Nthanda Times

Day: May 30, 2023

  • Chithyola outlines Chakwera administration’s vision for industrial parks

    The Minister of Industry and Trade Simplex Chithyola Banda says the administration of President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has put much interest in developing the industrial parks, which will expand exports of Malawian products and improve the foreign exchange earnings for the country.

    Banda said the development of industrial parks in Malawi will give the country a vital opportunity to have the market of its products extended to European countries and fill the gap created by the wars like that of Russia-Ukraine.

    The minister was speaking from Gabon where he is leading a 14-member delegation on a learning tour of Gabon, Benin, and Togo.

    The tour aims at learning more about the project as the Malawi Government intends to implement four industrial sites of Area 55 in Kanengo-Lilongwe, Dunduzu in Mzuzu, and Chigumula as well as Matindi in Blantyre.

    “I am particularly happy that the government of President Lazarus Chakwera has put much interest in developing the Industrial Parks which will expand exports of Malawian products and improve the foreign exchange earnings for the country. If developed, the parks which will be under the Special Economic Zones will be a game changer on our economy. Malawi as a food basket will increase its production with the coming of these industrial parks and value addition, thereby increasing the quality of export products,” he said.

    On their part, Malawi’s delegates accompanying the Minister have said the trip will help them to learn more on the impact of the parks to Malawi.

    “I am happy to be part of the delegation to learn about local participation and the social impact of the industrial parks on our citizens. I would like to learn how the communities will benefit in areas of corporate social responsibilities and job creation,” said Senior Chief Kapeni, who is part of the delegation.

    Legislators Abel Kayembe, Paul Nkhoma, and Francis Belekanyama who are part of the delegation representing the National Assembly of Malawi described the trip as very important on the part of Parliament to make sure they learn about the role of Parliament in making laws regulating the parks.

    Meanwhile, NBS Bank has said it is interested to learn how banks support the development of the parks having set aside over K20 billion to finance the development of the park.

    We believe financing the industrial parks initiative is one way of promoting SMEs and Private Sector. Our coming here will enhance our understanding of how the financing of such parks is done,” said Chinkhadwe, who is the bank’s senior official making part of the delegation.

    Afrexim Bank official, Gagan Gupta, said he is happy that Malawi has taken a serious path to develop the industrial parks, adding that his bank is happy to support the initiative that will boost Malawi’s economy.

    Development of industrial parks is one of the areas earmarked by the Chakwera administration towards the attainment of the 2063 vision to make Malawi an inclusively wealthy, industrialized, and self-reliant nation by the year 2063.

  • Leadership Program to improve quality of education in schools–Wirima

    Minister of Education Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima has disclosed that the School Leadership Programme (SLP), which is under the Malawi Education Reform Program (MERP), will play a crucial role as a catalyst for improving the quality of education in schools.

    Wirima was speaking on Tuesday in Liwonde during the official opening of the main training of the SLP, an initiative that heralds a new commitment to educational excellence.

    Wirima said the program will shape the future of the basic education system as well as empower school leaders to lead with vision, compassion and innovation.

    “Through this program, we are making a resolute investment in our school leaders the guiding lights who shape the educational experiences of our students,” she said adding that “we understand that effective leadership is the bedrock of thriving education system,” she said.

    Kambauwa granting members of press an interview

    Wirima said it is the solemn duty of her ministry to equip school leaders with require skills, knowledge and support to lead lead with excellence.

    “We recognize the tireless dedication and invaluable contributions of our school leaders and educators. We are committed to supporting their professional growth and development,” she said.

    The Minister therefore called on for collaboration in order to achieve the educational goals as well as Malawi vision 2063.

  • Drug Fight Malawi says most youths are ignorant about dangers of drug abuse

    Majority of the young people in both private and public schools in Malawi are not fully aware of the dangers of drug use and many see drugs as a solution to their problems, a narrative report by Drug Fight Malawi says.

    The organization has since highlighted the need for increased efforts to educate and raise awareness among young people about the risks and consequences of drug abuse.

    Drug Fight Malawi is implementing an outreach campaign on drug use prevention in schools and identified drug abuse hotspots in selected districts in Malawi.

    The report observes that children grow up in a much complex and difficult world today and that because of their trait of curiosity, they tend to explore anything that seems to be new and attractive to them.

    “As a result, innocent children fall into certain habits and impulses those are not congenial to their health in general. Particularly, children are quite vulnerable to drug use in both towns, cities and as well as in rural areas,” reads part of the report.

    Drug Fight Malawi Executive Director Nelson Baziwelo Zakeyu conducting an outreach campaign

    It adds that there are various reasons behind their attraction to drugs, citing what they learn on the streets, at school, on the internet and television.

    “Some of it is true, some not. Many children and young people today are using drugs which pose a danger not only to their future but also trouble making in both their households and communities,” it says.

    Drug Fight Malawi has since recommended that teachers should be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to address drug-related issues, observing that teachers would play a critical role in preventing drug use among students.

    The organization also recommends that teachers should have their own drug use prevention training sessions, to enable them to better educate their students on the dangers of drug abuse, in the absence of project staff.

    “Our experience also showed that separate programs need to be organized specifically targeting children in drug use hotspots, such as Area 47 and other areas in Lilongwe, Ndirande and other areas in Blantyre, some townships in Mzuzu, Zomba, and even in lakeshore areas. These programs should be tailored to the unique needs of these communities and should involve local leaders, Religious and political leaders and stakeholders to ensure patronage and success,” says the organization.

