Items filtered by date: June 2025

By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, August 23, Mana: Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sili Mbewe said his institution is optimistic that it would manage to deal with the issue of water loss caused by illegal water connections, pipe leakages and vandalism of water supplying equipment among others.

He made the remarks on Wednesday during Project for Strengthening the Capacity of Non-Revenue Water Reduction for Lilongwe Water Board (LiSCaP) 9^th Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) meeting which was held in Lilongwe.

Mbewe said that as water board they are looking forward to reduce the issue of water loss in a range of 25 percent reaching the year 2025.

“If we are to ask our customers they will say we want 0 percent nonrevenue water, but unfortunately the reality is we cannot have zero percent across the globe even in Japan where we are learning the experiences they still have non-revenue water within 10 percent.

“For us when we look at our annual targets we are looking at least managing 35 percent but in terms of our strategic plan we are looking at 25 percent by the year 2025 specifically in June,” Mbewe said.

LWB is currently losing about 38 percent of water that it produces annually which translates to the money loss of about K15 billion, according to the CEO.

He further expressed confidence that through various interventions that are implementing which include; replacing old water supplying equipment with new ones among others would help them solve the issue of water loss.

“Under the Lilongwe Water and Sanitation Project we actually have a specific component to look at non-revenue water reduction so it looks at the whole essence of replacing the aged pipe line but again within the project we are also implementing what we are calling District Metered Areas (DMAs).

“The DMAs allow us to demarcate supply areas into manageable areas where we are able to measure how much water has gone into a particular DMA, how much water has been lost and where we have higher incidences of nonrevenue water, therefore we are very optimistic that we should be able to reduce nonrevenue water,” he said.

He also hailed Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA) for assisting LWB in dealing with the issue of nonrevenue water through the LiSCaP which is scheduled to phase out in December 2024.

In his comment, JAICA Chief Representative, Kazuhiro Tambara said that as JAICA they are committed to providing LWB with different support such as the latest equipment and capacity that would assist in dealing with the issue of nonrevenue water.

By Manasse Nyirenda

Johannesburg, August 23, Mana: President Lazarus Chakwera has asked ILOVO Group to diversify their value chain in Malawi to other crops for the benefit of Malawians and also the company.

The president was engaging Group Chief Executive Officer, for ILOVO Africa, Gavin Dalglish at Davinci hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg on the sidelines of the on-going BRICS summit in South Africa.

In an interview after meeting the president, Dalglish said was looking forward to the completion of the Shire River canal which is significant and I think it will have multi-generational benefits and it’s a wonderful opportunity to create more value chains for Malawi.

“We talked about growth prospects for ILOVO Sugar in Malawi in particular around the Shire River Canal Project and the potential it has to create more value chains for Malawi and the ongoing investment climate in Malawi,” he said.

Minister of Finance Sosten Gwengwe said the president has been engaging the ILOVO Group for the past three years to find ways of diversifying

“The main focus was on illovo to diversify value chain to sectors of our economy in addition to sugar. ILOVO is about 60 years old, but they have really done only the sugar value chain addition and I think time is now ripe with the Shire Valley Transformation Programme which focuses on gravity fed irrigation.

“ILOVO can be the main off taker of that water and develop a second value chain whether its cotton or legumes or whichever value chain that can be scaled to the size of sugar and I feel it is a win-win for Malawi and ILOVO,” he said.

The BRICS Summit officially closes tomorrow and president Chakwera is expected to attend the closing ceremony with other leaders.

BRICS comprises of five emerging world economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa focusing on economic and political stability.

President of China, XI Jinping has also backed expansion of the BRICS arguing it would make global governance fairer.

Some Africa countries including Algeria and Egypt have expressed interest to join.

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By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, August 23, Kasungu: Group Village Headman (GVH) Mawawa of Santhe in Kasungu says incidences of corruption at both higher and lower levels of governance poses a threat to the aspirations enlisted in the country’s 2063 Vision (Mw2063).

He was speaking at Chankhozi in Traditional Authority Santhe on Wednesday during a day-long training for community leaders on pillars of good governance and the Malawi 2063 vision organised by National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust.

