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By Vincent Gunde

Leader of Opposition in Parliament Dr. George Chaponda, says he has noted with great concern over the abuse of relief food distribution exercise by the MCP government saying the exercise is being shamefully manipulated for political gain describing this as a grave injustice and a betrayal of the trust and welfare of the Malawian people.

Chaponda says the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) was established to handle disaster response impartially and professionally saying instead of allowing DoDMA to carry out its mandate, the MCP government has hijacked this process by involving its politicians in food distribution.

He says these actions are nothing but a calculated effort to gain political mileage at the expense of suffering Malawians saying such behavior is not only unethical but also deeply disrespectful to the principles of fairness and justice that should guide the nation.

Writing in a statement dated 28th January, 2025 Dr. Chaponda has urged the people of Malawi to reject this political manipulation saying their collective suffering should not be exploited for political gain demanding transparency, fairness, and accountability in the distribution of relief items.

Chaponda has reminded the MCP government that they have a duty to serve all Malawians equally and not just their political supporters calling upon the government to immediately stop this malpractice and return the food distribution exercise to the capable and neutral hands of DoDMA.

He has urged development partners to closely monitor the distribution process to ensure that their contributions reach the intended beneficiaries without political interference observing that the food distribution exercise is cementing allegations from other quarters of society that the MCP government has deliberately created the hunger crisis to exploit the suffering of the people for its own political advantage.

“The maize and other relief items being distributed do not belong to the MCP, these resources are the property of the Malawian government approved by Parliament procured using taxpayers’ money and support from our development partners through the World Food Programme (WFP)” reads part of the statement.

Dr. Chaponda has also reminded the MCP government that these relief items are meant for every Malawian in-need, regardless of party affiliation, tribe or religion claiming that no political party has the right to claim ownership or use them as campaign tools.

He has assured government that as the leader of opposition, he will remain committed to holding this government accountable and that they will not stand by while the welfare of Malawians is compromised for political expediency saying together, they should work towards a Malawi where resources are distributed fairly and where every citizen is treated with dignity and respect.