Likening President Mutharika to ‘Maliseche’ haunts DPP’s Ben Phiri

September 30, 2018 James Matamando M’bwana -Nyasa Times 56 Comments

Director of Elections in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Ben Malunga Phiri, has been having a series of public meetings in Zomba in a bid to mobilize people to go and register to vote in next year’s tripartite elections. Zomba is among the districts where registration is currently taking place under the Malawi Electoral Commission’s (MEC) phase 5 of registration.

Ben Phiri speaking in Zomba: ‘Maliseche’ goof deals deadly political blow 

In his overzealous quest to impress at mobilizing support for President Peter Mutharika as a DPP presidential candidate in next year’s tripartite elections, Ben Phiri used a Chichewa metaphor in one of his speeches delivered to call on people from the southern region to support Peter Mutharika as a fellow southerner. He said: “Malisecheumabisa ako. Kwathu kuno kum’mwela wathu ndi Peter Mutharika, maliseche athu ndi amenewo” (everyone hides his or her own private part, our private part as people of the southern region is Peter Mutharika).

As much as he may have had good intention in the use of the metaphor, it appears that is not how the public has decoded the message. The seemingly well coined phrase turned out to be a terrible goof for Ben Phiri; his likening of Peter Mutharika to private parts has not been taken kindly by the public.

Many detractors of the DPP have taken advantage of the goof to demean President Peter Mutharika on the social media and to mock him as a ‘maliseche’.

The ‘maliseche’ speech is now the main talking point in this country; it has gone viral such that the video clip has become one of the most shared on social media in the past two days. The fiasco is also reported to have attracted the wrath of President Mutharika.

According to sources in the DPP, Mutharika is shocked and furious with Ben Phiri’s misplaced use of the ‘maliseche’ analogy, particularly for likening him to human private parts.

After getting reports of how the story is circulating in Malawi, Mutharika called Ben Phiri directly from New York, USA, where he attended the 73rd Session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), to find out what was happening. He found Ben Phiri’s explanation unsatisfactory and chewed him out. He told him to halt his public rallies because he is sending wrong messages to the people due to his lack of communication skills.

Ben Phiri calls himself ‘Field Marshal’ and of late he has been behaving like a person who is possessed with something. It seems he is on a mission to prove to President Mutharika that he is a ground worker and astute for the ruling party, and one who should be relied upon by the DPP. Unfortunately, he is beginning to make colossal mistakes due to his overzealousness, something which is damaging the image of the party.

It is obvious that Ben Phiri, for some reason best known to him, thinks he is entitled to the DPP presidency and that he should be the one to take over from Mutharika when he (Mutharika) eventually steps down.

Ben Phiri must be cautioned to tame his ambition, and not to be overambitious beyond the realm of his capabilities. He must start from grassroots and gradually build his profile as a politician and not to rush for the presidency without any political roots.

There are other able politicians in DPP who have political roots because they have served as MPs or held high cabinet positions. Indeed, there are DPP leaders who are more experienced having served as MPs and ministers during the administration of the late Professor Bingu wa Mutharika than Ben Phiri whose only highest position was being personal assistant (PA) to President Mutharika.

The latest ‘maliseche’ goof may just have nailed the last nail on the coffin of Ben Phiri’s already dwindling political profile, and it will certainly be an uphill task for him to recover and mount a real comeback. After all, there appears to be very little political arsenal in his pack.

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56 replies on “Likening President Mutharika to ‘Maliseche’ haunts DPP’s Ben Phiri”

  1. Koma ngati maliseche ako ben phiri ali oneka ngati ali owoneka ngati apulezidenti wa nde maliseche akowo ndionyasa akazi amangokulolela ndalama basi issi! Maonekedwe apusitsadi zoona

  4. KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK ZILIKO NKULINGA UTATOSA ATI ANTHU AMANENA MIYAMBI PAMISONKHANO MWANYULATU NAZO APA MALISACHE OMWEWO KUTI WAWAWAWA

  5. DPP should make the most of their opportunity. Many young voters would be attracted to a D*cks, Pr*cks & P*ssy party.

  8. Ben Phiri has has made two points very clear regarding DPP
    1. “Maliseche” metaphor: If you try to understand it, it means : All of us have things or secrets (maliseche) we hide and only reveal them to a few who are very intimate to us such as wives, husbands, boyfriends girl friends etc. DPP has has things secerets they hide (maliseche) and only reveal them to those who are intimate to the party. We all know that maliseche a DPP are corruption, cronyism, tribalism etc
    2. Phiri has come openly as a Director of Elections that DPP believes in Regionalism (confirms that they are a Party of Tribalism).
    They have no interest to develop of Malawian as a whole. He is advocating the South to vote for them so that they can continue hiding their “maliseche” (secrets)

  9. You can’t compare Nankhumwa with Dr Ben Phiri. Kuchitekete kwa DPP. Vice wa ma Vice onse.

  12. Trouble with DPP is that everyone fears everyone. This brat Ben Phiri needs disciplining because he mistakenly thinks he is next to APM and not DPP VP Nankhumwa. The likes of him, illiterate loudmouth Mchacha and Wa Jeffrey embarrass the party which could do with the four corner stones of Unity Loyalty Obedience and Discipline because it has been observed and proved beyond doubt that the majority of parties survive long periods by observing these pillars. DPP gurus should not fool us that these corner stones are unique to MCP.

