Ben Phiri told Masangwi that APM would appoint him Minister to stop backing Chilima: Nankhumwa says to Wa Jeffrey in leaked audio

A leaked audio clip, purpotedly between Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secretary general Grazider Jefrey wa Jeffrey and Local Government Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa has gone viral in social media, in which among other things the minister tells the party secretary that ‘Field Marshal’ Ben Phiri went to see legislator Noel Masangwi to promise him the President would appoint him a minister so he could stop being critical.

Jefferey and Ben Phiri: DPP gossips dominating their power struggle

Masangwi is among the legislators who are backing the proposal by former First Lady Callista Mutharika that DPP should have Vice President Saulos Chilima as its torch bearer in 2019 elections instead of the incumbent President .

“So Ben Phiri went to see Masangwi. He told Masangwi, ‘The President has sent me to you. He says he will appoint you to his cabinet – both you and Mrs Kaliati.’ And Masangwi told Ben off and said, ‘Let him dare to appoint us – we will humiliate him by declining the appointment. Right the next day we would hold a press conference to decline the appointment. We know the tactic – appoint us now to pacify us, then spit us out when it is convenient for the President,” Nankhumwa is heard saying in the audio clip.

But Jeffrey had doubts, saying: “In all probability the President did not send him on such a mission at all. Suppose the President has appointed Masangwi or Kaliati to his cabinet, how does he get to trust them, really? Wouldn’t they be peddling top secret information from the government to the other camp? There is no way the President could have confidence in them. He cannot work with them – and would be in perpetual fear. One becomes less constrained when supremely confident that this person is on my side. But when I’m tainted – say, I was in the other camp – obviously you cannot have full confidence in me.”

In the audio clip,  Jefrey, said Mutharika should fire two senior cabinet ministers because they belong to vice president Saulos Chilima camp. The two cabinet ministers named in the clip are agriculture minister Joseph Mwanamvekha and trade minister Henry Mussa.

“Politically, Chilima is a child, he cannot unseat the professor at party polls. However, he gets courage from people like Masangwi, Mwanamvekha and Henry Mussa. These should be fired from their cabinet positions,” said Jefrey.

According to Jeffrey, Minister Mwanamvekha’s ‘sin’ is refusing to be part of the looting crusade.

“About Mwanamvekha’s treachery I have never had any doubt and here is why: the Ministry of Agriculture, key as it is, we tried to tell him to let the party have opportunities to steal he would not allow us, no matter how much we insisted he refused, the only demographic he knows to please is his constituency – some of these things, boss, give me high blood pressure. Even [cabinet minister Henry Mussa] I question his loyalty,” Jeffrey said.

She feared the two ministers support for the veep would weaken the DPP power base, the south.

Both Jefrey and Nankhumwa refused to comment on the audio clip when called.

 

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joseph
joseph
5 years ago

Nankumwa – saulos is going to kick your ass like a football. after that alfred chanza is going to be answering questions as to why the blantyre city council is building your house for you at the cost of tax payers money.

Laanje
Laanje
5 years ago

Ambwiye che Mutharika-tinkakuuzania ife ana osapita ku sukuluwa akuonongani. Lero mwaziona. How can we support you now? Mbwiye pakilani muzibwerera ku USA. Apa zavuta. Seriously, I dont see how you can get out of this mess. Intelligence? You think JB is stupid to come just a day after the demos. Did you see the T-shirts worn at the demos–Mama—What did your intelligence guys tell you? Angofuna akudyereni. Remember how people left DPP to join PP even before your brother was laid to rest. These Malawi snakes will do the same. They have done it while you were sleeping. Utchonawu ndiwovuta… Read more »

Agenda Setting Theory
Agenda Setting Theory
5 years ago

Dear Aubrey Sumbulate and your boy Filipo Bizinesi, Nknanitu izi for your MBC. let us see how are you going to inspire the nation. Paja mumati leader of opposition does not have skills to deal with a crisis in his party. Now go and write a news comment on what is happening.

Kanyimbi
Kanyimbi
5 years ago

Apa ndiye another cardiac arrest ku state house is emminent

BANDA
BANDA
5 years ago

So the people making noise in DPP and supporting Chilima are trying to get cabinet posts. Malawi will never change because some people think they should always be the ones getting lucrative posts.

Mmalawi
Mmalawi
5 years ago
Reply to  BANDA

Komma iwe Banda, ask someone to read and interpret fir you, the paragraph about Masangwi

Nalingula
Nalingula
5 years ago
Reply to  BANDA

Atonena kuti anthuwo Anatokana maudindo a Unduna omwe bwana amafuna kawasankha.Anyasa muzitolemba Mchichewa nthawi zina.

Dagobert
Dagobert
5 years ago

Dear Mr President, do you know your Judas Ichariots? Anway, you are unfortunately not the Messiah, with no principals, you can even stuck to your own Memorandum!
I’m sorry to say, but many of us wish that this undiscipline bunch of yours finish themself!

Mr Hussien
Mr Hussien
5 years ago

Yes!yes!yes!yes!yes!.am watching you guys.dnt take malawians for granted.

Maclon
Maclon
5 years ago

One wonders the calibre of people leading this nation. Discussing thievery without shame. Are we going to develop really?

It only shows that there is no sound leadership in this party. If the whole secretary general of the ruling party can reason with full mediocrity then it will take ages to move forward. .

Lord have mercy!

#DzukaniAmalawi
#DzukaniAmalawi
5 years ago

If anyone in Malawi had doubts that politicians are greedy and selfish; this is it. Malawi politicians and probably in many countries in Africa, are not there to look after the people or to be humble servants to the people who elected them. They are there to loot as much as they can. Its a scheme to get rich quick. They will even kill there own family just to be elected into a position of political power. they don’t care a cent about Malawians. Look at how they’re “eating” each other within their own party. Its like pigs on a… Read more »

Mulanje yakana Pitala.
Mulanje yakana Pitala.
5 years ago

Pitala can’t make decisions. Tinawona Ife ali nduna ya maphunziro.
A Malawi Kaya tinatani.

Viral
Viral
5 years ago

Anathawa nkhani ya University panonso anathawa ma Demo. kkkkkkkkkkkkkk A PRESIDENT athu

Gwemula
Gwemula
5 years ago

Ooh mpaka pamenepo ayi zili bho coz you know each other now kuti mbola za anthu ndinu kuba kopanda nako manyazi Allah akakukanthani ngati simulapa ndithu kaya otherwise chipani ichi chatha basi ngakhale chilimayo sachitha muli minga zambiri

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