Nthanda Times

Brenda Sanudi

  • Chakwera accuses journalists of paying blind eye to what his govt is doing on reforms

    President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has said his administration remains committed to the implementation of Public Sector Reforms to improve public service delivery.

    Speaking on Tuesday when he launched the National Action Plan for Open Government Partnerships in Malaŵi, Chakwera faulted journalists for reporting that his government had stopped pursuing the reforms.

    He said the launch of the National Action Plan for Open Government Partnerships is a clear demonstration of his administration’s resolve to implement the reforms.

    “Today, we are here as a direct result of months of work that my office has been doing quietly to advance my administration’s reforms agenda, months of work that our newspapers seem to have not been paying attention to. I think it’s high time that newspapers understood that just because they have not been paying attention or privy to something happening in government doesn’t mean that it isn’t happening,” said Chakwera.

    Reacting to a published story that suggested that Reforms Report was gathering dust at Capital Hill, the Malawi leader clarified that the Reforms Report that Vice President, Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, submitted to him was “not a document for public entertainment or public debates that produce nothing but noise”.

    Chakwera said what Chilima submitted to him was a reference document for him as President to use in his own direct engagements with public institutions and public officers that need his constant direction on the reforms they need to implement in their respective areas of responsibility, something I have been doing for two years now.

    “If I had not been pursuing reforms, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs would not have made progress in the negotiations for an Extended Credit Facility with the International Monetary Fund, because the center piece of those negotiations are the Reforms we have put in place for better fiscal management.

    “If I had not been pursuing Reforms, we would not have secured the 350 million dollar Millennium Challenge Compact, because to qualify for that Compact required the implementation of Reforms that passed the scorecard our development partners gave us. If I had not been pursuing Reforms, the Presidential Delivery Unit in my office would not have been conducting Delivery Labs for various sectors to improve public sector performance. In fact, to sustain the momentum of the PDU, I have appointed Dr. Janet Banda, the Deputy Secretary to the President and Cabinet, as the new Head of PDU, who will be reporting directly to me on its operations and its push for public sector reforms and delivery,” said the President.

    President Lazarus Chakwera

    He added that Malawi’s membership to OGP means that the action plan Malawi is pursuing for reforms that enhance governance and accountability is so robust that it meets the standards and has the buy-in of global partners, civil society, private sector, non-governmental organizations, academia, and other stakeholders.

    Chakwera staid the OGP membership gives Malawi access to international tools and standards for promoting transparency and citizenship engagement and participation. 

    This OGP membership gives us areas of focus that are critical to the pursuit of Malawi 2063’s Enabler Number 2, which deals with Effective Governance Systems and Institutions. This OGP membership signals our commitment to practice the provisions of our Constitution, which demand that those who govern must do so with transparency and accountability to sustain the trust of citizens,” he said.

  • Chakwera to co-host National Conference on the Separation of Powers

    President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera will in the next six days co-host the first-ever National Conference on the Separation of Powers with the Chief Justice Rezine Mzikamanda and Speaker of the Malawi Parliament Catherine Gotani-Hara.

    Chakwera 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.

    The Malawi leader made the sentiments in Lilongwe on Tuesday when he launched the National Action Plan for Open Government Partnerships in Malaŵi.

    “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.

    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.

  • Judge Zione Ntaba orders DPP to refund K14m to Malawians within 30 days

    It is another win for the poor Malawians as the High Court Judge, Zione Ntaba, has ordered the erstwhile governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to refund Malawians cash amounting to K14 million.

    While it was in power, DPP forcibly obtained this money from district councils and government parastatals for its Blue Night, something that did not please civil society organizations (CSOs), which took the matter to the court.

    The CSOs, led by Gift Trapence, Charles Kajoloweka, Robert Mkwezalamba, Moses Mkandawire and Timothy Mtambo who represented five CSOs in September 2017 when the matter started, argued that DPP had no reasons to use public funds for its fundraising dinner and dance held at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on July 29 2017.

    The party applied in vain to have the court strike out the case in December 2021, counter-arguing that the claimants (CSOs) failed to, among others, comply with the directions issued earlier by the court as such there was no need to advance prosecution of the matter.

