Items filtered by date: May 2025

By Ernest Mfunya

Mangochi, February 25, Mana. Mangochi Municipality Council has from Monday banned sell of green maize within the council’s jurisdiction until the harvesting period.

Interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer for the municipality, Ernest Kadzokoya, said the ban is aimed at preventing theft of maize in fields following increased reported cases about the malpractice.

Kadzokoya urged residents to observe the ban, citing that anyone who wants to sell green maize must go and obtain permit from the council.

"We have indeed banned selling of green maize within the municipality. There has been increased cases of maize theft and to prevent further cases of this nature, we thought of effecting the ban," said Kadzokoya.

According to Kadzokoya, any person found selling maize during the period will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly as she or he will be contravening the law.

Reacting to the ban, Anthony Chilenje, a farmer, said the ban is timely.

He commended the council for issuing the ban citing it will enable farmers to harvest more yields as theft cases will be minimised.

He added that selling of green maize also contributes to hunger as some people are tempted to  sell the commodity to vendors in exchange for money during this lean season.

Meanwhile, one of the vendors who sells roasted maize at Soko area has described the ban as unfortunate citing that his family depends on the business for survival.

By Gracious Phiri

Kasungu, February 25, Mana: National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust Programmes Officer for Kasungu, Gerald Chirwa, has challenged journalists in the district to help in enlightening prospective voters on matters relating to the September 16, 2025 General Elections.

Chirwa made the call in Kasungu on Monday during a training on governance and elections reporting the Trust organised for journalists based in the district.

He said as the country is in an election season, journalists are an important vehicle for carrying electoral messages to the masses so that they make informed choices.

“Indisputably, the electorate rely on the media to get updated on various processes that take place in readiness for elections.

“So, we saw some gaps amongst journalists in the district which we felt the training would help to close so that we are on the same page as we all try to inform voters on issues relating to elections,” Chirwa said.

He said democracy survives on people’s participation and, therefore, encouraged voters to be alert and pay attention to updates on the polls.

“Soon we will be getting into the campaign period. We would like to ask all voters to participate by attending those campaign activities so that their decisions are informed,” he said.

District Information Officer for Kasungu, Wanangwa Tembo, said apart from the actual elections, journalists should also be interested to pursue in-between the ballot activities.

“The period between general elections is also very crucial and as journalists, we must develop interest to write about governance issues that happen during this period.

“Government invests a lot of money funding development initiatives in the communities. It is our duty as reporters to follow up on such projects and in so doing, helping promote transparency and accountability on the use of public resources,” Tembo said.

Kasungu Community Radio journalist, Sellaphine Selemani, described the training as an eye opener saying it will help them report on elections from an informed perspective.

NICE Trust organised the training as part of activities under the Boma Lathu Project being implemented with financial support from the European Union.  

By Bazilio Chingoli

Ntcheu February 24, Mana: Farmers in Ntcheu district have been encouraged to adopt beekeeping as one way of income generation.

The call was made by the Senior Assistant Forest officer for the district, Clotrilda Kandota, during a media engagement meeting and field visit organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with farmers from Nsipe, Tsangano and Njolomole Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) in the district.

Kandota said there is a mutual environmental relationship between bees and trees, and as such, it is important to conserve forests to attract bees and generate income in turn.

"As part of ensuring agriculture and food systems transformation, through the AREECA project, we are encouraging farmers to practice sustainable natural resources and environment management by practising afforestation, natural tree regeneration as well as planting flowering plants that attract bees and covering bare lands to control soil erosion", Kandota added.

On their part, farmers have commended FAO for its technical support, capacity building and inputs, saying the support has helped them to change their mindset and become food secure.

Philip Matoliwo, a farmer from Kamuuzeni village within Njolomole EPA agreed with Kandota stressing that bee farming has proven to be an ideal way of supporting natural tree regeneration and protecting forests.

"Since we started beekeeping in our area, we have seen a remarkable change in the degree of deforestation due to bylaws we put in place to protect our trees," he said.

However, Matoliwo expressed worry about ants that disrupt the stay of bees when they enter the beehives.

Meanwhile, Madalo Chunga, Assistant Forest officer for Njolomole EPA advised beekeepers to use natural remedies such as ash to deal with the problem.

As part of ensuring sustainable forest management and catchment management for Mpira dam, FAO through the AREECA project has given farmers bee hives, supported irrigation schemes by constructing weirs, and provided goats under the pass-on program, among other interventions.

AREECA project is implemented by the Government of Malawi through the Department of Forest and is funded by the Government of Germany.

By George Mponda

Karonga, February 25, Mana: The National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) has said the Geo-Enabling Initiative for Monitoring and Supervision (GEMS) mapping is essential in enhancing the effectiveness of the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CSEPWP) in Karonga.

