- Malawi is preparing for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development conference scheduled to take place in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil next month. Speaking during a recent preparatory meeting for the conference in Lilongwe UNDP Resident Representative Richard Dictus said the Rio +20 conference would measure progress and re-activate actions towards sustainable development. Dictus pointed out that the conference would focus on green economy and institutional framework for sustainable development, among other issues. He said Malawi has no choice but to go green since over 85% of its population works in the Agriculture sector and that 95% of the country’s exports are agrobase…

Chiefs from Neno in southern Malawi want to meet President Joyce Banda to voice their concerns over the bad road network which they say is affecting development in the district. - Chief Mlauli made the statement at Magaleta in Neno on the sidelines of the AIDS candlelight memorial commemorated under the theme ‘Promoting health and Dignity together’. Speaking in an interview, Mlauli said while the district has witnessed rapid development from 2005 when American charity Partners in Health (PIH) started programmes in the district, the bad road network has been sending away potential development partners from the district. He disclosed that at a recent meeting, all chiefs in Ne…

- At the age 94,Glasten Guzani, Senior Medical Assistant at Dzunje Health Centre in Ntcheu central Malawi still looks strong and healthy that at first sight, Doubting Thomases would dispute his age. However telling his life story confidence of the age he claims. Guzani who claims to have been born in Quelimane Mozambique will give you his Malawi passport number 307201 issued in 1978 which indicates that he was born on June 22, 1918. Clad in his professional overcoat, Guzani who also served the Malawi National team as team doctor from 1970 to 1985 is an epitome of an elderly Malawian wishing to productively spend his old age. While he boasts of having achieved a lot in life including bein…

- The Malawi Police service will continue to loose its junior officers if the tendency by some of the junior officers to demand sex free and without protection during ground operations is to continue, a recent investigation can reveal. Sex workers in the Malawian border districts of Mwanza, Ntcheu, Dedza, Mchinji and the two major cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe told Africa News police officers are in the habit of demanding sex so that they can not arrest the night queens during routine sweep operations. The revelations come on a background of the Malawi police service losing most of its junior officers in the ranks of constable to Sub-police inspector to HIV?AIDS related ailments aside t…

- Local understanding of children’s immune systems may be delaying access to paediatric HIV treatment, according to a study at a rural clinic in northern Malawi, where just 15 percent of children in need of Antiretrovirals (ARVs) are receiving the drugs. A recent report on Plus News quotes a research presented at the 1st International HIV Social Science and Humanities Conference in Durban, South Africa,which shows that caregivers were reluctant to start sick, HIV-positive children on ARVs because they believed the children’s bodies were too weak for pills and their blood was “still raw”, but that as it “ripened” with time, HIV-related opportunistic inf…

- Malawian police are keeping in custody three Zambians and a Nigerian who were recently caught in Mzimba and Blantyre districts in possession of illicit drugs. The three Zambian nationals, Joseph Mwenda 40, John Zulu 42 and Nyakeka Phiri all from Lundazi in Zambia were caught by Police in the northern Malawian district of Mzimba as they were trying to smuggle 1.8 tonnes into Zambia. Police spokes person for Mzimba George Kondowe said the three suspects revealed that they were smuggling the illicit herb into Zambia’s eastern province of Lundazi. He said the suspects were arrested in the wee hours of Friday after a tip off from members of the community. He said the police arrested t…

- Malawi’s president professor Bingu Wa Mutharika has said university education is a right for all deserving students that wish to pursue higher education. Mutharika was a speaking at his Ndata farm on Saturday during a ground breaking ceremony of the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST). Speaking without his usual self confident pomp despite the heavy presence of his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who kept on chanting: “Those against our leader shall not have peaceful sleep, shall not have peaceful sleep we will deal with them,” Mutharika said that the ground breaking ceremony was in line with his dream of establishing six universities in the country. …

- Barely a few weeks after pop star Madonna was dragged to the Malawi Industrial Relations court by former employees of her Raising Malawi Academy for Girls (RMAG) another controversy has surfaced on her activities in Malawi. Latest developments indicate that the sensational US songstress remitted only US$ 854,630 into the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls account contradicting earlier reports in the US media which indicated that the material girl had spent around US$ 4 million for the project. In her recent statement published in the New York Times Madonna claims that she has spent US$ 3.8 million for her projects in Malawi, the latest revelations by the former RMAG employees corroborate w…

