Nthanda Times

Nthanda Times Reporter

  • Poor water supply fuelling cholera in Blantyre

    Makhetha Health Centre is one of the health facilities overwhelmed by Cholera patients to the extent that it has stopped offering other services but treating cholera patients only.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    In an interview after the inspection tour, Chairperson for the Parliamentary Health Committee, Dr. Mathews Ngwale said the cholera situation in the area needs more effort to contain it.

    Ngwale (Centre) speaking during an inspection at Makhetha Health Centre. Pic. Chilungamo Missi. (MANA)

    “Our impression is that the situation here is very bad, you look at the area you see toilets next to wells where people are drawing water from, even health workers are unable to provide chlorine to households because water is flowing freely everywhere, therefore protection of the citizens is hard here.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    “The main problem is water supply; people are drinking from unprotected wells because they do not access safe water,” said Dr. Ngwale.

    Parliamentary Committee on Health members and other officials during the visit to Chinupule Village which has been hardly hit by Cholera in Makhetha. Pic. Chilungamo Missi. (MANA)

    He, therefore, said that water is a national issue demanding urgent solutions because if not careful, cholera will cease to be seasonal like in the past.

     Blantyre District Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Merriam Jere Nyasulu said communities and other sectors should join efforts to combat cholera.

    {loadmoduleid 252}

    She said: “There is a need for joint efforts to combat this outbreak, it should not be the health workers only, communities and other sectors should join hands so that we fully curb the outbreak”.

    On 10 January alone Blantyre had registered 104 new admitted Cholera cases with cumulative cases of 3184 and a death toll standing at 125.

  • NRFA concludes Unayo Standard Bank Cup this week end

    Confirming the development in Wednesday in an interview, General Secretary for NRFA,  Masiya Nyasulu said Young K Rangers from Chitipa would battle it out with Songwe Kamu Football Club of Karonga in the final match.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    He added that Chihame All Stars from Nkhata and Likoma’s Ulisa FC would face each other for the third position at Luwinga Sports Complex Centre in Mzuzu.

    Nyasulu urged soccer lovers to turn up in large numbers for the matches.

    “Basically as an association, we appreciate the sponsors. Football teams and soccer lovers in the region are very excited about the introduction of this cup and this will go a long way in football development in the region and the country as a whole.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    Chitipa Young K FC before semi-final match against Chihame All Stars at Base Ground in Chitipa- Pic by Walughano Lumbira- Mana

    Look at the teams which will battle for the third position, this only proves that we have talented footballers in the north. Therefore, let us all come and watch these matches,” he said.

    {loadmoduleid 252}

    Nyasulu said that the cup’s period was prolonged due to a shortage of referees.

    “We had a lot of games to be played with few referees who were also assigned to officiate Super League games, Simso Innobuild games, Nyasa Capital Finance Cup, and Unayo Cup hence it was quite a challenge,” he added.

    Head Coach for Songwe Kamu FC, Arnold Mwangomba said his team was more than ready to beat the Young Lions of Chitipa and get hold of the Unayo Cup since Karonga Stadium was their home ground.

    {loadmoduleid 252}

    “Let me commend my charges for the good work which they have displayed. Making it to the finals was not an easy thing and they will do everything possible to emerge champions of Unayo Cup,” he said.

    Chitipa Young K FC Coach, Blessings Kachali said they would continue from where they stopped and put up a grand fight to win the match.

    Chitipa Young K FC beat Nkhata-Bay outfit, Chihame All Stars FC 2-1 while Songwe Kamu FC beat Ulisa FC of Likoma 3-1 in post-match penalties.

  • Angry mob kill two suspected robbers in Neno

    Officer- in charge of Neno police Station Hanleck Chingolo told Mana on Thursday that Malinga who was working as a sales agent for Nyasa Manufacturing Company met his fate on Wednesday (11/01/23) at Magaleta village where he was discharging his duties.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

     “Late Malinga met Edward Batoni and his two accomplices (Now deceased) who were armed with a pistol. He was shot and robbed of his unknown valuables and the three suspects later fled the scene,” Chingole said.

