Malawi intensifies search for gold, diamond
Malawi has intensified the search for gold and diamond in a latest bid to prop up its agro-based economy.
The country depends largely on agriculture, which contributes over 60 per cent to the national economy. But tobacco, its highest foreign exchange earner faces an uncertain future in the face of a global onslaught against the health hazards associated with smoking.
Price instability for other strategic crops such as cotton, tea and maize have also meant diminished returns for impoverished farmers, prompting government to experiment with new viable forms of economic spinning.
Leonard Kalindekafe, Director for the country’s Geological Surveys Department, said mineral exploration offered the next best alternative for Malawi.
“Mineral exploration can contribute significantly towards economic development for Malawi. That is why we have intensified the search for gold and diamond. There are strong possibilities that we have these precious minerals in the country, and what was remaining has been exploration,” said Kalindekafe.
He said the department has started drilling for diamond and gold, a process he said would take as long as six to one year to bring results.
“We have started exploration works for diamond in Mangochi. So far, we have extracted some substantial amount of Kimberlitic stones. These are the stones that contain diamond, though it is not always the case that you will get the diamond,” he said.
While drilling works for diamond have already started in the Southern Malawi district of Mangochi, exploration works for gold have also started in Neno district, another Southern region district.
The works are taking place at a former blitz mine.
Malawi has a variety of mineral resources. Some of which include bauxite and uranium.
Uranium mining has already started at Kayerekera in the Northern Malawi district of Karonga. Paladin Africa, an Australian company carrying out the works, announced last month uranium exportation would start between September and October this year.
Grain Malunga, Malawi’s Energy and Mines Minister, is thrilled with the prospects of Malawi becoming a uranium exporter.
“It is such a great thing to happen to Malawi. We will be making an average US$10 million from uranium exportation every year,” said Malunga.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has called for more investments in the country’s mining sector.
EU hands over hospital wards
The European Union Micro-projects programme has donated two hospital wards to Chonde Health Centre in Mulanje district.
Mulanje, a district in Southern Malawi, is one of the country’s highly populated areas. However, access to medical facilities remains one of the biggest challenges as infrastructural inadequacies and a lope-sized doctor-to-patient ratio conspire to make life too expensive for community members, most of whom live below US$1 a day.
Isaac Munro, National Coordinator for EU Micro-projects Programme, asked community members to take good care of the infrastructure.
He said vandalism of donated property discouraged other well-wishers, a development that meant increased deaths from preventable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.
The facilities are worth K23 million.
We are happy to contribute towards Malawi’s health system. Improving access to health will play a great role in helping developing countries meet the Millennium Development Goals,” said Munro.
Health is one of the priority areas in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, the current development blue print for Malawi.
The EU Micro-projects Programme started working in Malawi in 1995, and has gone through four phases highlighting various areas of development priorities.
The Fifth phase starts next year.
Member of Parliament for the area, Education Minister George Chaponda, hailed the EU for contributing towards the country’s social-economic development.
“The good thing about EU Micro-projects Programme is that it does not force initiatives on people; it involves them in all processes, from project design to implementation,” said Chaponda.
Bushfires threaten govt. plantations
Ridiculous. A worker at Raiply Plantations in Northern Malawi is not happy with the way his boss nagged him for making some careless mistake; he wears the robe of darkness and goes on rampage, setting part of the plantation ablaze!
Another plantation worker quarrels with another over food at lunch- the other worker has eaten more than his fair portion of collective lunch, and things go asunder. The offended party sets part of the plantation ablaze as part of his anger-healing process.
It is Monday, September 28, 2009. Pay day.
The bosses delay payment by one more day and the workers, incensed, raze part of the plantation.
Anyone sacked from the plantation is sure to vent their anger on the plantation as well, and that has always been the striking fate of Vipya Plantations, government tree plantations concessioned to privately-owned Raiply.
Just last year, 300 hectares of forest went up in flames under similar circumstances, and this has angered Raiply Chief Executive Officer Thomas Comen.
“The cost for such behaviour is huge. These bushfires are destroying a lot of biological diversity in the plantation, apart from causing huge losses of money because we cannot sell trees that have been badly burnt for timber purposes,” said Comen.
Comen said cases of burning plantations were becoming common place, largely perpetuated by the angry employee, sacked worker, disgruntled community member, clueless hunter, and cigarette smoker.
“The situation is really bad. It takes 30 years a raise a tree, but only uncontrollable anger to go back to square-one. Why destroy something that has taken up more resources in a single sweep of anger, frustrating the country’s economic prospects?” he queried.
Comen said, however, Raiply was doing it can to bring sanity where anger reigns, and has established new grievous handling mechanisms to bring sanity home.
“We want everyone to report their grievances. This way, we will be able to resolve all grievances amicably, and in a way that does not bring destruction to the forests and losses to the company. Communities must own up to the fact that the plantations, in a way, belong to them. They will bear the brunt of climatic changes arising from distortions in weather patterns emanating from the effects of destroying the plantations,” said Comen.
Daulosi Mauambeta, Executive Director for the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (Wesm), blames community ignorance for the trend. He said most community members were still unaware of the effects of destroying natural resources even in face of tangible climatic changes taking place around us.
“People even think that climatic change is a Western phenomenon that has nothing to do with us. The truth is that the changes are here with us, and may not be reversed should we continue with our old ways. We need to change people’s attitudes,” said Mauambeta.
Traditional Authority Karonga, one of the prominent chiefs in Northern Malawi, where Vipya is located, has vowed to mete out strong punishments to people who cause bush fires and destroy the environment willy-nilly.
“These resources are not for us but our children. Anyone who punishes an unborn child will surely be punished heavily. Setting Vipya ablaze is like killing the unborn child and I will not tolerate that,” said Karonga.
Government has for the past two years increased budgetary allocations to natural resources and environmental management, raising hopes that, perhaps, what remains of Malawi’s environment and natural resources may not be lost forever.
Malawi for improved housing infrastructure
Government has unveiled a new ambitious housing initiative that encourages development of up storey buildings.
The country has for a long time depended on non-storey buildings, a development Housing Minister Peter Mwanza says has contributed to the general lack of space in urban areas.
“This is especially true for civil servants houses and buildings. You will find that most of them are small but take up a lot of space. We want to change this,” said Mwanza.
The new initiative has started with the construction of 200 houses apiece for Malawi Defense Force and Malawi Police Service officers in Lilongwe.
Security officials are one of government’s workers who lack up market housing infrastructure.
Former president Bakili Muluzi used to make fun of their houses, saying he could not understand how an officer with 10 children could manage to house all of them in a one-bed roomed house.
Muluzi could also joke that an officer would sleep with his head and chest in the bedroom, and the legs on the dining room- which also acted as the bedroom for kids and visitors.
“When visitors from the village come, all ‘bedroom work’ (sex) stops until they go back”, Muluzi used to say, to the uproar of United Democratic Front supporters.
Government seems to be building reality from those jokes, as evidenced by its new initiative in Lilongwe- something Mwanza said would change the housing face of Malawi and usher in a new era of respect and dignity for the country’s civil servants.
Blantyre DC shuns chief’s funeral
Blantyre District Commissioner (DC) Charles Makanga is under fire for shunning the burial ceremony of Village Headman Evance Makata.
Makata, 55, died of Diabetes last week, but his burial this week was marred by the prominent absence of Blantyre DC Makata, angering communities from Ndirande.
Traditional leaders fall under the Ministry of Local Government, which, at district level, is headed by the DC.
Makata also failed to send a representative at a funeral service attended by Ndirande Malabada Member of Parliament and Defense Minister Aaron Sangala.
“What the DC has done is very bad and sets a very bad precedent. Traditional leaders deserve respect and the DC must be seen to lead in this. It is a shame,” said Daniel Ndowa, a community member who was backed by other subjects.
Makanga said it was not his deliberate move to miss the burial of the chief. The DC’s wreath was laid by a community member.
WHO joins fight against Liver blindness
Malawi has bemoaned the continued prevalence of Liver blindness, some 19 years after efforts against a condition that affects rural communities.
Health Minister Moses Chirambo said there was need for more resources and technical help, hailing World Health Organization (WHO) for being in the forefront against Liver blindness in the country.
WHO, which has a running project against Liver blindness spanning from 1997, has donated two toner vehicles and 100 bicycles meant it hopes will help reduce cases of Liver blindness through improved outreach mobility.
“It is a shame that Liver blindness continues to affect rural communities, many years after we started efforts aimed at raising public awareness. We really need more help,” said Chirambo.
WHO Country Representative for Malawi, Felistus Zawaira, attributed the continued spread of Liver blindness to perceptions that it was a condition for the rural masses.
“The result has been government neglect because those often affected have no voice. The other factor is that Liver blindness does not kill immediately, and this tends to bring some sort of laxity among rural communities,” said Zawaira.
Liver blindness may lead to complete blindness, but Malawian patients only develop partial blindness.
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Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Achirombo On Wednesday
Malawi intensifies search for gold, diamond
Malawi has intensified the search for gold and diamond in a latest bid to prop up its agro-based economy.
The country depends largely on agriculture, which contributes over 60 per cent to the national economy. But tobacco, its highest foreign exchange earner faces an uncertain future in the face of a global onslaught against the health hazards associated with smoking.
Price instability for other strategic crops such as cotton, tea and maize have also meant diminished returns for impoverished farmers, prompting government to experiment with new viable forms of economic spinning.
Leonard Kalindekafe, Director for the country’s Geological Surveys Department, said mineral exploration offered the next best alternative for Malawi.
“Mineral exploration can contribute significantly towards economic development for Malawi. That is why we have intensified the search for gold and diamond. There are strong possibilities that we have these precious minerals in the country, and what was remaining has been exploration,” said Kalindekafe.
He said the department has started drilling for diamond and gold, a process he said would take as long as six to one year to bring results.
“We have started exploration works for diamond in Mangochi. So far, we have extracted some substantial amount of Kimberlitic stones. These are the stones that contain diamond, though it is not always the case that you will get the diamond,” he said.
While drilling works for diamond have already started in the Southern Malawi district of Mangochi, exploration works for gold have also started in Neno district, another Southern region district.
The works are taking place at a former blitz mine.
Malawi has a variety of mineral resources. Some of which include bauxite and uranium.
Uranium mining has already started at Kayerekera in the Northern Malawi district of Karonga. Paladin Africa, an Australian company carrying out the works, announced last month uranium exportation would start between September and October this year.
Grain Malunga, Malawi’s Energy and Mines Minister, is thrilled with the prospects of Malawi becoming a uranium exporter.
“It is such a great thing to happen to Malawi. We will be making an average US$10 million from uranium exportation every year,” said Malunga.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has called for more investments in the country’s mining sector.
EU hands over hospital wards
The European Union Micro-projects programme has donated two hospital wards to Chonde Health Centre in Mulanje district.
Mulanje, a district in Southern Malawi, is one of the country’s highly populated areas. However, access to medical facilities remains one of the biggest challenges as infrastructural inadequacies and a lope-sized doctor-to-patient ratio conspire to make life too expensive for community members, most of whom live below US$1 a day.
Isaac Munro, National Coordinator for EU Micro-projects Programme, asked community members to take good care of the infrastructure.
He said vandalism of donated property discouraged other well-wishers, a development that meant increased deaths from preventable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.
The facilities are worth K23 million.
We are happy to contribute towards Malawi’s health system. Improving access to health will play a great role in helping developing countries meet the Millennium Development Goals,” said Munro.
Health is one of the priority areas in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, the current development blue print for Malawi.
The EU Micro-projects Programme started working in Malawi in 1995, and has gone through four phases highlighting various areas of development priorities.
The Fifth phase starts next year.
Member of Parliament for the area, Education Minister George Chaponda, hailed the EU for contributing towards the country’s social-economic development.
