Items filtered by date: May 2025

Blantyre, May 30, Mana: Police in Blantyre have arrested three people on allegation that they were in possession of fake K5, 000 banknotes amounting to K40, 000.

Southwest Region Police Deputy Spokesperson, Beatrice Mikuwa alleges that the three were found with a laptop, printer and cell phones suspected to have been used to print the notes.

"The suspects wanted to deposit money to a mobile money agent at Chitawira area on Monday who suspected the notes to be fake and alerted the Police who were patrolling the area," she said.

According to Police, the accused are Ishmael Ackim, Enock Likanga Chirwa and Vinkula Kavwenje from Machinjiri, Ntcheu and Ntchisi respectively.

Earlier this year, Police in Mangochi arrested Panganani William, 21 after he was found with K300, 000 fake banknotes.

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Lilongwe, May 30, Mana: Lingazi Police Station in Lilongwe has registered a 12.8 percent upturn in crime rate from January to May this year.

Presenting a report on the state of security in Lilongwe during Station Executive Committee (SEC) meeting on Monday at Ufulu Garden, Officer In-Charge, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Billy Chimbonga said the station has registered 588 criminal cases compared to 521 cases during the same period last year.

Among others, Chimbonga attributed the rise in thefts, burglary and break-ins during the period under review.

He said: “Lingazi Police Station is not doing well in reducing crime looking at how we have fared on theft, burglary and break-in. They are many factors to the rise, but the major one is that the station is under-resourced with only two functional vehicles.

“This means that we are not doing well in patrols. The reason is that Lingazi is still being treated as a sub-station when it was upgraded to a full-station.”

However, the OC said there was a 65.5 percent decline in traffic offences as the station had only 76 cases in the period under review against 116 the same period in 2022.

“Apart from that, we also had a decrease in rape and defilement because of the community court initiative,” added Chimbonga.

SEC chairperson, Matthews Mtumbuka said Areas 10, 43, 11 and 12 were highly targeted for thefts, break-ins and burglary following the presidential pardon of prisoners in the period under review.

“We had problems starting from the time prisoners were released on presidential pardon. Many targeted areas such as 10, 12, 11 and 43 where they know high profile figures live. Of course we are happy to hear most of these suspects were apprehended, but we feel there is more we cans do especially on effort coordination with community policing and neighborhood panels to always be active and act as informant,” Mtumbuka said.

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Mangochi, May 29, Mana:  Islamic Relief Malawi, a faith-humanitarian and development agency, has embarked on a K2 billion worth project in Mangochi to alleviate sexual abuse, poverty, and food insecurity in the district.

Speaking during presentation of the project to stakeholders in Mangochi on Friday, Food Security and Livelihood Coordinator for Islamic Relief Malawi, Christopher Malamba said the project, which will run for three years in Traditional Authority (TA) Mponda, follows an assessment which showed that the area is falling behind in the fight against sexual abuse as well as food security.

“In our 2022 survey, we established that due to cultural practices, Gender Based Violence (GBV) is increasingly continuing in areas of Group Village Headmen Mponda, Muchande and Chipeta, under TA Mponda in Mangochi. Most affected groups are girls and women, and in other cases even boys.

“This violence includes sexual abuse, finance-related, physical abuse, and emotional abuse,” said Malamba.

He said the survey also showed poor performance of agriculture production, a development which is leading to chronic food and nutritional insecurities by most people in the district.

Malamba, therefore, said based on the established gaps, the organisation secured funding worth over K2 billion to implement the project aimed at reducing vulnerability of women and girls.

The project is also aimed at improving food and nutritional security of 3,000 vulnerable smallholder households in the three villages.

Malamba said amongst main activities that they intend to implement within three-year project include raising awareness on issues affecting adolescent girls and women, supporting community structures in addressing harmful cultural practices that lead to early marriages and pregnancies, as well as providing start-up grant to 150 village saving and loans association to implement resilient collective businesses.

Agriculture, Gender Roles Extension Support Services Officer for Mangochi, Chimwemwe Chisenga commended Islamic Relief for the project saying that it will help vulnerable communities to be self-reliant.

Chisenga said that due to lack of support by guardians, many adolescent girls in Mangochi get married earlier, a development which results into teenage pregnancies.

