DAPP In Service Training Programme Promoting Innovation

Teachers now use TALULAR
(Teaching And Learning Using Locally Available
Resources)

Mrs. Carolyn Kafodya Linje a teacher for standard 2 at Mzumazi Primary School in Lilongwe rural has been teaching for 19 years now. Like many other primary school teachers, her every day teaching routine had been reading in front of the pupils and writing on the board and nothing more.

Huawei Trained ICT Students Back In Malawi

from left to right- Margaret Kasonya,
Harold Chimtembo, Thokozani Gumbo,
Watson Mbekeani, Kondwani Lisiya &
Marvyn Tembo

Six young Malawians are back from China after extensive study on telecommunications ICT education with the global leading technology, Huawei, through its program, Telecom Seeds for the Future.

The six students drawn from various academic institutions went to China following the President Peter Mutharika trip in 2015 where among others, he negotiated with the Chinese company to incorporate Malawi ICT students into its Telecom Seeds for the Future program.

Mpwhiyo Shooting Case: Kasambara Calls Guilty Verdict "Staged Justice"

Kasambara to make appeal

The third accused Raphael Kasambara has described the verdict by Justice Michael Mtambo as "staged justice" and expressed intentions to appeal.

Mphwiyo Schooting Case: Kasambara, Manondo, Kumwembe Found Guilty

Pika and Kumwembe being walked by police to
anti-riot vehicle 

Raphael Kasambara

The Lilongwe High Court has found guilty the Malawi’s former Minister of Justice, Raphael Kasambara together with co-accused Pika Manondo and McDonald Kumwembe on conspiracy and attempted murder of former Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo.

National Technical Committee Proposes Death Sentences To Convicts On Albino Attacks

The Chairperson of the National Technical Committee on the Abuse of Persons with Albinism in Malawi proposes death penalty as a deterrent to the unending attacks and killings of persons with albinism in the country and that President Peter Mutharika has never spoke against the death penalty.

Uladi Give Reasons Why MPs Slept In Parliament

This is a very rare honest confession from a Malawian politician over a blander as one of the leaders for the opposition party gives more possible reasons why himself and fellow Parliamentarians had to take a nap in the Chamber.

Electronic Transactions Bill To Punish Online Publications

Online News Publications in Malawi must tread carefully as the newly passed Electronic Transaction Bill is almost ready to punish online publications publishing false information.

Visual Learning Excites, Makes Learners Understand Things Very Fast

Lilongwe Primary School Demonstration Teacher
using real visual materials in class 

Children learn fast in an environment where they are able to visualize information. They understand better and return information when ideas and words are associated with images.

Chakwera Says Muluzi Case, MCP Legislators Wasting Resources

Malawi Congress Party President (MCP) and Leader of Opposition Parties in Parliament, Lazarus Chakwera has asked Government to drop all cases answering former President Bakili Muluzi and allow former President Joyce Banda come back home.

Chakwera was speaking when making statement before the adjournment of the National Assembly meeting Sine Die on Friday evening.

2016/17 Budget Meeting Of Parliament Meeting Ends

The Third Meeting in the 46th Session of Parliament has ended this evening after meeting for 9 consecutive weeks to consider the 2016/2017 Budget.

National Assembly meeting which began on Friday, May 20 was initially planned to end last week on Friday, July 8, 2016 but due to delays during the passing of Budget, Government decided to extend the meeting time to allow the House discuss and pass bills.

Malawi Artists To Reap From Their Work As Copyright Bill Passed By Parliament

Artists in the country expect concerned parties to take up their responsibility in ensuring that the newly passed Copyright bill start to bear fruitful results that will benefit the owners of talent and artistic works.

The Copyright bill has been passed on Thursday repealing a Malawi Copyright Act of 1989 to respond to new developments regarding copyright.

Access To Information Bill Finally Presented In Parliament

Access to Information Bill (ATI) has finally been presented in the National Assembly today.

Minister of Information, Patricia Kaliati presented the bill which has since been referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Media, Information and Communication and Legal Affairs Committee.

New Yorker Mainali Encourages Malawians To Donate Blood

The New Yorker, Arjun Prasad Mainali, known to have donated blood 155 times is coming to Malawi to donate blood as he closes in to meet his target of reaching a 160 record by the end of this year.

