Eurita Valeta
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In 2019 Valeta was one of three women who took parliamentary seats in the Nsanje District which is the most southern region in Malawi. Valeta won the South West Nsanje constituency with nearly 13,000 votes which was twice that of the second candidate.[2] Meanwhile Gladys Ganda won the Nsanje Lalanje constituency and Esther Mcheka Chilenje became the MP for Nsanje North.[3] This was seen as a victory because of a nationwide target to achieve a 50:50 representation for women in parliament. This was achieved in Nsanje District because there were five constituencies and 60% of them were represented by women.[3]
After the election, the losing Democratic Progressive Party candidate, Helen Buluma,[2] said that she had been assaulted at a polling station after she saw Valeta's sister placing votes for other people. Buluma said that her supporters had thought that she had taken pictures of the malpractice. The Malawi Electoral Support Network were reported to have asked the police to investigate.[4] Bulema took her case to the high court asking for a re-run that excluded Valeta. The court ruled that Bulema had failed to provide sufficient evidence.[2]
In 2021 Valeta contacted the Ministry of Education regarding the poor state of Nsanje Secondary School. The school required repairs to windows and floors. Hostels lacked electricity and the headteacher said that the toilet and washing facilities were affected because they could not afford to pay the water company.[5]
In 2024, she was Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health and she made headlines when she was talking about teenage pregnancies. Some of these arrive from richer older men paying poor young girls to have sex. These men are known as "blessers" and she had suggested that a successful campaign needed to educate men about the harm that they were causing.[6]
Valeta stood again for the same constituency taking on seven opponents who were this time all men in the 2025 election. She was facing name calling and she had been warned off using one location.[7] However she acknowledged the help she was getting from organisations supporting women candidates including from Oxfam's Lingalireni Mihowa.[8] She remembered having to fund items in the 2019 election herself and they were now covered.[9]
References
- ↑ "Eurita Ntiza Valeta". malawianparliament.com. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- 1 2 3 Mkandawire, Mwayi (2019-07-23). "Court rejects DPP candidate's application for rerun". Malawi 24. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- 1 2 "Coalition beats 50:50 agenda target in Nsanje". 2019-06-04. Archived from the original on 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- ↑ "MESN condemns assault, public humiliation on Hellen Buluma: DPP candidate in Nsanje South West". 2019-05-22. Archived from the original on 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- ↑ "Renovate Nsanje Secondary School, chiefs urge people". Nation Online. 2021-08-02. Archived from the original on 2025-04-28. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- ↑ "Include 'Blessers' in Fight Against Teen Pregnancies". 2024-06-30. Archived from the original on 2024-08-07. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
- ↑ "Women Aspirants Face Violence Ahead of Malawi's Elections – Yoneco FM". 2025-09-13. Archived from the original on 2025-10-05. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- ↑ "Development partners call for coordination towards 50-50 campaign – Yoneco FM". 2023-06-13. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- ↑ Kalumbi, MacDavel (2025-08-26). "Mixed fortunes for women aspirants". Nation Online. Archived from the original on 2025-10-18. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
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