Chiwanja Cha Ayao’s Polls Handling Raises Eyebrows Among Delegates

Some delegates in the just ended Chiwanja Cha Ayao elective conference held at Sun Village Hotel in Liwonde have blasted the handling of the polls describing it as not free and fair.

One of the delegates from Mangochi who opted for the condition of anonymity, accused the presiding Chair Patrick Milanzi of de-campaigning other candidates before the polls.

“Imagine the Chair of the election when introducing a candidate vying for the Vice Chairmaship post (Alex Chimwala) as someone who claim to be a Yao but is unable to speak Yao fluently, is that on? How will the delegates take it? Is that not de-campaigning a candidate?

“The same thing also happened to Macdonald Sembeleka, another candidate vying for Chairperson Post where the Chairperson linked him to HRDC. This was unacceptable,” said the delegates from Mangochi.

Voting during Chiwanja Cha Ayao

According to the delegates, the presiding Chair could have avoided such sensitive statements.

Another delegate also said that the absence of monitors during counting of votes also betrayed the credibility of the whole electoral process.

“Yes the polls were something to do with a cultural grouping and not a political party but still more monitors for each candidate amafunika kupangila pa mawa.

“For credibility the top leadership could have engaged a pure independent body to handle the electoral process like MEC or any other organization and not people from the same grouping to handle the polls,” she said.

Twaibu in white shirt being congratulated after winning the polls

Some candidates even went further to question the elected Chairperson Mr Charles Twaibu as not a true Yao.

Other delegates also claimed that all the elected executive members are from the eastern region and this will make members from other regions not to fully participate in the cultural grouping.

Reacting to the concerns raised by the delegates, the presiding Chairperson for Chiwanja Cha Ayao Patrick Milanzi while accepting some of the anomalies, he attributed some of the challenges to financial hiccups.

“The grouping failed to hire an independent body to oversee the electoral process due to financial challenges. I and my fellow members were roped in at the 11th hour and all of us have never presided over any polls. This was our first time and we had no TORs.

Snr Chief Chowe

“Coming to some of the claims raised by delegates regarding what I uttered before the polls toward some candidates were not meant to de-campaign some candidates but I did that as one way of giving delegates a clear picture of who really the candidates were especially those candidates who did not show-up for the polls due to some other commitments such as Mr. Macdonald Sembeleka,” said Milanzi.

He however, appealed to the new executive committee to look into the challenges raised by delegates and avoid them in the next polls.

On his part, Paramount Chief Kawinga urged the grouping to rise above all the challenges noted during the polls and remain united.

Chiwanja Cha Ayao new executive

He then appealed to the outgoing Chairperson for Chiwanja Cha Ayao Mzee Yasin to be there for the new executive.

Coming to the outcomes of the polls, Charles Twaibu emerged victorious on the post of Chairperson after amassing 27 votes.

Prince Mtelera was voted on the post of Vice Chair and the Secretary General post went to Smith Kamwana while Wilson Kachepa returned his seat of treasure general.

Chiwanja Cha Ayao elective conference is held every two years.