Items filtered by date: May 2025

By Nellie Nyirenda

Blantyre, March 10, Mana: Malawi Union for Informal Sector (MUFIS) is conducting nationwide training sessions for small scale business people and those in the informal labour market to cope with economic hardships that has affected businesses and livelihoods.

Executive General Secretary, Mwanda Chiwambala told Malawi News Agency on Sunday that MUFIS intends to support the informal sector through series of trainings to ensure adequate knowledge and skills to deal with economic challenges.

“The economic hardship has made it very hard for a lot of people in the informal sector, especially those running small businesses, to stabilise,” Chiwambala said.

In line with government policies, he said that MUFIS remains committed to protecting livelihoods of those in the informal sector, adding that the union will continue providing proactive measurers in the wake of inflation.

He assured the members that MUFIS will continue to be a beacon of hope for those that depend on small-scale entrepreneurship to sustain their families and to serve communities.

“We train our members in small groups, where they learn innovative approaches to secure micro-loans among themselves. By providing this tailored support, MUFIS aims to not only stabilise individual businesses but also to strengthen the overall economic fabric of the nation during a period of significant financial downturn,” he added.

A MUFIS member at Chirimba Market in Blantyre, Annie Masanza expressed gratitude to the union for supporting members to adapt to the hard economic times.

“It has been so difficult for small business people like us to stay afloat during tough economic times. I want to thank MUFIS for teaching us the importance of relying on each other and for the support they provide,” said Masanza.

MUFIS came into being in the year 2000, and it has 18,000 members across Malawi where members are engaged in fruit, vegetable, maize, groundnuts selling, second hand clothes, grocery shops, farm, flower selling, small holder tea growing in Mulanje and cooperative farming in Chitipa and Karonga.

By Donald Zimba

Lilongwe, March 10, Mana: The Minister of Youth and Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire, alongside the British High Commissioner to Malawi, Fiona Ritchie, on Monday led the Commonwealth Day celebrations at Civil Service Stadium.

In his remarks, Mkandawire emphasized the significance of the Commonwealth in Malawi, particularly in youth empowerment.

“We have actively participated in various Commonwealth Games, and we will continue to do so because these events foster unity and togetherness,” he said.

He further highlighted the role of sports in the Commonwealth, noting that youth engagement remains at the heart of these celebrations.

British High Commissioner to Malawi, Fiona Ritchie echoed these sentiments, describing Commonwealth Day as a moment to reflect on shared values and a longstanding partnership.

“This day is an opportunity for us to come together as a family, celebrate our friendship, and strengthen our collaboration. The theme this year, ‘Together We Thrive,’ reminds us that these connections are vital for progress,” she stated and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to working with Malawi in empowering its youth for a brighter future.

Commonwealth Day is an annual event observed on the second Monday of March. While it is not a public holiday in most Commonwealth countries, it serves as a platform to celebrate the unity, diversity, and shared goals of the 56 member nations.

Originally established as Empire Day in 1902 to honor the British Empire, the observance evolved in the latter half of the 20^th century, shifting its focus to the modern Commonwealth of Nations. It was renamed Commonwealth Day in 1958, and in 1977, its official date was moved to March.

The occasion is typically marked by messages from the Head of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, inter-denominational services, and flag-raising ceremonies across member states. A notable event takes place at Westminster Abbey in London, attended by the Head of the Commonwealth and other dignitaries.

In Malawi, this year’s celebrations reaffirmed the country’s dedication to the values of the Commonwealth, with sports playing a key role in engaging young people and fostering a sense of unity.

The event was graced with several activities; a big walk, music performances and some games where some walked away with awards and prizes. 

By Gift Chiponde

Chitipa, March 10, Mana: Communities in Chitipa have commended government for constructing and completing new school blocks under the Malawi Education Reform Programme (MERP), a development expected to significantly enhance quality education in the district.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA), Village Headman Chitala 2 from the area of Senior Chief Mwaulambya described the completion of a school block at Chimwemwe Full Primary School as a major milestone that will provide a better learning environment for learners.

"We have been struggling with classroom shortages, but with these new blocks provided by the government through MERP, our learners will now learn in a proper setting," he said.

He further pledged to continue sensitizing the community on the importance of maintaining the new infrastructure.

"I will engage parents on how we can preserve this project. This is a great development for us in Chitala 2," he added.

Chimwemwe Full Primary School Mother Group Vice Chairperson, Loveness Mtambo, stated that the new classroom block will provide a safer and more comfortable learning space for girls by reducing congestion.

"Many girls miss school due to overcrowding, especially during their monthly periods. The new school block will help improve attendance," she said.

