Malawi President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has arrived in South Africa ahead of the five member grouping of Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa (BRICS) Summit which starts on Tuesday 22 August, 2023 at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
The summit will be held under the theme “Brics Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism”.
In RSA , Chakwera
High on the agenda includes discussions on expanding the grouping’s membership to include more countries.
Chakwera arrived through Lanseria International Airport in the company of First Lady Monica Chakwera.
He was welcomed by Malawi High Commissioner to South Africa Stella Ndau and other South African delegates.
Chakwera to reporters on arrival that the summit provides an opportunity to Malawi to engage development partners on ways of addressing debts. “We will champion our cause with emerging and fellow developing markets through multilateral cooperation to rebalance the world’s economic and political tectonics and make the global system conducive for inclusive growth.” Said Chakwera
Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera who is in Angola for the 43rd SADC Summit had an opportunity to hold bilateral talks with Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço.
Chakwera during the talks agreed to utilize the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (LCTTFA).
Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, signed the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (LCTTFA) with the aim of providing an effective and efficient route that facilitates the transportation of goods within territories between the three Corridor Member States.
The agreement looks at harmonisation of policies, laws and regulations; coordinated joint corridor infrastructure development strategies and activities; dissemination of traffic data and business information; and implementation of trade facilitation instruments to support greater participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in business value chains mainly in agriculture and mining.
Overall, the agreement aims at increasing trade and economic growth along the Lobito Corridor and across the SADC Region.
Writing on his Facebook page president Chakwera believes that the LCTTFA will do magic to unlock trade and regional integration.
Chakwera in Angola
Speaking soon after holding bilateral talks with his Angola counterpart, who is also the incoming Chairman of SADC, chakwera said he was happy with the activation of LCTTFA.
“I am delighted to inform you that Malawi has expressed interest in accessing the Lobito Corridor Transit Facilitation Agency Agreement and the Lobito – Lusaka Oil Pipeline Project and we have received firm assurances to the same,” said the Malawi leader.
Chakwera said the treaty mainly focuses on areas of energy and oil, mining, transportation, infrastructure development, agriculture, defence and security, trade and investment.
Despite Malawi being a landlocked economy, we are advantageously positioned to utilize both trade routes, eastwards to the Indian Ocean and westwards to Atlantic Ocean through two important harbors, Port of Lobito in Angola and Nacala Port in Mozambique.
The Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency will provide alternative trade route for importers and exporters from the DRC and Zambia and improve international and domestic traffic levels to Malawi.
The Corridor presents an opportunity for the three Member States to establish and consolidate cooperation in the movement of people and goods; ensure cooperation in rail and road traffic; provide a more efficient and effective route for the inland transportation of goods between the three countries and the sea; guarantee the right to transit in order to facilitate the movement of goods through their respective territories.
LCTTFA will help Malawi transact business without unnecessary delays with regard to the movement of goods in transit through their territories.
The Lobito Agreement will unlock the business potential along the corridor through participation of SMEs in the various value chains and boost private sector investments, create jobs, and foster economic growth in the three SADC Member States.
One of the candidate contesting as Providence Industrial Mission (PIM) President Reverend Moontcha has promised to bring back unity in the Church if he is going to voted into power today.
In an interview with 247 Malawi Moontcha has highlighted that he wants to see PIM being independent and coming back to peace and unity that is lost now.
PIM Church which has its headquarters in Chiradzulu is being led by Reverend Wilson Mitambo currently.
According to other reports, Reverend Moses Chinyama who is also contesting as a President, yesterday took an injunction but it was later removed during old hours by one of the Executive Mission member.
The elections which are slighted to take place at 2 pm today happens in every 5 years of leadership.
All is set for Blantyre City Activation, a one-day sports, music and business/customer networking event created for the people of Blantyre.
The event which has been organized by Verified Experience (VXP) in conjunction with Inspire Marketing Group(IMG) will be held on October 28, 2023 at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHEs)
In a press statement, Inspire Marketing Group clients relationship manager Ausa Kamanga says the event is expected to bring together over 3000 people from different parts of the city.
“The purpose of the event is to bring brands and people together to celebrate the city of Blantyre and to do something meaningful for the city and its inhabitants.
“It is a chance to build a sense of social cohesion, as well as ownership around the city and to inject positive energy into its residents as we are a city reeling from cyclone Freddy,” she says.
Kamanga says some of the activities that have been line up for the day include a mixed martial arts bout, community teams tournament (Football, Netball, Basketball), cycling and hiking marathon, tree planting at Michiru or Soche Mountain and many other activities including a live show performance.
Adds Kamanga:”Residents will also have an opportunity to interface with service providers such as the Blantyre City Council, Blantyre Water Board, Blantyre Police, ESCOM and the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services.
“There are plenty of opportunities also for brands and businesses to get involved through sponsorships, selling their services via corporate booths and vendor stalls and even to participate in team sports.
“This event is the pilot of a bigger long-term project the City Activation Initiative led by VXP.”
Malawi Police at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in the capital Lilongwe are keeping in custody a Nigerian woman Annie Nchekubechukwu Uzoigwe for allegedly externalising money amounting to USD 48,000 using fake documents from Victoria Forex Bureau.
National Police Public Relations Officer Peter Kalaya confirmed of the development with local media on Thursday.
Peter Kalaya
According to Kalaya, the suspect in question was arrested on Wednesday at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) during an operation which the department of fiscal police is currently conducting.
Kalaya further revealed that during the exercise, the police managed to arrest another foreigner for being found with USD 17000 without proper documents.
The Nigerian national is expected to appear before court soon.
Meanwhile,the minister of homeland security Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma has applauded police officers for working hard towards the stabilization of the forex problem in the country.
