Lilongwe City Assembly Hail JTI for Rehabilitating Road In Kanengo

Rehabilitateđ róad 

The Lilongwe City Assembly says is impressed with one of Malawi's tobacco buying company, JTI for rehabilitating a 200 metre road at Kanengo Industrial site.

JTI has single-handedly rehabilitated the road which pass by the company's warehouse to a tune of K52 million. The high quality concrete road is conducive for heavy trucks.

Mayor (center)

Deputy Mayor of Lilongwe City, Akwame Bandawe, said when commissioning the road “This attests to the fact that if we can join hands with the private sector, we can make our city a better place to live in” he said

He described this support from JTI as "so colossal" then appealed to other companies to borrow a leaf from JTI and partner with the City Assembly in improving the City’s infrastructure.

Akwame Bandawe 

“The needs of the city are many and yet the resource envelope is too narrow. We expect the private sector to come to our rescue and take part in developing this City. We will as a City Assembly continue to harness a cordial working relationship with the private sector as corporate citizens and of course all the city dwellers in ensuring that we provide utmost good amenities for the people.” he added

The Deputy Mayor however, admitted that the City is failing to carryout its functions and provide services because it lacks resources since a lot of individuals and institutions continue to shun from paying city rates. He disclosed at the event that the city assembly did not respond to JTI request for the City Council's support for the rehabilitation of the project due to financial constraints


“We have a lot of defaulters when it comes to city rates, so it’s a challenge for us to be giving out what we are supposed to be doing because we rely on the same money. So its a challenge now and that is why we are saying that we really need to hold hands when coming with these kinds of developments” said Akwame

Bruce Munthali 

Chief Executive Officer for Tobacco Control Commission (TCC), Bruce Munthali also hailed JTI for such a commendable undertaking.

"This undertaking by JTI is quite commendable because is in line with the government that Tobacco companies should partner with government to ensure that they have expanded corporate social responsibility programmes. So this road construction by JTI definitely goes along way to demonstrate that commitment to government and Malawians that tobacco companies should also undertake such activities.”

Fries Vanneste

Earlier, Fries Vanneste, JTI's Managing Director said the company rehabilitated the road as a way of assisting government development endeavors in ensuring utmost good infrastructure to spar socio-economic development as well to facilitate JTI business processes and enhance safety requirement.

Vanneste said the road was in a very poor state which negatively impacted on their business operations and other companies in Kanengo.

“Due to its sorry state, the road was slippery during the rainy season and therefore not conducive for heavy trucks that ply this road on daily basis.” he said

“As a responsible corporate citizen we felt we had a role to play in ensuring that this road is rehabilitated. We therefore took the initiative to contribute to the city’s infrastructure by repairing this road and create a meaningful and win-win scenario for both the city and our business success.”

He further assured that the company will continue support government development agenda on road infrastructure because as a tobacco buying company understands that it cannot comfortably transport tobacco if the road network is bad.

OVY Network Eyes Malawi

Ovy Network gearing itself to become the best TV beaming channel Operator in the SADC region will soon be operating Pay TV in Zambia and Malawi, but would offer free view and pay TV for Botswana viewers.

According to George Kavwenje, the Group CEO for Ovy Network said the new project was mooted in 2014 and is running trials from the 21th of August 2015.

"We are running trials which started in August and then we go commercial services on the 17th of October. We will be facing a satellite called E7B and with this, you will be able to receive signals at 7 degrees east," explained Kavwenje.

He added that they have so far acquired capacity saturating a full transponder from EutelSat which will enable them to carry 40 SD channels. "These will be available in Botswana and all the other countries in Africa." 

On regulatory requirements in all countries they intent to operate he said "We have satisfied the local Botswana Communications and Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) for the set-top-box(decoders) for this country and our decoder is very dynamic in that it is a PVR which enables you to watch satellite, DDT and IPTV, all in one."

The Group CEO also hinted that recently, OVY Network and Filmbox International which is a unit of SPI International Group have entered into a distribution contract.

