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| National |
| Mulamba still missing, says government |
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by
Zainah Liwanda, 09 September 2004
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11:25:25
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A preliminary report to the National Assembly on the whereabouts of former Admarc Deputy General Manager Peter Mulamba, who is feared dead, shows that he is just missing and accuses the media of lying when it quoted Home Affairs Minister Uladi Mussa as saying Mulamba committed suicide.
This was a complete reversal of a statement which Mussa gave to Nation Online on Monday where he claimed that the police had finished investigations which indicated that Mulamba committed suicide.
In his report to the National Assembly yesterday, Mussa disputed the rumour circulating across the country that Mulamba is dead, adding that the police have since issued a Press Release requesting the public to assist by giving information on Mulamba’s whereabouts.
“Madam First Deputy Speaker, the news about Mr. Peter Mulamba’s death was reported in The Nation and Daily Times newspapers of 7th September, 2004. The Nation newspaper went far as informing the readers that I had indicated to them in a separate interview that Mr. Mulamba is believed to have committed suicide and that the police had informed me that the investigations were over and that I was merely waiting to get an official report on the matter,”
“Let me inform this House and the Malawi nation that the comments attributed to me in The Nation newspaper of 7th September, 2004 on the disappearance of Peter Mulamba as clearly false and meant to tarnish the integrity and image of my office,” said Mussa.
Mussa explained to the House that the facts of the case are that Mulamba, General Manager of Great Lakes Cotton Limited on Friday, while at office, asked his Operations Manager, Spencer Mkandawire, to collect for him his driving licence from his house.
After Mkandawire had collected Mulamba’s licence, Mussa said, the two went to their office which is near college of medicine campus and at about 8 PM after working, Mulamba closed his office and drove off in a company vehicle registration number BL 1611, a Nissan Twin Cab.
Mussa added that on Saturday at about 10 AM, Mulamba’s former wife, Ellen, accompanied by her son Mbakataka Mulamba, approached Mkandawire in his office, telling Mkandawire that the children were failing to reach their father on his mobile phone.
Ellen Mulamba according to Mussa was on separation with Peter Mulamba for three years.
Mussa further told the quiet august House that Ellen Mulamba explained to Mkandawire that she too had tried to phone Peter Mulamba in vain.
Mkandawire then tried to phone Mulamba, but he, too, could not get through, hence assured the estranged wife that he would continue to get in contact with Mulamba, the minister said.
He went on to say that the same day Mkandawire got a telephone call from Manager of Bangula Ginnery that one of their vehicles had a breakdown near Lengwe National park junction in Nchalo.
Immediately at about 1:15 PM, Mkandawire started off for the place where the vehicle was reported to have broken down, and about 100 meters away from Kamuzu Bridge, he saw Mulamba’s car parked on the road facing Blantyre direction.
“The doors were locked but window glasses were slightly opened. On seeing the vehicle, Mr. Spencer Oscar Mkandawire called Chikwawa Police Station to report the matter. He was then accompanied to the scene and the police opened the vehicle.
“In the vehicle, some properties were found such as a K500 note, a bank book, a bunch of keys, driving licence, and money card for National Bank and other small items. The police advised Mr. Spencer Mkandawire to collect the duplicate keys for the car so as to drive it away from the spot since the victim was nowhere to be seen,” said Mussa, amid total silence in the House.
Mussa further told the attentive House that some women nearby, who were selling maize at the time the police arrived at the scene, said Mulamba’s vehicle was seen parked on the spot from about 5 AM Saturday morning.
The minister assured the House that the police and local community have since continued carrying out the search for Mulamba.
“Madam First Deputy Speaker, this is all I can at the moment report to this august house on the disappearance of Mr. Peter Mulamba. This being the case, Madam First Deputy Speaker, as far as our laws of the land are concerned, Mr. Peter Mulamba is still missing,” said Mussa, before taking his seat.
Seeming not be satisfied with Mussa’s explanation, leader of opposition John Tembo, standing on a supplementary question asked Mussa to explain what he meant by the word “victim” in his explanation
“The honourable minister referred to Mr. Mulamba as a victim, I would like to know the meaning of the word victim, because as far as I am concerned, a missing person is not a victim,” said Tembo, attracting applause from the opposition.
In his response, however, Mussa asked Tembo to provide a substitute for victim, saying he used the word just because the vehicle of the missing person was found abandoned and that the whole nation is worried.
Mzimba West MP Loveness Gondwe further took Mussa to task quizzing him whether he was aware that the issue of Mulamba was on BBC and SABC and what he is doing about the issue to protect the country’s image.
“I mean this morning, I called the new IG, Commissioner for Southern Region and they all said there was nothing like Mulamba is dead,” said Mussa.
Commenting on the issue, Balaka North MP Lucius Banda said: “Mr. Mulamba is a victim of the press, this is what I can answer the leader of opposition to his question of who a victim is,” attracting jeering from the opposition.
Lilongwe Mpenu MP, Louis Chimango asked the minister to institute a commission of inquiry, comprising a High Court judge, to urgently look into the issue since according to him, the police were failing to come up with a concrete report.
Mussa assured the house that they have deployed agents both within and outside Malawi and that photographs of Mulamba have been sent to various neighbouring countries in their continued search for Mulamba.
First Deputy Speaker Esther Chilenje then ruled that the matter should be put to rest as the house waits for briefing from the Home Affairs minister on new developments on the issue.
Lilongwe City West MP Robert Bondo (MCP) on Tuesday interrupted questions to the Ministry of Education, asking the minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Uladi Mussa to make a formal statement on the disappearance of Mulamba.
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