Items filtered by date: May 2025

By Yamikani Yapuwa

Thyolo, February 15, Mana: Vice President Dr. Michael Usi has urged Malawians to take an active role in shaping ethical leaders by nurturing individuals with strong moral values from within their communities.

Speaking on Saturday at the burial of veteran broadcaster Lucius Chikuni in Thyolo, Usi emphasised that leadership begins at home, stating that “bad leaders come from bad people, and good leaders come from good people.”

“A lot of things are going wrong because we look up to politicians as role models. Yet, politicians come from within our communities, and their behaviour is shaped from there,” Usi said.

He further called on society to cultivate integrity and compassion in individuals from an early stage so that they become responsible and ethical leaders in various spheres, including politics, the church, and their professional careers.

“If we fail to do this, we will continue having bad politicians because we neglected to mould them from the start,” he warned.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi, Golden Matonga, hailed Chikuni as a pillar of Malawi’s media industry.

“Chikuni played a huge role in shaping the media landscape. He established The Inquiry newspaper, which provided a platform for critical discussions on how multiparty democracy could work.

“His influence extended to the establishment of Zodiak Radio and his appointment to an ambassadorial role,” Matonga said.

He described Chikuni as a professional with umunthu whose integrity was recognized across different administrations.

“In this election year, we should emulate his character by fostering unity rather than division and avoiding unnecessary tensions,” Matonga urged.

He also called on politicians in attendance to honour Chikuni’s legacy by respecting journalists and upholding their rights as they cover political rallies.

Veteran politician Ziliro Chibambo also paid tribute to Chikuni, describing him as a remarkable leader who contributed significantly to the fight for multiparty democracy in Malawi.

He said his contributions to the media and democracy remain a lasting legacy, inspiring future generations to uphold professionalism and ethical leadership.

By Petro Mkandawire

Blantyre, February 15, Mana: Mother care groups in Blantyre are lobbying for more support from the Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) to enable the groups adequately sensitise mothers to vaccinate under five children for effective child immunisation.

The appeal came on Friday during monitoring and mentorship training to members of Mtondoko and   Chimembe Mother Care Group (MCG) at Makata and Chimembe health centres in Blantyre where Malawi Equity Health Network (MEHN) met the mother groups to discuss challenges in advocacy and community mobilisation on child immunisation.

Chairperson for Mtondoko MCG, Sarah James said there was a need for frequent MCG trainings to discuss more on under-five vaccinations, citing limited equipment for vaccination, lack of infrastructure for under-five clinics, lack of transport to reach out to communities especially in had to reach areas. 

“Community mobilisation by mother care groups has helped a lot mothers to understand the importance of child vaccination. MEHN continue to provide mother care groups with refresher training,” added James.

Chimembe MCG, Chairperson, Joyce Harry said limited community engagement and difficulties in tracking vaccine schedules and follow-ups are some of the setbacks in child immunisation.

“MEHN support to mother care groups is bearing fruits if we compare the time mother care groups were not introduced," said Harry.

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for MHEN, Florence Khonyongwa encouraged MCGs to put effort mobilising communities on child immunization.

She acknowledged the challenges MCGs are facing in the course of advocacy and community mobilisation on child immunisation, saying MHEN will discuss with them to seek solutions for the challenges.

"There is a need for improvement in vaccine coverage. The groups need to find other alternative means to ensure effective advocacy and community mobilization for better results," added Khonyongwa.

MHEN support MCG on advocacy and community mobilisation on child immunisation and other health-related issues in nine districts, namely; Blantyre, Mchinji, Ntchisi, Kasungu, Dowa, Mzimba South, Mzimba North, Chitipa and Lilongwe with financial support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).

By Memory Kutengule Chatonda

Blantyre, February 15, Mana: Blantyre District Council, through the Community Environmental Conservation Fund (CECF) under the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP), has disbursed US$57,318 (approximately K99.2 million) to communities participating in environmental conservation in the district.

The cash presentations were made on Friday to 37 Village Natural Resources Management Committees (VNRMCs) in the micro-catchment areas of Namitondo, Nkajidi, Nkaladzi, and Mulanga where MWASIP is implementing its interventions.

District Project Coordinator, Owen Malimba told Malawi News agency (Mana) that the funds are meant to help communities participating in environmental restoration uplift their livelihood through small-scale business.

