Bingu wa Mutharika statue at Parliament: Malawi leader set to unveil it
President Peter Mutharika is Friday scheduled to unveil a statue in honour of the late president Bingu wa Mutharika, erected at Parliament Building in Lilongwe.
Minister of Information and Communications Technology Henry Mussa confirmed that construction works for the sculpture has been completed.
After unveiling the stature, a memorial service will follow.
Renowned South African sculptor Jean Doyle, who was hired to erect the Bingu statue, also constructed the statue of president Hastings Kamuzu Banda erected at Area 18 Memorial Tower in Lilongwe.
Since the sculpture photos have been circulating on social media, a storm has since erupted over the likeness of the statue; with many airing views that the bronze was not a fair reflection of the country’s former leader.
But experts says a statue is not a picture and that Bingu’s statue is clearly depicting him with his signature gesture to the country that “let the works of my hands speak for me.”
One commented to Nyasa Times: “It is Bingu wa Mutharika it is the best sculptor we have in Malawi.”
Malawians will remember Bingu because he lived, reigned and died in a very remarkable and memorable way.
Through his first term, from 2004 to 2009, the works of his hands spoke of great political and economic success. Even his national and international critics do not dispute this fact. The world could not resist but listen to the new messiah whose works spoke of great tidings of high agricultural productivity and food security, for the once hunger stricken Malawi.
His works spoke of a redeemed Malawi, which was not only feeding herself, but had over a million metric tons of surplus. Bingu works spoke so appealingly to donors who had abandoned Malawi and deserted her as if she were a leper colony.
Donors regained trust and flocked back to Malawi with huge bags of dollars and pounds. The IMF too felt compelled to take a rare decision- in 2006 the IMF wrote-off a huge debt Malawi had incurred, when Bingu was not in office.
In 2006, he through the works of his hands and thorough consultative processes drafted the highly applauded Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) to run for five years until 2011. The MGDS prioritized enhancement of agriculture and food security, education, transport, energy generation, rural development, irrigation and water development, youth development and anti-corruption initiatives.
In 2008, Malawi registered 9.7% economic growth and was rated a fastest growing economy in the world after Qatar. By the following year, 2009, which was the General Elections years, the works of Mutharikas hands had also spoken of countless infrastructure development that spread across all regions of Malawi. Malawians decided to let their votes speak only of their appreciation to Mutharika and heaped on him 66.7% of votes which ushered him into a second term.
The first year of his second term, from 2009 to 2010 equally spoke highly of works of his hands, which now extended cross the African continent. In January 2010, he rose to the Chairmanship of the African Union, replacing the late Muammar al-Gaddafi who attempted to retain the Chairmanship for an additional term. While Chairing the African Union, he called for Africans to develop fellow Africans and trade intensively among themselves.
Bingu implemented the African Food Basket Initiative which prioritized African’s food security, a concept which he had successfully implemented in Malawi. He argued that Africa had the potential to feed itself and the rest of the world.
All of a sudden, things changed in 2011 during the second year of his second term. – the usual final term curse for African leaders when the works of his hands spoke more of struggle than success.
Bingu believed that Africans and of course Malawians could develop domestic policies which could tackle domestic challenges better than imposed policies. He wished above all, that Africans, and Malawians must become masters of their fate.
Sources within government estimate that the statue will cost taxpayers in excess of K120 million, including travel expenses for government officials and family members who have been supervising the work.
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THE STATUE LOOKS MORE LIKE SOMEONE FROM KENYA THAN BINGU. PLEASE SCHOOL ME.
Yes, like the late Dr. H Kamuzu Banda, the late President Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika deserves a statue. But surely this one does not look like him. Sub standard work like what they did with construction of sub standard dykes. …. Chimenecho chigwetsedwe basi!
This is the face of dead Chimulirenji not Bingu. Ndaitulukila, mukuyikilatu ma statue anu while still in power. Hehehe!
kuchita kuchilandila bwino chinthu chonyasa ngati ichi , koma a Malawi simuzatheka. our late bingu does not deserve this, chonde bwezani chinthu chanucho, The late president needs respect not this nyusense……..
