Old Mutual declares 60% unnuity rise, excites retirees with six months bonus

Posted on by admin

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Malawi has announced a 60% increase in annuity payments effective January 2026, alongside a once-off bonus equivalent to six months’ annuity, payable this December.

Speaking in an interview, Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Managing Director Mark Mikwamba said the announcement reflects company’s long-term commitment to protecting retirees’ financial wellbeing and dignity in retirement.

“This only shows the level of commitment to our promise to provide retirees with a stable, reliable, and lifelong income that continues to grow over time.

“The 60% increment and the six-month bonus are tangible proof that Old Mutual remains focused on delivering real value to our annuitants, even in challenging economic environments,” he said.

Old Mutual’s Annuity product is designed to provide guaranteed income for life, ensuring retirees remain financially secure long after leaving active employment.

The product is underpinned by Old Mutual’s strong investment management capability and a long-standing reputation for trust, offering competitive and consistently improving returns supported by annual increments.

According to Mikwamba, the annuity goes beyond regular income payments by offering additional protection through medical and funeral benefits, which help retirees manage rising healthcare costs and unforeseen expenses.

He said, “Retirement should be a time of peace of mind, not financial anxiety, our annuity product cushions retirees against life’s uncertainties and ensures that their income is protected and dependable throughout their later years.

“The declared increment directly responds to retirees’ desire for income stability and growth, while the once-off bonus provides immediate relief and recognition for years of service and contribution”.

Between 2015 and 2025, the annuity product recorded an average annual bonus declaration of approximately 23.2%, against an average inflation rate of approximately 19.1% over the same period.

This means there has been a long-term pattern of protecting purchasing power and supporting income growth for retirees.

The annuity product is available to pension members at retirement and is distributed directly to individuals, as well as through Principal Officers and Corporate Business Development Officers.

Discover more from The Maravi Post

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

The Maravi Post

Melodee Buzzard’s Cause of Death Revealed After 9-Year-Old Girl Went Missing

Posted on by admin

Airtel Malawi

UPDATE: 12/24/25 1:22 p.m. ET.

Authorities have revealed the cause of death for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who went missing in October, as gunshot wounds to the head. It has not been revealed how many times Melodee was shot, People reported on Wednesday, December 24.

Capital One

Melodee’s body was discovered on December 6, outside of Caineville, Utah, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a Tuesday, December 23, press release and subsequent press conference. Her body was decomposed, which sheriffs believe points to her most likely being killed in October.

One day after DNA analysis confirmed that the remains found in Utah belonged to Melodee, her mother, Ashlee Lynn Buzzard, was arrested for her alleged murder. She was taken into custody on Tuesday “without incident” and booked the Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail for first-degree murder at approximately 7:51 a.m., per the sheriff’s office. Ashlee is being held without bail.

“This is an extraordinarily tragic case involving the murder of a child by the very person she relied upon and trusted the most,” Sheriff Bill Brown said in the press release. “While maternal filicide is rare and difficult to comprehend, the evidence in this case clearly indicates a calculated, deliberate, and ruthless act.”

Original story below:

The body of missing 9-year-old girl Melodee Buzzard has been found out of state two months after she went missing in Southern California, a law enforcement source confirmed to NBC News on Tuesday, December 23.

The source said that Melodee’s body was found earlier in December, though further details about the discovery have not yet been shared.

Woman Reunited With Father 43 Years After Being Kidnapped at 3 Years Old

Shortly after her body was found, Melodee’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard, was reportedly taken into custody, according to video shared with NBC News affiliate KSBY. The family’s neighbors said they saw Ashlee being taken by deputies from her home early on December 23. However, it’s not currently clear why she was taken into custody.

The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office has not yet confirmed that Melodee’s body was found, though they shared that they had an update regarding the case in an X post. “The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has major developments in the missing person investigation for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard. Members of the media are invited to a press conference: Tuesday, December 23, 2025, 2:00 p.m.,” the post read.

Melodee’s disappearance in October has left many people in her community of Vandenberg Village feeling unsettled, while the case has garnered national interest.

Officials previously said that Ashlee, 40, had been “uncooperative and has not provided detectives with any information about Melodee’s current location or condition” amid the search and investigation into Melodee’s disappearance, according to NBC News.

Nevada Mother Andrea Loving Accused of Murdering Her 5-Year-Old Daughter

In October, the Lompoc Unified School District said in a statement that Ashlee brought Melodee to an independent study program in August to enroll her as a student. However, she did not attend through early October, and the district ultimately notified law enforcement about her absences.