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Lilongwe, May 29, Mana: The High Court of Malawi has granted an order for an interlocutory injunction restraining Minister of Homeland Security and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services from seizing nine containers belonging to a refugee, Sylvestre Bizimana.

The injuction further restrains disrupting his business and forcing him and his family to move to Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa until after the determination of the judicial review or until a further order is made by the court.

The claimant, filed an application on May 18, 2023 before Justice Howard Pemba for permission to commence judicial review of the Minister of Homeland Security and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services (defendants) decision to force him and his family to move to Dzaleka Refugee Camp.

The claimant also applied for an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from, among others, forcing him and his family to move to Dzaleka Refugee Camp until the final determination of the judicial review.

This is not the first time that refugees and asylum seekers have obtained a court injunction stopping government from relocating them to Dzaleka Refugee Camp since issues of their relocations started 13 years ago.

In a judicial review cause number 20 of 2023, Justice Howard Pemba granted permission to Sylvestre Bizimana to apply for judicial review while the application for an interlocutory injunction was ordered to come for an inter partes hearing on May 25, 2023.

Surprisingly, both the Minister of Homeland Security and Director General of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services as 1^st and 2^nd defendants respectively did not show up and no good reason was proffered to the court by the defendants for their failure to attend the hearing.

“In view of these circumstances, the court allowed the claimant, Bizimana, to proceed with the hearing in the absence of the defendants,” reads part of the order.

Bizimana in his application for judicial review claims to be a Malawian after following all due processes. He attached a number of documentary evidence such as his national identity card, a certificate of naturalisation as a citizen of Malawi, tax clearance certificate from Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and a certificate of registration for his business premises licence from Lilongwe City Council (LCC) to prove that he is a Malawian.

The defendants are regarding Bizimana as one of the illegal immigrants hence enforcing a policy that he is not authorised to conduct his businesses at Mgona Market in Lilongwe where he has his nine containers containing agricultural produce.

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Mangochi, May 29, Mana: Stakeholders in Mangochi have expressed concern over increased cases of gender-based violence (GBV) in the district, saying are resulting into unwanted pregnancies.

Speaking Saturday during an interface meeting on sexual reproductive health rights organised by Go Fund a Girl Child, Victim Support Unit Officer for Mangochi Police Station, Inspector Maggie Karroti said for the past four months her office has recorded an increase in number of cases such as un-procedural divorce, rape, as well as defilement.

Karroti said the development is hindering rights of many young girls in the district, including their right to good health.

“From January to April this year my office has recorded a total of 261 cases of GBV, of which most cases were rape and defilement. This is against 198 cases that were recorded during the same period last year. This, indicates that as a district we are not doing fine, on protection of women and girls,” said Karroti.

Coordinator for Post Abortion Care for Mangochi District Council, Mathews Ntemang’ombe, said the development is resulting into many young girls in the district having early pregnancies.

Ntemang’ombe said last year alone Mangochi registered 15,343 cases of early pregnancies.

He added that his office assisted 1,058 patients who had terminated their pregnancies.

“Out of these cases, those who were of ages between 10 to 19 were around 280, and we lost three due to complications resulting from abortions,” said Ntemang’ombe.

In her remarks, Programmes Officer for Go Fund a Child, Hawa Shabir said the organisation is, currently, advocating for access to sexual reproductive health rights, including the right to safe abortion, in order to ensure that girls in Mangochi are living in safe environment.

“As an organisation, the development has led us to start advocating for access to sexual reproductive health rights for youths.

“We want to want to see that youths in the country are able to access safe abortion, as the current laws have restrictions over the same,” said Shabir.

The interface meeting attracted youths, faith and traditional leaders in Mangochi.

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Zomba, May 29, Mana: Minister of Water and Sanitation, Abida Mia has appealed to the cooperate world and well-wishers to support Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) with water bowsers and construction materials as it strives to fix the main transmission water pipe that was vandalised.

Speaking Friday after visiting the site where the pipe was vandalised and to appreciate construction works currently underway, Mia said with current situation the board is in, it would be proper if more assistance was available to support the people of Zomba.

The minister said with only eight water bowsers it would be difficult for SRWB to reach out to all its 600,000 customers in Zomba who have no water.

