VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLG #0526 2661433
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231433Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0764
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0403
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 2773
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000526 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D   C O P Y   (ADDED SENSITIVE CAPTION) 
LONDON FOR AF WATCHER PETER LORD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM MI
SUBJECT: MALAWI CONGRESS PARTY REFORMER CHAFUKIRA DIES 
MYSTERIOUSLY 
 
REF: A. LILONGWE 453 
     ¶B. LILONGWE 386 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  Ex-Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesman 
Ishmael Chafukira died suddenly Sunday while on a trip to 
South Africa.  The cause of death is still unknown, but most 
Malawians believe MCP leader John Tembo somehow arranged to 
have Chafukira, a declared rival, eliminated.  Chafukira's 
mysterious death may give pause to other reform-minded MCP 
members who had been planning to challenge Tembo's 
leadership.  End summary. 
 
SUDDEN DEATH 
------------ 
 
¶2. (U) Former Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesman and 
Member of Parliament Ishmael Chafukira, age 42, died Sunday 
while on a business trip to South Africa.  The cause of 
Chafukira's death has not been determined.  Local Malawian 
media reports that he collapsed at a hotel in the town of 
Messina as he was preparing to return to Malawi.  Reportedly 
suffering from severe stomach pain, Chafukira died shortly 
thereafter. 
 
A RISING STAR IN MALAWI POLITICS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Chafukira was a rising star in a new generation of 
Malawian politicos.  He achieved a high public profile as the 
spokesman for the MCP.  In the wake of the MCP's poor showing 
in Malawi's May 2009 national elections, Chafukira launched a 
public challenge to party boss John Tembo.  He openly 
criticized Tembo's leadership, blamed him for the party's 
setbacks, and called on him to resign as the MCP's president. 
 These actions led to his ouster as party spokesman (ref B) 
and expulsion from the party.  Undeterred, Chafukira -- still 
an MP -- pressed for Parliamentary procedural changes to 
block Tembo from becoming Opposition Leader (ref A) in 
Malawi's National Assembly. 
 
RUMORS ABOUND 
------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Rumors are rife in Malawi that Tembo somehow 
orchestrated Chafukira's death.  Chafukira's relatively young 
age and apparently good health have most Malawians convinced 
that his death involved foul play.  The perception of Tembo 
within the Malawian public is that he has done away with 
challengers to his leadership using any means necessary.  At 
least five individuals who in some way opposed Tembo have 
died under mysterious circumstances over the years.  (Note: 
Post anticipates that a post mortem will be performed in 
South Africa rather than in Malawi.  This may shed light on 
the true circumstances of Chafukira's death, but will 
probably do little to dispel suspicions of Tembo's 
involvement. End note.) 
 
A CHILLING AFFECT ON CHALLENGERS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Chafukira was a close contact of the Mission, and 
confided his frustration with Tembo's autocratic and 
ineffective leadership long before the MCP's May 2009 
election thumping.  While it is certain that there was no 
love lost between Chafukira and Tembo, there is currently 
no/no hard evidence to confirm Tembo's involvement in 
Chafukira's death.  Nonetheless, Chafukira's sudden demise 
will likely have a chilling effect on reform minded members 
of the MCP. As Crown Mbewe, a member of Malawi's Human Rights 
Consultative Committee (HRCC) confided to Poloff, "They will 
surely think again before speaking against Tembo now." 
SULLIVAN