National News

JB should bury the past—Mutharika

Mutharika: former President Joyce Banda should bury the past
Mutharika: former President Joyce Banda should bury the past

Newly elected Malawi President Peter Mutharika has said former President Joyce Banda should bury the past and help him rebuild the country.

Speaking soon after receiving the sword of honour from army commander General Lieutenant Henry Odillo, officially becoming the Commander In-chief of the Malawi Defence Force, Mutharika repeated the call he made on Saturday that rebuilding Malawi needs collective efforts from all political players and Malawians.

“Joyce Banda has declined to hand-over power to me today. She should bury the past and let us move forward in rebuilding the country,” he said.

Mutharika also assured “those who are afraid” that politics of revenge, gossip and jealous are over.

“I can assure you that politics of revenge, kuthana are over. DPP has changed.”

Mutharika, whose late brother former president Bingu wa Mutharika had sour relations with donors and other development partners, called on the neighbouring countries and the development partners to feel free to work and do business in Malawi.

He also called on other political party candidates who contested in the May 20 Tripartite Elections to work with him.

“I will be calling them one by one and discuss with them on how best we can rebuild this country,” he said.

The president said that he will resume talks with his Mozambican counterpart, the SADC and Africa Union to ensure that Shire-Zambezi Waterway is completed.

Mutharika said in a few days to come, he will be announcing the cabinet and he maintained that it will be a 20-member cabinet including deputies.

Mutharika won the highly contested May 20 Tripartite elections by 1.9 million votes representing. He is the fifth president of Malawi.

Botswana President Seretse Ian Khama was among several other foreign dignitaries that attended Mutharika’s inauguration.

Sellina Kainja

Online Editor | Social Media Expert | Earth Journalism Network Fellow | Media Trainer | Columnist

Related Articles

2 Comments

    1. If he’s serious about dealing with corruption, he should return the LL Mayor’s house that he fraudulently acquired…..

Back to top button