Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) will give Ministry of Agriculture $10 million (about K17.3 billion) to boost maize production as part of the national disaster response plan.
The funds are part of the $56.7 million that the World Bank contributed through the Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat-DDO), a form of contingent financing designed to help countries take a proactive stand towards reducing exposure to catastrophic risk and access funds immediately after a natural disaster.
In a telephone interview yesterday, Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs Charles Kalemba said the disbursement to the ministry is in line with its department’s strategy to promote resilience through production, marking a departure from the country’s reliance on donor handouts.
Kalemba: Focus is on resilience
He said: “Our strategy is focusing on resilience. So, we want to move from the old model that depended on begging and handouts.
“We want to capacitate local farmers and government institutions to grow our crops to ensure the people affected by the floods have enough to eat.”
The support follows the damage to farmlands caused by El Nino weather phenomenon, which caused prolonged dry spells in some parts of the Southern Region and above-average rainfall in the Northern Region.
Official estimates show that the erratic weather patterns affected 44.3 percent of the national crop area and left over two million households facing acute food shortages.
In a separate interview, Ministry of Agriculture Principal Secretary for Irrigation Services Geoffrey Mamba said the funds will be split into two core functions, providing financial support for the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) to buy maize and support local farmers.
He said: “First, we will target 26 commercial farmers with existing land and irrigation equipment to cultivate about 3 878 hectares of land. They will receive funding to produce and sell maize directly to NFRA.
“The second will focus on irrigation support. Farmers with land, but lacking irrigation will benefit from service providers conducting hydrological surveys, drilling boreholes, and establishing irrigation systems.”
The funds, along with the budgetary allocation to the NFRA and the World Bank’s previous $15 million disbursement to both NFRA and the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) for relief maize purchases, are expected to ease the food shortage that has hit the country.
However, Mamba estimated that a 200 000 metric tonnes (MT) deficit will remain even after taking into account the interventions implemented by government.
The impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon compelled President Lazarus Chakwera to declare a State of Disaster in 23 out of the country’s 28 districts.
The President said the country needs 600 000MT of maize valued at K357.6 billion for the humanitarian response.
Preliminary estimates in March showed that about two million farming households were affected, with 749 113 hectares of maize affected.
Vice-President Saulos Chilima has described the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit as crucial to unlocking the capacity of African countries, including Malawi through mutual cooperation.
In his address to the summit yesterday in Seoul, South Korea, he said the meeting offers fruitful engagement to strengthen bilateral ties and foster cooperation between Malawi and Korea.
Chilima, who is representing President Lazarus Chakwera at the summit, said Malawi is eager to transform into “an inclusively wealthy, self-reliant and industrialised upper middle-income country by 2063” as envisioned in the country’s national development strategy, Malawi 2063.
Chilima with other African leaders at the summit
He said: “To achieve the desired transformation, the Malawi Government has devised a strategic approach termed the ATM Strategy that is emphasising investments in the growth sectors of agriculture, tourism and mining.
“These sectors have been identified as key drivers of economic growth and development, with the potential to rapidly advance food security, job creation, and wealth generation.”
Chilima also said by prioritising investment and implementing targeted interventions in these critical areas, the country aims to unlock their full potential and accelerating progress towards national development goals.
He said Malawi is pleased with Korea’s commitment to provide $14 billion (about K24 trillion) in export financing to Korean companies by 2030 to promote trade and investment in Africa.
Speaking earlier during the official opening of the summit, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said his country seeks to expand trade and investment with Africa through a series of agreements, such as economic partnership agreements (EPAs) and trade and investment promotion frameworks (TIPFs).
He also vowed to support Africa’s efforts towards regional economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) launched in 2019 by the African Union Commission.
Said Yoon: “In terms of trade, we will speed up the signing of EPAs and TIPFs. On the investment front, we will expand investment protection agreements to promote exchanges between the two countries’ companies.”
The summit has drawn 48 African countries, including Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Togo, Rwanda, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.
The summit is being held under the theme ‘The future we make together: Shared growth, sustainability and solidarity’.
oads Fund Administration (RFA) has committed to pay the K14 billion it owes contractors under the Malawi Building and Civil Engineering Contractors Allied Building Contractors (Mabcata), a move that has seen group call off planned vigils.
In an interview yesterday, one of the contractors Stanley Gwaza said the group planned to start holding the vigils yesterday to force RFA to pay for work measured.
He said the contractors had submitted certificates for works, but RFA has not been paying them since January in violation of the stipulated 45-day period for payments.
Kachaje: We will start remitting the levies
Said Gwaza: “Now the RFA has made a commitment to pay the money and it has already started paying. It is our hope as contractors that all the money will be paid in the shortest time possible.”
He said a number of projects have stalled due to the payment delays.
“We stopped the work in March because there was no money coming in. We will have to sit down as contractors and see how we move forward,” said Gwaza.
However, he said they still need an assurance from the RFA that money will be flowing once contractors issue certificates.
Another contractor Paeki Nkhwazi said the contractors have decided to give the RFA space to clear the debt.
“They have 10 days from today to clear all the money. There are so many contractors involved,” he said.
RFA spokesperson Masauko Mngwaluko asked for more time to respond to The Nation questions.
However, the RFA earlier indicated that it was struggling to pay contractors because Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) was not remitting road levy collected from fuel pump prices, a source of 90 percent of RFA’s income.
Mera chief executive officer Henry Kachaje in an interview yesterday said the regulator is mobilising resources and will start remitting the levies to RFA within this month.
