JB hijacks prayers
President Joyce Banda yesterday hijacked the Nation Day of Prayers, turning the function into a mini-political rally where she drummed up support for her 2014 presidential ambitions.
The prayers, which were organised by Malawi Council of Churches, Episcopal Conference of Malawi, Evangelical Association of Malawi and Muslim Association of Malawi, were held at Comesa Hall in Blantyre under the theme ‘God heal our land’.
But the prayers turned rather political when President Banda took over the stage to highlight activities her government has so far done in fighting several challenges including corruption.
“I have taken risks to serve this nation even with five months to the elections,” she said, citing her purported fighting against corruption in the country.
President Banda said Malawi has a serious problem as it is a nation “that curses itself”. She said when she utters a word, the whole world appreciates unlike Malawians.
Banda, who asked the clergy to continue praying for her, called on Malawians to be united, saying the country belonged to all citizens.
Banda told the gathering that God had chosen this time to heal the nation as the country was now clocking 50 years of independence.
Political party leaders who attended the prayers included United Democratic Front (UDF) president Atupele Muluzi and People’s Transformation Party (Petra) president Kamuzu Chibambo.
But conspicuously missing during the function were Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president Peter Mutharika and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader Lazarus Chakwera.
Mutharika is reportedly in the United States while Chakwera, former president of Assemblies of God in Malawi, could not answer his phone to explain why he missed the prayers.
But MCP deputy publicity secretary Ezekiel Ching’oma said the party heard of the prayers only on Thursday and sent regional chairperson Denis Nanthumba to represent it.
“The president did not attend because he was not invited,” said Ching’oma.
Delivering a sermon to the gathering, Reverend Dr Felix Chingota of the CCAP described Malawi’s politicians as greedy and lacking in integrity, characteristics which, he said, are sinking the country.
Chingota said the country is ‘ill’ due to the conduct of the country’s politicians, who, he said, practise policies of political survival.
Preaching from book of Chronicles, Chingota compared the current political situation in Malawi to the situation in Israel at the time it was under Assyrian bondage.
He said during the time of Israel bondage, leaders lacked fear of the Lord and that the law ‘you shall not steal’ was pushed aside, saying Malawians have, by action and attitude, also pushed aside the law.
“How do you explain the greed and selfishness that is as bad as idolatry?” he wondered.
Chingota further accused politicians of practising politics of convenience and survival, like leaders that that came after King Josiah of Judah who submitted to the Syrian Monarch for political survival.
“It is so wrong. They believed that surviving politically was fine, that is how Judah came down. Policies of political survival have made the Malawi nation go down the drain.
“How do you explain an MP [member of Parliament] jumping one party for another? We do not have principled MPs. Malawi need principled leaders, people of integrity,” he said.
Chingota also condemned religious leaders of lacking transformation of the heart, saying they were preaching quick acquirement of health and wealth.
He, however, said Malawians should accept responsibility of the current situation of the country and must avoid pointing fingers at each other.
“People must meet before God, must admit complacency and confess. Let us be on our knees and confess,” he said.
Pastor Fraxon Kuyama of Seventh Day Adventist called on Malawians to be the salt of the world and must live as such.
“We are the salt of the nation. Politicians should fear God, Malawians have suffered a lot. Malawians must know the truth about the source of their problems,” he said.
The danger of allowing politicians to take the podium in a solemn sacred assembly and turn prayers into press conferences and mini rallies. Though they may not openly say it, but when Dr Laz and APM saw that Madam JB was one of the speakers they smelt a rat and made themselves scarce for the prayer meeting. Next time organisers shuld program out politicians from trafficking to the pulpit to deliver their policies and state of the nation addresses which boarder on partisan issues. JB is a liar, a thief, an accomplice to cashgate. Which fool can sell a State of the Art jet and buy maize with the proceeds thereof. Converting a national asset into manyi and think u have done the nation a service is the worst form of stupendous stupidity.
