Parliament explodes in laughter as minister Gangata struggles to speak — MPs left roaring

Malawi Parliament descended into farce on Monday as MPs openly patronised Sports and Culture Minister Alfred Gangata, mocking his struggles with basic English the moment he rose to speak.

Gangata, clutching prepared notes, inched through his statement line by line.

“Mr Speaker Sir, I beg to propose… I beg to present the paper… under item 3C31, 3C32, 3C3,” he read slowly, stumbling over the words as MPs exchanged glances.

When he finally added, “I beg to move,” the chamber erupted — not in respect, but in cheers and handclaps as Speaker Sameer Suleman summoned the sergeant‑at‑arms to rescue the documents and place them on the dispatch box for him.

“Do you wish to speak to your papers?” the Speaker asked, barely containing laughter.

“No,” Gangata replied, saying he would refer the matter to the Legal Affairs Committee — triggering another wave of laughter and applause.

The Speaker’s own “Thank you” came with a visible grin as MPs broke into open mockery.

But the humiliation did not end there.When the House moved to Ministers answering questions — the minister’s turn to respond to questions, the spectacle intensified.“Let me now ask the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture to respond to the questions,” the Speaker announced.

“Hon Minister, respond to the questions from Mzimba South and Karonga Lufilya.”

Gangata rose slowly.: “Thank you Mr Speaker Sir,” he began.

“I have taken note of the question from the Hon Member from Mzimba… yes, Mzimba South. I will first ask from my office and then I will come to the Honourable Member. Thank you Mr Speaker Sir.”

The chamber rippled with laughter.

The Speaker pressed on: “Hon Minister, there was also a question from the Hon Member from Karonga Lufilya. It is similar to that of Mzimba South — they too want their stadium completed.”

Gangata replied simply: “Thank you Mr Speaker Sir, NOTED.”

MPs burst into loud laughter —  as the Speaker himself joined in.

“The Honourable Minister here is a man of few words,” Suleman joked. “He prefers more actions than words.”

The chamber roared.

Gangata, a wealthy businessman‑turned‑politician, has long been a target of public ridicule over his grammar and difficulty delivering speeches in English, even with scripts in hand.

His recent gaffe — “My people, football” — has become a national punchline, with Malawians gleefully repeating it whenever his name surfaces.

Monday’s scenes only cemented his reputation as one of Parliament’s most mocked ministers.

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