Late Belekanyama’s son amongst eight others eyeing MCP ticket for Lilongwe Msinja South by-election

Francis, late Lingson Belekanyama’s son

By Joshua Mphanda, MEC Stringer

Francis Belekanyama is aspiring to replace his late father, Lingson Belekanyama as Member of Parliament for Lilongwe Msinja South constituency representing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in the by-election to be held on March 30.

Belekanyama is is amongst seven others, who have also expressed interest to contest for the area on the MCP ticket — Lameck Kondesi; Hasten Mlinde; Amos Chibwana; Jones Vamilani Chadza; Hermann Yokoniah Mvula; Lefinosi Chigamula and Fanizo Kabwazi.

Speaking in an interview, the 36-year-old Belekanyama — whose late father was a towering figure in MCP politics and died on January 12 whilst serving as Minister of Local Government — vowed to continue with his father’s legacy should he win the party primary elections whose date is yet to be announced.

“I plan to contest in the primary elections and continue from where my father stopped because that is what he would have wanted me to do as he used to assign me duties here,” Belekanyama claimed.

He added that among his major plans are to establish a bursary scheme for needy students, construct a tarmac road and renovate the clinics in the constituency.

However, following into his father’s footsteps will not be a walk in the park for Belekanyama as the other candidates are also coming with guns blazing for the ruling party ticket.

Among these contestants is Henrick Chidzumeni Kumkeyani, who has bemoaned the lack of a boarding secondary school as retrogressive and promised to lobby government on the matter.

“It is painful that there is no boarding secondary school here which has also forced many students to drop out of school early and also people do not have access to portable water,” Kumkeyani said.

While the candidates agree on most of the problems facing the area, they differ in implementation of solutions.

Weighing in on the matter, MCP national campaign director Moses Kunkuyu hailed the candidates interest to be the party’s torchbearer as a sign of democracy in the party.

“This is mature democracy and plans are underway conduct primary elections very soon using the structures we have on the ground,” Kunkuyu said.

It is expected that MCP will lock horns with a horde of independent candidates and opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has Mustafa Macdonald as the only known individual to have shown interest to be its candidate as of now.