Nankhumwa et al must take the blame for DPP loss

October 23, 2017 Dean Phiri 19 Comments

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) just held by-elections for three ward councilors and three parliamentary seats on October 17, 2017 in Lilongwe, Dedza, Blantyre and Nsanje. The elections were the most highly contested in recent times and also the most highly publicized where political parties, particularly the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) threw in everything.

Nankhumwa: DPP director of elections and the powerful politician closest to President Mutharika

Most commentators touted these elections as a critical litmus test and also a precursor to what they think would happen in 2019 when this country will once again go to the polls to elect its president, parliamentarians and ward councilors.

The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) of Lazarus Chakwera emerged victorious by winning all but one seat – the mayani ward in Dedza – which went to the ruling party.   As expected, MCP retained the Lilongwe Msozi South constituency and also won the Lilongwe City South West constituency and Mtsiliza ward.  The party also won the Ndirande’s Makata ward and Nsanje Lalanje constituency, an enclave long considered DPP’s ‘bedroom’.

The quickest and simplest verdict is that MCP won these elections hands down, and there is no doubt about that. There are many reasons that can explain this state of affairs, but it is not the intention of this piece to boil the ocean by talking about them all.  This is only a critical look at what may have happened or what is happening to the mighty DPP to begin to take such a nasty turn.

Just slightly over three years ago, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was a mighty political outfit which blasted on the political fray like an aircraft carrier sailing in turbulent waters with ease towards enemy lines and ready for battle.  People are now beginning to wonder what happened to the political machine which leaped effortlessly from the ruins of political opposition to snatch power from the hapless Joyce Banda of the People’s Party (PP) in 2014.

The DPP is an organization which operates based on structure. It has Vice Presidents in all the regions of this country: the Northern Region; Central Region; Southern Region; and the Eastern Region. It also has a Chief Executive, the Secretary General (SG) who is supposed to be a key member of the apex of decision making, and one who must offer strategic direction for the party during times like the recently held by-elections.

In that vein, the DPP’s Secretary General ought to have coordinated with the Director of Elections to craft and oversee the implementation of a winning formula for the just ended by-elections.  However, as much as these elections were deemed pivotal and a litmus test for the ruling DPP ahead of 2019, there was absolutely no coordination between Director of Elections, Kondwani Nankhumwa and Secretary General, Grezella wa Jeffrey.

Since her appointment to the position of Secretary General, Wa Jeffrey has always been a staccato operator who acts more like a Regional Governor with a furiously dirty mouth. So far she has been an embarrassment to the DPP, and how the party still keeps her in that position is a mystery.

In her quest to appear like she is ‘working’, the DPP’s SG has made (and still makes) so many mistakes that she often fails to atone for. Despite the fact that her position is more conceptual and strategic, the SG appears more like a clueless and isolated field officer who thinks insulting the ‘enemy’ is the only way to go. It is in fact difficult to differentiate who is Nchacha and who is Secretary General.

Nankhumwa on the other hand has not displayed the levels of energy that he showed during the 2014 elections. This time, the Mulanje Central parliamentarian appeared more focused on cultivating his own strong man position, which made him completely insipid when it came to performing the role of Director of Elections. He has totally lost focus and is simply a figurehead Director of Elections.

Since he was appointed as Leader of House in Parliament, Nankhumwa has been at the centre of political in-fighting and shadow boxing within the ruling  DPP ( he is said to have orchestrated  the sacking of Patricia Kaliati and George Chaponda as well as the sidelining of Vice President, Saulos Chilima from taking part in the by elections).

Because of his proximity to President Peter Mutharika, Nankhumwa is also beginning to see himself like the ‘big man’ who is above board and not worth of ‘small’ positions such as Director of Elections.  This is what is fuelling rumors that he is positioning himself for the DPP’s presidency come 2024.

If DPP is serious about winning the 2019 general elections, now is the time to stop the hemorrhage. As Director of Elections, Nakhumwa must be the first one to take the blame for this loss because it squarely falls on his feet.  He and Wa Jeffrey must take the lead to honorably resign from their positions for dragging the DPP through such shameful failure at the by-elections. There should be no sacred cows.

