A feud of supremacy between DPP spokesperson Brown James Mpinganjira and the party’s parliamentary spokesperson on finance Joseph Mathyola Mwanamveka has seemingly ensued where both of them have signed off a statement on the party’s position on the alleged misappropriation of K6.2 billion at the Department of Disaster Management (DoDMA), which falls under the presidency.
In an exciting twist of events, Mwanamveka originated a statement as DPP parliamentary spokesperson on finance in which he reprimanded President Lazarus Chakwera’s government for allegedly allowing DoDma officials abuse billions of Kwacha allocated for the fight against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
According to inside sources, alparently following protocol, Mwanamveka informed party President Arthur Peter Mutharika about his intention to issue a statement in his parliamentary spokesperson capacity. He shared the copy of the statement with his leader.
However, upon receiving the statement, APM forwarded it to Mpinganjira to seek his views and input. In an apparent desire to outdo Mwanamveka, Mpinganjira, or BJ as he is popularly known in political circles, went ahead to sign off the statement and released it to the media as originating from the ‘Office of the DPP Spokesperson’.
Meanwhile, not to be outdone, and without further waiting for feedback from the party President, APM, Mwanamveka released the same statement to the media bearing his signature. The Nation of Tuesday February 9, 2021, carries a story quoting Mwanamveka’s statement on its front page.
The same Mwanamveka statement has also been published on online Nyasa Times.
A political analyst in Lilongwe, Charles Kalungwe, has observed that the DPP is in a state of chaos and flux, especially considering the latest statement episode.
“The party is in some form of involuntary transition. There are so many people with top leadership ambitions and they will not stop at anything to outdo each other. This ‘statement’ drama is a typical example of leaders in a fight over visibility”, said Kalungwe in an interview on Tuesday.
He also said what has just happened in the DPP suggests there are many centres of power that are being created by various aspirants such as Mpinganjira and Mwanamveka in anticipation of the forthcoming leadership contest.
“This is the kind of chaos that characterized a political party with no clear leadership succession plan. It also tells you that the leader of the party is not in control,” he said.
It is not clear whether or not the party will clarify who should have been the appropriate official to sign off and publish the statement.