A combination of Goodall Gondwe, Chaponda, Jappie Mhango and milomo ya Mwanaanveka!
This statue must fall….our father did not look like this …..THIS IS SO MUCH DISRESPECTFUL TO THE LATE
What is that??? A total waste of our tax payers money……..it’s time for change!!!
Did they Botox his lips ? Was there any supervision ? Somebody needs to be fired
Is this how he looked after the cardiac arrest? I don’t recognize him at all
Reincarnation of Daniel Phiri because this is not Bingu🤣🤣🤣
I don’t remember him being that Ugly! Was this after he had died??
Is that Chaponda
, Goodall Gondwe or Mwanaamveka???
Mmmmh this is not Bingu’s Statue , it looks like Japie Mhango .
Doing thinks secretly and against time, that’s a result
useless
Some one commented, ‘….if Peter is not able to craft the picture of Bingu, who am I to know the face of Bingu?’. In short, the picture is very bad and has no resemblance whatsoever to Bingu
OOOOO thupi ndi Bingu koma nkhope aika ya wina asemphanitsa ,aaaaaa koma ,ndiye kuti sikumapita okayendera ntchityo?.moti chinthu choipachi papita 65 000 000 kwacha .ayi zodabwitsa zeediiiiii
anakapatsa mmalawi nzathu kuti apangetu, mwina could do better than this and at a cheaper price
think of what happened on 20 July 2011. This of of the looted K60 billion. And you worst another K120 million. I am out
Someone needs to be answerable for misallocation of financial resources, when people are starving, living in leaking and dilapidated houses and medicines missing in the hospitals, albinos being massacred we have the nerve to spend money on this useless statue? God have mercy on this nation!!!!
Thats not our Bingu we know send it back… Why they edited Bingu’s face wasnt like this😞😞 this is Chimulirenji not Bingu😆😆😆😆
We still remember you! Ntchito za manja anu zikukuchitirani umboni. Continue resting in eternal peace.
Who paid for this butt ugly thing??
It has already been unveiled, its out there, we have already seen the ugly thing, we don’t need a ceremony, wasting resources
Zake izo chiboliboli
Did someone actually okayed this ugly thing to be sculptured? Who payed for this?
Too much going on with the jacket! Was Chaponda’s face super-imposed on the statue? Coz that does not look like Bingu
Noooooooooooo! That is scary, very ugly!
do malawians expect such kind of developments ?
Good move. may his soul rest in peace. our hero Bingu.
OMG that thing is butt ugly
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk koma zinazi aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Is that Bingu???????????????? Mwina i was young to recall the face
Mpaka double breasted suit? Ma 3 button kunalibe?🤣🤣🤣🤣
We are now commissioning statues???? What has become of my beloved country
It looks like Chinyawu, chinzukwa chozuka ku Manda
Bingu only restored sanity after the chaos or mess which Bakili Muluzi brought after taking over from he great Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Bakili is the worst president Malawi has ever produced followed by Alamu Pumani Mwakalamba. Bingu removed vendors. Bingu restored street lights. There was no political violence in Malawi. This APM is a punching bag and he seems not in control of the country. We are on autopilot. Corruption is rampant. Tribalism is the order of the day though it was started by Bingu and Bakili. Standards of education are still the worst in Malawi. No new schools under APM. Infrastructure development must go along side with human development. No new hospitals. Very poor roads particularly in locations. Apm thinks roads are more important than schools. This is bullshit. We are still suffering with expensive education and medical care. Nsikidzi at Chancellor College. We have witnessed more arson on markets and public buildings including hospitals, ministry of education, Electoral Commission. APM condones violence and corruption. The list of bad things is long. Bingu anatizunza from 2010-12. He killed 21 demonstrators on 20th July 2011. He died of hypertension as result of his own poor leadership. This is why Malawians celebrated his death. Lero Patricia Kaliati ho concealed the death of Bingu should not be seen as a clean woman. Callista should not be seen as a clean woman. Utm is just a branch of dpp and udf. Dpp is evil. Utm is evil. Kuwani said of Chisi that he wants to be a mouse while he is living with scorpions. Utm is full of scorpions and venomous snakes. So is dpp.
