Alfred Gangata, the Vice President of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the Central Region, has been compelled to retract his threats against lawyer Alexious Kamangira.
The trouble began when Kamangira revealed that he received a threatening WhatsApp message from Gangata. Taking to social media, Kamangira described Gangata as a “known bandit” and emphasized that he would address the threats appropriately. His bold response echoed an equal threat to the DPP to which Gangata represent as one of the senior members.
As news of Gangata’s threats spread, unrest brewed among DPP members, many of whom worried that such brazen behavior could jeopardize the party’s efforts to portray a good image and its stance on the ongoing dialogue about judicial corruption.
Several senior party officials including DPP Vice President for the South, Bright Msaka, expressed their concerns, suggesting that Gangata’s actions were putting the party into jeopardy.
In a swift turn of events, DPP leadership unanimously urged Gangata to retract his threats. Under mounting pressure, Gangata eventually retracted his previous demands for Kamangira to apologize and recant his statements, labeling the demand letter he had allegedly issued as “fake.”
Observers argue that Gangata’s displayed hooliganism ultimately reflects a troubling DPP trend of intimidation in politics that undermines democratic values and the rule of law.
