Meet the man who will challenge JB at PP Convention

People’s Party Deputy Regional Secretary for the South Leonard Mphiza has become the first person to express interest to challenge Dr Joyce Banda for the presidency of the party at the PP convention slated to take place from 30 to 31st August.

Mphiza who comes from Neno made the announcement on Monday after meeting Neno district’s party committee where he urged them to rally behind him at the convention.

He said he wants to revive the party to its former glory and return the party to government next year.

Asked if he has money to pay as nomination fee to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) if he wins at the convention, Mphiza said he is well prepared and has already set aside over MK30 million to help him run for the position.

“I have already started approaching delegates in all the regions in the country making sure that when we go to the convention I come out strong and I am very positive I am going to give her a good run for her money,” he said.

Neno District governor for the party Eric Gremu said it is encouraging to have a member from the district competing on such high profile position and pledged the district’s support for him.

Meanwhile, People’s Party Secretary General Ibrahim Matola has confirmed that Mr Mphiza indeed made his first announcement at party’s National Executive Committee last week in Lilongwe and the party has welcomed his candidature to compete with Dr Joyce Banda at the said convention.

“We have told him to come at the party’s headquarters to collect the forms for the position, we have already accepted his candidature and if there are others aspiring for such position let them come out open, we will accept them just like we have just done with Mr. Mphiza. All positions are up for grabs at the convention because we exercise genuine democracy at People’s Party,” said Matola.

Leonard Mphiza began his political life in 2009 and he lost a race for local Government Election for Chikonde ward in Neno North in 2014 to DPP’s Macpherson Dzimazi.

He is a graduate of University of Liverpool in Zimbabwe where he studied Business Administration and has worked with Blantyre Print and Kandodo McConnell.

Meanwhile he is heading a Construction Company in Neno.