DPP’s Grezelder Jeffrey snubs disciplinary hearing
Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secretary General Grezelder Jeffrey has snubbed the party’s disciplinary committee which summoned her to a hearing today.
Jeffrey, now party’s vice president for the central region, was summoned to appear the committee over her role in holding a DPP National Governing Council (NGC) meeting in Lilongwe.
The committee chaired by Jean Kalilani also summoned party’s former vice president for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa, Cecilia Chazama and Mark Botomani other the same matter.
Both the three senior DPP officials appeared before the committee at Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe today.
After the hearing disciplinary committee Chairperson Jean Kalilani kept mum, despite journalists questions to learn more about today’s proceedings.
All the officials did not divulge any information, nor did they give a hint as to whether Grezelder Jeffrey might appear before the committee or not.
The hearing comes weeks after Nankhumwa, Botomani, Jeffrey and Chazama led other DPP members in holding an NGC meeting at Golden Peacock in Lilongwe.
At that meeting, it was agreed that the party would hold a national convention on December 5 and 6. The DPP described the meeting as illegal.
Days after that meeting, DPP president Peter Mutharika removed Nankhumwa from the position of party vice president for the south and appointed him as presidential advisor role.
Mutharika also removed Jeffery from the position of secretary general to Central Region Vice President while Chazama was removed from the director of women role to the presidential advisor role.
Nankhumwa has been replaced by George Chaponda while Jeffrey has been replaced by Clement Mwale and Chazama was replaced by Mary Thomas Navicha.
Since its loss in the June 23, 2020, court-sanctioned presidential election, DPP has been caught in infighting that experts have described as not healthy for the party.
The situation has resulted in party divisions.
The bone of contention has been the party’s leadership succession, Kondwani Nankhumwa declaring his intention to compete at the party’s convention.