Newly-elected independent MP snubs DPP: Esther Kathumba says ‘thanks, but no thanks’,

June 5, 2019 Owen Khamula -Nyasa Times 25 Comments

The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) desperate move to recruit more newly-elected independent members of Parliament (MPs) to boost its numbers in parliament hit blank wall when an independent legislator elect in Lilongwe told the party gurus off.

Esther Kathumba: Rejects DPP political advances

According to an audio clip going viral on social media, Esther Kathumba who floored veteran Malawi Congress Party (MCP) politician Joseph Njobvuyalema  in Lilongwe Mapuyu south constituency told Chimwemwe Chipungu, the DPP organizing secretary off.

“As an independent candidate, I have [political choices] to make. I am sorry, I am will not be attending the meeting [at Kondwani Nankhumwa’s] house. Thanks for the invitation anyway,” said Kathumba.

Chipungu had called Kathumba to invite her for what he called networking meeting with independent members of parliament at Nankhumwa’s residence at Luchenza in Thyolo.

DPP says it has now recruited over 30 independent members of parliament out of the 55 voted into the 193-strong House.

The independent MPs met President  Peter Mutharika on Saturday at Sanjika Palace and were enticed  to work with government.

DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi said the governing party has an open-door policy and will welcome all those seeking to work with it.

The independents who met Mutharika include Joseph Nomale who floored long-time legislator and ex-Cabinet minister Henry Mussa in Chiradzulu East, Ephraim Abele Kayembe of Dowa West and Mzimba West’s Billy Kaunda who defeated MCP second vice-president Harry Mkandawire.

Mzimba Luwerezi’s Sam Chirwa, who did not attend the Saturday meeting, also declared his interest to work with government.

The newly-elected legislator, who is husband to former Cabinet minister Grace Chiumia, said he was the first to express interest to work with government.

Yona Mkandawire of Rumphi West said he was approached by both DPP and MCP, but said he was still weighing his options.

In the parliamentary race in the May 21 Tripartite Elections, DPP won 62 seats in the 193-seat National Assembly while Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and independents got 55 each. The other seats were shared as follows: United Democratic Front (UDF) 10 seats, People’s Party (PP) five, UTM Party four and Alliance for Democracy (Aford) one. Elections were held in 192 constituencies.

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25 replies on “Newly-elected independent MP snubs DPP: Esther Kathumba says ‘thanks, but no thanks’,”

  2. Iwe mpwiya !
    Ngati kuli kotheka , utatiwonetsako chithunzi cha mai ako , tione ngati sichili ngati chofufutafufuta ndi TIPEX.
    At least this lady has made history by becoming a member of parliament unlike your mother who made a name pa nkhani ya uhule basi

  3. Apwiya, kunyoza mzimayi choncho? Mwinatu ndiwe Ben Phiri disguising yourself as apwiya. Osanena maliseche anu owoneka ngati adya kale ganda bwanji. Mukufuna Tippex government? And where is democracy if DPP is busy buying independent mps.

  5. Mzimayi wolimba mtima uyu. Dziko likufuna anthu ngati inu. Mpaka kumufunsa Chimwemwe Chupungu kuti kodi mukuona kuti Peter Mutharika wawina, a Chimwemwe kusowa choyankha. kkkkk

  6. Apwiya miyli ndi vuto. Sizikugwilizana za nkhope ya maiyu. Tose tinalengedwa mu cifanizo ca Mulungu citani manyazi. Ndalama zakuba zakupengetsani . Inu akazanu ,amanu etc ndiotani???? Plesdent wanu mukumudyerayo wobwafuka kukamwayo bwa???
    You are missing a plot here. Komaso ndinu a idiot

  7. Seems she is the only “Honourable” MP who understands that discharging one’s duties as an MP has nothing to do with party affiliation. It seems people still do not understand the difference between ‘party’ and ‘government’. Paints the picture that if one does not join the “ruling party” (also mistakenly called “government”) then one cannot “work with gavamenti”. In Kamuzu’s days the separation between party and “gavament” were deliberately blurred – and it seems that is still the case or people still have that mentality ingrained in their brains.

    As an MP, one is meant to support or challenge decisions that are either helpful or disastrous to the well-being of all Malawians. This does not matter whether one is independent or has party affiliations. As an independent or party affiliated MP, one should support views that promote policy that would take the country forward and genunely oppose those that do not. This does not matter whether it is “gavamenti” (kkkkkkk) or the opposition that is expounding those views.

    Seems our MPs blindly follow what the parties they “belong to” dictate. One who is sober-minded would not blindly follow what one sees is blatantly wrong. Whether I got chosen on the party’s ticket or not. That is how we got here anyway.

    But at the end of the day, most of these people have their own welfare at heart, not that of all the people who voted for them.

    Just my MK5.00 worth of thought – (just bear in mind that the coin is mine)!

  8. Those who have jumped so quickly will regret soon. APM is not a winner yet, things can change and it will soon and they will find themselves in opposition again.

  9. It is an obvious fact that this woman is 💯 MCP. You don’t expect someone from this constituency formerly of Njobvuyalema to go to DPP. She will join Chakwera side. Even beer face likes ya mai wa gule wa mkulu. MCP is a party of death and darkness ofunika ikathire nsembe kumanda to win an election in Malawi. Pano akudziwa kuti chakwera sazaimanso In 2024 that’s why akulilira chisankho ichi. Mwauponda

  10. wamenya khoma wina……… wakwela njinga…. amusosola….. amufwafwantha….. wakanidwa.. hahhaahahah what a woman….

  11. If we had a lot of such Mps, Malawi could be a great nation. Unfortunately our august house if full of greedy, unprincipled members of parliamentarians who are money and power hungry. Someone was chosen as an independent member of parliament, but before the swearing in ceremony he or she has defected to DPP in an effort to align his her pocket to receive money from DPP. This is their last appearance in Parliament. They wont come back to parliament in 2024.

    1. @ TIZANKA
      ONE GOOD THING IS THIS LADY CANNOT BE COMPARED WITH YOUR MOTHER WHO HAPPENS TO BE A GOOD CUSTOMER WA ANYAMATA ONYENGANYENGA PA TOWN.
      WANDIKWIYITSA KWAMBIRI.

  13. Mama takunyadilani kuno kwa chakuzamutu. Mbava zimenezi tithana nazo posachedwapa.

  14. Thanks madam Esther for saying no to the party that is being hated by more malawians. Its unfortunate that some independent MPs dump the people who have voted for them just because of greedy. Shame to DPP for hitting a snug. We want people with integrity like Esther not zinazi zinali kale ku Sanjika iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

  18. If malawi had twenty people of such calibre surely many more would learn to be srong

  21. A woman of substance, a principled lady. I wish we had a dozen mps of her calibre, Malawi would have been somewhere not the so called Pastor Jane Ansah. Keep it up lady even if you are enticed with 1.8 billion Kwacha. May God shower more of His blessings to you and curse the money hungry wolves.

  22. Well done Hon. This is what we call a person who has principles. . Si mbuzi zinazi

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