As the race hits up for the Mzimba North East Constituency Seat, aspirants have turned their focus to promising big improvements in education standards in the Constituency.
Speaking in an interview in Mzuzu on Friday during the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC’s) vetting of candidates exercise, Kamuzu Chibambo, President of People’s Transformation Party (PETRA), Edgar Tembo the Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate and, Catherine Gotani Hara of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) who is also former MP for the Constituency, each vowed to revamp education in the Constituency if they successfully unseat sitting Member of Parliament Olipa Muyaba Chiluba in the Parliamentary Elections on May 21.
Said Gotani Hara: “Our education standards are going down. The learning environment is not that conducive. So, it will be my responsibility to ensure that we get better education standards. As the MP come 21 May, I will help in terms of improving the education standards by getting more teachers, increasing the classrooms and I will ensure that we have good policies in Parliament.”
But PETRA President, Kamuzu Chibambo, who is also eyeing Mzimba North East, his home Area, expressed confidence that he will be the MP that will transform the Constituency’s dwindling education standards.
“When I look at the state of affairs of Mzimba North east Constituency, I am not happy as a person who comes from this area, it’s one of the Constituencies that lags behind in terms of development,” Chibambo said.
The PETRA leader said that he has also engaged in various development projects in the education sector including construction of a teacher’s house.
“I want to see that schools are being constructed. Some schools in the Area conduct their lessons in the shacks, the environment matters as some kids get demotivated because of the environment they are learning in. So, this is one area, I want to focus on, education.
“I’ve constructed a teacher’s house at Emazinyeni, I have donated cement to a number of schools like Dunduzu, Njuyu Primary School and I’ve also just paid school fees for about 500 pupils in Emtiyani Area,” Chibambo said.
And Edgar Tembo, the DPP Candidate will not lag in campaign promises. Tembo has already pledged to invest massively in the development of school infrastructure in the Constituency, if elected.
Owing to persistent challenges such as low teacher morale, lack of classrooms and learning materials, education is one of the focus areas of voters in Mzimba North East Constituency.
MEC’s list of approved MPs for Mzimba North East shows that eight candidates are expected to battle it out in the May 21 Parliamentary elections including; Highpower Chakwera of UDF, Smart Nkhata of Democratic People’s Congress (DEPECO) and independent candidates; Kelvin Sato, Stanely Ngwira and Martha Nyangulu.
