Some Malawi Congress Party (MCP) legislators yesterday boycotted a parliamentary caucus called by party leader and former Head of State Lazarus Chakwera in Lilongwe.
The perceived boycott by some members of Parliament (MPs) comes against a background of growing voices of discontent and division within the main opposition party following a leaked memo allegedly written by Leader of Opposition in Parliament Simplex Chithyola Banda addressed to Chakwera on January 29 2026.
MCP insiders confided yesterday that the MPs that did not attend the caucus included first deputy president and Mzimba North East legislator Catherine Gotani Hara, deputy secretary general Gerald Kazembe who is also Mangochi Monkey Bay MP and Lilongwe Mpenu MP Eisenhower Mkaka.
In an interview yesterday, MCP publicity secretary Jessie Kabwila confirmed that the caucus took place at MCP headquarters in City Centre, Lilongwe, but refused to disclose the number of participants.
She said the meeting “was very successful, and was led by the party president”.
“The caucus was well attended. A quorum was formed. As a party, we cannot release or discuss our attendance list. Suffice it to say, the caucus was very fruitful,” said Kabwila.
In a separate interview, Kazembe confirmed refraining from the meeting, saying “leadership should be people-centred, inspirational and must command trust” within the party’s rank and file.
“Leadership must be earned and must not be imposed. Leadership must be able to accept failures, leadership must atone and leadership should accept change. Leadership must inspire and above all, leadership must unite different factions,” he said.
Efforts to speak to Mkaka, Gotani-Hara and MCP secretary general Richard Chimwendo Banda proved futile.
Meanwhile, a leaked thread of messages from a WhatsApp group for the MCP leadership that we have seen exposed a heated spat between Kazembe and Chithyola Banda, which the former also confirmed yesterday.
“The conversation is authentic, but I am disappointed that what was supposed to be an internal matter about intra-party politics has been leaked to the public,” said Kazembe.
In the verbal exchange, Kazembe is seen accusing Chithyola Banda of authoring the memo and alleges that he intends to frustrate ambitions by Mkaka and others to run for the position of MCP president during their convention whose date has not been announced.
Reads one of the messages by Kazembe: “You authored that silly letter, you are only denying it now because it has leaked. That letter has your handwriting and lack of wisdom that defines you, all over it. If it pleases you, you can also strip me of that committee allocation as well. I don’t care!”
In a response message, Chithyola Banda said he was aware of the people who are acting behind Kazembe and what their motives are.
“You might have problems with me but I refuse to be dragged into this bwana Kazembe. I am also human and I feel pain. You can do better than this. Let us respect one another. Politics comes and goes,” he said.
When contacted yesterday, Chithyola Banda refused to comment on the matter, saying: “I do not respond to such queries. Wakutumani ndani? [Who has sent you to ask me about these issues?] Let us be very objective.”
Political Science Association spokesperson Mabvuto Bamusi said the developments reflect a collapse in the four cornerstones that have been known to safeguard MCP intra-party cohesion and represents a breakdown of discipline, widening internal conflicts and power struggles.
He said: “This will weaken democratic governance because MCP will not effectively deliver its functions as the main opposition party in and outside Parliament.
“The post-election intra-party conflict reveals deepening rivalry within the top leadership of MCP and it exposes emergence of camps, a thing that only weakens MCP’s chances of winning future elections.”
In a separate interview, political commentator Ernest Thindwa warned that MCP is poised to execute its opposition role from a position of weakness, saying the party lacks sufficient legislative strength to put in check executive excesses.
He said effective party leadership is one area MCP has to address if it is to emerge from the heavy defeat in the September 16 2025 General Election, fulfil its role as the leading opposition party and face the future with a demonstrable unity of purpose.
On November 3 2025, MCP legislators endorsed Chakwera’s appointment of Chithyola Banda as Leader of Opposition in Parliament during a two and a half hours closed-door caucus that ended an impasse resulting from discontent among some MCP MPs over Chakwera’s choice of his former minister of Finance.
