Khumbo faults Ngwira firing

Former vice president Khumbo Kachali has faulted the People’s Party for firing Mzimba Hora Member of Parliament Christopher Mzomera Ngwira without giving dialogue a chance.

Ngwira was fired on Tuesday for allegedly organising party members to disrupt a meeting which PP acting president Uladi Mussa was supposed to address last Sunday in Mzuzu.

Reacting to Ngwira’s sacking, Kachali on Wednesday said the decision was made out of anger which did not give dialogue a chance.

“It is unfortunate they decided that way but the best option was dialogue. Something happened on Sunday and on Tuesday somebody is fired. They should have cooled their heads, reflected on it and move forward. I think dialogue would have been the best way,” said Kachali.

On whether Ngwira’s expulsion would impact on PP’s voice in Parliament, Kachali said the party’s leadership was best placed to answer.

Former PP vice president (North) and treasurer Harry Mkandawire said he was yet to appreciate the gravity of Ngwira’s offence but said dialogue would have been the best way to handle the issue.

Mkandawire observed that numbers matter in Parliament and Ngwira’s departure would have a huge impact on PP.

“Naturally, dialogue is the first thing that you embark on. You don’t rush to make decisions but, like I said, I am not sure what exactly happened,” he said.

Karonga South MP Malani Mtonga, who accompanied Mussa to the meeting, conceded that Ngwira’s expulsion would affect PP in Parliament, but he backed the party for the decision, which he said had been arrived at after it had explored all means to reform Ngwira without success.

“Firing him is the most welcome development,” said Mtonga.

PP third vice president Kamlepo Kalua said firing Ngwira was a collective decision to bring sanity, observing that the party values discipline as more important than numbers in Parliament.

The party’s regional faction that invaded the rally has meanwhile condemned Mussa for branding them ‘thugs’.

In an interview on Wednesday, the faction’s acting secretary, Clive Nthakomwa, said Mussa justified their disruptive behaviour after the party invited a wrong regional committee to the meeting,.

But PP spokesperson Ken Msonda on Thursday backed Mussa for terming Nthakomwa and his faction as thugs as the party’s members would never engage in riots when there are disagreements.

“Our president was right that those were thugs and that is the stand of the party. We don’t want to be associated with violence,” he said.

Meanwhile, PP intends to write Speaker of the National Assembly to reallocate Ngwira in Parliament away from PP MPs. n