Activist outraged by Kyungu’s ‘fools’ slur on Malawi govt critics

Youths in the northern region have vehemently attacked Paramount Chief Kyungu for calling government critics ‘fools’ saying the word was an insult and too strong to come out from him as a senior traditional leader.

Kyungu made the remarks on Sunday during the official opening of Karonga stadium.

While backing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) under the leadership of Peter Mutharika for developing the country especially the northern region, Kyungu described his critics has big fools.
“This government has done a lot of development in the country. Those who are not thanking but criticizing this government for failing Malawians are fools,” said Kyungu.

However, the youths in the north while backing government critics said Kyungu is teaching his subjects especially the youths to use insulting words.

Fearless youth activist Steven Simsokwe said such words are suppose to come from greedy as well as nomadic politicians, not a traditional leader like Kyungu.

According to him, Kyungu’s remarks was a total insult to the northerners who are segregated by this government.

“How do you expect the youths to behave if they hear such words from their traditional leaders. Apart from that, northerners have suffered or are suffering a lot in the hands of this government. We need many people to criticise this government in order to receive equal development,” said Simsokwe.

Simsokwe who was ranked as the best youth activist in the north in the year 2017 asked Kyungu to open his eyes and see the kind of development he praising this government and calling critics fools.

In his remarks, Alex Mkandawire said Kyungu’s reaction toward critics strongly manifest what kind of a leader he is and the type of ‘banzi’ he has eaten from DPP.

He said Kyungu is now working as DPP regional governor and not a Chief.

“Why should Kyungu be against with anyone against this government? If he want to eat much from this government, he has right but should not insult others,” he said.

Kyungu’s slurs also attracted condemnation from Malawi’s flagship newspaper, The Daily Times, through its editorial comment.

“If Kyungu and like-minded chiefs want to be schooled, the one thing we can tell them is that the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi provides for rights, one of which being the right to impart an opinion. There are many other guarantees, including international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the like,” the paper said.

The paper advised Kyungu,and other misguided chiefs that they are not supposed to be tainted by partisan politics, especially because they serve all people, regardless of sex, political affiliation, religion and the like.

“So, by clearly towing a party line— the blue line of the DPP, to be precise— Kyungu has crossed the boundaries of impartiality and failed miserably on the scale of unspotted leadership.

“It is high time Kyungu and others of his ilk realised that critics oil the government’s engine of development. Through criticism, the government is able to identify gaps in national development efforts and work towards the betterment of all. Otherwise, there would not be such a word as constructive criticism,” said the paper.

The paper asked Kyungu to leave politics to politicians, or throw down the cloak of chieftainship and get into the ring of active politics where he  will encounter  “foul-mouthed human beings who may, after all, prove his equal.”