DPP MP accused of blocking party youth from holding meetings in Zomba Thondwe constituency

Member of Parliament for Zomba Thondwe Charles Tikiwa is embroiled in controversy following reports that he tried to stop DPP’s Deputy National Youth Director Edward Kandiziwa and Director for Youths in the Eastern Region Steven Bamusi from conducting a youth meeting in his constituency over the weekend.

According to sources who attended the meeting, the two youth leaders together with other regional and district leaders were scheduled to hold meetings with youths in Zomba Central constituency on Saturday morning before proceeding to Zomba Thondwe  to brief the youths on several developmental programs the DPP led government is undertaking.

It is reported that the Zomba meeting proceeded very well but Tikiwa having learnt that their next destination was his constituency kept on calling senior party officials to bar the two youth leaders from holding the meetings in Thondwe alleging that they were creating parallel structures that are working against him.

However, the meeting proceeded after senior party officials gave them a nod to hold the meeting.

This did not please Tikiwa who sent people to the venue of the meeting armed with stones in trying to stop the meeting; this was in the presence of T/A Mbwiza who also attended the meeting.

“As the meeting was being held a blood brother to the parliamentarian stormed the venue with his friends pelting  stones trying to disperse the crowd before he was apprehended by people at the venue. They did not harm him but things could have been worse because he was really planning to stone people and disturb the meeting”, said the source.

When called to confirm, Edward Kandiziwa confirmed that the parliamentarian indeed tried to stop them but denied reports that they are creating parallel structures.

“We have one agenda, and that is to promote DPP and its development agenda under President Mutharika. It is very unfortunate that a member of the DPP is acting this way instead of supporting such a cause. We shall never relent and we shall keep on holding meetings with the youths in the region because they are integral in the implementation of development projects”, said Kandiziwa in a telephone interview.

Speaking in an interview Traditional Authority Mbwiza who attended the meeting confirmed of the incident.

The chief says he also received reports that some traditional leaders were blocked from attending the meeting by some young men who were sent by the parliamentarian.

The chief added that he is saddened with what the brother to the parliamentarian did because it has never happened in his area before and that he knows DPP as a peaceful party, therefore the act by the brother to Tikiwa must be condemned

Efforts to get Tikiwa’s comments proved futile as his phone went unanswered despite many attempts.

However we have seen a text message that Tikiwa was sending his fellow parliamentarians on a thread where he is accusing the party’s youth wing of Blue League for promoting their interests in the constituency an allegation that Kandiziwa denied.

He says this was purely a party event that was organised by the regional directorate for youths in the Eastern region

It is alleged that Tikiwa fears that Blue League’s Deputy National Chairperson Dumisani Lindani who comes from the same area might be harboring ambitions to contest against him in 2019.

Lindani attended the meeting on Saturday but speaking in an interview he laughed off the allegations saying he attended the meeting in his personal capacity since the meeting was all to do with the youths not Blue League. He added that he expected the MP to be there.

“I was in the area to do other things and when I heard there was a meeting I had to attend and hear from the conveners since we are all advancing the DPP agenda.

“I support the DPP and respect the fact that the area has a seating member of parliament who needs our support in order to develop the area. It is just very unfortunate that I witnessed the events and it’s regrettable that it had to reach that stage”, Lindani said.

He further stressed that as Blue League they believe in clean politics as advocated by President Mutharika and that DPP youths under President Mutharika are well disciplined and can’t work to bring chaos and disorder because they are busy working for development.

Asked if he is thinking of contesting in the constituency Lindani refused to comment saying his ambition now is to work with like minded people that are helping to advance DPP’s development agenda.

Meanwhile it has been rumored that the party will be sending officials to investigate the matter.

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