Maravi

Mwanachingwala fetes PF-UPND pact members

Mwanachingwala fetes PF-UPND pact members
By Chibaula Silwamba in Mazabuka
Tue 16 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT

CHIEF Mwanachingwala on Sunday ‘unknowingly’ fed PF-UPND Pact members at his palace during President Rupiah Banda’s visit but they left the palace immediately after the feast.

A large group of people thronged chief Mwanachingwala’s palace to welcome President Banda and shortly after the President’s address, the chief told the people that there were drinks and food prepared for them to eat while he and the President would be having a meeting.

“I am happy you have come. I want to ask you people to retreat into the sheds and drink chibwantu local drink, eat,” said chief Mwanachingwala in his Tonga dialect translated into English by Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe.

“After that, when the President is going we must now come and we meet again that is when I am going to open my mouth in front of you people. But for now I want you to scatter.”

But shortly after President Banda and chief Mwanachingwala went into the house for their one-on-one meeting, a horde of people fought their way past the gate and wire fence to partake in the feast at the chief's residence.

As the people, some of whom were chasing and fighting one another over food, were eating, they repeatedly accused one another of being UPND.

“Benangu ndimwe ba UPND, mwabwela chabe kudya kuno meaning: Some of you are UPND, you have just come here to eat,” one of the male youths was heard shouting at his colleagues as he ran away with the food.

Shortly after eating and drinking, some people started boarding large trucks parked outside and left the palace, while President Banda was still in the meeting. As they were being transported away in several trucks, the people started flashing UPND and PF symbols while shouting: “Tadya! Tadya! Tabadyela vakudya We have eaten!“

This reporter witnessed at least five big trucks transporting people away from the palace. The trucks were full to capacity.

By the time chief Mwanachingwala was seeing off President Banda the crowd had drastically shrunk.

Labels: CHIEF MWANACHINGWALA, PF-UPND, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:46 AM