Mw Govt Partying As Some Public Services Remain Unfunctional

Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace bemoans of what it called 'Misplaced Priorities' by Government of Malawi. 

In statement A Quest for a Better and Descent Malawi CCJP says Government continues to spend unnecessarily yet almost all Government Ministries and departments  continues to receive lessened financial disbursements. 

The statement signed by CCJP Secretaries from all eight Dioceses noted that the diminished funding to government departments and ministries have led to compromised public services in most sectors 

The statement says even in public hospitals there is accute shortage of drugs and that in some hospitals ambulances are not in operation while the executive continue spending money for less important issues. 

The statement cited the recent banquet to celebrate the passing of the national budget as a signal of misplaced priorities and worse still, such bad signals in the face of growing poverty and frustrations among people continue to be a sad trend in Malawi.

“We are noting in view of that to say there are some trends and practices that are not helpful from this country” said Chris Chisoni, national secretary for CCJP in an interview 

“We are saying, probably the little resources would have been used for much better things but we are not saying celebrating is bad”

He added “Whether the justification or any explanation made by government on such celebrations are justified or not, but the signs that are put across by such type of activities would signify in part in other people’s eyes, those that are suffering that probably there is some sort of insensitivity.”

CCJP in its letter which is touching on social-ecomomic and political issues and need for transformative leadership further calls Malawians, political leaders to make Malawi a better and a happy nation for all. 

“WeWe need every sector of leadership in Malawi to be transformed because we have spend 51 years and where we are a now is not where we would have been.” said Chisoni

The letter further urge development and cooperating partners and the private sector to provide their unwavering technical, financial, moral and intellectual support. 

“Malawi Government cannot do without cooperating partners despite the fact that we all agree today that we must be looking for economic sovereignty. Economic sovereignty and independence is very important but we need stepping stones to arrive that level of independency we can’t just grow independency in a day” he said  

Mw Govt Introduce Free Vocational Training For People With Disability

Kaliati (middle)

Persons with disability aged 16 and above holding the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) need not to hesitate from applying for a fully funded scholarship into various vocational training skills.

Malawi Government through Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare has introduced a special technical and vocational skills training for persons with disability.

Minister Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati disclosed in Lilongwe that her ministry will offer the training in conjunction with Technical Entrepreneurial and Vocation Education and Training Authority (TEVETA).

Kalitati said the scholarship is free and asked everyone to inform and encourage those that are qualified to apply and submit their application directly to the Ministry of Gender offices or to TEVETA not later than 20th August 2015.

"My Ministry and Technical Entrepreneur and Vocational Education Training Authority (TEVETA) has come up with an affirmative action to promote access to vocation skills training for persons with disability using existing public technical colleges.

"I am pleased to report that TEVETA has reservation of 20 places for persons with disabilities in its scholarship programme in all the public technical colleges." Said Kaliati

"For the offer to be effectively utilized persons with required qualifications needs to be informed" said Kaliati while indicating that applications be submitted to her ministry offices or to TEVETA.

The available opportunities includes; Administrative Studies, Automobile Mechanics, Brick Layering, Food Production, Carpentry and Joinery, Electrical Installation, IT, Tailoring and Designing.

Hon Kaliati said this initiative is Government vision of creating equal opportunities for persons with disabilities and further responds to UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.

Kaliati, noted with concern that person with disabilities continue to fail to access to training opportunities in some vocation training centres due to financial challenges, negative attitude by the society and lack of knowledge among persons with disability on available training opportunities.

"Some schools would not accept person with disability because they think that such persons will slow down the learning process of other participants." Said Kaliati

Then she underlined that such initiatives and mainstreaming disability services into all programmes enable people with disability to take their place as sitizens on equal basis with others and make their contributions to society.

She further guarantees Malawi Government commitment to continue implementing various initiatives that promote rights of people with disabilities and that her ministry with TEVETA will keep on introducing number of informal training programmes for those that do not have school qualifications.

Hon Kaliati also appealed to people with disabilities who do not have qualifications to utilize and take advantage of Community Technical Colleges that are being established in their districts.

DHL Express Set to Support SMEs Growth

Gavyn Symons 

DHL Express is ready to promote growth of Small Scale Businesses (SMEs) in Malawi and across Africa.

Newly appointed Manager for DHL Express Malawi, Gavyn Symons disclosed that the company is introducing a partnership that will help SMEs with information on customs, and other import and export regulations while enabling them experience easy and affordable service of sending and receiving goods around the world.

"We will be looking at doing this from global as well as regional and country prospective." he said 

"We want to partner with the SME's and we want to make ourselves readily accessible and available to SME's so that they can come to us for advice especially when it comes to import duties, customs, regulations, compliances."

Symons whose top priorities as Managing Director said includes to grow market share, particularly within the SME industry, and to continue drive service-related initiatives to ensure superior service to its customers, emphasized that this support will offer SMEs "peace of mind" when they send or import their shipments around the world.

DHL Express Marketing and Communications Manager for Southern Africa, Khanyi Mamba, explains that DHL is very much focused with developing SME's across Africa because the company realized the existing need for educating SME's.