“The good thing about EU Micro-projects Programme is that it does not force initiatives on people; it involves them in all processes, from project design to implementation,” said Chaponda.
Bushfires threaten govt. plantations
Ridiculous. A worker at Raiply Plantations in Northern Malawi is not happy with the way his boss nagged him for making some careless mistake; he wears the robe of darkness and goes on rampage, setting part of the plantation ablaze!
Another plantation worker quarrels with another over food at lunch- the other worker has eaten more than his fair portion of collective lunch, and things go asunder. The offended party sets part of the plantation ablaze as part of his anger-healing process.
It is Monday, September 28, 2009. Pay day.
The bosses delay payment by one more day and the workers, incensed, raze part of the plantation.
Anyone sacked from the plantation is sure to vent their anger on the plantation as well, and that has always been the striking fate of Vipya Plantations, government tree plantations concessioned to privately-owned Raiply.
Just last year, 300 hectares of forest went up in flames under similar circumstances, and this has angered Raiply Chief Executive Officer Thomas Comen.
“The cost for such behaviour is huge. These bushfires are destroying a lot of biological diversity in the plantation, apart from causing huge losses of money because we cannot sell trees that have been badly burnt for timber purposes,” said Comen.
Comen said cases of burning plantations were becoming common place, largely perpetuated by the angry employee, sacked worker, disgruntled community member, clueless hunter, and cigarette smoker.
“The situation is really bad. It takes 30 years a raise a tree, but only uncontrollable anger to go back to square-one. Why destroy something that has taken up more resources in a single sweep of anger, frustrating the country’s economic prospects?” he queried.
Comen said, however, Raiply was doing it can to bring sanity where anger reigns, and has established new grievous handling mechanisms to bring sanity home.
“We want everyone to report their grievances. This way, we will be able to resolve all grievances amicably, and in a way that does not bring destruction to the forests and losses to the company. Communities must own up to the fact that the plantations, in a way, belong to them. They will bear the brunt of climatic changes arising from distortions in weather patterns emanating from the effects of destroying the plantations,” said Comen.
Daulosi Mauambeta, Executive Director for the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (Wesm), blames community ignorance for the trend. He said most community members were still unaware of the effects of destroying natural resources even in face of tangible climatic changes taking place around us.
“People even think that climatic change is a Western phenomenon that has nothing to do with us. The truth is that the changes are here with us, and may not be reversed should we continue with our old ways. We need to change people’s attitudes,” said Mauambeta.
Traditional Authority Karonga, one of the prominent chiefs in Northern Malawi, where Vipya is located, has vowed to mete out strong punishments to people who cause bush fires and destroy the environment willy-nilly.
“These resources are not for us but our children. Anyone who punishes an unborn child will surely be punished heavily. Setting Vipya ablaze is like killing the unborn child and I will not tolerate that,” said Karonga.
Government has for the past two years increased budgetary allocations to natural resources and environmental management, raising hopes that, perhaps, what remains of Malawi’s environment and natural resources may not be lost forever.
Malawi for improved housing infrastructure
Government has unveiled a new ambitious housing initiative that encourages development of up storey buildings.
The country has for a long time depended on non-storey buildings, a development Housing Minister Peter Mwanza says has contributed to the general lack of space in urban areas.
“This is especially true for civil servants houses and buildings. You will find that most of them are small but take up a lot of space. We want to change this,” said Mwanza.
The new initiative has started with the construction of 200 houses apiece for Malawi Defense Force and Malawi Police Service officers in Lilongwe.
Security officials are one of government’s workers who lack up market housing infrastructure.
Former president Bakili Muluzi used to make fun of their houses, saying he could not understand how an officer with 10 children could manage to house all of them in a one-bed roomed house.
Muluzi could also joke that an officer would sleep with his head and chest in the bedroom, and the legs on the dining room- which also acted as the bedroom for kids and visitors.
“When visitors from the village come, all ‘bedroom work’ (sex) stops until they go back”, Muluzi used to say, to the uproar of United Democratic Front supporters.
Government seems to be building reality from those jokes, as evidenced by its new initiative in Lilongwe- something Mwanza said would change the housing face of Malawi and usher in a new era of respect and dignity for the country’s civil servants.
Blantyre DC shuns chief’s funeral
Blantyre District Commissioner (DC) Charles Makanga is under fire for shunning the burial ceremony of Village Headman Evance Makata.
Makata, 55, died of Diabetes last week, but his burial this week was marred by the prominent absence of Blantyre DC Makata, angering communities from Ndirande.
Traditional leaders fall under the Ministry of Local Government, which, at district level, is headed by the DC.
Makata also failed to send a representative at a funeral service attended by Ndirande Malabada Member of Parliament and Defense Minister Aaron Sangala.
“What the DC has done is very bad and sets a very bad precedent. Traditional leaders deserve respect and the DC must be seen to lead in this. It is a shame,” said Daniel Ndowa, a community member who was backed by other subjects.
Makanga said it was not his deliberate move to miss the burial of the chief. The DC’s wreath was laid by a community member.
WHO joins fight against Liver blindness
Malawi has bemoaned the continued prevalence of Liver blindness, some 19 years after efforts against a condition that affects rural communities.
Health Minister Moses Chirambo said there was need for more resources and technical help, hailing World Health Organization (WHO) for being in the forefront against Liver blindness in the country.
WHO, which has a running project against Liver blindness spanning from 1997, has donated two toner vehicles and 100 bicycles meant it hopes will help reduce cases of Liver blindness through improved outreach mobility.
“It is a shame that Liver blindness continues to affect rural communities, many years after we started efforts aimed at raising public awareness. We really need more help,” said Chirambo.
WHO Country Representative for Malawi, Felistus Zawaira, attributed the continued spread of Liver blindness to perceptions that it was a condition for the rural masses.
“The result has been government neglect because those often affected have no voice. The other factor is that Liver blindness does not kill immediately, and this tends to bring some sort of laxity among rural communities,” said Zawaira.
Liver blindness may lead to complete blindness, but Malawian patients only develop partial blindness.
Malawi has intensified the search for gold and diamond in a latest bid to prop up its agro-based economy.
The country depends largely on agriculture, which contributes over 60 per cent to the national economy. But tobacco, its highest foreign exchange earner faces an uncertain future in the face of a global onslaught against the health hazards associated with smoking.
Price instability for other strategic crops such as cotton, tea and maize have also meant diminished returns for impoverished farmers, prompting government to experiment with new viable forms of economic spinning.
Leonard Kalindekafe, Director for the country’s Geological Surveys Department, said mineral exploration offered the next best alternative for Malawi.
“Mineral exploration can contribute significantly towards economic development for Malawi. That is why we have intensified the search for gold and diamond. There are strong possibilities that we have these precious minerals in the country, and what was remaining has been exploration,” said Kalindekafe.
He said the department has started drilling for diamond and gold, a process he said would take as long as six to one year to bring results.
“We have started exploration works for diamond in Mangochi. So far, we have extracted some substantial amount of Kimberlitic stones. These are the stones that contain diamond, though it is not always the case that you will get the diamond,” he said.
While drilling works for diamond have already started in the Southern Malawi district of Mangochi, exploration works for gold have also started in Neno district, another Southern region district.
The works are taking place at a former blitz mine.
Malawi has a variety of mineral resources. Some of which include bauxite and uranium.
Uranium mining has already started at Kayerekera in the Northern Malawi district of Karonga. Paladin Africa, an Australian company carrying out the works, announced last month uranium exportation would start between September and October this year.
Grain Malunga, Malawi’s Energy and Mines Minister, is thrilled with the prospects of Malawi becoming a uranium exporter.
“It is such a great thing to happen to Malawi. We will be making an average US$10 million from uranium exportation every year,” said Malunga.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has called for more investments in the country’s mining sector.
EU hands over hospital wards
The European Union Micro-projects programme has donated two hospital wards to Chonde Health Centre in Mulanje district.
Mulanje, a district in Southern Malawi, is one of the country’s highly populated areas. However, access to medical facilities remains one of the biggest challenges as infrastructural inadequacies and a lope-sized doctor-to-patient ratio conspire to make life too expensive for community members, most of whom live below US$1 a day.
Isaac Munro, National Coordinator for EU Micro-projects Programme, asked community members to take good care of the infrastructure.
He said vandalism of donated property discouraged other well-wishers, a development that meant increased deaths from preventable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.
The facilities are worth K23 million.
We are happy to contribute towards Malawi’s health system. Improving access to health will play a great role in helping developing countries meet the Millennium Development Goals,” said Munro.
Health is one of the priority areas in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, the current development blue print for Malawi.
The EU Micro-projects Programme started working in Malawi in 1995, and has gone through four phases highlighting various areas of development priorities.
The Fifth phase starts next year.
Member of Parliament for the area, Education Minister George Chaponda, hailed the EU for contributing towards the country’s social-economic development.
“The good thing about EU Micro-projects Programme is that it does not force initiatives on people; it involves them in all processes, from project design to implementation,” said Chaponda.
Bushfires threaten govt. plantations
Ridiculous. A worker at Raiply Plantations in Northern Malawi is not happy with the way his boss nagged him for making some careless mistake; he wears the robe of darkness and goes on rampage, setting part of the plantation ablaze!
Another plantation worker quarrels with another over food at lunch- the other worker has eaten more than his fair portion of collective lunch, and things go asunder. The offended party sets part of the plantation ablaze as part of his anger-healing process.
It is Monday, September 28, 2009. Pay day.
The bosses delay payment by one more day and the workers, incensed, raze part of the plantation.
Anyone sacked from the plantation is sure to vent their anger on the plantation as well, and that has always been the striking fate of Vipya Plantations, government tree plantations concessioned to privately-owned Raiply.
Just last year, 300 hectares of forest went up in flames under similar circumstances, and this has angered Raiply Chief Executive Officer Thomas Comen.
“The cost for such behaviour is huge. These bushfires are destroying a lot of biological diversity in the plantation, apart from causing huge losses of money because we cannot sell trees that have been badly burnt for timber purposes,” said Comen.
Comen said cases of burning plantations were becoming common place, largely perpetuated by the angry employee, sacked worker, disgruntled community member, clueless hunter, and cigarette smoker.
“The situation is really bad. It takes 30 years a raise a tree, but only uncontrollable anger to go back to square-one. Why destroy something that has taken up more resources in a single sweep of anger, frustrating the country’s economic prospects?” he queried.
Comen said, however, Raiply was doing it can to bring sanity where anger reigns, and has established new grievous handling mechanisms to bring sanity home.
“We want everyone to report their grievances. This way, we will be able to resolve all grievances amicably, and in a way that does not bring destruction to the forests and losses to the company. Communities must own up to the fact that the plantations, in a way, belong to them. They will bear the brunt of climatic changes arising from distortions in weather patterns emanating from the effects of destroying the plantations,” said Comen.
Daulosi Mauambeta, Executive Director for the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (Wesm), blames community ignorance for the trend. He said most community members were still unaware of the effects of destroying natural resources even in face of tangible climatic changes taking place around us.
“People even think that climatic change is a Western phenomenon that has nothing to do with us. The truth is that the changes are here with us, and may not be reversed should we continue with our old ways. We need to change people’s attitudes,” said Mauambeta.
Traditional Authority Karonga, one of the prominent chiefs in Northern Malawi, where Vipya is located, has vowed to mete out strong punishments to people who cause bush fires and destroy the environment willy-nilly.
“These resources are not for us but our children. Anyone who punishes an unborn child will surely be punished heavily. Setting Vipya ablaze is like killing the unborn child and I will not tolerate that,” said Karonga.
Government has for the past two years increased budgetary allocations to natural resources and environmental management, raising hopes that, perhaps, what remains of Malawi’s environment and natural resources may not be lost forever.
Malawi for improved housing infrastructure
Government has unveiled a new ambitious housing initiative that encourages development of up storey buildings.
