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Chakwera mourns loss of three lives in Chikwawa fatal road accident

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Chakwera mourns loss of three lives in Chikwawa fatal road accident



By Chisomo Phiri

President Dr.Lazarus Chakwera has sent a message of condolences to the bereaved families, following the deaths of three people in a road accident on Saturday evening in the area of Senior Chief Ngabu, Chikwawa District.

In a statement delivered by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Abida Mia, at Chapomoka Village, where the three victims, Antio Isaac, 22, Brian Peterson, 29, and Chifundo Gelard, 22, were laid to rest, Mia said the president is deeply saddened by the accident.

“At this difficult time, on behalf of the nation, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones in this fatal accident. I would also like to offer prayers for those in the hospital, wishing them a speedy recovery,” said Mia.



The lorry, registration number BT1278, was carrying 60 passengers returning from a football match.

The accident occurred when the driver, Joe Khrisimisi, who was coming from Ngabu and heading towards Bangula, failed to overtake a tipper traveling in the same direction.

Meanwhile,Chikwawa Police Spokesperson, Dickson Matemba, says a manhunt has been launched to arrest Khrisimisi, who is at large, to answer to a charge of causing death by reckless driving.

The Minister of education advocates  political accountability for enhanced learning in Africa

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The Minister of education advocates  political accountability for enhanced learning in Africa

By Elywin Chighali Mhango

The Honorable Minister of Education from Malawi, Madalitso Kambauwa-Wirima, MP, delivered an impassioned address on the imperative of political accountability in advancing foundational learning in Africa. This address took place as a part of the Foundation Learning side-event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Minister Kambauwa-Wirima’s speech reverberated with a resounding call for collaborative efforts and innovative partnerships to scale success in foundational learning programs across the continent. The Minister expressed delight in showcasing Malawi’s strides toward prioritizing foundational learning, underscoring a comprehensive 5-pillar strategy that is transforming the educational landscape within the country.

Education Minister Kambauwa delivering a speech

The pillars include a focus on strengthening primary education through tailored teacher training programs, the introduction of preparatory classes for Early Childhood Education (ECE), improved curriculum design and resourcing, expansion of school feeding programs, and the integration of digital learning solutions to enhance accessibility and adaptability.

With an unwavering commitment to nurturing essential skills among Malawian children, Minister Kambauwa-Wirima emphasized the critical role of addressing the needs of marginalized learners—those struggling in schools, at risk of dropping out, or who have already left the education system.

Furthermore, Minister Kambauwa-Wirima stressed the pivotal role of political leaders in fostering a conducive learning environment. She highlighted the necessity of inclusive, safe, and stimulating educational spaces that cater to diverse learning needs, alongside advocating for empowering and dignified working conditions for teachers. Calling for a revitalization of the teaching profession to attract younger generations, she emphasized the transformative potential of the digital revolution in revolutionizing education delivery and enhancing educational quality.

Expanding her discourse to underscore the importance of increased, equitable, and efficient investments in education, Minister Kambauwa-Wirima urged stakeholders to adopt a comprehensive program-based approach, emphasizing sustainable financing mechanisms to drive educational initiatives forward. She underlined the magnitude of the collective impact of investing in education, emphasizing the substantial costs associated with neglecting educational funding.

As Minister Kambauwa-Wirima’s powerful address concluded, the audience was left with a resounding call to action, echoing her profound belief in the transformative power of foundational learning as a cornerstone for the development and prosperity.

AfDB approves support towards Malawi Agricultural sector

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AfDB approves support towards Malawi Agricultural sector

By Arkangel Tembo

Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Simplex Chithyola Banda has disclosed that the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved more than 50 million US Dollars towards agriculture productivity and commercialisation including procurement of relief maize.

The minister disclosed this in New York, where President Chakwera held the 2024 Malawi Partners Conference on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Among other high-level dignitaries at the conference, the Malawi leader, met the AfDB Group, President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi and a Tanzanian delegation.


“The support includes 30 million US dollars, 23 million Dollars, and 1 million US Dollars. All these are coming separately with different purposes from the African Development Bank. more support is coming from the same bank.

“On food production, the AfDB is more than ready to support the Malawi Government to embark on a programme of pumping water from Lake Malawi for irrigation,” he said.

Chithyola Banda said AfDB interventions will improve Malawi’s economy on top of empowering the young people to venture into the agricultural value chain.

He added that the AfDB assistance to Malawi is a clear demonstration of confidence and trust in the current administration.

“Institutions like African Development Bank have demonstrated degree of confident and trust in the leadership of Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and the reform programme that Malawi is undertaking in various sectors.

