Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera says veteran soldiers have demonstrated commitment in serving the country.
Speaking at the veteran soldiers Golf fundraising ceremony President Chakwera urged Malawians and stakeholders to fully support these veteran soldiers.
“There is no better model of discipline in our entire governance framework than the Malawi Defence Force, and that those who have once served in this institution and gone into retirement deserve our thanks for all the nights they kept watch over us while we slept or put themselves in harms’ way so that we can be free, ” he said.
The president said that the best way to show thanks for their acts of valour is to care for them in the years that follow their distinguished service.
Chakwera said was delighted that through patronage of this tournament, we are all putting our money where it belongs.
” This is no ordinary tournament. It is a token of appreciation to our ex-servicemen and women for choosing the discipline of war in order to achieve our desire for peace, ” he said.
As part of contributing towards Malawi’s health system development,renowned Business mogul and founder of FDH Bank Thomson Mpinganjira says he is constructing a multi-billion radiotherapy cancer centre in Blantyre.
Mpinganjira revealed this on Saturday evening during a ceremony where FDH Bank was celebrating 15 years of existence at Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre.
He said the facility is in honour of his late wife Barbara, who succumbed to cancer in 2019.
Thom Mpinganjira
“I spent three months in a hotel in South Africa when my late wife was battling with cancer.It is not an experience I would want anyone to experience,” Mpinganjira said.
He added :”If all goes on well, our first patients will be attended to in December this year.”
He said that the cancer centre project falls under the Thompson and Barbara Mpinganjira Foundation that seeks to provide charitable assistance in various sectors,including health and education across Malawi.
With many years of experience in business, Thomson Mpinganjira has built a strong reputation as a visionary and innovative leader, known for his results-oriented approach.
He is also an advocate for ethical business practices, which he aims to promote though his participation on various committees and boards.
Mpinganjira’s professional interests include digital disruptors and innovative technologies such as cryptocurrencies.
He is also interested in financial inclusion, leadership, and business growth and sustainability, and has expertise in corporate strategy, corporate governance, and corporate social responsibility.
Chakwera delivers, declares a commanding billboard somewhere in Lilongwe, commemorating the construction of Mzimba Street Dual Carriageway in the Capital City.
That proclamation, in meaning and reality, must surely stretch beyond the shoulders of these intertwined roads as President Lazarus Chakwera’s administration continues to deliver standout developments.
Its much and more. The Lilongwe to Karonga M1 Road construction and rehabilitation, a multi-billion Kwacha investment, is in full progress and new health facilities such as the K30 billion Phalombe District Hospital are thoroughly operational.
President Chakwera
Projects that supply the cleanest of waters are in full swing. Nkhata Bay Town Water Supply System and Mangochi Potable Water Supply were commissioned as recently as last month.
Quickly out of the development gates, is the new round of the 10 000 security officers’ houses as the Ministry of Lands has issued an intention to award contracts to 74 firms to construct the houses across the country at a budget that stretches beyond K200 billion.
This round will, most assuredly, take the total number of constructed units to nearly 5,000an enormous feat, considering that the past government left without literally completing any.
The intention was published in The Nation newspaper. In it, the Government has disclosed that it has secured approval from the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority to award the contracts.
The Ministry of Lands wishes to inform the general public and all bidders who participated in the tender for the construction of Staff Houses for Security Institutions that it has finalised the evaluation process and obtained No Objection from the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority, it reads in part.
And that, effectively, is that. The Job is being done.
The beneficiaries are officers of the Malawi Defence Force, the Malawi Police Service, the Malawi Prison Service, and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
Their shelter experiences are inexcusably painful. A majority live in old, tiny and dilapidated houses, some of which were constructed in the 1950s.
My house leaks heavily. Sleeping peacefully is, on such nights, an impossible mission, laments one officer.
But Chakweras administration is powerfully tilting the winds into the direction that accords security officers the respect they deserve.
Security agencies remain a key component in safeguarding the constitutional attributes of our sovereignty as a country, the president said when launching 15 houses of Malamia Police Mobile Service Camp in Mangochi last year.
As such, the welfare of officers serving in these agencies must be proportionate with their nature of work.
More than anything, there are more benefits attached to the housing project job creation, the heartbeat of the Chakwera’ s campaign promise in the build-up to the court-sanctioned 2020 Fresh Presidential Elections.
I am in Karonga launching a programme to construct 10,000 houses for security officers nationwide, which will also create tens of thousands of jobs for youth as promised, said the President in 2020. Security analyst Sheriff Kaisi has hailed the project as a game changer in the motivation of security officers.
He said: We really needed this project a long time ago. Go to Limbe Police Station and B Company in Lilongwe and see how poor the security personnel houses. They were constructed before we attained our independence in the 1960s.