The country has for a long time depended on non-storey buildings, a development Housing Minister Peter Mwanza says has contributed to the general lack of space in urban areas.
“This is especially true for civil servants houses and buildings. You will find that most of them are small but take up a lot of space. We want to change this,” said Mwanza.
The new initiative has started with the construction of 200 houses apiece for Malawi Defense Force and Malawi Police Service officers in Lilongwe.
Security officials are one of government’s workers who lack up market housing infrastructure.
Former president Bakili Muluzi used to make fun of their houses, saying he could not understand how an officer with 10 children could manage to house all of them in a one-bed roomed house.
Muluzi could also joke that an officer would sleep with his head and chest in the bedroom, and the legs on the dining room- which also acted as the bedroom for kids and visitors.
“When visitors from the village come, all ‘bedroom work’ (sex) stops until they go back”, Muluzi used to say, to the uproar of United Democratic Front supporters.
Government seems to be building reality from those jokes, as evidenced by its new initiative in Lilongwe- something Mwanza said would change the housing face of Malawi and usher in a new era of respect and dignity for the country’s civil servants.
Blantyre DC shuns chief’s funeral
Blantyre District Commissioner (DC) Charles Makanga is under fire for shunning the burial ceremony of Village Headman Evance Makata.
Makata, 55, died of Diabetes last week, but his burial this week was marred by the prominent absence of Blantyre DC Makata, angering communities from Ndirande.
Traditional leaders fall under the Ministry of Local Government, which, at district level, is headed by the DC.
Makata also failed to send a representative at a funeral service attended by Ndirande Malabada Member of Parliament and Defense Minister Aaron Sangala.
“What the DC has done is very bad and sets a very bad precedent. Traditional leaders deserve respect and the DC must be seen to lead in this. It is a shame,” said Daniel Ndowa, a community member who was backed by other subjects.
Makanga said it was not his deliberate move to miss the burial of the chief. The DC’s wreath was laid by a community member.
WHO joins fight against Liver blindness
Malawi has bemoaned the continued prevalence of Liver blindness, some 19 years after efforts against a condition that affects rural communities.
Health Minister Moses Chirambo said there was need for more resources and technical help, hailing World Health Organization (WHO) for being in the forefront against Liver blindness in the country.
WHO, which has a running project against Liver blindness spanning from 1997, has donated two toner vehicles and 100 bicycles meant it hopes will help reduce cases of Liver blindness through improved outreach mobility.
“It is a shame that Liver blindness continues to affect rural communities, many years after we started efforts aimed at raising public awareness. We really need more help,” said Chirambo.
WHO Country Representative for Malawi, Felistus Zawaira, attributed the continued spread of Liver blindness to perceptions that it was a condition for the rural masses.
“The result has been government neglect because those often affected have no voice. The other factor is that Liver blindness does not kill immediately, and this tends to bring some sort of laxity among rural communities,” said Zawaira.
Liver blindness may lead to complete blindness, but Malawian patients only develop partial blindness.
WHO joins fight against Liver blindness
Malawi has bemoaned the continued prevalence of Liver blindness, some 19 years after efforts against a condition that affects rural communities.
Health Minister Moses Chirambo said there was need for more resources and technical help, hailing World Health Organization (WHO) for being in the forefront against Liver blindness in the country.
WHO, which has a running project against Liver blindness spanning from 1997, has donated two toner vehicles and 100 bicycles meant it hopes will help reduce cases of Liver blindness through improved outreach mobility.
“It is a shame that Liver blindness continues to affect rural communities, many years after we started efforts aimed at raising public awareness. We really need more help,” said Chirambo.
WHO Country Representative for Malawi, Felistus Zawaira, attributed the continued spread of Liver blindness to perceptions that it was a condition for the rural masses.
“The result has been government neglect because those often affected have no voice. The other factor is that Liver blindness does not kill immediately, and this tends to bring some sort of laxity among rural communities,” said Zawaira.
Liver blindness may lead to complete blindness, but Malawian patients only develop partial blindness
Health Minister Moses Chirambo said there was need for more resources and technical help, hailing World Health Organization (WHO) for being in the forefront against Liver blindness in the country.
WHO, which has a running project against Liver blindness spanning from 1997, has donated two toner vehicles and 100 bicycles meant it hopes will help reduce cases of Liver blindness through improved outreach mobility.
“It is a shame that Liver blindness continues to affect rural communities, many years after we started efforts aimed at raising public awareness. We really need more help,” said Chirambo.
WHO Country Representative for Malawi, Felistus Zawaira, attributed the continued spread of Liver blindness to perceptions that it was a condition for the rural masses.
“The result has been government neglect because those often affected have no voice. The other factor is that Liver blindness does not kill immediately, and this tends to bring some sort of laxity among rural communities,” said Zawaira.
Liver blindness may lead to complete blindness, but Malawian patients only develop partial blindness
Blantyre DC shuns chief’s funeral
Blantyre District Commissioner (DC) Charles Makanga is under fire for shunning the burial ceremony of Village Headman Evance Makata.
Makata, 55, died of Diabetes last week, but his burial this week was marred by the prominent absence of Blantyre DC Makata, angering communities from Ndirande.
Traditional leaders fall under the Ministry of Local Government, which, at district level, is headed by the DC.
Makata also failed to send a representative at a funeral service attended by Ndirande Malabada Member of Parliament and Defense Minister Aaron Sangala.
“What the DC has done is very bad and sets a very bad precedent. Traditional leaders deserve respect and the DC must be seen to lead in this. It is a shame,” said Daniel Ndowa, a community member who was backed by other subjects.
Makanga said it was not his deliberate move to miss the burial of the chief. The DC’s wreath was laid by a community member.
Makata, 55, died of Diabetes last week, but his burial this week was marred by the prominent absence of Blantyre DC Makata, angering communities from Ndirande.
Traditional leaders fall under the Ministry of Local Government, which, at district level, is headed by the DC.
Makata also failed to send a representative at a funeral service attended by Ndirande Malabada Member of Parliament and Defense Minister Aaron Sangala.
“What the DC has done is very bad and sets a very bad precedent. Traditional leaders deserve respect and the DC must be seen to lead in this. It is a shame,” said Daniel Ndowa, a community member who was backed by other subjects.
Makanga said it was not his deliberate move to miss the burial of the chief. The DC’s wreath was laid by a community member.
Malawi for improved housing infrastructure
Government has unveiled a new ambitious housing initiative that encourages development of up storey buildings.
The country has for a long time depended on non-storey buildings, a development Housing Minister Peter Mwanza says has contributed to the general lack of space in urban areas.
“This is especially true for civil servants houses and buildings. You will find that most of them are small but take up a lot of space. We want to change this,” said Mwanza.
The new initiative has started with the construction of 200 houses apiece for Malawi Defense Force and Malawi Police Service officers in Lilongwe.
Security officials are one of government’s workers who lack up market housing infrastructure.
Former president Bakili Muluzi used to make fun of their houses, saying he could not understand how an officer with 10 children could manage to house all of them in a one-bed roomed house.
Muluzi could also joke that an officer would sleep with his head and chest in the bedroom, and the legs on the dining room- which also acted as the bedroom for kids and visitors.
“When visitors from the village come, all ‘bedroom work’ (sex) stops until they go back”, Muluzi used to say, to the uproar of United Democratic Front supporters.
Government seems to be building reality from those jokes, as evidenced by its new initiative in Lilongwe- something Mwanza said would change the housing face of Malawi and usher in a new era of respect and dignity for the country’s civil servants.
The country has for a long time depended on non-storey buildings, a development Housing Minister Peter Mwanza says has contributed to the general lack of space in urban areas.
“This is especially true for civil servants houses and buildings. You will find that most of them are small but take up a lot of space. We want to change this,” said Mwanza.
The new initiative has started with the construction of 200 houses apiece for Malawi Defense Force and Malawi Police Service officers in Lilongwe.
Security officials are one of government’s workers who lack up market housing infrastructure.
Former president Bakili Muluzi used to make fun of their houses, saying he could not understand how an officer with 10 children could manage to house all of them in a one-bed roomed house.
Muluzi could also joke that an officer would sleep with his head and chest in the bedroom, and the legs on the dining room- which also acted as the bedroom for kids and visitors.
“When visitors from the village come, all ‘bedroom work’ (sex) stops until they go back”, Muluzi used to say, to the uproar of United Democratic Front supporters.
Government seems to be building reality from those jokes, as evidenced by its new initiative in Lilongwe- something Mwanza said would change the housing face of Malawi and usher in a new era of respect and dignity for the country’s civil servants.
Bushfires threaten govt. plantations
Ridiculous. A worker at Raiply Plantations in Northern Malawi is not happy with the way his boss nagged him for making some careless mistake; he wears the robe of darkness and goes on rampage, setting part of the plantation ablaze!
Another plantation worker quarrels with another over food at lunch- the other worker has eaten more than his fair portion of collective lunch, and things go asunder. The offended party sets part of the plantation ablaze as part of his anger-healing process.
It is Monday, September 28, 2009. Pay day.
The bosses delay payment by one more day and the workers, incensed, raze part of the plantation.
Anyone sacked from the plantation is sure to vent their anger on the plantation as well, and that has always been the striking fate of Vipya Plantations, government tree plantations concessioned to privately-owned Raiply.
Just last year, 300 hectares of forest went up in flames under similar circumstances, and this has angered Raiply Chief Executive Officer Thomas Comen.
“The cost for such behaviour is huge. These bushfires are destroying a lot of biological diversity in the plantation, apart from causing huge losses of money because we cannot sell trees that have been badly burnt for timber purposes,” said Comen.
Comen said cases of burning plantations were becoming common place, largely perpetuated by the angry employee, sacked worker, disgruntled community member, clueless hunter, and cigarette smoker.
“The situation is really bad. It takes 30 years a raise a tree, but only uncontrollable anger to go back to square-one. Why destroy something that has taken up more resources in a single sweep of anger, frustrating the country’s economic prospects?” he queried.
Comen said, however, Raiply was doing it can to bring sanity where anger reigns, and has established new grievous handling mechanisms to bring sanity home.
“We want everyone to report their grievances. This way, we will be able to resolve all grievances amicably, and in a way that does not bring destruction to the forests and losses to the company. Communities must own up to the fact that the plantations, in a way, belong to them. They will bear the brunt of climatic changes arising from distortions in weather patterns emanating from the effects of destroying the plantations,” said Comen.
Daulosi Mauambeta, Executive Director for the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (Wesm), blames community ignorance for the trend. He said most community members were still unaware of the effects of destroying natural resources even in face of tangible climatic changes taking place around us.
“People even think that climatic change is a Western phenomenon that has nothing to do with us. The truth is that the changes are here with us, and may not be reversed should we continue with our old ways. We need to change people’s attitudes,” said Mauambeta.
Traditional Authority Karonga, one of the prominent chiefs in Northern Malawi, where Vipya is located, has vowed to mete out strong punishments to people who cause bush fires and destroy the environment willy-nilly.
“These resources are not for us but our children. Anyone who punishes an unborn child will surely be punished heavily. Setting Vipya ablaze is like killing the unborn child and I will not tolerate that,” said Karonga.
Government has for the past two years increased budgetary allocations to natural resources and environmental management, raising hopes that, perhaps, what remains of Malawi’s environment and natural resources may not be lost forever.
Another plantation worker quarrels with another over food at lunch- the other worker has eaten more than his fair portion of collective lunch, and things go asunder. The offended party sets part of the plantation ablaze as part of his anger-healing process.
It is Monday, September 28, 2009. Pay day.
The bosses delay payment by one more day and the workers, incensed, raze part of the plantation.
Anyone sacked from the plantation is sure to vent their anger on the plantation as well, and that has always been the striking fate of Vipya Plantations, government tree plantations concessioned to privately-owned Raiply.
