IBS Malawi Calls for Vibrant Mathematical and Statistical Research

The International Biometric Society (IBS) Malawi says the country is not doing well on research because it does not have more experts in mathematics and statistics.

Contractor Upbeat, He Will Finish Ten Houses For The Freddy Survivors By Mid-September

Contractor who is building ten houses for the Cyclone Freddy survivors at Ntambalika village in Mulanje district is upbeat that he will finish constructing the houses by 10th September, 2023.

Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 and Cholera Hailed MRCS Cholera Interventions

The Presidential Task Force on Covid 19 and Cholera in the country says is impressed with Malawi Red Cross Society's (MRCS) interventions during the Cholera outbreak.

Stakeholders Call for Heavy Investment in Irrigation Farming

Irrigation farmers in the area of group village headmen Mangamba and Ngongonda in Machinga say they expect improved crop yields from their winter cropping this year.

MUST Embarks on Maize Flour, Chicken, Ornamental Production

The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) said it is set to start production of nutritious maize flour from next week.

Technology Key for MW Economy Growth

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Director General Daudi Suleiman has noted that Malawi’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has stagnated for long, raising the need to shift to other sectors like technology.

In his remarks during the opening of a Cyber Security Conference for Academia in Lilongwe, Suleiman attributed the slow growth to low production.

He made reference to the continued reliance on the country’s green gold (Tobacco) as a major export and forex earner as one contributing factor.

“Our GDP is very small and not responding to current needs. Technology has the potential to compliment the country’s agro-based economy,” said Suleiman.

Suleiman hinted on a number of issues being undertaken by MACRA that include lobbying for Zero-Rating of education websites and pursuing the Data Must Fall Campaign.

Chief Executive Officer for Malawi Research and Education Network Solomon Ndindi called on government to strive at creating a conducive environment for a thriving cyber space.

Said Ndindi; “We have a direct role to play to make sure that the traffic passing through our network is secure enough. Attacks should be sent back and at the same time. We need to work with universities, to make sure that they protect themselves, as you know that sometimes the enemy is within.”

The Malawi 2063 envisions creating a robust ICT infrastructure with cross-country coverage of reliable and affordable services fostering technological adoption and digital access.

GO Jet Agro-Dealer Emerges Best SEEDCO Malawi Distributor

Ahead of the new farming season, a seed manufacturer and distributor SEED CO Malawi has awarded an agricultural enterprise, Go Jet Investment as the best seed distributor for the North in the 2022 – 2023 selling and farming season.

Non-Revenue Water Cost Billions

The amount of water which the country is losing across all water boards, before it reaches consumers (Non-Revenue Water) has slightly increased from 35% last year, to 39% this year, officials have revealed.

The loss translates to MK60 billion total annual revenue that the country’s water boards are failing to realise.

Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) alone according to the institution’s Chief Executive Officer, Silli Mbewe loses MK15 billion Kwacha annually, a majority of this through leaked pipes, theft and illegal connections.

“We have two major causes, physical and commercial losses, we are losing more water from the physical loss and these are pipe breakages and vandalism,” said Mbewe.

Mbewe further revealed that, through the Strengthening the Capacity of Non-Revenue Water Reduction for Lilongwe Water Board project (LiSCap), LWB intends to strengthen institution and human capacity to sustain interventions towards abating the vice.

Image: Sili Mbewe

LWB on Wednesday held a 9th Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) for the project which brought together officials from all the water boards to explore better ways of dealing with the problem.

Director for Water Supply Services at the ministry of Water and Sanitation, Prince Mleta asked the water boards to invest in water supply systems as he said this is key to achieving development.

“Issues of non-revenue water are very well connected with initiatives that Government is taking, because we are using so much resources to clean the water to make sure that we are suppling the customers. So we are in line with the policy of sustainable goal number six, but also the Malawi 2063 development agenda,” Mleta said.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is an implementing partner for the project and its Chief Representative, Kazuhiro Tambala is hoping that through the project, Malawi will see a reduction in non-revenue water.

Said Tambala; “We work together in the formulation of strategic plan to reduce non-revenue water, as well as actual ground to find ways of how to solve the problem.”

LiSCap was designed to enhance capacity for NRW reduction management for LWB an reduce improve the efficiency of water-use in the city of Lilongwe.

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.


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