By Mc Donald Chapalapata, a Contributor

Premier mobile phone provider, TNM plc has been named the headline sponsor for the Blantyre-Lilongwe tourism walk which is meant to raise funds for training and certification of tour guides in the country.

TNM plc Acting Chief Executive Officer Arnold Mbwana said in an interview yesterday that, TNM, being a Malawian company is proud to be associated with the promotion of tourism in the country hence the sponsorship.

“TNM plc is a truly Malawian company and we thought the training and certification of tour guides is one of the best ways of promoting tourism in the country and that is why we came in with our K2 million sponsorship,” said Mbwana.

The walk will start on Saturday 21^st November 2020 with 10 people who will walk all the way to Lilongwe and are expected to cover the 314 kilometre distance in 10 days.

Mbwana said they will dress the 10 Walkers in TNM colours both on the first day and the arrival day in Lilongwe.

“We will also have our TNM staff and other joining the 10 walkers at Bunda Turn off in Lilongwe on Day 10 which is Monday 30^th November 2020 up to Lilongwe Gateway Mall where our heroes will receive a thunderous welcome by different dignitaries,” said Mbwana.

One of the organizers of the walk Innocent Kaliati from The Eagle’s Eye Malawi, hailed TNM plc for the platinum sponsorship and called on other individuals and companies to support the event.

“We are looking at raising K7 million to train about 100 Tour Guides but if we can raise more, it means we will train and certify more Tour Guides. Each of the people who will walk from Blantyre to Lilongwe are expected to contribute K150,000 towards the event, so companies or individuals can choose to sponsor one or two walkers,” said Kaliati.

He explained that economic benefits of tourism such as generation of foreign currency and creation of employment opportunities will remain a pipedream if the country lacks trained and certified tour guides.

“What qualifies them to be tour guides in their areas is the local knowledge that they have and this contributes to the varied service standards that characterize this informal sector. For them this is how they earn a living. It is against this background that we decided to help these guides acquire a more standardized training but most importantly, certification of their skills,” said Kaliati.

United General Insurance (UGI) Friday awarded six best students in the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) Vice Chancellors’ excellence awards.

UGI Chief Executive Officer Bywell Chiwoni who presented the awards together with MUST Vice Chancellor Professor Address Malata said UGI is committed to nurturing Malawi’s effort to rise as an international innovation and technology hub hence their support to the Vice Chancellors’ students excellence awards.

“UGI’s role is to help enable these students’ success through our initiatives and resources. That is why last year we launched a three year K15 million sponsorship here out of which K9 million was set in motion to support needy students to ensure that well that the well deserving students acquire their education and fully contribute to our nation’s economic development through advancement in science and technology.”

“In the same pot, UGI allocated K6million over 3 years for the annual competition, which seeks to stimulate the creative thinking capacities of our students to apply innovation and technology to tackle issues and challenges related to our everyday lives,” said Chiwoni.

Chiwoni said he was confident that the six students namely Nathan Kapelemera, Kingsley Posiyano, Precious Chigamba, Louis Kandiado, Paul Harawa and Solomon Ngwira, will play a vital role in realizing the promise of innovation and technology development in Malawi.

“As UGI, we are proud to be associated with this scholarship. UGI is the innovation leader in the General Insurance Industry with our AutoServe, AutoShield and AutoPrice products, Malawi was the second country after South Africa, to introduce telematics in Southern Africa. Neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe are learning and adopting what we had implemented in 2017. This is why we are in full support of this initiative,” said Chiwoni.

Malata thanked UGI for responding positively to sponsor the Vice Chancellors’ student’s excellence awards.

“The students receiving these excellence awards emerged the best in their programmes in engineering, ICT and medical related programmes. These awards have a way of motivating one to aim higher and propel you to greater levels of academic excellence. It is my hope that the awardees we have today, will experience the same,” said Malata.

She advised fellow students to emulate the example set by the six students.

A representative of the awardees, Precious Chigamba, a Fourth year Medical microbiology student thanked UGI for the awards and also hailed their lecturers for imparting knowledge in them.

“We promise to keep working hard,” said Chigamba.

The students got miniatures and K380, 000 cash each from UGI.

Malawi Gaming Board has not renewed contracts for two of its senior members of the management team, it has been learnt.

The board of directors has declined to renew the contract of Ted Nandolo, 71, who was Director of Social Services and Dave Saweruzika, 63, who was Director of Operations.

Malawi Gaming Board Chairman Benard Ndau neither confirmed nor denied the developments when contacted for comment.

“Contractual issues are private in nature. The board of directors will look at these issues and inform the concerned individuals of its decision,” said Ndau.

Insiders said Nandolo, a former Chief Executive Officer for Blantyre City Council, asked the board for the renewal of his contract despite reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60.

On the other hand Saweruzika also wanted a contract extension despite reaching retirement age.

Malawi Gaming Board Chief Executive Officer Foster Mulumbe and Company Secretary and Head of legal Services Ofa Alide are yet to know their fate on the extension of their contracts which also expired.

