By Martin Chiwanda

The ministry of Foregin Affairs has described Tuesdays Visit to the Republic of Mozambique by President Dr Lazarus Chakwera as crucial in strengthening diplomatic ties between Lilongwe and Maputo.

Speaking in an interview from Mozambique on Monday, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation, Lucky Sikwese said while in Mozambique, the Malawi leader will hold bilateral talks with his counterpart President Filipe Nyusi in Songo town.

Sikwese said during the president’s solidarity visit, apart from holding bilateral talks with Mozambican president, he will appreciate Cahora Basa hydro power Dam and a step up transformer station which Malawi is likely to connect electricity under Malawi and Mozambique interconnection project.

&The purpose of the visit is to discuss areas of mutual interest in the enhancement of bilateral relations between Malawi and the Mozambique. Malawi and Mozambique share strong historical bilateral ties and a common border. Apart from that, the president will also tour a plant under Malawi – Mozambique power transmission project which is under construction,” said Sikwese.

According to Sikwese, the president will be accompanied five ministers and the chief Secretary to the President and cabinet.

Malawi and Mozambique has previously signed several agreements and one of them being Bilateral Trade Agreement which was signed in December, 2005 negotiated under the broader structure of the Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation (JPCC).

This is the third international visit for His Excellency the president, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera since ascending to power June this year.

By Manasse Nyirenda – Mana

President Lazarus Chakwera has assured Malawians that the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) was on track for the 2020 to 2021 farming season.

The President made the remarks when he visited fertilizers warehouses for Malawi Fertilizer Company, Farmers World and Smallholder (Farmers Fertilizer Revolving Fund (SFFR) at Kanengo in Lilongwe ahead of the programme rollout.

He said although fertilizers in stock were not 100 percent ready, but was optimistic that it would soon be.

“I am satisfied that we have sufficient stock to get started as the other stocks are on the way.  We should be able to rollout as early as next week,” Chakwera said.

Minister of Agriculture, Robin Lowe who accompanied the President said that the country has 160,000 tonnes of fertilizers representing 37 percent of the required stock.

He assured Malawians that the programme would be launched within the week or next.

SFFR Chief Executive Officer, Andy Kalinde whose organization is contributing 68,600 tonnes of fertilizers to the 2020 to 2021 farming season said his organization was on course to meet the demand.

“In this warehouse as we are and other stocks combined, we are currently running at 19,000 tones. But there is a lot of fertilizer coming in from Nacala Port.

“A Vessel has already docked which is carrying 38,500 tonnes and at Beira Port there is another vessel that is offloading and the stock is being discharged at Chilimba Depot in Blantyre and Luwinga in Mzuzu,” he said.

AIP replaced then Farm Inputs Subsidy Programme of the previous administration to align with the aspirations of the new Tonse Alliance administration.

Vice President Saulos Chilima and Minister of Information, Gospel Kazako also accompanied the President among other high profile persons.

Written by  Tikondane Vega

Luchenza Municipal Council says preparations to remove vendors from the streets have reached an advanced stage, saying come Monday next week the council will not allow street vending.

Chief Executive Officer for Luchenza Municipal Council, Sellina Chimphamba said the council conducted a meeting with market committees for Chonde and Luchenza on issues bordering on street vending and Covid-19-related matters earlier this week.

Chimphamba said on Wednesday the meeting resolved that all vendors should move out of the streets to designated places and those who will fail to relocate voluntarily will meet law enforcing agencies in the process.

“Luchenza Market Committee already briefed traders while the market committee for Chonde will brief traders on Thursday (today). Our office will do announcements via Public Address System probably on Sunday so that the message can be wide spread.

“Come Monday, police will start enforcement and we have identified a place to allocate to all vendors who ply their trade along the Chonde-Mulanje Road and those at Luchenza will go in the market since it has not been occupied due to street vending,” said Chimphamba.

Chimphamba said both Luchenza and Chonde markets have enough space to accommodate all vendors, adding that they will use a grader to clear more space.

Government has recently been removing street vendors starting from Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Blantyre and other places in a bid to bring sanity on how business is conducted.

A similar exercise took place in Limbe last week where Blantyre City Council authorities demolished shacks constructed in undesignated places. The demolition was part of councils plan to deal with illegal vending in the city.