She also highlighted that the school will benefit from the newly constructed toilet facilities under the same project, which will promote better hygiene, particularly among girls.

"We are grateful to the government for this development, which will likely increase girls' enrollment in primary schools across the district," she added.

Geoffrey Siyeni, a member of the Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) Committee, welcomed the project, emphasising its role in improving learners' well-being.

"We have faced significant challenges due to inadequate infrastructure, especially during extreme weather conditions. Many learners were forced to miss classes, leading to poor performance," he said.

Secretary for the School Management Committee at Lwambo Full Primary School, another beneficiary of the project, expressed his excitement for the construction of the classrooms.

“This project has eased congestion in our classrooms. Community is excited about the new infrastructure because of its impressive design and durability," he said.

Ramsey Ghambi, a Standard 8 learner at Chimwemwe Primary School, said the new classrooms will help to address the long-standing issue of classroom shortages.

"Lack of space has been a major factor in school dropouts. This new development will encourage more learners to stay in school," he said.

Lwambo Primary School Headteacher, Estone Ng’ambi, praised the initiative saying the project came when the school urgently needed additional classrooms.

"As a way of safeguarding this development, we already have existing by-laws and regulations in place to protect the infrastructure and ensure it continues to serve future generations," he said.

He commended government for constructing child-friendly and modern classrooms, which have also helped to improve teacher learners ratio.

Loveness Kayuni, a Standard 7 learner at Lwambo Primary School, described the new classrooms as impressive and highly beneficial.

"I encourage my fellow learners to take care of this beautiful infrastructure. It will help us achieve our dreams. Let’s avoid vandalizing school property, as such acts are not only destructive but also against the law," she said.

Director of Education and Sport for Chitipa District, McGiven Chinyamula, stated that the district has so far benefited from the construction of 40 school blocks, with nine already completed in the first phase.

He commended government for the initiative, stating that it is likely to improve the learning environment and provide quality time for teachers in managing learners.

Chinyamula also highlighted that, through the program, the district has benefited from the employment of 84 auxiliary teachers that will improve education in the district.

"I am very grateful that government has also considered employing teachers. This development will tremendously improve education standards in Chitipa," he said.

He further appealed government to consider constructing teachers houses in the district, a move that would help reduce accommodation challenges faced by rural teachers.

By Charlie Ligomeka

Machinga, March 10, Mana – Two people have died in a road accident when a motorcycle they were riding on, collided with a minibus on Liwonde-Zomba, M3 road in Machinga on Monday evening.

Police in Machinga identified the two as; Mussa Bwanausi, 32, and Biliati Cassim, 28, both from Katete Village, Traditional Authority Malemia in Zomba.

Machinga Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Western Kansire said the accident happened at Chingoli Village, along the M3 road on Monday around 18:35 hours when a Toyota Hiace minibus registration number CK 8724, driven by Ndaona Bwenzani, 40 was heading to Liwonde from Zomba direction lost control while avoiding a pothole.

“The minibus then collided head-on with the unregistered motorcycle, ridden by Mussa Bwanausi, who had Biliati Cassim as his passenger. The impact of the collision was severe, leaving both the rider and his passenger with critical head injuries,

“The two were pronounced dead upon arrival at Machinga District Hospital,” Machinga Police publicist added and further explained that the minibus driver sustained minor injuries, while passengers escaped unhurt.

He said the driver is currently in police custody pending court proceedings as he is expected to answer charges of causing death by reckless driving.

Bwenzani comes from Kalonga Village, Traditional Authority Mponda in Mangochi.

By Solister Mogha

Zomba, March 10, Mana: World Bank mission has commended Zomba District Council for implementing Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP) to the satisfaction of the mission.

Senior Social Protection Officer for the Bank, Chipo Msowoya on Monday expressed satisfaction on the implementation of SSRLP during the mission's engagement with some of Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) and Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) participating communities at Sambaisa catchment in Zomba where the participating communities also organise themselves into Village Savings and Loan groups.

Msowoya said, based on the interactions, it was evident enough that the objectives of the SSRP   were being achieved.

“It is exciting to hear from participating communities on how they are benefiting from the programme and also how activities under the programme are benefiting and improving their likelihoods,” added Msowoya.

He said the mission whose main objective was to understand how the SSRLP was being implemented and impacting on Malawians is confident of the sustainability of the programme and long lasting structures.

Under the SSRLP, Malawi Government with support from the multi donor Trust Fund is implementing social support activities that are meant to end ultra-poverty while building resilience amongst rural population listed in SSRP.

