Mutharika’s now a joker: Kaliati hits at critics of ‘eat mice’ remarks
Information, Communication Technology and Civic Education Minister who is also government spokesperson Patricia Kaliati has hit back at some Malawians faulting President Peter Mutharika in what she calls ‘innocent things’ including jokes.
Kaliati said the remarks made by President Mutharika at a recent development rally in Mulanje that people should eat ‘mice’ as part of their food supplement was just a joke
In a statement made available to Nyasa Times, Kaliati said the criticism directed at the President Mutharika referring to his remarks are thoughtless.
“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” said Kaliati in a statement.
Kaliati said the Mutharika-led government is doing everything to safeguard his people from consequences of natural disasters that have resulted to food shortage.
She said among other things, in the 2016-17 Malawi National Budget, the government has allocated enough funds to enable it import of enough food.
Kaliati also said the government has been lobbying the international community and well wishers to come forward with assistance.
“The President has a right to joke when he is interacting with his people. He does not have to fear to explore his sense of humour simply because fault-finders lie in wait to denounce anything that he says.
“Government wishes to take this opportunity to assure the people of Malawi once again that everything is being done to address the food shortages that not only this country is experiencing,” Kaliati said.
Kaliati said claiming Mutharika has abdicated his people through the mice remarks is ‘sinking our politics to new levels of pettiness’.
“The President like all Malawians know that ‘Mice’ are eaten in some parts of our country even in times of plenty as a delecacy and to diversify on their traditional foods,” Kaliti added.
The ‘let Malawias eat mice’ remarks by Mutharika has however been received with mixed reactions from most Malawians through the social media.
Some say they are offensive to people like members of the Seventh Day Church and Muslims who do not eat mice.
This is not the first time for Mutharika to crack a joke angering Malawians as he was some months ago heavily criticised for saying ‘Nilibe Pulobulemu’ (I dont have a Problem) at a public rally while millions of Malawians are starving.
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Amayiwa zinazi komaaaa! Zoona zikhale zoikira kumbuyo izi? Kuonetsa umbuli waukulu uku kkkkkk!!! Ma jokes sitichita pa maliro!
You dont joke when the house is burning. Malawi People are really suffering and the politicians think, its just ajoke. Can Kaliati survive on mice and rats and grasshoppers. A pity
That is what happens when you have a President with a brain of a mouse and an IQ of a grasshopper
If I were kaliatI I would have been selective in my way of defending because apa mwaonetserathu kuti our government is run by people who do not know what they are doing.
Mr Jokes! Utakhala pa msana pa Njovu usamati kulibe mame
Joking with Peoples lives?? IDIOT!!!
If the President was only joking, then it was a joke in very bad taste indeed. If the President wants people to respect him, then he must in turn respect his people by not making jokes about people’s hunger. In this case he deserves all the criticism he receives. Kaliati’s attempt to exonerate APM is pathetic in the extreme. He is guilty as charged.
And convicted as charged! I need someone to sentence him kkkkkkk!!!!
AMALAWI TIYENI TIWONESESE PAMENEPA MWANZELU. KODI ATCHEYA PAMISONKHANO AMAKHONZA KUJOKA ALIPO KODI AMANENAPO KANTHU? MAPULEZIDENTIWANSO NDANTHU AMAFUNANSO KUPANGA PHWETE.
IF YOU CAN REMEMBER WELL IN LIWONDE EX-PRESIDENT BAKILI MULUZI WAS ATTACKING CHILD RAPISTS HE SAID “…kodi mwana wa zaka 9 mumvamo chani kusiya ma buludoza ali kusogolokuwa…”.
WHERE WERE THOSE ADVOCATING WOMEN RIGHTS? PEOPLE TOOK IT AS A JOKE. EASY MALAWIANS AND BE JOVIAL ALWAYS AS LAUGHTER IS BEST MEDICINE OF ALL TIMES
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
BY NOW MUTHARIKA SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT MALAWIANS DO NOT LIKE HIS JOKES. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHY JOKING ON A SERIOUS MATTER LIKE HUNGER, OF ALL THE THINGS!
