Blessings Tambala

Presidential Advisor on Religious Affairs, Reverend Brian Kamwendo, has advised faith leaders to be proactive in protecting themselves and their flock from cybercrime.

Kamwendo made the advice on Wednesday when he presided over the training, which the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) organized in Lilongwe.

The presidential aide stressed that in today’s increasingly digital era, the allure of cybercrime extends beyond just corporate and governmental organizations to sectors less typically associated with technology – religious institutions.

“We are all witnesses today that the religious institutions, often assumed to operate outside the realm of technological risks, are finding themselves exposed to a new kind of threat. That’s why this training is critical as it prepares the faith leaders to protect themselves as well as those they serve,” said Kamwendo.

In his article, Ray Rodgers observed that cyber criminals target religions institutions for various reasons. Rodgers cited financial reserves, wealth in data, among others.

Cybercriminals, recognizing this deep-rooted faith and intrinsic trust that members place in religious institutions, utilize phishing attacks mimicking the tone, style, and even the branding of the religious institution’s regular communications, leading members to unwittingly divulge personal or financial information.

Such breaches not only have dire consequences for the individual members but can also tarnish the reputation of the religious institution involved.

The ramifications of a cyber attack on a religious institution are not just digital but deeply tangible and can profoundly affect its foundational pillars. Direct financial theft, either from the institution’s coffers or its members through deceptive communications, can debilitate its operational capacity and hinder its core missions.

Concurrently, the very essence of the institution — trust — can suffer a significant blow. News of such breaches can quickly diminish the confidence of members and the broader community in the institution, leading to a challenging and prolonged trust-rebuilding process. Beyond these, the day-to-day operations, encompassing everything from service schedules and event management to vital communication channels, can experience severe disruptions, further magnifying the institution’s challenges in the aftermath of an attack.

Kamwendo said it is against this background that the Government of Malawi thought it imperative to equip religious leaders with skills and knowledge on how they can protect themselves.

“When it comes to cybersecurity, taking a proactive stance is imperative for religious organizations. To protect themselves against looming cyber threats, faith leaders should begin with a thorough risk assessment to discern their unique vulnerabilities. It’s essential to recognize that risks are not homogenous; certain threats might be amplified based on an institution’s specific operational methodologies or the technological tools they employ.

“Additionally, there’s an indispensable need to invest in the education and training of staff and congregants, equipping them to discern and thwart looming cyber threats. This extends to adopting robust cybersecurity protocols, encompassing measures like stringent password policies, multi-factor authentication, the implementation of firewalls, punctual software updates, and the adoption of secure communication platforms. It becomes prudent to regularly back up all pivotal data, ensuring its safety and accessibility, and effectively address the multifaceted nature of cyber threats by engaging with cybersecurity specialists, especially those familiar with the nuances of religious institutions, who can offer invaluable, customized insights,” said the presidential aide.

Civil society organizations (CSOs) have demanded immediate resignation of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Masauko Chamkakala, for allegedly abusing his powers and betraying Malawians in the fight against corruption.

The concerned CSOs include Youth and Society (YAS), Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT), National Alliance Against Corruption (NAAC), Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Social Action for Development (SAfD), Centre for Civil Society Strengthening(CSS), Civil Society Coalition on Accountability and Transparency and Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC).

Others are Nyika Institute (NI), NGO Gender Coordination Network (NGO GCN), Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), Citizen Alliance (CA), Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN), Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) and NGO Coalition on Child Rights (NGO CCR).

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the CSOs said the recent events regarding the use of discontinuance powers by DPP under section 99 of the Republic of Malawi (Constitution) Act 20 of 1994 have raised profound concerns within civil society.

“We therefore emphasize the urgent need for reforms to protect the integrity of the prosecutorial process. Section 99(2) of the Republic of Malawi (Constitution) Act 20 of 1994 grants the DPP discretionary powers to discontinue criminal proceedings before judgment. Subsection (3) further requires the DPP to provide reasons for discontinuing proceedings to the Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly within ten days,” reads part of the statement.