“We have a well-articulated plan that can end this poverty we see in the country. My worry is that there is too much corruption even at lower levels of governance which threatens the realisation of this dream.

“When dealing with corruption, our eyes are always on those at Capital Hill and politicians. But we need to also pay serious attention to the conduct of leaders at lower levels of governance because that is where corruption starts,” Mawawa said.

He said the 2063 agenda is a realistic plan that can easily be achieved if Malawians work together and develop a positive attitude towards work.

“Adam and Eve were put in the Garden of Eden to take care of it so that it also supports their living. Likewise, today, if we are in positions at whatever level, we must remember the reasons why we are in those positions. We must always do the right thing.

“If we work together; if we stop living in doubt; if we stop politicking, we will achieve our 2063 agenda. We must be positive,” he said.  

In an interview, National Planning Commission Public Relations and Communications Manager, Thom Khanje, said the Malawi 2063 Vision document acknowledges that there is corruption in the country and that it recommends interventions for addressing the same.

“Fighting corruption is one of the tenets of the Malawi 2063 under Enabler number two which talks about having effective governance systems and institutions,” he stated.

Khanje further said the vision document calls for efforts to promote openness and transparency, and enhances demand for accountability to curb corruption. 

Nice Civic Education Officer for Kasungu, Pilirani Chaguza, said the realisation of the 2063 Agenda is the responsibility of everyone, including those living in rural communities.

He said: “Malawi 2063 is not a government project. Everyone has some space and role to play so that the envisioned aspirations are realised. It is a guide for everyone.”

Nice is engaging communities on good governance and mindset change with funding from government in a quest to graduate the country from being a low-income and donor-dependent country to a wealthy middle-income and self-reliant nation.

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By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, August 23, Mana: Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sili Mbewe said his institution is optimistic that it would manage to deal with the issue of water loss caused by illegal water connections, pipe leakages and vandalism of water supplying equipment among others.

He made the remarks on Wednesday during Project for Strengthening the Capacity of Non-Revenue Water Reduction for Lilongwe Water Board (LiSCaP) 9^th Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) meeting which was held in Lilongwe.

Mbewe said that as water board they are looking forward to reduce the issue of water loss in a range of 25 percent reaching the year 2025.

“If we are to ask our customers they will say we want 0 percent nonrevenue water, but unfortunately the reality is we cannot have zero percent across the globe even in Japan where we are learning the experiences they still have non-revenue water within 10 percent.

“For us when we look at our annual targets we are looking at least managing 35 percent but in terms of our strategic plan we are looking at 25 percent by the year 2025 specifically in June,” Mbewe said.

LWB is currently losing about 38 percent of water that it produces annually which translates to the money loss of about K15 billion, according to the CEO.

He further expressed confidence that through various interventions that are implementing which include; replacing old water supplying equipment with new ones among others would help them solve the issue of water loss.

“Under the Lilongwe Water and Sanitation Project we actually have a specific component to look at non-revenue water reduction so it looks at the whole essence of replacing the aged pipe line but again within the project we are also implementing what we are calling District Metered Areas (DMAs).

“The DMAs allow us to demarcate supply areas into manageable areas where we are able to measure how much water has gone into a particular DMA, how much water has been lost and where we have higher incidences of nonrevenue water, therefore we are very optimistic that we should be able to reduce nonrevenue water,” he said.

He also hailed Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA) for assisting LWB in dealing with the issue of nonrevenue water through the LiSCaP which is scheduled to phase out in December 2024.

In his comment, JAICA Chief Representative, Kazuhiro Tambara said that as JAICA they are committed to providing LWB with different support such as the latest equipment and capacity that would assist in dealing with the issue of nonrevenue water.

By Lydia Maganga

Chiradzulu,22, August, Mana: Election for Chiradzulu District Council chairperson has been postponed on Tuesday until further notice after two of the three candidates got a tie twice after council members cast their votes.

