Blessings Tambala

Governance and Human Rights Advocate Undule Mwakasungula has saluted President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for taking bold and unpopular decisions to heal the Malawi economy.

Mwakasungula’s sentiments come in the wake of a recent World Bank report, which states that the Government of Malawi has achieved incredible economic results in the last three months despite concerns on macroeconomic stability and expenditure-side controls.

World Bank Regional Director for Macro, Equity, and Institutions for Africa East and South, Hassan Zaman, broke the news during a meeting with the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Simplex Chithyola Banda, in Lilongwe on Thursday.

Zaman urged the Malawi Government to narrow the gap between the official and parallel exchange rates, highlighting the importance of maximizing gains from the recently qualified International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility (ECF).

Reacting to the development, Mwakasungula said it was exciting that the unpopular decision the Chakwera-led administration took to heal the economy have started to bear the much-desired fruits.

“Though various stakeholders have been speaking on government shortfalls in addressing the challenges, it is commendable to appreciate efforts being undertaken, so far. Acknowledging the government’s positive efforts should not be discouraged, especially given their constructive engagements with international organizations such as the IMF and World Bank and the resumption of essential budgetary support. This accomplishment is truly commendable and deserves recognition,” he reacted.

Mwakasungula said it was important for Malawians to recognize that the country has been facing socio-economic challenges for the past few years and that efforts President Chakwera and his government have taken reflect a proactive stance in addressing the economic challenges.

He said the implementation of the measures aimed at mitigating the effects of the challenges on the general population signifies important strides towards achieving economic stability.

“These noteworthy initiatives warrant appreciation. While acknowledging difficulties, it is crucial as a country to maintain a hopeful perspective. Highlighting above government’s actions to mitigate socio-economic challenges encourages optimism among citizens. It is essential to communicate progress and potential to overcome these challenges, thus fostering a sense of hope and resilience.

“It cannot be disputed that recognizing that the economic difficulties faced by Malawi could have been encountered by any government in power, irrespective of political affiliation, is important. This perspective helps to depoliticize the issue, focusing on solutions rather than political rhetoric,” said Malawi’s most revered governance and human rights advocate.

Mwakasungula urged Malawians to start focusing on interventions the government is undertaking to build the nation and uniting efforts across different sectors to build a stronger, more resilient Malawi.

Women’s Coalition Against Cancer (WOCACA) has commended the Government of Malawi for taking significant steps to address the cancer burden by establishing the National Cancer Center, improving cancer screening and early detection programs, and enhancing access to cancer care services.

The coalition has made the sentiments in a statement issued on Saturday evening ahead of the commemoration of this year’s World Cancer Day (WCD) on February 4.

WCD is an annual commemoration, which serves serves as a reflection on the widespread impact of cancer on individuals, families, and communities worldwide.  It also focuses on the concerted efforts being made by the governments, as well as non-governmental organizations and advocates in addressing the burden of cancer.

In her statement, which Nthanda Times has in possession, WOCACA Executive Director Maud Mwakasungula also saluted the Malawian Ministry of Health for being actively involved in the fight against cancer, aiming to reduce its prevalence and mitigate its impact.

“Cancer has emerged as a global public health challenge, affecting people from all walks of life. It knows no boundaries, and its impact is felt across continents and cultures. Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting for millions of lives lost annually. The burden of cancer extends far beyond mortality, as it also brings about significant economic, social, and emotional challenges.

“In Malawi, the cancer narrative is characterized by a unique set of challenges. Malawi, like many other low-income countries, faces an increasing burden of cancer cases. The most common types of cancer in Malawi include cervical, breast, and Kaposi’s sarcoma, often associated with HIV/AIDS. The impact of these cancers on individuals and communities is profound, as they often lead to late-stage diagnoses and limited treatment options,” said Mwakasungula.

In Malawi, non-governmental organizations, such as WOCACA, have been playing a very crucial role in complementing government initiatives.

The organization has been at the forefront of cancer advocacy, creating demand and support, and is dedicated to raising awareness, providing support to cancer patients, and advocating for improved cancer care services.

This has been instrumental in bridging the gaps in cancer care and ensuring that individuals affected by cancer receive the necessary assistance.

According to Mwakasungula, the fight against cancer is a global endeavor that requires collaboration on multiple fronts.

“It is not a challenge that can be tackled by one entity alone. Governments, non-governmental organizations, healthcare professionals, researchers, and the general public all have a role to play in addressing the cancer burden. World Cancer Day serves as a rallying point for these stakeholders to come together, share knowledge, and strengthen their commitment to fighting cancer,” she said.

