MALAWI: Student Loans & more – 1st April 2025

Muli bwanji from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Malawi Update from the 1st of April twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Malawi.

The Parliament passed a new national budget for the twenty twenty-five/ twenty twenty-six financial year on Wednesday the 26th. The budget is pegged at 8.8 trillion Kwacha, which is about five billion dollars. When the budget was first presented, it was 8.5 trillion Kwacha which is around 4.9 billion dollars, showing a minor increase.

When presenting it, Simplex Chithyola Banda, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said they had made some adjustments to allocate additional funds to key sectors like Health and Agriculture, and operations for the National Assembly.

The country will start its financial year and run on the new budget on Tuesday the 1st.

The National Council for Higher Education banned people with Honorary Doctorate Degrees and Honorary Professorships from using the titles of Doctor and Professor.

A statement they released on Thursday the 27th said they noted that some locals who received honorary degrees and awards from both local and international institutions of higher education use titles like Doctor and Professor, and have introduced new guidelines to stop this.

The Council said only those who studied to get a Ph.D or to be a professor and graduated from an accredited school can use these titles. They banned the media and all locals from using the Doctor and Professor titles for those who were only recognized for their contributions to society.

On a related note, on Friday the 28th, the Ministry of Higher Education said there is an increase in fake degrees and certificates, including academic qualifications, and honorary degrees and professorships. They said these fake certificates are a threat to the integrity of education as they undermine the value of legitimate qualifications.

To put an end to this, the Ministry mandated the National Council for Higher Education to audit all institutions of higher education and shut down any that are operating without the government’s permission. They also allowed the Council to deregister accredited institutions that aren’t following the law.

The Ministry also urged employers to audit certificates of all its employees and verify them where necessary.

Still in the education sector, the Higher Education Students’ Loans and Grants Board has opened applications for its twenty twenty-five/twenty twenty-six loan cycle. The loans are given to students in colleges and universities who need financial assistance for things like school fees or their upkeep at school.

During an interview on Tuesday the 1st, Prince Phwetekere, the Executive Director for the Loans Board, said the students should be able to demonstrate financial need, be enrolled in or selected for an accredited degree program, and must have documents, including their National and Student Identity Cards.

The loan application window will close on the 30th of May.

In a previous show, we mentioned that the Ministry of Trade and Industry banned the importation of certain goods that they believe could be sourced locally.

On Friday the 28th, Vitumbiko Mumba, the Trade Minister, ordered Malawian Airlines to only offer refreshments that are produced locally. He told local news that, as the country’s flag carrier, Malawian Airlines should be offering locally made tea and coffee instead of imported brands.

Local news hinted that the directive includes other food items on the Airlines’ menu, but we’re not sure what these are.

Some medical authorities believe there is a growing crisis in men’s health. On Monday the 31st, they told local media that at least twenty-five men are treated for prostate cancer every week at the Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe in the Central Region.

This information was revealed during a Stakeholder Engagement on Men’s Health held at the hospital. Charles Mabedi, a Consultant Urologist, said Kamuzu Central Hospital performs three prostate cancer-related surgeries every week, and believes the public should be made aware of this.

Amon Lukhele, the Vice Chair for the Global Action on Men’s Health, doubled down and advocated for the creation of a standalone policy on men’s health.

In more health news, on Monday the 31st, research indicated that Malawi ranks as the second-highest country in Africa with the highest cases of Esophageal Cancer.

The research, conducted between twenty twenty and twenty twenty-two, recorded a total of 300 Esophageal Cancer cases, and 299 people died within three months.

Dr Shiraz Khan, a Pathologist and Researcher working on the project, said that this type of cancer is one of the hardest to treat because it is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage.

He said it develops due to neglected oral health, consuming very hot beverages, as well as prolonged tobacco and alcohol abuse. Some of the symptoms include pain when showering, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

Unfortunately, the country’s health sector has more trouble at stake.

On Wednesday the 26th, a New York Times article said that the Trump administration plans to stop giving financial support to the Global Vaccine Alliance (or Gavi), which is an organization that has helped purchase critical vaccines for children in developing countries, including Malawi.

Local news said that, if this happens, the country will lose its source of support for its fight against malaria.

UNICEF statistics say that malaria is endemic in ninety-five percent of Malawi, affecting a population of nearly nineteen million, with children under five being the most vulnerable. Malaria-induced deaths have gone down in recent years, but that might change if the US stops funding Gavi.

Next, the Capital City Baptist Church in Lilongwe is tired of waiting for the government to complete road rehabilitation works, so they have taken matters into their own hands.

A memo from the church directed to its members said that, from Wednesday the 2nd, the church would fix the road from the Presidential Drive into Area 14 using the Red Cross side, with a projected budget of thirty million Kwacha which is a little over seventeen thousand dollars, for the initial phase of the project. They expect the project to last for thirty to sixty days.

The government said the road rehabilitation projects would be completed by last April, but there have been tons of excuses, and the work is yet to be finalized.

In previous episodes, we mentioned that President Chakwera had talks with youths all over the country. On Friday the 28th, he had a similar event at the State House in Lilongwe —only this time, he was targeting women via an event called the Women’s Voices For Chakwera.

The event featured women from several sectors, including media, politics, corporate and religion.

Local media described the event as a reflection of Chakwera’s unwavering resolve to ensure that women’s voices are not sidelined, but it seems the public doesn’t agree. Some comments on social media show that some believe the President is merely campaigning since the presidential elections are coming up.

Malawi had an extended weekend, thanks to the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations on Monday the 31st, which was a holiday for the entire country. The celebrations mark the end of the Muslim’s Holy Month of Ramadhan, where Muslims fast for thirty days.

On Sunday the 30th, Sheikh Dinala Chabulika, the Public Secretary for the Muslims Association of Malawi, said they would mark the end of their fast by praying for God’s intervention in the country’s economic challenges, and for peaceful elections during the September presidential elections.

And to close this edition, some people on social media are happy that Martha Chizuma, the former Director General for the Anti-Corruption Bureau, has gotten a new job, celebrating her new post within the World Bank. After Chizuma’s contract with the Bureau was not renewed, some felt she had been dismissed unfairly.

On Friday the 28th, the Royal Norwegian Embassy organized a luncheon to celebrate Chizuma’s work as head of the Bureau, and to wish her luck before she leaves for Washington DC, where she will be working.

News of Chizuma’s departure sparked an interesting chat on Twitter concerning brain-drain. There were concerns about Malawi losing its most productive workforce to foreign countries, but some people felt that Malawi does not have a favorable environment for its brightest minds.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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Pitani bwino!