Don’t abandon constituencies—DC

Mzimba district commissioner (DC) Rodney Simwaka has cautioned members of Parliament (MPs) in the district against abandoning their constituencies following the re-demarcation exercise.

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) redemarcated the country’s 193 constituencies and Mzimba District has now 13 constituencies from 11.

Speaking in the district  on Monday during a MEC stakeholders meeting on the establishment of voter registration and constituency tally centres for the 2025 Tripartite elections, Simwaka said some MPs are abandoning areas outside their new constituency boundaries.

He said: “We are receiving reports that some MPs are abandoning people who voted for them by focusing on areas where they intend to contest in the 2025 elections.

“This is against the law because in terms of development it means some people are not benefitting from the Constituency Development Fund which is now pegged at K100 million.”

On his part, Inkosi ya Makhosi M’Mbelwa V said chiefs will engage the MPs because they are concerned as well.

“Our message as chiefs is that the MPs should not abandon the people that voted for them. It is a mistake to focus on 2025 while abandoning their responsibility now,” he said.

In an in interview after the meeting, MEC commissioner Anthony Mukumbwa said the new constituencies will be effective by July 2025.

“It is illegal for MPs to abandon their constituencies now because the new constituencies will be effective in July 2025,” he said.

Mukumbwa, however, said the commission is engaging stakeholders on new voting and constituency tally centres for the 2025 elections.