Confusion rocks the executive arm of the government in Malawi. The civil society, opposition and academia agree on the assertion, but government maintains its stand that those opposing its views are ignorant of the developments taking place in the country. - Chairman of the Malawi Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) John Kapito recently told the local media that, the recent standoff at the university of Malawi, the president’s recent order for the withdrawal of sedition charges against controversial cleric Reverend Nyondo moderator of the Livingstonia synod and the governments rushing at civil rights activists critic to government shows that the Malawi government rocks in a spat…

- An angry mob in the southern Malawian District of Neno took the streets Wednesday to pre sent a petition to the district commissioner for the district demanding his immediate impeachment of controversial chief Chekucheku who was re recently re instated by the country’s head of state. Chekucheku becomes a controversial chieftaincy as it was dissolved by the country’s first presidency of Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda following the chief’s support to the ‘first freedom fighters’ who were demanding the country to become a democracy. In their petition the chiefs demanded that despite the chief being a very influential figure in their country’s fight for democrac…

Pumping stations throughout Malawi are experiencing diesel shortage following the country's failure to pay its debt. Africa news sources have revealed the fuel crisis has come as a result of the country's failure to pay its debts to petroleum suppliers and is now sourcing for new suppliers. - “Government is now sourcing replacement suppliers and will not be able pay the money owed to former suppliers. It would want to start smoothly with new suppliers and build up debts too,” a source in the ministry of energy told Malawi’s controversial on line publication Nyasa Times. Following the pullout of Petrol Mob, BP remained the sole supplier of fuel to government. …

- Traveling on Easter weekends is always good but not until you almost die in a car crash in a foreign country. This reporter is just recovering at a hospital in Mozambique.He had a terrible accident over the Easter weekend. He likes Africa news because when he introduced himself as a reporter that once broke the news of the gays and Madonna in Malawi he was given the best treatment. Coming back to the whole audience that has been following this reporter in the next two days.

- Many Malawian men are reported to be shunning family planning contraception methods a development researcher at the Department of Reproductive Health Unit of the University of Malawi has resulted into an increase in maternal and Neonatal deaths. Briefing the press in Blantyre, Frank Taulo, Head of the Reproductive Health Unit at the university said Malawi continues to experience a population following the reluctance of men to use family planning methods. “Malawi is experiencing a population explosion due to the reluctance of men that are major decision makers in the family, you can imagine that from a small population of 3 million people in 1964 we are currently at 14 and the explo…

- Many Malawian men are reported to be shunning family planning contraception methods a development researcher at the Department of Reproductive Health Unit of the University of Malawi has resulted into an increase in maternal and Neonatal deaths. Briefing the press in Blantyre, Frank Taulo, Head of the Reproductive Health Unit at the university said Malawi continues to experience a population following the reluctance of men to use family planning methods. “Malawi is experiencing a population explosion due to the reluctance of men that are major decision makers in the family, you can imagine that from a small population of 3 million people in 1964 we are currently at 14 and the explo…

- As HIV and AIDS continues to be the major development concern in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, Pakachere institute of Health and Development Communication in Malawi has joined other southern African development communication institutes by launching a television drama series portraying the trends of multiple concurrent sex partnerships which is the main driver of HIV transmission in the Sub-Saharan Africa. The television series dubbed ‘Love stories’ is part of the soul city institute project that is being carried in the whole SADC region to mitigate on the impact of multiple concurrent sexual partnerships in the response to HIV and AIDS. Pakachere institute media relatio…

- The East African International Trade fair will be held in Nairobi Kenya in august. Organizers of the event Exhibition and Events Organizers (EEO) have confirmed. Speaking in an interview in Blantyre Malawi, Patrick Konjeh accounts and sales at EEO said that the event registration for the fair was currently in progress and there was an overwhelming response from exhibiters from all parts of the world. He said as opposed to previous fairs this year’s event had received overwhelming response from Chinese and European companies. Konjeh said the fair offered African companies an opportunity to market their product to the overseas markets. Meanwhile Malawian companies have expressed in…

