DPP targets free maize to thwart UTM rallies in Phalombe, Chiradzulu

The  Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government will this weekend distribute free maize to the people of Phalombe and Chiradzulu in a move seen to thwart two political rallies organized by the United Transformation Movement (UTM) in the same districts.

Maize to be distributed to people

UTM leader who is also State Vice President Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima is expected to hold two rallies, at Migowi Trading Centre in Phalombe on Saturday and at Ndata primary School ground in Chiradzulu on Sunday.

Insiders confided to Nyasa Times that DPPofficials have been sending messages to peoples in the two districts that they will distribute free maize to ‘avert the hunger situation in the country’ starting with the two districts this weekend.

But political analysts see this move as a desperate attempt by the ruling DPP to disturb UTM rallies after Chilima and his team successfully made some in-roads in what is perceived as DPP stronghold in Mulanje by holding a rally which attracted huge crowds at Namphungo School ground two weeks ago.

“The DPP knows that if Chilima and his team are going to attract huge crowds again in their strongholds of Phalombe and Chiradzulu, then their (DPP) status of being the powerful party in these districts will be lost and I am not surprised that they have arranged to distribute free maize only in these two districts as if these are the only districts where there is hunger,” said an observer who spoke to Nyasa Times.

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Joseph Mwanamvekha told a meeting with District Commissioners (DCs) and District Agriculture Development Officers (DADOs)that  government will start implementing a relief food distribution exercise targeting 432,729 food insecure households in 26 districts across the country.

Mwanamvekha disclosed that the government, through the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DoDMA), has mobilized 21 636.5 tons of maize for the humanitarian response.

He said the distribution is once off, saying each beneficiary household is going to get a 50 kilogram bag of maize as preliminary relief before government rolls out Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) response from October to March, next year.

DPP has in the past, tried in vain to put counter events to UTM rallies. When UTM was being launched on July 21, 2018 at Masintha Ground in Lilongwe, DPP paid for free football matches in Lilongwe but UTM still managed to pull massive crowds.

It was the same the story in Blantyre on July 29, 2018 when UTM was being launched in the Southern Region at Njamba Freedom Park when the party sponsored a free music show and subsidized beer at a nearby upper Stadium but this too, failed. UTM pulled large crowds for the Njamba launch.

In Mzuzu, a plan to hold several rallies by DPP when the UTM organized its launch for the northern region on August 4, 2018 failed to materialize as the ruling party was forced to cancel its rallies to pave way for the UTM launch.

In Mangochi on August 19, 2018, the ruling DPP resorted to violence to intimidate UTM supporters and followers by torching two of its vehicles ahead of its eastern region launch which proved to be a success with a huge crowd attending the rally.

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Gucci Grace
Gucci Grace
5 years ago

Sooooooo stupid, you give people fertilizer subsidy to people and then you turn around and gave the same people free maize…………how retarderd is that????a Malawi kalandileni chimanga cho, ndi Chanu chomwe, boma la DPP ndi lozelezeka.

Mulopwana
Mulopwana
5 years ago

Coming to attend UTM rallies does not mean supporting the SKC movement. Its part of entertainment. After all people just to see who this Unlucky but greedy guy is and enjoy Akweni’s outbursts against the DPP. Kulibe chomwe muphuleko a chilima olo mutayenda dziko lonse mapeto ake muzakhala chete 2019 kusowa mtengo wogwira. Akakhala a Manganya ndiye muzlira ganyu wanu ku ADRA . the goodness you get kangachepe kudzera ku Tikuferanji otherwise forget kuti mungazawine mpando ku MJ

Achiswe
5 years ago

Distributing maize in order to disrupt/distract from opposition rallies only emphasises the DPPs desperation. It also plays into the narrative that the DPP is corrupt by attempting to manipulate voting choices come May 2019.

Make Malawi Great
Make Malawi Great
5 years ago

Basically these people cant afford maize so how are they going to afford milling it? Is the govt going to give monetary incentives too? How about the relish to go with it? is it sustainable solution or just plain politics Dpp led govt shameless playing with people livelihoods at the expensive of their own taxes. Cause there more needy areas that need it more than other areas emergency relief should be prioritise not politicised as there’s is also nepotism favouritism corruption top down the distribution chain.

pathfinder
pathfinder
5 years ago

KKKKKKK So guys, do you really think DPP ingatekeseke ndi chilima mmadera a phalombe ndi chirazulo? Komanso iwe ophika nkhani, nanga ndinene kuti olemba nkhani ngati? Ukanakhalapo ndi nzeru usanakazinge zopusa zakozi podzifunsa wekha kuti, ndidzothekadi kuti chilima angalimbe ku maboma amenewa? Yes anthu akapita amumve uchitsiru wake whether kugawidwe chimanga or not koma tsiku lamabvoti pikichala yake anthu akatsetera.

Patrick Mbewe
Patrick Mbewe
5 years ago
Reply to  pathfinder

Ikutekeseka kale iwe wawerenga nkhani yi koma? Munayesa Dance ndi mowa Ku BT, Ku MJ munanena kuti ndi a satanic, lero mwabwera ndi ya chimanga? Kenako mubwera ndi yogawa mbuzi, koma Chilima Boma akutenge basi, wina afune asafune

santana
santana
5 years ago

Mr Repoter, attending somebody’s rally in enmass does not mean all have joined the party enmass. How many people from Mangochi and Zomba joined UTM after those rallies? The only problem I see here is that the DPP looks being squeezed because they are not good political strategists. They fear everything from opposition moves. How can the whole ruling party have sleepless nights with people like Mtambo and Trapence? The govt would have waited for the demos to take place and later ask the organisers what answers have they received by going to the street. They would enjoy the mocking.… Read more »

Agenda Setting Theory
Agenda Setting Theory
5 years ago
Reply to  santana

They may not all join UTM but some have which means DPP has lost some. It might no bother you, but those in power now are very much worried.

FORGIVE ME LORD
FORGIVE ME LORD
5 years ago

HEEEEEEEEEEEEE KMA NDIE KUMUTSATA MMAPAZITU INU MISONKHANO YANU AMAKUTSATANI MMAPAZI NDANI? MWAYIWALA KALE KUTI NDIFE TINAKUYIKANI PAMPANDO NDIPO TILI OKONZEKA KUKUCHOTSANINSO PAMPANDIPO, MULUNGU AKUKWAPUTILENI ANTHU OPANDA CHIFUNDO, AND GOD IS WATCHING AND MUZAYANKHA MISONKHO YATHU MUKUYIKA MMATUMBA MWANUMO IFE TIKUGONA NDI NJALA.

Mattise Binauli
Mattise Binauli
5 years ago

Haha Dpp fool! Let us received maize but we vote UTM. I send my children to get maize, I and my wife to attend UTM rally

Patrick Mbewe
Patrick Mbewe
5 years ago

Binauli iwe ndi mlomwe genuine. Mlomwe amakhala ochenjera

OKHUDZIDWA
OKHUDZIDWA
5 years ago

KKKKKKK A DPP MUMUMVA KUWAWA SIMUNATI,OSAPITA KU LILANGWI,MDEKA,BALAKA MUKAPEREKE CHIMANGA KUMENEKO BWANJI?

Nzika ya Malawi
Nzika ya Malawi
5 years ago

Kalandireni poti ndi misonkho yathu koma povota ndiye adzamvetse moti wina adzakumana ndi cardiac arrest. Kaya ndiye akaikidwa kuti poti Mpumulo ndi wa Bingu ndi ana ake!

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