Reacting to what he has referred to as condescending remarks from Mary Chilima towards the current UTM leadership, Dr. Dalitso Kabambe has hit back, remarking that “Mary has no business in UTM because UTM is not a family party”.
During the launch, Mary Chilima, widow of the late political leader, directed sharp criticism at the current leadership of the United Transformation Movement (UTM), the political party founded by her late husband. She voiced concern over the party’s recent fate which has resulted into it being taken over by individuals whose characters and actions, she said, do not align with the legacy that Dr. Chilima stood for: “We are aware that the party exists and that those leading it today pretend that their goal is to perpetuate SKC’s legacy while in essence they are those that SKC did not want to associate himself with because of their corrupt character,” Mary remarked, emphasizing a disconnection between the current UTM leadership led by Dalitso Kabambe and her husband’s values.
Ahead of the launch which occurred in the evening at BICC, Dr. Kabambe hed a Press Briefing yesterday, indicating that he, and the entire UTM leadership, would not be attending the SKC Foundation launch. Although citing different reasons, insiders informed this publication that the Chilima family did not invite Dr. Kabambe to the event.
Following the remarks from the late Dr. Chilima’s widow, the UTM is conducting a caucus today, aimed at discussing how to handle yesterday’s incident which has threatened UTM’s campaign strategy which was inclined on the late Chilima’s sympathy vote through exploiting his ‘legacy’. Ahead of the caucus which is set to take place from 17:00 Hrs at an undisclosed place in Lilongwe, Kabambe is said to have expressed fury to his colleagues, highlighting that the Chilima family should begin to understand that UTM has new leadership which cannot operate at the mercy of the family.
“To hell with her fake blessing”, Kabambe is quoted saying, reacting to Mary Chilima’s double-edged words which on one side condemned the UTM current leadership while on another side stating that “the UTM has my blessings”.