“I have liked some aspects in President Chakwera’s speech in which he said Malawi needs to rework in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to re-estimate the GDP based on green economy of how much is the country worth in terms of carbon financing,” he said, adding that analysing the GDP will give a true picture of Malawi’s economic growth,” he said.

He said going back to the drawing board, Malawi will also work on how natural resources could stimulate the economy.

In 2023, President Chakwera also held another partner conference in New York under the theme; Building Resilience and Sustainable Development in the Face of Shocks.

The Malawi Partners Conference are held on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York, US.
In another interview, Minister of Information and Digitilisation, Moses Kunkuyu said Chakwera’s visit is benefiting Malawians.

“When the president travels, he travels with an agenda. The agenda is to represent Malawians and when he represents his people he carries with him the problem that affects his people,” Kunkuyu added.

Malawi opposition parties unite to express election concerns

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Malawi opposition parties unite to express election concerns

By Twink Jones Gadama

In a historic show of solidarity, Malawi’s major opposition parties have joined forces to express their dissatisfaction with the Malawi Electoral Commission’s (MEC) handling of the upcoming elections.

The parties, including Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), United Democratic Front (UDF), and United Transformation Movement (UTM), have penned a letter to the MEC and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Malawi, highlighting their concerns regarding the electoral preparation process.



The letter, signed by the secretary-generals of the respective parties, cites several key issues observed during the recent Electronic Management Devices (EMDs) voter registration pilot phase.

Specifically, the parties note that the EMDs appeared inefficient, with estimates suggesting that a single registration process could take approximately 10 minutes.

This raises concerns about the potential for delays and disruptions on election day.

Another significant concern raised by the parties is the lack of an independent ICT auditor, a crucial component that was present during the 2020 fresh elections.

The parties have recommended that an independent ICT auditor be recruited by the UNDP to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.

Regarding vote transmission, the opposition parties have rejected electronic transportation, instead advocating for a manual system with backed-up election data.

This move is seen as a precautionary measure to prevent potential tampering or manipulation of election results.

The Malawi Electoral Commission has yet to respond to the letter, but the concerns raised by the opposition parties are significant.

With elections scheduled for September next year, the stakes are high.

Malawians will head to the polls to elect a president, members of parliament, and ward councilors in what is expected to be a highly contested and closely watched election.

Incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, who lost twice to President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika before the nullification of his second election in 2020, is expected to face off against Mutharika for the third time.

Chakwera’s popularity has taken a hit in recent times, with critics accusing him of economic mismanagement and attempting to rig the elections using the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and MEC.

The opposition parties’ united stance on these issues is a significant development, and their concerns warrant attention from the MEC and the international community.

Chakwera Government connects 41, 400 sites  benefitting over 2 million

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Chakwera Government connects 41, 400 sites  benefitting over 2 million

By Linda Kwanjana

In line with the Government of Malawi’s plans to develop domestic sources of electricity generation, the World Bank has been approving alot of money to improve electricity generation in the country but despite the assistance nothing tangible has been happening.

Previous governments turned Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) as a cash cow.

Big  funding for an energy sector project that was supposed to in help in  improving the capacity of the systems to transmit and reach consumers using improved technology were injected in but they were all eaten through dubious procurement processes laid down especially by the recent past Government of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Malawi’s current national generation capacity is 286 megawatts (MW), 20 per cent of which is lost in the transmission and distribution processes, yet peak demand is currently estimated at about 330 MW.

Demand has been growing at about five per cent annually, with only 12  per cent of the population having access  to electricity, mostly in urban centres.

NEW LEASE OF LIFE WITH MAREP 9

The sweet news is that under the leadership of Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera  Government through Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP), phase 9 has already connected 41, 400 households in 207 sites.

According to Deputy Director of Energy,  Francisco Chingoli, MAREP 9 is so far progressing well.

“So far, MAREP 9 is progressing very well we targeted 460 sites but as of now, we have completed and commissioned 207 sites, and we believe that by end of October we will finish all the sites that we targeted,” said Chingoli.

Chingoli said that with MAREP, Malawi will not be the same economically.

He said the good news is that this program is being done in each and every district and that each and every constituency is also benefitting.

Chingoli has since commended President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for supporting the programme.

” The President has been going in different areas to commission MAREP 9 sites,” He said.

Chingoli said,  where there is electricity, a lot of developments  follows such as barbarshops, welding shops, maize meals.

Meanwhile , Chingoli has assured Malawians and the general public that MAREP 9 will be completed by October this year, ready commerce MAREP Ten.

Initially, Marep 9 was estimated to cost K40 billion in 2022, but due to devaluation of the kwacha and other factors, it was revised to K70 billion.

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