By Vincent Khonje
Members of Parliament (MPs) from Balaka, Rumphi and Mchinji districts on Tuesday gathered in Mchinji for a peer-to-peer learning visit aimed at strengthening constituency representation, citizen engagement and accountability.
The learning visit was organised under the Phungu Wanga (My MP) Project, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by Save the Children International in collaboration with the Centre for Civil Society Strengthening (CCSS) and the Parliament of Malawi.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) MP for Balaka Ngwangwa Constituency John Jackson Bamusi, described the visit as an eye-opening experience for new legislators.
“Some of us are serving our first term in Parliament, while others, like Honourable Rachel Zulu, have served for several terms. We came here to learn from her experience and understand the secret behind her continued success,” he said.
Bamusi said the lessons learnt would help him improve engagement with constituents in his constituency.
Mchinji District Commissioner, Reinghard Chavula, said the initiative provides an important platform for sharing experiences among MPs and district councils.
“We are ready to work with our Members of Parliament and provide a platform for them to deliver what the people of their constituencies mandated them to do. We appreciate the Parliament of Malawi and especially the Phungu Wanga Project for this initiative,” he added.
CCSS Executive Director, Viwemi Chavula said the initiative was aimed at bridging the gap between citizens and Parliament.
“Strengthening interaction between MPs and citizens helps communities better understand parliamentary processes while enabling legislators to effectively represent the aspirations of their constituents,” said Chavula.
The peer learning visit brought together MPs from the Phungu Wanga project’s impact districts of Balaka, Rumphi and Mchinji to share experiences, innovative approaches and best practices in constituency representation and citizen engagement.
As part of the visit, the MPs toured Mchinji North Constituency to appreciate how long-serving legislator Racheal Zulu engages with her constituents and responds to their development needs.
