Malawi’s highly celebrated business mogul, Leston Mulli has been urged to open more tea factories in various African countries as a way of promoting the continental economy.
The call has been made by the former president of Nigeria,His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan when the two had an interface meeting on 10 March 10, 2024.
According to Jonathan, Mulli who is also the Managing Director for Mulli Brothers Limited (MBL Holdings) is doing a commendable job in African economic space, hence a need to expand his business.
Mulli with Former Nigerian President Good luck Jonathan
The call comes barely few days after another former president of Nigeria, Olusgun Obasanja made a similar appeal to Malawi’s local business magnet.
On the other hand, Mulli has given jobs to countless Malawians through his local companies.
In the past few days, the business magnet was in Nigeria where he was invited fo attend birthday celebrations for the country’s 87 year old ex president, Obasanjo.
Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has symbolically received a donation of over 3,000 bicycles and 2 Toyota Prado vehicles from GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance through UNICEF, amounting to approximately 1.2 billion Malawi Kwacha for the national immunization program at the Ministry’s headquarters in Lilongwe today.
Kandodo commended UNICEF and GAVI, for the support they have been rendering to the Ministry of Health.
“We want to sincerely express gratitude to UNICEF and GAVI for this timely donation. As you are aware, we have been conducting numerous campaigns, especially on immunization for our children, such as Polio and cholera. The bicycles will help our health surveillance assistants (HSAs) reach the hardest areas, as mobility has been a challenge since most of them travel on foot,” Kandodo explained.
She continued, saying that the vehicles will aid directors in managing and coordinating campaigns, as well as transporting vaccines from one region to another.
Kandodo further commended HSAs for the tremendous job they are doing in serving fellow Malawians.
Speaking at the ceremony, GAVI Senior Country Manager, Jonna Jeurlink, said the delivery of vehicles and bicycles is not just a smart component but also a crucial one, as it empowers and enables those reaching the hardest-to-reach areas to vaccinate children.
UNICEF Country Representative, Shadrack Omol, also acknowledged the leadership of the Ministry of Health for its determination to improve the lives of every child and their family in Malawi, identifying solutions to the challenges faced by health workers as they serve Malawians.
“Our successful collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Gavi will guarantee that every child in Malawi receives life-saving vaccines and access to essential health services, aiming to foster a Malawi where every child can thrive and realize their maximum potential,” said Omol.
President Lazarus Chakwera today officially opened Rumphi, Mchinji and Chikwawa Teacher Training Colleges, and inspected the Rumphi Thazima Gravity Water Fed Project with a call for citizens to own government-instituted projects to ensure sufficient utilization and durability.
Speaking at a ceremony held at Rumphi Teacher’s Training College, Chakwera said that the cornerstone for citizens to live comfortably lives in the provision of crucial services such as education and quality water. Thus, the construction of the three TTCs and the institution of the Rumphi Thazima Water Gravity project mark significant achievements.
Chakwera opening the Teacher Training Colleges
“I am pleased to officially open these crucial developments here in Rumphi. The establishment of Rumphi Thazima Gravity Water Fed Project will provide good quality water to approximately 20,000 households in Rumphi and Mzimba Districts.
“Due to the fact that many things were left unattended for a long time, some people think government is doing things at a slow pace. However, we will continue doing it relentlessly knowing that our vision for 2030 is being achieved,” said Chakwera.
Chakwera then called upon Malawians to take to task their Members of Parliament on works done with Constituency Development Funds (CDF), saying the purpose for the funds is to ensure citizens get to enjoy developments they long for.
The President urged Malawians to hold their Members of Parliament accountable for the use of Constituency Development Funds (CDF), saying that the purpose of the funds is to ensure citizens benefit from developments they need.
Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, expressed gratitude to President Chakwera for his visionary leadership and unwavering support for education excellence.
“Your commitment to education has yet again been demonstrated today, adding to the launch of the Secondary Education Expansion for Development Project, among other crucial projects. When you took office, you declared human capital development and major education reforms.
