Malawi govt accused of ‘sinister motives’ against Joyce Banda
The Office of the former President, Joyce Banda, has accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government of harbouring ‘sinister motives’ against the former Head of State for their own political expediency.
Government had ordered Banda’s state security personnell to surrender some of the guns and ammunitions to police and that they are planning to “withdraw her motorcade” allegedly because the former President is currently outside the country.
JB’s office said government has not entirely disarmed Banda’s security detail.
“We would not like to go into details on this one considering that security matters are extremely sensitive, especially when they concern a former Head of State,” reads a statement issued by the office and made available to Nyasa Times on Friday, April 24, 2015.
The statement also says it is a “blue lie” to suggest that government is contemplating withdrawing the former President’s motorcade “because that motorcade has never existed in the first place”.
“This motorcade talk is a figment of imagination,” said the statement and accused government spokesman Kondwani Nankhumwa of being “deceptive” on issues concerning Banda.
The Office of the former President reiterates that the DPP government has “inexplicably been dilly-dallying” to provide Banda’s entitlements as a retired Head of State as provided for in the Constitution of the Republic Malawi.
She has not been provided with any car; she has not been receiving her salary since she left office; and she has not been provided with proper accommodation befitting a retired President, says the office.
“It seems the Minister of Information, Kondwani Nankhumwa’s obsession with former President, Joyce Banda, will not abate any time soon. Remember the State House CCTV footage saga; remember the twisted tongue about the obligation by former Presidents to take leave of current presidents before making foreign trips? This time he says government has disarmed and withdrawn security detail of former President, Joyce Banda until she comes back from her trip abroad. This is petty but dangerous politics, to say the least,” reads the statement.
The office says, however, that it is not surprising that the DPP government is antagonizing the former President “as it is not the happening for first time.”
“Malawians remember very well that when Her Excellency Joyce Banda was Vice President, the DPP government, under the late President Bingu wa Mutharika, withdrew part of her security detail. The Guard Commander at her official Mudi Residence was transferred to Makanjira.
A few days after that transfer, in November 2010, the Vice President’s official vehicle, a Mercedes Benz, registration number MG 2, was involved in a mysterious road accident at Kanengo. Luckily, she survived because she had used a different vehicle.
Police, that time, flip-floppeed in their investigations into the cause of the accident.
“We have no choice but to suspect that all these acts and pronouncements by the DPP government today may be leading to some attempt on the former President’s life for unclear reasons. These latest pronouncements by Nankhumwa are even more suspicious and scary having comeafter People’s Party (PP) spokesperson, Ken Msonda, disclosed that the former President will be returning home soon,” concludes the statement.
Nankhumwa could not immediately comment on the statement.
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MUPATSENI MALIPILO AKE MTSOGOLERI WANTHU WAKALE .MMALAWI MUNO MULI CHIZOLOWEZI CHOMAZUZA NDIKUMAMUZENGA LANDU ZOMWENDIZOCHITITSA MANYAZI
m’mupatse ndalamazo anyaninu.Kuba basi,mwaba zingati,or ndatayo ndi cashgate yomweyo,munamidza ndani? ufiti muzasiya liti? nonsenu kuyambira bingu,joice ndi ka pitala kanuko mbava,munamiza ndani agalunu.Nankhumwa ili ndi dziko,usawone ngati wafika,stupid boy.
PP and whoever, are yu crying now. Recall what you did to DPP in general and Bingu’s children, property and relations within 6months. This is just the beginning. You have 4years to pay your sins you committed in 2years. God will be the witness.
She moved with her security to where she is! Why waste tax payers money on the ex president who is not in the country? After all she has plenty Cashgate money;she deserves no any benefit.
I am no supporter of pp or jb but It is wrong to withhold her salary, for what reasons? If the constitution says ex presidents should receive salaries, then she must be paid because she is ex president. Unless the constitution clearly says that salaries are only paid to ex presidents while in the country and not when outside the country, then there is no reason for denying her the salary. It also opens up a can of worms, for example for how long should an ex president be outside the country to receive a salary? what if the ex… Read more »
A we saying govt must add some more vehicles on the Cashgate list of vehicles job has? Poor country Malawi extravagant on useless things. This constitution must be revisited to reduce some of these extravagant spending. You said we must change the way we do things in this next 50 years to start developing. You can’t reform without reforming Constitution. That’s rubbish
nankhumwa be aware its politics.fooling the nation reflect personal foolishnes.muzayalukapo apa
Bitter Lessons; jb is unlike bm coz she oz forced out of ofc by the ballot while bm went out coz he oversaw hs tenure of ofc succesfuly & zea4 cant be treated equally; Cashgate effects hav bn very crias & fresh than depositing donor money into my nb za branch acc; all pss apointd by jb r answering cashgate cases some oready convictd pls search me; get the sense & answer viz simple bt big questions, Do u see her returning home any soon? Does she deserve same afta ofc treatment like bm?
I Hope all these will be restored when she comes back komano salary yake asakumupatsayo ndiye pamene pazavute coz azamulipira yonse plus ma arrears ndi ma interest coz she was heard of state and government employee for that matter, I believe government should be prepared to pay back millions if not billions as it did with mulli or other former govt personel
Everything of these should be withdrawn until she comes back.