EVERYDAY MUTHARIKA ENJOYS 3-COURSE MEALS USING OUR MONEY WHEN SOME OF OUR PEOPLE CAN NOT AFFORD A MEAL IN A DAY. IT IS MUTHARIKA WHO IS THOUGHTLESS!
I ALWAYS GET SURPRISE WHEN PEOPLE WANT LEADERSHIP SO MUCH AND YET THEY HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER.
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THE ERLIER, THE BETTER
kaliati’s res[pnse is not surprising at all . . .
. . . You see . . .
Kaliati has spent a good part of her life lying/defending lies, that truth no longer exists in her. Yet if Kaliati had any kilobyte of honesty/truth left in her veins, she could have known that . . .
. . . the one who made the joke (if at all it was a joke) is not the right person – Head of State
. . . the timimg of the joke was wrong – nthawi ya njala (all that people want, is message of hope not jokes)
. . . the joke was made to a wrong audience – hard-hit starving people
. . . Therefore, the joke was entirely out of context; and thus wrong, in toto,
Not knowing what to joke about or at what time to joke about what, does not bode well for the professor that APM is; coz we expect him to have the wisdom/intelligence to know when to say/not to say what.
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I wish people could accept and avoid things they are not good at.
. . . Clearly APM is not a joker.
. . . Surprisingly, he is also insensitive – joker or no joker.
The earlier APM accepts these realities, and avoid pretending to be what he is not; the better.
. . . Otherwise, with time; a small leak could sink a great ship.
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You are right “The Analyst”. A joke has “time”, “place” and “audience” as its basic requirements.
Surely his choice of jokes is often misplaced. Sikale anabweretsa chimbale cha ‘Ndilibe problem’
This is not an issue to joke about we need a seriuos minded president not a joker
My advice to Peter is never joke when your friends are suffering. Hunger is real.
Kaliati a zombie of highest older f…..k. So you say you can crack a joke to sensitive issues without any iota of thought? Masende
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm……nkhani yake yomweyi mpaka nkumati somebody was offended?
there is no such a joke. i think think this man just talk without thinking. he is shallow minded to lead a nation
This just makes it sound worse. Why is the President now making jokes about people suffering from hunger? Useless president! Useless leaders!
People, please learn, not to criticize everything. I think the president might have joked. But come to think of it even if he meant it, he was still within the confinements of giving good advice to people.
Mice and grasshoppers are rich sources of proteins, vitamins A, B and D. They are natural food for most Africans.
So what the fuck?
Iweyo nde mutu wako siugwira bwinibwino iai
Why do you speak as if the grasshoppers or the mice are just everywhere?
And do you think the grasshoppers or mice can sustain a family?
And for how long?
Kodi zimatheka bwanji anthu kumakhala opanda nzeru chomchi?
I eat mice and grasshoppers but they cannot be an alternative to maize or kondowole
Eti eti guys. Ati vitamins and protein….ahhh. Abale.
Public rallies are supposed to be serious places. People cannot leave their homes just to listen to some jokes
This government is full of jokes. Do you remember the jokes like construction of toilets for faeces and the issue of gassing/ ziphwisi bill, all these in parliament.
stupid Kaliati. Do we pay Mutharika to make silly jokes? paja iwenso mbewazo umazidya eti?
I think a person with his morals and sanity would not joke around with issues of food when there is massive hunger in the country. Even Winiko who is a comedian would not joke around it and why should the President joke around it? That joke is not a funny joke. If he is a joker then he is a rousy joker.
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If it was just a joke, then it was a joke in very bad taste. In which case APM is justifiably being criticised.
A president who respects his people and who jexpects sthe people to respect him should know better than to make such jokes concerning people who are suffering from hunger.
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