“One of the most pressing issues in addressing cancer is closing the care gap. This involves ensuring that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. In Malawi, this means expanding healthcare infrastructure, improving diagnostic capabilities, and enhancing the availability of cancer treatments. Collaborative efforts between the government, NGOs, media communities and international partners are essential in achieving this goal,” added Mwakasungula.

WOCACA is a registered cancer non -governmental organization founded by women and girls who have been directly or indirectly affected by cancer. The organization is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of rural women and girls, ensuring that they have the support, and knowledge necessary to prevent, detect, and manage cancers effectively.

The Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Homeland Security, has disclosed that it has started reviewing the Refugee Act of 1989, which some stakeholders say has serious gaps in protection of, and assistance to, asylum seekers and refugees in Malawi.

Senior Legal Advisor in the Ministry of Homeland Security, Ivy Chihana, said the review will address the concerns stakeholders have been raising in relation to the effectiveness of the law to protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.

The Refugee Act of 1989 provides for the receiving, admission and treatment of refugees and the application of international instruments.

But human rights groups such as the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) have been raising concerns that the law is archaic and is no longer serving its purpose.

CCJP National Coordinator Boniface Chibwana argues that the Act is a threat to human rights for refugees and asylum seekers, citing the recent scenario where State agencies used the law ‘to perpetrate violence against refugees and asylum seekers’.

“It is imperative that Malawi should formulate statutes that are consistent with international laws on human rights. We need to come up with progressive laws, not retrogressive pieces of legislation,” emphasized Chibwana at one of the press briefings civil society organizations held in reaction to the refugee relocation exercise by the government.

But speaking at Dowa District Council Extraordinary Meeting on Friday, Chihana assured the concerned stakeholders that the ministry is taking steps to address the concerns.

“The review process is currently underway and all the relevant stakeholders are being engaged,” she said.

Recently, CCJP sourced 40,000 Canadian dollars (approximately MK31 million) for the implementation of Umodzi (Peace Building and Advocacy) Project whose major objective is to provide a platform for dialogue to enhance social-cohesion and peace building.

The project aims to increase public and stakeholder awareness about the human rights issues and challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers.

Dowa District Council has asked the Department of Refugees in the Ministry of Homeland Security to participate in activities initiated to protect and conserve natural forests and soils around Dzaleka Refugee Camp.

The district’s Director of Human Resource and Administration, Thomas Mwafongo, lamented that hundreds of trees are cut down every day by refugees in and around the camp for cooking yet there have been no efforts by the department to address the environmental degradation.

Mwafongo made the sentiments on Wednesday during a tour of Dzaleka Refugee Camp the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) organized with financial support from the Canadian Embassy through the Umodzi Project.

“Kongwe Forest, for instance, is turning into a desert, yet there is dead silence from the department on what it plans to do to collaborate with the council and community members to restore the environment,” he lamented.

He said the council expected the department to take due diligence and be in the forefront in initiating programmes aimed at reforesting the camp and the surrounding area.

“We have accepted responsibility to host the refugees. But we expected the department to help us reduce pressure these refugees have heaped on the environment, specifically on the forests, in and around the camps by promoting the use of and making available improved cooking stoves, which require low-firewood consumption, among others,” stated Mwafongo.

Commissioner for Refugees in the Ministry of Homeland Security, General Ignancio Maulana, admitted that the relocation and influx of more refugees is reinforcing the already intense population pressure on the environment causing depletion of natural resources as well as soil health.

Maulana said his department has partnered with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other organizations such as a German organization, Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH), to devise mechanisms for saving the remaining forests while restoring the degraded ones.

Maulana stated that the department and its partners are considering providing refugees and host community members with a safer and environmentally friendly household cooking solution.

In his remarks, CCJP Lilongwe Programme Officer Mwai Sandram said the Commission was impressed with the level of engagement the Umodzi Project has facilitated among key stakeholders in the refugee sector.

Sandram said the project, which the Canadian Embassy is financing to the tune of 50,000 Canadian dollars, is aimed at creating a platform for dialogue to enhance social-cohesion and peace building.

“We want to increase public and stakeholder awareness about the human rights issues and challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers,” he said.

Dzaleka Refugee Camp is currently hosting 53, 000 refugees against the initial holding capacity of not more than 14, 000, according to the Department of Refugees.

President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera says quality road infrastructure is key in enhancing the integration of local and international markets, which, in turn, induces improvements in productivity, leading to wealth creation and helping people to move out of poverty.

Chakwera has since commended the Government of Japan for the financial and technical support it provides towards construction and rehabilitation of strategic roads in Malawi.

The Malawi leader made the remarks on Wednesday when he inspected development projects in the City of Lilongwe.

