Chakwera on 5-day visit to the North

President Lazarus Chakwera will tomorrow start a five-day visit to the Northern Region, his first visit there since assuming office in June this year.

Presidential press secretary Brian Banda in an interview said Chakwera’s visit to the North is to appreciate the support that people have rendered his administration and for voting him into office.

He said: “He owes people of the North a lot of gratitude for electing him into office. Though there are Covid-19 restrictions and that he may not be able to hold big rallies, but he is going there to thank the people in the region for the support they have given to his administration but also for electing him in office.

“He will be there for five days, thanking the people there, hearing the problems that they face in their day to day life.”

Banda said the President has a number of engagements that he will attend to while in the North, but that the major activity will be presiding over Poppy Day commemorations, also known as Remembrance Sunday, which is observed annually in honour of soldiers who died in the World War.

He said the President was not able to visit the Northern Region earlier due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Livingstonia Synod Church and Society Programme executive director Moses Mkandawire in a separate interview commended Chakwera for the visit, saying there is need to reach different parts of the region to interact with the people and major institutions in the region.

He said the President needs to utilise the trip to appreciate problems that people in the region are facing, especially the road network challenges.

Said Mkandawire: “The region has the potential to contribute to job creation and the President should look at areas that need support to achieve this.

“The North has a number of agriculture schemes, mines, tourist destinations and others that, if well promoted, could help in meeting the one million jobs target.”

He further said the President should use the visit to interact with major institutions in the region such as Mzuzu Diocese, Karonga Diocese, Livingstonia Synod and others to discuss issues of national importance.

During the court-sanctioned June 23 Fresh Presidential Election, most voters in the Northern Region elected Chakwera as president, helping him to beat former governing Democratic Progressive Party candidate Peter Mutharika.