Michael Chatsunda Banda, a former head teacher at a primary school President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera attended in his childhood days, could not believe his eyes on Sunday when the Head of State invited him to lunch at the Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.
Chatsunda Banda is now aged 91 and it was his first time to take a tour of the State House.
President Chakwera with Chatsunda Banda
President Chakwera said he decided to host and treat his former headmaster to lunch as a way of appreciating the great role the retired civil servant had played in his [Chakwera] education.
Of course, this is not the first time for the President to invite elderly persons to the State House. Last year, President Chakwera also hosted legendary musician Giddes Chalamanda.
The Malawi leader has always advocated for the respect for old people, stressing that they are the fountain of knowledge and wisdom.
The Centre for Agricultural Transformation (CAT) has commended Standard Bank for creating viable partnerships with organizations that work with smallholder farmers in the country.
CAT Executive Director, Macleod Nkhoma, made the sentiments last Friday during a glamorous Phuka Incubation Graduation and Pitch Night event at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe.
The event was organized under the partnership of Standard Bank, CAT and Synergy Labs through the agriculture-focused Phuka Incubation Program.
“I would like to thank Standard Bank for the opportunity of partnership with us at the CAT through this Phuka Incubation Program. Our smallholder farmers need financial capital to thrive in their farming as a business and I hope Standard Bank will continue to partner with us so that together we are able to support these farmers with inclusive financial solutions,” he said.
Taziona Chigwe of Teren Agro Limited displays a dummpy card in the company of Justice Zione Ntaba (left), Standard Bank Malawi CEO Phillip Madinga (middle0 and CAT ED Macleod Nkhoma (Right)
Nkhoma also praised Synergy Labs for being part of the partnership through the Phuka Incubation program, which has been designed to mentor entrepreneurs and agribusinesses on various skills to ably manage their agricultural business.
The Phuka Incubation program is an initiative of Standard Bank Malawi through partnership with CAT and Synergy Labs, marked by efficient sessions encompassing induction, intensive training, networking, a boot camp and field visits.
Standard Bank Malawi Chief Executive Phillip Madinga attributed the success of the Phuka Incubation initiative to the strong partnership it has with the CAT and Synergy Labs.
“Thank you, CAT, for the great partnership which has seen this success under the Phuka Incubation Program. We look forward to cementing this partnership to help our entrepreneurs and businesses grow. These entrepreneurs will be champions for Malawi growth,” he said.
During the event, Teren Agro Limited represented by Taziona Chigwe, carted home K10 million prize money for emerging the ultimate winner after pitching a successful business idea. During the event, Standard Bank also awarded K1 million to the most favoured and preferred pitch which was identified through voting by the audience.
Taziona Chigwe of Teren Agro Limited
A total of five agribusinesses were shortlisted to pitch, following a six-week mentorship which saw 46 entrepreneurs and agribusiness graduating with certificates on the day.
Teren Agro Limited is one of the agribusinesses the CAT has been partnering to upscale agricultural technologies and innovations being showcased at the CAT Smart Farms to tobacco-reliant smallholder farmers so that they could diversify, increase productivity and incomes for improved household food security.
Synergy Labs Board chairperson, Justice Zione Ntaba, also thanked Standard Bank and CAT for working together to support entrepreneurs and agribusinesses with skills and opportunities to manage their businesses.
CAT hopes that the knowledge, skills and opportunities the entrepreneurs and agribusinesses have gained will ultimately help smallholder farmers increase productivity, thereby contributing to the Malawi 2063 vision under the agricultural productivity and commercialisation pillar.
Germany has provided a whopping €16 million (approximately MK30 billion) to enable Malawi implement the third phase of the Programme for Reproductive Health (N’zatonse Programme).
The programme aimes to reduce the distance and barriers for young women and men in rural areas to access sexual and reproductive health services.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of the agreement in Lilongwe on Monday, the German Ambassador to Malawi, Mrs. Ute Konig, said the grant will enable Malawi – through the Ministry of Health and its implementing partner, Population Services International (PSI) – to open doors of mobile outreach clinics in 10 districts.
