Malawi’s ruling party dismisses party boss

Malawi’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has fired its Secretary General, Dr. Heatherwick Ntaba, for unexplained reasons, only saying that his dismissal was an internal party affair, APA learnt here Friday.

Ntaba, a trained medical doctor, has been replaced by Transport and Public Works Minister, Henry Chimunthu Banda, with immediate effect, the DPP office said, without specifying if the former party boss had been given another portfolio in DPP.

Confirming his appointment, Banda said the National Governing Council (NGC) of the DPP and its leader, President Bingu Wa Mutharika, were pleased to have him fill the post of Secretary General (SG) of the party left vacant by the controversial Ntaba, who began his political career in the former ruling Malawi Congress Party of the late president and founder of the Malawi Nation, Kamuzu Banda, who died in 1997.

"It is true that I have taken the position of the Secretary General of our party from now onwards. This has come after the senior members met and resolved this," Banda said.

He said the former SG, who doubles as President Mutharika’s Chief Political Advisor, would be considered for other duties and portfolios within the party.

Ntaba, following his departure from the MCP, he formed his own party called the National Congress for Democracy (NCD) before joining another ruling party, the United Democratic Front (UDF), before finding his way to the Democratic Progressive Party.