When, in 2003, the Bakili Muluzi administration split Mwanza into two districts, namely Mwanza and Neno, there was one desktop computer at Mwanza District Council.

That meant people from all departments, be it finance, development planning, among others, were scrambling for one dirty and overused desktop computer that had seen its better days.

Fast-forward to 10:30am on Friday, April 4, 2025. This is the moment Information and Digitalisation Minister Moses Kunkuyu arrived at Mwanza District Council offices to preside over activities marking ‘World Postal Day’.

Apparently, Malawi did not hold activities marking the day in 2024, such that this year’s event was dubbed ‘World Postal Day 2024’.

When Kunkuyu arrived at the council offices in the district, which is synonymous with citrus fruits such as tangerines, grapefruits and lemons, he was promptly “reminded” that the theme for World Postal Day was “150 Years of Enabling Communication and Empowering People Across Nations”.

By this time, Kunkuyu must have known what the theme was; however, he did not know that he would “soon” be doing something that would mark a milestone for Mwanza District Council officials and residents alike.

That deed he did at 10:41am, when he officially handed over an information communication technology (ICT) laboratory to Mwanza District Council officials and, by implication, Mwanza residents.

Not only did Kunkuyu hand over the ICT laboratory, which the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) renovated; he also handed over equipment, notably 11 Uninterrupted Power Supply (IPS) gadgets with the capacity of 390 watts; 11 office chairs; one desk; 10 office cubicles; a printer; binding and laminating machine, among other things that were purchased by Macra and, through the Ministry of Information and Digitalisation, given to Mwanza residents as their modern-day gift.

Out of these, however, it is one thing that has not been listed above that has marked the boundary between the Mwanza that was divided into two districts in 2003 and the post-April 4, 2025 Mwanza. That thing is, the donation of 11 desktop computers to the council.

The desktop computers, like the other items, were purchased by Macra and handed over to the people of Mwanza through the Ministry of Information and Digitalisation.

The items will, no doubt, benefit thousands of people.

When the National Statistical Office (NSO) released Population and Housing Census results in 2018, Mwanza, which covers an area of 2,259 kilometres square, had 138,015 people.

Among these people, according to NSO, are the Chewa (59.3 percent), Ngoni (30.4 percent), Lomwe (4.2 percent), Mang’anja (2.3 percent), Yao (1.4 percent), Sena (1.1 percent), Tumbuka (0.5 percent), Tonga (0.1 percent), Ny