Hellen Chabunya dumps MCP to join UTM: ‘I would like to champion Chilima’s presidential bid’

Lilongwe-based Hellen Chabunya has resigned as Director of Recruitment in the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and withdrawn her membership to join newly formed UTM of State Vice-President Saulos Chilima.

“Chilima’s solid performance and proven leadership skills coupled with his policies and proposed solutions for resonate well with my vision of the   Malawi I want my children to grow up in,” Chabunya told Nyasa Times.

Before joining maninstream politics in MCP, Chabunya was head of political and public affairs for the British High Commission.

She has previously worked for the Malawi Government in the Local Development Fund as a development communications specialist, and also Auction Holdings Commodity Exchange and Millenium Challenge Account Malawi.

In an interview with Nyasa Times, Chabunya said she relates to Chilima who left a successful career as business executive to serve.

“I relate to this calling and made the decision to leave the comfort of secure employment to start my political journey. As for the future, It has to be about faith and   obedience to what God has placed on your heart and for me, I would like to champion Dr. Chilima’s presidential bid,” she said.

Squarely focused on effecting positive change for Malawi, Chabunya advises that everyone can do something to bring positive change to Malawi.

“I love Malawi and I am greatly opposed to our current reality. We need more Malawian’s  -young and old – to step up. There are many capable Malawian’s who restrict their political participation to social media, the dinner table and political gossip. This is not helping, our ancestor when considering politics had to contend with the real possibility of death, presently you will be required to make sacrifice’s for your country but surely should not be a deterrent,” she said.

Chabunya said she is still aspiring to becouncillor for Chigoneka Ward in Lilongwe, saying her dream is to use her social capital in the international space and her training, to create a model developmental ward at Chigoneka.

“ I have lived in Area 47 for 30 years, I love my community  and have been working with my community leaders long before I decided to run for office. Additionally my passion is for local government, I believe that if the country is to develop we need to get our local councils functioning properly,” she told Nyasa Times.

Fact File

The ambitious young woman is married to Harris Chabunya and together they have a son Hadriel, and a daughter, Hannah.

She lost her mother, Jane Zalira when she was five; and her father, the late John Zalira was an enterprising man who ran various businesses, but was mainly a farmer. Somehow she has inherited his passion for farming.