Chakwera urged to show leadership amid wrangles in MCP

Political analyst Thomas Chirwa has urged Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader and State President Lazarus Chakwera to swiftly intervene in what appears to be escalating internal wrangles among senior party officials ahead of the party’s primaries for the Mzimba Central Constituency.

The call comes in the wake of rising tensions involving MCP General Secretary and Minister of Local Government Richard Chimwendo Banda, Speaker of the National Assembly and MCP Vice President Catherine Gotani Hara, and aspiring parliamentary candidate Vitumbiko Mumba.

According to party insiders, there is growing friction between Mumba and the powerful duo of Chimwendo Banda and Gotani Hara. Political commentators and some MCP members fear that, if not urgently addressed, the internal discord could damage the party’s unity and its prospects in the 2025 general elections.

The situation has been further fueled by a viral video clip circulating on social media in which Mumba is seen addressing delegates expected to vote in the MCP primaries for Mzimba Central. In the video, delivered in Tumbuka, Mumba states:

“Ise kuno tikhumbenge yayi kuti munthu uyo waleka ma mega fumu yake ya chokoyachoke wasokoneske constituency yithu,” which loosely translates to: “We don’t need a person of small mega farms to bring confusion in our constituency.”

Though no names were mentioned, insiders believe the statement was a thinly veiled attack on Chimwendo Banda, who has shown increasing political interest in the Northern Region and is said to be backing another candidate for the seat.

Chirwa and other observers are calling on President Chakwera to urgently summon the three in a private meeting to iron out their differences, saying such a move would show that he is firmly in control of his party.

“This is the time President Chakwera must show that he is in charge of the MCP. If he allows these tensions to continue, they could cost the party dearly not only in Mzimba Central but across the Northern Region,” warned a senior MCP official who spoke on condition of anonymity.