DPP accuses Malawi VP, PAC boss of plotting ‘coup’
Malawi Vice President Joyce Banda, who heads an opposition People’s Party, has been accused of treason as President Bingu wa Mutharika’s regime raised the stakes in the battle to retain its grip on power.
Ruling DPP Southern Region Governor, Noel Masangwi, on Sunday accused Banda of conspiring with Public Affairs Committee (PAC) chairperson Rev Macdonald Kadawati to bring about “regime change”. Treason is a capital offence in Malawi.
“It is clear that Joyce Banda along with Kadawati are seeking regime change in Malawi,” Masangwi said at Kachere Township in Blantyre during the President Bingu wa Mutharika’s whistle stop tour on his way to Zomba.
“Kadawati married from Joyce Banda’s home area [Zomba Malosa]; he’s being sent by her. Pac is working for Joyce Banda,” Masangwi said.
Masangwi accused the faith group PAC of calling the meeting to propose a recall movement against President Mutharika, whose second term in office has seen growing discontent with his rule.
“Their aim is nothing else but get into government through the backdoor. But I would like to assure Kadawati and Banda that we [in the DPP] would not allow them succeed,” he added.
PAC official Reverend Maurice Munthali said the meeting had no “sinister motives apart from letting people express themselves to find lasting political and economic solutions”.
The Vice President on the other hand has always insisted her party will only use peaceful, democratic means to seek power.
Menawhile, the influential Roman Catholic Church has allowed PAC to hold it’s the much publicised March 14 meeting at Limbe Cathedral after government blocked it from being held at Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre.
PAC has released a programme for the meeting, themed ‘Time to reclaim our destiny: seeking redress to political and economic challenges.’
According to the programme, there will be a presentation on the current political situation in Malawi by University of Malawi political professor Blessings Chinsinga, economic situation in Malawi by Mathews Chikaonda and constitutional gaps and opportunities in the in the current political system.
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