JB’s road show in Lilongwe, to lay foundation for new stadium
President Joyce Banda on Saturday held a road show rally in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe to speak to a crowd that gathered to welcome her from Ntcheu.
Banda announced she was going to lay a ground stone for the city’s new stadium on Tuesday.
Lilongwe stadium
Banda said she had told the contractors to build the stadium very quickly.
“That stadium belongs to you people of Lilongwe,” she told the enthusiastic crowd at Chidzanja Turn Off.
During the DPP administration, the yet-to-be constructed Chinese funded stadium was relocated from Lilongwe to Blantyre, contrary to what Parliament approved in the loan authorisation legislation.
The move sparked controversy as other quarters, including some members of Parliament, protested, arguing that Blantyre already has the giant Kamuzu Stadium, which only needs to be refurbished.
This has been reversed by the Banda government.
On November 17 2010, Parliament approved a proposal by government to borrow money from the Chinese Government to construct a stadium and land was identified between Area 47 and Area 49.
Unity of purpose
Banda also called for unity among all political parties.
Speaking in an earlier rally in Ntcheu, Banda noted that while she is busy rebuilding the country from there are others who are blocking other people from joining her fight through the People’s Party.
The President said the country now needs everyone’s participation regardless of political.
Banda also thanked all members of Parliament from Ntcheu district for their support during the last parliamentary budget session.
” I wish to thank you, all MPs from Ntcheu for the full support that you rendered during the last sitting of Parliament and I want you to know that without your support this could never have happened,” Banda said.
Open door-policy
And speaking earlier, the People’s Party secretary general Henry Chibwana said PP has an open-door policy and anybody wanting to join is welcome.
“I want to urge all of you who are still with (DPP) to come and join us now. In PP we have an open-door policy and you are welcome anytime to join the party. You can only contribute better to the development of the country if you are one of us. The people’s party has proved to be the party of the people,” Chibwana said.
Also in attendance at the meeting was the second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jones Chingola who is also the member of Parliament for Ntcheu central where the meeting took place.
Chingola joined the People’s party together with other six Members of Parliament from the district.
