Not perturbed by attempts by some DPP officials to remove him as party Vice President (South) and Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa addressed a mammoth political party in Bangwe, Blantyre on Sunday, October 4, 2020, demonstrating the political stamina to pull huge crowds.
Last Friday, the party’s central committee that comprises a few selected senior officials announced the party had expelled Nankhumwa and three others from the party. The announcement said Nankhumwa had therefore ceased to be Vice President for the South and Leader of Opposition in Parliament.
However, Nankhumwa, DPP Secretary General Grezelder Jeffrey, MPs Yusuf Nthenda and Jappie Mhango (also DPP Treasurer General) obtained a court injunction stopping the party from actualizing the expulsions and reinstated the four in their positions, arguing the process was not procedural.
Addressing thousands of people, Nankhumwa encouraged members of the party to remain united to ensure that the party returns to power at the next general elections.
“There are some differences in our party at the moment over positions and other reasons that I cannot explain.
“However, it must be noted that the chaos is being brought about by a few individuals for their own personal interests; individuals who do not love the party; who have forgotten that DPP is a very big institution and that it belongs to you the people and not them,” said the Leader of Opposition.
He said these people are misleading party President Peter Mutharika into making decisions that would break the party instead of uniting it.
“I want to appeal to these people to desist from taking that destructive path. They must begin to think beyond personal enclaves and remember the values and principles upon which the DPP was founded.
“It is the duty of everybody in the DPP to ensure that we work together for the sake of unity and victory at the next elections,” he said.
He noted that political parties suffer turbulence during transition time, especially after losing elections.
“DPP is also going through that process. I would, therefore, want to appeal to all of you to stay calm whilst we manage this process,” he said.
Reacting to rumours that he is contemplating joining MCP or UTM, or that he may form his own party, Nankhumwa affirmed his loyalty to the party, saying since he became the party’s parliamentarian for Mulanje Central in 2009, he has remained loyal to the party and its leadership.
“Despite my young age, the late President Bingu wa Mutharika appointed me as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. When Bingu died and President Peter Mutharika became President in 2014, he too appointed me to various cabinet positions. He also appointed me Leader of the House in Parliament. “I wish to express my gratitude to both Presidents for the honour bestowed on me,” said Nankhumwa, who served as Minister of Information, Local Government and Rural Development, Agriculture and Foreign Affairs under Peter Mutharika.
“Let me assure you that I am still Vice President of the party in the southern region. Let us all go on the ground; to our areas, constituencies, districts and region to remind our friends that DPP is our party and that it is still intact,” he said.
He thanked the people of Bangwe for showing unwavering support and voting for DPP presidential candidate Mutharika in large numbers during the June 23, 2020 fresh presidential election.
“On behalf of APM, the DPP, I wish to thank for your love for the party and APM. This is exactly the spirit that we need to sustain so that we take back power in the next general elections.
Secretary General Jeffrey, MPs Francis Phiso, Sameer Suleman, Mark Botoman, Ralph Jooma and George Katunga Million were in attendance.
In their speeches, they pledged solidarity for Nankhumwa, arguing no-one is empowered to fire him or any other elected member of the party except for the national convention where the ‘owners’ of the party, the people elect office-bearers.