However, he could not indicate how much Mera owes the RFA in levies, saying he was travelling and could not tell the amount off his head.
But in January this year, Mngwaluko told The Nation that Mera was yet to remit K80 billion to RFA as of October 2023.
On May 21 2024, the concerned indigenous contractors petitioned RFA to express concern over the delays to pay them.
Experts say the country’s dying cotton industry cannot recover unless value-addition firms such as David Whitehead and Sons Company (DWSC) are revived.
The experts believe DWSC successor, which came in through privatisation, is not doing enough on value addition.
Veteran cotton industry expert Duncan Warren said in an interview on Monday that the textile industry suffered a knock when DWSC, which was spinning the lint into yarn or thread for the local sector, was privatised.
He said: “I have followed the cotton sector since mid-1970 when the DWSC was buying about 90 percent of Malawi’s cotton, processing it into threads for other garments players to use.
Cotton production has been on the decline
“It means there was value-addition and farmers had the market for their cotton.”
Warren, who is also former chairperson of Cotton Council of Malawi, said after privatisation of DWSC, there is need to export cotton which has been expensive for a landlocked country such as Malawi due to high transport cost, making the country’s cotton uncompetitive on the global market.
He said Zimbabwe is now doing well with cotton and textile industries because it has taken advantage the DWSC’s situation after realising that it cannot do without the government owning the company which, like DWSC Malawi, was also privatised during a similar period.
Warren said since privatisation, cotton production has been declining as farmers lack motivation because the government lost interest in promoting the sector, leaving the available ginners failing to access cotton.
Meanwhile, commenting ion the declining production, Balaka-based Malawi Cotton Company field manager Yohane Jim said last week the factory is only accessing 3 000 metric tonnes (MT) against production capacity of 30 000MT, a situation which is proving costly for the factory’s sustainability.
He said: “Cotton business relies on volumes, but for many years, we are only getting 3 000 metric tonnes while we have an installed capacity of 30 000 metric tonnes.
“This means we just operate to run the machine and this is very costly to any business.”
Jim said this partly explains why other ginners have closed shop because they cannot meet their expenses with low volumes.
He said the Balaka-based firm recently invested in an oil plant in the district and a textile factory in Salima in a $64 million (about K112 billion) combined investment which is not operating because of lack of lint supply.
“We currently only separate the seed from the lint. The oil plant and the textile factory are not operating because we need more cotton based on their capacity.
“The textile factory alone, for instance, has 11 000 metric tonnes capacity,” said Jim.
In a separate interview, Masapa Cotton Company managing director Osward Lutepo, whose firm has a seed multiplication factory in Salima, said the industry’s revival depends on combined efforts government, textile companies and finance institutions.
“The textile industry is mostly struggling because apart from Admarc, which gets funding from the government and other foreign companies that have sound capital, financial institutions are not supportive when it comes to financing of cotton sector players,” he said.
Toleza Cotton field manager Daniel Kalowekamo attributed the challenges to lack of interest on the part of government which has brought a huge crisis in the cotton and textile sector.
He said the government’s lack of seriousness in revamping the sector has resulted in farmers switching to other crops.
Meanwhile, Cotton Farmers Association of Malawi president Labson Zidana faulted the Cotton Council of Malawi for failing to subsidise cotton seeds so that farmers can access hybrid and high productivity seeds to increase production.
In an interview, Cotton Council of Malawi executive director Cosmas Luwanda said efforts are there to increase production of cotton to the level of 2011 when output hit a record 100 000MT and most of the initiatives will come to play in the forthcoming growing season.
Cotton is one of the most lucrative crops along its value chain and used to be one of the country’s top four foreign exchange earners.
Malawi attracted just above $841 million (about K1.5 trillion) in investments plegdes in 2023, with the tourism sector accounting for around $206 million (about K361 billion), according to Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (Mitc).
However, the investments were less than the targeted $1 billion (about K1.7 trillion), a drop from the $2.3 billion (about K4 trillion)pledges reported in 2022.
In the 2024 outlook, Mitc said they are targeting investments worth $600 million while more efforts continue to be made to attract more.
Tourism investments are receiving more plegdes in Malawi
Reads the Mitc statement in part: “We shall still continue to target domestic investors for diversification and new projects as was the case in 2023.”
Meanwhile, the number of jobs to be created through new investments and existing ones that are being diversified and expanded is 16 519 jobs, according to Mitc.
“Total new investment pledges $374.6 million [about K655.9 billion] with potentially 1 330 jobs pledged, of which $2.9 million [about K5,1 billion]are domestic,” reads the statement.
Apart from the tourism sector, the second highest investments are in manufacturing at $149 million (about K260.1 billion).
Other sectors with considerable investment plans are agriculture production and processing, real estate and health.
“Approximately 28 percent of investments pledged in the year have been implemented, while others are in the process of land acquisition, procurement of plant and machinery as well as securing financing. We should start to see more progress in the second year,” further reads the statement.
Ministry of Tourism spokesperson Joseph Nkosi said in interview yesterday that the sector has some big projects which already started with others still in preparatory stages.
He cited one five-star hotel project called Garden City Hotel and Eco-Tourism Resort located at Chimaliro in Mzuzu and another prospective project to be developed by the Public Service Pension Trust Fund in Blantyre.
Malawi is among the lowest recipients of investments among its peers, according to the World Bank, which estimates receipts of about 40 percent of what other countries in the same economic category receive.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) cultural policy consultant Ayeta Anne Wangusa says government should reclaim its space in arts and cultural heritage promotion by providing financial support to the sector.
