DPP must not be stuck in the past, needs practical strategy: Malawi no longer the same!
Things have been happening so fast in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) over the past couple of days. The party’s President, Peter Mutharika, was the first respondent in the just ended election case at the Constitutional Court, which he lost together with co-respondent, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC). No question Mutharika and DPP took a serious image beating from the court case; they need a serious image cleansing exercise to stand any chance of winning the forthcoming fresh election.
Perhaps as a response to the image fallout, it appears DPP has come up with a plan to deal with the image battering. The strategy was to come out of its hiding and show the people of Malawi (particularly the opposition) that DPP is alive and kicking ass. Not just any ass, but the ass of the five Constitutional Court judges for nullifying the May 2019 tripartite elections and for punching a stinging blow to Mutharika’s political reputation.
The party announced that it was going to hold nation-wide demonstrations to show anger and dissatisfaction over the Constitutional Court judgement despite the fact that it appealed against the nullification to the Supreme Court of Appeal. So far, two demonstrations have already been staged in Blantyre and Zomba where supporters of the party from all walks of life showed anger through dancing and singing songs denigrating the five judges and their judgement. The demonstrations included the presentation of a 10 – point petition to Blantyre City Council Chief Executive Officer, and DC for Zomba District.
Typical of such demonstrations, DPP supporters sung various songs and made negative pronouncements directed at the five Constitutional Court Judges for coming up with a judgement, which they did not like.
Bizarrely, the judges were accused of taking bribes from the opposition and for being related to some opposition figures. They were comprehensively insulted using every salvo from the encyclopedia of insults covering their sons, daughters; fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers.
However, that is neither here nor there. The real issue is that among the people who participated in the demonstrations; the singing and dancing in Blantyre on February 17, 2020 were some of the so called old guards of politics like Brown James Mpinganjira aka ‘BJ’, Henry Mussa, Francis Mphepo etc. From the look of things, these people did not just participate; they were actually the organizers of the demonstrations.
Mussa read the petition at Blantyre City Council; BJ gyrated and danced all the way and was the one who came closest to his inner child; Mphepo in cohort with Secretary General Gerselder Jeffrey convened a press conference the next day touting the demonstrations as a success and promising to hold others in Zomba, Mzuzu and Lilongwe.
Mphepo (a blood relation of Brown Mpinganjira) is an old and tired former MP who has been in the DPP for quite a long time. He is one person who is credited for misleading President Peter Mutharika into making some of his most unpopular decisions to date. Just recently he was recorded insulting people from the northern region of the country as ungrateful and not deserving any development.
This angered a lot of people in the northern region who threatened to deal with him if he dares to travel to that region. This is not the first time that Mphepo has been banned from visiting certain areas in the country (ask people in the DPP they will tell you), it could also be the reason DPP’s planned demonstrations in the northern region have failed. Hitherto Mussa wanted to be respected as the doyen of Chiradzulu district until he lost his seat in the May 2019 election to a youthful aspirant. He is no longer MP; no longer cabinet minister and now operates on the fringes of politics.
One can write a whole book about Brown Mpinganjira and his level of ‘cunningness’ (Bakili Muluzi knows better). BJ is embroidered in the Judge bribing saga where he is alleged to have been the one taking money from his relation, Thom Mpinganjira, amounting to hundreds of millions of Kwachas under the guise of giving it to the five Constitutional Court Judges so that they judge in favour of DPP when in real sense he was taking the monies for himself.
Now, is it not rather odd to see BJ demonstrating and dancing, carrying a placard written ‘we want justice’, against the very judges he wanted to bribe? Which justice is BJ looking for? On what basis must a ‘briber’ seek justice from a ‘bribee’? Why is BJ taking Malawi as a kangaroo country without laws and morals?
It is a general consensus by political pundits and analysts that the DPP is suffering its lowest moment right now regarding its political image. It is also a general consensus that the party must put its act together if it wants to stand a chance of winning in the forthcoming fresh election and that the process must start now. Brown, Mpinganjira, Francis Mphepo or Henry Mussa should not be the people to front DPP politics if the party is genuinely interested in winning an election, especially when a majority of voters are the youth. Just what is the DPP thinking?
