Nankhumwa proving he is the leading man in DPP
There is no doubt that Kondwani Nankhumwa, the youthful southern region Vice President for the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is emerging as one significant political talent and possible contender for influence within the governing party.
Following his maiden ‘mammoth’ political mass rally on August 27, 2018 at Bangwe ‘Desert’ ground in the city of Blantyre, after being elected VP south, Nankhumwa was looking to follow up that with another mammoth political rally in the populous Ndirande Township in the city on Sunday, November 4, 2018.
Nankhumwa, accompanied by some top DPP gurus, including free-talking southern region governor, Charles Mchacha, Information Minister, Nicholas Dausi, Home Affairs Minister Cecelia Chazama, DPP Blantyre MPs Rashid Gaffar, Themba Mkandawire, Aaron Sangala and Deputy Speaker of Parliament and DPP Nsanje north, Esther Mcheka, stormed Nyambadwe School ground to a grand and rousing reception from hundreds of DPP supporters who had filled the venue to full capacity.
Amidst the waving of DPP flags, ululation, dance and songs in praise of DPP leader and State President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika and the party, Nankhumwa waved his own flag, acknowledging the cheers of welcome and greetings of ecstatic supporters.
“Looking at the way Nankhumwa is pulling huge crowds wherever he addresses public political meetings, his opportunity to make a mark on the country’s political landscape is considerable,” remarked Rhudo Chimbalawala, one of New Republican Party (NRP) national executive committee members who announced at the rally they had disbanded NRP and joining DPP.
Chimbalawala claimed that Nankhumwa is becoming a significant force who is ably assisting President Mutharika in seeking to make DPP a credible political force that would win the 2019 tripartite elections with a landslide.
MP for Blantyre City Central (Ndirande), Mkandawire could not hide his excitement at the massive display of DPP political prowess at Nyambadwe Scholl ground on Sunday.
Mkandawire told enthusiastic party supporters that, “without any fear of contradiction”, he attributed the large turnout to Nankhumwa’s style of leadership where he is fostering unity and discipline among rank and file members of the party.
“Since you were elected into your new position, the party, hitherto fragmented, is now purposefully united; we are heading towards the elections next year with renewed vigour and vibrancy,” the parliamentarian enthused.
In his speech, Nankhumwa delivered to the people of Ndirande “a message of hope” from President Arthur Peter Mutharika that his DPP administration shall continue to make concerted and consistent efforts, in liaison with various stakeholders, to improve people’s livelihood there.
“President (Peter) Mutharika is well aware that poverty erodes people’s dignity. It is because of this that he has delegated me to inform you that his personal commitment and that of his DPP government to ending poverty and other forms of human suffering here is simply unwavering,” he said.
Apart from the various government interventions that Nankhumwa outlined, aimed to ease people’s suffering in Ndirande, what struck the right chord most with the gathering was his issue-based speech that was void of the traditional politics of insults against opponents.
Nankhumwa also publicly condemned political violence and warned against gagging and harassment of journalists, saying Malawi is a democracy where free media and freedom expression must thrive.
Kelvin Masambo, a social and political commentator recently commended Nankhumwa for “crafting a new image for the DPP and by creating a means by which the people can identify themselves with the party”.
“Just as the political fray is littered with violence, with a chunk of the blame thrown at DPP, Nankhumwa has consistently come out in the open to condemn political violence in the strongest of terms. He has unequivocally stated that political violence does not have and must not have any room in the DPP, and that anyone promoting violence in the name of the ruling party must be condemned and arrested because that is not what DPP stands for,” said Masambo.
He observed that Nankhumwa, who is also Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Leader of the House in Parliament and MP for Mulanje central constituency, represents the new political future for the ruling party, which is what the political context in Malawi is demanding.
Many social media commentators have praised Nankhumwa’s ‘issue-based’ politics. Lewis Kulisewa, Director of Consumer Welfare and Education at Fair Trading Commission (FTC), commented on Facebook that the DPP VP for south is a “smart gentleman”.
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DPP is unfortunately a fragmented party when it comes to messaging. It is a sign of lack of leadership from the top and probably incoherent ideology and character. If one listens to Nankhumwa today and Mchacha tomorrow and then Peter Mutharika the following day; it is like fire and ice. These fragmented and incoherent messages makes Nankhumwa unbelievable and yet he carries a message of hope. There should be a lot of introspection of holding each other to account before any of the leaders stand at a podium and open their mouths. Mchacha will destroy what Nankhumwa is single-handedly building.
I’m not a DPP supporter and I won’t vote DPP come May, 2019 but I can say one positive thing about them. They’ve got one fine young man in Nankhumea. He has got a level head on square shoulders, so to speak. He gives well-measured, issue-based intelligent speeches. He can even give a lesson or two to the Big Dad, APM, himself about how to speak to Malawians. In fact he can ably spearhead the whole DPP campaign without APM. Mutharika lacks oratorial skills and is an embarrassment at the best of times. To augment his credibility and assist in… Read more »
If Nankhumwa is really want you want us to believe, how does he allow people like Mchacha to speak the way they speak at a meeting which he is presiding? it is easy to act and this is just an act on part of Nankhumwa. What he is preaching should be reflected in what others say when they come to the podium.
@Cognitive Dissonance Theory, that’s the gist of what I am saying. Zimene mukunenazo ndi zimene ndagwirizana nazo kale mu kukamba mwangamo! Zingelezi wawa….