They are very small houses that havent been rehabilitated for years. Its the same scenario with Moyale and Kamuzu Barracks.
From the 10 000 houses, Malawi Defence Force and Malawi Police Service will have 4 000 each while the Prison Service and Immigration will have 1 000 each.
There are two categories of houses. Senior staff houses will have three bedrooms, including a master bedroom ensuite and a carport while those for junior staff will also have three bedrooms, but with common washrooms.
The developments are being implemented when the country is still reeling from the impact of devastating cyclones, storms and flash floods of the past years. Yet, Chakweras administration has proved to be much stronger.
Takenolab, an organization implementing Malawi Digital Program in Dowa district has appreciated the support it is receiving from Dowa District Council saying this is helping the two sides in shaping a brighter future for the youth in the district.
The organization which is based at Dzaleka Refugee Camp-Lilambwe Village in the area of Senior Chief Msakambewa, has described the year 2023 as a successful year for the Digital Malawi Project most especially in the web development training among the students.
Deborah Ntakirutimana
Giving a progress update on the Digital Malawi Project to the Dowa District Executive Committee (DEC) at a meeting held at the Boma, the Project’s Team Leader Deborah Ntakirutimana, said 93 students from the district have been trained in the use of computers in website development at its centre office.
Ntakirutimana said currently, the last cohort for 2023 is progress until the end of November, 2023 and that the outreach to local schools covered all 8 schools surrounding Chigudu zone from August to September, 2023.
She said the project has trained 48 pupils of Chigudu primary school, 43 from Mwangala primary school, Thedze 75, Mtenthela 62, Mkanga 52, Kapatamoyo 59, Mcheza and Golong’ozi Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS) 52 and 58 pupils respectively.
The Team Leader said the project has so far expanded to Nalunga zone from 2nd October, 2023 saying 4 schools have been engaged; Nalunga primary and secondary school, Windu primary school and Kanyanyata primary school.
“We are committed to further expanding and empowering the youth of Dowa district,” said Ntakirutimana.
She said besides the project registering remarkable successes, it is meeting challenges such as fuel scarcity which is now a national issue but they are adhering to their program schedules and transportation for students.
Ntakirutimana said the challenges were resolved by organizing weekend practical lessons to the students to avoid missing regular classes saying Takenolab has a dedicated team delivering high-quality training in computers.
She said the project has maintained program schedules despite challenges saying this is demonstrating to the outside world that they have a commitment to empowering students of Dowa with various computer skills.
The Team Leader said the project is receiving positive feedbacks from the students from standard 5 to 7 and form 1 and 3 saying examination classes are not targeted to avoid confusing them and teachers too, are requesting computer trainings to avoid falling behind.
In her remarks, Dowa District Council’s Director of Planning and Development Mecry Mpakule, appealed to all partners implementing their various interventions in the district to share progress reports of their projects for cooperation, transparency and accountability purposes.
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Jean Sendeza on Friday 3rd November, 2023 launched 2023 Disability Awareness month at capital hill in Lilongwe.
Delivering her speech, the minister said people with disability continue to face discrimination among the society hence calling all stakeholders to unite and act towards giving the much needed support on people living with various disabilities.
Jean Sendeza
“As we all know, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a global vision that countries agreed in 2015 to live in peace and prosper together as one planet.
“But we can only achieve this vision of better future if everyone including persons with disabilities takes their full participatory role, in this case disability inclusion becomes an essential condition for upholding human rights peace, security and above all Sustanaible Development,” the minister highlighted.
She also explained that despite strong global committiment persons with disabilities continue facing negative attitudes like stigma, discrimination and lack of accessibility to good infrastructures including the physical environment but it is the shared duty as during this month to tackle prejudices and implement strategies and approaches that will promote respect and participation of persons with disabilities.
On the other hand the minister has emphasized that the bill for the persons with disabilities will be tabled in the fourth coming session of parliament in November and that in few days there will be a cabinet meeting which among other agendas is the issue to do with the bill of persons with disabilities.
On his part Charles Banda board member at FEDOMA, as a disability movement they are applauding government efforts as they see fostering in the inclusion of person with disabilities sighting the recent appointment of the 8th corhot of commissioners of Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
“As we acknowledge diversity of representation in particular, there is a representation of persons with disabilities. This is a true reflection that persons with disabilities have the capacity to hold strategic positions in the public institution like any other individual,” he said.
He also said the federation is appealing to government and other non-state actors to act with vigour to improve quality of life of persons with disabilities and they must work to break down barriers that prevent persons with disabilities in achieving their full potential.
The theme for this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) which falls every 3rd December is “United in action to rescue and achieve SDGs for, with and by, persons with disabilities” and the activities marking the climax of events will be held on 8th December, 2023 in Mulanje District.
