Story from Mana Christians from St Marks Parish of Anglican on 25th December Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ, Rev Fr Elemia Phiri Dean of St Mark Parish Presided over the church Service. In his sermon Fr Phiri ask Christians to help the needy during Christmas time and ask Christian to spread the gospel of Birth of Jesus Christ. Malawi News Agency Photojournalist Gracian Jeke attended the Church Services and captured in camera
The History of Chelsea F.C
By Michael Kachitsa Chelsea was founded in 1905 by Gus Mears, an English businessman who had earlier bought the Stamford Bridge athletics stadium with the plan of transforming it into a football ground. His original idea was to rent it to an existing club, but after a deal with Fulham FC was halted, he got the idea to start a new club. While Chelsea were a reasonably consistent club for most of their history, people nowadays usually associate them with the football juggernaut they’ve become at the turn of the century; not much of a surprise, considering the club won the majority of their silverware in that period. Chelsea have won League titles, FA Cups and League Cups. They’ve also found success in Europe, becoming the only British club to win all three major UEFA trophies: the Cup Winners’ Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League. Chelsea would quickly prove to be a hit with the local supporters and established itself as the biggest club in the capital. In the late 1910s, the club became the first in Britain with an average attendance over 40,000. The huge attendance numbers made “The Pensioners”, a nickname for the team, to one of the richest clubs in the country and made it possible to pay well reputed players. Chelsea become also home for the first non-British player in the Football League, the Danish Nils Middelboe, who arrived to the club in 1913. Their first League title in 1955 was a shock for everyone, especially considering the club had finished in the bottom half of the league for most of the previous seasons. This unexpected success was not enough to turn their fortunes around, however, and the club soon returned to mediocrity. The mid-60s caught Chelsea at the height of their popularity, with many big-name celebrities becoming regular guests at Stamford Bridge. For the first time in their history, the club was seen as an actual contender. After securing their first League Cup in 1965, they followed it up with two more “firsts” by claiming an FA Cup in 1970 and a Cup Winners’ Cup in 1971.
Seige crowned 2021 Central Region Pool League champions
By Sylvester Kumwenda Lilongwe, Mana: Seige Pool Club from Lilongwe was officially been crowned Champions of the 2021 PJ Bites Central Region Pool League (CRPL) in an auspicious ceremony that took place on Saturday at PJ Bites Eatery in Lilongwe. The Team finished top of the table with 98 points having had an impressive record of 32 wins, two draws and four losses. Coach for Seige, Shonai Matewere said this was no mean achievement. “The competition was tough, but our secret was to train hard, set a standard for ourselves, instill utmost discipline and most importantly work as a family. “We know the next season competition will be even much tougher, but we are geared to defend our title, and where needed; beef up our squad as well,” he said. For finishing top of the K3 million worth league; Seige went away with K950,000.00, second placed team Oriental got K750,000.00 while third placed PJ Bites went away with K600,000.00. CRPL General Secretary, Christopher Njeula said he was impressed with the technicalities of the league as it has been running on a professional level, abiding to all league requirements, from start to finish. “It has been a very good season considering the background where we are coming from as we did not have the league for the past three years. And to have a league this year with 20 participating teams, we can say it was a success. “Going toward, we are looking forward for another brighter season where we expect an influx of sponsors considering the manner the league has been run, and also continued participation of the teams as well as new other teams,” he said. Njeula said the league did not face major hiccups but bemoaned the pull out of one team from Dowa. The top 10 teams received branded golf shirts each as an appreciation gesture. Captain for Kuyesa Pool Club, King Chaka congratulated the winning team and was impressed with the performance of his team, bearing in mind that the team is newly formed. “This is the first time to participate in the league, but if you can see our track record; it is very impressive. “We managed to pull a couple of big surprises which indicate we are team not to take for granted. We know we could have done even better but all we can do now is reflect on our overall performance and strategize for the next league,” he said.
