As the campaign for the UTM elective conference intensifies, top party officials have urged the people of the Upper Shire region to elect leaders who have been loyal to the party through thick and thin.
These remarks were made in Ntcheu District on Friday by one of the presidential candidates, Newton Kambara, during a meeting with delegates from the region.
The party is set to hold its convention on December 17, 2024.
UTM senior member George Saonda, who is also vying for the position of National Organizing Secretary, described Kambara as a dedicated member who has been with the party since its inception.
“He is the man behind UTM. He founded it, chose the late Dr. Saulos Chilima as president, and provided all the necessary support. He has always been the pillar of the party. He followed in Chilima’s footsteps, knows the vision, and understands everything about the party,” Saonda said.
“We know that there are others who just want to snatch the party and take it elsewhere. Ignore them. Umfumu pamudzi samapatsa obwela, mudzaphetsa ana pakhomo,” he added.
In his remarks, Dr. Chidanti Malunga described Kambara as a humble person with no personal interests in UTM.
“He is someone who, despite being the founder, allowed SKC to be the president. Since then, he has not sat back but has given his all to the party. He is not in politics for personal gain but for the betterment of Malawians,” Malunga said.
Kambara said that he decided to join the race for the presidency to continue the Rescue Malawi Mission, which the party was founded on.
Kambara described the late Chilima as “mng’ono wanga, mtsogoleri wanga, mwana wanga komanso mzanga wa pamtima” (my younger brother, my leader, my child, and my close friend).
“The best thing I did for the party was to identify the late Chilima as the leader. Because of the party’s mission, we gave him all the support needed for UTM to grow and reach where it is today.
After the death of SKC, a lot of people thought that UTM is dead, but it is not. I decided to compete on the position of president because I don’t want some people to snatch it and sell it to the highest bidder. The vision the Chilima led, is the one that has moved me to be here, and we will do it,” he said
