MANAonline
Aspiring candidates called to abide by electoral laws
By Memory Kutengule Chatonda
Blantyre, June 11, Mana: District Commissioner for Blantyre, Alex Mdooko, has advised aspiring contestants for parliamentary and local government elections to ensure they abide by the laws that govern electoral processes, as Malawi aspires for free, fair, and credible general elections on September 16.
Mdooko was speaking on behalf of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chairperson, Justice, Annabel Mtalimanja, on Wednesday in Blantyre during briefing sessions on the nomination process for aspiring contestants in the presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections.
“There are laws that govern electoral processes. As such, all aspiring contestants, regardless of their political affiliations, must abide by these laws.
“Where you don’t understand them, doors for MEC are open for engagement,” said the District Commissioner
“We have so many aspiring contestants that are standing for local government elections, parliamentary elections on both political party and independent tickets. We believe they need to have accurate information regarding electoral processes so that they can effectively participate in the elections,” he said, expressing hope that the briefing was of great essence to all the aspirants.
The DC, who is also the Returning Officer, encouraged the contestants to promote peace and tolerance as well as conduct issue-based campaigns when MEC launches the campaign period.
One of the aspiring contestants for the Blantyre Southwest constituency, Professor John Chisi hailed MEC for the briefing sessions, calling for continuous engagement.
The briefing session, among others, covered areas such as eligibility criteria, certification of persons with disabilities, the nomination process, correct filling of nomination papers, and the electoral code of conduct for candidates.
MEC engages aspiring contestants on peaceful electoral process
By Mary Makhiringa
Balaka, June 11, Mana: Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on Wednesday called upon all political parties in the country to help in fostering informed and peaceful participation of all people in the country during the forthcoming General Elections.
Reading a speech on behalf of the Electoral Commission, District Commissioner for Balaka Tamanya Harawa, said, political parties are vital links in our democratic chain, therefore being the centre of it all.
He said this during the briefing of prospective contestants and political parties in the 2025 General Election to take place on 16 September.
“The commission is operating under the theme, Promoting Democratic Leadership Through Your Vote. This theme underscores our collective duty to ensure that the electoral process is inclusive, fair, peaceful and reflective of the will of the Malawian people and our open invitation and the presence of you, prospective contestants and political parties at this briefing are consistent with our theme and reaffirmation of your commitment to a transparent and credible electoral process.
“The commission’s role is not to determine who a party’s rightful candidate is, but to provide information, ensure prospecting candidates and political parties are aware of their obligatory legal requirements, and prepare all prospecting individuals to participate in the nomination process if they so choose,” he added.
Speaking during the briefing, Assistant District Elections Officer (ADEO) Davis Konondo said that one of the number one eligibility requirements for one to stand for any of the three positions is that he or she must be a Malawian, registered voter, able to read and write in English.
“Each aspiring candidate is required to pay a nomination fee of K2, 500,000.00 for a male candidate wishing to contest as Member of Parliament, K1, 250,000.00 for a female, K1, 250,000.00 for any male or female person less than 35 years and K1, 250,000.00 and aspirants with disabilities.
“For Local Government Elections candidates, one is required to pay K200, 000.00 for males, K100, 000.00 for females, K100, 000.00 for any male or female less than 35 years and K100, 000.00 for any aspirants with disabilities,” he added.
According to Konondo, once an aspiring candidate pays a fee through FDH Bank, one can proceed to get nomination papers, which will be expected to be signed.
“For Parliamentary and Local Government Elections, 10 eligible voters, coming from the same constituency or ward, with an aspirant should sign as a way of endorsement.
“After the filling of the nomination papers and all other requirements, Local Government Elections aspirants will be required to submit their nomination papers from the 20th to 22nd June, 2025, and Parliamentary aspirants will be required to present their nomination papers from 1st to 5th July, 2025,” he explained.
During the meeting, a lot of aspirants asked MEC to speed up voter and civic education on some electoral processes, including explaining very well the Smartmatic system, as most of the electorate and the general public need to understand the system, saying that if not fully understood would contribute to serious voter apathy.
Malawi is going to polls on September 16 to elect President, Members of Parliament and Ward Councillors.
