Latest news with #Lilongwe
Zawya
5 days ago
- General
- Zawya
Young Feminist Movement in Malawi Elects First Executive Committee, Paving the Way for Change
On May 10, 2025, the Young Feminist Movement in Malawi took a significant step toward strengthening its leadership and collective vision by electing its inaugural Executive Committee. The elections took place in the capital, Lilongwe, and involved 32 participants, including representatives from 25 civil society organizations, media representatives, UN Women officials, and the Ambassador of Ireland, with Letty Chiwara, the UN Women Malawi Representative, presiding as the Guest of Honour. This movement, which originated from a roundtable discussion in December 2024, aims to unify the voices of young feminists throughout the country and elevate their efforts towards achieving gender equality. The establishment of the Executive Committee represents a pivotal moment in fostering structured, inclusive, and accountable leadership for this emerging movement. The gathering underscored the resolve of young feminists to drive change. In her keynote address, Letty Chiwara praised the movement's advancements, stating, 'What we are witnessing today is not merely a meeting; it is a powerful testament to the strength, energy, and vision of young feminists in Malawi… Your leadership is crucial in shaping a future where women and girls are central to development.' She stated. The elections were carried out with transparency, focusing on governance, structure, and the movement's immediate goals. In addition to defining the roles and composition of the Executive Committee, a clear roadmap for the movement's future was created, enhancing collaboration among its members. The newly elected Executive Committee has committed to being an active force in combating gender-based violence, discrimination, and the systemic challenges faced by women and girls in Malawi. Their mandate includes positioning the movement as a prominent advocate for gender justice and ensuring that young feminists are included in decision-making processes. In moving forward, the committee has resolved to create a detailed action plan in partnership with collaborators, thereby ensuring sustained momentum and tangible impact. Bridget Oscar Phiri, a representative of young women, highlighted the necessity of a united approach: 'This is merely the beginning. We must collaborate—activists, organizations, and allies—to transform our feminist aspirations into reality,' Phiri said. With a democratically elected leadership now in place, the Young Feminist Movement is poised to initiate strategic efforts, including advocacy campaigns, capacity-building initiatives, and collaborations with both national and international partners. The movement's focus on intersectionality and inclusivity guarantees that a variety of voices—especially those from underrepresented communities—are acknowledged and included. As the young feminists of Malawi advance, their message is unequivocal: the pursuit of gender equality is not an individual endeavour but a collective movement, and they are ready to take the lead. For more information on the Young Feminist Movement's initiatives, see Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women - Africa.
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
MultiChoice Launches Anti-Piracy Initiative in Malawi with Successful Training and Enforcement Action
MultiChoice ( in collaboration with the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA), is proud to announce the successful completion of its first anti-piracy training and enforcement operation in Malawi—marking the beginning of a long-term initiative to combat piracy and protect the creative economy. On 20 May 2025, MultiChoice, COSOMA, and the Malawi Police Service hosted an intensive anti-piracy training session in Lilongwe. The four-day initiative was attended by 21 participants, including officers from the Malawi Police Service, prosecutors, and representatives from the Ministry of Justice. The training covered key topics such as the types of piracy, enforcement techniques, legal frameworks, and the growing threat of internet streaming piracy. This capacity-building initiative bore immediate fruit. On 21 May 2025, a successful enforcement operation was carried out in Lilongwe. Acting on intelligence and strategies discussed during the training, the Malawi Police Service, with support from COSOMA, raided an illegal internet streaming operation. Two suspects were arrested, and several hundred pieces of pirate streaming equipment were seized. The Dangers of Streaming Piracy Streaming piracy is not a victimless crime. It significantly undermines the creative industry by diverting revenue from content producers, broadcasters, and legitimate service providers. These illegal operations lead to substantial losses in tax revenue for governments, impeding national development and funding for public services. Consumers who engage with pirate streaming services are also exposed to numerous risks. These platforms often distribute malware, spyware, and other harmful software, potentially compromising users' personal data, financial information, and digital security. Moreover, there are no guarantees around the quality, reliability, or safety of content accessed through illegal platforms. Rachael Kabango, Assistant Licensing Officer from the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA), added: 'According to the Copyright Act Section 113 subsection 4(B) any person who has in his possession any machinery or other devices with the intention of using such devices to produce infringing copies commits an offense and shall be liable to a fine of MWK 10,000,000 and imprisonment for four years, in the case of a continuing offense, to a further fine of MWK 50,000 for each day during which the offence continues.' Frikkie Jonker, MultiChoice Group Africa Anti-Piracy Director, stated: 'This raid is a testament to what can be achieved through strong partnerships and dedicated training. We are proud of the collaboration with the Malawi Police Service and COSOMA and commend them for their swift action and commitment to enforcement. This is the first of many efforts to come in Malawi, and we look forward to supporting more initiatives that strengthen content protection and uphold the rule of law.' The success of this initiative underscores the need for continued collaboration in tackling piracy at its roots. MultiChoice remains committed to working alongside local authorities and stakeholders to protect the rights of content creators and ensure a safe, legal, and vibrant entertainment ecosystem in Malawi and across Africa. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MultiChoice Group. For media inquiries, please contact: Selina Nyirenda Email: Corporate Affairs Department About MultiChoice Group: MultiChoice Group is Africa's leading entertainment company, delivering premium content to over 20 million households across 50 countries. As part of its mission to support and grow the continent's creative industries, MultiChoice leads anti-piracy efforts through education, legal enforcement, and industry partnerships.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
