Deputy Secretary General (DSG) of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Catherine Gotani Hara, has criticized vendors for fleecing smallholder farmers by buying soya beans at prices lower than the government set farm-gate price of K800.00.
Gotani Hara also expressed President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera’s disappointment that vendors continue denying farmers their right to enjoy the fruits from their labour by offering lower prices for their produce.
The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Deputy Secretary General, who is also Speaker of National Assembly, made the sentiments at a public rally held at Vibangalala Full Primary School in the area of Traditional Authority Mzukuzuku Jere in Mzimba.
Gotani Hara (3rd from left) taking to the Ingoma dance floor
Hara said President Chakwera has received reports that vendors in Mzimba South and other parts of the country are offering low prices for the farm produce.
“It is sad to note that vendors are buying farm produce especially soya beans below government-set farm gate price. I will report this to the Minister of Agriculture Hon Sam Dalitso Kawale. Definitely, something will be done,” he said, adding that the action by vendors is against Malawi Government policy on commodity pricing.
Speaking earlier, Member of Parliament for Mzimba South, Emmanuel Chambulanyina Jere, commended President Chakwera for development initiatives currently being implemented in his area.
Other people who attended the development rally included Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Liyana Kakhobwe, and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Madalitso Kazombo.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is expected to open the first-ever National Conference on the Separation of Powers at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe on Monday.
Chakwera is also expected to close the same conference on Tuesday. In an earlier speech, the President indicated that he will co-host the conference with the Chief Justice Rezine Mzikamanda and Speaker of the Malawi Parliament Catherine Gotani-Hara.
The Malawi leader made the sentiments in Lilongwe on Tuesday when he launched the National Action Plan for Open Government Partnerships in Malaŵi.
He said his administration has realized that the reforms agenda needs to be pursued across the board to ensure that all those who hold fiduciary positions in any branch or agency of government conduct themselves with accountability and transparency.
“Six days from now, the Chief Justice as Head of the Judiciary, the Speaker as Head of the Legislature, and I as Head of the Executive will co-host the first ever National Conference on the Separation of Powers. Even though each branch of the government is independent, there is no branch or institution of the government whose independence is a license for those who lead it to operate without accountability to the people of Malawi or to other branches that are mandated by law to provide checks and balances,” he said.
President Lazarus Chakwera, expected to open first-ever National Conference on the Separation of Powers
Chakwera said he expects that all public institutions will take OGP membership seriously and get on board in pursuit of the reforms agenda, stressing that his government will not retreat on the matter.
“If you do not believe me, those of you in the media can look at the countries around us and you will find that Malawi is only the second country in the SADC Region to have an action plan for reforms and accountability that qualifies for OGP membership. That means that no matter what negative headlines the local papers choose to print on the state of reforms in Malawi, the reality is that when it comes to commitment to good Governance, Malawi is a leader in the region, not a follower. In fact, my end goal is to see Malawi eventually become a Global Center of Excellence in Good Governance, and this OGP membership means we are on the right track,” said Chakwera.
Meanwhile, President Chakwera has expressed appreciation to international partners who provided financial and technical assistance to make the implementation of the National Action Plan during the next two years possible.
He cited Chandler Foundation, which also supported his office with the wherewithal to host the Anti-Corruption Conference in 2022.
Minister of Agriculture Sam Dalitso Kawale has disclosed that Malawi stands to save US$498 million from the fertilizer deal the government has signed with a Romanian company – East Bridge.
Kawale made the sentiments in an interview with Nthanda Times on Saturday evening following public outbursts about the deal.
Apparently, some Malawians have raised concerns with a fertilizer procurement deal that government has secured with East Bridge to supply the inputs.
The company deals in agriculture, real estate, medicine, e-government and renewable energy.
Local weekend newspapers carried the story on their front pages in which concerned Malawians expressed fear that the Malawi Government could lose money to yet another bogus company.
But Kawale assured that the government carried due diligence when engaging the Romanian company.
Sam Kawale, Minister of Agroculture
“We cannot make a similar mistake. This is a genuine contract and the government will save US$498 million, which will be invested in other equally important projects across the country,” said the minister in a brief interview.
