Concerned citizen questions Veep Ansah’s UK trip purpose, costs

Jane Ansah
Malawi Vice President

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Concerned citizen Edward Kambanje has expressed serious concern over reports that the government has approved an official trip by the country’s Vice President to the United Kingdom, with costs estimated at MK2 billion.

He described the reported expenditure as alarming given the current economic hardships facing the country.

Kambanje said the move raises questions about government priorities at a time when many citizens are struggling to meet basic needs due to rising prices and reduced incomes.

He noted that such spending appears insensitive to the realities ordinary Malawians are experiencing daily.

According to Kambanje, this is a period when the government should be exercising strict financial discipline.

He argued that every public resource must be carefully safeguarded and used only for purposes that bring clear and direct benefits to the nation.

He further stated that leaders have consistently urged citizens to endure tough measures in the name of economic recovery.

In his view, those in authority should set an example by avoiding expenditures that may be perceived as unnecessary or excessive.

Kambanje questioned the necessity of the Vice President’s proposed UK visit, asking whether its objectives could not be achieved through less costly alternatives.

He said exploring such options would demonstrate a commitment to prudent use of public funds.

The concerned citizen believes the reported K2 billion could significantly improve service delivery if redirected to these priority areas.

He emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in public spending.

Kambanje called on the government to clearly outline the purpose of the trip and the tangible outcomes expected from it.

He added that citizens have a right to understand how major financial decisions are made, especially during a time when the country is under severe economic strain.

Kambanje urged leaders to remain mindful that public funds come from taxpayers who expect responsible and respectful management of their contributions.


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

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.

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.


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Bongonda gives DR Congo winning: AFCON 2025

CASABLANCA-(MaraviPost)-Democratic Republic of Congo began their TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2025 campaign on a positive note after edging Benin 1-0 in their opening Group D encounter.

The Leopards showed intent from the opening minutes, pressing high and controlling possession as they looked to make an early statement in the tournament.

Their dominance paid off in the 16th minute when Théo Bongonda found the breakthrough, capitalising on a lapse in the Benin defence before calmly finishing past goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbé.

The early goal boosted DR Congo’s confidence, and they continued to dictate the tempo with quick passing and purposeful movement in midfield.

Benin responded by tightening up defensively and attempting to hit on the counter but they struggled to create clear cut chances in the first half.

After the break, DR Congo thought they had doubled their advantage when Cédric Bakambu headed the ball into the net following a well worked move.

However, celebrations were cut short as the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review, keeping the scoreline at 1-0.

That decision gave Benin renewed belief, and they pushed forward in search of an equaliser, enjoying more possession as the match wore on.

Despite their increased pressure, Benin found it difficult to break down a disciplined Congolese defence marshalled with composure and experience.

Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi also played a key role for DR Congo, making crucial interventions to preserve his clean sheet during Benin’s late surge.

As the final whistle approached, DR Congo managed the game well, slowing the tempo and seeing out the result under mounting pressure.

The narrow victory hands DR Congo a vital three points to start their AFCON 2025 journey, while Benin are left with lessons to take into their next group match.


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Steven Spielberg Shunned Ben Affleck After Pool Incident With Son, Colleague Says

Steven Spielberg is no fan of Ben Affleck and even refused to work with the actor after an incident involving the legendary director’s child, according to Mike Binder. Binder — who’s also a Hollywood filmmaker — made the shocking claim about…


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Trump Announces ‘Golden Fleet’, Judge Rules Deportations Illegal, Heritage Exodus

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p dir=”ltr”>President Trump has announced the Navy will begin building a new class of warship named after himself. A federal judge has ruled the deportations of more than 100 Venezuelan men to El Salvador were illegal. And, a number of staff members have left the think tank behind Project 2025 to join a group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence. 

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p dir=”ltr”>(00:00) Introduction
(04:09) Trump Announces ‘Golden Fleet’
(07:56) Judge Rules Deportations Illegal
(11:45) Heritage Foundation Exodus

<

p dir=”ltr”>Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

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p dir=”ltr”>Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Andrew Sussman, Anna Yukhananov, Jason Breslow, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woefle.

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p dir=”ltr”>It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.

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p dir=”ltr”>We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange. And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.

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Cape Town Minstrels Carnival 2026 – Everything You Need To Know!

The iconic Cape Town Minstrel Carnival returns to the Mother City on 5 January 2026.

Now known as the Hollywoodbets Cape Town Street Parade, this annual event is the longest existing carnival in the city and is an integral part of the city’s cultural heritage. Historically this celebration took place on 2 January aka Tweede Nuwe Jaar and the minstrels were to referred to as the Kaapse Klopse – this celebration the Mother City’s biggest event to usher in the New Year.

