Mutharika off to Brics summit in South Africa, leaves behind political whirlwind

President Peter Mutharika has left Malawi for South Africa to attend a Brics summit, leaving behind a political whirlwind and leaving the
vice president Saulos Chilima with a weak security detail.

Malawi is attending the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) summit on invitation as one of the poorest countries in the
world with a shaky economy.

However, speaking on departure at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Mutharika told the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters most of them women who had gathered to dance for him before departure that Malawi was chosen to attend the meeting because the economy was doing better.

“I know that the opposition does not see all these economic achievements we have in the country,” said Mutharika answering a
question from a reporter from the state controlled Malawi Broadcasting
Corporation (MBC).

Since revelations that the DPP had benefited from a multi-billion proceeds of a crime in what is now commonly known as policegate,
Mutharika has been dodging questions from private media journalists.

Mutharika said he will see if Malawi will benefit from loans and grants from the Bricks New Development Bank.

South Africa has just got K220 billion in loans from the bank.

As the president was flying out, the main opposition Malawi Congress
Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera was flying in from outside the country.

However, conspicuously missing at the airport was the vice president Saulos Chilima who has caused political whirwind after launching his
own United Transformation Movement on Saturday to challenge Mutharika at the polls in 2019.

Mutharika on Wednesday approved that the state strips off the vice president’s security detail, leaving him with depleted bodyguards.

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