Catholic bishop warns Malawi politicians against insults: Dausi apologises

Chikhwawa Diocese Bishop Peter Musikuwa has warned politicians against using vulgar language as they canvass for votes in the run up to the 2019 election, saying this is a recipe for violence.

His Grace Musikuwa said this on Saturday remarks during Chikwawa Parish 100 years Centenary Celebrations which took place on Saturday at the parish’s Jubilee Square.

“Politicians should articulate issues, we should have an issue based election, this is why we are asking them to deeply think before they utter a word. This is not the time for hurling insults,” he said.

He said smart and clean politics will lead to everlasting peace and prosperous but divisive and foul language will lead to the stagnation of development.

“This is not the for our politicians to castigate each other or make hate speeches. We want issue based politics and campaign,” said Musikuwo.

“Let us all pray and look up to God, especially now that we are heading towards elections. If you don’t look up to God, you surely fail in most of the things.

“Even if we differ in our political affiliations, we need to join hands and ask for God’s interventions so that our next elections should be successful,” said Bishop Musikuwa.

Minister of Information and Communication Nicholas Dausi apologized to the Catholic church on behalf of all politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties who insult the church.

“On their behalf, I offer my apologies to the church,” said Dausi, a devout Catholic himself.

This comes barely a week after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), where he is the spokesperson, frantically apologized to the church after the DPP member Hophmally Makande insinuated at a rall in Blantyre that president Peter Mutharika would only step down as president if the pope, who is older than Mutharika, resigns first.

Mutharika is 79 and Pope Francis is 84 but people questioned the wisdom of equating a political leader to a church leader who has nothing to do with local politics.

Dausi said the DPP will ensure all the times that it practices clean and smart politics.

However, fingers have been pointing at the DPP for the recent torching of two vehicles in Mangochi, one belonging to United Transformation Movement (UTM) and another for a UTM member Agnes Nyalonje, who is an MP in Mzimba.

The DPP has also been blamed for the petrol bombing of civil rights activist Timothy Mtambo’s offices in Lilongwe, among other political violence.

Dausi who was the guest of honour at the event, said it was necessary for all people in the country to avoid going against any religion.

“When you go against a church, things don’t go the way you want. It’s my plea to seek for forgiveness on behalf of all people in various fields and more importantly in politics. Sometimes we don’t mind our language and that is bad and we ask for forgiveness.

“May the good Lord continue blessing the Catholic Church and I should ask all the faithful to support the church, bearing in mind that the missionaries who started it are all gone and it’s our responsibility to care for it,” he said.

The Minister further said President Peter Mutharika commended the church for all the interventions it offers to the development of the country.

Celebrated under the theme: “Go and bear fruits” the centenary celebrations in Chikwawa were attended by various people from all walks of life such as former minister Clement Khembo, Chikwawa Central MP Zaheer Isaa and Minister of Labour, Sports and Manpower Development, Francis Kasaila among others.

The officials also witnessed the 25 years anniversary of two priests, Fr Cosmas Chasukwa and Fr Francis Witika.

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