I’m very much a survivor – Gwengwe

Former minister of Industry and Trade, who was also People’s Party (PP) running mate in the May 20 Tripartite Elections, Sosten Gwengwe, has defended his move to rejoin Malawi Congress Party (MCP) saying he is back to his political nest.

Speaking Friday during an interview on Times TV, Gwengwe said he considers himself as a political “survivor” after moving from MCP, to join Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), then PP and now back to MCP.

“I am a survivor. Even in a political field I have survived,” said Gwengwe.

Asked to explain what he has survived in his nomadic political life, Gwengwe told Times TV that he was fired from MCP and decided to be an independent MP before joining DPP where he served as regional secretary for the centre.

He said when PP came into power; he joined it until former president Joyce Banda picked him to be her presidential running mate. They both lost and he has decided to do a runner.

Asked if he considers himself to be a role model to the youth to join frontline politics, considering his political migration, Gwengwe , 38, said people should also consider “the experience I have gained” while being a member of the parties.

“I am always grateful to those parties that gave me refuge,” said Gwengwe.

He said Malawi political parties “share similar political ideologies.”

Gwengwe said he will not be on another political move as he has come to MCP to stay and end his political career at the party.

“I was born in MCP and will die in MCP,” he said.

Explaining his nomadic political life, Gwengwe said: “I was looking for political survival. It was survival of the fittest.”

He said despite that he served PP, Gwengwe, who lost his Dedza Central parliamentary seat to MCP member Daniel Chiwere, said he knew people in the constituency did not like PP.

“People in my constituency did not support PP. People favoured Malawi Congress Party,” he said.

Gwengwe said the 11,000 people, who have been voting for him in the constituency, were from MCP and kept supporting him. He said the people have rejoiced his rejoining MCP.

Asked if he will contest the seat again in 2019, Gwengwe said that he will contest for the seat of Member of Parliament unless the incumbent delivers.

Christened by many as “Ben 10”, Gwengwe said he was “grateful” to Banda for giving him the opportunity to serve as minister, third in command in her government, picking him as running mate and also took me to the White House to meet US President Barack Obama.

Gwengwe said he strongly believes he still has something to offer to the nation.

The youthful politician who owns Dzuka Girls Private Secondary School, Alice Gwengwe Girls Private Secondary School and S. Gwengwe Boys Private Secondary School, was also recently interviewed by Catholic run magazine Together.

He was asked if he was satisfied with the way DPP is running the country’s economy and said the economy needs private sector involvement both local and international.

“Government must admit that it can’t employ more, it can’t procure more and it can’t move the economy anymore. It must give space to private sector,” Gwengwe said.

“Private sector needs energy; land reforms and simpler procedures and processes. Private sector must be incentivised in productive areas. Free trade zones must be established to give a boost in productive areas. Laws must be repealed to allow more participation by private sector in energy and water resources.

“The reforms at Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) must go hand in hand with the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business reforms at Ministry of Trade. We need more private sector involvement to deal with the issue of acute unemployment especially among the youth.”

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