NLGFC's Cluster Coordinator for the Northern Region and Nkhotakota, Duncan Magwira said this on Tuesday in Karonga during an orientation on the GEMS portfolio mapping tools for the District Environment Subcommittee (DESC) and Designated Officers for CSEPWP in the district.

Magwira said; "GEMS enables real time monitoring and supervision of project activities. The initiative provides a platform for tracking progress, identifying challenges, and making informed decisions thereby enabling us to respond quickly to challenges and make adjustments to the implementation strategy of CSEPWP.”

"The objective of the questionnaire used is to obtain critical data about the implementation of development activities financed by the World Bank, African Development Bank and their partners. It uses geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies to collect and analyze data on project activities which is then used by decision makers and ensure that project resources are utilized effectively", he added.

On his part, District Programme Facilitator for Karonga, Austin Kafere said the use of GEMS in the climate smart programme will enhance transparency and accountability.

"The initiative provides a platform for stakeholders to track project progress and access information on project activities. This will help to build trust among stakeholders and ensure that project resources are used for their intended purpose," Kafere said.

According to Kafere, the CSEPWP in Karonga has 16, 417 participants who are working on soil and water conservation in 18 catchments around the district.

By Joel Phiri

Mzimba, February 25, mana: In rural communities across Malawi, the arrival of construction workers on major infrastructure projects often sparks optimism, signs of progress, new opportunities, and the promise of better livelihoods. But for some women, these workers are not just builders of bridges and roads; they are ghosts of heartbreak, symbols of betrayal, and reminders of dreams that never materialized.

Two decades ago, with financial backing from the Japanese government, the Malawian government oversaw the construction of the Bakili Muluzi Bridge in Mangochi. To the thousands who rely on it to reach places like Malindi and Namwela, the bridge is a feat of engineering, a lifeline connecting communities. But for Patuma Hassan (not her real name), a 41-year-old woman from Mangochi, it stands as something else entirely: a painful reminder of a fleeting love that left her with scars both seen and unseen.

Like many large-scale projects, the construction of the bridge brought an influx of workers, men from across Malawi and beyond, including foreign contractors. Their presence reshaped the social landscape, and for some women, it altered their lives forever. Relationships formed in the excitement of new encounters often ended in abandonment, leaving many to grapple with emotional distress, unwanted pregnancies, and the risk of disease.

“I thought it was love,” Hassan recalls. “During the construction, the town was full of men, locals, foreigners, even the Japanese and Chinese contractors. I fell for one of the Japanese workers, believing in promises that never came true.”

Hassan, who currently trades in second-hand clothes business at Mangochi Boma to support herself and her son recollects that the Japanese man used to visit her at her home at Mpondasi where they would chat and make love as all couples do.

“‘The man promised me a good life. I recall him promising to construct a good house for me and give me money to embark on a business so that my livelihood should be improved as he said the grass thatched house was not good enough. He also pledged to give me capital for a small scale business. It’s only later after the bridge’s construction works had finished and he had left that I realised I was pregnant,” she said.

Hassan later gave birth to a baby boy. Struggling to pronounce the father's complex Japanese name, which she had initially wanted to give her son, she turned to her uncle for help. He chose to name the child Jafali.

“It’s a pity the boy now 23 will never know his father. It’s now that I realize the man may have been married wherever he came from that’s the reason he left without even saying goodbye. I was just used,” says Patuma, in regret.

She says while the Bakili Muluzi Bridge gives people hope that it eased their travelling challenges in terms of connecting them to various places, to her the magnificent bridge stands as a bitter reminder of the mental torture she has faced in raising her son single-handedly more so without the support of his father.

“Whenever I see construction workers, especially the men, I can’t help but see them as betrayers. I urge young girls not to be swayed by these strangers working on construction projects in their communities,” she says.

It's not only Patuma from Mangochi who has encountered betrayal at the hands of supposedly lovers working on construction projects.

Erkali Pahuwa (not real name) of Thekelani in Thyolo also says most men working on roads and similar construction projects should be feared by women and girls.

“As for me I have a daughter whose dad was part of the people who worked on the roads here. He was a Malawian but unfortunately I don’t even know his name, I got fooled by material things such as a phone that he bought me at the apex of our union but he left unceremoniously upon the road’s completion,” says Pahuwa.

Cases of men working on construction work flirting with women and young girls in nearby communities and leaving them unceremoniously after completion of projects have been told for ages.

While some construction staff abandon the women they found in communities with babies and pregnancies, some have even left them with diseases such as HIV/Aids and Sexually Transmitted infections.

It is through such unions that haunts Erkali and Patuma to date.

Many women and girls can tell such stories in communities where various projects have taken place.

It’s no strange visiting some districts in Malawi where construction works happened seeing boys and girls resembling some faces associated with some countries. It’s all signs of such relations that once existed.

