PP wants Kabwila out as lecturer

The ruling People’s Party (PP) has asked newly appointed Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesperson Dr Jessie Kabwila to quit as a university lecturer, arguing her involvement in active politics is in conflict with her position as a public servant.

PP deputy publicity secretary Ken Msonda, in a statement issued on Saturday, argued that Constitution does not allow a public servant to participate in active politics, asking her to choose one thing.

But Kabwila hit back and said she cannot quit as a lecturer, arguing she has consulted widely with legal minds before accepting the political position and there have been precedence before.

But PP, which congratulated Kabwila for her new political position, asked her to step down as a lecturer at the public university to concentrate on her new career.

Lawyer Justin Dzonzi, executive director of Justice Link, said in an interview on Sunday that it all depended on the conditions of service of the  University of Malawi (Unima) whether they allow an employee to take up a political position.

Dzonzi said it would also depend on the MCP constitution if it accepts a civil servant to take up a political position.

But Kabwila, an outspoken individual and critic of President Joyce Banda’s administration, said MCP would not have offered her the position if the party knew its constitution does not allow a public servant to take up a political position.

Kabwila said: “I am not daft as not to check what the conditions of service of my work here at the Unima stipulate, I have checked all that and consulted widely.”

Former spokesperson of Brown Mpinganjira’s defunct NDA Salule Masangwi never quit as a lecturer at the Polytechnic and no calls were made for him to quit during the administration of the United Democratic Front (UDF).