Illovo Sugar MD Katandula urges Malawians to embrace the spirit of ‘Umunthu’ to create a thriving community

Katandula; this is at the very heart of our purpose

* The society at large is living in a time where the spirit of ‘Umunthu’ is the only way we are going to overcome all the challenges being faced

* ‘Umunthu’ is capacity of the African culture to express compassion; reciprocity; dignity; humanity and mutuality

* In the interests of building and maintaining communities with justice and mutual caring as described by late Desmond Tutu

Analysis by Duncan Mlanjira

Illovo Sugar Malawi Plc’s Motto is ‘Living in a Thriving Malawian Community’, which Managing Director, Lekani Katandula describes as a spirit of ‘Umunthu’ that can help create a thriving Malawian community if every citizenry embraced it “in whatever industry; profession; ethnicity; tribe or culture”.

He said this on Wednesday at St. Montfort Hospital in Nchalo, Chikwawa when Illovo presented a donation of a state-of-the-art blood bank with a capacity of 1,000 pints as a response to the request made by Malawi Blood Transfusion Services (MBTS).

Katandula said the vital equipment, done in the spirit of ‘Umunthu’, will enhance blood collection for Lower Shire health services for both districts of the Lower Shire — two district hospitals of Nsanje and Chikwawa; St. Montfort, Trinity, Ngabu Rural and Kalemba Mission hospitals.

Katandula said society at large is “living in a time where the spirit of ‘Umunthu’ is the only way we are going to overcome all the challenges being faced”.

He then quoted South African spiritual leader, late Desmond Tutu as describing ‘Umunthu’ as ‘capacity of the African culture to express compassion; reciprocity; dignity; humanity and mutuality in the interests of building and maintaining communities with justice and mutual caring’.

“This is at the very heart of our purpose as Illovo where we continue to deploy efforts aimed at creating a thriving Malawian community through the provision of affordable food and energy,” he said.

“However, we understand that our role is bigger than just the provision of products and services — we cannot afford to take a passive role in issues of community, health, education and other social welfare aspects.”

He highlighted that through this response, Illovo continues to play a key role in social issues that include CoVID-19 pandemic interventions, general health care, education, grower extension services, community development services and more recently relief and support work as response to Cyclone Ana — that hit the Lower Shire the hardest.

He went further to say that there are many pressures facing the world at the moment, one of which is climate change as evidenced more through the aggressive weather related disasters such as Cyclone Ana and others before it recorded in Malawi and globally.

“This include heavy rains and floods in Brazil, Iran and Madagascar; heavy snowfall in Turkey, Pakistan and the US; wildfires in Spain and Argentina as well as heavy winds, flooding and snowfall in central parts of the United Kingdom.

“It is our commitment to continue to play an activity role towards tackling issues of climate change and the adverse effects it can have on the livelihoods of people.

“Building a better understanding within the community will enable us to collectively work together towards initiatives that will assist in mitigating further disasters.”

He explained that he was talking of climate change and its impact when the event was about donating a blood bank, saying he felt it pertinent to discuss it “considering the current crisis in the Lower Shire including some parts of the country that was created as a result of Cyclone Ana”.

“This unfortunate natural disaster was just another sign of how real and relevant issues of climate change are and the impact it can have on communities.”

While Katandula spoke of this from his heart, this is also what Norway’s Minister of International Development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim and UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President, Gilbert F. Houngbo discussed with President Lazarus Chakwera when they visited Malawi Monday, February 27 in the wake of the storms to discuss climate resilience and hunger.

The trip was necessitated as Malawian farmers are still reeling from Tropical Cyclone Ana and other storms that followed that devastated crops and livelihoods in recent weeks.

They met the country’s leadership and small-scale farmers to discuss the impacts of climate change, and ways to build resilience, taking cognizance that “extreme weather events have increased globally and have recently wreaked destruction in Malawi — and it is the small-scale farmers who are feeling the brunt of it”.