As per the deal, he said eight channels from FilmBox will be distributed across Africa through OVYtv in Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

"The channels include two movie channels, FilmBox Africa and FilmBox Arthouse; FightBox, a martial arts channel; Fast'nFunBox, sports channel; DocuBox, a documentary channel; FashionBox, fashion channel; 360TuneBox, a music channel; and MadscreenBox, a live, interactive game channel with family-oriented entertainment." He explains

Berk Uziyel, Executive Director for Filmbox International said were excited to expand their footprint in Africa.

"So far our channels have been performing very well throughout the region. This is why our partner OVY Network decided to carry eight of them on its OVYtv platform in multiple territories," Uziyel added.

OVYtv has over 45 channels and promises to introduce more.

OVY Network is a world-class Telecoms and Media Broadcast provider of comprehensive delivery, production, content management and end-to-end transmission services to TV, radio and data channels using its extensive integrated worldwide satellite, fiber and Internet communications network. OVY Network is the world-class leading independent data, voice and IP provider in Southern Africa with offices in South Africa, Zambia and headquartered in Botswana.

TTC Students To Start Paying School Fees

Students selected to pursue their studies in all government funded Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) will start paying school fees.

The Malawi Government through Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has introduced school fees in TTCs  following the upward revision of school fees at various levels of education and abolition of policy of sponsoring students selected to Pubic Universities and Domasi College of Education in order to achieve cost sharing.

Magreta: TCC students needs to pay fees

Secretary for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Lonely Magreta, said Students  in Teacher Training Colleges will now be required to pay K105,000 fees per per year unlike in the  previous  years  when  they were  not  required  to pay  any  fees. Instead of paying   fees,  they were receiving  an allowance of K1,500 per month.   

"The K105,000  fees  per year per student  is a mere  20% contribution  to the actual  cost of training" she said, "The  K105,000 is actually lower than what  other students  pay for similar teacher training programmes  which  are offered by DAPP which charges K156,000 per student per year  and no upkeep allowances are  paid to the students."

Magreta; this fees is just 20% of actual cost 

However, Magreta said when the  students will be conducting teaching practice during their second year  of training , they  will be entitled  to  an allowance  of K20,000 per month  which  Government will  be obligated to provide.

Like all arrangements made to all Needy Students  selected  to pursue courses at both  Public and Private Universities and colleges, TCCs students will have to apply for either  loans or bursaries from the recently  introduced Higher Education  Students’ Loans  and Grants which are being managed and administered by Higher  Education  Students’ Loans and Grants  Board.

Govt Wants Cost Sharing; Higher Education, Secondary School Fees Revised, As Students Sponsorship Abolished

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has made some changes on fees paid in both secondary schools and Public Universities.

Changes that are with immediate effect in the 2015/2016 Academic Year, includes abolishes sponsorship towards students pursuing studies in Public Universities.

Magreta: we need cost sharing 

Mrs. Lonely Magreta, Secretary for Education, Science and Technology, announced the changes on Saturday in Lilongwe, at a press conference.

She said school fees at at the three levels; Secondary, Tertiary and High Level education were unrealistic and too little hence the need for cost sharing since "Government resource envelope cannot suffice to meet all the requirements"

She then expressed hope that new changes will improve the quality of education and help to make available of all necessary resources in education.

Changes On Secondary School fees

Mainly, Public Secondary school tuition fees per term have been revised from K500 to K3,000 and other changes are on Textbook Revolving Fund now at K3,000, General Purpose Fund at K2,000, MCDE module fee MK1,000 and Centre fee at K7,000 (for Open Secondary Schools) and  Development Fund is now at K2,000 which in the past varied between different schools depending on the project being undertaken in a particular school.

From the new figures, the total amount of money to be paid as school fees per term will be seen to be higher due to major changes made on boarding fees. But the revised secondary school fees will come into effect from 4th January, 2016

National Government Secondary Schools boarding fees have been revised from K1,500 to K25,000 whereas National Grant Aided Secondary Schools boarding fees has been slightly changed from K55 to K65 thousand. District Boarding Secondary School boarding fees are now at ranges of K35,000 to K40,000 and this change also applies to District and Community Day Secondary Schools that have partial boarding facilities (girls hostels)

Mrs. Lonely Magreta, said the standardization of boarding fees is a response to concerns raised by parents over the increase in the price of goods and services on the open market. She said the Ministry has therefore raised boarding fees to enable schools to run boarding facilities effectively and also to bring about uniformity in fees charged across schools as well ad improve the diet.

