Chilima ‘snub’ sparks murmurs
There were murmurs of disapproval during the funeral service of football legend Jack Chamangwana on Tuesday after President Peter Mutharika delegated a Cabinet minister to speak on his behalf despite the presence of Vice-President Saulos Chilima.
The murmurs were heard at Kamuzu Stadium upper ground in Blantyre, venue of the service, when director of ceremonies Hope Chisanu and Malawi National Council of Sports board chairperson James Chuma said Minister of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development Francis Kasaila will speak on behalf of the President who was not present.
However, all the speakers duly recognised the presence of Chilima at the funeral service. The President did not attend the ceremony at Kamuzu Stadium upper ground, but had earlier paid his last respects to the fallen football legend at his residence in Nyambadwe
The mourners, most of whom were overheard murmuring over the arranged protocol, said the anticipation was that Chilima would represent his boss.
When contacted to explain the arrangement, Chuma, while referring the matter to the Office of the Vice-President, said: “People should not just be blowing issues. Ask the Office of the Vice- President.
They know and will tell you why. The Vice-President came to the funeral like any other mourner. There is no sinister motive about that.”
Efforts to speak to spokesperson for the Office of the Vice-President, Pilirani Phiri, proved futile as he was reportedly travelling to Lilongwe after the funeral and his phone was out of reach.
But a retired top-ranking official told Nation Online it was not strange for the President to delegate his minister or any other top official to an event and speak on his behalf even in the presence of the Vice- President.
Reacting to Tuesday’s developments, University of Livingstonia political analyst George Phiri said he was not sure of the procedures and what necessitated the arrangement but he felt proper protocol would have been for Chilima to represent Mutharika and speak on his behalf.
He said: “I don’t know what was agreed, but while it was proper for the line minister to speak at the funeral… with the
presence of Chilima the proper procedure was him representing and speaking on behalf of the President then Kasaila should have spoken as the minister responsible. But I may not be give a competent opinion as I said I am not sure of the procedures.”
The development came amid divisions in the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) where a faction calling itself Chilima Movement is canvassing for the presidential candidacy of the Vice-President in the 2019 Tripartite Elections. Mutharika has declared he will lead DPP in the elections.
On Tuesday, the party’s secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey warned people against printing and distribution of materials bearing faces other than Mutharika’s and that of the party’s founder Bingu.
The statement followed the emergence of T-shirts, caps and cloth, among others, bearing Chilima’s portrait and a caption that he is the presidential candidate.
In the statement, Jeffrey said the printing and distribution of the materials was an offence and political provocation as the messages were wrong as such the party would bring to book whoever is behind the same.
But commenting on the issue, Phiri faulted the party arguing there was no offence for DPP members to come up with the clothing materials with faces and messages of other people.
