Let’s not sugarcoat this, Malawi is broken. Her back has snapped under the dual weight of poor governance and economic mismanagement. Her recovery will be slow, difficult and painful; and shows no signs of starting. The economy is sputtering to a halt and the elixir that could revitalize it, a concoction of donor inputs, better […]
The Malawi currency, the kwacha, has been losing value against all major world currencies, according to published report. Reserve Bank of Malawi spokesman Ralph Tseka confirmed that the depreciation, saying it is within a set band where the kwacha is officially allowed to fluctuate. He commented after Business Times had observed from the market that […]
Experience has shown that, after some political reconciliation talks, the concluding remarks usually include a statement which says, “ Let us forget the past.” Honestly speaking, this is just a mere unifying cliché which does not make much sense on serious issues. It can be said without any contradiction that Malawians are suffering now because […]
Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) has said government risks plunging the country into an abyss if it does not quickly negotiate and agree to a win-win programme with the IMF. This is coming at a time when forex supply is short in the country and European Union coming out of its shell to say Malawi […]
Several visits to Game Stores in Lilongwe and Blantyre this week by Nyasa Times revealed that the once well stocked shops are now stuck with depleted shelves some that have been empty for more than three days now. This comes just three weeks after Game issued a statement disputing Nyasa Times story that their warehouses […]
One of Malawi’s leading newspaper columnists on topical issues, Raphael Tenthani, has underlined the fact that the country is indeed a failed state. Last year John Kapito, who chairs the state funded Malawi Human Rights Commission, grabbed newspaper headlines when he described Malawi as a ‘failed state’. Kapito noted that there clear signs that “government […]
There was mad dash at most fuel stations in Blantyre Friday as police embarked on an unnamed operation descending on every person carrying jerry cans (zigubu) after some people booed President Bingu wa Mutharika when he was coming from Ndata in Thyolo going to Sanjika Palace. Malawians are unhappy with the economic woes in the […]
Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment jointly with theMinistry of Finance and Development Planning will this Friday launch the Malawi State of Environment and Outlook Report and the Report on Economic Analysis on Sustainable use of Natural Resources in Lilongwe. The joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Poverty […]
Monday 16th January would go downas any other holiday for most ordinary Malawians, but to theatre academicians, pundits and enthusiasts it was another exciting moment when they, in enlightened spirits, unpackaged the bombshell, Semo, a play written by Thlupego Chisiza and the slained university student Robert Chasowa. The mid-day drizzles could not dampen the spirits […]
Minibus Owners Association of Malawi (MOAM) has threatened to hike bus fares with over 100 percent if insurance companies will not rescind their decision to increase minibus insurance premiums. Earlier this week, insurance companies in the country announced an adjustment in minibus and bus insurance policies with a 105 percent, arguing the increment has been […]
The Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika can perfectly be likened with a chameleon. Three weeks after publicly blaming Satan for Malawi’s economic mess during his Christmas and New Year’s message, today he has denied uttering such words. Instead the Malawi leader has once again blamed his detractors for “deliberately misinterpreting his New Year’s message.” Mutharika, […]
Malawi is heading back to its old ways of accumulating massive foreign debt barely 5 years after the international community approved a debt relief program for the Southern African country. Through Malawi’s securing of a $200 million (K34 billion), largely from various creditors, to steady the deteriorating economy the country has dramatically pushed up its foreign debt […]
Any Malawian asked to name the one thing that, whatever the case, should always be available, would name food. And in Malawi, food is synonymous with nsima to get which, one must have maize. We could encourage our people to diversify eating habits, or to experiment with this and that, or we could even bring […]
The Malawi economic crisis is slowly bringing the country to its knees as companies have cut down production leading to over 20,000 job losses so far. This has been confirmed by Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) which says unavailability of foreign exchange and fuel scarcity are the major causes of low production and job […]
The controversial Member of Parliament for Thyolo Thava, Lifred Nawena on Tuesday took his time on Capital FM’s hard-hitting flagship interview programme, Straight Talk, to criticise President Bingu wa Mutharika, saying he has lost his edge as a leader. In the Straight Talk consisting of in-depth half-hour one-on-one interview with host Brian Banda, Nawena said emphatically […]
Malawi should devalue the official exchange rate further to between 230 – 250 against the dollar to address a foreign exchange shortage and stem a thriving black market, the International Monetary Fund said. Malawi devalued the kwacha by 10 percent in August, but at 166 kwacha to the dollar, the official rate is not as […]
“I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”~~ Ecclesiastes 3: 11-12 A time for everything… Once again, a reminder of how […]
Strike by support staff in the Judiciary which started on Monday is getting bigger with the joining of all Magistrates in the country who have also downed their tools protesting against the high gap between their salaries and conditions of service and those of High Court judges. Several Magistrates said on Monday that they have decided […]