Just last year, 300 hectares of forest went up in flames under similar circumstances, and this has angered Raiply Chief Executive Officer Thomas Comen.
“The cost for such behaviour is huge. These bushfires are destroying a lot of biological diversity in the plantation, apart from causing huge losses of money because we cannot sell trees that have been badly burnt for timber purposes,” said Comen.
Comen said cases of burning plantations were becoming common place, largely perpetuated by the angry employee, sacked worker, disgruntled community member, clueless hunter, and cigarette smoker.
“The situation is really bad. It takes 30 years a raise a tree, but only uncontrollable anger to go back to square-one. Why destroy something that has taken up more resources in a single sweep of anger, frustrating the country’s economic prospects?” he queried.
Comen said, however, Raiply was doing it can to bring sanity where anger reigns, and has established new grievous handling mechanisms to bring sanity home.
“We want everyone to report their grievances. This way, we will be able to resolve all grievances amicably, and in a way that does not bring destruction to the forests and losses to the company. Communities must own up to the fact that the plantations, in a way, belong to them. They will bear the brunt of climatic changes arising from distortions in weather patterns emanating from the effects of destroying the plantations,” said Comen.
Daulosi Mauambeta, Executive Director for the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (Wesm), blames community ignorance for the trend. He said most community members were still unaware of the effects of destroying natural resources even in face of tangible climatic changes taking place around us.
“People even think that climatic change is a Western phenomenon that has nothing to do with us. The truth is that the changes are here with us, and may not be reversed should we continue with our old ways. We need to change people’s attitudes,” said Mauambeta.
Traditional Authority Karonga, one of the prominent chiefs in Northern Malawi, where Vipya is located, has vowed to mete out strong punishments to people who cause bush fires and destroy the environment willy-nilly.
“These resources are not for us but our children. Anyone who punishes an unborn child will surely be punished heavily. Setting Vipya ablaze is like killing the unborn child and I will not tolerate that,” said Karonga.
Government has for the past two years increased budgetary allocations to natural resources and environmental management, raising hopes that, perhaps, what remains of Malawi’s environment and natural resources may not be lost forever.
EU hands over hospital wards
The European Union Micro-projects programme has donated two hospital wards to Chonde Health Centre in Mulanje district.
Mulanje, a district in Southern Malawi, is one of the country’s highly populated areas. However, access to medical facilities remains one of the biggest challenges as infrastructural inadequacies and a lope-sized doctor-to-patient ratio conspire to make life too expensive for community members, most of whom live below US$1 a day.
Isaac Munro, National Coordinator for EU Micro-projects Programme, asked community members to take good care of the infrastructure.
He said vandalism of donated property discouraged other well-wishers, a development that meant increased deaths from preventable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.
The facilities are worth K23 million.
We are happy to contribute towards Malawi’s health system. Improving access to health will play a great role in helping developing countries meet the Millennium Development Goals,” said Munro.
Health is one of the priority areas in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, the current development blue print for Malawi.
The EU Micro-projects Programme started working in Malawi in 1995, and has gone through four phases highlighting various areas of development priorities.
The Fifth phase starts next year.
Member of Parliament for the area, Education Minister George Chaponda, hailed the EU for contributing towards the country’s social-economic development.
“The good thing about EU Micro-projects Programme is that it does not force initiatives on people; it involves them in all processes, from project design to implementation,” said Chaponda.
Mulanje, a district in Southern Malawi, is one of the country’s highly populated areas. However, access to medical facilities remains one of the biggest challenges as infrastructural inadequacies and a lope-sized doctor-to-patient ratio conspire to make life too expensive for community members, most of whom live below US$1 a day.
Isaac Munro, National Coordinator for EU Micro-projects Programme, asked community members to take good care of the infrastructure.
He said vandalism of donated property discouraged other well-wishers, a development that meant increased deaths from preventable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.
The facilities are worth K23 million.
We are happy to contribute towards Malawi’s health system. Improving access to health will play a great role in helping developing countries meet the Millennium Development Goals,” said Munro.
Health is one of the priority areas in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, the current development blue print for Malawi.
The EU Micro-projects Programme started working in Malawi in 1995, and has gone through four phases highlighting various areas of development priorities.
The Fifth phase starts next year.
Member of Parliament for the area, Education Minister George Chaponda, hailed the EU for contributing towards the country’s social-economic development.
“The good thing about EU Micro-projects Programme is that it does not force initiatives on people; it involves them in all processes, from project design to implementation,” said Chaponda.
Malawi intensifies search for gold, diamond
Malawi has intensified the search for gold and diamond in a latest bid to prop up its agro-based economy.
The country depends largely on agriculture, which contributes over 60 per cent to the national economy. But tobacco, its highest foreign exchange earner faces an uncertain future in the face of a global onslaught against the health hazards associated with smoking.
Price instability for other strategic crops such as cotton, tea and maize have also meant diminished returns for impoverished farmers, prompting government to experiment with new viable forms of economic spinning.
Leonard Kalindekafe, Director for the country’s Geological Surveys Department, said mineral exploration offered the next best alternative for Malawi.
“Mineral exploration can contribute significantly towards economic development for Malawi. That is why we have intensified the search for gold and diamond. There are strong possibilities that we have these precious minerals in the country, and what was remaining has been exploration,” said Kalindekafe.
He said the department has started drilling for diamond and gold, a process he said would take as long as six to one year to bring results.
“We have started exploration works for diamond in Mangochi. So far, we have extracted some substantial amount of Kimberlitic stones. These are the stones that contain diamond, though it is not always the case that you will get the diamond,” he said.
While drilling works for diamond have already started in the Southern Malawi district of Mangochi, exploration works for gold have also started in Neno district, another Southern region district.
The works are taking place at a former blitz mine.
Malawi has a variety of mineral resources. Some of which include bauxite and uranium.
Uranium mining has already started at Kayerekera in the Northern Malawi district of Karonga. Paladin Africa, an Australian company carrying out the works, announced last month uranium exportation would start between September and October this year.
Grain Malunga, Malawi’s Energy and Mines Minister, is thrilled with the prospects of Malawi becoming a uranium exporter.
“It is such a great thing to happen to Malawi. We will be making an average US$10 million from uranium exportation every year,” said Malunga.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has called for more investments in the country’s mining sector.
The country depends largely on agriculture, which contributes over 60 per cent to the national economy. But tobacco, its highest foreign exchange earner faces an uncertain future in the face of a global onslaught against the health hazards associated with smoking.
Price instability for other strategic crops such as cotton, tea and maize have also meant diminished returns for impoverished farmers, prompting government to experiment with new viable forms of economic spinning.
Leonard Kalindekafe, Director for the country’s Geological Surveys Department, said mineral exploration offered the next best alternative for Malawi.
“Mineral exploration can contribute significantly towards economic development for Malawi. That is why we have intensified the search for gold and diamond. There are strong possibilities that we have these precious minerals in the country, and what was remaining has been exploration,” said Kalindekafe.
He said the department has started drilling for diamond and gold, a process he said would take as long as six to one year to bring results.
“We have started exploration works for diamond in Mangochi. So far, we have extracted some substantial amount of Kimberlitic stones. These are the stones that contain diamond, though it is not always the case that you will get the diamond,” he said.
While drilling works for diamond have already started in the Southern Malawi district of Mangochi, exploration works for gold have also started in Neno district, another Southern region district.
The works are taking place at a former blitz mine.
Malawi has a variety of mineral resources. Some of which include bauxite and uranium.
Uranium mining has already started at Kayerekera in the Northern Malawi district of Karonga. Paladin Africa, an Australian company carrying out the works, announced last month uranium exportation would start between September and October this year.
Grain Malunga, Malawi’s Energy and Mines Minister, is thrilled with the prospects of Malawi becoming a uranium exporter.
“It is such a great thing to happen to Malawi. We will be making an average US$10 million from uranium exportation every year,” said Malunga.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has called for more investments in the country’s mining sector.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The Sun is Blue Here
And the wind is red.
The colour of hope is faith,
Anfd faith is pink.
Nothing like this,
You you dance to the breeze.
You may ask Liz,
To more more about this,
But I know, this is it.
No more tat for tit,
Or is it tit for tat.
I just know this is it.
If at all this bread we may eat.
I think it fits,
To achieve this feat,
Though long and strong the fleet,
On life's long flight.
The colour of hope is faith,
Anfd faith is pink.
Nothing like this,
You you dance to the breeze.
You may ask Liz,
To more more about this,
But I know, this is it.
No more tat for tit,
Or is it tit for tat.
I just know this is it.
If at all this bread we may eat.
I think it fits,
To achieve this feat,
Though long and strong the fleet,
On life's long flight.
Stigma still rampant against Malawi’s deaf
Malawi’s deaf population still suffers from rampant cases of stigma and discrimination, a trend largely perpetuated by employers who continue to shun the deaf even when best qualified for occupational positions.
This has forced the Malawi National Association for the Deaf (Manad) to intensify the campaign for the enactment of pro-disability friendly legislation, hoping for the better against a strong negative tide of stigma and discrimination.
Manad Executive Director, Juliana Likomba, said she was disappointed that despite increased public awareness campaigns about the rights of people with disabilities, specifically the deaf, cases of child rights abuses still went on unabated.
“It is a very sad situation for the deaf and people with other forms of disability at the moment. It is as if we are still the outcasts and we blame all this on delays to put in place disability-friendly legislation. We need disability issues to be incorporated in the Republican constitution,” said Likomba.
She said, without requisite legislation pertaining to people with various forms of mental and physical challenges, life would continue to be full of bumps and despair.
“We are very worried. The deaf are not being employed by private companies as well as government. They always find excuses to deny us our rights and freedoms. Life cannot go on like this,” said Likomba.
Malawi’s deaf population has not been sitting idle, waiting for the occasional help. They have taken the leading role helping others, according to Likomba.
Just last week, they have been to three major hospitals in Southern Malawi cleaning wards and yards and helping patients. They have also given out assorted items to those who have nobody to look up to, in one of the many attempts to shed off the helpless tag attacked to their being.
“We are able and capable. Only that Malawians often let us down. The good thing is that we are willing to fight for ourselves and children,” she said.
Minister responsible for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, Reen Kachere, has vowed to do all she can to bail the deaf out of their current quagmire.
“Government is committed to putting in place requisite legislation aimed at making the lives of people who are deaf, or have other forms of disability, smooth. Life is supposed to be fair for everybody, though people have sometimes tried to make it unbearable for others. We care,” said Kachere.
Malawi currently has no pro-disability legislation, leaving the fate of the disabled at the mercy of human devices. Some government offices also lack disability friendly structures.
A disability policy formulated in as many as ten years ago now gathers dust at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, angering the Federation for Disability Organizations in Malawi.
Malawi will Saturday this week have a commemoration day for the deaf, an event organized by Manad.
This has forced the Malawi National Association for the Deaf (Manad) to intensify the campaign for the enactment of pro-disability friendly legislation, hoping for the better against a strong negative tide of stigma and discrimination.
Manad Executive Director, Juliana Likomba, said she was disappointed that despite increased public awareness campaigns about the rights of people with disabilities, specifically the deaf, cases of child rights abuses still went on unabated.
“It is a very sad situation for the deaf and people with other forms of disability at the moment. It is as if we are still the outcasts and we blame all this on delays to put in place disability-friendly legislation. We need disability issues to be incorporated in the Republican constitution,” said Likomba.
She said, without requisite legislation pertaining to people with various forms of mental and physical challenges, life would continue to be full of bumps and despair.
“We are very worried. The deaf are not being employed by private companies as well as government. They always find excuses to deny us our rights and freedoms. Life cannot go on like this,” said Likomba.
Malawi’s deaf population has not been sitting idle, waiting for the occasional help. They have taken the leading role helping others, according to Likomba.
