The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of the Dedza Diocese has embarked on a one-year project aimed at enhancing participation of women in the 2025 general elections.
Speaking on Tuesday in Ntcheu when presenting the project to Ntcheu District Executive Committee members, CCJP’s Project Officer for the Dedza Diocese, Horace Kasudze said among others, the project seeks to increase knowledge of civic rights and responsibilities among women.
CCJP’s Project Officer for the Dedza Diocese, Horace Kasudze
Ntcheu District has one female ward councillor out of fourteen and one female Member of Parliament out of seven.
“Social-cultural and ethnic factors and intra-party inclusivity are some of the factors that are affecting women participation in politics. We want to empower them to actively participate in the electoral process,” said Kasudze.
Kasudze said CCJP highlighted that 81 percent of expected registration was achieved in 2019, citing 56 percent being female and 44 percent being male.
He said the organization will conduct district multi-stakeholder dialogues with the Malawi Electoral Commission, husbands of female aspirants, media organisations, political parties and other stakeholders for increased support for female aspirants.
In his remarks, Principal Gender Officer for Ntcheu district, Phales Chizule commended the project for promoting the representation of women in the 2025 general elections.
“We are only worried with the project duration which is short and is ending in October before the general elections,” Chizule said.
Chizule said the gender office looks forward to improved coordination in the course of the project implementation and a probability of extension up until the general elections.
She then urged other organizations to support women aspirants in the district.
CCJP is implementing Enhancing the Participation of Women in the 2025 Malawi General Elections in Ntcheu with funding from the United Nations Development Programme.
In 2019, Malawi Government and the Republic of Japan signed a grant agreement and exchanged notes for the implementation of a detailed design of the project for the improvement of main roads in the city of Lilongwe. Speaking during the ceremony Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Joseph Mwanamveka said the design would cover expansion of M1 Road between Lilongwe Hotel and Lubani junctions from 2 to 4 lanes, replacement of old town bridge and installation of traffic signals among others. Mwanamveka said the construction project was expected to start after six months of developing the design.
In February 2020, A constitutional court in Malawi nullified the election in which Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika won, citing massive irregularities during the process. The verdict resulted from a court challenge filed by Saulos Chilima, leader of the opposition United Transformation Movement Party, and Lazarus Chakwera, leader of the Malawi Congress Party. The court called for fresh elections within 150 days and also reinstated former Vice President Saulos Chilima. Judge Healey Potani’s announcement of the verdict spurred instant celebrations from opposition supporters who attended the court session.
The road construction at crossroads roundabout is still incomplete
In June 2020, Malawi’s opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera won a presidential election re-run with 58.57 percent of the vote. It was a dramatic reversal of fortune for Peter Mutharika, whose victory in the May 2019 election was overturned by the Constitutional Court, citing widespread fraud. Some 6.8 million voters in Malawi had returned to the polls. Mutharika came second with 1,751,377 votes, while opposition candidate Lazarus Chakwera received 2,604,043. Voter turnout was 64.81 percent. The announcement was met with loud cheers and applause as opposition supporters waved Malawi’s flag and chanted “boma!”. Mutharika exited the stage quietly without any resistance but said he lost government through a judicial coup.
In August 2021, President Dr Lazarus Chakwera said the upgrading of roads and implementation of many other projects would create more jobs for citizens, that would in turn empower them economically. He made remarks at Bingu International Convention Center (BICC) in Lilongwe after presiding over the ground breaking event of the road project. He said Lilongwe deserved better attention just like any other place, and that everyone needed to make Lilongwe clean saying it was the role of everyone. Chakwera emphasized that in few months, his government would launch the rehabilitation works of the M1 Road, with the help of development partners.
The president then warned those involved in corrupt practices and continue breaking laws of the land that justice will take its course. The Mzimba Street and Kenyatta Drive, which connects Lilongwe Old town and City Centre, will be upgraded to six lanes. Kenyatta road starts from Parliament roundabout, through Bisnowaty past Tsoka market near Constantini to Shoprite in Area 3.
In 2023, taxpayers were expected to brace to pay more than budgeted for 28 road projects worth about K439.8 billion which stalled due to several factors, including foreign exchange shortage and some contractors’ lack of capacity. In its ‘2023 Progress Report on Implementation of Road Projects and Upcoming Projects Under Procurement’ submitted to Parliament last week, Roads Authority (RA) indicated that the projects missing deadlines included both those funded by the Malawi Government and by development partners as well some jointly funded by the two entities. “Shortage of forex affected most contractors as they were unable to import key construction materials. The scarcity of fuel led to almost all contractors slowing down works on site,” reads the document in part.