    Drug Fight Malawi Executive Director Nelson Baziwelo Zakeyu compiled the narrative report

    Among challenges the organization faced in the implementation of the project are uncooperativeness from owners of private schools to arrange for campaign sessions perhaps because the Ministry of Education endorsement letter is only for public schools.

    Another challenge faced by the project was limited finances, which made it difficult for the project team to reach out to schools outside the City of Lilongwe. This is an understandable issue, as it can be costly to travel to other districts, especially if the team needs to cover long distances since the project is implemented without donor support.

    However, Drug Fight Malawi said there were a number of opportunities the project could take advantage of. For example, the project has dedicated and well-trained staff on the truth about drugs after undergoing several courses of that nature to deliver the program.

    “Collaborating with other local and international organizations, including government agencies, NGOs, and community-based organizations, would also increase the reach and impact of the drug abuse prevention program,” says the report.

  • ILO calls for greater NGO involvement in social protection programmes

    The International Labour Organization (ILO) has called for greater involvement of non-governmental organizations in social protection interventions in Malawi, stressing that this is key in complementing government efforts to improve the welfare of vulnerable communities.

    ILO Technical Officer on Social Protection, Patience Matandiko, made the sentiments at the launch of the Civil Society Social Protection Network (CSSPN) in Lilongwe on Tuesday.

    The network seeks to contribute towards creation of a better social protection system through advocating for social protection programmes and systems, enhancing social accountability in the delivery of social protection interventions, among others.

    Matandiko welcomed the launch of CSSPN, saying it will strengthen the participation of civil society organizations in the implementation and designs of social protection programmes in Malawi.

    In her remarks, the Director of Poverty Reduction and Social Protection in the Department of Economic Planning and Environment, Patricia Zimpita, emphasized the need for effective implementation of social protection programmes.

    Dignitaries cutting the ribbon to signify launch of the social protection network

    Zimpita therefore said CSSPN will add an objective voice in the implementation of social protection interventions.

    “As such, we look forward to seeing this network play a complementary role to what the government is already doing in terms of social protection,” she said.

    CSSPN National Coordinator Kennear Mlowoka observed that there is an accountability gap in the implementation of social protection programmes; hence, their decision to revamp the network.

    “The change we are anticipating is that, at first, we want to support the policy that is there as we are there to complement government efforts. We also want to do some advocacy and mindset change, improving also the financial management of social protection which we will have an oversight as a civil society organization, we don’t want anyone to be left behind as far as the issues of social protection are concerned,” explained Mlowoka.

    CSSPN envisages to be the champion in conducting awareness, raising meetings across the country and monitoring social protection interventions in line with the issues of transparency and accountability.

  • Chitipa youths call for more outreach clinics

    Youths in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwenewenya in Chitipa have called for more outreach clinics saying they are key in increasing uptake of family planning methods (FPM) amongst youths in rural areas.

    The youths made the call on Tuesday when Pamoza Tingakwaniska Youth Organisation conducted an outreach clinic in the area, specifically in group village head Kamilamphande, with an aim of taking sexual reproductive health services closer to youth and communities that are far from health centers.

    A member of Mpale youth club in the area, Maria Kalua said accessing FPM is a challenge due to high transportation costs to health facilities which are found in distant places.

    A girl receiving family planning services offered by the outreach clinic

    “For us to access sexual reproductive health services, we pay high transport costs which many youths cannot afford. These outreach clinics have brought services closer to us and we need more of these so that more youth are reached,” Kalua said.

    In a separate interview, Pamoza Tingakwaniska Organisation’s Programme Manager, Gomezgani Mhango asked village heads to promote awareness on the importance of family planning among the youths in order to minimise misconceptions about the use of family planning modern methods.

    “We ask our chiefs to help in dealing with misconceptions and rejection of family planning in some communities as some parents deny youths access to sexual reproductive health services,” Mhango said.

    The outreach clinics project started in July 2022 and it is expected to end in December this year.

  • Govt launches the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, National Exploration Policy

    Government has expressed commitment to ensuring growth of the mining sector by launching the 2022 – 2027 Mining Strategic Plan alongside the National Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Policy.

    Speaking during the joint launch of the documents on Monday in Lilongwe, the Minister of Mining, Monica Chang’amuno, said the launch is an important step towards realizing the country’s aspirations of prosperous Malawi for all as espoused in the Malawi Vision 2063 and the First 10-year Implementation Plan (MIP 2030). 

    “The development of the ministry’s strategic plan follows government’s interest for the mining sector to contribute to the sustainable socio-economic growth and development of the country,” she said.

    Chang’amuno said the aim of the Strategic Plan is to promote growth and sustainable development of the mineral sector with a view to stimulating exports and contributing to import substitution.

    She said the Plan provides a new operational framework with a clear mission, vision and strategic objectives along with clear performance indicators. 

    Furthermore, she said, the Plan has taken into account economic challenges Malawi is facing both at micro and macro levels adding that the plan is, therefore, crafted in such a way that it should respond to these challenges for a better Malawi. 

    A comprehensive review will then follow to take stock of its implementation, learn from the mistakes made during implementation and build on the successes in developing a successor strategy, she said

    While the policy has been developed to provide policy direction and guidance in the implementation of the interventions in the upstream petroleum subsector. 

    Chang’amuno therefore appealed to the private sector, development partners and key stakeholders to support the ministry’s efforts to transform the economy of the country through modern, efficient and effective mining industry.

    One of the mining investors from Global Metals & Mining, Neville Huxham commended the government for coming up with the documents.

    “The release of these two documents is very important for Malawi but this can only benefit the country if there is action,” he said.

    Huxham advised the government to make sure that there is implementation of the documents.