Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesperson Jessie Kabwila has launched a scathing attack on Vice President Michael Usi, calling his recent remarks against the government “childish” and urging him to resign if he no longer supports the administration.
This comes a day after Vice President Usi publicly criticised the government, labelling it “deeply corrupt,” and claiming he would have declined the vice presidency had he known the extent of the alleged corruption.
Addressing reporters at a press briefing held at the MCP headquarters in Lilongwe, Kabwila condemned Usi’s comments, describing them as politically motivated and lacking in evidence.
“When you’re part of government, there is a level of decorum expected,” Kabwila said. “Dr. Usi is vice president today because of a national tragedy, the untimely passing of the late Vice President Saulos Chilima. It was out of respect for Chilima and the political alliance with UTM that we supported Usi’s appointment.”
Kabwila stressed that Usi was not appointed based on personal merit, but rather to honour the late Chilima and uphold the MCP-UTM alliance.
“He must remember, he was not picked in his own right. If he feels he cannot be part of this government, he is free to step down,” she added. “You cannot enjoy the privileges of office, motorcades, security, state resources, and then turn around and attack the same system without presenting any proof.”
Usi’s relationship with the MCP leadership has deteriorated in recent days. Following his appointment as vice president, Usi fell out with senior members of the UTM party, with whom he had previously served as deputy leader. He was eventually expelled and went on to form his political movement, Odya Zake Alibe Mulandu, which was later registered as a political party.
Now a presidential candidate in the upcoming election, Usi has increasingly distanced himself from the MCP-led administration.
Kabwila criticised Usi’s recent political rhetoric as an attempt to gain traction ahead of the polls, stating that using “unfounded corruption claims” for campaign mileage is misleading and irresponsible.
“If he has evidence of corruption, he should bring it forward through the appropriate channels. Otherwise, spreading rumours is not only unpatriotic, it is opportunistic,” she said.
