Author: Alinafe Comms

Lotus Resources Limited, an Australian mining company, has announced plans to resume operations at the Kayerekera uranium mine in Karonga district in June. The mine has been closed since 2014 due to consistently low uranium prices.

 

This was disclosed on Wednesday during a meeting which Lotus Resources Limited officials held with the Minister of Mining Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma at the ministry’s offices in Lilongwe.

 

Lotus Resources Limited Managing Director Greg Bittar, said the company is on the right track to resume mining operations and processes within the third quarter of the year.

 

Bittar further said the company has already employed over 300 local workers at the site.

 

“Operations will resume in June 2025 with production of the first product expected one or two months after the resumption of production,” he said.

 

Bittar added that the company signed the Community Development Agreement (CDA) in January, 2025 for the company to provide a broad support to the local communities.

 

Bittar highlighted that the company is working on environmental assessment issues as currently a draft on the same has been submitted to Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA).

 

In his remarks, Mining minister Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma underscored the importance of community participation in the Mining activities, which is essential for the country to achieve its flagship ATM (Affordable Technology and Mining) strategy.

 

He expressed the government’s commitment to collaborating with the company to facilitate mining activities.

 

Meanwhile,the Minister expressed optimism that the economy will improve, considering that the closure of the Kayerekera uranium mine had a detrimental impact on the country’s financial health.

 

Lotus Resources Limited owns 85% of the Kayerekera Uranium project in Malawi.

The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) has launched the Global Money Week which seeks to raise financial literacy among young and to help them gradually acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed to make wise financial decisions and eventually attain financial resilience and well-being.

 

Speaking during the launch on Monday at Bangwe Secondary School in Blantyre, RBM’s Chief Examiner – Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy Madalitso Chamba urged the young people in the country to embrace the culture of saving money saying it is critical for their future.

 

“We may say children have no money, but these children, they manage money. They have pocket money, and how they are spending that pocket money matters,” she stated.

 

She added that, “What is important for them are the resources. If somebody has 10,000, out of that 10,000 is a child able to serve. And whatever amount the child is serving, what are they doing with the savings? So those are the resources that we are teaching, that we are incorporating, so that when these students graduate from school, they are able to use those resources in their lives.”

 

A form-four student at Bangwe Secondary School, McCollin Petro discusses what he believes to be a crucial component of saving money.

 

“These messages are very good, in my opinion. I have been motivated because I believe that I have used money excessively in the past. However, I am determined to use money properly moving forward, especially since we will be going to the world after the exam” he explained.

 

According to the central bank, a number of activities have been lined up targeting students across the country to sensitize them on financial literacy.

 

This is the 13th edition of Global Money Week which is taking place from March 17-23, 2025. It began in 2012 and has now expanded to 176 countries, reaching over 60 million children and youth.

 

The week is being commemorated under the theme, “Think before you follow, wise money tomorrow”.

The Malawi Network of Older Persons’ Organisations (MANEPO) says older persons need to be reached with health services in the closest places possible if the country wants to achieve a better quality of life for them.

 

This has been singled out as the organization implements the BMZ Project, which aims to provide age-appropriate and integrated health services to older men and women in Zomba, Balaka, and Machinga districts, especially those afflicted with HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

 

BMZ project manager Maria Masiye says they have already trained healthcare workers, health surveillance assistants, and community volunteers to enhance health monitoring, including blood pressure checks in older people.

 

She says that through the promotion of inclusive healthcare policies, the establishment of community-based support networks, and attention to their unique health requirements, the project is improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare for older persons as one way of helping them live happily.

 

Masiye further states that this is one way of addressing challenges such as travel distance for those in need, citing long distances to health facilities in most areas.

 

The project which started in 2023 receives funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Help Age German.

 

Malawian minerals continue to attract investors, as Chilwa Minerals Limited, an Australian exploration minerals company has expressed its interest in rolling out its mineral exploration project in the country.

 

This has come out during a meeting which the founder and Managing Director for the company Cadell Buss hailed in Mzuzu with the Minister of mining Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma.

