Kaliati attacks Malawi ex-president JB: ‘She should inform Mutharika on her travels’

Minister of Gender Patricia Kaliati has described former president Joyce Banda as an embarrassment to women and a danger to their prospects for leadership.

Kaliati spoke at a news conference in New York on Monday in a reaction to reports that Banda would be coming to the United States at a time when President Peter Mutharika is in US to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

The Gender Minister was concerned that Banda seems to have a liking for following Mutharika wherever he goes.

“I understand that she has freedom of movement. But her liking of always trying to be where President Mutharika is, is becoming suspicious,” said Kaliati. “She has the freedom to travel to any place, but why does she not keep away from the President?”

Reports show that Banda is in London to speak at a conference and will from there proceed to the US to make an address at a meeting that seeks to promote homosexuality and abortion.

Her office did not respond to our questions that were sent to her to give her side of the story on the matter.

“Yes, she is free to move, but I thought a sense of courtesy demands that she should have been informing the sitting President that she is traveling – not to seek permission, but just to be courtesous,” Kaliati thought.

The minister, who is director of women in the ruling party, said she felt inclined to speak on the matter because Banda’s conduct affects all women in Malawi.

“Her presidency affected the showing of women in the elections – they performed very poorly because they were being rated based on the conduct of Joyce Banda,” argued Kaliati.

“Instead of apologizing to the women folk for affecting their standing in society and risking their prospects for leadership in future, here she is behaving like a spoilt child,” she added.

The gender minister said sensible former presidents are never antagonistic in their conduct.

“If it is a question of seeking relevance, let her find a reasonable way of doing it, not making funny trips out of the desire to be seen that she still wields power and significance,” blasted Kaliati.

She added that it was strange that Banda likes to follow Mutharika, and yet while she was in power she sent the police to restrain the current president if she felt she was being followed during the campaign.

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