Blessings Tambala

Speaker of the Parliament of Malawi, Catherine Gotani Hara, has lamented that lack of knowledge by citizens on the roles, duties and functions of members of Parliament (MPs) continues to hinder progress in consolidating democracy and good governance in Malawi.

Hara made the remarks in Mchinji on Tuesday where she presided over the national launch of the My MP (Phungu Wanga) Project.

Save the Children International (SC) and the Centre for Civil Society Strengthening CCSS) are jointly implementing the project with financial support from the European Union (EU).

The major objective of the project, which will be implanted in Balaka, Mchinji and Rumphi, is to empower MPs and parliamentary staff to better serve their constituents and fulfill their essential roles in governance of this nation.

Speaking to people that witnessed the launch [of the project], Speaker Hara challenged the implementers to help in addressing the long-standing distorted information voters have on the roles and functions of the elected officers.

“Constituents need to know that it is not the role of the MP to buy coffins. It is not the duty of the MP to buy nappies for the newly born baby of a voter,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of the implementing institutions, SCI Country Director Ashebir Debebe said the project demonstrates their commitment to enhancing the capacity of the parliamentary system to uphold its critical functions of oversight, legislation, and representation.

Debebe stated that by equipping MPs with the necessary tools and resources, the organizations aim to ensure that government services are delivered efficiently, in accordance with established policies and laws, and to the satisfaction of the Malawians.

“As we all know, Parliament represents the people of Malawi and therefore this project aims at taking Parliament closer to the citizenry. It will contribute to improving the relationship with people thereby improving the public perception. In the end, the people will be proud of their Member of Parliament,” he said.

The SCI Country Director thanked the Parliament of Malawi for its strong cooperation and support throughout the development of this project through sharing of information and the spirit of collaboration, which he said was instrumental in bringing the project to fruition.

Debebe expressed optimism that their collaboration with MPs will bring parliament and its services to the people at the grassroots.

“More importantly, we look forward to ensuring that children, women, people with disabilities and communities at large are actively engaged and ensure their issues are taken up by our honourable MPs through their legislative, oversight, and representation roles.  We look forward to experiencing strong governance outcomes that can contribute towards the improved lives of our people where their rights are not only respected but also protected and fulfilled,” he said.

EU Head of Delegation to Malawi, Ivo Hoefkens, observed that Malawians have growing interest to know what is happening in their country beyond casting their ballots.

Hoefkens therefore said the coming in of the My MP Project will play an important role in shaping the future of the country in areas of civic engagement and democratic awareness.

“It is my hope that this project will empower citizens to demand accountability and improved services from their government through their elected leaders. By its very name, this project demonstrates a need to cultivate a strong relationship, a set in pride between constituents and their elected officials,” he said.

Malawi President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has disclosed that the government will need to raise US$446 million to feed the nine million citizens up to the next harvesting period in 2025.

The targeted nine million people, who include beneficiaries of the Affordable Input Programme (AIP), had their crops wilted before maturity due to the prolonged dry spell that hit the country between February and March this year.

Speaking at the presentation of the El Nino Response Appeal at the Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Tuesday, President Chakwera expressed disappointment that the natural disasters continue to render useless all the efforts Malawians and his government are putting in place to grow the economy.

At this point, the Malawi leader emphasized the need for citizens to devise measures for mitigating the impacts of the disasters.

“It is now a well-established fact of life, a new normal we must accept, that climate change disasters are an annual occurrence in this country. It is now no longer a question of IF we will have climate change disaster, but a question of HOW MANY and HOW BAD.,” said Chakwera.

The President thanked local and international non-governmental organizations, which have provided support to Malawi in times of disasters.

“I am so grateful that in response to my Declaration of Disaster in 23 districts where this crisis is being felt the most, a number of you reached out to your Governments and partner organizations, resulting in our mobilization of 21.6 million dollars. When you add to this the recent decision by the World Bank to inject a further 57.6 million dollars to support our response to the disaster, it brings us to just under 80 million dollars, meaning that our shortfall to close the hunger gap completely is now at 366 million dollars. Let me also acknowledge the solidarity expressed by the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, with the people of Malawi in the face of the present crisis and I am hopeful that the UN Family will do its part in bringing its resources to bear on this crisis. Like our development partners, the UN Family has been a constant bastion of support for Malawi, and I am proud that in times of crisis, we are indeed always treated as family,” he said.

But President Chakwera admitted that the US$366 million target his government is aiming for is no small feat, stressing that it needs collective effort to achieve it.

He thus appealed for more support from various partners.

