Malawi President Joyce Banda has said she will not make the clarification John Kapito sought from her regarding a lawsuit against the consumer rights activist.
Banda, through her lawyer Wapona Kita, demanded an apology and a retraction of a statement Kapito made that the President created hunger for her own political gain.
Kapito, who is executive director of Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama), did not apologise, instead, he wrote back to Banda’s lawyer, seeking the clarification.
In a response to a questionnaire, Kita said the President is still considering the legal options he gave her on how the conduct of the matter should proceed.
Kita said: “The President, by herself or through me, will not respond to the clarification Mr Kapito sought because the letter which we wrote to him was and remains clear on what is demanded of him.
“As a matter of fact, his requests for the clarification which were circulated to the press are defamatory in nature and we have taken them and shall handle them as such.”
The lawyer said one thing clear is that the President was defamed as a person and there must be legal redress to that, adding it may be criminal or civil.
He said the action shall commence when they are through with all the preparatory work.
Kapito in March alleged that Banda created an artificial scarcity of maize in the country for her own benefit.
In a press statement he issued, he said Malawians must remember that the scarcity and high prices of maize, being experienced at the time the statement was issued, also happened between 2001 and 2003 when the President was the board chairperson of Admarc.
