By Chisomo Phiri
On Sunday May 19,2024,United Democratic Front (UDF) former Vice President for Eastern Region Hasheem Banda joined the United Transformation Movement (UTM).
Banda joined UTM together with other 50 UDF members and 17 Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members.
UTM Secretary General, Patricia Kaliati, welcomed the new members during a party meeting held at Chinamwali Ground in Zomba.
In her speech, Kaliati said the UTM will continue receiving members from other parties to ensure that all interested members are given a chance in the party.
She said the party is set to form the next government in the 2025 general elections and called on young people above 18 to apply for National Identification and get registered once voter registration starts.
“We will distribute campaign materials (wrappers and t-shirts) to those that will get registered for the general elections,” Kaliati said .
Banda announced his resignation from the UDF recently through a presser but declined to say the party he intended to join.
He said this was his memorable time in his political career having joined the UTM.
“This is my greatest moment in my political career. I have joined the UTM,” he said, adding that there are many UDF supporters that have followed him to UTM.
Banda, who contested for the Zomba Central parliamentary seat in 2019 but lost to DPP’s Bester Awali, expressed his wish to contest in the 2025 parliamentary race on a UTM ticket.
 former Vice President for Eastern Region Hasheem Banda joined the United Transformation Movement (UTM). Banda joined UTM together with other…){kind=link}