It was surreal to see Malawi Congress Party as led by political heavyweight Honourable Richard Chimwendo Banda invading Mangochi district and pulling quite a crowd of people in a development rally at Nankhumba ground in the area of senior chief Nankhumba over the weekend.
Chimwendo Banda, who is the director of youth in the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the Minister for Local Government, Unity, and Culture, pulled the crowd to Mangochi West constituency where he spoke to people on some of the projects implemented by the President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera’s administration.
Among others, he assured scores of people gathered at the ground saying that President Chakwera will ensure Admarc operations resumes in the district so that people should have access to the staple grain.
He also cited the construction of Chamtulo-Chilipa Road as one of the projects which Chakwera’s administration is implementing to deal with transportation challenges facing the people of Mangochi and Balaka.
In his further remarks, the youthful Minister, who is also the leader of the House in Parliament reasoned that previous regimes destroyed the country for 26 years in which they governed and therefore it is illogical for the opposition block to expect Chakwera to fix what they destroyed within the few years of governing.
He said “Let me tell you the truth today and you should open your eyes. These people destroyed the country for 26 years but they want President Chakwera to fix it within two years. Is that correct? I assure you that you are much better in President Chakwera’s regime than you could be in past regimes.
“You should know the truth today. There was the reason why President Chakwera suspended Admarc operations. Admarc was failing to buy maize giving an excuse that there was no money for buying maize… I am assuming you today that Admarc is resuming its operations soon.”
Chimwendo Banda was accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture Honourable Sam Kawale, who in his address told people that government will set maize selling points in addition to those already established so that people should be bailed from walking to buy the grain from farther markets.
He said “As a government, we announced in Parliament last week that we will begin dispatching maize to different areas. I announced that we will also dispatch maize to Mangochi. We have several areas set from. where you will be buying maize instead of you buying it from far depots. Maize will be sold at K300 and our duty as a government is to bring maize close to you.
“Secondly; regarding the subsidy, I have to apologize that we began implementing it late because of some reasons. But for those who have not redeemed inputs, we will make sure that they should have them by the end of the next two weeks.”
Chimwendo Banda held a similar rally in Salima last Saturday where he also gave hope to the people in that district on the initiative government is taking to ensure the availability of maize in communities.
