Support Chakwera or leave MCP, Chimwendo tells critics

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) secretary general Richard Chimwendo Banda has told party lawmakers who cannot work with former president Lazarus Chakwera to leave the party and form their own, as divisions over its leadership continue to deepen.

Chimwendo made the remarks at a political rally in Dowa organised to welcome Aida Chitsosa Mchenga, who won the Dowa West parliamentary seat as an independent candidate.

He accused some lawmakers of disrespecting Chakwera, insisting that members who disagree with the former president should not remain in the party while undermining his leadership.

Chimwendo said MCP needed unity as it worked towards returning to government in 2030.

His remarks come as Chakwera faces growing pressure from within the party to step aside and allow new leadership to emerge following MCP’s defeat in the September 2025 elections.

A recent report by Nation Online indicates that Chakwera’s former State House chief of staff, Prince Kapondamgaga, is among senior figures emerging in the contest over the party’s future leadership.

Other figures pushing for change include former MCP secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka and Alex Major, who has openly expressed interest in contesting for the party presidency.

The dispute centres partly on whether Chakwera can seek another term under the party’s constitution, with his critics arguing that the party needs new leadership after losing power.

In February 2026, tensions within MCP were also exposed when some lawmakers reportedly skipped a parliamentary caucus called by Chakwera. Among those reported to have been absent were first deputy president Catherine Gotani Hara, deputy secretary general Gerald Kazembe and Mkaka.

At the Dowa rally, Lilongwe Chilobwe legislator Lawrence Chakakala Chaziya also criticised the government over the distribution of subsidised farm inputs, alleging that the Central Region had received reduced allocations despite being a major maize-producing area.

He warned that the situation could contribute to food shortages next year.

Meanwhile, Mchenga pledged to work with MCP and deliver development projects in her constituency..

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