 

According to Buss, the company is centered around Chilwa Basin.

 

Buss also revealed that his company has a laboratory where some tests of the minerals will be happening.

 

He said: ” the discussions with the government of Malawi, through the ministry of mining are at an advanced stage, adding that there are prospects that the exploration of the minerals can start by August this year”.

 

On his part, Mining minister Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma expressed optimism that the country will benefit a lot with the coming of Chilwa Mineral Limited.

 

“Chilwa Mineral Limited has an established mineral lab in Zalewa which will help to reduce cost as for a long time the country has been doing its mineral test and analysis outside the country,” He said.

 

Chilwa Minerals Limited is advancing the Chilwa project in the southern Malawi , focusing on heavy minerals sand and rare earth elements and it is covering over 800 square kilometers.

Lilongwe City Mayor Esther Sagawa has emerged as the winner of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) primary elections for the Chipala-Nafisi Constituency.

Sagawa defeated the national director of political affairs in MCP Maxwell Thyolera, Gersom Stephano Banda and Nolia Kachali.

Sagawa secured 519 votes, Maxwell Thyolera came second with 297 followed by Nolia Kachali who got 63 votes while Gersom Stephano Banda got 27 votes.

Full of joy after being declared the winner at Civo Stadium on Tuesday 04 March 2025, Sagawa refused to speak to our reporter Jonathan Mzumazi while rushing to her supporters.

“I cannot manage to talk as of now,” she said.

Reacting to the outcome, MCP national director of political affairs Maxwell Thyolera accepted the defeat and congratulated Sagawa for her victory.

“Yes, it was a good fight, and I wish her well,” he said. “As a strong member of the MCP, I will continue to support the party, the delegate has decided,” he added.

During the poll, Elifala Kasumbu has been elected to represent MCP as wars councillor for Mgona Ward while Partrick Makumba will represent Saint Chimoka Ward.

By Jonathan Mzumazi

The Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB) has called upon well-wishers and Catholic faithful to contribute towards the upcoming first National Eucharistic Congress, scheduled for August 2025.

Bishop President for Evangelization and Catechists (Pastoral Commission) at the MCCB, Right Reverend Alfred Chaima, made the appeal during a press conference at the Catholic Secretariat in Lilongwe on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

Bishop Chaima emphasized the scale of the event, stating that, “it’s going to be a very big gathering and therefore we also need resources for the same. And for that reason, we are estimating that our budget may be about 112 million Malawi Kwacha.”

To finance the upcoming National Eucharistic Congress, His Lordship Chaima added that the Catholic Church in Malawi is implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy that includes the sale of commemorative merchandise like cloths, mugs, and dishes, the collection of special offerings within Catholic parishes and dioceses, and direct appeals for donations from individuals, families, and corporate entities, all aimed at reaching the required budget.

Bishop Chaima also extended an appeal to individuals and corporations. “But besides that, too, we will continue to make appeals for people of goodwill who can make personal donations or family donations, or maybe even people in the corporate world who can come up with any amount and say, we want to assist in this noble cause. We will gladly receive those donations.”

Bishop Chaima emphasized the profound significance and rarity of the upcoming National Eucharistic Congress, stating, “This, indeed, is a very rare moment in the Catholic Church.”

His Lordship explained that the congress serves as a dedicated period for in-depth study, worship of the Eucharist, and catechesis, aimed at strengthening the faith of attendees.

Drawing from Romans 5:5, he highlighted the congress’s focus on encountering the living Christ in the Eucharist, reinforcing hope and sustaining faith, especially for those facing daily challenges.

In his remarks, National Pastoral Coordinator, Father Joseph Sikwese, confirmed that preparations are progressing smoothly.

Father Sikwese stated that the church is distributing educational materials to prepare members for the Congress, anticipating a large attendance and hoping for spiritual healing during the five-day event.

“There will be some lessons, catechetical lessons that we’ve got to prepare the people for the Christ Congress. So, the resources have been prepared by the National Theological Commission and will be sent to all parishes now.”

The Congress will focus on the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, with catechetical lessons and worship.

By Peter Dumayo