President Chakwera said he was particularly happy that, apart from financing road projects, the Japanese Government is also providing technical and financial support in energy and education sectors, among others.

“So, I love the Japanese way of doing development, because they don’t make noise, they don’t blow their own trumpet, they don’t use their money to manipulate or intimidate us, they don’t court media attention, and they don’t criticize our country because they know that doing so is like criticizing the furniture in the house where you have been welcomed as a guest. Anthu a ku Japan amangofuna azigwira ntchito zachitukuko, ndiye mayiko oterewa ndi amene tizigwira nawo ntchito,” he said.)

He said the rehabilitation of the M1 Road will last for a generation.

“Once the improvements of this road are done, along with the improvements being made from Kanengo to Crossroads with support from China, the improvements being made to Kenyatta and Mzimba Streets with our own finances, the improvements we are designing for the road from Chidzanja to Nathenje, from Kamuzu International Airport to Kanengo, and Kaunda and Chendawaka roads, Lilongwe will be transformed and be the pride of our country,” he narrated.

President Chakwera directed the Minister of Transport and Public Works, Jacob Hara, to stay vigilant on the progress of the Dzaleka – Ntchisi – Malomo Road, the Nsanama – Nayuchi road, the Mkanda – Kapiri road, the Monkey bay – Cape Maclear road, the Mzimba – Mzarangwe Road, the Ntcheu -Tsangano – Neno – Mwanza road, the Njakwa – Livingstonia road, the Kaphatenga – Benga road, and the Chitipa – Ilomba road.

These are the roads the Chakwera administration is constructing. He challenged contractors to ensure speed and quality, stressing that Malawians want to enjoy these developments.

“I am also directing you, Minister, to see to it that the following roads that I have secured financial support for are commenced this year: the M5 road from Benga to Dwangwa that will be co-financed by the African Development Bank and OPEC Fund; the Liwonde – Matawale road that will be financed by the World Bank; the road from Nsipe to Liwonde that will be funded by the African Development Bank and European Union; the Mangochi – Makanjira road that I secured finance for from the Saudi Fund for Development in November,” said Chakwera.

Speaking earlier, Hara said the Chakwera administration embarked on a programme to decongest city roads by increasing their capacity to accommodate the ever increasing number of vehicles.

Hara said the programme will include capacity improvement of a number of key roads within the city, construction of fly-over bridges and overpasses.

“It is our belief that once these interventions are completed, Lilongwe City will be in a better position to deal with the congestion for many years to come. Some of the projects include capacity improvement of the road from the Kamuzu International Airport passing through the City, all the way up to Nathenje. Some sections of this road are already under construction, others are under design with construction works to commence after finalising the designs. Other roads within the city earmarked for capacity improvement include, the Kaunda and Chendawaka roads from Mchinji road roundabout to Area 25 and joining the M001 road at Kanengo. The Kenyatta and Mzimba streets are currently under construction, and the Lali Lubani road. Other roads that are also being considered for expansion are the Chidzanja road and the Youth drive,” said the minister.

The Honorary Consul Designate of Brazil to Malawi, Dr. Breno Tavares Nogueira, on Tuesday paid President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera a courteous call at the Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

The meeting follows Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda’s commendation of the Brazilian Government for their impactful contributions to Malawi’s health sector.

In his remarks to President Chakwera, Nogueira expressed his government’s commitment to sending a team of cataract experts to assist in treating eye problems prevalent in Malawi.

Brazil has also offered to construct a specialized Cataract Surgeries Hospital in Malawi, focusing on comprehensive eye care.

President Chakwera expressed gratitude for the Brazilian Government’s proactive stance in addressing Malawi’s cataract challenges.

Members of Parliament (MPs) and traditional leaders from Chitipa have given the government a go ahead to open a refugee camp in the district as one way of decongesting Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa.

But the lawmakers and chiefs asked the government and its partners to ensure that host communities are benefiting from the social amenities designated for the refugees to avoid conflicts.

They made the remarks in Lilongwe on Tuesday during a briefing for traditional leaders and members of Chitipa District Council ahead of a visit to Dzaleka on Wednesday.

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) organized the briefing with financial support from the Canadian Embassy through Umodzi (Peace Building and Advocacy) Project. The project is aimed at providing a platform for dialogue to enhance social-cohesion and peace building.

Speaking on behalf of the chiefs, Senior Chief Wenya said the people of Chitipa are equally concerned with the deteriorating standards of living, which refugees and asylum seekers are being subjected to as a result of congestion at Dzaleka.

