Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zinkhale Ng’oma has described the coming in of the National Identity High-Performance Printer as another milestone in improving service delivery at Malawi’s National Registration Bureau (NRB).
Zikhale Ng’oma made the remarks today during the commissioning ceremony of the National ID High Performance Printer which was held at NRB offices, capital hill in Lilongwe.
Hon Ken Zikhale Ng’oma
He disclosed that NRB was in low capacity to meet the growing demand for National IDs hence the commissioning of the new printer will reduce ongoing waiting time and positively address the concerns Malawians have been having regarding the bureau.
“The commissioning of this High-Performance National ID Printer is not only a game changer but it will also save the much-needed government resources when it comes to national ID printing,” he added.
The Minister also expressed his gratitude to the United States Embassy through the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the support rendered to NRB in procuring the highly advanced printers.
In her remarks, Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Colleen Zambia, said the initiative will enable NRB to maximise its service delivery by doubling the ID printing rate.
“The printer has the capacity to produce 3500 cards per day unlike the machines the bureau currently has which was producing about 200 cards a day and this will reduce waiting time,” she emphasised.
Speaking earlier, Dr Verita Buie who represented CDC said the U.S. government recognises the ongoing challenges NRB is facing, hence their response through procurement of two advanced and high-output printers. The first printer has been commissioned while the second one will be in the country very soon.
Leader of the House, Richard Chimwendo Banda on Wednesday, 3rd April 2024 apologized to the nation for what happened in the August House during its deliberations which saw DPP legislators nearly fighting.
Speaking as Leader of the House, Chimwendo described the behavior of Blantyre City South East legislator Sameer Suleman which led to his suspension for one full sitting, as unfortunate and shameful to the Honorable House.
Reasons for apology
Firstly, Just about everyone has said or done something that hurts another person’s feelings. Sometimes you might hurt someone without meaning to. Or you say or do something unkind and regret it later. When you realize you’ve broken someone’s trust in you or hurt them with your words or actions, it’s a good idea to apologize.
Secondly, There is weight to our actions. If we have the power to hurt, we also have the power to take a step toward healing. And, when we apologize first, we open the door for the other person to meet us in that place of open communication.
Thirdly, It is always better to do important things by meeting them in person. Apologising in person would appear more genuine and you would be able to convey your guilt more propely. Tone of your voice ,your expressions matter while making an apology.
Unfortunately, Richard Chimwendo Banda has hurt the feelings of many Malawians in a number of ways starting from his own MCP upto the opposition but he has never given any apology for all the misconduct.
Leader of the House Chimwendo
Looking back
In February 2024, Liwemba accused Chimwendo of being behind the violence and physical assault that happened today at Mbowe in Lilongwe when DPP was preparing for Blue Motor Parade.
Instead of apologizing, his lawyers trading under the banner of Wilkson Attorneys, Chimwendo demanded that within 24 hours, Liwemba retracst his remarks.
MCP member who declared his intention to contest as Director of Youth at the party’s forthcoming Convention this year was physically manhandled on Kasungu leaving him seeking medical treatment.
This was brought to light by an audio which circulated in various social media platforms that one MCP diehard, Dickson Chatanga was beaten leaving him half dead at Santhe ground in Kasungu at an MCP rally which was addressed by Minister of Finance Simplex Chithyola Banda on 1st January, 2024.
The audio as narrated by Chatanga highlighted diabolical activities masterminded by MCPs Director of Youth (DoY) Richard Chimwendo Banda to clobber to death Chatanga who is poised to contest against him on the position of DoY. Chimwendo didn’t apologize at all.
In October 2016, Two main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP)’s legislators for Dowa East and Kasungu East constituencies, Chimwendo Richard Banda and Nkhumbize Kandodo Chiponda respectively have been accused of threatening the party’s district chairpersons’ calls for emergency convention.
The duo were named in the ongoing trial in which some of the party’s district chairpersons are calling for an emergency convention following President, Dr. Lazurus Chakwera alleged ‘raping’ of the MCP constitution and other accusations leveled against him that the party is losing direction in its affairs.
My observations
There are many times that people have differed in Parliament but the Leader Of The House, Richard Chimwendo Banda, never apologized and the people of Malawi do not need his apology in Parliament.
On Wednesday 3rd March, 2024, Parliament adjourned for 20 minutes following a physical battle that ensued between Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Zomba Chisi Mark Botomani and Blantyre City South East MP Sameer Suleman.
The noise from the opposition bench in the Parliament, according to Nation Online, escalated into a physical battle despite the second Deputy Speaker Aisha Adam’s efforts to diffuse it.
According to media reports, the misunderstanding between the two ensued following social media reports that member for Chitipa South Welani Chilenga is planning to move a motion on age limit.
The Constitution of Malawi
Office of the President: according to Section 80(6) of the constitution, a person shall only be qualified for nomination for election as President or First Vice-President or for appointment as First Vice-President or Second Vice-President if that person-
a. is a citizen of Malawi by birth or descent; and
b. has attained the age of thirty-five years.
Parliament
Secondly, Parliament deliberations were chaotic on Monday after Speaker of the House, Catherine Gotani Hara, summoned Mulanje Central legislator, Kondwani Nankhumwa, to respond to the State of the Nation Address by President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera last Friday.