Speaking on the sidelines of the National Arts and Heritage Promotion Fund development consultation meeting in Blantyre on Monday, she said culture can be used as the country’s public relations.
The fund is one of the provisions in the National Arts and Heritage Council (Nahec) Bill pending Cabinet approval before it is tabled in Parliament.
Wangusa makes a presentation during the meeting
“Culture and heritage form our identity. Culture should never be a second priority, it should be the first priority to build our identity and products,” she said.
Wangisa expressed hope that the fund will be progressive so that it should create a value chain that will attract development partners and private investors.
She commended Malawi for initiating the establishment and management of the proposed arts and cultural promotion fund.
“It’s good that we have started the process early so that we should not start the process two years down the road,” said Wangisa.
She said Tanzania has a similar fund but it has taken a different approach because they do not issue grants as the proposed fund in Malawi.
Nahec Task Force chairperson Maxwell Chiphinga said the new law will help artists get funding for individuals and associations artistic projects.
“Currently associations are failing to implement projects because of lack of funding. The membership fees that they collect from members only cater for administration expenses,” he said.
Chiphinga cited the failure to host the Malawi International Theatre Festival because of lack of funding.
He said: “We wanted to initiate a yearly international film festival in Malawi the way it happens in Durban [in South Africa] and Harare [in Zimbabwe] so that artists can come from all over the world.
“We did all the required preparations but we failed because nobody came forward to fund the project.”
The Nahec Bill seeks to promote the arts and cultural heritage of the country. One of the key provisions in the Bill is the establishment of the National Arts and Cultural Heritage Council with a mandate to spearhead the arts and cultural heritage promotion and funding drives.
Malawi is endowed with diverse mineral resources that can significantly boost the economy if mined.
The government has made commendable strides in revitalising this critical sector.
By attracting foreign investment and implementing reforms, mining has the potential to become a key source of foreign exchange earnings and economic growth.
However, to ensure that the nation reaps the benefits of its mineral endowments, it is essential to revise existing mining agreements, empower regulatory bodies and establish a national mining company.
To do this, the country needs not to look further than the successful models in Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya.
Mining holds immense potential for Malawi, which boasts rich deposits of rare earth elements, uranium, coal and other precious stones.
The global demand for these resources, particularly in the high-tech and renewable energy sectors, presents a significant opportunity for the country to increase its foreign exchange earnings.
By capitalising on these resources, Malawi can enhance its economic stability, reduce its trade deficit, and provide funding for vital public services and infrastructure projects.
I commend the government for its proactive approach to revitalising the mining sector. The government has focused on improving the regulatory framework, enhancing transparency, and creating a conducive environment for investment. These efforts have attracted increased interest from international mining companies, paving the way for more exploration and development activities. Such initiatives are crucial for unlocking the full potential of Malawi’s mineral wealth.
However, to maximise the benefits of mining for all Malawians, particularly the poor, it is crucial to revisit and revise existing mining agreements.
Many of these agreements were negotiated under less favourable conditions and may not adequately reflect the current economic realities or the best interests of the nation.
Revising these agreements to ensure a fair share of revenues for the government can provide the financial resources needed for national development.
This includes implementing more favourable tax regimes, royalties and other financial instruments that ensure mining revenues are fairly distributed and reinvested in local communities.
Empowering the mining regulatory body is another essential step because a strong and independent regulatory authority can ensure that mining activities are conducted responsibly, transparently and sustainably.
By enhancing the regulator’s capacity and authority, the nation can enforce strict environmental standards, safeguard public health and ensure that mining companies adhere to their contractual obligations.
This includes regular monitoring and evaluation of mining operations and the involvement of local communities in decision-making processes.
Establishing a national mining company, as did Tanzania, South Africa, and Kenya, can further enhance Malawi’s ability to benefit from its mineral resources.
A national mining company can participate directly in mining operations, ensuring that a larger share of the profits remains within the country.
This State-owned enterprise can also play a crucial role in developing local expertise, creating jobs and fostering economic linkages with other sectors.
By managing and investing in strategic mining projects, a national mining company can drive sustainable development and ensure that the benefits of mining are equitably distributed.
The three countries’ experiences provide valuable lessons for Malawi.
These countries have successfully leveraged their national mining companies to boost local content, promote value addition, and enhance revenue generation.
By following their example, we can build a robust mining sector that contributes significantly to economic growth and poverty reduction.
Mining holds the key to unlocking Malawi’s economic potential and increasing foreign exchange earnings.
By taking these steps, Malawi can harness its mineral wealth to drive economic growth, improve livelihoods, and achieve a prosperous future for all its citizens.
Shelves in the human resources office of Chikwawa District Health Office in the Southern Region are curving under the weight of bulky files.
In June 2022, Stanfold Jere and his team combed through each staff record and conducted a headcount of healthcare workers and support staff in all 32 facilities in the district.
“We had a rude awakening,” says the human resource management officer. “We discovered a 54 percent vacancy rate, but several workers who had died, retired, resigned or got transferred were still on our books as if they were still working in the district.”
Jere examines staff files at Chikwawa District Health Office
The staff review produced a detailed account of personnel.
At a click of computer keys, health authorities can tell where the unmet need for staff lies, making the constantly updated database a trusted tool for tackling staff shortages in health facilities.
“Since we know where the vacancies are, it is easy to lobby for the government’s approval to fill them,” says Jere.
Unicef provided resources for the initiative to update the district’s staff profile and personal files. The staff review is part of the United Nations Joint Programme for Health Systems Strengthening, dubbed Umoyo Wathu.