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People Fixing the World May 27, 2025 23 minutes Available for over a year What do you do with your waste if you live somewhere that doesn't have the infrastructure to deal with it? Turns out there are some really simple solutions. Presenter Myra Anubi is in Malawi where she meets the cafe owner in the capital Lilongwe who has set up a recycling hub as well as the women making valuable compost from food scraps and animal dung. Plus Myra visits the Kibébé workshop in the Dzaleka refugee camp where refugees are finding employment and meaning by turning used materials into clothing and toys. People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@ And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Richard Kenny Malawi producer: Marie Segula Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines (Image:Norah Baziwell and her team of compost makers in Lilongwe, BBC)
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Malawi battles mpox as cases of the infectious disease surge in Africa
Malawi's ministry of health has announced three new cases of mpox in the capital, Lilongwe, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 11 since the country's first was reported in April. Malawi is one of 16 countries in Africa reporting mpox outbreaks as health officials battle with vaccine shortages as well as limited testing and hospital capacity. The Public Health Institute of Malawi said the patients were aged between 17 and 41. 'Investigations are under way to establish the possible source of infection and trace contacts,' the department said in a statement last week. The first cases in Malawi come after US government aid cuts to healthcare, including HIV programmes, badly hit the country and raised fears of an escalation of infectious diseases. HIV medication programmes have been severely depleted by the cuts, said Richard Mvula, spokesperson for the Lilongwe district health office. 'A commonality about these cases is that some were immunocompromised,' he said, adding that people who had been on ART (antiretroviral therapy) had stopped taking their medication because of shortages brought about by the US cuts. HIV can worsen the risk and severity of mpox, while effective HIV treatment can help manage the risk. People living with HIV, especially those with uncontrolled viral loads, may experience a more severe form of mpox. Malawi had been on alert since the global mpox outbreak began in 2022 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and several other African countries. The news of the first cases last month prompted fears of an outbreak. While most cases have been restricted to Lilongwe, a two-year-old was found with the condition in Mangochi district, about 150 miles (240km) from the capital. While recorded cases remain low in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, mpox has surged in the region overall. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports 52,082 cases since the beginning of 2025, with more than 1,770 deaths during the outbreak as a whole. In a briefing to journalists last week, Africa CDC officials said they were seeing different patterns of transmission between countries. In Sierra Leone, where cases are rising 'exponentially', the clade IIb form of the virus is circulating. In the DRC and its neighbours it is clade Ia and Ib that dominate. They said the continent would need about 6.4m doses of vaccine, but was still far from having that available, with only 1.3m received so far. They also highlighted a lack of testing capacity in many countries, and warned that in Sierra Leone patients were being treated two to a bed. Malawi's health system faces many challenges, including long distances to clinics, insufficient funding, a shortage of equipment and a lack of qualified personnel. In March this year, the Joint UN Programme on HIV and Aids drew attention to the immediate risks of the US funding cuts on HIV programmes in Malawi. The programme cited thousands of HIV prevention drugs (PrEP) which were expiring. It said the government has instructed the remaining implementer to continue with the scaling up of injectable PrEP but to only recruit new pregnant and lactating women. The US government had been providing more than $350m (£282m) to Malawi annually, according to the US Department of State. Knowledge of mpox around the country is low, reminiscent of the Covid-19 outbreak where myths were rife and people resorted to tree leaves and herbs to cure the symptoms. Thousands of people died. A series of interviews across the capital showed most people have no knowledge of mpox. In central Lilongwe, taxi driver Steven Banda outlined what he knew. 'I came across an official from the ministry of health who was explaining about it and advised that we should be careful since it is dangerous. She described the symptoms including swellings, and mentioned some of the districts affected. I'm not aware of any cases in my area or seen anyone suffering from the disease. We don't know much about it,' he said. Dr Victor Mithi, the president of Malawi's Society of Medical Doctors, said there is need for significant vigilance among practitioners within hospitals to make sure that 'as we perform our day-to-day clinical procedures, we are able to screen those patients that may be having this condition'. 'It is a big concern because in Malawi, most people live in crowded houses and still believe that as a form of expression of love, you need to shake hands, you need to hug people and all those things which are basically the risk factors in the transmission of this disease.' Mithi said that with the lessons drawn from Covid-19 and other infectious diseases, Malawi had the capacity to manage mpox, at clinical and community level. 'The challenge exists though because of the withdrawal of the US aid; the capacity of our healthcare system is no longer the same. Almost 60% of our healthcare system is donor dependent, of which more than 50% of the donor aid was coming from [the US]. So the withdrawal means that our healthcare system is completely shaken, we are left in a state where we didn't build internal capacities to sustain ourselves,' Mithi added.
