Malawi: Nankhumwa, Jeffrey, Chazama Go to Supreme Court of Appeal

2 January 2024
Nyasa Times (Leeds)
By Naomi Mkwanda

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice president Kondwani Nankhumwa and his other two lieutenants whom party president Peter Mutharika removed from their positions some weeks ago have appealed against their removal.

Nankhumwa, former secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey and former director of Women Cecilia Chazama have dragged Mutharika and the DPP to the Supreme Court of Appeal to challenge their removal from the positions.

They are arguing, among others, that Mutharika has no powers to remove them from positions they were duly elected at a party convention.

High Court judge Howard Pemba last week threw out with costs an application by the three DPP rebels to force Mutharika and the DPP reinstate them.

Mutharika reassigned Nankhumwa to be party presidential advisor so too Chazama while Jeffrey was appointed party vice president for the centre as power struggle and infighting in the country's government in waiting continues.

Lawyer for the three party rebels Cassius Chidothe has confirmed that he has filed appeal papers in the Supreme Court of Appeal.

High Court Judge Howard Pemba has put spanners in Kondwani Nankhumwa political ambitions of ever becoming Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) President as his ruling released on Thursday has strengthened the Madala DPP camp where Peter Mutharika, seeking to be Presidential candidate in 2025, belongs.

In the High Court, Nankhumwa, Jeffrey and Chazama sought an interlocutory order suspending the decision of Mutharika to remove them from their positions as Secretary General, Vice President South and Director of women of the party and/or assign them to the positions of Vice President Central, and presidential advisors until the determination of the matter in court or a further order of the Court.

But Justice Pemba ruled: "Listening to the arguments from both parties, and having thoroughly read the skeleton arguments motivated by the sworn statements filed in support as well as in opposition to the application herein, this Court is convinced on the balance of probabilities that the Claimants have failed to convincingly demonstrate to this Court that they have a good and arguable claim against the Defendants,"

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