Reading Time: 3 minutesIn my article of a few years ago, I described how the Dutch Reformed missionaries introduced a form of money that came to be known as chamkono at and around Mvera Mission in Dowa District. The few trades, such as tile making and basketry, which the missionaries had introduced at Mvera, coupled with the piece work […]

Reading Time: 3 minutesRussia is one of the largest producers of oil in the world. Worldometer actually places it in the third position after USA and Saudi Arabia. The war currently raging between Russia and Ukraine will no doubt have a number of economic repercussions, not just in the two countries or in the regions where they are

Reading Time: 3 minutesOur experts in wildlife talk of the African big five animals. It is a league comprising the five most vicious and massive animals in the African jungle. They are the African bush elephant, the lion, the leopard, the African buffalo and the black rhinoceros. These animals happen to be the most difficult to hunt on

Reading Time: 3 minutesI recently came across a lady venting out her frustration over the lack of durability in a pair of shoes she had recently purchased. She was quick to brand the shoes “Chinese”. This, at any rate, is a consistent attitude in Malawi, where anything perceived to be less than durable is called “Chinese”. I had

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe number of people left desolate after the visitation of cyclone is now upwards of one million, and we are still counting. True to the predictions by the weathermen, Ana paid Malawi a visit, and in its wake devastation of gigantic proportions became the order of the day. I am typing this article in darkness

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe belief that nothing good can come out of Africa is deeply entrenched in the minds of many individuals in the West. They believe that there has been no contribution from Africa to anything that can be called a product of civilisation. However, the situation on the ground is very different, as will hopefully be

Reading Time: 3 minutesI had a parcel which I wanted to send to a recipient in Mchinji. I took it to one of the courier service providers in Blantyre to get it sent. “Sorry, we do not serve Mchinji,” the courteous receptionist told me. “The recipient will have to collect it from Lilongwe.” I thought it would be too

Reading Time: 3 minutesIt was painful to watch Malawi getting clobbered by Guinea in their opening match at this year’s Afcon tournament. Interim head coach, Mario Marinica, responded to the loss by reiterating that Malawians should not expect too much from their team. Some people may not have liked this, but is far better to know the truth and

Reading Time: 3 minutesWhen the Queen’s baton was going round the Commonwealth, it was brought to Malawi and among the places where it was received was the Blantyre Mission of the CCAP. At a special function held on Blantyre Mission grounds (the place many call HHI), The Synod Moderator received the baton on behalf of the Synod. I

Reading Time: 3 minutes2021 was a difficult year, nay, a hard hitting one! I lost a number of people I personally knew to COVID during the year. In a space of one week we lost Maria Chidzanja Nkhoma, Wambali Mkandawire, Patrick Semphere, Steven Lungu and, perhaps a less known personality to the public, character called Goli Mwanza. Those who