The New Apostolic Church says it will on December 8,2023 hold a classical concert at Bingu International Convention Centre(BICC) in Lilongwe.
In an interview with 247 Malawi News, one of the event organisers Innocent Kaunda said the aim of the concert is to raise K15 million for the establishment of a music school in Lilongwe and repairing equipment.
Said Kaunda:”Many people in the country are not familiar with classical concerts but after this one, they will begin liking it because we are organising it in a way that will attract many and later we will make it an annual event.”
Kaunda
He added that the event is expected to be attended by different local artists in the country for their performances.
Kaunda said currently, people can buy standard tickets for the event at K10 000, VIP tickets at K40 000 and corporate tickets at K200 000 directly from the New Apostolic Church in Area 14 in Lilongwe.
He said the event is being organized in conjunction with Music Crossroads and the Festival Institute who are providing trainings and mentoring to the performers.
Ministry of Homeland Security in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has repatriated 77 Burundian refugees from the Dzaleka camp.
The 77, which is the third cohort of Burundian refugees to leave Malawi under the voluntary repatriation initiative, in which the refugees voluntarily apply to be repatriated, left Malawi through Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) today at exactly 2:25 hours.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the repatriation, Senior Administrator in the Department of Refugees under the Ministry of Homeland Security, Hilda Kausiwa described voluntary repatriation as one of the most durable solutions that the government is enforcing now.
“Noting that the situation in most of the countries of origin for the refugees that we host in the country has changed, we are encouraging refugees who feel that it is safe for them, to go back home, and we are facilitating this as government,” she said, adding they verified with Burundi before the repatriation and got assured of safety in the country.
Kausiwa said the Ministry of Homeland Security has pending applications from refugees from countries such as Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and once resources are available, they too will get repatriated.
One of the repatriated refugees, Niyera Evelyn who has stayed in Malawi for 14 years said she was excited to go back to his original home.
She encouraged other refugees to take her path.
With the repatriation of 77, a total of 224 Burundian nationals have so far been repatriated, 38 were repatriated in July 2023 and 109 were repatriated in October 2023.
The government has announced the introduction of a Special Agriculture Electricity Tariff (SAET) which will see registered and certified farmers paying about 30 percent less the actual electricity bill.
Speaking in Lilongwe on Friday during a sensitisation meeting with district officers on the new tariff, Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola said this is in line with the government’s vision of making Malawi a producing and exporting nation.
Said Matola: “Malawi’s economy is agro-based. So in order for our economy to flourish we need to support the agriculture sector.”
In line with Malawi Vision- Matola
The Minister said SAET will precipitate the enhancement of the Mega Farm implementation strategy in the country.
Matola said the initiative will create platforms for farmer groups organisations, cooperatives and private individuals who are practicing Irrigation farming for over 50 hectares of land.
He said the initiative is targeting those farmers who have an electricity consumption base of not more than 250KvA to quality as the requirement to participate in the initiative.
He also disclosed that those who are eligible should be registered and certified by the Ministry of Agriculture to benefit from the initiative.
He commended the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) for spearheading efforts that align with President Chakwera’s hunger eradication agenda and the MW2063 vision.
In her remarks, the Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit, who is also Deputy Secretary to the president, Janet Banda praised the initiative’s alignment with President Chakwera’s vision of Mega Farm initiatives.
She highlighted the Ministry of Energy’s timely efforts, foreseeing transformative benefits for farmers and the nation’s agricultural trajectory.
Banda added that the introduction of SAET will help both the private and public sectors to produce much-needed products on the market to meet the needs and demands of Malawians.
She said the government is encouraging farmers to be involved in the production of tertiary products through the initiative to create an equilibrium of demand and supply on the market.
Senior Marketing and Business Development Officer at Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) Chifundo Kameko detailed the tariff’s parameters.
He disclosed that targeted customers will fall under the low voltage maximum demand schedule and undergo certification by the Ministry of Agriculture. Upon certification, these customers will be migrated to the special Agriculture Tariff.
Maso Awards has honored veteran music producer and singer, Paul Banda with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the awards ceremony which were held at Bingu International Convention Center (BICC) Auditorium in Lilongwe.
The 60-year-old was honored with the award for his great contributions to the music industry in the country.
