First line of defense against COVID-19 is the general public itself — Chakwera

By Duncan Mlanjira While health care workers and health facilities are the last line of defense against infectious diseases like COVID-19, President Lazarus Chakwera reiterates that the general public itself is the first line of defense. The President announced this on Saturday during his weekly national address in which he was reporting on the status of the country’s fight against the Coronavirus pandemic after meeting the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 to assess the situation. He reported that the number…

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Muslim community infuriated by removal of billboard deemed offensive by Christian community

By Duncan Mlanjira The controversial billboard that was erected by Islamic Information Bureau at Maselema near Toyota Malawi in Limbe and was removed by Blantyre City Council, has taken a new twist as the Muslim community is infuriated by its removal and is ‘demanding’ for its immediate restoration. In a letter to Blantyre City Council’s chief executive officer dated Thursday, July 30, the Islamic Information Bureau — through national coordinator Sheikh Ahmed Chienda — says it is appalled by…

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Total COVID-19 related deaths now at 120; Cumulatively Malawi has recorded 4,186 cases since April

By Duncan Mlanjira Saturday’s COVID-19 situation update says Malawi has registered 108 new COVID-19 cases, 39 new recoveries and six new deaths, bring the deaths to 120 since April when the country recorded its first three cases. A situation report from co-chairperson of Presidential Taskforce Force on COVID-19, Dr. John Phuka says two of the deaths are from Lilongwe and one from Likoma. The other three deaths are from Lilongwe — two occurred on 27th July and one occurred…

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ESCOM employees contributing to illegal power supply connections; Disconnects 20 houses in Bangwe

Maravi Express Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has disclosed that some of their employees, both active and former staff members, are contributing to illegal power supply connections. This was disclosed on Friday, July 31 by ESCOM’s Public Relations Manager, Innocent Chitosi when the power utility supplier disconnected a total 40 houses at Nthandizi in Limbe’s Bangwe township for illegal connections. In its ‘Random Inspections Exercise’ of electricity, ESCOM discovered that some of their customers, Horrace Khan and Mabvuto Kapyepye,…

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NBS Bank, NBS Forex Bureau record half-year MK3.7bln profit before tax

By Duncan Mlanjira NBS Bank Plc and NBS Forex Bureau have recorded a profit before tax of MK3.7 billion for the six months ended 30th June 2020 and net profit after tax of MK2.8 billion. The profit before tax is up from MK2.1 billion in the same period in 2019 that had a net profit after tax of MK1.4 billion. Due to this impressive performance, the Bank’s Board of Directors has recommended the payment of an interim dividend for…

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COVID-19 changes Ntcheu’s Makwangwala community’s burial ceremony practices

By Maston Kaiya, MANA Ntcheu’s Group Village Headman Makwangwala says the advent of COVID-19 has changed some of the burial ceremony practices in the district’s Traditional Authority Makwangwala’s communities. The local leader said cultural practices are usually hard to change, but the pandemic has forced communities to do things differently. “Not long ago, we would wait for as many people as possible to come to for funeral virgil before going for burial,” said he Group Village Head Makwangwala during…

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Minister delighted with reduction of Airtel’s data tariffs; But asks company to do more

By Trouble Ziba, MANA Minister of Information, Gospel Kazako says he is delighted at Airtel’s decision to increase data benefits for its customers and reducing Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) tariffs, but has asked the mobile operator to do more to accord Malawians affordable ICT services. Airtel Malawi, one of the country’s top mobile phone service providers, announced on Thursday at a press briefing in Lilongwe that it would increase value of data bundles to make internet connectivity more affordable effective Monday,…

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