Abiti Manice to sue DPP councillor Chimbanga over ‘assassinatory’ remarks

Manice Hale, a naturalized American citizen of Malawian dissent—known on Facebook as Manice Abiti William Dawood—has said she will sue overzealous Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Soche East ward councilor, Leonard Chimbanga, who mentioned he would “get rid of her” if a chance arose for her anti-DPP remarks on social media platforms especially Facebook.

Manice, who is a nurse by profession, said through her Facebook page on Friday that she was engaging her lawyers.

In a leaked conversation between Chimbanga and a woman only identified as Angela McJessie, which Nyasa Times has, the former says: “I will give you an example: the manner in which Manice behaves; if she were in the same town with you, would you not eliminate her?”

Chimbanga, who unreservedly apologized over another leaked audio that touted UTM Party President Saulos Chilima as a “fresh” leader for Malawi in the constitutional court decreed presidential election supposed to be held in July, suggested the best thing to do with the likes of ‘Manices’ was to “kill them.”

Said Chimbanga: “I will be honest with you. You do things for fun [the posts on Facebook and other social media platforms], but they are people who take such things seriously to the extent that they can eliminate you…some don’t even write the posts, they simply for what others are posting and report to their bosses…I am telling you: people lose jobs, people get fired from cabinet positions with such mere posts.”

And in response Manice wrote on her Facebook page: “I will not respond to the threats he’s made. I was busy consulting with my lawyers. A guy who claims to practice clean politics is busy planning assassination of his opponents, I mean someone like me who is just a mere supporter. The same guy who says MCP practices dirty politics is busy planning evil deeds. Freedom of speech, yes…but threatening to physically eliminate me, that’s a crime! I’m gonna go ahead and sue him!!!”

She added: “I am gonna sue him. I swear to God.”

Social media influencer and commentator, Stanley Onjezani Kenani, described Chimbanga’s behaviour as unfortunate and retrogressive.

Wrote Kenani on his Facebook wall: “It’s worse than I thought…the recorded little-known ruling party politician who holds the post of ward councilor is talking of killing the likes of Manice Abiti William Dawood. Yet in 1993 we voted for multiparty democracy to move away from politics of death and darkness.”

Manice, who is niece to President Peter Mutharika, gained social media popularity last year after he appeared on a Times TV  exclusive interview in which he announced dumping his uncle’s party the DPP for the Chilima’s UTM Party, saying her uncle had failed to implement the very things he had promised  during campaign.