Underground battle for 2019 elections among Nsanje MPs and Councillors

Councillors in Nsanje have accused  Members of Parliament in the district for not turning up to important meetings as they feel is compromising the quality of development.

Some councillors who confided with the reporter said they are concerned with how the MPs in the district have been responding to invitations for council meetings as well as governance trainings.

“We are very worried with the way most of our MPs are handling invitations to very important district meetings and functions. We saw them only when we were coming up with the council committees.

“We last saw them during the first meetings of service committees. We know that they are busy people but they have to know that they were elected to serve the people in their respective areas,” said one of the concerned councilors.

Mabvuto Benjamin Kamba Council Chairperson acknowledged the concerns as he said MPs have obligation to be attending to meetings and trainings that are directly benefiting the constituents without fail.

He further said there are a number of things that need their presence as MPs. He cited an example of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) which he said needs the MPs’ guide as is in the CDF procedure and guidelines.

“Much we know that most of the MPs in district are always busy with other equally important issues, like honourable Francis Kusaila being a Minister, Honourable Esther Mcheka Chilenje Nkhoma being a Deputy Speaker of National Assembly, and others in Parliamentary Standing Committees, it is important for them to be close to the people who elected them.

“We councilors feel that we can work better with their presence as our MPs. Therefore, their presence is paramount to the development of the district,” he explained.

Councilor Kamba urged the Members of Parliament to put the interest of the people at heart so that the district can achieve meaningful development.

“As councilors, we would wish to have our MPs here all the time however, I feel they are always busy,” said Kamba.

Tiphedzane Community Based Organization Executive Director Mike Dansa whose organization conducted training on good governance for Members of Parliament and Councilors in the district said he was worried to see that only councilors attended.

“As an organization, we realized the importance of providing good governance training so that they should be able to follow up issues without challenges. However, to our surprise, all MPs were absent,” Dansa said sounding worried.

However, Nsanje South Parliamentarian Thom Kamangira trashed the assertions levelled against them claiming that they have been always in attendance to important gatherings. He claimed that they are some councilors who have ambitions to become parliamentarians come 2019.

“We have not been attending to some activities due to short notices. Most of us are in standing committees of Parliament hence at times we fail to attend such meeting. What you should also know is that some councilors have started repositioning themselves to contest as Members of Parliament come 2019. Therefore, they are coming with different stories to achieve their agenda,” he claimed.

Asked if the relationship is sour among the councilors and MPs just after eight months in office, Kamangira claimed to be in good terms with the councilors.

“As MPs, we are working with them. This to say, our relationship with the councilors is just good. Therefore, as a team we eager to develop our constituencies,” he said.–Mana

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