“Personally, I feel very passionate when I see refugees because my own relatives were refugees elsewhere. Some died there. So, I feel really passionate when I see refugees,” he said, “We have been assured that when the government opens a refugee camp in my area, the refugees will be taken care of by various government departments and partners. We believe the host communities will also benefit from the services that are offered to refugees.”

He parried away fears that host communities would turn against the refugees and asylum seekers once in the new camp, assuring that their subjects have now understood the importance of hosting people who flee war.

“This time, our subjects are ready. The host communities are ready. But I must admit that at first, I, too, had mixed reactions, more especially because these reactions were fueled by a few individuals, some traditional leaders, politicians and the big business communities who feared competition. But the community around my area has now welcomed the idea to open the camp,” assured Wenya.

Chitipa East lawmaker Kezzie Msukwa concurred with Senior Chief Wenya, adding that communities will benefit in various ways from hosting the refugees and asylum seekers.

Msukwa mentioned business skills and economic activities as some of the benefits accruing from hosting the refugees.

CCJP National Coordinator Boniface Chibwana said the Commission was relieved that the government and its partners are making headway in finding lasting solutions to some of the challenges refugees and asylum seekers are facing.

Chibwana said decongesting Dzaleka Refugee Camp will play a crucial role in addressing water, sanitation and hygiene problems that the encampers are experiencing at the camp.

“Dzaleka Refugee Camp, which is already small, a camp that was supposed to have 12,000 people or 10,000, now has 53,000 people. And if you go in the camp itself, if you look at the social, economic condition of the people, when you look at the WASH activities, it’s really terrible. So, we felt the rights of the refugees within the camp were being trampled down on and we felt it is imperative that we should collaborate with the government in the effort to help decongest it,” he said.

“So, the acceptance by MPs and chiefs from Chitipa to host a refugee camp is a great relief to us. It’s a huge success because you know, previously, people had deeper reservations,” added Chibwana.

In his remarks, the Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma said the Malawi Government has already presented its request to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for financial support towards construction of facilities in preparation for the opening of the new camp in Chitipa.

Ng’oma said they expect the refugee agency to act with speed so that the government can start work.

Meanwhile, chiefs and MPs from Chitipa are expected to visit Dzaleka Refugee Camp on Wednesday to appreciate the conditions under which the refugees and asylum seekers are living.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Chitipa East Kezzie Msukwa has proposed that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Department of Refugees should move towards constructing decent houses to enable Malawi host refugees and asylum seekers with dignity.

Msukwa argued that the current dwelling structures at Dzaleka Refugee Camp violate the fundamental human rights for refugees and asylum seekers as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

He made the sentiments in Lilongwe on Tuesday during a briefing for traditional leaders and members of Chitipa District Council ahead of a visit to Dzaleka Dzaleka on Wednesday.

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) organized the briefing with financial support from the Canadian Embassy through Umodzi (Peace Building and Advocacy) Project, which aims at providing a platform for dialogue to enhance social-cohesion and peace building.

Msukwa emphasized that just like any human being, refugees and asylum seekers are entitled to live in decent, safe housing, including those forced to flee their country of origin due to conflict, persecution or breaches of their human rights.

“I wonder why UNHCR and the Department of Refugees have allowed the refugees and asylum seekers to construct dwelling structures by themselves. The current dwelling structures don’t give the dignity they deserve as human beings,” said Msukwa.

“UNHCR and its partners must help this country to safeguard the refugees’ and asylum seekers’ right to safe housing by constructing good houses; houses that can preserve human dignity. UNHCR must take responsibility to ensure refugees and asylum seekers have access to decent, safe housing, while we provide them other social amenities such as health and education,” he added.

CCJP National Coordinator Boniface Chibwana concurred with Msukwa, stressing that humanity entails that ‘we should unto others as we would want them to do unto us’.

Chibwana added that it was along those lines that the Commission has been advocating for the decongestion of Dzaleka Refugee Camp to ensure the refugees and asylum seekers enjoy their dignity.

“There were some forces that they’re running away from their countries and it’s incumbent upon Malawians to help them. Humanity tells us that we have to do good to our neighbors. So, I think it’s in that respect that we have to make sure that we decongest the camp by relocating others to a new camp,” he said.

But Senior Administration Manager in the Ministry of Homeland Security, Hilda Kausiwa, said it is a deliberate policy to allow refugees and asylum seekers to build their dwelling structures so that they take ownership.

Kausiwa further stated that the building permanent or semi-permanent houses at a camp would encourage more refugees and asylum seekers to take Malawi as their preferred destination.

Traditional leaders and members of Chitipa District Council are set to visit Dzaleka Refugee Camp on Wednesday this week.