"The problem here is huge and I don't think the board is able to serve all its customers. Having looked at the extent of damage and how affected people of Zomba are, I would like to appeal to wellwishers to assist us with water bowsers so that people have access to clean and safe water,” Mia said.

She also asked for the support of air transport which could help in airlifting some construction materials which are manually being carried by engineering staff to the top of the mountain where the transmission pipe was vandalised. 

The minster feared about cholera outbreak due to water scarcity in the city as people are getting water from unprotected sources.

"I cannot imagine where people are getting water. People of Zomba are indeed in trouble," she said.

The minister condemned theft of public properties saying the conduct is retrogressive.

In an interview Chief Executive Officer for SRWB, Duncan Chambamba said the Board would need K500 million to fix the problem.

He said the Board will need to buy new anchor straps and also erect a concrete pillar which will help in holding the transmission pipe.

"We have already spent K150 million and we still need more funds to complete the construction works," said Chambamba.

Meanwhile, the CEO says the Board is working on revamping the old transmission line so that people have access to water throughout at a low pressure.

On May 12, 2023 thieves vandalised the main water transmission pipes forcing SRWB to completely shut down its water supply in Zomba.

Staff from SRWB and Malawi Defence Force are on the site working tirelessly to ensure water is restored.

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Blantyre, April 24, Mana: Stakeholders in technology and gender say all is set for the 2023 commemoration of the International Girls in ICT Day slated for April 27 in Blantyre.

The commemoration which will be held under the theme: Digital Skills for Life is targeting women and girls from different sectors.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA), spokesperson for the organisers, Chimwemwe Kaonga said commemoration will also interrogate the position of the gender digital gap in Malawi and how to promote Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among girls.

The “We want to share the common understanding that digital transformation provides new avenues for the empowerment of women and girls. However, discrimination, negative stereotypes and social cultural biases create challenges for women and girls to strive in a highly digital economy and society,” said Kaonga.

This year’s commemoration will launch Her Tech Magazine which has profiled a number of women who have made strides in the area of STEM.

Kaonga added that these fields are male-dominated and most girls lack role models in STEM hence the launch of magazine so that as a girl child reads it, she should be inspired and motivated to pursue a similar field.

President for Information, Communications and Technology Association of Malawi (ICTAM), Clarence Gama said it is a good initiative as women are often underrepresented in this field which can result in missed opportunities for both individuals and the industry as a whole.

"This will help increase diversity in the ICT industry, leading to a more creative and innovative workforce and is particularly important in developing countries like Malawi where access to technology and digital skills can be limited for girls due to cultural and societal norms," said Gama.

The commemoration is being organised by Her for Tech, Women for Social Change (W4SC), Centre for Governance and Leadership (CEGOL), Sparc Systems Limited, Inq. Digital Malawi and Times Group.

The International Girls in ICT Day was designated in 2011 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an agency of the United Nations.

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Likoma, May 17, Mana: Airport Development Limited (ADL) says it has partnered with Malawi Gaming Board and Ministry of Tourism to enhance tourism in Likoma District.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) for ADL, Wezzie Gondwe made the remarks Tuesday when ADL board members visited Likoma to explore opportunities on how Likoma can be developed in terms of tourism.

“As managers of Likoma Island Aerodrome, we want to explore opportunities on how we can turn Likoma Island into the biggest tourism hub in Malawi to attract more traffic to the airport, and maximise our revenue base as a company. We have seen that Likoma has a lot of potential to help us develop as a company.

"One of the key things that we want to do is to expand the existing runaway so that it can accommodate bigger aircrafts. We also need to build a 100 roomed hotel that can accommodate tourists that will be coming to Likoma," She said.

Gondwe said the project is on concept phase, saying all feedback from stakeholders will be incorporated.

District Commissioner (DC) for Likoma, Abubakar Nkhoma welcomed the project saying it was going to boost the Council’s revenue.

"It is also going to bring revenue to the district which will be used for various infrastructure developments. It will also create job opportunities to the residents and change the outlook of the island," he said Nkhoma.

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Lilongwe May 15, Mana: Malawi Aquatic Union (MAU) has expressed satisfaction with the tremendous improvements junior swimmers have displayed when tasked to represent the country at international competitions.

