By Burnett Munthali
Democracy is the government of the people by the people for the people. Whatever leadership at any level from any political party must come from the people endorsed by those same people representing the people.
Sadly, Kondwani Nankhumwa, who is the leader of the opposition in Malawi Parliament and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Southern Region Vice President is still fighting the same party he wants to represent. Unfortunately, some members of his party are slowly scrutinizing and coming to their conclusion.
It’s embarrassing to see him and his agents fighting the party he claims he loves most. His actions do not prove his words as every member wants peace and strategies to move forward.
Politics is about challenging the shortfalls of leadership and offering possible ways of putting the house in order towards attaining the intended goals using acceptable platforms and channels.
However, the approach Nankhumwa has taken is wrong and this will cost the relevance of his leadership.
Nankhumwa has lost direction together with his arrogant team. When Nankhumwa took a photo with APM in a team of other aspirants, many thought peace had come back in the party but that’s not the case.
Politics requires integrity and maturity. The Nankhumwa camp needs to learn how to do politics. Otherwise, he is destroying his future just like Brown Mpinganjira in UDF. He did everything he could but the party prevailed up to date.
Gustav Kaliwo, Jessie Kabwila, and Chidzanja Nkhoma fought with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leadership but the party prevailed to this date. Uladi Mussa changed his goal, broke away from UDF, and formed his party.
Today it is Kondwani Nankhumwa, Nicholas Dausi, Mark Botomam, Ken Msonda, and Billy Malata refusing to learn from history. Politics is not for what people.
It is only Professor Bingu wa Mutharika who left UDF and formed DPP and succeeded. There’s only one reason, first, he had just successfully gathered massive support during the election.
Secondly, Bingu was the President of Malawi at the time he made this difficult but necessary decision.
Thirdly, people followed him to the DPP because of his wise and visionary leadership at the time.
Now I can confidently say Kondwani George Malemia Nankhumwa is drowning in a pool of trouble. Leadership requires the best approach to fight for the position at the convention and not through injunction after injunction.
On the other hand, the courts are not helping the opposition. How do they receive a complaint from someone who is fighting against the NGC resolutions of a meeting in which he was part?
Kondwani Nankhumwa must get ready to answer some embarrassing questions during cross-examination court, he will find it hard to win the case because he was part of the NGC meeting which took place in Mangochi and he was in agreement with the resolutions. He must therefore prove before the court that he was intimidated or prevented from speaking. All in all, this is a waste of time petitioning the court.
Another big blow to this case is that Jappie Mhango has distanced himself from the case which means Kondwani Nankhumwa lied to his lawyers and courts.
This is unethical behavior from someone who wants to become President of the opposition and finally President of this country.
In conclusion, you cannot always fight and expect to win all the time. There’s always a time when you must be defeated.
Do you remember the first of Iron Mike Tyson? He dominated the boxing ring for many years but one day he got beaten and left the boxing arena. I think this is the time for Kondwani Nankhumwa to lose his credibility and exit the stage of politics.
