I have death sentence on my head -VP
Embattled Malawi’s Vice President Joyce Banda has accused his boss President Bingu wa Mutharika of imposing a ‘death sentence’ on her when he said that he is going to “smoke out” and “flush out” people he alleged were trying to destabilising his government.
Banda claimed she is number one on the list of seven people Mutharika said he was going to “smoke out”. She did not reveal the other six on the list of death.
She further claimed that the words “smoke out” and “flush out” were military terms which meant Mutharika was planning to eliminate her.
But Banda challenged Mutharika to go ahead and arrest her saying“I have a death sentence on my head. I am not afraid of death and I shall continue to speak for the voiceless. When my time comes I will be ready.”
But Presidential spokesperson Heatherwick Ntaba said rubbished the allegations saying Banda was just paranoid.
Banda said this when she condoled families and relatives of the people who were slain during the July 20th nationwide demonstrations at a solemn ceremony held at CCAP Synod of Livingstonia offices in Mzuzu on Wednesday.
Banda donated MK150,000 to the families.
She said Malawians employed her to protect and uphold the constitution saying the constitution says Malawians must have their basic needs met.
To the bereaved families, Banda said she shared the pain with intensity and asked them to put their trust in God.
She then announced the setting up of the July 20th disaster fund to help families and relatives of those that died.
She also said those that left school going children will be assisted through a special fund that has been created by the Joyce Banda Foundation.
CCAP Synod of Livingstonia General secretary Levi Nyondo said Malawians were looking up to Banda to help solve the country’s woes.
“Enough is enough and all eyes are on you. We are giving you an assignment and we know you are going to succeed,” said Nyondo.
Banda and Mutharika fell out soon after the May 2009 elections when some people in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) started campaigning for the president’s brother, Education Minister Prof. Peter Mutharika, to replace him when he retires in 2014.
Banda was accused of eyeing the same job. She has since been expelled from the DPP but she remains Vice-President. She has just founded her own Peoples Party (PP).