‘i call on you, as Friends of Malawi who have earned that title by your solidarity with and support of Malawi in good times and in bad times, to count yourself in by doing your best and your part to help. I also appeal for you to ensure that any assistance rendered aligns with the National Response Plan and Appeal I am presenting to you today, for this ensures that we are not pulling in different directions and also ensures that our response is driven by the data provided in our Response Plan,” he appealed.

Government has lined up three rural-based young innovators to showcase their work at the first ever World Creativity and Innovation Day scheduled to take place at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) on Tuesday this week.

The chosen innovators are among the 10 who were awarded MK10 million grants by the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) in November 2023.

President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is expected to lead the nation in commemorating the day, which will feature exhibitions highlighting Malawian innovations and panel discussions, among others.

NCST Director General Gift Kadzamira confirmed the development in an interview on Monday, saying this is a great motivation and an opportunity for the innovators to showcase their work to the world.

Kadzamira disclosed that through its Science and Technology Fund, the Commission has been providing financing to innovators by way of loan or grants by or for the benefit of persons or organizations engaged in research matters relating to the development of science and technology.

She added that the Commission also provides awards to any person qualified for the grant to him of an award under the Science and Technology Act of 2003.

“As a Commission, we are very excited because this contributes to the realization of one of the enablers of Malawi 20263 agenda, which is industrialization. The MW2063 emphasizes the need for our industrialization to be driven by research, science and technology development in order to become and remain productive, innovative and highly competitive at regional and global levels. Hence, this is a great opportunity for our young innovators to demonstrate to the world that Malawi has talent that, if well nurtured and supported, it can translate into job and wealth creation for not only Malawians, but also the whole world,” she said.

Sources at the Capital Hill indicated that Benedicto Kankhulungo and Chisomo Daka are among the innovators to exhibit their work

Kankhulungu comes from Machinga and is the producer of a Unified Electrical Power Amplifier (UEPA), which has potential to amplify electrical power from different sources like solar panel, battery, and others, by a factor of more than one UEPA can be used in lighting’s circuit, powerpoint circuit where different gadgets can be fed from.

UEPA can also help in different farming systems like powering irrigation water pumps.

On the other hand, Chisomo Daka is the founder and Chief Executive Officer for Daka Space Technologies (DST).

He innovated DSTSpace-Watt, which is an emerging innovative wireless power technology gadget poised to transform the way we think about charging and powering our electric devices.

Space-Watt leverages advanced resonance-based technology to transmit electrical power efficiently over substantial distances, offering users unprecedented convenience and versatility.

In a brief interview, Daka expressed excitement and gratitude for being recognized by the government ministries, departments and agencies.

“I am really excited and feel grateful to the government for this opportunity. I wish to assure NCST and all Malawians that I will not disappoint them at the exhibition,” he reacted.

Former Minister of Civic Education and National Unity, Timothy Pagonachi Mtambo, has challenged citizens to collaborate with President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera in devising solutions for addressing social and economic hardships emanating from the recent depreciation of the local currency and other external factors.

Addressing journalists in Lilongwe on Saturday, Mtambo observed that while the majority of Malawians are finding it hard to access to basic necessities, blaming Chakwera and his administration will not change anything.

He said there is a need for a collective and pragmatic approach to address these challenges, stressing that it would be pointless for Malawians to blame President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and his administration for the multiple crises the country is facing.

“The majority can hardly afford one meal a day and our health care system continues to struggle. The impact of the recent devaluation cannot be overemphasized, and corruption continues to impair our institutions. While we understand that the effects of natural disasters, the Russia Ukraine war and Covid-19 may have been inhibiting progress, the current challenges require a decisive, collective and a pragmatic approach,” he said.

The Citizens For Transformation (CFT) Commander-In-Chief further also announced his ‘calling’ to always stand with the downtrodden and the underprivileged Malawians in demanding good governance from the incumbent administration.

Mtambo said it was sad that while the victory in 2020 gave Malawians a lot of hope and expectations, life has continued to be hard for most Malawians.

“I wanted to remind you that after winning the struggle we developed a political project known as the ‘Citizens for Transformation People Power Movement (CFT)’. Some people may have thought that I was discarding my activism hat. But I can assure you that I have remained an activist at heart and will remain as such as long as I live. When we went to vote on that chilly morning of June 2020, we all had expectations that we were going to the promised land, a land of milk and honey.

“Fellow Malawians, promises were made, and we all believed in the change that was to come. My fellow youth who in their large numbers voted with expectations of more job opportunities, easy access to business loans, equal employment opportunities, peace and freedom are becoming impatient. Fellow countrymen, it is not a secret that while the current administration has done well in other areas, our country   is still facing many economic challenges which Malawians thought would come to an end after the current administration came to power.

