Malawi24 Exclusive: DPP preparing Chaponda for Presidency

Jan 29, 2016 Politics 64
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George Chaponda
George Chaponda
Chaponda (left) is Mutharika’s anointed heir

Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima might not be the President in-waiting for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Malawi24 has been tipped.

According to an analyst who monitors political trends Gibson Kauye, the ruling DPP is currently grooming Minister of Foreign Affairs George Chaponda who is also a Member of Parliament as the next President of the party. However sources in the DPP have refused to endorse the observation.

In an interview with our news analyst, Kauye said that the current trends were pointing to the fact that the DPP was making Chaponda ready for the top seat of Presidency.

“You only have to be blind for you to not see what the DPP is doing,” said the analyst to Malawi24.

Apart from the Malawi and DPP current leader Peter Mutharika delegating all his important assignments to Chaponda, Kauye said that there were a lot of other things that were proving that the party was grooming Chaponda to be Mutharika’s successor.

“The thing is that the party (DPP) is doing everything to raise Chaponda’s profile as he is the next President they are comfortable with. The observations that were made not long ago that Chilima was being sidelined for Chaponda are true despite that the Veep dismissed them,” he said.

He said that currently Chaponda had been left to head the ministry of foreign affairs as the aim was to impress donor countries when the time comes for him to take over.

“Peter Mutharika headed that all important ministry as well and what are the other ministries that he headed? There is justice and education which are the same posts that Chaponda has held in his political lifetime. If you think all this is just coincidence then you are a child in Malawi politics. Chaponda is getting familiarised to the people and positions that matter for a head of state,” said the analyst.

The analyst then challenged Malawi24 (on Monday) to follow the coverage of news at the State broadcaster MBC on the issues concerning Veep Chilima and those concerning the so-called President-in-waiting George Chaponda.

Malawi24 established on the 8pm Wednesday bulletin of MBC television that news of Chaponda attending a summit in Ethiopia was given much coverage than of the Vice President chairing Public Sector Reforms in Blantyre. On the Thursday 8 pm bulletin, the news as well carried an article of Chaponda’s adventures in Ethiopia.

"Congrats"! Goodall seems to tell Chaponda (left) as Kaliati looks on
“Congrats”! Goodall seems to tell Chaponda (left) as Kaliati looks on

Malawi24 political analyst William Simango said that it was very unsual for MBC to give such a broad coverage to a mere minister.

“Ministers travel all the time and they are not given coverage, sometimes it is only after they return that we get to hear why they travelled there. But Chaponda is certainly getting unusual treatment that he can feature in bulletins of two days over the same meeting,” he said.

He also wondered why MBC had assigned Chaponda a journalist for his international trip.

“This coverage points at one thing, MBC has assigned a journalist to Chaponda. Why is that the case?”

However a source at MBC said the journalist has travelled with Chaponda to cover the African Union Heads of State summit expected to take place from 30 to 31st January which looks as if Mutharika has delegated to Chaponda.

Kauye however said that following the tribal inclination of the DPP, it was only the case that Chaponda had to be groomed to be the next leader.

“DPP can never have any person who is not from the Lhomwe belt to be a leader. It is not only DPP, it is the way politics in Malawi are organised. MCP has its President from the Central region, AFORD was only from the North, UDF was only from the Yao region and the moment they messed up with that order DPP was born. Do you really expect the DPP to give leadership to Chilima from the Central region?” Kauye queried.

Sources from the DPP however dismissed the issue and told Malawi24 that DPP was not grooming any person to replace Mutharika.

“Our torchbearer for 2019 is Mutharika, why would we be thinking about grooming a successor? We are with Mutharika until 2024. It is only at that time that we can talk of a successor,” said a source from within the corridors of power in the ruling party.

Peter Mutharika & Saulos Chilima
Chilima (right) kept in the dark

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64 Comments

  6. Ngati zidawakanika mu 2012 kuti a peter alamulire braz yawo itamwalira nde apa akwanitsa Dill? Dolo ndi Chilima basi ngati mukufuna DPP idzapitilire apo bii nde bolanso amayi omwe aja abwerenso

  8. We’re still going to be ashamed pple are crying for lack of food and you busy to get a traps of how to continue killed them

  9. Ndipo chimene akuyeneka kudziwa peter ndichakuti Bingu akadakhala ngati adali moyo ku3kila 19 may chaka cha 2014 peter sakadawina,nde ngati mwasakha a chaponda kudzaimila upresdent mwalemba madzi mugwetsa chipanicho tapatsani ena koma asakhaleso mlomwe chipanichi chidzapitilila koma ngati simutero amenewo akhala mathero.

  11. Another stupid development on a struggling country. I naturally hate Chaponda he is another guy who doesn’t know what he wants. we can not have three Heads of state that can not express themselves.

  16. Am DPP but I van not vote anyone if chilima is not there..
    My vote is for chilima in 2019 on DPP ticket… Otherwise forgate .

  23. check out Nyasatimes guys! Padakali pano, he will be the party’s president not country leader koma 2019 ndi pomwe adzakhale president wadziko. Pano azilamulira mwachifinyira till akadzakamwalira pamenepo adzautenga Saulos Chilima.

  25. Osangonena kuti wamkulu zamukanika akufuna kutula pansi bwanji. Ndikutha kuonanso kuti Chilima alamulira ngati (succsessor)JB

  26. Chaponda wake chigewenga chija chinkati DPP can do without the Northern Region, Hater of the Northern region? I can’t waste my vote on this merciless man who instructed police to shoot pple in Mzz on July 20, 2011, the man who championed the passing of the so-called bad laws in Mw parliament, the man who championed the unforgettable attempt to overthrow JB unlawfully after the death of Bingu, the man full of hate speeches, tribalism etc Big NO!!!!!!!!!!!

  32. Kupusa Bwana Chilima , you were forced to go on all radios airwaves telling the nation that you are a happy man and enjoying the DPP workmanship , I am sorry.

  33. Lero dollar ili pa 730, people r scrambling 4 d little maize in admarcs n we r here discussin ths nonsense, politics all d tym…malawi kumvesa chisoni…

    1. McDonald, it seems you are ignorant and uneducated. Its not about which tribe is in the presidency but the government policies which come from party policies. Political parties are not tribalistic thats why we have all political parties represented throughout all the provinces in Malawi.

    2. Moses ,follow Malawi where it is coming and going!if you are a Malawian,you must be able to define politics of Malawi
      Its about figure!no matter how intelligence the person can be but if he comes from minority! He cannot win the uneducated one from majority!!
      Move around Zambia,Tanzania,South Africa
      If the tribe want Zuma they will no matter what!!

  41. “We can do without the North!” Such man to be the president of the country? Sorry Northerners if he will really be!

  50. To perpetuate Lhomwe hegemony. With 50+1 there will be a battle of titans.

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