Unicef is jointly implementing the six-year project with UNFPA and the World Health Organization with funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Jere says the figures at his fingertips provide the basis for proposing the recruitment of staff and revising staff roles.
He explains: “Chikwawa DHO had 900 employees in 2022, but the government allowed us to employ 40 in 2023, some 48 in 2023 and 112 this year. We expect 80 more to replace those who have retired.
“The quality of services in our health facilities is improving with more hands at work.”
Staff once shunned Chapananga Health Centre, a rural locality 50 kilometres west of Chikwawa town, in preference for urban sites.
But within two years, it has received two clinicians, two nurses, two grounds persons, eight health surveillance assistants, two security guards and a hospital attendant.
“Based on the gaps highlighted by the functional review, the facility is better-staffed and surrounding communities are getting adequate treatment and hygiene, which boost infection prevention,” says clinician-in-charge Lusant Binto.
In 2018, he was alone in the clinical section at the health centre that serves a population of 20 000. Other staff included three nurses, two security guards and a groundsperson.
“We used to work day and night and the facility wasn’t clean,” Binto says.
Not any longer.
“Since we are many, we work in shifts and take time to adequately assess and assist patients, monitor children’s growth, administer vaccines and treat them,” Binto says.
Clinician Carolyne Munthali arrived at Chapananga Health Centre in November 2022, barely six months after the staff review.
She briefly interned at Mzimba District Hospital in 2021, a year after obtaining her diploma at the Malawi College of Health Sciences.
The 26-year-old was unemployed when she took her first permanent job following the staff audit.
“The in-charge and I were seeing 150 to 200 outpatients daily until our colleague Sufo Chiwaya arrived this year. The workload tells me I’m in a place where my skill is needed and appreciated,” says Munthali, 26.
She urges policymakers in the country’s health system to consistently track staffing levels in all districts.
“Patients could be getting a raw deal due to high vacancy rates while skilled young men and women leaving colleges remain unemployed,” says Munthali.
The main winners are the patients from surrounding villages, including Mercy Mathews who last month gave birth to her second daughter Eunice Yosani at the rural health facility.
She says: “When I was in labour, a nurse welcomed me with a smile and assisted me swiftly and politely unlike in the past when they were few. Now we get quality care without waiting long or being told to come another day.”
The Story Workshop Public Trust director Peter Pangani has urged teachers in Karonga District to embrace technology to promote teaching and learning skills in schools.
He said this on Monday after interacting with student teachers at Karonga Teacher Training College (TTC).
Pangani said time has come for teachers to go digital and offer lessons even when classes are disrupted due to outbreaks or natural disasters.
Chirwa: We will share the skills
He said: “If teachers start using digital technology platforms to teach, it can also be used to reach to as many learners as possible during natural disasters such as Covid-19, cholera outbreak and cyclones.
“Currently, we have established radio listening clubs in eight TTCs of Karonga, Kasungu, Lilongwe, St. Joseph’s, Blantyre, Machinga, Phalombe and Chiradzulu as well as their demonstration primary schools to target student teachers.”
Karonga TTC Radio Listener’s Club chairperson Ellen Chirwa commended the Story Workshop for the initiative.
She said people are now living in a global village where information and communications technology (ICT) skills are crucial for many purposes.
“We will use the skills we have acquired to deliver lessons to learners. We will also share the skills with fellow teachers,” said Chirwa.
On his part, Karonga TTC acting head of education foundation studies Alstarico Mbizi said as adepartment that looks at mobilisation and use of ICT materials for learning and teaching at the college, they welcomed the initiative.
“Already, the school has 60 iPads and the coming in of the project will just complement this to help student teachers to hone ICT skills,” he said.
With funding from the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through GIZ, the Story Workshop is implementing Maphunziro Ulalo Wathu Phase Four in eight TTCs.
Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture deputy director of planning and policy Flemmings Nyirenda has urged district councils to improve on record keeping to score highly in Local Authority Performance Assessment (Lapa).
Speaking on Monday in Nkhata Bay during the dissemination of the council’s 2023 Lapa results, he said the assessors give scores on indicators that they see to ensure that the council has delivered its plans.
Nyirenda, who is also focal person for Governance to Enable Service Delivery (Gesd), said evidence of implementing projects was very important for marks.
Newa: We have improved documentation
However, he said there was improved performance of councils which indicates that they are striving for excellence in service delivery.
“Most district councils have done well this year with an average of 71 percent from 67 percent as of last year and Nkhata Bay in particular has scored 71 percent, which is encouraging,” said Nyirenda.
Nkhata Bay district commissioner Rodgers Newa said the council has taken all recommendations made positively and was optimistic that it will be among the top 10 in the next assessment.
“We attribute the improved performance to improved documentation of project materials, sector coordination and initiation of Lapa committee at council level,” he said.
Newa said the council received K347 million for its performance, which will supplement their funding.
Nkhata Bay Civil Society Organisations Network chairperson Michael Mwanachawa commended the council for the achievement.
Machinga District has been identified as the country’s best performer in Covid-19 vaccination uptake.
This is according to findings from Unicef and the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) which indicate that the district has recorded 75 percent against the country’s average of 70 percent.
Speaking yesterday during a stakeholders meeting that Unicef and USAid organised, Machinga district chief preventive health officer Alfred Phiri described the achievement as a milestone.
Mizinga: We led by example
He said: “After getting the support from Unicef, we ensured that all communities are involved in this campaign.
“It was unique for the district because even chiefs themselves were the ones demonstrating and encouraging their subjects to get vaccinated.”
