Kamlepo says Chaponda run away from Malawi: Calls DPP tribalistic govt, sidelining the North

Rumphi east firebrand MP Kamlepo Kalua on Tuesday picked on minister of Agriculture George Chaponda,  saying he has no moral ground to tell Malawians of their country because he was in self imposed exile when Malawians were fighting the oppressive one party system of government.

Kalua also described the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as tribalistic, alleging this is why the DPP led government is sidelining the north in development activities.

The bone of contention was the distribution of treadle pumps which showed that the government was distributing more treadle pumps in the south than in the north.

“The minister [Chaponda]  was not here when we were fighting the one party dictatorship,” said Kalua.

Apparently, Kalua himself was in self imposed exile in South Africa but fought gallantly to champion multiparty democracy.

Chaponda told the House that there was an expert assessment on the treadle pumps to find out which areas needed more pumps than others.

He did not respond to the insinuation that he was in self imposed exile.

But in a recent radio interview, Chaponda said his family and him run away as they were being hunted by Kamuzu Banda agents.

Debate on the Agriculture vote progressed well afterwards.

Chaponda told the House that the FISP budget has now been increased by K3.5 billion because of escalating costs of fertilizer and transport, putting the budget to K15.5 billion.

He said donors have finally agreed to bankroll the seed cost of FISP to the tune of US$5 million.