Chilima courts Lilongwe rural voters during Imbizo tour

Presidential candidate for UTM Party, Saulos Chilima impressed  Malawi Congress Party’s (MCP’s) backyard in Lilongwe rural promising to revive the agricultural sector and urging the people to demand accountability on how their taxes are spent by the government when he conducted more than 20 Imbizos (Whistle-stops) at the weekend.

This comes just after a week when Chilima,  who is also the country’s  Vice-President  also toured Lilongwe rural with more than 40 Imbizos.

While Chilima was convincing voters in Lilongwe rural, his runningmate Dr Michael Usi was also conducting his own imbizos in Blantyre.

During the stops, Chilima reiterated his message of hope for the social and economic development of Malawi through the practical and comprehensive blueprint that UTM plans to implement after winning   elections in May.

He said it is sad that after 55 years of independence, Malawi’s achievement is to be sighted as a good example of economic mismanagement, and urged the people of Lilongwe to stop expecting different results when they are doing the same things.

“You people should have been the most proud Malawians for staying in the capital of this republic because ordinarily this should have been the most developed district owing to its status, but when I look at the glaring poverty just outside the heart of town I always wonder where I am,” said Chilima.

“We must never accept this status quo to continue as we will be guilty to our children for bequeathing to them a world that they do not deserve; it will be a crime against humanity to let this poverty extent to our children,” said Chilima.

He told the people that   the first thing that the UTM government will do after winning the May 21 tripartite elections is to seal all  holes through which government money  has  been pilfered  by accomplished thieves that are busy masquerading as later-day  saints  and father Christmases  dishing out ‘developments’ to unsuspecting Malawians.

He said UTM will purge out criminals on top of offering them a 30 day amnesty to return the loot to Malawians so that the money is channeled towards projects that would directly benefit  the people.

Said Chilima: “We  know the people that were paupers in this country walking down our streets just four years ago, but have grown so rich; they have become billionaires within a short space of time but without any visible enterprise or legal source of money. Their only qualification has been their proximity to the leadership or ruling elite.”

“This is not how things are supposed to be in this country and we want that to change. Malawi should be a land of opportunity for all of us not just a chosen few.”

The UTM President assured the people of Lilongwe Rural  that, as a district which mostly relies from tobacco farming, the district stands to benefit from the concept of mega-farms which is one of programmes that the UTM government will implement.

“We need to be live to the reality that   we may not be earning from tobacco like we should. In fact the proceeds from tobacco have profoundly dwindled over the past years and the situation does not look it will improve anytime soon. We therefore cannot be sitting ducks and be perpetual victims of circumstances, which is why the UTM government  will implement  this program to ensure that people  from this area are redeemed from the poverty trap,” said Chilima.

Apart from talking development, Chilima called on people of Lilongwe rural to demand development and not to allow any political leader give them anything less, for instance, providing a borehole when they rightfully deserve piped water.

“You own the development agenda, you pay taxes. You pay taxes, through soap that you buy or airtime you use in those phones. Nobody should tell you ‘without us you would be nothing’,” he said to the wild ululation of the crowd gathered.

Realising the uphill task UTM has in Lilongwe rural, Chilima told the gathering not to vote out of mercy or habit.

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