Mutharika denies Satan storm
The Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika can perfectly be likened with a chameleon. Three weeks after publicly blaming Satan for Malawi’s economic mess during his Christmas and New Year’s message, today he has denied uttering such words.
Instead the Malawi leader has once again blamed his detractors for “deliberately misinterpreting his New Year’s message.”
Mutharika, speaking ay P.I.M, Chiradzulu during the commemoration of John Chilembwe’s Day, clarified that during his message he never meant that Satan was behind the current economic mishaps facing the country but rather that the devil was manipulating people’s minds which was creating problems in the country.
Usually it is Dr Hetherwick Ntaba, the presidential spokesperson, who always goes to the state broadcaster, MBC, to “clarify and put records straight” to Malawians about what Mutharika means in his statements.
“I did not say that,” Mutharika told the gathering. “In my Christmas message I said that the Devil has sat on the back of this country but opposition parties misinterpreted by saying that I meant that problems rocking Malawi have been caused by the Devil… In Malawi people like complaining a lot but these problems are not only in Malawi.”
The president also bald-facedly refuted blaming the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) for creating the current chronic fuel shortage and accused the parties’ leaders of intentionally twisting his messages.
“I never said that the opposition has brought problems in the country,” he defended himself.
In the national address which was aired on Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) television and posted on YouTube, Mutharika said: “Satana anatikhalira pamsana; anabweretsa njiru, kudana, mabodza ndi kaduka. [Satan oppressed us and brought envy, hatred, gossip and jealousy among us]. But God told him it is not his time and God has triumphed because 2012 promises even more blessings and peace for Malawi. God has not forsaken us.”
Commenting on Mutharika’s change of tongue and about turns, Chancellor College Political Analyst Dr Mustapha Hussein said the statement was typical of politicians in Malawi who have a tendency of blaming others for their own problems.
The political scientist, however, said there was no need because one thing for sure was that people heard what he publicly said.
Recently, MCP spokesperson Nancy Tembo said Malawians were really failing exactly to know whether their President was coming or going.
She observed that it was difficult to take President Mutharika’s remarks seriously because chances are that immediately thereafter he is likely change and start attacking others for his own failures.
“When something works he claims all the credit but when it doesn’t he looks around for excuses. Let him be consistent and not asking us to work together and turning around two days later.”
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