    He said Batoni together with his two deceased friends headed towards the main road that connects Zalewa trading center and Mwanza boma.

    {loadmoduleid 252}

    The Station Officer added that some people who were monitoring them at a distance alerted their colleagues at Chifunga Trading Centre about what the three thugs had done and people mobilized themselves and apprehended the three suspected criminals at Chifunga Trading Centre.

    “Several people organized themselves waiting for the suspected criminals. When they arrived at Chifunga Trading Centre they were surrounded by community members who apprehended them and assaulted them badly,” he said.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    He said in the process, community members recovered a pistol from them plus three live ammunition.

    He added that the three were tied and the mob poured petrol on their bodies to set them ablaze but luckily police officers from Zalewa were tipped about the incident and rushed to the scene and rescued Edward Biton and his two accomplices who were later pronounced dead at Lisungwi hospital where they were referred for treatment.

    Chingolo said the victim (Malinga) died of a fatal gunshot wound at Queens Elizabeth Central Hospital where he was referred from Mwanza district hospital.

    {loadmoduleid 252}

    He said the survivor ( Batoni ) 44, who hails from Mkwate, in the area of Traditional Authority Kapeni in Blantyre has been referred to Queen Elizabeth Central hospital for further treatment.

     He added that the body of the late Malinga who hailed from Chikolosa village in the area of T/A Kanduku in Mwanza was at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital morgue awaiting post-mortem and the two bodies of the criminals have been deposited at Mwanza district Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem and identification.

  • Chiradzulu communities urged to stop mob Justice

    Speaking during a sensitization meeting his office organized at Namitambo Market, he said Chiradzulu district is one of the districts registering high numbers of mob justice cases.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    “We saw it very important to sit down with members of the public to find ways of resolving this issue; there are a number of issues that have been tackled, right away each and every person has today known that he or she is not supposed to take the law into their own hands at any cost rather they have to report to relevant authorities if somebody has committed an offense, where the police will conduct investigations and take the case to court with enough evidence for the prosecution,” Chaima added.

    Commissioner Chaima addressing the community

    He encouraged the community members to work with the Police in dealing with crime in their communities.

    {loadmoduleid 252}

    “We have given them the phone number of Chiradzulu Police Officer In Charge so that they contact her immediately if anything goes wrong, when the suspect has been arrested transport will be arranged and he or she will be picked up,” Chaima said.

    Senior Group Kuchombe said the meeting would help in ending mob justice in his area as people had received first-hand information from the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    “This will be easy for us because the people have heard for themselves and when we go to our communities it will be easy for us to deliver this message as we will just be reminding them of the same,” he said.

    Kuchombe requested more workers in community policing to increase security.

    “We would like all 113 chiefs here to have community policing structures because this can ensure security in our communities,” he added

  • Ministry of mining to open market for Gemstones

    Speaking at a Press briefing Thursday in Lilongwe dubbed ‘Government Faces the Press’ which aimed to review progress in the mining sector, he highlighted that the Ministry has identified the lack of proper market as a gap in Gemstone mining which has left Malawians in the business stranded.

    {loadmoduleid 252}

    “There is no proper market for Gemstones and a number of Malawians in gemstone mining have been duped in the process by smugglers since the market has been a problem and because of that gap. The Ministry engaged with RBM to provide a market for it, that as they are buying Gold they should also be buying the gemstones,” Mbawala disclosed.

    Albert Mbawala
    Mbawala: We currently don’t have Gemstone markets

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    He stated that the Ministry would continue working with security agencies to safeguard the mining sector for the country to realize forex and urged Malawians to report the smuggling of minerals and illegal mining.

