By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, April 24, Mana: Participants in social protection programs in Nkhotakota district have commended government for the ongoing programs, saying they are improving the people’s livelihoods.

Speaking in an interview with Mana on Thursday, one participant of social cash transfer program, Kapochi Piyasi, of Mtete Village in the area of Senior Chief Mwadzama, said he has managed to build a house, buy six goats, and a bicycle through the money he receives, adding that he is now investing to become self-reliant even without the program.

"Before the program, I was living in poverty: I was depending on my relatives to help me feed and manage my family, but now I have a good house that qualifies to be called home and it is all because of the support I get from the social cash transfer program," he explained.

Another beneficiary, Malita Chimera, said, with children to look after on her own, life was not as simple as all she did was rely on piece work to bring food and their family necessities.

After being enrolled into the Public Works Program in 2019, she said life changed, and she is now one of the well-known livestock farmers in her area of residence since she started investing the money she got from the program into goats and chicken farming.

A 78-year-old Mumdelanji Chimbano of Ngumbwe in the area of Senior Chief Mwadzama, who is also enrolled in the social cash transfer program, said the money she received every month, is assisting her to, among other things, access health services due to her age.

“When I feel sick due to my old age, I use the money as transport to receive medical treatment. I am also depending on the money for food and basic needs as you can see, I can’t manage to venture into farming activities,” she said.

Principal Social Welfare officer for Nkhotakota, Osward Mwale, said these programs are important to communities as they improve their livelihoods beyond expectations.

He encouraged participants to invest in livestock, or save their money through other related ventures like savings and loan groups in their communities for further benefit.

Between the social cash transfer and public works programs funded by the World Bank and Multi-donor Trust Fund, over 26,000 households are enrolled in these social protection programs in Nkhotakota.  

By Sarah Munthali

Lusaka, April 24, Mana: Legal Services Manager for the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Lawrence Lunguzi, says the commission recognizes the critical role of a healthy information ecosystem in promoting electoral integrity and public trust.

Lunguzi made the remarks on Thursday in Lusaka, Zambia, during the opening of a two-day workshop organized by the Centre for Human Rights-University of Pretoria in collaboration with the PANOS Institute Southern Africa, focusing on healthy information ecosystems and elections in Zambia and Malawi,

“As we prepare for the 2025 general elections, we have taken proactive steps to enhance the flow of credible information, strengthen media relations, and empower voters to discern truth from falsehood," Lunguzi said. "We are also engaging with digital platforms, civil society, and fact-checkers to collaboratively tackle misinformation.”

He added that MEC has intensified the dissemination of information on electoral processes through the National Election Consultative Forum (NECOF), and public engagements to ensure a free and fair election on September 16, 2025.

The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, referenced the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa.

She said access to information empowers the electorate to be well-informed about political processes, enabling them to elect political office holders; participate in decision-making on laws and policies; and hold public officials accountable.

“I urge the Election Management Bodies of Malawi and Zambia to take the lead in promoting transparency," Topsy-Sonoo said, and she continued: "Proactive disclosure, as set out in the Guidelines, is not just good practice; it is a legal and moral obligation. It is also the most effective antidote to misinformation and disinformation, which have increasingly tainted the information space and, thereby undermining democratic processes.”

Deputy Director for the Centre for Human Rights-University of Pretoria, Lloyd Kuveya, said the workshop was organized to promote the integrity and credibility of election processes and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, in line with the African Union (AU) normative framework on information rights in the context of elections.

“We want to see Malawi and Zambia respecting freedom of expression and access to information,” Kuveya said.

Chairperson for the Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum, Benedicto Kondowe, stressed that non-state actors have an “imperative role” in conducting voter education to ensure that the public exercise their right to vote.

However, Kondowe noted that civil society organizations (CSOs) often face financial constraints.

He highlighted the need for partners to fund the organizations to help ensure credible elections, adding that while many CSOs are eager to participate, most lack adequate funding.

Malawi is scheduled to hold its general elections on September 16, 2025, while Zambia will follow on August 13, 2026.

The workshop was attended by representatives from Election Management Bodies, civil society organizations, the media, academia, and political parties from Malawi and Zambia.

By Thom Ali

Lilongwe, 23 April Mana: The Malawi Government, through the Ministry of Health, in partnership with UNICEF, the National Planning Commission (NPC), and other stakeholders, has launched the First Foods Africa Initiative in the country.

Speaking at the launch, Deputy Minister of Health Noah Chimpeni stated that the initiative is important as it addresses child food poverty in Malawi.

He added that the government will promote the use of local food products to tackle child nutrition challenges by supporting local production, improving policies, and encouraging consumption.

Acting NPC Director Joseph Nagoli emphasized that transforming the food system is key to ensuring vulnerable children have access to nutritious food.

He urged all stakeholders to collaborate in strengthening food systems and help achieve Malawi’s Vision 2063.

UNICEF Country Representative Johannes Wedenig affirmed that UNICEF remains committed to supporting the production and consumption of food, which is nutritious, safe, affordable, and sustainable for young children.

By Prisca Promise Mashushu

Lilongwe, April 23 Mana: The Minister of Homeland Security, Honourable Ezekiel Peter Ng’oma, says the report signifies the government's commitment to enhance data correction, processing and its usage in the country while securing the legal identity of every citizen's information electronically.

