EXCLUSIVE

There’s a political storm in Mzimba South West bye-elections where Inkosi ya Makosi Mbelwa and some senior ruling People’s Party officials are being accused of supporting an independent candidate in the October 9 bye-elections. From Mzuzu, MaraPost’s Chief Political Correspondent reports

James Nthara has lost so many times to Vice President Khumbo Kachali but a group of PP officials with deep pockets are said to have encouraged him to run as an independent to de-campaign Kachali for the position of running mate in the 2014 presidential elections.

The official candidate for the governing PP is Raymond Nkhata while Ronal Chavula is standing on the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party ticket.

Nthara didn’t contest any political party primaries after he joined the PP then ditched it for DPP after he was reportedly promised a vehicle. He didn’t turn up for the two parties’ primaries and decided to run as an independent.

“There is an underground campaign to discredit the Vice President within the People’s Party. Mbelwa has never supported Kachali in previous elections. Potentially the election isn’t about the candidates, it’s the continuation of the convention fight after others lost and want to use Nthara to question the legitimacy of Kachali who went unopposed at the convention,” a senior PP official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told MaraPost Politics.

Mbelwa declined to comment on the matter and Nthara laughed off the accusations.

Meanwhile, another independent candidate for Mzimba Central bye-elections Joseph Mabvuto Kachali is said to have infuriated singer Charles Nsaku - he was hired to perform for his campaign - after he disappeared with his wife.

Joseph Kachali (not related to VP Kachali) is said to have invited Nsaku to sing at Euthini as part of his campaign launch in Mzimba Central constituency.

“The singer realized that the shadow MP and his wife had disappeared. The rally ended as he shouted on the microphone and the people started looking for Kachali,” Johnstone Mvula, an eye witness, told Marapost.

MaraPost tried to contact Joseph Mabvuto Kachali but he couldn’t be reached. His campaign staff refused to comment, saying the candidate himself was the right person to say something about it.
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