Suleman Chitera 
Dalitso Kabambe, one of the presidential aspirant for the UTM party, has called on delegates to vote for visionary leaders at the upcoming elective conference.
Speaking to Bua Central Region delegates in Kasungu District, he expressed confidence in his ability to lead the party to victory in the 2025 general elections.
“I’m very optimistic that if I am voted into the UTM presidential seat and win next year’s polls, my experience will help address the challenges Malawians face today,” Kabambe stated.
UTM Bua Central Region Governor Gerald Mbewe hailed Kabambe’s remarks, underscoring the need for intelligent leadership to ensure the party’s success.
The UTM party’s 2024 elective conference is scheduled for November 17.
Other news
- Gangata Urges Malawi Youth to Set Clear Goals and Visions
By Malawi Freedom Network News Desk
October 3, 2026Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture Alfred Gangata has urged young people in Malawi to develop clear visions and goals that can help transform their lives.
Gangata made the remarks at Civo Stadium during the launch of a five-year vision for the youth ministry of the CCAP Nkhoma Synod.
He said having a clear vision is important for personal development and encouraged young people to remain focused on what they want to achieve.
“The future of a person is known by God, and for us, we write down our vision, and He will fulfil it,” Gangata said.
He encouraged young people to pursue their ambitions while trusting God to guide their future.
- Government Still Searching for Investor for Golden Sands Hotel at Cape Maclear
By Suleman Chitera, MFN Reporter
October 3, 2026 | 5:08 AMThe Malawi Government says it is yet to secure an investor to finance the construction of the proposed five-star Golden Sands Hotel at Cape Maclear in Mangochi, with environmental and heritage requirements remaining a key consideration for the project.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Patrick Botha, told Zodiak Online that the first investor identified for the project failed to meet the standards required for development within the Lake Malawi National Park World Heritage Site.
Botha said the government will proceed with the project once a suitable investor has been identified and all required standards have been satisfied.
The development site is located within the Lake Malawi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, meaning any construction must comply with requirements aimed at protecting the area’s environmental and cultural value.
Government investment documents have previously identified Golden Sands as a major tourism development opportunity at Cape Maclear. The 2025 Public-Private Partnership Commission project compendium describes the proposed development as a four- to five-star eco-lodge with 40 to 60 rooms, conference facilities and environmentally sustainable infrastructure.
Earlier government investment plans have also envisaged a much larger integrated resort at Golden Sands, including hotel accommodation, eco-lodge facilities, conference infrastructure and tourism activities.
Previous Investor Raised Concerns
However, the project has faced delays for several years.
MFN understands that in 2022, the Golden Sands Consortium threatened to withdraw from the project, citing delays on the part of government.
The development has subsequently remained unresolved, with previous reports also pointing to the challenge of developing the site while meeting UNESCO World Heritage requirements.
In December 2024, The Times Group reported that government was struggling to find an investor for the approximately US$24 million Golden Sands Resort, with the project’s location inside Lake Malawi National Park identified as a major challenge because development must minimise disturbance to the ecosystem.
The Golden Sands project is part of broader efforts to increase high-end tourism investment around Cape Maclear, one of Malawi’s major lakeshore tourism destinations.
The government investment concept envisages development that integrates accommodation, recreational activities and local community participation while protecting the surrounding natural environment.
For now, the proposed five-star hotel remains dependent on government securing an investor capable of financing the project while satisfying the environmental, architectural and World Heritage standards governing the site.
Photo captions:
First picture: The Golden Sands site at Cape Maclear where the hotel is proposed.
Second picture: The hotel design proposed by the previous investor. - CMST Turns to Local Drug Manufacturers as $18 Million Supplier Debt Deepens Medicine Shortages
By Suleman Chitera
Lilongwe | 3 October 2026The Government of Malawi has directed the Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) to prioritise the procurement of locally manufactured medicines as an immediate measure to ease persistent drug shortages in public health facilities amid continued foreign exchange challenges.
Minister of Health and Sanitation, Madalitso Baloyi, announced the decision in Lilongwe on Friday evening after a closed-door meeting with senior CMST officials at the institution’s offices.
