Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament for Thyolo Central, Dr. Ben Phiri, has received phenomenal feedback from his constituents and various stakeholders after hosting the first-ever town hall meeting in the constituency.
The meeting, which brought together representatives from various groups, including pastors, people with disabilities, chiefs, youth organizations, and business associations, aimed to review the past five years and discuss developmental plans.
“Today we took the power back to the people,” Dr. Phiri said, describing the meeting as a milestone. “We held our first ever people’s assembly to take stock of my first term of office as a representative of the people of Thyolo Central Constituency.”
During the meeting, attendees also participated in a youth and women entrepreneurship session, as well as a session on drawing a developmental pathway for the next five years.
Dr. Phiri emphasized the importance of town hall meetings, noting that they are “a powerful democratic process that helps politicians to be accountable to the electorates.”
The meeting resulted in the approval and adoption of Dr. Phiri’s 14-page report. He expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “I left the meeting a better and happier person than when I arrived. The feedback I received was phenomenal. I am glad my will was stronger than my fear!”
Dr. Phiri also acknowledged that “doing things the same way and expecting different results has proven to be a recipe for failure.”
He extended his gratitude to the facilitators, speakers, and attendees, as well as his wife and family for their support. He also thanked Chimwemwe Chipungu, Roy Commsy, and Andrew Mwadala for their contributions.
The town hall meeting has been hailed as a significant step towards promoting transparency and accountability in the constituency.