“We are still in abject poverty and commodity prices are rising every day. The gap between the rich and the poor is increasing, and the sluggish economic growth is partly due to lack of decisive political and economic leadership. Currently we are grappling with passport, sugar and hunger crises. Fellow Malawians, this is clearly not the change we all aspired for and for sure we cannot keep quiet as citizens, we have a duty to actively participate,” said Mtambo.He said is ready to work with any political party or leader in providing checks and balances to the government, observing the weak opposition both inside and outside parliament, coupled with intra-political battles, have not helped in providing the much needed checks-and-balances to the current administration.According to Mtambo, a strong opposition is very important for both our democracy and development.“We have clear evidence that Malawi saw progress when we had a strong opposition during the leadership of President Bingu wa Muthalika, May His Soul continue to rest in Peace. It is against this background that we can no longer keep quiet but to rise to our occasion to start providing checks and balances. Doing so does not mean we hate the government and the leadership, only that we love Malawi more (patriotism) and it is our duty to participate and help those delegated to govern on our behalf. As your son of the soil with whom you endured the scorching heat and itchy teargas on the streets 4 years ago, I will surely continue fighting for a better Malawi. We are here not to compete but complement, to build and not destroy,” he said.

Two energy companies, 265 Energy Limited and Afrox, have agreed to enhance their partnership in an effort to bolster energy security and advancing decarbonization efforts in Malawi.

265 Energy Ltd is a leading energy company in Malawi while Afrox is a subsidiary of The Linde Group, a premier provider of gases and engineering solutions in sub-Saharan Africa.

This week, a delegation from The Linde Group visited Malawi to discuss business partnership with 265 Energy Limited.

A statement issued after the visit said the visit marked a significant milestone in the evolution of the enduring partnership between the two entities, which commenced six years ago with 265 Energy’s inception as a distributor of Afrox LP gas.

It said the delegation included Hendricks Manyinda, Managing Director for Malawi & Zambia, and Ms. Grace Khangamwa, Sales Manager, Sebastian Sachtleben, President of Afrox Africa, and Joseph Ramashala who is the Director of Afrox Emerging Africa.

Together, they engaged in substantive discussions underscoring the strategic importance of the partnership in driving sustainable development and energy resilience in Malawi.

During the deliberations, Mr. Asford Chilunga, Finance Manager at 265 Energy Ltd, highlighted Afrox’s pivotal role, stating, Afrox is definitely a key stakeholder in 265 Energy’s operations. This acknowledgment underscores the integral relationship between Afrox and 265 Energy, signifying the depth of collaboration and mutual reliance between the two entities.

Phillp White, Sales Manager at 265 Energy Ltd, emphasised the imperative of adaptability and partnership evolution, citing the paramount role in fostering innovation and addressing evolving market dynamics.

White underscored the strategic alignment between 265 Energy Ltd’s mandate of ensuring universal energy access for all Malawians and Afrox’s diverse product portfolio.

“As Malawi endeavors to secure its energy future and mitigate its carbon footprint, the reinforced partnership between 265 Energy Ltd and Afrox, a subsidiary of The Linde Group, assumes a pivotal role. Through harnessing their collective expertise and resources, both entities are poised to spearhead the transition towards sustainable energy solutions while catalyzing economic growth and prosperity across the region,” he said.

Barely a few weeks after President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera declared 23 districts as State of Disaster following the prolonged dry spells that hit Malawi in March this year, the World has released additional funding amounting to $57.6 million to help Lilongwe respond to the weather-induced hunger crisis.

A press statement issued on Friday states that the innovative grant financing is designed to provide the country immediate liquidity through the Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (CAT-DDO).

It adds that CAT-DDO support comes in the context of the severe food crisis the country is suffering due to El Niño conditions in the wider southern Africa region.

The World Bank acknowledges that a series of intense disaster events over the last few years has left almost no time for the country to recover and has resulted in a severe erosion of food security at the national level.

“The World Bank Board of Executive Directors in December 2023 approved the Malawi First Growth and Resilience Development Policy Operation of $80 million to support core structural reforms in the economy together with the $57.6 million CAT-DDO that could be triggered in the event of a natural disaster or crisis. Following the declaration of the national disaster by President Lazarus Chakwera on March 23, 2024, the World Bank has now made available the CAT-DDO resources,” reads the statement in part.

In his remarks, the World Bank Country Manager for Malawi, Hugh Riddel, said Malawi, together with the wider Southern Africa region, currently faces very serious food insecurity, impacting millions.

