Amidst a loud public outcry on the country’s limited and uncoordinated civic education on various issues, including the current Civid-19 pandemic, Minister of Civic Education and National Unity, Honourable Timothy Pagonachi Mtambo, has assured Malawians that plans are at an advanced stage to launch National Civic Education Policy within the current financial year.
Mtambo made the remarks on Monday in Blantyre during the official opening of a capacity building workshop for community radio stations and National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) staff on Covid-19 and SADC Regional Integration.
Mtambo said once finalized, the policy document will go a long way in guiding and regulating the provision of civic education services in the country.
Turning to the Covid-19 pandemic which has so far claimed over 100 lives and inflected close to 3700 people in the country, the Minister called upon civic education providers in the country to join the fight against the pandemic.
“It is pleasing to note that NICE Trust, as a civic education organisation has mainstreamed Civic-19 in all its mobilisation and awareness activities. This is commendable. May I call upon other civic education providers to join the fight against the pandemic,” said Mtambo.
The Minister further commended NICE Trust for organizing the workshop, saying it has come at the right time in the fight against Covid-19, considering that the organisation and community radios work with grassroots communities and relay information in the languages the local communities understand.
Apart from investing in the awareness campaign against Covid-19 pandemic, Mtambo said his Ministry will work with various stakeholders in popularizing the various international and regional protocols to which Malawi is signatory.
“It is sad to note that there hasn’t been much public awareness in Malawi on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional integration. Malawians need to know the SADC protocol to which Malawi is part and parcel of. Likewise, they need to know the economic benefits of regional integration in the SADC region,” said Mtambo.
The Minister has since said his ministry will conduct bench-marking tours to appreciate the nature of civic education in SADC as well as establish partnerships with various civic education stakeholders in the country.