Thyolo District Commissioner leads in sports day
By Moses Maseko Thyolo, Mana: Thyolo District Commissioner (DC), Douglas Moffat DC said sports is one of the events that bring together lots of people regardless of their affiliations. On Friday, he led hundreds of people in a Sports Day organized by Department of Youth and Sports in the district. The Sports Day started with a big walk from the DCs office to Thyolo Secondary School where several sporting activities including netball, volleyball and football took place. “We organized these sporting activities in order to have a day to relax from COVID-19 stresses and it is one way of keeping our body strong thereby preventing other diseases. “At the same time it unites us because this event mobilizes the youth, police officers, prison officers and other staff members to come together and refresh before going on holiday,” Moffat said. Thyolo District Director of Education, Youth and Sports, Chrissy Chinsale thanked the organizers of the events saying it was important to have such activities for it has a positive impact by bringing officers of different departments at the Council together and know each other. She commended the youth in the district for coming in large number to attend and participate in the event while reminding them that they do not have to relax in this holiday but they should take it as their advantage to study hard so that when school reopens this coming January they should not be blank in their heads. “Am encouraging youth to take part in these activities so that they should prevent doing bad activities that can lead them to contact HIV and unwanted pregnancies,” Chisale added. District Sports Officer, Oga Mlambe announced that her office would have a Bonanza which would take place during this year’s festive season holiday in order to pave way for youth to interact in sporting activities in the district. She said,” the Bonanza is only in the two major sporting activities, Netball and Football and will be taking place every year during the festive season holiday”. Mlambe urged government to quickly finish Thyolo Community Stadium construction which has missed completion deadline several times. ‘’We thank government for continuing with the construction of Thyolo Community Stadium which is under way, and we are asking them to finish the project as soon as possible as it will reduce the challenge of borrowing grounds from Thyolo Secondary School when we want to conduct any sporting activity,” she said.
Elsewedy Electric to invest US$1 billion in Malawi
By Sylvester Kumwenda Lilongwe, Mana: Minister of Trade, Sosten Gwengwe has announced a US$1 Billion investment package from Egyptian company Elsewedy Electric. The Memorandum of Intent (MoI) will see Elsewedy Electric invest in the country in various projects like construction of 100 MW Solar PV Power Plant, construction of Hydro power Project, construction of a dry port and roads. It targets the construction of two five stars hotels, E/Digital Trade, manufacturing and supply of cables and accessories, transformers, electrical and water meters. “The importance of this US$ 1 billion investment to this country cannot be overemphasised as it will assist in reducing challenges in the power as well as water sector, e-commerce, transportation of goods especially in cross-border trade and many more. “Furthermore, the investment will see government achieving the objective of creating jobs for the youth, as the investor is also interested in a number of sectors that will employ a lot of our youth,” Gwengwe said in a press conference in Lilongwe. He added saying investment deal would hugely promote the country’s economy as there would be foreign direct investment, increased manufacturing base, import substitution of some electronic and water accessories, and improved hospitality industry. The Minister said this would improve electronic systems in various sectors the economy. The MoI for the deal was signed on November 16, 2021, following an earlier meeting between President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera and President for El Sewedy Electric, during the Intra-African Trade Fair in Durban, South Africa. Other trade deals the country has recently secured include a US$50 million maize grain exports to Angola and a US$40 million deal for various agricultural commodities with Botswana. Country Director for El Sewedy Electric,Heba Samir said her firm was excited about the deal and said they would align its operations towards Malawi 2063. “Our priority is the priority of the government according to the national development plan. But we would love to start by improving the power infrastructure because power is the essential in developing sectors lie tourism, transport, industry. Power is needed in almost everything,” she said.
Zomba Police empowers Community Policing Forums
By Madalitso Kachingwe Zomba, Mana: Zomba Police Wednesday engaged its community policing forums on how to manage and curb crimes. The interface meeting chaired by the new Zomba police station’s Officer In-charge, Greadwik Mangazi was also aimed at cementing the cordial relationship between the police and members of the forums. Speaking during the meeting at Chinamwali Markert square in Chinamwali Township, Mangazi emphasized on the need for proper coordination between the police and citizens. Mangazi said police on its own cannot manage to curb all crimes but depends on other partners such as the community policing forums who are closer to citizens. “If we work together and watch each other’s back, we should be able to completely reduce crime occurrences and by that, create a safe and secured environment. “Our meeting today is purposely aimed at strengthening our relation and discuss on how best to make Zomba a peaceful and violent free district,” Mangazi said. The police boss said his office would always provide support to the community policing forums and all those willing to support the cause. “We are ready to provide you with the necessary equipment so that you operate with full force but in accordance with laws of Malawi,” he said. Chairperson for Chinamwali Community Policing Forum, Earnest Kazembe appreciated the meeting, which he said boosted their morale to work, even extra hard. Kazembe said given the necessary support, the community policing forums are the best as they have the capacity of reducing crime rates in the district. “Honestly, our interaction today has motivated us and rejuvenated our confidence. We are therefore optimistic that we would be very ready to bring perpetrators to book because we have support from the police. “Not only that, the knowledge acquired today would enable us to better handle crime committed within our vicinities,” Kazembe explained. During the event, police handed over reflectors and other defensive materials to members of the community forums.
