Two Members of Parliament who won their seats as independents in Nsanje district, Walter Nyamilandu Manda and Bilah Karim have officially rejoined the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), signaling a boost for the party in the southern region.
Nyamilandu Manda and Bilah Karim, who both ran as independent candidates in the Southern West Constituency and Nsanje Lalanje constituency respectively during the last election, were received at the DPP’s southern region headquarters in Blantyre on Friday.
Speaking to journalists, Manda clarified his longstanding allegiance to the party despite his independent candidacy.
“I am a longtime DPP member, even though I stood as an independent Member of Parliament,” he said. “What has happened today is confirmation that I will work for DPP in parliament because the people who voted for me are DPP supporters.”
Manda attributed his decision to rejoin formally to the return of former President Arthur Peter Mutharika to active politics. “The return of APM has brought encouragement to people that we will have a bright future,” he stated.
The MP also revealed that his association with DPP had created challenges during his tenure as head of the football association, though he did not elaborate on the specific difficulties he faced.
Karim echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing alignment with Mutharika’s vision for the country.
“My vision and President Peter Mutharika’s vision are the same, therefore I have seen it wise to work with a leader with whom we speak the same language on matters of development,” he explained.