- Malawian small scale businessmen have cried foul over what they have described as ‘unhealthy business competition’ which they believe is also derailing business and economic growth in the country. The business gurus said in separate interviews, the business terrain was not healthy in Malawi following the tendency of multinational businesses of venturing into small businesses that can be run by small Malawian entrepreneurs. Mathews Mpofu administrative officer at Pamthunzi Enviro- business and Landscaping said Malawi was a viable business destination, but he was quick to point that unfair trade completion was derailing business growth in the country. He said with proper trad…

- Norway has joined the group of international donors to Malawi that have warned the country over luck of respect of gay rights. Norwegian Environmental and International Development Minister Erik Solhelm made the warning in Malawian capital Lilongwe. Solhelm who was in Malawi on an official visit told the press in Lilongwe that Malawi would tarnish its human rights record if it does soften on its anti gay laws. He said the arrest of two Malawian gay couples Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Muonjeza gave the Malawian government an opportunity to prove that it was one of the African countries that was going towards an inclusive society. He said Malawi’s African Union Chairmanship was…

- The African Development Bank (ADB) says it is impressed with Malawi’s economic performance and has since pledged to support the country in its development agenda. Peter Sinon head of an ADB delegation that is visiting Malawi said in Blantyre Malawi’s economy is a rapidly glowing coming second from Qatar. He said following the good economic performance the bank will allocate more support to the country in the next eleven months. “We had discussions with the state president this morning and following the discussions we are impressed by Malawi’s economic performance and we hope that this will spread to other African countries during the Period Dr Mutharika is AU cha…

- When Ndiferanji Betha a 26 year old mother of two from Chiradzulu district in southern Malawi tested positive to HIV last December, little did she know that her status would break her family. Ndiferanji who was at the time in the second month of her third pregnancy learnt that she was HIV positive after the routine HIV tests that are administered to all pregnant women going for antenatal clinics in Malawi as part of the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission(PMCT) programme. Knowing that HIV was transmitted through sexual activity Ndiferanji felt that she was obliged to tell her husband of the news as the probability that he could also be carrying the virus was very high. However to…

- Malawi police have arrested Tony Chirwa in a continued crackdown on homosexuals. Southern Region police spokesman, Dave Chingwaru said in an interview Chirwa, 60 was arrested on Monday and has since been charged with sodomy. “We arrested Chirwa after receiving a complaint that he has been sodomising a young man, “said Chingwaru. He said police arrested the man after being tipped by the sodomised’s friend. A medical report, tendered before the Blantyre Chief Resident Magistrates Court, indicated that traces of semen were found on the young man. Chingwaru said police investigations have uncovered a network of high-profile people who are involved homosexual acts. …

- The on going strike by staff at Malawian courts which went national on its third day on monday,has worried the country's police service. Davie Chingwalu Police Public Relations Officer for southern Malawi said in an interview the service is worried that with the regal systeam out of opperation,police cells will over croud. Chingwaru said since when the strike stated on thursday police opperations have been crippled as the police depends on the courts to determine on cases. "We make arrests on daily basis and we are now worried that even some suspects that maybe innocent are being denied justice in the present situation as normally courts are supposed to bail susspected crimina…

- Matrida Nyangombe slept with over 180 men at the time she used to offer sexual cleansing services, while Yohane Iwalani believes that he might have slept with over 200 women as a sexual cleanser. The two Sena tribes’ men from the lower shire in southern Malawi have one thing in common-they exposed themselves to the risk of HIV infection to offer sexual cleansing services and earn a living. Sexual cleansing is a cultral ritual that is practiced by Senas in southern Malawi whereby when a husdand or wife dies; a sexual act is done to make the deciesed sexually clean. The practice is also done after any death or accident which might have led to the loss of life.The sexual act i…

A Malawian Davis Mpanda, 29, has been convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for having sex with a 15-year-old boy. - Mpanda was arrested on January 25 at a trading centre near the commercial capital Blantyre, for having “carnal knowledge with a person against the order of nature,” reported The Nation newspaper of Malawi. Lunzu Magistrate, Diana Kamwangala, said that same-sex is “a serious offence” in the country which criminalizes homosexuality. The Magistrate also noted that “such offences are on the rise in Malawi.” “The offences are against Malawi’s moral values. The convict is an abuser because what he did to the juvenil…

