PAC wants Atupele’s apology over religious remarks
Hitting out at Atupele Muluzi the running mate to President Peter Mutharika in the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and UDF alliance, for his remarks in which he seemed to suggest that the late Malawi Police Service Superintendent Usumani Imedi was killed during protests at Msundwe last year because he was a Muslim from Mangochi, the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) is demanding an apology from him.
Addressing a whistle-stop campaign tour in Chiradzulu last week, Atupele, who is also United Democratic Front (UDF) leader, told the gathering of his campaign trail Atupele is quoted saying: “Amai ndi a bambo, ine ndi Msilamu. Miyezi 10 yapitayo, anthu ena ku Lilongwe anapha wapolisi wina, Sergeant [Supt] Imedi. Anangofika, ali iwe ndi Msilamu waku Mangochi. Basi kumupha! Kodi inu mungafune atsogoleri omwe akuchititsa izi atenge boma? (Ladies and gentlemen, I am a Muslim. Some 10 months ago, some group of people descended on a police officer Sergeant [Supt] Imedi. They shouted you are a Muslim from Mangochi and lynched him to death. Would you trust leaders championing this to take over government?).”
Reacting to Atupele’s remarks, the influential quasi-religious grouping PAC spokesperson Bishop Gilford Matonga said it was divisive.
He said if Atupele becomes the country’s vice-president, he will be for the whole Malawi and all religious grouping and not just for Chiradzulu and Mangochi only and Moslems.
PAC spokesperson faulted what he called “cheap and dirty politics.”
The body which was formed in 1992 during the country’s political transition from one-party to multiparty democracy has demanded Atupele to make a public apology on the remarks and called for all politicians to focus on issue-based campaign.
Journalists AbdulMallick Mnella, a Muslim, also critiqued Atupele’s proclivity for throwing the Islam card to leverage his political position, saying it is getting tired and ineffective in earning him political mileage.
“If anything, it could drift him apart from part of his faith community and getting closer to soiling the name of Islam should some people choose to react to his sensitive, sensationalised and divisive remarks,” observed Sheikh Mnela .
Mnella said the killing of Imedi at Msundwe was “barbaric and regrettable”, but pointed out that his death did not come about due to his being Muslim.
He said Atupele could have raised several names of Muslims who have been murdered in the country including Issa Njauju who was killed while working for the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), saying he was an influential Muslim, a true supporter and a benevolent faithful alongside that of Imedi, a selfless man who was martyred in pursuit of a peaceful Malawi,.
“I bet it would not be in Mr. Muluzi’s political interests to mention the two names, one after the other, in highlighting the plight of us, Muslims, living in the dangerous city of Lilongwe where our brothers have been brutally murdered over time.
“Wait a minute! Just recently, three family members [Muslims] perished in a suspected arson attack said to be political in nature in Area 22 in Lilongwe. The Tambalas – both parents and a child – from my home district, Dedza, died a painful death”
He said Atupele could not muster the courage to tell the whole story of Muslims martyred as a result of politics in Malawi.
UDF spokesperson Ken Ndanga defended Atupele ‘s actions, saying only those who took part in the killing of Imedi must be worried and are stoking anger against President Mutharika’s running mate for fronting their agents to criticise part of his speech.
“Why are they only criticising part of his speech. Look at the whole statements he made against political violence, thuggery and lawlessness. I am a Christian and I never killed anybody, why should I be worried,” said Ndanga.
He said Atupele will hold a rally on Saturday at Masintha Ground in Lilongwe which will be live on Times TV and that people can quote him correctly not by watching bits and pieces of clips on social media.
But another commentator Idriss Ali Nassah said Atupele is not a dummy , saying smart people also make stupid mistakes and that he made an error in his speech.
“He has expressed private regret and is looking at ways to publicly walk back what he said. Good for him. That, to me, is a mark of leadership and maturity,” wrote Nassah on his Facebook.
However, Nassah said the problem us the “hobgoblining” from some self-appointed cheerleaders in trying to out-do each other in the competition to show that they can defend Atupele even when he says indefensible things.
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Dont waste time with Atupele! This one of the kind that have done nothing in life to deserve even to become a councillor! He is one spoon fed young man who thinks he deserves to lead us just because his Dad was fortunate enough to lead us! Any articulate Malawian knows that Atupele agenda is to wrestle back power from DPP to UDF and to maintain Southern dominance in Malawi politics! The coming elections are an opportunity for Malawians to break the greedy Muluzi and Mutharika alliance! These two families should find other sources of income rather than our coffers!… Read more »
Mkati mofuna chithandizo,atagendedwa kwambili
Imedi anafunsidwa ndi anthu ankhazawa
KUMUDZI KWANU NDIKUTI
imedi anayankha akulila KUMANGOCHI
Analamula wankulu waziigawengazo
Ali tiyenayeni
Basi kumalizitsa kumupha momugenda
Foolish son of a foolish man
@zamkede is very right and an honest person. Late Imedi was not killed because he was a Muslim. He was killed because local people were fighting a compromised police service or force. There was no time or opportunity to identify by faith any officer because non church or Islamic uniform. Even a Christian from Lilongwe would have met the same fate. They were all dressed in MPS uniforms.
Please, can someone educate Atupele?
Mr tippex president caused the death of innocent police officer umedi. We are all aware that the tippex president was wrongfully advised to go ahead ku Lilongwe kukachititsa misonkhano pamene mitima ya wanthu inali yowawa ndi zisankho Mene zidayendela. He would have waited . Atupele is a liar just like his father bakili ochenjera pakamwa alibe mfundo this is why his own people sanamuvotele even u MP. Pama ballot papers palibe kuchonga chipembedzo kapena mtundu umoza Kaya iwiri, palibenso zigawo young man muluzi. Your UDF DPP are so dangerous to the nation Malawi. You have been chopping off people’s private… Read more »
Why did PAC not condemn nkhanza zomwe a HRDC and MCP amachitira Ife anthu akumwera mu Lilongwe muno? Fotseki to partisan PAC.
This is a foolish son.
Kodi si Nthawi ya Boma la Tate Wache Azimayi akatodulidwa mabere mu Chiladzulumu ….Zinatotha atalowa Bingu…
Atupele and his father know pretty well that there is a certain class of our society that is too gullible and will always swallow without digesting whatever comes out of anyone’s mouth, be it truth, lie or diarrhoea. Ken Ndanga behaves as a typical employee who speaks and reasons with his stomach, so long there is food on his table, a typical puppet and robot of Atupele. Wherever Atupele goes, whichever direction he follows, even when Atupele will start eating snakes, Ken will automatically start for his blind loyalty
Where was PAC when Chakwera said people from Southern region should be chased. Where was PAC when MCP, UTM and HRDC thugs were harassing people and destroying businesses.
PAC takes an analytical and mature approach,it is not as childish as Atupele, they condemned violence in general even before the death of Imedi, even when DPP butchered Billy Mayaya in Blantyre. As others have said Cadet Inspector General Mwapasa wrongly advised the President, the President should not have held a rally in Lilongwe at that time. The Police officers were also ill equipped and ill prepared, this points to the incompetence of the office of the chief Cadet Acting Inspector General of Police Duncan Mwapasa.