The global blood donor is traveling from New York in the United States of America to Malawi's capital Lilongwe solely to do the needful at Kamuzu Central Hospital by 10 am on 20th August, 2016 to motivate people to donate blood in order to save lives.

Malawi Midwives Ready To Tell Own Stories

About 30 midwives across the country have been equipped with citizen journalism skills to help them write and report their daily work experiences for the public to see the correct picture of their tireless efforts of saving lives and prevailing working conditions.

The initiative championed by the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe motherhood is headway in uplifting the Malawi midwifery profile and documenting the outstanding work which mostly go unnoticed as they are only featured highly whenever they make a mistake.

WILSA-Malawi In Sensitisation Campaign On Gender Laws

Women and Law in Southern Africa-Malawi (WLSA), has rolled out an initiative of promoting gender related laws in all constituencies represented by female legislator to allow more Malawians understands those legislations.

Mzati Mbeko, National Director for WLSA-Malawi said the three gender related laws which are: Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act; Gender Equality Act and on Trafficking in Persons Act, are not well understood by many Malawians.

Confirmed; National Assembly Meeting Extended

Msowoya announced the extension of time 

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Richard Msowoya and Leader of House, George Chaponda have finally confirmed that the house will continue meeting up until Friday next week.

Penal Code Amendment Bill of 2016, Courts Amendment Bill Passed

Tembenu

The Malawi National Assembly on Friday passed the Penal Code Amendment bill with an aim of addressing the ongoing attacks and killings of persons with albinism as well as protecting persons with any type of disability.

The legislation is proposing life sentences for those found guilty of unlawful exhumation of human corpses particularly remains of persons with disability with intention of having the body tissues to sell or use them in any witchcraft practices.

Penal Code Amendment Bill Proposing Life Sentences, Minimum 21 Years

The Penal Code Amendment Bill of 2016 is proposing life sentences with a minimum of 21 years imprisonment for convicts found in possession, selling, extracting or exhuming tissues of living or dead person.

The bill has just been presented by Minister of Justice and Constitution Affairs, Hon. Samuel Tembenu and is now being debated by the National Assembly.

The principle objective of the bill is to amend the Penal Code, in the wake of attacks on persons with albinism.

Budget Meeting Of National Assembly Extended To Next Week

Impeccable sources have disclosed that it is more likely that the National Assembly will continue meeting up until next week as the ongoing 3rd Meeting of 46th Session of Parliament for budget was expected to end this Friday after meeting for a period of eight weeks.

Sources at Parliament say a recent meeting resolved extension of the Meeting up to next week.

No Hope For ATI This Friday

There is little hope that the much awaited Access to Information Bill will be debated this Meeting of the National Assembly as the 3rd Meeting of 46th Session for Budget ends this Friday afternoon.

Leader of House, George Chaponda also has since expressed doubt that the bill will be discussed on Friday saying there are so many important bills on the Order Paper.

Catholic MP’s Urged To Walk The Talk

Fr. Jana giving the Holy Eucharist 

Catholic legislators have been asked to represent their words with action in their spiritual and political life.

Reverend Father Henry Chimkanda made the call on Tuesday in his homily as he was celebrating the Holy Mass at the Parliament building with legislators.

“We fail to walk the talk” observed Fr. Chimkanda 

Invest In Large Scale Farmers - Opposition Parties

Opposition Parties in the National Assembly says Malawi can eradicate its perennial food shortages if Agricultural programs and resources are invested to large-scale farmers and not resource poor farmers.

The observation follows US$60 million loan authorization bill on International Fund for Agriculture Development Programme for Rural Irrigation Development which has been passed by Parliament on Tuesday evening where the main beneficiaries in the loan are 19, 500 poor households from number of districts across the country particularly in most areas affected by drought and 12, 300 hectares will be under irrigation through the project.

Independence Celebrations Fever Force House Shot Down Time Extension

              Its Time Up Honorables!

The Legislators on Tuesday evening left Bill No. 17 of 2016: Courts (Amendment) unfinished as members were rushing home to begin the two day holiday after sitting time was over.

Malawians are celebrating Independence Day Holiday this Wednesday while on Thursday, Muslims will be celebrating the Eid Ul-fitri and both days have been declared holiday.