Nkhata Bay political aspirants satisfied with MEC briefing
By Chisomo Kambandanga
Nkhata Bay, June 11, Mana: Political aspirants in Nkhata Bay have expressed satisfaction with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) open briefing session on the nomination process for those contesting for the Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Government Elections in the 2025 General Elections.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday in the district, Dickens Tchuwa, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) aspiring Member of Parliament for Nkhata Bay Mpamba constituency said the meeting was informative and enlightening for the candidates.
"This meeting has created good awareness, as we have learned several things we didn't understand before.
"We are now well-informed candidates, ready to participate in this race with all the information at our disposal,’ he said.
Tchuwa highlighted that they have understood the eligibility of candidates, the nomination process, and the code of conduct before, during, and after the elections.
In her remarks, Mercy Limbani Kaunda, Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) aspiring Member of Parliament for Nkhata Bay West constituency, said the meeting was timely, considering the collection of nomination forms is in progress.
In his remarks, MEC’s District Elections Officer for Nkhata Bay, Peter Mukhula, said the meeting aimed to spread the message of the nomination process to all aspirants.
"We understand there are new candidates in politics, and it's proper that they hear the information from us and know what the commission expects from them.
"We have successfully shared all required information, and we're sure we will move forward together,” he said.
Mukhula, therefore, emphasized that the commission expects the code of conduct to be adhered to during the process, ensuring there is no form of discrimination and allowing everyone to be heard.
The briefing is one of the ongoing activities in readiness for the general elections scheduled for September 16, 2025.
Political aspirants in Mzimba tout MEC’s interface meetings on electoral processes
By Joel Phiri
Mzimba, June 11, Mana: Political aspirants in Mzimba have applauded the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) for organizing an interface meeting aimed at explaining electoral processes, saying the initiative would go a long way in helping ease challenges commonly associated with the nomination process.
In an interview after the meeting held on Wednesday, Alliance for Democracy (Aford) shadow Member of Parliament for Perekezi Constituency, Fikani Ulunji Nyirenda, said the meeting provided a valuable platform where MEC officials clearly outlined the dos and don’ts of the nomination process.
‘‘For instance, we have been told about paying for nomination fees in good time to avoid inconveniences associated with a rejected nomination when you submit late. When you are told to fill forms with registered voters to endorse your candidature and you delay the system may not give you another chance,’ said Nyirenda, who will be standing for a second time, having flopped in 2019.
Another aspirant, Enita Chima, who wants to contest as a councilor for Manyamula Ward in Solola Constituency, said being a first-time contender, she learnt a lot from the meeting.
Chima cited the regulation that every contestant should have a symbol representing their party or their candidature, as well as avoiding confrontational politics, as some of the things she learnt.
Speaking when opening the meeting, District Commissioner for M’mbelwa District Council Rodgers Newa said the objective of the meeting was to provide information to the candidates to ensure prospecting candidates and political parties are aware of their obligatory legal requirements, and prepare all prospecting individuals to participate in the nomination process if they so choose.
‘‘Misunderstandings and misinformation often arise due to lack of clarity on electoral procedures. Through these briefings, we aim to reduce confusion, prevent avoidable errors and empower you to participate confidently and correctly,” said Newa.
In a separate interview, District Elections Officer for Mzimba South, Chrispin Chakhumbira, said in the past there had been numerous anomalies that marred the nomination process such as aspirants failing to fill nomination forms correctly which resulted in some candidates being disqualified.
“This training we are conducting today for potential candidates from all political parties and independent candidates aims at enlightening them on the processes in elections and also clarifying all matters that they may need clarification on so that they don’t have issues with electoral processes,’’ said Chakhumbira.
Among others, the discussions centred on the nomination process, eligibility and timeline, correct filling of nomination forms, certification of persons with disabilities and the Electoral Code of Conduct for Political Parties.
Man arrested for murder of a five 5 years old boy in Mangochi
By Ernest Mfunya
Mangochi, June 11, Mana. Police in Namwera, Mangochi District have arrested 19-years-old, Botomani Martin in connection with the brutal murder of Brian Alabi, 5, from Mkwesa Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Bwananyambi in the district after being on the run for several days in an attempt to cross into Mozambique.
