BY CHARLES MHANGO
Orton Edgar Ching’oli Chirwa (30 January 1919 – 20 October 1992) was the first President of Malawi Congress Party (MCP). In April 1960 Orton Chirwa invited Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda to stand for President of MCP as Orton Chirwa stood down from the Presidency of the MCP.
In 1964 Orton Chirwa became the Minister of Justice and Attorney General in the first Cabinet of Kamuzu Banda and only lasted for a few months until the Cabinet Crisis of 1964. Orton Chirwa fled to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania, with his wife Vera Chirwa.
The two were later captured and brought back to Malawi where they were tried and convicted of treason in the Traditional Courts which Orton Chirwa had advocated for, and promoted during the struggle for Malawi’s Independence.
Fast forward to multiparty Malawi, you meet Dr Saulosi Klause Chilima, who in June 2020 gave up his ambition to become President of Malawi and handed over the ambition, on a silver platter, to Dr Lazarus Chakwera to become President of Malawi under the MCP.
Dr Saulosi Klause Chilima became the Vice President to Dr Lazarus Chakwera. Within two years of the MCP taking back the reigns of power, Dr Saulosi Klause Chilima was arrested by the MCP on allegations of corruption.
For those who do not know MCP, including Dr Saulosi Klause Chilima himself, now you know what is in the DNA of the MCP. The MCP will cannibalise all its political opponents.