Malawi Communications Law Now Responds To New Developments

Kaliati: this will lead to communication improvement 

The National Assembly on Tuesday has repealed Communications Act of 1998 and replaced it with Bill No. 24 of 2015: Communications which responds to vast changes, upgrades and development in the Communications Sector which rendered the repealed law somehow irrelevant.

New bill has been passed after several consultations and lengthy scrutiny by the Committee on Media, Information and Communications, in which the bill was referred to following its debate in the House on March 1, 2016 after it was brought by the Minister of Information, Communication Technology and Civic Education.  

Malawians Now Protected On Electronic Transactions, Cyber Crimes

Government says passing of the Electronic Transaction Bill into law by the National Assembly on Monday, will open up the E-Commerce businesses in the country and protect people from various forms of harassment on internet.

Malawi National Assembly on Monday evening passed the bill with new title “Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act 2015.”

The bill seeks to enable to people to transact various services electronically with full protection of the law and also ensure that people are protected from computer related harassments like viruses, hacks and all cyber crimes.

House Approves US$ 23.5M Loan To Improve Water Supply For Blantyre City

No more dry taps

Problems of intermittent water supply facing Blantyre City will soon come to an end with the passing of US$ 23. 5 million loan for the purpose of putting water infrastructure at Mulanje Mountain to supply water to Blantyre city residents.

On Monday afternoon, the National Assembly approved Bill No. 15 of 2016: Export-Import Bank of India Loan Authorisation authorizing Government to get money for improving water provision in Blantyre city including some rural areas in Mulanje and Thyolo.

Addis Ababa University To Honor President Mutharika

Addis Ababa University of Ethiopia has decided to honour His Excellency, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika with an award of Degree of Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa.

The Addis Ababa University of Ethiopia to honour Malawi President His Excellency, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika with an award of Degree of Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa, the Malawi State House office has announced.

Addis Ababa University To Honor President Mutharika

Addis Ababa University of Ethiopia has decided to honour His Excellency, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika with an award of Degree of Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa.

The Addis Ababa University of Ethiopia to honour Malawi President His Excellency, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika with an award of Degree of Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa, the Malawi State House office has announced.

Catholic Church Echo Appeal For Food Assistance In Malawi

Most Rev. Msusa signed the statement 

The Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) has appealed to people of goodwill to quickly assist thousands of Malawians facing hunger during this 2016/2017 consumption year as the magnitude of the food shortage threatens lives of many Malawians.

Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee Report (MVAC, 2016) indicates 6.5 million Malawians require humanitarian assistance.

Parliament Pass 2016/17 Appropriation Bill, Customs & Excise, Taxation Bills

On Friday, the National Assembly passed Bill No. 27 of 2016 Appropriation following passing of the 2016/17 National Budget by the House on Thursday night.

The House pass Appropriation bill without debate and amendment to formally allow Government to appropriate resources in form of taxes for the resources to fund the activities of the Government.

World Bank Tips Malawi On Economic Recovery Through Agriculture Resilience

The third Malawi Economic Monitor (MEM) by World Bank has underline that development of a better system to mitigate agricultural shocks while continuing fiscal discipline will set Malawi on an economic growth recovery path in 2017. 

MEM titled Absorbing Shocks, Building Resilience released on Wednesday in Lilongwe notes that Agriculture which is the country's backbone continues to face risks associated with the drought, flooding, disease, price volatility, and low levels of on-farm adoption of risk management practices and technologies and that these have all contributed to volatile and often negative rates of agricultural GDP growth. 

Low Paid Civil Servants To Get A Raise

Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development has increased budgetary allocation to the Department of Human Resource Management and Development with K7.7 billion in order to allow lower paid workers in civil service to get better salaries. 

Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe told the National Assembly during the Committee of Supply before the passing of 2016/17 budget that the increment has been made to avert possible strike if workers continue to get little salaries. 

CDF Allocation Increased To K18 Million Per Constituency

There was jubilation in the National Assembly during Committee of Supply when Finance Minister, Goodall Gondwe announced that Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to each constituency has been increased to K18 million from K12 million.

CDF is under National Local Government Finance Committee budgetary vote and Members of Parliament were proposing increment of K20 million allocation per each constituency from K12 million. 

But the Gondwe earlier told House that Government was willing to raise CDF per each constituency from K12 million to K15 Million. However, the Finance Minister motion was defeated and the Committee of Supply deferred the vote forcing the Minister to make further consultation.