Malawi president accused of developing Mugabe-style oppressive government

By Tererai Karimakwenda
4 April, 2006

We have been following developments on the Malawi political scene ever since the president Bingu Wa Mutharika and his Zimbabwean wife Ethel hired security agents and kitchen staff from Robert Mugabe last year. Now Malawi residents and the opposition say the relationship between the 2 has developed further and they fear Mutharika is turning into a more oppressive leader. Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa, who has been in Malawi this week, confirmed that residents in Lilongwe are talking about the Mutharika’s recent behaviour and comparing it to Robert Mugabe next door. New legislation is expected to introduced soon which is very similar to oppressive legislation forced through parliament by Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe.

Opposition leader Kamlepo Kalua, who heads the Malawi Democratic Party, told us Mutharika is coordinating information with Zimbabwe against the advice of local and international donors. He said the Malawi president is exchanging ideas and information with Mugabe and people are worried their country will deteriorate the way Zimbabwe has in the last few years. Mugabe is believed to be planning a visit to Malawi this week.

Asked to specify just what Mutharika has done that is causing so much fear, Kalua said he ditched the party that brought him to power and is now bribing opposition members of parliament to join him. Kalua said Mutharika recently began boasting that he has 84 MPs ready to support him. To achieve this, Kalua said Mutharika wants to amend section 65 of their constitution. This would allow MPs to change parties or “cross the floor” in parliament without going back to their constituencies for a fresh mandate.

Kalua told us that people are now too scared to criticise Mutharika because they can be arrested. He also claimed that civil servants who openly do not support the president can be fired. According to Kalua, 2 officials from the opposition were recently charged with treason and denied bail. He said this is new to Malawi and it seems as though the country is moving backwards. He added that he is not afraid to speak himself because he was one of the people who campaigned for a multi-party system in Malawi and is a well-known figure. Kalua believes chiefs and NGOs already fear these changes they see in Malawi. As for Mugabe’s role in all this, Kalua said anyone you speak to in Malawi will tell you it all began to fall apart as Mutharika strebngthened his ties with Mugabe.