Africa-Press – Malawi. A political inferno is raging in Mzimba Central as the fate of a disputed Malawi Congress Party (MCP) primary election now lies in the hands of the Mzuzu High Court — after violence, backdoor maneuvers, and bitter accusations shook the party to its core.
At the heart of the drama is Vitumbiko Mumba, who claims he was blindsided by a secretive election that handed the MCP ticket to President Lazarus Chakwera’s close aide, Adamson Kuseri Mkandawire.
As tensions escalated, tyres were set ablaze, stones flew, and armed police stormed the scene — forcing party officials to shift the venue in a cloak-and-dagger move from Chamaliba to Katungubiri.
Despite the chaos, the election rolled on — with Mkandawire sweeping 262 votes, while Mumba, stranded abroad and unaware of the vote, managed only five. He has since launched a fierce legal battle to overturn the results, accusing the party of violating internal agreements and rigging the process through an unapproved electoral college.
“This is a betrayal,” Mumba fumed. “No one informed me. We had agreed the NEC would verify the electoral college before any vote.”
His lawyer, Khumbo Soko, raced to the Lilongwe High Court seeking an urgent injunction — but Assistant Registrar Eliya Zawanda swiftly redirected the case to Mzuzu to prevent any claims of “judge shopping.”
Now, all eyes are on the Mzuzu High Court, where the next ruling could blow the lid off deeper fractures within the ruling party.
Mkandawire has fired back, accusing Mumba of orchestrating the violence to block the primaries.
“Thugs in a brand new Prado came and started beating people,” Mkandawire said. “They followed us even after we changed venues. We had to call in more police.”
But Mumba is sticking to his guns, saying the primary election was illegal from the start and driven by shadowy figures within the party hierarchy.
Observers warn the unfolding courtroom clash could set a bombshell precedent for how intra-party disputes are resolved ahead of Malawi’s 2025 elections.
Political analyst Ernest Thindwa didn’t mince words: “This is a serious test for MCP. If party primaries are seen as manipulated, it undermines their entire democratic credibility.”
The court ruling could upend not just the Mzimba Central race — but shake the foundation of party democracy in Malawi.
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