Inside sources said  Malawi Gaming Board was taken as a ‘dumping ground’ for people who fell out of grace with the government during the past DPP regime.

For example, Mulumbe was sacked at Admarc where he was Chief Executive Officer over his involvement in the procurement of K30 billion maize from Zambia.

Nandolo too had his contract not renewed at Blantyre City Council and was appointed Director of Social services at Malawi Gaming Board, a position which is not found in the Board’s organogram.

Illovo sugar Malawi plc ‘iponyereni kwakuya ndi illovo’ promotion has picked up momentum as 57 more winners are rewarded in its second weekly draw held on Thursday last week.

The promotion has already seen 1,207 people walk away with various prizes including bicycles and 50kg bags of fertilizers.

Speaking at the second promotion weekly draw the company’s trade marketing manager Nita Chipeta said the promotion has indeed gathered momentum and there is an expectation that this will continue in the coming weeks.

“We are pleased to see the level of participation so far. We have already given away 42 bicycles, 72 bags of fertilizer, alongside other branded items and we still have more to give. We shall be giving out these prizes on a weekly basis for the next 8 weeks,” said Chipeta.

She also announced that the first vehicle draw where three wholesalers stand a chance of winning a Nissan NP200 pick-up each will be held on 23rd November, 2020.

The K100 million ‘iponyereni kwakuya ndi Illovo’ promotion was launched on 9th October 2020 and runs until 31st December 2020.

During this period the company is also giving branded items in a mystery shopper drive where brand ambassadors will be going to different markets across the country where instant prizes will be given randomly to anyone who is found to have purchased Illovo sugar.

Similar prizes can be won through instore promotions in selected Chipiku plus, Shoprite and Sana outlets on selected days.

By Mc Donald Chapalapata, a Contributor

Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company Limited (Limbe Leaf) on Monday donated various school items worth K40 million to a rural Majiga Primary School in Mpherembe in Mzimba District as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program.

Donating the items which included 130 desks, two toilet blocks and washing facilities for both boys and girls, writing materials, books and sports equipment, Limbe Leaf Corporate Affairs Manager Leah Hez said the company is passionate about education and keeping children in school hence the support.

“Limbe Leaf is passionate about education and keeping children in school. All our farmers and our children are sensitized on the dangers and effects of using child labour and the fact that Limbe Leaf does not allow nor condone the use of children that are under 18 for any tobacco related work.”

“Children of school going age should be in school and not tobacco fields. This is why as a company we saw it fit to procure these sporting and learning materials. A conducive environment enables children to learn better, the learners’ books and teaching materials given will fill any gaps that the school had that may have impeded learning or teaching,” said Hez.

She said the sports materials are meant to encourage extra-curricular activities.

“Learning does not happen in just the 4 corners of a classroom but also outside. With games like chess and table tennis, learners will be able to develop their spatial and motor skills that further enhance their ability to understand the material the teachers give to them,” explained Hez.

Among other items that were donated were 400 reusable sanitary pads which Hez said would ensure that girls never miss a day of learning.

Primary Education Adviser (PEA) for Enkondhlweni zone Godfrey Luhanga thanked Limbe Leaf for the ‘remarkable donation’ saying it will help reduce absenteeism at the school.

“Your assistance at Majiga school will help the school to improve learner seat ratio, dropout rate, pass rate and will also reduce absenteeism rate since learners now will have all the necessities here at school.”

“Let me also urge members of staff of this school, learners, chiefs and the entire community to take care of these precious gifts so that they should last long and benefit others,” said Luhanga.

Headmaster for Majiga Primary School Kunani Nyoni thanked Limbe Leaf for the donation saying his school is becoming a role model school.

He said Limbe Leaf previously constructed classrooms and teachers houses.

“The addition of sports equipment for after school activities, books, toilet facilities and sanitary pads for the girls, will continue to enhance Majiga School’s capacity in delivering quality education,” said Nyoni.

Majiga School has an overall enrolment of 526 pupils consisting of 286 boys and 240 girls against 9 teachers.

A diplomat has accused NBS Bank in Malawi of stealing customers’ money.

The diplomat, Lot Dzozi, who once served as Deputy Permanent Representative at Permanent Mission of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations, has reported the bank to Bankers Association of Malawi.

According to Dzonzi who is also former Inspector General of Malawi Police, his sister withdrew K800,000 in four bundles of K200,000 each but there was a shortfall of K116,000.

“In the past 3 days my sister withdrew money from a bank and found that from 4 bundles of 200000 notes, one bundle had 1680000, another 181000, another 175000 and another 160000, instead of 200000. This was in Blantyre at the former NBS Bank,” said Dzonzi in a Facebook post.

Commenters on the post concurred with Dzonzi saying such theft of customers’ money is common in the country’s banks.

NBS Bank was last week hit with a hacking scandal that reports said compromised customers.

The bank, in a statement, downplayed the allegations, saying its system was impenetrable because it was one of the most secure in the industry.