Mwenifumbo, a political nomad who never stops

Frank Mwenefumbo a well known professional political prostitute

Countless times prior to any election, almost all religious groupings, traditional leaders and civil society organisations advise Malawians not to vote for politicians who lack principles.

One such unprincipled political life is the tendency to jump from one party to another in search of power, influence and financial wellbeing.
Political prostitution remains a detestable conduct in Malawi, no wonder it faces criticism by all quarters of society every time an opportunity arises.

Malawi cannot exhaustively discuss political prostitution without certain names, who since the dawn of democracy in the early 90s keep hoping from one political bloc to another.

Frank Tumpale Mwenifumbo is one good example of this crop of politicians.

Almost a year after quitting the UTM, revelations are now rife that Mwenifumbo is forming his own National Democratic Party whose funding has been sourced from South Africa.

As and when he finally registers his own party, the former Karonga Central legislator will have engraved his name as the most prolific political prostitute who has tasted every political colour there has been since 1994. This is an attribute that is accompanied by shame for it speaks volumes of the sojourner’s lack of direction.
At the turn of the democratic dispensation, Frank Mwenifumbo was a young man learning the political ropes from the pro-democracy advocates such as Chafukwa Chihana.
Conventional wisdom would have it that his role as personal assistant to Chihana was a good learning curve of loyalty. Ironically, the man has sadly become renowned for easily being swayed by the wind when it comes and wherever it goes.

Mwenifumbo is no stranger as a political journeyman. He launched his political career with Aford before joining the United Democratic Front in 2004 only to dump it a year later to join the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after Bingu wa Mutharika broke ranks with the party that supported him to power.

Eight years later – in 2012- when Bingu died, Tumpale jumped ship to join Joyce Banda, whose Peoples Party had become the default ruling party running affairs of the country.

Two years later the DPP made a comeback and so too did Frank. He without shame rejoined Peter Mutharika’s regime only to dump it for the second time few years later to go back to Aford.

The 2019 elections found Frank in Aford but he was itching to make a move, which he did when he partnered as running mate to UDF’s Atupele Muluzi.

Being someone who does not associate himself with being in opposition, he familiarized quickly with the wind of change and joined the anti-Mutharika protests that culminated into the 2020 Fresh Presidential Election.

This time around he was associated with UTM where he was later appointed spokesperson. He left UTM almost a year later and has since been serving as board chairperson of the Northern Region Water Board.

Going by his indecisiveness, plans to form his own party will only end up being another revolving door. The man with the most political ins and outs in the country may speak of a new party, but his mind is already miles ahead scheming who might be the highest bidder to take him into their fold.

Those closer to the formation of his new party have already disclosed that forming the political party is Mwenifumbo’s strategy to launch a personal challenge to the dominance of Aford and its leader Enoch Chihana in the northern region and eventually position himself as a formidable candidate for the running mate to the incumbent State President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.