The elections which were conducted by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), saw Councillor Phyllis Mazinga of Mitumbira ward and Charles Chigwenembe of Mombezi ward getting 5 votes each which prompted the District Commissioner, Francis Matewere to follow Local Government Elections Standing Orders which call for a re-run after a recess of 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes the house reconvened where members of parliament and ward councillors voted for the second time and when the votes were counted the results came back a tie again with both Councillor Mazinga and Chigwenembe getting 6 votes each.

After the announcement of the second results, the District Commissioner informed the house that according to the Standing Orders of the Local Government Elections, the elections will be shifted to another date to allow the voters to recast their votes.

The District Commissioner said the council could not say the exact date the elections will be held, but promised that the elections will take place in this quarter to allow members of parliament to come and vote before they leave for parliament.

“This means that the office of the Council chairperson is vacant and I will be the interim overseer of the council until another chairperson is elected. As a council we will sit down and see which month we can hold the elections to also accommodate our Members of Parliament,” he said

In an Interview with Malawi News Agency, Councillor for Mitumbira ward Phyllis Mazinga said she is looking forward to the next date of the elections and expressed hope that the results will not tie as had been the case.

Mazinga who is the only female councillor in the district said when elected into office she plans to revamp revolving fund, enhance communication between members of parliament and councillors and promote equitable distribution of projects across all wards and constituencies.

Councillor Chigwenembe who was the vice council chairperson said once elected into office he plans to promote local revenue collection and build a good relationship with non-governmental organisations which he believed can see Chiradzulu developing.

Three councillors were competing for the position of council chairperson, Charles Chigwenembe of Mombezi ward, Patrick Chimtengo of Chikowa ward and Phyllis Mazinga of Mitumbira ward.

Chiradzulu District has 10 councillors and five members of parliament and all of them were present during the council chairperson election

By Andrew Magombo

Lilongwe, August 22 , Mana: Linda Msiska is a charismatic head teacher at Chipoka 1 Primary School which lies a few miles from the defunct Chipoka Port along shores of Lake Malawi in Salima District.

Under her tutelage, the school strives to perform well during national exams against a backdrop of inadequate staff members and poor infrastructure for both classroom facilities and teachers’ accommodation.

“We only have 13 teachers against 1072 students because we do not have enough houses hence teachers turn us down when they are deployed here,

“There are only six houses which are also in dilapidated state and this is a big challenge because it affects our teaching capacity against the enrollment,” laments Msiska.

The Chipoka community is home to over 35,000 households as such one Cannon Chenjezi who is the founder and Executive Director of Luso Langa Community Foundation decided to raise K800,00 from the community for renovations using a gospel music fundraising show.

Chenjezi says their area barely has meaningful development projects within the last two decades hence driven by 'anger', in 2017 he formed a blended team of youthful and order people with different skills to promote local mobilisation of resources for community projects.

“We want to renovate teachers houses at Chipoka 1 and Chitipi Primary Schools and a Community Based Care Centre at Muonekera, it is possible to raise funds from the community for local projects without waiting for politicians or Non-Govermental Organisations (NGOS),

“This is our 8^th development project since our establishment, we would like to show that communities can be resilient and independent we just need to be creative in resource mobilisation with a changed mindset,” says Chenjezi.

Through proceeds from the gospel show and contributions from Chipoka residents including those migrated in diaspora, Chipoka Primary School can now accommodate student-teachers from Lilongwe Teachers Training College (TTC) in a refurbished house.

“We are very happy that next term our staff will be boosted by the student-teachers who will be staying in a smart and secure house this will improve the teaching and learning process thanks to the efforts of the community foundation,” says Msiska, the head teacher.

Apart from the supporting basic education, Luso Langa Foundation is also championing free technical skills training for Chipoka youth as well poultry farming at their base in Justin village.

The exploits by Luso Langa Foundation in promoting local giving and project ownership by communities are being mirrored by nine other Community Foundations (CFs) which were transitioned from community based organizations by World Connect Malawi (WCM), an NGO that invests directly in the ideas of communities and empowering them to be self-reliant for sustainable development.

