By Sarah Gwetsani
It has been established that party supporters in Lilongwe City Central constituency are the ones enjoying lion share in relief items distribution exercise which government is implementing in the area and across the country.
What has been established in Lilongwe City Central constituency is a tip of an iceberg that relief items are benefiting more of party supporters than the deserving beneficiaries a development which is defeating the merit of relief items to the poor.
Party supporters are reported to be taking a bigger role registering names of beneficiaries and distribution exercise and it is not a surprise that starting from Covid-19 pandemic cushion money through mobile phones, Affordable Input Programme (AIP) and bags of maize distribution exercise, the very same beneficiaries have benefited.
A visit to the same constituency and now a new constituency demarcated to be Lilongwe City Nankhaka constituency, has revealed that the same people that have benefited more are the ones that are in the forefront of registering beneficiaries for Urban Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) where K150,000 will find its way to the beneficiaries through their mobile phones.
On Thursday 7th February, 2024 Block Leaders surrounding Lilongwe City Nankhaka constituency convened at the usual Mvama LEA School for registration of their names for Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) and this was done in secret through whispering means of communication.
People had to sit in groups of 10 each, 8 women and 2 men without considering where one has come from provided that the groups have 10 people each, the development forced some clever teachers of Mvama School to squeeze their names as beneficiaries.
Maria Ward Councilor Patrick Makumba, has vowed to utilize resources following guidelines for the Urban Social Cash Transfer Programme {USCTP) that 3,568 beneficiaries are deserved ones from villages such as Ngomani, Ng’oma, Senti, Chambu, Fumbe, Area 51-Chijachi and Area 49 proper describing these villages as hotspots.
Makumba who is also Development Committee Chairperson for Lilongwe City Council said areas such as Dubai, Bagdad, Shire, Gulliver and Area 51-Mteza are not qualifying for Urban Social Cash Transfer Programme and are not appearing in the council’s business besides of them considered by MP for Lilongwe City Nankhaka constituency as beneficiaries of the 2023-2024 Farm Input Subsidy Programme {FISP}.
He said he was twice accused of stealing bags of cement meant for Almeida bridge on Nankhaka River linking Chimoka to Area 30 National Police Headquarters and Area 28 factories and companies and also 599 bags of free maize which government is distributing through DoDMA reported to be missing.
The councilor said enough is enough, this time around, he doesn’t want his name to be destroyed for no gain saying he was cleared in all the accusations including that of 599 missing bags of free maize, claiming that Lilongwe City Council and DoDMA owe the beneficiaries explanations.
One of the Block Leaders of Area 50 speaking on a strict condition of anonymity, said they were instructed to register 16 people in every village claiming that this figure is far from what President Chakwera has been speaking that he wants all the vulnerable people to benefit from Urban Social Cash Transfer Programme.
The Block Leader said he is suffering from intimidations and insults from his subjects that he is not telling them justice advising President Chakwera that if the instructions had come from him to register two people out of a thousand vulnerable villagers, he has de campaigned himself just the same as what he did with Affordable Input Programme (AIP).
