Sally Kumwenda upbeat  to be next female president of Malawi: ‘People need Leadership with Compassion Party’

Sally Kumwenda, leader of the Leadership with Compassion Party (LCP) and so-far the only female presidential hopeful for the 2019 tripartite elections,  believes in herself  that she is going to become the country’s next president and seconf female leader.

She said, as a party, they have done quite a lot with what has been available to them and said she was “looking for possible funders to help accomplish several party projects we are remaining with.”

According to her, LCP is Malawi’s only hope because “people need change.”

She said: “We have been visiting so many places in Malawi and the response is overwhelming.”

Malawi not ready for a female president?

Kumwenda told Nyasa Times in an exclusive interview that despite an overrated “media propagated” mindset that Malawians are not ready for a female president, it is the opposite on the ground.

“It is completely wrong to generalize a statement that was said by a single person for whatever reason to stand for everyone else in Malawi. I am saying so because from my own findings, there is no such a thing. In fact, Malawians are most eager to have a female president than what has been misrepresented in the media,” said Kumwenda.

She challenged Malawian journalists to go out there and talk to the people at grassroots and find out.

“Men and women equally want a female president in Malawi,” she said.

According to her, there was something “seriously done to our former President Joyce Banda not to attain her position.”

Kumwenda claimed Banda was “robbed” of her position.

Different

Kumwenda, who is yet to complete her doctoral studies in South Africa, said her party will assume the reins of power in the country because they are new.

“Of course there are 55 parties in Malawi, but only a few seem to exist. And, most of these cannot bring any change into this country. They seem to be clinging in politics for no any reason other than to do with personal gains, greed, selfishness and with no intention to uplift the lives of Malawians,” said Kumwenda.

She claimed Malawian youth have always been abused by such parties and recycled politicians. According to her, one of the cornerstones of LCP is to invest greatly in the youth of Malawi.

“LCP is a different party all together because we are focusing on new people, with fresh ideas particularly the youth to lead this country in the political arena.

“Our leadership in as far as governing the country is concerned, starts today. We know our problems better than these veteran politicians; therefore, in a better position of addressing them once we begin to lead,” she said.

Strategy

She revealed that God will be the bedrock of all their strategies to winning the 2019 polls.

“What makes me different is that I am a God fearing person. I know one can conceal this claim facially but with me my God fearing claim is deep rooted that my courage and strength to become the next president emanates from such a claim,” she said.

Kumwenda said she wants to lead the people of Malawi with Compassion guided by peace, love and unity.

“With LCP there is no way leaders can be involved in or tolerating corruption which is the backbone of poverty in Malawi; with compassion leaders would never allow the people they lead to lack proper medication and care in hospitals, there is no way people could be having poor education system in a country, high unemployment levels, perpetual blackouts, exorbitant prices of goods and so on,” she said.

Kumwenda said it is high time the people of Malawi “need to be led by a leader full of compassion; a leader with the welfare of people at heart, a selfless leader and this leader is none other than myself.”

Born in Malawi 38 years ago, Kumwenda said she had a tough time growing up with a single mother after her father died in 1983.

“I understand poverty to the bone. I understand it. I know what it means to suffer in this country,” she said.

Her party, LCP, was registered and launched last year, adding the number of political parties in the country to 55.

Malawi will go to its second tripartite elections in 2019 to elect ward councilors, parliamentarians and the president.

The European Intelligence Unit (EIU) tipped that incumbent President Peter Mutharika would narrowly succeed in the 2019 polls inspite of the economic turmoil currently facing the country.

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