DPP under fire for denying Kachali seat

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has courted controversy for allegedly denying former vice-president Khumbo Kachali sitting space in the VVIP podium at Mzuzu University graduation on Friday.

Kachali arrived at the ceremony around 10am and had to stand in the background of the podium as his aides supposedly looked around for a chair for his use.

The former No.2 in the Joyce Banda administration only returned to the raised platform after face-to-face and telephone discussions with several people.

Among those he was seen talking to was a former minister, Karonga Central parliamentarian Frank Mwenefumbo, who was also expelled from a nearby podium to a distant partition reserved for Ministry of Information workforce operating a public address system.

In between, Kachali’s motorcade was seen approaching where he was standing and a protocol official for State functions rushed to intelligence chief Nicholas Dausi and Minister of Local Government Henry Mussa while pointing in the former VP’s direction.

When asked about their discussion, Mwenefumbo said: “I came late and bumped into the former VP on the way to his car. After exchanging greetings, he told me, ‘akulu, nawera ka baninola mpando’ [Goodbye, I’m leaving because I have been denied a chair. It was humiliating.”

He advised DPP cadres to disengage from May 20 elections, saying “some of us went there because we recognise that they are in power and cannot continue politicking anymore.”

Also cast far from the President was Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader Dr Lazarus Chakwera who heads the opposition in Parliament.

Although Chakwera was made to sit three tiers from the VVIP section, nearly 15 chairs from the president’s, a mere mention of his name in introductory remarks by director of ceremonies Fraser Lungu earned a thunderous applause and standing ovation from the 686 graduating students.

In an interview, Kachali said there was nothing worth writing about—urging people to stop assuming things that do not exist.

“This is not a big issue. I was not stranded. You saw where he sat. As a matter of fact, I sat next to the President during dinner. I did not have to look around for a chair because I have people who make such arrangements for me,” said Kachali on Saturday.

He reckoned his relationship with the ruling party is still intact, saying: “As former vice-president, I will always work with the party in power.”

In another interview, Minister of Information Kondwani Nankhumwa, who is government spokesperson, said he was not aware of the said incident.

“I saw the former vice-president sitting in the VVIP section and I went to greet him. I am surprised to hear he was denied a chair. Let me check with protocol officials if it is true,” said Nakhumwa in the interview.