Zikhale Ng’oma Accuses Govt for Neglecting His Constituency since Independence

Newly elected Nkhata Bay South Member of Parliament (MP) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Director of Strategic Planning, Dr Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma, told Parliament on Thursday that government is neglecting his constituency, alleging that no tangible development projects have been allocated to the area since 1964.

Ng’oma said this when he was delivering his maiden speech, in which, he also asked government to recognize people he described as national heroes from his constituency.

The legislator said government’s deliberately caused gross imbalance in the allocation of resources in the country, is disintegrating Malawians.

Zikhale Ng’oma added that some members in the August house are singing cheerful songs as their areas are being developed.

“One wonders when our fellow MPs in this August House are singing songs of praise that abundant developments have reached their constituencies and have been even promised more yet we in the north are singing songs of displeasure, looking at the leadership as authoritarian regime, personal and oppressive,” said Ng’oma.

With these sentiments, Zikhale attracted loud cheers from the opposition benches and jeers from the government side.

He continued by leading with the house that everyone has to be treated equally as they all have a common goal, developing the country.

“Such partial administrative approaches must come to a halt now. We, Malawians, must enjoy working together as one. We want equitable distribution of wealth in this country if we are to bring the disintegrating Malawians back together,” he said.

Ng’oma then went on to outline some of the development projects that his constituents have long required and need government’s urgent intervention.

“Madam Speaker, are you aware that in Nkhata Bay South there is no government secondary school? That since 1958, people in the constituency have never tested piped water? That our schools are in a dilapidated state, no new model schools have been built since 1964? Are you aware that in Nkhata Bay South our bridges are single lane ones and that this is the only part of the country with single lane bridges,” he said, further angering the jeering government side.

The Nkhata Bay South legislator wound up his speech by mentioning some names of fallen people with roots from his constituency, saying government must recognize them as national heroes.

The people, among others, include; Manowa Chirwa who was first federal MP, Orton Chirwa founding President of MCP, Elliot Kamwana Chirwa and TDT Banda, President of the General African Congress in 1956-1958.