Four creative industry players participated in the September 16 general election and early indication show contrasting fortunes in the outcome.
Rapper Penjani ‘Fredokiss’ Kalua, Kendall Kamwendo, Skeffa Chimoto and Billy Kaunda vied for parliamentary seats and as of Wednesday, unofficial results indicated that Fredokiss, Kamwendo and Chimoto had made it while Kaunda failed in their bid to make to the August House.
Unofficial results indicated Fredokiss has won the Blantyre Soche Zingwangwa Constituency.
In an interview , the artist said his victory is down to God.
“God has been faithful. This journey has pushed me to acknowledge that God is in control. It has all been God,” he said.
The 39-year-old said young people need to move in a space where they can make a difference about the environment where they are operating in. He said his going into Parliament is a broader mission beyond being an artist.
He said: “I am not going to Parliament as an artist. My going there is broader and narrowing down to being an artist or to specifically push the artistic agenda will be a diversion of the mission,” said Fredokiss.
In an interview, Billy Kaunda, who contested as an independent in Mzimba West Constituency said he has an idea he lost the parliamentary seat but feels it is the people who have lost him.
“I can’t say I have lost but the people have lost me. I brought some developments they needed, but sometimes people don’t show appreciation until something happens,’ he said adding he will now shift his focus on different things, including personal businesses.
On his part, Skeffa Chimoto, who vied for Nkhotakota Nkhula South on the MCP ticket, said reports from his monitors show he has won, which he finds encouraging as a first-time contender.
“Being the first time, sometimes you don’t know what to expect, but this was what I expected and hoped would happen,” he said.
Chimoto said going forward, he will focus on fulfilling his duties to the constituency, which he said was challenging.
Elsewhere, early reports indicate that Kamwendo has emerged winner in Dowa Ndolera Constituency. Having broken out as a musician as one part of the Nyemba Nyemba duo, Kamwendo has recently carved out a new niche for himself as an actor and film director having starred in the movies School Days and Welcome to Maula Prison.
