John Tembo Jnr crashed in MCP primaries: Onani wins landslide

A former diplomat  John Tembo Jnr  who is a  son to immediate past president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP), John Zenus Ungapake Tembo,  popularly known as JZU , on Friday suffered  a humiliating defeat in the  primary elections underway to identify candidates to represent the party in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.

In the primaries to select candidate for Member of Parliament for Dedza South, Tembo Jnr who was serving as Malawi deputy High Commissioner in London, had no one to support his candidature and one his vote was counted.

According to presiding officer for the primaries, director of youth Richard Chimwendo Banda, Ishmael Onani scooped 588 votes followed by Alfred Sangala with 190 votes and Haward Mzambe 12 votes.

It was not only Tembo Jnr who has no supporter behind him; another candidate Manuel Chiwere also faced the same humiliation. But George Kalanda had two people standing behind him.

Chimwendo Banda said all candidates accepted the results.

Reacting to the results, MCP freshman Onani said he was “humbled” by the support of the party members.

Onani said he wants to help party president Lazarus Chakwera to “revolutionise” the MCP and win the keys to State House.

The MCP fought Britain’s 70-year colonial rule and governed Malawi from 1964 to 1994, when Dr Banda’s former protégé, Bakili Muluzi, won power during the country’s first multi-party elections.

MCP has lined up primary elections in various constituencies from Monday, including in all constituencies in Kasungu, Ntchisi North and Mchinji East (on Tuesday), Kasungu South East, Kasungu East and Kasungu North West (on Wednesday).