"Generally SMEs don't know for example if they want to import a box from UK. What does it mean in terms of customs and duties and how does that implicates ones profit." She said

"At DHL Express we are going to introduce the programme called Certified International Specialists for SMEs (CIS) where we are going to be doing workshops for SMEs in order to educate them on such kind of information" added Mamba

She then said "We want to help develop businesses in Africa, that's the main focus of the programme and we don't want to be seen only as a service provider but as a business partner. We want see businesses to grow in Africa and we want to support local businesses that are really small businesses."

According to Mamba the programme will be free of charge for the SMEs starting in South Africa towards the end of this year, then scale down to other parts of Africa including Malawi.

Pope Francis Encyclical To Help Climate Change Mitigation in MW

Pope Francis 'letter' Encyclical 'Laudato Si' meaning 'Praise God' has received a warm welcome from Malawi Government as a document that complements efforts on climate change mitigation.

Encyclical 'Laudato Si' launched in Malawi Tuesday night in the Capital city Lilongwe

"It is extremely fortunate that the Encyclical 'Laudato Si' is moving extremely in tandem with government plans, policies and actions on climate change" said Honorable Bright Msaka, Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining who graced the occasion as guest of honor

"This is not one man's effort we must collaborate in order to achieve the intended objective." Said Msaka

"The Catholic Church has a very broad reach in Malawi. If this Encyclical is going to be read in all Catholic churches in Malawi and listened to by all the Catholics, then we will have a very critical mass there of Christians in the Catholics church supporting government effort to achieve the kind of actions we want to undertake."

The Minister also assured that government is making positive strides on conservation and address issues of climate change conservation. 

"This Government is doing everything it can to ensure that nature is preserved" said Msaka 

"We would like to assure the nation that we will leave nothing undone to ensure that the environment is protected. We will reduce and eliminate green house gases and everything that is depleting ozone layer and that goes with it" he said 

His Grace Thomas Msusa

Speaking on the Encyclical 'Laudato Si', Bishop Chairman for the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, His Grace, Thomas Msusa said "Climate change is here" and that Pope Francis in his Encyclical 'Laudato Si', looks back what God did. 

"Before creating human beings God created nature; trees, plants and other things and then human person was put in that creation." Said Msusa

"So Pope Francis as he looks back sees nature, and that the world is not as it was before. Pope Francis is concerned about the co-existence of human beings and nature. We are related with nature, we are part of nature. However, people are destroying the nature." He said 

"Pope Francis is urging us to take care of our natural resources and all what God created. He wants us to be responsible. He calls us to receive this message to look and think of climate change. It is there and we have to control it" urged ECM Bishop chairman

Arch Bishop Msusa further urged Malawians to take care of their natural resources, "Here in Malawi there is wanton cutting down of trees, burning of bushes unnecessarily. But let us replant trees, take care of our natural resources so that our future generation can also enjoy what God created"

Chileka Terminal Building Ready in December

Government speaks optimism that terminal building refurbishment works at Chileka International Airport in Blantyre will see its completion this year in December.

In an interview, Minister of Transport Hon. Francis Kasaila, says the terminal building ground floor works were completed, remaining with the upper floor expected to complete in December this year.

The terminal building at the airport was in a dilapidated state and created congestion for the arrival and departure sections posing security challenges as well compromising the security for airlines due to overcrowding.

The refurbishment works on other hand have crippled airline services and in the mean time, the newly licensed airline ‘Fastjet’ has been denied permission to introduce another Blantyre-Dar es Salaam flight route due to the problem.

Kasaila 

“We have not given them (Fastjet) permission to operate between De res Salaam and Blantyre because there are number of issues that have to be sorted out.” Said Kasaila “One of them being status of terminal building.”

Kasaila assured that by December this year, the terminal building will be able to accommodate more airlines and that, Government will consider allowing airline operators to resume services including introduction of Blantyre- Dar es Salaam route by Fastjet.

“What we are doing at Chileka is to make sure that we complete the rehabilitation of terminal building so that all other processes and security checks are done properly.

“Now we have completed the rehabilitation for the ground floor for the terminal building and we are now working to complete the upper floor for the terminal building which may complete in December and we will be able to accommodate more airlines.” Explained Kasaila

After completion of rehabilitation of the terminal building, Kasaila says government will begin to rehabilitate the runaways.

“Without upgrading them we are not going to accommodate more traffic from the operators because conditions do not allow us.”

Malawi's 2014/2015 Crop Estimates Worrisome

• 223 thousand Metric tones of Maize deficit including other cash crops

• Animal husbandry registered an increase 

• Government playdown hunger fears

The Malawi crop estimates for the 2014/2015 season are worrisome as the Agriculture Production Estimates Survey (APES 2014/2015) reveal a decrease in almost every crop grown in the country.

Ministry of Agriculture survey indicates that maize production decreased from 3.978 million metric tons realized in 2013/2014 agricultural season to 2.776 million metric tons in the current agricultural season representing 30.2 percent decline in production.