The report further indicated that some contractors lacked financial capacity to carry out works, leading to suspension of works and delays. A summary on one project worth K31.4 billion read: “The contractor had capacity challenges to complete the remaining works and the [RA] board granted approval, challenges by government as further affecting the timely completion of projects.
Conclusion
Effects of delay in construction project include time overrun, cost overrun, dispute, arbitration, litigation and total abandonment. Project delays have significant impacts on various aspects of a project, including its timeline, quality, and finances. Some of the consequences of project delays include financial impacts. Delays lead to financial losses, cost overruns, and budget insufficiency, affecting the bottom line of the project.
One of the reasons for the delay in the Lilongwe road construction is the incompetence of some of the construction companies that were given the job. They are not capable to do a good but they have been given the job. The other reason is government corruption. They were given the job because they are cheap, they charged less for the job so that something could be put into someone’s pocket. The final point that I want to put across is that the road projects area taking long because of lack of government funding to the contractors. A visit to the crossroads roundabout in Lilongwe on Wednesday 14 February 2023 was demotivating as no construction was found taking place.
In the work of increasing under five vaccine uptake in Lilongwe district, health authorities say there is a need for Health Surveillance Assistants(HAS) to put much effort towards health projects that are being implemented in the district.
Lilongwe District Environmental Health Officer(DEHO), Emmanuel Mbawa, said for the sustanability of health projects to be spotted, it is the duty of HSAs as well as Mother Care Groups (MCGs) to work hand in hand in making sure that they are utilizing their platforms and make sure that people are reached with proper information in good time.
He was saying this during an engagement meeting which was organized by Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) to strengthen linkage between HSAs and MCGs in the district.
During the meeting, it was revealed that there is a lack of reporting forms to be used by different MCGs in the areas and lack of transportation which affects members to reach people from hard to reach areas.
MHEN also learnt that there has to be more economic empowerment activities to be implemented in the areas and utilization of advocacy skills of MCGs as well as fostering good collaboration and coordination with minded structures within the communities to enhance service delivery.
This comes at a time, MHEN is conducting refresher training to MCGs in Lilongwe district on the impact of under five vaccines as one way of increasing Immunization uptake amongst the under five children in the district.
These activities are under Health Systems Immunization Strengthening (HSIS) project funded by Global Alliance for Vaccine Immunization (GAVI) through the ministry of health.
Newly promoted TNM Super League side Creck Sporting Club, formerly known as Kawinga FC, has unveiled McDonald Nginde Mtetemera as the team’s head coach.
The former Chitipa United mentor will be working along with Harry Saidi who is now the team’s Assistant Coach.
Mtetemera being Unveiled
Mtetemera had a great season with Chitipa United as his side managed to beat all the top Super league teams in the country and managed to finish the league in position four.
Creck Sporting has also appointed Owen Kantukule, Anderson Ching’amba, Rhemo Malunga , Frank Kalilombe, Evance Zowa and Ben Moononga as executive members.
M’modzi mwa omwe awonetsa chidwi chozapikisananawo pa mpando wa mtsogoleri wadziko lino mzisankho za 2025 David Mbewe wati iye msanamira ya mfundo zake yagona pothetsa umphawi komaso njala zomwe zakhala zikuzuza amalawi ochuluka maka akumudzi mdziko muno.
Mbewe yemwe posachedwapa wakhazikitsa chipani chake chotchedwa Liberation for Economic Freedom (LEF) wati iye kukhala mtsogoleri wadziko lino sadzalola kuti m’malawi ndi m’modzi yemwe adzafe ndinjala.
Mwazina iye wati azaonetsetsa kuti amalawi ambiri maka a kumudzi ali ndi mwayi waukulu opeza zipangizo za ulimi pamtengo ozizira.
Prophet Mbewe
“Umphawi ndi njala ndizomwe zikupha amalawi ochuluka kunjaku. Nthawi yakwana tsopano kuti David Mbewe apulumutse mtundu wake kumavutowa. Ndili pano kulonjeza kuzathetsa umphawi, njala, nthenda ngakhale sanje pakuti izi zikuzuza mtundu wanga,” anatero Mbewe.
