Footnote on MCP convention

Dear Diary,

Greetings from Munda wa Chitedze where I relocated since I left the hustle and bustle of your city.

Things are going on so well right now here, and we all agree with the weatherman that the rains may be heavier than normally this year with the La Nina phenomenon. Look, the heat can already be felt and the skies are deep blue.

You see, a number of locals have been coming to the farm maize mill to get some madeya because they have no ufa. You see, as part of our corporate social responsibility, we allow the villagers to get free maize husks as long as they bring a stamped letter from the village head.

Make no mistake, we are not doing this to get some votes with 2025 on the nose. We can’t capitalise on people’s calamities to get votes. You see, those contesting have paid a carpenter that once there is a funeral in the village, people should go and get a coffin for free.

Unfortunately, there have been no deaths near the farm of late. I would not be surprised to see this aspirant going to a ng’anga so that more and more villagers die so that his impact is felt the more.

You see, we at the Munda wa Chitedze Farm want villagers to bring the letters so that we control who gets it. Some can come ten times and start a business.

As I write, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is in its first day of a three-day elective convention at the Bingu International Convention Centre (Bicc) in Lilongwe. Right now, it is only party president Lazarus Chakwera who is known to retain his position in the National Executive Committee.

Like somebody bit his own drum the other day: It promises to be a fight of nyama zikuluzikulu.

Dear Diary, Chakwera today was at one of his tough-talking caricatures. He spoke against some aspirants giving out hand-outs to delegates, he also spoke against some overzealous members barring newcomers, while chiding those who are using his name in vain to woo voters and so much more.

Very wise words. Yet, they come so late for some of us at the farm to take him for his words.

Look, early last month it was reported that some aspirants had splashed K76 million for delegates in Mzuzu. The two aspirants said they did so to cover the delegates’ travel and accommodation. Even the party justified it all.

All this while, the Public Affairs Committee said this was uncalled for.

But Chakwera was quiet. Why he chose the opening day to speak against his lieutenants is simply amazing.

The MCP NEC also came up with a controversial resolution that those who have not spent two years in the party should not vie for a post in the party politburo.

All this led to one barred aspirant Eddie Banda to move the courts to challenge this.

Following a grueling battle, Banda finally won when the court ruled that he had always been a member, coming from the Malawi Young Pioneers and having been a monitor for the party at the 2019 elections.

Not satisfied, MCP appealed. At the lower court, the party had argued that the courts had no affairs of MCP in-house issues. The Supreme Court granted to hear the MCP arguments and those of the respondents and, also, that the convention should be postponed.

Here was a thorn. MCP was forced to hold the convention because that would mean more costs.

Now, on this one, Chakwera was quiet all along. As chairperson of the MCP management, to which the MCP NEC is responsible, Chakwera had the powers to ignite a move to stop the moves to bar newcomers. Even more, knowing he also rose to the MCP presidency as a stranger. His speaking on the issue at the convention raises the question: Why was he silent all along?

Dear Diary, it was that same NEC meeting that endorsed Chakwera as the party’s president. That endorsement led all other contestants to shy away.

When Chakwera was entering the MCP political echelons from the Assemblies of God, he contested against over six MCP stalwarts. John Tembo was barred by a technicality, but Chakwera beat the likes of Jodder Kanjere, Lovemore Munlo, Chris Daza and more.

All is well on the Munda wa Chitedze Farm and we do agree with one contestant who proposed that MCP NEC powers should be trimmed.