Malawi teacher convicted for insulting President Mutharika
Poking fun at President Peter Mutharika is a risky business in Malawi as 25-year old teacher, Mike Suedi, has been convicted by the Blantyre First Grade Magistrate Court for insulting the President.
Suedi, who comes from Khwalala Village, Traditional Authority Juma in Mulanje, was arrested at Chileka last week Friday, a day before the President commissioned the construction of the dual carriageway from Chileka Airport to Clock Tower in Blantyre City.
The insults which he was charged with cannot be repeated.
In her determination on Tuesday, first grade magistrate Kitty Nkhoma found Suedi guilty on two counts of conduct likely to cause breach of peace and insulting the President.
But the teacher escaped custodial sentence as he was ordered to serve 80 hours (equivalent to two months) community service at Southern Region Police headquarters and 12 months suspended sentence.
Nkhoma in her ruling pointed out that it is common that people insult the President and said the punishment would be a lesson to others.
Said Nkhoma: “The court is aware that it is common in our communities to insult the President who has the right to be respected. And I am also su[rised that as a teacher what do you teach your students? “
She added: “The punishment will teach others that insulting the President is an offence.”
But human rights defenders say the the law undermined freedom of expression.
“Prosecutors should not be overzealous about charging people who comment about President Peter Mutharika in drinking halls and other social places” commented Lubwalubwa Juma .
“Freedom of speech means citizens have a right to criticize and even poke fun at political leaders. It is ridiculous to criminalize such actions,” Juma said.
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ineso abwere adzandimange kuno kkkkkkkkkkkkk(uyu sakutithandiza ndithu)
accidental president, every minute akutukwadidwa m’maminibasi mosemu ndiye mumanga anthu angati? Tinamulemba ntchito yotsogolera dziko koma aaaaaa! mavuto amwene, zawakanika….
The article states: “The insults which he was charged with cannot be repeated.”
Elsewhere on the internet you can find this:
“Suedi was overheard by women donning ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regalia saying the president was laying ‘useless stones’. ” It is understood the women went ahead to report to police having heard him say so when the Presidential convoy was passing by.”
Why would NT hide from us a mild criticism like “useless stones”?
We were only 5 people in a min bus around to 7 pm when this man was arrested and the time he was talking he didn’t realize that those 2 guy’s who were at the front seat were the police officers and the time i wanted to tell him to lower his voice it’s when one of the officer said don’t ever talk this shit again while am here and with that am arresting you we will release you after the function tomorrow and now am wondering that he’s still in custody. We tried to say sorry but the guy’s couldn’t listen
Indeed we can agree or disagree with president or with any ordinary citizen of this beautiful land in Africa but never ever disrespect any person. RESPECT ALL YOU LOSE NOTHING BUT IN RETURN YOU GAIN MORE RESPECT AND LIVE PEACEABLY WITH THE WORLD.
Alomwe ayamba kumangana okhaokha ntchona uyu si mulomwe.
A Malawi ndife2osaphunzila chifukwa tikungo lankhula za Rightso yokha sikulankhula za Duty. Ena tangopanga bungwe lathu kuti tiIauza anthu azitukwana ,azina ,azipha .tikumakalowa mndende nkumati munthu anapha mzake alindiufulu kutuluka pomwe winayo anaphedwa alimmanda. Kodi sitikulimbikitsa usatana? Ngakhale sindikuziwa momwe anatukwanila simukuulula nanga mwalemberanji apa? Koma all in all KUTUKWANANA sikwabwino ngakhale azitukwana munthu wamba anali president sibwinobe omwe mukuvomeleza KUTUKWANANA sindinu anthu abwino.
How many people have been arrested or charged chifukwa amatukwana?
Munthuyi sanatukwane tinali limodzi min bus and anakhala next to me only that zomwe ananenazo zinali zolakwika he said zomwe akubwerera a president ndizaziii how i wish kukanagwa mvula mmawa kuti zilephereke nde apolisi was angry kuti inu ndamene mumayambisa chisokonezo
Hahahaha where is human rights and freedom of speech here. Sad that tbe biggest civil servant is feared by those (the public) who employed him. So sad really the teacher does not deserve such punishment at all. And Peter shud know better than that. Presidents anywhere get insults and its part of democracy. Unless its a dictatorship of course. Which Malawi claims not to be such.