“Germany has been a steadfast partner in the Malawian health sector for over a century now, improving quality and expanding coverage of healthcare provision for Malawians. In the fields of family planning and reproductive health, we are proud to be one of the three largest contributing partners in the country,” said Konig.
Officials from the German and Malawi Governments pose for photo after the signing ceremony
N’zatonse Programme was rolled out in 2013 and has since contributed to the decline of the total fertility rate from 5.3 children per woman on average in 2010 to now 3.9 children, according to the World Bank.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Simplex Chithyola Banda, speaking on behalf of the Government of Malawi, expressed the country’s profound gratitude to the Germany Government for providing a grant in support of the Reproductive Health Phase III.
Banda said Malawi has a very young population and it is extremely important that they access the right and correct reproductive information from formal systems.
“It is against this background that the b Government has been working jointly with Development Partners’ and Civil Society to improve Reproductive Health for its citizens and address the rapid population growth which remains a significant development challenge.
“Family planning and reproductive health can help curb this population increase and enhance the overall wellbeing of the country,” he said.
The Finance Minister assured the German envoy that the Malawi Government will endeavor to implement the programme in accordance with the provisions of the Financing Agreement.
“We will ensure proper financial management and effective project implementation to achieve the intended outcomes of the programme,” said Chithyola Banda.
Minister of Labour and Manpower Development, Agnes NyaLonje, has emphasized the need for Malawi to have well-trained labour inspectors to provide quality advice to workers and employers.
NyaLonje made the remarks in Lilongwe when she opened Labour Inspectors’ Capacity Building Workshop, which has been facilitated and financed by the the European Union (EU) through Zantchito Skills for Jobs Project.
The objective of this training is to improve the knowledge, skills and general competencies of labour inspectors in Malawi.
The minister said her ministry expects that the training, which targets 85 labour inspectors from all the districts in the country, will deliver much improved labour inspection services, leading to better protection of workers; and better supported and more productive businesses.
“As you are all aware, labour inspection is an integral part of the labour administration system that plays a fundamental role in ensuring effective enforcement of labour law and labour standards. As we all know, labour inspection involves physical visits to workplaces to check the working conditions of employees and the work environment.
A cross-section of labour inspectors listening to a presentation during a capacity building workshop in Lilongwe–Photo by Watipaso Mzungu
“To be meaningful, physical workplace visits must be followed by technical advice on what to do to comply with labour law and/or standards where shortfalls have been observed. Additionally, a well-grounded labour inspector should be able to share with employers and employees best practices on compliance. It is also important to conduct follow-up inspections to check if the infringements previously detected have been addressed,” said NyaLonje.
Functions of labour inspection derive from Article 3(1) of Convention 81, and Article 6(1) of Convention 129. The main functions of labour inspections include enforcement of labour standards and labour laws; provision of advisory services to employers and employees in the course of inspection, leading to increased knowledge for better voluntary compliance.
The provision also tasks labour inspectors to serve catalysts for labour law review by exposing gaps or ambiguities in the law and collecting various labour market information required for evidence-based planning and decision making.
The minister said the capacity building workshop for labour inspectors had come at the right time when the Government of Malawi has just announced the revision of the minimum wages.
She expressed hope that the knowledge the participants will gain from the training will help them to improve the quality of the inspections you conduct.
“Going forward I will expect all of you to prioritise labour inspections so that we improve enforcement of labour law and standards, an area in which we are currently not doing well. I am aware that you face many challenges when carrying out your core functions of labour inspection, the biggest being that of mobility. I am pleased to inform you that in September last year our Ministry was privileged to receive a donation of 20 motorcycles from one of our partner companies to ease the mobility challenges. These will be distributed to 20 districts. I am glad to also say that the Zantchito Project has procured 6 vehicles. These vehicles and motorcycles will go a long way towards ensuring that you, our Labour Inspectors, conduct more inspections and that the inspections are not compromised by your reliance on the employers you are inspecting to pay your daily transport needs,” said NyaLonje.