Just last week, they have been to three major hospitals in Southern Malawi cleaning wards and yards and helping patients. They have also given out assorted items to those who have nobody to look up to, in one of the many attempts to shed off the helpless tag attacked to their being.
“We are able and capable. Only that Malawians often let us down. The good thing is that we are willing to fight for ourselves and children,” she said.
Minister responsible for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, Reen Kachere, has vowed to do all she can to bail the deaf out of their current quagmire.
“Government is committed to putting in place requisite legislation aimed at making the lives of people who are deaf, or have other forms of disability, smooth. Life is supposed to be fair for everybody, though people have sometimes tried to make it unbearable for others. We care,” said Kachere.
Malawi currently has no pro-disability legislation, leaving the fate of the disabled at the mercy of human devices. Some government offices also lack disability friendly structures.
A disability policy formulated in as many as ten years ago now gathers dust at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, angering the Federation for Disability Organizations in Malawi.
Malawi will Saturday this week have a commemoration day for the deaf, an event organized by Manad.
13-year old Mswati inherits Ngoni chieftainship
Malawi has a 13-year old chief.
Willard Mswati Gomani, a Form Two student at Milanda Secondary School, has been named the next Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani following the death of his father, Kanjedza Alexander, who died last week at Ntcheu District Hospital.
He has held the position for less than 15 months, after being installed Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani 1V in June, 2008.
Willard Mswati Gomani, the first born to the late Inkosi, was installed Inkosi ya Makosi at a Ngoni ceremony held in Ntcheu. He becomes Inkosi ya Makosi V.
However, little Mswati will have to wait a little longer to sit on the royal throne as he will have to finish his education.
The new chief’s god father is King Mswati of Swaziland, who gave him the name Mswati.
Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani is a paramount chief for the Ngoni people, mostly found in Ntcheu district of Southern Malawi.
The Ngoni people originated from South Africa, and were forced, during the late 1800s, to spread across many parts of Southern Africa owing to the perceived cruelty of Tchaka Zulu, their paramount chief in South Africa.
Willard Mswati Gomani, a Form Two student at Milanda Secondary School, has been named the next Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani following the death of his father, Kanjedza Alexander, who died last week at Ntcheu District Hospital.
He has held the position for less than 15 months, after being installed Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani 1V in June, 2008.
Willard Mswati Gomani, the first born to the late Inkosi, was installed Inkosi ya Makosi at a Ngoni ceremony held in Ntcheu. He becomes Inkosi ya Makosi V.
However, little Mswati will have to wait a little longer to sit on the royal throne as he will have to finish his education.
The new chief’s god father is King Mswati of Swaziland, who gave him the name Mswati.
Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani is a paramount chief for the Ngoni people, mostly found in Ntcheu district of Southern Malawi.
The Ngoni people originated from South Africa, and were forced, during the late 1800s, to spread across many parts of Southern Africa owing to the perceived cruelty of Tchaka Zulu, their paramount chief in South Africa.
Malawi leader earmarked for AU chairmanship
President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi could as well become the next African Union (AU) chairman come next year, following a decision by Southern African Development Community (Sadc) leaders to proffer him up for the position.
A Sadc meeting held this month proposed Malawi’s Mutharika and the president of Lesotho for the position of AU chair which falls vacant next year. The AU’s current chair is Muammar Gadaff of Libya.
The next AU chairmanship, which operates on rotational basis, will go to Sadc next year.
Sadc leaders then earmarked Mutharika for the position, but the final decision will be arrived at after another contest between Mutharika and other leaders to be held in January next year- though Mutharika is well-placed and favoured to become the next chair.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof. Ettah Banda, has confirmed the development.
“Sadc leaders settled for Mutharika. The final event to come up with the final name will be held in January. Mutharika’s chances are very high, looking at his political and economic performance,” said Banda.
Mutharika has led Malawi to three successive bumper harvests, rescuing the country once known for befriending perpetual hunger from the pangs of poverty and food insecurity.
“We are happy with the decision of the Sadc leaders and the probability of holding the AU chairmanship,” said Banda.
A Sadc meeting held this month proposed Malawi’s Mutharika and the president of Lesotho for the position of AU chair which falls vacant next year. The AU’s current chair is Muammar Gadaff of Libya.
The next AU chairmanship, which operates on rotational basis, will go to Sadc next year.
Sadc leaders then earmarked Mutharika for the position, but the final decision will be arrived at after another contest between Mutharika and other leaders to be held in January next year- though Mutharika is well-placed and favoured to become the next chair.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof. Ettah Banda, has confirmed the development.
“Sadc leaders settled for Mutharika. The final event to come up with the final name will be held in January. Mutharika’s chances are very high, looking at his political and economic performance,” said Banda.
Mutharika has led Malawi to three successive bumper harvests, rescuing the country once known for befriending perpetual hunger from the pangs of poverty and food insecurity.
“We are happy with the decision of the Sadc leaders and the probability of holding the AU chairmanship,” said Banda.
Malawi's veep, Chavez call for Africa, South America unity
Malawi’s vice president Joyce Banda has called for closer working relationships between Africa and South America, saying good working relations between the two continents were crucial to attaining sustainable social-economic development.
Banda said at a meeting of African and South American heads of state being held in Venezuela the two regions, while at disparity in terms of social-economic development, had some common challenges that needed shared solutions.
“It is sad that South America and Africa have often trodden on difference paths over common challenges. The end result has been disintegration, lack of unity, increased poverty and social-economic uncertainty among the people of the two great areas. This must change,” said Banda.
Banda cited mining, energy development, agriculture and industry development as some of the areas that needed a common approach, adding falure to harness each others’ ideas had increased economic disparities for the peoples of the two regions.
“Isolationism will never help us; it will never help things. Let us begin to work more closely, and join hands in development projects that may change the facet of people’s lives. For example, we have the Shire-Zambezi Waterway in Southern Malawi, a project that will help reduce transport costs by as many as 45 per cent and make life easier; we need you to work with us towards this goal.
“The project will help many other neighbouring countries and render the export and import of raw materials and finished products cheaper for many people. In the end, poverty will no longer be a reality but a song, and prosperity will come home for many poor people,” said Banda.
Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, acknowledged that there is a ‘big gap’ between Africa and South America, and called for the immediate bridging of the prevalent gap.
‘There is real need for unity. It is time Africa and South America got united and up lift the lives of our people. Why have we allowed this gap to grow? Why have we let it drift us apart? Closer relations between us needed today more than ever before; what with the on going global economic crisis?” queried Chavez.
African leaders have since committed themselves to working more closely with South America, as the world grapples with the effects of the global economic crisis.
Banda said at a meeting of African and South American heads of state being held in Venezuela the two regions, while at disparity in terms of social-economic development, had some common challenges that needed shared solutions.
“It is sad that South America and Africa have often trodden on difference paths over common challenges. The end result has been disintegration, lack of unity, increased poverty and social-economic uncertainty among the people of the two great areas. This must change,” said Banda.
Banda cited mining, energy development, agriculture and industry development as some of the areas that needed a common approach, adding falure to harness each others’ ideas had increased economic disparities for the peoples of the two regions.
“Isolationism will never help us; it will never help things. Let us begin to work more closely, and join hands in development projects that may change the facet of people’s lives. For example, we have the Shire-Zambezi Waterway in Southern Malawi, a project that will help reduce transport costs by as many as 45 per cent and make life easier; we need you to work with us towards this goal.
“The project will help many other neighbouring countries and render the export and import of raw materials and finished products cheaper for many people. In the end, poverty will no longer be a reality but a song, and prosperity will come home for many poor people,” said Banda.
Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, acknowledged that there is a ‘big gap’ between Africa and South America, and called for the immediate bridging of the prevalent gap.
‘There is real need for unity. It is time Africa and South America got united and up lift the lives of our people. Why have we allowed this gap to grow? Why have we let it drift us apart? Closer relations between us needed today more than ever before; what with the on going global economic crisis?” queried Chavez.
African leaders have since committed themselves to working more closely with South America, as the world grapples with the effects of the global economic crisis.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Nothing
Walking,
and Hoping,
Are full of nothing.
Nothing,
In hoping,
And working,
For nothing.
Working,
For Nothing,
Is nothing,
Worth something.
Something,
Gotten in working,
For someone,
Is nothing
Personal.
Its occupational,
And Oval,
Overall, it is
Nothing.
Nothing,
Is crazy,
In something,
Crazy.
Because,
It is,
After all,
Not all.
and Hoping,
Are full of nothing.
Nothing,
In hoping,
And working,
For nothing.
Working,
For Nothing,
Is nothing,
Worth something.
Something,
Gotten in working,
For someone,
Is nothing
Personal.
Its occupational,
And Oval,
Overall, it is
Nothing.
Nothing,
Is crazy,
In something,
Crazy.
Because,
It is,
After all,
Not all.
Improved seeds crucial to increased food security
Malawi has managed to produce food surpluses for three consecutive years because of improved crop varieties, a feat government says is poised to maintain following increased efforts in improved seed variety research initiatives.
Andrew Daudi, Principal Secretary for Agriculture and Food Security, said government has increased research interventions by improving working relationships with the world’s renowned research institutions, notably from Australia .
“Part of the reason we have succeeded with our input subsidy programme is the use of improved varieties of maize seed and other crops. We want to continue injecting more resources into research,” said Daudi.
Malawi has, once again, managed to register a grain surplus of over 2 million metric tonnes, raising the hopes even higher that the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member state could again export maize and help bail some of its neighbours out.
Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, has already encouraged Malawi to export some of its surplus maize and bail some of Sadc member states who have less than enough out of the qualms of hunger.
The country’s opposition is, however, against the idea, saying some of the country’s districts have reported less than charitable harvests.
Andrew Daudi, Principal Secretary for Agriculture and Food Security, said government has increased research interventions by improving working relationships with the world’s renowned research institutions, notably from Australia .
“Part of the reason we have succeeded with our input subsidy programme is the use of improved varieties of maize seed and other crops. We want to continue injecting more resources into research,” said Daudi.
Malawi has, once again, managed to register a grain surplus of over 2 million metric tonnes, raising the hopes even higher that the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member state could again export maize and help bail some of its neighbours out.
Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, has already encouraged Malawi to export some of its surplus maize and bail some of Sadc member states who have less than enough out of the qualms of hunger.
The country’s opposition is, however, against the idea, saying some of the country’s districts have reported less than charitable harvests.
EU hands over market shelters
The European Union Micro-Projects Programme has handed over two structures to Mwanza Central constituents in Southern Malawi , raising the infrastructural outlook of a market that has not been renovated since 1982.
Mwanza, formerly Blantyre West constituency, became a district in 1972, but has lacked proper market infrastructure as the district’s main market maintained a make-shift status.
The structures’ handover also marks the end of the Fourth Phase of the EU Micro-Projects programme. EU officials say work would continue in 2010, when the Fifth Phase of the initiative takes effect.
The programme has helped transform the face of many micro-structures in Malawi , increasing access to markets and hither to inaccessible rural areas.
Member of Parliament for Mwanza Central, Nicholas Dausi, has hailed the development. He said the new structures could mark the beginning of new development initiatives for the people of Mwanza district.
“Mwanza is a border district and, therefore, deserves to be looked after well. Remember, first impressions last. This, exactly, is what the EU Micro-Projects Programme has helped us do: we have up lifted the face of our district,” said Dausi.
Mwanza is renowned for its fruit products, including tangerines and oranges. A myriad of small, community fruit processing plants is fast becoming a main facet of the district, with the technical and financial assistance from the One Village One Product (Ovop).
Ovop is an initiative adopted from Japan . Former Malawi Ambassador to Japan , John Chicago, was instrumental in brining the intiative home.