This does not look like Bingu………
Why do we need it?
But seriously!!!!!!!!!!? You mean the president let alone being the brother to Bingu will be proud to unveil this thing!? Oh my ……… I am glad mine eyes had seen Bingu alive! And i feel sorry for the generations to come who will be given a false imagery of Bingu!!
I like this Man
This doesn’t look like Bingu. The statue is a distortion of how Bingu looked. Anyway it is probably for one Daniel Phiri
Webster Ryson Thom, Bingu Mutharika, Daniel Phiri…munthu wake ndi yemweyo and his brother Peter Thom, Peter Mutharika, kaya kuti Mathanyula Phiri will unveil the statue, very complicated family this one I must say
Misplaced priorities and there is no way that statue resembles Bingu, MHSRIP
Substandard work
Koma nkhopeyo doesnt resemble Bingu chikuoneka ngati china chake,,,,,,,,, mukanatifunsa ife asssssaaaa
Maybe this is Daniel Phiri but definitely not Bingu wa Mutharika!
nanga akuwoneka ngati Chimulilenji bwanji
This is not Bingu Wa Muthalika, give us the statue with a face of Bingu Wa Munthalika
Malawi uyu waola ndithu, mwati budget yachoka pa 15 Million kufika pa bwanji? chifanifani ichi ukachiyang’ana pena kufanana ndi Goodall Gondwe, ukachiyang’anisisa kuzafanana ndi Chimulilenji hahahaha ma guy mukusewela oponda, 21 akuchedwa sure,
ukuku nde kuyesana………bingu ankawoneka choncho?
Lets face it. If another president won 2014 elections wud be having this statue erectes. Dont think so. Let honour deserving Malawi heroes and not every diased decisions resulting in statues please give us a break. We need the monday for dualizatiin of city roads and not just glorifying unnecessary. Please.
…this is why Malawi as a peoples will forever be underrated and mired in tribal tirade and bias. Having longed for independence; yes it took HKB to lead the country as a n independent state; but why is there no honour for the path thus far. No statue of the men behind the call for HKB to return….after HKB’s dictatorship…no statue for the President that released the bondage chains. No statue for the first lady MP, and/or President.
As a nation, it is a pity that younger generations will never walk the Freedom Trail of Heros Acre as we do not appreciate our past. This will make it harder to reconcile the future! A man that forgets where he came from holds no honour or indeed right to point wherefor is future direction!
It is good that we remember and the statue is a good thing, but why are we creating gaps in our heritage. The age for re-writing history is over. Line up all the statues!
Yes, the donors flocked back with bags of money, but how much of that went into Bingu’s own pockets? He was a thief and please don’t forget our fellow countrymen who died in July 2011 at the hands of his henchmen. There would be no statue of Bingu were it not for the fact that he was APM’s brother. Nepotism again!
Apa atinamizapo apa, tiziti acimwnewa nkhope ya nkulu wawo anaiwala kale.
This looks more like Goodal Gondwe than Bingu ……Hahahahahahaaha….
So whats the meaning of it
Chanzeru wapangako so far
Mxxxxxxi ndiye mwati ma million angati? Chonsecho anthu akusowa mankhwala mu zipatala.
Ndichani chimene iye anapanga that he should deserve that respect kusowa kwa mafuta , dictatorship , quorter system, mulakho wa alomwe what nonsense is dat
that does not look like bingu
Lets be serious this is not Professor Bingu Wa Mutharika we used to know. The head doesn’t resemble our late Economic Engeer.
useless DPP! useless priorities! School for Health Sciences closed, students suffering! the old man – gogo APM is silent! what sort of a leader is APM? inept!!! … second term? …NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO DAUSI HAS HIS STATUE AT PARLIAMENT?