Mixed reactions on JB’s forgiveness remarks

Some members of President Joyce Banda’s Cabinet have lashed out at activists and opposition leaders for accusing the President of lacking a spirit of forgiveness.

Two of the ministers, Luscious Kanyumba (Education, Science and Technology) and Catherine Gotani Hara (Health), yesterday said in separate interviews they crossed paths with the President when she served as the late Bingu wa Mutharika’s vice-president but she forgave them.

Banda’s critics had faulted her eulogy at the funeral service of former South African president Nelson Mandela on December 15 this year where she said Mandela’s legacy taught her to forgive other people.

The critics accused Banda of failing to demonstrate any spirit of forgiveness to anyone.

But Kanyumba said he uttered many “nasty” things about Banda when she was vice-president, but now feels forgiven while serving in her Cabinet.

He said: “Very few people would forgive me looking at what happened when we met as DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] to fire Madam Joyce Banda and Honourable Khumbo Kachali from the party at Sanjika Palace.

“I am the one who was sent to move the motion. At that meeting, I even said we could not go ahead with the meeting unless ‘this lady’ and Honourable Khumbo Kachali were kicked out of the party because I said we could not trust them. I said ‘this lady’ instead of respecting her.”

On her part, Hara said she was among the people in DPP who made “horrible” remarks about Banda but now feels forgiven.

However, some critics argue Banda has not fully demonstrated the spirit of forgiveness; hence, she was  wrong to state that one of the lessons she learnt from the late Mandela was to forgive others.

In an interview yesterday, Civil Society Grand Coalition spokesperson Chris Chisoni described testimonies of forgiveness from politicians as “mere political propaganda”.

“The President has only shown the spirit of forgiveness when she pardons people from prison and that is what all presidents are already empowered to do by the Constitution.

“Nobody can stand on the mountain and say that he or she has been forgiven by the President. People should not say they have been forgiven from a political propaganda perspective,” said Chisoni.

Another activist, Benedicto Kondowe, said Banda is yet to demonstrate a selfless spirit of forgiveness, saying forgiving politicians is attached to political benefits.

“The spirit of forgiveness as championed by Mandela is that of selfless attitude,” said Kondowe.