Other recipients of the awards included Zeze Kingston and Temwa who won the Best Male and Best Female Artist of the Year awards respectively.
Apart from the Best Male Artist of the Year award, Zeze, who also performed on the night, won the Best Live Act award, beating Lulu, Gwamba, Taygrin and Piksy.
Loss, a song done by Kelly Kay, Eli Njuchi and Hyphen won both Best Collabo of the Year and Song of the Year awards.
Musicians Driemo and Shammah Vocals, poet Robert Chiwamba and media personality, Super DT also received their awards during the ceremony.
Below is the full list of people who received awards during the 2023 Maso Awards ceremony
Best Comedian- Ching’aning’ani
Best Media Personality -Super DT
Best Female Artist- Temwa
Best Male Artist -Zeze Kingston
Best Live Act-Zeze Kingston
Best Album of the Year – Ah Yami by Saint
Best Collabo- Loss By Kell Kay, Eli Njuchi & Hyphen
Best Gospel Act- Shammah Vocals
Gospel Artist of the Year-Theresa Phondo
Best Music Producer -Tricky Beats
Best Duo-Aidfest & Kineo
Best Afro Soul Act- Praise Umali
Best Dancehall Act-Malinga Mafia
Best R ‘n’ B Act-Driemo
Best Hip-hop Act- Bee Jay & Ace Jizzy
Song of the Year-Loss by Kell Kay, Eli Njuchi & Hyphen
Government has finally come out in the open proving the allegation levelled by Leader of Opposition in Parliament Rt. Hon. Dr. Kondwani Nankhumwa right that it has embarked on the export of labour to various countries, including Israel.
Tensions were ensued in Parliament after Dr. Nankhumwa made the allegation demanding clarification from Government of the 221 youth who have been granted an opportunity to work in Israel and was asked to withdraw the allegation which he refused to do so.
Nankhumwa was asked by the Speaker of Parliament to bring to the house evidence given up to Monday, 27th November, 2023, but in a statement signed by the Secretary for Labour Wezi Kayira, has proved Nankhumwa’s allegations right.
In a statement, Government says the labour export program is an initiative of the Government in collaboration with the private sector to fulfill the MCP led Tonse Alliance administration’s commitment in job creation and youth empowerment as championed by President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.
The statement says there are several sectors under consideration and the first cohort is for the Agricultural sector assuring Malawians that the identified youth will work on farms and will not be involved in any other activity.
It says the safety and security of the youth is paramount and on the Israeli labour export, the youth will work at certified and approved locations which are classified as fit and safe environment with medical insurance and repatriation arrangements in place.
Arriving in Israel
“The program will benefit both individuals and the nation, a portion of wages will cover living in Israel while the remainder will be remitted to personal accounts here in Malawi to boost foreign exchange, all labour exports are guided by Malawi Government’s Labour Export Program and Harmonized Labour Export Guidelines of 2022,” reads the statement in part.
Political activist Hon. Bon Elias Kalindo says President Chakwera will be answerable to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for taking sons and daughters from Malawi to Israel which is at war with Hamas and Palestinians.
Kalindo has accused the government for failing to create a conducive environment of creating jobs but depending on Israel to create jobs for Malawians describing this as “Trade-Slave” claiming that the Malawi youth are not going to work in farms but to war as Israel has already lost 3000 soldiers.
He said he finds it strange to see countries like Britain, Germany, France, USA and South Africa sending planes to airlift their citizens trapped with the war in Israel back home for safety and Malawi is sending 221 youth to work in farms.
“It is sad that the whole of MCP led Government is banking on boosting foreign exchange from wages of the youth gone to Israel,” said Kalindo
Also making commentary on the issue ,MCP secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka writing on his Facebook page said There was a lot being said about the labour export deal. Much out of misinformation or outright disinformation.
“The current crop that has gone will work on hi-tech Israeli farms. Thus direct, medium to long term benefits will be knowledge transfer.”
“Besides the knowledge transfer, these people will be getting at least $1,500 a month and this will be sent to their accounts here in Malawi (in $) as per agreement. For 5.000 youths (there is a possibility the figure might go up to 10,000) that’s no less than $90, 000, 000 ($180,000,000 if 10,000 are sent) direct dollar injection into the economy annually for five years” wrote Mkaka
It is reported that the first cohort that travelled has arrived safely in Israel
