JB weighs lawsuit options against Nankhumwa

Malawi former president Joyce Banda is said to be considering the legal options against Minister of Informations Kondwani Nankhumwa as suggesting publicly that Banda and co-conspirators should be arrested and investigated for the murder of Bingu wa Mutharika, her predecessor .

joyce Banda : Shocked with Nankhumwa
joyce Banda: Shocked with Nankhumwa

Though Nankhumwa referred to Banda only as “JB”, that is evidently what she is called in Malawi, Banda is contemplating a lawsuit against Nankhumwa.

Banda’s spokesperson Andekuche Chanthunya , a UK trained lawyer himself, said the former president was consulting legal minds on the next step of action and is shocked with such defamatory claims.

“We take note that Nankhumwa speaks on behalf of the Cabinet, therefore, what he said we believe was agreed by the Cabinet, including the President who is the head of that Cabinet,” claimed Chanthunya.

But President Peter Mutharika, who did not comment on Nankhumwa’s claims during the Bingu Memorial when he spoke after him, has since disowned the government spokesman’s statement as his personal views.

Nankhumwa claimed Bingu was assassinated by people who were desperate to rule the country and that evidence of the plot to kill him is contained in a document titled ‘JB Project’.

But law experts have said Banda was indeed defamed.

Malawi law scholar Sunduzwayo Madise in his article posted on Nyasa Times argued : “The fact that JB was not mentioned by name is non consequential. The inference in the minds of all right-thinking people is that it was JB who was behind the death of Bingu. And yes, for it to be murder there would have to be a motive. The implication here being that JB would have a good motive to take over as president!

“Now I hope Kondwani understands the law of defamation properly. Innuendo is as much defamation as calling a person by their name. So by referring to an alleged statement made by a ‘Veep’ and in the same sentences throwing in the JB acronym, the damage is done.”

The minister made the allegations last Saturday at Ndata Farm in Thyolo during the memorial service of the former leader who died in April 2012 due to cardiac arrest.

There were suggestions at the time, never proven, that he might have been overexerting himself with a female MP of the ruling party Agness Penemulungu who was having an audience with Bingu at the time of his heart attack.

University of Malawi (Unima) political science experts have also faulted Nankhumwa for his claims according to quotes in The Nation, a daily newspaper.

“Probably what they were doing is testing public opinion, just to get a feel of how the public would react. And basing on the public reaction so far, it is probably what may have forced the President to take that direction,” noted associate professor at Unima’s Chancellor College, Blessings Chinsinga.

Another Chancellor College political scientist, Happy Kayuni, said : “It is unfortunate development, sometimes our politicians rush to utter very serious statements of this nature without full evidence or facts on the ground. Otherwise the President should have been in the forefront agreeing and commenting on the matter.”

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pef
pef
8 years ago

America said Binladen tamupha cholinga avumbuluke komwe anabisala. Amayi,akupitani pansi cholinga mubwereko komwe mukubisalako. Ngati anathira manja odilo inu mumati ma Big fish ndindani? Zingwe zikudikira inu kuno tabwerani muzamusumire Nankhumwa ngati simuzafikira mmanja.

Mgodi
Mgodi
8 years ago

Tiyeni tipeze njira zopezera chimanga malingana ndi njala ya chakachino basi

Chimalilo
Chimalilo
8 years ago

Lets tisalimbane ndi anthu pano anapha zinatha ife let focus on development mulungu amalanga chilango choyamba ndicho kusavoteredwa tamusiyeni ameneyo ndi ka zii even baibulo linati akhale chete pa maso amuna

kamfana
8 years ago

a podogomananu,apapa akutchulidwa ndi Public Figure not a mere person like urself or any other mere person,but anthu odziwika m’dziko muno.Akamati JB,ndi mwana yemwe amadziwa.

Henderson Tepeka
Henderson Tepeka
8 years ago

Shame to Malawi and bad comments

taping
taping
8 years ago

Nde mwati spokesperson ndi Chanthunya? Oho, mphekesera zija zinali zoona eti, agalu Inu takudziwani…

Tiyambe ya Linda Gasa kaye bwanji?

achijachi
8 years ago

Peter is going to choose me as replacement to nankhumwa. Am 27 year i wil be a young minister in Malawi. Peter Munthalika luvs me!! And i die for Dpp

xxxxxx
xxxxxx
8 years ago

Bwera bwera mama. Lutepo atokufunani inu. Mukabwera kuno ku Malawi tidzayesesa kukumalini basi mpaka mzungu sadzakuyang’ananinso kawiri. Try to come here in Malawi.

Phodogoma
Phodogoma
8 years ago

Letter to global trotting ex-President of Malawi

Joice Banda are you the only person on this earth planet who has the initials of JB. What about John Banda, Joice Bandawe, Jack Bwandiro, Janet Benala, Jolly Bwamtasa,Juliana Bulika.

So yopu have to be very careful. Otherwise these are justing trying to fish you out. They want to smoke you out. When you land on this soil they will ignore this issue and jump on you mama. You better be quite. Ask Bakili Muluzi when you can make noise against the government or not? BM is a professional on this issue.

john luhanga
8 years ago

koma zina zikamachitika kod agaluinu mwasowa kosewels? mmalo momakamba zatsogolo lamalawi kuti likhslalotan mukufuna mudzichedwa ndizopusa komatu musaiwale kut timavotanso mukuonangat mwamela mizu iwe namkhumwa mutungat mlamba pezachina chokamba

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