Traditional Authority (T/A) Mizinga whose area was the best performer in the district, said he ensured that there was strong coordination among stakeholders.
“We were in the forefront in getting the vaccine to lead by example. We also encouraged our family members to get the vaccine and dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding the vaccine,” he said.
Paramount Chief Kawinga of the Yao urged government to consider promoting traditional leaders who are determined to support the government’s efforts to realise its development agenda.
“These are chiefs that deserve special recognition because it is not that easy to convince people amid misinformation from social media to get vaccinated,” he said.
However, during the meeting it emerged that two villages of Mbawe and Chindu in T/As Nsanama and Mlomba, respectively, recorded a 100 percent Covid-19 vaccine uptake.
A report from Machinga District Health Office indicates that, cumulatively the district recorded 1 025 Covid-19 cases and 45 deaths.
Centre for Social Concern (CfSC) has advised communities in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chimwala in Mangochi to utilise locally available resources to generate income.
The organisation’s programmes officer Tobias Jere said this on Monday during a training of interfaith committees that sought to empower them with skills and knowledge on how to use local resources to transform their lives.
He stressed the need for community leaders, such as the interfaith committees to embark on activities such as farming to become economically independent.
Participants follow a presentation
“People should change their mindset. For example, people from T/A Chimwala live close to Lake Malombe and Shire River. So, they can embark on irrigation farming and improve their economic well-being,” said Jere.
T/A Chimwala thanked CfSC for engaging community leaders in his area.
He also said he is encouraging people to embark on activities to earn income.
“People should not just stay but engage in productive ventures such as farming or business,” said Chimwala.
One of the trainees, Jean Robert from Katapwito Village described the training as an eye-opener.
He pledged to engage her friends to venture into income-generating activities to develop their area.
The training was part of a three-year inter-religious dialogue project that CfSC is implementing in the district to promote co-existence among people, especially Muslims and Christians.
CfSC is implementing the project with funding from the Embassy of Ireland.
The Ministry of Lands has handed over a K45 million house to a person with albinism in Traditional Authority Mwanza in Salima District.
Speaking on Monday during the handover of the house to Chinsinsi Luka, 17, Minister of Lands Deus Gumba said government is committed to provide security to persons with albinism.
He said: “President Lazarus Chakwera heard the concerns of persons with albinism. Our friends were being hunted like wild animals.
Ministry of Land officials cut a ribbon to hand over the house
“So when the President came into power, he assured Malawians to provide security for them. This is why the ministry is constructing these houses.”
Gumba said government has resources to fund the project, adding that the houses are being constructed nationwide.
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Jean Sendeza echoed Gumba’s sentiments that for a long time the lives of persons with albinism were at stake due to, among others, living in insecure homes.
“Persons with albinism are supposed to have decent houses that are secure. We are witnessing the promises made by the President come true,” she said.
Sendeza said government plans to construct a factory to produce body lotion for persons with albinism.
“All resources are available and we are set,” she said.
In his remarks, Luka expressed excitement with the house, saying it will offer him security.
“I will feel protected in this house. I appeal to the President to construct more houses for other persons with albinism,” he said.
Besides living in fear, Luka said he was facing discrimination, which made him feel insecure.
Luka has just sat for this year’s Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education examinations.
Both Gumba and Sendeza appealed to communities surrounding the house to continue protecting persons with albinism.
Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (Kuhes) has embarked on a research study on youth wellness.
Global Health Research Groups local principal investigator Dr Effie Chipeta said the research seeks to come up with interventions to avert problems rooting from poor mental health.
“We have children being raised by older siblings or grandparents who have no proper sources of income. This leads to a host of problems. We want to see how these problems impact on the youth’s sexual and reproductive health,” she said.
Msusa: It is significant
UK-based National Health and Care Research is financing the survey.
She said her institution is working with key ministries, including gender, traditional leaders, the youth, parents and teachers.
“Whatever tools we will co-create with the stakeholders will be replicated countrywide. It is important to understand adolescent well-being,” said Chipeta.
In a separate interview, Ministry of Youth and Sports director of youth Judith Msusa said the research was significant as it looks into issues that lead the youth into drug and alcohol abuse.
“It will bring out evidence on the factors that affect the youth. For example, problems in rural Mchinji are peculiar to the district,” she said.
On her part, Traditional Authority Pitala of Mchinji said the research will help inform opinions on how problems emanate from poor mental health.
“We are in trouble because even 10-year olds are attempting suicide,” she said.
The research is running for four years from 2022 to 2026 in Mchinji and Blantyre.
Reunion Insurance Company Limited has sponsored an event dubbed ‘An Experience with Mr Jokes Comedy Night’ to the tune of K2.5 million.
The event is scheduled to take place at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe on June 29.
In a statement, Reunion Insurance marketing and business development manager Miller John Joshua said: “Comedy plays a pivotal role in sustaining and enhancing the success of various ventures.
“Mr. Jokes with his unique blend of humour and creativity will bring people who are also our customers together, foster connections and create shared memories.”
He said as an indigenous brand, Reunion Insurance will continue to support and work with different stakeholders as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Mr Jokes, real name Andreya Thonyiwa, is quoted in the statement as having thanked Reunion Insurance for the gesture and added that the money will help in the preparation of the event budgeted at K10 million.
Reunion Insurance has 12 branches nationwide and recently launched Reunion Online, a digital insurance purchase platform.
With each passing day, as the September 16 2025 General Elections draw near, cracks appear to be widening in the governing Tonse Alliance following President Lazarus Chakwera’s appetite for re-election.
