Peter Mutharika attacks JB in Lomwe belt rallies: Malawi road to 2014 polls
Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president, Peter Mutharika on Sunday repeated his attacks at President Joyce Banda, accusing her of property grabbing in former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika’s deceased estate.
Mutharika, who is on three-day whistle stop tour in southern region’s, has since labelled Banda as “cruel”, branding her as a “scare crow” who feels threatened by ever increasingly DPP’s growing popularity.
He accused the Banda government of snatching his brother’s wealth.
Peter, who described himself as the Mutharika family’s patriarch following the death of his brother in April 2012, accused the Joyce Banda administration of wanting “to grab property of the deceased estate.”
Mutharika told the gathering of DPP supporters in the Lomwe belt – Mulanje and Thyolo districts: “They want to grab the property Bingu left for his children. The houses, money, estates, vehicles and many other assets. Is that fair? That’s cruel.”
“We know, she is doing all that just to frustrate me, to frustrate the mighty DPP; but we are not pulling back,” he added to the ululation of ardent party supporters.
Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu is on record saying government cannot be accused of property grabbing when legally established institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), police and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) investigate any suspicions of wrongdoing.
“All matters of corruption or any indecent ways of amassing wealth, if they attract the eyes of ACB, Fiscal Police or FIU, they become an issue and should not be politicized,” said Kunkuyu.
Call for registration
Mutharika has since urged people to register in the voter registration exercise, starting week, in large numbers in order to vote the ruling People’s Party (PP) and its current leadership out of government come 2014.
He added: “I urge every one of you to register once the voter registration exercise starts.
“If we have the sick or frail in our midst, let’s find means to have them registered. We need massive votes if DPP is to be back in government next year. She (Joyce Banda) is afraid of me. She knows that DPP has the popularity to take her out of government next year”.
Hunger hits
Franked by some top party officials, which included Dr. George Chaponda, Patricia Kaliati, Noel Masangwi, Francis Mphepo and some of DPP MPs; Mutharika bemoaned how Joyce Banda administration has turned the country from a food-secured nation to empty silos in just a year.
“It’s a sad that barely a year after DPP is out of government by an act of fate, the country is now about to be hit with foot shortage. There are all indications there is hunger this year. As DPP we will ensure that, once we are back in government next year, food scarcity should be a think of the past. We will be a food secured nation again.
“I should thank you all for your support, and the entire executive committee for entrusting me with such responsibility, during the recent convention, of being charge of the party and leading you back into government in 2014. I promise to never fail you,” he said.
“I need Malawi to know me personally and I want to know you all as well. Next year, tick where you see “this” face and vote for the cobs of maize. The lack of medicine in the hospitals needs to stop. Internal security need to be improved. Community colleges need to be built, remember that knowledge is power”.
Mutharika is expected to continue with his whistle-stop tours in Chikhwawa and Nsanje on Monday before visiting Neno and Mwanza on Thursday.