The CSOs, however, admit that the provision does not prevent other individuals or authorities from withdrawing their instituted proceedings with court permission.

But quoting subsection (5), the CSOs say the law imposes limitations on the DPP’s powers, specifically barring discontinuance in cases of appeals or questions of law reserved at the request of convicted individuals.

“This constitutional framework, reaffirmed in the case of Chilima & Anor. v Mutharika & Anor. (Constitutional Reference 1 of 2019) [2020] MWHC 2 (3 February 2020), highlights the restrictions placed on the DPP’s authority in such situations,” they say.

“We underscore that while prosecutorial discretion is crucial, it must operate within legal boundaries and serve the interests of justice. Transparency and accountability are essential to maintain public trust in the DPP’s office. Therefore, discontinuance powers require thorough scrutiny to prevent abuse or manipulation of the legal process,” they add.

The CSOs have since demanded that the President should exercise his authority as outlined in section 102 (2) (b) of the Constitution to evaluate the current DPP in light of serious concerns regarding impartiality and performance of his duties.

They also demanded that ACB should, within 14 days from the date of this statement, update Malawians on its position regarding the discontinued cases and disclose the amount of money spent on investigating and prosecuting these matters.

“We firmly believe that implementing these recommendations will strengthen Malawi’s legal framework and institutional capacity. This will help prevent discretionary abuses, promote transparency, and bolster the rule of law. We are committed to collaborating with stakeholders to bring about these crucial reforms and ensure justice for all Malawians,” concludes the statement, which has been signed by NAP Chairperson Benedicto Kondowe.

Minister of Gender Community Development and Social Welfare, Jean Muonaoauza Sendeza, on Wednesday led leaders of the civil society organizations (CSOs) and government officials in launching the Continental Study Report on the Children Without Parental Care in Africa at a function that took place in Lilongwe.

A consortium of six child rights-based CSOs, which include SOS Children’s Villages in Malawi, NGO Coalition on Child Rights (NGOCCR), National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC), Joining Forces for Children, and the Citizen Alliance (CA), facilitated the launch of the report through the ‘No Child Should Grow Up Alone Campaign’.

The report was unveiled under the theme: ‘Strong families: key to the promotion and realization of Child Rights’.

In her remarks, Sendeza lamented the social and economic hardships children are forced to bear following the fall of marriages of their parents.

She therefore described the launch of the No Child Should Grow Up Alone a timely, stressing that the campaign aims at garnering political commitment and investment to end child abuse, neglect and exploitation, unnecessary child-family separation both in humanitarian and development settings.

“The relevance of this campaign is that, it is a great reminder that we have a lot of work to do to protect children, protect and strengthen families and community systems for child protection as well as monitor enforcement of child-related laws in the country. It is now time to propel bold strides towards the realization of the promise and aspirations of the agenda 2040 whose aim is to make Africa and Malawi fit for children. Malawi’s 2063 first 10 year Implementation Plan Enabler Number 5, emphasizes on Human Capital Development, and this can only be achieved through parenting and education support to families. It is only then, that Malawi will be able to build a strong, reliable, self-reliant, resilient  and productive society,” said Sendeza.

The minister said it is time Malawians moved from more rhetoric to more actions, saying this is key to achieving the much-needed change around the sorry state of children without parental care in Malawi and beyond.

Sendeza assured the participants that the Government of Malawi will seriously consider the inclusion of Children Without Parental Care in national statistical databases or periodic studies such as Demographic Health Surveys (DHS), Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and National Household Surveys to generate robust national-level statistics on Children Without Parental Care in the country in order to have accurate data to inform policy and strategy formulation.

“Government will facilitate finalization and gazetting of the Draft Child Care Protection and Justice Foster Homes Regulations which propose a range of suitable care options, comprehensive gatekeeping mechanisms, case management structures and systems, and comprehensive national information management and quality standards for alternative care provision as a way of domesticating the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. Government and its partners will enhance child safeguarding and protection systems to ensure that all children under various care options are protected from all forms of abuse and neglect by allocating adequate resources to the Malawi Human Rights Commission,” she said.

