Women empowerment campaigners in Mzuzu say they are happy with the gains in the 50:50 Campaign for more women in leadership which has yielded three women councillors from last month’s Tripartite Elections.
Deputy Director of Mbawemi Women, one of the implementing organizations for the 50:50 Campaign for more women in leadership, Dorothy Chiumia said they expect the three new female councillors to perform well in fostering the women’s development agenda in the Council for Mzuzu City.
“This year we are very happy because at least we have done well. In 2014, we only had one woman councillor but this year, we have won three women, this year women representation is 20 percent. At least they are going to do well because they are three,” Chiumia said.
Official results from the Malawi Electoral Commission indicate that Monica Simwaka of Malawi Congress Party, Pyela Kalimandanda Chiumia and Martha Jere both of United Transformation Movement are the new female councillors who have been elected to the Council which is slated to have its maiden meeting on June 25th.
However, Judith Chiume, the lone ambassador of women in the 2014-2019 Council failed to win her seat back in Msongwe Ward.
Meanwhile, Mzuzu City Council’s Public Relations Officer Macdonald Gondwe could not confirm on whether other special interest groups such as those with disabilities have also been elected to the Council.
Gondwe explained that the Council may nominate other people into the Council to ensure that all groups in society are represented in the Local Government Body.
“Surely, the council is supposed to have representation of special groups including; the youth, those with disabilities and the business community and so in our meeting on the 25th we will look at who has made it to the council and then we will know,” Gondwe said.
Councillors are mandated by the Local Government Act of 1998, with the development of local areas, wards, which they represent in the Councils.
In the immediate past Councils, the benefits of councillors included a living allowance of MK100, 000 and a loan opportunity of up to K 1 million for purchase of a motorcycle.