Last week, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader declared that he will seek re-election.
This brings into question Vice-President Saulos Chilima’s indications that the Tonse deal requires the President to pave the way for him in the forthcoming poll.
They signed the agreement at the Kamuzu Institute for Youth in March 2020, three months before Chakwera unseated Peter Mutharika in a court-ordered fresh election, remains under wraps.
Chakwera and Chilima hoist the Tonse Alliance deal after signing the dotted lines in March 2020
Despite this, Malawians are eager to know its contents, including who will lead the Tonse Alliance in 2025 following Chilima’s proclamations that the pair is supposed to rotate.
MCP has vehemently denied being party to the purported agreement, but UTM Party has maintained that 2025 is Chilima’s turn.
Amid this political intrigue, MCP national executive committee’s backing for Chakwera to return to the ballot in the upcoming election continues to fuel discontent among its political bedfellows in UTM Party.
Supporters of the two topmost parties in the troubled alliance have engaged in a war of words and fistfights during public events attended by their leaders.
Chakwera’s declaration that he will contest has since brought to the limelight the relationship he has with his second-in-command amid the purported agreement.
With the political temperature slowly rising, Malawians are left wondering: Are the two men at the helm of the country friends or foes?
Recently, the pair stood side by side during public gatherings.
Political Science Association spokesperson Mavuto Bamusi argues that Chilima’s appearance at presidential functions could be “only a face saver and a publicity stunt”.
He shares the growing suspicion that all is not well between Chakwera and Chilima.
For Bamusi, Chakwera’s interest to retain the presidency next year confirms “the total breakdown” in the relationship between the top two.
He states: “The so-called agreement to alternate the presidential office between Chakwera and Chilima was dead on arrival.
“The power imbalance between MCP and UTM Party means that Chakwera would unleash his party machinery to bar Chilima from being the presidential candidate.”
Bamusi faults MCP for engaging in “political cheating” by ignoring the Tonse Alliance terms and conditions.
“UTM Party and Chilima have been shortchanged from Chakwera’s political deceit,” he says.
The controversy marks a new chapter in what fallen vice-president Justin Malewezi termed “the curse of vice-presidents”.
Since the fall of the country’s founding president Hastings Kamuzu Banda and his one-party system, vice-presidents have endured troubled ties with presidents and no pair has succeeded each other.
Bamusi says it is nearly impossible and inconceivable that Chakwera will hand over power to Chilima, as the latter has purported since their joint campaign in 2020.
He says the sticky handover gets trickier with the lack of relevant laws that govern political alliances.
No electoral law recognises politicians’ pacts to win polls, said the Malawi Electoral Commission legal adviser.
To Bamusi, this means Chilima’s presidential ambitions are up in smoke and UTM can only get weaker on the road to 2025.
But UTM spokesperson Felix Njawala has constantly told journalists that the party has its own strategy ahead of the 2025 elections.
In August 2020, Chakwera told Zodiak Broadcasting Station that his relationship with Chilima would not at any point be complicated as both were committed to rebuilding the country.
The President was responding to the persisting rivalry at the helm which has persisted since 1994 when Malawi adopted the current Constitution which created the Office of the Vice-President.
However, the relationship between the pair has often been strained, with vice-presidents either sacked or forced to quit governing parties in the countdown to elections.
Chakwera, fwho quit the pulpit where he served asa Malawi assemblies of god president in 2013 to join frontline politics, said the debate over his candidacy in the 2025 elections would be tackled “when we get to that bridge”.
That was two months after defeating Mutharika in the court-sanctioned election on June 23 2020.
During his inauguration, Chakwera saluted Chilima for helping him become Africa’s first opposition leader to defeat a sitting president in a court-ordered election.
Governance commentator Undule Mwakasungula says it is important that both Chakwera and Chilima prioritise the interests of Malawians over their political ambitions in 2025.
“Regardless of any prior agreement, their primary responsibility is to serve the electorate that put them in office. As leaders, they must demonstrate unity and a commitment to their collective mandate, ensuring that governance and development remain at the forefront.
“Political stability and effective governance are crucial, especially in times when public confidence in leadership is essential,” he says.
Mwakasungula says the secret agreement between Chakwera and Chilima lacks legal grounding.
He states: “Chakwera retains the right to seek a second term, as he has already said so. Our democratic framework allows any first sitting president to run for re-election provided they adhere to constitutional rules.”
The Constitution prescribes a maximum of two five-year terms for the President.
Mwakasungula says the “strategically flawed Tonse agreement” should have been aligned with the Constitution to give Chakwera two terms before Chilima takes over in 2030.
To the governance commentator, continuity in leadership is crucial for long-term policy reforms.
Following Chakwera’s declaration to contest again, Mwakasungula says the Vice-President should consider renegotiating the succession deal with MCP or running independently under his UTM Party.
He suggests that Chilima may also consider apologising to his mentor-turned-foe Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party “to bolster his political relevance”.
However, political analyst Wonderful Mkhutche says Chilima is caught between a rock and a hard place.
He says: “The two leaders seem to be on good terms because the Vice-President does not want to once again turn his back on his boss and go for the presidency.
“It seems he is leaving it to time to be the best judge, and he is also between a rock and a hard place. He has nowhere to go, so he only has time to play his role.”
Mkhutche says it is an open secret that MCP is fronting Chakwera ahead of the 2025 elections.
“That seems to be the final decision and there is no possibility of the President handing over leadership to Chilima,” he says.
With the 2025 elections fast approaching, all eyes are on the pair.
