Chakwera, Mia cherishe flood victims in Shire Valley
CHIKWAWA-(MaraviPost)-Over 2000 people affected by floods in Nsanje district had on Sunday, March 17, 2019 managed to smile again after President of the main opposition, Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Lazarus Chakwera paid them a visit and on behalf of the party donated tonnes of relief food.
Chakwera alongside his deputy Muhammed Sidik Mia who is also official runningmate in the May 21 Tripartite elections and other party officials visited 1,760 victims at Nyachikadza before visiting 416 more at Mankhokwe camp in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Ndakwera.
Speaking in both camps, the MCP leader promised that, after assuming the reigns of power, his government will utilize expertize and knowledge on water management acquired from other countries which dealt with similar problem of floods to control the flow of Shire River through construction of dykes and dredging.
Chakwera also conquered with his Veep, Sidik Mia about the plan by MCP to construct better houses roofed by iron sheets in the uplands which the people can use as their dwelling during heavy rains.
Expressing deep concern over the peoples’ plight due to loss of lives, houses, crops and other property Chakwera said he had learnt about the occurrence of floods when the MCP was launching its manifesto in Lilongwe and had therefore requested contributions from party members and the money was used to purchase tonnes of maize flour and pigeon peas, which was donated on the day.
In his remarks, MCP Vice President Sidik Mia thanked Chakwera for not taking a rest after his long trip from the United States of America (USA) where he attended a funeral of a long time friend but found it important to reach out to the flood victims with food relief.
Before Chakwera and Mia, the party’s National Campaign Director, Moses Kunkuyu bemoaned government’s lip service on the much touted “Malata and Cement Subsidy Programme” which has not benefited the people of the Shire Valley and in particular, the people of Nsanje South affected by floods.
Said Kunkuyu: “If these people had benefited from the so called malata and cement subsidy then they couldn’t have been affected by the floods. In other words, these people are present here at the camp because government had lied to the them about the programme which is just benefiting a few supporters and loyalists of the governing DPP.
In the recent days, the MCP Veep together with his wife who is also MCP Shadow MP for Chikwawa Nkombedzi Constituency have been on relief food distribution exercise in several camps of Chikwawa and Nsanje where flood victims are seeking shelter after their houses and property got destroyed by the floods.
