Aford rebuilding, selling party cards: Chihana accused of killing party
The Alliance for Democracy (Aford) members are calling for party president Enock Chihana to call for a national convention but the party says it will not hold the indaba this year.
According to Aford secretary general Christopher Ritchi, the party is rebuilding and aims at bringing back old members who dumped the party due to lack of direction.
“We want to rebuild the party first and then hold a national convention,” said Ritchi.
He said Aford has started selling party membership cards to raise funds.
Aford been failing to win convincingly for the past two electoral calendars following the death of the party Czar and founder Tom Chakufwa Chihana (father to Enock Chihana) who died in June 2006.
Enock Chihana, the son of Chakufwa, is being accused of of killing the party and it for self-serving on political interest.
Members of Aford argue that the party is virtually reduced to serving interests of an individual, putting itself at the mercy of a highest bidder.
Aford was founded by trade unionist Chakufwa Chihana in 1992.
In the 1994 general elections, the party swept all the 33 seats in northern region and three others in central region.
By the time Chakufwa Chihana died in 2006, the party had only six parliamentary seats.
Currently, it has Enock Chihana as the only lawmaker.
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Honestly speaking, Kamlepo is the only person i see to stand as a northern figure. We do not need to necessarily revamp AFORD. We all know that as it is today, PP has more MP’s in the north. We cannot focus our discussion on projections and political forcasts. DPP has more MPS in the south, MCP in the central and PP in the North. Who is leader of PP in the North? KAMLEPO. Who is a visible northen figure at the moment? Kamlepo. Egoes aside…..with proper backing. the new Kamlepo can lead the north with the likes of Frank Mwenifumbo,… Read more »
Northerners,please wakeup.It would be treacherous and unpatriotic to align AFORD WITH MCP which has inflicted untold sufferings to the Northerners in particular and the rest of Malawians in general.It would be very advisable and constructive if the Northerners can form a UNITED FRONT with UDFand PP and leave alone the MCP the Party of death and doom.How would the souls of Yatuta Chisiza,Dunduzu Chisiza,Kanyama Chiume,Masauko Chipembere,Lutenganno Mwahimba,Matupi Mukandawire,Pemba Ndovi,Orton Chirwa,Rose Chiwambo,M.Q.Chiwambo,Simphawaka Nkhwazi,Machipisa Munthali and many more,look at us?Believe you me,Malawians are desperately looking for change and change must be there at any cost,but the suggestions by some opportunistic Northerners such… Read more »
Kent Y.G. Mphepo of Blantyre, your comment on AFORD rebuilding exercise has touched and tackled on issues that all parties from DPP, MCP, UDF, PP and AFORD must seriously consider if any tangible national development and mature politics can take a meaningful role in the society. Your analysis has been so unbiased and well presented. If indeed all parties can adapt this approach on national politics our country would be different because this is the approach whereby individuals will not via for political positions for personal gains but national ones. I wish if our politicians had time to read and… Read more »
Dada Chakhalira, Precedents are already there for AFORD to learn from. It is just a matter of going back to the history books and to see what is taking place in modern Malawi politics and learn from it. Let’s, for example, learn from how, in the 1950s, the then Nyasaland African Congress solved problems similar to what AFORD is facing in the 21st Century. The older generation (party founders) in the class of James Sangala, Charles Matinga, Chinyama (of Ntcheu), Chief Mwase, T.D.T. Banda, etc roped in young and energetic firebrands such as Kanyama Chiume, Rose Chibambo, Masauko Chipembere, Yatuta… Read more »
What is it that Mphepo is trying to say that will rebuild Aford,? It sounds so much of a lecture that leaves a student to make out what he can. Aford is dead, like it or not
Kent, apa wayowoya vya zelu nadi!!!!!! But you have not clearly touched how Afford can move forward. My take is that the push that was there by the Simphawaka and Chipimpha is NOT there now and it is very doubtful that it can be rebuilt this time around. At that time Afford and the people there(North) had only one enemy, the type of Administration in MCP by the Youth League’s and MYP in the name of A Ngwazi Dr. H.Kamuzu Banda watituma when he did not send them to victimize others. Then came the nonsense of quarter system silently. Of… Read more »
Any party with members who are driven by greed for money can not progress. The Chihana’s have killed Aford because of greed. Its not surprising at all because that is the trend for almost all parties in Malawi. May be MCP could be an exception to some extent. UDF is dead as well because of greed of a young man we thought was going to represent the new thinking in Malawi political landscape. So, yes Aford can start the rebuilding process but I can guarantee that its tough and it requires a lot of sacrifice.
Mr. Y.G. Mphepo, is it a comment or supplementary article? if it was mearnt to be a comment then it’s too long. But otherwise you have analyzed the situation very well. Thank you for that.
A tumbuka, I advise mungolowa nawo zipani za amzanu. Koma inu ndinu otani, every elections 4-7 candidates from one region. Terrible , think Tumbukas
Dear AFORD members, I personally have followed AFORD, since its inception during the one-party error – when it gave MCP sleepless nights. I have a strong belief that there is a STORY that you, AFORD members, must discuss before you can EVEN start thinking of the so-called rebuilding process. Your foundational story that I think has been lost. This party has so much potential (infact, more potential than any other party in the country!) and a clear mission. BUT you have wasted your energy on unimportant issues. You have majored on minors instead of majoring on majors. I lived in… Read more »