Mangochi Police Station Publicist, Inspector Amina Tepani Daudi told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday that members of the community apprehended Martin in the evening of June 10, 2025, at Chiponde border on his attempt to cross over to Mozambique after several days in hiding.
She said in preliminary confession, Martin admitted to committing the crime alongside five accomplices, still at large, claiming that they were hired by a man from Mozambique who allegedly sought to become a traditional chief and intended to use the boy for ritual.
“Police investigations also established that Martin is a habitual criminal, though previous offences were not officially reported to police as his offences were dealt with at community level.
“The police charged the suspect with murder, contrary to section 209 of the Penal Code, and will appear before court upon completion of investigations,” added Daudi.
Mangochi Police therefore extended gratitude to members of the community for apprehending the suspect, saying this testified their continued support and cooperation in the fight against crime.
Brian’s body was discovered on June 5, 2025, a day after he was reported missing, after villagers noticed a dog barking while digging in a nearby garden.
Upon closer look community members discovered human fingers protruding from the soil, according to Mangochi Police.
Police, accompanied by a clinical officer from Chiponde Health Centre went to the scene and exhumed Brian`s body.
A postmortem indicated that the boy died of strangulation caused by a twisted neck and head injuries and the body also showed signs of severe trauma, including punctured eyes and bleeding from the nose and mouth.
Martin comes from Mkwesa Village, Traditional Authority Bwananyambi in Mangochi District.
Zomba City Council commits to speed up bridge reconstruction
By Kenneth Zindondo
Blantyre, June 11, Mana: Zomba City Council says it is ready to start the reconstruction of Mpondabwino Bridge on Likangala River as it awaits expert assessment reports from Malawi Engineering Institute and MUBAS Polytechnic Lab.
Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday, the Council`s Public Relations Officer, Aubrey Moses said planning for the reconstruction is actively underway.
“After damage on the deck of the bridge, the reconstruction task was assigned to two assessors; the Malawi Engineering Institute and Polytechnic Lab. We are still waiting for their reports,” he said,
He said authorities acknowledges concerns from motorists on mobility inconveniences after damage on the concrete deck of the bridge.
“Plans are underway to make the bridge completely impassable until reconstruction is complete.,” he added.
The concerns come as drivers and business persons affected by the closure of the bridge continue to find alternative routes to and from Zomba City while waiting for the council to fix the bridge.
Business people affected by the condition of the bridge include a grain maize seller, Adam Mtendere, who said was looking forward to urgent reconstruction.
“We hope for a quicker progress so that we can resume normal business operations using the bridge,” he said.
George Chilipo, a driver said Mpondabwino Bridge was a direct route such that a crack on the bridge has affected mobility as vehicles stopped using it.
"It’s been tough, but we remain hopeful that the reconstruction will bring lasting improvements," he added.
Mpondabwino Bridge connects Thundu, Mitekete, Thabwani and Ulumba areas and is mostly used by taxis operating from the city to Mpunga and Sadzi Township,
The bridge was upgraded to the present status between years back and developed a visible structural damage on its concrete deck rack in December 2024 such that Zomba City Council closed it for traffic.
Construction of Karonga District Council offices nears completion
By George Mponda
Karonga, June 11, Mana: Acting Director of Public Works for Karonga District Council, George Chanya, Wednesday said the construction of the council’s K98 million offices is at an advanced stage and will be completed soon.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday, Chanya said the construction of new offices is a major step towards improving service delivery in the district.
He said the building is almost complete with some works remaining which include painting and electricity connection.
"Plumbing works have been completed and currently, Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has advised us to change the electrical system from single to three phase," said Chanya.
A resident at Karonga Boma, Herbert Mkandawire commended the council for the project saying currently departments operate from scattered offices leading to communication gaps and compromised service delivery.
"It become hectic to access council officials due to the current arrangement of the offices and we hope that the structure will restore public trust in local governance besides being a catalyst to improved service delivery,” Mkandawire said.
He urged people in the district to refrain from vandalizing public property during demonstrations against issues that affect them, noting that the people themselves suffer in such situations.