Now, as communities confront the long-term consequences of these transient relationships, awareness campaigns are being launched by government to educate women and girls about the dangers of engaging with temporary workers. These initiatives aim to protect them from heartbreak, health risks, and shattered futures, ensuring that the hope brought by development projects does not come at such a heavy personal cost.

“This is why, at Ideal Consulting and Business Services, we have been conducting awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases in communities where the construction of the M1 Road is underway,” says Derek Chiwanda, the coordinator of Ideal Consulting.

Chiwanda, speaking in an interview in Mzimba after holding an awareness meeting with youths from around Luviri Trading Centre in Traditional Authority Mzikubola said government realised that a lot of scandalous acts happen during construction that involve community members and the workers on projects.

"Construction work involves the migration of people who leave their homes to work in different areas. As a result, we cannot ignore the likelihood of sexual relationships between these workers and local community members. This is why we are conducting awareness meetings on diseases to educate and prepare people," he said.

He added that adults cannot be controlled so there was need to create awareness and warn people in communities that they should not be taken up by strangers who offer money and other goodies as bait as they may not know their statuses in terms of diseases in their bodies so they should be able to resist their advances.

“Some women working on the projects may be coaxing boys while men on the projects may be courting young girls. So, our message is for community members to say NO to such people.

"They should avoid engaging with these workers to protect themselves from infections such as HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and gonorrhea. Saying no is the best way to stay safe," said Chiwanda, whose company has been hired to conduct awareness campaigns along the M1 Road from Jenda Trading Centre to the Mzimba turnoff.

Group Village Headman Zawagumbo acknowledges the circulating stories of construction workers forming romantic relationships with women in the communities where the projects are underway.

“It’s by nature that people would want to be intimate but in these days we are living it becomes risky flirting with strangers. People working on projects are strangers and community members should be fearing them,” he said.

Zawagumbo said awareness messages are key to prevention of various diseases more especially HIA/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections.

“Like in our communities, there are women who are not married who may feel it’s their time to get married to these men working on the M1 Road but they should tread carefully. These are people that may harbour various diseases which they may end up infecting the community members hence this campaign on diseases is very important to keep them aware about the dangers of messing around with strangers,” said the chief.

Chauncy Chirwa, a 24-year-old from Yosefe Village, praised the training, saying it has opened her eyes to the hidden risks posed by people working on construction projects.

“These men indeed propose to us and one may think the time to get settled in marriage is finally here. So this awareness has helped us with knowledge about these strangers on construction works,” she said.

Chiwanda said there are infections and diseases that prowl if people flirt with partners whose bodies they know little about in terms of health status as well as marital status.

"Our job is to educate communities about these diseases and help them stay vigilant in preventing infections from those working on projects like road construction. Our message is simple: avoid these strangers working on the M1 Road if you want to protect your health and future. Many make promises but leave nothing behind except heartbreak and diseases once their work is done," he said.

With these messages now imparted, Chauncy Chirwa and her peers hold their futures in their own hands. They can choose to fall for strangers and risk diseases, or stay away from construction workers and protect themselves from the hardships that Patuma and Erkali endured.

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, February 25, Mana: Heavy rains accompanied by stormy winds on Monday damaged infrastructure including Nthalire LEA Primary School and a fence for Nthalire Community Ground among other properties.

Chitipa District Council Disaster Risk Management Officer, Mphatso Nedson, said rains, accompanied by strong winds, started Monday morning affecting Senior Chief Nthalire’s area in Chitipa district.

He said the situation resulted in significant damage to infrastructure.

“The stormy rains caused widespread destruction, where a Nthalire LEA Primary school block and several houses were severely damaged including part of Nthalire Community Stadium fence,” Nedson said.

According to Nedson, Nthalire Area Disaster Risk Management Committee is currently on the ground conducting assessment to establish the extent of the damage.

Senior Chief Nthalire said many houses and shops have been destroyed.

“Heavy rains destroyed many things at Nthalire Trading Centre including houses, shops, maize gardens and a school block,” Senior Chief Nthalire said.

By Patience Longwe

Lilongwe, February 24, Mana: Minister of Labour, Vitumbiko Mumba, says his ministry is committed to promoting workers welfare to ensure they remain healthy and productive.

He was speaking at Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe Monday evening.

He said Malawi has no room for  investors who exploit workers particularly those in the mining and tea industries.

"For instance, tea estates that were served with prohibition notices have constructed toilets convenient to the workers. They have also made provision of portable water through distribution of water using water bowers and have drilled boreholes,” he said.

Mumba added that his ministry is focused on ensuring that workers are provided with conditions that align with the country's labour laws.

"My Ministry will continue to closely monitor all workplaces to ensure full compliance with labour laws.