“This is the revolving fund used to provide micro-credit to community members involved in the VLAP activities under MWASIP while they are implementing the project activities.

“The funds are given upon successful implementation of sustainable land management (SLM) activities in their catchment areas as an incentive to communities that have done well in sustainable land management activities,” said Malimba.

He added that each VLAP received an annual grant of US$2,500 (approximately K4.3 million) upon reaching the targets in sustainable land management and forest management activities.

Masautso Lodson from the Mkaladzi micro-catchment, Traditional Authority Kunthembwe’s area whose club has received K4 million, hailed MWASIP for the grant, saying the money will be used for the intended purpose of improving their livelihood through small-scale business.

Senior Chief Kunthembwe of Blantyre thanked Blantyre District Council for implementing MWASIP interventions in the area, saying his area had registered a great impact regarding watershed management and improved livelihoods of his subjects.

The Traditional leader then described the provision of funds as timely and that it would motivate communities to put more effort into conserving the environment.

By Andrew Mlonda

Lilongwe, February 15, Mana: People of Traditional Authority Chimutu in Lilongwe district have hailed government for the construction of a police unit in the area which has reduced crime rate.

Speaking Friday during the media tour of some of the projects, Chairperson for Community Policing in the area Jimmy Ngalawa said before the construction of the infrastructure the crime rate was high, as every week they used to report about four cases in connection with theft.

Ngalawa further said the police unit has also reduced cases of mob justice in the area since people used to walk long distances to report and hand over the suspect to the Deayoung Police unit in Kanengo which is far from the area.

“In the past people just resorted taking the law in their hands once they caught a thief, but these days, all suspects are reported to the nearby police, and this has reduced the number of crimes in the area,” he said.

However, Ngalawa asked government and other well-wishers to construct police houses near the police unit so that the men and women in uniform could stay near the police unit.

Deputy Officer-In-Charge for Mkoma-Mchezi Police Unit Byson Ndawa said the police unit has assisted in bridging the information gap that was there on several crimes, and how people can work hand in hand with the police.

“In the past, we were struggling, once we caught a suspect, we had to call for the vehicle to pick up the suspect, which was time-consuming and also expensive in terms of fuel consumption, but this time around we keep all the suspects here before they are taken to court,” he said.

Lilongwe District Commissioner Dr. Lawaford Palani has since assured the people of Lilongwe of continued implementation of different projects through its different financial windows that the council has such as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), District Development Fund (DDF), Governance for Enabled Service Delivery (GESD) among others.

The K30 million Mkoma-Mchezi Police Unit was constructed through the Governance for Enabled Service Delivery (GESD) project implemented through the National Local Government Finance Committee, with funding from the World Bank.

By Alex Chitwere

Mulanje, February 15, Mana:  Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) on Friday partnered Mulanje District Council in a tree planting exercise at Muloza Primary School, Traditional Authority Njema in the district.

MRA Station Manager for Muloza Border, Adjison Maziwire said the revenue authority felt compelled to take part in a tree planting season by supporting the exercise with 1,000 tree seedlings as MRA operates within the community.

He said MRA is committed to ensure that the environment is protected to stop the reoccurrence of natural disasters such as Cyclone Freddy.

“Just to plant a tree is not the end of it all, we have to take care of it. We are thinking of going further than this to cover the whole area and the whole district planting more trees,” he said.

Maziwire further called on the community to assist them in their efforts and pointed out that they need help in curbing the smuggling of goods.

“Smuggling is the greatest factor that is affecting revenue collection, we are in a community where the border is so wide such that there are a lot of uncharted routes and to manage all this is not easy," he added.

Mulanje District Forestry Officer, Newton Sodala said despite several efforts on the ground to protect the forest like planting trees, there are a lot of illegal activities happening.

He then said a partnership with MRA will get them closer to their target of planting 2500 trees in the 2024/2025 forestry season.

The Forestry Officer also said his office will focus on block management which gives communities a chance to manage part of the forest as a way of instilling ownership.

The tax body took a similar exercise to Nanchidwa Primary School, an area that was heavily affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

In Mulanje, MRA is operating at Muloza Border as well as at the Boma for domestic taxes.

By Majona Jabesi

Mchinji, February 15, Mana: The National Planning Commission (NPC) has raised an alarm over the country's slow progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), citing a lack of prioritisation and investment in key productive sectors.