Mchinji Council calls on youth to engage in mushroom farming
By Sarah Munthali Mchinji, Mana: Director of Agriculture Environment and Natural Resources for Mchinji District, Evelyn Chima has encouraged youth in the district to venture into mushroom farming saying it was profitable and can empower them economically. She was speaking in Kholoni in Mchinji on Saturday during a symposium for young farmers in Mushroom production through the EYA! Project implemented by Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Malawi with support from GIZ-Germany. ”Mushroom is a very profitable product, because it is produced in a small space and as a council we are promoting its farming so that young farmers can make money,” Chima said. The Director advised the mushroom farmers to improve their nutrition status by consuming the mushrooms saying mushrooms are a source of vitamins. She commended DAPP and GIZ for implementing the project in the district which would help the young farmers improve their livelihoods. Technical Advisor for Starter Promotion and ICT Innovations for GIZ, Bright Chidzumeni said the EYA project in collaboration with DAPP which started in November 2020 was aimed at improving employment situation in rural areas by targeting the youth and giving them an economic intervention they should be engaged in, rather than the typical agricultural activities. “The EYA project recruited 80 youth in January 2021 to be trained in mushroom production as a way to increase their income earnings. The youths were put in eight groups in four different villages where they constructed mushroom houses for production,” he stated. The Project is worth K43 million which will end in February 2022 and based on evaluation it may be scaled up to target more youth. One of the beneficiaries, Doris Phiri said she and other youths in Kholoni Traditional Authority (TA) Mlonyeni are able to practice what they had been taught throughout the course of the project. “We have managed to identify markets for our mushrooms although we would like more people to buy from us,” she said. Phiri said the mushroom business has helped her earn income for her family and other members of her Mwayiwathu Club.
Utilize Zokonda Amayi for women development – Kaliati
By Sylvester Kumwenda Lilongwe, Mana: Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati has urged women belonging to Zokonda Amayi radio programme to utilize the group in enhancing women empowerment for their personal, community and national development. Started in 1971, Zokonda Amayi is a Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) radio programme targeting women which has over the years evolved into a community, linking women across the country, creating relationships and engaged women in socio-economic and community developmental activities. On Friday, women representatives from various Zokonda Amayi clubs across the country had their annual gathering at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC), to share experiences and celebrate the end of the year. Kaliati urged the women to use the community as a tool for transforming women’s fortunes. “The gathering is very critical because it provides an opportunity for women to interact, cerebrate and strengthen their bonds. “But this should go beyond that, this should be a tool of creating women who are social economically self-reliant. This should be a platform where women create solutions to the challenges women are facing in different fronts like COVID-19, sexual and economic exploitation, and other abuses against women,” she said. In their localities, the women are engaged in various activities like women empowerment, interactions, taking care of sick people, orphans, the elderly and other developmental activities. Kaliati called upon the women to fight other cultural activities which she said are detrimental in women development like ‘chokolo’ and ‘kulowa kufa‘ practices. The Minister reminded women to be providing good care to their children as government will prosecute everyone who abuses children. “On the other hand, women should not be a source of disputes and abuse in our houses or communities. Let us continue to pray for peace of mind and Gods guidance when we are facing challenges, and not resort into creating tension or violence,” Kaliati said. She said that government has put in place various policies to help develop women in the country like cash transfer programs, programs on disability, governance amongst others. “I would also like all of the women across the country to familiarize themselves with different laws that protect women like labour laws and marriage and divorce laws so that women can better protect themselves when need arises,” Kaliati said. Board Chair for MBC Rev. Vasco Kachipapa said this should be a reminder for the important role women play in the communities. He said the unity that the women show through the programme was the catalyst for development of any society. “The Zokonda Amayi programme only happens and achieves just because of unity “Even the unity we see when our religious or political affiliations differ, the unity in our workplaces is championed by women. This just shows that women are essential in our development and if we empower women, we are likely to succeed as a country. Men have a lot to learn from women,” Kachipapa said. He urged women to get vaccinated against COVID-19 saying this would help protect them against the disease and render them a chance to perform their activities with ease. News and Programmes Director for MBC.Zilanie Phiri said the flagship programme has helped bring women thousands of women into a family, where they keep check on each other, share ideas, get entertained and achieve the extraordinary. “As MBC, we are continuing with this initiative because it has proven to be of great benefit to our women and the communities they live in,” she said. Regional Chair for Zokonda Amayi in the Central Region,Mary Chilenje said the grouping would continue with its activities ranging from social interactions to charity activities.