“I would like to emphasize that the closure is not punitive but a step towards fostering a safer and more compliant workplace environment in line with government’s commitment to the well being of all workers in Malawi,” he stated.

He highlighted the collaboration and consultation among his ministry, Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) and Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM) in line with convention 144 on tripartite consultation, which has been ratified among many other conventions.

"The consultations are done through various structures including the Tripartite Labour Advisory Council which is the highest body that advises the Minister on all employment and Labour matters.

“At the international scene, Malawi’s participation in Regional and International fora has elevated the visibility and influence of the country on policy and standards. As stated earlier Malawi is a member of International Labour Organisation Governing Body representing SADC countries as titular member,” he said.

He, therefore, emphasised government’s commitment to safeguarding the rights of workers and promoting a fair and equitable labour environment in Malawi.

By Sellah Singini

Lilongwe, February 24, Mana: World Vision Malawi has handed over to the government of Malawi 392 infrastructure projects worth K10 billion.

President Dr Lazarus Chakwera presided over the handover ceremony at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Monday.

He said no any organization can compete with World Vision in representing the poor in rural areas.

He said although World Vision does not make noise, it is doing a commendable job in the country.

“World Vision does not stand on a podium and proclaim that they represent the poor because they know that the only people who can provide evidence are the poor themselves.

“So, on behalf of Malawians in rural areas, I would like to thank you for the work you have done in establishing these development projects so that we, as government, can use them to advance our development agenda for Malawians,” he said.

Board Chair for World Vision Malawi, Dr Alfred Kaponda, said they have handed over projects constructed across Malawi in 19 districts between 2023 to 2024.

He said, in a bid to enhance development in the communities that World Vision works, every year they embark on building infrastructure focusing on four thematic areas of education, maternal and child health, livelihoods and resilience and water, sanitation and hygiene.

“We have done 11,492 projects since 1992. So, today we just wanted the country to know the projects that we are handing over. Our request to them is to take of the projects so that they are sustainable for this generation and for generations to come,” he said.

In an interview, Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture Richard Chimwendo Banda urged other Non-Governmental Organizations and the civil society to take World Vision’s example of implementing projects that transform lives of Malawians.

The projects handed over include classroom blocks, latrines, girls’ hostels and Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres among others.

By George Mponda

Karonga, February 24, Mana: Minister of Local Government Unity and Culture Richard Chimwendo Banda, has addressed concerns from the Karonga District Council regarding the high number of officers in acting positions.

On Sunday, Karonga District Council Chairperson Bellium Msukwa expressed worries that the high number of officers on acting positions is hindering effective service delivery in the district.

"The Karonga District Council has been facing challenges in delivering services due to the high number of acting officers. We have acting District Commissioner, Director of Public Works, Director of Planning and Development and Director of Finance which are all crucial positions and this is affecting service delivery," Msukwa said.

In his response, the Minister acknowledged the council's concerns, saying it is important for officers to be settled in leadership positions.

"Government is working to fill the vacant positions as soon as possible. However, the process of recruiting and appointing new officers takes time and must be done under the relevant laws and regulations and we recently conducted interviews so soon results will be out," Chimwendo said.

The Minister also reminded the council members of the importance of differentiating between political and administrative powers.

"Let me emphasise that politicians should support the controlling officers, such as District Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers, in their work. However, one cannot just command the ministry to appoint officers because there are protocols which must be followed when making government appointments," he added.

Banda advised council members and administrative officers to work together and deliver services to the community.

By Maston Kaiya

Ntcheu, February 24, Mana: Communities in the area of Sub Traditional Authority (STA) Tsikulamowa in Ntcheu have said the construction of the staff house at Manjawira Health Centre in the district is a blessing to the locals for accessing timely medical treatment.

Chairperson for STA Tsikulamowa Area Development Committee (ADC) Marmathy Wasimbwa said the house will reduce the burden of late medical care where, in some cases, patients could die from preventable deaths.

Wasimbwa said the facility in Charge was travelling about two kilometres daily to attend to patients hence challenging the provision of quality health care.

"The house is timely as the medical assistant will be at our doorstep. In the past, patients could easily die due to the absence of a house as he was renting within the communities," she said.

However, Wasimbwa has called on the communities to provide security for the personnel while serving the area.

Manjawira health centre In-charge Innocent Kabudula has expressed his excitement, saying the house was long overdue.

"We work 24 hours to provide medical treatment to patients. However, the work was sometimes compromised due to the absence of the house," he said.

Kabudula has since called on the authorities to construct additional staff houses, stating that a workforce of over 20, which includes nurses and support staff, stay in rented houses.

He said the facility serves a catchment population of at least 7,528 people.

Ntcheu District Council has constructed Manjawira Health Centre staff house at a total cost of K57 million from the World Bank-funded Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) project.

The project is facilitated by the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Local Government Finance Committee(NLGFC) as key lead partners.