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Financial challenges hindering government in employing more teachers- Wirima

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Financial challenges hindering government in employing more teachers- Wirima


By Dean Chisambo


Minister of Education Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima has said financial challenges are hindering the government to employ more teachers and increase the number of classrooms in primary schools in this country.

Kamtukule made the remarks on Thursday in Lilongwe during the Joint Sector Review (JSR). She said although the government is having challenges to employ the teachers , it will not stop training teachers because it is its responsibility to enhance human capital development.

The Minister said this is something her Ministry is looking into, knowing that the Ministry is aligned to aspirations with Malawi 2063 vision where human capital development is a key. “We know that a teacher is also pivotal to this and they are very important, we value them and we know we need them but we are talking about issues of finances. So it’s an issue of need, these are what we can actually have in the basket” said Wirima.



Kamtukule lamented that they can have a long lasting solution to the challenges and gaps affecting the education sector through working hand in hand with different stakeholders and the development partners.

She added that population growth has also affected the sector. There is competition of resources than back in the days where population was significantly low which resulted in government to absorb teachers automatically after finishing their studies from respective training colleges.

She said “back in the days we were four million Malawians and now we are taking ninteen Million. You test the fact that there was no competing of resources back in the days but now competition of resources are very high.”

On her remarks, team leader social sector European delegation Michele Crimella said there is a clear improvement for the sector saying it’s encouraging for the measures which the ministry is putting in place which is going in right direction.

He said ” what is important is that the ministry is identifying right priorities when it comes to emphasizing strengthening support to learning,as these are good areas for the administration to continue investing.”

The Joint Sector Review meeting (JSR) was held under theme:” Transforming Education: Investing in foundational learning and skills development for a wealthy, self – reliant and resilient nation” and brought together development partners, stakeholders and Civil Society organisations (CSO’S) who are in the business of education.

Of Dan Lu’s music video ‘Imfa’ :Art and Morality

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Of Dan Lu’s music video ‘Imfa’ :Art and Morality


By Davie Dan Mchenga

Yesterday, social media was awash with rave reviews of Dan Lu’s music video ‘Imfa’.

Therein, Dan Lu is filmed lying in a casket.

Artistically, the concept is top notch. Morally speaking, however, the casket visuals are what seem to divide opinion.

Let’s be forthright. Malawi is a closed and conservative society, where anything perceived as “alien” is condemned in its totality.

Just an example, we have grown up in a society where we were told not to point at the graveyard, or else, risk your finger to get crippled. We weren’t allowed to call a snake by its name at night for doing would invite it to bite you. Also, back in the days, we were told to hide whenever a funeral procession was passing by. Such was the environment we all grew up in and we have embraced it to this day and age. It’s become part of our values, norms and belief system. Therefore, it’s not odd to see some sections of society describing some scenes in the video as demonic, immoral and un-Malawian allegedly.



This is the dilemma that our contemporary artists like Dan Lu, have to go through: whether to stick to what our society deems “socially right” or be a Biblical prodigal son.
It has also to be said that Dan Lu is an international artist. Just to be inside Dan Lu’s mind, he wants to storm the international scene with something extraordinary – though at the expense of his conservative domestic audience. The creative world at the moment needs not linear thinkers – those who go for the obvious. But how far you go with your creative mind with respect to the world’s belief systems?

In Tanzania, Diamond Platinum, also recently opened a can of worms when he appeared on stage with a casket. He defended his act as “art”.

Similarly, Dan Lu, told MIJ Online that those labeling the music video as “demonic” were wrong in fact and reasoning. He said the video is the work of art in its purest form.

As the debate rages, we must recognize that people can imagine whatever, or however they see it fit. Let self conscience approve or disapprove their actions.

Also, we need to know that culture is what defines us. Art is an element of culture. When these two are on the collision course, it doesn’t end well.

In this Dan Lu’s music video fiasco, let those who are for or against determine their actions by justifying its consequence.

AFCOMA gives Ben Longwe 7 days ultimatum to apologize over abusive audio clip

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AFCOMA gives Ben Longwe 7 days ultimatum to apologize over abusive audio clip

By Wilfred Golden

Association of Former Councilors in Malawi (AFCOMA) has given activist Ben Longwe 7 days deadline to withdraw his abusive words that he recently made in a leaked audio.

Longwe, made the abusive words on social media threatening Lilongwe District Commissioner, Lawford Palani on the organized demonstrations in the city of Lilongwe.

But in addressing members of the media on friday, AFCOMA Acting President, Samson Chaziya, suggested it is unlawful to make such remarks describing the sentiments to be baseless as the activists are doing this for their personal gains and they are appealing for change as such attacks are taken to be personal.

Members of AFCOMA addressing the media in Lilongwe



“The danger of this is that it is bringing confusion to the country, you know we have been hearing of wars in Israel, Ukraine, it starts like this, so if we allow the nation to be divided a war might erapt in this country.

