DPP power struggle: Kutsaira, Msonda demand positions as Chimunthu, Kandodo, Mwenefumbo no show at joining rally

Barely hours after the governing Democrtaic Progressive Party (DPP) pwelcomed into its political fold several recycled politicians; the struggle for power has already ensued with Binton Kutsaira demanding the position of chief state spy to replace Nicholas Dausi.

Kutsaira, who hails from Lilongwe and has a substantial followership, once served as Director General of the National Intelligence Service under President Bingu wa Mutharika currently being headed by Dausi.

“That is the demand Kutsaira has made and anytime the announcement will be made if all goes well. The President is not happy with Dausi because he reports petty gossips not intelligence. He is out of favour and the coming in of Davis Katsonga from Mwanza means he  has to salvage  a political  career,” said our impeccable sourc e at State House.

The source complained that most party officials who remained loyal to the party have already started voicing out there concerns amid more revelations that even Ken Msonda, former PP spokesperson, will be made party spokesperson to replace Francis Katsaira who is busy as Foreign Affairs Minister.

“Of course Msonda is good at it but are we sure this is how you run politics by ignoring the people who made what DPP it is today. Looks all the defectors are gaining something. Let’s hope the President is being told the truth,” said the source.

But Msonda said he is not looking for a reward for a position.

“I have never looked for anything on the parties I have served before ( MCP. NDA, UDF, PP),” said Msonda on Capital Radio DayBreak Malawi on Tuesday.

“Even it means going to their offices and sweep everyday I will be doing as one way of contributing,” he added.

There are also reports that people are taking advantage of the President’s lack of knowledge on the local scene having stayed too long in the disapora  hence he believes the defectors were influential in their respective parties.

“The President was lied to. He was told former speaker  Chimunthu Banda,  MP Frank Mwenefumbo, former minister Ken Kandodo would be joining that day and it was important to hold the rally.

“You know what happened? People pocketed the money the President released for the exercise rewarding the defectors. We are back to UDF politics. This is about political survival no focus on the national agenda. They have destroyed the President. We aint moving forward as a country,” explained the source.

During the rally, unfortunately the party lined up cabinet ministers who are not good public orators to speak leaving firebrand politicians like Patricia Kaliati who is out favour and the First Lady wants her out as Minister and in the party.

The speakers ended up making the rally sound like a boardroom meeting with Agriculture Minister George Chaponda and Energy Minister Bright Msaka rambling something that was far from a speech.

“Tipanga magetsi okwana 2,000 kwacha (instead of  2,000 Megawatts) pofika 2024,” said Msaka as the people got quieter with confusion.

Chaponda was too insensitive if not blunt and said “Palibe azafa ndinjala. Ku Admarc chimanga chiliko kungoti anthu alibe ndalama (No one will die of hunger. We have stocked maize in Admarc only that people are failing to buy because they don’t have money.)

President Mutharika won the elections in 2014 with a minority but his promise of business unusual and that he would be a transformational leader won him support but only for the first eight months but now is more than Bakili Muluzi when it comes to concentrating on petty politics.