    Its major contention, according to DPP lawyer Chimwemwe Sikwese, was the CSOs’ delay to file essential court documents, which he argued, signified the claimants’ lack of interest to put the matter on trial.

    DPP President Peter Mutharika displaying Airtel Money code to DPP members for fundraising during the party’s recent fundraising dinner

    The five CSOs were Centre for the Development of People, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, Youth and Society, Human Rights Consultative Committee and Livingstonia Synod’s Church and Society Programme.

    The party also wanted the court to strike out the proceedings because it was improperly named in the matter where, instead of Democratic Progressive Party, it was referred to as Democratic People’s Party, which it argued was irregular.

    But in her ruling, Ntaba dismissed the DPP on the wrong name, arguing that the misspelling of the name was an issue attributed to all parties, including the court as the draft Order of Directions on November 12 2021 on being sent to all parties had no one noting the mistake.

    The judge also dismissed the DPP’s prayer on non-compliance as well as two other preliminary objections the party raised arguing, among others, they were not sustained. She later set down the matter for virtual hearing last Monday.

    And in her judgment delivered on Thursday, Ntaba ordered DPP to pay back the money within 30 days.

    The party has not yet commented on the matter. Since it lost power through the Fresh President Election in June 2020, DPP has been sailing through troubled waters.

  • World Bank provides $265m for scaling up agriculture commercialization, improving food resilience in Malawi

    The World Bank has approved US$265 million [approximately MK268 billion] to scale up agriculture commercialization and improve food resilience in Malawi.

    The grant will also see Lilongwe establishing six new irrigation schemes, support an additional 560 productive alliances that target more than 112, 000 households, and work with smallholder farmers to execute productivity-enhancing investments with support of a $250 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA) and a $15 million grant from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program.

    The grant has been approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, according to a statement from the World Bank in our possession.

    The statement further discloses that the new financing is part of the third phase of the regional Food Systems Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa (FSRP).

    “The regional program has an overall envelope of $2.75 billion and aims to increase the resilience of food systems and preparedness for food insecurity in the participating countries.  It provides a platform for cooperation and cross-learning along a number of pillars which includes rebuilding agricultural productive capacity, better managing natural resources, getting to markets and improving national and regional policies to enhance resilience,” reads the statement.

    It adds that the program will scale up many of the successful interventions and approaches of Malawi’s Agricultural Commercialization Project (AGCOM) as a means of enhancing national and regional food systems resilience.

    It will also introduce new elements, including climate-smart agriculture and irrigation systems, investments in research and extension services, as well as support to the authorities to implement resilience-enhancing policy reforms.

    World Bank Country Manager for Malawi Hugh Riddell says AGCOM is delivering on Malawi’s Vision 2063’s core goal of agricultural transformation; hence, their decision to support it.

    “We are therefore excited that, with support from the FSRP, Malawi has an opportunity to scale this intervention nationally and collaborate and learn how to tackle food systems resilience with the other participating countries in the region. Developing viable and sustainable value chains is key to national food security, as well as boosting foreign exchange for the country’s broader economic needs,”saysRiddell.

    He adds that the project in Malawi will also prioritize building climate-resilient infrastructure that is designed and built in a way that anticipates, prepares for, and adapts to changing climate conditions since Malawi currently depends largely on rain-fed agriculture.

    In his remarks, Malawi’s Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, commended the World Bank for the timely support to the country.

    Sam Kawale

    Kawale said agriculture is the mainstay of Malawi’s economy and any investments made in this sector have a multiplier effect towards the country’s economic transformation and general improvements in the livelihoods of our people, including strengthening food security.

    “With lessons learnt from AGCOM, we expect the scaling up of some interventions within the new project will likely have a great impact on the overall economy,” he said.

    FSRP for Eastern and Southern Africa has already committed close to $1.7 billion in the first three phases of its program. Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Somalia and Tanzania are being joined by the African Union Commission (AUC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Center for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA), to help facilitate learning and action across borders. More countries are expected to join.

    Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Sosten Gwengwe, has said this major investment that the World Bank is making in agricultural transformation is embedded in the wider policy framework for small and medium enterprise (SME) development, and export promotion and facilitation.

