The Malawi Nation newspaper’s editorial on Monday blasted President Bingu wa Mutharika’s remarks

Blantyre (Malawi) The Malawi Nation newspaper’s editorial on Monday blasted President Bingu wa Mutharika’s remarks made Saturday at the ordination of a Catholic bishop (Alessandro Pagani) in Mangochi District as being insensitive to all Malawians.

In his remarks, Mutharika described unnamed politicians whom he said were trying to put a wedge between Moslems and Christians in the country as “confusionists and agents of Satan.”

But the Nation in its editorial said that Mutharika’s remarks were unbecoming at such an occasion which was highly patronised by people from all religions in the country.

“It was unfortunate that President Bingu wa Mutharika brought an element of conflict between some religions, a reality that could not be supported by the attendance we saw, where all faiths sat with the Catholics to welcome the new bishop,” the daily said in its editorial.

It added, “It would really have been nice if, as some commentators have already said, the president had limited his speech to issues of the day.”

According to the pro-opposition tabloid, “This was a day never to be marred by anything, let alone individual observations like the ones held by the president.

“As the opposition says, it is time Mutharika learned to properly tailor his speeches for his audiences.”

Opposition parties like the former ruling United Democratic Front and the People’s Progressive Movement condemned Mutharika’s speech as “wrong and inappropriate.”

The editorial concluded: “At the bottom of it all, he is surely aware that Malawians are a united people. They know what they want, which is why they do things together, as was the case in Mangochi on Saturday.”

The Malawi Nation newspaper’s editorial on Monday blasted President Bingu wa Mutharika’s remarks