Mulanje business community places hope in UTM… endorses Kaliati
By Alfred Manjawira
MULANJE-(MaraviPost)-Most shops at Nkando Trading centre in Mulanje were closed for the whole day on Saturday as the shop owners gathered and pulled up their support for UTM Party.
The shop owners conducted village meetings with fellow business people to discuss matters affecting them as well as pledging their support for UTM leader Dr Saulos Chilima.
It was an all-men event and no woman was part of their team. In his explanation on the reason why women were left out, Mazuzo Banda one of the renowned traders at Nkando said that they excluded women in their programe because what they did was another way of appreciating women.
He added that it was all men initiated idea to talk to men as well as other women who would patronize their open meetings .
“For a long time women have been portrayed as main players in political rallies as men mostly stay home. We thought it wise to hold these meetings as men and make our women rest as others have also gone to other similar meetings,” said Mazuzo.
Speaking at Khwalala village square , leader of the business club Joseph Mcherewatha stressed to the people that it is within their rights as Malawians to endorse a party they feel can fix the problems they face.
Mcherewatha added that after successful meetings with the former MP of the area Patricia Kaliati , as vendors they were satisfied with UTM policies on local businesses as well as candidate’s timely intervention when they asked for a business bailout on immediate loans .
“As business people at Nkando Trading centre, we saw it important to walk with a person who understands our problems ,in this case Patricia Kaliati. Kaliati is a woman who had stood with us for a long time especially in times when our businesses were about to collapse. Ever since we entrusted her with a Parliamentary seat, she has always been the answer to the peoples’ problems.
“Under her leadership we have witnessed tremendous projects taking shape in Mulanje west including new Khwalala Community Day Secondary School , Primary school blocks , Police Unit and bridges just to mention a few.
“It is of this course that we have joined forces with traders from other constituencies in Mulanje to work together. We have rallied behind UTM as the only hope in this forthcoming elections”, explained Mcherewatha.
The vendors are said to hold similar meetings in all parts of Mulanje as well as Thyolo and Chiradzulu within two weeks as an appreciation to what they call a ‘ Gifted hand’’ a nickname that follows Kaliati’s works of charity in the area.
