Commentators offer scorching critique on Chimulirenji: Where were disgruntled Lhomwes when ‘a pulofesa’ was grooming running mate

Political commentators have  delivered a stinging indictment of  President Peter Mutharika’s running mate in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections, Everton Chimulirenji, saying he is  “grovelling too much” in his attempt to make Mutharika understand how grateful he is for being picked as running mate.

Chimulirenji has his security beefed

The comments are following Chimulirenji’s first public rally in Ntcheu on Sunday since Mutharika unveiled him as his running mate on February 8.

The rally was broadcast live on private-owned Times TV and Chimulirenji glorified Mutharika for choosing him and said those who are whingeing should move on.

“I accepted wholeheartedly to be running mate. I have heard some people ridiculing me. Those that are speaking bad things let them speak,” he said.

The Ntcheu North East legislator hinted that Mutharika has been grooming him and there were no qualms from the Lhomwe axis of power.

“Where were the disgruntled Lhomwes when the professor sent me to Cairo on educational visit. I stayed there with my wife for a month and a half. The President has also been assigning me on foreign trips for political missions.”

He also wondered where were the disgruntled Lhomwes when  “a pulofesa” appointed him deputy minister of defence and then later appointed him a  full Cabinet Minister.

Delivering his sharp critique of  Mutharika’s partner speech, Stanley Onjezani Kenani writing on Facbeook faulted Chimulirenji’s “ grovelling” about this appointment, saying it is obscuring important messages that are within his entire speech.

He said some voters will be worried that such a person will be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Kenani wrote:“ He seems to understand his role as a domestic worker in the Mutharika household. He literally said, ‘The president has taken me into his household.’ One might think that that was figurative, but no. He is the type that will be a mere errand boy, the one you send to buy a box of matches at a nearby corner shop. Chimulirenji will have no guts to advise the President to take a better course of action. Anything the professor says to him will be sacrosanct.”

He also observed that Chimulirenji contradicts himself when  on one hand he says Malawians should avoid mentioning tribes, then right in the next sentence, he asks his tribe to vote for Mutharika.

“Which is which?”

Commenting on the matter, Idris Ali Nasser wrote that listening to Chimulirenji on Sunday, it was clear the man is not a national political figure of substance.

“Instead he was more comfortable playing the very base of tribal and village politics: ‘vote for me because I am one of yours, I am from here. I have a house here’.”

Nasser  pointed out that beyond the perfunctory mention of the word “development” and expressions of excessive grovelling and gratitude to Mutharika for choosing him, “it’s hard to define what this man stands for and what his ideas and ideas are, both as an individual and should he become part of the collective that the presidency is.”

The commentator argue that  “DPP apologists will want you to believe that Chimulirenji was chosen for some exceptional abilities that only they can see. Maybe it’s true. But it’s also self-evident that the DPP had a wide pool of upstanding minds and individuals to choose from. Yet, for some reason the party and its supporters are struggling to explain, the choice was Everton.”

He continued: “To the sceptic, the Chimulirenji project is to protect a handful of people close to President Mutharika who have looted Malawi and made themselves rich beyond the dreams of avarice. It was made with 2023 in mind. These people fear facing real charges of corruption, abuse of state resources for personal gain, unexplained wealth and, possibly, official misconduct.

“The sweet irony of all this is that by picking a flawed, unpopular and polarizing Chimulirenji, they risk losing power because they wanted someone to protect that which they stole when they were in power.”

Meanwhile, the leading daily newspaper, The Nation, in an editorial comment  faulted government’s conduct  for beefing up Chimulirenji’s security detail  as he now has five armed Police Mobile Service (PMS) officers, four more than his entitlement.

The paper  said beefing up of  security should not be paid by taxpayers, saying constitutionally, the country has one President in Peter Mutharika and Vice President in Saulos Chilima who were duly elected in the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections.

Chilima fell out with Mutharika and is challenging him in the presidential race on UTM Party ticket.

But the paper  pointed out that, legally,  Malawians gave  Mutharika and Chilima the mandate until May 21 this year.

“Isn’t it also ironic that while police struggles to undertake regular patrols and swift crime call responses due to ‘lack of resources’, the same government is able to provide four more officers to a Cabinet minister simply because he is running mate?” reads the comment in part.

Minister of Information and Communication Technology Henry Mussa told journalists after the Ntcheu rally that  there were precedents before with regard to running mates of sitting Presidents, including legislator Sosten Gwengwe during former president Joyce Banda’s administration in 2014.

But the paper said that argument does not hold water “as they say two things do not make a right.”

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john
5 years ago

Runningmate ameneyu zungu lenieni

Karim Mbava ya Chimwenye.

Chimulenjeni an errand boy kkkkk Koma abale Malawi is gone to the dogs.

Getu Maseko
Getu Maseko
5 years ago

Whichever party wins is not of great deal to me. As long as its not DPP, I am home and dry. Many thanks to Peter for picking someone else. Thank you it is not Kondwani Nankhumwa. May God bless your thinking.

Viva MCP
Viva UTM

Time for change is here. We are fed up with this DPP government. Njoka saweta. These same guys in DPP that were left out on running mate position are campagning for Peters down fall. Akuti chimpweteke Getu and Chisale.

Tiyeseni Phiri
Tiyeseni Phiri
5 years ago

What are you saying in this article? I hardly get the message. Are you expressing your fear and frustration that DPP will be too difficult to uproot as a result? Chimulirenji is strategically finest choice of a presidential running mate. Sorry for Chilima! Sorry for Chakwera. Prepare to stay in political wilderness come May 21.

mphwache wa bingu
mphwache wa bingu
5 years ago

So Mr Chimulirenji you think kupita ku school ya mwezi umodzi ndi akazi anu is grooming? kkkkkkk

john
5 years ago

hahahahaha Chimwalirenji is a dunderhead ..Zungu lenileni

Big Man
5 years ago

How do you want Chililenji to learn from this beautiful article when its written in English? Secondly this name Chimulilenji its a very difficult name for a person from North to pronounce how are we going to vote for someone we don’t know.Vyasuzga apa adada Goodwell

Tizanka
Tizanka
5 years ago

Where is the story here? Nyasatimes you are trying your level best to disfranchise Lhomwes whom you hate with a passion as well as the bitter cold hate for DPP. I don’t understand the reason why every time Chimulirenji coughs, you have a problem with how he doesn’t call on his ancestors, or whether he uses two-ply or one-ply toilet tissue. You folks are so obsessed with this man. So let me tell you something, write as much crap about him as you can, but get ready for 5 years of your bitter hate for him, the DPP and the… Read more »

tman
5 years ago

thats your VP come May 2019,you talked the same with Bingu,& Peter saying he is not a decision maker,here comes he appoints his mirror picture kuti mumve paiiiiiin! Here comes the next president of Malawi.Osatha kuyankhula.Where are you with your maiden public speeches.The adage said,empty tins make alot of noise

CitizenX
CitizenX
5 years ago

So this chimulilenji guy is given extra (4) security personal to protect him on a daily basis, my question is, is that not illegal?? is that not abuse of govt resources?? is that not corruption??? is that not stealing of tax revenue from poor malawians?? if your answers are YES then this guy should know that and so does he not have a moral obligation to say NO GUYS this is not right to abuse govt resources on me like that!!! OUR WORRY NOW AS MALAWIANS IS THAT, THIS GUY IS NOT YET VP AND ALREADY HE HAS STARTED ABUSING… Read more »

True Malawian
True Malawian
5 years ago

Hahahahaha Chimulilenji wakulizani eti…

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