    Gwengwe further stated that the new phase of this project gives us confidence that we have the capacity and ability to deliver results that have potential to transform the lives of Malawians, and we will continue to undertake actions and policy reforms so that we sustain the economic transformational efforts.

    The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives.

    IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 74 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.3 billion people who live in IDA countries.

    Since 1960, IDA has provided $458 billion to 114 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $29 billion over the last three years (FY19-FY21), with about 70 percent going to Africa. Learn more online: IDA.worldbank.org. #IDAworks.

  • Chakwera reiterates calls for de-sanctioning of Zimbabwe by the West

    Malawi President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has reiterated his government’s determination to forge ahead with Malawi’s cooperation with Zimbabwe even in challenging times such as the sanctions the West imposed on Zimbabwe.

    Chakwera is one of the Heads of State and Governments in Africa, which have relentlessly advocated for the lifting of the sanctions against Zimbabwe at various fora.

    Speaking on Wednesday evening at a State Banquet hosted at the Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe in honor of the Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Malawi leader said his government remains committed to working with Zimbabwe in various areas.

    Chakwera commended the Mnangagwa administration for the support the Harare government has been providing to Malawi, including support towards responding climate change disasters that have hit Malawi in recent times.

    His Excellency Comrade Dr . Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe shows the symbolic key granting him the freedom of the city- pic by Carolyn Mkandawire

    “Zimbabwe is always among the first to come to our aid, including 10,000 metric tonnes of food President Mnangagwa sent to us soon after Cyclone Freddy hit us. President Mnangagwa and I just finished a one-on-one discussion moments before coming to this banquet, which we could have carried on all night were it not for this Banquet.  No matter what each of our nations face, we are determined to stand together and to fight for each other, because standing together no matter what is what you do with family,” he said.

    President Chakwera disclosed that his invitation of Mnangagwa for the State Visit is a celebration of the cordial and strong bonds of cooperation and friendship that exist between Malawi and Zimbabwe since the establishment of our diplomatic relations in 1980.

    He said Malawi and Zimbabwe will never accept that Zimbabwe and Malawi are not neighbouring countries despite the colonial borders separating the two countries.

    “The fact that those old colonial powers in Europe decided to create borders that did not join Zimbabwe’s border and Malawi’s border like conjoined twins is all the evidence you need that they did not know what they were doing. May God forgive them,” said.

    In his remarks, Mnangagwa thanked President Chakwera and his administration for the invitation. He assured his counterpart of his government’s commitment to collaborating with Malawi in efforts designed to develop the two countries.

  • Chakwera, Mnangagwa to hold bilateral talks

    Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and his Zimbabwean counterpart, Emerson Mnangagwa, will hold bilateral talks aimed at exploring,new frontiers in diplomacy, trade, investment and cultural exchange.

    Mnangagwa arrives in the country through Kamuzu International Airport this afternoon at the invitation of his Malawian counterpart President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.

    According to a statement by Ministry of Foreign Affairs the two leaders are expected to among other engagements hold bilateral talks and sign a memorandum of understanding that will ratify the resolutions of the 11th Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation between the two countries. 

    The session has been underway since early this week in preparation for the state visit.

    “The state visit will consolidate the already strong Malawi-Zimbabwe bilateral relations which are based on mutual interest to uplift the standards of living of the people of the two countries, historical ties, traditional people-to-people exchanges, and shared interests in international social-economic and geo-political developments across the globe,” reads the statement.

    While in the country, Mnangagwa is also expected to visit the Kamuzu Mausoleum, Lilongwe Tobacco Floors, Conforzi Tea Plantation in Thyolo and Cyclone Freddy victims in Blantyre. 

    The Zimbabwe leader is expected to leave Malawi on Friday, June 2, 2023, through Chileka International Airport.

  • Muluzi case discontinuation to save govt resources, Undule

    Governance and Human Rights Advocate Undule Mwakasungula has welcomed the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Masauko Chamkakala to drop corruption charges against former president Bakili Muluzi, saying the discontinuation of the case will help public resources.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, Mwakasungula observed that during the 14 years Muluzi had been appearing before the court to defend himself, the State was draining taxpayers’ money to sustain the case.