    The Minister assured Malawians that RBM was at its final stage to open the market and buy from Malawians at small-scale mining in February 2023 which would create jobs in the process.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    Meanwhile, the Ministry is appealing to mining firms to exercise patience regarding the signing of Mining Development Agreements (MDAs) due to several procedures that the ministry will have to go through in the process to ensure that the country benefits from it.

    In a separate interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana), National Coordinator for Natural Resource Justice Network, Kennedy Rashid has advised RBM to consult stakeholders in mining to ensure fair monopoly in the market.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    “This is a good initiative; RBM should do wide stakeholders consultation with Gemstone miners, traders, and the companies into mining because they need to understand what the situation is on the market,

    Government needs to look at such initiatives because there are international principles and issues of fair trade policies and regional trade policies that guide these things as well as international and put them into consideration,” he noted.

    As of November 30th, 2022, the Reserve Bank of Malawi has purchased a total volume of 187 kilograms (Kg) of Gold, worth  K 9.4 billion which has been acquired from mining cooperatives since the Gold market initiative in May 2021.

  • Body of missing man found in Lake Malawi after two months

    Spokesperson for Karonga Police Station, George Mulewa said the deceased was a fisherman and went missing on November 18, 2022. 

    {loadmoduleid 260}

     “People exhausted all their efforts in search for him but his body was not found until today in a decomposed state by a fellow fisher,” said Mulewa.

    Mulewa: fishers should operate in groups

    He added that post-mortem results from Karonga District Hospital revealed that death was due to suffocation secondary to drowning.

    Police in the district continue to advise fishermen to take precautionary measures which include ensuring that they are always in the company of fellow fishers when going to the lake so that they are easily rescued in case of eventualities.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    Tawakali hailed from Malema 1 Village in the area of Paramount Chief Kyungu in Karonga.

     

     

     

  • Poor waste management worries Chiponda

    The minister made the remarks on Thursday during a joint press briefing where she announced the lifting of the suspension on the opening of schools in Lilongwe and Blantyre cities following a successful implementation of preventive measures in the schools.

    She observed that while the councils in the country are doing their best to ensure the cleanliness of the environment in markets, streets, and other places, in some cities waste management remains a big problem.

    Chiponda, who is also co-chair for the Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus and Cholera, has since urged all councils and institutions to ensure that cholera preventive measures are implemented all the time.

    “Close, with immediate effect, all marketing, transport and travel, sporting, religious and entertainment facilities, including those belonging to the local councils, that do not have on-site safe water, functional toilets, organized and hygienic refuse disposal facilities until the deficiencies are corrected,” said Chiponda.

    She added: “Clean up all centralized refuse dump sites, or hygienically retire filled-up dumpsites.”

    Vendors ply their business next to a filthy and stinking drain outside Lilongwe Main Market just next Lilongwe City Offices

    The Task Force has also banned, with immediate effect, vending of precooked foods along streets, in local markets and bus depots, and within school premises.

    The minister has since announced that schools in the cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe shall open on Tuesday, January 17, despite the rising number of cases across the country.

    This follows the Taskforce’s joint assessment with other stakeholders such as the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, and the Ministry of Education, among others, on schools in the two cities during the two-week delay.

    As of Wednesday, the country had recorded 22,759 cholera cases and 750 deaths since the first cases were recorded in March 2022.

  • Karonga to plant 1.5 million tree seedlings

    District Forestry Officer (DFO) for Karonga Christopher Chirwa on Tuesday said the District was planning to plant 1.5 million tree seedlings in this 2023 forestry season.

    The Forestry Officer disclosed this in an interview with Nthanda Times, saying the forestry office was in the process of finalizing the management of most seedlings and nurseries comprising both exotic and indigenous seedlings.

    He further said planting trees is the best strategy to avert the effects of disasters and climate change being experienced in the district.

    “As Karonga we have been facing floods each and every year as a result of manmade disasters like deforestation hence our plan of planting 1.5 million tree seedlings to reverse some of the destruction,” he said.