He described the commodity exchange deal as a great opportunity for Malawi to save foreign exchange and improve balance of payments.
Meanwhile, Nyasa Times understands that East Bridge has established a special company in Malawi called East Bridge Commodities and Logistics to demonstrate its seriousness and commitment to the deal it has signed with the Malawi Government.
The Malawian subsidiary, which will create 500 jobs, has been set to fast track the delivery of the 600,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer.
Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Officer Cadets have been challenged to pursue every opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera made the challenge during the Officer Cadets Commissioning Parade, which took place at Malawi Armed Forces College (MAFCO) in Salima on Friday.
“As you embark on this remarkable journey, I urge you to keep your passion for service alive. Let it be a flame that lights your path towards a life of purpose. Let it be an example that inspires those around you to reach their full potential. Let it be a motivation to pursue every opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others,” said the President.
Chakwera reminded the graduands that the first qualification for service is faithfulness and not technical skill or professional performance.
He challenged the cadets to discharge their duties with diligence and professionalism if they are to win and sustain public trust.
President Chakwera speaking during the ceremony
“It is possible to be highly educated and skilled, but not be faithful, and if you are not faithful, then the people you serve lose their trust in you, and once trust is lost, so is your ability to lead, because what makes you a leader is the trust that others have in you. So remember that as officers, what you have received today is not just a commissioning, but a trust. From here, you will be entrusted with the welfare and protection of your fellow citizens. You will be entrusted with the rescue of lives. You will be entrusted with the proper use of public resources. You will be entrusted with the security of our borders. And the first thing you must prove to yourself, to God, and to your country is your faithfulness,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Chakwera has acknowledged that MDF is facing numerous challenges due to the prevailing economic conditions.
He said while he is personally committed to promoting the welfare of the men and women in uniform and ensuring that they accomplish various programmes and projects MDF has embarked on, he encouraged the leadership of the MDF to embrace a culture of self-reliance.
“Instead of only asking, ‘Where can we go to find resources for our military?” you need to also ask, ‘What can we do to maximize the resources our military already has?’” he emphasized.
Chakwera also deplored the culture of spending public money on ‘useless things while neglecting the essentials that would make our military stronger is a culture that needs to change’.
“We need to make the most with the resources we have, because that is what a faithful soldier does, and that is the approach I command all of you newly commissioned cadets to have,” said Chakwera.
Malawi President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has emphasized the need for economic integration among Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) member states.
Chakwera made the remarks in his maiden speech at the 22nd COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit, which took place at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia, on Thursday.
Traditionally, Heads of Government and State who assume office in between two successive sessions deliver primary speeches to outline expectations and impress their agenda within the bloc’s system during their tenure.
Other leaders who carried out similar protocols were Kenya’s William Ruto and Libya’s vice president Abdullah al-Lafi.
In his remarks, President Chakwera called upon the COMESA bloc to accelerate economic integration so that member states collectively recover strongly from setbacks such as Cyclones Idai and Freddy, Tropical Storms Ana and Gombe, droughts, the Russia –Ukraine war, Covid-19 and cholera.
The Malawi leader noted that in the absence of unity, other foreign forces will manipulate African economic systems to their advantage.
“Our economic integration is a matter of urgency because since the time we ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area, there have already been forces from beyond our continent moving into position to work our own economic framework to their advantage rather than ours,” he said.
President Chakwera speaking during the meeting
He added: “As such, if we do not quickly get our act together with economic integration on our own terms, it may very well be that by the time we fully integrate, the mechanism will have already been rigged against us to ensure that the beneficiaries of our economic integration are non-African economies.”
President Chakwera presented Malawi’s economic aspirations as espoused in the national development blueprint, Malawi2063, under what is termed as the ATM strategy.
“I call on all of us to move with speed on the key pillars of our economic integration. Those pillars include working together to increase our productive capacities in key sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and mining (ATM), which we have adopted in Malawi.”
The summit is being held under the theme “Economic Integration for a thriving COMESA, anchored on green investment, value addition and tourism.”