DPP has always relied on having a loyal base of supporters in the Lhomwe belt who have consistently catapulted the party to power in previous elections. That story will be different this time around because the political profile and dynamics have changed and DPP must stop fooling itself with old politics as authored by the Mphepos and Mpinganjiras of this world. The politics of ‘kutukwana ma jaji’ will not cut it this time. DPP needs sleek young politicians who can negotiate and speak on a higher plane of modern politics not Nyekhwe.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Good write up but we need more from Bakili
About JB.
We are bearing the costs of Basildon milazi he knows it quite well
The story of ManChester United being stuck in the past is similar to DPP. It is only appealing to Lomwes and with the coming in of 50 + 1, DPP will soon be dead and burried.
DPP is dead, no longer relevant in Malawi. The corruption of this APM and his wife is breathtaking.
agalu inu a DPP CHOKANI
Is Pitala relevant to the needs of the young generation? A wise person would take what Mordecai Msiska said after the historic ruling.He said this was for the young generation. APM and JZU are in the same age group and he oughtto retire as well. The guy is misplaced and in other words he is an anachronism. The judges are not stupid. They are going by the modern revolutions. Kamuzu was being used just the same way Pitala is. We have lost the battle we fought for in 1992 because of people like Muluzi who had their own bourgeois agenda. They wanted to get rich out of the poor masses. I feel sorry when some reporters go back to Muluzi to ask him about the present situation. Root cause analysis points a finger at him.
Hahu,
You are another BAKHA
I am an idiot. My president is an idiot. And we are both very happy.
It is a well explained article unless if these DPP people and its cadets are deaf and blind.
I think so far all in the dpp have proven to be deaf and blind……!
Dpp is a company of fools from the president, to the so-called top officials, to the bottom dirty-useless-goatheaded supporters. As a governing party (though stolen) it was supposed to show some sense of maturity and respect of rule of law in responding to the judgement. Rather, they are showing a total sense of desperation because the only career these useless people have is politics, even their businesses thrive at the back of stealing tax payers money from government coffers. In short, if they are out of government, they will become as poorer as a church rat that eats the bible because there’s nothing else to eat. So all those street protests and dance are not for justice and democracy, it’s about personal survival and what justice, because they are the ones who stole justice from ordinary voters and the courts have been so lenient by not hunging the dpp’s dirty underpants in the public. Who doesn’t know dpp only won one election in 2009 when we fell in love with Bingu’s performance after he stole government from udf, Peter stole from mcp in 2014, in 2019 he was caught with his pants down as everything has got its expiry date, bye, bye dpp!
If you ask me, the party’s cleansing process should include removing individuals who appear to have vested interest in whatever they do. These include Mphepo, Dausi, BJ, Mchacha, WA Jeffrey, Henry Musa.and the likes of the lot. This lot miserably failed to advise APM on the folly of holding contempt of Court demos.
Forgive me, even APM is dead wood and should step aside for lack of leadership skills. There are energetic and intelligent people capable of leading DPP and making it a National Party, not the Lhomwes dominated property as it is now.
My thoughts!!
I concur with you 100%, the whole rotten bunch should be uprooted
They deserve to retire these guys from politics. Politics of nowadays is for the youth indeed. They need to shape their on future and not these retard politicians in the name of Mphepo, Mpinganjira , Peter and Goodwell.
Chilima will one day win and be the president of this country bcoz he knows exactly what the youth want and he is including them in his decision making , making UTM party to be more attractive .
DPP kwasala madzi amozi kuti itherethu. And I know after Peter departure which is very close , DPP won’t survive the test of time, better UDF will still strive to remain relevant in Malawi politics but not DPP.
Change your mindset, I rest my case.
The truth of the matter is that DPP is still mighty in the South. The opposition must brace for tough time to amass votes in the region. We must not be choose to be blind deliberately.
