Malawi’s Minister of Home Affairs Uladi Mussa has filed a defence on a lawsuit by United Democratic Front’s 2014 presidential candidate Atupele Muluzi.
Muluzi sued Mussa over remarks he had been making at public rallies addressed by President Joyce Banda that Muluzi lied about his age.
In the defence filed at the High Court in Blantyre by his lawyers, Mussa said Muluzi, being a politician and an aspiring presidential candidate for 2014 elections, is liable to public scrutiny and fair comments on his age, character, experience, ability to public speeches and any other attributes relating to a public office, more particularly of the high office of the President of Malawi.
Mussa argues that words uttered, published or caused to be published by him on Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) on April 14 this year in a live programme known as Tiuzeni Zooona, were true.
The defence statement reads: “The defendant only made a fair comment that only people who have attained the prescribed age for any office of a Member of Parliament and President of the Republic of Malawi may be voted into the office…
“The defendant made a fair and true comment that in case of UDF during their 2013 convention amended their constitution on the question of age of the president in order to accommodate the plaintiff, who by the time of the convention was under the age of 35.”
Mussa claims that he made a true and fair comment that Malawians should look for and vote for a person into the office of the President who has sufficient experience in politics and people who have held various political positions before.
He denies each and every allegations of the statement of claim.
Muluzi’s lawyer Jai Banda said in an interview his client is proceeding with the lawsuit.
