‘JB, APM Should Apologize to Malawians’ – CSOs

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have called on former President Joyce Banda and incumbent president Peter Mutharika to apologies to Malawians following the hate speeches the two leaders have been engaged into.

On May 25 Banda verbally attacked Mutharika as a drunkard who shamed her during their trip to China where former president Bingu WA Mutharika delegated them for official duties.

Responding to Banda’s claims, Mutharika alleged that she (Banda) is a prostitute who lured Bingu to sleep with her on the said China trip.

The feud between the two leaders has therefore attracted mixing reactions from different stakeholders and individuals baying for Mutharika’s head to apologize to Banda.

Center for Human Rights Rehabilitation (CHRR) Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa said what both leader said to each other was not good.

“What she said referring to the President as a drunkard was not good. Such remarks are not necessary they are also retrogressive. But at the same time, we condemn the President for reiterating in an excessive manner; because calling a married woman things like a prostitute is not something that is in our culture, it is not something that is civil,” Kaiyatsa said.

So we are saying both leaders were wrong and both should also apologize to Malawians,” Kaiyatsa said.

Other stakeholders like Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has written United Nations Women to strip off Mutharika’s He4She championship saying his remarks are an insult to the dignity of womanhood.

Women from Tonse Alliance also gave Mutharika 48 hour’s ultimatum to retract his sentiments or to face more actions.