Controversy surrounds DPP primaries for Mzuzu By Samuel Kalimira:
Controversy has surrounded Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) primary elections for Mzuzu City constituency where the ruling party’s regional governor Kenneth Sanga was declared the winner.
Elections presiding officer, Marriam Chimbalanga, who is the party’s director of women in the Central Region, declared Sanga the winner following the withdrawal of his only competitor, Maggie Mwanza after losing at the first centre of Kavibale Primary School.
Sanga amassed 607 votes while Mwanza got 12.
The party had five centres in Mzuzu where 1,950 delegates were supposed to vote.
But Mwanza was unavailable at the second centre of Chibavi Primary School, accusing Sanga of political intimidation.
In an interview, Mwanza said she was told by her sympathisers not to continue competing in others centres because some men linked to Sanga were intimidating delegates.
Mwanza claimed that one of her sympathisers, Harris Kanyeremuka, was beaten by the same men, a development which contributed to her withdrawal.
“It all started on Friday when a tinted Sienta vehicle followed me to where I was going to conduct a campaign rally. My driver stopped and asked why they were following us. The men responded that they wanted me. We then drove to the police station and reported the matter,” Mwanza said.
But Sanga has dismissed Mwanza’s claims, saying she is a bad loser.
Sanga said his victory is a sign that people trust him.
“I have been a regional governor for the past five years and I have stayed in Mzuzu City for many years. Many people know how much I have contributed to the development of the country. That is the reason they have entrusted me with this position,” Sanga said.
Northern Region Police publicist, Peter Kalaya, said no case of violence relating to the primaries was reported to the law enforcers.
In Nkhata Bay West Constituency, Minister of Labour, Sports and Manpower Development, Grace Chiumia, won unopposed.
DPP primaries have been dogged by controversies especially in the Southern Region.
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