By Jonah Phiri
The United Transformation Movement (UTM) Advisory Council has issued a stern caution to the party’s president, Dalitso Kabambe, urging him to avoid self-sabotage.
They advised that it was ill-conceived to accuse the Tonse Alliance administration of corruption when many members of his party, including himself, are facing similar charges.
Led by its chairperson, Newton Kambala, the Council reached out to Kabambe following a news conference he addressed on Monday. According to an inside source, the Council sought to disapprove some of the sentiments Kabambe shared with journalists.
The source revealed that the Council was uncomfortable with Kabambe’s remarks on corruption and fraud, given that he is facing criminal charges of money laundering and misreporting to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as are many other UTM officials.
The Council further expressed its shock that Kabambe could tell the nation that the UTM, once voted into power, would not devalue the Malawi kwacha for five years, when the devaluation of the kwacha occurred under his watch as Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi during the administration of Democratic Progressive Party.
They urged him to be realistic because Malawians know how the economy performed.
“The Council also urged Kabambe to share with members of the national executive committee what he intends to share with the nation. They accused him of taking things for granted and acting as a ‘Mr. Know It All,’ saying many of his statements did not add up, even economically, citing his claim that his party would make the kwacha appreciate within a short time in power,” the source said.
The Council, according to the source, complained that discussing corruption and fraud was putting members of his party in the spotlight.
However, Kabambe, according to the source, was adamant, dismissing the advice as “nonsense.” He accused some Council members of jealousy, claiming they were envious of his achievements.
He told the Council that he is brilliant and calculative in whatever he says, challenging them that no one in the Council has achieved what he has at his age.
“I have been a Governor at the Reserve Bank of Malawi, principal secretary at Foreign Affairs, and director at the Ministry of Agriculture at a very young age, among other roles. What are you people talking about? I am sharp and I have got money. Let me lead the way I want. You should be grateful that I gave you those positions after I beat you clean at our convention,” Kabambe shot back at the Council, according to the source, leaving the members shocked and disappointed.
The Council, the source said, is pondering the next step to take, as this was not the first time Kabambe shouted at them.
He also once accused the party’s national executive committee of not giving him the support they used to give former leader Saulos Chilima.
A political scientist Dennis Mchokero said it was unfortunate that Kabambe was looking down at the Council, arguing that was a dangerous thing for him to do.
“No one is capable of running a political party single-handedly. He needs that wise counsel. These are seniormembers of the party and experienced. He must realise he is only a leader, not the owner of the party,” said Mchokero.
He said what the Council said was a fact that Kwacha was being devalued even when he was the Governor.
Mchokero said they were also on point that it was awkward for Kabambe to talk about corruption when many of his members and himself are facing serious criminal charges of corruption and fraud.
The party’s publicity secretary Felix Njawala declined to comment, arguing the issues raised are internal.