He made the remarks during the official launch of the vital statistics and verbal autopsy at Crossroads Hotel on Tuesday in Lilongwe.

Ng’oma explained that since the establishment of the NRB and also through the help of the National Registration Act, the government has embarked on a transformative journey moving away from the outdated 2004 Birth and Death Registration Act.

“Before these reforms, civil registration was not compulsory for the indigenous population which resulted into countless Malawians born before 2015 to be without birth or death certificates hence it’s launching today is very imperative as it will help to address this legacy while striving for a future where every citizen is recognised and afforded Equal rights as guaranteed by the constitution of the nation.

“For government to make important decisions, they have to know the number of people in the country starting with the number of people born each day at every hospital and the number of people who have died per day to make good development plans that includes economy, education, health and others to avoid over budgeting for the nation,” explained Ng’oma.

Principal secretary under the National Registration Bureau (NRB), Mphatso Augustine Sambo, said the implementation of the civic registration commenced in 2015 by the introduction of the birth and death certificates, with the first registration on the first of August 2015 in four districts of the country.

“From 2015 up to the year  2022,  we reached 28 districts and the bureau noted that other deaths are happening outside the health facilities due to many factors and it is estimated to about 2.5 percent across the country and about 75 percent of the deaths occur in the communities hence as such the process introduced the community both and death registration and up to date only ten districts are remaining to finalise the process.

“The bureau is working hand in hand with the ministry of health and the national statistics office of that nation to come up with all the right processes and all health facilities to be able to register birth and death certificates easily in line with our mandate and procedures,” he said.

Meanwhile, Principal secretary in the ministry of health, Steven Kayuni expressed gratitude over its launch as it will enable the ministry to register and know the number of children born per day in every district as well as knowing the number of people who have died each day electronically in line with the NRBs procedures and mandates.

“The official launch of the Malawi vital statistics and verbal autopsy report will help the ministry to be able to identify the causes of deaths of the people at the hospitals as well as it will help the ministry to plan better when it comes to it’s services by offering trainings to all health personnel on the most common diseases that causes death among people in the country.

“We need to share data with our facilities and be able to learn about it by discovering the top ten causes of deaths in the country and finding the best preventive measures,” he explained.

By Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, April 23, Mana: The Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority (MAGLA) has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a fair, regulated, and responsible gaming industry in the country.

MAGLA Board Chairperson Fredrick Changaya made the statement on Wednesday during a stakeholder workshop on responsible gambling in Salima, which aimed to address challenges within the growing gaming and betting sector.

He explained that the training is part of ongoing engagements MAGLA has had with international experts, including the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation, to promote best practices within the sector.

According to Changaya, gaming industry in Malawi is still in its infancy, which calls for proactive measures to ensure both operators and players understand their roles.

“This workshop is not just for us as the authority, but also for operators to understand the boundaries and promote responsible gambling,” he said.

Responding to concerns about the growing number of underage individuals engaging in gambling, Changaya said MAGLA is taking necessary steps, including the deployment of advanced technologies.

“We are exploring the use of biometric and AI-driven systems capable of verifying users’ age before they access gambling platforms. The goal is to have a seamless national system that operators must integrate into, allowing MAGLA to monitor compliance in real time.” He explained.

Changaya also disclosed that six new regulations have been enacted this year to control how gambling operators advertise their services.

One of the gaming operators in attendance, Mini Monte Gaming Limited, through its Manager and Compliance Officer, Madalitso Gongwa commended MAGLA for organizing the workshop, describing it as timely and impactful.

“This kind of training helps us acquire new knowledge and skills that are critical for effectively operating and managing our businesses in a compliant and responsible manner,” he said.

Among the companies participating in the workshop are Premier Bet, Betika, and BetPawa.

By Solister Mogha

Lilongwe, April 23, Mana: Nutrition, HIV and Aids Office at Zomba District Council organized an orientation for council staff to discuss HIV prevention as the district currently records 71,000 people living with HIV, while 67,000 people are on Antiretroviral (ARVs)

The District Commissioner for Zomba, Reinghard Chavula, therefore advised members of staff to consider HIV and Aids a real threat.

Chavula gave the advice on Wednesday during the HIV and Aids, Messages of Hope orientation workshop in Zomba.

She noted, “It appears many people are underrating the existence of the pandemic and rarely care about themselves. Though awareness seems to have gone down, the disease is a big threat to human life. We must keep talking about HIV and Aids even in our workplaces. For your information, the disease is still a health threat”.

Chavula therefore hailed the Nutrition, HIV and Aids sector for organizing the workshop, which she said will remind council staff of the need to abstain from behaviours that can contribute to HIV transmission on top of the need for the members of staff to disseminate the message of hope across the district.

“Please, take good care of yourselves, avoid multiple sexual relations. Those who are married should stick to one spouse only,” she added.

Chief Nutrition and HIV Officer for Zomba District Council, Maggie Chiwaula, said the workshop was meant to disseminate messages of hope to the staff and the public.

She added that abstinence is key in HIV and Aids response and called on the members of staff and the public to stay away from factors that can lead to sexually transmitted infections.