforcers to where he had sold the freezer and the property was recovered,” said Msiska.
Msachi is expected to appear in court to answer a charge of theft by a public servant contrary to Section 283 of the Penal Code.
He hails from Mwenekabe Village in the area of Traditional Authority Kilupula in Karonga District.
Kingston pledges to elevate Malawi’s film industry
By Agatha Kadzinje
Blantyre, January 7, Mana: Newly elected President of the Film Association of Malawi (FAMA), Dorothy Kingston, has raised hopes of advancing Malawi’s film industry and increasing its visibility.
Film Association of Malawi held its leadership elections on January 5, 2025, at the Golden Peacock Hotel, Lilongwe.
Speaking to the Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday, Kingstone said her leadership aims to bring long-awaited changes to the country’s art industry.
“I am excited and deeply honored that people have chosen me as their president for FAMA. I look forward to collaborating with professionals from various fields, such as production, editing, and scriptwriting, in Malawi. I was elected for my leadership skills, not my acting abilities, and I intend to operate like any effective leader,” she said.
Kingston described FAMA as a ‘single ship’ that has existed for nearly fourteen years without being fully operational or registered as an association.
She revealed that FAMA plans to establish regional offices across the country to act as its eyes and ears, making it easier for people to connect with the association.
Kingston acknowledged that Malawi’s film industry faces challenges, particularly due to the absence of a dedicated proposal-writing committee, which hampers its ability to compete globally.
“We lack the capacity to convince stakeholders to fund film production. This results in low-quality films due to limited resources. To address this, FAMA will establish a committee to source funding and build sustainable relationships. This will help FAMA transition from being a resource-seeking entity to becoming a revenue generator,” she explained.
Kingston also encouraged Malawians in the arts industry to join the association and participate in its activities.
Social commentator Humphrey Mvula told MANA that Malawians expect a lot from the new leadership, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the association’s credibility and ensuring its representatives positively reflect the industry.
“The film industry in Malawi is still in its infancy and must grow gradually and not rush to achieve significant progress. It should align with Malawi’s cultural values rather than adopting foreign cultures solely to accelerate development,” Mvula said.
He commended the election of Dorothy Kingstone as president and Gilbert Moyo as vice president, urging the leaders to remain neutral and independent.
“They must support constructive initiatives from both the government and opposition while objectively critiquing issues through the arts. Their neutrality will be crucial in fostering trust and credibility,” he added.
Film Association of Malawi was established in 2011 with the goal of bringing together and coordinating persons and groups involved in the production and promotion of films in Malawi.
