Mutharika visits North amid calls for breakaway
President Peter Mutharika makes his first tour of the North today amid contentious calls for the region to become a standalone State or country.
According to presidential adviser on unity and parliamentary affairs Symon Vuwa Kaunda, Mutharika will spell out his development agenda for the North when he confers degrees on Mzuzu graduates today and hold a mass rally at Mzuzu Upper Stadium tomorrow.
Yesterday, Young Pastors Coalition of Malawi (YPCM) weighed in on the simmering debate rekindled by People’s Party (PP) vice-president Harry Mkandawire’s statement in Parliament that the country should adopt a federal system since Mutharika’s first Cabinet is hugely dominated by ministers from the South where the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) enjoyed massive votes in the May 20 polls.
Last week, PP provincial governor, the Reverend Mzomera Ngwira raised the debate when he said the North, actually, needs to secede because apart from leaving the country fractured on regional lines, the first-past-the-post electoral system hardly favours the region to produce a president.
YPCM executive director, the Reverend Patrick Banda of World Alive Ministry, could not articulate the group’s stand on demands for equitable distribution of public positions, but said the development just shows the debate has the potential to worsen disunity in the country.
“Those calling for federalism and division of the country will only bring more harm than good to innocent Malawians,” said Banda at a press briefing initially scheduled to be addressed by Kaunda.
Kaunda denied any involvement, but “totally agreed that the country needs peace, unity and tolerance” as an enabling environment for development.
“Recently, I have been meeting traditional and religious leaders on nation-building. The opposite of peace is violence, chaos, anarchy and riots. We don’t want that in Malawi,” he said.
Like the pastors, he asked Malawians to be wary of “failed ideas” from frustrated politicians knowing the calls are coming just months after polls.
In an interview, Ngwira, who once occupied executive positions in DPP and PP governments, termed the pastors opportunists.
He credited Mutharika’s predecessor Joyce Banda for choosing Khumbo Kachali as vice-president, saying the reigning DPP rebuffed “a fully qualified and capable Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe” for the No. 2 job (vice-presidency of the country) because he comes from the North.
Hon. Ngwira is a misguided politician without a clear understanding of what he utters. I, therefore, urge every reasonable Malawi to ignore his calls for secession. They are baseless and unfounded. He argued out of greed like his friend Kapito. APM ignore theses less educated persons who used money to reach where they are.
The PMFD was the first party to advocate for FEDERALISM because of the injustices the Northerners are suffering since the independent of Malawi. The hatred that the Southerners have shown towards Northerners is the reason we seek FEDERALISM or total independent of the REPUBLIC OF NYIKA. The PMFD its president is Eddy Banda who is in the USA. During that time Ben Mukandaweri was in the UK. It was Mr. Aston Nyondo who recruited Ben Mukandaweri into the PMFD. Ben Mukandaweri was the spokesperson of the PMFD. Eddy Banda drafted the constitution of the PMFD based on the USA federalism model. Ben Mukandaweri wanted a constitution that mirrors the UK government because that is the system he knows. Please Nyasatimes put the record straight. It was the PMFD that was making a lot of noise on Nyasatimes to promote FEDERALISM that will have rotational presidency among our three provinces. The PMFD does not promote the domination of presidency by one region or tribe. The PMFD is glad that FEDERALISM is gaining momentum in the North and Central region of Malawi. The DPP rigged the votes and have no legitimacy to govern Malawi. I call upon all FEDERALSM supporters to intensify the fight until Malawi is free from all “ISMS” that are being advocated by the Mulhako dominated government. A leader is somebody who listens to his people and does the right thing that will benefit his country. Peter Mutharika is not a leader but an opportunist that unleash his tribe on others for personal enrichment. Unitary system has failed Malawi because it has produced one dictator after another. Is this what Malawians wants. Every region must have a say of how its province need to be governed to correct the injustices that are going on. Peter Mutharika and his tribe people have been planning genocide against the Northerners. These ideas are being promoted by Patricia Kaliati and Mzwati Nkolokosa. They say they want to do the Rwanda style. We must stand firm and fight to the last man. Republic of Nyika will only be part of Malawi under FEDERALISM and as for now is an illegal occupied country by the Mulhako dominated government. This fight must carry on until we are free people. Are you happy to be the slaves of Mulhako? NO!!!!! You saw how brutal the Mutharika brothers can be. They slaughtered a lot of Northerners. They petrol bomb and assassinate dissenting voices to maintain the status quo. Alluta continuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!