The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is grappling with a growing political crisis, internal sabotage and betrayal in the eastern region orchestrated by their own man regional chairman Foster Ntandama.
What initially appeared to be a localised act of internal favouritism to bring in close allies as the party’s contestants, is now revealing signs of a broader, more deliberate act of political sabotage.
Ntandama, who has been a close ally with MCP Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda, is at the centre of this far-reaching plot to weaken the party’s parliamentary prospects in the region.
The regional chairman is said to have received MK86 million from United Democratic Front (UDF) patron and former President Bakili Muluzi, in a covert operation designed to prevent MCP from securing any parliamentary seats in the East.
The MCP has recently been gaining inroads into the eastern region but these revelations threaten to derail the party’s efforts to expand its influence ahead of the 2025 elections.
Party insiders reveals that it all started with Ntandama manipulating the party’s primary elections in favour of hand-picked, weaker candidates. According to multiple sources, the plan ensured that strong candidates are either blocked from contesting, pressured to withdraw, or discouraged through intimidation while other were coerced to join the UDF.
“The plan includes two tactics: ensuring that weaker MCP candidates are fielded through compromised primaries, and persuading strong contenders either to step down or defect to the UDF.
“Several promising MCP candidates in districts such as Zomba and Machinga are reportedly facing financial inducements and coordinated threats—allegedly from individuals linked to Ntandama—to abandon their bids,” revealed one of the sources.
He added: “This is not just political mismanagement. This is deliberate internal sabotage driven by greed and alliances with rivals. It’s about keeping the Eastern Region under UDF dominance, even if it means MCP destroying its own future there.”
According to party insider, President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, who is currently in the Eastern Region for a working retreat at Chikoko Bay in Mangochi, was recently forced to directly confront Ntandama. The sources disclosed that President Chakwera’s interest was to have clarity on Ntandama’s alleged dealings with Bakili Muluzi.
The sources further said, Ntandama told the President that he does some private business with Muluzi as sugar distributors, a revelation that reportedly shocked the President, who is said to have been unaware of any declared relationship between his regional chairman and the UDF founder.
“The President was visibly taken aback. That relationship should have been disclosed long ago—especially given the political sensitivities involved,” said the source.
The Eastern Region remains a critical battleground for the MCP if the party is to establish itself as a truly national force. While historically dominated by the UDF and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the MCP has made steady inroads since 2020, winning local government seats and building new structures.
However, analysts warn that these gains could be reversed if the party fails to address internal betrayal decisively.
“This situation reflects a bigger problem within the MCP—lack of internal vigilance and unchecked regional patronage,” said a political analyst based in Blantyre. “If a regional chairman can openly work against the party’s interests and walk away unpunished, what message does that send to the grassroots?”
Another political commentator said it was interesting that Ntandama has been a close ally to the party’s Secretary General Chimwendo Banda who has also faced similar allegations of sabotaging other strong parliamentary contenders in the central and northern regions,
Minister of Trade Vitumbiko Mumba has been one of Chimwendo Banda’s main target in his campaign to dismantle potential threats to his 2030 ambitions.
“One would ask whether this is just a coincidence or is part of a grand plan with Chimwendo positioning himself for 2030.,” wondered the commentator.
In eastern region, the sabotage seems to have started long ago just after the party started holding primary elections across the country. In Zomba Chingale, where the initial scandal broke, local delegates expressed outrage over what they saw as a hijacked process. Some boycotted the process which they said was not transparent enough.
With 2025 fast approaching and internal succession dynamics already taking shape for the post-Chakwera era, the MCP finds itself at a crossroads. Will it act swiftly to cleanse its ranks and restore confidence, or will it allow internal saboteurs to continue operating under the guise of party loyalty?
For now, the spotlight remains on Zomba, Mangochi, and the rest of the eastern region. And as pressure mounts from the grassroots and national leadership alike, the Malawi Congress Party must confront a harsh truth: the biggest threat to its growth may no longer be from the opposition—but from within.