The minister assured labour inspectors of her utmost commitment to supporting them as they carry out their work.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and the First Lady, Madam Monica Chakwera, have mourned the death of Namibian president Hage Geingob.
Geingob, 82, died Sunday while receiving medical treatment at a local hospital, his office announced.
The Namibian presidency said Geingob’s medical team at Lady Pohamba Hospital did its best to help him, but he died with his wife, Monica Geingos, and children by his side.
In his condolence message soon after the announcement of Geingob’s passing, President Chakwera said he was saddened by the death of a leader he described as a ‘brother and colleague’.
“On behalf of the First Lady of the Republic of Malawi, Madam Monica Chakwera, the people of Malawi, and indeed on my own behalf, I would like to send our deepest condolences to Madam Monica Geingos, the First Lady of Namibia, the bereaved family, and all the people of Namibia on the passing of my dear brother and colleague, President Hage Geingog of the Republic of Namibia,” said the Malawi leader in a statement released a few minutes after the announcement of Geingob’s passing.
Chakwera said Geingob’s leadership and dedication to Namibia and Africa were admirable throughout the continent.
Namibian president Hage Geingob has died at the age of 82
He expressed that hope and prayer that Namibians will use ‘this challenging time to reflect on their personal and collective commitment to the development of Namibia and the liberation of the African people as the late President purposed to do throughout his life’.
“May his legacy endure. Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time,” thus Chakwera concluded his condolence message.
According to ABC News, Geingob was undergoing treatment for cancer. The 82-year-old had a colonoscopy and a gastroscopy on Jan. 8, followed by a biopsy, his office said last month.
He returned home on January 31 from the United States where he had undergone a trial two-day “novel treatment for cancerous cells,” according to his office.
In 2014, he said he had survived prostate cancer. Geingob, president of the southern African nation since 2015, was set to finish his second and final term in office this year.
He was the country’s third president since it gained independence in 1990, following more than a century of German and then apartheid South African rule.
After spending nearly three decades in exile in neighboring Botswana and the U.S. as an anti-apartheid activist, Geingob returned to Namibia as its first prime minister from 1990 to 2002. He also served in the same capacity from 2008 to 2012.
Soft-spoken but firm on advancing Africa’s agenda as an important stakeholder in world affairs, Geingob maintained close relations with the U.S. and other Western countries.
Meanwhile, Angolo Mbumba, Namibia’s acting president, has called for calm, saying in the same post that the “Cabinet will convene with immediate effect in order to make the necessary state arrangements in this regard.”
According to Namibia’s constitution, there should be an election to choose a new president within 90 days of Geingob’s death.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and his administration are on the right track towards narrowing a trade gap between India and Malawi as the latter has increased its export to India by 10 times over the last three years.
The Indian High Commissioner to Malawi, His Excellency S. Gopalakrishnan, disclosed this during the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Republic of India.
The commemoration took place in Lilongwe recently where high level dignitary gathered to celebrate with the people of India.
Gopalakrishnan said the move by the Chakwera administration to reduce to trade imbalance between India and Malawi should give citizens hope for the accelerated economic growth for their country.
“My government is impressed with the strides the two nations have made towards strengthening mutual trade and investment. I am also happy to mention that India is also one of the largest investors in Malawi. The Government of India is also actively supporting a number of developmental projects in Malawi and closely partnering with the Government of Malawi in achieving its socio-economic developmental goals,” said Gopalakrishnan.
He said besides bilateral development cooperation, India and Malawi are also working with other like-minded partner countries in Malawi under the trilateral cooperation in the field of food security and women empowerment.
At this point, the envoy stressed that India’s development partnership with Malawi is always based on Malawi’s priorities, focusing much on human-centric and principles of mutual respect.
“We strongly believe that the biggest strength of the friendly relationship between India and Malawi is the Indian origin and Indians who live in Malawi. They are not only playing a link between our two countries and cultures, but have also been significantly contributing to Malawi’s economic growth,” narrated Gopalakrishnan.
