Malawians ask President Mutharika to apologise over ‘eat mice and grasshoppers’
Some Malawians have taken up on social media to ask President Peter Mutharika to say sorry over his “joke” gone wrong that people should start eating mice and grasshoppers in view of severe food shortages this year.
At least half of Malawi population of 16 million need relief food this year because food production has gone down by 42 per cent due to El Nino powered phenomenon weather which has caused severe drought in some parts of the country and severe flooding in other areas.
However, writing on social media, some Malawians have described Mutharika as insestive, saying he cannot joke on real time and real life issues.
“Him and his wife and step son are busy eating tax payers sponsored spaghet, rice, sausages, beef…and he is telling us to go out and hunt mice and catch grasshoppers for food, what type of President is he?” reads one comment on Facebook.
Mutharika or State House have not responded to the fierce criticisms but Minister of Information Patricia Kaliati says Malawians have missed the humour in the joke.
“The criticism directed at innocent jokes that the president cracked at a recent development rally in Mulanje that people should eat mice as part of their food supplement is thoughtless and unwarranted. It speaks of fault finding of the extreme nature,” says Kaliati in a statement.
Kaliati, who is also government spokersperson, says for anybody to suggest that such a President has abdicated his responsibility of looking after his people simply because he referred jokingly to mice as a food supplement is to sink Malawi politics to new levels.
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The so called president MUST apologise without delay spinning this won’t work. I too heard this on etv here in SA and my friend (South African) was asking me if the Malawian president is normal upstairs because here in SA no one eats a rat not at all i bet if you can find one. Therefore like someone said and like i have been Saying before, the so called President who is not a presidential material should be very careful when opening his mouth in front of media cameras for the sake of our country’s reputation. What an inept and incompetent so called president.
If it is true that the Malawi’s president said people should eat mice and grasshoppers, it means he looks down on Malawians, as inferior beings. Does he eat mice and grasshoppers himself? This is unbelievable, but knowing how docile Malawians are, they will continue to sing and clap for the man who doesn’t even care about them. His remarks imply Malawians are very desperate salvages and can eat anything, except him. Amazing
Kaziulika or whatever, is peter nutrionist? those words should be uttered by Mrs Mary Shaba NOT the president. president must give hope to the people osati kujoka pa nkhani yanjala.
Malawians are a laughing stock. Atcheya used to call women including Joyce Banda D7s, was that an issue?
“Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. Right is right even if no one is doing it.” – Saint Augustine
Well said.
Ecclesiasticus 23:17
A conversation with a fool is repulsive because he make a joke about serious matters.
His cursing and his swearing make the hair stands on end, when such man argue others stop their ears.
This can not be taken for an innocent joke. This so called joke, is on international news. Other countries have broadcast this on their TV and radio stations. I personally heard about this on radio Botswana. The president needs to be careful what he says in public.This is making Malawi to be a laughing stoke on the international community.
Take it or leave it. The president is not forcing anyone to eat ziwala or mbewa. He only suggested. Mwandibowa kwambiri amene mukulimbana ndi zimenezi. Anaiwala kunena kuti tidzidyanso nsima ya madeya/gaga. Kapena chaka chino chikhala choyamba inuyo kudya zoterezi. Shut up!!
No need for the President to apologise to all Malawians. He can only apologise to Seventh Day Adventist and Moslem leadership through the advisor on religious affairs Apostle Khomviwa. I am from Lilongwe and grew up eating Mice. Grasshoppers and mphalabungu. I don’t feel offended at all.
As for jokes; Even Bakili Muluzu made stupid jokes about a small baby who was raped by advising the rapists “to rape the mother” instead. (Mwa mwana mumvamo chiani? Mayi wake anali kuti?). He made similar overboard jokes about HIV kuti azimayi chitani deam as if it was only women spreading HIV.
It is also true that Peter Mutharika is naturally not a good Joke teller and indeed it would be unfair to take any gaffs from him seriously. He struggles even to express very clear issues and you expect him to say a good joke??
