Mutharika to kick off his re-election campaign on Monday

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regional governor for the South, Charles Mchacha, on Friday revealed to a gathering at Neno Boma that President Peter Mutharika will start campaign for his re-election on Monday 1^st June.

Mchacha said Mutharika is expected to conduct his first rally in his (Mutharika’s) home district of Thyolo.

Mchacha who is also minister of Irrigation and Water Development said President Mutharika’s schedule is also showing that he will go to Neno district to launch the construction of the long-waited Neno road which is starting at Neno boma going to Tsangano where the road will connect with the one being constructed by Malawi Defence Force from Ntcheu.

“Let me confirm to you that issue of Neno road is no longer a promise, because DPP government has already hired a Chinese company to start the road and President Professor Peter Mutharika is coming himself to launch the construction of Neno road very soon,” told the gathering Mchacha.

In the morning before the rally, residents at Neno district headquarters broke into thunderous cheers when they saw Chinese workers who have been contracted to work on the road making inspection.

Speaking earlier at the rally, Member of Parliament for the area Thoko Tembo said people of Neno will continue voting for DPP because DPP government has done a number of development projects in the district namely; Neno Community Stadium, Chikonde Modern Market, district multipurpose hall and district library.

President Mutharika has not been seen on public since the presentation of nomination papers event on May 7 but on Friday Mutharika told Malawians through Malawi Broadcasting Cooperation that his absence from political campaign is because he is complying with COVID-19 preventive measures.

The campaign is expected to be a two-horse race between Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

During 2019 elections, President Mutharika got 76% of the total votes cast in the whole Neno district seconded by Saulos Chilima who got 18% and Chakwera was third with only 4%.