What To Expect at the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival

Thousands of minstrels in glittery uniforms from a variety of troupes with face paint, hats and parasols march through the city’s roads, playing their signature “ghoema” music on banjos, trumpets and drums. The troupes are spaced out so that each performance happens separately, allowing onlookers to hear each troupe. There is also a structure to each troupe, with non-instrument playing members called “voorlopertjies” leading the way with extravagant dance moves while the band provides the backing soundtrack.

Among this year’s troupe lineup you will see Original D6 Hanover Minstrels, Mitchells Plain Young Tycoons, Phantoms Community Development, Ashwin Willemse Orient Community Development, Young Wild Comanches, Manenberg Superstars, Carnival Boys Youth Development (also known as Crystal Palace), Wild Apache, Baruch Entertainers, CPT Hawkers, Fabulous Seawind Entertainers, and many more.

Experience The Magic 

The parade is set to attract a crowd of 80,000 to 100,000 spectators, eager to experience over 16 minstrel troupes and 20,000 performers. 

The parade will begin at the corner of Somerset Rd and Dixon St. The route
will follow along Somerset Rd all the way to the DHL Stadium.  

Road Closures 

To accommodate the parade and ensure public safety, several roads will be closed from 6am on Monday, 5 January to Tuesday, 6 January 2026. 

Affected streets include: 

Street/Road  Restriction    Between  Closure Time  Opening Time 
Main Rd  Full Closure (residential access lane between Upper Portswood Rd & Highfield Rd)  York Rd  Buitengracht Street  06h00  23h59 
Prestwich Street  Full Closure  Alfred St Granger  Chiappini Street  06h00  23h59 
Somerset Road  East Bound closure  Bay Blvd Granger  Granger Bay Blvd  06h00  23h59 
Fritz Sonnenberg  Full Closure  Bay Blvd Granger  Rd Portswood  06h00  23h59 
Somerset Road  Full Closure  Bay Blvd  Buitengracht St  06h00  23h59 
Ebenezer Road  Full Closure (Hotel Access only)  Prestwich St Javis  RD Somerset  06h00  23h59 
De Smit Street  Full Closure  St Napier St Javis  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Moreland Terrace  Full Closure  St Schiebe St  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Napier Street  Full Closure  Dixon St  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Alfred Street  Full Closure  Prestwich St  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Dixon Street  Full Closure  Strand St  Javis St  06h00  23h59 
Chiappini Street  Full Closure  Prestwich St  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Chiappini Street  Full Closure  Napier St Liddle  Somerset RD  06h00   23h59  
Alfred Street  Full Closure (Hotel Access only)  St Beach Rd  Schiebe St  06h00  23h59 
Prestwich Street  Full Closure  Portswood Rd  St Alfred  06h00  23h59 
Cobern St  Full Closure  Granger Bay Blvd  Somerset Rd  06h00  23h59 
Granger Bay Blvd  East Bound Carriage Closure  Helen Suzman  Helen Suzman  06h00  23h59 
Fort Wynyard St  Full Closure  Blvd  Granger Bay Blvd  12h00  23h59 
Fritz Sonnenberg  Full Closure    Beach Rd     
Vlei Road  Full Closure    Fritz Sonnenberg Rd  12h00  23h59 

 Local access and permit holders: 

Street/Road  Restriction    Between  Closure Time  Opening Time 
Main Road  Permit Holders Only  Granger Bay Blvd  Three Anchor Bay Blvd  06h00  23h59 
Granger Bay Blvd  Permit Holders Only  Helen Suzman Blvd  York Rd  06h00  23h59 
Ebenezer Road  Permit Holders Only  Port RD  Prestwich St  06h00  23h59 
Bennett Street  Permit Holders Only  Port RD  Prestwich St  06h00  23h59 
Hudson Street  Permit Holders Only  Waterkant Street  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Hudson Street  Local Access Only  Hudson St  Strand St  06h00  23h59 
Vos Street  Local Access Only  Vos St  Strand St  06h00  23h59 
Rose Street  Local Access Only  Rose St  Strand St  06h00  23h59 
Waterkant  Local Access Only  Buitengracht St  Waterkant St  06h00  23h59 
Cavalcade Road  Local Access Only  York Rd  Upper Portswood Rd  06h00  23h59 
Thornhill Road  Local Access Only  Cavalcade Rd  Upper Portswood Rd  06h00  23h59 

 Entry 

The HollywoodBets Cape Town Street Parade is free for the public. Follow Cape Town Street Parade on FacebookInstagram, and X, for the latest updates on the start route and other information. 

Related Articles 

The post Cape Town Minstrels Carnival 2026 – Everything You Need To Know! appeared first on Cape Town Tourism.


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