- A Malawian man, Davis Mpanda 29 has been convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for having sex with a 15-year old boy. The Nation Newspaper of Malawi reported that Mpanda was arrested on January 25 at a trading centre near the commercial capital Blantyre, for having “carnal knowledge with a person against the order of nature.” Lunzu Magistrate, Diana Kamwangala, said that same-sex is “a serious offence” in the country which criminalises homosexuality. The Magistrate also noted that “such offences are on the rise in Malawi.” “The offences are against Malawi’s moral values. The convict is an abuser because what he did to the ju…

- A Malawian mother and her 10-year-old daughter living in Glasgow have won the right to have a judicial review in their fight against deportation, Scotland’s Evening Times reports. Florence Mhango and her daughter, Precious, have been in Cranhill for seven years and are contesting a Home Office decision to deport them to Malawi. Glasgow SNP MSP Anne McLaughlin, who has been campaigning for them, said she wants Britain Home Secretary to step in into their asylum claim and grant leave to remain in UK. McLaughlin has argued the Mhangos should not be forced to go back to Malawi because Precious will face the prospect of genital mutilation on her return. “I am relieved and deligh…

The two arrested gay men in Malawi have pleaded not guilty to charges of gross public indecency and have announced to separate with immediate effect. Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza were arraigned before a court in Malawi's biggest city Blantyre and hope to plead for bail on Monday. - They made history over the weekend as the first gay couple to hold an open traditional engagement ceremony. They face a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. Speaking from Blantyre police cell, the equally shaken two said they did not understand why the police was keeping them in custody. Chimbalanga said ‘she’ saw no reason for the police to pounce on homosexuals when heterosexuals w…

Norway became the major donor to earthquake victims in the Malawian northern district of Karonga when it announced the donation of over Euro134, 000 (MK28 million) relief items to the people in the area. Norwegian ambassador to Malawi, Bjorn Johannessen, said his government was sending 300 tents from Dubai. - This becomes the first big donation to the people affected by the disaster in the area after two similar donations from the United States and Chinese community. Meanwhile there are disagreements between people in the area over how relief items are being handled. Some locals recently made a fracas at the District Commissioners offices on what they described as ‘over consider…

Two gays in Malawi held the first ever public wedding on Saturday. The two - Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza - made history when they publicly announced that there were a couple at a reception held at Makhoma lodge in the outskirts of the city of Blantyre. - The duo clad in traditional attire were the centre of attraction to hundreds of Malawians that wanted to witness the first couple to defy Malawian conservative laws that make homosexuality illegal. Tiwonge the bride who works at the lodge said she was very excited that she was getting into the matrimonial tie with Steven who she has been sharing a house with the past five months. The wedding then went emotional when some pat…

The Malawi government has recalled five officials from the National Roads Authority of that country from an official trip to China following the recent presidential directive that minimizes official travels outside Malawi by government officials to six per every year. - Sources told AfricaNews that the minister of transport and public infrastructure development Khumbo Kachali ordered the immediate return of the five for failing to follow proper travel procedures. According to the sources, the five travelled outside the country without the minister’s approval contrary to the Malawi government travel procedure. Principal Secretary for the ministry McPherson Magwila could not give m…

Opportunity International Bank of Malawi (OIBM) one of the banks that has the widest coverage in the country has announced that it will soon go cell phone banking to meet the demands of the rising banking services in the country. - OIBM chief marketing officer Steve Mgwadira said the bank was trying to bring innovative banking technologies in Malawi as one way of attracting communities to access banking services. He said currently only 17 percent of Malawians have access to banks and with the new innovation there was hope that the number of people depositing their money in banks would increase. “The bank is trying to reach the unbankable communities especially those in the most r…

A herbalist in the Malawian southern region district of Mangochi, Ellen Dimba, claims to have a herbal mixture that can cure AIDS. Dimba who has been recently receiving clients some as far as Zambia and Mozambique claims that her drug can cure serious AIDS conditions a claim that has also been backed by some of her clients. - Government has since disputed her claim. While the government has already warned people not to use the drug, Dimba is currently receiving a lot of clients that feel are being cured by the drug after the free government ARVs stopped working properly in their bodies. Fwido Akidu one of the people that claims to have been cured by the drug said in an interview that the…