  13. Am furious with this Ben Phiri idiot. Mukutionongera chipani now. Imagine somebody mocked our DPP president like ”Kodi maliseche kapena kuti mbolo ya dziko lino inabwera kuchoka ku USA?” This cannot be tolerated, let DPP fire this man and discipline him.

  14. Koma able ayayayayaya mwaona nokhatu a UNICAF ma products anu. simunafika pa Chanco. Tamvana.
    mpaka kunena adadi kuti ndi Maliseche?
    mwatuka !

  17. I feel those who fear Ben Phiri are deliberately misleading the public by distorting deliberately what Ben said. Let’s face it Ben is an asset and he has no match in the entire opposition camp.

    1. Who is distorting what? Infact people are being very civil, if they were to be brutal they could have been using real names of the maliseche organs if you know what I mean.

      1. It’s more dramatic when you watch the video
        Ben Phiri is pointing to his own maliseche while talking about APMs maliseche😀😀😀

    3. Inu a Hatton ndi nzanu Pathfinder blind loyalty izakupwetekani. tonse tinamva, if that’s the case, let Ben Phiri clarify himself. even if he clarifies, the issue he will still have to explain is why he is promoting regionalism yet you claim DPP is a national party? After all, he wasn’t speaking in Lhomwe or any other foreign language. Even a Tumbuka like me clearly understood what he said. It was a misplaced metaphor!!!!

      1. Thank you my brother Mzozodo for acknowledging that i’m a loyal supporter of DPP. Ada i think ndi nthawi tsopano yoti muyambe kulemekeza zitsankho zawena chifukwa sizingatheke kuti tonse tikhale a UTM kapena a MCP. Ine anthu akamasapota zipani za kumtima kwao mopanda kuopsezedwa nkumayankhulanso mwaufulu nkumanyoza chipani chomwe chili m’boma ndimanyadira chifukwa ndimadziwa kuti democracy ikugwila ntchiton Now sichanzeru kutchula wena zitsiru chifukwa saakusapota chipani chomwe iwe usapota chifukwa dziwa kuti kuchenjera kapena kupusa anthu amakutanthauzira mosiyana. Nthawi yomwe ukundiona kupepera iwe pachinthu chomwe ndachita kapena ndikuchita, wena akundiona wanzeru. Chonde musandikakamizire ku chipani chanu nanenso ndiri ndikukonda kwanga. Mmena ndikukuonera iwe ndiiwe wa MCP chifukwa munadzolowera kukakamizira anthu onse kuchipani chimodzi mmasiku adzana aja.

  18. Kkkkkkkkkkk but when things want to fall apart people behave like they have been bewitched, whatever DPP is doing , the blunders are just following them like bad smell. When they’re not imitating Chilima, then they’re implementing what Chilima is saying. How sad. When Things Fall Apart, Even The Centre Can Not Hold Anymore.

  20. Kummwera kwanuko muvotereni kumpoto ndi pakati tivotera wathu agogo anuwo mudzavorera nokha

    Secondly ndale zogawa dziko kupusa mwati maliseche umabisa ako tavomera kuti kanthu nkako umawona nuvundukula nde poti chigololo ndi mwini thako.

    Mudzavoterane akubanu ife we are tired NO SINGLE VOTE FROM US

  22. This Ben Phiri idiot is another savage or bulutu in the ranks of DPP. He is big heated because he found elicit and corrupt money from crooked means due to his crafteness using Asian businessmen in Malawi who are part of the corrupt syndicate that is contributing to corrupt involving shady deals. We need to watch him and investigate how he got this money he boasts about. How much is he worth so after UTM gets government next year him and Muli and other Asians of Malawi be stopped from these evil business practice which is making Malawi remain to be a poor state.
    Kamuzu amathana ndi amwenye onse okuba.

  23. Hahaha a Field marshal???. Mpaka kudziwa maliseche a Pumbwa NO 1???. Can you now tell Malawians…….is it white or Indiana or blackish?. Kkkk I guess it must be similar to a male goat maliseche…………..No votes in 2019 for Mr Maliseche hahaaa

  24. Maliseche ndi chinthu chopangitsa manyazi, chosatulutsa pa gulu, penanso chinthu chonunkha etc…. It seems to me Ben Phiri has APM spot on!

