JB rewards Kutsaira: Tells PP members, ‘hold your patience’
President Joyce Banda on Sunday appointed Bintony Kutsaira who had just defected from MCP to her ruling People’s Party to the position of deputy minister of agriculture and food security and urged members of his People’s Party (PP) to hold their ambitions for higher positions until appropriate time comes for them.
Banda welcomed Kutsaira in PP at Masintha Ground in Lilongwe during a political rally she held where he distributed maize to starving families and YEDEF equipment to the youth.
A few hours after welcoming him into PP, President Banda appointed Kuntsaira as deputy minister.
He replaces Ulemu Chilapondwa who was appointed on Saturday as Minister of Transport and Public Works following the resignation of Sidik Mia on Friday.
Kuntsaira is a former senior member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) where he held various positions including Secretary General and Regional Governor for the center.
He resigned from the DPP where he also served as deputy minister during its regime and went back to MCP in June last year.
Speaking at Masintha Ground after his welcome into the party, Kuntsaira said: “ndilibe zambiri zoti ndinganene koma alimbe (“I don’t have much to say but they [opposition members] should get prepared.”
In her speech, President Banda said it was not possible for everyone to be considered at once for the positions.
She said this in apparent reference to claims that Mia has quit her government and party frustrated that he was not considered to be picked as her running mate.
“It is not possible to have six running mates at a time, we can only have one. So let us all be patient because it is only God who puts people in positions when time is due,” she told the gathering.
Banda said generally first months of elections’ year is when transfer window for politicians and Malawians should expected more of the same until elections held.
The President cited late Aleke Banda and Justin Malewezi who dumped the former ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) just a few months before the elections in protest of Bakili Muluzi who handpicked Bingu wa Mutharika as a presidential candidate but the party went ahead to win the polls.
She sounded confident that come May 20, she will win the elections owing to performance since she took ov er power from late Mutharika whose regime left a bad legacy on human rights, academic freedom, poor governance, nepotism and also financial melefances.
President Banda’s presence at the rally accompanied by First Gentleman retired Chief Judge Richard Banda, both looking fit and well, discredited haters who have been spreading messages that they couple were unwell and hospitalised.
State House dismissed the rumour which was spread on social media and some online publications.
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