Citizens Protest Trimming Relief Food Beneficiaries

Communities from Traditional Authority Bwananyambi in Mangochi district have threatened to stage a vigil at Mangochi district council offices to force authorities to increase the number of beneficiaries of relief food.

Initially the district agriculture department said 23, 000 families would benefit from the program this year but Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee revealed that 4, 000 families were affected.

Reacting to this the community members from Chamba village said it was unfair to trim the figures when people are starving.

“We have agreed to meet the council officials to present their concerns,” they said.

Reports indicate that community members have chased officers who went to the area to list names of beneficiaries arguing that the criteria used in identifying targeted beneficiaries was not transparent.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Mangochi South constituency, Lillian Patel, has asked the community to be patient saying she had already reported the concern to relevant authorities.