Fired deputy governor gives DPP 5 days to reinstate him
Fired Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) deputy governor (North), Afiki Mbewe, has given the ruling party five days to reinstate him or face a K10 million defamation claim.
Mbewe was fired last week for allegedly supporting calls that Vice-President Saulos Chilima should lead the party in the 2019 Tripartite Elections.
During a media briefing in Mzuzu last Sunday, some senior DPP officials in the region claimed that Mbewe did not seek anyone’s opinion to publicly support Chilima.
The officials included national campaign director Jappie Mhango (Minister of Transport and Public Infrastructure), deputy secretary general Grace Chiumia (Minister of Civic Education), regional governor (North) Kenneth Sanga and national governing council (NGC) member Khwauli Msiska.
Msiska told journalists that they resolved to expel Mbewe from the party because he was a ‘confusionist and a liar’.
“Afiki Mbewe, by his own behaviour has removed himself, not only from the leadership as deputy regional governor, but also from membership of the party,” he said.
But Mbewe has responded by engaging lawyer Christon Ghambi, who in a letter to the party, has described Mbewe’s firing as illegal and devoid of procedural principles with regard to the laws of Malawi and principles of democracy in the DPP constitution.
“By expressing the wish of the people—that Honourable Chilima should stand as the president—we find our client to be acting within the laws of Malawi and principles of democracy, which are adopted in the constitution of DPP,” reads the letter in part.
Mbewe, through Ghambi, has since given the DPP and Msiska five days to withdraw the decision and remarks, or face court action.
Msiska and DPP secretary general Gressielder Jeffrey could not be reached for comment, but Sanga said Mbewe had every right to take the action.
“Let him do it, it is his right, but you should know that even when one is reinstated through the courts, it is difficult to get back. We work on trust, and once you lose that trust, it means you are done,” he said.
Meanwhile, University of Livingstonia political analyst George Phiri has warned that continued bickering in the DPP may end up killing the party.
“It is only the convention that can decide who will represent DPP, nothing else. So what is happening now may end up killing DPP, the party’s leadership needs to have a goal, and must tell people that goal,” he said.
Former first lady Callista Mutharika said recently that President Mutharika, who is 79 years old, would be too old to carry on as he would be in his 80s if re-elected next year. n
