Minister of Local Government, Culture and National Unity Richard Chimwendo Banda said government wrote family of former President Bingu wa Mutharika to renovate and take over the care of his mausoleum, Mpumulo wa Bata at Ndata in Thyolo but there is no response.
Speaking during the commemoration of Kamuzu Day activities at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday, Chimwendo Banda said the government wanted to take over the care of the mausoleum as a gesture of honour to what Bingu did for the country.
Bingu’s Mpumulo Wa Bata in ruins
Among others, Chimwendo said Bingu respected Kamuzu by constructing his mausoleum.
“As you (President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera) instructed us, we wrote the family to seek their permission so that we could take over the mausoleum but the family is yet to respond to our letter,” he said.
He said the government extended an invitation to Peter Mutharika and his family to attend the Kamuzu commemoration activities but they did not turn up.
There was no immediate comment from the office of the former president Peter Mutharika or his family over the issues raised by Chimwendo Banda.
But Peter Mutharika is refusing to meet Chakwera since he showed interest to join the 2025 presidential race.
Mutharika lost the 2020 court sanctioned presidential election to Chakwera and the former president attributed this to Vice President Saulos Chilima’s decision to quit the Democratic Progressive Party and form UTM which supported the Chakwera candidacy.