Al Jazeera
14-05-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
‘We need our bananas back': Traders left in limbo amid Malawi-Tanzania spat
Lilongwe, Malawi – Since he was young, Enock Dayton has made a living from bananas. The 30-year-old was born and raised in Molele, in the southern Malawian district of Thyolo, which was at the heart of local banana production until a plant virus devastated crops more than a decade ago. At his stall at Mchesi market, in Malawi's capital Lilongwe, Dayton serves customers from the bunches of green bananas that he has. 'I started this business when I was young, and we had farms where we were growing bananas and we would take trucks and bring them here and sell them to individuals,' he told Al Jazeera. But in 2013, the deadly banana bunchy top disease wiped out almost all the crops in the country. Farmers were asked to uproot their banana plants to avoid the spread of the virus; hundreds of thousands of people were affected. Bananas are Malawi's fourth biggest staple crop, after maize, rice and cassava, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The United Nations body – which is working with other organisations to help revive banana farming in the country – said in 2023 that with 'the right investments and strategic support, the banana sector has the potential to provide greater benefits in food and nutrition security and commercial value for growers, transporters, consumers and food processors'. But in the meantime, to maintain their businesses in the absence of sufficient local produce, farmers and fruit-sellers like Dayton turned to neighbouring Tanzania to import the crop and complement their own meagre local supplies. In 2023 alone, for instance, Malawi imported more than $491,000 worth of bananas, with the majority of that – 5,564,180kg (12,266,920lb) – coming primarily from Tanzania. The remainder came from South Africa and Mozambique. But this year, that arrangement came to a sudden halt. In March, Malawi said it was temporarily banning the import of some farm produce, including bananas, from Tanzania and other countries. The government said this was to help support local industries and stabilise the country's foreign exchange shortage, which has led to challenges that include the inability to import some necessities, like pharmaceuticals. But Malawi might have underestimated the effect of its bold move, observers say. In retaliation, in April, Tanzania banned the entry of all agricultural imports from Malawi, responding to what it described as restrictions on some of its exports. That ban also extended to South Africa, which for years prohibited the entry of bananas from Tanzania. This was bad news for Malawi, observers say, as it is more on the receiving end of trade between the neighbours. According to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), Malawi exports less than $50m worth of products to Tanzania, including soybean meal, soybeans and dried legumes, while it imports hundreds of millions of dollars in the form of mineral fuels, oil, distilled products, soaps, lubricants, cement and glassware, among other products. In its response, Dar es Salaam went a step further, extending its trade ban to the export of fertiliser from Tanzania to landlocked Malawi. It also threatened to stop goods en route to Malawi from passing through Tanzania. By land, Malawi depends on Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique for the import of goods. As it lacks direct access to the sea, Malawi utilises seaports in Tanzania and Mozambique. But the instability of the Mozambique route – due to insecurity caused by conflict, recent post-election violence and truck drivers facing harassment – made the deadlock with Tanzania a bigger challenge for industry. Businesses that rely on the import of farm produce started crying foul as their trucks of groundnuts and other produce stood in line at the Songwe border. Malawi also found itself in a tricky situation as it depends on Tanzania for its harbours to import fuel. Soon, even Kenya found itself entangled in the conflict as cargo from Malawi, which has to travel through Tanzania, was also stopped en route. The ensuing row shone a light on Malawi's precarious geographical location, as well as regional agreements aimed at facilitating trade, the efforts by individual nations to follow the rules, and the macroeconomic imbalances in a nation designated as one of the poorest in the world. After weeks of tensions, this month, a high-level meeting between Malawi and Tanzania appeared to have brokered the differences, paving the way for the lifting of the bans between the two countries, according to a spokesperson for Malawi's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For Ernest Thindwa, a political commentator based at the University of Malawi, the recent trade dispute does not exist in isolation – and should also be viewed from a political lens. Both countries are heading for polls this year, first Malawi in September and then Tanzania in November. Within an election environment, the dispute says something about the attempts by both countries' leaders to display patriotism and a sense of empowerment to their citizens, the analyst said. 