Zoona pulezident wogulitsa dziko lake. Did the clergy came up with something that could give hope to Malawians. The show was given to a peg in the eye (JB).
Really you dont convert an asset into maize. Selling the pride of Malawi and buy maize. We had over 5 aeroplanes in 1970 before Malawi developed. How many do we have today 50 years after independence. None. Not even a single chopper ( even a one wing one) as the helicopters are all broken down and the cash gate government is failing to maintain them.
Infa ya Bingu kutipatsa madzeradzera.
The clergy should not have prayed for the lake dispute as if its a calamity or devil’s act or god made. Rather it should have prayed for the removal of the one who caused it. We should have been praying for things which we can not have domain over. Just because JB doesnt want the lake to belong to Malawians then we should be bothering the Almighty God.
People must stop canvassing trash. If things are going haywire in Malawi the main culprit is the leadership having lost it’s head. Come to think of a headless chicken; can that chicken reproduce or can it be able to take itself from point A to B unaided? Now here we are, being led by a headless chicken, every time those in the know want to assist constructively the chicken becomes arrogant – perching from one tree to the other. Simply put, Malawians have been taken to ransom by one selfish woman who has completely lost the plot hence her ceaseless utterances on “GENDER”. It is not very far from the truth to say Joyce Banda has a big problem which is associated with “inferioty complex” mixed with unpalatable concoction of insouciance, schizophrenia and dyslectia. A normal person should behave normally but with her the Presidency appointment has gone to her head big time. Testimony is abound that she has totally failed Malawians. A couple of days ago she was on an ant hill shouting herself out that there is enough staple food in the country because she distributed a few stolen maize to her party zealots. Twenty-four hours later it was reported that the price of a 50kg bag of maize is going at K10,000 from the vendors, which can be bought from ADMARC half that price but unfortunately Joyce Banda has hidden all the maize for campaign purposes hence it’s scarcity. It says people are dying of hunger and she is going about boldly telling the nation lies. Can we say we have a leader whose responsibility is to look into the welfare of her people, who apparently are supposed to cast their votes to give a full mandate of governing in May to her and yet she doesn’t bother about feeding them? I am sure she expects corpses to line up and vote in her favour. This is SATANiSM at its best.
JB should know that the clergy now are playing for all the contenders. You have lost the previledge of every clergy praying for you Madam president. What the clergy are actually doing is to pray for a good leader to imerge meaning that you have not been exceptional as they initially thought you would be. Just wait and see in the coming weeks how the tide will change.
JB is the big joke to us Malawians. Now I am conquering with words which was spoken by Noel Masangwi that the country is not ready for a woman president.
JB all what you said there was trash and those who were clapping hands were all your party cohorts the Msondas and co.
How can you say that you belt the Karonga Chitipa road? Why are you not opening the university Bingu belt in Thyolo? Why did you order prison authorities to reject donation from DPP to Maula prison? Why did you lie to us all that you had sold the presidential jet? Why are you creating hunger by hiding the maize? Why are you shielding cashgate suspects? Why are you threatening Chinoko on the sentiments he made to PAC about you in the cashgate? E.T.C
This malawian leader is a big joke.she knows most malawians are fed up with her mediocre leadership and its likely she won’t make It to statehouse come may 20th.
They say “when u see a frog jumping during broad daylight just know that something(maybe a snake) is after its life.so u haven’t seen nothing yet..brace yoself for big things as elections get closer
Most malawians were not happy with JBs visit to SCOAN and commented as such. Whosoever was involved in planning the events of the Nationational day of Prayers remembered how malawians had attacked JB on her SCOAN consultation. Having this in mind he thought of soothing JB by asking a choir to feature ‘andineneee andindinee sindizasiya kutchula DZINA lake moyo wanga wonse’. Ndiyetu anamufikapo JB koma kuima kuvima ka SWAG koma yaa…….. Prayers aimed at pleasing the president not having GOD in mind, shameless.