The roast of Atupele: Social media raps UDF leader for attacking Covid-19 lockdown injunction 

United Democratic Front (UDF) leader, Atupele Muluzi, has been thoroughly roasted by users on social media following his attacks on Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Gift Trapence for getting an injunction, in April, stopping government from affecting a coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown.

Atupele:  Takes to Facebook to express himself

Atupele wrote the attack on his Facebook account early Friday, just a day after Trapence posted about sending an invoice to the UDF leader  to pay up for the convoy purportedly for vice-president used during campaign when he was running mate to immediate past president Peter Mutharika.

Writing on his Facebook account, Atupele rapped Trapence and his colleagues, saying they had put Malawian’s life at risk by going to court against lockdown.

“Now we have a serious upsurge in Covid-19 cases which the lockdown wanted to prevent. This will take away one fundamental right to some which is the right to life. However you have noticed he chooses to play the devil’s advocate all the time, but there is a much bigger cost coming his way,” he said.

He added that when Malawian’s start dying of the virus pandemic, they shall remember the men and women who exposed them to this pandemic.

“I struggle to figure out if this won’t be genocide – the events of the past have shown the disregard for destruction in your endeavor to be relevant. Everyone should be held accountable for their actions and that doesn’t make you an exemption,” he wrote.

The fallen running mate of UDF/DPP alliance further said that new Tonse Alliance government has preached of justice but I think the first thing on the agenda should be election violence followed by Covid-19.

Atupele’s remarks, however, did not go down well with most of his followers on social media.

HRDC vice president Billy Mayaya reminded Atupele that they sought the injunction against a lockdown with the aim of ensuring that the then government had clear mechanisms for social protection of the poor and vulnerable—something the courts agreed.

“The onus was on the then Government to present a counter argument as a basis for vacating the injunction. Please do not embellish your position with wild exaggeration and conjecture,” said Mayaya.

Mayaya, then, brought up the convoy issues, saying Malawians demand accountability for the abuse of power displayed by illegal use of a convoy during a campaign.

 

“HRDC is awaiting your response on that matter. Don’t divert attention from that matter. We weren’t born yesterday!” he wrote.

UTM Party’s Hellen Chabunya advised Atupele to wake up to the reality that he is misguided.

“How did you propose to institute a lockdown when all funds were being looted for your benefit?” wondered Chabunya.

Another follower, Leo Leornard called Atupele a disgrace and an amateur, adding he [Atupele] had forgotten how the DPP government imported Covid-19 Cases from South Africa, hence the current escalation.

“Those attacks on HRDC leaders are fruitless, tangobwezani ndalamazo munawonongazo pa convoy as if you were the country’s VP. Uwona Nyenkhwe sunati,” he said.

Another follower, Emmanuel Ashadow Mwale said: “If DPP has someone to blame for their downfall, then it’s you [Atupele]. People have not forgotten how your father held this country at ransom; imagine stealing 1.7 billion Kwacha of their money. People don’t want anything associated with his name, including you, sir. Please take a holiday to China.”

However, some followers took a middle position, one of them being Mbene Mwambene who wrote:“I totally agree with you but perhaps these words could’ve come during the campaign. You didn’t say anything then. Also, how realistic would a lockdown be in Malawi? Either ways, there are risks along. If a lockdown is implemented, people will starve. Again without a lockdown in place people will still get infected.”

Interestingly, Atupele’s most feared critic, journalist Idriss Ali Nassah also weighed in, encouraging  the UDF leader  to keep posting so that he keeps exposing his reasoning to the public.

He wrote: “What Atupele Muluzi is doing in engaging with the public through his Facebook page is very admirable because not too many of our politicians have the guts to face-off with the public in that manner.

“I have seen some people pleading with him to stop with the asinine comments he has been making since last week’s thorough political beating, but I disagree. We live in a democracy and it is Atupele’s democratic right to make a complete fool of himself in public.

“More importantly, it is yet another opportunity for the people of Malawi to see that outside of the privileged upbringing and the polished St Andrews High School English, this man has questionable intelligence and third-rate political judgement.

”Which is why, for all the opportunities he was given, he has ended up being just another whimpering voice on Facebook; a Dickson Kashoti that went to High School.”

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A Chair
A Chair
3 years ago

Mvetsetseni bebe, coming to the realization that your unrealistic dream of becoming a president has just slipped away got to hurt as hell. Uko ndikulira mokweza, tsogolo lake la mwanayu lachita katondo

Noxy
3 years ago

Atupele has drawn attention by all who hate the truth.The lockdown injuction increased the spread of covid19.We know who to blame and Atupele just mentioned them on his tweet.Carry on Atupele.

Libra
Libra
3 years ago
Reply to  Noxy

Dont make me laugh please!!! Was atupele held at ransom to also go on rallies or were only atupeles rallies covid free…grow up!!!

Wawo
Wawo
3 years ago

I like what idrissa wrote if atupere you will read my comment simple advise shut your mouth up close your fb account and start looking for what you need to do for your living politics has failed you. Get to know that WHO is abolishing the social distancing and masking practices. You wanted to enjoy malawi tax payers money through back door. The benefits you enjoyed Malawians entrusted to Chilima you are case you have forced peter out of government.

Libra
Libra
3 years ago
Reply to  Wawo

Yes…atupele should just go looking for a job basi..dont waste our time and MB’s reading your childish whimpering..you need to go to the army…man up!!

Muhammad jafar
Muhammad jafar
3 years ago

The time ll come

When he ll be believed

President Chisokonezo
3 years ago

For covid blame your evil old man called Mutharika. He could help Malawi and whilst in SA but he decided to bring them to Malawi to infect people. How evil get was together with his evil running mate

Opportunist
Opportunist
3 years ago

We will no longer ruled by these two families forever

Namulondola Njira
3 years ago

There is nothing wrong with Atupele’s comments. The problem is that we are in third world category and our thinking too is third world thinking. The IRS’s world countries had to implement the lockdown rules and many have lost their business and job. They had to do it to save lives, but here in Malawi, nthawi zonse Tim am a nkhwangwa I’ll mmutu. Let us wait and see.

Timve Ziti
Timve Ziti
3 years ago

If Atupele really cared about the spread of Covid 19 he should not have conducted all those jam packed rallies. How about all those overloaded trucks ferrying people. Why talk now. I find that he is a big opportunist. He did not stand by the opposition when they fought the legal battles. He just comes in at the opportune time to reap where he did not sow. It wasn’t fair to the DPP either. They were doing battle whilst he sat on the fence then comes in to grab the position of Running Mate when all was over. Not fair.… Read more »

Libra
Libra
3 years ago
Reply to  Timve Ziti

EXactly!!!! Thank you…

Benito
3 years ago

Lockdown was a good idea but how did you expect Malawians to survive with the then impunitive DPP government? You wanted lockdown as a scapegoat for elections. Why did you not start with closing of boarders? Why did you fail to manage Malawians from SA? We are now safe with you& agogo out of govt cause many suffered.

Mpakateni
3 years ago

Is Atupele a University drop-out or is someone who failed to get a degree called Law and Economics – what a degree it would have been and a BA (yopanda quality) for that matter not LLB . That speaks volumes. They say as the dogs bark, let the caravan go. One renowned Medical Doctor has written in a medical journall praising the decision by Judge Charles Mkandawire to grant HRDC an injunction because in his words, he said, “the Judge balanced public health and poverty.” Mwanayutu akadakhala kuti adakhoza degree ya Law akadadzakhala Lawyer wofoira, womangoluza milandu, mmutu mulibe nzeru.… Read more »

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