‘Mwanamvekha man to watch in DPP’ as analysts say party risk being reduced to Lhomwe belt
Prominent newspaper columnist Ephraim Munthali, who is also managing editor at Nation Publications Limited, says the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson on finance and former Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamvekha is demonstrating that he is a leader who wants to govern from the bottom up by getting what the grassroots people – through their representation – want in their communities.
Writing on his influential ‘Cut-the-Chaff’ column published in the Weekend Nation newspaper, Munthali noted that Mwanamvekha is introducing himself to DPP grassroots structures that are crucial in rebuilding the party and deciding who its next leader should be.
‘Mwanamvekha man to watch in DPP’, reads the title of his column, saying “ It looks to me that when Mwanamvekga finally came out to signal his interest in the DPP top leadership, he had a plan and is now executing it, apparently, to the letter. Particulary interesting is the listening tour Mwanamvekha has embarked on.”
However, the columnist pointed out that Mwanamvekha “certainly means business, shows he is strategic, demonstrates mature politics.”
But in its coverage of the DPP elective convention in the paper, political analysts observed that the trend so far in the party where all six people who have expressed interest to contest for the position of party president are from the Southern Region—with five of them from the Lhomwe belt— saying this could harm the party.
University of Malawi (Unima) Chancellor College-based political scientist Mustapha Hussein said in quotes reported by the paper that DPP should reflect upon this because it will eventually become a weakness on it as it will restrict its support base.
“So, as they prepare for the convention, the leadership needs to rethink and encourage contenders from other regions to join the race,” he said.
Another Unima political scientist Master Dicks Mfune said it was high time DPP followers and Malawians accepted the reality that the party has its biggest support base in the Lhomwe belt and is also largely controlled by people from this belt.
Mfune observed that as such the ethnic grouping is not ready to let the party go elsewhere.
He said: “As a result, this approach, if not swiftly corrected and deliberate strategies put in place, will greatly harm the popularity of the party. The numbers will start dwindling as people from other regions will ultimately withdraw their support on the basis that the leadership always comes from one area.
“For the sake of transformation they need to deliberately raise other people from other regions if they are to regain power and get back to government one day.”
The paper also quoted George Phiri, a political scientist from University of Livingstonia, who blamed DPP’s president Peter Mutharika for what he said was his failure to put in place a proper succession plan that has created the current problem.
He alleged that during the six years he was in power, Mutharika turned the party into an ethnic grouping, without regard to other merits and abilities of people from other regions and districts.
“Unfortunately, this is not only a problem for the DPP but many other political parties in Malawi. Unlike his brother Bingu, Peter did not have an agenda of nationalising the party. That is why we see dominance of contestants from one area—the Lhomwe belt—because that is what Peter preached,” alleged Phiri.
He also agreed with Mfune in his observation that the popularity of the DPP, including among its members, will decline if the current trend is not reversed because DPP will not be appreciated as a national party , but a regional bloc.
The six DPP members who have expressed interest to run for presidency are former Cabinet ministers Kondwani Nankhumwa, Joseph Mwanamvekha, George Chaponda, former central bank governor Dalitso Kabambe—all from the Lhomwe belt—another former Cabinet minister Bright Msaka from Machinga and Benedict Mbewe.
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Is this the same person who, it is rumoured, I repeat, rumoured, was drawing two salaries while at Treasury; one from his substantive post and the other from MSB before it was given away to FDH? If so, what guarantee is there that taxpayers money would be safe with him at the helm?
The same Nyasatimes has just reported that DPP MP from Karonga passed away. The same party you accuse of being ethnically biased in its leadership has seats in all regions of the country. Which other party has a similar national footprint?
The DPP is essentially dead! How can you run a party based on Lomwelisiation. They are a spent force! I recognise UTM as the only hope we have on this Land!
That’s the state of affairs in all parties. MCP draws most of its leaders from the centre, so is UDF from the east and Aford from the north. There is nothing strange here. Actually that is what keeps the parties strong because they get leaders where they enjoy the support most, apparently sustaining the support in the long run. Nationalization of parties works elsewhere not in Malawi. Parties in Malawi that have decided to take that path have kissed a dead end. You obviously need a strong base and spread out from there, a case of MCP.
