By Zenak Matekenya
Dedza, November 19, Mana: Dedza District Council Director of Administration, Chris Salaniponi says the district is prepared to host the first ever out-of-chambe parliament session on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Salaniponi said the council has met all the requirements set by Parliament secretariat including availability of running water and clean toilets at the event venue, Dedza Stadium.
He said the parliamentary session presents a unique opportunity for citizens to gain insight into parliamentary procedures and engage with lawmakers.
He said the event fosters a collaborative environment that promotes economic growth and development.
“To come up with this event we have put great effort which has come from business enterprises themselves. For the council we hope to get an opportunity to identify different investors because Dedza district is a food basket but markets haven’t been fully developed,” he added.
Salaniponi who is also the event’s task force chairperson expressed gratitude that Dedza triumphed over Mchinjii, Dowa, and Balaka districts to host Malawi’s inaugural parliament meeting outside the chamber.
Dedza District Civil Society Network chairperson, Osborne Nyirongo said the civil society in the district were engaged in the preparations for the event.
He said a cross-section of people including chiefs, the clergy, primary and secondary school learners, the business community and farmers will stand a chance to appreciate what parliament means to them.
“I hope that as these members of parliament will be coming, they will also see that our ring road is not completely up to date and that they will also have a chance to ask the relevant authorities to look into it,” he said.
A resident at Dedza Boma Elton Zitha hailed the initiative, saying by attending the session physically people will have a different understanding of parliamentary procedures.
He said during the event he intends to understand why some decisions made by parliament take longer to be implemented.
The activity which falls under the Bringing Parliament Closer to People concept started Monday in Lilongwe. All 193 members of parliamentarians are expected to attend the function.