Indian High Commissioner to Malawi, His Excellency S. Gopalakrishnan
Gopalakrishnan thanked Prsident Chakwera and his government for creating a conducive environment for Indian investors and recognizing their contribution to the economy.
Speaking on behalf of President Chakwera, the Minister of Mining, Monica Chang’anamuno, said the Government of Malawi appreciates the strong bilateral relations, which are evident in many areas of cooperation which include trade, health, capacity building and agriculture.
Chang’anamuno cited 2023 when Malawi hosted the 2nd Session of the Malawi-India Foreign Office Consultations meeting, which provided the two countries with an opportunity to agree on new areas of cooperation as well as enhance the already existing cooperation.
“In the area of trade cooperation, the Government of Malawi continues to fully utilize the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the Field of Trade of Tur or Pigeon Peas which was signed in June, 2021. The agreement allows export of 50,000 metric tonnes of pigeon peas annually from Malawi to India until 2026.
I am delighted to share that, following the 2nd Session of the Malawi-India Foreign Office Consultations, the Government of India has graciously granted a new waiver of the export quota for pigeon peas from Malawi to India until March 31, 2025, operating within the same Agreement framework. This means that Malawi can export unlimited amount of pigeon peas to India in the 2024/2025 marketing session,” said the minister.
She urged the private sector and all relevant stakeholders to utilize the opportunity, not only to increase the scope of trade between the two countries, but also to reduce the current trade imbalance between the two countries.
Chang’anamuno said this will bring to Malawi significant economic benefits such as fostering job creation and generating foreign currency which will be beneficial to Malawian citizens.
Sesame farmers in Chikwawa will now be accessing water and sanitation services at their tips following the drilling of 11 boreholes by the Government of Japan and Paramount Holdings Limited (PHL).
A Japanese company, Itochu Cooperation and Takemoto Oil and Fat Co. Limited, bankrolled the water project through Gift of the Givers Foundation to improve access to water and sanitation for sesame farmers in the district.
Sesame is one of the crops President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is promoting as the government pursues to diversify its economy.
Currently, the crop is being grown in Chikwawa and Karonga, with PHL being the largest buyer and exporter to Itochu Cooperation and Takemoto Oil and Fat Co. Limited.
Last year, PHL convinced and facilitated the Japanese firm to donate ambulance, medical equipment and Furniture to Therere Health Centre in the area of Senior Chief Ngabu in Chikwawa.
Officials from Japanese Embassy, PHL and Itochu unveiling a plaque to signify the official handover of the boreholes to the people of Chikwawa
The Japanese Deputy Chief of Party in Malawi, Seiji Tashiro, said his government is committed to helping Malawi meet its sanitation and water access goals.
“I sincerely hope that the boreholes will be utilized to the maximum extent to provide clean, potable water and contribute to the improvement of the standard of living of the people,” said Tashiro.
In their remarks, Head of Food Business at Itochu Corporation, Kazumichi Shiojari, and PHL director Mahesh Ghedia said the initiative is part of their corporate social responsibility and aims to support and help community members they work with.
The boreholes cost Itochu US$60, 000 (approximately MK700 million) and have been drilled in nine villages under traditional authorities (T/As) Ngabu, Katunga and Maseya.
Beneficiary villages include Chiphang’ombe, Matchona, Matemba, Batison, Nakondwe, Ubale, Chimabaza, Moses and Kutama.
Newly-registered political party, Muvi wa Chilungamo Revolutionary Party (MRP), has promised that, if elected into office in 2025, its main mission will be to rectify the constitutional crisis the Constitutional Court (Con-Court) allegedly created through its judgment in the Presidential Elections Case.
MRP President and Commander-In-Chief, Bantu Saunders Jumah, made the sentiments in a statement released a few days ago, observing that the current constitution serves the elite while disenfranchising ordinary Malawians.