The meeting focused on the worsening availability of medicines in public hospitals and health centres and the measures being taken by Government and CMST to restore supplies.
Baloyi said the decision to increase procurement from local pharmaceutical manufacturers is intended to reduce reliance on imported medicines at a time when access to foreign currency remains constrained.
According to the minister, Malawi’s pharmaceutical industry currently produces more than 40 pharmaceutical products, creating an opportunity for CMST to obtain some medicines locally without requiring foreign exchange for imports.
“Local pharmaceutical companies produce over 40 pharmaceutical products,” Baloyi said, adding that purchasing these medicines locally would not require forex.
The minister said Government is also engaging the Reserve Bank of Malawi and commercial banks on mechanisms to prioritise foreign exchange for the importation of essential medicines that cannot be sourced locally.
CMST owes international suppliers $18 million
The move comes as CMST faces significant financial obligations to overseas suppliers.
CMST Chief Executive Officer Dr. Moses Chisale disclosed that the state-owned medical procurement institution currently owes international suppliers approximately US$18 million, equivalent to about K31.2 billion.
Chisale said the outstanding debt has affected the institution’s ability to maintain normal supplies from international pharmaceutical companies.
Some suppliers, he said, have stopped delivering medicines altogether, while others have substantially reduced the quantities they supply to Malawi.
The situation has contributed to difficulties in maintaining adequate stocks of medicines required by public health facilities across the country.
Local procurement process underway
Chisale said CMST has already started procurement processes aimed at allowing local pharmaceutical suppliers and manufacturers to begin supplying medicines to the institution.
The approach is expected to provide an immediate source of medicines that are manufactured within Malawi while longer-term measures are pursued to address foreign-exchange constraints and outstanding obligations to international suppliers.
However, Chisale cautioned that local production alone cannot immediately satisfy the country’s entire pharmaceutical requirements.
He said CMST requires more than 330 different drug products to meet the needs of health facilities nationwide.
This means Malawi will continue to require imported medicines for products that are either unavailable locally or cannot currently be manufactured in sufficient quantities domestically.
Forex remains a major challenge
The developments highlight the link between Malawi’s foreign-exchange situation and the availability of essential medicines.
Imported pharmaceuticals require access to foreign currency to settle payments to overseas manufacturers and suppliers. Where suppliers remain unpaid or importers cannot secure sufficient forex, medicine deliveries can be delayed or reduced.
Government’s engagement with the Reserve Bank and commercial banks is therefore aimed at ensuring that medicines requiring imports receive priority in the allocation of available foreign exchange.
Baloyi said the ministry will continue working with financial-sector institutions to address the forex component of medicine procurement.
Government seeks immediate and longer-term solutions
The decision to increase local procurement represents one part of Government’s response to the current medicine shortage.
In the short term, authorities are looking to locally manufactured medicines to fill gaps where products are available domestically, while seeking foreign exchange for essential medicines that must still be imported.
At the same time, CMST faces the challenge of managing its outstanding obligations to international suppliers and rebuilding reliable supply lines.
The US$18 million debt disclosed by Chisale underscores the scale of the financial challenge facing the country’s central medical procurement system.
With public health facilities requiring more than 330 drug products, the effectiveness of the government’s response will depend on how quickly local suppliers can begin deliveries, how much foreign exchange can be made available for imports, and how outstanding supplier debts are addressed.
For patients relying on public hospitals and health centres, the immediate concern remains the restoration of consistent access to essential medicines.
Government and CMST are now under pressure to translate the new procurement measures into actual deliveries and improved medicine availability across the country’s public health system.
- Malawi’s Cultural Industries Generate K28 Billion Annually, University Study Finds
By MFN News Desk Team
Published by Malawi Freedom Network
2 October 2026 | 6:54 PMMalawi’s cultural and creative industries are contributing about K28 billion annually to the country’s economy, highlighting the growing economic importance of arts, culture and creative enterprise.
The figure is contained in the 2026 Mapping Malawi’s Cultural Industries study led by University of Malawi academics Associate Professor Zindaba Chisiza and Professor Gowokani Chijere Chirwa.
