By Vincent Gunde
A Malawi Congress Party (MCP) diehard of Mera in Dowa district Mr. Rodgers Kamphangala, has pleaded with the new government to add Dowa on the list of districts declared a state of disaster claiming that many people in the district are food insecure.
In the statement released, it says President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has noted with grave concern the impact of food insecurity as a result of cumulative impacts of prolonged dry spells, high commodity prices and other macroeconomic as highlighted in the food situation Report by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC).
The statement says in view of this, President Professor Mutharika has exercised the powers vested in him declared a state of disaster in 11 most affected districts across the southern and central regions of Malawi.
Kamphangala has blamed the MVAC of Dowa for not giving a true reflection of the food situation in Dowa East particularly Mvera where most of the farmers failed to eat pumpkins as usually do every year due to the dry spells.
He said Mvera is the area under MCP parliamentarian Richard Chimwendo Banda who did not have time to inform the MCP le government that in his area people are food insecure deceiving President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera that all is good in Dowa district.
The MCP diehard said it was very unfortunate that beside no candidate challenging Chimwendo Banda in the MCP primary elections afraid of their lives, Chimwendo was already crowned Member of Parliament before the 16th September, 2025 elections.
He said areas of Dowa West are the ones that have produced a bumper harvest of maize in the district unlike Dowa East hence pleading with the government to consider Dowa East areas such as Chezi, Mvera, Thonje, and Chitala bordering Dowa and Salima for food distribution exercise.
Kamphangala said Dowa which for years was known as a food district is no longer the food basket as it used to be claiming that people in the district have for 5 years of President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera been provided with fertilizer coupons for fertilizer coming in March the other year when the maize has reached tasseling stage.
He said beside people in the district voting overwhelmingly for Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, AIP beneficiaries did not enjoy as expected that the MCP will be treating the district as special and thanking them for voting for an all MCP district elected leaders.
“The whole village not even one benefited from fertilizer coupons, in 4 areas of Group Village heads, 8 names appeared to be beneficiaries, very sad,” said Kamphangala.
He said truth to be said, areas that benefited from fertilizer coupons during the MCP led government were those in towns where individuals belonging and supporting “Boma ndilomweli silikuchoka” and those without gardens, are praising the outgoing government of President Chakwera and his MCP.
