Inkosi Mlonyeni fed up with men, urges people to vote for women in 2019 Malawi elections

Traditional Authority Mlonyeni of Mchinji district has called upon people in his area to vote for women into elected positions in 2019 elections stressing that they are the ones who know better the challenges the area is facing, than men.

He bashed male councilors for Chimimbe and Kalumbe wards of Mchinji South West constituency for allegedly failing the area by shunning developmental activities.

Speaking on Monday during a meeting organized by Governance, Gender, Justice and Development Centre at his headquarters, Inkosi Mlonyeni told the Area Development Committee that the two ward councilors do not respond to queries raised by communities.

“These male councilors have played their part and have failed, it’s time now for the area to support women fully so that they are voted into these elected positions because they are aware of the challenges we are in now,” he said.

He said area currently is having a lot of problems, among them dilapidated roads and poor school infrastructures which are worse now that the rain season has begun.

 He said communities are finding it hard to access social services and he has been calling the two councilors who are nowhere to be seen.

“The area has so many school blocks which have been affected by heavy rains, and this has affected school attendance by pupils. We try to call these ward councilors so that they come and appreciate the magnitude of the challenges so that they report to the council but they don’t come and they even insult us,” he said.

“This led us to be reporting our problems on our own to the assembly so that maybe the community could be served,” he added.

Commenting on the matter, one of the community facilitators on women political empowerment, Flora Banda concurred with the chiefs and asked people to support women in the area who have shown interest to contest as ward councilors in 2019.

“Women have potential to run different elected positions. I urge them not to look down upon themselves, let us support our fellow women who have shown interest in contesting for positions of ward councilor,” she said.

As the 2019 tripartite elections draw closer, Governance, Gender, Justice and Development Centre has embarked on sensitizing area development committees (ADCs) across the district on the need to allow women to actively participate in party politics, especially in the ward councilor positions.