The project which is funded by Malawi Government through the District Development Fund, will house the council’s key administrative departments such as planning, accounts and public works.
The construction of the offices followed the destruction of the council’s old offices by demonstrators in 2019 demonstrations.
Health structures challenged to be alert to emergencies
By Wanangwa Tembo
Kasungu, June 11, Mana: Principal Epidemiology Officer at the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM), Austin Zgambo, has called for vigilance amongst health management structures so that they are able to quickly detect and effectively respond to health emergencies.
Zgambo, who is responsible for surveillance of public health activities, made the call on Tuesday during the opening of a two-day orientation of Kasungu District Public Health Emergency Management Committee (PHEMC) on health cluster coordination.
The session was planned to build capacity for the PHEMC to ably respond to public health emergencies such as Mpox, cholera and Marburg in the district.
“We are living in a period where we are facing a lot of health emergencies and disasters, and we noted that it has been a long time since we last oriented district-based health management structures on their terms of reference to respond to emergencies.
“So, this activity is meant to refresh their minds on how they can respond to emergencies and disasters that may occur in the districts, update the structures on the current situation of Cholera and Mpox and also to make them get prepared for Ebola and Marburg,” Zgambo said.
He said the management committees must be alert and always prepared, as it is not known when diseases will strike.
“We must have plans on how we will respond if the district is faced with a particular health emergency,” he said.
In his remarks, Senior Environmental Health Officer for Kasungu, Rumbani Mughogho, highlighted the importance of the training, as it has come at a time when the country is registering cases of Mpox disease.
“It’s a wake-up call for the district that we must always be prepared, despite though we have not registered any cases of those diseases this year.
“We have structures at all levels of health management, and my appeal is that we must be meeting regularly to plan and remind one another on our mandate despite the challenge of resources being limited,” Mughogho said.
Malawi has reported 27 cases of Mpox, a viral zoonotic disease that has killed 979 people across 19 African Union member states between January and May this year, posting at least 62,272 cases.
Flames axed into COSAFA Cup
By Santos Zefania
Lilongwe, June 11, Mana: The warm heart is now cold as, Malawi National football team, the Flames, faces an immediate exit, where Angola extinguished the flames of fire, having booted them out in the group stages of the Hollywood Bet COSAFA cup, Bloemfontein in South Africa, on Tuesday.
The development has come due to poor run as the Flames doused into cold ice where they collected a single point out of a possible 9 as they finished bottom in group B from 3 games, having drawn once and beaten twice.
In an interview, after the final whistle from Toyota stadium, in Bloemfotein, flames assistant coach Peter Mponda stressed over his teams early exist, saying: "despite teams poor performance, the tournament has helped us to assess players a head of the future campaign, where few more final touches would make this team geared to produce good results.
Commenting on the shambolic performance written on Esau Kanyenda's Website, Nelson Masauli said:
"We don't have quality players as a nation. We need to nurture our talent to compete at a higher level of the game. Most of our players are not physically fit enough to compete with their opponents on 50/50 balls and lack basic knowledge of football. It's not just for coaches alone, but for many stakeholders to improve our games.
Flames and Lesotho were booted out of Group B COSAFA Hollywood Bet, where Namibia and Angola went through to the next round of the tournament.
28-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Defiling Minor
By Innocent Manda
Lilongwe, June 11, Mana: A28-year-old man, Raffick James, has been sentenced to 19 years in prison by the Lilongwe Magistrate Court for defiling and impregnating a 13-year-old girl.
According to Lilongwe Police Spokesperson, Inspector Hastings Chigalu, the offence occurred in December last year in Chinsapo area.
The court heard from Sub Inspector Florence Mlanje that the accused lured the victim and her peers to his home under the pretext of offering them temporary work.
He then locked the girl inside, threatened her with violence, and committed the offence.
Police say the victim remained silent due to fear for her life. However, the case came to light in March this year after it was discovered that she was pregnant.
James, also popularly known as Mdyomba, was arrested and charged.
Senior Resident Magistrate Bracious Kondowe sentenced him to 19 years in prison, dismissing his plea for lenience as a first-time offender.
