Outspoken Jessie Kabwila who was hero to many Malawians when she picked a fight with Bingu Mutharika and Peter Mutharika who was then the Minister of Education is proving to be a thorn and challenge to the leadership skills of Chakwera.
Bingu wanted to censor Lectures at the college an action that was challenged by Jessie and others. As a result, Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula now mouth piece for MCP, Blessings Chinsinga, Garton Kanchedzera and Franz Amin were fired. This led to widespread university protests from students, and the shutdown of the Chancellor College. Bringing Jessie Kabwila to prominence among many Malawians who believed she was fighting a good fight in taking ON the Mutharika’s.
However since turning politician and mouth piece for the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Jessie has embarrassed the Party so many times and has been testing the leadership Skills of Lazarus Chakwera who has now been forced to take to the papers to deny the rumours about the big schism in the party and its future.
A list of the Mishaps are many but below are just a few:
Earlier this year Jessie Kabwila merited a weekly column by no one other than Raphael Tenthani the muckraker in a piece titled ‘Jessie little joyride’ where Raphael Wrote the following “From the onset, let me declare that I find nothing fundamentally wrong with the acerbic MCP Publicity Secretary Jessie Kabwila hitching a ride on Peter Mutharika chartered presidential jet. After all she is a bona fide Malawian and, as she so eloquently stated, the jet carried Malawians. Well, take heart that Both Peter and Jessie were for austerity measures before their current status. So whoever hatched the idea of chartering a jet for the President was probably asleep
When both Peter and Jessie went to town on Ama’s “well-wishers” private jet excursions. But, I am sorry, my dear friend Jessie, the stunt was politically – and Principally – misguided, if not dead wrong”.
Just last week Jessie Kabwila insulted Malawians living with HIV/AIDS as corpses in her zeal to attack Gertrude Mutharika use of NAC’s funds for her BEAM projects in Malawi. An attack that did not sit well with Malawians who demanded a public apology from Jessie. So far none has come yet and Lazarus Chakwera’s silence has also Spoken louder to AIDS activists in Malawi who at minimum expected a public reprimand of Jessie.
Malawi last week was abuzz with the Government ill-advised hefty pay-hikes for opposition Leader Lazarus Chakwera himself. The President and his cabinet and Parliamentarians. What many people do not know is that before the outcry that ensued one Jessie Kabwila went to the Mics and proclaimed that the Pay-hikes were inline and deserved by her and her cohorts in parliament. However upon the on-slaughter from the public Lazarus held a press conference where in disagreement to Jessie lambasted government for the ill-advised pay-hikes.
Many Malawians are now looking to the Reverend to see how he is going to deal with and control Jessie. Questions about his leadership will continue to grow if he cannot control the people within his own party.
