Joyce Banda appoints Kamlepo Kalua People’s Party Northern Region leader

Tom Sangala January 6, 2016

315 1 minute read

Opposition People’s Party (PP) President Joyce Banda has appointed Kamlepo Kalua as third vice-president responsible for the Northern Region, replacing Harry Mkandawire who unexpectedly resigned from the post in 2014.

This comes three days after Banda appointed then vice president responsible for Central Region Uladi Mussa as acting president for the party.

PP Administrative and Publicity Secretary, Ken Msonda, and Kalua, who is also a parliamentarian for Rumphi East, confirmed the appointment in an interview with The Daily Times on Tuesday.

But in a turn of events, the northern region committee has since fired all regional members who were in former provincial chairperson Christopher Mzomera Ngwira’s camp for allegedly backing Ngwira’s support for Khumbo Kachali as president for the party.

The committee has also fired Director of Women, Cliffer Kondowe, and replaced her with her Deputy, Jane Msiska while Oscar Kaunda has replaced Lloyd Njaliwa as Regional Treasurer and Ipyana Nthakomwa is now Regional Organising Secretary, replacing Venter Kondowe.

Speaking during the regional conference held in Mzuzu yesterday, the new provincial chairperson Sheribon Mchizi said the committee is behind all recent appointments and pledged to work hard to strengthen the party in the region.

“We welcome the Acting President Uladi Mussa and Kalua our vice president for the region, we are happy that the party was lost but now we are back on track with these leaders, apart from Mama Joyce Banda.

“There were confusions since July last year but now the founder of the party has cleared everything. All our new leaders are very strong politicians. Therefore, we pledge our support to these two as we also start new life with more activities in 2016,” said Mchizi.

When asked to explain the firing of the members who were conspicuously missing at the gathering, Mchizi said the group courted trouble by not obeying the party’s leadership.

“I have no personal grudges with Honourable Ngwira on whatever happened. I know he is a hard worker. I have forgiven him for all assaults in the past. Therefore, let him come with his camp and work with us but as mere members.

“We invited all regional members here but the other camp did not show up. Should we force them to be part of us? Remember, the other camp is not keeping the party licence; it is with our Regional Secretary Violet Chituzu Nyirenda,” argued Mchizi.

However, Ngwira said in a telephone interview that all regional committee members were voted at the regional committee elections that were held at Marymount Secondary School in Mzuzu, hence they cannot be fired without proper procedures.