“So as Association of Former Councilors in Malawi, we appeal to people and organizations who are doing this to stop with immediate effect, not to wait for this country to be put into war, we are giving them 7 days to apologize and withdraw the statements. We are not against demonstrations as they are human rights but it has to follow right procedures not just walking up and start betraying Malawians in the name of fighting for their rights, failure to do this we are going to take another step on them,”said Chaziya.

Meanwhile, Longwe is yet to comment on the matter.

President Chakwera urges SRWB to maintain water projects success

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President Chakwera urges SRWB to maintain water projects success

By Vincent Gunde

President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has urged the Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) to maintain its momentum and apply its formula for success to the critically important water projects that are in the pipeline.

Dr. Chakwera said he had in mind that the stand-alone project at Cape Maclear, the planned Domasi Multi-purpose Dam, the planned Thuchira Water Supply project for improving water provision services to the people of Mulanje, Phalombe as well as other projects for supplying water to Balaka, Zalewa, Mwanza, Neno and Makanjira are some of the important projects that must seriously looked at.

Chakwera

Speaking at Nkhudzi-Bay in Mangochi on Thursday at the commissioning of the Mangochi Water Supply extension project, President Chakwera urged the SRWB to push for speedy progress on those projects even more than done at Nkhudzi-Bay because water is such a top priority that affects the quality of life for everyone.

The Malawi leader said it made no sense to him that the people of Mangochi were being denied access to the water they see around them everyday due to the lack of investment in systems for the treatment and distribution of water.

He said he is happy that the SRWB has finally given the people of Mangochi the water they deserve and this gives him enormous joy to commission the project under the Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) which is projected to benefit over 92,000 people in Mangochi including families and commercial entities such as hotels and lodges that are critical to Mangochi’s tourist sector.

“People need to remember that projects like this require collaboration, without working together, the challenges that arise in the course of any project can derail and delay progress,” said Dr. Chakwera.

He said the Government is geared up to reconfigure focus areas for public spending to ensure that the limited resources the country has, are going towards priority areas that have the most economic and productive impact and not wasted on consumption.

President Chakwera said he has appointed Hon. Simplex Chithyola Banda as the new Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs to implement the public spending reconfiguration exercise that is needed to maximize the country’s limited resources.

Govt optimistic about improving healthcare services in the country

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Govt optimistic about improving healthcare services in the country

By Wilfred Golden

The government says it is delighted to see growth in the field of medicine especially in cardiology in the country.

Deputy minister of health, Halima Daud made the sentiments when she was delivering a speech where she emphasized that government is establishing centers of excellence, one central hospital has already been earmarked for paediatric cardiac surgery and one way of reducing cardiac treatment abroad, government recognizes the need to develop specialists cardiology services in the country.

Deputy minister of health Halima Daud-MP posing with Adventist health international representatives from Malawi



She was speaking this at the 2023 Global HealthCare Conference currently underway in California, United States of America.

Said the Deputy Minister:”Globally, Cardiovascular diseases contribute to 37% of the deaths due to non-communicable diseases and accounts for 13% of all the deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. With population growth, the burden of Cardiovascular diseases is growing in the region, and Malawi is no exception.

“During the recent cardiac camp that took place at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, over 600 patients were seen. This by itself, highlights the burden of cardiac diseases in our country.”

She added:”The government has also agreed with other governments and organizations in provision of specialized services in this field. For instance the recent cardiac camp by cardiologists from Jakaya Kikwete cardiac institute in Tanzania, the recent finalized MoU between Hearts for Mission, Blantyre Adventist Hospital and Malawi government which is ready for signing. This will see cardiac patients requiring surgery benefit free of charge for the first time in the country.”

Daud also stressed on the issue of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) saying that government partnered with Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) as well as Islamic Health Association (IHAM) to support in health service delivery.

On the part of communicable, maternal and neonatal diseases, the Minister said this continues to constitute a significant proportion of burden disease and that the burden of non-communicable disease is also increasing.

“The health system is severely resource constrained, the ongoing cholera outbreak, effect of cyclone Freddy and Covid-19 continue to impinge the health system and the country at large. These stripped the ministry of its ability to respond to routine planned activities and services as it diverted major part of its budgeted resources to manage these emergencies.

“Together with donor partners, we have worked hand in hand through initiation of a cluster response mechanism. This is to minimize the morbidity and mortality resulting from the disaster and outbreak,” the Minister said.

The conference has been designed for the leaders representing Adventist Health International (AHI) Health institutions and other Seventh-Day Adventist hospitals and schools of dentistry, medicine, Nursing and pharmacy from around the world.

The three hospitals in Malawi which are part of the AHI’s network of mission hospitals: Blantyre Adventist Hospital, Lilongwe Adventist Hospital and Malamulo Adventist Hospital.

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