BT Synod Urges Faithful to Pray for Biennial Conference
The CCAP Blantyre Synod has called upon its faithful to remain steadfast in prayer to ensure free, fair, transparent and accountable elections for the synod.
Driemo to Entertain Maranatha Academy Heroes Party
The Popo star, Driemo, will entertain people at the Maranatha Academy’s Heroes Party where 13 outstanding students who did well in in the 2022 Malawi School Certificate of Education and Junior Certificate examinations will be awarded.
Africa Unites on Inclusion of Health on Climate Change Debate
Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has warned that if not checked, climate change may undermine all progress that has been made in global health.
Advocacy Group for Youth-Friendly SRH Responsive National Budget
Some youth groups operating under Sexual Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent (SRMNCAN) Youth Platform have called for re-alignment of national budget indicators as well as budget lines to allow the youth to effectively participate in budget and policy processes in the country.
Old Mutual Group Donates MK5 Million to ICAM
Franklin Mtambalika
Old Mutual Group on Tuesday donated a MK5 Million cheque to the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAM) to go towards the institution’s Annual Lakeshore Conference slated for September 14th to 16th 2023.
Head of Property Services at Old Mutual Group Elliot Jambo said the the sponsorship is to enable ICAM successfully organise the conference.
He hopes this will add value to the attendee's professional development and experience at the conference.
“As a responsible business entity, Old Mutual want to help the accountants body properly organize the conference. We believe they will exchange ideas which will help them achieve professional growth in the country,” said Jambo.
ICAM president Moffat Ngalande hailed Old Mutual for the support, adding, for the country to achieve MW2063, collaboration and partnerships need to be encouraged.
“We think that partnerships are critical if we are to transform Malawi into a wealthy and self-reliant industrialized upper middle-income country by the year 2063, hence encouraging key partners to work together.
“Old Mutual has just demonstrated that, by making this donation. We appreciate their work in the country, and most of our members are engaged by this institution in some of its projects,” said Ngalande.
Ngalande also urged accounting professionals to desist from corruption and fraud, and remain good stewards of resources they manage for the betterment of the country.
The Annual Lakeshore Conference by ICAM, will be commemorated under the theme “Creating Value, Building sustainable economy towards MW2063".
Ministry of Health to Administer 250,000 Cholera Vaccines in Lower Shire
By Franklin Mtambalika
The ministry of health has secured an approval by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Cholera to administer 250,000 cholera doses in the districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje with special focus on hotspot areas.
The ministry’s spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe has told Zodiak in an interview on Monday that preparations are at an advanced stage for the five-day campaign, which commences on 28th August 2023.
“We have at least 250,000 cholera vaccines, to administer in the two districts, in areas where cholera cases are still being reported,” said Chikumbe.
He said government has high hopes all doses will be absorbed in the targeted areas which were hard-hit by Cyclone Freddy.
He adds that now people have realized the importance of getting the vaccine in preventing the disease.
Chikumbe emphasized that the interventions will then later be spread to other districts.
A public health expert Sandra Mapemba has commended the government for prioritizing areas which were affected by Cyclone Freddy.
She says access to clean and portable water remains a challenge in those areas.
“This is a welcome development, considering the fact that these areas have experienced perennial flooding, and stagnation of water and access to portable water has become an issue. This has left a lot of communities more vulnerable to a wide range of diseases including cholera,” she said.
Although the cholera situation has been controlled in the country, the ministry of health says a lot of work needs to be done, especially in three districts of Mangochi, Zomba and Chikwawa, where sporadic cases of cholera are being reported.
The cholera vaccine is a complementary intervention, and the main strategies for cholera control remain ensuring good hygiene practices, using safe water, food hygiene, regular hand washing with soap and no open defecation.
Training Aircraft Crashes Near KIA
The authorities have confirmed a plane crash involving a light aircraft in a village near Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe this morning.
EGENCO Warns of Reduced Power for Two Days
The Electricity Generation Company Malawi Limited (EGENCO) says it will reduce its power generation capacity at Tedzani Power Station this coming weekend.
EGENCO public relations officer Moses Gwaza has told Zodiak, that at that time, the institution will conduct maintenance from Saturday, 26th to 28th August.
The maintenance works according to Gwaza will also see the reduction of power generation at Nkula and Kapichira stations due to water reduction of water flow in Shire River.
"We are carrying out the works now, to ensure that intake screens are in perfect working condition before the rainy season," Gwaza said.
Executive director for the Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) John Kapito has expressed concerns on the development saying it will affect the welfare of consumers.