The sentiments were shared by MAU Spokesperson, Beatrice Makwenda following the stint nine swimmers had at the recent 2023 African Swimming Confederation (CANA) Zone IV Championship, in Luanda, Angola.

Makwenda hailed 14 year-old Luka Smith who carted home two gold medals in the 50 metres and 100 metres freestyle events while six new Malawian national records were broken during the championship.

“Luka has done Malawi proud and has demonstrated that the golden podium appearance is possible for our athletes. He has inspired his colleagues to reach greater heights.

“MAU is very proud of the young and upcoming team who are already making a mark in breaking 10-year old records. They have shown growth in the sport and also made a mark towards improving the swimming records,” she said.

Makwenda was grateful that the 2023/2024 national budget included funds for the completion of the Aquatic Complex but highlighted that the Ministry of Sports is better placed to provide the timeline for the completion.

Meanwhile Coach of the Swimmers, Sharon Malrose said it was an honor to coach the young swimmers who are relatively new to the competition setting at international level as they showed potential besides challenges faced in preparations.

“Almost all the swimmers achieved personal best times in their events in Angola.  Swimming in a 50 metre pool takes some getting used to and for some of them it was their first time in the longer pool having trained almost exclusively in 25 metre pools.

“It is not easy for swimmers who train in Malawi as it is seasonal.  From now (May) until September, the water is cold hence swimmers are unable to train for any length of time, therefore, it is pleasing to see them achieving great results,” Malrose said.

CANA Zone IV Swimming Championships games were held from 3-6 May, with swimmers, Asher Banda (17), Jessie Chirwa (12), Ian Chongwe (12). Danielle Kandjaza (12), Jeremiah Makwenda (13), Tasunje Mkavea (13), Rhinniah Nzengo (14), Zoe Rebello (15).

The swimmers were accompanied by team manager Taymamike Chang’anamuno and Technical Official, Beatrice Makwenda.

At the tournament, Smith broke the record in the 100 metre freestyle, Makwenda in the 800 metre freestyle as well as in the 400 metre freestyle, whereas Mkavea had records in 50 metre breaststroke, 100m breaststroke and 400 metre freestyle

Additionally, Chongwe, Smith, Makwenda and Mkavea also had a record in the 4 x 50 metre freestyle relay competition.

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Mangochi, April 21, Mana: Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Liana Kakhobwe Chapota has refuted rumours circulating where some people are linking rising water levels in Shire River and Lake Malawi to the closure of Kamuzu Barrage at Liwonde in Machinga District.

Reports indicate that for the past  weeks, water in Lake Malawi and in its tributaries such as Shire River have increased above the sea level, a development which has created fear of flooding to some residents surrounding the lake in Mangochi.

Speaking during her tour to appreciate the levels of water in Lake Malawi at Nkope and Mapira in Mangochi on Friday, Chapota said Kamuzu Barrage has never been closed, adding that the rising water levels in Lake Malawi is as a result of heavy rainfall that was experienced in the neighbouring Tanzania and other eastern countries.

Chapota added that the level of water which is currently flowing at Kamuzu Barrage downstream is more than the volume that was passing through within the same period last year.

‘‘Let me emphasise that we have not closed and never shall we close the Kamuzu Barrage at Liwonde in Machinga. In fact, if the barrage was closed, the country would not have been able to generate electricity.’’

‘‘What has happened is that due to the increased rainfall in Tanzania and other eastern countries, the level of water in Lake Malawi has risen above the sea by 66 centimetres, as of April last year, water increased by 475.3 meters and this year it has risen by 475.89 meters,’’ said Chapota.

Kamuzu Barrage was constructed to regulate the flow of water from Lake Malawi to Shire River, for proper generation of hydro power.

According to the Board Chairperson for National Water Resources Authority, Engineer James Mambulu, levels of water in Lake Malawi are likely to continue increasing in the next coming months.

Sub Traditional Authority Chiwalo of Mangochi urged his subordinates at Nkope, whose villages have currently been submerged in water, to relocate to upper land.

‘‘This is the right time for people to consider moving to the upper land before any disaster may occur,’’ said Chiwalo.

Some of the notable figures who accompanied the deputy minister on the tour included Member of Parliament for Mangochi Monkey Bay, Ralph Jooma, Traditional Authority Mapira and some government officials.

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