Minister of Information, Communication Technology and Civic Education Patricia Kaliati has come out of her cocoon to defend President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika for telling Malawians to eat Mice, grasshoppers as part of their food supplement, saying that was just a joke.

Kaliati’s remark follows a recent spate of criticism directed at President Mutharika over the remarks made in Mulanje over the weekend, saying the statement offers no hope for Malawians.

In a statement made available to FaceofMalawi, Kaliati said the attacks directed at Mutharika are thoughtless and unwarranted.
She said Mutharika’s administration is doing everything that is possible to safeguard the people of Malawi from consequences of natural disasters, which have resulted in food shortages.
“For anybody to suggest that such a President has abdicated his responsibility of looking after his people simply because he referred jokingly to ‘mice’ as a food supplement is to sink our politics to new levels of pettiness.

“The President, like all Malawians, knows that ‘mice’ are eaten in some parts of our country even in times of plenty as a delicacy and to diversify on their traditional foods,” said Kaliati.

Kaliati said reference to eating of “mice” cannot be said to be a sign that the President has run out of ideas about how to deal with the food shortages in Malawi.

She added: “The President has a right to joke when he is interacting with his people. He does not have to fear to explore his sense of humour simply because fault-finders lie in wait to denounce anything that he says. Government wishes to take this opportunity to assure the people of Malawi once again that everything is being done to address the food shortages that not only this country is experiencing.”

Meanwhile Malawians have criticized Kaliati’s defence saying jokes are not entertained.