Speaking earlier, the National Director for SOS Children’s Villages in Malawi, Smart Namagonya, reiterated the call for the government to expedite the finalization, gazetting and implementation of the Draft Child Care Protection and Justice Foster Homes Regulations in order to address challenges children without biological parents face in the country.

Government of Malawi and the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) have launched the US$350 million (about K612 billion) second compact at a ceremony held in Dallas, Texas, in the United States of America (USA).

The launch, which coincided with the MCC’s 20th Anniversary celebrations held at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, was presided over by Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of Malawi and Alice Albright, MCC Chief Executive Officer.

Writing on his Facebook page on Tuesday, President Chakwera announced that the MCC Compact 2, also known as Malawi Transport and Land Compact, is now in force, adding that construction will soon commence of four road corridors across the country under the Increased Land Productivity Project.

“Up North there will be upgrading of the 67km stretch from Chikwawa (Rumphi) to Euthini (Mzimba), in the Central region from Mkanda (Mchinji) to Mwase/Linga (Kasungu) a distance of 88kms and another 53kms in Lilongwe from Chileka to Chigwirizano via Phiri la Njuzi and Malingunde. The Eastern Region will see upgrading of the 79km-stretch from Chamtulo in Mangochi (off Golomoti to Monkey Bay road) to Mkutumula near Balaka Market in Ntcheu,” said the President.

Chakwera stated that the corridor roads will facilitate greater flow of agricultural products from farms to markets.

He further stated that the compact will build Malawi’s capacity in land management reforms to maximize land revenue both for rural farmers and the national economy.

“My delegation and I attended the official inauguration of the Compact here in Texas. In reciprocation, MCC chief executive officer Ms. Alice Albright will later this month join us in Malawi for official groundbreaking of one of these landmark projects,” said Chakwera.

President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has assured an international beverages company, Coca-Cola, of his government’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for the thriving of the business.

Chakwera made the assurance during an interface he had with a delegation from Coca-Cola Corporation on the sidelines of the U.S.-Africa Business Summit currently underway in Dallas, Texas.

Writing on his Facebook page, the Malawi leader assured the company that his government will support the company’s expansion intentions in Malawi.

In their remarks, Vice President for Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability at Coca-Cola Africa, Ms. Karyn Harrington, together with her delegation outlined the investment initiatives they intend to carry out aimed at supporting Malawi’s development agenda through increased manufacturing and creation of more jobs.

The Malawi Government on Monday repatriated 32 Burundians who had volunteered to go back to their country following the return of peace in that country.

This is the fifth convoy and it brings the total number of refugees who have voluntarily returned to their respective countries to 309.

The 32 Burundians were escorted to the Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) by senior officials from the Department of Refugees in the Ministry of Homeland Security.

Speaking in Chichewa garnished with loose parables, a representative of the returnees, Erson Ndagijimana, said he was excited to go back to his country.

“Kuno ku Malawi ndinabwera mu January 2019 ndipo ndaphunzira zinthu ziwiri olo zitatu. Ndaphunzira kulima, kuchita bizinesi ndi zina. Ndikapita kwathu, ndikaptiriza kugwira ntchito ya ulimi komanso bizinesi [I came to Malawi in January 2019 and I have learnt a number of trades during my stay here. Among them, I have learnt farming, business management and others. I will continue doing farming and business when I get back to my country,” he said.

Ndagijimana urged other Burundians to consider returning to their country, arguing that now that peace has returned to Burundi, there was no reason why his fellow kinsmen should continue living at Dzaleka Refugee Camp.

The Senior Administrative and Operations Manager, Hilda Katema-Kausiwa, disclosed that since the department started the repatriation exercise, more refugees have been expressing interest to return to their countries.

Katema-Kausiwa said the department will continue working in collaboration with other partners, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in providing safe repatriation to refugees who volunteer to return.

