Don’t leave out politicians in relief maize distribution, MP fumes

By Precious Msosa

Ngalande : This must stop

Tempers almost flared in a Balaka Full Council meeting on Wednesday when parliamentarian for Balaka North Tony Ngalande lamented the tendency of leaving out politicians in the National Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme.

In his contribution to the meeting that was part of the district preparatory engagements, Ngalande said it was unfortunate that when the exercise to distribute the relief maize starts, the MPs are almost turned away from supervising the exercise by claiming ‘izi si za andale’ (this is not for politicians).

Ngalande argued that the chiefs and other local officials forget that it is them (parliamentarians) that go to parliament and talk of the hunger of their respective communities.

“You send us to parliament to talk of the hunger that people are encountering and when some stakeholders have responded with food support, we are almost chased away from supervising by claiming izi si za andale. This is not on and must be condemned in strongest terms so that this should not be happening. We go there to supervise and see to it that targeted people receive the assistance regardless of their political affiliations and not to dictate things,” fumed Ngalande.

His sentiments were echoed by the council chair Faraoh Kambiri who said it is indeed wrong for some people especially the chiefs to be frowning at the MPs and councilors when they go to supervise the distribution exercise.

He said it was unfortunate to bar because politicians don’t go there to campaign but rather appreciate the assistance rendered to their people.

Nkhonde Ward councilor Michael Sauka junior also added his voice by saying ‘zikuchitikazi ndi zopepera’ (it is nonsense) and claimed that the tendency is fuelled by officials in Non-Governmental Organizations. He, therefore appealed to the Civil Society Organization (CSO) chairperson, who was present during the meeting to caution her counterparts.

However, the council chair who was chairing the meeting asked him to withdraw his ‘kupepera’ remarks which he did.

But at the end it all, Senior Traditional Authority Chanthunya curtailed the debate on the matter by saying all what is needed is the politicians to be responsible enough when they go to the distribution sites because that is not a platform for campaigning.

In Balaka, 233,101 people, translating into 51,800 households have been affected by hunger this year.