By Mercy Matonga:
President Lazarus Chakwera has expressed concern over rising cases of political violence in the country ahead of the September 16, 2025 Local Government, Parliamentary and Presidential Elections.
Chakwera made the remarks in Mchinji District yesterday during celebrations marking International Nurses Day.
He said the incident that took place at Mponela Trading Centre in Dowa District on Sunday should not be tolerated in any form, especially in politics, as no individual or political party is superior to others.
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“Yesterday, disturbing reports came from Dowa and Mzimba, where people failed to engage in peaceful politics, resulting in violence and bloodshed. People were not in their right minds, but simply because of politics—rejecting election outcomes and resorting to fighting, even [some people] ending up in the hospital. Should our nurses in hospitals be burdened with such matters? That kind of behaviour is not acceptable; it is destroying our country,” Chakwera said.
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He further said Malawians had become accustomed to violence, which is why, in situations involving shortages whether of chairs, fuel, sugar, fertiliser, maize or even votes, people resort to fighting instead of following due process.
He said this is because selfishness has taken root in the country and urged the public not to burden nurses with these issues.
Speaking on the sidelines in relation to the occasion, Chakwera said his government remains committed to supporting and improving the welfare of nurses, which is why it has promoted and recruited more nurses.
“My goal is to ensure that we take care of our nurses in several ways. Firstly, my government is focusing on nursing education making sure that we support many young people who aspire to join the profession by giving them opportunities to acquire the necessary skills. We are committed to supporting nursing schools,” said Chakwera.
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Speaking to journalists after the event, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said that the Ministry will continue supporting nurses. She said that the government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Israeli government to recruit unemployed nurses in Malawi.
“You have seen that government has been making recruitments and promoting nurses. As government, we will continue to support efforts to improve healthcare service delivery in Malawi,” Chiponda said.
She further called on those responsible for recruitment and promotions to do so fairly, without discrimination based on region or district of origin.
On his part, National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives (NONM) President Shouts Simeza said caring for nurses and midwives has the potential to improve the country’s economy. He appealed to the President to ensure health workers are equipped with the resources they need.
“These nurses are ready and capable. They understand the health profile of Malawi, the disease burdens and trends, and the healthcare delivery system. They are the largest segment of the health workforce and work in collaboration with the entire system.
They are an essential investment for Malawi to combat both communicable and non-communicable diseases and to achieve universal health coverage. They must be available and responsive to emerging health needs,” Simeza said.
He also called on the government to continue supporting nursing education, especially after the withdrawal of USAID support.
“This situation has resulted in massive dropouts, colleges struggling to survive, and needy but deserving students being left behind.
There is inadequate support for learners limited clinical supervision, insufficient teaching equipment in hospitals, and a lack of proper accommodation during clinical placements, exposing students to various forms of abuse,” Simeza added.
The day was commemorated under the theme “Our Nurses, Our Future: Caring for Nurses, Strengthening Economies.”
