MP Kabwila says Nankhumwa has no integrity to lead Malawi Parliament: DPP full of scandal ‘gates’

Salima North West Member of Parliament (MP) Jessie Kabwila (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) has questioned the appointment by President Peter Mutharika of  Kondwani Nankhumwa  the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, as Leader of the House, saying he does not have the integrity required to lead parliament.

Mutharika has replaced beset Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, George Chaponda with Nankhumwa, Speaker of the National Assembly, Richard Msowoya, announced in the House.

Chaponda is under probe in the Zambia maize procurement saga.

Kabwila during an interview on Daybreak Malawi program monitored by Nyasa Times on Capital Radio on Thursday said replacing Chaponda is good in respect of High Court order stopping the minister from executing his duties until a probe into the Zambia maize saga is concluded

“It’s good that at least now that they have acknowledged the kind of judgement that was outside,” said Kabwila.

But she said Chaponda’s replacement, Nankhumwa is worse as he lacks moral fibre.

“Nankhumwa himself is not clean,” noted Kabwila.

She said Nankhumwa also faces allegations of wrongful self-enrichment and that whistle blowers have been tipping Anti Corruption Bureau on his alleged corruption.

Parliament, she argued, needs leadership that is integrity-based to lead legislators and that Nankhumwa does not fit the bill.

“In their benches [DPP] do they not have people who have no issues?

“When you are dealing with DPP, you are dealing with someone with maizegate, landgate; they have so many people with a lot of gates. Now we are dealing with a bicycle gates (in apparent reference to Nankhumwa). This government is full of people with issues,” said Kabwila.

She continued: “Malawians are looking for leaders of integrity.”

Kabwila said members of parliament were “very happy” that the Executive have accepted that Chaponda faces Court suspension.

“They need to be kept in check that this is Malawi and Malawians want to have a person of integrity [to be leading the House], someone who has no issues,” said Kabwila.

But she said DPP has an implosion of leadership of integrity.

“DPP do you not have someone of integrity. It would be good if parliament was led by someone who has no issues [not Nankhumwa],” she said.

But Nankhumwa also speaking during Daybreak Malawi, said: “I am humbled that His Excellency the President has trust in me and that I can deliver.

“I will work with all those who have experience in the House, will all members of parliament with wisdom. No man is an island therefore I will work with everybody in the House,” Nankhumwa said.

Kabwila insists Nankhumwa suffers from integrity issues and that would undermine his leadership of the House.

She said integrity is what Malawians are seeking from their leaders.

Straight-talking Kabwila is one of the activists who took to task the late Bingu wa Mutharika’s government under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) over academic freedom.

She thereafter became active in various causes of human rights and earned nomination for United States (US) Secretary of State International Women of Courage Award in recognition of her role in the fight for academic freedom and women’s rights.

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