Amid the investigation, authorities looked into a road trip the mother-daughter duo took from Southern California to Nebraska that took place between October 7 and October 10.

The sheriff’s office said that one security video captured on October 7 showed Melodee wearing a wig at a rental car business, where the duo picked up a Chevrolet Malibu. Detectives speculated she was wearing the wig to throw off attempts to track or find her, noting that Ashlee herself was known to sport wigs.

Debra Newton’s Arrest Caught on Bodycam 40 Years After Daughter’s Abduction

At one point during the trip, the rental car’s license plate was temporarily switched to a New York plate in an alleged attempt to avoid detection.

Melodee was last seen on the return leg of the trip on October 9 when she and Ashlee were near the Utah-Colorado border. The young girl was not with her mother when she returned the rental car or came back home on October 10, detectives previously confirmed.

Ashlee was previously arrested on suspicion of felony false imprisonment on November 7 in a separate case not related to Melodee’s disappearance. A man testified that Ashlee held him against his will at her home and threatened him with a box cutter, according to KSBY of San Luis Obispo. The charge was ultimately dismissed on November 20, with prosecutors citing contradictory information and insufficient evidence.

Discover more from The Maravi Post

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

The Maravi Post

NBM plc concludes ‘12 Days of Christmas’ with MK33 million donation to Chilomoni Health Centre

Posted on by admin

Airtel Malawi

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-National Bank of Malawi (NBM) Plc has concluded its 2025 ‘12 Days of Christmas’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative with a MK33 million donation of medical equipment to Chilomoni Health Centre in Blantyre.

The donation forms part of the Bank’s broader K255 million CSR package, implemented between December 5 and 22, aimed at supporting health, education, and community wellbeing across all districts in the country.

Capital One

For Chilomoni Health Centre, the Bank procured critical medical equipment, including patient monitors, an ECG machine, a biochemistry analyser, oxygen concentrators, an electric suction machine, a nebuliser, a defibrillator, and 12 wheelchairs, intended to strengthen service delivery at the facility.

Speaking during the handover ceremony on Monday, NBM plc Head of Retail Banking Division, Oswin Kasunda, said the donation marked the culmination of the Bank’s Christmas initiative introduced to systematically channel support to communities across the country during the festive season.

“As NBM plc, we are excited because this is this year’s grand finale of the 12 Days of Christmas campaign. It is a programme that started in 2021, where, as a Bank, we decided that every year we set aside a certain amount of money to support communities across the country in various sectors such as health, education and social wellbeing. We may not reach every household, but we have managed to reach every district, which makes the impact significant,” said Kasunda.

Receiving the donation, Chilomoni Health Centre Officer-in-Charge, Dr Steven Mlangiza, said the support would help address critical service gaps as the facility transitions into a community hospital.

“We are very happy and grateful for this support from National Bank. Chilomoni Health Centre is undergoing an upgrade to become a community hospital, which will enable it to admit patients and conduct more diagnostic tests. This donation will help us move significantly in that direction,” said Mlangiza.

He said the equipment would also support government efforts to fully operationalise the facility as a community hospital serving a catchment population of over 65,000 people.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairperson of the Chilomoni Health Centre Management Committee, Maliko Paul Chikaonga thanked NBM Plc for the donation, assuring the ‘Bank of the Nation’ that the equipment would be properly utilised and safeguarded.

“As the health centre management committee and community members, we are grateful to National Bank for this donation. We promise that the equipment will be put to good use and well taken care of,” said Chikaonga.

Other beneficiaries of the ‘12 days of Christmas’ initiative for this year included health centres such as St Martin’s in Mwanza, Area 25 and Chilomoni, schools in Chazunda, Mpemba, Kasungu, Liwonde and Mzuzu, as well as community institutions like Wells of Joy Orphan Care and Makande Resource Centre for the visually impaired, among others.

Discover more from The Maravi Post

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

The Maravi Post

FDH Bank, Lions Club partner in nationwide tree-planting drive

Posted on by admin

Airtel Malawi

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-FDH Bank Plc has partnered with Lions Club Malawi in a nationwide tree-planting initiative, committing MK12 million towards the procurement of seedlings as part of its environmental sustainability efforts.