“This crisis comes as the country is struggling to stabilize its macro-economy and get on a path of inclusive growth. We are pleased the Government of Malawi had the foresight to lock in a CAT-DDO instrument when securing IDA budget support in late 2023: this innovation can help the Government of Malawi’s efforts to mitigate the impact on the most vulnerable,” said Riddell.

The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Simplex Chithyola Banda, in his acceptance speech, said the Government of Malawi is pleased with the bank’s response to the call made by President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera by providing additional budget resources.

Chithyola said the support will significantly leverage the support from other development partners and well-wishers as Malawi intensifies the mobilization of resources to respond to the food crisis caused by El Nino.

Malawi’s ongoing food crisis is linked to the ongoing strong El Niño conditions which is driving rainfall deficits in southern districts and above-average rainfall in central and northern districts, resulting in flood events.

Moreover, the number and severity of climate-related disasters in Malawi have increased in recent decades, with devastating consequences. Since 2010 alone, Malawi has experienced 16 major flooding events, five storm-related disasters, and two severe droughts.

Climate change-related events are affecting vulnerable households and could increase poverty rates in the country, potentially pushing millions of people into poverty over the next 10 years. In the near term (by 2030) climate change shocks to the economy are projected to reduce GDP by 3-9%, growing to 6- 20% in 2040 and 8-16% by 2050 as the climate impacts intensify.

Implementation of climate adaptation measures beyond those outlined in Vison 2063 will require that Malawi optimizes the use of the public resources and secures additional funds from other sources, especially the private sector.

The Regional Climate Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa 2 (RCRP-2), approved by the World Bank in December 2023 aims at supporting improved disaster risk management, social protection systems and protects households from exposure to water-related climate shocks, including flooding and droughts.

Overall, the recently approved Disaster Risk Management Act (2023) presents an opportunity to support the country’s shift from a disaster response approach to preparedness, risk reduction, and sustainable post-disaster recovery, aimed at addressing Malawi’s high level of risks.

Forum for National Development (FND) and Centre for Mindset Change (CMC) have challenged Malawi Congress Party (MCP) officials to rise above petty party politicking, fearing the ongoing campaigning for the party’s top positions ahead of the convention could derail collective action for national development.

FND National Coordinator Fryson Chodzi and CMC Executive Director, Phillip Kamangira have urged MCP followers to prioritize national service above petty politicking in order to fortify the nation’s journey towards prosperity.

Chodzi and Kamangira made the sentiments in a statement issued on Thursday.

They reminded MCP officials about their fiduciary responsibilities and legal imperatives, which obligate them to safeguard the welfare and advancement of the nation.

“These fiduciary responsibilities transcend partisan agendas, mandating a steadfast commitment to the greater good of Malawi. Embracing this duty necessitates unity and a resolute focus on national progress, setting aside internal power struggles for the betterment of all citizens. Thus, economic recovery and attainment of the ECF grant milestones would suffer greatly in the face of the apparent partisan distraction in pursuit of power and supremacy,” reads the statement in part.

Chodzi and Kamangira further advised MCP elected officials to work towards harnessing positive gains for national development.

They said it was pleasing to note that in the midst of adversity, Malawi is buoyed by promising economic prospects and burgeoning donor confidence.

They, however, wondered why MCP and the government are failing to capitalize on “these conditions” to propel the country towards sustainable development, unlocking opportunities for equitable prosperity and social advancement across all sectors of society.

“The recent sentiment by the World Bank about economic rebound should motivate all players to rally behind the President and the Minister of Finance in sustaining the pathways for economic recovery and growth whilst at the same time cushioning poor Malawians from the economic shocks. Increasing the productivity of the private sector, mining, tourism and mega farm agenda are investments in the right direction,” they said.

Chodzi and Kamangira warned that engaging in internal political maneuvering at the detriment of national duty is a severe breach of public confidence and a direct challenge to the hopes and dreams of the Malawian populace.

They said this indulgence not only wastes precious resources, but also hampers the progress of socio-economic advancement and breeds discontent among citizens.

Chodzi and Kamangira urged MCP officials to exhibit unwavering commitment to national service, embodying selflessness and readiness to sacrifice for the collective welfare.

They also advised the MCP officials to mobilize the population through focused awareness initiatives, educating citizens on the importance of unity and the dangers of divisive political maneuvers.

“MCP should strengthen the resilience and impartiality of governance institutions, guaranteeing their steadfast dedication to representing the interests of all Malawians; and allocate resources towards programs that empower the youth as catalysts for positive change, fostering within them a deep sense of accountability and investment in the nation’s future,” they emphasized.