Political commentator Mvula contesting for BT Malabada seat: Promises improved services

Political commentator Humphrey Chimphando Mvula, who is an independent parliamentary candidate for Blantyre Malabada Constituency in Ndirande during the May 21 tripartite elections, is pledging that once voted he shall facilitate for improved health, sanitation, education, water and many needed services.

These are some of the services that are highlighted in his manifesto that he is distributing door to door in the Constituency, whose incumbent is Aaron Sangala of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and there are other aspirants eyeing the same post.

Mvula, a former private sector executive, says time has come for Ndirande Malabada to have improved services including having good access road network, police units, security street lights and a recreation centre for the idle youth that shall be equipped with a library.

“I have chosen to join the Parliamentary race as an independent candidate because I would prefer to represent everyone, including those that do not subscribe to party politics,” said Mvula a former United Democratic Front (UDF) strategist and and worked with People’s Party (PP).

“If elected, I will be happy to run this constituency differently by involving every key stakeholder through members elected to comprise a general assembly. This general assembly will be supported by an executive committee and several sectoral committees.

“I believe that the involvement of all key stakeholders will foster collective participation and enhance transparency. I will the role of a representative, the people’s messenger in every sense of the word and a catalyst for development.

“I am sure that the fulfillment of this Manifesto will demand outreach programmes that will be aimed at creating national and international awareness; besides the regular usage of the media to tell the Malabada story that I will:

• Run an active website for Malabada constituency with regular updates;

• Will organize donor conferences to sensitize the world about Malabada;

• Will shoot a documentary capturing problems besetting the constituency and circulate the same to government and agencies;

• Will lobby companies to appreciate problems of Malabada where most of their workers reside;

• Will as regular as possible invite the President of the Republic to see for himself or herself the problems of Malabada. I will work with President who will demonstrate interest to help develop the constituency;

• Will facilitate registration of a company limited by guarantee to oversee development in the constituency and;

• Will work with councilors who will be elected to champion development in the constituency.

Mvula said even with 23 years of multiparty democracy, where Ndirande Township was the launch pad, Malabada has very little to show for the democracy, saying the outgoing MP has been in his position for 15 years but there is very little to show for these years, in terms of development infrastructure.

He said the present scenario has left most of Malabada residents outside the development loop because major political parties (UDF, PP, MCP) in the constituency are not taking part in the development of the constituency.

“Traditional leaders (Makata, George, Che Jane, Gamulani etc.) are neither part of the planning nor implementation of development plans. Even key faith groups are not part of the development planning. The business community youth and women are also not involved in planning and implementation of development projects.

“Yet this constituency is still beset with myriad of problems that include limited potable water supply points. The whole constituency has fewer than 10 water points. The new informal settlement areas of Baghdad, Zambia, Chilumba etc. have no source of potable water.

“There is no public health facility despite the high density of population. The health delivery service is mainly provided by a paying CCAP Mission hospital at Mpembu.

“Sanitation is very poor and therefore, amenable to diseases. Because of lack of toilets in public places, there is a high risk of spreading waterborne diseases. This situation is worsened by non-collection of refuse by the City Council and heavily polluted rivers.

“There are no public health initiatives to prevent and control various diseases arising from this poor sanitation. The constituency has very few primary schools, whereas those available are overcrowded; have poor learning and teaching environment; have limited supply of potable water; have few pit latrines for too many learners; the classrooms have insufficient chairs/desks and they have no recreational facilities.

“The constituency has several small but crowded market places operating from unsecured places at Makata, at Zambia, at Chinseu etc. At all these places, there are no toilet facilities, no potable water points and worst of all public health officials hardly come to inspect these markets.

“The constituency has poor road network. There is one tarmac road that was built by the CCAP Church that terminates at Malaysia housing area. This road has not been maintained. The extension from the housing area to Mpembu has not been completed.

“The feeder roads into Gamulani, Makata and Nyambadwe wards are in bad state after many years of neglect. The road from Blantyre passing through Chinseu via Ndirande Market is in dire need for repairs and maintenance.”

He pointed out that there are no recreational areas where the youth can pre-occupy themselves with sporting activities like football, netball, volleyball, table tennis, hockey, gymnastics, darts, athletics.

“The youths need to learn music, traditional dances and choirs; and efforts to inculcate a reading culture among the youth are failing because of lack of a public library.”

All these Mvula pledges to facilitate including vocational and life skills services where technical subjects such as welding, mechanics, general fitting, plumbing, carpentry, brick-laying, auto-electrics, body repairs and spray painting, electronics, welding and fabrication, computer skills, typing and clerical work and tailoring, baking, knitting, domestic work and family management can be taught.

 

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