Now, total amount of school fees would be K35,000 for National Secondary schools, K75,000 for National Grant Aided Secondary Schools and K35,000 to K50,000 for District Secondary Schools (similarly to District and Community Day Secondary schools with girls hostels). But, fees at District and Community Day Secondary Schools will be at K10,000 while Open Day Secondary School, fees will be K12,000.

Changes In Colleges

The Secretary for Ministry of Education said Government has abolished programme of selecting Government sponsored students in all Public Universities. She therefore said all students will be required to pay amount of tuition fees  payable  for similar programmes.

Government sponsored students who were getting up keep allowance, paid K55,000 per year a lesser  tuition fees than self sponsored  students who were required  to pay K275,000 per year.  

"The previous  arrangements of having  Government  sponsored  and Self  sponsored  students was a recipe for disaffection amongst students and created  unfortunate impression  that some students  were more favoured  by Government than others." Said Magreta but noted  that Government sponsored students  who were enrolled  in Public Universities during the past  years  up to  2014 will still be eligible to receive  upkeep allowances until they complete  their studies.

She said this also applies to Domasi College of Education. She said in the case of Domasi the revision of tuition fees is aimed at bringing  about parity.

"Before  the revision, the College had Government  sponsored students who were paying  K1,500  per year for either a Diploma  or Degree course whereas  self sponsored students  were paying K180,000 for a Diploma  course  and K220,000 for a  Degree course.  The revision of fees has removed discrimination in the fee structure.

After all,  students who graduate with either diplomas or degrees from Domasi College of Education are employed in the public service on equal  terms with those who graduate with diplomas  and degrees  from other  Public Institutions of Higher Learning." She explains

"The potency of Government to provide its citizens with either heavily subsidized or virtually free secondary, tertiary and higher education is increasingly becoming less tenable in the face of a limited resource envelope and competing priorities.  This trend is not only evolving in Malawi  but also  in many  countries in  the world.

Government  has a choice of either  having   education system  which  is  under resourced and uncompetitive  or very well resourced  through the  co-sharing  of costs between  Government  and individual beneficiaries. Any well meaning Malawian will choose the latter.  That is the direction that the  Malawi  Government has taken  while at  the same time  ensuring  that needy students are not left behind in their quest for quality  education." Explains Magreta

Magreta has indicated that Students who will not be able to pay the revised fees in Secondary Schools, will continue to be assisted by Government to access bursaries. Needy students  who will be selected  to pursue courses at Domasi College of Education and those pursing courses at both  Public and Private Universities,  will  be eligible  to apply for recently  introduced Higher Education  Students’ Loans  and Grants which are being managed and administered by Higher  Education  Students’ Loans and Grants  Board.

Media Is Strategic Partner In Fighting Fistula

The Ministry of Health in Malawi says media is a very important partner in fight against Obstetric Fistula.

Funny Kachale

Speaking on Thursday during a day long Media Orientation workshop on Obstetric Fistula, Director of Reproductive Health in the Ministry of Health, Funny Kachale underlined that the media is a very important partner in health and that training them on the topic was a right step in ensuring that media is spreading to the public accurate information about Fistula.

Kachale: Media is important partner 

"Fistula is a big problem for us here in Malawi. And knowing that Media is our partner in implementing health services, we know that they are able to reach out to the communities with various forms of messages.

"So, we know that once we give them right information through this orientation workshop, they will be able to assist us in creating awareness so that women and men hear the messages and know available services and those with condition should be able to come to the hospitals to get repaired."

Grace Hiwa with a female pelvis model, demonstrating how Obstetric Fistula occurs 

She also explained that Government has put in place number of strategies to end the problem.

Kachale mentioned number of strategies; encouraging women to attend antenatal care at an early stage, encouraging nurses to monitor progress of labour, discourage women from delivering at Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA), as ways government is using to preventing women from developing Obstetric Fistula

Hiwa explaining how Fistula develops

Kachale further explains that Government is also carrying out number of efforts to assist women who have fistula "We are training health workers cadre of Clinical Officers to repair Fistula and operating fistula through Obstetric Camps that we do twice a year."  