Mwanza, formerly Blantyre West constituency, became a district in 1972, but has lacked proper market infrastructure as the district’s main market maintained a make-shift status.
The structures’ handover also marks the end of the Fourth Phase of the EU Micro-Projects programme. EU officials say work would continue in 2010, when the Fifth Phase of the initiative takes effect.
The programme has helped transform the face of many micro-structures in Malawi , increasing access to markets and hither to inaccessible rural areas.
Member of Parliament for Mwanza Central, Nicholas Dausi, has hailed the development. He said the new structures could mark the beginning of new development initiatives for the people of Mwanza district.
“Mwanza is a border district and, therefore, deserves to be looked after well. Remember, first impressions last. This, exactly, is what the EU Micro-Projects Programme has helped us do: we have up lifted the face of our district,” said Dausi.
Mwanza is renowned for its fruit products, including tangerines and oranges. A myriad of small, community fruit processing plants is fast becoming a main facet of the district, with the technical and financial assistance from the One Village One Product (Ovop).
Ovop is an initiative adopted from Japan . Former Malawi Ambassador to Japan , John Chicago, was instrumental in brining the intiative home.
Constituents construct micro-market
So many farm products, no markets. That is part of the song for most small scale entrepreneurs and farmers in Malawi ’s rural areas.
Quite ironic a song for a people who have been independent since July 6, 1964 because, often, this has translated into starvation in the midst of plenty. More marketable resources, no cash to offset some of life’s basic needs. At one time, the national percentage of those who swam towards the verge of malnutrition was well over 58 per cent, a trend that is now changing following the institution of stringent government mechanisms, through vibrant nutrition policies through the Office of the President and Cabinet’s Department for Nutrition, HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Mary Shawa, the Department’s Principal Secretary, has become synonymous with Malawi ’s success story in the areas of nutrition, HIV and AIDS.
While things seem to be moving in nutrition, HIV and AIDS, one area that seems to have been late to catching the drift of the changing tides is small scale entrepreneurship for the rural masses. These people only depend on up town markets such as Limbe, Mzuzu and Lilongwe for their product sales or purchases, something that eats much into their pockets as they pay blood in transport costs, and burn their sweat in unproductive business.
This is fast becoming clear, at least for the people of Thyolo, a district in Southern Malawi , well known for its never-ending supply of farm products.
No story of bananas, pine apples, sugarcane, Mangoes, Tomatoes, Onions, green maize, sweet and Irish potatoes, and other grain products is told without mentioning the names Thyolo (district), Mulanje, Dedza, Ntcheu. But, quite ironically, the people in these areas also contribute significantly towards the country’s high poverty levels.
“There is really nothing to show for our sweat except for our deformed hands. We work all day, all year round but get nothing in return. I think it’s because we have not sat down to see why we have failed to develop and transform our households all these years; we need something new now,” says Group Village Headman Mauwa of Thyolo.
Mauwa looks like the ordinary villager, breathes like one- nothing strange about him. But, man, the traditional leader is about to bring about a revolution in the social-economic status of his subjects in Thyolo East Constituency.
Realizing that poverty can not be eradicated by hoping for a better tomorrow, Mauwa has mobilized his subjects, and convinced the Malawi Entrepreneurship Development Institute (Medi- one of the country’s top capacity builders in small scale entrepreneurship) to start a pilot initiative for a small scale development centre. This is a place where, three months from now, a products and services’ marketing centre will stand and carter for the economic needs of Thyolo East constituents.
The land upon which the centre will stand used to be some desolate, unproductive land. No positive hopes could be attached to it. Now that is set to change.
“We want to transform our lives here, and that is the reason we sat down as a community to consider something we could do, something that could have sustainable social-economic impacts. We settles for a small scale market development centre called Thyolo East Small Scale Market Development Centre. We will be selling our products and services here, unlike in the past when people used to flock to Blantyre City and Limbe to sell their farm produce or buy their needs,” said Mauwa.
This is a new development in Malawi , and Mauwa hopes that the initiative will be replicated in other parts of Malawi should it turn out to be a success.
For Minister of Trade and Industry, Eunice Kazembe, the development could turn out to be another economic spinner for Malawi , as community members will now be able to trade at their own terms and within their own localities.
“Other countries started the same way, small. These communities must be commended for sitting down and resolving to do something about their situation. I see sustainable social-economic change coming; I see poverty being alleviated, and development bridges being constructed,” said Kazembe.
For Medi Executive Director Charles Kazembe, it is a story of how communities an influence positive change and help towards uplifting their own economic standards.
“I was surprised and, at the same time, encouraged with what people of Thyolo East agreed to do. Imagine, they have volunteered to do many things: they have burned the bricks for construction of two brocks to be used as the market centre and are constructing the structures. Their women are bringing sand from far away places using their heads, and fetching water from rivers from construction work. I am amazed,” said Kazembe.
It is intimated that the initiative will help rescue community members from the pangs of poverty by providing a ready market for their farm produce, and provide a ready meeting place for positive community discourse. Some community members have already started talking of putting in place revenue collection mechanisms to help towards maintenance of the market.
“We also want 35 per cent of the revenue collected from the market centre to go towards community development initiatives. Such revenue can also help us provide food and other resources to the less privileged, including the provision of subsidized fertilizer to the aged and those who cannot afford a bag of fertilizer,” said Amadu Chanza, a community member.
The hopes must really be high for Thyolo East communities, something that started one day by the mere act of a resolute communities sitting under village headman Mauwa’s Mahogany tree. The tree also serves as a court.
Quite ironic a song for a people who have been independent since July 6, 1964 because, often, this has translated into starvation in the midst of plenty. More marketable resources, no cash to offset some of life’s basic needs. At one time, the national percentage of those who swam towards the verge of malnutrition was well over 58 per cent, a trend that is now changing following the institution of stringent government mechanisms, through vibrant nutrition policies through the Office of the President and Cabinet’s Department for Nutrition, HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Mary Shawa, the Department’s Principal Secretary, has become synonymous with Malawi ’s success story in the areas of nutrition, HIV and AIDS.
While things seem to be moving in nutrition, HIV and AIDS, one area that seems to have been late to catching the drift of the changing tides is small scale entrepreneurship for the rural masses. These people only depend on up town markets such as Limbe, Mzuzu and Lilongwe for their product sales or purchases, something that eats much into their pockets as they pay blood in transport costs, and burn their sweat in unproductive business.
This is fast becoming clear, at least for the people of Thyolo, a district in Southern Malawi , well known for its never-ending supply of farm products.
No story of bananas, pine apples, sugarcane, Mangoes, Tomatoes, Onions, green maize, sweet and Irish potatoes, and other grain products is told without mentioning the names Thyolo (district), Mulanje, Dedza, Ntcheu. But, quite ironically, the people in these areas also contribute significantly towards the country’s high poverty levels.
“There is really nothing to show for our sweat except for our deformed hands. We work all day, all year round but get nothing in return. I think it’s because we have not sat down to see why we have failed to develop and transform our households all these years; we need something new now,” says Group Village Headman Mauwa of Thyolo.
Mauwa looks like the ordinary villager, breathes like one- nothing strange about him. But, man, the traditional leader is about to bring about a revolution in the social-economic status of his subjects in Thyolo East Constituency.
Realizing that poverty can not be eradicated by hoping for a better tomorrow, Mauwa has mobilized his subjects, and convinced the Malawi Entrepreneurship Development Institute (Medi- one of the country’s top capacity builders in small scale entrepreneurship) to start a pilot initiative for a small scale development centre. This is a place where, three months from now, a products and services’ marketing centre will stand and carter for the economic needs of Thyolo East constituents.
The land upon which the centre will stand used to be some desolate, unproductive land. No positive hopes could be attached to it. Now that is set to change.
“We want to transform our lives here, and that is the reason we sat down as a community to consider something we could do, something that could have sustainable social-economic impacts. We settles for a small scale market development centre called Thyolo East Small Scale Market Development Centre. We will be selling our products and services here, unlike in the past when people used to flock to Blantyre City and Limbe to sell their farm produce or buy their needs,” said Mauwa.
This is a new development in Malawi , and Mauwa hopes that the initiative will be replicated in other parts of Malawi should it turn out to be a success.
For Minister of Trade and Industry, Eunice Kazembe, the development could turn out to be another economic spinner for Malawi , as community members will now be able to trade at their own terms and within their own localities.
“Other countries started the same way, small. These communities must be commended for sitting down and resolving to do something about their situation. I see sustainable social-economic change coming; I see poverty being alleviated, and development bridges being constructed,” said Kazembe.
For Medi Executive Director Charles Kazembe, it is a story of how communities an influence positive change and help towards uplifting their own economic standards.
“I was surprised and, at the same time, encouraged with what people of Thyolo East agreed to do. Imagine, they have volunteered to do many things: they have burned the bricks for construction of two brocks to be used as the market centre and are constructing the structures. Their women are bringing sand from far away places using their heads, and fetching water from rivers from construction work. I am amazed,” said Kazembe.
It is intimated that the initiative will help rescue community members from the pangs of poverty by providing a ready market for their farm produce, and provide a ready meeting place for positive community discourse. Some community members have already started talking of putting in place revenue collection mechanisms to help towards maintenance of the market.
“We also want 35 per cent of the revenue collected from the market centre to go towards community development initiatives. Such revenue can also help us provide food and other resources to the less privileged, including the provision of subsidized fertilizer to the aged and those who cannot afford a bag of fertilizer,” said Amadu Chanza, a community member.
The hopes must really be high for Thyolo East communities, something that started one day by the mere act of a resolute communities sitting under village headman Mauwa’s Mahogany tree. The tree also serves as a court.
Finance Minister bemoans poor procurement systems
Malawi ’s Finance, Ken Kandodo, has bemoaned the general lack of professional procurement officers in public institutions, blaming the development for increasing procurement-related corruption and thwarting national development.
Kandodo said for a long time, procurement was mostly handled by non-professionals; a development that often translated into poor delivery of services as most of the procured items left a lot to be desired.
Corruption was a also rampant, he said.
“Government is happy, however, that things seem to be changing- especially after the establishment last year of the Malawi Institute of Procurement and Supply (Mips). We really want things to improve as far as procurement of public services in concerned. Tax payers’ money should be spent on worthy services,” said Kandodo.
Kandodo said procurement played a crucial role in the country’s social-economic development endeavors, and has since asked procurement officers to follow the book in procuring services and products.
“Procurement is key to Malawi ’s social-economic development,” said Kandodo.
It is just now the government is waking up to the fact that public procurement is a specialized area that requires professional personnel. In the past, even government messengers could handle procurement of services and products.
Kandodo said for a long time, procurement was mostly handled by non-professionals; a development that often translated into poor delivery of services as most of the procured items left a lot to be desired.
Corruption was a also rampant, he said.
“Government is happy, however, that things seem to be changing- especially after the establishment last year of the Malawi Institute of Procurement and Supply (Mips). We really want things to improve as far as procurement of public services in concerned. Tax payers’ money should be spent on worthy services,” said Kandodo.
Kandodo said procurement played a crucial role in the country’s social-economic development endeavors, and has since asked procurement officers to follow the book in procuring services and products.
“Procurement is key to Malawi ’s social-economic development,” said Kandodo.
It is just now the government is waking up to the fact that public procurement is a specialized area that requires professional personnel. In the past, even government messengers could handle procurement of services and products.
Phalombe: a district without district hospital
Phalombe, a district in Southern Malawi , remains without a public district hospital over a decade after being declared a district.
The district was formerly part of Mulanje district, before former president Bakili Muluzi declared it a district.
The development has formed people from the district, most of whom live on less than US$1 a day, to opt for expensive private hospitals- further draining their hard-earned resources, resources that would otherwise have been used for other household development initiatives.