Child rights-based civil society organizations (CSOs) have appealed to the Government of Malawi to expedite the finalization, gazetting and implementation of the Draft Child Care Protection and Justice Foster Homes Regulations in order to address challenges children without biological parents face in the country.

The appeal follows revelations that Malawi has recently registered an unprecedented rise in the number of children growing up without the care of their parents, where they face heightened risks of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation, latest studies have revealed.

The revelations were announced at the launch of the No Child Should Grow Up Alone Campaign in Lilongwe by six child rights-based CSOs, which include SOS Children’s Villages in Malawi, NGO Coalition on Child Rights (NGOCCR), National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC), Joining Forces for Children, and the Citizen Alliance (CA).

Addressing journalists, SOS Children’s Villages in Malawi Country Director, Smart Namagonya, expressed sadness with the plight of Children Without Parental Care (CWPC) in Africa and Malawi, citing findings of a Continental Study on Children Without Parental Care in Africa (The study).

Namagonya said it is against this background that they decided to launch ‘The No Child Should Grow Up Alone Campaign! as a call to action based on the continental study report on Children Without Parental Care in Africa and the 2022 -2026 Malawi National Plan of Action for Vulnerable Children.

The study was commissioned and launched by the African Union in November 2023 and The 2022 -2026 Malawi National Plan of Action for Vulnerable Children in Malawi (The plan).

“After analyzing the available statistical data and secondary sources, the study found that there are approximately 35 million Children Without Parental Care in Africa. This revelation comes amidst limitations in statistical data on Children Without Parental Care in most AU member states including Malawi and this implies that the figures on children without parental care in Africa could be higher than this if data was available in all AU member states.

“In Malawi, the 2022 -2026 Malawi National Plan of Action for Vulnerable Children (The plan) found that 1,513,000 children representing 17% of the total child population 8,900,000 do not live with a biological parent, and 2,492,000 children representing 28% of the total child population live with their biological mother only, and 178,000 children representing 2% of the total child population live with their father only. The plan further found that child abuse, neglect, and exploitation are the key child protection issues in Malawi with parenting challenges, changes in family structure, and lack of access to quality services as immediate causes of these issues. Poverty, law enforcement challenges, and limited coverage of the child protection system and harmonization as the underlying causes of these challenges, and harmful practices and limited public financing as structural causes of the same,” he read from the statement prepared for the media and the public.

Namagonya said the findings corroborate that there are significant numbers of children growing up alone, and in the process they are exposed to various forms of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation from immediate underlying and structural causes which this campaign intends to profile and call for a multi-stakeholder approach to address them to improve the status quo of such children in the country.

In his contribution, NGOCCR National Coordinator Henry Machemba asked the government to seriously consider the inclusion of Children Without Parental Care in national statistical databases or periodic studies such as Demographic Health Surveys (DHS), Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and National Household Surveys to generate robust national-level statistics on Children Without Parental Care in the country.

Machemba also  proposed that the government and its partners should enhance child safeguarding and protection systems to ensure that all children under the various care options are protected from all forms of abuse and neglect by allocating adequate resources to the Malawi Human Rights Commission (The Commission), which is mandated to protect and promote human rights in Malawi in the broadest sense possible including conducting investigations on the type and quality of care for children in different care settings.

“The high number of children living with their mother only (2,492,000 children representing 28% of the total child population live with their biological mother only) signifies the growing childcare burden that is placed on women only against a background of limited access to resources faced by many women in the country. The campaign calls for progressive and deliberate interventions to persuade men to take proactive roles in childcare and implement strong punitive actions for those who deliberately shun away from providing care to their children,” he said.

Machemba further recommended that the government should enhance community-based systems that facilitate appropriate case management through functional reporting and response mechanisms of different child protection cases.

He also proposed that the government and its partners should profile the International Day of Families (IDF), which falls on 15^th May every year and use it to raise awareness and promote best practices to propel strong and resilient families in the country.