The main thrust of the discussions was on the need for COMESA to consolidate intra-Africa trade which remains at only 17 percent, a huge contrast to other continents most of who cross-trade with one another between 50 percent and 70 percent.
COMESA – comprising of 21 member states – has for many years – been the largest free trade area before the advent of what is now the largest FTA in the world, Africa Continental Free Trade Area. It has a population of 580 million citizens with a combined gross domestic product of around US$768 billion.
Malawi’s fastest-growing medical and health insurance firm, Wella Medical Aid Society (WEMAS) on Wednesday gave back MK3.5 million cash to employees of a Kasungu-based non-profit making organization – BuildOn.
WEMAS is the only health insurance company in Malawi that gives back money to members who have claimed less than 25 percent of their annual medical cover premiums.
Headquartered in Lilongwe, the company provides innovative medical insurance services that continuously increases value for its stakeholders while empowering their employees to make a difference.
And speaking when he presented the cash to the members, WEMAS Chief Executive Officer, McDonald Wella, said his company came up with the cashback programme as a means to recognize efforts by its members to manage their health well.
Wella promised that his company will continue providing competitive products and services to reward its members.
BuildOn Finance and Administration Manager, Kelvin Neba, expressed his organization’s excitement to associate itself with WEMAS.
WEMAS CEO MacDonald Wella presenting a dummy cheque to BuildOn Finance and Administration Manager Kelvin Neba and a representative of staff Vitumbiko Mhango
Neba said WEMAS has proven to be the best provider of medical cover services in Malawi.
WEMAS was established in 2020 to respond to the rising demand for innovative and responsive medical insurance services in Malawi. Currently, the company boasts of a membership of over 5, 000.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Director of Operations, Joe Thomas Nyirongo, has been arrested on suspicion that he masterminded a robbery incident that occurred in Mzuzu on Wednesday night.
Mzuzu Police Station publicist Paul Tembo confirmed the arrest, saying the law enforcers are currently investigating Nyirongo.
The DPP Director of Operations is also a popular businessman in the Northern City of Malawi.
A local radio station, Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), has reported that the robbery in question took place in the city near Thukuta House where some robbers went away with cash from a taxi passenger attacked by some robbers.
The victim got severely injured and was rushed to hospital by some well-wishers, ZBS added.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is leading a Malawi delegation at the 22nd Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit, which is taking place at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia.
Chakwera departed the Kamuzu International Airport this morning to attend the day-long conference, which is themed: “Economic Integration for a Thriving COMESA Anchored on Green investment, Value Addition and Tourism”.
The summit has attracted close to 3, 000 delegates from all member states and is categorized in three conventions namely; 18th meeting of COMESA Ministers of Foreign Affairs held on Tuesday, the COMESA Business Forum and, the Heads of State and Government.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disclosed that Chakwera will take advantage of the conference to consolidate Malawi’s position and opportunities within the trade bloc.
President Chakwera arriving in Zambia
Among others, President Chakwera has travelled with business captains and senior government officials on a tour that is destined to strike bankable trade deals.
COMESA is a free trade area established in 1993, replacing the then Preferential Trade Area that existed from 1981. The main intention at formation was to have a large economic and trading bloc that would eliminate some of the trade barriers put in place by individual states.
Among some notable benefits for Malawi in COMESA is the access to wider markets and infrastructure that supports that trade admittance.
For instance, COMESA formed part of a consortium that funded the construction and operationalization of the Mchinji – Mwami One Stop Border Post. This project promotes Malawi’s export agenda by removing logistical challenges for local businesses doing cross-border trade with Zambia and the entire region
Malawi’s leading timber milling company, Raiply (Malawi) Limited, has announced plans to construct a mini-stadium at Mtangatanga Full Primary School as one way of promoting sports and youth welfare in Mzimba district.
The mini-stadium is also going to enhance and improve the standard of sports at the grassroots level, considering the increasing number of school zones around the Chikangawa Forest Reserve participating in the Raiply Football and Netball Trophy.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Khrishna Das, was speaking over the weekend during the finals of this year’s Raiply Football and Netball competition.