According to the study, the sector’s contribution is equivalent to approximately 0.4 percent of Malawi’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), demonstrating that cultural industries are not only a source of artistic expression but also an economic activity capable of generating income and employment.
The research was designed to examine the economic contribution of Malawi’s arts and cultural industries, identify barriers affecting their development and provide evidence that can inform policy and investment decisions.
Media arts lead income generation
The findings indicate significant differences in earnings across the various subsectors of Malawi’s cultural economy.
Media arts record the highest average monthly income, while fashion records the lowest, pointing to substantial disparities in earning opportunities within the sector.
The differences underline the need for stronger investment, market access, infrastructure and professional development across the various cultural subsectors rather than treating the creative economy as a single, uniform industry.
The original mapping exercise covered areas including visual arts and crafts, performing arts, design, media arts and cultural heritage.
Sector faces structural challenges
Despite its economic contribution, the study highlights challenges that continue to restrict the growth of Malawi’s cultural industries.
Among the concerns are inadequate infrastructure, inconsistent support and limited access to resources for people working in the creative sector.
The researchers have previously argued that stronger policy interventions and strategic investment could allow the sector to expand its contribution to economic development. The study also identified the sector as largely youth-led, with self-employment and entrepreneurship playing an important role.
This is significant for Malawi as the country seeks to expand employment opportunities, particularly for young people.
Potential for jobs and tourism
The cultural industries have potential beyond direct income generation.
A stronger creative economy can support employment in areas such as music, film, theatre, fashion, publishing, broadcasting, visual arts, crafts and cultural tourism.
Malawi’s cultural heritage and festivals can also contribute to tourism by creating experiences that attract domestic and international visitors.
The government’s 2026 Annual Economic Report similarly identifies creative and heritage industries as important for economic growth, youth employment, tourism, innovation and preservation of Malawi’s cultural identity. The report says government has been advancing the operationalisation of the National Arts, Heritage and Creative Industries Council (NAHEC) and plans to further develop and market Malawian arts content locally and internationally.
From culture to economic opportunity
The K28 billion contribution provides an important indication of the economic activity already taking place within Malawi’s cultural sector.
The findings suggest that the question is no longer simply whether arts and culture have economic value, but how Malawi can create the conditions for the sector to expand.
With improved infrastructure, stronger institutional support, access to finance, skills development and wider domestic and international markets, cultural industries could become a more significant source of jobs, enterprise and tourism revenue.
For Malawi, the study therefore places the creative sector firmly within the wider conversation about economic diversification, employment creation and national development.
- BREAKING: Malawian Teacher Arrested at Airport With R40,000 Forex
By MFN News Desk Team | 2 October 2026 | 5:02 PM
A 37-year-old Malawian teacher of Asian origin, Suhel Shirajamed Gangat, has been arrested at Bakili Muluzi International Airport, formerly Chileka Airport, after allegedly being found in possession of R40,000 (about K4.8 million) in South African currency without the required supporting documentation.
According to airport police spokesperson Dorrah Machila Chathyoka, Gangat was arrested while preparing to travel to South Africa.
Chathyoka said the suspect’s two suitcases were scanned before a further physical search allegedly uncovered R40,000 concealed inside a plastic bag.
“He was bound for South Africa when he had his two suitcases scanned. A further search physically found R40 000 concealed in a plastic bag by the suspect,” said Chathyoka.
Police further questioned Gangat about documentation authorising or supporting his possession of the foreign currency, but he allegedly failed to produce the required document.
The money was subsequently seized, and Gangat was arrested.
“He was asked about the supporting document, but Gangat failed to account for it, leading to his arrest and seizure of the cash,” Chathyoka said.
Gangat has since been charged with illegal possession of foreign currency and is expected to appear before a court.
The arrest comes amid tighter foreign-exchange controls in Malawi. Recent regulations reported by The Nation state that individuals may not physically possess foreign currency exceeding US$1,000 or its equivalent without permission from the Reserve Bank of Malawi.
MFN News Desk Team will provide further updates as the matter proceeds through the courts.