  26. So Beni Phiri mens that Peter is malice he which should not be seen in public anyhow? Also I did not know that Ben ndi wasankho chonchi

    1. i hate this ben phiri , he is a nepotism, and these kind of people should not be votet into power koma poti nmdi alomwe mumuvotetela , akakhala kwathu kwa ankhonde akanamvanso kuti takwiya naye

  28. Zafika pamenepotu…….kumangolubwa-lubwa, mpakana maliseche
    A Dadi pamtunda😀😀😀😀😀😁……. a DPP mwatilaula zedi …. amayooo ine!!!

  30. mxiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mutu kuuma ngati mapwala ake omwe ben. tikuululula paja ben phili ndiolbera. galu mwana wa pumbwa iwe

  31. @ this moment in time when others are still analysing parties’ manifesto to make a their final decission, allow one Ben Malunga Phiri to defend himself on the use of his “maliseche” metaphor. I for one, ‘am already decided on the vibrant, fearless & energetic Chilima. Bravo SKC!!!

  32. Madala aja tisamangowawona ndi maliseche ofunika kubisa asadzawonekele poyela pa 21may chaka cha mawa.
    Madala aja tisamangowawona ndi Pumbwa, a Malawi tisadzavotele mbalame, adanena ndi wa chiwiri wake.
    Lero Ben Phiri akuti madala aja ndi maliseche kusonyeza kuti palibe chimene angachite cholongosoka.
    Jefu wa Jeffrey adanena kuti a UTM ndi agalu, a Malawi galu mumamudziwa simungamupatse mpando ,azidzangowuwa monga mwa ntchito yache kuwuwawuwa basi.
    Tiyeni tidzuke tikavotele munthu olongosoka basi.
    Awa a DPP ndi UTM onse ndi amodzi, imvani zimene akunena zosathandiza, kulankhula kokhala ngati alibe bongo.

  33. There is no leadership in dpp from top to bottom, these guys are in government by chance and the money they steal from the state to buy support. Why people always overrate this fool as a field Marshall who made his president win the 2014 elections?

  34. anamgomva kuti chilima amanena miyambi pa misonkhano ndiye nawo ati ayeseleko kkkkkkkkkkkkkk paja DPP mungobera chilichonse from chilima mudzikamufunsa kaye kuti amachita bwanji kaaaaaa

  35. ARE YOU DRUNK BEN ? ? TELLING
    PEOPLE SOUTH IS FOR YOU AND
    PETER REALLY ?? MIND YOU POLITICS OF REGIONALISM–TRIBALISM – IS HISTORY IN THIS CENTURY –REWRITE YOUR MANIFESTO PLEASE BEFORE YOU
    CAN SHOOT YOURSELF

  37. Misinterpreting messages is what people who spend their life on social media do. They seize on every opportunity to twist, misinterpret and demean others. How pathetic! They can’t evenue understand a simple metaphor.

    3. Ever heard of the word gaffe? No one is mispresenting Ben Phiri here, his proverb was not a good choice. Peter Mutharika ndi maliseche. Now you make people start thinking of his real maliseche. is he going to win a presidential erection?

    1. klkkkkkkkkkk hahahahahhahaha iwe mchacha usandiyambe wamva, nanensotu ngakhale ndili wa DPP koma ikundipeza. kkkkkkk wamuona kaka ni dada mmene waikomesera? iiiiiii koma ndiye ndaseka.

      1. @ Pathfinder
        Kkkkkkkkk . You are right dear chimwene . Komatu Chimwene tsono ofunika timukokere m’baleyu mukachipinda komatu .

        1. hahahhhaha @mchacha, chimwenetu koma wandionjeza kwabaasi. Aise zinthu zimene akupanga anthu wena ku chipani changa cha DPP zikuonetseratu kuti ndi amene akuchita sponsor UTM monga momwe chilima ananenera kuti sponsorship ina akuyitenga ku DPP. Chabwino Ben anagwiritsa ntchito mwambi koma ndiye sakanagwiritsa mwambi wina? kkkkkkkk mmene yanyansira nkhope ya peter ija ukagwiritse ntchito mwambi wamaliseche anthutu akhoza kuganiza kuti maliseche ake ndi Nanyongo akakhala pansi. Anyway zandale izi at the end of the day tonse ndi amalawi okondana.

  39. Ben Phiri, this is result of being overzelous. in your speech. You thought Maliseche will be interpreted the way you think. You need to consider the diversity of interpretation your words. One word could have different contextula meaning. I dont know whether your PhD is regorous in Literature. Zako zimenzo ndi Malisech anu ndi pumbwa kumeneko. ndekutandtahuza kuti Maliseche a pumbwa indi akulu bwanji, mwina ndi limodzi

    1. Ife we’re 110% DPP. Uthenga watipeza. Maliseche athu kuno kummwera ndi Peter Mtharika. 21may 2019 takonzeka kudzabisa maliseche athu. Kaya inu mukumva bwa? Ngati ndalakwisa mindikhululukile koma zikuoneka kuti ambiri akonzeka kutero

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