 

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19 replies on “Nankhumwa et al must take the blame for DPP loss”

  2. Thank you informant for giving us that information which is an eye opener on what is happening in government.

  3. hohohohohooooo muuzanaaa……………………………..Dpp ikufunika mapempemphero atali atali

  4. Kuluza kwa DPP kwadza chifukwa chadyera la azitsogoleri ena. Kumtundako omwe amamunamiza president.

    Mukapanda kukonza zimenezi 2019 don’t blame nankhumwa again alipo ena akuononga.

    Phwaaaaa

  8. Nankhumwa as director of elections in the party tried his best vuto Secretary general dyera.
    Nankhumwa was director of elections in 2014 and DPP won , akavuwevuwe abwerawa akuononga chipani .

  9. In ndirande kodi magetsi mazimitsa aja nde akjpwetekani kodi nankhumwa paja ndi nduna nyachani’

  10. DPP suppoerts vomerezani don’t blame munthu apa masankho anakuvutani basi

    Nankga olo tinene nankhumwa zisankho zisintha? ????

  11. Bana nankhumwa good boss. Aziwa konza misika wathu onse lilongwe kuno. Nankhumwa anabelesa nseu abwino 36 pita malangalanga.
    Anakonda good business anachosa vendors and pokoso anavhepa.

  13. These elections , Hon Nankhumwa anakokedwa kumapeto zinthu zitavuta kale, ena adyera atakakamira yet Hon Nankhumwa was direct responsible for the elections.

    Nankhumwa was Director of elections in 2014 and DPP won.

    Hahaha hahaha ku DPP ko kuli a dyera angoyipitsa dzina la Nankhumwa.

  16. [22/10, 12:20] Pat Kaliati: We have made a big blunder. Why fighting and arresting people in Blantyre first kusiya kumene zinayambira in Mulanje and Thyolo. Eeeeeh. Tribalism has gone too far.
    [22/10, 14:24] Jappie Mhango: Eeeeh. This is bad tribalism.
    [22/10, 14:25] Hon F Kasaila: I agree. Hehehe, koma Ben akuti mumanganiza moperewera. Akuti Thats why Kalaiti anakuchotsa u minister .
    [22/10, 14:28] Pat Kaliati: Ala, Zakeyu asalowererepo nkhani. Umuuze kufupika kumenekunja sangawone nako yesu.
    [22/10, 14:35] Pat Kaliati: Ati Zimene anaba boma kukazibweza ku Thyolo. ” Ndidzabweza theka lachuma chimene ndinaba ku MRA Zakeyu weni weni. Koma ku campaigning ko, ma supporters azikakuwonani. Kapena mukachita kumwera muntengo. … ” Zakeyu Tsika mutengomo, Mr Tax Collector sikani”
    [22/10, 14:43] Jappie Mhango: Eeeeh Kaliati basi. Nkhululukani analakwa.
    [22/10, 14:45] Pat Kaliati: Amandiputa Blood Sucker. Muli busy arresting people in Blantyre. Between you and those people, who was suppose to be arrested first. Who has killed many between you and them? Arrest those people. But arrest Ben first.
    [22/10, 14:47] Hon F Kasaila: Itayeni imeneyo. Now I hear Dr.Bruce Munthali appointed Director of Govt Contracting Unit under OPC. We will remain majembe forever. Ayini ake odzadya ali phee.
    [22/10, 14:53] Jappie Mhango: Is this the same Bruce i know. Mpongozi wa Nali. Strategising yayambatu. Ife olima, adzadya ena.
    [22/10, 15:09] Hon F Kasaila: Poyamba anali Ku LL ADD as Senior Agricultural Officer. Koma was more powerful than the Program Manager bcoz was UDF. Then anapita Ku OVOP as Director then was Comptroller of State Residences when Ethel Mutharika was alive before he snatched the CEO position at TCC controversially
    [22/10, 15:09] Hon F Kasaila: But Bruce is an agriculturalist. We continue to misallocate human resources. Koma ndale zaononga malawi big time. Sadly no one cares!
    [22/10, 15:16] Mchacha: So we are continuing re-positioning human resources kuti tipitirize kuba. Maganga and Saidi reallocated. Komatu tinayenera kuchenjera a Malawi akutiona ndithu

