Community leaders in Traditional Authority Nthalire in Chitipa have asked authorities at Chitipa District Council to transport relief maize stuck at Chisenga to beneficiaries.
In an interview on Monday, Nthalire Ward councillor Thomson Kaponda from Chitipa South Constituency said the maize has been stuck at Chisenga for months as the contracted transporter failed to take it to the beneficiaries due to poor road condition.
He said: “This is relief maize that people were supposed to receive during the lean period. People in other areas such as Kameme, Misuku and Mwabulambya received their package.
“We tried to reason with Chitipa District Council officials so that we could use locally available transporters but the proposal was shot down as they said transportation of relief food items has its own procedures.”
Nthalire area civil protection committee chairperson Charles Mfune also pleaded with authorities to dispatch the maize for the 715 beneficiaries, saying the 2025/26 farming season yielded nothing.
“The maize in question was for the 2024/25 lean period and every beneficiary was supposed to receive three bags for three months from January to March,” he said.
Chitipa District Council spokesperson Aliko Munde admitted that people of Nthalire, Wabvikaza, Nthengatenga and Wenya were yet to receive their lean season package for three months.
“We have been engaging the Department of Disaster Management Affairs [Dodma], updating them on road conditions and requesting for the resumption of the relief distribution. However, Dodma promised to come back to us,” he said
