Gossip-quake hits Malawi govt: Mutharika says people shared cabinet positions when he ‘dissapeared’ 

Malawi government has been hit with gossip-quake  witht he power struggle deepening  and ministers are  worried about an impending  Cabinet reshuffle following claims that the week that President Arthur Peter Mutharika returned to Malawi, some officials in the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are reported to have been sharing cabinet portfolios.

On Monday when he officially launched the Mulanje-Blantyre water project in Mulanje, in his address to the huge crowd that attended the Presidential rally at Pasani School grounds, the Malawi leader thinly disclosed the underhand activities that occured whilst he was away in the United States.

“During the time of Bingu, a lot of people run away from us. We had plenty of pharisees and I didn’t realise we still have them until now,” said Mutharika.

The President was apparently referring to the death of his late brother President Bingu Wa Mutharika in 2012 where the nation witnessed a mass exodus of senior party officials to the new governing party then, the Peoples Party (PP) of former Joyce Banda.

“As I was drinking coffee in New York, others were busy here planning for my state funeral. Some of these pharisees were allocating cabinet portfolios and other government positions,” the President continued in an address aired live on the national broadcaster, MBC.

The President who did not name any of those involved advised people to always be careful in life.

“My late grandmother told me that when you are running, you should also look on the ground otherwise you will stumble and fall,” concluded the President without eradicating.

Nyasa Times has learnt that those linked to the scamble for cabinet portfolios included Civic Education Minister Patricia Kaliati, Labour Minister Henry Mussa, Information Minister Malisoni Ndau, Home Affairs Minister Grace Chiumia, Deputy Defence Minister Vincent Ghambi, Blantyre City East Parliamentarian Noel Masangwi.

Kaliati is reported to have been the likely Vice President of Malawi in the event that the President was indeed pronounced dead.

A few weeks ago, Kaliati was handed an honorary doctorate degree that has seen her change her name to Dr Kaliati. It is not known if the doctorate title and the touted country Vice Presidency were linked to each other.

Analysts have blamed the lack of information that let to speculations the President Arthur Peter Mutharika was seriously ill in hospital in the USA or indeed dead.

Rumors were rife that Mutharika’s long stay in the U.S. was because he was undergoing surgery.

The President during a news conference confirmed he has a surgery on his shoulder but that he was in robust health.

With Mutharika’s remarks on pharises and Judases that surround him,  fear now grips ministers over a cabinet shake up.

Others also speculate that treason charges may be pressed on some and that Vice President Saulos Chilima is targeted with state spies linking the cabinet sharing story to him.

“There is too much gossip in this government and the President is being fed with a lot of lies,” a cabinet minister who is accused to have been one of those sharing ministerial posts told Nyasa Times.

“It’s witchunt and political posturing that is disuniting us,” added aother.

Nyasa Times understand that the President may have pencilled down some of his ministers who would be relieved of their positions in another major cabinet reshuffle, particularly ministers with presidential aspirirations which will also pave way for DPP strongman George Chaponda to sail through easily as Mutharika’s successor.

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