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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