President Peter Mutharika will on January 9 lead Malawians in an interdenominational service of worship for rains which have eluded many parts of the country in the past two weeks, raising fears of a food shortage.
Confirming the event, presidential adviser on religious affairs Apostle Timothy Khoviwa said in an interview yesterday that the prayers will also give thanks for the just ended year.
“The prayers will be held at Bicc [Bingu International Conference Centre] under the theme Dedicating Ourselves to God for Seeking Peace and National Development,” he said.
Further, Khoviwa said the prayers will also ask God for good harvest while seeking from Him guidance in 2016.
He said: “We have invited pastors, leaders from different churches and mosques. We want to pray to God for all that He has done and will do. This is also an opportunity for interaction among the different faith groups.”
The prayers have come after the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services described the dry spells as worrisome for farmers as they have now lasted two weeks.
The department’s head of public weather services and spokesperson Ellina Kululanga said El Nino seasons bring dryness in the southern block of Africa and wetness in the eastern part of Africa.
“Malawi lying on the peripheral of the east and southern Africa, the Southern Region would continue to experience dry spells while the Northern Region and some parts of Central would receive normal rainfall because of proximity to the eastern part,” she said.
On Monday, some agricultural development divisions (ADDs) The Nation talked to, revealed that some districts such as Chikwawa and Chiradzulu show that the country should brace for another sharp drop in agriculture output in 2016 after the 30 percent slump in the 2015 season largely due to floods and drought. n
