- Nankhumwa and three others to meet today and discuss the letters received.
- DPP fears meeting costs in court.
Nine days ahead of a court battle in which the dismissed Kondwani Nakhumwa, Greselder Jeffery and two other were to face off the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leadership, the party has recoiled and retreated from the battle by revoking the dismissals of the embattled members.
The letters, which have been signed by DPP’s administrative secretary, Francis Mphepo, have since been issued to the four officials who have also been reinstated to their positions in the party.
“I refer to the letter dated 2nd October 2020 communicating the decision of the resolution of the central executive committee to expel you from the party. I am now pleased to advise that the central committee has resolved to rescind the said decision of expelling you from the party. You are hereby informed that you are welcome back into the party as a full member of the party and to your original position…”, the letters read in part.
The DPP central executive committee fired Kondwani Nankhumwa from the position of Vice President of the Party in the south, Gresselder Jeffery from the position of Secretary-General for the party, Jappie Mhango from the position of Treasure General and expelled them from party including Member of Parliament for Mulanje West constituency Yusufu Nthenda for gross misconduct.
The committee reached the decision at a meeting which took place at the party president Peter Mutharika’s retirement home in Mangochi in October last year.
A member of the DPP’s central executive committee, Samuel Tembenu, disclosed that Nankhuma was fired because he imposed himself as Leader of Opposition in Parliament while Gresselder was fired for organising Nakhumwa’s election as Leader of Opposition at parliament without the party’s blessings. Jappie Mhango was expelled for presiding over the election of Nankhumwa as Leader of Opposition while Yusuf Nthenda was expelled for allegedly blocking Francis Kasaila from attaining the position of Leader of Opposition in the parliament.
Mediation process which attempted to resolve the wrangle collapsed in April this year resulting into the High Court Judge, Kenyatta Nyirenda, before whom the matter was brought for mediation to refer the case for full trial which was expected to commence on 25th August (9 days from today).
The recipients of the letters have expressed dissatisfaction saying “the letters on expulsion came from the party president himself, but the reinstatement letters are signed by Mr. Mphepo.” The recipients were quick to point out that the letters of reinstatement are coming in “because of the court case which is coming”.
The four are yet to respond to the letters but they have indicated to the Press that they “will sit down, think about it and respond accordingly”. “What we want is an early convention and they want us to ignore that. I don’t think we will give in to that”, Nthenda said in a comment.
