While government is trying to strengthen control measures in the public service, some civil servants have beaten the bank payment system introduced last year by using individuals masquerading as pensioners to open bank accounts where millions of kwachas are being deposited, Malawi News has established.

Twelve years after the Chiradzulu serial killings, women are still walking in groups especially in this rainy season to avoid gruesome murders that terrorised the district, Malawi News has learnt.

The Malawi College of Health Sciences (MCHS) says it has postponed the intake for up to 630 first year students because of lack of funding from government.

As residents in Blantyre city grapple with safe water supply problems forcing them to rely on boreholes and streams, tests conducted on some samples from boreholes and streams have shown the water could be unsafe for drinking.

Even as the crisis of drug shortage persists in the country's public hospitals, health rights non-governmental organisations have defended the campaign they launched four years ago against medicine stock outs in Malawi.

Huge salary disparities between employees working in the civil service and parastatal companies have forced Public Service Management to come up with recommendations that will help harmonise remuneration for the workers, Malawi News has established.

Reinstated Secretary General and presidential hopeful of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Chris Daza has downplayed fears that the coming of Blantyre Rural East MP Henry Phoya in the party will dampen chances for the former to take the party presidency when the party holds its convention before the 2014 polls.

Amidst ever increasing complaints of poor service delivery by city authorities, it has been revealed that property owners owe Blantyre City Council (BCC) over K1 billion in unpaid property rates dating back to 2008.

Malawi Law Society (MLS) says it suspects conspiracy in the way parties have avoided calling for implementation of Section 65 of the Constitution after several MPs crossed the floor in Parliament since 2009.

Amidst ever increasing complaints of poor service delivery by city authorities, it has been revealed that property owners owe Blantyre City Council (BCC) over K1 billion in unpaid property rates dating back to 2008.

Some clinical officers in the public sector have complained to the Ministry of Health for failing to provide a proper career path for the profession and limited opportunities of further training.

Officials of the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) have failed to justify the recent 50 percent increase in the price of maize.

Over 200 teachers in the Primary Teacher Education 4 (IPTE 4) category for Blantyre Rural are contemplating staging a strike to pressure government to pay them their salary arrears and hardship allowances for the past three months.

Alleged negligence and shortage of nurses at Limbe Health Centre has forced ward attendants to do the work of midwives of assisting women in labour to deliver, which is a threat to the lives of both the pregnant women and infants.

One of Malawi's leading agriculture economists, Collen Kaluwa,  has expressed the need for government to put in place a deliberate policy that would ensure that people do not import products that can be produced from within the country.

Minibus commuters should brace for tough times ahead as the Minibus Owners Association of Malawi (Moam) is holding discussions with stakeholders to raise minibus fares by 100 percent due to a hike in insurance.

In a desperate attempt to garner support in the Eastern region widely perceived as a United Democratic Front (UDF) stronghold, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is leaving no stone unturned to buy support from business persons in Mangochi and other districts.

Political parties in the country have described the ending year as a very bad year, urging government to open up to all stakeholders in the coming year in order to address the crises being experienced in the country.

Amidst the hullaballoo that has engulfed the former ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), Acting National Chairperson Cassim Chilumpha has declared that there is no place for lawlessness in the party while it is trying to rebuild and challenging to take over government in 2014 polls.

People whose relatives were killed or injured and some who had their properties destroyed during the July 20 nationwide anti-government protests may file for compensation Malawi News can reveal.