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JTI empowering farmers; rewards them through Mlimi Wozitsata Ayiphule Promotion

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By Linda Kwanjana

Three lucky winners have today gone away with various prices in the promotion dubbed Mlimi Odzitsata.

Some of the prices include three maize Meals , hullers and motorcycle.

The prices represented one each per region.

One of Malawi’s leading tobacco buyers, JTI Leaf Malawi on Thursday, August 17, 2023, conducted the first of three grand draws for ‘Mlimi Wozitsata Ayiphule’
promotion launched on March 31, 2023.


The promotion, which falls under the company’s flagship grower incentive program called Mlimi
Wozitsata was launched as a way of rewarding its growers who year in, year out, deliver contracted volumes of tobacco of exceptional quality.

Speaking at the draw, which was conducted in Nambuma, Lilongwe, JTI Leaf Malawi’s Corporate Affairs and Communications Director, Limbani Kakhome said JTI as a company was impressed by the response they got from growers.

He said overall, 1,608 growers met the promotion criteria, with Lilongwe West leading the pack with a total of 373 entrants.

“We have been rewarding our growers every year through the Mlimi Wozitsata incentive program. This year, we have gone bigger, better, and bolder by introducing national grand prizes to be won by our contracted growers who fulfilled set criteria,” said Kakhome.

“We are very impressed by
the response from growers. At national level 1,608 growers took part in the promotion, which is unprecedented.”

In the next three weeks, JTI will hand over three sets of a diesel engine maize mill and huller, and three motorcycles, fully registered, to a total of six clubs or estates.

Each region will have two
grand prize winners taking home either a set of a maize mill and huller or a motorcycle. In the run up to the grand finale, growers across the country have been winning bags of NPK fertilizer, bags of urea fertilizer and pruning saws, as consolation prizes.

Winners will have their prizes delivered at their respective homes, according to Kakhome.

Speaking during an interview one of the winner Godfrey Msampha thanked JTI company for the competition.

Msampha said his life will never be the same. He said at first he thought the promotion was just a waste of time.

Rodrick Sambakunsi selected for 2023 Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin

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By Chisomo Phiri

Rodrick Sambakunsi, a Science Communication and Community Engagement and involvement specialist at Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme (MLW) has been selected as a winner in the 2023 Falling Walls Science Summit to be held in Berlin from November 7 to to 9,2023.

At the summit, Rodrick who is among 20 winners is expected to interact and collaborate with globa leaders for Malawi’s better future.

In an interview,Rodrick said the project that has made him to win the summit is the one he is leading in the country called One for All, All for One.

Rodrick Sambakunsi

This is a vaccine engagement project that has developed vaccine engagement resources, a comic book, an animation, and radio plays in collaboration with artists, students, young mothers, health surveillance assistants, religious leaders, local leaders, the youth, and researchers.

The project seeks to promote dialogue on vaccines and vaccine research.

“I am so excited to be selected as a winner! This recognition underscores MLW’s commitment in championing positive change in the way we do community engagement and involvement in health research,” he said.

He then dedicated the summit win to all the people that have been working with him on his project since 2019.

According to Sambakunsi,the 20 winners that have been selected are from a total of 207 submission.

To shade more light on the summit selection process, Tahabiso Mashaba,a member of the Engage Advisory Board and the co-founder and CEO of the Hands GSSE said: “The shortlisted participants are doing life-changing research and I am honoured to be part of the team that was tasked with sieving the very best from the best.

“The review process was both engaging and challenging, more so as there is a thin line between having a great reach, science communication and science engagement.”

Simply put,the Falling Walls Science Summit is a prestigious three day gathering that pools together the brightest minds in in science, politics, business and the media to explore ground-breaking research and foster collaborative solutions to challenges facing the world today.

Since 2018, every year, organisations and individuals active in Science Engagement are called upon to submit their projects or initiatives.

The best submissions annually are selected as Winners and invited to present their Science Engagement projects on stage in Berlin.

Mogfords Lake Resort reopens after Cyclone Freddy disaster

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By Linda Kwanjan

Mofgords Lake Resort in Mangochi which was affected by the raging Cyclone Freddy waters has re-opened for business, three months after being closed for renovations.

Mogfords Director Kisembe Partridge said in an interview yesterday that they were affected by the raging waters from the Cyclone Freddy disaster in April as most of the resort was submerged in water.