The Minister of Labour and Manpower Development, Agnes NyaLonje, has said the preparations are at an advanced stage to establish the long-awaited Workers’ Compensation Fund.

NyaLonje made the sentiments in Lilongwe on Monday when she officially opened an orientation workshop for the first cohort of the Trustees of the Board of the Workers’ Compensation Fund.

The European Union (EU) facilitated technical and financial support to the workshop through its Zantchito Skills for Jobs Programme.

NyaLonje disclosed that the Workers’ Compensation Fund had delayed to roll out because of lack of political will by the previous administrations.

“The reason this workshop has become necessary is that 24 years after the Workers’ Compensation Act was enacted, the Workers’ Compensation Fund has still not been established. Over the years, various reasons have been advanced to explain this failure to establish the Fund. However, when all is said and done, the 24 years of waiting for this Fund signify lack of political will. However, under the leadership of His Excellency Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, the Tonse Alliance Government is committed to establishing the Fund,” she said.

NyaLonje stated that Malawi is now the only country in the SADC region that is yet to set up an employment injury fund, a development she said advantages workers.

She also said the delay in setting up the fund has increased individual-employer liability system whereby each employer individually bears the burden of paying compensation in the form of a lump sum.

“The challenges that have been observed with individual-employer liability include failure or delays by employers to settle compensation claims, rising cases of fraudulent claims and related lawsuits against employers which are negatively impacting business and inadequate compensation for serious cases of permanent incapacity due to the provision of one-off lump sum payment that are inadequate for sustainable long-term support,” she narrated.

Among others, the Workers’ Compensation Fund is designed to address the foregoing challenges of individual-employer liability.

The Fund would require monthly contributions from employers to cover the cost of claims.

This will allow for the pooling of risks thereby moderating the impact of the risks on individual employers.

The Fund would make periodical payments to the injured for life in the case of permanent incapacity.

Employees would be assured of compensation even after the closure or winding up of a business as long as the employer had been contributing to the Fund.

The Fund would also have a prevention component to reduce the risk of accidents and contraction of occupational diseases. In this regard, studies have shown a positive correlation between investment in the health and safety of workers and productivity.

The Fund will be controlled largely by employers and workers and other stakeholders through you as Trustees of the Board.

Meanwhile, NyaLonje has emphasized the need for the Board to secure the buy-in of all stakeholders towards the establishment of the Fund, especially from employers who have to pay into the Fund.

The Minister of Labour and Manpower Development, Agnes NyaLonje, on Monday announced the gazetting of the new minimum wages, with a stern warning to deal with unscrupulous employers who defy the gazetted wages.

NyaLonje told journalists in Lilongwe that the new minimum wages have been formulated to respond to and protect the interests of both the employers and workers.

“The new minimum wages have been categorized in four groups. We have minimum wages for dry and wet cargo, which breaks down the minimum wages for three categories of drivers, the drivers or drivers at times and above and drive between Malawi and other countries. So, the international drivers for them, they say minimum wage of K234, 500, MK167, 500 for local truck drivers and MK100, 500 for drivers of trucks below 30 tons and ply their trade within Malawi,” she said.

Turning to general minimum wages, NyaLonje said the government has raised their minimum wages to MK3, 461 per day, which translates into MK90, 000, a month. Then the third is the wages or minimum wages for domestic workers. And this is now the new minimum wage is MK2, 000 per day, translating into MK52, 000.

The minister was, however, quick to point out that in setting these minimum wages, the government is not saying this is the set wage that people should be given.

“What we’re saying is that let us not pay anybody below the minimum wage. There’s a reason for that. It is the role of a government through my ministry to protect workers. And a big part of protecting workers is making sure that workers and their families are not living below the poverty line because when somebody works, they expect to receive a wage,” she said.

NyaLonje warned that her minister would deal with any employer who intentionally defies the law on minimum wage.

“Anybody who fails to abide by the law is attracting trouble because we, as Minister of Labor on behalf of the government are intending to step up inspections to make sure that employers adhere to the minimum wages. Because let me say, one or two things about why minimum wages are important. For an economy to grow, you need that economy, productive and productivity doesn’t happen without what workers to workers are the heart of productivity because workers who take all other factors of production and turn them into goods and services.

“So it’s very important that the government attempts to maintain a balance between the needs of workers and their families and the needs of business, but at the same time, I’ve got the government maintaining a course of developing the economy. It is to strike a balance between the need for businesses to survive, but also the need for workers to survive. So that they can continue to work. So enforcement of the law that we’ve set through these concepts is extremely important to ensuring that those objectives, collective objectives of workers, employers, and government can be achieved,” emphasized the minister.