Bingu meets Archbishop Ziyaye, faith leaders on Section 65

President Bingu Mutharika met head or Roman Catholic Church in Malawi, Archbishop Tarsizio Ziyaye and other faith leaders at the New State House in Lilongwe to persuade them should convince the opposition to forgo section 65 over the national budget, Nyasa Times has gathered.

According to a reliable source at the State House, Bingu met His Lordship Ziyaye, Rev Razalous Chakwela of Assemblies of God who represented Malawi Council of Churches, Bishop Joseph Bvumbwe of Evangelical Lutheran Church and Alhaj Sheikh Yusuf Kanyamula chairman of Muslim Association of Malawi.

The meeting took place on Thursday.

Government used the same strategy last year during budget session whereby Attorney General Jane Ansha hoped form one religious house to another to woo faith leaders to propagate against implementation of Section 65 which would see over 70 government lawmakers lose seats after defecting from opposition.

"In a twist of events, the clergy told the President that some of his cabinet ministers and party leaders are to blame for fuelling political mayhem in the country", the source reported.

"Your Excellency, we wonder why you maintain some of your cabinet ministers and party leaders in positions, who are seen very rough when speaking, and sometimes tarnishing your image as a State President", reported the official, the clergy said.

The remarks come after Mutharika had apologised to Livingstonia CCAP Synod through his Advisor of religious affairs, Reverend Malani Mtonga asking for forgiveness over undesirable remarks made by his Chief Political advisor, Hetherwick Ntaba.

Ntaba who is also ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secretary referred Livingstonia Synod as "morally bankruptcy".

The Synod has since also asked Mutharika not to be accompanied by Ntaba on his visit to the Synod’s Bandawe mission on Sunday.