ChiBingu dares Mutharika on ‘a tonnes of bricks’: Maintains ‘Mtchona’ slurs at UTM rally

Mwanza West legislator Paul Chibingu has challenged President Peter Mutharika to invoke Section 4 of the Protected Flag, Emblems and Names Act on him, saying he cannot be intimidated with threats of undermining freedom of expression.

Chibingu,  a former Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister , was speaking at a rally addressed by Vice President Saulos Chilima at the United Transformation Movement (UTM) Eastern Region launch on Sunday in Mangochi at St Augustine III Primary School ground.

“In all the three launches of UTM from Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu, our leader Chilima has never mention President Mutharika’s name therefore the President should stop mentioning the name of our leader,” he said.

He also said it was abomination for President to tell  a rally that when former president Bingu wa Mutharika had succumbed to cardiac arrest, he was at the hospital recording times of people who came.

Chibungu, a medical general practitioner by profession, saying that was not Malawian way of doing things during difficult times.

He said that vindicates the slur that he is a  ‘mtchona’  —a term that describes someone who has stayed out of the country for a long period of time.

“This shows clearly that Mtchona ndi mtchona,” said Chibingu.

He challenged that the President can  use the purported section to punish him.

President Mutharika last week warned UTM gurus against attacking him, threatening to invoke Section 4 of the Protected Flag, Emblems and Names Act against his critics.

“I want to warn [Vice-President Saulos] Chilima, [Noel] Masangwi, [Patricia] Kaliati and Callista Chapola [Mutharika. I want to warn you, don’t push me around. You better stop what you are doing.

“There are laws in this country about describing a President. If they don’t stop, I am going to drap on you like a tonnes of bricks, and I mean it… I am tired of this nonsense,” said Mutharika in Mzuzu.

Human rights defenders, legal experts say the regulation undermined freedom of expression and the law is outdated not suitable in a democratic environment.