    Chirwa: We intend to reverse some of the manmade destructions Karonga district has been facing

    Chirwa has since underscored the importance of community participation in the tree planting exercise saying their involvement is key in monitoring and looking after trees.

    However, Chairperson for Mwakaboko Area Development Committee (ADC) Edward Chitete, urged authorities to look at alternative sources of energy describing the current trend as encouraging deforestation due to the demand for charcoal in households.

    “As communities in Mwakaboko deforestation has really affected us as each and every year we get the flooding of Kyungu river which has happened due to cutting down of trees along the river hence our appeal for an alternative source of energy to stop people from unnecessary cutting down of trees,” Chitete explained.

    On the other hand, Prosper Malema a youth in the district noted that Malawi will continue to struggle to overcome problems emanating from climate change unless everyone takes up the responsibility of planting and loving trees.

    Adding every year millions of trees are planted but the survival rate leaves a lot to be desired due to a lack of proper care.

  • FPAM moves to reduce abortion related deaths

    In a bid to reduce maternal and abortion-related deaths, the Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM), has rolled out a post-integrated abortion care services project in Lilongwe and Ntcheu districts.

    According to FPAM’s Service Delivery Manager- Modester Kasawala, maternal deaths continue to rise in the country due to self-induced abortion, delay, and lack of access to post-abortion treatment.

    She said: “Majority shun post-abortion complication treatment in hospitals because they are afraid of being arrested especially since the law prohibits self-induced abortions in the country which is increasing maternal deaths”.

    Kasawala service delivery manager for FPAM

    Among others, the NGO is training healthcare workers in public hospitals, health centers, and clinics on the best practices for the management of cases of abortion complication care services while other facilities are supported with post-abortion.

    It is also conducting sensitization among women and girls to increase awareness and improve hospital turn up to access treatment after abortion.

    Commenting on the same, Bwaila hospital Safe Motherhood Coordinator, Teresa Kabaghe, hailed the initiative saying that both the training for healthcare workers and equipment given will improve quality service delivery in hospitals.

    Kabaghe: The initiative will improve health delivery services

    She said the supervision and mentorship conducted in health facilities will help in advancing knowledge and skills for healthcare workers in their provision of post-abortion care services in a bid to reduce abortion complications.

    The 43 million projects supported by Large Anonymous Donors (LAD), are being implemented in six facilities in both public and private hospitals, clinics, and health centers in Lilongwe that include Bwaila, Area 25 health center, Kabudula community hospital, Nambuma, Chiunjiza, and Kawale FPAM clinic.

    While in Ntcheu district, four health centers, a hospital, and one clinic are benefiting from the program. They include Ntcheu hospital, Katsinja, Sasekera, Lizulu, Kandewu, and FPAM Ntcheu clinic.

    Currently, the existing laws in the country restrict access to safe abortion under sections 149,150, and 151 of the penal code while section 243 makes exceptions by allowing abortion only when the health and life of a woman are in danger.

  • Two commit suicide in Blantyre

    According to Blantyre Police Deputy Publicist, Aubrey Singanyama, the two separate incidents occurred on 7 January.

    “It is reported that on 7 January, around 13:00 hours Makhalira Lino, 48 took his own life by hanging himself in a Masuku tree at Soche hill forest. Children who were playing nearby saw him and notified the local community police who informed Soche Police,” said Singanyama.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    He said the police rushed to the scene and took the body to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH).

     “In a separate incident in the same area, Pindani Jack, 40, died after committing suicide by hanging in a Mango tree.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    “On January 7 around 18:00 hours the deceased was seen going home from his work at a certain maize mill. The following morning he was found hanging in a mango tree and the matter was reported to Soche police who rushed to the scene and took the body to QECH where death was confirmed,” said Singanyama.

    {loadmoduleid 260}

    Lino hailed from Chemboma village, in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Somba in Blantyre district while Jack was from Muthere village, in the area of T/A Nkhumba in Phalombe district.