The free anti-retroviral drugs being provided by the Malawian government are being used to ferment maize husks in the brewing process of a traditional gin - Kachasu. Zione Enock a Kachasu, a brewer from Thyolo revealed the ARVs are not only for brewing of the traditional gin but to feed their poultry too. - Some brewers told AfricaNews the gin from the fermented ARV maize husk is very strong and matures quickly. Government officials have warned action would be taken against those involved especially in the southern region district of Thyolo. An Africa news investigation in the commercial city of Blantyre indicated that a bottle of free ARV was going at US$1.43 (K200.00) while a 60 tablet …

Among the delegation leading the Malawi national team to play against Burkina Faso is a Charismatic Pentecostal preacher, Bishop Mark Kambaladzadza. The man of God according to sources was included to boost the morale of the team and to seek God's favour in the must win game. - Reports reaching AfricaNews indicate that members of the team are in high mood following the inclusion of Bishop Kambaladzadza. There is mixed reaction over the decision taken by the Malawi Football Administration. “The boys are in very good spirits following the inclusion of the man of God in the delegation and we are very sure that they are going to do miracles at this must win game,” said Chipi…

US pop singer Madonna has broken the grounds for her £9 million Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, in Lilongwe. She said the plight of Malawian women is worrying despite their industriousness and that moved her to shape the future of young needy girls in the southern African country of Malawi through this initiative. - Speaking in the presence of her four children including the two she adopted from Malawi, she said: “Glowing as a young woman, I took my education and many things in life for granted and coming to Malawi four years ago opened my eyes and I realized that as an individual I could do something and all I needed was to set the pace.” "I intended to do something fo…

US pop star Madonna finally arrived in southern African Malawi in the late afternoon hours of Sunday. The singer who has been involved in adoption controversies in the country is expected to preside over the groundbreaking ceremony of her Raising Malawi girls' Academy later on Monday. - An eyewitness at the Kamuzu International Airport said she landed at exactly 3pm. According to local sources Madonna is also expected to meet Malawian President Dr Bingu Wa Mutharika. She is tipped to be awarded for her charity work in the country. The pop star was seen cruising in her convoy towards the Kumbali Country lodge that has become synonymous to her visits to Malawi.

Malawi's new president Dr Bingu Wa Mutharika has assured that he would maintain zero tolerance for corruption. Speaking at his inauguration for his second term on Friday, he said the menace is a stumbling block to effective development. He assured to embark on civic education against the act. - The ceremony which witnessed a reconciliation gesture between former president Dr Bakili Muluzi and incumbent Mutharika attracted scores of many Malawians and was also graced by presidents of some Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) countries. Dr Mutharika assured Malawians that he will serve all Malawians regardless of their political affiliations. “To accomplish our goals as…

Malawi's main opposition led by John Zenasi Ungapake Tembo on Wednesday rejected election results in the country's central province - its stronghold - saying there had been several irregularities during vote counting. The Malawi Congress Party has called for counting of ballots to be halted. - So far the Malawi Electoral Commission has confirmed 0.51 percent of the presidential results that puts President Mutharika in a comfortable lead with 8818 votes while his main contender Tembo is trailing with 3121 votes. Tuesday’s presidential and parliamentary elections have been described as peaceful, free and fair. Two presidential contestants - James Nyondo and Stanley Masaul…

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Malawi led by Bingu Wa Muthalika is having an early lead in the parliamentary and presidential elections. So far the verified results give him a comfortable lead over his main contender John Zenasi Ungapake Tembo of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). - Early results released this morning indicate that Muthalika has taken an 87.33 percent lead against Tembo's 10.21 percent. Making the announcement Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson Anastazia Msosa said that these were verified results from centres that had finished the counting process. She said there were some centres that had finished counting the poll results,but the commission…

The time had now come for Africa to produce open software in its major local languages to make ICT accessible to all. John Schoneboon, ICT project associate at the partnership for higher education in Africa of the US, said it would help push Africa forward on the information technology highway. - "It is interesting that things are moving forward and it could be a good idea for Africa to have open software in vernacular language," he told AfricaNews in an exclusive interview. The ICT specialist said such software would make e-learning a possibility in the continent. “Access to information plays a vital tool in the development agenda,” he noted alongside the ongoing sixth…