Malawi govt denies intolerance, witch-hunting: Dausi says its ‘ conjecture and malafidy’
Malawi government spokesman Nicholous Dausi has rejected assertions that President Peter Mutharika is growingly becoming intolerant and is deliberately trying to stifle those with dissenting views especially on good governance.
Dausi was asked on Times TV interview program Times Exclusive hosted by Brian Banda to answer on the accusation which was recently raised by a group of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
The CSOs who launched a movement dubbed the Citizens for the Defence of Good Governance criticised Mutharika’s administration for turning to intimidation and threats on critics, attempts to divide the civil society through abuse of state resources and threats to the freedom of assembly.
They accused Mutharika’s rule of being characterized by vestiges of intolerance to dissenting views of critics of the regime who have been subjected to verbal attacks by either Mutharika himself or the governing party’s leadership.
But Dausi dismissed such accusation as wrong.
“I don’t think it’s a fair description of the government, in any case, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government that has been formed by DPP under the leadership and tutelage of Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika is the most tolerant. It is a mixture of moderation and maturity,” he said.
The Minister of Information continued: “There is no question of political antagonism, cut-throat politics.”
Banda presented a scenario of political intolerance where the DPP has been reportedly baying for the blood of Mzuzu MP Leonard Njikho (DPP) and Newly-elected Lilongwe City Council deputy mayor Juliana Kaduya who has been in hiding, alleging that DPP acting secretary general Francis Mphepo threatened her for messing up mayoral votes in the mayoral polls recently.
DPP lost Lilongwe City Council mayoral elections when Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate business tycoon Desmond Bikoko won the poll by 15 to 14 votes against DPP’s Kwame Bandawe.
DPP ‘s Mphepio allegedly hurled threats at Kaduya and Chiwoko Ward councillor Katondoli Nyirenda, accusing them of betrayal.
“I don’t have documents and substantive and undisputed evidence to that effect,” the Minister of Information said.
Dausi went on rambling:”All what I can assure Malawians is that the government will continue to create an entente cordiale to everybody.”
Pressed to comment on accusation of “witch-hunting” by the regime to those who give dissenting views, Dausi rejected that, saying DPP is “one of the most tolerant government.”
Dausi said government will not sit back when people go about making “wild , unsubstantitied allegations; when people make lies, conjectures and innuendos; do you think we should sit back .”
Asked to comment on what opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarous Chakwera said recently that Mutharika has “completely failed to run the nation”, Dausi quashed the remarks.
“The role of leader of opposition is to give alternative policies.
“In fact this government has cream of some intellectuals, the people that will guide Malawi to the heights of development,” said Dausi.
Chakwera said Malawi’s socio-economic ills were as a result of Mutharika’s failure and described his leadership as one which is like a pair of scissors designed to cut the thread by which the country is hanging and send the citizens spiralling into the abyss of deeper levels of poverty..
He cited incessant blackouts and the increasing cost of living as signs that the Mutharika and his administration had failed.
But Dausi pointed out that what Chakwera said was “mere conjecture and maladify.”
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EEE KOMA MA TERMS ENA AKULU AMENEWA AMAYUZA I AM SURE EVEN THE WHITES CAN NOT UNDERSTAND
parallelism a dausi yakuterekani poyerayera. muvekere …erroneous,wrong ,full of innuendos…mudalowadi mkalasi kapana mudachita part time/
When the Honorable Minister was a driver for Kamuzu, he knew how to find his way from ‘A’ to ‘B’. Since then, he has used other skills to ensure that his listeners do not find their way from ignorance to enlightenment. He uses words to obscure the truth, rather than to communicate it. For him, words are like sticks to beat with, or stones to throw. The ‘heavier’ they are, the better they stun. This was the ‘debating’ style of our Stone Age ancestors. He doesn’t want to achieve communication, but to stifle it. His purpose is not to inform,… Read more »
Brian and Kasakula deserve a huge pat at the back for their bravery to challenge Dpp government in the face.
Instead of just writing on Facebook they have decided to confront Dausi and Chaponda face to face.
Iiiih! it was fun to see Dausi cornered in that video. And eeeh! it was nice to see Dausi sweat!
And Mr Dausi it’s not only Chimunthu’s supporters who enjoyed to see you sweat in that hot swivel chair, everyone did.
The mumble-jumble minister who can not articulate national issues that need his ‘ministry to clarify. What a pity, the whole president cannot see the shortfal. Alas!
Pointedly George Kasakula and Brian Banda have ulterior motives riding on freedom of speech. Listening to George Kasakula you would think you are listening to an MCP Regional Chairman. These two guys have political agendas at the behest of their political masters. The motives of these two are very easy to unmask. MCP should wait for its time at the polls to get into power. There is no shortcut to Sanjika. Go to the people and mobilise structures in the length and breadth of Malawi this is what will get you to Sanjika. But trying to fuel and inflame hostilities… Read more »
Mr. DAUSI why not just use everyday words. Conjecture is basically Speculation, and mala fide, is not English but Latin for Bad Faith
Brian Banda you are Malawi’s Tim Sebastian, You really cornered the Honourable
Gentleman. His usage of ambiguous and uncoordinated phrases, defeats the purpose
and translate to mare noise. he is just not the right material for the ministerial post
at the ministry of Information technologies and technology, perhaps the president
should consider a new portfolio of Bombastic and meaningless words, for he
meritoriously qualify in this
Cream of intellectuals who are using their intellectual power to increase the gap between the ritch and the poor, and cream of intellectuals who have no way to take out Malawi’seconomy from the dark corner of the cave it is instead saying our economy is in the hands of God. Cream of some intellectuals that will guide Malawi to the height of development and entente cordials with this DPP lead government? This is just a mere conjecture and marafide.
There is no DPP government but Malawi government.
Minister if information or disinformation? He never responded to the questions from BB in this interview. All he tried was to intimidate BB which he failed miserably, Kudos Brian!! You handled him very well.