    His sentiments follow a ruling by the High Court of Malawi to free the former Head of State from all the charges he was answering in relation to the alleged abuse of public funds amounting to MK1.7 billion.

    Mwakasungula: Muluzi case has drained taxpayers money

    “The High Court of Malawi ruling to discontinue the case and the decision by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Masauko Chamkakala indicating that sustaining the case will be difficult is a wise decision and good for the former President to live peacefully.

    “Further, the ruling is very welcome in the sense of the 14 years length of the case has taken under the previous administrations. This is a long period, which has drained the much-needed national resources used to sustain the case,” he said.

    Mwakasungula said it was not a secret to many Malawians that the case was viewed more as politically motivated by the first administration of the Democratic Progress Party (DPP) led by former President late Professor Bingu Wa Mutharika for having been challenged following his move from United Democratic Front (UDF).

    Apparently, UDF sponsored Mutharika his candidature in the 2004 General Elections before he formed his own DPP making it a ruling party. This move created animosity between the two leaders and parties as it was viewed as a betrayal by UDF.

    Mwakasungula said the High Court ruling to discontinue the case also vindicates the former Anti-Corruption Bureau Reyneck Matemba who said the case against the former President needed a political solution because it was difficult to prosecute.

    “Therefore, regardless of what other opinions are on the High Court ruling what is important is that the former President deserved to be released from all charges for the sake of his freedom and to allow him to live peacefully and honorably as former Head of State,” he said.

  • Chithyola outlines Chakwera administration’s vision for industrial parks

    The Minister of Industry and Trade Simplex Chithyola Banda says the administration of President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has put much interest in developing the industrial parks, which will expand exports of Malawian products and improve the foreign exchange earnings for the country.

    Banda said the development of industrial parks in Malawi will give the country a vital opportunity to have the market of its products extended to European countries and fill the gap created by the wars like that of Russia-Ukraine.

    The minister was speaking from Gabon where he is leading a 14-member delegation on a learning tour of Gabon, Benin, and Togo.

    The tour aims at learning more about the project as the Malawi Government intends to implement four industrial sites of Area 55 in Kanengo-Lilongwe, Dunduzu in Mzuzu, and Chigumula as well as Matindi in Blantyre.

    “I am particularly happy that the government of President Lazarus Chakwera has put much interest in developing the Industrial Parks which will expand exports of Malawian products and improve the foreign exchange earnings for the country. If developed, the parks which will be under the Special Economic Zones will be a game changer on our economy. Malawi as a food basket will increase its production with the coming of these industrial parks and value addition, thereby increasing the quality of export products,” he said.

    On their part, Malawi’s delegates accompanying the Minister have said the trip will help them to learn more on the impact of the parks to Malawi.

    “I am happy to be part of the delegation to learn about local participation and the social impact of the industrial parks on our citizens. I would like to learn how the communities will benefit in areas of corporate social responsibilities and job creation,” said Senior Chief Kapeni, who is part of the delegation.

    Legislators Abel Kayembe, Paul Nkhoma, and Francis Belekanyama who are part of the delegation representing the National Assembly of Malawi described the trip as very important on the part of Parliament to make sure they learn about the role of Parliament in making laws regulating the parks.

    Meanwhile, NBS Bank has said it is interested to learn how banks support the development of the parks having set aside over K20 billion to finance the development of the park.

    We believe financing the industrial parks initiative is one way of promoting SMEs and Private Sector. Our coming here will enhance our understanding of how the financing of such parks is done,” said Chinkhadwe, who is the bank’s senior official making part of the delegation.

    Afrexim Bank official, Gagan Gupta, said he is happy that Malawi has taken a serious path to develop the industrial parks, adding that his bank is happy to support the initiative that will boost Malawi’s economy.

    Development of industrial parks is one of the areas earmarked by the Chakwera administration towards the attainment of the 2063 vision to make Malawi an inclusively wealthy, industrialized, and self-reliant nation by the year 2063.

