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Former president Bakili Muluzi has demanded the immediate drop of charges against journalists who were recently arrested for publishing a story that said ghosts are haunting President Bingu wa Mutharika at his New State House residence in Lilongwe.
Addressing a huge crowd at Masintha ground in Lilongwe on Saturday, Muluzi dismissed Mutharika’s claims that he bribes some journalists to write stories that ridicule the President.
“Government should stop arresting journalists. I am asking government to drop the charges immediately. I do not believe in corrupting journalists. They went to school, do they need to be corrupted?” queried Muluzi.
He asked the media to continue exposing the ills of society, saying they should discharge their duties without fear or favour.
Muluzi also took a swipe at Television Malawi for giving him a blackout, adding that the state-controlled media has turned out to be more of a campaign tool for Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Flanked by UDF big shots Harry Thomson, Brown Mpinganjira, Clement Stambuli, Kennedy Makwangwala, Sam Mpasu and suspended Aford president Chakufwa Chihana, Muluzi said he does not care whether he is beamed or not.
“Bingu told TVM that my face should not appear on TVM, but only the likes of Samson Msosa. Do you think I care? Ladies and gentleman if they want, they should keep their TV,” charged Muluzi.
A highly charged Muluzi said he fought hard for Malawi to have a TV station and therefore it was “madness for someone to wake up and say Muluzi should not be seen on TVM”.
The former president said he is not scared by persistent reports that he would be arrested but warned that nobody should use the police to intimidate people.
“Since May after the elections, I have been hearing reports that I would be arrested. Nobody can intimidate Bakili Muluzi and I am not afraid of any one. Nobody should use the police to oppress Malawians,” he said.
“This should stop. We do not want our wives to live in fear because they are worried that their husbands would be imprisoned,” added Muluzi, attracting calls from the crowd for Mutharika to bring back their votes.
In response, Muluzi said he, too, was demanding back his vote from Bingu.
He said if Mutharika thought running a government was easy, he was yet to see more tough time, adding that the President is approaching a year since he took over power but has made no visible development.
Muluzi boasted that upon assuming office in 1994, he made sure that pupils attended free primary education within three months, employed 24,000 teachers introduced Masaf I, II and III and not dismissing people like what Mutharika is doing.
He apologised to the cheering crowd for anointing Mutharika as his successor, saying when somebody marries, he does not know the inner feelings of his spouse.
Muluzi told the crowd that it was a blessing in disguise that Mutharika left the UDF because he made a lot of empty promises during the run up to the May 2004 election like the building of factories and subsidising fertilizer prices which would have affected the party.
On the controversial K1 billion ($82 million) loan scheme, Muluzi said Mutharika was using the scheme as a campaign tool for his party.
He said in 1995/96 he gave out K700 million, an equivalent of K2 billion today and never preached nor went to RBM to draw funds.
“You go to vendors you tell them I will give you K1 billion, meet religious leaders, the same, the youths the same, what is K1 billion?” boasted Muluzi.
Earlier, UDF regional governor for the Centre John Banda asked Mutharika to step down and assured Muluzi that he would strive hard to ensure that the party regains its lost members of Parliament.
Muluzi then gave out K330,000 to various groups such as chiefs, women dancers and Bakili Bullets supporters, team he sponsors.
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