… Senior leaders demand explanation

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) senior national leaders have slammed the party’s Administrative Secretary Francis Mphepo for unilaterally appointing some members into the party’s National Governing Council (NGC) without the knowledge of the Central Committee (CEC).

Mphepo, who is a merely an employee of the party not an elected official, issued several letters to some individuals in the party at the weekend, advising them that the CEC had met and incorporated them into the NGC. However, almost all CEC members have distanced themselves from.

According to a letter dated January 23, 2023 signed by party’s Secretary General Grezelder Jeffrey, Vice President for Eastern Region Bright Msaka, Vice President for North Goodall Gondwe, Vice President for Central Region Zeria Chakale, Vice President for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa, DPP’s National Women’s Director Cecilia Chazama, DPP Treasurer General Jappie Mhango, DPP and National Youth Director, Dyton Mussa, the leaders have demanded that Mphepo either confirm he authored and issued the letters or withdraws them immediately.

They argue that at no point did the party’s CEC meet and endorsed the appointment of the eight (8) mentioned members into NGC. The letters have been making rounds on various social media platforms.

“You are aware that Central Committee did not meet to make these appointments, and no other party structure of the DPP has powers to make these appointments.

“However, in the unfortunate event that you indeed wrote such letters in the absence of a meeting and decision by the Central Executive Committee, please be requested to withdraw the letters immediately because they misrepresent the Central Committee and you had no legitimate authority to write them,” says the letter addressed to Mphepo.

The leaders are demanding that Mphepo addresses this issue by the end of business on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.

Some of the members that Mphepo is alleged to have unilaterally appointed are Mganda Chiumia, Davie Kamangila, Rajab Malimba, and Miriam Chimbalanga among others.

The DPP goes to the national convention in the next four (4) months where the party’s presidency and other leadership positions will be up for grabs. Some members in the party suspect that Mphepo’s appointment of these individuals may be aimed at manipulating the leadership contest in favour of some candidate, who is viewed as an ‘anointed’ successor of party retiring President, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.

However, they argue, Mphepo’s move is a blatant violation of the party’s Constitution and therefore, it cannot stand the test of time.

Mphepo could not pick calls when we contacted him for his comment.

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