The use of National Identity (ID) cards in the voter registration in the 2025 general elections has been described as a hindrance for voters.
Members of Parliament from Thyolo expressed their reservation on Monday in Thyolo during a Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) interface meeting with district stakeholders on establishment of voter registration, constituency and district tally centres.
Mary Navicha of Thyolo Thava Constituency said there were a lot of challenges associated with the National ID such that for the Commission to use it as a sole tool of identification will deter a lot of eligible voters from voting.
“The national campaign underway to register people for national IDs has met so many challenges including the system being down to produce IDs.
“Here in Thyolo the exercise is starting on Monday but no awareness campaign has been done to inform the masses to partake in the exercise. This means a lot of people will be left out,” she said.
Navicha said a lot of Cyclone Freddy disasters survivors lost their IDs too yet government expects them to pay for a police report to renew it.
Member of Parliament for Thyolo South West Constituency Mabvuto Scott called on National Registration Bureau (NRB) to consider opening more centres in the district.
“The challenge with NRB exercise is that centres are also very farther apart. For instance, the whole of T/A Thukuta has only one centre. My constituency has a hilly topography which makes movement difficult,” he said.
Commissioner for MEC, Olivia Liwewe said it was true that after the national disasters, it was difficult for the affected to travel due to trauma and damaged road networks.
“We have heard all the concerns raised. We will take up with NRB to consider putting a waiver on those who lost their IDs during the Cyclone Freddy. We will also support NRB in demand creation for the exercise,” she said.
The District Commissioner for Thyolo, Rosemary Nawasha also assured the house that should a lot of people be left out during the mass registration exercise, her office will organize officers to go to such areas and assist them.
Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for FDH Financial Holdings Limited, William Mpinganjira, has challenged Quantity Surveyors to remain relevant to able to contribute towards the realization of Malawi 2063 aspirations of transforming into an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialized upper-middle-income country within the next 40 years.
Mpinganjira made the call in his keynote address at the African Association of Quantity Surveyors (AAQS) conference in Salima titled “The Bank as a Catalyst for Construction Development towards Malawi Agenda 2063”. “This is a task that will need well-qualified and experienced quantity surveyors to be at their optimal to significantly play an advisory role in both public sector and private sector infrastructure construction and development projects to not only save billions of kwacha but also to take ownership of the whole project cycle and infuse the modern principles of design and sustainability. This will ensure that the structures erected are future-ready and resilient. We are therefore challenged to fully understand what is happening globally for us to implement relevant and practical solutions locally.
William Mpinganjira
“In operationalizing Malawi Agenda 2063, our frame of mind should be aligned and informed by the global goals that aim to reduce poverty and create a sustainable environment popularly referred to as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals particularly Goal nine that seeks to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation and Goal 11 that aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable and of course we also have to look at the African Union’s Agenda 2063. According to the UN, by 2030, the global demand for efficient buildings will present an investment opportunity worth over $24.7 trillion across all emerging market cities.” he said.
Mpinganjira therefore said “ that for Quantity Surveyors to remain relevant in operating environment characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) and exploit this huge opportunity need to build a strong professional skills set that in addition to intelligence, vision, emotional and experience quotients, should include digital quotient, or skills. This includes embracing emerging technologies such as machine learning, drones, and blockchain. These technologies will help quantity surveyors work more efficiently, provide better insights and analysis, and ultimately drive down cost and improve project outcomes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms can be used to analyse large volumes of project data to identify trends and patterns, helping quantity surveyors predict project outcomes, including cost and schedule overruns.” He therefore took an opportunity to encourage the construction sector to work with the Banks to help in achieving the three pillars of the Malawi 2063 which are Agriculture productivity and Comercialisation, Industrialisation, and Urbanisation, arguing its success depends on the efforts by different players.
“Performance of the sector however has been supported mostly by government infrastructure projects some notable ones being the current six-lane road in the Capital City and the Kanengo-Crossroads dual carriage road, the Griffin Sayenda National Indoor Sports Complex and the Aquatic Complex that hosted the Regional Five Games in December 2022. In addition to supporting the government projects, the construction sector should also actively support private sector projects and specifically align itself to the Agenda 2063 so that both government and private sector work together to achieve the Agenda.
“As FDH Bank, we are committed to the Agenda and our main role is to provide financial solutions that enable the implementation of the Agenda. We have been specifically targeting the sectors that are directly falling under the three pillars and also the sectors that are indirectly contributing towards the three pillars. “For example, we have granted a multi-million dollar facilities to some of our customers and there are many more projects that we are willing to fund to support the country’s growth agenda especially in the construction industry.
“I believe that the construction industry is certainly a catalyst for industrialization as well as urbanization. A review of the statistics for the last five years shows very strong correlations between the Construction sector and the manufacturing and real estate sectors which supports this assertion. It is also impressive to note that only 55% of the sectors have consistently recorded positive growth in the last five years and the construction sector is among those,” Mpinganjira explained further.
On how the construction industry and Quantity Surveyors can access the Bank financing, the group CEO said: “FDH Bank offers a wide range of financial and banking solutions that include transaction advisory services, lending solutions, deposit and investment solutions, digital and payment solutions, and trade finance solutions.
“Our trade finance solutions are specially tailored around customers in the construction industry, these include bid bonds which are offered without the need for collateral, performance guarantees, advance payment guarantees, retention money guarantees, payment guarantees, shipping guarantees, and customs guarantees. These are offered on both local and international contracts and are tailored to suit the specific circumstances of the client,” said Mpinganjira.