  • Drug Fight Malawi says most youths are ignorant about dangers of drug abuse

    Majority of the young people in both private and public schools in Malawi are not fully aware of the dangers of drug use and many see drugs as a solution to their problems, a narrative report by Drug Fight Malawi says.

    The organization has since highlighted the need for increased efforts to educate and raise awareness among young people about the risks and consequences of drug abuse.

    Drug Fight Malawi is implementing an outreach campaign on drug use prevention in schools and identified drug abuse hotspots in selected districts in Malawi.

    The report observes that children grow up in a much complex and difficult world today and that because of their trait of curiosity, they tend to explore anything that seems to be new and attractive to them.

    “As a result, innocent children fall into certain habits and impulses those are not congenial to their health in general. Particularly, children are quite vulnerable to drug use in both towns, cities and as well as in rural areas,” reads part of the report.

    Drug Fight Malawi Executive Director Nelson Baziwelo Zakeyu conducting an outreach campaign

    It adds that there are various reasons behind their attraction to drugs, citing what they learn on the streets, at school, on the internet and television.

    “Some of it is true, some not. Many children and young people today are using drugs which pose a danger not only to their future but also trouble making in both their households and communities,” it says.

    Drug Fight Malawi has since recommended that teachers should be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to address drug-related issues, observing that teachers would play a critical role in preventing drug use among students.

    The organization also recommends that teachers should have their own drug use prevention training sessions, to enable them to better educate their students on the dangers of drug abuse, in the absence of project staff.

    “Our experience also showed that separate programs need to be organized specifically targeting children in drug use hotspots, such as Area 47 and other areas in Lilongwe, Ndirande and other areas in Blantyre, some townships in Mzuzu, Zomba, and even in lakeshore areas. These programs should be tailored to the unique needs of these communities and should involve local leaders, Religious and political leaders and stakeholders to ensure patronage and success,” says the organization.

    Drug Fight Malawi Executive Director Nelson Baziwelo Zakeyu compiled the narrative report

    Among challenges the organization faced in the implementation of the project are uncooperativeness from owners of private schools to arrange for campaign sessions perhaps because the Ministry of Education endorsement letter is only for public schools.

    Another challenge faced by the project was limited finances, which made it difficult for the project team to reach out to schools outside the City of Lilongwe. This is an understandable issue, as it can be costly to travel to other districts, especially if the team needs to cover long distances since the project is implemented without donor support.

    However, Drug Fight Malawi said there were a number of opportunities the project could take advantage of. For example, the project has dedicated and well-trained staff on the truth about drugs after undergoing several courses of that nature to deliver the program.

    “Collaborating with other local and international organizations, including government agencies, NGOs, and community-based organizations, would also increase the reach and impact of the drug abuse prevention program,” says the report.

  • Chakweras congratulate Tabitha Chawinga for scooping Italian Serie A Women Golden Boot Award

    Malawi President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and the First Lady, Monica Chakwera, have congratulated female footballer, Tabitha Chawinga, for scooping the Italian Serie A Woman Golden Boot Award.

    Chawinga is the first African player to win the award.

    In a statement released on Monday morning, President Chakwera and the First Lady said they were ‘incredibly proud of Tabitha’s outstanding performance and her unwavering commitment to the sport’.

    Tabitha (R), Golden Boot winner

    “The First Lady and I are delighted to extend our warmest congratulations to Tabitha Chawinga for her remarkable achievement in becoming the first African player to win the Italian Serie A Women Golden Boot award. We are incredibly proud of Tabitha’s outstanding performance and her unwavering commitment to the sport,” reads part of the statement.

    The further stated that Tabitha’s historic accomplishment is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and talent.

    President Chakwera and his spouse said the woman footballer has not only made history, but also inspired countless young girls and women in Malawi and across Africa.

    “As a nation, we must continue to support and invest in our athletes, particularly women, who have the potential to excel on the global stage, creating an enabling environment that promotes gender equality in sports and provides equal opportunities for all. Once again, we congratulate Tabitha Chawinga on her well-deserved recognition and wish her continued success in her career. May God bless Tabitha Chawinga, and many God bless Malawi,” concluded the statement.