“This is another milestone that exemplifies leadership as you are providing learners both in villages and towns, state-of-the-art education infrastructure that will change their lives and Malawi forever,” said Wirima.
In his remarks , Paramount Chief Chikumayembe the 5th of Rumphi emphasized the significance of Chakwera’s visit to inspect and officially open the two developments, as they provide answers to some of the challenges experienced by people in Rumphi.
Former Minister of Lands who is also Member of Parliament for Nkhata-Bay Central Constituency, Simon Vuwa Kaunda has come out clear refuting allegations going rounds on social media speculations that he is contemplating to join the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
In an exclusive interview, with the law maker , Hon Kaunda says has no plans on that. “I am still a Royal member of the DPP and disregard the rumours circulating on the social media. Have I announced that anywhere? Not at all have never done that, ” he said.
Vuwa Kaunda
Even during the 3 March , 2024 at the commemoration of martyrs days prayers Kaunda praised President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for being accomodative.
He said Chakwera is able to give opportunities to the opposition members of Parliament to voice out challenges which their constituencies are facing.
“Bwana ine ndimayamika. Ine ndi wa chipani china cha DPP koma inu bwana munatilola kuti tibwere ndikupereka madando akudela kwanga nthawi iliyose tikakumana nanu,” Adatero a Vuwa Kaunda.
During the prayers Vuwa appealed to people of his constituency to maintain law and order and observe decorum.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has claimed that Malawi Congress Party (MCP) led Tonse Alliance government has taken Malawians back to dictatorship saying most of the institutions such as Malawi Police Service, Malawi Defense Force including the Malawi Parliament, have been captured.
The DPP says it is difficult to explain a situation where the Leader of Opposition in Parliament is an independent Member of Parliament saying this is against Parliament’s own standing orders yet Speaker of Parliament Catherine-Gotani Hara is blaming another arm of Government for tying her hands.
It says its members know that this is a deliberate ploy by the MCP led Tonse Alliance government to weaken the opposition and entrench dictatorship and one-party rule in Malawi reminding government that Malawians rejected one-party rule in 1994.
In its response to the 2024-2025 Budget statement through its Spokesperson for Finance and Economy Joseph Mathyola Mwanamvekha dated 11th March, 2024 the DPP says Malawians have ended up in Bagamoyo coast from the promised land-Canaan.
Mwanamvekha says instead of taking Malawians to the promised land, the MCP led Tonse Alliance government has taken the citizens to the land of hopelessness, hunger, diseases, corruption and poverty saying millions of Malawians are disappointed with the way the economy is being managed by MCP and its Tonse Alliance partners punishing the very same people that voted for them into government.
He says Malawians had a hope for a better country with the MCP led Tonse Alliance in government but instead of realizing that hope, they are now contending with high prices of goods and services such as soap, sugar, cooking oil, and many others.
The DPP Finance Spokesperson says when the DPP lost office in June, 2020 the stock of public debt was K4.3 trillion observing that as at end of 2023 the public debts reached K12.56 trillion saying it is sad that in just 3 years, Malawi’s public debt has more than tripled.
“In 3 years alone, the Tonse Alliance government borrowed a whooping K10 trillion, yet there is nothing on the ground to show for it, what has this money used for because road infrastructure is crumbling across the country” questions Mwanamvekha.
He says the Malawi economy is on a deathbed, unemployment rate is 91 percent and rising, food inflation, high cost of living saying the economy will remain in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) describing the 2024-2025 as hypocritical and deceitful budget that is dead on arrival.
Mwanamvekha says the 2024-2025 Budget is over ambitious and unrealistic as most of the targets and assumptions will not be achieved observing that it contains a lot of contradictions, fiscal and monetary inconsistencies and it is a ticking bomb awaiting to explode.
He assured Malawians not to despair saying in 2025 the DPP will take them back to Canaan from Bagamoyo Coast where the Tonse Alliance government has put them and will rescue the economy from the current economic and social crisis.
