Navicha appointed as a leader of opposition in parliament

Member of parliament for Thyolo Thava, Mary Thom Navicha has been recently appointed as a new leader of opposition following the turned back of George Chaponda in the meeting by the business committee members where by then allowed Kondwani Nankhumwa to participate the meeting yesterday.

The embattled Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) appointed Navicha at a meeting today in Mangochi where a newly female leader confirmed the development.

Speaker of the national assembly Catherine Gotani Hara has confirmed receiving the submission but said she is currently consulting before confirming Navicha as the new leader of the opposition.

Currently, parliament is continuing recognise Nankhumwa as a leader of opposition.

Yesterday, Chaponda and Mary Navicha as Deputy Chief Whip and Chimwemwe Chipungu, went to parliament to attend business committee meeting which starts today, ahead of national budget session commencing on 9 February, 2024.

However, the three have been turned down after they were told they were uninvited.

This follows recent advice from the Attorney General, Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda, to parliament that they should stick to Kondwani Nankhumwa as Leader of Opposition.

But earlier, former ruling DPP wrote the office of speaker of parliament to remove Nankhumwa on the post, after firing him from the party.

Ironically, last week, Committee Chairperson, Catherine Gotani Hara invited Chaponda to attend the meeting.

In a purported letter, Hara, has personally called for Chaponda’s presence at the meeting.

This decision was made following the expulsion of Kondwani Nankhumwa from the DPP.

Nankhumwa and others were banished from the party for allegedly formulating parallel structures which violated the party’s rules.