Luno introduces Ripple to its platform
By Michael Kachitsa As altcoins continue to perform well this year, South Africa’s largest cryptocurrency exchange has added the ability for its customers to trade Ripple (XRP) on its platform. Ripple is the third-largest digital asset with a current market value of US$12.5 billion and soon be traded on Luno. Luno’s 3.5 million customers across 40 countries can already access Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). Demand for Ripple has grown and it will be available on the Luno exchange from 3 March 2020. All customers will be able to trade Ripple on the Luno platform at a reduced fee for the first 30 days. Luno is a top-ten rated global cryptocurrency exchange and has handled US$8 billion in transactions. It provides investors, traders and businesses the ability to buy, store and learn about digital currencies, in a secure environment. Last year, Luno asked a sample of customers which coins they would most like to see added to the platform. The survey found that Ripple was the coin they most wanted to buy. The interest in XRP has been building for some time, as many banks and networks use Ripple to provide fast, low-cost cross-border payments. Says Marius Reitz, Luno’s general manager for Africa, “2020 has been an interesting year for altcoins, many of which are outperforming Bitcoin which is up 35% this year, Ethereum is up 104%, Bitcoin Cash is up 87% and Ripple is up 41%.” Marcus Swanepoel, Luno CEO, comments: “We have always limited the number of coins we offer, only listing digital currencies which have liquidity, are secure and have the utility which will benefit our clients. While cryptocurrencies are still in their infancy, coins like XRP demonstrate the benefits that blockchain-based assets can offer. 2020 looks as though it will be another very important year for the sector as more people use digital coins as part of their day-to-day finances.” Ripple was launched in 2012 and is an open source real-time gross settlement, currency exchange and remittance network, which is designed to facilitate cost-free cross-border transactions. Ripple’s use of distributed ledger technology is seen as an ideal fit for transparent, fast and effective payments which has led to XRP being brought-in to handle international remittances in a number of banks. Swanepoel adds, “Ripple is the first digital currency to be adopted by mainstream financial institutions. We have always highlighted the benefit digital currencies can offer millions of people, so to have a coin with a genuine utility function which is being adopted by banks is great news. Offering Ripple on the Luno exchange has potential benefits for thousands of Luno customers, especially those in developing markets who rely on cryptocurrencies to handle money into and out of their businesses.”
Catholic women urged to help conserve the environment
By George Mponda Dedza, Mana: Catholic women in Malawi have been urged to play an active role in efforts to conserve the environment. Rt. Rev Bishop, Adrian Chifukwa of Dedza Diocese made the call Thursday during the launch of the Catholic Women’s Organization (CWO) National Annual General meeting at Bembeke Cathedral in Dedza. He said although women are oppressed in most activities, they remain key players in every day aspects of life therefore they need to be active in making sure that they are contributing towards solving the problems were are facing. Chifukwa said, “God commands humans to care for the environment and it is a sin to commit a crime against the natural world. As women we need to make efforts to plant trees every year as you can see we are currently facing adverse weather conditions due to squandering of earths valuable resources.” The Bishop advised women to have sizeable families which they can easily manage to ensure that there is no overpopulation which will in turn reduce pressure on resources in the process preventing the destruction of the biological diversity of God’s creation. National Chairperson of CWO, Lucy Khoviwa said it was imperative that women who are in large numbers in the church should be in the fore front condemning the destruction of mother earth. “God entrusted the Earth and its resources to our care so as women we have a mandate to act in order to save God’s garden and in the process ensure that some species do not become extinct, deforestation is reduced and effects of climate change which are causing rains to fall erratically should be ended,” he said. Former Member of Parliament for Dedza East, Juliana Lunguzi stressed the need for women to avoid having too many children. “Families should bear children that they can manage to take care of because currently, money that could have been used for other development projects is being spent on aiding children whose parents are failing their duty,” she said.