UDF’s Atupele under fire over Mrs Tembo’s funeral Members of the United Democratic Front (UDF) of Mines and Natural Resources Minister Atupele Muluzi have condemned their leader for failing to mobilize members of the party to accompany him at the funeral of the late Mrs. Ruth Tembo, wife of former Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President, John Zenus Ungapake (JZU) Tembo. The funeral ceremony took place in T/A Kaphuka’s area in Dedza on Saturday, January 10, 2015. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was represented by State President Peter Mutharika, Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and hundreds of rank and file members of the party. The MCP is the bereaved party. The party President Reverend Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and hundreds of MCP supporters were present to pay their last honours to the wife of the longest serving member of the MCP. The People’s Party (PP) was represented by PP Leader in Parliament and Vice President responsible for the Centre, Uladi Mussa, Brown Mpinganjira, who is PP Vice President for the South, and PP Secretary General, Ibrahim Matola. They were joined by hundreds of PP supporters, who were clad in their traditional orange regalia. Conspicuously missing at the funeral were UDF supporters. It was only Atupele, Bakili Muluzi and a few former UDF senior members, including Patrick Mbewe, who were present at the funeral. No UDF traditional yellow colour could be seen there as was the case with the other ‘big’ political parties. This confirmed fears by some UDF members that the DPP may have ‘swallowed’ the UDF through an informal working alliance where only Atupele and his father, Bakili, seem to be benefitting. “We had asked for transport to accompany him (Atupele) but he refused, plainly,” said a UDF central region executive member, who sought anonymity. He feared the UDF is “finished”. Recently, senior members of the UDF petitioned their President Atupele Muluzi to quit government and concentrate on rebuilding the party. The members observed that it was now over five months since the informal agreement between the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was entered into. “So far, the UDF, as a party, has benefited nothing except the Rt. Hon. Atupele Muluzi and perhaps his father, His Excellency Dr. Bakili Muluzi and their immediate family members. Despite several invitations, the Rt. Hon. Atupele Muluzi, has not shown much interest to come back to us as members of the party to explain what is happening or indeed to shed some light on the details of the agreement between the two parties. “Instead, he has been unusually quiet, simply discharging his ministerial duties as if he is just another rank and file member of the DPP. It is clear that the United Democratic Front has been and is still being used like a condom in this so-called political pact,” read the petition dated December 12, 2014. The petitioners said the UDF must immediately call for an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to examine the UDF/DPP alliance and to find a way forward, especially regarding their concerns over this pact. The UDF, through its Publicity Secretary, Ken Ndanga, has trashed the petition, claiming it is the work of the party’s detractors. Ndanga was recently appointed, unannounced, as Board Member for ADMARC.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 05:05:56 +0000
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