Vice- President security beefed up
Malawi News has established that Vice- President Everton Chimulirenji’s security detail has been beefed up due to what our sources have described as a measure to control threats targeting the Veep.
A source who opted for anonymity tipped us that Veep’s security detail has been beefed up with a lot of police officers.
Vice-President spokesperson Charles Wahala confirmed the development but could not divulge more details on the matter.
“Indeed, the security has been beefed up but I cannot tell you why the security has been beefed up because it is also a security matter. But I can confirm that security has been beefed up, it is not an easy thing but it is working for him now,” he said.
Wahala declined to confirm or
refute our findings that the addition to the VP’s security detail is as a result of life threats the VP is supposedly subjected to.
“Like I said, I cannot disclose the number of personnel added to the VP’s security detail because that will be divulging information on the same matter we are trying to run away from. I cannot confirm or deny whether the VP’s life was under threat or not but all I can say is his security has been beefed up so that everything is in order and under control,” he said.
National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera confirmed the development but he declined to give further details.
“We have beefed up manpower. The reason is to provide enough security to the Office of the Veep the same way we did with the former Veep. On security grounds, I may not discuss the figures added,” he said.
Earlier on this month, Malawi News investigations established that four gurus in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are eyeing and positioning
themselves for the party’s presidency barely five months after May 21 Tripartite Elections.
The four are Chimulirenji, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Kondwani Nankhumwa, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Joseph Mwanamvekha and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Bright Msaka.
Our investigations came at a time when President Peter Mutharika, who is also the party’s president, cautioned members of the party to desist from fighting for power but rather wait for 2023 when the party will hold its convention to elect its torch bearers.
In February this year, during the presentation of nomination papers, Mutharika surprised some of his own DPP members when he picked a less popular and less visible former member of Parliament for Ntcheu North East Constituency and former minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development Chimulilenji as his running mate in May 21 polls.
Justifying his choice, Mutharika described Chimulilenji as someone who is mature and understands the roles of a vice-president of a country.
Mutharika had a fallout with his former vice-president Chilima, who quit DPP to lead UTM, with the president accusing the former veep of being power hungry.
DPP was formed in February 2005 by former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika after his fallout with the leadership of United Democratic Front which sponsored his ticket to the State House in 2004 general elections.
In 2008, DPP’s National Governing Council unanimously chose Bingu as the party’s candidate for May 2009 presidential election.
Since its inception, DPP has been led by the Mutharikas as Peter was elected at a convention in 2013 ahead of May 19 2014 Tripartite Elections and re-elected as the party’s torchbearer in 2018 ahead of May 21 Tripartite Elections.