“We cannot talk about our progress without WCM, since 2019 they have groomed us into who are we today such that we engaging an extra gear in mobilizing sources through matching grants by giving the community an equal amount of money they can raise for a targeted project,” says Chenjezi.

Communications and Outreach Coordinator for WCM Danielsoni says with support from Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, they have worked with 10 Community Based Organizations across 10 districts in a Pioneer Community Foundations Development Project.

Chisoni adds that the initiative which has also been recently boosted with support from African Philanthropic Network (APN), focuses on small-scale but impactful projects that have been collectively identified and prioritized by the community.

Unlike traditional NGOs which often focus on themes as dictated by donors, the CFs initiate local multifaceted projects across sectors of education, health, culture, agriculture, infrastructural development and climate change using funds mobilized from the community.

“Community Foundations are a powerful tool for sustainable development because by mobilizing local contributions they empower communities to determine their own priorities, this approach allows the people to select development projects that best suit their needs,

“We have enhanced their capacity by facilitating their registration as Local Civil Society Organizations, providing training in local giving, supporting the knowledge building among communities and coaching on local fundraising,” says Chisoni.

At a glance, the power shift engrained in community foundations is vital in the realms of national development as it promotes self-reliance by communities coupled with ownership of projects which augments sustainability of projects.

Since 2018, WCM has supported over 270 locally-led development projects across Malawian communities impacting the health, education, environment, human rights, and economic advancement of 300,000+ Malawians and advancing Sustainable Development Goals and the goals of the national Malawi Strategy 2063.

The advent of their Community Foundations Development Project in 2019 has effected more positive change in Malawi as communities are now mobilizing resources and fostering collaboration with various stakeholders to conduct needs assessments and tailor solutions to community challenges.

Community development expert Prince Chizimba observes that adoption of the community foundations which work hand in hand with existing local government structures at grassroots level can propel Malawi into a self-reliant nation with sustainable socioeconomic development.

“This is a powerful tool capable of facilitating sustainable development in communities because through these local giving and fundraising initiatives for community projects, we can erode the spirit of dependency which is engrained in the nation despite our sovereignity since 1964,” says Chizimba

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By Maryam Mtengulah

Blantyre, August 22, MANA: All is set for the ‘Ndatola Male’ Ladies Day Out show slated for this Friday, August 25 at Chilomoni Township in Blantyre.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Monday, one of the organizers of the event, Linda Sekeni encouraged ladies in Blantyre to come in large numbers to patronize the show.

She said the show was meant to allow ladies to interact and share ideas on how they should advance in business, improve family welfare, excel at work and succeed in other spheres of life.

Sekeni assured ladies in town that there will be a lot of dancing and drinking, adding the ‘Ndatola Male’ Ladies Day Out will also include dressing competitions and a raffle draw besides   motivational talks on mental health, finance, and business from professional speakers.

“Ladies also need relaxation. A lot of ladies suffer in silence on several issues because they don’t have the time to share what is going on in their lives. This is one of those rare moments when ladies will share notes on several issues that matter in women circles.

“The show will start from 7 pm till late at a fee of K10,000. People can also buy tickets in advance at a fee of K8,000.,” she said, adding Shoppers Market, Studio 24 in Chilomoni are selling tickets.

One of the artists lined up for the show, Wikise who said was well-prepared and looking forward to performing at the event.

The show has also attracted some of the best DJs in town such as MBC’s DJ Fraternal, DJ Trigga,

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By George Bulombola

Mzuzu, August 22, Mana: Grand Palace Hotel, Tuesday donated K5 million to Duncan Zgambo alias Gwamba who is scheduled to hold Gwamba Unlimited Concert on August 26 at Mzuzu Stadium.

Speaking after the presentation ceremony of a dummy cheque to Gwamba, Sales and Marketing Manager for Grand Palace Hotel, Gregory Maulana said that it was the wish of the hotel’s management to see young and upcoming artists developing hence the donation.

“We want through Gwamba Unlimited Concert to uplift talents of young and upcoming artists from the northern region.

Gwamba has a large following of people from all walks of life across the country who love his music and come Friday, most of them would like to have services such as accommodation and food and we are ready to provide such needs,” said Maulana.

