APM disowns Nankhumwa

• Says minister made remarks in personal capacity
• Analysts say statement ploy to test public mood

President Peter Mutharika has snubbed his Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture Kondwani Nankhumwa’s request for a fresh inquest into the death of his brother and former president Bingu wa Mutharika.

But some political commentators have said Nankhumwa’s statement may have been a ploy by authorities to assess the views of Malawians on the issue.

Nankhumwa claimed Bingu was assassinated by people who were desperate to rule the country and that evidence of the plot to kill him is contained in a document titled ‘JB Project’.

The minister made the allegations last Saturday at Ndata Farm in Thyolo during the memorial service of the former leader who died in April 2012 due to cardiac arrest.

But speaking in an interview yesterday, the President’s press secretary Gerald Viola said Mutharika would not comment on the assertions as Nankhumwa was speaking in his personal capacity.

During the memorial service, the President also ignored making comments on the claims.

Viola said Nankhumwa made the statement like any other Malawian who feels that Bingu’s death “leaves more questions than answers.”

He said by making the public statement, Nankhumwa was representing other Malawians who share the same belief.

Said Viola: “President Mutharika does not believe neither in gossip nor vengeance… Honourable Nankhumwa, just like any other Malawian, is free to express his opinion on matters of national interest.”

Commenting on the new development, political science associate professor at the University of Malawi’s (Unima) Chancellor College, Blessings Chinsinga, said: “Probably what they were doing is testing public opinion, just to get a feel of how the public would react. And basing on the public reaction so far, it is probably what may have forced the President to take that direction.”

Another Chancellor College political scientist, Happy Kayuni, said most politicians’ statements are uttered without credible evidence to draw people’s attention towards something, get public sympathy or to divert attention from real issues.

Kayuni said Mutharika’s position on the matter could be a sign that the issue was just fabricated to frame some people being targeted.

“It is unfortunate development, sometimes our politicians rush to utter very serious statements of this nature without full evidence or facts on the ground. Otherwise the President should have been in the forefront agreeing and commenting on the matter,” observed Kayuni.

During the event, Nankhumwa claimed he did not know what letters ‘JB’ stand for and asked the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration to bring to book the conspirators, including the mastermind behind the death of Bingu.

However, the letters JB in Malawi are synonymous with immediate past president Joyce Banda, who ascended to the presidency in April 2012 in line with constitutional order after Bingu’s death.

And reacting to the allegations, Banda’s spokesperson Andekuche Chanthunya said yesterday the former president had received the claims with shock and was consulting legal minds on the next step of action.

“We take note that Nankhumwa speaks on behalf of the Cabinet, therefore, what he said we believe was agreed by the Cabinet, including the President who is the head of that Cabinet,” claimed Chanthunya.

But Viola distanced the President from the claims, saying what Nankhumwa said was from him and had reference to his claims which was an article written by The Eye Witness newspaper.

“It never came from the President. Unless I am told that the President and Cabinet ministers are reporters of The Eye Witness then I would suggest that they had agreed and sent Honourable Nankhumwa to present it on the podium and failure to that, you will note that the allegations against the President and Cabinet on this matter are baseless,” explained the press secretary.

At the function, Nankhumwa showed DPP sympathisers the publication of October 28 2011 whose lead story was ‘Bingu To Die Before 2014’.

Nankhumwa claimed the paper was quoting the ‘JB Project’ document in the article.

Ironically, The Eye Witness newspaper was published by Mzati Communications which also owns Mzati FM that broadcasts from Nankhumwa’s Mulanje Central Constituency. The media house is believed to be linked to a DPP sympathiser. n