Das said the company is currently consulting stakeholders in order to develop Mtangatanga Full Primary School Ground into a model mini-stadium.
“We are engaging with all relevant stakeholders to transform Mtangatanga Primary School Ground into a model mini stadium that will motivate students to excel not only in academics but also in sports,” he said.
Das (in eye glasses) claps hands after presenting the trophy to the winning team
Primary Education Advisor (PEA) for Chikangawa Zone, Charles Phiri, welcomed the development and commended Raiply Malawi Limited for increasing the financial sponsorship for the competition to MK1 million this year.
Phiri stated that this development has significantly reduced the dropout rate among learners.
“The increased sponsorship has encouraged more schools to participate in the competition, leading to a notable decrease in the dropout rate among students in all the schools around the Chikangawa Forest Reserve,” he said.
But Phiri appealed to Raiply Malawi Limited to expand their provision of free tree seedlings to schools across the country.
He emphasised that this initiative would contribute to the future maintenance of school infrastructure.
In the football category, Mtangatanga Primary School emerged as the champions, defeating Bala Primary School 7-6 through post-match penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
In netball, Kathibi Primary School secured victory by beating Kajolwe Primary School with a score of 20 baskets to 15, becoming this year’s champion.
Malawians have every reason to be excited following the announcement that prices of passports will go down following the termination of the $60.8 million (about K72 billion) electronic passports contract with Techno Brain Limited in 2021.
The termination of the contract has also enabled the Malawi Government to save $26 million (about K28 billion), which the Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda said would be invested in other pressing development projects across the country.
Chakaka Nyirenda expressed his sentiments on Sunday. This, in effect, fulfills one of the promises the Tonse Alliance government, led by President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, made during the campaign ahead of the Fresh Presidential Election in June 2020.
President Chakwera and his partners promised that they would reduce the cost of acquiring a Malawian passport; a thing that did not materialize, a development the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services attributed to the high cost of importing materials such as booklets, among others.
But Chakaka Nyirenda said he now expects that the department will reduce the charges following the termination of the contract with Techno Brain Limited, which allegedly supplied its products at an exorbitant price.
Thabo Chakaka: The termination will help reduce costs
“So, my expectation is that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services will be reducing the charges for passports. I am not so sure whether they can reduce it by K20,000 or whatever, but that is the expectation. We are saving $26 million [K28 billion] from that deal,” he said.
Nyirenda said the Malawi Government and Techno Brain Limited signed contract settlement agreement that will see the government paying about $22 million (about K23 billion) instead of $60.8 million (K72 billion) that Techno Brain Limited was requesting for the supply of electronic passports, printing equipment and passport books.
He said since the government is acquiring the electronic passports system, including passport books at a cheaper cost, it should reflect in the price that Malawians are accessing the passports.
“My expectation is these gains should be passed on to the members of the public,” said Nyirenda.
In his remarks, the Director General of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, General Charles Kalumo, said they are currently looking at the amount by which they can reduce the price on passports.
Kalumo added that the final decision will be made by relevant authorities.
“I am a mere civil servant. There are procedures that have to be followed on this matter. We will communicate if there is a change but I can’t tell when and how much it will cost,” he said.
Malawi terminated Techno Brain Limited passport contract with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services on December 7, 2021, owing to alleged poor handling of the contract.
Techno Brain Limited signed the contract in March 2019 during the then governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.
The deal was for Techno Brain Global FZE of the United Arab Emirates to upgrade the country’s passport issuance system.
But the documentation at the time showed that Techno Brain Limited was sourcing the passport booklets from Vienna, Austria, where the average unit cost of each booklet was $9.13 (about K7, 221.83) and from Singapore where the cost was around $1.73 (about K1 368.43)
The supplier was then selling each booklet to the Malawi Government at $76 (about K60 166), including the supply of ink ribbons and 1 600 crystagrams, a series of holographic images required for the printing of e-passport booklets
Rough calculations show that Techno Brain Limited was making a profit of between $66.87 (about K52, 894.17) and $74.27(about K58, 708.02) per passport booklet supplied to Malawi.
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