Mika Kumbire – dude, if you grew up eating mice – good for you. Some of us don’t and will never do, therefore it is indeed offensive to some of us both culturally and morally. However, that is not the point.
What people are concerned with is the impression he created. He seems to say that his government does not care to help resolve the hunger issue. That joke was misplaced! Period.
Secondly, if Muluzi gaffed about raping babies, it does not make it right for Mutharika to do the same about something equally as serious. If someone says or does something wrong, it does not mean it’s okay for me to do the same!
So, perhaps you are actually just confirming the fact that all leaders we elect are morally and socially bankrupt? Just an objective observation.
HON kaliati ya the govt.sporkesperson aka govt zealot,,,,,,ivin if yo boss is wrong yu wuld still seal his wrongs with yo socalled loud mouthed gobbels aroma, its high time ppo have had such nosense …if this so caled mice nd grasshopper twint attracted ppoz discomfort yu wuld have pause and reflected the problem….osat ixo muyankhula apoi ixo
MR president this is a joke gone so wrong. Take responsibility for the misshap, especially if you yourself are taking decent meals everyday but your people are not
pali nkhani apa? kodi olo apepese zisintha zinthu? munthu asiye kucheza ndi anthu ake? ya nilibe pulobulemu mwawona kuti yazizira ndiye mukufuna kuponyamo ina za zii. Mapwiya Pitala osadanda
chitsiru
Are these e-malawians or social media Malawian? So you expect the President to apologise for that instead of you looking at the scientific side of the issues!Are these Malawian nutritionist!experts on what can sustain the human body or have they proof that eating what HE mentioned shall malnourish them! You see Nyasatimes has wedged war against HE from time immemorial and if you are to put to task HE together with your so called” social media Malawians” then you will surely have a lot on your hands!How many other people have said issues may be bigger and trivial about Malawians yet Nyasatimes and your e-malawians have not demanded any apology? HE wont apologies to Nyasatimes or the author of the article and for me I see nothing wrong in that! NT has a clear agenda against DPP and others know it! kkk wake up and smell the coffee Nyasatimes and the so called” social media Malawians”- you will flop badly!!!
that should not come out of president mouth.
Kaliati, the President has so many advisors and I think some of them are being unfair with him for not advising what to say in public. Peter is naturally not a humorous person and therefore, he should be avoiding cracking jokes in public that may be misinterpreted as in the case of this one. He should not liken himself to Bakili Muluzi or his late brother, Bingu. Muluzi is naturally an entertainer and the President be like the Kamuzu Banda who never joked at a public function. The problem of human nature is that whatever comes from people of his calibre is taken seriously and don’t blame the media or the public when they raise concern. Let the President from now on concentrate on his business and nobody will blame him for that. His joke has annoyed scores of Muslims and Seventh Day Adventist followers whose religions do not allow eating mice. The President was insensitive and therefore, the apology is the best thing to do – arrogance will not take you anywhere. Just think of this joke which says ” wakhate samunamiza msapato or a saying which goes “wakhungu akati ndi kumenya waponda mwala”? These are some of the jokes people in the country crack, but you would not say that in the presence of people with leprosy or blind people because you should know how they would react to that. This is what I mean by being insensitive.
Kaliati, just tell your grasshopper you call president that he is sick in the head and not worthy to be president. Problem yosankha abwanoni to be president ndilimenero. Now he has started recognizing his fellow insects.
yes he must apologise to the Nation. we have enough comedians in this country as such we dont need another one in the form of President
To be sincere, Peter was NOT joking but advising Malawians of alternative of supplement food. Kamuzu did the but he suggested potato and sorghum. That Peter was joking is a joke! He really meant his words. As an escape comes the refutation that he cracked a joke. Some people eat mice and grasshoppers. So where is the here that all Malawians affected by hunger should do likewise?
Kaziulika be serious please. Mice and grasshoppers are a delicacy. Not a staple food. There simply isn’t enough supply. In fact, one might spend more energy hunting such creatures that what they get from eating them. Think: we humans only eat things which are either domesticated (farm animals) or stationary (plants). One can’t survive on rodents and seasonal insects.