The Speaker had earlier communicated that the injunction that Nankhumwa obtained from the courts was still in effect and therefore he remains the Leader of Opposition for the time being.
Thyolo Thava Legislator, Mary Navicha, who the Democratic Progressive Party nominated for the Leader of Opposition role, insisted that Nankhumwa is not a member of the party and therefore it would not be appropriate for him to respond to the SONA.
Conclusion
The manner in which Leader of the house, Richard Chimwendo Banda, is conducting himself, is totally hypocritical. He claims to have higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case. He should start apologizing to the people he has beaten in his own party first, otherwise, he should just remain silent.
Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) says is geared to help reduce cases of gender-based violence and HIV among youth and adolescent.
The organisation is implementing a project dubbed “SASA” prevention model in some peri-urban areas of Lilongwe.
The model is a community dialogue system developed in Uganda where communities identify solutions that lead to GBV and HIV prevention and mitigation.
Mac-bain Mkandawire-Gbv and Hiv are issues among issues and adolescents
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday , during a training of trainers held in Mponela-Dowa YONECO’s Executive Director, Mac-bain Mkandawire said the model is a response to the rising cases of GBV and HIV among youth and adolescents.
“Gender based violence is a big issue. We are receiving a lot of reports. Last year we received about 4,000 cases through our GBV crisis line.
We are also experiencing a seemingly increase in HIV infection rate among youths and adolescent. We need to nip these in the bud,” he said.
He said 2016 Demographic Health Studies showed that there in an increase in teenage pregnancies signalling an increase in unprotected sex which increased the infection risk hence there was need to reverse the trend.
Mkandawire observed that GBV was fueling the spread of HIV among youths and adolescent.
“When there is GBV in a relationship, it makes it difficult to negotiate for safer sex which in the end increases the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS,” he said.
Lilongwe District Youth Friendly Health Services, Andrew Mphongolo said it was worrisome that GBV and HIV cases were still high in the district saying there was a lot that needed to be done.
He described the YONECO’s SASA project as another gear in GBV and HIV fight.
Mphongolo expressed optimism that the organisation’s approach to fighting GBV and HIV will help address the issues when other interventions have proved less effective.
“We feel the SASA prevention approach is sustainable as it gets to communities and if we teach communities, we are assured that the project will go beyond the phase out stage,” he said.
Through the project, the organisation is focusing on scaling up of innovative peer-led action in addressing GBV and HIV rates and low access to youth friendly health services among hard-to-reach peri-urban areas.
Pic: Mkandawire- we want to reduce cases of gender based among youths
Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) in the country to push for an increase in health budget, specifically targeting women and children.
She made the plea during the opening of a day-long capacity building meeting for parliamentarians on financing on women and adolescents health in Lilongwe organised by the International Parliamentary Union (IPU).
The Speaker said resources that are currently allocated to children and women health needs are not enough to give them the best possible health services.
Gotani Hara
“Malawi is among countries where resources that are allocated to health requirements for women need to be increased as women face various challenges,” said Gotani Hara.
She indicated that even in the wake of resource constraints, Parliament can play its oversight role to provide checks and balances and ensure accountability in all allocated resources.
She said: “A lot of women are dying during childbirth and we are still registering a lot of neonatal deaths. As Parliamentarians, we need to push more, to make sure our women and children receive optimum care.”
On his part,Health and Rights Education Programme Executive Director Maziko Matemba said even though Malawi is doing well in health budget allocation, by allocating 12 percent of the required 14 percent of the National budget this financial year, there is still need to do more especially on access to sexual reproductive health and rights.
During the meeting, members of Parliament faulted the treasury for delaying payment to various Ministries, Departments and Agencies even after parliament had approved the funds.
Minister of Homeland Security Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma has expressed his commitment in fighting illegal immigrants in the country.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lilongwe on Wednesday, where police and immigration officers arrested an Ethiopian citizen Ahmed Muhamed Kondo and his wife Demorah, who were keeping 31 Ethiopian nationals in the high-walled cell with barbed wire, Zikhale Ng’oma said the apprehending of the two is a significance of the commitment by his ministry and the Chakwera-led administration in whole towards ending the human trafficking syndicates.
Dr Ken Zikhale Ng’oma
The minister indicated that illegal immigrants from countries like Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) , Ethiopia, and Brundi use Malawi as a corridor for trafficking business into other countries including European nations.
“Malawi has been on records that men use Malawi as a route for human trafficking to other countries like South Africa, America, and some other places, and this current government has taken a step ahead in making sure that the malpractice is stopped, hence the apprehending Mohammed, Ethiopian national,” he said.
Ng’oma further said Kondo and his wife were once deported in 2022 for being involved in trafficking business only to be found back into the country through uncharted routes, adding that Dzaleka Refugee Camp is being faced by many challenges among which have prompted the government to consider relocating the Camp to Chitipa.
The Minister since then warned those who are being involved in human trafficking syndicates jn in country that the law will take its course once caught.
He further urged the citizenry and relevant stakeholders to join forces in fighting the vice.
The current statistics indicate that over 300 Ethiopians are in police custody for illegal entry in the country.
Located in Dowa, Dzaleka Refugee Camp is only 42 kilometers away from the Capital Lilongwe and is currently having over 52,000 refugees although it was initially designed for less than 12,000 refugees.
