Uladi presses for Joyce Banda benefits as Malawi ex-president

Leader of People’s Party (PP) in Parliament Uladi Mussa has made a frantic plea to government to give former president Joyce Banda her presidential benefits.

Mussa, speaking Monday when he was responding to President Peter Mutharika’s state of the nation address, said the Malawi Constitution provides for retirement benefits for the former Head of State and former Vice President and that government’s action was against the Republican Constitution.

“She has been denied her salary, she has not been given vehicles, security has been removed from her,” said Mussa.

Banda has been in self imposed exile since she lost the 2014 presidential election to Peter Mutharika. She came third after Malawi Congress Party’s Lazarus Chakwera.

Mussa said Banda will only return after the government assures her of security, a return of her official vehicles and an official residence as provided for in the Republican Constitution.

“She is not just an ordinary person but a former head of state,” said Mussa.

He said the former president request the government to respect and uphold the rule of law and provide Banda with her salary for 17 months, transport, adequate personal security and a secure home.

Mussa also asked the government to work round the clock to bring back donors whose withdrawal of budgetary support has made the country’s economy to collapse causing untold misery to ordinary Malawians.

“All President Mutharika’s predecessors came into office when donors had already left but they managed to bring them back,” he said and jokingly saying the MCP and PP alliance will bring back donors just a month into office.

He said in other countries, governments hire international negotiators to woo back donors and asked the government instead of complaining of donor flight.