Joyce Banda condemns PP secretary general over abusive anti-Ansah remarks

President of the People’s Joyce Banda has publicly condemned her party secretary general Ibrahim Matola for insulting and abusive language against the embattled Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah.

In a charged and emotional manner, Friday morning during a National Elections Consultative Forum meeting in Blantyre, Matola told Ansah to leave MEC with her bras and underwears.

He apologized later.

But former state president Banda described Matola’s action as scandalization, smear campaigns and abusive language being used against women aimed at breaking them when the same does not happen to their male counterparts.

“Last year, Hon Ben Phiri made such abusive remarks against Dr Shanil Muluzi that I strongly condemned. As far as I am concerned, women deserve to be respected.

“It is in this light that I condemn in the strongest terms what Hon Ibrahim Matola said about Justice Dr Jane Ansah when he was making his contribution at the NECOF meeting today in Blantyre,” said Banda.

She said there are many things Ansah could have done or said during this electoral process that the former president does not agree with, but the MEC chairperson does not deserve to be spoken to in that manner.

“I am told that Hon Matola has apologized but I am very sorry about this apparent abuse of a fellow woman and regardless of who has made the remarks, I condem them in the strongest manner,” said Banda.

The attack on Ansah comes at a time when she is under intense pressure for her and the other commissioners to resign following the messed up May 21, 2019 presidential election.