Lower Shire Chiefs disown Mia: Speaks at PP sponsored presser

Barely a day after Muslim leaders were asked to be talking ill about former Transport Minister and the ruling People’s Party’s vice president who quit cabinet and the part last week, Sidik Mia, eight traditional leaders in Lower Shire area where Mia hails from and command respect on Wednesday organized a news conference in Chikwawa district in which they distanced themselves from any allegiance to Mia.

The news conference is strongly believed to have been sponsored by the ruling People’s Party (PP) elite evidenced by the vicinity of the PP’s provincial governor for the South Isaac Nyakamera who was loitering around the venue of the news conference.

And state broadcaster MBC reporters from both radio and TV had to travel all the way from Blantyre to Chikwawa to cover the function which was chaired by Paramount chief Lundu.

Traditional leaders present were Traditional Authorities Malemia, Chimombo, Makoko from Nsanje district and Makuwira, Mulilima, Maseya, Chapananga from Chikwawa.”We as chiefs we work with a government of the day. Those who are out of government should not expect to work with us”, said Lundu.

The Paramount chief also accused Mia of being a power hungry politician who will not succeed in life.

Executive Director of Malawi Watch a rights NGO, Billy Banda told Nyasa Times that the way President Banda’s administration is handling the resignation of Mia raises some suspicion.

”The move to parade chiefs or religious leaders to talk evil about  prominent people like Sidik Mia, Cassim Chilumpha is very worrisome development that should not be tolerated,” he said.

Banda added that those people who are quitting the party might have good grounds of doing so.

He cautions President Banda to tread carefully over such issues.

”The PP party is lacking interparty dialogue. President Banda should tread carefully with people who are quitting the party rather than discrediting them as the country is going towards the first ever historic tripartite elections” said Banda.

He further said President Banda should instead work with a spirit of democracy by sweeping the house clean and put in order not being busy castigating those who are leaving the part saying such tactics are clear indication of the party’s desperation in the absence of those who have left it.

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