By George Bulombola
Mzimba, September 21, Mana: Secretary General for Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Richard Chimwendo Banda, Saturday said Malawians have all the reasons to vote for President Lazarus Chakwera come 2025 General Elections.
Chimwendo Banda was speaking at Ngazi Primary School at Ekwendeni in Mzimba during a political rally at which over 100 members of Alliance for Democracy announced their defection to MCP.
He said the government under the leadership of Chakwera has gone through several hardships which include disasters among others, but Chakwera has managed to demonstrate that he is a trustworthy leader regardless of the challenges.
“MCP has proved to be a party with members from all corners of the country. This is not a family party. The first president for MCP was from the north, then came Hastings Kamuzu Banda, Gwannda Chakuwamba, John Tembo and the current president, Lazarus Chakwera,” said Chimwendo Banda.
Chimwendo Banda who is also Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture said the government under MCP leadership is implementing development projects across the country, citing among others, construction of 11,000 school blocks in primary schools, M’mbelwa University in Mzimba, state-of-the-art Mzuzu City Civic Offices, and library at Mzuzu University and several others in the southern and central regions.
“Government has raised upkeep allowance for university students from K150,000.00 to K550,000.00, has scrapped off quarter system which was mainly meant to suppress education in the north. The government is also rehabilitating the M1 Road from Lumbadzi in Lilongwe to Chiweta in Rumphi.
“Not every challenge has been addressed and from what MCP has demonstrated in the past few years, Malawians have all the reasons to vote for Chakwera who is president of our party to lead the country for a second term,” he said.
He then pointed out some of the pledges which the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) never fulfilled such as the construction of Mzuzu International Airport whose groundbreaking ceremony took place in 2017.
“Let me also remind you of the killing of 20 people in Mzuzu for protesting against the DPP government but they have never apologized and condoled the deceased families,” added Chimwendo Banda.
First Deputy Vice President for MCP, Catherine Gotani Hara who is also Speaker of the National Assembly commended government for promoting agri-business by ensuring that agricultural produce is sold at profitable prizes thereby uplifting people’s socio-economic status.
“Let me also applaud government for removing pay as you earn (payee) from CCAP pastors under Synod of Livingstonia. The former government was deducting payee these pastors,” said Hara as she called the gathering to continue rallying behind MCP.
Other speakers at the rally included Minister of Homeland Security, Ken Zikhale Ng’oma, and member of the MCP national executive committee, the party’s publicity Secretary, Jessie Kabwira, Musician Dan Lu and former DPP secretary general and Grezelder Jeffrey among others.
