Academic dons hit back at Mutharika over survey: Times newspaper says ‘Malawians are unhappy’

University of Malawi’s Chancellor College political scientist Boniface Dulani has described as insensitive remarks by President Peter Mutharika that researchers who concluded that only 41 percent of Malawians trust their Head of State.

“He is entitled to his opinion. It is insensitive on his part to think the people we talked to are flies. They are Malawians,” said Dulani.

Mutharika on Saturday went to town on Dulani, discrediting the survey results, saying either he cooked up the figures or he talked to house flies, saying the situation on the ground is contrary to the survey results.

The survey, conducted by Chancellor College’s Department of Political and Administrative Studies shows that the President is the least trusted with a rating of 41 percent.

The survey shows that Malawians trust the clergy and traditional leaders more than politicians.

Dulani said the survey was aimed at finding whether traditional leadership was relevant in democratic Malawi or not.

The survey, entitled ‘the paradoxy traditional leadership in democratic Malawi,’ show that the clergy are most trusted with 80 per cent rating, followed by chiefs with a rating of 76 per cent, NGO leaders have a rating of 65 per cent, ward councillors had a rating of 48 per cent and members of parliament at 41 per cent.

According to Dulani said the survey was conducted by Head of Political and Administrative Studies Happy Kayani, Michael Chasukwa, Gift Sambo and Dulani himself.

Dulani’s 2014 survey successfully predicted that Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party would win the general election.

Meanwhile, Malawi’s flagship newspaper, The Daily Times on March 27 2017 said in an editorial that President Mutharika should not ignore critics should not perceive critics as enemies.

The paper pointed out that “there is a wave of discontentment” with the way Malawi is being run.

“Malawians are unhappy and life is difficult, especially with rising cost of living and lack of basic necessities,” reads the editorial.

The paper said President Mutharika “must learn to accept criticism and use it to rebuild his otherwise dented reputation.”

It said as long as Mutharika remains the Head of State he will always be a subject of criticism.