Joyce Banda reprimands Bagus
People’s Party Provincial Chair for the North, Christopher Mzomera Ngwira, has disclosed that party president Joyce Banda stopped former president Khumbo Kachali from going to a political rally as guest of honour in Chikwawa at the invitation of the National Organising Secretary Salim Bagus.
Bagus invited Kachali as guest of honour to address supporters of the party in Chikwawa District but Banda stopped the move and reprimanded Bagus over the development.
Ngwira said Bagus was told to immediately stop holding rallies with Kachali in the region and threatened to fire him if he disobeyed the directive. He also said that some senior party members were not happy to hear that Kachali was to storm the South on the basis that he was not real PP.
“[Salim] Bagus phoned me over the weekend and we talked about the failed meeting in Chikwawa. Bagus invited Khumbo to the rally which he wanted to address in his constituency where he lost in the elections,” he said.
Ngwira said Banda called Bagus and shouted at him for organising the meeting with Khumbo.
“I am told that she even said if he wanted such rallies with Khumbo, we should form our own party, me, Bagus, Ireen Chikuni, and Khumbo.
“I was speechless because I thought we all have a common goal of strengthening the party in all the regions,” Ngwira said.
Bagus refused to comment on the reprimand but said he knew that other senior party members were not happy with him holding rallies with Kachali.
Bagus accused Banda of entertaining gossip amongst party leaders which he said is destroying its foundation at grassroots.
“The problem is that our president is in the forefront destroying the party because she entertains gossip. She receives a lot of phones (sic) and e-mails from party top leaders that are aimed at destroying relationships within the party. These top members think the party belongs to JB which is not true.
“I was part and parcel of those that formed People’s Party and it does not belong to JB. It is for the people. She was just given the privilege [to hold] the position [and] lead us. Now she is busy entertaining gossip, why? For example,… Ngwira was fired in the past Northern Region fracas because of lies which some party top officials told her. On Khumbo Kachali leading the party, same people cheated her and she keeps on listening to them. Should we say that she does not know that she is destroying the party? Does she realise that this will affect our performance in 2019 elections?” Bagus said.
Banda’s spokesperson Andekuche Chanthunya refused to comment.
Kachali said in an interview yesterday that he was still PP contrary to what other members were alleging. He also confirmed receiving the invitation from Bagus to travel to the South for the rally. He said he failed to do so for various reasons
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