DPP ‘civil war’: MANEB suspends officer over Nankhumwa qualifications’ sniffing, Mpinganjira implicated

The shadow-boxing in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has taken on a new gear with veteran politican Brown Mpinganjira going all out to destroy DPP’s Southern Region vice president, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa.

Mpinganjira was the first multiparty Member of Parliament (MP) for Mulanje Central in 1994 when he was a strongman in United Democratic Front (UDF). He served for three terms before the youthful Nankhumwa won the seat under the DPP banner in 2009. Nankhumwa has since served in various cabinet portfolios both under the late President Bingu wa Mutharika and the incumbent Peter Mutharika.

According to insiders, since he lost the seat to Nankhumwa, Mpinganjira, popularly known as ‘BJ’, has been paying emissaries to sniff around for what he thinks are skeletons in Nankhumwa’s cupboard with an objective of destroying the political career of the youthful politician.

Machinations

Mpinganjira’s machinations experienced a serious gridlock a few weeks ago when his emissaries, politicians Ephraim Chibvunde (People’s Party vice president), Lawrence Mpofu and Andrew Nkhana, hit a blank wall at the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) apparently in a bid to search for loopholes in Nankhumwa’s academic qualifications, which they never found. They hoodwinked a Mr. C. Mpoya of MANEB that they had been sent by Nankhumwa to “collect” his academic transcripts, which he obliged.

Mpoya gave the three BJ emissaries copies of Nankhumwa’s MSCE and JC.

Sources have revealed that one of the emissaries “has been speaking around” following Mpinganjira’s delays in releasing the K5 million he had allegedly  promised to pay them.

“MANEB management got wind that one of theirs officers had divulged personal qualification details of an individual to strangers, without his written consent. MANEB management has since suspended the officer,” said a source at MANEB.

According to the suspension letter seen by Nyasa Times dated February 4, 2020, MANEB management says it learnt “with dismay” that Mpoya “had divulged information regarding Nankhumwa’s MSCE and JC qualification to a third party without his consent and without the approval of the Executive Director”.

“This is breach of sections 13.5, 1.15, which is “Divulging any information relating to MANEB to third parties without prior authorization by the Executive Director”, and 16.5, 1.21 which is “Disclosing confidential information to unauthorized people.

“For this reason, you are hereby inform you that you are on suspension with immediate effect. In this regard, you will be called for a disciplinary hearing on a date to be communicated to you,” concludes the letter signed on behalf of the Executive Director by a Mr. C Neba, who is MANEB’s Acting Director of Corporate Services.

Both Mpinganjira and Nankhumwa could not be reached for their comment.

Controversial BJ

BJ is never short of controversy. His name featured highly in the attempted bribery of the five Constitutional Court judges who were hearing the famous presidential election case.

Although the Anti-Corruption-Bureau (ACB) Executive Director Reneck Matemba only named former FDH Chairman Thom Mpinganjira, some allege it was BJ who is the mastermind.

So far the running story is that BJ (the schemer) together with Supreme Court Judge, whose name we have withheld  (the facilitator) took money amounting to K500 million from Mpinganjira’s young brother, Thom (the financier), to offer the five judges to rule in favour of the DPP.

According to one political commentator, since BJ joined DPP two years ago, he has succeeded in ascending to the top and now sits at the summit of its internal politics, and also at the centre of some of its serious internal divisions. Within just a few months of joining DPP, he allegedly attempted to convince President Mutharika to anoint his brother, Thom, as his successor when the President retires. But Thom Mpinganjira rejects to join frontline politics as he wants to remain  apolitical being a business mogul.

“BJ has manoeuvred to become one of DPP’s influential inner circle members at breakneck speed.  And that is where things start becoming dangerous for the DPP,” said the commentator, preferring anonymity.

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