'The current administration [in Malawi] wants to be seen to be delivering and they want to be seen to be responding to people's concerns,' Thindwa told Al Jazeera. 'And certainly they need to make sure that local producers are protected, which has become more urgent as we go towards elections.' Thindwa said that both Malawi and Tanzania are signatories to regional and international trade agreements, the frameworks of which entitle them to take measures to protect their trade interests when they deem necessary. However, he questioned the timing of these moves, asking why the initiatives by Malawi were not implemented earlier if they were indeed to protect local industries. Answering his own question, he said, 'Because then it might have not been an agent in terms of attracting votes.' 'What you would call subsistence or smallholder producers … would be significant for the government in terms of trying to win votes from such social groups,' he observed. Meanwhile, in Tanzania, something similar was at play in its decision to retaliate, Thindwa said. 'The incumbent administration in Tanzania wants to be seen to be responding to the needs and interests of its citizens. So the administration in that country, in Tanzania, also wanted to project an image that it cares for its people. That's why it responded rather quickly.' Broadly speaking, Thindwa noted that the trade dispute points to overall challenges African countries face – in terms of promoting internal trade, and trading more within Africa than with other continents. Citing the example of Angola, he said that despite it having oil, countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc continue to import oil from the Middle East. 'There is Angola there,' he said. 'Why can't they put together a regional project, for instance, and invest in the capabilities to make sure that the end product is being produced in Angola and Angola serves the region, to be much cheaper for the region? And it will make sure that the resources of the region remain within the region.' Such examples show that 'in spite of these trade protocols, Africa still struggles to encourage trade between member states', he said. 'So the case of Tanzania and Malawi is just a symptom of a huge challenge Africa faces in terms of promoting internal trade.' In a statement on May 9, Malawi's Ministry of Trade said Malawi and Tanzania had held bilateral discussions in Tanzania regarding the implementation and resolution of its prohibition order. After that, a letter from the ministry, addressed to Malawi's Revenue Authority, read: 'In this regard, I wish to advise that you facilitate the clearance of exports and imports of goods between the Republic of Malawi and the Republic of Tanzania. This, however, does not exempt importers from complying with legal and regulatory requirements, including obtaining the relevant licences and certifications from regulatory bodies.' After the talks, Charles Nkhalamba, Malawi's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, told Al Jazeera the neighbours had signed 'a joint communique' to resolve the dispute between them. The 'high-level discussions' were a result of 'robust diplomatic efforts' by the foreign ministries of both countries, he said in a message on WhatsApp, adding that Tanzania also 'acknowledg[ed] the economic circumstances that necessitated the import restrictions'. During the meeting, both parties agreed in principle on the importance of continuous engagement and communication on all matters impacting their bilateral trade relations, Nkhalamba added. Weeks earlier, Tanzania's Ministry of Agriculture also released a statement acknowledging that Lilongwe had reached out to Dar es Salaam to resolve the problem and stating that 'Tanzania is lifting a ban on export and import of agricultural produce to and from Malawi'. In principle, the trade war between the neighbours appears to have stalled for now. But experts told Al Jazeera that practically speaking, it will take time for the logistics to be sorted out and for things to return to normal for sellers left in limbo when their supplies dried up. At the market in Lilongwe, Dayton is eagerly awaiting the trucks of sweet bananas from across the border, so he has enough to sell to his customers. He is grateful for the cross-border trade, and the arrangement that has over the years helped business people like him make money selling the crop from their neighbours. But he also had mixed feelings as he reminisced about their lost opportunity to grow their own crops. 'The amount of money we used to have when we grew our own bananas is different from what we're earning now,' Dayton said. 'While we were growing and buying them at a cheap price … we were making a lot of money, apart from the transport [costs]. The ones from Tanzania are quite expensive. 'We need our bananas back.' A decade ago, Dayton was a casualty of a natural disaster that made his garden back in the village dormant. Now, he feels that he is a casualty of the decisions made by authorities in offices far away. 'What we want is a stable supply of bananas in this market,' he said. 'It's good because it provides for our families and the customers as well.'
