Mutharika cheers JZU Tembo at his retirement home

 President Peter Mutharika on Wednesday  visited former Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader, John Zenasi Ungapake Tembo, at his residence at Area 10 in Lilongwe on Wednesday.

But MCP Deputy Secretary General , Elsenhower Mkala said the party is surprised with the visit saying they were not  informed of the same .

Mkaka said Mutharika was supposed to know that Tembo was former MCP leader.

“As the party , we were supposed to be the first to know this and we could have sent the party officials to accompanied the the President.

 Mutharika visited Tembo immediately after presiding over the launch of ‘National Peace Policy and Commemoration of 2017 International Day of Peace’ at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in the capital city.

The President said he has very good ties with Tembo, popularly known as JZU, and that the two communicate once in a while.

The Malawi leader said he has known JZU for a long time starting from his school days at Dedza Secondary School.

“I have great respect for him dating back to secondary school when he (Tembo) had just graduated from the university. He was my student teacher but also we have been together in politics, so I just decided to come and greet him today,” he said

Mutharika said him and the likes of Finance Minister, Goodall Gondwe and Ambassador Ron Nkomba, benefitted a lot from JZU at Dedza secondary and that he was pleased to see him in good health.

“We have benefitted a lot from him and I am so pleased to have come over to see him. He looks very well and we had a wonderful conversation,” said Mutharika.

Born in 1932, Tembo is no longer in active politics having served for years as president of the MCP. He was succeeded by Reverend Dr. Lazuras Chakwera prior to 2014, tripartite elections in which Mutharika emerged victorious.

State House press office  said their chat was private  but said what happened is a sign of friendliness.