BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawi national assembly was yesterday temporarily turned into a kindergarten school as the lawmakers exchanged unprintable insults while debating the land bill.
It all started when opposition MPs were against some of the amendments in the Land bill and the progress of debate on the matter with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) dictating the debate.
The disagreement saw the parliament came to a standstill with legislators exchanging insults.
“Kamwana dala iwe Mulunguzi unaba malo ku Mangochi (meaning Lunguzi who looks young stole land in Mangochi),” a voice was heard from the ruling party side.
Juliana Lunguzi who is MP for Dedza East could hold her temper and reacted through the micro phone saying “Anaba malo ambiri ndi Bingu (it’s Bingu who stole chunks of land).”
The pandemonium continued until the opposition walked out of parliament while the ruling party members were singing “paulindo paulendo.”
The opposition MPs argued that the amended close was not favouring the poor Malawians and they accused Minister of Land and Housing Atupele Muluzi of betraying the House.
However, the opposition members of parliament returned to the Chamber afternoon just to find the government had passed the controversial Land Bill in their absence.
Rumphi east MP Kamlepo Kalua and other opposition backbenchers cried foul that the bill could not be passed in the state it was, saying it favoured tea estate owners and other commercial farmers with sways of land.
However, Leader of the House George Chaponda calmy told the House it was impossible to recall a bill after it had already been passed.
He said he had agreed with Leader of Opposition Lazarus Chakwera on the issue.
“The matter has been resolved. There is an agreement with the Leader of opposition,” said Chaponda.
Meanwhile, Law Society of Malawi chairman John Suzi Banda said the passing of the bill in the absence of the opposition was binding.
“We had the same situation some years ago and the opposition went to court but the court said the passing of the bill was legal,” said Banda.
If the whole MP condescend that the other side stole a larger chunk than what they are accusing her for then the message is loud and clear that all along we have been dealing with crooks, that she too is owning stolen property. It is said that “Set a thief to catch a thief” – this saying surely tells a thousand stories. In all fairness these crooks know each other and as a nation to be seen to move forward, can we have the land being disputed returned to government, please? That is what normally happens when you try to handle a gun but you are ignorant as to how it works because end result is that you shoot yourself in the foot. How many times has the opposition miscalculated their moves that has rendered them defenceless? Kamlepo/Mkandawire and company thought by walking out of the house they were punishing the other side not knowing that they were interpreting and reading the house protocols upside down, presenting themselves ineffective. What a miserable, misplaced and disgruntled bunch of MPs who can not know their duties but instead argue just to make noise like chatter-boxes they are. Mad MPs = Zero development in Malawi.