Will they put aside their personal ambitions and work together for the good of the nation.
In January 2021, the Malawi Government launched the Malawi 2063 also known as MW2063 as a successor long-term development strategy to replace Vision 2020 that had expired after achieving minimal targets, largely due to lack of focus.
Through the new strategy, Malawi envisions to be “an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation” by 2063. To many a Malawian, the strategy was or is seen as the pathway out of poverty to the imaginary Promised Land of Canaan where milk and honey will flow.
To facilitate the attainment of the objectives and having drawn lessons from Vision 2020, the country formed the National Planning Commission (NPC) as a coordinating agency for the strategy which has 10-Year MW2063 Implementation Plans complete with 10-year targets.
MW2063 is premised on three inter-related and inter-dependent pillars of agricultural productivity and commercialisation, resource-based industrialisation and urbanisation.
Briefly, Malawi seeks to be an upper middle-income country by 2063 and be able to fund its own development needs. Thus, on the road to MW2063, the First 10-Year MIP targeted to make Malawi a lower middle-income economy by 2030, all things being equal.
Ever since the launch in January 2021, the MW2063 has gathered momentum with NPC director-general Thomas Chataghalala Munthali, PhD and his vibrant team passionately selling the vision to get the buy-in from various stakeholders, including the ordinary man and woman on the streets.
I have had the privilege of listening to the NPC team unpack the MW2063 vision and I must say the energy and confidence with which they drive home the message is out of this world. Listening to the team, one visualises a Malawi that is advanced with a solid manufacturing base and earning more foreign exchange than now.
But, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. While the NPC team may have the energy and passion, delivery is dependent on other factors.
Earlier this week, the NPC told the Budget and Finance Committee of Parliament that Malawi is not likely to become a lower middle-income country by 2030 and that the target may only be achieved 15 years later if it remains on the current path.
The NPC cited a series of external crises that have spilled over to Malawi as well as internal catastrophes. This combination has derailed the Malawi economy from growing at six percent per annum to consistently achieve the targets.
To still achieve the 2030 targets, the local economy needs to grow by at least 10 percent annually in the next six years, a tall order I must say, looking at the realities and the fact that in the past five years, economic growth has averaged about two percent.
But while the external factors and climate-induced shocks may have contributed to stagnation, I still feel that the country could have done better in some areas, including prioritising manufacturing by giving meaningful incentives as this is one sector that can accelerate growth rates and put the economy on the industrialisation path.
Next are issues of public finance management where, despite some efforts to tighten the screws, some cooperating partners, including the African Development Bank have expressed reservations that leakages continue from the public purse. Besides, some donors have noted problems of misprocurement and weak accountability in every audit of public entities.
Manufacturing, which one can say is embedded in the industrialisation pillar of MW2063, is key to creation of national wealth. But for manufacturing to work wonders there is need for incentives.
During the opening of the 34th Malawi International Trade Fair last week, Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) president Wisely Phiri echoed his predecessor Lekani Katandula’s sentiments on the harsh taxation regime that is stifling growth. Besides the taxes, the cost of borrowing is another impediment that manufacturers face to boost their businesses and increase production.
Where the manufacturing sector is kind of scaling down, it would be next to a miracle to expect it to meaningfully contribute to economic growth.
It is important for policies to be reading each other to achieve desired goals. In this regard, I find it ironic that the Malawi Government’s ATM strategy standing for agriculture, tourism and mining appear to “ignore” industrialisation embedded in MW2063 alongside agricultural commercialisation and productivity and urbanisation as three key pillars.
While manufacturing could exist in the ATM strategy’s agriculture or mining component, I still feel it deserved a dedicated seat at the table.
Today it is 39 years to MW2063. The onus is on our generation to decide on what country we want future generations to find in 2063 and beyond.
To achieve the aspirations, there is need to set the right priorities and include manufacturing in the key priorities.
In an apparent act of desperation, government yesterday met representatives of healthcare workers to avert their pending sit-in on June 10 but the meeting hit a deadlock.
According to sources that attended the meeting at Sunbird Lilongwe, leaders of National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi(Nonm) and Physician Assistants Union of Malawi (Paum) insisted that the sit-in can only be called off after their demands are met.
One source said the Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda, who led the government side, had called for the meeting and the healthcare workers granted him an audience.
Nyirenda (L) and Osman leaving the meeting venue yesterday
However, the source said the AG and team brought nothing new or concrete on the table, as such, the healthcare workers representatives opted to proceed with their plans to hold a strike.
Said the source: “The meeting with the Minister of Health did not bear any fruit and members agreed that they will no longer be attending government meetings.”
Another attendee corroborated the sentiments, saying there was “nothing meaningful” from yesterday’s meeting.
Nyirenda, who for about two hours was locked in a closed-door meeting with leaders of Nonm and Paum members with Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) executive secretary Habiba Osman as an observer, refused to grant media interviews,
“How did you [the media] know we were meeting? This was a closed door meeting,” he said.
Osman, who was a conciliator in earlier discussions between the two parties, also refused to speak on the matter, saying she was just a spectator in the meeting.
She said Nyirenda and lawyer for Nonm and Paum were best placed to comment.
But both lawyers also declined to grant an interviews as did leaders of the unions.
Nonm and Paum members have threatened to hold a nationwide strike on June 10 2024 following government’s lack of commitment to resolve their grievances which include demands to increase their allowances and to improve working conditions.
Meanwhile, Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe has said Mhen is making efforts to bring the two sides to a roundtable and prevent the sit-in.