Executive Director for National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) Dr, Kondwani Santhe whose team joined the mission said the essence of the trip was also meant to appreciate successes and challenges in the implementation of social support programmes.

“We are not here for fault finding. We are here to appreciate successes and challenges and together, find solutions to impending issues,” he added and explained that all issues discussed during the interactions with the community and Zomba District Council officials have been noted and will be looked into.

District Commissioner for Zomba, Reinghard Chavula expressed gratitude for the bank and the whole Multi donor Trust Fund team for visiting the district to appreciate SSRLP implementation.

Chavula said people in Zomba were committed to work hard in all the social protection programmes, observing that programmes have transformed a lot of lives through active participation.

"To be honest with you, the money under the social protection is making a huge impact on people in Zomba. Many have joined Village Savings and Loans groups such that they establish small scale businesses to support themselves,” she said.

Before Zomba, the mission also visited Machinga District Council where it also appreciated SSRLP implementation.

By Paul Madise

Lilongwe, March 09, Mana: The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has advised people in Southern Malawi to follow precautionary measures following an issued warning of Tropical Storm Jude by the Department of Meteorological Services (DCCMS).

In a statement signed by Charles Kalemba, Commissioner for DoDMA, Tropical Storm Jude is expected to develop into a cyclone and directly trigger heavy rains and strong winds in the country from Monday, 10th March 2025 leading to rainfall amounts exceeding 100mm in 24 hours, particularly in affected areas.

"Districts in southern Malawi are expected to receive rainfall amounts exceeding 100mm in 24 hours. Some of the districts that are likely to experience severe impact include Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Machinga, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Nsanje, Ntcheu, Phalombe, Thyolo and Zomba, districts along the lakeshore areas are also expected to experience high rainfall amounts,” reads the statement.

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), is advising the general public to move to safer and higher areas as a matter of urgency, follow weather updates through various communication channels and platforms further avoid crossing flooded rivers and walking through running water among others

DoDMA is also advising the public to stay away from power lines and electrical wires and report fallen power lines to authorities.

The statement indicates that people are advised not to attempt to save personal property at the expense of lives, to move and store essential property in safe higher grounds as well as providing first aid treatment to the injured, those in shock and call for medical help.

In accordance with the statement, apart from alerting councils, DoDMA has activated all clusters (sector working groups) for swift preparatory and anticipatory actions. The national emergency operation centre has also been activated for coordinated preparedness and response.

"DoDMA has also made standby arrangements for the deployment of a search and rescue team comprising the Malawi Defence Force (MDF), the Malawi Police Service (MPS) the Marine Department and the Malawi Red Cross Society," the statement reads.

The department, through the Public Communication and Publicity Cluster, is also working with DCCMS and councils in disseminating early warning messages and raising awareness of the looming cyclone.

DoDMA has also appealed to Councils in disaster-prone areas to alert area and village disaster risk management committees to further alert and assist vulnerable communities to move to nearby evacuation centres.

By Patience Longwe

Lilongwe, March 7, Mana: Chairperson for the NGO Coalition on Child Rights, Desmond Mhango has identified significant gaps in the national budget that threaten the well-being of children.

Speaking during a meeting with Social and Community Affairs and Local Authorities Cluster on Saturday at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe, Mhango said despite the budget increase, there are discrepancies between the actual allocations and estimated needs.

"We have seen gaps in terms of child protection and education, the budget for Early Childhood Development (ECD) is inadequate, and primary education, which is supposed to be free, still imposes user fees," he said.

Mhango also emphasized that they expect Members of Parliament (MP) to understand the context of their analysis and consider the identified gaps when reviewing budget allocations.

"We hope they will prioritize the best interests of the child and make necessary adjustments to the budget," Mhango said.

He therefore urged government to address these gaps and ensure that the budget aligns with the needs of Malawi's children by doing so; Malawi can work towards a brighter future for all its citizens.

Chairperson for Social and Community Affairs and Local Authorities Savel Kafwafwa advocated for a significant increase in the national budget for inclusive education, he noted that the current budget allocation for inclusive education is only about 1% of the total education budget, which is insufficient to cater to the needs of students with special needs.

He also emphasized that government needs to prioritize the education of marginalized and vulnerable groups such as students with disabilities.

"We would like to see the inclusive budget appear clearly as its own budget line and ensure that the money reaches students with special needs," he said.

Kafwafwa highlighted the importance of supporting institutions run by Christian organizations and non-governmental organizations that provide education to students with special needs.

"These institutions were previously dependent on donors, but due to donor fatigue they are now struggling to survive,” he said.

