PIM leader attacks media, opposition

Providence Industrial Mission (PIM) president and general overseer the  Reverend Patrick Makondetsa yesterday attacked the media and opposition parties in the country for propagating bad reporting.

Makondetsa attacked the media in his sermon at PIM in Chiradzulu where President Peter Mutharika led Malawians in commemorating the life of the church’s founder and freedom fighter the Reverend John Chilembwe.

On several occasions, the ruling elite, including Mutharika, were seen and heard applauding the sermon.

Government has of late come under fire from the media and opposition over alleged fraud and corruption in procurement and governance issues.

Said Makondetsa: “God is angry with the nation of Malawi because of negative reporting that is taking place. And He is saying to the nation of Malawi today: They [those involved in bad reporting] will keep wandering in the wilderness. Malawi is derailing into under-development because of the negative reporting.”

He warned that those involved in publishing negative stories against government “will never see the Promised Land”.

“God was angry. The Promised Land was an 11-day march to Canaan, but because of the bad reporting, it took the Israelites 13 000 days. Bad reporting, negative reporting, is not good to any nation. It derails development.

“It upsets the strong-minded. It confuses the strong. Negative reporting is a greater evil of our nation. It plants fear among citizens of this nation. It undermines the capability of its citizens. It kills the hardworking spirit of their people,” declared Makondetsa, amid ululation and handclapping from the audience.

He emphasised that negative reporting is the giant of all evils in Malawi as it kills the spirit of oneness, in addition to creating disrespect for leaders and scaring away potential investors.

Makondetsa also said it is unfortunate that bad reporting has not spared churches, families and political parties.

He said even in churches, people have stopped respecting their leaders because of bad reporting.

“Fighting in churches still continues because of bad reporting. Differences among people of faiths still exist because of bad reporting,” he said.

At this point, Makondetsa advised Mutharika not to fear his foes within the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and in the opposition.

“Bad reporting has not spared political parties. People have stopped respecting leaders in their own parties. They are creating parallel structures in their own parties instead of strengthening th parties. They are weakening their parties.

“Malawi needs strong parties to progress. But if you are fighting your own parties, how can you make the nation of Malawi strong?” he asked.

Makondetsa assured Mutharika that God had a strategy for wiping out bad publicity against his government, further urging the President to stop wasting his time responding to critics of his administration.

In his remarks, Mutharika described Chilembwe as a true patriot and a hard worker.

“Chilembwe was not a man who would falter in his mission because of any challenge. Just before he led the uprising, there was a great famine that lasted two years. But Chilembwe and his people never stopped working hard to rebuild their lives,” he said.

Mutharika further said the fallen hero was a man of integrity whose umunthu could not allow him to do nothing as his people suffered.

He said Chilembwe believed in skills development and that it is because of this that his government will honour the fallen hero by constructing a community technical college at PIM. n