NDI APHUNZITSI OKHA OKHA NDEKUTI OMWE AMANYOZA MA PULEZI. NTHAWI YA A TCHEYANSO MPHUNZITSI ANATERONSO KKKKKKKKKKK
@ Aphana phandama
You don’t need rocket science to explain why teachers are always insulting presidents in Malawi. Teachers in Malawi simply put are subjects of untold miseries one can think of. Just in recent past you read in the media that teachers gave government ultimatum. Our government has failed teachers equally it has failed everybody except a few sycophants. A teacher has every right to curse the person behind his/her miseries and peter mutharika is one person who has failed teachers therefore he becomes a legitimate target of insults from teachers. Teachers insult this man more. They can’t arrest all of you. This man masquerading as our president is simply irrelevant to your plight .
a Kitty, inu a dolo lero. tikuonani mawa
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Lubwalubwa is this name real. Sizanoma zija izi pa Addis Airport
Uyo wa human rights osayamba kuphunzitsa kuti ana azitukwana makolo awo bwanji? chifukwa mwinanso ndi ufulu wao. Agalu oleledwa mopanda ulemu inu mukuphunzitsa mtundu wa amalawi kuti azinyoza anthu akuluakulu.
Nanga poti inunso mwatukwana apa, mukumutchula munthu “agalu inu” isn’t that being abusive? Iiyi ndiye timati hypocrisy.
Inu anthu a DPP ndinu the worst at posting insults. You have a team of overzealous cadets who are calling opposition leaders all sorts of names.
Remember how you could post nude photoshoped images of JB on Facebook?
Stupid charge, ngati ukunyozedwa ndi Alomwe anzako ziwa kuti chako palibe 2019
Kkkkkkkk watukwana mlomwe mnzake msiyeni ameneyo isaa
Malawi has gone back in the days of dictatorship.We fought for multiparty in order for us to have freedom of speech not of what the so called DPP is doing now.Remember the time when we fought to remove Kamuzu Banda DPP was not even there.We are watching you and the elections are just near.Remember
mudya makoko saiwala amaiwala ndi mudya nyemba.Then you are going to arrest more than 65% of the population because well more than 65% of Malawians are insulting this man you call president on daily basis. Some even insult him in dreams. Don’t deal with signs . Deal with the problem. At the rate this Peter is messing us up surely you wanna lock up the entire nation . Archaic laws. Archaic country and archaic leadership
Kkkkkk over 80% insult him on an hourly basis. Now alomwe have joined the group of insulters kkkkkk 2019 kuli ntchito
If it were nthawi ya Kamuzu that teacher would have faced death sentence. Freedom of expression does not mean kutukwana atsogoleri anthu.
Nthawi ya Atcheya that also happened to a Stella Maris Secondary School teacher.
Akakhala mtsogoleri wopanda nzeru ngati Pitalayu amatukwanidwa kumene kkkkk. Ndipo tikanamtukwana angakhale kutulo
Hattan: Please my friend. We are no longer in 1991. Move to North Korea if you want to see people dying for speaking their mind. Mxi
So they have arrested a brother……..
Juma is very right
I am not a fan of President Mutharika because to me, he has failed to steer the government business in the right direction. However, insulting anyone whether a State President or not, is both morally and legally wrong. Many people are paying hefty fines especially in the villages under the traditional primary justice system for insulting others. The teacher was wrong here.
Ngati sukufuna kutukwanidwa usiye ndale ndi upulezidenti chifukwa ndiwe public figure , anthu amene anakuvotera akudandaula iwe nuwanjata ,unasakha ntchito yolakwika
kkkkkk Human Rights defender wake dzina lake Lubwalubwa thats why the teacher was convicted because nayenso amangolubwalubwa za president mpaka kuphwanya malamulo
BUT ZUMA was insulted my MPs in parliament so what is this nonsense? Malawi will be the poor country for ever
I lyk people lyk this teacher in Malawi surely if this teacher had acces to this idiot he wuold even pull the ears of this demon. So only thing he had to do is to insult with loud voice i salute u teacher.