A 45-year old man, Samuel Mapondo from Katundu village, senior chief Chimaliro in Thyolo has died after drinking beer on empty stomach.

Internet service provider, Bengolnet Ltd, has installed free Wi-Fi at Sunnyside township where the company is premised in Blantyre.

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.

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.