Heavy rainfall in Nkhata Bay South has destroyed 138 hectares of rice, cassava, and maize, affecting 601 households under Senior Chief Fukamapiri and Traditional Authorities Malengamzoma and Zilakoma.
The devastating impact of the floods has prompted Jonah Duwe, an Agriculture Extension Development Officer for Tukombo Extension Planning Area, to urge farmers to immediately switch to winter cropping to combat hunger.
Duwe emphasized the need for planting early-maturing crops rather than waiting for relief, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
Speaking during a crop inspection tour with Nkhata Bay South legislator Chinthu Phiri, Duwe noted that submerged cassava tubers may rot within three days, prompting farmers to conduct premature harvests.
In her remarks, legislator Chinthu Phiri said she will be engaging the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) for formal intervention while coordinating immediate local relief efforts.
Phiri further advised farmers to refrain from cultivating crops along river banks and carelessly cutting down trees to mitigate the impact of future floods.
To provide immediate relief, Phiri distributed maize flour to some of the most affected households, a gesture aimed at alleviating their suffering.
The situation in Nkhata Bay highlights the vulnerability of Malawi’s agricultural sector to extreme weather events, emphasizing the need for sustainable solutions.
The Anti – Corruption Bureau (ACB) says between 27th January and 6th March, 2026 a total of MK 5,497,000 ( approximately MK5.5 billion) was withdrawn in cash from Yusuf Investments Limited – owner of Amaryllis Hotel’s account at the National Bank of Malawi.
The ACB said these cash withdrawals have raised suspicions of Money Laundering and Corruption which the Bureau is actively probing.
Updating the nation on progress of the Amaryllis Hotel sale investigations, the ACB has assured Malawians that it is tracing the money trail and profiling public officials and other individuals suspected of having corruptly benefited from the transaction.
Amaryllis Hotel
” The ACB will provide further updates as the investigation progresses in collaboration with the Finance Intelligence Authority (FIA), Malawi Police Service’s Fiscal and Fraud section, as well as international partners,” reads the update report in part.
Social commentator Stanley Onjezani Kenani writing on his face book page, says the Director of the Financial Intelligence Authority ( FIA) has been quietly relieved of her responsibility with no reasons given
It is being alleged that some powerful people in the current administration have been piling pressure on FIA Director to drop some cases it has been prosecuting but the Director has not been moved on the argument that it is only the court that can decide whether to dismiss a case or not.
The Amaryllis Hotel sale has resulted to some changes at the Anti – Corruption Bureau (ACB) staff members, Mr. Fidelis Chinsakaso, Acting Director of Investigations has been redeployed to Office of the President and Cabinet(OPC) with immediate effect and Ms. Bahati Msosa, Senior Legal Prosecuting Officer ( SLPO) has resigned and will continue working until 30th April, 2026 thereafter, she will proceed on leave for the remainder of her notice period.
Kenani said the Director of Legal at FIA has been seconded to Malawi College of Accountancy (MCA) to lecture saying FIA has a lot of cases pending before courts.
Rights activist Counsel Alexious Kamangila has made it clear that they will try to dodge themselves to be labeled clean but they will not succeed as per the list of individuals who have benefited from the Hotel sale is circulating on the social media.
Child rights activist, Memory Chisenga, has called for a review of the Malawi Prison Act, particularly provisions that allow young children to remain in prison due to the incarceration of their mothers.
Chisenga has urged relevant legal authorities and child rights organizations to carefully reassess the law, emphasizing that keeping children in prison exposes them to significant risks, including inadequate care and support.
Chisenga
She further noted that the prison environment is not conducive to healthy child development, warning that such conditions may negatively affect children’s behavior and overall growth.
Chisenga has since appealed to all stakeholders to give the matter serious consideration.
Her remarks follow comes after the Malawi Prison Service disclosed that the country’s correctional facilities are currently housing 20 children, aged between one month and three years, who are living with their incarcerated mothers
The Ministry of Agriculture will implement Investing in Livelihood Resilience and Soil Health (ILSA) project in four districts of the country, Lilongwe, Mzimba, Dowa and Balaka.
The ILSA project was designed to co – finance the funding gap within Sustainable Agricultural Production Programme ( SAPP 11) and it is being funded by the European Union ( EU) through the International Fund for Agricultural Development ( IFAD).
The Financing Agreement of the project was signed on 27th March, 2025 between the Government of Malawi and IFAD at the total project cost of EUR 2,832 million, and it will be implemented over a period of three years.
Mirrium Njolomole. The project will address critical agricultural production and productivity challenges.
Presenting the project to the District executive committee (Dec) in Dowa, Mirrium Njolomole – Desk Officer for Dowa West Agriculture office SAPP 11 project, said the project has a goal of contributing to improving food and nutrition security of farmers through sustainable farming systems.
Njolomole said the project is seeking to address critical agricultural production and productivity challenges through an agroecology approach saying its interventions will focus on sustainable water management, bio – based disease and pest management, soil fertility management through support from local bio – fertilizer production and use, soil restoration through agroecological approaches.
She said the project will be implemented in selected SAPP 11 districts of Balaka, Mzimba North, Mzimba South, Lilongwe East, Lilongwe West, Dowa West and Dowa East respectively.
The officer said in Dowa district, the ILSA project will be implemented in two EPAs with two sections covered under each EPA.
” In Dowa West, the project will be implemented in Bowe EPA covering Chinkhwiri, and Chimbuli 1 sections while in Dowa East, implementation will take place in Chibvala EPA – Mtengowanthenga and Zidunge sections,” said Njolomole. Â
In his remarks, Dowa District Council’s Principal Nutrition Hiv and Aids Officer Noel Chikumbu, described the project as an important investment towards wealth creation, improved food and nutrition security to farmer groups in the district.
Chikumbu called for a strong team to be providing technical services to the project so that what is being implemented be a success not only to farmers but the Dowa communities.
