Malawi Vice-President Khumbo Kachali has warned some People’s Party (PP) officials against stopping members from other parties from joining the new ruling party.
Kachali, speaking on Saturday in Mzimba, said blocking aspiring members due to apparent power struggle fears threatens PP’s well-being.
Kachali’s warning comes against a background of reports that some potential PP members, especially those from the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), are being blocked from joining the new ruling party.
Addressing a meeting at Ekwendeni during the commemoration of the Day of the African Child, Kachali said PP officials blocking would-be members “are killing the party.â€
Kachali also told PP officials to allow all MPs to work with government to review “bad laws” enacted during the DPP administration.
Kachali’s sentiments were earlier indicated by President Joyce Banda who, on Saturday, told a rally in Zomba that PP has an open-door policy; hence, officials should welcome everyone into the party, including those who castigated her after her expulsion from DPP in December 2010.
Banda said she has accommodated 19 MPs from DPP in her Cabinet, including some who used to attack her.
The Vice-President, who was expelled from DPP alongside Banda for allegedly forming parallel structures against the then president Bingu wa Mutharika, invited some MPs present at the function to the podium. The MPs included Abbie Shawa (Mzimba East), Paul Shawa (Mzimba South), Rabson Shaba (Mzimba South East), Ackim Mwanza (Mzimba Solora), Dr Bofomo Nyirenda (Mzimba Luwelezi), Ephraim Chiume (Nkhata Bay North), Professor David Mphande (Nkhata Bay South East), Dr Cornelius Mwalwanda (Karonga Central) and Anuwila Msongole (Chitipa Central).
Earlier, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Management Catherine Gotani-Hara, who is Mzimba North East MP where Kachali’s rally took place, said when she joined PP, it was obvious her supporters would follow her.
She likened the situation to a woman who, after being divorced from her first marriage, remarries, but has to bring in her children from the previous marriage.
