Community of Karonga and Chitipa are planning to take a strong action against government for its failure to reverse its decision of naming Karonga-Chitipa road ‘Bingu Highway’ after they petitioned capital hill.
In may this year, President Peter Mutharika named the road by his late brother’s name saying it was the wish of traditional leaders of both districts to honor him.
Speaking to Maravi Post after their meeting on Saturday, the group leader Steven Simsokwe said they don’t want their road to be named Bingu because the name reminds them pf bad things.
“The aim of the today’s meeting was to find ways of expressing our concerns because what we have observed is that government is not taking our grievances seriously,” said Simsokwe.
“We are still against this name because the late Bingu Mutharika did bad things to us such as the reintroduction of quarter system of selecting public universities students, killing of 20 demonstrators on 20 July, 2011, making Karonga not to be a municipality and Kayerekera issues among others,” he disclosed.
According to him, the name Bingu deserves to be remembered at the Zolozolo cemetery where the 20 July victims are being buried.
The community has now listed some names of their heroes who they are proposing to name the road.
Among the names include Dunduzu Chisiza, Rodwell Mnyenyembe, Chief Kyungu and Kinah Phiri or maintain Karonga-Chitipa road.
They agreed to take the name that has more votes to name the road.
“We shall then hold a strong protest at the District Commissioner’s office to demand government to endorse the selected name,” said Simsokwe.
Meanwhile, Simsokwe has asked well wishers to assist them financially or with advise in order to win the battle.