While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has attempted to use the cyclone disaster as political opportunity for mileage taking and territory patronage, the country’s president, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has projected a different inclination and appeal.
Soon after the cyclone occurred, which has affected districts in the Southern region of Malawi, the DPP, through its Facebook page post, accused the Chakwera-led government of “abandoning southerners”, sentiments that left the DPP battered and rounded by public reaction who spared no bad comment against the post calling it insensitive and cheap at its calculated political goal.
The post was pulled down hours later after failing to withstand the public sensorship.
Upon his return from United Nations Conference for Least Developed Countries in Qatar, President Chakwera announced his programme to visit the disaster-striken districts and assure the people of his government’s commitment and efforts to cushion them and help restore their situation.
Meanwhile, the former president, Peter Mutharika, also announced his program relating to visiting the victims.
Happening today in Blantyre, President Chakwera visited flood victims camped at Ndirande safe zone.
Mutharika decided to hold a rally at another rescue camp situated 1km away from the camp visited by President Chakwera.
While Mutharika and DPP expected Government agents to stop them from holding the rally as it was closer to where the State President was visiting the cyclone victims, they earned a disappointment as Chakwera specifically told Government to allow Mutharika to hold his desired rally.
In his message, Chakwera said politics was not important in the circumstances.
He suggested that what was important was for all Malawians to join hands and genuinely assist the disaster victims without any consideration of political affiliation or due regard to any form of creed.
Meanwhile, Mutharika returned to base after one hour of his rally while Chakwera continued with his tour across the emergency camps spread in the region.