Muluza nazo in 1993 referendum mcp thought it was strong in the centre.it lost the same in 1994 elections.DPP except in lomwe belt will not achieve 90 percent votes as you think in BT Nsanje Chikwawa Zomba Mangochi.There will be rogue voters as was the case with MCP during dawn of multiparty
In Malawi.MCP failed to achieve even 80 percent in central region districts except Dowa .In the present scenerio DPP have a tough ride.Centre and North will give 100 percent to anticipated MCP /UTM alliance.This is the winning formula.Messege to Malawians not all lomwe are DPP also not all Chewa are MCP.Do not castigate any tribe for no reason.Tribe naming should stop.No tribe is better or bigger than the other no tribe is good or bad we are all the same all tribes are equal there are rich lomwe and also rich chewas also poor chewas as well as poor lomwes.There are also selfish people in all tribes in Malawi.It is these selfish people that furnishes the tribe.So talk about those people not the tribe if any.Malawians stop tribe naming.We are all Malawians.Let us Keep peace.Amen
The signs of the end of this DPP party are all over for people to see.Mitu siyikugwira.Change is coming.We need leaders who has a vision for the country, which the mighty dpp has failed to give Malawians. A good leader gives hope of good things to come, benefiting all Malawians.A great leader will encourage citizens to love one another, this will bring unity and peace, the medication for prosperity to all citizens.
Can you give similar advice to the Malawi Crocodile Party. They have looted and injured people. What did the EDITORIAL say. You clapped your hands and kept quiet because you only have hatred for DPP.
I think Ur missing Ur point…continue being in denial it appears u can’t learn but we know that God’s time is the best ..continue denying that change has come…u need to realise that DPP cannot defeat MCP on vote by vote basis yes credible votes no tipped.. u did that to JB but u cudnt do that now.. wake up from Ur slumber n realise ther change is coming
Kkkkk welll articulated article things have completely evolved, these old & senile politicians have lived past thrir sell by date. Fresh blood with fresh ideas will hrlp them.
Chakwera said he was to spill blood. Why did you not criticism him and the MCP?
Keep your STINKY MOUTH SHUT
Fotseki, what did you say when Nsundwe Boys were harassing Southerners? You kept quiet. What about violence in the North? You kept quiet. People in the south have been calm and patient. They are not going to sit down and listen to complaints of nepotism when the judiciary is full of judges from the north. The speaker of parliament is from the north. The chief justice is from the north. These very people have connived to destabilise our country.
Lala unfortunately you are still playing the tribal card which is what this country doesn’t need.
True true Lala’s place is a DUSTBIN
Lala, who appointed those northerners to those positions in the Judiciary for you to complain that Judiciary is full of Northerners? Don’t just support DPP for the sake is your home party, wake up. What is it that DPP has done to Malawians? This party has brought poverty and shame upon Malawi. Support a party because it will promote Malawi as a whole, DPP because is full of sheet is promoting nepotism and appointing people who failed to satisfy required points to go to university what else do you expect to such fools?
Unenesko
Lala shut up your mouth. Stop thinking in a divisive way.
THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE IS SPINNING NOW following NEWTON’S FIRST LAW OF MOTION
Opel Kadett
Fuck you lala what ever you call yourself, me like a northerner we ne never harrassed you pipo, we take care of you we give you food shelter clothes with love, at the end of the day you marry our children , sisters etc, then you fuck off and leave them unattended, maybe check your history, how many pipo from north go to south to look for ganyu and look also how many southerners go to north to look for green grass, if you find that answer ! Take it and shove in you own asshole idiot
Go to school n be judges..stop selling tarmic in Limbe..pitani Ku xul Kaya..am not from the North but I salute their dedication to everything that they do even if they control judiciary…had it been it were the lomwes bwezi judiciary Kuli tribalism as well but thanks to the Almighty that he gave us the Northerners as Judges. They are equitable n good..Long live our judges