“Part of the resort was spared but we lost four panels of our fence from the side where the water forced its way to flood part of the resort. So, we have been sorting this issue from April until this week when we reopened and as part of testing our systems we successfully hosted a meeting for about 50 people.”

“So, I would say we are back to business because our systems are working well after the conference and we are ready to take more people for conferences and private stays,” said Partridge.

She said they managed to save their electricity transformer and backup generators which were partly submerged in water by quickly shutting them down completely during the disaster.

“We have now sorted out the sewerage system and replaced some furniture that was destroyed during the disaster. Fortunately, our electricity transformer and backup generator were switched off during the disaster and we managed to save them from damage,” said Partridge.

She declined to state how much was lost during the disaster saying it was ‘a substantial loss’ but was quick to thank all members of staff who worked tirelessly through-out the disaster and the rehabilitation process regardless of what they were employed to do.

“But we want to assure our clients that we will strive to offer our best services we offered before we were affected by Cyclone Freddy, they will feel the same Mogfords magic,” said Partridge.

She also said they have invested a lot of resources in the drainage system so that should the disaster replicate itself, it should not cause any substantial damage.

Mogfords Lake Resort which opened its doors in 2018, is situated at Mtakataka turn off on the Mangochi-Monkey Bay road and currently has an 80-room capacity soon to reach 100-rooms which include self-catering studios and apartments, conference and boardroom facilities, a swimming Pool, a modern spacious beach restaurant, a gym, motor boats and children’s playing facilities.

Kisembe partridge

Minister applauds Malawi Police Service

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By Kondanani Chilimunthaka

Homeland Security Minister, Ken Zikhale Ng’oma has commended the Malawi Police Service for their hardworking towards stabilization of forex problem and general security in the country.

This follows the arrest of a Nigerian woman at Kamuzu International Airport on Wednesday, 16th August 2023 on allegation that she was externalizing money amounting to 48,000 United States Dollars using fake documents from Victoria Bureau.

Speaking in a telephone interview, Ng’oma said the MPS is doing a very commendable job to bring sanity in the country’s security and curbing crimes of various degrees.

Zikhale Ngoma


“I must commend the men in uniform for being vigilant and professional in executing their duties. And let me promise that my Ministry will always make sure that Malawi Police Service is alert and timely in taking to book any criminal suspect and deal with any type of crime to make sure Malawi is safe from such malpractices” Said the Minister.

Police has confirmed the arrest of a woman, Anne Nchekubechukwu aged 39 suspected to have committed the crime.

According to National Police publicist, Peter Kalaya, the suspect in question was arrested on Wednesday at the Airport during an operation which the department of Fiscal Police is currently conducting.

He further said during the same exercise, police managed to arrest another foreigner for being found with $17,000 without proper documents.

Former Finance Minister Prof Chikaonda remembered

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By Linda Kwanjana

The family of the late Professor Matthews Chikaonda, former Finance Minister and corporate executive at the weekend organized prayers to commemorate his death and unveil his tombstone at his home village in Dedza.

The late Chikaonda who served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), Minister of Finance and Group Chief Executive Officer for conglomerate Press Corporation plc (PCL) died on 29th October 2018 in the United States of America (USA) and was buried at his home village Tembetembe, Mtakataka in Dedza district on 19th November 2018.

Chikaonda honoured



Speaking during the event, the late Chikaonda’s sister, former legislator for Dedza East Hyacintha Chikaonda thanked family and friends of the late Chikaonda for attending the tombstone unveiling ceremony to honour the decorated fallen economist.

“As he sleeps, his absence is a silent grief. His life is a beautiful memory and testimony. When our time on earth is done, money or material things will not matter. The love and kindness, compassion and courage with which we lived our life by, and inspired many, will remain as our footprints,” said Haycinta of his brother.

The event was attended by the late Chikaonda’s friends namely Mwaiwathu Private Hospital Director Professor Jack Wirima, former Finance Minister and Managing Director of Nico Holdings Felix Mlusu, former PCL Group CEO who succeeded Chikaonda, George Patridge and other business and corporate leaders.

The family also unveiled tombstones for other family members like the late Chikaonda’s father, the late Aurelious Chikaonda who was buried next to his son and the late Chikaonda’s brother Barnabas Chikaonda.

Born on 8 August 1954, Chikaonda was appointed RBM Governor in 1995 and served in that position until 2000 when he was appointed Minister of Finance until 2002 when he joined PCL and served as Group CEO until his retirement in December 2016.

He is survived by a wife and three children.