Malawi Congress Party (MCP) legislator Jessie Kabwila has lashed out at her fellow MCP Members of Parliament (MPs) for questioning her loyalty after she was pictured with Ben Phiri in South Africa.
The viral picture shows Kabwila and President Peter Mutharika’s former personal assistant Phiri chatting at OR Tambo Airport in South Africa.
Kabwila went to South Africa on official assignment as chairperson of SADC Women Parliament Caucus.
The photo led to suspicions within the MCP over Kabwila’s loyalty as some legislators accused her of working with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). They also branded her Judas Iscariot and a crook.
According to WhatsApp group messages Kabwila presented at a press briefing on Friday, MCP MP for Kasungu Central Amon Nkhata said Kabwila is a sell-out who is causing divisions in the MCP.
“Kabwila ukudzatani kuno ku Jo’burg (Kabwila what are you doing here in Johannesburg)? What business is there between you and Ben Phiri of DPP? Kabwila you are MP for MCP and Ben is for DPP, what mission do you have towards MCP squabbles?,” reads part of the text which Nkhata posted on the forum captioning the picture in question.
But speaking on the issue on Friday, Kabwila insisted that she went to South Africa on official duty and claimed that she is at liberty to greet Phiri whenever they meet.
“I am loyal to this country; everything I do is for the benefit of Malawians. I went there to push for an agenda that is good for all Malawians which was not even political in nature. And besides, Ben Phiri is a Malawian and nothing can stop me from greeting him everywhere I can meet him,” she said.
Kabwila also claimed that senior members of the MCP are using false stories to weaken her.
She said the MCP is spreading similar rumours in her Salima North-West constituency so that she should be finished politically.
“I am really saddened with the kind of treatment that I have been receiving from the MCP membership which is clearly aimed at weakening my political survival among my constituents.
“The lies being propagated by own family is now reaching the people who put me here and the people I serve,” she said.
Kabwila is a hero, osati zopusa za Kukasungu zinazi.
This is total witchcraft from Hon Amon Nkhata. I am really shocked that this is coming from the Kasungu MP. Just food for thought, should we say that Sosten immediately he moved to the other parties had stopped talking to his brother? Wake up man! This is what we call Chicken thinking. Trust me ngati machitidwe ake akhale amenewa then expect to continue being the main Opposition party in Malawi. Ndiye inunsotu musiye kupita ku Parliament sinanga kumakhalanso members from the other parties. Kulani koma Nkhata, otherwise i can even assure you that 2019 you won’t continue to be the MP. Mukutikhumudwitsa achinyamata amene tinali ndi hope in MCP. This is an era of politics of interaction. Ndithu ndithu uphungu uwu ukapitilira kwa abusa, i am afraid the party will fail miserably.
My advise is, let the party strengthen its relations with all potential vote pullers. Izi za Yudasi sizitithandiza not even an inch in getting to the hot seat.
Kodi kumupasa moni mudani wako ndichifukwa, musiyeni mayi kabwila ngati mukufuna mumugwetse simunga muthe . Anthu woyipa inu kumayipitsa kabwila pangani zanu mwina alipachibwezi ndiye asiye kupanga zawo chifukwa cha inu. Pambuyo pamayi Jessie kabwila.
Two Malawian politicians meet at an airport in another country ,they great each other on an open ground and someone is calling one of them as traitor, what kind of politics are you preaching?what more will you do if you get into government?
I never expected this nonsense from Jessie the woman I trusted much. She is always fighting! Shame! Hon Patricia Kaliati much better than this so called freedom fighter.
I agree with Kabwila that belonging to different political parties should not mean that they are at war, to the extent that they cannot even greet each other. Kabwila and Ben Phiri have different political ideologies ONLY but both of them are Malawians. Malawians should take an example of Botswana where you see politicians belonging to different political parties chatting and socializing together. Kabwila did not do anything wrong by talking Ben Phiri. Has MP Amon Nkhata never seen siblings of one family belonging to different parties but coexisting peacefully? He is the one sowing seeds of hatred in MCP and a Judas, not Kabwila. Amon Nhata is using old politics of ‘members who are in political parties other than mine are my enemies’. Remember that in every political party there those who genuinely work for their country and those that work for their selfish interests only.