Clerics meet Muluzi to voice concern over violence

Malawian religious leaders have met with President Bakili Muluzi to voice their concern over political violence allegedly perpetrated by pro-government militants, news reports said. “We are concerned with inter-party political violence, and we also expressed our concern on the expulsion of the opposition MPs,” Constantine Kaswaya, an Anglican minister, told AFP.

Kaswaya leads the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) alliance of religious organisations, which held closed-door talks with Muluzi late on Tuesday at his hilltop residence, the Sanjika Palace. Kaswaya was quoted as saying that religious leaders were also concerned over the expulsion of Malawi Congress Party leader Gwanda Chakuamba and his top aide Hethrwick Ntaba from parliament. Speaker Sam Mpasu declared their seats vacant because the two had associated with another political party, the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD). Malawi’s High Court on July 16 temporarily overruled Mpasus declaration and reinstated the two MPs. Kaswaya said Muluzi did not comment on the expulsion, saying the court will rule on legislation enacted last month which allows the speaker to declare seats vacant.

Meanwhile, reports said that Muluzi had reassigned four ministers in a surprise cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday night - the first since he sacked his entire cabinet last November following various graft scandals. In one of the more significant moves, former health minister Aleke Banda was returned to his post as minister of agriculture and irrigation, replacing Leonard Mangulama. Mangulama was appointed minister for poverty alleviation, replacing Alice Sumani who was appointed labour minister. Sumani replaced Yusuf Mwawa, who replaced Banda as health minister.