The initiative was launched during the District Tree Planting Day at Sankhani Primary School at Chitedze in Lilongwe and falls under the bank’s sustainability programme, FDH Cares: Our Environment Pillar, which promotes environmental protection and climate resilience.

Capital One

Speaking at the launch, FDH Bank Senior Manager for Government and International Organisations, Eugene Chinkhandwe, said the bank remains committed to promoting a green and resilient environment.

“As FDH Bank Plc, we continually recognise the importance of a green environment, and we have over the years reinforced our commitment to championing a sustainable and resilient green environment that will foster the development of the country and nurture it against various environmental and economic forces, such as climate change,” said Chinkhandwe.

He said the partnership with Lions Club aligns with the bank’s broader sustainability agenda.

“Through our sustainability programme, FDH Cares Our Environment Pillar, we are honoured to partner with Lions Club in a tree-planting drive across the country, and we applaud Lions Club for this noble and honourable commitment to a pro-green environment,” he said.

Chinkhandwe noted that the initiative builds on earlier environmental commitments by FDH Group, whose holding company, Financial Holdings Limited, successfully planted one million trees by 2024 in line with Malawi 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Lions Club District Governor for District 412B Malawi and Mozambique, Gladson Kuyeri, described the event as a demonstration of service and shared responsibility in environmental protection.

“Today we gather at Chitedze to demonstrate service in action. We are not just planting trees, we are planting hope, responsibility, and a sustainable future for our communities,” said Kuyeri.

He said the partnership with FDH Bank shows how corporate institutions and community organisations can work together to address environmental challenges.

“We are deeply grateful to FDH Bank for their generous sponsorship of K12 million. This partnership shows how corporate leadership and community service can work together to address challenges such as deforestation and climate change,” said Kuyeri.

During the event, a total of 2,000 trees were planted at Chitedze, with organisers urging stakeholders to ensure the trees are protected and nurtured to guarantee long-term environmental impact.

Discover more from The Maravi Post

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

The Maravi Post

Malawi Courts Russian Investment at Russia–Africa Partnership Forum in Cairo

Posted on by admin

Airtel Malawi

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi has called on the Russian Federation to deepen practical, results-oriented cooperation in key sectors such as energy, agriculture, mining and health.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. George Chaponda made the remarks at the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, currently underway in Cairo, Egypt, where African and Russian leaders are discussing ways to strengthen political and economic cooperation.

Capital One

Chaponda said Malawi attaches great importance to the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan 2023–2026, describing it as a critical tool for translating political commitments into tangible development outcomes.

He noted that the Action Plan aligns closely with Africa’s Agenda 2063 and Malawi Vision 2063, both of which prioritise inclusive economic growth, industrialisation, human capital development and long-term economic resilience.

The minister outlined Malawi’s development priorities, highlighting energy and fuel security, increased food production, value addition in the mining sector and improved health service delivery.

He said Malawi is seeking strategic partnerships to modernise fuel supply systems, expand access to agricultural inputs and mechanisation, promote domestic mineral processing and strengthen pharmaceutical supply chains and medical training.

Chaponda emphasised that Malawi is positioning itself as an attractive investment destination, noting that the country is implementing policy and regulatory reforms aimed at creating a stable and investor-friendly environment.

“Widely known as the Warm Heart of Africa Malawi is open for business and welcomes increased Russian investment in projects that support national development goals while contributing to broader regional and continental objectives under the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum,”he said.

The Russia–Africa Partnership Forum is seen as a key platform for strengthening cooperation between Russia and African countries across economic, social and technological sectors.

Discover more from The Maravi Post

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

The Maravi Post

Uganda Airlines passengers stranded in Dubai amidst plane availability crisis

Posted on by admin

Airtel Malawi

KAMPALA-(MaraviPost)-Passengers who booked flights with Uganda Airlines are currently stranded in Dubai, with reports indicating that there’s no available plane to transport them back to Uganda.

These passengers had booked their tickets earlier and even checked in at Dubai International Airport, only to be left waiting with no clear indication of when they’ll be able to depart.

Capital One

Uganda Airlines has so far failed to provide an alternative solution or communicate effectively with the stranded passengers, leaving them frustrated and concerned about their travel plans.

The situation highlights the challenges faced by airlines and passengers alike, particularly in regions with limited flight options or operational disruptions.

Similar incidents have occurred in the past, such as when airspace closures over Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait led to widespread flight cancellations and delays at Doha and Dubai airports.

Discover more from The Maravi Post

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

The Maravi Post