By David Kumwenda
On a day like this, 12 months ago renowned Human Rights activist Timothy Mtambo called a press conference In LiLongwe. What many thought was just an April fool’s day joke, wasn’t to be – as Mtambo was declaring that he was now a politician. This was the launch of Citizens for Transformation Movement (CFT) a people power movement that was set to transform the political dynamics of Malawi
The movement is now celebrating its one-year anniversary. Officially commenting on the anniversary, the movement leader Timothy Mtambo wrote “On this day, the first ever revolutionary Malawians movement was born”
An arch nemesis of DPP regime at the time, Mtambo went on to endorse the candidacy of Chakwera and. When Tonse Alliance won, Mtambo was given a ministerial position as Minister of Civic Education and National Unity.
At the formation of the movement, Mtambo said he was going into frontline politics to help to rescue Malawi from what he calls “accidental and transactional leadership.” He said Citizens for Transformation will aim to be a liberation and transformation movement.
Mtambo did promise that he will never abandon the fight for human rights only that this time it will be on a political platform. “I will continue the fight against impunity, executive arrogance and economic stagnation but now on a different platform – the political space – a platform I believe would be more effective in helping me to directly contribute to the realisation of the change which all Malawians aspire,” said Mtambo when he was launching the movement
CFT has over the past months seen itself growing and has for built with regional committees.