He said as a revolution, his party will reshuffle, overhaul, restructure and filter all other systems in the past and aim for new thinking and new ideas to achieve the meaningful socio-economic transformation the country so much desires.
“The past 60 years, Malawi has understood word politics as a game of enslaving, abhorrence, torment, self-enrichment, absolute power and authority. The revolution is coming to define politics contrarily and utilitarian,” he said.
Jumah: MRP will restore constitutional order once voted into power in 2025
He said it was sad that, for the past 60 years, Malawi has been run and governed under a false interpretation of politics that imply violence, violation of laws, nepotism, regionalism, tribalism, corruption and assassinations.
Jumah added that constitutionality and rule on trust have lost meaning in Malawi, citing the Constitutional Court, which dealt with the disputed elections of 2019 on February 3, 2020.
The MRP leader argued that the Constitutional Court lacked direction in putting the nation on ground zero to embark on the path of re-constitutionalizing the laws of Malawi, instead the Constitutional Court made unconstitutional decisions.
“Time to restore order, constitution and the rule on trust as stipulated in Section 12 of our founding document is now through a revolution coming with MRP. In the revolutionary mind, politics is a philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and relationships between them. In the revolution, this is what politics means,” he said.
He demanded that the current system be removed and the constitution be re-organized and energized so that politicians have no power to interfere with or obstruct the supreme law of the country.
He observed that the 1994 constitution has been tampered with, disrespected and undermined.
“Sections 64, 65 and other related sections that could, if observed or followed, develop this country have been deflated. For 30 years of democracy and the rule of law, these issues have not been resolved or implemented. We have a democracy where positions and offices have no power, but individuals.
“Our democracy works only to few, but not all the people, the democracy of Malawi only powerful office bearers destroys the country without being reprimanded,” said Jumah.
The Indian High Commissioner to Malawi, His Excellency S. Gopalakrishnan, has disclosed that Malawi’s export to India has increased by 10 times during the administration of President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.
Gopalakrishnan said this development should give Malawians hope for the accelerated economic growth for their country.
He made the remarks in Lilongwe recently during the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Republic of India.
He said his government is impressed with the strides the two nations have made towards strengthening mutual trade and investment.
“I am also happy to mention that India is also one of the largest investors in Malawi. The Government of India is also actively supporting a number of developmental projects in Malawi and closely partnering with the Government of Malawi in achieving its socio-economic developmental goals,” said Gopalakrishnan.
He said besides bilateral development cooperation, India and Malawi are also working with other like-minded partner countries in Malawi under the trilateral cooperation in the field of food security and women empowerment.
At this point, the envoy stressed that India’s development partnership with Malawi is always based on Malawi’s priorities, focusing much on human-centric and principles of mutual respect.
“We strongly believe that the biggest strength of the friendly relationship between India and Malawi is the Indian origin and Indians who live in Malawi. They are not only playing a link between our two countries and cultures, but have also been significantly contributing to Malawi’s economic growth,” narrated Gopalakrishnan.
Gopalakrishnan thanked Prsident Chakwera and his government for creating a conducive environment for Indian investors and recognizing their contribution to the economy.
Indian High Commissioner to Malawi, His Excellency S. Gopalakrishnan
Speaking on behalf of President Chakwera, the Minister of Mining, Monica Chang’anamuno, said the Government of Malawi appreciates the strong bilateral relations, which are evident in many areas of cooperation which include trade, health, capacity building and agriculture.
Chang’anamuno cited 2023 when Malawi hosted the 2nd Session of the Malawi-India Foreign Office Consultations meeting, which provided the two countries with an opportunity to agree on new areas of cooperation as well as enhance the already existing cooperation.
“In the area of trade cooperation, the Government of Malawi continues to fully utilize the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the Field of Trade of Tur or Pigeon Peas which was signed in June, 2021. The agreement allows export of 50,000 metric tonnes of pigeon peas annually from Malawi to India until 2026.
