Jumbe flirts with DPP, gets MCP demotion: Chakwera drafts in Chimango in NEC reshuffle

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera has demoted Salima Central MP Felix Jumbe from his position as campaign director to an obscure position of deputy director of Strategic Planning in a National Executive Committee (NEC) shake up.

Jumbe is reportedly being in bad books with MCP leadership for politically flirting with ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The demoted  legislator  last Friday backed President Peter Mutharika’s conviction that no one died of hunger during the acute food shortage period whilst Chakwera believes some Malawians died of hunger.

Chakwera has also drafted in new faces from former government Peoples Party, Joyce Banda’s cabinet.

Former Speaker Louis Chimango has bounced back in front-line politics as legal advisor. Chimango is one of the few remaining politician in Malawi as he served in Kamuzu Banda’s cabinet in the 1980s.

New faces in the NEC are former Finance minister in Joyce Banda’s cabinet Cornelius Mwalwanda and former Labour minister Eunice Makangala.

Missing on the list are MCP’s confessed political prostitutes Sosten Gwengwe, Abel Kayembe, George Zulu and Kalasi Mbewe.

Chimango replaces Lewis Chakwantha who will now head the youth committee replacing Robin Lowe who is now tasked with the job of organising party meetings as organising secretary.

Vocal MP Vitus Dzoole Mwale replaces Jumbe as campaign director deputised by former journalist Miriam Mzanda. Mzanda replaces Joseph Njobvuyalema who heads to International Affairs directorate headed by Tony Kandiero and Njobvuyalema becomes first deputy director and former diplomat John Chikago is Second Deputy.

Critics however say the changes might not make huge impact as the party prepares for the 2019 general election which people predict to be tough.

President Peter Mutharika has pledged to put the opposition political parties in the opposition for the next 20 years saying this is the place where they belong.

It is now up to the opposition to come out fighting democratically to dethrone the DPP led government at ballot box; it may not be easy though.