“The government and its partners should promote the resurgence of the old family structures when child care protection and education were considered and undertaken as a shared responsibility by the extended family and all adults from the community, unlike the nuclear kind of family structures which promotes individualism and weakens the child protective environment. The government should continuously rethink and innovate Poverty Eradication Strategies that would build lasting resilience within communities and promote investments in education, healthcare, and skills development that can empower individuals and families and break the cycle of poverty for vulnerable families,” he said.

Meanwhile, the concerned CSOs have disclosed that they have lined up a number of activities in commemoration of the International Day of Families to raise awareness about the need to raise children in a family where he or she can be well and responsibly taken care of.

President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, who is in the United States of America for the U.S.-Africa Business Summit, has emphasized the need for Malawi to break free from the shackles of poverty through strategic investments.

Chakwera made the sentiments during the Malawi-Texas Business Roundtable on Sunday.

The event was organised by Time to Revive, in Dallas, Texas, on the sidelines of the US-Africa Summit. President Chakwera said foreign direct investment is key to achieving Malawi’s sustainable development over exploitation.

“Malawi needs to get out of the poverty trap but only with trusted investors who are not interested in exploiting Malawi,” said the President.

The President expressed gratitude to Dr. Martin, a key figure in organising the roundtable, for his consistent support towards Malawi’s development agenda.

Touting Malawi’s potential, President Chakwera welcomed a diverse group of business leaders keen on exploring investment opportunities in priority sectors to Malawi’s growth Malawi’s dubbed ATM Strategy (Agriculture, Tourism and Mining).

“I have convened this Business Roundtable to provide a platform for you to present your companies and portfolios to my officials,” he said while emphasising his administration’s commitment to facilitating a conducive environment for investment.

Under the ATM strategy, Malawi prioritises cooperation and investment in increasing productivity through commercialisation and digitisation, enhancing value through industrialisation and promoting sustainability through climate-smart business practices.

President Chakwera said Malawi is actively collaborating with regional partners to facilitate access to emerging markets through its membership in the African Continental Free Trade Area.

President Chakwera expressed optimism that the roundtable discussions, which attracted big companies in agriculture, oil and gas and media among others, would pave the way for mutually beneficial partnerships, driving sustainable economic growth and development in Malawi.

In his remarks, Dr. Martin, Founder of Time to Revive, expressed excitement about the Malawian leader’s emphasis on mindset change as a fundamental aspect of realizing the Malawi 2063 vision.

“We are here to explore avenues to further our partnership in realising the Malawi 2063 Vision. Mr. President, know that you have a dedicated team here in America ready to collaborate with you,” said Martin.

“We pray in Jesus’s name that the gold, diamonds and other minerals will be revealed in Malawi to benefit the people,” he said.

Liberation for Economic Freedom (LEF) party has received a boost following the defection of People’s Party (PP) National Campaign Director, Clement Bundaunda Phiri to the party.

Phiri’s defection was announced at a brief function the party organized to welcome him and 20 other long-serving senior officials from the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Assembly for Democracy and Development (ADD).

Renowned man of God, Prophet Dr. David Mbewe, formed and registered LEF in January this year with a promise to take “Malawians to Canaan where they were promise, but never saw it”.

Since its registration, the party has been receiving new entrants from other parties, particularly the PP, DPP and UDF, who say they had been fed with unfulfilled promises by their parties’ leaders.

Confirming his defection on Friday morning, Bundaunda Phiri said he felt LEF is the only party that holds keys and answers for unlocking the social and economic opportunities Malawians have been waiting for.

“I have defected to LEF because I want to help in building the party, which is just starting, and the manifesto of its leadership. If given a chance to rule this country, things will certainly change for the betterment of poor Malawians, who are in large numbers,” he said.

“You can agree with me that basic necessities in this country are mostly unaffordable to ordinary Malawians, and this is a big challenge to anthu obvutika,” he added.

Speaking in a separate interview, Prophet Mbewe said his party is receiving requests from hundreds of members of other parties to join LEF after they had read about its manifesto, adding that in the next two days, LEF will be unveiling more defectors.

“People have come to realize that they had been hoodwinked by crooked politicians all along. Now LEF has come to liberate them and liberate them for good,” he said.