Malawi President Peter Mutharika repeated a charge that he has made in the past concerning his arrest by Joyce Banda on treason case was ‘stupid’.
He then in the same speech mentioned Journalist Madalisto Musa who writes his biting column on Friday and Malawi’s King of the pen, Veteran Raphael Tenthani aka Muckraker who writes on Sunday that he is ready for their reactionary attacks this Friday and Sunday.
I know that the guy who writes on Friday and the other one who writes on Sunday will feast on me this week, am ready,’ said Mutharika referring to Musa and Tenthani.
Predictably this morning Raphael Tenthani took the bait ‘Hook, line & Sinker’, in a column titled if I were Peter…he writes
“If I were President Peter Mutharika I would not have allowed myself to be reduced to a cartoon to commemorate a misadventure that should never have happened.
Indeed if I were Peter I would have realised that no matter how often I describe my treason case as ‘stupid’ I would never erase the fact that I presided over machinations to usurp constitutional order during those “three mad days in April”
Many of us who have followed Malawi Elections understand why they were questions concerning the ascendancy to power of Joyce Banda.
Joyce Banda for two years was marginalized and was no longer a member of the DPP. The constitution is written on a piece of paper and as such can be questioned and also interpretations can be made to fit situations.
Those in the United States that supported Slavery used their constitution to back their position. Women in USA were not allowed to vote until the 1960’s. They also defended that position using the constitution. It is a fact that the 9 justices in the US Supreme court do not agree on all rulings. Some read the constitution one way and others another.
My point is that Peter Mutharika and the Midnight six could have been right that given that Joyce Banda was just Vice President by name only, Judges could have agreed that it was not in her place to succeed Bingu WA Mutharika.
Raphael Tenthani writes, “I should be ashamed, if I were Peter, that my treason charge was dropped before my innocence was tested in a legally-constituted court just because I won an election”.
Mr Tenthani are you not speaking from both sides of your mouth? Is it not the same Malawi Constitution you quote that allowed the charges to be dismissed once Mutharika won the Elections?
If we go by your logic then Joyce Banda should be arrested for trying to nullify the Elections once she realised she was going to lose.
You say “If truth be told the Democratic Progressive Party’s so-called ‘Liberation Day’ jamboree in Lilongwe last week was as ill-advised as it was misguided. Who or what was liberated that March 11 day? If anything was liberated on that day it was infamy, infamy to break the law and get away with it”
That we content Mr Raphael Tenthani is simply your opinion. The Constitution allows Mutharika to celebrate anything he wants. If he believes he was falsely accused and Jailed, It is his right to do so. You are also free not to like it.
What were we celebrating, by the way? That a band of treasonous people beat the rap just because they live in a country so petty that they were allowed not only to participate in – but also to win – an election?
Mr Tenthani it is your opinion once again. Since the courts made no ruling what you call Mutharika and the others is simply your Opinion.
Like it or not Peter Mutharika is now the President of Malawi. Your friend Joyce Banda whose where about is unknown is no longer the President. The People of Malawi believed in Mutharika.
