DPP MP takes on Chaponda, others

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Southern Region governor Noel Masangwi has faulted the party’s vice-president (South) George Chaponda for allegedly failing to interpret the constitution regarding holding of convention and choosing presidential candidates.

In a leaked communication posted on DPP National Governing Council (NGC) WhatsApp group The Nation has seen, the Blantyre City East member of Parliament (MP) said Chaponda, as a lawyer by training, should have guided the party on its constitution.

Masangwi’s sentiments come against a background of calls by some sections of the DPP for President Peter Mutharika, 79, to step down and pave the way for Vice-President Saulos Chilima, 45, as the party’s presidential candidate in the forthcoming 2019 general elections. Former first lady Callista Mutharika, the widow of DPP founding president Bingu wa Mutharika, sparked the issue of succession and the Chilima factor three weeks ago.

Since then, DPP has been holding media briefings on the issue, including one where Chaponda last week declared that Mutharika will go unopposed as DPP presidential candidate at the party’s convention.

But Masangwi, who confirmed writing the post circulating on social media, said the solution does not lie in holding press conferences to demonise those speaking out against the DPP leadership.

He said Mutharika should instead call an NGC meeting to resolve the issues. DPP last held an NGC meeting in 2013, according to director of youth Louis Ngalande.

Said Masangwi: “The mixed messages are only confusing our members and making us to look like we are leaderless with no proper direction.

“Unfortunately, it is the people that are close to the President, the so-called advisers like Dr Chaponda etc that are misleading our President.

“Does that mean a whole big party like the DPP is failing to create a forum where these outstanding issues can be internally resolved?”

He also queried the “so-called senior members” that have been conducting the media conferences as representatives of NGC to state who gave them such mandate.

Said Masangwi: “I ask which NGC? Some of us are also members of DPP NGC, but we were not consulted. In fact, Ngalande can say he was speaking on behalf of NGC because he is also an NGC member. Now which NGC is which?

“As a lawyer, Dr Chaponda should have been the first person to accurately interpret the DPP constitution and provide guidance to our members.

“When the voice of the people is suppressed for a long time, it often comes in a fashion that others may not like, which is the case in our party right now.”

When contacted yesterday, Chaponda declined to comment on the accusations levelled against him and unnamed senior members, referring The Nation to the party spokesperson Francis Kasaila who did not pick up his phone.

DPP secretary general Greselder Jeffrey was also not available for comment with her aide who answered her phone saying she was addressing a political rally at Wovwe in Karonga District.

But in a separate interview, Masangwi said he was compelled to criticise the senior party members because he wanted peace to exist in the DPP family.

He said: “Dr Chaponda is a very senior member and educated for that matter. So, I don’t expect him to look at this [criticism] as an antagonism.”

Masangwi said DPP should not dismiss those calling for Chilima’s candidacy, suggesting that they should be given a fair hearing as they are bona-fide DPP members.

His sentiments come barely a week after outspoken DPP MP for Mulanje South Bon Kalindo, a comedian popularly known as Winiko, and Ngalande openly spoke about leadership change in favour of Chilima.

Callista threw her weight behind Chilima to lead the party “for a better Malawi”; declaring that her in-law, Mutharika, needed to rest.

Since then, top DPP members have mounted offensive against anti-Mutharika calls by lining up several media conferences to endorse Mutharika as the presidential candidate with Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodal Gondwe saying “the presidency is not for babies”, cunningly referring to Chilima.