Author: Lester Mhone

The Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe has taken a strong stance against child marriages, a practice that the Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Mwakhwawa describing it as an “evil that destroys” the lives of young people and contributes to national poverty.

Speaking recently during a sacrament of confirmation at Msukuwala zone in Guillime Parish (Mchinji), Bishop Mwakhwawa addressed the issue of child marriage, which he noted is common in rural communities.

The bishop emphasized the importance of safeguarding children’s rights and encouraged parents to resist pushing their children into early unions.

“We as church leaders, we take this opportunity of such celebrations, such gatherings of adolescents, that they should love school,” he stated.

Bishop Mwakhwawa also appealed to the adolescents to focus on their education and future goals, rather than rushing into marriage.

He acknowledged that poverty often drives the practice, with some parents pushing their children into marriage because they cannot afford school fees.

“It was very clear here that parents also are encouraging this kind of bad practice, noting that some parents may even seek to gain income from the weddings,” the bishop said.

Hislordship mentioned that the church, in collaboration with the government and other organizations, is actively working to combat this trend.

He urged parents and young people to prioritize education, which he said is essential for personal growth and for the development of the nation.

“Through this celebration, we have encouraged young people to love school and also have ambitions of getting education that they can save the country in their various capacities when they finish school,” Bishop Mwakhwawa concluded.

By Lester Mhone

Stakeholders promoting agroecology interventions in the country have expressed optimism about the farming system’s potential after a field visit in Dowa district.

The visit was part of the practical session of the ongoing National Agroecology Conference, where participants on Wednesday, toured a Lilongwe archdiocese’s Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM) project site, under Traditional Authority (T/A) Mponela, to gain firsthand experience with agroecology.

One of the participating farmers, Catherine Masiza from Kadyamaliro Section, described the agroecology farming system as a relief to the rising cost of farm input and the degraded soils.

‘’I have seen some impact of the agroecology; in my garden I no longer buy fertilizer to apply as the soils have been improved through the use of compost manure.’’ She explained.

A member of the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) and a farmer from Eko Tione Farms, Tione Matthews Pwandapwanda, who are among the stakeholders, emphasized the crucial role of practical field visits in promoting agroecology.

 

“For us to encourage people, we need to show them what is working on the ground, the field visit was a deliberate effort to provide participants with an opportunity to witness what others are already doing, thereby helping them appreciate the importance of agroecology,” he said.

Pwandapwanda expressed his positive impression of the work at Mponela EPA, highlighting the special household gardens and the use of seed banks, where he observed farmers conserving and storing seeds for the next season using traditional, local methods.

“This is very impressive, and it is in line with the agroecology principles,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Agricultural Extension Development Officer for the Kadyamaliro Section under Mponela EPA, Ephraim Mlamba, praised CADECOM for aligning its project with government agricultural policies.

“This project is very important to us and also to farmers because as the Malawi government, we are encouraging farmers to do integrated household farming and also use of organic fertilizers, So CADECOM has brought that in another way of agroecology. So, it’s very useful and it’s very important,” Mlamba said.

CADECOM’s Acting Secretary, Madalitso Chilalire, described the event an eye-opener as it has helped them identify areas for improvement.

“Today’s event was mainly the practical part of the 2025 National Agroecology Conference, whereby participants decided to have an experiential learning or to experience what agroecology really looks like on the ground,” he said.

Discussions focused on various aspects of agroecology, including constructing goat sheds, improving plant interrelations, compost manure making, establishing seed banks and the use of biological pesticides.

Chilalire expressed great satisfaction with the level of adoption among farmers, which has exceeded their initial expectations.

“A number of farmers have adopted, and some are doing it even though they are not part of the project,” he said.

He added that while each CADECOM agroecology champion is responsible for training nine farmers, many have exceeded this number due to high demand and positive results.

“We are in good shape; we are heading in the right direction,” Chilalire concluded.

CADECOM is implementing the project in Dowa and Ntchisi districts with funding from NCA-DCA alliance, with the aim of promoting transition toward more sustainable, integrated, and resilient farming.

By Lester Mhone

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has reaffirmed its commitment in ensuring that Malawi hosts free, fair, and credible elections by making sure that peace prevails across the country.

This commitment has been made during a training of trainers’ academy on electoral management skills in Lilongwe, ahead of the 16 September general elections.

 

CCJP Programs Officer Gollie Khonje, highlighted that CCJP believes preventing conflicts and ensuring everyone’s participation in free and fair elections is crucial for the nation.

“We believe that conflict can arise from embedded issues that have happened before and are also happening now. So, we believe if we pinpoint those issues, we can be able to prevent violence,” explained Khonje.

Khonje called for collaborative efforts among various stakeholders if the nation is to achieve its goal of having free, fair, and violence-free elections, observing the current state of peace as worrisome.

“I think we’re not doing well. I would say there’s more that we need to do to prevent any escalation beyond this point. So, we believe if indeed we can take part in this, any initiatives that are there, we can do it,” she added.

In his remarks, CCJP Acting Coordinator in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe and a participant in the training, Fletcher Mbewe, expressed confidence that the knowledge gained will help them sensitize communities on the need for peace.

“As you know, CCJP, we advocate for peaceful elections. So, with these coming elections, we are supposed to take part in making sure that these elections are free and fair, and also, we need to sensitize those people about the importance of them taking part in elections,” Mbewe said.

Mbewe then committed to championing the message of peace in communities to achieve the goal of a peaceful election.

“We have to go to the communities and make sure we sensitize them. So, as far as elections are concerned, they should, one, take part in the electoral process. They should also avoid getting involved in violent activities. And also, they should also make sure they manage conflicts when they arise,” he added.

As September 16 draws closer, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) will on Monday, 14 July, launch the official campaign period, with a number of stakeholders calling for unity and tolerance among various political parties for the period to be violence-free.

 

The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) says the country is not fully prepared to conduct a free and fair campaign period, citing recent events that the organisation believes undermine the democratic process.

The organization’s assessment comes in light of recent violence, believed to have been fuelled by political differences.

“Considering the recent events that have occurred in the country, we would say that, as a country, we are probably not yet ready to have a truly free and fair election,” explained Denis Mwafulirwa, CHRR Programs Officer, in an interview.

“When we talk about a free and fair election, we are also looking at whether people are free to express themselves in a way that is not disrupted, whether by the state or by any other actor, operating independently or under influence. Looking at the incidents that have happened, I would say that as a country, we are still not ready.”

Mwafulirwa’s remarks come as the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is set to launch the official campaign period for the September 16 general elections on July 14, 2025.

According to Mwafulirwa, the incidents witnessed recently suggest a shortfall in this fundamental aspect of electoral freedom.

“Looking at the incidents that have happened, I would say that as a country we are still not ready,” he reiterated.

He emphasized the critical role of political leaders and parties, as well as institutions entrusted with maintaining safety and security, including the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Defence Force. He urged them to ensure they are helping to create an environment that is free for all.

“Looking at how political leaders themselves, and political parties themselves, have handled situations like this, including those institutions mandated to provide safety and security, the Malawi Police, the Malawi Defence Force, we are in a situation where we need to ask ourselves what we need to do to make sure that the upcoming elections, especially the campaign, create an environment that is free and fair for everyone,” he urged.

The country has been grappling with political violence, with various incidents recorded, mostly among major political parties, as the September 16 general elections draw closer.