By Vincent Gunde
While millions of Malawians are spending nights with empty stomachs and have no hope for a better tomorrow, President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and the MCP government have forgotten the cries of the people, their focus is on campaign in an effort to bounce back into government.
The situation in the country’s health facilities is very pathetic, patients are being sent back home for no medicines to die at their respective homes, yet the Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda is very busy for her quest of returning back to Parliament.
The MCP is doing all of what it can for its MPs and councilors to be elected to offices and to make this work, it has been established that each constituency where MCP is contesting for a parliamentary and councilors seat, a whooping K437 million has been set aside per constituency for campaign materials mainly handouts.
It is not surprising that MCP President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera is conducting whistle-stops campaign meetings and at every place where he is addressing people, there is a large turn-out of people patronizing the rallies under the influence of handouts.
A concerned independent candidate for Sese Ward- Lilongwe City Ngwenya constituency Isaiah Emmanuel Sunganimoyo, has described the party’s recent action of spending MK437 million per constituency on campaign materials (MCP zitenje and T-shirts) as a misguided priority.
Sunganimoyo said it is sad that that these handouts are being made in a country where its people are facing pressing issues like poverty, infrastructural challenges, and economic hardships- majority of Malawians have no money in their pockets.
He said this practice can be seen as corruption, bribery, and undermining democratic processes noting with a great concern that candidates’ focus on handouts over clear manifestos and policy proposals thereby leading to no development in their respective areas.
The candidate gave an example of Lilongwe City Ngwenya constituency where poverty, and poor infrastructure persist saying Members of Parliament and Councilors fail to address pressing issues observing that handouts have potential consequences such as distorting electoral processes, perpetuating poverty and inequality.
“Handouts undermine trust in government and democratic institutions and also leads to diverting resources from essential public services which could have addressed equally important projects to corrupting minds of the people for an MP and councilor to be looking like a servant leader,” said Sungamimoyo.
He said him as a candidate, his focus is on the welfare of the poor masses struggling with poverty and rising cost of living due to the country’s poor economy saying he believe in governance that prioritizes transparency, accountability and development urging Malawians to demand better from their leaders so that together, they can build a brighter future for Malawi.