Thus their visit was for some urgent calls “to step up investments in adaptation and resilience to ensure that climate change does not deepen hunger and poverty — of which Katandula alludes to when he urged Malawians to embrace the spirit of Umunthu.

He emphasized that the importance of health care cannot be overemphasized and this is why in their 2021 financial year, Illovo invested over K900 million in the provision of health care for their staff and members of the sorrounding communities of Nchalo and Nkhotakota.

“The company currently has 8 clinics which are staffed with full time medical doctors as clinical staff. We provide for maternity care and proactive programs aimed at controlling malaria, bilharzia and HIV/Aids.

“In the past two years have included CoVID-19 preventive and containment programmes including vaccination.”

He encouraged the gathering to get vaccinated, saying if they have doubts about CoVID-19 vaccines, he was amongst the first to be fully vaccinated and that he has also got his booster jab.

“I am enjoying a full and healthy life — I hope that helps the doubters among us get over that doubt and get vaccinated or indeed get your booster jab to be safer.”

He added that the enablers of MW2063 agenda specifically undertakes necessary steps to address human challenges such as health and Illovo is “mindful that due to many priories requiring funding, the government may not be in a position to provide all public services in a timely manner”

“That is why when we received the request from the Malawi Blood Transfusion Services for the provision of a blood bank fridge, we did not hesitate but steeped in.”

Thus Katandula emphasized that they have played their role “but it is not enough” — it is my hope that other companies also take up this call for support to MBTS for this noble cause” and that this calls for all communities in the Lower Shire and across the country “to be donating blood when requested as we know that it can be safely stored to save lives.”

This is all in the spirit of ‘Umunthu’ as described by late Desmond Tutu that it is the “capacity of the African culture to express compassion; reciprocity; dignity; humanity and mutuality in the interests of building and maintaining communities with justice and mutual caring”.

In October last year, Illovo Sugar and its business partner Unitrans donated three patrol vehicles to Chikwawa police service to enhance security patrols in order to crackdown rampant crime rate that affects the company’s business operations as well as Nchalo and Ngabu communities.

Illovo Sugar, with support from Garda World, also rehabilitated Ngabu and Nchalo police posts and Illovo Sugar also donated equipment to Chikwawa Police that included torches, whistles and reflective jackets to give to community policing service that work in liaison with the MPS. of Nchalo Police Station.

“This was done as a serious concern for both the Illovo Nchalo operations and the wider Nchalo-Ngabu community after been a victim of crimes such as theft of domestic animals and crops, while Illovo has had stolen cane and agriculture equipment amongst others.

The whole process was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Homeland Affairs and with liaison of Chikwawa, Nchalo and Ngabu police, they resuscitated 23 community policing forums in the communities surrounding the estate.

And to inspire the community policing forums, Illovo also introduced specific rewards for arrests made as well as successful prosecutions in relation to theft of its company equipment and as of October, 39 arrests were made by community policing forums of which 10 of the arrested individuals were successfully convicted.

Inspector General of Police George Kainja was present to receive the support and in his vote of thanks, he said the police is mandated to ensure that economic activities in the country are conducted in a conducive environment, which is free of crime but the Service fails to be as vigilant as it is supposed to be because of lack of resources such as patrol cars.

“Robbers are now targeting rural communities because they know the risk of being arrested is slim taking cognizance of the mobility challenges the police face,” he said.

“We thus need trusted partners to assist us with resources of this nature to jointly crackdown on rising rate of crime, especially in rural communities like Chikwawa where economic activities attract criminals.”

Also present was the then Deputy Minister of Lands, Abida Mia — now for Water & Sanitation who is also Member of Parliament for the area of Chikwawa Mkombezi — who acknowledged that the donation of the three vehicles happened at a time when need for good transportation by the security officers was so acute.

“As public institutions, police stations, posts and units deserve a better outlook that instills a sense of pride and confidence in both the officers and members of the general public. Together with one spirit we can hold hands to make things happen,” she said.