PP North provincial chair quits

Things continue to fall apart within the rank and file of the former governing People’s Party (PP) which is losing senior members, the latest one being Northern Region provincial chairperson Sherbone Mchizi.

Mchizi said he has relinquished his position and membership from the party.

His resignation comes barely three weeks after the party’s publicity secretary Ken Msonda also resigned from the orange camp.

However, PP yesterday said Mchizi did not resign as he claimed, but was replaced, barely nine months after his appointment to replace expelled Mzimba Hora member of Parliament (MP) the Reverend Christopher Mzomera Ngwira.

In an interview yesterday, Mchizi confirmed resigning from his position to concentrate on his personal life.

He said: “I can indeed confirm that I have resigned from the party, but I can’t give reasons right now because I am driving. But in short, I just want to concentrate on my private life.”

Mchizi was appointed early this year after the party expelled Mzomera Ngwira who was very critical of the appointment of the party’s acting president Uladi Mussa.

But in a separate interview, PP spokesperson Noah Chimpeni disputed Mchizi’s resignation claims, arguing the politician was replaced.

He said: “He did not resign, but we replaced him with Honourable Maquenda Chunga, our parliamentarian for Mzimba South. This is part of our strategy to reposition the party ahead of the 2019 Presidential Elections.”

Since losing the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections, PP has faced massive resignations of its higher-ranking members while, on the other hand, the party has also suspended and expelled several senior members due to disagreements.

Commentators have observed that the party is sailing through turbulent waters due to the absence of its leader, Joyce Banda, who has been residing abroad, hoping from one country to the other, since losing the May 2014 Presidential polls. n