MCP’s  ‘Nkholokolo’ court Manganya to challenge Chakwera  

A grouping of rebels  in the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) branded ‘Nkholokolo’ have casted their eyes on social commentator and comedian Michael Manganya Usi in a bid to wrestle power from current leader Lazarus Chakwera.

MCP has recently been in and out of court for sorts of reasons as party trusted generals continue wrestling each other for power.

And Nyasa Times can reveal that a faction within the party’s national executive committee has approached and is in discussions with Usi to contest against Chakwera for the party’s leadership, claiming the leader of opposition in Parliament has failed to properly handle the affairs of the party.

The revelations come amid divisions in the party over reports that Chakwera is earmarking former Peoples Party (PP) vice-president Muhammad Sidik Mia as his running choice in the 2019 presidential elections sidelining his current vice, Richard Msowoya.

“He (Usi) is one of the people we are considering at the moment. I can’t divulge more information but be assured we are making progress in discussions with our targets,” explained one of the MCP top NEC members.

The member said the choice of potential leader to fight Chakwera would have to be endorsed by the party’s grassroots supporters especially district chairmen who have been on forefront fighting Chakwera in and out of court.

Usi, who is Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) Malawi Country Director, excused himself that was in a meeting at the time Nyasa Times contacted him.

He promised to come back but never did, and several follow ups proved futile to have his comment on the issue.

Manganya is the brain behind famous TV soap Tikuferanji which was in previous years been aired on MBC television but now it is being aired on privately owned Times television.

The infighting for the position of running mate between Msowoya and Mia has been the source of division in the National Executive Committee (NEC) as one camp prefers the current vice-president of the party and the other group leaning towards Mia.