The development will bring fresh memories of frequent power cuts the country experienced, before things stabilized early this year.
Recently EGENCO emerged as the star performer among parastatals in Malawi.
Jehovah's Witnesses Release New Chichewa Bible
Jehovah´s Witnesses in Malawi released a new revised translation of the Holy Bible entitled, The Revised New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, in Chichewa, titled Baibulo la Dziko Latsopano la Malemba Opatulika (Lokonzedwanso mu 2013).
Maranatha Academy Awards 4 Best PSLCE Learners
Maranatha Academy says it will award four learners who have emerged first and second best in the just released Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examination results.
Thyolo People Eating Bitter Maize from Chikwawa Markets
People from the area of senior chief Mphuka in Thyolo, bordering with Chikwawa-East bank claim that they are buying bitter maize in Livunzu and Mkhathe markets due to severe hunger.
MUST Wins Again at Regional Cyber Challenge
A Computer Systems and Security team, Cyber Knights at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) has once again emerged champions at a Southern Africa regional cyber security competition involving universities in the region at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Thyolo Man Dies After Taking Beer
A 45-year old man, Samuel Mapondo from Katundu village, senior chief Chimaliro in Thyolo has died after drinking beer on empty stomach.
Bengolnet Installs Free Wi-Fi at Sunnyside
Internet service provider, Bengolnet Ltd, has installed free Wi-Fi at Sunnyside township where the company is premised in Blantyre.
Malawian Author Launches Book in Tanzania
Malawian Author Professor Malango Chinthenga, a lecturer at Hebron University in Lilongwe has launched his book “Africa Magufuli and Change”, in Mwanza and Dar es Salaam Tanzania respectively.
The launch in Tanzania follows similar event held in Lilongwe in June this year.
Speaking to Zodiak Online after the two launches, Professor Chinthenga said expressed gratitude with the support he received during the launch, and the interest the book has received there.
He said that he sold over 400 copies on the two launches, and he received several requests that it should be translated into Swahili, a thing he says he is already working on.
The book discusses former Tanzania President John Pombe Magufuli who confronted neocolonialism.
“First we launched the book at St. Augustine University in Mwanza on August 5, before the second launch at Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Dar es Salaam days later. I am very happy with the overwhelming response and support,” said Chinthenga.
He added; “As demonstrated by Magufuli, Africa has the capacity and resources to develop at the same pace, if not faster than its colonial masters who continually want to keep it as slaves. This motivated me to write this book”.
According to Prof. Chinthenga, the book will soon be translated into Tanzania’s national languages Kishwahili, as requested by many Tanzanians and people from other East African countries.
While in Tanzania, the Author visited late John Pombe Magufuli’s mausoleum and had an interface with late Magufuli’s wife Janeth Magufuli.
DoDMA Keen on Bridging Disaster Preparedness Gaps
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has admitted gaps on disaster preparedness, saying the focus has mostly been on response.
Reverend Moses Chimphepo, DoDMA Director of Response and Recovery, told Zodiak Online Thursday this has resulted in huge losses to lives and property.
Reverend Chimphepo said; “As a department we want to minimize such losses. Disasters in Malawi are usually weather related. The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological issues alerts of imminent disasters, as a result of normal to above normal rainfall”.
“As a department we need to engage an extra gear, and all the humanitarian partners we should come together and prepare. Preparedness helps us to put everything in order, both logistically and also trying to save lives,” explained Reverend Chimphepo.
He added; “The setting up of early warning systems helps to save lives. It is a very critical area, but we have focused more on providing response when we are already hit. As a department, we want to prepare adequately, so that when we are hit the loss and damages, especially to lives should be very minimal”.
He further described the simulation exercise as critical, in preparedness processes.
Julie Vander Wiel-Hakme, WFP Head of Supply Chain, said the exercise was meant to build the national capacity for disaster preparedness and response targeting those who will respond to emergencies.
“We have involved government partners, NGO partners, and district council officials focusing on nitty-gritties of the core skills that they need to respond”.
He added; “We can all do better, there is always room for improvement. We have learnt a lot over the last cyclone Freddy response cycle. We had a review just last week, where we looked at tangible actions, and have been applied during the training”.
The World Food Program and the government built a Humanitarian Staging Area (HAS) at Bangula following tropical cyclone Freddy Idai in 2019.
Statistics indicate that tropical cyclone Freddy which hit the southern part of the country early this year, claimed over 1000 lives and half a million were displaced.