I am delighted to share that, following the 2nd Session of the Malawi-India Foreign Office Consultations, the Government of India has graciously granted a new waiver of the export quota for pigeon peas from Malawi to India until March 31, 2025, operating within the same Agreement framework. This means that Malawi can export unlimited amount of pigeon peas to India in the 2024/2025 marketing session,” said the minister.
She urged the private sector and all relevant stakeholders to utilize the opportunity, not only to increase the scope of trade between the two countries, but also to reduce the current trade imbalance between the two countries.
Chang’anamuno said this will bring to Malawi significant economic benefits such as fostering job creation and generating foreign currency which will be beneficial to Malawian citizens.
WaterAid – an international not-for-profit determined to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation – has warned of regional cholera epidemic as the diseases is reportedly spreading fast across Southern African countries, including Malawi.
A statement the organization issued recently highlights lack of access to clean water and sanitation as major drivers of the cholera infection.
“As Zambia fights to contain its worst cholera outbreak since 2017, cases are already being reported in other countries in the region, including Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa. Zambia is recording over 400 new cases of cholera a day, with young people especially impacted. Schools and colleges remain closed and one of the main football stadiums in the capital Lusaka has been turned into a treatment Centre. International NGO WaterAid is supporting a government-led coalition to try to further contain the spread,” reads part of the statement.
WaterAid has also warned that, without addressing the root cause of cholera – a lack of clean water and sanitation (WASH), there may be a further rise in cases across the region.
While emphasizing on the importance of dealing with the current emergency, the organization has urged leaders to allocate adequate financial and human resources to address the longer-term infrastructure issues.
In his remarks, WaterAid Regional Director, Robert Kampala, said cholera reflects deep inequality status of society and the inadequacy of sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene access, especially among poorer communities.
WaterAid Regional Director, Robert Kampala
Kampala stated that across the region, in recent years – particularly in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique – people are witnessing the devastating consequences of slow progress in water and sanitation funding as lives are lost and livelihoods needlessly destroyed.
“These frequent cholera emergencies affect not only people and communities. They also undermine economies, productivity and economic growth. We urgently need to see investment in water and sanitation increased, at pace – this will save lives and safeguard livelihoods and equip the region to deal with the disease in a sustainable way to ensure that it becomes a thing of the past. By taking a pro-active stance, national governments will be able to save precious resources and boost economic development,” he said.
Statistics show that the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) suffers inadequate access to WASH leading to higher vulnerability to cholera and other pandemics.
And according to data from UNICEF, since the first known case in Zambia in October 2023, more than 200, 000 cases and over 3, 000 deaths have been reported. In Mozambique, basic access to hygiene at household level is very low at around 26 percent.1
In schools, it is estimated at 15 percent and in healthcare facilities at 40 percent2. The proportion of the population practising open defecation is estimated at 20.7 percent.
For the short-term, WaterAid has urged national governments to provide adequate resources and increase capacities of public institutions to deal with and arrest the on-going outbreak.
The organization has also urged governments to step up public awareness education and information dissemination on cholera especially among marginalized and poorer communities which have limited access to clean water, sanitation and good hygiene.
“We further urge national governments to provide the required toolkits such as clean water, handwashing soap, hand washing stations and chlorine tablets amongst others to ensure that those that are directly affected can better cope with the outbreak; support and strengthen the capacities of health workers who may be overwhelmed with the on-going situation,” says the statement.
For the medium to long-term, WaterAid is urging national governments ensure universal access to resilient, inclusive, and sustainable WASH and address the root causes by allocating adequate financial, human, and technical resources to address current limited WASH facilities and infrastructure by progressively allocating a minimum of 0.5 percent of annual GDP.
It also urges the governments to focus on the poorest, most marginalized and unserved aimed at progressively eliminating inequalities in access and use and implement national and local strategies with an emphasis on equity and sustainability; enabling and engaging private sector in developing innovative sanitation and hygiene products and services, especially for the marginalized and unserved.
WaterAid works alongside communities in 22 countries to secure three essentials that transform people’s lives. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 28 million people with clean water and nearly 29 million people with decent toilets.
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