Jumbe accuses MCP of worshipping Chakwera: Refutes DPP link

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) campaign director Felix Jumbe has accused some senior members of the main opposition party of worshipping party president Lazarus Chakwera as a “super god”, saying the culture is derailing the party from following democratic path.

In a radio interview Monday, Jumbe said some party officials are still not comfortable that he challenged Chakwera for party presidency in 2013, saying this is the culture that made Kamuzu a an eccentric dictator.

“Some people are not comfortable that I challenged the Right Honourable Chakwera in 2013,” said Jumbe a legislator in Salima and one of the key advisors to the leader of opposition, Chakwera.

Jumbe said up to now the parry’s deputy campaign director Joseph Njobvuyalema and himself are viewed as rebels just because they contested against Chakwera in the 2013 party presidency.

About12 party presidential aspirants battled it out for the MCP top job after John Tembo’s tenure of office expired.

But Jumbe ruled out defecting to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) saying such rumours are spread by political enemies of the party.

“I use money from my own businesses to fund party activities that means I love MCP” said Jumbe insisting he has not met DPP officials for any possible defection deal as rumoured.

His sentiments come amid reports a car belonging to one of his companies Peacock Seeds was spotted ferrying DPP supporters to a rally in Mzimba district.

But Jumbe maintains the car belongs to an agro dealer.

MCP publicity secretary Jessie Kabwila described the problems in the party as minor, saying everything is well in the main opposition party.

She said the MCP is preoccupied with campaigning for the forthcoming parliamentary and local government polls.

Kabwila said Jumbe is a senior party official and if there were issues, she could have been told.

This is the first time since the 2014 general election that power struggle has openly emerged in the MCP though Kabwila said there is no crisis in the country’s oldest party which she said thrives on four corner stones of; unity, loyalty, discipline and obedience.