Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament for Mulanje Central Kondwani Nankhumwa and others on Thursday appeared before party’s disciplinary committee over their role in holding a DPP National Governing Council (NGC) meeting in Lilongwe.
Apart from Nankhumwa other senior DPP officials who have appeared before the committee today at Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe include former national director of women Cecilia Chazama and NGC member Mark Botomani.
Nankhumwa spent close to two hours in the hearing room while Botoman and Chazama spend less than an hour each.
Former DPP’s secretary General Grezelder Jeffrey, now party’s Vice President responsible for the central region, was also expected appear before the committee which was chaired by Dr. Jean Kalilani but failed to do so.
Speaking after appearing before the committee both the leader of opposition in parliament Nankhumwa, Chazama and Botomani refused to comment on what had transpired saying the party would speak on the proceedings.
According to the trio, DPP’s disciplinary committee will tell Malawians what transpired during the hearing as well as the outcome.
Members of the committee namely Kalilani, Apostle Timothy Khoviwa, Francis Mphepo, Paul Gadama and Lonnie Chijere also refused to grant the media interviews after the meeting.
The hearing comes weeks after Nankhumwa, Botomani, Jeffrey and Chazama led other DPP members in holding an NGC meeting at Golden Peacock in Lilongwe.
At that meeting, it was agreed that the party would hold a national convention on December 5 and 6. The DPP described the meeting as illegal.
Days after that meeting, DPP president Peter Mutharika removed Nankhumwa from the position of party vice president for the south and appointed him as presidential advisor role.
Mutharika also removed Jeffery from the position of secretary general to Central Region Vice President while Chazama was removed from the director of women role to the presidential advisor role.
Nankhumwa has been replaced by George Chaponda while Jeffrey has been replaced by Clement Mwale and Chazama was replaced by Mary Thomas Navicha.
Since its loss in the June 23, 2020, court-sanctioned presidential election, DPP has been caught in infighting that experts have described as not healthy for the party.
The situation has resulted in party divisions.
The bone of contention has been the party’s leadership succession, Kondwani Nankhumwa declaring his intention to compete at the party’s convention.
