Nankhumwa puts Chakwera on spot over Tonse or MCP govt: President justifies ‘HI-5’ agenda

Leader of opposition in Palriament, Kondwani Nankhumwa asked President Lazarus Chakwera on Thursday whether he is running a Tonse Alliance government or just a Malawi Congress Party (MCP) government as he wondered why the President was championing the Chakwera Hi-Five agenda and not that of the rest of the partners.

During His Excellency’s Questions (HEQs) time session, Nankhumwa posed supplementary question: ‘Is this Tonse or MCP govt?’  And then asked Chakwera why veteran politicians who campaigned for the Tonse Alliance such as former vice-president Khumbo Kachali and Dr John Chisi were left in the cold not given key positions.

In response, Chakwera admitted that all the parties their manifestos including MCP and UTM Party were under the umbrella  of Tonse alliance represented by the Chakwera Hi-Five agenda with values of patriotism and integrity.

President Chakwera has consistently referred to the Super Hi-Five as the driver for development.

In his Hi-5, Chakwera is committing prospering together, ending corruption, upholding the rule of law, servant leadership and uniting Malawi, saying even the opposition should be party to that agenda ‘unless DPP is not interested to ending corruption.’

The President said Tonse Alliance partners shared similar principles and that not all those who campaigned for change in the country did so to get positions.

He said the Tonse Alliance remained united to clear the rubble left by DPP and no amount of false narratives of divisions advanced by the opposition will bring cracks to its rank and file.

At this point Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda stood to query if it is in order asking the President on Khumbo Kachali and other politicians instead of Nankhumwa just calling them on their mobile phone numbers himself, sending the House into stitches.

In a litter moment, Nankhumwa joked that the President had turned his response into the actual Sona by mentioning his title 20 times in the response.