Meanwhile, Speaker for Mzimba South in the Children’s Parliament, Rachel Nguluwe has called upon government to prioritize the needs of children in Malawi.

She said the current budget allocation for education and child protection is insufficient, particularly for children with disabilities.

"We need more investment and focus from the government on issues such as child protection, education, inclusive education, and climate change, the Malawi 2063 vision is for the future generation not just for us adults" She stated.

Nguluwe highlighted the lack of a clear budget line for inclusive education, making it difficult to analyse the budget and ensure that funds are being allocated efficiently.

The activity was supported by Norad, through the Tikuma project and brought on board child rights Actors including the Joining Forces Alliance, World Vision, Plan and Save the Children and was coordinated by the NGO coalition on Child Rights, Children Engaged Parliamentary, Committee on Social and Community Affairs.

By Yamikani Sabola

Mzuzu, March 9, Mana: President Lazarus Chakwera has commended churches for complementing the government’s efforts in bringing unity, peace and social cohesion in the country through delivering messages of righteousness, uprightness and good moral values.

Chakwera was speaking on Sunday at Chisomo Baptist Church in Mzuzu where he congregated.

He said churches were playing an important role in ensuring society upholds good morals while the government was preoccupied with improving citizens’ livelihoods.

“Government also acknowledges the role churches play in supporting government’s development agenda. They play a complementary role to government, particularly in the provision of social services such as health and education,” he said.

In his homily, Reverend Humphry Chapulapula advised the congregants to be righteous and conduct themselves according to the will of God.

“The righteous man is the one who listens to God, who fears God. Live as children of light and do what pleases the Lord. You should have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness.

“A man of God who lives righteously has a different moral compass from the rest of the world.  He thinks differently. He acts differently. He treats money differently. He talks differently. He treats women differently. He relates to his neighbour differently,” he said. 

Chakwera contributed K2 million towards the church’s building project.

By Max Medson

Salima, March 8, Mana: Movement for Environmental Action (MEA) has called for proper tree planting and caring techniques to ensure high survival rates and replenish vegetative cover.

The call was made on Saturday, when MEA planted 1,000 trees at ABC Primary School, Mphere Village, Traditional Authority Kuluunda in Salima district.

Chairperson for MEA Mathews Malata said in their broader drive to plant 10,000 trees this rainy season, they have managed to plant 8,000.

Malata emphasized the need to plant more trees in the area, noting that the place experiences heavy winds and irregular rainfall due to lack of vegetation.

"Most people do not know how to plant the trees well, and how to take care of the planted trees, hence we came to teach and illustrate the right ways to do so," he said.

Mlambe ABC Primary School’s headteacher, Wilfred Kalirani, expressed gratitude for the initiative, praising MEA for teaching the community the importance of trees in combating environmental challenges.

"On behalf of the staff, I would like to thank MEA for hearing our request. We are happy to have them here to teach the people of Mlambe village the essence of having trees, and ways of caring them. All this will help to combat the problem of strong winds and intermittent rainfalls,” he said.

On his part, Village Headman Mphere said there will be measures to prevent destroying the trees, warning that anyone found will face stiff penalties.

"As their leader, I will put in place good measures to stop people from destroying these trees. All found guilty will face tough punishment such as fines,” he said.

By Steve Chirombo

Dedza, March 8, Mana: Director of Community Policing and Police Units, Jaqueline Kainja has asked security agencies to collaborate and build a society where people can easily access justice when their rights are violated. 

Kainja made the request on Friday during a day-long capacity building orientation on access to justice for Victim Support Unit (VCU) for police officers, and members of Malawi Prison services in Dedza.

She appealed to VSU officers and all concerned partners to be providing effective justice for victims in line with the country’s laws.

Kainja said: “Justice is not a privilege but a right. This is why we are expecting officers to improve their performance after this training. We believe they have gained knowledge and create some work relationships. They will now be able to handle some cases professionally.” 

Director of civil and political rights from Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) Peter Chisi said some people fail to understand where to lodge their complains.

“MHRC realizes the importance of working together. This is why we are empowering the Malawi Police and Prison Services officers and other stakeholders to enlighten them on their roles.”

In her remarks after the training, one of the participants from Mtakataka police post Temwanani Malenga expressed satisfaction with the training saying it has helped them understand how they can discharge they duties competently.

“We have been reminded on the roles of the Ministry of Justice, Legal Aid Bureau, MHRC, Office of the Ombudsman, Judiciary, Malawi Prison services and the police as our roles are interrelated and it is very important for us to know them properly,” said Malenga.

The orientation was done with funds from the European Union (EU) under Chilungamo project.