/** * Nyasa Times category archive H1 cleanup. * Removes "Category:" / "Category archives:" style headings * and replaces key category headings with SEO-friendly names. */ add_filter( 'get_the_archive_title', function( $title ) { if ( ! is_category() ) { return $title; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return $title; } $titles = array( 'news' => 'Latest Malawi News', 'national' => 'Malawi National News', 'politics' => 'Malawi Politics News', 'business' => 'Malawi Business & Economy News', 'sports' => 'Malawi Sports News', 'education' => 'Malawi Education News', 'health' => 'Malawi Health News', 'entertainment' => 'Malawi Entertainment News', 'columns' => 'Malawi Opinion & Analysis', 'religious-news' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News', 'religion' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News', ); if ( isset( $titles[ $term->slug ] ) ) { return $titles[ $term->slug ]; } return single_cat_title( '', false ); }, 99 ); /** * Remove WordPress archive prefixes. */ add_filter( 'get_the_archive_title_prefix', '__return_empty_string' ); /** * Nyasa Times AIOSEO category title overrides. */ add_filter( 'aioseo_title', function( $title ) { if ( ! is_category() ) { return $title; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return $title; } $seo_titles = array( 'news' => 'Latest Malawi News | Breaking Updates & Public Interest Stories | Nyasa Times', 'national' => 'Malawi National News | Latest Local & Public Affairs | Nyasa Times', 'politics' => 'Malawi Politics News | Government, Parliament & Elections | Nyasa Times', 'business' => 'Malawi Business News | Economy, Banking, Trade & Jobs | Nyasa Times', 'sports' => 'Malawi Sports News | Football, Netball & National Teams | Nyasa Times', 'education' => 'Malawi Education News | Schools, Universities & Exams | Nyasa Times', 'health' => 'Malawi Health News | Hospitals, Public Health & Medicine | Nyasa Times', 'entertainment' => 'Malawi Entertainment News | Music, Culture & Events | Nyasa Times', 'columns' => 'Malawi Opinion & Analysis | Columns & Commentary | Nyasa Times', 'religious-news' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News | Churches & Community | Nyasa Times', 'religion' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News | Churches & Community | Nyasa Times', ); if ( isset( $seo_titles[ $term->slug ] ) ) { return $seo_titles[ $term->slug ]; } return $title; }, 99 ); /** * Nyasa Times category meta descriptions for AIOSEO. */ add_filter( 'aioseo_description', function( $description ) { if ( ! is_category() ) { return $description; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return $description; } $descriptions = array( 'news' => 'Latest Malawi news, breaking updates, public-interest stories, community developments and national reports from Nyasa Times.', 'national' => 'Read Malawi national news, public affairs, local updates, government services and community stories from Nyasa Times.', 'politics' => 'Latest Malawi politics news, elections, Parliament, government decisions, party updates, policy debate and analysis from Nyasa Times.', 'business' => 'Read Malawi business news, economy, banking, trade, investment, energy, agriculture, jobs and market updates from Nyasa Times.', 'sports' => 'Latest Malawi sports news, football, netball, athletics, clubs, national teams and Malawian athletes at home and abroad.', 'education' => 'Malawi education news on schools, universities, exams, scholarships, teachers, students, policy updates and learning developments.', 'health' => 'Malawi health news on hospitals, public health, disease outbreaks, medicine, maternal health, children’s health and health policy.', 'entertainment' => 'Malawi entertainment news on music, culture, film, fashion, celebrities, festivals, events and creative industry updates.', 'columns' => 'Read Malawi opinion, columns, editorials and analysis on politics, governance, business, society, leadership and development.', 'religious-news' => 'Malawi religious news, church updates, faith events, Christian community stories, religious leaders and social impact coverage.', 'religion' => 'Malawi religious news, church updates, faith events, Christian community stories, religious leaders and social impact coverage.', ); if ( isset( $descriptions[ $term->slug ] ) ) { return $descriptions[ $term->slug ]; } return $description; }, 99 ); /** * Display category description before the article list * when the theme does not output it. */ add_action( 'loop_start', function( $query ) { if ( ! is_category() || ! $query->is_main_query() || is_admin() ) { return; } static $shown = false; if ( $shown ) { return; } $shown = true; $description = category_description(); if ( empty( trim( wp_strip_all_tags( $description ) ) ) ) { return; } echo '

'; echo wp_kses_post( $description ); echo '

