A budget analysis by the Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN) has indicated that poor Malawians will continue wallowing in abject poverty as the 2024-2025 National Budget does not specify measures for lifting them from their economic doldrums.
Presenting the findings to the Parliamentary Committees on Budget and Finance, and Social Welfare and Community Affairs last week, MEJN board member Andrew Kumbatira observed that the proposed budget does not indicate how it will increase social protection programs to alleviate poverty among the poor – who are in majority.
Kumbatira said poor people continue struggling to access basic necessities in the agriculture, education and health and extractive sectors.
Kumbatira granting an interview to the journalists
Budget and Finance Committee chairperson Gladys Ganda concurred with MEJN, stressing that the majority poor remain at the receiving end of the social and economic hardships the country is going through.
Ganda indicated that over 70 percent of the Malawi population is poor. She said social cash transfers are therefore key to rescue the poor.
MEJN with the support from the NCA and DCA did the research across the country as the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs presented the budget in the august House two weeks ago.
Survivors of the recent floods and members of parliament (MPs) from northern districts of Chitipa and Karonga have assured President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera of their support, observing that Chakwera’s government is the most ‘listening administration Malawi has ever seen’.
Speaking at Kambwe Relief Camp in Karonga on Monday, Chitipa East legislator Kezzie Msukwa said the people of the two districts were grateful to the President because of the timely response to their predicament.
Msukwa said Chakwera had demonstrated that he is not a ‘regional or tribal leader’ unlike in the previous administrations when presidents behaved more of regional presidents.
President Chakwera at a camp in Karonga
President Chakwera is currently in the Northern Region where he is fulfilling a number of official duties.
On Monday, the Malawi leader arrived in Karonga where he was welcomed by an electrifying mood and charming faces of residents at the township.
After consoling the flood survivors, President Chakwera inspected Karonga Water Project and Nthola Illola Irrigation Scheme as well as a rice factory before taking to Wovwe Irrigation Scheme.
Prophetess Petite Kambale – a wife of the renowned founder of Life International Church, Prophet Amos Kambale – over the weekend made a donation of food items to the elderly at Kuliyani and Mwambakanthu Villages in the remote area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Chitukula in Lilongwe.
Prophetess Kambale made the donation through her charity arm – Compassion Life – and was in response to the appeal community leaders have been making to the public to bail out the elderly who have been sleeping on empty stomachs because they cannot afford the cost of food on the market.
Speaking after making a symbolic donation, Prophetess Kambale said the donation was not a show of ‘too much wealth on our part’, but a heart to reach out and touch lives of those in need.
Prophetess Kambale making a symbolic presentation of the foodstuffs donated to the elderly people in Kuliyani and Mwambakanthu Villages
“It’s not that we have much, but it’s just that I was heavily touched when I heard of the deplorable plight of the elderly in this community. So I thought of sharing the little we have with these less privileged people. We just wanted to show the love of Christ to them,” she said, stressing that the beneficiaries are not members of their church.
One of the beneficiaries, Ketrina Kumdana, expressed her joy that the help was timely due to the fact that they live a hand to mouth life and sometimes they sleep without taking any food.
Chief Kuliyani was all jovial and said what the woman of God had done was unexpected and requested other church leaders, organisations and well wishers to emulate her good example.
Another man could not believe his eyes when he saw a truck parking by his house. “I stay alone, i have no relatives but your coming has given me hope to live, i don’t know how many children you have but please from today know that am your first born”.
The donated assorted items to the elderly in the two villages included flour, soya pieces, salt among others.
Compassion Life was established with a mandate to share the love of Christ to communities.
Compassion Life has since 2018 impacted many lives and we have committed ourselves to this noble cause of bringing hope to the hopeless and transforming lives. We do not discriminate neither do we undermine people. Rather we are more of a transitional bridge into a place of comfort and love for the lost, the forgotten, the hopeless and the broken-hearted.
The objectives of Compassion Life include catering for the needs of orphans, widows, street kids, the elderly by providing food and clothing.
To provide relief aid to communities affected by natural disasters and troubled welfare institutions. To cater for the educational needs of the underprivileged.
Life International Church was founded in 2016 and the church is known for relevant revelation teachings of the word of God, healing miracles, financial freedom, anointing and deliverance.
Hundreds gathered at Mzuzu Shoprite round about to welcome the Malawi leader Dr Lazarus Mc Cathy Chakwera in the Northern Region.
Among others, President Chakwera will inspect construction works on the Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa University in Mzimba before presiding over this year’s Martyrs Day’s Commemoration in Nkhata Bay on Sunday.
In his brief remarks to the excited crowd that welcomed him at the roundabout, the Malawi leader urged Malawians not to falter in their faith in God despite facing various challenges such as flash floods in Karonga and Nkhotakota.
Hundreds of people gathered at Mzuzu Shoprite round about to welcome the Malawi leader Dr Lazarus Mc Cathy Chakwera in the Northern Region.
President Chakwera reaffirmed his government’s commitment to distribute development projects to all the three regions of the country.
Speaking earlier, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) vice president for the north, Harry Mlekanjala Mkandawire, thanked the Head of State for giving priority to construction and rehabilitation of the roads in the region.
Mkandawire stated that the region has, for decades, been neglected by the previous administrations.
He said it was now pleasing to note that major road construction works have now commenced under President Chakwera’s leadership.
Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba has described as false reports suggesting that she is involved in the tampering of the system at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services.
The tampering of the system has rendered the department helpless, as it cannot print passports for thousands of the applicants of the travel documents.
When he delivered the State of the Nation Address (SONA) two weeks ago, President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera confirmed that the system had been hacked.
Chakwera also revealed that the ‘hackers’ were demanding huge sums of money in ransom, but he vowed that his government would not release any money to the tricksters.
On Tuesday, one of the online publications in Malawi reported that Zamba, Anthony Bendulo (former OPC Digital Lead) and the department’s Director General Charles Kalumo were behind the network glitches at the passport printing entity.
Zamba: It’s all lies
The publication claimed that a payment of MK1 billion is being processed for them to restore the system.
But Zamba refuted the allegations, wondering why she would want to frustrate government business, which she is the head.
“It’s all lies. Just ignore it. It’s false and a propaganda aimed to tarnish my image,” she said in an interview on Wednesday.
The SPC has since implored journalists to exercise professionalism when discharging their duties.
The Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) – an association for the Catholic bishops in Malawi – has expressed disappointment with the endless squabbling in the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The erstwhile governing party has been in protracted intraparty fight over leadership.
The squabbling reached its climax in January this year when party leader Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika – or APM as he is fondly called by his followers – convened a National Governing Council (NGC) meeting in Mangochi where he publicly shouted at the ‘rebels’, including NGC member Ken Msonda.
The party later expelled its vice president for the Southern Region, Kondwani, and several others for allegedly brewing confusion.
In their pastoral letter read in all the Catholic Churches in Malawi on Sunday, the Catholic bishops expressed disappointment with the squabbles, wondering if the fighting will help to address the social and economic challenges Malawians are facing.
The bishops, led by His Lordship George Desmond Tambala of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, said the actions taken by the DPP have potential to drive Malawi backwards.
“We watch with dismay the continuous squabbles that are being manifested in the political parties. What is seen are continuous fights that either end in circles of expulsions of members from parties or court injunctions and cases. In our view, these are actions that are driving democracy backwards and have the potential to throw this country into chaos and further dehumanizing poverty. Are these individuals or groupings fighting for an opportunity to serve the interest of Malawians or to forge opportunities to take up advantageous positions and satisfy their own interests? Malawians are crying out for political parties that put the interests of the nation before their own interests,” reads part of the epistle.
DPP publicity secretary Shadric Namablomba was not immediately available to comment on the matter.
Governance and Human Rights Advocate Undule Mwakasungula has advised the government to ensure effective implementation, transparent and accountable governance in the execution of the 2024-2025 national budget.
Mwakasungula has also stressed the need for the Malawi Government to develop measures for maneuvering through both domestic and global economic challenges.
He made the sentiments in his reaction to the 2024-2025 National Budget Statement, which the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Simplex Chithyola Banda, presented in the National Assembly on Friday.
Mwakasungula observed that the budget outlines several key areas aimed at promoting economic recovery, resilience, and sustainable growth for Malawi.
He said it was soothing that the budget has focused on enhancing domestic revenue mobilization, rationalizing expenditures, and prioritizing investments in high-yield sectors like agriculture, tourism, and mining labelled as (ATM strategy).
Mwakasungula: the budget’s effective implementation rests on government’s transparency and accountability
It has also emphasized on social protection measures, including increased Social Cash Transfer Benefit Levels and coverage, to support the vulnerable Malawians. Furthermore, the budget aligned with the Malawi 2063 Vision, aiming for an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialized nation.
“However, its success in meeting expectations of Malawians will depend on effective implementation, transparent and accountable governance, and above all, the ability to maneuver through both domestic and global economic challenges,” said Mwakasungula.
Among others, Mwakasungula noted that budget’s hopeful aspects have included initiatives for economic recovery through export diversification, labour export, and investment in mega farms and mining projects.
It has also stressed the development of legal and regulatory frameworks to protect natural resources and ensure environmental sustainability for our country. We have noted allocations for health, education, and infrastructure development highlighted in the budget, aimed at improving public service delivery and promoting human capital development.
Mwakasungula said these have raised a lot of expectations from Malawians, which he said, will help improved economic stability, reduced poverty and vulnerability for Malawians through enhanced social protection programs, increased employment opportunities, and better public services.
“And the emphasis on sustainable development and environmental protection is aligning Malawi with global development goals, offering hope for a more resilient and prosperous country. The 2024/25 budget statement has signaled out several positive trends indicating Malawi improving economy. These signals, as pointed out by the Minister of Finance such as on resolution of fuel shortages, improved forex availability, stabilization of food prices, materialization of the extended credit facility programme with the IMF, commencement of the labour export programme and the resumption of direct budget support from international partners and donors demonstrate the government’s efforts in recovery and stabilizing the economic landscape. This is a strong signal of restored trust and confidence in Malawi’s economic management and governance by the international partners,” he narrated.
“These signals collectively suggest that Malawi’s economy is on a path of recovery, marked by improvements in key areas that directly affect the well-being of Malawians and the overall economic health of the entire nation. This shows government’s efforts to address past challenges and implement strategic measures for economic stability and growth are beginning to yield tangible benefits, offering hope for continued improvement and prosperity,” concluded Mwakasungula.
There has been a continued wrangle between Lilongwe City, Block Leaders, and some shop developers at Nsungwi market or Kabwabwa graveyard.
In June last year, the Lilongwe City Council demolished the shops that are being built along the road that goes to Dedza and these shops have been built in the boundaries of Kabwabwa/Nsungwi graveyard.
You may wish to ask yourself, Kodi manda a Kabwabwa/Nsungwi ndi a Lilongwe City Council/ Block leaders/Mafumu amagazi?
Is this the only place where people have built in the boundaries of a graveyard within Lilongwe City or elsewhere?
Are the block leaders pushing for demolition of these shop doing so objectively with good intention?
Do we have invisible political hand in this issue? Are the shops targeted for demolition the only shops/structures that have been built around Kabwabwa/Nsungwi (if not why the other shops are spared)?
Within Lilongwe City (LCC) the only popular or known City council managed graveyard are in Area 18.
Residents of any area within Lilongwe are allowed to bury their relations at A18. When asked how many graveyards LCC has, the Director of Planning and Development for LCC confirmed that they are responsible and only control A18 graveyard.
Sub TA Matanda, where the Kabwabwa graveyard is found, emphatically stated that this graveyard is for his local people. STA Matanda further stated that him and some of his GVHs already engaged LLC and strongly discouraged LCC to avoid taking sides in the wrangle of the development along the graveyard.
The STA reported that during the meeting with the CEO and the mayor of LCC they agreed that this issue must be resolved amicably, impartially and without creating another problem that will affect the wide community as it happened at A25 health facility. It is reported that in June 2023 Senior Chief Chitukula and some block leaders also wrote LCC on the same issue.
Going around Lilongwe City, it has been established that there are more structures (houses, mosques, shops etc) that are built along graveyards. Examples of graveyards that have structures along it Kawale 2, A49 (near Mvama Police), Mbvunguti (A25), Chilinde, A23, Chisapo, Mzondo (A25), Maenje (Opposite Kanengo Industrial Area), Mgona.
One of the illegal building which was demolished last year within the Kabwabwa Area 25 graveyard
In Kawale LCC has built a public toilet just as like the shops at Kabwabwa/Nsungwi graveyard. When asked what is the recommended distance between a graveyard and a structure in LCC and what has LCC done with all these structures (including their own) which are built in the boundaries of nearly all graveyards in Lilongwe? The LCC representative was unable to mention any action taken in the other areas.
On the southern part of Nsungwi/Kabwawa graveyard there are over 70 shops built some 12 years ago. Three or so shop that are on this stretch were built a cemetery (anachotsa ziliza ndi mitumbira ndikumangapo).
LL Water Board built its office along the same graveyard. The shops (around 50) that have been a borne of contention are in the eastern part of Nsungwi/Kabwabwa graveyard.
When the new 50 shops that are along the road were demolished in June last year the other shops built in similar manner at the same graveyard were spared. LCC has not explained why these shops were spared.
The block leaders pushing for demolition of shops built at Kabwabwa are also not interested to have these old shops demolished. The leader of the Block Leaders who have been going to LCC office confirmed that his group have been pushing for demolition of only selected shops/structures around manda a Kabwabwa.
Three years ago, a prominent business person at Nsungwi (the one hosting Nsungwi police) offered to build a brick fence surrounding Kabwabwa graveyard.
This project started with a foundation in the eastern part of graveyard and part of the controversial side. It is rumored that the project stalled when some people particularly those operating Nsungwi lorries rank smelt something fishy (outside the fence opposite Nsungwi shop he and others built shops in support from selected block leaders).
It is reported that the intention of building the fence was to claim the land outside the fence by one person with few block leaders. Current information also has it that party candidates for upcoming elections have been using this wrangle as a complaining issue.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera says his administration is committed to ensure that State Owned Enterprises (SOE) are part of a wider reform agenda of the parastatal sector.
He was speaking in parliament Wednesday when he appeared before the house to respond to question from Members of Parliament (MPs).
Among the questions the president was asked was why his administration has so far moved 22 accounts of SOEs to the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) to stop government from borrowing its own money from commercial banks.
In his response President Chakwera said the migration of SOEs bank accounts to RBM is part of the areas to reform the parastatal sector.
He said government will continue with the migration policy to include fully sub-vented organisations and commercial SOEs.
President Lazarus Chakwera responds to questions from Members of Parliament-pic by Lisa Kadango Malango
The migration process is done in phases to minimise instances of disrupting operations which can affect the quality and speed of service delivery to Malawians.
“It is fundamentally and morally wrong to continue this policy of allowing a few entities to control the wealth of Malawians for their own self-enrichment,” Chakwera said.
The President also addressed the house on measures his administration has put in place to cover the expected shortfall and timely avert a prolonged hunger crisis because of the dry spell the country is currently experiencing.
The President said his administration is conducting an assessment to establish the extent and the impact of the dry spells.
“My government, with support from development partners, is implementing three flagship irrigation projects, namely Agricultural Infrastructure and Youth Agribusiness project, Programme for Rural Irrigation Development, Shire Valley Transformation Programme and Agricultural Commercialisation project,” he said.
The president responded to questions from MPs such as Nkhatabay South East, Noah Chimpeni; Thyolo Thava, Mary Navicha; Chikwawa West, Susan Dossi; Machinga North East, Ajilu Richard Kalitendere and Zomba Central, Bester Awali among others.
The Ministry of Education has enlisted and advanced 9,753 secondary school teachers, according to a press release dated February 19, 2024, signed by the Secretary for Education, Chikondano Mussa.
The announcement specifies the recruitment of 2,681 and promotion of 2,259 teachers at Grade TI and TJ, respectively.
Additionally, 3,997 teachers have been promoted to Senior Teachers/Heads of Department (Grade TH), 316 to Heads of Department (Grade TG), and 500 to Head Teachers (Grade TG).
Newly recruited teachers are instructed to report to their respective education divisions on Monday, February 26, 2024.
Furthermore, the Ministry has published the selection list for the 19th cohort of the Initial Primary Teacher Education (IPTE 19) intake, with selected candidates expected to report to their respective colleges on Sunday, February 25, 2024, in preparation for classes commencing on Monday, February 26, 2024.