Speaking during the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) meeting in Mchinji Friday, NPC Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Thokozani Lunda, said these issues have led to significant delays in achieving the SDGs, particularly those aimed at poverty reduction, quality education and others.

"We all know that resources are scarce and they are always scarce, so if we prioritise that is when we can use resources efficiently. So according to SDGs, we have several areas that we have to invest and after investing we have to realize something in the end. Which means if we are not prioritising it will take a long time to achieve these goals."

"Similarly, the productive sector is the one that can take us into the middle-income economy because if we focus solely on social projects, that means will be just consumption and this cannot bring any development. So we need to balance," Lunda explained.

Executive Director for Girls Activist Youth Organisation (GAYO), Richard Batchi, said SDGs are not just targets on paper but rather a roadmap for a more equitable, inclusive, and prosperous future.

"Yet, as we all know, the road to achieving these goals, particularly at the district and community levels, is filled with challenges.

"From limited resources and weak coordination to deeply entrenched cultural barriers, the work ahead of us requires more than just commitment; it demands action and collaboration across all sectors of society to have a successful implementation," Batchi said.

In her remarks, Mchinji District Commissioner's representative, Joyce Mtukuso who is also the principal community development officer, attributed the slow progress in SDGs implementation at the district level as a result of lack of awareness campaigns and enough funds.

"There is a huge gap in terms of information dissemination about SDGs, especially to local communities. But currently, we are trying to localise these SDGs in our vernacular language just to ensure that no one is left behind by 2030," Mtukuso said. 

The CSO meeting was organised by GAYO under the theme of 'Assessing SDGs Progress: A Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue in Mchinji'.

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, February 15, Mana: President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera says he plans to see Chitipa become a major corridor for trade between Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia and home to a major city that facilitates that tri-nation trade.

Dr Chakwera made remarks on Friday during the State of National Address titled: Taking our Development Forward to Continue the progress we have delivered.

Dr Chakwera said that his government wants to stay focused on completing the developments implemented in the district.

“Because of these developments that we have either delivered or are making progress in Chitipa, we want to stay focused on completing them going forward, especially I plan to see Chitipa become a major corridor for trade between Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, and to see Chitipa become home to a major city that facilitates that tri-nation trade,” Dr. Chakwera explained.

“We have made great strides in advancing Chitipa’s Human Capital Development in the past four years. Specifically, we have collaborated with five communities in Chitipa to build each a community day secondary school, which can now be found at Chuba, Namapasa, Namasasa, Karopa, and Ngoya, which are in addition to the seven primary school blocks and 26 secondary school blocks we have built to improve enrolment figures in the district.

“So, to the 86,000 registered voters in Chitipa, I say this: Be ready to hear other parties this year offering to take Chitipa backward, but remember that the reason I am here is to continue taking your development forward,” he added.

Chairperson for Chitipa District Council, Councillor Ronald Kayira, thanked the Chakwera-led administration for initiating developmental projects in Chitipa, saying what he has stated in the SONA during the opening of the 2025-2026 budget session of Parliament is a true reflection of what is in the district.

Kayira said Mafinga and Marko irrigation schemes are in operation after K6.1 billion was invested adding that this is the right direction as a country to ensure that people have food and money.

“Like other districts, Chitipa has also benefited from these CDSSs. We have Chuba, Namapasa, Namasasa, Karopa but also Ngoya. I confirm that what is in the SONA gives a true reflection of the development delivered in Chitipa,” Kayira said.

Among other developments, the government has installed a communication tower at Mughese in Misuku.
Government has also brought electricity to 171 centers and connected 2,054 houses to electricity through the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP 9) and the Malawi Electricity Access Project (MEAP) projects respectively.

Government has also installed home-solar facilities in 4,333 homes including extending free water connection to 89 houses and providing loans amounting to K2.6 billion disbursed to 4,477 beneficiaries who have started their business ventures.

By Ireen Mseteka

Likoma, February 14, Mana: Likoma District Council on Friday conducted a clean-up routine exercise which was aimed at raising awareness of the importance of maintaining hygiene in public places hence preventing the spread of diseases in Likoma.

Speaking after the exercise at Mbamba market in Likoma, the Director of Administration and Human Resources for Likoma district council, Moses Jere emphasized the importance of the exercise saying that it is a responsibility of everyone to keep the environment clean.