She therefore encouraged the media practitioners to prop up efforts in ending Obstetric Fistula in the country by informing the public the availability of services which repair women with the condition available in all hospitals and at Bwaila Fistula centre

Dorothy Nyasulu: UNDP consider media as strategic partner 

Dorothy Nyasulu-Assistant Representative at UNFPA said UNFPA consider media as a very strategic partner in access to information on sexual reproductive health which includes Obstetric Fistula.

She noted that many people in the country rely on media to access to correct and adequate information. She therefore said it was necessary to train the media on Fistula as a way of addressing the problem

"From this training, we want a correct information on Obstetric Fistula to continuously go out to the public." She said

Obstetric Fistula is one of the most serious and tragic childbirth injuries leading to a hole between the birth canal and bladder or rectum caused by prolonged (over six hours), obstructed labour. It leaves women leaking urine and faeces and often leads to  depression and social isolation due to smell that comes with the condition.

The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Health with support from UNFPA, Freedom from Fistula Foundation of Bwaila Centre and AMREF health Africa.

Area 18 Vendors Sends SOS As Chakwera Call For Lasting Solution To Market Fires

Thursday night picture of burning shelter

Area 18 market vendors have asked people and institutions of good will to assist them to recover from the fire which has completely gutted down their market, in the course damaging their properties.

The fire which started Thursday night burnt to ashes property worth Millions of Kwachas which officials from the market estimate it to about K100 million from over 500 business persons.

The remains of Area 18 Market 

No single property was rescued from the inferno said some of the victims who are suspecting that the fire was caused by electricity fault.

Speaking in an interview, Chairperson for the market, Bernard Gama said it will be difficult for most of the vendors to recover from the damage since the destroyed property was their sole treasure.

Property worth millions damaged 

“We will now live like orphans, we have nothing to do.” He said while pleading for help from the well wishers including government and non-governmental organizations.

The raging inferno spared nothing 

Lazarus Chakwera being walked round the
Market to see for himself 

Leader of Opposition and president of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), hon. Lazarus Chakwera, rushed to the scene to see for himself and said “It is shocking” when describing the nature of damage.

Gama showing Chakwera some properties
Damaged by the fire

Chakwera said the damage has affected the whole city since this is likely to cause serious economic challenges to many families that were depending on Area 18 market by doing various businesses as well as those that were buying from the market.

However, the MCP leader said it was sad to note that the market fires are very frequent across the country where property worth millions of Kwacha’s are being lost.

“Market fires are occurring frequently in our country and it is shocking.” He said

He then suggested that all relevant authorities including Councils, Parliament and vendors Associations to take these matters seriously by finding solutions that helps to end the occurrence of fires in all markets.

“We need to find concrete solutions.” Urged Chakwera

Chakwera said the scene was shocking 

He underlined the need for proper solutions that “truly gives hope” to those doing businesses especially on making sure that small vendors are able Insure their business.

“We need to find solutions which prepare for these uncertainties” said Chakwera, who emphasized that such business insurance schemes may help to lessen the effects of fire damages.

He also promised that his party will come back to support the victims.

Chkwera says venders must Insure their
Businesses 

People were shocked at seeing the fire
Gutting the market to ashes 

Pictures taken the night when
Area 18 market caught fire

Fire Guts Down Area 18 Market in Lilongwe

Fire guts down Area 18 A market in the Capital City Lilongwe, but the cause is not yet established.

However, it is rumoured that electric fault in one of the shops might be the cause of the inferno which has completely burnt to ashes the whole market.

According to Chairperson for the Market, Bernard Gama, it is suspected that an electrical device from one of the shops might have developed a fault since electricity have been on and off for three times on yesterday.

He also estimated that over 300 businesses businesses were operating in the market.

The chairman said the fire began around 8 pm just after the market was closed.

According to eye witnesses, fire brigade who came late at the scene failed to putdown the fire and that nobody has managed to rescue property during the fire.

Area 18 market is closer to Capital Hill and City Centre.