People currently depend on Holy Family Mission Hospital , a Christian Health Association of Malawi (Cham) member. Holy Family also owns a medical college, but intake has remained very low because of failure by the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) to connect the institution to the national electricity grid.
This comes over 10 years after Holy Family College applied for electricity connectivity.
This has not gone down well with Malawi ’s Health Minister, Prof Moses Chibambo, who has vowed to shake Escom into connecting the institution to the electricity grid.
“I will do all I can to convince Escom to connect Holy Family College . As you have heard, failure to connect the institution has affected the intake of new students. It is too bad,” said Chibambo.
There is no kitchen at Holy Family Mission Hospital , 10 years after fired gutted down the hospital’s kitchen in 1999. There is no guardian shelter as well, making if more than difficult for guardians.
Phalombe District Health Officer, Raphael Piringu, hopes that the district could soon have a district hospital following government’s assurance that Phalombe is one of the three district earmarked for a district hospital during the 2009/10 fiscal year.
Plans are in the pipeline to start construction of a new hospital next month.
“We really need a district hospital. Currently, people are facing lots of challenges to access health services as they mostly depend on private health facilities, most of which are too expensive for ordinary community members,” said Piringu.
A district hospital is one of the key requirements for a district, though lack of them in some of Malawi ’s administrative districts remains a major challenge to the country’s health infrastructure system.
Blantyre also has no district hospital, forcing people to rush to the referral Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital even at the beck and call of a headache.
The district was formerly part of Mulanje district, before former president Bakili Muluzi declared it a district.
The development has formed people from the district, most of whom live on less than US$1 a day, to opt for expensive private hospitals- further draining their hard-earned resources, resources that would otherwise have been used for other household development initiatives.
People currently depend on Holy Family Mission Hospital , a Christian Health Association of Malawi (Cham) member. Holy Family also owns a medical college, but intake has remained very low because of failure by the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) to connect the institution to the national electricity grid.
This comes over 10 years after Holy Family College applied for electricity connectivity.
This has not gone down well with Malawi ’s Health Minister, Prof Moses Chibambo, who has vowed to shake Escom into connecting the institution to the electricity grid.
“I will do all I can to convince Escom to connect Holy Family College . As you have heard, failure to connect the institution has affected the intake of new students. It is too bad,” said Chibambo.
There is no kitchen at Holy Family Mission Hospital , 10 years after fired gutted down the hospital’s kitchen in 1999. There is no guardian shelter as well, making if more than difficult for guardians.
Phalombe District Health Officer, Raphael Piringu, hopes that the district could soon have a district hospital following government’s assurance that Phalombe is one of the three district earmarked for a district hospital during the 2009/10 fiscal year.
Plans are in the pipeline to start construction of a new hospital next month.
“We really need a district hospital. Currently, people are facing lots of challenges to access health services as they mostly depend on private health facilities, most of which are too expensive for ordinary community members,” said Piringu.
A district hospital is one of the key requirements for a district, though lack of them in some of Malawi ’s administrative districts remains a major challenge to the country’s health infrastructure system.
Blantyre also has no district hospital, forcing people to rush to the referral Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital even at the beck and call of a headache.
Malawi to increase boat ambulances
Malawi plans to increase the number of boat ambulances to, at least, 20, up from less than four that currently ferry patients in Lakeshore districts to nearby public hospitals.
This, according to Health Minister Moses Chirambo, will help reduce the number of patients who die on the way to medical facilities in a country dogged by transport problems for people who live along Africa’s third largest freshwater lake.
Malawi is one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the world that, out of every 100, 000 births, 894 have to die. Malaria remains another challenge crippling the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member state’s health care delivery system- already devastated by the twin challenges of HIV and AIDS and Tuberculosis.
Chirambo said communities living along Lake Malawi were facing insurmountable transport challenges during emergencies, a development that was increasing the number of preventable deaths.
“We talk of communities living along such Lakeshore districts as Nkhatabay District Hospital and others. There are very few boats ferrying patients to these hospitals. Government will, therefore, increase the number of boats in a bid to help improve service delivery of health services,” said Chirambo.
Chirambo said the initiative will be implemented in the course of two years. During the same time, renovation works will be taking place at Nkhatabay District Hospital, to cost a whopping K15.7 billion.
“We really want to change the face of health services in Malawi. As you can see, boat ambulances and a state-of-the-art hospital will help improve the health status of many people, not only in Nkhatabay and the Northern region but, in Malawi in general. We want to help meet the Millennium Development Goals,” said Chirambo.
This, according to Health Minister Moses Chirambo, will help reduce the number of patients who die on the way to medical facilities in a country dogged by transport problems for people who live along Africa’s third largest freshwater lake.
Malawi is one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the world that, out of every 100, 000 births, 894 have to die. Malaria remains another challenge crippling the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member state’s health care delivery system- already devastated by the twin challenges of HIV and AIDS and Tuberculosis.
Chirambo said communities living along Lake Malawi were facing insurmountable transport challenges during emergencies, a development that was increasing the number of preventable deaths.
“We talk of communities living along such Lakeshore districts as Nkhatabay District Hospital and others. There are very few boats ferrying patients to these hospitals. Government will, therefore, increase the number of boats in a bid to help improve service delivery of health services,” said Chirambo.
Chirambo said the initiative will be implemented in the course of two years. During the same time, renovation works will be taking place at Nkhatabay District Hospital, to cost a whopping K15.7 billion.
“We really want to change the face of health services in Malawi. As you can see, boat ambulances and a state-of-the-art hospital will help improve the health status of many people, not only in Nkhatabay and the Northern region but, in Malawi in general. We want to help meet the Millennium Development Goals,” said Chirambo.
Malawian workers exploited
Government has threatened to close all exploitative foreign companies in a latest swipe at foreign investors it accuses of ill-treating local workers.
Labour Minister Yunus Mussa said government would not hesitate to close companies bent at making profits at the expense of Malawian workers, as there can never be sustainable social-economic development should local workers continue to live on
‘hand-to-mouth’ basis.
“There is high level exploitation of Malawian workers. This is evident in the fact that almost all foreign companies pay our workers poorly, paying them in exactitude of the minimum wage of K129 per hour. The minimum wage is just a guideline, it doesn’t mean our workers should be paid exactly that amount,” said Mussa.
Mussa has since threatened to close two prominent foreign owned companies, including Exclusive Garments, on accusations of local workers’ exploitation.
“We will not hesitate to close exploitative companies. We have just discovered that the level of workers’ exploitation is very high and unprecedented in Malawi, and will do all we can to come to the root of the problem. Government doesn’t rule out mass deportations of exploiters,” said Mussa.
It is not the first time a high level government official has taken a swipe at foreign investors; State President, Bingu wa Mutharika, has often attacked investors for offering poor agricultural produce prices.
Just this month, government deported three top bosses from some of the country’s biggest tobacco companies, accusing them of fixing tobacco prices and sabotaging the economy.
But government has not always had its way. A wrangle currently rages on with the country’s cotton buyers over this year’s cotton prices. The Cotton Development Association wants to by cotton at between K36 and K42 per kg, contrary to the government set price of K75 per kg.
The price wrangle has meant delayed market openings for cotton, with one of the country’s top cotton buying companies pulling out of the market to concentrate on grain trading.
Most of the cotton companies are foreign owned, and are now buying from Zambian and Mozambican farmers. Government has threatened to deport their top bosses, a threat yet to materialize.
“These companies are in my firing range,” said Mutharika recently, raising fears he would soon strike at industry bosses.
Labour Minister Yunus Mussa said government would not hesitate to close companies bent at making profits at the expense of Malawian workers, as there can never be sustainable social-economic development should local workers continue to live on
‘hand-to-mouth’ basis.
“There is high level exploitation of Malawian workers. This is evident in the fact that almost all foreign companies pay our workers poorly, paying them in exactitude of the minimum wage of K129 per hour. The minimum wage is just a guideline, it doesn’t mean our workers should be paid exactly that amount,” said Mussa.
Mussa has since threatened to close two prominent foreign owned companies, including Exclusive Garments, on accusations of local workers’ exploitation.
“We will not hesitate to close exploitative companies. We have just discovered that the level of workers’ exploitation is very high and unprecedented in Malawi, and will do all we can to come to the root of the problem. Government doesn’t rule out mass deportations of exploiters,” said Mussa.
It is not the first time a high level government official has taken a swipe at foreign investors; State President, Bingu wa Mutharika, has often attacked investors for offering poor agricultural produce prices.
Just this month, government deported three top bosses from some of the country’s biggest tobacco companies, accusing them of fixing tobacco prices and sabotaging the economy.
But government has not always had its way. A wrangle currently rages on with the country’s cotton buyers over this year’s cotton prices. The Cotton Development Association wants to by cotton at between K36 and K42 per kg, contrary to the government set price of K75 per kg.
The price wrangle has meant delayed market openings for cotton, with one of the country’s top cotton buying companies pulling out of the market to concentrate on grain trading.
Most of the cotton companies are foreign owned, and are now buying from Zambian and Mozambican farmers. Government has threatened to deport their top bosses, a threat yet to materialize.
“These companies are in my firing range,” said Mutharika recently, raising fears he would soon strike at industry bosses.
Locals still shun tourism sites
The level of locals’ patronage to Malawi’s acclaimed tourism sites remains ‘horribly’ low, a development blamed on prevalent perceptions that tourism is for foreign nationals.
But Director of Tourism, Isaac Katopola, said this was set to change following increased levels of public awareness about the ‘vast’ advantages of visiting local tourism sites.
Katopola said government has been carrying out public mobilization campaigns aimed at changing prevalent perceptions. He said the country was also working on price modalities to make sure Malawi remained a competitive tourism destination for many of the world’s citizens.
There are concerns over Malawi’s price competitiveness, with a majority of foreign tourists complaining over high accommodation and traveling prices.
Government maintains Malawi remains one of the cheapest destinations in Africa, with her wide variety of endemic natural diversity. Lake Malawi is Africa’s third largest lake and contains more aquatic bio-diversity than any other fresh lake in the world.
While fossil fish can not be found in the lake, archaeological evidence indicates the lake, also known as the Lake of Stars, has not always been without fossil fish. Just some 200 years ago, it was there in abundance- now forced out of existence by man’s pervasive activities.
“We are worried that locals continue to shun tourism site. The thinking is that only foreign nationals are best-suited for tourism. It is sad, but we are working on it,” said Katopola.
Malawi joined the rest of the world in commemorating ‘Tourism Week’ whose theme was ‘Cerebrating Diversity’. The week brought to light some of the country’s attractive places, which included the Kandewe Cultural Heritage Site. There, at Zuwulufu, a traditional suspension bridge built in 1904 stands strong in the air.
Something happened there some fifteen years ago. An unsuspecting Hippopotamus walked through the suspended bridge that needs faith in one’s legs to cross, as it is made up of mere bamboos, and- mid way through- fell through, down into the Zuwulufu River.
The Hippo plunged some fifteen metres down, breaking its two hind legs. School children, who cross the suspended bridge daily in their quest for a honey comb called education, could not cross the river as their link was torn asunder mid way through the river. They reported to their parents, and the parents called game rangers.
The rangers task was simple: shoot the Hippo that had burst through Goodwin Mkandawire’s idea of a bamboo suspended bridge).To the villagers, the Hippo was good news. The spirits of their (Khoka people, who lived in the area and can still be found) ancestors had brought them ‘Ndiwo’ (relish).
The Hippo died, relish for all villagers, but the suspended bridge was repaired.
Katopola said this, and many other tourism attractions, were good for both the foreign national and local citizen.
“Tourism, like music, is universal,” he said.
But Director of Tourism, Isaac Katopola, said this was set to change following increased levels of public awareness about the ‘vast’ advantages of visiting local tourism sites.
Katopola said government has been carrying out public mobilization campaigns aimed at changing prevalent perceptions. He said the country was also working on price modalities to make sure Malawi remained a competitive tourism destination for many of the world’s citizens.