  17. In my view, it is pointless to begin to blame Nankhumwa on what has happened to DPP in the just-ended by-elections. In my scheme of things, the verdict that Malawians gave on 17th may not have much to do with the DPP and its individual leaders. Being someone who was present when Malawi was switching to the multiparty
    system of government, I have all reasons to believe that the verdict given by Malawians is going to those who participated in the fight for change from one-party state to multi-party style of democracy. What I personally hear Malawians saying through the events of 17th October, is that:

    a) Multiparty has not helped them – those who were propagating it (including Catholic Bishops) did not understand the terrain that they were taking the country into

    b) All four governments after Dr. Banda UDF, DPP, PP, DPP have plundered the country. I am sure that if another referendum was called again to decide between multi-party politics and dictatorship, the majority would choose dictatorship. Like I have said in other forums before, this country is now ready for another dictatorship and people at the grassroots are ready to take it. Watch this space if you don’t believe in what I am saying

    c) Chakwera (religious leader) is too good a leader for the majority of Malawians that no one in DPP can much him. Again, his willingness to work with Mia (another religious leader from the Islamic community) may also have set Chakwera apart as a spiritual leader who is willing to reach out to a rival religious group. They may be looking at Chakwera as a peacemakers the country has been waiting for. Remember that the latest Afrobarometer study is saying that religious and traditional leaders are the most trusted people in Malawi. This strength on the part of Chakwera and Mia may have become more pronounced now that the four preceding government have been deep in corruption. It could be that Malawians want people with strong religious principles to run the affairs of government. This is not new in the history of the Western World. Remember that the Anglican church is, actually, the queens church in Britain and for many years it has been a source of moral conscience for the British people on matters of state. This could be the phenomenon that Malawi is catching consciously or subconscious particularly after too many cases of cash-gates in government. I have a strong feeling that Malawians have lost hope in “secular” leaders and are now ready to embrace Chakwera and Mia for their charismatic religious stature.

    d) Chakwera’s personality, history as a youth worker, public speech abilities, commitment to work with the youth, etc could be a strong point of attraction to Malawians. As we all know President Mutharika is not a good public speaker. This could be a weakness that Chakwera is riding on.

    e) DPP’s regular demonizing of Chakwera’s name during public rallies, during public/government functions, on the radio, on television, etc and his silence to such attacks could be boomeranging against the DPP. As many people know DPP has been going to town to demonize Chakwera as “a backslider who ran away from God’s work!” I have a strong feeling that DPP has been doing this without knowing that by always talking about him they were actually campaigning for him – hence making him even more popular among Malawians- the majority of whom (80%) are deeply religious. It would therefore be wrong for DPP to start blaming each other because what I know is that each and every DPP official has participated in these enuendos even after Chilima had advised against the practice during the “Njoka Saweta” Rally in Ndirande. During that meeting Chilima also advised against what he called “kushainitsa mbawala” by keeping mentioning it in meetings. I understood him to mean, “don’t always talk about Chakwera in your meetings because by doing so you are making him look clever in the eyes of your supporters and they may turn to him in future.”

    f) MCP’s habit and history of continuously reforming/rebranding itself to suit the current environment. When Dr. Banda came to Malawi in 1958 MCP reformed itself. The old guard (Sangala and team) relinquished party positions and gave them to Dr. Banda and his youthful team. They even changed the name of the party in 1959 from Nyasaland African Congress to Malawi Congress Party when they were faced with pressure from the Colonial government. After Cabinet Crisis (that coincided with the Cold War) they formed the one-party system so that they can adequately run the country in the context of a heavily polarized globe. When Dr. Banda retired from politics in 1995 he publicly advised MCP leadership to bring in new people and youth. John Tembo belatedly effected this advice in 2013 when he brought in Chakwera and Chakwera has been rebranding MCP. He has brought in new people so that today there are more one-party leaders in UDF and DPP than in MCP. He has also brought in many youth. This is not what Peter needed to do with DPP if he is going to beat Chakwera in 2019 – otherwise as Chakwera brings in more youth and new people from the South and North MCP will continue to be a menace to DPP. This too is not Nankhumwa’s fault. It is only that MCP is politically too clever and better organized than the DPP

    g) Poor service delivery. Again, this has nothing to do with Nankhumwa alone – but it has everything to do with the entire DPP-led government structure. No water, no electricity, etc – this is a serious matter that DPP needs to sort out the fastest.

    So you want to blame Nankhumwa. I don’t believe so. Leave Nankhumwa alone. Blame it on many factors that have nothing to do with him. I rest my case.

    Kent Y.G. Mphepo – Blantyre (0888435629)

  18. This Nankhumwa guy is useless! Bring back performers apo bii DPP paulendo 2019. Above all stop the madness of blackouts, corruption and nepotism.

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