The bank also offers import letters of credit which are a very safe and secure way of importation of high-value goods, knowing that the country imports a substantially good bulk of the materials to be used for the construction according to Mpinganjira. Mpinganjira challenged the quantity surveyors to form partnerships in order to bid for large and development projects that can have a significant impact on the Agenda 2063. Some of the notable faces that attended the conference include Minister of Tourism, Vera Kamtukule, Principal Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Hastings Chiudzu and President of the African Association of Quantity Surveyors, Obafemi Onashile and (AAQS).
NBS Bank Plc has given Limbe Police a Network Video Recorder to support the security initiative which the station is building as a way of reducing crimes in the township.
Earlier this year, Limbe Police started the initiative which involves mounting surveillance cameras in crime hotspot areas to help track down the assailants.
Speaking during the handover ceremony of the gadget at the station on Thursday, NBS Bank Service Centre Manager for Ginnery Corner, Andrew Kambalame said the gesture is a continuation of their long-working relationship with the Malawi Police.
“As a Bank we have a number of our customers here in Limbe who would want to feel secure. One of our commitments that we make to our customers is to find ways of safeguarding their funds and we believe that this project will also benefit us as a Bank as well as our customers to ensure that they are able to move and do business freely in Limbe. So, we are happy to donate this CCTV DVR which will support the CCTV system that they are implementing within the Limbe area,” said Kambalame.
Limbe Police Officer-In-Charge, who is also Deputy Commissioner of Police, Gladson Chipumphula commended NBS Bank for the support, saying they have proved to be reliable partners in the exercise.
“We are about to roll out the initiative with only a few things remaining. The gadget that NBS Bank has donated is one of the most useful gadgets as it helps to record the videos. We are therefore grateful to NBS Bank for the support which will go a long way in ensuring the township is secured, thereby creating a safe business environment.”
“We decided to go the technology route in dealing with crime considering that things are changing every day and therefore we also needed to do away with the traditional way of fighting crime,” he said.
Station Executive Committee (SEC) treasurer, Abdul Hamid Khan also hailed NBS Bank saying Limbe Township is a business hub for all districts in the Southern Region and therefore needs enough security.
Recently, NBS Bank also supported Malawi Police Training Schools with mattresses for new trainees.
History has taught us that Southern region favours Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Taking into account how the voting pattern has been going, this voting pattern has been like that from 1994, 1999, 2004, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2020.
Even in times of political rallies, only handful have been attending to these rallies which MCP has been organizing.
When the party ushered in a new bloom from the south Gwanda Chakuamba, still more there was minimal progress.
However after second thought, south has become a darling for Dr Lazarus Chakwera.
Wherever the President has been going there has been huge crowd and during MCP rallies, there has been a huge crowd, a sign that people have trust in Chakwera.
Ken Zikhale Ng’oma is Director of Strategy in the party. Ng’oma has been at Naotcha Ground in Chilobwe, Bangwe Desert Ground, the famous Nyabwadwe Ground, Mulanje, Thyolo,Phalombe and Nsanje.
In all the rallies there has been huge crowd registered.
Director of Youth Richard Chimwendo Banda has been in Zomba and Blantyre the situation has been the same.
Just on Sunday , Ng’oma expressed satisfaction with the support the party is gaining in the Southern region.
Ng’oma said Chakwera is the only leader who is responsible, stable and can develop the country, hence urging people to vote for Chakwera in the 2025 general elections.
Ng’oma said Chakwera is working hard to unify the country, so as to enable the citizenry to benefit from the national cake in terms of development.
Ng’oma pointed out that president Chakwera is fine tuning the country for a better future,as the country was in a deep mess during the previous regime.
The strategist has since expressed optimism that Chakwera will win 2025 general elections with 71%.
“Things are changing for the better which brings confidence that Chakwera will win the elections with 71%. Chakwera is fine tuning the country’s economy and people will see the fruits just soon,” he said.
Ng’oma has since asked people in the Southern region to continue rallying behind Chakwera for continued development.
Transporters Association of Malawi (TAM) a leading local player in the Transport industry, has strongly condemned the recent decision allegedly by Illovo Sugar Malawi, a prominent player in the Sugar industry to award international Sugar haulage contracts to foreign Transport Companies.
In a statement, the Association’s spokesperson Frank Banda, says they believe that supporting local businesses is vital for fostering economic prosperity and job creation within the community and country.
He says by giving preference to foreign companies, Illovo Sugar Malawi is undermining the growth of the country’s domestic businesses and disadvantaging the local economy.
“It is imperative that big companies like Illovo prioritize and invest in local enterprises, that we believe possess all the necessary capacity and technical expertise to handle any volume of Sugar to any destination in Africa can drive domestic growth and ensure the long-term stability of our economy and save the much needed foreign currency as local Transporters would be remunerated in Malawi kwacha.
“By actively engaging and collaborating with local businesses, companies can foster innovation, create employment opportunities, and contribute to national development.
“Furthermore, offering business exclusively to foreign companies may raise concerns regarding the security and sovereignty of our nation and likely compromise the quality and efficiency of the operations. Dependence on foreign entities not only puts sensitive data and intellectual property at risk but also compromises national self-sufficiency and independence.” says Banda.
He adds:”In light of this troubling alleged development, The Transporters Association of Malawi urges Illovo Sugar Malawi to reassess its decision and take immediate measures to promote inclusivity, diversity, and the local business ecosystem. We encourage Illovo Sugar Malawi to recognize the invaluable contribution of local businesses and increase their participation in their operations, procurement, and supply chains.”
However, the Association has called on government authorities, regulatory bodies, and stakeholders to foster an environment that encourages and supports local businesses as by doing so would demonstrate commitment to the economic growth.
“TAM remains committed to working with businesses, government authorities, and stakeholders to safeguard the interests of the domestic business community.
“We will continue advocating for policies that foster economic growth, job creation, and a thriving business environment for all.”
