Kaliati denies arrest reports, remains defiant: ‘I only speak the truth’
Director of Women and Parliamentarian for Malawi’s opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Patricia Kaliati has quashed reports that she was arrested Sunday evening following her outbursts against President Joyce Banda at a DPP’s rally held earlier in the day at Njamba Freedom Park in the commercial capital Blantyre.
Report from social media networks had indicated that Kaliati was arrested for accusing President Banda of using hunger as a strategy to win support while in fact Malawi has plenty of maize.
“She is busy distributing maize, tell me, where is that maize coming from..anazala awa, anakolola awa (did they plant or harvest any maize? Then where is the maize coming from. Isn’t it the same maize Bingu stored in our national reserves and now they are using it as campaigning tool, shame,” said Kaliati at the rally attended by thousands of supporters.
Reacting to the arrest reports Kaliati told Nyasa Times on the line from her Nkando base Sunday night that she saw no issue that would warrant her arrest because what she spoke about during the rally was nothing but the truth.
“How could they decide of arresting me for speaking of the things that are happening? If anything they (PP officials) would have been be first to be arrested by castigating Dr Bakili Muluzi (former president) at the rally in Mangochi,” she said.
Kaliati also faulted President Banda for donating maize in her personal capacity not as the Head of State.
“We are wondering why she is not donating the maize in her capacity as the President of the country. We feel by putting personal face on the maize donation it means that she is acting as if she is selling herself to the people to know her. Why can’t she donate maize as the President of the nation, because this is what she is?”
Kaliati also said it is a common knowledge that the maize which President Banda is personally donating is coming from within the country an indication that the country has enough maize.
“We have never heard that the maize she is donating is coming from outside the country. It’s the maize which was harvested during the reign of late president Bingu wa Mutharika. So if they are buying within Malawi it means that the country has plenty of maize simple and straightforward.”
She said those districts that are said to have hit by maize shortage are those who were affected by various natural calamities like flooding or dry spell.
“More over when we talk about achieving food security it doesn’t mean all the people in the country have food but at least 80 percent or more of households should have food and that is what was achieved during the DDP’s administration,” said Kaliati
She also said subsidy programme and Green Belt Initiative are at the centrepiece of DPP.
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