APM grooming Chaponda for presidency: Malawi ruling DPP shifting loyaty to Foreign Minister

President Peter Mutharika is reportedly grooming Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr George Chaponda who is also a Member of Parliament to succeed him as the next president of the party and then be its torch bearer in the next elections.

DPP insiders have tipped that Chaponda was the President’s preferred candidate for leadership of the party.

Mutharika is making sure Chaponda is exposed to international community by leaving him to represent him on the diplomatic stage.

The President is also said to be delegating all his important assignments to Chaponda – a trusted minister  and has started getting preferential coverage on state media to propel him as the next DPP czar.

Chaponda who is leading Malawi delegation to African Union Heads of State summit expected to take place from 30 to 31st January , dismissed the grooming assertions as coming out of “ignorance”.

He said such reports linking him to succession plan   should be taken with a pinch of salt.

But DPP sources say members are now shifting the loyalty to Chaponda as they see him as the next leader.

“Most of us are now repositioning ourselves to Chaponda,” one MP told Nyasa Times.

Both DPP spokesperson Francis Kasaila and government spokesperson Jappie Mhango were coy to comment on the issue.

Mutharika’s spokesperson Gerald Viola referred the matter to DPP spokesman.