Muli bwanji from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Malawi Update from the 24th of June twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Malawi.

The World Health Organization announced that the US Food and Drug Administration had approved a new medicine that could be injected twice a year to protect adults and adolescents from getting infected with HIV. It will be released on the 14th of July during the International Aids Conference in Rwanda.

On Monday the 23rd, the National Aids Commission said the development was a huge milestone because the current injectable option is administered every two months while oral medicine is taken every day, making it hard for people to remain consistent. However, they were concerned the medicine’s price would make it inaccessible to most locals.

On Wednesday the 18th, the New York Times reported that the medicine costs over twenty-eight thousand dollars per person per year.

Speaking of health, over 2,400 people now have jobs following the Ministry of Health’s recruitment of new health workers chosen through the nationwide walk-in job interviews, which we covered in previous episodes. These interviews exposed the levels of unemployment in Malawi, as thousands of people showed up for the interviews as early as 5 AM, even though they only started around 8 AM.

The recruits include senior medical officers, nursing and midwifery officials, and clinicians. And will be sent to work in the central and district hospitals across the country.

Unfortunately, a news article said the new health officers might not have enough resources to work with, since there is a national drug shortage due to low funding in the health sector.

On Tuesday the 24th, local news revealed that some Health Surveillance Assistants in Thyolo District in the Southern Region have taken advantage of the shortage and are selling drugs to locals. The assistants are deployed to rural areas to provide basic disease prevention services to people there, since hospitals are far away. However, instead of providing free services, the assistants are selling drugs to desperate locals.

Local news said contraceptives are selling the fastest.

The disheartening article came out just days before a new survey said that Malawians are struggling to access public health services.

The Afrobarometer survey, conducted from late year to this month, released its results on Friday the 20th, said that eighty-one percent of the respondents who visited public health facilities found no medicines there; only four percent of the participants of the poll had medical aid cover to help them pay medical bills; and sixty-two percent said it was very difficult for them to access the services they needed due to various reasons like high cost of services, absent medical personnel, or poor conditions of the facilities.

Unfortunately, some analysts said the statistics may be worse now following the US foreign aid ban, which funded the majority of Malawi’s health sector.

A local grouping called the Citizens for Credible Elections told local media that they will hold demonstrations in Blantyre in the Southern Region on Thursday the 26th to force authorities at the Malawi Electoral Commission (or MEC) to resign.

During a press conference held on Tuesday the 24th, the grouping accused Annabel Mtalimanja, the MEC Chairperson, and Andrew Mpesi, the MEC Chief Elections Officer, of lacking the capacity to manage the upcoming elections with credibility and transparency, thus risking the September elections. They highlighted an incident we covered in previous episodes, where MEC refused to give independent observers access to the voter register.

The grouping said that they will march peacefully to the MEC Southern Region Headquarters, accompanied by the police, to avoid any acts of violence.

In a previous show, we mentioned that local publications said that former president Peter Mutharika had left for South Africa to receive medical attention, but the opposing Democratic Progressive Party (or DPP) – which he founded – denied the allegations, saying he went there for business.

When Mutharika returned to Malawi on Friday the 20th, he looked weak, making the illness rumors worse. On Saturday the 21st, a fake statement from the DPP started circulating, saying Mutharika had dropped out of the presidential race because he had health issues. The DPP quickly dismissed the statement and maintained that Mutharika would still run for president, and that he was fit and well.

However, the party’s transparency was put into question.

The DPP is also facing some scrutiny after Atupele Muluzi, the leader of the opposing United Democratic Front (or UDF), revealed why the alliance negotiation between the two parties, which we talked about in previous episodes, fell through.

During a television interview on Times Television aired on Saturday the 21st, Muluzi said the DPP wanted to hold both presidential and running mate positions, and left no room for the UDF to have any power. He accused them of wanting to force the UDF into submission.

Muluzi made it clear he would contest in the September elections alone and represent the UDF party. The DPP, on the other hand, said Mutharika had the right to pick his running mate, and that alliances don’t remove that right.

Meanwhile, the ruling Malawi Congress Party seems to be having some internal drama.

On Tuesday the 17th, Vitumbiko Mumba, the Trade Minister, resigned from serving on the party’s National Executive Committee, but said he will still be a member of the party. He announced the news on his Facebook page with a rather petty post. In it, he said his decision would give him peace and allow him to concentrate on important matters rather than “man-made, small-mega battles” aimed at destroying other people. He also accused a majority of the committee members of being handclappers.

While he hinted at what the issues were, questions were raised about the drama happening behind closed doors.

The childhood home of Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, Malawi’s first president, is being turned into a national museum and library to help safeguard and promote his life and contributions.

The news came out on Saturday the 21st, when the Nguru Ya Nawambe Museum Trust, which manages the estate, called for applications for a Management Consultant to oversee the establishment and operation of the Hastings Kamuzu Banda Library and Museum, located in Kasungu District in the Central Region.

According to the statement, the museum will offer an archive of historical documents, photographs, artefacts, and personal belongings of Kamuzu. It is expected to become a center for education, tourism, and national pride.

The First Discount House (or FDH) Financial Holdings Limited built the state-of-the-art Thomson Frank Mpinganjira Centre of Excellence in Blantyre in the Southern Region. It is named after the founder of the FDH Bank, and is meant to drive leadership development in Malawi and the wider Southern African region.

Speaking during a media tour of the multi-billion Kwacha facility on Wednesday the 18th, Levie Nkunika, the FDH Head of Marketing and Communication, said this is part of the bank’s growth and expansion strategy, which is aimed at supporting capacity building and corporate excellence in the country. He said they want to develop world-class leaders in Malawi.

Nkunika also said the centre would open very soon.

Since we mentioned banks, Standard Bank launched the Financial Fitness Academy to help improve financial literacy across the country. According to the Bank, the Academy will serve as a central hub for financial education and help provide a framework that locals can use to plan, grow, and protect their wealth.

On Friday the 20th, Standard Bank told local media that the Academy will cover key financial areas like wealth creation, investment, and estate planning. They feel this is important in times like this, when the country is riddled with uncertainty.

Some locals, especially youths, were excited about the news.

Finally, Lilongwe in the Central Region had its own developmental milestone following the opening of a new creative hub called 7Arts.

It was unveiled on Friday the 20th at the Grand Business Park. Local news said it aims to support local creative artists, especially in areas of design, media, and performance. The hub includes photography and videography studios, a graphic design lab, and a fully equipped dance studio.

Vera Kamtukule, the Minister of Tourism, attended the event and commended the founders of the 7Arts. She said the Hub demonstrates how the arts support national agendas such as economic growth and job creation.

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

Want to join our team as the Ocean Update writer?

Reach out to info@rorshok.com with “Ocean Writer Position” in the subject and a short note on why you're excited to be a part of the team.

Don’t miss the full job description—link’s in the show notes!

Pitani bwino!