“We need to ensure that our surroundings are clean, especially here at the market. Customers need hygienic places for them to buy goods from sellers and we all need to be healthy people including our families,” said Jere.

He added that people should ensure that they are using toilets whenever they want to defecate to eradicate diseases such as cholera, especially during the rainy season.

Chairperson for Mbamba Market, Henry Singano asked the council to take into consideration the construction of additional toilets at the market to prevent open defecation which may fuel the spread of diseases.

“Here we only have one toilet. As a result, people help themselves wherever they feel like doing so. If we have more toilets, this will help in hygiene practices since people will be using the toilets as a result, all the surroundings will be clean,” said

He then hailed government through the council for the clean-up initiative saying that it is a good move to curb the spread of diseases as the environment will be always clean.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, February 14, Mana: Mtetete Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) Head Teacher in Nkhata Bay, Sally Msiska has commended students from Vijle University in Denmark for donating 20 computers to the school through Climate Action Resilience for Malawi (CARMA).

In an interview Thursday after the official handover ceremony of the computers, Msiska said the school will now introduce computer lessons, which will enable learners to improve computer skills.

"Lack of computers was a very great challenge to us to introduce computer as a subject. We will immediately start offering the subject after having received the 20 computers. Our students will have hands-on experience helping them to excel in national examinations.  We are very grateful", she said.

She therefore appealed for support from well-wishers to help the school in constructing a computer laboratory.

"We are currently having 172 students, and we don’t have a computer laboratory. Let me appeal to well-wishers to help us construct a special computer laboratory as we have just currently improvised for that," she added.

Project Manager for CARMA Innocent Phiri said the organization requested the donation to bridge a technical gap in Information Communication Technology skills identified in most of the schools in the district.

"These computers have been donated by students who are on an education visit to Malawi. We requested it because we understand that if most students have computer skills, they can be exposed to various information that will help in various spheres of life.

He added that their goal is to reach out to more schools in Nkhata Bay, and they have also already donated the same to St Augustine CDSS in the district.

In her remarks Anna Grandt Nielsen, a teacher in computer skills communication, art and design who led the students from Denmark expressed optimism that the computers will ignite the interest of learners in computer courses and take part in the fight against climate change.

"These visits are crucial to our students as they have already started learning many things in Malawi which will help them to think globally and I am hopeful that through CARMA, this collaboration of students will continue," she added.

By Petro Mkandawire

Blantyre, February 14, Mana: Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) monitors and trains Chimembe Mother Care Group (MCG) on the group’s capacity for under-five vaccine awareness.

MEHN Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Florence Khonyongwa, told Malawi News Agency (Mana) at Chimembe Health Center in Blantyre, Thursday that the visit to Chimembe was to identify problems and challenges the MCG faces as it raises awareness on child vaccine.

“We are satisfied with the way mother care groups are performing. However, there is a need for improvement, especially in advocacy,

“The group needs to find other channels in raising awareness so that the immunization process should yield better results,” said Khonyongwa.

According to Khonyongwa, the supervisory tour helped to re-energise and motivate group members and enhance collaboration and coordination with healthcare providers apart from providing mothers and caregivers accurate information about vaccine and immunization schedules.

“Monitoring mother care groups helps to strengthen vaccine and immunization programmes and reduce the risk of outbreaks among under-five children, Monitoring visits also help us to track vaccination coverage and identify areas where coverage is low,” she added.

The Chimembe Mother Care Group, established in 2019 comprises 30 members and currently collaborates with three public health posts to raise awareness on child vaccines and other health-related initiatives.

Chairperson for Chimembe Mother CGG, Joyce Harry said the care group has been successful in reaching out to 500 families every month, with an 89 per cent community participation rate in their vaccination initiative.

“The care group's advocacy has led to a significant change in behaviour, with more men now taking active roles in vaccinating their children. This marks a positive shift from previous times when they were reluctant to get involved,” added Harry.

Apart from Blantyre, MHEN is implementing a child vaccine campaign in nine districts namely, Mchinji, Ntchisi, Kasungu, Dowa, Mzimba south, Mzimba north, Chitipa and Lilongwe with financial support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).

MHN is yet to continue monitoring other health facilities in Blantyre.