'; } );/** * NYASA TIMES SEO + ARCHIVE FIX * */ if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) { exit; } /** * ------------------------------------------------------- * 1. CATEGORY CONFIGURATION * ------------------------------------------------------- */ function nyasa_category_seo_data() { return array( 'news' => array( 'h1' => 'Latest Malawi News', 'title' => 'Latest Malawi News | Breaking Updates & Public Interest Stories | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Latest Malawi news, breaking updates, public-interest stories, community developments and national reports from Nyasa Times.', ), 'national' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi National News', 'title' => 'Malawi National News | Latest Local & Public Affairs | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Read Malawi national news, public affairs, local updates, government services and community stories from Nyasa Times.', ), 'politics' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Politics News', 'title' => 'Malawi Politics News | Government, Parliament & Elections | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Latest Malawi politics news, elections, Parliament, government decisions, party updates, policy debate and analysis from Nyasa Times.', ), 'business' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Business & Economy News', 'title' => 'Malawi Business News | Economy, Banking & Markets | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Read Malawi business news, economy, banking, trade, investment, energy, agriculture, jobs and market updates from Nyasa Times.', ), 'sports' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Sports News', 'title' => 'Malawi Sports News | Football, Netball & National Teams | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Latest Malawi sports news, football, netball, athletics, clubs, national teams and Malawian athletes at home and abroad.', ), 'education' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Education News', 'title' => 'Malawi Education News | Schools, Universities & Exams | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Malawi education news on schools, universities, exams, scholarships, teachers, students, policy updates and learning developments.', ), 'health' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Health News', 'title' => 'Malawi Health News | Healthcare & Public Health | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Malawi health news on hospitals, public health, disease outbreaks, medicine, maternal health, children’s health and health policy.', ), 'entertainment' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Entertainment News', 'title' => 'Malawi Entertainment News | Music, Culture & Celebrities | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Malawi entertainment news on music, culture, film, fashion, celebrities, festivals, events and creative industry updates.', ), 'columns' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Opinion & Analysis', 'title' => 'Malawi Opinion & Analysis | Columns & Commentary | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Read Malawi opinion, columns, editorials and analysis on politics, governance, business, society, leadership and development.', ), 'religious-news' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News', 'title' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News | Churches & Community | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Malawi religious news, church updates, faith events, Christian community stories, religious leaders and social impact coverage.', ), 'religion' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News', 'title' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News | Churches & Community | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Malawi religious news, church updates, faith events, Christian community stories, religious leaders and social impact coverage.', ), ); } /** * ------------------------------------------------------- * 2. FIX VISIBLE CATEGORY H1 * ------------------------------------------------------- * * Converts: * Category archives: Latest Malawi News * * Into: * Latest Malawi News */ add_filter( 'get_the_archive_title', function ( $title, $original_title = '', $prefix = '' ) { if ( ! is_category() ) { return $title; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return $title; } $data = nyasa_category_seo_data(); if ( isset( $data[ $term->slug ]['h1'] ) ) { return esc_html( $data[ $term->slug ]['h1'] ); } return single_cat_title( '', false ); }, 999, 3 ); /** * Remove WordPress archive prefixes. */ add_filter( 'get_the_archive_title_prefix', '__return_empty_string', 999 ); /** * ------------------------------------------------------- * 3. FIX AIOSEO CATEGORY TITLES * ------------------------------------------------------- * * Prevents titles such as: * "Malawi Latest Malawi News News..." */ add_filter( 'aioseo_title', function ( $title ) { /* * Category titles */ if ( is_category() ) { $term = get_queried_object(); if ( $term && ! empty( $term->slug ) ) { $data = nyasa_category_seo_data(); if ( isset( $data[ $term->slug ]['title'] ) ) { return $data[ $term->slug ]['title']; } } } /* * Article titles * * Converts: * Article headline - Featured News Malawi | Nyasa Times * * Into: * Article headline | Nyasa Times */ if ( is_singular( 'post' ) ) { return wp_strip_all_tags( get_the_title() ) . ' | Nyasa Times'; } return $title; }, 999 ); /** * ------------------------------------------------------- * 4. FIX AIOSEO CATEGORY META DESCRIPTIONS * ------------------------------------------------------- */ add_filter( 'aioseo_description', function ( $description ) { if ( ! is_category() ) { return $description; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return $description; } $data = nyasa_category_seo_data(); if ( isset( $data[ $term->slug ]['desc'] ) ) { return $data[ $term->slug ]['desc']; } return $description; }, 999 ); /** * ------------------------------------------------------- * 5. DISPLAY CATEGORY DESCRIPTION * ------------------------------------------------------- * * Shows the short SEO introduction above the article list. */ add_action( 'loop_start', function ( $query ) { if ( is_admin() || ! is_category() || ! $query->is_main_query() ) { return; } static $nyasa_description_shown = false; if ( $nyasa_description_shown ) { return; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return; } $data = nyasa_category_seo_data(); if ( ! isset( $data[ $term->slug ]['desc'] ) ) { return; } $nyasa_description_shown = true; echo '

'; echo '

'; echo esc_html( $data[ $term->slug ]['desc'] ); echo '

'; echo '

'; }, 5 );

Malawi economists to be regulated like lawyers as parliament passes landmark Esoma Bill in bumper day of law-making

August 6, 2026 Nyasa Times Reporter Be the first to comment

Malawi’s parliament has passed a landmark bill to formally regulate the country’s economists, in a move designed to bring the profession under the same kind of legal oversight currently enjoyed by lawyers.

The Economics Society of Malawi (

Mwanamvekha: Ecama lacked any legal mandate to register practitioners or take disciplinary action against them.

Esoma) Bill will give the profession legal teeth for the first time, allowing for the registration and discipline of economists in a manner mirroring the powers held by the Law Society of Malawi over the legal profession.

Presenting the bill to MPs, Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha explained that the legislation had become necessary after it emerged the Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) – the sector’s existing representative body – lacked any legal mandate to register practitioners or take disciplinary action against them.

The bill was one of a remarkable four pieces of legislation passed by parliament in a single sitting, alongside the Deposit Insurance Corporation Amendment Bill, the Payment System Amendment Bill and the Financial Crimes Amendment Bill.

The flurry of new laws forms part of a wider legislative blitz that has seen a string of bills rushed through parliament in recent weeks, with government pushing to modernise regulation across the financial and professional services sectors.

Remarkably, parliament wrapped up its business early on Thursday after government exhausted the bills it had prepared for presentation – despite Thursdays typically being reserved for private members’ business rather than government legislation.

With no further government business left on the agenda, Deputy Leader of the House Shadric Namalomba moved a motion for an early adjournment, which First Deputy Speaker Victor Musowa duly granted at around 3.30pm.

The early close capped off what proved to be a particularly productive day for lawmakers, with the raft of new legislation set to have significant implications for how professionals across Malawi’s economics and financial sectors are regulated and held accountable in the years ahead.

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