Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima has appealed to Rotary International (RI) to take a leading role in tackling mental health issues.
The VP made these remarks on Wednesday at BICC in Lilongwe, where he presided over a Gala dinner held by RI in honor of its visiting President Gordon McInally.
McInally and Chilima
Chilima urged RI to continue changing lives through humanitarian initiatives, ensuring high ethical standards in various professions, and more importantly, empowering youth to embrace the spirit of generosity.
Rotary international President Gordon McInally reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Malawi particularly in mental health advocacy.
On behalf of Rotaractors, Esther Bonyonga extended gratitude to RI for their unwavering support and guidance. She rallied for collective efforts to create a lasting legacy of goodwill and hope for generations to come.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has warned officials, put responsible for the distribution of relief items against misusing the donations at the expense of vulnerable people.
Chakwera issued the warning on Wednesday at Mulanje Stadium during a memorial service held in honour of Tropical Cyclone Freddy victims, where some development partners also pledged continued support to survivors.
Chakwera at Tropical Cyclone Memorial
““I am thankful for the support we continue to receive. Let me warn some Malawians who are pulling us down by wanting to divert relief support like it happened before with the items from Mozambique part of which did not get to the evacuation camps.
“When others have shown interest to help, let us not be the ones to shut the door on them as if all is well inside,” said Chakwera.
He said government is keen at completing projects underway such as bridges, roads, hospitals, schools and all infrastructure which were damaged during the tropical cyclone.
Earlier, Ambassador for Zimbabwe and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Dr. Nancy Saungweme, said since the cyclone hit the country, several states in solidarity have continued to mobilise resources to complement goverment’s efforts in recovery programme.
She pledged the international community’s continued support to provide technical and logistical support in accordance with the needs of the country.
In his remarks, Country Director for World Food Programme, Paul Turnball, said the impact of the natural disaster has been profound, causing unimaginable loss and suffering to families across the region.
Turnball observed that the number of displaced people underscored the scale of the humanitarian response required.
He, therefore, commended the spirit of unity displayed by Malawians who came together with their resources to provide assistance.
“One crucial aspect of our efforts involves strengthening environmental governance and providing sustainable practices to mitigate the extreme weather events.
“Furthermore, the United Nations is actively engaged in implementing the 2024-2028 United Nations Development Cooperation Framework developed in full alignment with the Malawi 2063 Agenda. There’s also close collaboration with government and stakeholders advancing sustainable diverse and inclusive growth, strengthening institutional governance and ensuring investments in human capital,” said Turnball.
Representative of International Non-Governmental Organisations, Hastings Nyasulu said the organisations will continue working with local stakeholders to ensure that the survivors bounce back.
He said most of the support is medical supplies, psychosocial support and food relief items among others.
Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which mostly hit 16 districts in the southern region in March last year, affected 2.2 million people, as 650,000 were displaced, 679 killed and 537 people are still missing to date.
The theme for the commemoration was: ‘A resilient nation towards recovery’ and drew people from the 15 districts that were affected by the cyclone.
Concerned Israel trip applicants have on Wednesday presented their petition to Lilongwe District Commissioner’s office expressing concern over the delays of their trip to work in Israel by some government officials.
In his speech, chairperson for the grouping Tapson Maganga said among others, in the petition, they are calling on government to quickly finalize the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Israel.
Maganga said it is pathetic that the delays for the youth to go and work in Israel is being done here while farmers and their agents in Israel are ready to assist in their travelling logistics and employ them in their farms.
Said Maganga:”We borrowed money for our express passports, medical reports and police clearance, some even sold their house items and maize fields thinking when they go to Israel they will make money to recover all those things, but we are still here.”
Maganga has since asked President Lazarus Chakwera to intervene in this matter saying they know that the President has got good plans for the youth in the country, such as increasing job opportunities for the youth, but some official are sleeping on their job.
Speaking after receiving the petition, Lilongwe District Commissioner Dr. Lawford Palani thanked the protesters for following the procedures in presenting their petition.
“My duty is to receive the petition and deliver it to the relevant authorities and I can assure you that this petition will be delivered to the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) as soon as possible,” said Palani.
The protesters presented the petition after marching peacefully while singing songs praising and putting their trust in President Chakwera to rescue them.
According to the concerned Israel trip applicants, they were supposed to start going to Israel last week and they have now been promised to leave the country on 31st March 2024.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers have on Wednesday announced the appointment of Panganeni Ndovi as their new Chief Executive Officer(CEO) replacing Roosevelt Mpinganjira, who parted ways with the club in February this year.
Chancy Gondwe,Wanderers’ Legal Advisor and Company Secretary has told 247 Malawi News that Ndovi has been given a two-year contract.
“It is true that Mr.Ndovi is now our CEO and he has been given a two-year contract at the club,” says Gondwe.
Ndovi
Ndovi is an experienced individual with a demonstrated history of working in various government organizations, non-governmental organizations and profit-making entities.
He is skilled in Project Management, Research, Organizational Management, Training Management, Partnership Management, with good Analytical and decision-making Skills.
Ndovi is also a strong professional with excellent communication skills who has worked in a number of fields focusing on managing teams with diverse backgrounds.
He previously served as the Vice-Chairperson of the National Beach Soccer Association(NBSA).
As a footballer, he played as a defender for the National Football team, Silver Strikers, and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, among others.
President and Commander in Chief of Muvi wa Chilungamo Revolutionary Party (MRP) Bantu Saunders Jumah, has urged Malawians to look for moral leaders and moral government to address moral decay the country is sailing through.
Jumah said today, Malawians are engaged in physical fighting in the church and worse still young toddlers are being caught stealing fresh maize in gardens asking Malawians where the country is going and what is the root cause of all this?
Bantu Saunders Jumah
He said he was deeply touched to see a young boy being treated in an inhumanly manner as if he was an insane person wondering that with hunger devastating the country the way some Malawians are treating their fellows is very bad and need condemnations.
Speaking through his face book page followed by millions of people in Malawi and Africa, Jumah has thanked Prophet Shephered Bushiri for rescuing the young man who was caught stealing maize in Salima and was treated like an animal.
Jumah has expressed fears with escalation of violence in Malawi recalling that a boy in Mulanje had two of his arms amputated after being press-ganged by a police officer observing that for 5 times social media reports had indicated that people that are being caught stealing maize are being punished through mob justice.
He has appealed to all Malawians to stop this character of taking the laws on their hands advising them that if the police are not helping, they should find other means either going to the chiefs and village leaders other than imposing in humanly punishments on the suspects.
The MRP President said Malawi is a God-fearing nation lamenting that it has now become a nation without laws saying people are borrowing a leaf from the MCP led Tonse Alliance government for not respecting the country’s laws.
He has noted with a great concern that many Malawians are angry with what the MCP led government has done inflicting to them untold sufferings advising them not to pour their anger on fellow Malawians in one Malawi, one nation.
“Chaining a thief behind the car, this is not the way to live but inhumanly manner which all must stand up to condemn this act,” said Jumah.
He said for Malawians to show anger with the MCP led government, they should register in their large number to prove to the electoral body that they are in anger so that moral decay to be dealt with in a country which has moral leaders and government.
Jumah has warn Malawians that without addressing moral leaders and government, the country would continue to be reckless and lawlessness urging Malawians to vote for moral leaders in 2025 to replace the MCP government’s moral decay.