The new figure is a bit lower from the second round where the Ministry estimated maize production at 2.876 million metric tons.

However, Government maintains that the results should not scare people as mitigation measures are in place to ensure that no one die of hunger this year. 

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Honorable Allan Chiyembekeza said during the news conference that based on the national maize requirement, now the actual national maize deficit for the country is 223,723 metric tons.

“The just ended season was not favorable for agriculture for two reasons; we had very heavy rains which unfortunately started late and resulted in serious flooding, and if that was not enough, barely a month or later we had a very dry spell” said Chiyembeka when presenting the final crop estimates in Lilongwe.

“Because of that definitely our harvest for this past year hasn’t been that good and that’s why the results have registered a reduction in yield of almost all the crops we grow in this country” he said

Malawi’s maize requirement based on the population projection and industrial use for the year is at about 3 million metric tons. National maize requirement, 2.563 million metric tons is for food use only while the rest is required for seed, feed and industrial use; and replenishment of the Strategic Grain Reserve. 

Thought this year’s crop production seem to be bad news for the nation, Hon. Chiyembekeza has assured that there is no need for panic

“But I know that we also eat other food crops. If we diversify our meals to other food crops, there will be less impact of hunger in the country.” Said Chiyembekeza 

The Minister further indicated that the third round Agriculture Production Estimates Survey (APES 2014/2015) results also show that production of other major food crops such as rice, millet, cassava and sorghum is down. However, potatoes and sweet potatoes have increased by 4.1% and 2.7%, respectively.

Some cash crops have registered decreases including cotton which is down by 40.1% while groundnuts production is down by 25.4%. 

In terms of livestock, Chiyembekeza said, the population of cattle has increased from 1.316 million to 1.398 million representing 6.1 percent increase as compared to the final round for the 2013/2014 agricultural season. 

Mitigation Measures to Counteract Food Deficit

The agriculture minister has assured that Government through the Ministry had put in place several mitigation measures to offset anticipated food deficits.

Honorable Allan Chiyembekeza said with funding from the World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund amounting to about MK401 Million (US$900,000) implemented the Cassava and Sweet Potato Production Program as a response to the floods and dry spells. The area planted with cassava and sweet potato totals about 5,000 ha. 

Chiyembekeza said, 500,000 Metric tons of maize harvest is expect from winter cropping following the distribution of agricultural inputs to farmers for irrigation farming by Ministry and number of Development Partners, NGOs, and private sector.

He further mentioned that Government is expected to buy about 115,000 metric tons of maize from MK15 billion that was allocated in the national budget for procuring maize to meet food need of the population. 

Chiyembekeza then said that National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) will procure maize using as platforms the Agricultural Commodity Exchange (ACE) and the Auction Holdings Commodity Exchange (AHCX). NFRA has since started holding auctions on the platforms but contracts are yet to be awarded to potential suppliers

The Minister also mentioned that to date, ADMARC has borrowed MK1.8 billion which is being used to procure maize

“As of 3rd August, ADMARC had bought 9,814 metric tons of maize at an average price of MK110 per kg translating into a total cost of MK1.09 billion. The remaining funds (MK0.7 billion) are expected to buy about 6,400 metric tons.

“Therefore, with budget funds and ADMARC resources totaling MK16.8 billion, Government will be able to buy 126,000 metric tons of maize.” He aid

“In addition, Government bought 30,000 metric tons from Zambia and mandated ADMARC to uplift it into the Country. So far, 6,164 metric tons of the 30,000 metric tons has been lifted into the country. It is expected that the rest of the tonnage will be in the country by end of September.” Said Chiyembekeza

Desperate of Baby: Woman Steal a Month-Old Baby in Kasungu

A 25 year old woman pretended a good friend then vanished for a day with a month old baby girl now arrested by Kasungu police.

The woman identified by Police in Kasungu as Loveness Ngulube aged 25 has been arrested for stealing a month-old baby girl belonging to a woman identified as Ndaziona Phiri. 

“On Wednesday 5th August 2015 at around 12:00 hours Loveness met Ndaziona Phiri who was at that time coming from Kasungu District hospital and was on her way home

“Then Loveness approached Ndaziona to ask offer help carry the baby.” Explained Sub Inspector Edna Mzingwitsa, Kasungu Deputy Police Public Relations Officer

Unsuspectingly Mzingwitsa said Ndaziona handed the baby to ‘the loving stranger’ Loveness but as they walked towards Kasungu main market Loveness disappeared with the baby.

Sub Inspector Mzingwitsa then said the mother of the baby rushed to Kasungu Police to report the incident.

“Police officers instituted investigation which led to the arrest of Loveness at Katchembere village within the district.” Said Sub Inspector Mzingwitsa

“At the police station, Loveness said she desperately needs a baby. She explained that since 2013 she got married, her family has never had a gift of a baby.” Said Mzingwitsa who indicated that Loveness will appear in court soon to answer the charge of Child stealing contrary to section 167 of the penal code which attracts maximum sentence of 7 years imprisonment with hard labour

The suspect Loveness Ngulube comes from Edingeni village of TA Mberwa in Mzimba district