Kalindo announcing his resignation on Wednesday, November 17
* His reasons for resigning might assist in building party followers trust in Saulos Chilima’s leadership style
* It is gospel truth that life is hard in Malawi for the majority of Malawians except the elite class
* I have always nursed an appetite to always associate myself with the winning team
* So that when all is said and done I should leave an amazing legacy
By Duncan Mlanjira
UTM Regional Secretary for the South, Henry Gonani has tendered his resignation from the Party with immediate effect, three days after Director of Youth, Bon Kalindo also announced his resignation on November 17.
While Kalindo went ahead to hold a demonstration against the Tonse Alliance in general and UTM Party President Saulos Chilima in particular, Gonani alludes that his reasons for resigning “might assist in building party followers trust in [Chilima’s] leadership style”.
“It is gospel truth that life is hard in Malawi for the majority of Malawians except the elite class,” says Gonani. “The basic necessities prices have sky rocketed beyond the reach of majority of Malawians.
“Implementation of the UTM Manifesto in this Tonse Alliance government is almost zero. Flowery campaign promises that made Malawians vote for the current government are being implemented retrogressively or reverse mode which will make it harder for UTM to do better in 2025.
“I have always nursed an appetite to always associate myself with the winning team so that when all is said and done I should leave an amazing legacy as it is said be nice to people on your way up for you will definitely meet them on your way down.”
He alleges that people who supported the Tonse Alliance in Traditional Likoswe are having their farm lands of over 37 years of ownership “being confiscated by the very government they voted for and consequently offered for sale through a newspaper article to favour the rich and Burundians whilst there is equally idle land at Mikolongwe veterinary”.
“This is painful. Again I feel bad to see my kinsmen who financially funded UTM region campaign travels losing their jobs for being deemed pro-DPP simply because they are from Chiradzulu yet our trusted leaders cannot intervene.”
He goes further to allege that Rose Nthala — a regional committee member — had “some catastrophe” that befell her when she “lost an eye whose problem emanated from an election monitoring exercise”.
“…The lady is failing to access eye glasses but the party is quiet, pretending everything is okay.
“A similar case is mine. Since I was involved in a road accident while on party engagement in December to date the party has given a blind eye to my problem.
“Out of the over MK6 million hospital bills at Adventist Hospital, Beit Cure Hospital and Mwaiwathu Hospital, which I incurred and continue to incur, I was only assisted with very little unless someone somewhere benefitted from my accident.
“Despite the degree of my injury, losing some intestines and crushed foot, not even the SG can call to check how I am faring to date,” he said while thanking Noel Masangwi; Newton Kambala; Anita Kalinde and Bright Kawaga for offering him moral and financial support.
Soon after announcing his resignation from UTM, Kalindo dumped his official vehicle at Dorvic Hotel in Blantyre where he made the announcement to journalists and proceeded to hold a demonstration in Blantyre on Friday that went awry — forcing the police to fire tear gas to disperse uncontrollable demonstrators.
Kalindo’s anti-government protests were over alleged corruption and economic mismanagement by President Lazarus Chakwera’s administration — demanding the Tonse Alliance should act on its election promises that included creating 1 million jobs and ending hunger.
He told the media that in its second year, there are still no jobs and the promise of three meals a day has failed to materialise, and instead, prices of fuel, food and cooking oil have skyrocketed.
But the protests turned violent as an alleged pro-government group also moved in to stop the march across the city, forcing some businesses and government buildings to close when the police started firing teargas.
However, despite his resignation Kalindo stood firm that he would maintain his seat as Board member for statutory corporation, Malawi Housing Corporation — a post that was seen was appointed by his virtue of belonging to the UTM Party.