In an explosive and unapologetic outburst, Minister of Trade and Industry Vitumbiko Mumba has publicly condemned the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leadership, accusing senior figures of orchestrating a toxic and corrupt system to suppress genuine party members and manipulate primaries for personal gain.
Drawing parallels to Nelson Mandela's famous Rivonia Trial statement, Mumba declared that MCP's internal systems have been hijacked by self-serving elites who have silenced dissent and blocked legitimate voices within the party. "You raise concerns which land on deaf ears. You write a letter, and six weeks later there is no response. NEC members are being blue-ticked on WhatsApp like common beggars," Mumba lashed out.
In a fiery statement, Mumba exposed what he described as a deeply flawed and deliberately skewed candidate selection process designed to favor handpicked loyalists and block popular grassroots candidates. "One unpopular leader wants to use his influence to cash in on primaries and push away capable candidates who can fund their own campaigns," Mumba charged.
Mumba, who has positioned himself as a defender of democracy within the ruling party, vowed to openly campaign for independent candidates like William Fyopo Mkandawire in Mzuzu City South West, accusing party elites of plotting to sabotage credible contenders. "Let Fyopo be the first to be fired from MCP, then Gift Desire Nyirenda and I will be third," he warned.
The minister did not mince words, calling out MCP leadership for cultivating a culture of "handclappers" while marginalizing reformists. "You can't be deliberately molesting processes and then issue vague and empty threats. Not everyone is like the few but loud handclappers," Mumba said.
His statement is likely to intensify tensions within MCP and spark fresh debate about growing internal divisions as the 2025 elections loom.
In what could be a defining moment for his political career, Mumba closed with a sharp warning to the party's powerbrokers: "I strongly believe now you will come down, engage, and start reasoning like a human being."
This marks a bold challenge to MCP's inner circle--one that could shake the party to its core.
