It wasn’t an easy battle says Malawi’s Former First Lady

Malawi’s former First Lady, Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri who was among parliamentarians elect who took oath on Monday in Lilongwe said her victory as parliamentarian for Balaka West Constituency was not an easy race.
Shanil told Malawi News Agency that she was glad to take oath, attributing her victory to her constituents.
“It was tough; as you know women did not perform well in the election and standing as an independent, without any party backing it was not easy,” explained Shanil.
“But it was the passion to develop my constituency, coupled with the support I was getting from my constituents that gave me courage to hang on.”
She, however, bemoaned politics of mud-slinging saying she had suffered a lot of castigation and intimidation from her fellow contestants.
On what her constituents should expect from her, Shanil said the main reason she was joining active politics was to achieve community development in her constituency.
“What I have always told people in my constituency is that we need to strive for community development – not individual development,” explained the Balaka West legislator, adding, “Even all chiefs in my constituency know about this: if my constituents will keep coming to me for individual development, they will delay my plans.”
She told Mana then that her constituents had advised her not to contest on any party ticket which she obeyed.
(BNL Times)