In a separate interview, Health Rights Education Programme executive director Maziko Matemba called on government to continue engaging the health workers on their demands.
Following the collapse of their talks with government, the healthcare workers set June 10 2024 for a day-long sit-in.
The date for the sit-in comes after Capital Hill warned against the industrial action, saying Section 47 of the Labour Relations Act prohibits essential service providers, such as healthcare workers from conducting a strike.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe is on record as having said the ministry was hopeful of continued engagement, but warned against the decision to strike.
FCB Nyasa Bullets say they will be guided by their lawyer on the two counts the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has imposed on the team for the violence during their TNM Super League match against Silver Strikers at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on Sunday.
According to a charge sheet signed by the flagship league runners’ general secretary Williams Banda, the People’s Team have been charged with failing to control the actions of their supporters and officials during the match which the Bankers won 1-0 through a last gasp goal.
Bullets have also been charged with bringing the league into disrepute.
They have been given 48 hours to respond to the charges from yesterday.
But reacting to the charges in an interview yesterday, Bullets chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda said: “We have our legal counsel, who guides us in such matters.
“Since they have given us a timeline and we will respond within the 48 hours that we have been given, then we will take it up from there.
“Suffice to say we issued a statement which was self-explanatory as regards our stand on the matter.”
The particular of the offence for the first count reads: “FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Football Club, an affiliate of the Super League of Malawi on 2nd June 2024 at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, being a home team playing against Silver Strikers, failed to control their supporters who pelted stones [and] bottles on to the field of playin the 90th minute, forcing the match to end prematurely.
“Furthermore, the irate supporters damaged and deflated bus tyres for both visiting and home teams, forcing delayed departures.”
Particulars for the second count read: “FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Football Club, an affiliate of the Super League of Malawi, on the same date and place as stated in the first count, caused some disorderness, damaging the image of the sponsors TNM plc, the Super League of Malawi and the game.”
The incidents occurred soon after the Reserve Bank of Malawi-sponsored side scored their winning goal through Chinsisi Maonga at the dot of the regulation time.
It was Bullets’ first defeat of the season.
On Tuesday, Bullets condemned the violent acts and welcomed Sulom’s decision to investigate the incidents and punish the perpetrators.
“We are also on the ground to find the perpetrators of this violent act,” read the statement in part.
Bullets further apologised to Silver and pledged to meet the costs of repairing the team’s bus.
“As a home team, we will work closely with Silver Strikers’ management to assess and cover the costs of repairing their team bus,” the statement further read.
The Flames have a chance to revive their 2026 Fifa World Cup qualification campaign when they host lowly-ranked Sao Tome and Principe this afternoon at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
Malawi have won just one of their last seven matches while the visitors head into this one winless in 11 straight matches across all competitions.
The Flames, therefore, go into the match as favourites against the island nation with a population of just over 250 000 people.
Mabedi: We are ready
But despite Malawi’s population being about 20 million, 80 times that of the islanders of the Gulf of Guinea on the western equatorial coast of Central Africa, coach Patrick Mabedi said they will exercise caution.
Ranked 125th on Fifa rankings, Malawi started their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Liberia in Monrovia in November 2023, but lost by the same scoreline to Tunisia at home.
Sao Tome, who are ranked 188th, lost both their matches to Tunisia (4-0) and Namibia (2-0). They anchor the six-team Group H with no point.
Tunisia lead the group with six points. They are tied on points with second-placed Namibia, but are separated by goal difference.
Liberia are third with three points while the Flames, also with three points, are fourth.
Guinea, who forfeited points from their matches against Liberia and Namibia, for fielding an ineligible player, are fifth with no point.
Despite a frustrating camp, which saw local players coming in and out of camp to fulfil club fixtures, Mabedi said he was confident of a positive result.
He said: “I am glad that we have all the players in good shape except for Chikondi Kamanga who has an injury. Otherwise, everyone is looking sharp. We just have to focus more on tactical aspects. I am happy with the squad.
“The players are much better than they were in the Four Nations Tournament when most of them were off-season.”
Commenting on Sao Tome, Mabedi said: “The last game they played was against Sudan [in an Afcon preliminary round qualifier] and I watched them.
“They have a few good players. They can score, but they can also concede. It’s a team that if you are not careful, they can hurt you.”
Mabedi’s 26-member squad has seven foreign-based players, including Mozambique-based captain John ‘CJ’ Banda. Others are South Africa-based goalkeeper Brighton Munthali, defender Dennis Chembezi, based in Iraq and Zambia-based trio of midfielder Robert Saizi and strikers Chawanangwa Kaonga and Chifundo Mphasi.
US-based Henri Kumwenda completes the foreign legion.
In an interview, Kumwenda said it was an honour to be part of the squad for the World Cup assignments.
He said: “I have not been able to show the qualities I have. I am very excited.”
The Butler Bulldogs centre-forward also said he is confident that the Flames can defy the odds and qualify for the World Cup finals.
He said: “The group is talented. We have an opportunity to do something special. Something we have never done before, qualify for the World Cup.”
Kumwenda urged fans to come in large numbers to cheer the Flames.
Left-backs Precious Sambani and Tatenda M’balaka return to the squad after missing previous assignments due to injuries.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers defending midfielder Blessing Singini has made the final squad alongside current TNM Super League leading scorer Zelliat Nkhoma.
Malawi will be without South Africa based Frank Gabadihno Mhango who was left out by Mabedi.
Sao Tome record goalscorer Luis Leal has netted each of his side’s last three goals and 10 in total, making him the player to watch.
Midfielder Jocy is another key player for the visitors.
