By Sarah Gwetsani
Communities living in areas recently demarcated by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) as new constituencies, have benefited more in Affordable Input Progragramme (AIP) and free food distribution being implemented across the country.
Research has established that incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) are campaigning using AIP and free food distribution exercise as weapons to entice the electorates to vote for them in the 2025 elections so as they bounce back as Members of Parliament (MPs).
There is growing anger and frustrations by constituents in areas not favorite by the incumbent MPs and as a result, they are showering insults and castigations to Chakwera’s led government for not having the welfare of the citizens at heart.
Ainess Pondamali of Area 49 in Lilongwe, has accused MCP MPs of reducing President Chakwera’s chances of bouncing back into government claiming that they are concentrating in constituencies regarded as their favorite leaving the other areas as useless.
She gave an example of Lilongwe City Central constituency where its Member of Parliament Alfred Jiya distributed AIP fertilizer Coupons only to his new created Lilongwe City Nankhaka constituency leaving people of Area 25, Chambu, and surrounding areas not aware that there was AIP fertilizer meant for the whole Lilongwe City Central constituency.
The woman said each and every passing day, Alfred Jiya is being decorated on social media platforms as a development conscious man wondering what development is he doing in Lilongwe City Central if other areas are not considered as his?
She has since reminded Jiya that Lilongwe City Central constituency is for one-term Member of Parliament and it is only one, the late Mary Kaphwereza Banda who was voted and served for two terms while others, Kingsley Kamangadazi Chambalo, Shadreck Jonasi and Boniface Kadzamira served one term each.
Pondamali said teachers of Mvama primary school were promised that they will be beneficiaries of AIP fertilizer, they submitted their National Identity Cards (IDs) in time only to see that six teachers benefited out of all in the first round.
“These teachers were told to re-submit their IDs again, only to see none received in the second and final round on 30th January, 2024, there is anger in the heart of teachers which they will vomit it out during the voting day as presiding officers,” she said.
She has since advised Jiya to apologize to the Lilongwe City Central Constituents for the anomalies in AIP fertilizer coupons and free food distribution that to error is human and forgive is divine if he is ready to win trust of the people to bounce back into the National Assembly in 2025.