I usually mistake mwanaveka for a T/A
A Munthali there is no substance in what u r saying. Do u mean to say DPP is for Lomwes just bcoz it was started by Bingu and later APM came into power after JB? Do u mean to say Lomwes shud not take part in elections specifically presidential candidates? Does DPP block others from contesting? To hell with that poor analysis! What ppo want is a party that will govern the country with maturity not what u see today that leadership is failing to make decisions lero anena izi mawa izo very confusing indeed and malawi is leading nowhere! So if u have interest u r welcome to dpp for this top position.
Kuchekenila nkhumba mmapiko kuli dzuwa…kikikikikikiki
Mukukambazo ndi zamukalasi. The reality and unfortunate part is that Malawi is full of illiterate people. so your ” stochastic variables” etc can not apply. It’s bush politics until the nation is learned.
Very tribalist assessment.The Lomwes are silent hard-working people and deserves what is due to them like any other tribe in Malawi.There are two types of people in the world regardless of their colour i.e. good or bad.You can have a good and bad person from any tribe or colour of any Society in the world.There are good whites and bad whites,there are good indians and bad indians,there are good blacks and bad blacks.Same in Malawi there are good and bad Lhomwes,there are also good and bad Tumbukas,there are also good and bad Chewas, there are also good and bad Tongas the list can go on and on and on.What is very important is to identify good people regardless of their tribe,colour and where they come from.So the measure on every human being must be on their goodness and not where they come from.So these comments that dwell on the tribe of a person other than what the person is in terms of his good qualities is unacceptable and fuels tribal fights and divisions.Just talk about the goodness of the person as a viable candidate in society.
Mawu
Just a waste of time by the fucken ngulus. They cannot rule this country again.
All parties are regional blocks going by how they all stand. It seems all are stuck on this spot and very unprepared to move. Any party candidate can not win the first round general elections without a rerun or forging in alliances. This advice is good for DPP to seriously consider. They should perhaps resort to rotational presidency strategy.
To hell with your analysis. This Gogomveka thing cannot compete with Nankhumwa. Go to hell
Look at the picture. He cannot even wear his mask properly in a raging pandemic. What an example. He his the dullest person in Malawi. Zero charisma, zero social skills.
These analysts just do word analysis not action and even their total number can’t make one win or loose elections. Malawians vote is the best analysis.
There’s nobody in DPP, madeya okhaokha.
Actually sadly there’s no Kagame type of leader in our horizon, no revolutionary thinking and unfortunately a tamed sleepy citizenry that just wants to vote for someone who will crack a few jokes at the rally and show off some useless academic titles.
I had hopes in young Chilima but the country is still in wakwathu voting trends and that means for the near future your choice might be between Chakwera and Nankhumwa. God help us!
Lets face it, we get the leaders that we deserve.
Where is Chimunthu Banda? He thought by aligning himself with MCP because he comes from the Central Region, his ticket to a ministerial post was a given. Can he rise up and speak like a veteran concerning the state of affairs in the country politically, economically and socially, please?
sungalimbane ndi dr chimunthu banda. ameneuja ndi matured politicians with calm mind. nyasi zaku dpp sakupanga nawo.
Chimunthu Banda adadya mfulumira.
Very poor analysis from lowly ranked Malawian universities.
Kkkk Patric chilungamo chimawawa koma udzadziwa choona patsogolo
chilungamo chake chiti? Chakwera is from central now shud we say mcp is for the chewas? And if i say so will u mark me wrong or right? If dpp will be led by somebody from north will we say it belongs north? what cheap politics and poor analysis u have made!
Patrick phiri is right. this analysis is shallow. May be this analysis should wait for convention. President is just one position of the many positions in the party. By common sense, it sounds right to have the president from the stronghold of the party.
Do you want Lhomwes to take leadership roles in some parties other than the DPP? Or you just don’t want Lhomwes anywhere else?
Ndemwati governing DPP… I think without being pressurised nyasatimes owes Tonse an apology kkkkkkkkk wina amangidwa maka editor
Where in the article is it written ‘governing DPP’? I think this is all in your imagination!!
DK is the man. Enawa ngopelekeza. Mwanavenkha though is also good. DK2025!