DPP angers MCP over T-shirts distribution at funeral of JZU wife

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials on Saturday were  caught distributing party T-shirts and blue cloth at the funeral of late Mrs Mamaria Ruth Tembo who was the wife to former Malawi Congress Party(MCP) president John Tembo.

President Peter Mutharika and Vice President Saulos Chilima were in attendance at the solemn occasion also attended by other high profile people.

The DPP members were reportedly distributing the blue T-shirts at the funeral to party youths  and  even to the local grave diggers as has been the case at other functions to make the party’s presence felt.

The development irked  the members of MCP who surrounded the vehicle  carrying the DPP material and it was swiftly taken away.

MCP Publicity Secretary Dr Jessie Kabwira accused  DPP of  turning the funeral into a political ground.

“What happened was that our youths [members] saw the vehicle of the DPP secretary General a Toyota Fortuner offloading the materials and our youths alerted their friends and  mobilised themselves in a civilised manner where they approached the vehicle to confirm  that it was carrying party material,” said Kabwira.

She said the DPP conduct was  “bad and degrading.”

Kabwila  condemned the act of using funeral to make political campaign or show-off.

DPP regional youth director,  Ayichoche Aione Rajab Malimba,  confirmed about the incident to Nyasa Times.

He said the MCP youth  were sent by Kabwila to force his car out of the funeral parking area.

Malimba said “T-shirts which you saw our cadets wearing, I distributed in December when I came here in Dedza.”

He  said they only gave a blue cloth to a party chairlady of that area after she complained that she had no any DPP cloth.

“So what was wrong with that? Was that warranting a legion of MCP youths to descend on us? Kabwira should learn civilized politics,” said Malimba.

DPP Secretary General Ecrain  Kudontoni said he was in the dark over the incident.

President Mutharika has asked  Malawians to mourn Tembo’s wife in a respectful and dignified manner.