BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi President Peter Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had a rude awakening on Sunday, May 3, 2020 after Chiefs in the Southern Region led by Paramount Chief Lundu openly refused the hold a press conference to aimed at dressing down the five Constitutional Court Judges.
The botched presser was scheduled for 2 PM on Sunday, May 3, 2020 at Chilembwe Lodge in Blantyre.
Apart from Lundu, the briefing that never was, could have Paramount Kawinga, Senior Chiefs Kapeni, Chapananga, Malemia and Traditional Authority Nthache from Mwanza.
According to our investigations, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Zodiak, Mibawa and Times were some of the media coverage that sent their newsmen and women to cover the briefing.
Further investigations reveals that all the Chiefs were invited by Paramount Lundu who was not then not sure of the contents of the press statement from the party.
“The media arrived and set up their gadgets ready for the major story from the Chiefs who were meeting in the other room at the same venue but things changed after Lundu fished out the statement” said the source.
“ After going through the document, one by one the Chiefs started excusing themselves not to participate. They feared the contents were a clear example of contempt of court, demeaning and an insult to the judiciary in Malawi” he said.
After a unanimous decision the Chiefs asked Senior Chief Kapeni to let go the media on the pretext that they were waiting for their counterparts from the Northern Region who had a problem with the vehicle they were traveling in.
The document that was addressed to Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda was the climax of DPP war against the judiciary in Malawi.
According to the copy we have seen, DPP wanted the Chiefs to echo the petition which DPP Henry Mussa read out during their Blantyre demonstrations.
Some of the issues in the botched statement, DPP accuses the ConCourt Judges of favoring the petitioners due to United Transformation Movement (UTM) President Saulosi Chilima’s wife Mary for allegedly being related to Judge Sunduzyo Madise, and it alleges Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President Lazarus Chakwera is connected to Redson Kapindu.
The statements further alleges that the judges erred in reinstatement of the Vice President Saulosi Chilima.
According to DPP the post of the vice president should have been left alone or else should have been with Everton Chimulirenji not Chilima.
The statement also faulted the ConCourt on the 50+1 alleging it was not part of the petitioners case.
In conclusion the statement ends; “Chiefs of this country together with our subordinates would like to humbly request your office as the head of Judiciary to always remind the judges and the magistrates to always stand by the truth, and impartiality when presiding over cases in our courts. If they do so Malawi will continue to remain united other wise our court risk losing trust and glory it used to have.