Machinga chiefs pledge support to Atupele
About 480 traditional leaders from Machinga district including thousands of United Democratic Front (UDF) loyalists have vowed to support Atupele Muluzi’s bid to contests for 2014 presidential polls.
The chiefs who included traditional authorities Chiwalo, Kawinga, Kapoloma and Mposa said this on Sunday at a New Year’s cerebrations which Atupele organized for people in the district at his home village Kapoloma.
One of the traditional leaders, chiefs Chiwalo said the traditional leaders are not shaken or even moved an inch with “cheap propaganda” by other people [especially from Friday Jumbe faction] who are against Atupele’s decision.
“We are not shaken anyhow with this type of cheap propaganda and it is not true that we are against the idea of Atupele Muluzi to compete in the high office of the land,” said Chief Chiwalo.
Chiwalo denied reports published in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) funded propaganda broadsheet newspaper Sky News which alleged that Machinga chiefs led by Traditional Authority Nyambi are against Muluzi’s decision to contest in the 2014 polls.
However, elder brother to senior chief Nyambi who represented the TA at the meeting disclosed that his younger brother (TA Nyambi) is only used by the DPP government to de-campaign Atupele.
“Even villagers from Nyambi’s area are very concerned with the conduct of their TA because most of the times he doesn’t consult anyone when he is assigned to carry the political moves. What he is doing is for his own person gain,” he said.
In his speech, Atupele asked the UDF loyalists to remain united and avoid outside forces to divide them.
UDF regional governor for the eastern region, Abubakar Mbaya described the dismissal of Atupele as non starter.
“How can one dismiss someone who is not in his camp?” Mbaya quarried.
