Bingu flies out of Malawi silently?

President Bingu wa Mutharika reportedly flew out of Malawi quietly on Tuesday, but government officials denied knowledge of the trip and said he was around.

 

Four airport officials from the police, the Department of Immigration, the Department of Civil Aviation and Airport Developments Limited confirmed Mutharika’s departure to an unknown destination.

The President, according to the witnesses, arrived at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, at about 5.15 am in a convoy comprising three Land Rover and three Mercedes Benz vehicles. The sources said the President walked to a plane which had come to the airport the previous night.

“The pilots fuelled the plane on Monday evening. They were also taken unawares,” said an airport source who indicated the jet spent the night at KIA.

‘Final destination is Abuja’

The source said the plane, registered as Malawi 1, showed in its flight plan it was flying to Johannesburg in South Africa and the final destination was Abuja in Nigeria, though indications were that the President might catch a commercial flight to Nigeria.

Another source, who claimed familiarity with the matter, said:  “On the number of people [travelling], it is indicating that there are eight people in the plane. This means that if you exclude the two pilots, the President is travelling with five people.”

According to the sources, the only identifiable individual at the airport was State House director general Edward Sawerengera whose mobile numbers were out of reach on Tuesday.

 

‘We are not aware’

Presidential spokesperson Hetherwick Ntaba said he was not aware of the President being out of the country whereas government spokesperson Patricia Kaliati said she only knew Mutharika was around.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation officials said they do not handle State House matters.

But a State House source indicated that the trip was a normal private visit, but could not state the destination.

However, the majority of senior Cabinet ministers—who could shed light on the matter—were in Parliament, including Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Professor Peter Mutharika, Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Minister Goodall Gondwe, Finance and Development Planning Minister Ken Lipenga and Deputy Minister in the Office of the President and Cabinet Nicholas Dausi.

Normally, when the President travels on official or private business, the information is made public prior to and on the day of departure and arrival.

 

 

FAST  FACTS

.  Traditionally, foreign travel itinerary for the Head of State is announced by the Office of the President and Cabinet or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation days before departure or arrival.

. Usually, the President leaves with pomp and fanfare, seen off by political party followers and high ranking government officials such as Cabinet ministers.