Mutharika says no jokes on mice-eating, yams not grasshoppers: Malawi President says indulging in mice meals himself
It’s not a joke. Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika means his word by saying people should eat mice to cope with a nationwide food crisis as on Friday he retaliated his call during political meetings in the estern city of Zomba.
President Mutharika recently told hungry Malawians to eat mice in a bid to curb the scourge of hunger that had hit the nation.
His remarks at Mulanje where he addressed a political rally caused an immediate backlash, with some Malawians claiming that Mutharika was being offensive to some religious groups who did not eat mice.
Government spokesperson Patricia Kaliati in an attempt to put a possitive spin, said President Mutharika was simply cracking a joke.
Kaliati, who is also Minister of Infomation , said the criticism following Mutharika’s utterances could only be described as “thoughtless”.
On Friday, Mutharika maintained that Malawians should make a meal ot of mice but clarified that in Mulanje he did not mention grasshoppers (Zitete) but meant Zitchetche (yams).
Speaking at a at Matawale in Zomba, Muthalika said “on the issue of hunger that the traditional leaders have said, my government will do its best to deal with it.”
“I should also take this opportunity to clarify what the media reported in my last week rally. I did not say eat zitete (grasshoppers) but zitchetche which means yams in my Lomwe language,” said Muthalika.
“Ena mwa inu makutu anu samva bwino, what I said is that Malawians should eat sweet potatoes, cassava, mice and yams and you have to quote me in right context today,” he added.
According to Muthalika eating of mice is very deeply entrenched in the traditions of the Lhomwe people.
“I don’t know about other parts of the country but to my area mice are a delicacy and I had it yesterday during my dinner,” said the President.
His remarks contradict Kaliati’s statement that Muthalika wasn’t being serious.
Malawi is currently in the grips of a food crisis following drought and the president declared a state of national crisis earlier this year.
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Soon after independence in 1964,the international communitity especially the African nations ,shouted hoarse.Malawi them selves ,were the happiest folks to arrive at that day(6th JULy,1964).Unfortunately two months later,9th August,1964,the party was over once and for all.Since that day,hitherto,Malawians have been living under hellish sort of human life without rival elsewhere in Africa apart from few failed States.Where did we go astray? Let me a bit endeavour to explain what overwhelming masses of young men and young women still do not comprehend fully what had just propped up then.It started a month before the Independence Day by the first brilliant and… Read more »
Ngati mwamva njala musachedwe idyani zitchetche ndi mbewa msanga ndipo njala yonse izathawa…..copyright professorial guide 2016
kenaka atiwuza kuti tizidya ng’ona
The lomwe’s even eat rats, so mice is an improvement
Simply put the other way round; the advice is for those who eat nsima mamawa masana ndi madzulo.These people continue doing this as usual even after straggling to buy the scarce maize from ADMARC.They also straggle to find ndiwo to meet the three times a day nsima that they eat.Iam of the opinion that if they can reduce nsima and eat futali( from sweet potato), cassava,yams etc, they can still survive. This was also a similar advice from Kamuzu and Muluzi in similar situations in the past.
This Midnight Six thief will destroy Malawi. Bring back our 61 billion chonde
O………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….O COVER A KILOBYTE AND EXPOSE THE GIGABYTE So APM thinks the advice on yams and tubers is better and more hope-giving than otherwise? . . . Just come to think of it . . . If, by whatever misfortune, you find yourself caught up in a possibility of being eaten by a lion. Can someone come and say, “kukamabwera mkango thawani”? . . . Isnt this what every(normal)body would naturally do? Now, what’s this that APM is talking about? when he tells people to eat yams and tubers? . . . Isnt resolting to eating yams, what people would… Read more »
The Analyst you are thinking like a normal person should, and you are right, but, Malawians, since the dawn of multi party do not behave like normal people. Do you need to wait for government to do everything for you? what is government? does government die of starvation? In Malawi if someone is doing well, people plot to bring them down. Do you remember there was a chap farming at Zalewa, and every time you passed there there was green maize, what did Malawians do, provoked him to the extent he was implicated in murder, do you see any maize… Read more »
Why was he trying to justify the implication? He knows the fact that he went around the country with maize telling people to vote for him if they want maize as if DPP has a farm or can provide rains on people’s farms. It’s high time these politians stop taking people for granted.
Mutharika you imbecile if your area I.e. the lomwes love to eat mice so be it but you insult the rest of the Malawians by asking them to eat mice.
You are are oblivious to the suffering of the rest of the country. Look at your size you grow fatter by the way.
was he not speaking to the people of Thyolo?
No waste of time on these simple issues. The president is trying to inform the nation of alternatives of nsima and regular ndiwo to reduce this poverty. If we have other means then we can advise him and inform the nation of the same…
Martin, you are right people should not major in minor. Though you debate it politically, will it solve the hunger problem?
UN urges people to eat insects to fight world hunger
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-22508439