He added that the hotel and Gwamba are in long partnership and pledged that the hotel will continue supporting Gwamba for young and upcoming artists to achieve their potential.

Receiving the dummy cheque, Gwamba said that he was privileged and humble to get financial assistance from the hotel.

“Not many Malawian business operators are interested in supporting Malawian artists, but Grand Palace Hotel is an exception. This is not the first time that the hotel has assisted me and this demonstrates that they have a passion in the development of artists,” said Gwamba.

He said that he will use the money to prepare for the concert adding that such events are expensive and need huge investment, hence commended the hotel for the donation.

Commenting on the concert, Gwamba said that it will be more than a show but an experience and he will perform with almost 30 artists drawn from the north.

“In the past, I used to get young and upcoming artists from Blantyre and Lilongwe but this time is for those from the north,” he said.

By Austine Kachilika

Mzimba, August 22, Mana: Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Livingstonia Development Department (SOLDEV) has expressed concern over low male participation in its Conservation of Natural Resources for Sustainable Economic Returns that Empower the Vulnerable to Find Pathways out of Poverty (CONSERVE) project in Mzimba.

Speaking during a progress report presentation on Monday to the district’s executive committee (DEC), Benjamin Baloyi from SOLDEV said it is worrisome to see that men do not take development projects seriously.

He said: “Male participation is meagre in development projects like CONSERVE as they prefer engaging themselves in other personal habits like beer drinking than participating in the project’s activities.

“Some beneficiaries, especially men expect handouts from the project hence reducing the expected participation rate,” he said.

Principal Environmental Officer for M’mbelwa District Council, James Pelani concurred with Baloyi that low male participation in projects is a challenge in the district, especially when there are no incentives like handouts.

The aim of CONSERVE project is to, among others, enhance the well-being and resilience of vulnerable people living on the boundaries of Vwaza Wildlife Game Reserve through improved biodiversity, conservation of ecosystems and promotion of sustainable livelihoods.

The project is being implemented by SOLDEV and Assemblies of God Care (AG Care) with funding from Jersey Overseas Aid Commission through Tearfund.

By Manasse Nyirenda

Johannesburg, August 22, Mana:

President Lazarus Chakwera has assured South African investors of the Government of Malawi’s support in clearing all bottlenecks that stifle investment opportunities into Malawi in order to accelerate economic growth in the country.

The president said this on Tuesday at Davinci Hotel when he met South African investors with diverse investment interests.

One of the investors, Natal East India said the company which deals in rice farming, milling and distribution in South Africa has committed about U$20million dollars towards establishment of a rice mega farm in Malawi.

This was disclosed after the investor and other South African investors met president Chakwera Tuesday to discuss investment opportunities.

In an interview after the meeting, the company’s representative, Thami Shande said the company targets production of up to 100, 000 tons of rice on 10,000 hectares of land.

He said the meeting was very important as they were able to inform the president and his team about the rice specifications their clients want in South Africa.

“This will make Malawi the Champion of rice production not only in South Africa, but also the whole SADC region.

“The president has assured us that in terms of licensing it will be completed within this quarter and we will be able to start implementing before the end of the year,” he said.

Another investor, Blue Energy representative, Marcel Steinberg said he was encouraged by the government of Malawi’s commitment to economic growth and industrialization and identifying the link between energy security and economic growth.

He said his team will be in Malawi from September 5 for site visits to at least 10 areas and also to do feasibility study.

He added that his company has already identified customers in Malawi and a lot of ground work has already been done.

Minister of Finance Sosten Gwengwe said the introduction of more energy investors in Malawi would lessen the pressure on the grid and create a conducive environment for economic development.

He further said that investment in rice mega farms will give an opportunity to local farmers in districts such as Nkhotakota and Salima among others to benefit from the available south African market.

He said the president has urged his team to clear all investment blocks in order for Malawi to develop.

The president also met other investors who are interested in investing in hospitality and tourism, among others.

The Malawi leader is in South Africa to attend the 15^th BRICS summit currently underway in South Africa at the invitation by South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa.