It has been established that the United Kingdom (UK) and US governments are sponsoring the operation of Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) with the aim to deal with successful business individuals particularly of Malawians of Asian origin.
We have details information on how the two nations facilitate the establishment of PIJ with enough funding for office space and equipment.
PIJ staffs including Gregory Gondwe, Golden Matonga are on British pay role.
With the support from British aid, PIJ has been working closely with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accessing secretive government legal documents in the name of Investigative Journalism.
This is the reason the two governments; USA and UK, were very furious on Gondwe’s police probe while politicising the whole process.
Consequently, forcing Malawi strongly to repudiate USA and UK and other stakeholders for politicising the arrest of Gondwe and casting aspersions of the president chakwera’s character for his quest to promote freedom of the press in the country.
In a Press Statement released on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 and signed by Minister of Information and Digitization says that president Chakwera is committed to promotion of freedom of press in the country.
“Government repudiates all attempts and efforts by some quarters to politicize the incident by casting aspersions on the unimpeachable character of the State President, whose promotion on a free press is as unshakable as his promotion of independent police,” reads in the statement in apparent response to UK and USA which were among the first to strongly condemn the arrest.
The statement further says president Chakwera’ s and his government has a duty to respect the independence of police in carrying its duties therefore it has no mandate to interfere in its operations.
Adds the statement; “Government maintains the policy its policy and practice of non- interference in the operations of the MPs. This is because Government interference in police matters is prohibited by law”.
Government’s Chief Legal adviser, the Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda has declared ‘war’ on journalists. He started his ‘war’ on Monday by arresting scribe Gregory Gondwe after he refused to disclose his source on a story that Gondwe published on his Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) website on March 30, 2022.
The story was about Chakaka’s legal opinion which allowed the government to pay billions of kwachas to Zuneth ‘Satan’ Sattar who is under probe for corruption in both Malawi and the United Kingdom. Currently Sattar is on bail after being arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK.
Gondwe was picked up by Police in Blantyre on Monday and had his electronic gadgets confiscated by Police in order to force him to reveal his sources.
World over and in the journalism profession, journalists protect their sources and they cannot reveal them even with a bullet in their head!
It is shameful that the very man who is supposed to protect and follow the law, is the same man who is abusing his authority and starts ‘killing’ journalism by intimidating journalists. This man is Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda, the sitting Attorney General.
Writing on his Facebook page after being released without charge, Gondwe said his arrest comes after a futile attempt by Nyirenda to force him to reveal his source on the story.
“I was introduced to the applicant of the search warrant S/Superintendent Henry Willy Kalungu (who at the regional police offices in Chichiri where I was taken, everyone was calling him [Crime Suputu] Crime Supt). The other person in the vehicle was Superintendent Kamisa, apparently the Regional Head of Criminal Investigations. They told me they had come for two things; to confiscate my electronic gadgets (laptops, phones and computers) as well as to ask me, to tell them, who my source was, that facilitated the publication of a story we published on March 30.”
“I told them I could not speak without my lawyer, while fully aware that this was a futile attempt that started with Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda who had threatened to take this course of action when I could not tell him who my source was, prior to publishing the story,” writes Gondwe.
The revelation has not gone down well with journalists in the country who have likened the situation to a ‘war waged on us all by Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda’.
The path that Nyirenda has taken will not end well with him, if any comments on a professional journalists group are anything to go by.
We cannot reveal the names of the journalists involved in the discussion on the professional group as it is a ‘closed’ group for professional journalists only.
“If the Honourable Attorney General wants to be clever and start hounding us to disclose sources of where we get our information, then he should be prepared to surrender his resignation letter to the President the time we start revealing sources because he will be on top of that list,” writes one journalist.
“There is a reason why we protect our sources, Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda and his friend Steven Kayuni, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) inclusive. If he is really sure this is the route he wants to take, then he will be very sorry because he will top the list of our sources together with Kayuni, these boys are very childish. We all know who leaks these documents, Thabo knows, Kayuni knows,” wrote another journalist.
Lawyer Ayuba James, representing Gondwe in the matter described Gondwe’s arrest as ‘part of the government’s current biggest project: to find a reason, at all cost, for firing Martha Chizuma (ACB Director General).
“The scheme is very big. Very wide. And traps are all over the place for Martha to step in. It is their hope that the document about payment to Sattar will be discovered to have been released by Martha or someone close to her so they can immediately open up a case against her for breach of Oath of Secrecy. No government has ever been agitated by anything as our government is today with anything that is against the interests of Sattar. It is, essentially, a government in a single man’s pocket,” wrote James on his Facebook page.
Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda has started a ‘war’ with journalists, will he finish it? Let us all wait and see.
Following the official handover of the three Nissan NP200 Pick Up vehicle — one each from the three regions of the country that were identified at the final draw of the Iponyereninso Kwakuya Ndi Illovo promotion — Illovo Sugar Malawi Plc, is proud to announce that it has successfully honoured all the prizes it pledged for the competition, whose total cost in prizes was at K178 million.
The three Nissan NP200 Pick Up are; Lazalo Manuel from the Central Region (presented in Dedza on 30th March 2022); Cuthbert Mwamlima from the Northern Region (presented in Karonga 1st April, 2022; and Dorica Ngamwani from the Southern Region (presented in Nsanje winner 4th April, 2022)
There were six winners of the Nissan NP200 Pick Up and the others were officially handed their prizes soon after the penultimate draw, and they are: Gilbert Mbwagha — a businessperson from the Northern Region who was presented at Mzuzu sugar depot; Emmanuel Nkurunziza from the Central Region, presented in Lilongwe
All the prizes have been honoured since the promotion was launched on 26th November 2021 and in total there were: The six Nissan NP200 Pick Up for Stockists who were required to purchase a minimum of 2 tons or more of sugar; 3 Big Boy motorbikes in each of the three regions, as well as 36 bicycles and 36 50kg bags of fertilizer for the grocers and table tops
For our shoppers/consumers, we giving away 3 cookers, 3 fridges and 3 shopping vouchers
We also gave away numerous instant prizes in the form of buckets, zitenje, T-shirts and Illovo sugar packets to shoppers through our instore promotions at various participating supermarkets
From the outset, the ‘IPONYERENINSO KWAKUYA NDI ILLOVO’ promotion received overwhelming support and when he presented the Nissan NP200 Pick Up to Southern Region winner Dorica Ngamwani on 4th of April 2022 sincerely thanked her for being one of our valued customers.
He said “I am happy to see that we have built some very strong relationships with many of our customers. It is my promise that we shall continue to work on ways to continue to improve those relationships through provision of exceptional service and best quality product. Be assured we will continue to innovate in order to meet the different customer and consumer needs.
During the presentation for the Northern Region winner Cuthbert Mwamlima on 1st April, 2022, he said: “I and the rest of Illovo Sugar Malawi team are honoured to serve you and all our other customers as you all form one of the pillars that make our business a success. I would also like to add that Karonga is one of our key markets and is of significant value to our business.
“Not only that but it is also the highway for our regional exports to Tanzania and Rwanda. Its strategic purpose for the country is indeed unquestionable. As much as it is a gateway for the importation and exportation of goods, not all these goods are imported or exported legally.
“As some of you may be aware Illovo Sugar Malawi and indeed various other Malawian manufacturers have been victims to the effects of illegal products that find their way into our markets resulting in grave consequences for the country.”
The MD further said “impacts of illegal imports is often understated by those who do not fully understand how gravely they affect our economy. Illegal imports not only mean that local industries are affected which can lead to loss of market and thus threatening jobs and livelihood of fellow Malawians; they also have great impact on the provision of public services such as health, education, infrastructure development amongst others from the taxes lost as these goods do not pass appropriate processes for customs. This is before you bring in the adverse effects of depleting our foreign currency reserves, a key concern on its own.
“It is however good to see that the practice currently has subsided as far as sugar is concerned. Long may this last. It is traders such as Mr Curthbert Mwamlima who play a key role in ensuring that Karonga is well stocked of Illovo sugar at affordable prices to make illegal sugar imports unnecessary.
“And this is why we are dedicated to understanding our customers’ needs and ensuring we continuously look for ways to make their business more successful. This is the reason we have a dedicated sales representative who services Karonga and nearby districts here in the North.”
He also took the opportunity to express his delight that Mr. Mwamlima afforded him the chance to visit and appreciate even more how beautiful Karonga District is, saying he does not get to visit as many parts of the country as often as he would like to so and thus it was a pleasure that he did.
“Not only because I get to appreciate this beautiful place, its amazing people and culture, but I also get to help create a lasting memory for one Mr Cuthbert Mwamlima.
“Mwamlima is the 5th to receive a vehicle of the 6 winners of the Nissan NP 200 vehicles this year. I am honoured to be here to present this car to you sir and I really do hope that it adds value to you and your business.
“I have never won a vehicle myself so I wouldn’t know how exactly you feel but I can only imagine that it must be absolutely phenomenon. Which is why I would like to end here to give you a chance to tell us what this moment means to you.”
In his remarks, Mr. Mwamlima hailed the company for the promotion, describing it as a big motivation to him.
The winner in Dedza — 56-year-old Lazaro Emmanuel a businessman who plies his trade at Dedza’s Msikawanjala and the name of his shop is Taope Amene Alibe Traders said: “I am very happy and thankful to God for winning this car which is a very big prize.
“I know there were a lot of entries in the competition but luckily I am one of the winners. On the same note, I would also like to thank Illovo Sugar Company for organising this competition which has changed my life and others who have also been winning several prizes.
“As a businessman, this vehicle will help improve my business to ferry other products which I buy from other traders and not only that I am also a farmer and I will be using the same vehicle to transport farm inputs like manure, fertilizers and seeds for my field,” he added.
He also expressed his gratitude to Simama Traders for opening a branch in Dedza where traders like himself are buying sugar easily and when the promotion was announced he continued placing receipts in Simama’s promotion box until the day he received a call from Illovo officials telling him that he had won the car.
According to Lazaro at first he thought it was conmen who were trying to steal from him but when he realised it was real, he and his family were overwhelmed with joy and they had been waiting eagerly for the official handover of the car which has finally happened.
The promotion was first launched in 2020 under the name ‘Iponyereni Kwakuya ndi Illovo’ and away then renamed in 2021 we as ‘Iponyereninso Kwakuya ndi Illovo’, which prompted Katandula to describing it as befitting the name.
At the grand draw, MD Katandula said looking back over the last two years, he realises that this could also apply to our customers. It is you our customers, consumers and various others stakeholders amene mukuiponyera kwakuya ndi Illovo.
“Without your support we wouldn’t have made it this far and achieved the significant milestones we have achieved such as stirring the company back into stable waters from previously challenging years to where we are now able to give our shareholders a dividend.
In her remarks the Southern Region winner Dorica Ngamwani said” I Thank Illovo for giving for this wonderful gift I would encourage other people to join these types of competitions”
“We posted healthy profits in the financial year ended 31st August 2021 and have also published a good trading statement for the half year ended 28 February 2022.
The terms of the promotion were that to qualify for a monthly draw, Table tops were required to purchase a minimum of 2 bales or more of sugar to qualify for the monthly as well as the bi-monthly draws while shoppers stood a chance to win monthly prizes by purchasing 3 or more kilograms of sugar from participating supermarkets.
Once the stockist, grocer, table top or shopper/consumer make the purchase, they are simply required to write their name and contact number at the back of the MRA receipt and deposit it in one of the specially designated boxes.
Retail customers also had something sweet for them as all they needed was to buy 3 kgs or more of any Illovo sugar to stand a chance of winning cookers, fridges and K250,000 worth of shopping vouchers.
The interesting part of the shopping voucher at Shoprite was that the winning had to pick up whatever they wanted up to K250,000 in a 60 seconds trolley blitz — but won’t receive any change if they fail to reach the target.
Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has drawn the attention of the public, importers, traders, manufacturers, and citizens following its decision to flout its own laid down procurement guidelines in order to accommodate a corruption-tainted Swiss company – SICPA in a fiscal marks International Compettive Bidding process.
The tender sought the services of the supply of monitoring, printing, and retailing of fiscal tax stamps.
The original tender was opened in April 2021 having been advertised under the procurement reference number, MRA/TAX STAMPS AND M[1]SOLUTION/01/03/2022.
Among others, the Authority stated that it would reject a recommendation for award if it determines that the bidder recommended for award has, directly or through an agent, engaged in corrupt, fraudulent, collusive or coercive practices in competing for the contract in question.
MRA further said it would debar a bidder from participation in public procurement for a specified period of time if it at any time determines that the firm has engaged in corrupt, fraudulent, collusive or coercive practices in competing for, or in executing, a contract.
Inside sources at MRA have confided in Nyasa Times that the initial tender drew seven bidders, including SICPA.
But in the desperate attempt to accommodate SICPA, the Authority re-tendered the contract in March 2022 without explaining tangible reasons for the action.
Our sources said they expected the management to block SICPA since the procurement rules of course did not appear to apply to SICPA, which are, under bidding conditions, expressly forbidden to have any contact or influence with government officials during such periods.
A quick search online revealed that SICPA, a Swiss company operating in the authentication of banknotes and traceability markets, was the target of an anticorruption probe in Brazil. As on April 2018, in addition to the administrative investigation, a former executive vice president was being tried on criminal charges in the country.
Both cases involved the alleged payment of millions of dollars in bribes to secure a contract with the Brazilian Mint. SICPA was also under investigation by Brazil’s Ministry of Transparency and Comptroller-General of the Union, and former company executive Charles Nelson Finkel was being tried in a federal court in Rio de Janeiro.
Federal prosecutors alleged Finkel, who has American and Brazilian citizenship, paid $14.5 million in bribes to a fiscal auditor in order to secure Sicpa a contract worth more than $1 billion with the Brazilian Mint.
According to prosecutors, because of bribes SICPA’s Brazilian unit was deemed the only company able to implement a tracking system in the cold drinks industry.
From January 2010 until June 2015, prosecutors said, CFC Consulting Group, a consulting company held by Finkel, paid $14.5 million to MDI Consultoria, a firm owned by fiscal auditor Marcelo Fisch de Berredo Menezes and his wife Mariangela Defeo de Menezes.
CFC Consulting, headquartered in the US, sent the money to MDI Consultoria in a fictitious services agreement during the time that SICPA was working for the Brazilian Mint, federal prosecutors told the courts.
In May 2019, Charles Nelson Finkel was found guilty and sentenced to prison for 11 years and 6 months for corruption and bribery linked to obtaining and executing SICPA’s contract with the Brazil Federal Revenue. In June 2021, SICPA agreed to pay 135 million francs in a ‘settlement agreement’ with local authorities.
According to an article published on May 27, 2019 in the O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper:
“The investigations are part of Operation Vices, launched in 2015 by the Federal Police and the Federal Public Ministry. Since 2008, after CMB (Brazilian Mint) Process No. 1890/2008, which concluded that the bidding was unenforceable, SICPA signed a billionaire five-year contract with the Brazilian Mint in the amount of BRL $ 3.3 billion to execute the services related to the System of Beverage Production Control (Sicobe).
On that occasion, the tax auditor of Revenue Services Marcelo Fisch, who was the general coordinator of Inspection, would have ‘directed the bidding process, smearing it from the origin, in order to lead it to a result that would meet the interests of SICPA. From 2009 to 2015, Fisch would have received unduly US$ 15 million, deposited, over that period, in monthly installments, on the account of MDI Consultoria, owned by his wife Mariangela, also convicted of passive corruption.”
Despite this tainted track record, MRA has reportedly settled for this company in a contract that will see Malawians paying K2.2 billion more because SICPA’s bidding price in the first tender was 40 percent higher than the other compliant tenderer.
“Our management has since removed from the bidding documents a clause that requires that the bidders should not have a record of corrupt practices in order to accommodate SICPA,” said our source on a strict condition of anonymity.
“It was clear that this would make an outright award to SICPA difficult and raise questions. It seems clear that the re-issue of a new tender is clearly aimed at compromising all the other participants, considering that their pricing is public knowledge,” he added.
His account has been corroborated by an announcement MRA made recently that it would issue a new bid for the same services.
The announcement came barely days after President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera met with SICPA Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Phillip Amon, on 22 February 2022 in Lausanne Switzerland, where SICPA is headquartered.
It is reported that government officials were treated to SICPA’s capability to support Malawi’s digitization agenda and platform that was required in the MRA bid.
These moves are classically in line with SICPA’s behavior to nullify public procurement tenders and influence local officials to eliminate competitors when the company is unable to win on a competitive basis.
MRA Head of Corporate Affairs Steven Kapoloma refused to comment on the matter, preferring that a questionnaire be sent to Wilma Chalulu for response.
On Chakwera meeting SICPA CEO, Kapoloma said the Authority would not be in the best place to explain what transpired during the meeting.
...China Railway bribes Chiefs with K100,000 for support on railway project
Phillip Kamangila-distributed the bribes to Nsanje chiefs
Traditional leaders in Nsanje say they are ready to cooperate with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) over its investigation into bribes offered to them by China Railway 20 Corporation with the intention to shut them up from protesting against the firm’s selection on the K68 billion Bangula-Marka Railway project.
The chiefs and their subjects are against the Chinese contractor who has been awarded the deal to construct the 72-km Bangula-Marka Railway because of the poor quality work the firm has done on the Nsanje-Marka Road whose substandard workmanship was exposed by floods recently.
Adding salt to the wound is the fact that during the construction of the road, China Railways bypassed construction good environmental practices by not filling up places it was excavating soil for the project. This has resulted in yawning dams, one in which three children drowned.
To shut the chiefs up, China Railways officials and one NGO person said to be Phillip Kamangirah travelled to Nsanje recently and shelled out bribes ranging between MK100,000 and MK1,000,000 where they pleaded with the chiefs to stop their protest against the company.
But the chiefs, including those who received the bribes have put their feet down and vowed to assist the ACB investigate the matter and vowed that they will not allow China Railway 20 anywhere near the project unless their concerns are addressed.
One of the chiefs, Senior Chief Malemia, said last week that they are not against the project.
“What we have issues with is this contractor because he has given us a very poor road and we do not want poor work on the rail line,” he said at a full council meeting at the boma which was attended by China Railway 20 officials
President Lazarus Chakwera has delegated Vice President Saulos Chilima to represent him at the 2022 United Nations Economic and Social Council Forum later this month.
President Chakwera directed the Office of the President and cabinet (OPC) that Chilima should be accompanied by 41 people including the Minister of Finance Sosten Gwengwe and other technocrats from the civil service.
Insiders said Chakwera gave ‘strict’ instructions that the Vice president entourage should not be more than 45 people and should not include hand clappers or political party activists.
“We followed strict instructions from the President himself and he made it clear that he will need to scrutinize the list of those traveling because he did not want any political party hand clappers and loyalists because this was a high level event requiring seriousness and technical expert of those going to attend this event,” said a source at OPC.
The source further said President Chakwera has since approved the list of those traveling with Chilima for further traveling processes to start.
“In fact we are wondering why people are making an issue out of this trip because if the president traveled, the delegation could have been more than this and that is why he delegated his Vice because he knows the entourage will not be as huge as if he were to travel,” said the source.
Insiders at Capital Hill gave an example of President Chakwera’s foreign trip to Scotland in October last year when the President took with him a whopping 145 delegates to the CoP 26 conference including his security detail and that of the First Lady Monica Chakwera..
Our source shared with us the list of those who escorted President Chakwera to Scotland last year,
Below is list that accompanied Chakwera during the Scotland trip
Malawi 1. H.E. Mr. Lazarus McCarthy Dr Chakwera Head of State Government
2.H.E. Ms. Nancy Gladys Tembo Cabinet Minister Government Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources
3. Ms. Yanira Mseka Ntupanyama Principal Secretary for Forestry and Natural Resources Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources Government of Malawi
4. H.E. Ms. Monica Chakwera First Lady Government
5. Ms. Tawonga Grace Mbale Director Environmental Affairs Department, Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Government of Malawi
6. Mr. Evans Davie Njewa Chief Environmental Officer and UNFCCC Focal Point Government of Malawi
7. Mr. Wilson Toninga Banda Government
8. Mr. Sipho Billiat Development Planning Manager Government National Planning Commission
9. H.E. Mr. Thomas John Bisika High Commissioner Designate Malawi High Commission in London
10. Mr. Bernard Patrick Bwanaope Defence Attache Malawi High Commission in London
11.Ms. Chikondi Precious Chabvuta Regional Advocacy Manager Government Government of Malawi
12. Ms. Violet Rebecca Chakwera Government 13. Ms. Lindiwe Christina Chide Government
14. Ms. Correta Catherine Chidzero Government
15.Mr. Harvey Maneno Chigumula Chief of Protocol Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government
16. Mr. Zangazanga Deverias Chikhosi Secretary to the President and Cabinet Government
17. Mr. Rex Richard Chikoko Government
18. Ms. Mervis Jaqualine Chilakata OPC Government
19. Mr. Werani Mannasseh Chilenga Member of Parliament National Assembly Government of Malawi
20.Mr. Clement Zephnat Chilima Director of Forestry Government Department of Forestry, Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining
21. Ms. Rebecca Chinjeka Journalist Times Group Government of Malawi
22. Mr. Vitumbiko Chinoko Regional Advocacy Advisor
23. Mr. Sosten Staphiel Chiotha Regional Director Academia Government
24. Mr. Gladson Chipumphula Government
25. Ms. Renata Chivundu First Secretary
26. Mr. Peter Chulu Government
28. Ms. Linda Dembo Programmes Coordinator MaSP Government
29. Mr. Jekapu Dishani Programmes Manager Youth for Environment and Sustainable Development Government
30. Mr. Conor Fox
31. Mr. Chad Jonathon Frischmann Senior Director, Research and Technology
32. Ms. Stella Funsani Gama Forestry Advisor Department of Forestry, Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining
33. Mr. Billy Lickson Gama General Secretary Blantyre CCAP Government
34. Mr. Willard Mswati Gomani Government
35. Mr. Golivati Maloni Gomani Environmental Inspector Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources Government
36. Mr. Dennis Gondwe Parliament
37. Ms. Alice Janet Gwedeza Deputy Surveyor General Government Department of Surveys
38. Ms. Grace Hiwa Government
39. Mr. Yamikani Idrissah Environmental Officer Government of Malawi
40. Mr. Godfrey Arthur Jalale Government
41. Ms. Miriam Dalitso Joshua Senior Lecturer and Researcher University of Malawi
42. Mr. Francis Gavin Kachule Assistant Director Ministry of Finance
43. Ms. Mtisunge Lisa Kadango Government
44.H.E. Ms. Quent Madalo Kalichero Deputy High Commissioner, London Malawi High Commission in London
45. Mr. Joseph Osber Kalowekamo Deputy Director Government Department of Energy
46. Ms. Rabecca Kamwendo Kalyolyo Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government
47. Ms. Gertrude Kambauwa Director Department of Land Resources and Conservation
48. Mr. Teddie Hafiz Abudullar Kamoto Deputy Director Ministry oof Forestry and Natural Resources Government
49.Ms. Judith Francesca Kamoto Senior Lecturer Academia Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources
50. Mr. Kefasi Jermiah Kamoyo Land Resources Conservation Officer Department of Land Resources Conservation Ministry of Agriculture, Water Development and Irrigation
51. Mr. Sean Tsanzo Kampondeni Government
52. Mr. Hamilton Kamwana Deputy Director Ministry of Economic Planning, Development and Public Sector Reforms Government
53. Ms. Conslater Kantunda Government
54. Mr. Prince Harvey Kapondamgaga Chief of State Residences Government
UNFPA Deputy Representative Masaki Watabe donating to some of the female pupils
While the needs for flood survivors are too numerous, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has intensified collective efforts in expanding mobile clinics.
The exercise is happening in different camps stationed in Nsanje and Chikwawa district where the exercise is just part of fulfilment of a joint programs between UNFPA, Malawi government and other development partners in the areas of HIV prevention, response to gender based violence and data management and utilisation and the implementation of the roadmap on maternal and neonatal mortality reduction.
During the recent visit in Chikwawa at Fombe ADMARC camp which is also known as Mthumba camp, the UNFPA Deputy Representative, Masaki Watabe where he went to appreciate the impact of the agency’s work in the ongoing humanitarian response, he said UNFPA is supporting Chikwawa district to expand mobile health services to the camps, ensuring women and girls have access to sexual reproductive health services, and improving protection to safeguard women and girls from gender based violence in the camps.
He said the facilitation of mobile health services where people are able to get HIV testing, aquire family planning methods is part of UNFPA’s mandate of ensuring integration of evidence-based analysis on population dynamics and their links to sustainable development, sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, HIV and gender equality.
Chikwawa is one of the districts, which was hit by tropical storm #Ana, and recently by tropical cyclone #Gombe.
Under the UNFPA Safeguard Young People Programme project, the agency also thought it wise to donate solar lamps to the adolescent girls and pregnant mothers in addition to dignity kits.
Watabe said that UNFPA is very committed to address health and protection related concerns with the available resources, and with support from other development partners.
“So far, we have supported a number of camps with relief items such as dignity kits, and solar lamps to ensure a safer environment for the survivors,” he said.
Chairperson person for the camp Rodrick Malenga speaking on behalf of the survivors was all grateful for the assistance from UNFPA saying it was timely.
Malenga said apart from the lamps, the mobile health services are enabling the displaced people to access timely medical assistance.
At Fombe ADMARC camp/ Mthumba camp there are 250 households in which translates to 1630 people. There are 1010 females of whom 110 are lactating women, 43 pregnant women and 138 under five children, 146 below 18 years old and 83 people between the ages of 18 and 35.
UNFPA delivers a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. It also participates in Sector Wide Approaches (SWAps) on health, gender and youth.
Vice President Saulos Chilima on Friday concluded engaging councils in the central and southern region with Blantyre district council making it the 22nd engagement in 13 days.
Chilima said the progressive thinking and the outside-the-box thinking from the councils is a sign that Reforms are being domesticated.
The Vice President started his last visit on the reforms projects under Blantyre district council at Lirangwe from 8 am and later proceeded to T/A Kapeni to appreciate efforts on virtual-based extension services as part of Agriculture and Food security reforms.
“I was impressed with what is happening at Nanjoka Hill at Undi Village in T/A Lundu where the council is carrying out environmental and climate change management reforms. Here reforestation efforts have brought back vegetative cover on the hill. I have encouraged the council to replicate this to various areas especially on Ndirande and Soche Hills to make the district green again through the initiative,” said Chilima.
In Blantyre City, the Vice President said the parting shot was that the city must work towards reclaiming back the status of the city that has been lost.
“Otherwise, they have good plans and a seemingly health financial base to implement and fix a few things that can change the city’s outlook. For example, on their financial sustainability reforms the city has increased its revenue collection by 100‰ after updating the Quenquinnial Valuation Roll – moving billing from K2.2 billion per annum to 7.2 billion,” said the second in command.
He stressed that the new thinking coming from the councils is encouraging and a pointer that stakeholders are now on the same page.
“Of course, some of the reforms being proposed or under implementation may sound small and routine management function but we are not scared to start small. We want to put back the basics first,” said Chilima.
He said the thinking across the councils on financial sustainability is encouraging in that they are thinking outside the box citing Cable Cars on Mulanje Mountain and the proposed annual Bike Racing in Thyolo.
Chilima also praised the unity among the district stakeholders as encouraging.
“Nothing made me happier than seeing Chiefs, MPs, Councillors, and Interest groups well aligned and speaking from the same script,” he said.
The Vice President thanked “all the people that took their time to gather at specific places so that I address them after council meetings. I had interacted with people in Nsanje, Chikwawa, Mbulumbudzi, Lunzu, Thyolo and Mulanje among other places.”
People in Nsanje, led by their traditional leaders, are up in arms against the China Railway company which the government has awarded a contract to construct the Marka-Bangula Nsanje Railway.
They say they do no not believe that the company is the right one to undertake such a mammoth project considering the shoddy and substandard work it has carried out on the Marka-Nsanje road which suffered serious damaged recently during the Cyclone Ana flooding which was largely due to poor works on the road.
The chiefs and the people made their reservations knowns at an interface with China Railway 20 officials in Nsanje District on 30 March 2022 where chiefs such as Senior Chief Malemia, Chimombo, Ndamera, Ngabu and Nyachikadza were in attendance alongside councillors and Nsanje Police Station Officer in Charge.
In their remarks, the chiefs and their subject vehemently rejected China Railway 20 as the company that will undertake the project.
Speaking on behalf of fellow chiefs, the subjects and district authorities, Senior Chief Malemia said they are not against the project but they do not believe that China Railways 20 is the kind of firm that will give them the quality of the railway they desire.
“What we are saying…we’ve been crying for decades to say we need a rail line that used to be here in the days of our forefathers. Now we want to thank the present government, the Tonse Alliance under the leadership of His Excellency the President Dr Lazarus MacCarthy Chakwera. They have come up with a plan to say we want to rebuild this railway line. We are all happy”.
“None of us is here to say we don’t want this project to start. It would be madness on our part. We want the project. But we have an issue with the contractor that has been selected to do the construction of the rail. This is where all the people are saying now when we look at the construction of the road that is substandard as it were, will they do a better job when it comes to do the rail line. So, this is where we have a problem,” explained the Senior Chief.
Malemia said as a council, they have come up with a resolution where they have tasked the District Commissioner to write a petition which the chiefs and their subjects will take to the Minister (of Transport) and other relevant authorities to ask for the removal of the China Railway 20 from the project.
Joggers on the move: Individuals representing entities Standard Bank is working with. From Left to Right – Tamara Chafunya; Miriam Matola – Owner Sweat Factory Gym Lilongwe; Jayne Nyirenda, Leader
Standard Bank’s annual signature wellness marathon, the Be More Race, has returned after a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Billed as the biggest race sponsorship in Malawi by the Athletic Association of Malawi (AAM), the 2022 race promises to create a platform for recovery on the socio-economic and wellness front.
Chief Executive Phillip Madinga relaunched the race with pomp and colour in Lilongwe yesterday under the theme; “Road 2 Recovery”.
Madinga said this year’s race aims to highlight Standard Bank’s leading role in facilitating the country’s recovery efforts, while raising funds to support girls’ secondary school education in Lilongwe.
MADINGA;The 2022 Be More Race provides a platform to celebrate the resilience of a nation in withstanding socio-economic effects of Covid-19 pandemic, while offering hope for a better tomorrow
“In relaunching the race, Standard Bank invites back all key partners to join us in efforts aiming to facilitate the country’s recovery process in both respects of the economy and people’s wellness. The 2022 Be More Race provides a platform to celebrate the resilience of a nation in withstanding socio-economic effects of Covid-19 pandemic, while offering hope for a better tomorrow,” he said.
Madinga announced that this year’s main race will run on June 4, 2022 in Lilongwe. Ahead of the main race Blantyre will host the city race on May 7th, 2022. The city races traditionally act as a warm-up of the main races.
He said the race will attract people and organisations from different sectors in addition to professional athletes locally and internationally.
“Since 2017 Be More Race has become a multi-disciplinary event deploying a Marathon to create lasting relationships with different stakeholders locally and internationally. This underscores that Standard Bank is more than just a bank, but an integral part of the community fabric. The 2022 Be More Race will serve to underscore that we are stronger when we work together, and that through our partnerships, our dreams and aspirations are possible and Can Be,” said Madinga.
The race comes in three categories of 5km, 10km and the 21 km half marathon which attracts professional runners and the extreme outdoor fitness enthusiasts. Registration fees range from K5,000 to K15,000 with the winner of the 21 km race expected to bank a cool K1.5 million. Second and third placed runners up will receive K900,000 and K500,000, respectively.
Madinga said proceeds from the race will go towards supporting girls’ education at Lilongwe Girls Secondary School where Standard Bank is constructing girls’ hostels. The last race in 2019 attracted over 1,500 participants. Registration for the race starts on April 4, 2022.
AAM President Godfrey Phiri thanked Standard Bank for maintaining the sponsorship despite the impact of Covid on business and the economy.
“Thanks for fulfilling your promise to make the race stay. During the Covid-19 break, you may have been discouraged but the return shows that you put athletics at the heart.”
“AAM will not disappoint you. We will make sure that this race is well publicized and becomes crowd puller. Athletes will run their lungs out, ” he said.
Standard Bank launched the Be More Race in 2017 as its flagship athletics and wellness event to engage existing and potential customers, key stakeholders, and communities through a key uniting passion point – sport.
