Anti-Chakwera chants faulted
Former president Bakili Muluzi and others have condemned the conduct of some youths in Mangochi who chanted songs against President Lazarus Chakwera during the Chiwanja Cha Ayao commemoration on Saturday.
The youth, who welcomed former United Democratic Front (UDF) leader Atupele Muluzi, shouted at Chakwera, “kuno si kwanu [this is not your home]”, insinuating that the President was not welcome in Mangochi.
Yesterday, Atupele did not pick our calls on several attempts, but his father, Bakili Muluzi, who ruled the country between 1994 and 2004, condemned the incident, saying it was unfortunate and must not be condoned.
He said: “The incident is unfortunate because we had a colourful event at the stadium. There were no castigations. So, such kind of behaviour should not be allowed. That’s something we really need to address.”
Muluzi urged authorities to continue with programmes that unite the country so that unity prevails, fearing the future generation risks being divided if seeds of divisions are left scot-free.
Muluzi said: “This country is one. It is a small country and economy. So, we cannot start talking about ‘kuno sikwanu’ and the like. The President was our guest and how do you start castigating your own guest? N’zachibwana zimenezo [that’s being petty] and cannot be entertained.”
In a separate interview yesterday, Yao Paramount Chief Kawinga extended an apology and said those who booed and chanted anti-Chakwera songs did so out of ignorance.
The chief said: “People need to understand that Chakwera may not have been born in Mangochi, but he has a constitutional mandate to rule over the whole country. You will see that at the stadium where the Chiwanja Cha Ayao event took place everything went well.
“Throughout the event, we were asking for unity, but you know that we have some illiterate and ignorant people who just want to destroy anything. From the time of Dr Kamuzu Banda to date, we have never seen this and our youths must understand that we have one President at a time, and only elections determine who the leader is.”
Ministry of National Unity spokesperson Alick Kampeza yesterday said they were saddened by Saturday’s events in Mangochi.
“As a country, we may differ on tribal belongings, but we are all Malawians. The President is voted for by Malawians, and we must respect that,” he said.
During the Chiwanja Cha Ayao event, Chakwera hailed the grouping for promoting unity, saying there has been collaboration, peaceful co-existence and good working relationship between the Yao and other tribes.
Besides the President and the Muluzis, the event was also attended by Vice-President Saulos Chilima, Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara, Inkosi ya Makhosi M’Mbelwa V of Jere Ngoni, Paramount Chief Lundu of the Chewa and Mang’anja, Inkosi ya Makhosi Gomani V of the Maseko Ngoni and Democratic Progressive Party’s George Chaponda, who represented former president Peter Mutharika.
