Africa-Press – Malawi. By Daniel Zimba:
President Lazarus Chakwera has expressed optimism about him and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) winning the upcoming elections.
Chakwera said he believes that the party’s existing structures, strong public support and the performance of his government from his first term will contribute to their success.
He made these remarks during the launch of the party’s manifesto and campaign for the Southern Region in Ngabu in Chikwawa District Friday.
This event follows similar launches in the Northern Region last week and central region two weeks ago.
In his remarks, Chakwera said the party’s manifesto is designed to tackle the country’s social and economic challenges through both short-term and long-term strategies.
“Malawi Congress Party has strong structures on the ground and Malawians see that my leadership is providing solutions to the national development gaps,” he said.
Chakwera urged citizens to vote for him in the September 16 elections to enable him to continue addressing the nation’s challenges.
He said the MCP manifesto is anchored on five pillars that are crucial for unlocking Malawi’s developmental potential in a realistic and positive manner.
“I have confidence that I still have your support to continue with the development projects.
“In the 2020 elections, I got a total of 280,755 votes from this region despite others discouraging me that the Southern Region would not vote for someone from the Central Region,” Chakwera said.
He urged people not to be misled by those claiming his government has neglected the Southern Region.
He outlined the issues in the party’s manifesto, which include ensuring food security through the establishment of fertiliser manufacturing factories in the country and the creation of 750,000 jobs annually, translating to three million jobs by 2030.
These, he said, are the bedrock of the vision the party has for Malawi.
Speaking at the event, Senior Chief Ngabu commended Chakwera’s administration for its development project for the country and for Chikwawa in particular.
Ngabu, however, called for more integrated government interventions to tackle the hunger crisis which he said is affecting many lives in the area.
“We continue facing hunger here and it is a very serious problem,” Ngabu said, acknowledging the government’s interventions while asking for further support.
Senior Chief Chimombo from Nsanje District echoed Ngabu’s concerns, emphasising the need for additional assistance in dealing with the hunger crisis affecting Chikwawa and Nsanje districts.
Both chiefs noted the accomplishments of the government, including the construction of technical training centres and the provision of National Economic Empowerment Fund (Neef) loans for their communities.
The party’s Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda and government spokesperson Moses Kunkuyu also underlined the party’s prospects at the polls in September.
Chimwendo Banda called on all political parties in the country to encourage peaceful campaign process among their followers.
Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia who also comes from the area announced that the government has allocated K400 million for drilling boreholes in all constituencies throughout Malawi as part of the government’s effort to ensure potable water supply.
“Running government is a serious business and you [President Chakwera] have proven yourself,” Mia said, expressing her belief in their electoral success
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