Court rebuffs Jumbe’s UDF camp injunction to stop convention

The High Court in Malawi’s commercial city, Blantyre, on Sunday rebuffed the camp of interim president of United Democratic Front (UDF), Friday Jumbe, which sought an injunction to stop the party’s forthcoming convention.

The party intends to hold its convention on October 30 in Blantyre.

High Court judge Joseph Manyungwa refused to grant an ex-parte injunction. The matter is slated for Wednesday when the camp organising the convention, headed by secretary general Kennedy Makwangwala, will also be heard.

The Jumbe camp is represented by Ralph and Arnolds law firm.

Makwangwala said his camp has engaged the services of prominent lawyer Kalekeni Kaphale to counter the application for the injunction.

In September, Jumbe trashed the convention describing it as an illegal gathering under the spell of Malawi’s former president Bakili Muluzi.

The UDF ruled Malawi from 1994 to 2004 under Muluzi and from 2004 to early 2005 by late Bingu wa Mutharika, who was handpicked by Muluzi and ditched the party to form the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Jumbe earlier threatened that his camp would take unspecified action to paralyse the convention.

The two warring factions are in a wrangle over leadership of the party.