There are concerns over Malawi’s price competitiveness, with a majority of foreign tourists complaining over high accommodation and traveling prices.
Government maintains Malawi remains one of the cheapest destinations in Africa, with her wide variety of endemic natural diversity. Lake Malawi is Africa’s third largest lake and contains more aquatic bio-diversity than any other fresh lake in the world.
While fossil fish can not be found in the lake, archaeological evidence indicates the lake, also known as the Lake of Stars, has not always been without fossil fish. Just some 200 years ago, it was there in abundance- now forced out of existence by man’s pervasive activities.
“We are worried that locals continue to shun tourism site. The thinking is that only foreign nationals are best-suited for tourism. It is sad, but we are working on it,” said Katopola.
Malawi joined the rest of the world in commemorating ‘Tourism Week’ whose theme was ‘Cerebrating Diversity’. The week brought to light some of the country’s attractive places, which included the Kandewe Cultural Heritage Site. There, at Zuwulufu, a traditional suspension bridge built in 1904 stands strong in the air.
Something happened there some fifteen years ago. An unsuspecting Hippopotamus walked through the suspended bridge that needs faith in one’s legs to cross, as it is made up of mere bamboos, and- mid way through- fell through, down into the Zuwulufu River.
The Hippo plunged some fifteen metres down, breaking its two hind legs. School children, who cross the suspended bridge daily in their quest for a honey comb called education, could not cross the river as their link was torn asunder mid way through the river. They reported to their parents, and the parents called game rangers.
The rangers task was simple: shoot the Hippo that had burst through Goodwin Mkandawire’s idea of a bamboo suspended bridge).To the villagers, the Hippo was good news. The spirits of their (Khoka people, who lived in the area and can still be found) ancestors had brought them ‘Ndiwo’ (relish).
The Hippo died, relish for all villagers, but the suspended bridge was repaired.
Katopola said this, and many other tourism attractions, were good for both the foreign national and local citizen.
“Tourism, like music, is universal,” he said.
Local governments ordered to clean up
Malawians hate paying up. This became more evident during consultative meetings for the introduction of ‘Polluter Pays Principle’ some two years ago, sending government to the drawing board.
Many stakeholders, industry players and community members alike, came flat out against the initiative, saying it would make life expensive since it would, in effect, make people pay for that they needed not.
There fears could, somehow, be understood since they emanated from the Ministry of Environmental Affairs. Now, government wants to start from the ground and instill a sense of cleanness over public infrastructure.
Minister of Local Government, Goodall Gondwe, has started the process, beginning with Mzuzu City in Malawi’s Northern region.
Mzuzu was declared a town in 1964, before graduating into the region’s only city. The country has four cities, one in the North, another in Central region, which also hosts the country’s capital city, and two in the Southern region. These are Blantyre and Zomba, Malawi’s former capital.
Gondwe is not happy with album dwellers he accuses of developing ‘strange’ tendencies.
“People seem to have developed strange tendencies, one of which includes litter- throwing in most parts of the country’s urban areas. This does not happen in rural areas, which means that it is not part of our culture,” said Gondwe.
Gondwe said government wanted to improve the level of cleanness in Malawian cities, some of which were once considered the cleanliest in Africa. Foreign heads of state even came to just appreciate how City Assemblies such as Blantyre managed to keep litter out of the streets.
But Gondwe said this reputation was fast dying because urban dwellers were losing sense of environmental management and throwing all responsibility to the wind.
“We want to start with local assemblies and take the initiative to the national stage. It is not too late to bring things back to normal,” said Gondwe.
He hoped that people would soon begin to own up to their mess.
Many stakeholders, industry players and community members alike, came flat out against the initiative, saying it would make life expensive since it would, in effect, make people pay for that they needed not.
There fears could, somehow, be understood since they emanated from the Ministry of Environmental Affairs. Now, government wants to start from the ground and instill a sense of cleanness over public infrastructure.
Minister of Local Government, Goodall Gondwe, has started the process, beginning with Mzuzu City in Malawi’s Northern region.
Mzuzu was declared a town in 1964, before graduating into the region’s only city. The country has four cities, one in the North, another in Central region, which also hosts the country’s capital city, and two in the Southern region. These are Blantyre and Zomba, Malawi’s former capital.
Gondwe is not happy with album dwellers he accuses of developing ‘strange’ tendencies.
“People seem to have developed strange tendencies, one of which includes litter- throwing in most parts of the country’s urban areas. This does not happen in rural areas, which means that it is not part of our culture,” said Gondwe.
Gondwe said government wanted to improve the level of cleanness in Malawian cities, some of which were once considered the cleanliest in Africa. Foreign heads of state even came to just appreciate how City Assemblies such as Blantyre managed to keep litter out of the streets.
But Gondwe said this reputation was fast dying because urban dwellers were losing sense of environmental management and throwing all responsibility to the wind.
“We want to start with local assemblies and take the initiative to the national stage. It is not too late to bring things back to normal,” said Gondwe.
He hoped that people would soon begin to own up to their mess.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
From Elke Ihnen's heart to Rabea
Someone lives,
Wings and Europlane wings away,
Somewhere over the soils and clay of Germany,
If ever there be something like German clay,
A land of hopes and 'if I weres' for many,
Who walk smiling,
Over the smatching October sun.
Sure knew Elke Ihnen,
When Mother January came,
And waited February, March, April, May, June, July, August
For Father September to chance:
That Rabea would up ward fly,
Towards a land hither to unknown.
Somewhere, beyond the blue borderless sky
Lies Malawi
The Lakeland,
Where stay some more,
Unknown brothers and sisters for Rabea.
Rabea and Elke Ihnen's sacrifice,
For the betterment of many,
Who live without more,
But hopeless hope.
The feet fear not the nagging Sun,
The little peaces of opposing colours of clothes,
Know not shame but smiles,
As Rabea and more together labour,
And communities, too
For a better tomorrow.
The Germans have a mighty heart,
And have come to love the Lake.
As Elke Ihnen back home,
Questions raised:
Rabea must be safe.
Is she safe?
The love of a parent,
Whose hug in anticipation waits,
For the warm hug,
Of a child on good mission.
One day in November,
Shaddows will take the place,
Where Rabea once stood,
And up brought some shapeless wall.
Now the wall,
Is the class room,
And Rabea's shaddow,
Whose beholder now rejoiceth in Germany,
Will be the school block,
And the Makanjira children's hopes.
One day, so the children will say
Rabea will back 'home' come,
To see the labour of her hands,
Perhaps with Elke Ihnen too,
To see the elephants crops devour,
And the Southerly winds Hippos push.
When Rabea will in Elke Ihnen's shoulders lie,
The Makanjira children's shoulders will be cold,
And dry,
Waiting for Rabea and Elke Ihnen's hug.
No more.
Wings and Europlane wings away,
Somewhere over the soils and clay of Germany,
If ever there be something like German clay,
A land of hopes and 'if I weres' for many,
Who walk smiling,
Over the smatching October sun.
Sure knew Elke Ihnen,
When Mother January came,
And waited February, March, April, May, June, July, August
For Father September to chance:
That Rabea would up ward fly,
Towards a land hither to unknown.
Somewhere, beyond the blue borderless sky
Lies Malawi
The Lakeland,
Where stay some more,
Unknown brothers and sisters for Rabea.
Rabea and Elke Ihnen's sacrifice,
For the betterment of many,
Who live without more,
But hopeless hope.
The feet fear not the nagging Sun,
The little peaces of opposing colours of clothes,
Know not shame but smiles,
As Rabea and more together labour,
And communities, too
For a better tomorrow.
The Germans have a mighty heart,
And have come to love the Lake.
As Elke Ihnen back home,
Questions raised:
Rabea must be safe.
Is she safe?
The love of a parent,
Whose hug in anticipation waits,
For the warm hug,
Of a child on good mission.
One day in November,
Shaddows will take the place,
Where Rabea once stood,
And up brought some shapeless wall.
Now the wall,
Is the class room,
And Rabea's shaddow,
Whose beholder now rejoiceth in Germany,
Will be the school block,
And the Makanjira children's hopes.
One day, so the children will say
Rabea will back 'home' come,
To see the labour of her hands,
Perhaps with Elke Ihnen too,
To see the elephants crops devour,
And the Southerly winds Hippos push.
When Rabea will in Elke Ihnen's shoulders lie,
The Makanjira children's shoulders will be cold,
And dry,
Waiting for Rabea and Elke Ihnen's hug.
No more.
Construction work on course, all happy- Studnitz
Construction work for school blocks in Malawi’s Lakeshore district of Mangochi is on course, a development that would help shelter otherwise helpless children from the area of Senior Chief Makanjira from the on-coming rains, says Michael Studnitz, Co-founder and Chairman of the German NGO Reisende Werkschule Scholen.
The German NGO has since 2001 been making periodic trips to Malawi, a Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member state, where students have been working with local communities to bring about sustainable social-economic development through school blocks’ infrastructure.
Some of the beneficiary schools include Nangungu Primary in Mangochi’s Makanjira area, developments that have excited traditional leaders from the area.
The Germans are back to Malawi this year, and plan to construct some more school blocks for the less privileged in Malawi, where most pupils learn under trees. Education rights NGOs claim that over 10 pupils may have died over the past 10 years after trees fell on them, something that speaks volumes about the country’s education infrastructure.
Studnitz said this week construction work was well on course for the October 26, 2009 handover ceremony, and hailed the German students for their high spirits.
“The guys have been great ever since they arrived in Malawi. We are really grateful that everyone is alright and also that we have managed to mingle and integrate well into the communities. They are really part of the communities now,” said Studnitz.
Studnitz said he was even encouraged that almost all of the Germans have expressed wishes to visit Malawi again at some point in their lives, hailing the people’s friendliness.
“Everyone smiles here. Malawians are real wonderful people,” said Studnitz.
Malawi is endowed with a great variety of natural resources, something the Germans are enjoying quite well. They take time to relax and feel the breeze of Lake Malawi, the world’s third largest fresh water lake. Elephants are also a common sight, as they walk in groups and fill their long trumpet-like mouths.
Women from Makanjira almost compliments this great sight with their hard work, ferrying water from nearby rivers to help their make the work of their men easier during block construction.
Some of the Germans could be heard laughing in the background.
The German NGO has since 2001 been making periodic trips to Malawi, a Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member state, where students have been working with local communities to bring about sustainable social-economic development through school blocks’ infrastructure.
Some of the beneficiary schools include Nangungu Primary in Mangochi’s Makanjira area, developments that have excited traditional leaders from the area.
The Germans are back to Malawi this year, and plan to construct some more school blocks for the less privileged in Malawi, where most pupils learn under trees. Education rights NGOs claim that over 10 pupils may have died over the past 10 years after trees fell on them, something that speaks volumes about the country’s education infrastructure.
Studnitz said this week construction work was well on course for the October 26, 2009 handover ceremony, and hailed the German students for their high spirits.
“The guys have been great ever since they arrived in Malawi. We are really grateful that everyone is alright and also that we have managed to mingle and integrate well into the communities. They are really part of the communities now,” said Studnitz.
Studnitz said he was even encouraged that almost all of the Germans have expressed wishes to visit Malawi again at some point in their lives, hailing the people’s friendliness.
“Everyone smiles here. Malawians are real wonderful people,” said Studnitz.
Malawi is endowed with a great variety of natural resources, something the Germans are enjoying quite well. They take time to relax and feel the breeze of Lake Malawi, the world’s third largest fresh water lake. Elephants are also a common sight, as they walk in groups and fill their long trumpet-like mouths.
Women from Makanjira almost compliments this great sight with their hard work, ferrying water from nearby rivers to help their make the work of their men easier during block construction.
Some of the Germans could be heard laughing in the background.
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